"It certainly has become more…colorful than the last time I remember. It's hard to forget these aren't actually real, and simply manifestations." She had heard the news about what was happening in Sularia. Some giant rabbit had appeared and was rampaging through the city. Meanwhile strange things flew about, taking forms of animals or chimeric combinations. She first saw it personally when a fairy-like being of flowers was hovering around her. When she tried to leave, it followed. Here she had thought it was a hallucination, when she saw Auron with a bright red bird on his head, and a ferret running after Shiloh. Clearly something was wrong, as there was no way animals could enter without any of them knowing. Lysandre was talking about a pretty butterfly that was purple and yellow, and it looked as if it were cut from a piece of gossamer fabric. 

Something was happening back home in Arri, a powerful change in magic that she could only guess was divine. Naturally she asked for Auron to come along, while Lysandre was in Walter's care back at Antikythera. The streets were filled with the magical beings, and her mind was spinning just seeing it all. There were shouts as women were going after something large and shimmering. In the mix was her own aunts and cousins, armed with staves and spells. "There it is! Get him! Out, out you overgrown rabbit!" That was definitely Celosia. That feisty demeanor was unmistakable. "Let's go see what's happening! I've never seen a magical creature of that size! How did it even get here in the first place?"

"Ugh, stop it you!" He swatted the crimson bird, his hand passing through it. To his dismay, he couldn't be rid of the thing. He liked birds, but this thing was insufferable. It was stubborn, and wouldn't leave him be. It would fly in front of his face when he tried to comb his hair, wash his face, or do anything. Whatever was causing this, he hoped it ended soon. Nerine asked him to come along to see what was happening here, and he didn't have a reason to refuse. It was a good place to find high-quality gemstones, of all places. The entire place was full with the colorful ethereal beasts. He kept tripping trying to avoid the animals that weren't real. But with the city like this, who could get anything done? "Oh gods what in the world is that?!" His mouth was agape as he watched a massive rabbit in sparkling color bound down the main square. There was a mob after it, and they were trying to chase it out. When he turned to Nerine, she was just as shocked as he was. This was silly, and maybe a bit mad.

"Come on, we need to go after it!" She rolled up her sleeves and readied a fireball. "Wait, you don't think that's going to be enough to get rid of that…thing?" His look of incredulity was met with a sigh. "Well I doubt we can hit it, so might as well use what we can. It's certainly an anomaly no matter how you look at it." "Anomaly is an understatement…why doesn't it want to leave?" He said, running after her. "Who knows? Let's just follow their lead!" Ducking instinctively as a magical swan flew overhead, he shouted: "Easy for you to say! There's all these blasted things running everywhere!" He could ignore them, but what if he didn't phase through them like the rest of the time? He'd feel awful if he hit a pigeon, illusory or not.

"Celosia! What's going on?!" Nerine shouted as she came up beside her cousin. "Nerine, you made it! Help get this rascal out of the city, he's the root of this entire mess!" The woman had long flaxen curls tied into a ponytail. She threw a blast of magic at the rabbit's fluffy derriere, and others followed with their own spells. "Wait, so this rabbit is the cause? How is that possible? The magic beasts are appearing in Parvpora too!" Nerine's cousin held up a hand. "Wait, slow down a moment. Are you sure we're talking about the same thing? Do you know what the rabbit's doing to Sularia?" Nerine answered plainly. "It's causing these strange magical apparitions, isn't it?" Celosia stopped and put a hand to her head. "No no no, that's not it. So you really don't know after all. It's not the beasts, it's this!" Tossing a ball of earth, suddenly it changed into a boulder! It crashed into the streets causing shouts in protest. "Sorry, my bad!" Nerine grimaced as she saw the mess. "Celosia, be more careful! What if that hit someone?"

The woman huffed and crossed her arms. "It's not my fault! I didn't even mean to make it that strong! Sometimes the spells don't even work and fizzle, or do something entirely wrong. It's like having a void storm right here. Nobody uses magic unless they absolutely have to, and you can't guarantee the results." An explosion rocked the city as somebody shouted "SORRY!" Celosia nodded as if the emphasize her point. Nerine had to take a few minutes to let this all sink in. "So this rabbit is like a small, localized void storm?" "Yes, now you've got it. So stay on your feet. Someone's bound to have a mishap every now and then." Celosia glanced behind and shaded her eyes. "So, who's the red-head over there? He yours?" Immediately Nerine denied it. "What? No–no of course not! You haven't met my husband yet, have you? That's not him. He's a mutual friend of ours."

Celosia raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the matter further. "Well good. I was worried you went and got yourself another one of him again. Little Lys doesn't look like him in the slightest, so I was too hasty to judge." Nerine sighed. It was the past, but it still wasn't something she wanted to recall. "I'll show him to you and your mother, I promise. He's not like him either."

He had an inkling that somebody was talking about him. Whether or not they were speaking well or ill, he didn't know. "I had a feeling someone mentioned me while my back was turned." Catching up to Nerine after the mob moved along, he crossed his arms and tried to figure out what was going on. From where he had been, he noticed the Rosenite was acting somewhat flustered while talking to another woman she knew. She even briefly glanced in his direction only to shake her head vigorously and wave her hands as if denying something. Once he came over he could feel the other blonde sizing him up. Not in a particularly friendly way, you might add. Like all Rosenites, the other woman was beautiful. She had a different type of charm compared to Nerine's short boyish curls. Unfortunately this was soured by her scrutinizing glare.

"…What?" He crossed his arms, waiting for either of them to explain the stiff silence that fell over the conversation once he arrived. "You're right, this definitely isn't him. He truly does take after you, doesn't he? Although until sis and mother meet his father, I can't be completely certain. Plus he isn't you're type." The flaxen-haired woman said, looking over him from head to toe. Auron wasn't sure what she was talking about, but he immediately felt offended. "Well pardon me for not meeting up to your standards." Nerine tried to explain finally, though it was more like she was trying to appease him. "It's not like that Auron. This is my cousin, Celosia. We were talking about someone I used to know just now. Please don't take this the wrong way; this is the first time you two have met. She was asking me when I'd bring Sylvain over to see the rest of my family. My aunts and cousins have only seen my son so far, so when she saw you she began jumping to conclusions."

Nerine's cousin seemed to be less hostile and standoffish now that she knew Nerine wasn't married to him, but those previous offhand barbs about him still stung. Just what kind of person did she take him for? "Oh, I see. Well I'm glad the misunderstanding's been cleared up." He replied, still sour. "Anyways, we should try to see if there are ways to corral the rabbit out of Sularia." Nerine reminded. "Since magic has been severely impacted due to its presence, It'll be quite a challenge to direct its movements."

Again, her cousin had a way with causing trouble when it came to her mouth. Right away she could see the hackles rise between the two of them, and did her best to defuse the tension. Celosia meant well, like always, but her methods of looking out for people she cared for would lead them to think otherwise. Nerine had grown up with her, so she knew her faults. And after her long-standing relationship with Alistair had ended, her cousin had became more protective of her than ever. Fortunately Auron was someone whose mood changed easily, and he wasn't as angry anymore. "So from what I've heard, this rabbit is a creature made of magic brought to life. Typically something like this would be almost unheard of, however since Lady Angela is involved even rarities can happen. Her husband is the god of magic, after all." 

Considering their plan of attack, she watched as the crowd of mages and others magically gifted were attempting to make the rabbit go away. Its movements were surprisingly normal, not much different from an actual living breathing animal. Then, an idea came to mind. "Oh…so that explains it." "What explains what? Come on, don't keep it all to yourself. What is it?" Celosia nudged. "I believe we've been going at it with the wrong approach this whole time. That's why even with all these people running after it, the rabbit still hasn't left the city." Nerine began to explain her theory to the both of them: "If you've noticed, even though this rabbit is composed of magical energy–it still behaves just like a real one. It's rather skittish despite its size, and its movements are erratic making it difficult to capture. And since it isn't corporeal, the buildings leave it unhindered. Essentially, Sularia is a giant open area from its perspective. Capturing this would be nigh impossible, however chasing it away now should be rather simple."

"Well don't beat around the bush. What do you propose?" Celosia put her hands on her hips, getting impatient. "Just give me a moment, I'm getting to that." The scholar sighed. "In short, we should try to come at it from multiple sides, leaving only one direction open. When it sees it has only one way left to run, it shouldn't move in any other direction. Most animals are adverse to being backed into a corner, so once we chase it out I doubt it will come back again."

"So we just need to chase the thing like a normal animal?" After all that chasing, running, and attempts to drive it out with magical means–the answer was this simple? He was expecting a more…sophisticated solution. So despite its massive size and magical origin, they had been running about like fools trying to catch a rabbit without any traps. Well no wonder they were getting nowhere! "Are you absolutely sure this will work?" Auron asked, still not entirely convinced. "I can say there's at least three-fourths of a chance this will succeed, with certainty." Nerine answered back. "I can't say it will absolutely work, but it's worth a try. We might be able to chase it out of here for good if it does." Celosia threw up her hands in the air, and gave an exasperated sigh. "Sure, let's try it. I don't see any other options available at this point. I'll gather some people and tell them the plan." She briskly walked off to find the crowd, and both Auron and Nerine heard her shout brusquely: "Oy, you lot–quit running around! We're getting nowhere and that blasted rabbit's still loitering around. My cousin here thinks she has a way to get that thing out of here for good, so listen up!"

Nerine sighed and covered her mouth with her hand. "…She's not very diplomatic, but she tries her hardest to get things done." Auron watched her forcefully rally people around her as he stood alongside Nerine. "You don't say…" They continued to stand in silence as her cousin got whoever was willing to listen to form groups and fan out after the magical beast. "We should probably go and see if it works. Also in case your cousin…well you know." He added. Nerine nodded in agreement, and they both went to follow the main force of the new formation. The rabbit was in sight, towering above the buildings. It was hard to miss. Sure enough, they started to close in around it, gradually pressing it towards the tropical forest outside the capital's fringes. 

"Our best bet would be to drive it down to the middle gate, and continue chasing it out into the surrounding jungle. To keep it from coming back in, we'll need to keep forcing it out into the desert. After that it should be far enough that it won't cause such powerful distortions in magic here." Nerine told Auron and Celosia as they followed the main force moving the rabbit out. "That's perfect. It's the most direct way out of here, and it'll save us the pain of getting it through the rest of the districts. It's bad enough as is in the streets, we don't need to drive it towards the White District and the Oracles." Celosia commented, then she relayed the information the the others around them. "Alright, keep going! And get that thing down out the main gate! Once it's out of the city limits we'll need to keep our formation–and don't stop until you see the red sands of the Harena!" So far things were going as expected. Nerine sincerely hoped this would work. If they could force it to leave in one attempt it would bring much needed relief for everyone here. 

The rabbit bounded in great leaps through the market square, leading to shouts and exclamations of shock and terror. "Everyone please clear the way! We're doing the best we can to move it out of here, so please bear with it for a while!" Luckily the magical rabbit simply phased through the stalls, though it left several quite shaken. The children were staring up at it in awe, and some even wanted to chase after it. If it had been a bit smaller, perhaps its effects wouldn't have been so potent. But it had caused a great deal of disruption in Sularia already, so unfortunately it had to go. "The gate, I see it!" Auron's voice reached her ears from behind. The guards stationed there immediately were on high alert, with looks of bewilderment and confusion as they followed after the great mass of living magic. "Keep going! Chase that rascal out of here!" Celosia yelled, rallying the crowd again.

Nerine was sure this was the strangest sight the guards had seen in years. Soon they were out of the city walls into the tropical jungle surrounding the crown jewel of Arri. The heat turned to humidity, and the dense vegetation was affecting the speed of their group. Thankfully the tops of the trees couldn't cover up that rabbit's shimmering form. Soon the other groups had to separate and pick their way through, leaving it up to them to keep it in their sights. When a trickle of sweat rolled down her neck, she realized just how hard she had been running. "Please, don't let it be much further…" She murmured to herself. She wasn't dressed for a marathon run.

Gods, he hated humidity. He could handle dry heat and warm Ignius afternoons just fine, but add a great deal of moisture in the air and everything became unbearable. It made all clothing cling to your skin like wet sand, and was all-around uncomfortable. The only thing that alleviated the feeling was a continuous cool breeze, but even so that didn't remove the problem. They had to continue their chase into the tropical jungle outside the city walls, and he was swatting away insects as well as low-lying leaves. His clothes were a mess, his hair stuck together in damp clumps, and his scalp was drenched in sweat. He'd have to pay a visit to the bathhouse after this and get a fresh change of clothes. The only positive thing he could see in this was that annoying red bird wasn't in sight. Maybe it flew away and went to bother someone else.

"How much further does this jungle go?!" Raising his voice, he ducked to avoid a vine that dangled off a branch. "I don't know! I've never gone this far out from the city's outskirts before! Normally I take an airship or a portal out of Sularia, and come back the same way!" Nerine replied between rapid breaths. He let out a groan, and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Could this climate get any more sweltering? They were near the back of the group now, and Nerine's cousin was almost out of sight. This came as no surprise. She had the tenacity and temperament of a wild boar. His legs were burning, and everything was hurting. Why was he even running anyway? He should be sitting in a cool room on silk cushions with a glass of chilled rose water and honey–not out here in this oppressive heat! He'd kill for a drink right now, or anything cold.

Just when he was sure his lungs and legs would give out, shouts of triumph erupted from the trees around them. "Take your cotton-tailed rear and get, you blasted pest! And stay out!" It was a good thing Celosia was easy to hear over everybody else, or he wouldn't have known when to stop. Throwing himself against a tree, he coughed and slid down as he caught his breath. Taking in as much air as his lungs could get, the lightheaded dizziness buzzing around his temples and the aching in his legs were ebbing away. He never wanted to do something like this ever again. "When I get back to Sularia…I'm going to rent the best room I can buy–and soak in a bath of rose petals." He wheezed. 

Spending so much time away from home left her unprepared for the humid and muggy atmosphere outside the city. Antikythera's halls had always been kept at a constant temperature and humidity considered comfortable for most races, and since her son Lys was born she didn't go outside to collect samples and specimens as often. Auron wasn't doing any better, and she found he was falling behind as time dragged on. Celosia was now at the front, shouting orders and throwing insults at the rabbit as she took the lead. The heat was starting to get to Nerine as she had to slow down. Had she known she would be breaking a sweat, she would have dressed less warmly. Celosia gave a battle cry which turned to one of triumph, as the group slowed to a halt. Through the trees the red sand was visible, and the shimmering mass of magic loped away into the desert. Wiping away the sweat from her face, she placed her hands on her hips and heaved a sigh of relief. "We've done it… It's finally gone." She didn't think that it would've worked so well, but now things could settle down in Sularia at last.

The people who were part of the great rabbit hunt were coming back in droves, and Celosia returned with a beaming smile. "Ha, we sure showed him! And it's all thanks to you. That plan of yours worked like a charm." With a tired smile, Nerine gave her cousin a hug. "It was just a lucky guess, really. I kept worrying that it'd change course while we were chasing it here." Letting go, Celosia fanned herself with her hand. "Good thing it didn't though, right? Ugh, I'm so exhausted. Let's go back and see if everyone's magic is back in order in the city." As she followed her cousin, she noticed something that made her gasp. Auron was collapsed against a tree, limp like a wilted flower. "Auron? Auron, are you alright?" Quickly coming over, she saw his face was flushed and checked his pulse. "Could someone give me a hand? We have someone unconscious here! We need to carry him back to the city!" Pulling him up, one of the other Rosenites came and helped Nerine bring him back into Sularia as she applied some cooling compresses to bring his temperature down.

The chaos in the capital was over, and people resumed their business as usual. The giant spectral rabbit was the talk of the town for days to come. After sitting him down in some shade, she splashed him with some water and waited until he came to. She was trying to avoid being seen by Celosia, who would without a doubt drag her away and hound her with questions the moment she caught sight of them. 

Having passed out in the stifling heat, he slowly regained consciousness as someone threw cold water on his face. With a groan, he opened his eyes and found himself in a chair. Nerine's concerned face came into focus, and her worry faded when he was fully awake. "Oh thank goodness, you've woken up. I was worried that I would have to send you to the Red District if you didn't respond." Shifting in his seat, his body was still tired but the headache had disappeared. "Is the rabbit gone?" "Yes, it's finally gone. It ran off into the desert, and so far there haven't been any reports of it coming back." She was whispering for some reason, and kept glancing to the side. "Thank the gods…" Rubbing his eyes, he sat up. "Can you stand?" She asked him. He nodded, and slowly stood. "I'm going to soak in the bathhouse, then get myself a room. Everything hurts, and I feel awful." After that he'd probably pass out for the night. 

"Sorry to get you pulled into this. I'd better get going before Celosia comes around. I'd rather not sit through one of her interrogation sessions if I can help it." Nerine turned and left, but not before waving. He weakly reciprocated the sentiment, and made his way to the Red District's baths. Soaking in lukewarm water mixed with a fragrant cocktail of aromatherapy oils melted his fatigue away. Afterwards, he went to get a clean set of clothes and moved on to the Yellow District. A light meal with several glasses of chilled, sweetened rose water was just what he needed. He took his time, admiring the gardens while he recuperated from that madcap chase. Once he bought himself a room, he sank into the cool sheets and cushions. Today he had gotten absolutely nothing done. But with that rabbit now gone for good, he'd be able to stroll through the bazaar come tomorrow morning. He fell into a deep sleep despite it only being late afternoon.