[i]Electricity and water do not mix[/i]

	Abernathy sat in his office pouring through parchment that was almost as old and withered as he was. The manacrystals that lit his study were dimming out, flickering from dim to dully bright like a candle. Abernathy was growing tired in those late hours. There was a time when Abernathy could pour over documents for days without requiring sleep, but almost eighty years presiding over the New York Cathedral, raising and training new generations of magi took its toll. He often found himself waking up in a sore and stiff stupor at his desk, not even recalling when it was that he fell asleep. But, he had convinced himself that if he were to die, he would like to do so lying down in his comfortable bed. Which meant that lately, Abernathy had been forcing himself back to his chambers at the first sign of eye heaviness. And recently he had been very good at committing to that pattern, however, he recently found himself fascinated over one of his promising students. An orphan named Raiya whose parents were killed in a car accident twelve years ago. Abernathy's interest in her was due to the fact that she was Talent Marked, her right eye being yellow with a slit-like pupil, and yet she still had a blank aura like a normal Talent. Normally regular markless Talents had a pure aura until they dedicated themselves to a craft enough to produce a shift in the color of their aura. However, those with Talent Marks were normally born with a predisposed aura color which made them virtuoso's in their whatever they were born with. Raiya was different, she was marked and had a blank aura like a normal adolescent mage. 

	Abernathy had held off his curiosity while she was growing up, not bothering to investigate into her condition until very recently. He had more things to worry about throughout the years than a single girl and her mysterious birth traits. He'd done such a good job of neglecting his curiosity that he'd gone and grown so old and feeble that he could barely charge a manacrystal let alone perform scholarly duties like analyzing old documents. Fortunately, he felt that his research was about to be finished. He had recalled that one of Pliny the Elder's lost documents contained a first hand mana analysis of a creature that had a varicolored aura that was naturally white but shifted as it attacked. He just could not remember which document it was specifically. Abernathy had spent the past three months pouring through all of the lost works of Pliny the Elder, and he was now down to the last two documents. The document he was now examining was entitled, [i]Mysteries of Greater Beasts Vol. 7.[/i] Abernathy scanned through the dusty pages of the copy he owned, thumbing through page after page until... "[i]The Great Chimera is perhaps the only beast known to man that can shift its aura at will. With a natural resting aura of pure white and three other auras it can shift through at will (Blue, Red, and Green) it proves one of the most powerful and versitle of beasts to date."[/i]

	Abernathy was examining the following paragraphs just as the loud clank of his office door opening startled him. He looked up from his desk over to the door to his study to see Raiya standing in the dim manalight. [color=7bcdc8]"Oh, child!"[/color] Abernathy said in his raspy voice, [color=7bcdc8]"You gave me quite the start. Is there something I can help you with?"[/color] he asked the apprentice. 

	[color=ec008c]"F-Father Abernathy...,"[/color] Raiya said in an embarrassed tone, [color=ec008c]"I have decided on what specialization I am going to take..."[/color] Raiya's young soft voice barely carried itself to the head Priest's ears. Abernathy knew that Raiya was having some difficulty choosing which path to go, and because of that she was a bit further behind than most of the other children. 

	[color=7bcdc8]"Oh you did did you? Well, that's very good of you. As you start working towards that by casting spells of the nature you wish to specialize in, eventually you will see a change in your aura," he explained, "Now, what did you choose child?"[/color] He asked Raiya. 

	[color=ec008c]"Well... big brother Felix gave me this book about Japanese mythology and certain dragons that can control the weather, so I decided to be like the dragons and I chose lightning destruction magic and decided my aura would be pink!"[/color] She exclaimed, [color=ec008c]"Can I get my anointed robes now!?"[/color]

	Father Abernathy laughed at the enthusiasm of the young mage, [color=7bcdc8]"Well, you have to first train yourself,"[/color] He continued to chuckle, [color=7bcdc8]"And your aura will change its color based upon what spells you use!"[/color] 

	Raiya let out a huff of frustration, [color=ec008c]"Well I didn't use any spells I just wanted my aura and I got it!"[/color] She said in a frustrated tone. Abernathy stopped chuckling. He looked at Raiya with concerned eyes as he activated his manalysis to see precisely what the young girl had stated. Her aura was dark pink with the echo of electricity humming through it. 

	[color=7bcdc8]"Young one. You must never tell anyone of how you got your aura."[/color] The Father said in a serious tone, [color=7bcdc8]"There are dangerous people out there who do not understand different people and will want to hurt you. You must tell everyone you have been secretly training and casting spells in the night."[/color] The head priest noticed Raiya's scared expression and added, [color=7bcdc8]"If you promise me that you won't tell anyone, I will give you your anointed robes right away and we will have your ceremony tomorrow. Do we have a deal?"

	[/color] Raiya smiled with enthusiasm, [color=ec008c]"Deal!"[/color]

	[color=7bcdc8][i]If the Vatican were to find out about this girl she would be excommunicated for sure talent marks such as hers would be seen as unnatural and impure. What the Vatican does not know will not hurt them.[/i] [/color] Abernathy thought as he went to retrieve her new robes from the chest of anointed robes. As he walked from his desk manacrystal light went completely dark, making it impossible for Abernathy to see. 

	[color=ec008c]"Don't worry, Father,[/color] Raiya assured, [color=ec008c]"I got it."[/color] A moment later a pink light bathed the room. 

	[color=7bcdc8]"Child... How were you able to find the manacrystal so quickly?"[/color] Raiya blushed, [color=ec008c]"Well, I can see in the dark with my right eye."[/color] She explained. [i][color=7bcdc8]A cat's eye... Like the chimera...[/color][/i] Abernathy thought as he walked over to the chest containing the anointed robes. He retrieved a set of folded robes and presented them to Raiya who beamed with excitement. 

	[color=ec008c]"Maybe next year I'll be a grand mage!"[/color] She exclaimed optimistically as she retrieved the robes. She quickly bowed and exited the room to change into her new outfit. [i][color=7bcdc8]She's already set her sights on becoming one of the grand-magi... What a frightening girl...[/color][/i]

[hr]

	[i]Cats and water do not mix[/i]

	Raiya saw Nemo put up a shield just in time for the massive wave to crash down on top of them. The shield did a good job of mitigating the impact but did noting to protect them afterwards. Raiya had enough time to take a deep breath before the water consumed them. Through the murky depths Raiya opened her eyes to see Nemo and Travis forced away from her by the ripping current of the massive wave that had just drug them all down. The shattered ship's pieces floated by, occasionally bumping into Raiya as she struggled to reach the surface to no avail. She had no swimming training, in fact, she was terrified of being in any body of water larger than a hot tub. Due to the nature of her aura, water continuously sapped her mana unless she repressed her aura which made spell casting underwater a dangerous venture for Raiya. Raiya had forgotten about this fact and did not repress her aura until most of her mana was already sapped. On top of everything, Raiya's snake-like nature, thanks to her tattoos, made operating in a cold environment virtually impossible. And while the waters were not particularly cold the further she sunk the colder it became. Her body began to shut down, her heartbeat slowing, until eventually she completely lost consciousness. 

	Raiya's mind began to drift in a sea of subconscious thought. She could feel her life force slipping away as she thought about letting go. Then she remember her unfinished business, the duty she had sold herself to, to bring justice to her parent's murderer. [color=ec008c][i]I wont die here. I REFUSE! I REFUSE!!!!!!!!!!!![/i][/color] Eventually even her mind succumbed to complete unconsciousness as her body drifted away. 

[hr]

	Sunlight bathed Raiya's body as she lay on the sand among the rubble of the broken ship, with Nemo checking her vitals. The heat warmed her body, increasing her blood flow, and her heart rate began to rise. Her heart beat was so faint before that even Nemo would have had a hard time finding it, but the heat kick started the circulation of her blood. A moment later Raiya violently began to cough up sea water as she regained consciousness. She opened her blood shot eyes, completely groggy and sore, she looked out at the sand of the beach which she was lying face-on.

 As her senses began to return to normal she could feel something pressing on the small of her back. Raiya almost did not have the willpower to exert the energy necessary to roll herself onto her back. But she gathered up every shred of energy she had left and flopped herself over. She turned her head to see Nemo staring at her with a concerned expression. [color=ec008c]"Oh great...,"[/color] Raiya croaked out, [color=ec008c]"I've died and gone to hell..."[/color]