Chapter 5:


	Objects inside Nearie’s room floated around, twirling and crashing against
walls and each other as the girl struggled slightly with a nightmare. Had she
even without the powers of the Wisdom Crest, Nearie would have still been an
amazingly talented psychic, if not the penultimate compared to her mother.
Tossing and turning, she made small, scared sounds while the memory played
through her mind again.

	“Come on, Penny! I’ll race you home! No spirit can outrun me!”
	“Just one more street, till we’re back. Hey, what is that guy doing?”
	“Oh no look out Nearie! That truck is going to…”
	“No, don’t get hurt no. I don’t want you to feel pain…please don’t get
hurt...don’t be hurt, just be calm.”

	The thud of the Prime Center settling down into its new location stirred Nearie
awake, causing the floating objects to drop and smack into the floors. With a
few breaths, Nearie quickly calmed herself, only taking a minute to be restored
to her normal self before standing and personally cleaning up the fallen
objects. Snapping her head once, she calmly strolled out of the room, entering
the waiting crowd of other students waiting to be released from the center.

	In a stark contrast to the open country that the first stop had, the second
location was deep in the heart of a sprawling metropolis. Neo New York was
rebuilt after the Great War, but unlike many cities that chose a more pastoral
and classic look, NewYork decided to rebuild itself in the days of its old
glory. Massive skyscrapers jetted out perpendicular to the ground in hard edged
squares and rectangles, a large difference from Prism’s domes and curves. Many
of the students were in awe of the sight, pressing against the sides of the
Center with cameras and wide eyes. Below them, a traditional ticker tape parade
and celebration waited for the students as they began to unload, entering a
realm of cheers and flitting white paper. Laughing, Hope was at the front of the
surge, waving and smiling to just about everyone she could. Behind her, Shin
paced along, smiling and waving as well, but substantially more shy and reserved
than Hope. Further behind him was Vixy, giggling and giving flirtatious winks
and smiles to guys along the street. Nearie, predictably, was near the back,
walking slowly forward and not really paying attention to anything.

	“Ok!” Shin yipped as he unfolded the small map the school provided, confident
in his abilities to find their way to the class quickly. “O…k,” he said again,
the map being more complicated than he expected, much more. “Uh…hm…well…if we go
here…then make a left,” Shin began to mutter to himself. His partner, Vixy had
already lost her train of thought and was browsing a nearby clothing store.
“No…we would have to go that way…but then, argh…”
	“Hey Shin! Hold this!” Vixed yipped, tossing him a bag.
	“Oh sure,” he muttered, grabbing it. By the time he had finished plotting a
course through the city, he was hauling more bags than a standard pack mule,
Vixy helping him by carrying her purse and one small bag.

	Hope, meanwhile, excitedly took notes in the ancient and antique Carnegie Hall,
still a symbol of great performances across the world. With a flourish, she
filled her notebook with small doodles, mostly of her singing and her parents
there watching. “Look, I know, just shush!” came a small exclamation, breaking
her concentration. Turning her head, she whispered, “hey Meyshishishi, could you
please be a little bit quieter, thanks.”
	“Oh, sure, sorry Hope,” he replied, then added to the smiling girl, “it’s
Meyshisiam.” Hope turned to her notes while Meyshisiam turned back to his
business, which was the rock clutched in his hand. “Look, you’re going to get me
in trouble, do you ever shut up?”
	“Look, I am just trying to advise you, young one. I know your desires and I can
help you get them.”
	“You’re just a rock.”
	“We went over this before. Remember the thing back at the tribal camp? That was
me. If you want me to, I can prove myself again.” Frustrated, Meyshisiam blurted
out, quite loudly, “well fine! Then make a thirty foot tall kitten!” The spirit
was quiet and Meyshisiam settled into his chair with a smug expression, then
noticed that everyone in the room was staring at him. “Uhh…” he stuttered, “that
was…my…uhm…” He couldn’t find an answer and just sunk into his seat, wishing
there was a way he could be invisible while the class did a collective
double-take and went back to its business. “It is done…” Meyshisiam heard.

	Inside their apartment, Shin and Vixy were recovering from their respective
days, Shin from his studies and work and Vixy from her spending and shopping.
Vixy had a few friends over, all admiring their various sets of new clothes and
purchases. As Shin prepared to leave the room, he had another class before the
day was done, he did take time to look back at Vixy. At the same moment, he felt
both frustrated at her inability it seemed, to work at all on anything. But at
the same glance, he couldn’t help but feel a bit attracted; she was good
looking, more like a knockout. Shaking his head, he dismissed the thoughts from
his main thoughts and left, though not without giving another backwards glance
to her, nearly walking into a wall.

	“Hiya Shin!” Hope chirped as he exited the building.
	“Oh, hey Hope, you headed to class too?” he asked.
	“Yep!” she replied, always happy to see everyone she talked to. Shin grinned,
“let’s get,” he said, suddenly cut off in a look of surprise.
	“Going?” Hope said, in the same kind of dumbfounded tone as Shin. In front of
the pair was a gigantic, furry orange wall. “What in the heck is that?” Shin
exclaimed, and then let out a bit of a yelp as it started to move. The form
began to tower above them, casting a great shadow over the part of the city and
after taking a breath, it let out a purr.

	“Oh it is so ADORABLE!” Hope said, staring up at the enormous kitten. The
citizens of the city slowly came out, wondering what was happening, and were
understably confused to find the biggest cat they have ever seen before in their
street. Mewing, the kitten looking around, then tried to find something to play
with. “Look Hope, I think we got to do something about this,” Shin said, looking
at her.
	“Well, what should we do?”
	“We can’t really like blast it or anything. Too many people around.”
	“Yeah, and it isn’t doing anything too bad,” Hope said, her voice drowned out a
bit as the kitten rolled a truck with its paw.
	“Why don’t you ask your dad, Hope? He handled big problems like this before.”
	“Ok…it might work…hang on,” Hope said as she found a payphone.

	Meanwhile, Kayin was settling down with a book when the phone rang in the
Ravenhurst home.
	“Hello?”
	“Hi dad!”
	“Oh hi Hope, how are you? How are classes going?”
	“They’re fine dad, though there is something…”
	“What’s the matter?” Kayin asked, sounding concerned.
	“Nothing big, we just need some advice. I know how you used to tell those
stories of how you fought monsters and stuff…”
	“Yeah? And?” he asked, sounding more confused.
	“So how would you deal with a giant cat?”
	“Giant…cat? Like how giant? Maybe it is just like big naturally.”
	“No, no dad, it’s…big. Like, twenty or forty feet…”
	“Woah. That IS big, is it doing anything?”
	“No, it’s not doing anything, it’s just huge.”
	“Uh…well Hope, I have never dealt with that before…maybe take it to the zoo?”
	“Ok! Thanks dad! Talk to you later!” Hope chirped and hung up, leaving Kayin
staring at the phone, blinking.


	“You got your end, Shin?” Hope grunted, floating in the air with half of the
kitten above her arms, straining to hold it up and carry it. “Yeah, I think…” he
groaned. Below them, a hastily prepared cage was waiting for the cat to be
lowered into. After a few minutes of groaning, aiming and yelling, the kitten
was in its new pen and it responded to its new home by taking a nap. A few hours
later, Shin finished telling what happened to Vixy. He ended by going up towards
his room, then asking, “are things always this weird here?” Vixy couldn’t help
but smile and chuckle a bit to the boy, giving his head a ruffle, “only some of
the time, Shin.”