Holiday Special This does follow the story line of Pick a Card, and is essentially a really small chapter.
Once, a long time ago, the Magi celebrated something sort of like Christmas. It was known as Gifda, the love day. Life was always carefree on that day, and nothing was important but happiness. However, The last of the Magi monarchy had abolished it many years ago. The Five never had the courage to publicly state that the holiday was legal again, but everybody celebrated it anyway. Nobody cared that it had ever been outlawed.
Some of the people even went so far as to sacrifice everything they had just to make another person happy, though it cost themselves their own happiness. Such sacrifices did not occur often, but they did happen, and the people that did it normally always felt regret afterwards. But no matter how large or small the gift, a gift was always given. Even during the hardest of times.
Kai lay awake in her bed and though about what the man had said, about the fact that she was probably at least partially responsible for the salvation of the universe. The thought of it appalled her so much that she couldn't get to sleep. She remembered that the last thing the man had told her was that she was welcome back. The thought of actually going back did not really appeal to her, but where else was she to go to get the kind of information that she needed?
Perhaps the thought of being brought back into the society that had shunned her once before frightened her. Perhaps she did not want to rely on anyone. Perhaps she was too scared to do anything right now. But no matter what the reason she lay back down and tried to dismiss the thoughts of her old life. However no matter what she did, she could not drive the thoughts away.
With a sigh she stood up, shivering when her feet touched the cold metal floor, and put on a deep red robe and slippers. She let go of the material world and reached toward her own kinds ethereal traces. Find a huge cluster in a vertical column she assumed that it was the tower. Transporting her body to right outside of the huge mass, she dropped back down to the physical world and looked up at the tower.
Before she could move so much as a muscles, the door opened and the man who had spoken with her opened the door. With a grin he invited her inside the tower. She walked into the lobby and sat down.
After a long talk with the high sorcerer of the tower, she was properly reinstituted as an adept class mage for tutelage in the tower. Soon the night had gone and the suns bright rays shone through the newly opened windows and the room burst with activity.
Before she left she turned to the high sorcerer and spoke.
"Know that I have not forgotten our ways. Today is the Gifda. My gift to all of you is my return to help fight the Flaw."
So saying she turned and walked out of the tower, smiling at the look the others had given her. Even so, she could not help but feel sad because nobody had gotten her a gift yet. She teleported herself back to her room on her ship and lay down.
Her door opened suddenly and a Hilian with dark blue hair and a scar running down one cheek entered the room. Held out before him was a box with her name on it. Hesitantly she reached out and took it. With tender care she took of the lid and placed it down on the bed. With a smile she reached inside and pulled out a medallion engraved with the symbol of strength on both sides. One side was right side up, the other was upside down, symbolizing the fact that every person has both strengths and weaknesses.
She hit a little button on the side and it popped open, revealing a picture on the inside. Tears filled her eyes as she recognized her parents and it was getting hard for her to see correctly. She turned around to thank Sel, but he had already left the room. Holding the medallion, she fell down on the bed and smiled.
To all of y'all: Have a VERY merry whatever you celebrate!
From: WhiteMage ^_^