Suspended in Time (Antique/PM to Join)

[Shun]

Eyes adjusting to the sudden burst of light, Mikhail reached up to rub his eyes of sleep. Coming back from the land of dreams when he hadn't been sleeping so well to begin with wasn't really something to enjoy and gleefully taste. Having been really busy as of late, a good night's sleep wasn't something he could afford. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he shut his eyes close once again, rolling to his right in a futile attempt to find his way back to dreamland. A few minutes went by and the pyromancer still had no luck; his mind wouldn't go back to sleep. Finally having given up the man slowly opened those sapphire eyes of his, aimlessly staring at the clock beside him.

Eleven o'clock in the morning.

Damn... it was quite early for him. With no other choice left for him he sat up, pulling himself out of that soft and comfy bed as he loudly yawned with tiredness. This was going to be a long and boring day, with nothing interesting to do. He'd be stuck stalking potential fighters to later stand up to them and force invite them to join his little growing resistance. Though it was quite exciting and interesting at first, it had become quite boring. A daily routine that seemed to have no expiration date. Rubbing his eyes once more, Mikhail looked back at the alarm clock as he tried to focus on the date this time.

Oh right, it was Wednesday...

...OH SHIT, WAS IT WEDNESDAY?! His head suddenly shot up, blinking twice before grasping his hair worry. How the hell could he had forgotten about Wednesdays?! He had done the same thing for quite a while and still managed to forget about it. Having no time to lose, Mikhail quick snatched a towel and some clean clothes before storming into the bathroom, not caring if he had just woken up his protégée at this point. Well, Zephyr usually slept for ages so a little door slam wouldn't disturb her at all. She was probably still sleeping safe and sound.

The man obviously didn't wait for the shower to warm up some more and quickly stepped in, wincing upon feeling the icy cold water on his face. Damn it, he'd get Zephyr for this one. She was supposed to leave the hot water supply switch "on" after her night showers. Anyway, Mikhail would deal with her later. Having finished showering as quick as possible, the man dashed out of the bathroom fully dressed in his casual outfit and headed for the Gummi Ship's teleporter. He glanced at the clock on the little "living room"'s wall; good, he wouldn't be late.

Quickly slamming the big red button beside the teleporter, the pyromancer stepped in the small circle of white and was soon engulfed by a bright light. Yeah... Max would probably have laughed his ass off regarding this little adventure. "Max..." Feeling that he was about to tear up a little, Mikhail sent his thoughts somewhere else and began to list off hyperspace routes in his mind. Suddenly, a portal would appear in the same familiar alley he had selected at the First District for his porting between the Gummi Ship and the town. Mikhail would soon emerge from it, walking straight toward the doors leading to the Second District.

He would get to see her face again.

Opening the gates, the man quickly stepped inside the adjacent district before shutting them close once again. He took a quick look around, scanning the area for any hidden Heartless. The man knew better as he had been ambushed by Lucifer's spawn more than once in his weekly visits to that sacred place. Fortunately, it hadn't cost him more than a few scars around his body, nothing serious.

That day, however, it looked like the heavens smiled upon him as it seemed that the coast was clear. Obviously, Mikhail didn't hesitate to take the chance and quickly began dash through the district, avoiding the well-known "Heartless Spawn Hotspots" along the way. The chilly morning wind softly kissed his face as he continued to advance through the town, eventually reaching the beloved secret wall that he dreaded so much. Sometimes he wondered why he was doing this; Jadis wouldn't let her unprotected and open for the Heartless to claim. However, he seemed to have a need to see her face every one in a while and it really stung his heart. A masochistic obsession, you would say.

Click!

After pushing that magical brick, a door of silver would appear before the man. Its bright golden handles would soon be grasped by his firm hands, opening one of the many gateways to that never-ending storage room: the Zero District. Being careful enough to close the door behind him, Mikhail began to walk down those welcoming stairs... those magical stairs that would lead him to her. The temperature down there was even colder than his shower's now hated water, but the pyromancer didn't care this time. His heart began to beat faster as he continued his descent through the staircase.

The young man's expression would frozen once more upon facing her.

Hidden below the stairs was a large block of ice. It was perfectly crafted and reached great heights, standing around seven feet tall. Inside the chilly tomb laid a resting maiden, the young maiden of blue with bright scarlet lips. She seemed unaware of her situation and offered a calm expression to the outside world. The girl remained still, as if life had been stripped away from her. Of course, she was only sleeping... sleeping for the past months. Mikhail proceeded to walk toward her, resting his hand on the cold block of ice.

He missed her so much... missed her laugh, her kind attitude, her childish reactions... he cared for her well-being and was not willing to leave Traverse Town until she woke up. A soft smile graced his features as he caressed the maiden's resting place, wishing she would blink and look at her just now...

"I've missed you... Antique."

[Ellie who has 0%]

"Don't we all." Jadis wasn't surprised to see Mikhail here. Actually his visits became a ritual as if he was frequently visiting a grave a lost loved one. With an exhail, the puffs of her breath curled like licking flames as she approached from the shadows. She was adorned in a long powder blue dress that seemed glimmer as if the fabric was made out of stars or shards of glass or ice. The fabric made her skin looked washed out due to its paleness and the white fox drappery across her shoulders then bring much color to the Ice Witch's frame.

The Ice Amazon stood over Mikhail and placed a chilling strong hand on his shoulder with a pat before standing next to him. The breeze carried her twisted blonde hair causing the locks to entangled within each other. The coils were held back in a ponytail, while the bottom remaind loose and free like dreadlocks. Her crystalline crown that refracted the little light in the Zero District forbid any stray hairs to cover her mossy narrow green eyes rimmed by thick black lashes.

"So how's everything been going? Hopefully the Guardains haven't fell apart with one less comrade; although that is quite understandable; after a while a group effort can cause emotional connection, entwined by the hearts." Her hand rubbed against the fog and frost that clouded the view to her apprentice's and ward's face. True the worlds needed as much guardians as they can, but she can never blame them if they fell to inactivity. She too had missed Antique, her ethusiasm, her dedication, and insatiable will and curiousity. Actually Traverse Town had seemed to have been getting colder to her without such warmth.

Also Jadis didn't manuever much since she had to keep Antique safe in her coffin. True with enough charms, she would be safe, but leaving her would meant trusting the world to not let any harm come to her, and that she can't do. Any plans to travel has been canceled immediately, but the Ice Queen has became icier by the moment.

She wondered if she truly had spoiled the girl. Have she truly placed her in a bubble that she was protected in and once stepping out, she had no idea of what chaos she was stepping into. Jadis frowned lightly knowing that Antique had a handful of capabilities; she wasn't weak even if she can wear the most oblivious face. Still that didn't stop Jadis from wondering if all of this could've been prevented.

[antique]

There wasn't too much the young girl could do while she was sleeping. Antique wasn't...dead, per say, but in a sleep that she couldn't seem to wake up from. Every couple of hours, her body would twitch though it was encased in ice--she was dreaming.

She had been dreaming the moment she fell under the spell. The last thing she consciously remembered was curling into a nap in the back of Mikhail's Gummi Ship after a long battle--she had been feeling really strange near the end of it anyway. It was impossible to wake her up afterward; but she had the most beautiful, yet strange dreams.

Clarent, her sword, though she had been sleeping peacefully, had been constantly changing shapes during the course of her sleep, as if it were making up for the fact that its master was unable to interact with the world; the one indicator that Antique was not, in fact, dead. But the shapes were bizarre forms of weapons, if they were weapons at all. It was almost impossible to keep frozen because of it's constant changing form; instead, today, it was wedged in ice.

Today it appeared as if the claymore was taking on the form of a tree, decorated with large snowflake-like ornaments, blossoming out from pink and blue water-lillies.

Such an odd weapon. It didn't even resemble a claymore at the moment, but it still held a weapon-like feel to it.

Antique twitched within the ice in response to the familiar voices and the touch of a warm hand on her icy tomb, suspended in sleep. Clarent blossomed another blue ice flower.

[Shun]

"Don't we all."

Mikhail did not need to turn around to guess who had spoken; her voice was way too familiar to be confused for another's. It was just as familiar as a mother's would have been and thus he was not startled by the woman at all. He actually felt quite relieved to know she had been there all along, probably knowing he was coming that day. It meant she had been taking care of the girl for the past couple of months and that sure made him grateful. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he continued to gaze at Antique's frozen tomb, hoping that for some reason she'd open her eyes just to look at him.

These thoughts, however, were probably mere dreams, fantasies he'd be taken away from by Jadis's voice, who now rested a hand on his shoulder. She too seemed to feel the emptiness Antique had left in their hearts and Mikhail just knew she had the same hopes he had: she would eventually wake up, sooner or later.

When the sorceress showed curiosity regarding the Guardians' status, Mikhail's expression fell into a slight sadness. Tension began to fill the air once again as the boy remained silent; he really didn't want to talk about that... he still hadn't fully recovered from Max's death. The organization's survival seemed to be endangered as it's now single leader was dealing with his own conflicts. He wouldn't be able to lead a large number of warriors without facing his own inner demons.

"It's been... normal, I guess... nothing too interesting..." Despire the vagueness of his reply, it wouldn't be a good idea to ask for more details. He just wasn't prepared to do so yet and therefore it would be a tale for another day. Rutherford turned to glance the White Witch for a moment before turning to look at the sleeping girl again.

Suddenly, however, the awkwardness would turn into excitement and the sorrow into hope.

Mikhail's eyes widened as the lovely girl seemed to move around. He blinked twice, his expression now taken a surprised look before turning to face Jadis, this time fully. Had he... imagined it? Was his need to see her tricking her into a series of false hopes? "Sh-she moved... d-did you see that?" he said, his heart speeding up once again as he turned to look at the girl for any other signs. The man's eyes suddenly fixed on her twisted weapon that began to bloom yet another flower.

A... miracle...?

[Ellie who has 0%]

Perhaps she had asked too soon, and the contemplate ebbed in her brows in a light wrinkle. The group was going through a dark phase, but in order to see the light they must travel and learn in the dark. Still she wondered if they would wallow in the dark period for too long. Succumbing in this darkness can eat away at them in a depression. Mikhail doesn't need to be here; he should complete his mourning phase to continue leading the Guardians.

With an long exhale, fog blossomed on the ice coffin, and she rubbed her fingers over the fog to clear it again. Her eyes flicked down to Clarent; she wonders what shape they'll shift to now. It seemed to be the sole unconscious outlet from her. Atleast she was still functioning; her nails tapped the frozen casket.

"I see," Jadis finally replied breaking the silence, but it shattered more by a single twitch.

The Ice Witch chuckled at Mikhail's shocking expression and reaction. Looking back at him, she wore a smirk. "She isn't dead you know. She may be asleep, but is very active as she can be. Even her mind is still wired and firing. The day she wakes up...that would be something."

Her eyes drifted back at the sight of blue at her peripheral. The blue flower stood out from the frosted ice that remained at its chilling temperature despite how much heat it absorbed.

[antique]

Voices. She heard voices. Blending in with lovely paint smeared dreams. Wide amber eyes stared at a giant tree--a tree bigger than anything she'd seen before, holding what seemed to be pockets of lovely civilization. Singing, as fragrant as spring blossoms, hung within the thick air. Around her, a warm blue sea, and in the sky, two suns. It pulled her heartstrings with her, making her feel this outmost feeling of joy.

All her joy on painted wings. She thought she saw birds, but no--they were the people! With hair as vibrant as the flowers, their wings painted. But not in the feather sort of way. It was hard to describe. It was as if light, or darkness, radiated from their shoulder blades. They danced in accordance to their emotions, and the rhythem of this song that was just ever present.

Be my star encircling; all my joy on painted wings.

The same blue snowflake flowers blossomed on that tree; blue snowflake petals fluttered to the sea below it, though melted themselves into shooting stars. She became one as well, and sank through the water.

"S-she moved, did you see that?"

"I see."

Familar voices. Her eyes fluttered open, though she wasn't shooting through the sky-ocean any longer. Familiar forms.

"Wake up, child."

She was very still. She wanted to go back to the lovely dreams. Images of those she encountered in the dreamscape flashed through her thoughts.

"They need you."

Her eyes, though not very open, opened wide.

A crack went through the back of the ice. Light hummed just below Clarent's surface.

[Shun]

"She isn't dead you know. She may be asleep, but is very active as she can be. Even her mind is still wired and firing. The day she wakes up...that would be something."

Her words immediately wiped a grin off his face, taking along his hopeful expression as well. Mikhail had thought... he had hoped... he wished she would just open her eyes and break out of that chilly prision. His hand remained resting on the ice coffin as he stared at her face; his lips curved into a smile once more as he observed her, reminding himself that she was, actually, not dead.

She looked so peaceful in her sleep...

"I'm sure she will... someday." He turned to look at his mentor once more, his hopeful expression back on his face by now. Indeed, for now the only thing he could do was hoping for a miracle... and waiting...

Waiting... Waiting... Waiting...

Suddenly, it all happened. His eyes widened once more as he felt a burst of energy emerge from the block of ice and they suddenly found themselves staring at a deep sea of amber. Could it be...? The only thing standing between them was a thick veil of ice.

He couldn't believe it. She was waking up... a miracle. A single laugh escaped his lips, a true laugh of happiness, followed by a consecutive chain of laughter. Antique was waking up... and she was well and safe. Mikhail grinned, his eyes full of tears as he turned to look at Jadis. The back of the cold prision cracked, just as if the girl was tearing it apart with her mind to break free.

"My little bluebird..."

[Ellie who has 0%]

Jadis' fascade didn't crack; she already had her ward doing it for her. The youth were so filled with emotions that she couldn't blame him, and for his sake, she remained the solid persona allowing him his moment to let his feelings free. After all being a lead arrow with a group only made it more stressful on him. She gave a small smile at the light in his eyes before ruffling his hair, "She can't stay asleep for ever. After a while one needs to wake-up; we all do...even in the deepest slumber."

She couldn't help, but see the parallelism. She was too encased in ice only to be set free by Xavier, who was now bound to the witch, a price upon freeing her from her icy tomb and awakening her. Atleast this scenario exchanges wasn't entirely neccessary; she doubt Mikhail will be able to hold himself if he knew he had to give blood or even a kiss. He may over-react and dive in quickly into the matter; oh what would the youth do for love.

Hearing the crack, Jadis sighed in satisfaction; atleast the long wait of when she will revive is over. She was at the point of no return by starting the crack; now the baby chick needs to break the rest of her egg. "Come on love you have slept long enough."

[antique]

Eyes wide, but unseeing, she felt coldness melt around her icy tomb. The crack along the back of the ice cracked under the pressure of the expanding water--she couldn't see anything, instead, she acted completely on instinct. Her hands reached out for the prescences beyond her, though her eyes, which weren't their usual fuschia, seemed unfocused.

The prescences beckoned to her. Her hand, her whole being felt the warmth and cold both seemed to be offering her. Within the crystal now seemed to be completetly water. She retrieved her hand from the ice and pulled her knees delicately to her chest.

Her chest felt so warm. So warm.

Clarent's light hummed in rhythm to Antique's heartbeat.

Two pinpoints of multicoloured light beamed from her back, like a butterfly unfurling it's wings in the air for the first time. Slowly at first, until it picked up in speed and size against the ice. A resonating crack echoed, and water began spilling. Soon the rest of the ice followed, first in spiderweb like cracks, but then with larger fractures, like the cracking of an egg.

The wings disappeared almost immediately, returning the surrounding room to it's normal vibrance. Antique slid outside of the egg, and onto the ground below her.

[Shun]

((It seems logical that this thread happens after Let it Snow... right? Just checking with you, Ellie))

Mikhail watched as the block of ice continued to crack; Antique continued to squirm around in the water, moving her arms around as if they were looking for something. The look shown by Jadis's face brought some relief to him; apparently everything was going fine, just as it was supposed to. He would be able to speak to her once more, eat that fabulous spaguetti again with her, tell her so many things that had remained unsaid...

His heart sped up its beating as it pushed adrenaline through his veins; he knew how long he had been waiting for this to happen, and now that she was finally waking up it all seemed like a dream... a most wonderful dream. His little bluebird continued to move around in her prison, most certainly ready to break out of the shell keeping her safe from harm. For a moment, Mikhail's thoughts went back to the Heartless who could see the girl's awakening as the perfect chance to steal another heart. But that wasn't happening, not while he was there to protect her.

He thought of the Guardians, who continued to struggle even after coming out of a most dark phase; Max was slowly recovering from his wounds and he'd soon be well enough to be active in the group. The pyromancer looked at the girl's face once more, slightly nodding at her figure. He would let the hydromancer take charge for a while; right now, the only thing that mattered to Mikhail was Antique's well-being and saving the world could sure wait a bit longer.

The cocoon was slowly covered by more and more cracks as the girl longed to break free. The wings of light she had created would eventually hit the right spot and the water within the tomb would begin to spill outside. Mikhail's grin became wider as the wings continued to create a gap for the girl to walk through. It did not take long for the hole to grow big enough and Antique would soon emerge from it, falling on the cold ground below.

Mikhail did not waste anytime and, before he realized it, ran to her side, dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around her. He didn't care if Jadis was right in front of them; he just couldn't help it anymore. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he felt her cold skin; she was freezing. The male tightened the embrace in an attempt to give her some warmth, well knowing that she would need it. After all, she -had- been surrounded by chilly water for months.

Mikhail closed his eyes, not willing to release her just yet.

He just wanted to hold her close to him... forever...

[Ellie who has 0%]

(hard to say...since this thread XD started on my birthday)

Jadis merely watched the exchange of affection, worry, care, hope, and whatever else the boy had pent up in his body. While he held unto close, she moved around them to gather Antique's Clarent. Although the Ice Witch wasn't aware that today was going to be the day of Antique's Awakening, she wasn't entirely underprepared. Removing it from its hiding place, Jadis revealed a silver vial; it uncorked with a pop before silver liquid was poured. It extended into a long rectangle long enough to be a blanket.

"I know you mean well, but she can't stay here to long in the cold. Wrap her up, she will need rest and nourishment," yes it would seem ridiculous for one to rest after sleeping, but her muscles would have weakened from being still and over-exertion would be bad for her after awakening. Everything need to be taken one step at a time, but for now a warm room will do.

[antique]

Warmth. She felt warmth. Warmth like, from the sun on a rare sunny day. And she heard their voices, was vaguely aware that they were there. But she was awakening from a particularly long sleep--and fully aware thoughts were just a little bit hard to form. Her senses hit her almost immediately; smell first. Perhaps because she didn't have a sense of smell when she was asleep.

Was she underground? And where was that sense of warmth coming from? Something was holding her close. Eyes, though open, weren't very focused. It took a few moments for her eyes to lose the cloudiness that had grown over like a filter over them.

And saw Mikhail. A smile formed over her face, and she let out a tiny chuckle. "Good morning," she said, though her voice was weak. She was a little bit unsure as to why the pyromancer was holding her so close, so she laid a single cold hand on his cheek.

Pivoting her head a little bit, she wondered why she was no longer on the Gummi Ship. That's where she had fallen asleep, afterall. Right after the visit to that castle. "Mother," she said quietly. Geesh, she felt terrible. The cloud that usually hung around her head after sleeping did not seem to want to go away, and her body.

It felt like she had been hit by a Gummi Ship.

[Shun]

((What does that have to do with our timeline? XDDD))

"Good morning."

A simple phrase, commonly used by thousands of people every day. It normally didn't meant anything extraordinary, just a simple wish for others to have a pleasant day or perhaps just a usual etiquette rule. Most people uttered those words without even thinking about their meaning; when they did realize their purpose, however, it was too late to even treasure them once.

Mikhail looked down at her, offering her a soft smile as she spoke. He really didn't know what to say or what to do; he just kept examinating her face, staring deep into her eyes. She touched his face with her palm, encouraging a pair of bright blushes to paint his cheeks crimson. He sighed, raising a hand to caress hers as she continued to analyze her surroundings.

"Shh, take it easy. Just rest."

The girl was probably unaware of recent events or that she had been sleeping for several months straight. But the time to tell the tale would come later; indeed, she would need to recover first before being overwhelmed with information. The pyromancer turned his head to look at Jadis, nodding in agreement as she spoke. The man did as he was told, wrapping the large blanket around Antique before rising, the girl carried in his arms. She looked like a large, warm tamale.

"Should I take her to the hotel?" he asked, facing his mentor once more. Mikhail knew the sorceress cared about the girl as much as he did and it would be quite... inappropiate for her to stay at his Gummi Ship for the time being.

[Ellie who has 0%]

Hearing the title Antique had freely gave to her, Jadis stepped foreward looking down at her; she seemed so small and frail, and the ice witch didn't like seeing her in such position. Althought she said nothing, she gave a small smile. Her eyes observed her, while Mikhail wrapped her up finely before commence to carrying.

"Yes, dark portal would be faster than traveling through two districts," next to her the fabrics of reality bended revealing a black abyss, but it led to a lit exit, the blue room in the hotel.

[antique]

There was something different about Mikhail, she just realized. Was his hair longer? Perhaps he got a haircut while she was sleeping? And why was he staring at her so intently? Wasn't this almost out of character for him to do? All the expressions going across his face made her a wee-bit nervous. Had something bad happened while she had took her nap?

Speaking of naps, usually her body felt great after she slept. But right now it felt as if Mikhail's Gummi Ship had rammed into her body at full speed.

"Shh, take it easy. Just rest."

He had laid a warm palm against her drying cheeks. Her cheeks, though they were pale, turned an immediate pink. And then she was wrapped in a large blanket--had she been cold? Without much thought, she slid further into Mikhail's embrace, seeking warmth that he offered, and she seemed to be lacking today.

Somehow able to tear her blushed gaze away from Mikhail's, she glanced around. It was clear she already had a million questions to ask, but the fatigue in her body wouldn't allow it. Jadis made her way into her line of vision, and the smile, while small the surragate mother offered, was enough to calm her down...for the time being.

Her eyes fluttered closed while the dark portal opened.

It was around time for breakfast, right? She could already smell the bakery on the other side of the portal. Cake sounded fantastic. Perhaps after a warm bath. Anything sounded fantastic right now.

Her hand stretched out for Clarent, only to realize it wasn't within her immediate grasp. Body tensing, her eyes shot open again, to see it within Jadis' grasp. The sword hummed in response to her mental call, though it was...changing shape. Antique stared, mezmerised.