It was time for an X-Mission!

Rather, it was time for an X-Men Fact-Finding Mission. Significantly less exciting, in Praxi's humble opinion. That didn't mean it was not important, especially when the information they were looking for was important.

Praxi was not big on watching the news after noticing the correlation between watching news channels and a weird existential depression in her core. She still absorbed enough of the goings-on in New York and the world through ClikClak. She heard how, after a period of keeping a low profile, the Welldrinker Cult was popping up again with more frequent incidents. With everything the Trainees were told about X-Men running in with Cult Mystics, following a lead to figure out their big plans would be a big deal.

The uncertainty came with the one-two punch that the lead they were following came from one of the heads of the Welldrinker Cult and it led them to Atlantis, Praxi's least favorite place.

Coming along on the trip was optional, but Praxi was here to prove she could handle a stressful environment for the sake of the X-Men. Maybe she was also hoping to prove to herself that Atlantis was not a point of trauma for her anymore. She was not a kid, so it was time to put on her (metaphorical) big girl pants and (literal) X-Uniform and confront her fears.

That did not mean she was above sliding close to one of her seniors as they walked down the streets of a part of Atlantis she was never allowed to traverse as a kid. "And we're sure Atlantis really holds some kind of important details about the big bad's plan?"

Ms. Grey sighed, not exactly inspiring confidence. "There's nae saying for sure, but supposedly, the last time mutants crossed paths with Mystics, it all ended here."

Praxi accepted that as the best thread the team had to tug on. She was still skeptical of its source, being Ms. Grey's insane Culty sister, but what benefit did the Cult have sending them to Atlantis? Ms. Grey wasn't a mutant anymore, but Praxi chose to believe she was still looking out for mutantkind.

The Scottish teacher nervously tucked her hair behind her ear when they met with Queen Achlus. She bowed, so Praxi followed suit. "Your highness."

The Queen narrowed her eyes, examining Ms. Grey. "I hope you understand your time on this island is solely being granted because of your service to Atlantis in the past, Rebecca. Let me be clear; Mystics will not be welcome in our borders after you leave." The tone implied Rebecca would not be an exception, and she begrudgingly nodded. Queen Achlus' expression did soften from her regal mask; Rebecca was not a threat, but she had a Nation's safety to protect. "Very good. X-Men, if you would follow me to the Royal Library, our scholars will answer questions you may seek so you can deal with your own Mystic problems."

When he had been younger, he had liked that one movie about the lost sunken city. You know, the one with the scientist in glasses? Who went deep below the earth, and, well, maybe “younger” wasn’t accurate because he had not been watching American cartoons when he was young. Like 10. But catching up on American pop culture at the ripe old age of 25? Sure. Okay. So, Atlantis. He knew about it. He had not really interacted with it in any way, shape, or form in real life. So, this mission would be all sorts of interesting! Educational field trips, yeah!

Yay.

He followed, and looked, and listened. And learned.

Details, big plans, stuff ended here. Interesting.

He bowed when they bowed to the supposed queen, and was very polite. In his white Kealey-designed overcoat, with the shard-armor overlay that blended into the fabric. Armored head to foot, and nobody would notice at all. Maybe that would have been a faux pas if they had noticed? Being armored in millions of tiny razor blades as hard as diamonds? Probably. Good thing nobody had noticed then, right? Okay.

The supposed queen made a comment that seemed quite rude, towards Rebecca. Suddenly, he was glad for the fact that he was secretly armed. Because people who are rude to his friends deserve what they get.

He kept his face neutral, and did not insult the queen. He really wanted to.

It was like, hey. Rebecca may be a mystic, but she has also helped you in the past, and she’s a good mystic, so maybe cut her more slack than you already are?

He had no problems with Rebecca’s status, or the fact she was a non-mutant in a mutant-based team, by the way! She was still the same person inside.

”Thank you,” Tetsuya Shinbo said to the queen. And did not create an international incident by adding “you hag. Maybe if you dislike mystics so much, you’d help instead of being openly hostile to those of us who want to help you all.” It was a good thing he was not the grade of psychic mutant who could project thoughts into peoples’ heads right then! Because that would have been problematic. Almost as problematic as projecting a tiny, razor-sharp, diamond-hard, mental triangle inside the cavity of someone’s skull. Which, hm, he had never thought to try until just then… and immediately disregarded as a bad idea.

He followed. He looked. He listened. He learned. He kept his thoughts to himself.

Another time, Mirror would have been more than excited to get to visit the Royal Library of Freakin' Atlantis. But today, she just felt tired. Sure, as the parent of a superpowered toddler and a magical teenager, the tiredness appeared to be a permanent feature... but it was also a different kind of exhaustion.

Maya was still struggling with the mystic issue. After Aoife, she had met other mystics... or mystic-like beings, such as Hercules, and not all of them were evil maniacs. Becca was getting more comfortable with her own new power set too, and so was Kalos. But there was still a lot more to figure out... and now, the lead brought them back to Atlantis. She still remembered the first time here, rescuing Kalos and all. At least this new queen was somewhat sympathetic to them. Her comments to Becca made Maya wince and glance at her wife. Prejudice, in the end was prejudice just the same.

Maya rolled her shoulders, trying to alleviate some of the tension as they all walked into the library. Hopefully, they would learn something useful here.

It was an easy fly in, hard to miss the island now. How many times did he fly over it not realizing it was buried under miles of water? That was the past though and the now was well... ****ed at least with the mystics running all over the New York... and parts of Canada. He still had to share some of that information with the rest of the team. Shin was the only one that was aware of it, but it was a long flight home and they could use a story on the way.

A lot of the team was present now, trainee’s included. There was little reason for Sam to be there other than the fact that he had never been to this island nation. Books on history didn’t exactly peak his interest however if it gave a weapon to use against the mystics he’d suck it up and read for days. The other reason he was there was to make sure the rest of his team got out of Atlantis in one peace. Without Becca’s powers where they used to be Sam felt a desire to make sure everyone would be safe.

>>>"I hope you understand your time on this island is solely being granted because of your service to Atlantis in the past, Rebecca. Let me be clear; Mystics will not be welcome in our borders after you leave."

The air around Sam dropped a few degrees. He had heard about the Queen somewhat, gossip from the transfer students and anything else in the new. She was better than her predecessors but still blunt. He could be blunt too. Becca was family, and Sam didn’t like someone warning his family like that.

Sam hated royalty, he kept his thoughts to himself though. This was a mission after all and they had to keep up diplomatic relations with the queen. Last thing they needed to do was start another international incident. Those made him want to drink.

It wasn’t like the queen asked for his opinion anyways.

Elizabeth could not help feeling extremely out of place.

She walked in the middle of the X-Men, though she was not one herself. At least not yet. In the past year, Sam had subjected her to a siege campaign to persuade her to join up, “accidentally” involving her in a myriad of situations where, oh gosh, she was poised to be uniquely helpful, particularly in non combat roles such as search and rescues, crowd control, and tracking down culprits.

It wasn’t like she didn’t know what he was doing - he made no attempts to hide it - and the increasingly brutal nature of their combat training was no subtle indicator of his intentions. She still hadn’t said yes, because there was so much to consider especially in regards to her already-busy schedule and her responsibilities to the school and its students, but Liz knew her resolve was wavering.

Because deep down, she knew she loved it.

How else would she ever be able to see a place such as the fabled Atlantis, which the modern world had virtually unanimously considered pure fiction until a scant few years ago? Even if their styles and cultural aesthetics were completely at odds with what she was used to, this was still a dream. And she knew Sam was going to be so smug about this. He knew she couldn’t resist traveling to exotic locations, but that wasn’t the only reason he’d invited her along.

She was dating a self-professed Greco-Roman deity, who claimed wide knowledge of magic, even if he himself could not adequately cast it. Even he had encountered the Welldrinkers, and despite her best efforts, Liz was being pulled into the mystery of magic in modern times.

Also, she was pretty sure Sam preferred her to learn everything directly herself so she wouldn’t pepper him with hundreds of questions when she inevitably found out about the trip.

So Liz did her best not to gawk as they headed toward the royal library, despite the excitement flowing through her. Even the anxiety that came from being in a royal palace couldn’t quell it. A lot of seabirds that had taken roost on the roof of the palace began chattering and chirping joyfully as her mind made contact with theirs. She absently smoothed down the skirt of her black suit and tried to pretend that she held audiences with queens every day.

This was where he belonged.

Not with the group he was traveling with but in the Palace of Atlantis. Two of the people he was happy were on the trip everyone else was either ‘meh’ or ‘why is she here?’. Thankfully most of his anxieties about being around Lizzy and traveling in a flying death can were negated with a little help from his former English teacher who was now a witch. She fell into the ‘meh’ category. Her spell was a touch of convenance.

”Ya sure ya want to go back to the mansion?” Carrick asked the Princess who he was standing next to as they walked. Still purposly unaware that they were here on a fact finding mission. Carrick’s sunglasses rested atop his head which was on a swivel. Everything was distracting and shiny. ”Place doesn’t seem so bad.” he said aware of the situation they were both in.

She a princess who was an ambassador and he a Carrick who was well, him. ”Should I say something to her? Maybe a ‘thank you’?” he asked gesturing to the Queen who was leading them.

”Oh Praxi’s doing so great!” he said smirking and giving her a thumbs up even if she didn’t see it. ”So nice of them ta invite us along.” he said with delight. His tail swung freely behind him as he shifted his wings to look out the window to the ocean. His mood was ‘vacation’ and he wouldn’t let anyone ruin it.

Shifting the guitar and backpack he meandered to the nearest statue. Still purposely oblivious to why they were here.

Carrick had sunglasses on his head. Hers, mirrored, were over her eyes. They reflected the queens face as she spoke to the woman she had been told had a head of red. Had someone mentioned a beach on this mission? Perhaps, Lenna thought, I have misheard the word? The queen seemed much more of a b— she put her air pods back in as they moved towards the library. Someone was singing of big big energy. The beat, it pumped her up.

Books were weapons. She liked weapons. Dressed in all black, with a leather jacket a size too large, she could conceal many. Not that she was. But she could. If she really had wanted to.

Mystics, Lenna had clashed with several times. On the roof of a moving train, in Canada, saving Aura, and a couple of times since then, which seemed not to be worthy of description. Mystic, like beach, seemed a word mispronounced. They seemed more a mistake. They kidnapped children and summoned demon dogs, erased memories and muddled minds. Even changed others faces. Some were good, some bad. Their speaker was one. Poor her?

Lenna wished knowledge to prepare and prevent further troubles.

Rebecca bowed her head. It did sting to get the cold shoulder from Queen Achlus when they had been so cordial and even friendly in her past visits, but Rebecca was piecing together that Atlantis had historic bad blood with her kind. Rebecca also knew she arrived with several friends and a spouse who might feel protective of her, so she was quick to set the example that she was not looking to object or make trouble. "Ah hae nae intentions of oversteppin' yer hospitality. Ah'm jist lookin' tae understand how tae stop this Cult an' keep mutants safe."

The Queen glanced at her between elegant smokey strides, the smallest crack of a smile breaking through her regal mask. "I'm glad some things don't change."

The collection of X-Men (and X-adjacent people) visiting the Royal Palace was certainly colorful. With two physical mutants in tow, this could have caused a scandal once upon a time. There were still guards who eyed the slime girl and griffon lad uncertainly, but the culture was changing. Guards with physical mutations made up a sizeable portion of the details they walked past.

Palace culture was not the only thing seemingly changing. The Queen noticed her cousin and the proximity she shared with the young man waggling his tail; she could recognize familiarity. "Your time abroad appears to have done you some good, cousin," she suggested warmly.

Forgetting herself and where she was, Praxi couldn't resist mumbling under her bubbles, "Yeah, she isn't totally insufferable anymore." On a delay, she recognized what she said and her figure diminished several inches.

The Queen's attendant pushed open a heavy double-door, leading the group into a massive library. The decor gleamed with gold accents and smooth marble surfaces, lit by glowing crystals and gems speckling the ceiling and walls. Tall shelves and displays encircled the room, holding collections of scrolls and thick tomes bound with interwoven scales. Rebecca estimated the texts housed in the rooms to number in the thousands, but it was evidently not where they were being taken.

The Queen gave the order for two guards to allow her and her guests passage down a spiraling stairwell. Rebecca was hesitant to ask where they were being taken, but Achlus recognized the question on the tip of her tongue. "The Grand Library holds the histories and studies of the last era of Atlantis. What you are looking for is far older."

Palace Guards flanking the group were given instruction to wait, with the exception of The Queen's personal attendant, a young woman olive skin and wavy violet hair, and her personal Queenguard, a well-built man with a cyclopean eye. The Queenguard grabbed a shining gem and used its light to lead them down into a darker section of the library built of older, weathered stone.

"If ye have older histories doon below, why nae brin' them intae yer main library?" The conditions of this lower chamber seemed ill-suited for a library. Even with the waterproof parchment of Atlantis, the damp, unkept space felt more like a dungeon.

The Queen took a step off the staircase onto the uneven stone floor, the click of her shoes lost in an inch of standing water. "For the same reason my people are warry of having a Mystic in our borders. What has remained in the Ancient Chamber has been off-limits to all but the most dedicated scholars. Not by decree; the Kingdom has just chosen to leave that era in the past."

Praxi didn't know anything about this supposed cultural taboo, but her time in Atlantis was spent as a street gorgon. "Which Era?"

Despite a commoner asking the question, The Queen spoke kindly. "Younger generations wouldn't even know now." That was the consequence of generational taboos. She stepped through a worn arch, entering a large chamber. Stone shelves, tables, and podiums stood in disrepair, most smashed completely. There were two mutants sitting around the least broken slab, examining metal plates and rods. The floor sank further in the chamber, filled with water and more rubble.

The only structure left intact, if not covered with algea and vines, was a large ring of unbroken stone burried into the back wall, filled with a smooth black stone that gleamed like obsidian. "These are the remains of an Era where Mystics and Mutants lived on Atlantis. Before their ancient cult attempted to destroy everything."

>>”Ya sure ya want to go back to the mansion? Place doesn’t seem so bad.”

There used to be a time when Amethyst would have killed to stay in Atlantis. But now... things were different. She was returning alongside Carrick, who was her lover, and being seen by a whole bunch of people who, not so long ago, would have cried scandal at the sight. Amethyst still felt tense, holding her chin up in a regal way, daring anyone to make a comment.

>>”Should I say something to her? Maybe a ‘thank you’?... Oh Praxi’s doing so great! So nice of them ta invite us along.”

"This is not a holiday visit" she reminded Carrick as they tagged along, to the library that he had never really cared much for in her childhood. Some of those gems sparkling in the decorations had come from her. "Try not to steal any of those" she muttered to her boyfriend, seeing him make cat-like eyes at everything.

>>"Your time abroad appears to have done you some good, cousin,"

Of course the queen had to be smug about it. Amethyst gave her a nod. As they descended into the underground rooms, she couldn't help but look around curiously. She had never been down there before. Suddenly, she felt much like a useless part of the royal family. She drew closer to Carrick.

"Whoa." Maya couldn't help but stare at the sight of the library. Sure, the glittering decorations were impressive... but the books even more so. Her inner dork took over the anxieties about the mission. "How does one get a library card?..." she muttered, following her wife and the queen down the stairs. Into an even more ancient part of the library. This whole visit was turning from dorky to... Idaho Jones-y. Maya stared at the things all around them, her gaze finally settling on the dark, smooth surface in front of them. Was that...?

"What is it?"

The library was elegant. That was the first thin Shin noticed. Kealey would have whistled low, and muttered under her breath about inspirations for clothing designs.

Lenna was mainly impressed all the gemstones came in orange. That had to be difficult, to obtain so much of one single color of object. Then, she rolled her eyes because only she saw in shades of the color orange. Lenna focused her Telekinetic abilities in an orange bubble only she could see, around her hand. the world outside that bubble flushed with natural colors and light. Regal. Books enough to last a lifetime. But this was not their final destination.

Shin clicked his tongue as his math vision measured and calculated various facts, including the rooms dimensions, as well as the exact number of tomes (for future reference). X per row, Y rows. Each shelf the same, Z shelves. The equation was simple enough. If some shelves differed in dimensions, he added them to the ever-growing equation in his head. It kept him busy for a minute.

As they walked to the next area, Shin stepped to one side and told Mirror the exact amount of books in the room. ”Just so you know,” Shin added helpfully. He smiled.

The lower chambers did not seem as good to Lenna. “Dank” was a term the children utilized for good. This was not very dank. It may have been “dank,” though. The second definition. Further inquiries needed to fully ascertain.

Shin walked through water. ”Ew. Hope it’s not so dank the books are all moldy.” He made a face.

Lenna looked at him, and nodded the slightest of nods of affirmation. She said “Yes.”

”The damp conditions in these depths… she must really like these books.” She said sarcastically, to no one in particular. But probably towards Carrick and his girlfriend. They seemed the type to appreciate terrible humor. ”To keep them in such an environment, I mean. Terrible.”

Shin did not buy her look of feigned innocence one bit.

Eventually, they reached the chamber in disrepair, with the obsidian structure. Shin thought it looked neat. He seconded Mirror’s question about what the thing was.

The shifter scoffed at the princess, ”Not a holiday? Love, We’re in Atlantis, ya told me some stories about this place before and I know ya have beaches.” he smirked looking to the wall she had pointed out.

The gems glinted and beckoned the shifter. His tail flicked behind him revealing far too much of what he was thinking. There were guards everywhere, there was the X-men here and a few teachers from the school he recently graduated from. Not to mention the issue if the moms found out.

”Me? Wouldn’t dream of it!” he lied and turned away from the gems and towards the princess, ”Already got the most valuable thing from this place.” with a wink he continued along next to the princess.

The further they descended the less he thought about going into a hole leading to a small room where he’d be stuck. Carrick hated going underground, he hate small places more. Usually this would force the Irishman to talk a lot followed by panic attacks, however this was not like all the other times. Thank you Miss Grey-Morris.

>>>"Your time abroad appears to have done you some good, cousin,"


Carrick waited a second before responding.

>>>"Yeah, she isn't totally insufferable anymore."

Maybe no one else heard the comment or if they did they decided not to comment but it caused Carrick to laugh, ”At least someone appreciates my hard work.” to the queen with a bow. The cyclops behind the queen stared daggers at him. A twinge of fear crept back into the back of Carrick’s mind before asking Sam, ”You two related?” before continuing down.

In the back Sam chuckled to himself glad he wasn’t the one talking. He would have used a different set of words. In fact the same words could have been said about Carrick. The icemancer kept his thoughts to himself ignoring the look the cyclopian guard was giving him.

”Smells musty.” Carrick whispered to the Princess as they finally passed the archway into the large chamber. His eyes adjusted quickly and he started to study the lost treasures and books that littered the room with rocks and debris.

>>>>”To keep them in such an environment, I mean. Terrible.”

”Must be the racier stuff.” Carrick commented without much thought. The shifter knew what this place was, one of his other forms engaged in the practice of it as well. It was a hoard. Suddenly he wanted to steal one of the books.

”You’re up bookworm.” Sam said out loud to Liz, glad she was there to sift through the stuff that would have been useful and not.

>>>"What is it?"

Making sure he was out of swinging distance from the Mirror walker and the Icemancer he answered, ”Obviously it’s a rock.” his tail swayed behind him as he looked up debating if he should stretch his wings.

Try as she might, the zoopath was barely able to suppress her excitement. The first library alone was staggering and fueled a lust for literature that she had never encountered before, but as they descended into the depths, an aura of mystery began forming.

Some of her traveling companions made small talk, some joked, and some asked questions. Liz mostly just took everything in, watching as many things as possible with raptor-sharp interest and attention. There was so much to piece together here, Carrick and Lenna’s comments notwithstanding.

This final room had a sense of power all on its own, like an ancient museum preserving the remnants of a long-lost culture. Which in a sense, it was. Despite this, life was in abundance there. Beyond the greenery and growing things clinging to different structures, Elizabeth could feel the presence of zooplankton in the water at their feet. Through them, she gained a sense of the scope of the chamber and the movements of the others.

“It feels like…Stonehenge,” she breathed.

A gentle blue glow began emanating from the bioluminescent organisms in the water as Elizabeth’s excitement reached their minds. She was already stepping forward (away from the children) as Sam called her up.

“As I understand it, Your Highness, Atlantis was founded around two thousand, five hundred years ago, correct?” she asked, the academic in her bursting free. That fell into the era the Western world knew as Classical Antiquity, although due to their cultural isolation, Liz wasn’t sure the Atlanteans used the same method of covering time. Honestly, if they were anything like Hercules, who claimed to have lived in those times, she could just about guarantee their histories weren’t going to match any modern methods. “At what point did it submerge? Were mystics still present on the island then?”

Glowing zooplankton swirled around her flats and she debated taking them off, but she wasn’t sure that’s how she wanted to present herself in front of a queen. “What was the purpose of this chamber?” she asked, glancing around. The setup and the disrepair didn’t feel like an ancient archive or like any kind of organized storage space. It felt ceremonial, especially with the glossy disc on the back wall.

Rebecca kept an eye on Carrick, knowing her Calm Mind Charm was still a spell she was mastering. He was holding up well, with his typical amount of levity. It was weird watching students like Carrick and Praxi out in the field, but they were twenty, (assuming the de-aging of Carrick was calculated correctly,) and more or less as mature as Rebecca was throwing herself into the X-life with full force. Gods help them.

”Ah believe th’ parchment and book-bindings of Atlantis are treated tae withstand water,” Rebecca pointed out to Lenna, having spent time perusing the less-restricted books of Atlantis. The island was underwater for a long time, after all.

The cave The Queen led the X-Men into caught Liz’s attention right away, which was great, because it gave Rebecca a pit in her stomach. Queen Achlus was ready for questions, even from a newcomer to the island. She watched curiously as bioluminescent plankton danced around her feet. ”You’re line of questioning is why my historians called you here,” she admitted.

One of the mutants reading slates rose to attention at his queen’s command, taking one of the slates from his colleague. Breathing deeply, his eyes flickered with a blue glow when he opened them. An image filled the room like a hologram, illustrating the history as the Queen explained it.

”Mystics were still living on the island when Atlantis was officially founded as a nation. Their numbers were not great, but they served roles in the community. Diviners, enchanters; even a royal advisor. This chamber was where the royal advisor claimed to commune with guiding spirits of the island and the king trusted him. All accounts suggest he portrayed himself as a man wholly devoted to the wellbeing of Atlantis. It was on the second New Moon of Winter when his true machinations were revealed.”

The projections changed from the Mystics of Ancient Atlantis when a new slate was handled. The new projection overlaid itself upon the stone ring, but where obsidian covered the center in the modern day, swirling energy filled the projected portal. ”You have heard of the Mystics’ wells; the word came from old Atlantean, but they are not wells of water. They are spots where the veil between the Material World and the Mystical Realm is weak enough for mystical energy to gather. Most places in the world have so little access to the energies of that realm, magic is inaccessible. Historically, it was always where wells formed that strange occurrences would increase and Mystics would snap.”

The Queen gestured to the portal. ”This… was not a well. Beneath our own castle was something far worse. With wells throughout our island bringing more mystical energy into the world, the Royal Advisor found he could create an opening where the highest mystical pressure coalesced. With a ritual, he created a Doorway to the Mystic Realm.” From the hologram portal, creatures started to emerge. Winged beasts, feral humanoids, even creatures resembling drakes and demons. ”And in doing so, he brought all manner of beings into our world that almost destroyed Atlantis.”

Rebecca went pale. Paler. ”There are… creatures on th’ other side?” She was always under the impression that mystical power came from a reality of pure energy; she never considered life existed there.

”Yes, and your ancestors made the dangerous choice of creating a portal for them.” The Advisor figure, once more humanoid, appeared taller, with broad, demonic traits as a battle ensued. ”Many Atlantean lives were lost and the torrent of magical energy made the island unstable. It was as a last resort that our royal ancestor did what had to be done: they sealed the doorway. Knowing the island was at risk of destruction either way, they drew power from the earth, shifting the plates under the island and taking our home under the waves. As the island sank, they turned the energy of the portal and converted it to obsidian, sealing the doorway between realms.”

The final projections displayed the island sinking below the waves and creatures being slain more easily as the magical energy was cut off. ”The people of Atlantis managed to survive, but our society’s population was halved. Hence why Mystics are not given safe harbor in Atlantis anymore.”

Rebecca shifted uncomfortably, taking a lot in from the fall of Atlantis. She knew the island sank, but they never understood the cause. A doorway between worlds could be dangerous and unpredictable, and if that was the Cult’s plan, they would have to act fast. ”But the second New Moon after the Solstice… that’s Lunar New Year. That’s tomorrow. The Cult may come to Atlantis to try opening the Doorway again!”

”First, they would not make it past our shores,” the Queen’s second-in-command grunted.

”And more importantly, after the sinking, Atlantis no longer has the mystical energy for someone to poke open a well, let alone a Doorway.”

”Of course. So if they were looking to use wells to create somewhere dense enough with magical energy to try again, it would be…” Only one answer made sense; the same reason other countries were not seeing a sudden boom of Mystic population. ”Fuck.”

The bioluminescent effect was interesting to Lenna for many reasons. One was that her mind, when targeting objects and creatures, highlighted them orange. Another was that light cast by things was not able to be targeted. This had the effect of making physical things that gave off light give off two separate colors… simultaneously… to her eyes and mind alone. This was in contrast to how regular people see several colors in the world every day, often in similar ways to this, but… spend enough time in one shade, then see more… wizard of Oz effect, yes? Jarring. Beautiful, too.

She nodded at the waterproof explanation because it made sense, then her and Shin listened to the queen. Watched the show.

Shin took it all in. Lying mystics betrayed people they had lived with. Wells were where they could access Magic. Not everywhere had them, yadda yadda. But all was not well in the city of Atlantis, for the high advisor made a doorway to the mystical realm, and…

Bad things. Demons. Shaggy dog stories. Many Bothans were lost. Shin nodded.

Atlantis sunk. It no longer has the energy to ruin things. But…

Shin and Lenna both swore at the same time.