fandomhigh | Folklore and Fact: Mystical Artifacts Week 4 [Thurs/2nd Period]

Sakura had a stack of handouts to give the class upon arrival today. "This story is in your textbooks as well," she said wryly, "but in order to ensure that everyone has read it, please take a few minutes to review the handout."

She waited about ten minutes before continuing, "Taketori Monogatari, or the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, is considered to be the oldest known narrative in Japanese culture; it's not known who originally wrote it. Tibetan folklore contains a nearly identical story, and certain elements of this tale can also be found in folktales around the world. Wayland the Smith from Norse myth and the Russian tale behind the ballet Swan Lake feature otherworldly princesses with mystical robes; countless stories tell of princes or commoners who must fulfill impossible tasks to win the princess." There was the slightest hint of distaste in Sakura's voice when she mentioned princes. "Similarly, the story of Thumbelina tells of a girl born from a plant. And then there's Momotarou, but . . ."

For a very brief moment, it might have looked like Sakura's brain was breaking.

Moving to the lockbox on the table, she opened it to reveal the wooden box from last week's class, the one they weren't supposed to open. Sakura did open it, and reached in to retrieve a large chunk of what appeared to be dull yellow quartz. "At the end of the bamboo cutter's story, the potion of immortality was burned on the slopes of Mount Fuji -- the mountain of immortality -- giving it its name. I found a copy of some notes in my office, left by the previous occupant, apparently a translation of a tale about two ancient Greek women in search of a fountain of immortality on Fuji. We haven't found any such thing, but as you can see the mountain's link to eternal life is widespread." She placed the rock on a scanning platform set up on the table, and its enlarged image appeared on the triple display screens. "This rock is . . . synthesized from the ashes that were in the box when it was found, and has the same effect, which isn't true immortality but a temporary boost of life energy."

Carefully, she put the rock back into its box, which in turn went into the lockbox for safekeeping. "With the Potion, when it was located, was the garment known as the Angel's Raiment of the Moon, used by Kaguya-hime to return to her people. We don't have it in our possession -- but I believe it's safe with its owner."

Sakura let them consider the implications of that statement for themselves. "All right. Since different people may have different motivations to acquire something like the Potion of Immortality, I've divided the class into three groups. Group One and Group Two are each to come up with one selfish reason to obtain the Potion; Group Three, your intention should be a well-meaning one. Once you've all decided on your reason, try and figure out why all of them could ultimately lead to trouble."

Beat.

"And no, none of you are actually going to get the Potion at the end of class."

Group 1	Group 2	Group 3
Evie Carnahan	Wyatt Halliwell	Dawn Summers
Phoebe Halliwell	Walter Dornez	Balthier
Pippi Longstocking	William Kessler	Elizabeth Delgado
Dean Winchester	Carmela Rodriguez	Haruhi Fujioka
Matilda Wormwood	Kyo Sohma	Tori Hanson
Kabuto Yakushi	Stark	Jo Harvelle
Chris Halliwell	Sam Winchester	Valentine
		Ronald Weasley

[OOC: Class roster and info post. OCD is available for your pleasure not dirty!]

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The soft murmur of students around Dawn seemed to slowly die down even if no one actually stopped talking. The temperature in the air around her desk suddenly seemed to drop rapidly.

Dawn shook her head, trying to figure out if her ears were blocked and trying to clear them. As the room got suddenly colder, she shivered and tucked her hands into the sleeves of her sweater.

There was no getting warm and something flowed from shadow to shadow until it reached the desk where Dawn was seated. They crawled up along the back of Dawn's chair and there was a whispering sound that seemed to come from close around her.

Whipping her head around at the whispering, Dawn caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. She twisted around in her seat to get a better look, shivering harder now.

The instant Dawn turned around, the shadow seemed to almost leap at her. It rushed right through her, feeding on her energy before disappearing again. It wasn't gone however as this girl was powerful and there was so much energy to feed on.

Dawn gasped at the spike of ice that seemed to ram into her chest, breathing heavily as her clothes suddenly weighed down on her. She should have been more alarmed, or alerted someone, but she was suddenly so tired and cold that she couldn't gather the energy.

Calling for help would have been no use as nothing was able to stop the shadow. It spun itself around her, shrouding her in darkness as it drew as much energy from her as it could.

Dawn just wanted to burrow under every blanket in her and Sam's room and sleep, but wasn't sure she could make it back to the dorms. She swatted at the shadows, and then she stared at her hand which seemed somehow less present than it had a few minutes ago.

It was unclear if the shadows were impressed by the swatting or not, but as sudden as they had come, they seemed to disappear. All the sounds around Dawn returned and people were still talking as if nothing had happened at all.

Dawn was still there, but shivering and exhausted and thoroughly freaked out as she stared at the desk through her hands and arms and tried to figure out what happened.

She reached for a pen to start making a list, but she couldn't grasp it.

Looking very, very shaken, Dawn raised a tentative hand, hoping other people could still see it. "Professor Sakura? May I be excused?"

Sakura had been keeping an eye on the lockbox containing the Potion, but turned immediately at the sound of Dawn's voice.

"Of course. What is it?" she asked quietly, making her way immediately to Dawn's side.

"I can't stop shivering," Dawn said, still staring through her hands, "and I think I was just attacked."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Attacked? I would have noticed something aggressive in this --" Her gaze fell on Dawn's hands. "What did this? Is it still here?"

She shook her head, teeth chattering. "Sh-shadows. Here, then gone."

Sakura glanced sharply around the room. This was something outside her experience, and there was no other logical reason for Dawn to be as cold as she was. But if they were gone, there was no reason to alarm the other students unnecessarily.

"Go," she said. "Get warm if you can. And check in with me later to let me know if you're all right."

Dawn nodded and got up, trying and failing to grab her books, as her hands slipped through them. "I will."

"I'll see what I can find out," Sakura promised. Her students were her responsibility, of course, and if one of them was attacked in her class she had to take action. "Be careful, please."

Dawn nodded and walked out quietly, arms wrapped around herself.

Folklore and Fact: Mystical Artifacts Week 4 [Thurs/2nd Period]

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