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The days following her surgery were some of the worst of Dana’s life. She had felt utterly drained of the energy that usually defined her, and was so weak that she could barely manage to sit up in bed to eat the food Penny brought back from the cafeteria for her. At least, when her nausea died down enough for her to be [i]able[/i] to eat… Thankfully, by the time their first combat exercise rolled around, she was mostly back to feeling like her old self. Unlike some of the others, Dana didn’t think it was all that weird to have a gemstone inserted in her navel. It was [i]cool.[/i] It meant that she was now truly an Ars Magi, and today, she was going to prove it.

Vanna had gone first, and provided a display befitting someone of her high station. After that, it was Dana’s turn. As she strode into the ruined cityscape that would serve as the arena for her test, Dana wore a brilliant smile completely incongruous with her bleak surroundings. She was just so excited, so [i]happy[/i], to transform for the first time and fight as a [i]real[/i] Ars Magi.

Turning to face the observation tower where her friends waited, she gave a thumbs up. [color=Gold]“Okay! I’m ready whenever you are!”[/color] she called, perhaps unnecessarily. 

“Now lowering diffusion level. Nox levels rising,” answered a voice from her earpiece. 

Dana could feel the growing sensation of reverberating static in her head, which signaled the increase of that frightening substance, but it did nothing to reduce her eager anticipation of what was to come.

“Manifestation of Voids detected,” the voice over the earpiece told her as her own eyes watched a trio of the horrific creatures materialize before her, just as they had for Vanna. The observation was stated in so detached a manner, it might as well have been read off a script. 

Perhaps it was?

[i][color=Gold]Just like a tv show…[/color][/i] Dana couldn’t help but note with mild amusement.

In any case, the show was most assuredly about to start. Dana’s enemies were before her, just as spindly and sinister looking as the one she’d encountered aboard the [i]Laurus[/i]. This time, however, there were no injured soldiers in need of healing. And this time, she was no mere teenaged girl… Even now, she could feel the glow of power surging within her, just waiting to be unleashed. All it needed was her permission, and that was something she was only too happy to give.

In a flash of luminous brilliance, Dana transformed, manifesting both parma and gladius with the trademark speed of her elementum. With a jubilant giggle, she noticed that she was wearing an outfit quite similar to the one worn by Guardian Gunslinger Alexis, although there were still a few telling differences. For one thing, Dana’s outfit had a cape, and, for another, her head was adorned with an oversized hat befitting a witch, rather than a cowboy. The entire ensemble featured a bight color palette that seemed to glow with an inner radiance, one which complemented that of her eyes and smile. And much to Dana’s delight, her gladius was indeed a pistol in the style of Alexis’s own signature weapon. Coated in chrome, it shimmered and glittered in the light generated by her parma, while a few golden gemstones set into its sides glowed with pent up energy.

[color=Gold]“All right!”[/color] Dana declared with a gleeful twirl of her pistol. [color=Gold]“Let’s do this!”[/color] 

The Voids were still a fair ways off, and Dana didn’t intend to let them get any closer. Taking careful aim with her gladius she lined up a shot on the center of the middle Void’s chest and squeezed the trigger. A blinding beam of energy shot forth and blasted a hole clean through the monster’s torso, dissipating the Nox that composed it like a shadow caught in a ray of sunlight. With it’s entire center of mass blown away, the rest of the creature wasted no time in dissolving completely.

[color=Gold]“Sweet!”[/color] Dana exulted, while jumping up and punching the air. [color=Gold]“Now to finish off the rest!”[/color]

Closing her eyes to focus herself, Dana reached out her hand, and conjured a glowing mote of light from each of her splayed fingers. These rapidly grew into five pointed stars, from which thin lances of light shot out. They proceeded to slice apart the two remaining Voids, which vanished into wisps of swiftly dissipating Nox.

[color=Gold]“Woo hoo! Victory!”[/color] Dana cheered, jumping up in the air before striking a pose and giving her friends the victory sign. The energetic girl had never had so much fun in her life, the last few minutes having made the several bedridden days preceding them worth every agonizing moment. It was everything she had hoped it would be and [i]then[/i] some. [color=Gold]“What did ya think, guys?!”[/color] she asked with an excited gleam in her eyes after she’d de-transformed and returned to the observation tower. [color=Gold]“Was that awesome, or what?!”[/color]