The courtyard glistened in the silver moonlight as snow gently fell from the night time sky. It looked pristine, and not a footprint could be seen, long covered by the snow which fell. The halls were silent, aside from the gentle murmurings coming from the neighbouring dorm rooms and the common area. The vendors had long gone, packing up their supplies until the next day as night befell them and curfew for the students was called.

A jovial day, everyone was in high spirits. While the juniors were defeated by the seniors in their snowball war, Tyler had bought a rousing round of hot chocolate for everyone involved. Idelia enjoyed a snack of her own, the s'mores she had made filling her stomach for the rest of the afternoon. Lotus and Chantelle finished decorating the school grounds, and then went shopping for dresses to wear at the Winter Ball. Meanwhile Sangeeta had managed to comfort Tsubaki, showing her the sari she was going to wear, while Tsubaki showed her a kimono. After an uplifting talk with Bernice, who subsequently promised to be her roommate for the next term, Evelyn bravely accepted her invitation to the ball from Kyle. Likewise, Lloyd had worked up the courage to invite Alice to the ball, who accepted it cheerfully. Meanwhile the others enjoyed their days in the quiet solitude.

There was only one moment of mystery throughout the day. As Daniel read the crystal ball, he had a vision: red smoke surrounded him as he walked blindly, only a bright light in the far distance served as his guidance through the fog. He looked upwards and saw two giant spinning plates, which then suddenly shattered and turned into a million tiny pieces of glass. A sudden wind blew the smoke away from him and he saw himself standing alone in a large empty room with three large windows with the moon shining brightly through them, and then, he woke up.



Sir William hummed Good King Wenceslas as he floated about in the s****, making his way towards the warded zone. Inside he found the kids, Miss Rachel and Ms. Sullivan sitting in the lounge area. It was decorated with various Christmas lights and decorations, while a cheerful Christmas ditty played in the background. The kids looked up as Sir William entered the room; to be quite honest, he looked ridiculous. He was in his typical ghostly appearance, with his suit of armour and his glowing blue eyes peeking out from a void, but over his armour he wore a bright red apron with Santa Claus' face on it. It didn't matter though, for in his hands was a trey full of freshly baked cookies.

"Perfect timing Sir William!" exclaimed Miss Rachel cheerily as she stood up from one of the couches where she sat talking to Ms. Sullivan.

"Well kids," she said with a glass of spiced eggnog raised "It's been a rough year, and we've lost a lot of friends, but I'm glad we've stuck together this far, and I'm thankful for the new friends that are here with us tonight."

"I just want to thank you all, for being so very brave. " she stuffed her hands into her pockets and then walked by each member giving them a small round broach with a beautifully crafted image engraved and coloured into each, so that they looked like stained glass artwork.

Alice's broach depicted an image of butterfly wings beside a blue egg. Logan's depicted a rifle and a Scottish dirk crossed over a thistle. Johnny's depicted the sigil Arx superimposed over a red four-pointed star. Evelyn's depicted a yellow stylized eight-pointed star with rays emanating to its border. Maximilian's depicted what looked like a ripple from a drop of water emanating from its centre. Dominic's depicted three spirals originating from the centre. Damian's depicted green forked lightning with wavy lines in the background. Tsubaki's depicted the sigil of Augmen, with petals in the background. Lotus's depicted a feral eye with three claw scratch marks behind it. Derrek's depicted two closed eyes and a cube above them. Lloyd's depicted the image of a sleeping griffin. Even Daniel received one, whether he was there or not, depicting an orb mirroring that of his glass ball.

"Typically, these are give out to first year students of Omnivident Training Institutions," began Miss Rachel with a smile "Though, I've spoken to my superiors and they believe that you all more than deserve these. You've proven your worth as the protectors of the mankind. Merry Christmas everyone"

"Yep, that's me, protector of humanity, defender of justice, six hours a day, six days a week." Derrek smarted off as he put the broach into his pocket, barely giving it a glace.

Jewelry and touchy-feely stuff had never really been his thing. Though he couldn't help but feel if he really deserved such a token.

---

Tsubaki accepted the brooch with equal parts shock and gratitude. Her mother had a brooch much like this, save for the design, a winding scroll with the sigil Fragor written upon it. Not that Tsubaki knew it was that specific sigil until this year. Still, it made her wonder what her mother must truly be like, since her own brooch described her so well. Augmen, while not the first sigil she learned, nor the most useful in her collection, was by far her favorite. Something not meant for combat, but nonetheless useful.

Lotus found a beautiful dress she planned to wear to the ball, although now that she had the dress she came to realize she had no one to go with. This sudden realization made her depressed. Even with the presentation of the broach she remained upset on the inside, despite doing her best to hide her inner feelings. She didn't really like the broach that much. It was golden around the edges with a bright blue tiger's eye in the middle. Across the iris of the eye were 3 ruby red scratches. All things considered, it was a lovely broach, but it didn't match anything she owned. She spent most of the party sitting in a chair in the corner of the room thinking of why she would be considered undesirable.

Idelia dropped the plate from her hands allowing it to make a loud crash and echo through the room. Her hands formed into fists. Her ring began to glow as Ego erupted out of it. The phoenix began to smash everything on the tables and tear down various decor.
"WHAT'S THIS?!? AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR A BROACH?!?" Idelia didn't care much for the broach it was the thought behind it though. Ego flew by the tree in the room and ignited it into lustrous flame. Idelia shook her head as she allowed the violent daydream to leave her mind. She reached down and cleaned up the plate and looked at the decor imagining them a blaze as the were in her daydream.

Alice admired the broach's intricate carvings. Phora appeared over her shoulder and took it in, while Sorbet reached for it from Alice's pocket. "Wow!" The pixie said. "We've GOT to enchant it! What do you think would go with the decor? Oh! I know! A spectral image of me and Sorbet, with santa hats!" The idea was tempting to Alice, but she shook her head.

"I'd rather keep it how it is. It's not often that Mrs. Rachel shows her gratitude like this." She glanced at Lloyd and flashed the broach at him. Phora took notice and walked up to him.

"Show me yours!" She said. "Ours has an egg with wings! Didja see?"

Suddenly there was a crash in the room. They all turned to see Idelia and her totem rampaging through the room. "... Should we stop it?" Said Phora to Lloyd. "It looks like it wants to light the Christmas tree on fire! Jesus is going to get mad!" Fortunately the creature calmed down before intervention was necessary.

Alice breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Lloyd, her cheeks turning a bit red. "You, uhh... You wanna spar or something?"




Daniel sat as far away from Alice as he could, and was covered with various charms specifically designed to keep the girl from noticing him. It seemed to be working, as he was still alive. He watched as she chatted Lloyd up. Maybe I should warn him about how f*** crazy she is, he thought. Somehow the broach seemed to calm him down a bit, so he looked down at it to alleviate the anxiety that stems from being around a killer. Who am I kidding? He wouldn't listen. He's snagged himself the 'hottest' girl in the school. Rest in peace, Lloyd.

He looked around the room, and noticed Lotus, who was near to him. Just like him, Lotus seemed to be avoiding attention, and just like him, it appeared to be working. It was a shame that the girl's attractiveness was not noticed by others. In his opinion, her beauty matched Alice's. He'd seen her give Alice a run for her money in the fighting pit, too. She fought with a prideful furiosity, much like her spirit animal, Dot. When frustrated she threw strategy out the window and lashed out with bloodlust. It was amazing to watch, truth be told.

The boy realized he had been ignoring the school ball for quite some time. He'd told himself that it was an earthly concern, which had no relevance to him, but looking at Lotus made him reconsider. He stood up quietly, mindful of the young witch hunter. "Hello, Lotus." He began. "You look beautiful in that dress. Are you going to the dance with anyone?"

Miss Rachel bent down to pick up Idelia's shattered plate, and pat her on the shoulder with a knowing smile. Her eyes seemed to twinkle as she looked down at Idelia, and whispered into her ears: "You'll have yours before the term is over, I assure you."

"Be careful!" called out Ms. Sullivan as she crossed her legs on the couch, "You don't want to cut yourself."

"Don't worry about it" smiled Miss Rachel at Idelia "Go get yourself another plate, and grab some of Sir William's freshly baked cookies"


Evelyn looked down at the broach and admired its craftsmanship; it was truly an object of beauty. She appreciated the fact that it represented her in a way, meaning that it was probably one of a kind. The star on its surface probably alluded to the light of her wisps, since it was referred to as the "Soul of Light". She did not that she felt an incredibly slight energy being emitted from it, nothing that no one other than a trained Spiritorum would notice. Even with her training, she wasn't exactly sure what it was that she felt, but she knew that it could be trusted. At least, that is what she assumed, knowing that it had come from the mysterious and benevolent Miss Rachel.

Evelyn glanced sideways with minimal interest as the new member, Idelia, dropped her plate. She did note that Idelia was the sole person to not receive a broach, then again, she had not gone through all that they had experienced. She felt guilt strike her again, as she remembered how they had lost Carter to Hell. Even though it was through his own actions, no one deserved a fate so grim. She had fought her hardest that night, and even then, she was not strong enough; now he was gone forever. She shook her head, reminding herself of the comforting words of Maximilian, and how it was not her fault. She shook her head to shake the dark thoughts from her mind, and took a bite from a sugar cookie.

"So what are you two planning for the Winter Ball?" asked Evelyn as she walked over to Logan and Maximilian. "Are you bringing anyone?" This question she stated pointedly at Logan, well aware of the affections that seemed to be budding between her best friend Bernice and himself.

Id burned with rage as Mess Rachel neared her. Idelia imagined her a blazse screaming as she tried to put herself out with the eggnog. Once Id heard Miss Rachel whisper in her ear it took every muscle in her body to prevent her from another 'incident'. Ego landed on Id's shoulder releasing a loud screech. Ego wasn't about to let his master's displeasure go unnoticed. He Swooped off Id shoulder before snatching up Lotus's Brooch and giving it to Idelia. Even Id was surprised by her bird's actions. Id threw the brooch back in Lotus's direction before she stormed out of the room only stopping to help herself to a handful of cookies.
Lotus sat there as the brooch was taken from her. She didn't even flinch when it flew back and hit her in the face. At this point Dot had appeared and was trying to make Lotus laugh.

Daniel picked up the broach and offered it to Lotus. "Hello?" He said. "Are you okay?"

Logan accepted his brooch graciously, lost in the significance of the moment. All of their hardships, challenges, and victories were summated in one act. Perhaps it was just him, but the symbolic gesture made the junior feel like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked at the jewel, admiring its intricately carved image. A dirk and rifle occupied the bulk of the engraving, self-explanatory symbols of his ability, but what really caught his attention was the thistle below them. The flower had a special significance.

Legend had it that, while attempting to stealthily approach a Scottish military encampment, a soldier in the opposing Norse army had stepped on one. His resulting cry of pain had alerted the Scots to the enemy's presence. Now, the thistle was a quintessential symbol of Scotland. Logan knew the story well. He smiled as the old tale was brought to mind again after so long. The feeling didn't remain for long, though, as unrest began to arise from some of the other club members. The Scot sighed, the moment spoiled beyond any hope of recovery. It had been nice while it lasted. When he looked back up, Evelyn was approaching.

"So what are you two planning for the Winter Ball? Are you bringing anyone?" She pried.

"Are my intentions really that obvious?" Logan grinned sheepishly, running his hand through his hair as he spoke. His feelings for Bernice were hardly a secret at this point. "Well, it's awfully boring if everyone already knows. I'm more interested in what Maxi's plans are." He quickly changed the subject and turned to his classmate with an impish expression.

Johnathan looked down into his brooch, his arte all engraved in one piece of jewelry. Part of him felt accomplished for all of his work and felt like it was something of a reward for steadily improving, but he also felt like he didn't deserve this and also felt utterly guilty for failing and losing his best friend, which he was doing a pretty good job of hiding whenever something reminded him of it (which was pretty much when he walked into his room). These two factors blended together and produced the blank state present on his face. He had requested for a room change but he hadn't heard back yet from anyone. He put his brooch into his pocket.

Noticing Tsubaki, he walked over and attempted to strike up a conversation. He was honestly grateful for her endeavors in cheering him up, which was something vital in that moment. "I never got the chance to thank you for the other day, cheering me up. We never really spoke that much afterwards." He started. "Besides your birthday." A friendly smile started to show.
__

Lloyd couldn't help but feel a twinge of indifference towards the brooch, but was surprised Idelia didn't get one as they joined relatively at the same time. Still, he admired how it catered to Grayson specifically and it surely wasn't anything he got at his old school. Lloyd couldn't help but smile when Alice approached her.

"Yeah, it looks amazing!" He said as he showed theirs. He turned to Alice again. "Sure." Responded Lloyd as he drew his sword-staff with his free hand. "Do you wanna make a bet?"

Phora was annoyed by Lloyd's response. She pulled on the leg of his pants. "Hey!" She said. "You'd better not try anything funny!" The totem crossed her arms. "You should make Grayson appear! I need to talk to him!" Alice grinned at this.

"Alright, we'll go for three rounds. Best two out of three wins. Loser owes the winner a favor~!" She winked at the teenager.

Lotus looked at the boy as she took her brooch back.
"I'm fine." She responded. Lotus didn't really think about why he was asking, she was to busy sulking in her own misery. Dot continued to put on a show, flopping on her belly and rolling on the floor while making little chirping noises.

Daniel was getting frustrated. The girl just wouldn't listen to him! Luckily he had an idea. He retrieved a large orb of glass and shaped it into a set of small mirrors that surrounded the two, so that from all sides, all she could see was his face. "You should go to the ball with me!" He said.

"Alright, deal." Lloyd nodded as Grayson appeared next to him. Perching himself on Lloyd's shoulder he looked at Phora. Grayson honestly disliked being in his smaller form, but it was great for conserving energy, which Lloyd seemed to have a bottomless pit of. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Damian remained hunched over in his seat, his eyes glued to his brooch. He silently admired and examined his brooch, feeling fairly proud he'd made it thus far with this group and taking the brooch to be a symbol of his progress. He dreaded he'd make a mess of his abilities, or perhaps be of no contribution to the group's battle with the paranormal. His deepest fear was to make some fatal error in some situation or other and cause another Carter incident. It still tugged at him, but with less stinging pain. The melancholic feeling approaching nudged him at the thought that he and others should be here though it gave way to his relief. It certainly could be worse. His thoughts returned to the brooch. How curious, he'd never given any thought to the fact that his lightning was green.

Phora looked from Grayson to Lloyd and back again. She appeared nervous, but she followed Alice's example. "Let's... Let's talk in private, Grayson. Totem to totem. It's about time we had this chat." The pixie motioned for Grayson to follow and walked off to an empty corner in the s****.