Page 97 of Gift from the Wing

“You must calm yourself, filia mea. All the tools you need to find your Perfecta Anima have already been provided to you, but you must search within yourself. You will never be able to do that if you do not balance your emotions.”

Fuck, I want to scream at him. Ask him how dare he tell me to calm down in a time like this, but the reaction slaps me in the face.

I’m not oblivious to the fact that I’ve reacted quite emotionally since my men parted like the fucking Red Sea to show me half of Oakly’s Nexus on the ground. One being healed, one losing his ever-loving mind. But how else am I supposed to react? I’m all too aware of what my best friend could be facing right now.

Drawing in a lungful of air, I pull my legs beneath me so I can sit crisscross in the grass and try to meditate the way Gaster has tried so many freaking times to teach me. He swears by the silent, still method, but I justcan’t focus on this shit. The quieter my surroundings get, the louder my mind responds. So instead of being quiet, I sing.

Air, earth, water, fire so bright,

Four elements, pure and right.

Air we breathe, wise and sweet,

Earth stands strong, soil beneath our feet.

Water flows, broken and whole,

Fire’s warmth feeds the soul.

Remember these with joy and cheer,

The elements become one, the world becomes clear.

Repeatedly, I sing the lullaby that’s come to my rescue more times than I can even recall. The enchantment that started it all. As the melody plays in my head, my diversions poke their way through the darkness as well. A small, watery smile crosses my face as times that seem so long ago play across my mind, but it’s over far too fast for my liking.

As I continue to sing and each line brings forth a more positive emotion, I use this moment to fortify my diversion spell. Give it an upgrade, if you will. I lace all my happy new memories with my lullaby like background music as each one comes forward.

Of course the guys are front and center. I keep all their original moments that I used when I first made this spell and add on from our time together since then.

Gaster. CC. Lyker, Aria, Lennox, Zane, and Kyan. Then Aurora and my Patera-Nexus.

Ry, San, Jamie, and Nikoli. My brothers born from a bond.

Finally, Oakly. My sister. My best friend. My backbone.

I try to replay every single second of our time together. Every laugh she’s drawn from my mouth. Every narrowed, sideways look she’s shot me when I do something to her disliking. Fuck, her absolute brilliance. She’s so smart.

I let it all out and allow it to solidify my spell.

The calm I was so desperately looking for coats my body in a blanket of protection and I exhale hard enough to blow the tears off my lips.

Okay, Willow, think.

You’ve been in the exact situation she’s now in.

You know what happens and you know what to do.

As painful as it is, I bring forth the day of my kidnapping to the front of my mind. I picture how I was pulled through multiple transports, drugged by the immobilizing tonic, and then placed in the cell inside the concealed structure.

So based on the time that’s passed and my inability to reach her, it’s easy to assume she’s already inside the concealed structure.

Fuck, okay.

I had to break it while I was trapped in there, but the roles are reversed now.

How do I break it from the outside?

How do I reach her?

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