Klarth has friends! No, really.

[fightingofthespirit]

[private, hackable to friends]
Were there more . . . ? 

Cless Alvein, Mint Adnade, Arche Klaine . . . And Suzu.  Suzu Fujibayashi.  A heroic young ninja from the hidden village of Japon.  I don't recall if she'd accompanied us on our journey, but.  I seem to remember this girl with a fair bit of fondness.  As well as . . . Chester Barklight.  A blue-haired young man, a friend of Cless and Mint's whom we didn't meet until . . .

Until . . .

Until we'd returned to the future?!  WHAT?!  That can't possibly be right.  Cless and Mint -- I remember them coming to me after my classes one day.  I remember thinking it was a decidedly odd request, but they insisted that they were gathering magic users in order . . . in order to bring them back to the future to save their friend, Chester, from . . . from a sealed evil that was threatening to destroy the world, past, present, and future . . . What in the name of Yggdrasil?  And . . . And I agreed!  Why on Aselia would I agree to something like that?!  I must've been out of my mind!  What sort of proof did they show me?  What was I thinking?!

Ah!  Perhaps I'm merely remembering a game we played.  A skit we carried out.  That must be it . . .

A sealed evil . . . An evil that threatened past, present, and future.  Ridiculous.  R-Right?

[public]
I understand that the number of students in class has been slowly dwindling day by day.  This does not, however, mean that you can merely skip school at your leisure and believe I won't notice.  Emil?  I'm afraid this applies to you.

New arrivals -- Takeru, Taichi, Alphonse, Jaime . . . You are welcome to attend if you wish.  I am the instructor of Home Economics, Professor Klarth F. Lester.

((3% from Halloween spent, 14% memory regain total, 0% remaining.  1% on possible party member Suzu Fujibayashi, 1% on latecomer Chester Barklight, 1% on the initial meeting between himself, Cless, and Mint.))

Comments

[fixmyresolve.livejournal.com]

I think Emil isn't feeling so good or something. He was acting kinda weird last time I talked to him. Maybe he remembered something big, or maybe he's got a fever. Yeah right, Lloyd, that's a pretty dumb excuse. Nobody would buy that! No wonder Professor Raine could always tell when I was faking being sick... What I mean is, he doesn't seem like the type of guy who'd skip out on classes for no reason, you know?

...By the way, is something up, Professor? You seemed kinda distracted today.

[filter]

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

Ah.

Actually, I'd caught wind of that as well. Under normal circumstances, I imagine he'd be terribly embarrassed, and I'd get a flood of apologies. Something definitely is wrong if that doesn't happen.

And I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you. I've gotten some more memories back -- They concern . . . time travel.

[filter]

[fixmyresolve.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that sounds about right.

Hmmm... Time travel. Can people actually do that?

But hey! You were all excited that I might be from your past. Time travel isn't too much of a stretch, if you think about it. I mean, look around! You've got people from all kinds of different places thrown together already.

[filter]

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

That's true enough, but . . . well, the island is to blame for that. I'm not too sure what's to blame here. If my memories are accurate, it seems that Cless and Mint came to my time from the future to seek out mages to fight against an enemy of some sort from their time.

It sounds unbelievable, doesn't it?

Re: [filter]

[fixmyresolve.livejournal.com]

Huh. So, did you offer to help them out?

Well, I'd be lying if I said no, but I also think it sounds pretty amazing. I wonder how they did it. Magitechnology or something...?

[filter]

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

Apparently so. I'll simply have to wait for more answers . . .

Magitechnology? That's a surprise. You know what Magitek is, Lloyd? It certainly does seem as if any time machine would have to run off mana . . .

[filter]

[fixmyresolve.livejournal.com]

I don't know a whole lot about it, but I've heard of it before.

[filter]

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I don't remember much myself, aside from that it's obviously a fusion of mana and technology. But I believe that Cless and Mint mentioned being transported through the sheer power of magic alone.

[chaos-squirrel.livejournal.com]

Going to school is useless.

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

Welp, no doubt about it. Wonder if I can get ahold of that exorcist girl.

Useless? You know everything there is to possibly know already, then?

[chaos-squirrel.livejournal.com]

I know what I need to know already. What's the use of sitting around in classrooms and listening to people talk about things that don't matter all day?

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

Alright. Let's hear your idea of what matters, then. Granted, Home Economics is certainly the most useful class in the world, but.

[chaos-squirrel.livejournal.com]

Being strong. Knowing how to survive. Doing what you're meant to. The Emil who went to school every day couldn't do that, and he nearly got himself killed the first time things got dangerous for him. You think your so-called class can teach him how to keep himself alive? I doubt it.

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

If those are the only items on your list, I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken. Life isn't worth the bother if you live only to survive from day to day.

Now you've made it obvious that you're not the same person who arrived here several months ago. You've recently gained control, you said? Who are you?

[chaos-squirrel.livejournal.com]

It beats me. I've been a part of Emil since he arrived on this island, but I don't know any more than he does about what happened before coming here.

I know my name--Ratatosk. But at the same time, I am also Emil. The nature of my connection to the Emil you know is still a mystery to either of us. Who knows? I could be a part of his personality that somehow became separate from him, or I could be someone else entirely who ended up inside his mind for reasons neither he nor I remember yet. Or it could be something else entirely. I don't remember anything useful, so how the hell should I know any more than you do?

All I know is, I don't intend to die here. I won't die just because he's too foolish to fend for himself!

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

. . . Hm. That's quite the story.

Then Ratatosk, would you mind if I asked you to assist me with an experiment? I believe it is possible that it could reveal a great deal about your own nature if I succeed. Either way, you don't have to worry about dying. Death is not a lasting condition here, strange as it may seem.

((FYI, the experiment Klarth wants to do is one where he forms a contract -- this works with any magical spirit, magical beast, or demon. It's up to you whether or not he would succeed. I personally believe it could work since Martel is categorized into the same type of spirits as the Summon Spirits, and Ratatosk is similar to Martel. However, an opposing reason might be that Ratatosk is already bound to Emil. Thought I'd give you the info beforehand.))

[chaos-squirrel.livejournal.com]

Not lasting? That's got to be a joke. That's what death is. How could it be anything other than lasting?

...Still, it depends. What's involved in this experiment of yours?

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

There were a few around here before with the ability to see souls. Apparently, when death occurred, rather than being severed from the body, the soul hung around and waited until the healers were able to bring body and soul back together. You can choose to believe me or not; the murder victim has since vanished from the island.

As for the experiment, it would involve a capability I possess as a Summoner of spirits. If you, Ratatosk, are merely a spirit sharing the body of this young man, a contract may be possible. If you're a split personality of some sort, it'll be a no go.

[1/2]

[chaos-squirrel.livejournal.com]

How could that be--that's not natural.

[Wait. Pause...]

[2/2]

[chaos-squirrel.livejournal.com]

[A laugh, hovering around the edge of sane but not quite crossing it.]

Of course. I forget where I am.

Fine. I'll try your little experiment. I could use some real answers for once.

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

Right.

Then I'll get in touch with you again soon. I'll contact you once I've made my preparations.

[chaos-squirrel.livejournal.com]

Fine.

[allnaturalmagic.livejournal.com]

...Time travel is possible in your world?

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought so, but. I met a man the other day tinkering with a time-travel machine. I had the chance to take a quick look, and I believe it would have been possible to fuel the machine on the power of mana alone. And if he could build one, then . . .

But it's still an unimaginable thought. 100 years into the future . . .

[allnaturalmagic.livejournal.com]

That's amazing! I wonder if you really could make it work...?

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

No. It would require an incredible amount of mana to move through time even a single day. I do not have the resources at my disposal here -- And I doubt the island would appreciate it if I devised a method to siphon off its own reserves.

[allnaturalmagic.livejournal.com]

That's true. I don't think the island would take kindly to that at all.

I swear I made a response to this already. =X

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

But it's still an interesting idea to explore. Time travel . . . Who would have thought it possible?

LJ has been eating comments. *patpat*

[allnaturalmagic.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Even with my magical abilities, I never would have hought such a thing was possible!

Sob

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I'll go ask that man about his machine. I may be able to learn a bit more.

[allnaturalmagic.livejournal.com]

'That man'? Who are you talking about?

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

Ah, the one with the time machine. I believe his name was . . . Briefs. Something along those lines.

[allnaturalmagic.livejournal.com]

Someone here has a time machine?

[shoukanjutsu.livejournal.com]

Ah -- My apologies, I wasn't clear. When I said that I'd meant a man with a time machine, I meant here. On this island. Not in my memories.