Tifa Mysteria

[Dan Dark]

Mianol Dress



Earth Dress

Name: Tifa Julie-Star Mysteria

Nicknames/Aliases: Tif, Julie

Current Age: 24

Species: Spaniel (Canine)

Gender: Female

Physical Appearance: Tifa is a mix of black and white fur, black being the main colour. Her fur is usually well kept and tends to gleam in the right light giving her a silky look at times. The white fur on her body covers her chest and stomach with smaller patches around her inner thighs and the back of her legs as well as the tips of her fingers and toes. The white fur on her chest extends up her neck and then splits in half below her muzzle and stretches up to both of her eyes. The end result makes it look like she has a “mask” like one would associate with a racoon however she lacks any other racoon like traits and it is likely just an odd coincidence.
Her eyes are a shade of chestnut brown with her hair being cut short around her cheeks and coloured a vibrant crimson red colour. Her most distinguishing features are two dark black lines that run above her eyes and her long ears that hang down to the middle of her back. Whilst these are black in colour the inside of them is a similar shade of crimson to her hair colour. Her tail is rather short, nothing more than a foot long puff of fur sticking out behind her and is often hidden under her clothes. She also has a small tattoo on her shoulder in the same shape of her necklace.

Body Structure: Tifa is a short but sturdy looking woman. She had a stunted growth during her childhood and never really recovered fully from it. That said, what there is of her isn’t weak and feeble. For her size and petite structure, Tifa is actually very athletic and surprisingly strong. Whilst not being capable of hard physical labour or such like, she can readily surprise people with her strength. Much of her frame is muscle, although saying that you wouldn’t really notice. Her bust size is a 30B.

Attire: On her home world of Mianol Tifa generally stuck to the same clothing, rarely wearing different things. She tends to wear robes or long dresses most of the time, other fashions not taking her interest at all. Her favourite attire consists of a long purple coloured dress that stretches from her neck right down to her ankles. The dress is cut away at the back, the front being held up be a leather collar around her neck. It then forms round her bust and round her back, this has the effect of leaving her back bare down to the small of her back. From there it falls to the floor, a split in the right side that stretches up to her thigh allowing freedom of movement. This split is held together be a couple of adjustable leather straps. Due to her bust size and the rather tight fit of her dress she doesn’t wear bras.
Around her waist is a small black waistcoat that fastens around her waist and down her front. A short black half cape is attached to this, the cape almost touching the floor in length. Over this she wears a large belt that houses a number of pouches that she uses to keep things in instead of carrying a bag.
Finally she wears arm length gloves and a number of small accessories such as a head necklace with a small charm, an actual necklace and a pair of glasses.
Since arriving on Earth her clothing has changed to blend in with the general populace. Her accessories have remained but she now wears a selection of small tops and long trousers. She still wears her old clothes when she can get away with it, they are a memory of home and one of the only ones she has.

Intelligence: Tifa is a very book smart type of person. Her memory is highly photographic enabling her to remember things simply by picturing them or drawing them out. She can also remember facts and figures with ease and tends to remember obscure details for much longer than other. This said she has great difficulty understanding any detailed things such as technology and science. If it works Tifa accepts it as working and tries not to concern herself with the specifics.
She takes great interest in anything to do with history and archaeology, the past fascinating her and generally not containing complex things in the same way as science does. However, whilst not able to understand a circuit diagram she can work out puzzles and such like very easily.

Personality: Tifa is a very caring but sometimes shy girl. She loves the world, or rather the worlds, and does what she can to protect it and keep her friends safe. She detests violence unless it’s completely necessary and relies on negotiations to try and solve disputes. This said, her shy nature usually means she doesn’t step into situations until they have gone past the point for talk and thus finds herself torn between helping or not. Most of the time she does help though, if only by protecting others and not actually attacking.
She can also be rather fragile at times and has a way of tuning into others feelings a little too well. This often means she breaks down in tears over other people’s problems or tries too hard to help and instead end up annoying people. At the end of the day though she simply wants to help and do what she can.
Finally, although she doesn’t like to fight and tries to avoid violence at all times unless she has a reason for doing it. The canine has a seriously strong sense of justice and what classes as right and wrong. This can at times come into conflict with what she is witnessing and she boils over. When this happens her normal façade falls apart and a rather pissed off individual replaces it. Being short people tend to underestimate her and this annoys her as well, when she finally decides the time for talk is over it is not a pleasant experience.


[Statistics]

Powers: Tifa’s power is a connection to the spiritual world that few have been able to attain. Her love of the planet has caused her to be able to tap into the spiritual energies of the world and call them forth as she likes. On her homeworld of Mianol there have been numerous studies into this power but not a lot of information has ever been discovered.

Quote:Royal Academy of Magical Investigation (RAMI) Report – Subject: Summon Magic
Summon magic is an unusual type of magic that remains largely a mystery in the world. Summoners, as they are known, seem to be linked with the spiritual energy of the planet and can readily call upon its power. Unlike other magic, Summon magic does not require energy from the planet itself nor does it take any elemental forms. Instead the power manifests itself by calling forth the spirits of the world, or at least those that choose to be called.
It should also be noted that summoners can never learn this magic by force. The spirits of the world can not be made to do anything and instead must choose to answer the summoners call. As such summoning magic is firstly exceedingly rare as only a chosen few are deemed worthy enough by the world’s spirits, and secondly it is very unpredictable as it relies on the spirit acknowledging the summoner.
Summoned spirits take to the world as ghostly transparent animals of any type and hold remarkable powers and abilities. Summoned spirits are capable of just about anything but do not use their power without good cause and only when they feel the time is right. Some spirits, however, will take a liking to a particular summoner and may choose to become a ‘bound spirit’, intertwining themselves with their chosen summoner. When this happens the spirit takes on a more solid form and follows the summoner wherever they go. Bound spirits are essentially linked with their summon making telepathic communication between them possible. It is also possible for a summoner to force a bound spirit to do as they wish but doing so causes both spirit and summoner extreme pain, the intensity of which increases with how much the spirit protests to the actions it is being made to carry out.
Summoners use magic circles to summon their powers, each circles made up of individual spirit markings designed to help in the calling of resident spirits. These magic circles are made in quick succession and then shattered, causing a tear to form between the real world and the spirit world and allowing the spirit to manifest itself.

End Report

In regard to Tifa’s ability to use summon magic she has a rather strong bond with the spirit world. She is currently accompanied by a small serpentine spirit that responds to the name Seraph.

Abilities: Tifa’s abilities are all based around her ability to summon. On her own she is simply a defensive fighter, using her boomerang to defend herself and others around her. She has no moves of her own and instead relies on her summoned spirits to accomplish her goals. The problem with her summoning is that she may only summon a single spirit during the course of a day (RP time) as the process is very tiring. This limits her ability to use her summons and means she has to choose very carefully when to use one.

Cleo – The spirit known as Cleo is a very powerful creature. She is quite capable of moving solid objects and smashing things apart with a good charge. Whilst in the ‘real’ world she has the power to control the ground, thus allowing her to create a fair amount of devastation should she choose to.
Strength (Basic Skill) - Cleo is the most powerful of the spirits Tifa can summon. Whilst not as powerful as Knuckles she can deliver a solid hit.
Ground Hum - A massive jolt that shakes the ground. It lasts only but a moment but is capable of cracking concrete and throwing people off their feet.
Seismic Awareness - Cleo's special move is an exceedingly powerful forward blast of energy in the form of a miniature earthquake concentrated on one spot.

Orio – A raccoon spirit who seems to simply enjoy showing off. He is incredibly nimble, able to slip into places others can’t and jump around in a manner most would find confusing. He has a limited control over water allowing him to ride currents and govern rainfall.
Agility (Basic Skill) - Orio is a very agile creature. He is tends to fight by darting from spot to spot, eventually delivering a hit somewhere in the middle of it.
Water Bolts - A sudden spray of high speed water bolts. While not overly powerful they are certainly good enough to knock someone off guard. Think getting hit by a water cannon.
Surface Tension - Being able to control water, Orio can create a barrier of water using the surface tension of water. It's not especially strong but it can absorb a large number of smaller hits.

Irradix – Whilst not as powerful as Cleo or as agile as Orio, Irradix is the fastest spirit yet to show themselves to Tifa. He can easily maintain a solid sprint over great distances and often acts seemingly without moving. Given his ability to control fire he can also deliver a very powerful blow in the blink of an eye.
Speed (Basic Skill) - Irradix is an amazingly fast spirit, as such he can achieve speeds that would make Sonic think twice. He can easily reach speeds of several hundred miles an hour.
Mach Bend - Irradix has a habit of concentrating his speed into a split moment before he strikes. This makes them exceedingly fast almost as if he was bending time.

Seraph – Tifa’s bound spirit is a capable companion. Although small he has the power to increase his size to such an extent that Tifa can actually ride on his back. Seraph governs over the air, able to form powerful blasts.
Flight (Basic Skill) - Seraph can increase his size allowing him to carry Tifa on his back. He can also carry an additional passenger, usually Martin.
Air Pulse - By spinning his body Searph can create powerful blasts of air in a very controlled manner. Each pulse is like a solid right hook but without the physical impact damage.
Vibration - By manipulating the very air molecules around him, Seraph can form a powerful spherical blast of air to surge out around him. Mainly used a defence move to knock people flying.

Skills:
Alchemy - Tifa is a skilled alchemist and potion maker, able to make up a variety of antidotes and such like for poisons, infections and pains. She often experiments with this skill as well, a few noticeable successes being her attempt to create a luck potion and a cure for Zenias poison, a rather dangerous creature on her homeworld. In terms of its use, her skills allow her to make simple potions to ease thirst, cure minor ailments and solve a hangover. For more drastic things, such as a cure for a poison or to heal wounds, Tifa requires a lot of time to study and prepare a solution. This normally takes much longer than can be done on the spot or in response to an event.
Medic – Whilst not having any skills in healing magic, Tifa has employed a portion of her time to simple medical techniques and first aid skills. She is quite capable of bandaging wounds and slinging a broken arm as well as diagnosing various poisons, diseases and other problems. She is by no means a surgeon though.

Weapons: Tifa carries with her a very unusual weapon that is inherent to her homeworld of Mianol. In its full form it is a giant four foot long boomerang crafted from magical particles, whilst in its carrying form it is simply a small cylindrical handle. The handle can easily be stowed in Tifa’s pouch belt making it easy to carry and especially light. When activated the magical energy charged within it expands to form the full boomerang blade. Although made of magical energy the blade is completely solid but very light. This enables it to be swung around with great ease and makes for a good way of blocking attacks or beating people with. Tifa has named her boomerang “Cho” (pronounced “Show”).

Gear/Items: Tifa’s belt is a haven of weird and odd items that she’s picked up during her travels and throughout her life. A full inventory is listed below:
- Potions: Ready made potions including cures for simple poisons and infections, a one dose cure for hangovers and a pain easing potion to name a few.
- Alchemy supplies: A small supply of basic and advanced alchemy ingredients for creating more complex potions. She also carries a miniature set of scales and a small copper cauldron for such ventures.
- Chalk Bombs: These are simple cloth covered balls of chalk dust with a handsome supply of gunpowder and a fuse. When lit and detonated the dust creates a very effective smoke screen that has the added affect of causing anyone caught in it to come down with fits of coughing and running eyes.
- First Aid Equipment: Ranging from plasters and swabs to bandages and small splints, Tifa has a wide supply of simple first aid equipment.
Other Items
- Circle Charm Necklace: Hung around her neck this necklace allows Tifa to channel the energy needed to call upon the spirit world. The process is quite strenuous so requires a medium to act through or else it causes physical harm. The tattoo on her shoulder does the same job but isn’t ever used unless she is separated from this necklace due to the before mentioned unpleasantness.
- Artacia Roots: These plant roots have no other purpose but to produce snacks. The plant they come from creates large amounts of sugar and stores it in a crystallised form in its roots. This creates a very sweet taste, perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth.

Physical Advantages: Tifa is very light on her feet and as such has no trouble dodging blows and moving quickly. Whilst not always a sure fire way to win she can normally avoid any serious harm to herself.

Mental Advantages (in combat): Tifa always has the edge of surprise in battle. Whilst her boomerang is quite evident her summons are not and nearly always catch people completely off guard. Not to mention the fear factor generated by the summon itself.

Other Advantages: None

Physical Disadvantages: Although strong for her size Tifa is still a small person and a woman as well. Not to say that woman are weak but she personality doesn’t have the strength that others have.

Mental Disadvantages (in combat): Whilst her summons are surprising and fearful they are also random and somewhat unreliable.

Other Disadvantages: None


[Other Information]

Marital Status: Engaged (Her fiancée is a fur named Martin Talis Pascal)

Current Status: No major health issues. Tifa has a serious short sighted problem and has to wear a pair of glasses at all times. Without them she can’t see more than a few meters before things go blurry.

Birthplace: Li’Auril (pronounced Lee-Ohr-il), Mianol

Residence: Currently Station Square

Nationality: Mianolian

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Occupation:
Royal Academy of Magical Investigation 2nd Class (RAMI-2)
Due to Tifa’s unusual magical ability she volunteered to become part of the RAMI and has since studied to understand her own abilities and help others to determine exactly what it is. Her second class rank was earned for the discovery of a medium technique for creating magic circles required to summon the spirits.
Deputy Instructor of the Institute for Researched Alchemy Studies (IRAS)
Tifa is and has always been a keen alchemist and after much studying in her youth has established herself as a capable individual. This has helped her to achieve a deputy teaching post at the IRAS where she used to teach various students about the secrets involved in alchemy.
Hairdresser
During her time on Earth, Tifa has become quite skilled in hairdressing. She now uses this as a front to hide her real identity.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Hobbies: Tifa spends her time practising her alchemy skills as well as reading history, talking to her spirit companions and enjoying quiet times with friends.

Likes:
- Experimenting with alchemy
- History of any kind
- Warm beds and hot meals

Dislikes:
- Injustice and oppression
- Technical science details
- Upsetting her spirit companions

Preferred Gourmet: Surprisingly for her species, Tifa has a taste for roast parsnips not to mention a liking for Artacia roots.

Preferred Beverage: Ginger tea, which she makes herself.

Family: Tifa has had no contact with her family for a number of years (see background for details) and as such knows nothing about them after this point.
Trace Mysteria (Father, Copper Spaniel, 49)
Tifa’s father works as part of the military on Mianol. He heads up the Star Portal Network security.
Amelia Mysteria (Mother, Border Collie, 47)
Amelia is a very quiet soul and has no desire to be part of anything too big, she runs a flower stall in Mianol’s capital Stileen.
Abyss Mysteria (Brother, Border Collie, 12)
Abyss is Tifa’s younger brother and quite a bundle of fun. Of all her family she misses him the most.

Friends:
Seraph (Dragon Spirit)
Seraph is the spirit that has chosen to bind itself to Tifa. Not even Tifa knows much about him and he doesn’t seem inclined to discuss it further. He watches over Tifa at all times and holds several powers that the other spirits do not seem to have.
Martin Talis Pascal (Fiancée, Swift Fox, 23)
Martin and Tifa have been engaged for three months now after they first met shortly after Tifa’s first dimension jump. He’s a blue coloured fox with a heart of gold and a dark and painful past.

Known Allied Spirits:
Cleo (Panther Spirit)
Cleo is a very kind and loving spirit, much like Tifa. She responds without question when she is called and is almost as loyal as Seraph.
Orio (Racoon Spirit)
A very smug and big headed spirit, Orio generally only shows himself when he can be assured of making a grand entrance or performing a grand deed. He’s the only spirit so far that seems to have displayed an ego.
Irradix (Fox Spirit)
Irradix is the proudest spirit Tifa has so far encountered. He hates to accept help from Tifa and doesn’t seem to like helping her either. Still he is strong and will appear if he feels he is needed, if somewhat reluctantly.


Background: Tifa was born on the world of Mianol. Populated entirely by anthro furs the world was a fairly peaceful one, people enjoying a life that most would place somewhere in the Middle Ages in terms of a time frame. This said Mianol was no normal medieval world but with no frame of reference its citizens had no means to compare it to anything.

Magic was common place, various forms already long since established and in use all over the planet. There were Elementalist, who could channel the power of the elements directly through their bodies, Crest users who could control the elements more precisely or call upon the power of the stars and finally the Arcane users who could tap directly into the planets energy to heal and mend.

It was an immutable fact that magic was a part of life and nobody questioned it. What they did question though was whether there was any other types of magic that had not yet been discovered. While researchers had not yet found any luck in such fields their answers were just on the horizon and sailing closer.

When Tifa was born she was a normal child leading a normal life. If there was anything unusual about her then it was her incredibly strong love of the world around her not to mention the people, places and things in it. She was the kind of child that would rescue a spider from the bath rather than wash it down the plug hole or that would drop everything she was doing just to help a friend.

Nobody in Tifa’s family had been blessed with magical talent and as a child Tifa wasn’t interested in the subject until events later in her life. It was clear that the young child was a scholar from a tender age, her love of books, especially history books, pleasing her parents greatly. They hoped for great things, thinking she would grow up to be someone of importance and intelligence. Tifa’s father was heavily involved with the military but both him and his wife knew that that wasn’t the way for Tifa to go. She was too gentle for such things and wouldn’t last a day in the environment. Neither did Tifa’s mother want Tifa to follow in her footsteps either, running a flower business was a slow and gentle trade but it was also dull at times and the young canine seemed too intelligent for such a menial job.

As she began to grow up, Tifa found that the books she was reading weren’t giving her all she wanted to know and she began to crave more information and knowledge. Thankfully her mother and herself lived in Stileen, the capital of the planet Mianol and the home of the National Academic Library. Split into three sections this library held all the collected knowledge of the entire planet Tifa began to visit each week. She wasn’t able to enter the scholar or royal sections of the library but the public area was enough to keep her busy for the moment.

She would often take her books out into the grasslands and forests surrounding Stileen and just sit for hours reading. Page by page she absorbed more and more information about her world and about the events of its past. As mentioned, Tifa hadn’t been interested in magic until later in her life and as she neared her fifteenth birthday the first of these events took place.

Quote:It stood at about twelve feet tall although its body was much longer. Like a giant serpent it had reared up in front of her, casting a giant shadow across the ground. A set of sharp teeth grinned down at her, a collection of mucus and poisonous bile spilling from between them and several sets of black beady eyes looking down at her. Its long neck led to a squat body, teeming with legs and mounting a long tail complete with a sharp stinger.

Tifa had already tried screaming for help, there was nobody around. She had also tried running for her life, but had tripped and twisted her ankle. She had finally tried crawling backwards away from it, but was now stuck in front of a fallen tree trunk. There was nowhere left for her to go, it seemed this particular zenias had cornered its pray. Tifa barely had a moment to think before the creature struck, its head flying down towards her with its teeth bared.

“No….” she thought in the moment, “Why is this happening? Why me? Why isn’t anyone helping? Please? Goddess, someone…..anyone….help?”

It seemed to happen in a flash, Tifa’s scream cutting through the air as the zenias before her suddenly exploded into a shower of fine particles. The young canine curled up away from them, not really realising what had happened as the fine particles showered the area around her and coated her in a thin layer.

At length she looked back up, both amazed to still be alive and shocked at the sight before her. The zenias was gone, giant marks still visible in the ground where it had once been. There were no tracks leading away, no sign of it still lurking around her. Tifa’s head flicked one way then the next, looking in all directions as if expecting it to jump out of the shadows at her. It didn’t. She waited for several minutes, tense and alert on the ground but still it didn’t come.

She finally dared to move, edging slowly along the tree trunk and pulling herself to her feet. Her ankle was swollen and turning a nasty shade of purple but she hardly realised the pain at first. She glanced down at the dust covering her body and then gave another look around the area. Still confused and frightened she began to limp away, heading home as fast as she could.

Tifa managed to get home after a few hours of struggling and was quickly rushed to a local healer by her mother. Although it looked bad her injuries were minor and it was mostly shock she was suffering from. Tifa eventually explained what had happened to her mother but both were as puzzled by what had happened. Finally when Tifa was well enough again she decided to return to the spot it had happened to search for clues. Her mother didn’t like it, fearing she would be attacked again, but Tifa was determined.

She seemed to spend hours in the forest looking for clues. She had tried to find the tree trunk where it had happened but had not been able to find it again, the forest being bigger than she knew. She was beginning to loose hope of finding anything when she ended up wandering past a small lake. A stream of water ran down a small outcropping and fell into a shallow basin below. A small stream trickled away at the other side, disappearing into the forest. Tifa, being thirsty from her hunt, bent to take a drink.

Quote:The water was cool and refreshing, holding an earth taste and causing Tifa to sigh happily. Her search had been in vain but she wasn’t going to give up, she’d come back another day and keep looking. Something unusual had happened back then and she was going to find out what it was.

Looking up she glanced across the lake, a few rays of light breaking through the trees and glinting off its surface. The scene was picturesque, much like the scenes in old stories. She bent her head and took another sip of the water, finally splashing her face and shaking herself dry. As she looked back at the lake she paused for a moment, something odd catching her eye. The sun had retreated back behind the canopy yet the lake still seemed to shine slightly with an odd light.

It was like moonlight, gentle and calming, and something inside Tifa just couldn’t look away. She sat back down beside the lake, crossing her legs as she watched the odd glow. It didn’t change but it kept her attention for a long while. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes threatened to turn into hours before anything happened.

Finally the shimmer began to grow in intensity, the misty white light turning yellow and then green. Tifa continued to watch, her heart racing as the light began to rise from the water like a mist. Through the glow she could make out a form, what looked like a long winged serpent hovering gracefully over the lake. The glow eventually began to fade away, the ghostly form of the serpent still clear in the air. Tifa was rooted to the spot, not in fear but in amazement. There was something about this ‘thing’ that relaxed Tifa, she knew it wasn’t dangerous but she didn’t know why.

“So you’ve finally returned.”

Tifa nearly jumped out of her skin, the voice had come out of nowhere and didn’t appear to come from anywhere.

“Do not be alarmed, it is always a shocking experience for your kind to ‘hear’ our words.”

“Who are you? Where are you?” said Tifa quickly, glancing around her as if the voice was coming from somewhere other than the lake.

“I am right here, my name is Seraph.”

Tifa spun back towards the ghostly serpent hovering above the lake. She knew now that it had been it that had spoken, although how was still unknown to her. She edged closer, reaching the edge of the lake and stopping.

“Seraph?” she said quietly, her voice almost loosing itself.

“Yes, at least that is what you would understand it as.”

“It was you….wasn’t it? Back when…?”

“Yes,” replied Seraph, its head bowing in her direction slightly, “I could not allow one such as you to be harmed by such a cancerous beast.”

Seraph turned, as if leaving, causing Tifa to almost fall forwards into the lake as she reached out towards him.

“Wait! What do you mean ‘one such as me’? Please wait!”

It was too late though, the shimmer of the lake had faded and as if vanishing into thin air the ghostly Seraph was gone. Tifa sat for a long time just staring at the lake.

When Tifa returned home that evening she didn’t tell her parents about what had happened at all. She was sure they wouldn’t believe her, she didn’t even believe it herself yet. Even so her mind dwelled on it for days and distracted her intensely for a while after that. Her mother kept thinking she was ill, Tifa’s behaviour changing since the meeting with Seraph.

Tifa dwelled on it for a long few months, trying to piece together what had happened in her mind, searching for some hidden meaning behind the words she had heard Seraph speak. She found none though, all her questions going unanswered. Slowly she began to let it go, tired of searching for answers that weren’t there. She stopped visiting the lake she had found, her hopes of seeing Seraph again seemingly vanishing into nothing just like the serpent had done. Life was calling her though and the advance of time stopped for nobody.

Tifa found herself back in heavy studies, her age of sixteen finally enabling her to do something she had wanted to do for a few years now. She joined the Institute of Researched Alchemy Studies, an educational establishment for those skilled or interested in potion making. Tifa had read about the profession several years ago and had been waiting for this day since then. Her marks in school until now had been good and the Institute had no issues with accepting Tifa.

It was better than Tifa could have imagined and her grades went up in leaps and bounds after she settled in. When she was seventeen she made her greatest discovery to date, a cure for zenias venom, the creature that had nearly killed her all those years ago. Her teachers were astonished, her parents amazed, yet their praise paled in comparison to what happened later that night…

Quote:Tifa lay awake in bed staring up at the ceiling. Her belly was full, the teenager having stuffed herself handsomely during the feast earlier that evening, and her eyelids were starting to feel heavy. Everyone else was asleep, the stars and moon shining brightly outside her window. She was happy, happier than she had been for years and finally felt like her life had meaning to it. She was going to help people with her news skills, she was going to create them all, potions and antidote to cure any illness or problem.

It was then that a strange glow filled the room, an airy lightness that looked like moonlight reflected in a lake. Tifa initially thought the candle was burning low and glanced over at the cupboard next to her. What she saw made her bolt upright in bed and yelp loudly. Floating in mid air in the middle of her room was the ghostly form of Seraph. Tifa couldn’t form any words at all, it had been over three years since she had last, and first, seen Seraph and she had all but forgotten about the ghostly dragon.

“So you have decided,” said a voice, again it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, “We are pleased to see your progress.”

Still Tifa couldn’t speak, not even knowing what she would have said if she could have forced herself to speak. Seraph didn’t move from his spot, his wings beating back and forth behind him but it seemed they were not what was keeping him afloat.

“You are confused…as it should be, we would not have chosen you if you knew what we are about to tell you. Come child, sit and listen, we will tell you a tale that will answer all your questions.”

Tifa slowly edged towards the foot of the bed, gingerly sitting down crossed legged at the end. Seraph floated no more than a few feet away now but he was still out of reach of Tifa’s arm. For a moment Tifa just watched, jumping back slightly as two further shimmers appeared on either side of Seraph. On the floor appeared the ghostly form of a small fox and a panther, both looking up at Tifa as they appeared.

“I am Irradix,” said a voice, the fox shifting itself slightly and flicking its tail to the side.

“And I am Cleo,” indicated the panther.

“We are but three of many,” continued Seraph, “We cannot all meet at once, it places a great strain on the world we are bound to protect.”

“Protect?” asked Tifa, edging forwards again to the edge of the bed.

“Yes, we are the spirit of the world made manifest, the conscious essence of that which gives this planet life. We watch over everything, affecting what we deem right to affect.”

“But,” interrupted Cleo, “We cannot do everything ourselves and our strength is not limitless. We cannot appear like this without help…or without a long and careful wait.”

“When I helped you before,” continued Seraph, “I drained myself greatly and barely had the strength to appear to you for the brief time I did. I apologise for not showing myself until now, we did not have the strength to enter this world from our own. But the Council of Three is now here and we have a request to bestow upon you should you accept.”

“Council of Three?” asked Tifa, “What do you mean? What request?”

“When three of our kind realise a presence at once we converge on that point, we become the Council of Three, but only for as long as it is needed. You have become that presence, one that was felt through the bounds of your world and ours, one that can link them and, should you agree, help us to do what we must.”

“Please,” added Cleo, “become our strength! There is so much we can do…yet so much we cannot without a presence like your own. Will you help us?”

Tifa was quite perplexed, here were three spirit animals asking for her help, she surveyed them one at a time. Cleo was obviously a female spirit, the panther’s voice and tone holding that edge of femininity she had come to recognise from her mother. She looked up at Tifa, a deep longing and hope in her eyes. Seraph still floated in mid air, his eyes closed in a peaceful manner awaiting her decision. Irradix was looking away, his nose held high in the air and his eyes casting an occasional glance in her direction. He seemed the proudest of the three, his expression suggesting he didn’t like having to beg for help.

“I….yes….”

Tifa couldn’t believe she had said it at first, her mind had just made the decision on its own without her even thinking about it. Seraph opened his eyes, looking at her with a curious expression.

“Are you sure? We have not told you what this entails yet,” he said.

“I…I know but…I trust you. When you saved me…you could have just left me to die, but you didn’t. If nothing else I owe you my life and…I want to help people too.”

Both Seraph and Cleo seemed to smile, Irradix giving a small grunt. Seraph edged a bit closer, bowing his head towards Tifa as he did.

“Very well, we will enact the ritual of binding,” he said slowly.

“Are you sure Seraph?” asked Cleo, her voice holding a hint of nervousness that Tifa had not yet heard in any of them.

“I am…Irradix, if you would please.”

As if on command, the fox spirit turned on the spot towards Seraph. With a forward jerk his jaw opened and then clamped down round the end of Seraph’s tail. The winged serpent let out a small whine, Tifa instinctively jerking forwards towards him to try and help. Her hands passed straight through the spirit though, Seraph turning his head slightly as a single tear welled in his eye and fell from his face.

The tear hit Tifa’s hand as she pulled back, Tifa blinking at the contact. Seconds later though she winced and clutched her hand, the tear quickly sinking through her fur with a small stab of pain. Her eyes closed tightly at the pain, a small tear of her own forming in her eye and falling from her face. Seraph quickly flicked his tail forwards, catching the tear at the point that Irridix had just bitten.

By the time Tifa looked up a very strange event was taking place. Seraph was glowing a bright green colour, his body no longer having a ghostly form to it. Instead he seemed solid, his scaly skin taking on a jade green colour. Black spines ran down his back, his wings shining a similar green to his body.

“We are bound,” he announced, “Cleo, Irradix, you may leave. I will explain the rest to her, you must explain what has happened to the others.”

“Of course,” replied Cleo, Irridix only grunting in response.

Together the two still ghostly spirits suddenly faded from view, just as Seraph had done all those years ago. This time however Seraph remained, Tifa’s eyes wide with both astonishment and nervousness.

What followed was a long night of talk and discovery, Seraph doing most of the talking and Tifa most of the discovering. Seraph explained what had just transpired, both himself and Tifa were now joined by their own spirit and neither would be able to be apart from the other again. The bond though was incredibly useful, through it Seraph, or any other spirit Tifa choose to call upon, could manifest their full power in the real world. They would still retain their own will though and Seraph made it very clear that the other spirits, himself included, would only use their powers for what they deemed right. Thus Tifa could never force any of them to do as she wanted although she could wish and pray for them to do so and one of them may answer her call should they agree with her motives. This ‘summoning’ however would place great strain on her and so couldn’t be performed too often without risking damage to herself and the spirit she summoned.

Their link also gave them the ability to speak to each other without words, Seraph explaining that that had been the way they had communicated with her earlier. He went on to describe how summons were performed, the duties that she should strive to undertake and his own responsibilities. Tifa eventually fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, her head full of new information.

When she woke the next morning she realised she would have to tell her parents everything that had happened, there was no way they would not notice a green miniature dragon floating over her shoulder. Breakfast that morning was thus filled with revelations, realisations, shock and outright panic. Tifa’s mother was the most effected, screaming at the first sight of Seraph and later fainting. Her five year old brother thought it was funny, running round the room trying to catch Seraph and her father sat deep in thought after hearing her tale.

Eventually, when Tifa’s mother had regained consciousness, a decision was made to which Seraph silently agreed with. Tifa would accompany her father to the Royal Academy of Magical Investigation. All those with magical powers of some sort had to, at the very least, register with the Academy and some chose to join it. Tifa eventually decided on the latter at both her father’s insistence and Seraph’s agreement. Tifa knew she was different to every other student around her, but she also knew she was not alone.

Enrolment in the Academy gave her access to the scholar section of the main Stileen library and, whilst the Royal section was still off limits to her, she found the information in the new section much to her liking. After months of searching she found records of a previous summoner, hundreds of years into Mianol’s past. The records were old and tatty but she knew this had happened before now, a fact acknowledged by Seraph that very evening.

From that day on Tifa never looked back. As her twenties loomed before her she continued to make discoveries and gain a reputation. Her skills in her alchemy class continued to grow, Tifa top of her class and gaining knowledge faster than her teachers could supply it. Behind her back talk was suggested about giving her a place amongst the tutors when she reached the right age.

Further more she performed her first summon at the age of eighteen, Cleo answering her call to help a family stuck in a collapsed house. Although fun had been made of her when she first enrolled in the academy for her apparent lack of skills, nothing was said after this. Nobody had seen magic like it and nobody was about to make fun of her now. Like Seraph had said though, the experience was tiring and Tifa returned to the old records, hoping to find some more information about the summoner before her.

What she found was most interesting, she hadn’t noticed it before but the records always recorded certain features about the summoner. He was never seen without a bracelet that was said to have glowed whenever he summoned. It took a few more weeks of digging but Tifa finally found what she was looking for. The bracelet had seemed to be some sort of focussing item, enabling him to summon without placing strain on himself. Tifa began to wonder if it was as simple as it sounded but she soon found out.

Her next summoning took place in the forest, a spell of severely dry and hot weather ending in a horrific firestorm. Heraldic crest mages were doing their best to try and keep the fire at bay with water spells but there simply weren’t enough of them. Tifa knew the spirits could do something and she just hoped they shared her desire.

Concentrating on her wish and clutching a necklace round her neck she formed her magic circles. As they shattered to pieces the bonds between the real and spirit world fell apart and a new spirit arrived. Taking the form of a racoon and calling himself Orio he sprung forwards into the fire, a massive shimmer of light flying out behind him. As the glow faded the fire was gone, Orio looking quite pleased with himself as he vanished from view.

It had worked, it really was as simple as it had seemed in the old records. From then on things only got better for the canine. At the age of twenty she was finally offered a teaching place at the Institute, which she accepted gladly. To mark the day Tifa’s mother gave her a gift, a large boomerang commonly referred to as a warmarang. Tifa had long since been part of a common dancing style known as Arc Dancing that involved the use of large hunting boomerangs and ribbons and her mother’s gift is one that she’s treasured since she received it.

Later that year Tifa took part in her first star jump. Mianol was connected to two neighbouring planets called Ario and Selaquin. Star crest mages, who specialised in magic related to the cosmos, had long since discovered the portals and travel between the three worlds was a common thing. Tifa was amazed by the wonder’s of the other worlds, Selaquin with its shining crystal formations and Ario with its blinding deserts of sand. Both were so much different to Mianol but at the same time there were similarities, each shared a connection to the spirit world that seemed to be constant across all three planets.

For a time Tifa’s life settled down and she began to enjoy her life of study, research and discovery. Her parents were equally pleased, her mother having nothing but admiration for her daughter and her father simply smiling to himself as she told him about her days. Stability is a fragile thing though and for Tifa it was not destined to last. To be fair for Tifa, her fate was not her own doing, nor would she have chosen it given the choice. Still it was how things happened and she has yet to find a way to undo it.

It happened just after her twenty first birthday while she was waiting to travel to Selaquin. She had been asked to travel there and survey several new plant samples that had been discovered, her skills in alchemy making her a solid choice to join the research team. Unluckily for her she had been there at the wrong time. A gang of saboteurs, furs who saw the Star Portals as nothing more than a way for the Royalty of Mianol to control Ario and Selaquin for their own good, launched an attack.

During this raid the star mage controlling the portal was knocked unconscious. The portals needed constant attention and a continuous supply of magical energy to contain the power held within them. Normally the control of these portals was done in shifts by two mages but at this time the second mage was suffering from a fever and wasn’t present.

With no one to control the portal it began to break down. Bolts of magical energy flew off in all directions, slamming into walls and blowing apart objects. Eventually the mage was roused and the portal was stabilised as the saboteurs were detained. As the dust settled though it was noticed that several things had gone missing, one of these things was Tifa.

Quote:With a thud and a sickening crunch Tifa hit the floor. She almost hurled at the impact, the wind being knocked completely out of her and her body feeling momentarily paralysed. She started shivering almost immediately, the sudden cold surrounding her chilling her to the very bone. She tried to sit up, feeling a sudden stab of pain shoot up her side. Looking down she found that her clothing was slowly turning a darker shade of purple as blood from an open wound on her side soaked into them.

Looking up even more she saw the cause. For one reason of another she had taken a tumble down a small rockface. It can’t have been more than a few meters but she guessed she had hit the ground several times on the way down, a nearby snowed covered stone coated in a thin layer of crimson blood.

Snow! It was now that she noticed the source of the coldness that surrounded her. A chilling wind rushed past her, grey clouds shrouded the sky and a layer of white snow covered everything around her. She was no longer on Mianol…but this wasn’t like anything she had seen on Ario or Selaquin either.

“This is disturbing…” came Seraph’s voice in her head.

“Where are we? What’s going on?” said Tifa, not in the mindset to talk telepathically, “The last thing I remember was diving for cover from a bolt of…aaargh!”

“Hush, do not talk. Conserve your energy, I can tell that is a deep wound. You should tend to yourself and find shelter, then we can try and work this out.”

Tifa just nodded, she knew Seraph was right, she just had to keep calm and take this one step at a time. Reaching into her belt she pulled out several swabs and some bandages and began to clean up her wound. It was hard going but eventually she patched herself up and staggered to her feet. Procuring a short stick as a walking aid she set off into the snow covered landscape.

She moved slowly, picking her way through the snow and unfamiliar landscape around her. There didn’t seem to be anything though apart from trees and rocks, the landscape just seemed to stretch on to the horizon. It was then that she noticed them, a set of heavy tracks in the snow already half covered by the falling snow. They looked strange though, bigger than a normal foot and leaving an odd impression in the ground.

Deciding they might lead her to some sort of civilisation, or at the least someone who could tell her what was going on, she followed them. They extended for some distance although the further they went the closer together they got and the more laboured the prints appeared…as if the owner was starting to struggle. The tracks became fresher the more she followed though and soon she found herself following them as fast as she could.

Finally, as she cleared a rock formation, she saw the owner and froze. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, a giant armour clad something lying face down in the snow. There was something unusual about it though, unlike the armour the city guards wore, this looked different. Wires and lights covered its exterior and the armour covered every inch of the person’s body not just certain areas like the guards.

After a moment she decided to creep closer and get a better look. As she got closer she could see that parts of the armour were charred black, melted, buckled or simply ripped away. Specks of blood dusted the snow where the figure lay, it seemed they had been in a fight. Cautiously she crept even closer, finally getting a glimpse of the figure, a blue furred fox. Part of his helmet had been ripped away leaving a long slash across his face from which blood was dripping to the ground.

Tifa quickly checked his breathing, he was alive!

It took some effort but Tifa eventually managed to move the fox to a more sheltered spot with the help of Cleo the panther spirit. Using one of her potions she started a fire and began to tend to the fox. Progress was slow and his wounds were deep and many. Eventually the armour surrounding the fox folded back and vanished from view, Tifa later finding out that a small metal object on his wrist had been controlling it. Tifa had never seen a computer before and stared in awe for quite some time before returning to her task.

It seemed like months but in reality it was only a few days before the fox awoke. He was weak and afraid, spending most of his waking moment crying and seemingly not noticing Tifa. When he finally did he hardly spoke except to ask for water, choosing instead to watch her silently from where he lay. Tifa had been trying to work out where she was during this time but nothing looked familiar. Not even the pattern of the stars matched those she knew. It was slowly beginning to dawn on her that wherever she was it wasn’t any place one of her people had been.

Her answers finally came when the fox eventually decided to talk. Progress was slow, the fox both quiet, timid and nervous around her, as if he was expecting her to suddenly jump up and bite him. His name was Martin, a name Tifa made sure to call him after hearing the first name he had said, Bio Unit 16 Alpha. Tifa didn’t know why but she sensed no love in that name, it was almost like the fox had been an object, like one of her potions.

She was in a place called Ayaria, a world that had been subjected to a nuclear war…whatever one of those was. Tifa didn’t understand much Martin said, words and phrases he used bother new and completely alien to her, tactical ablative battlefield armour system, positron accelerator cannon, artificial computerised intelligent entity. As he spoke though Tifa began to think less and less about getting home and more about helping the fox. He had been hurt, hurt so deeply that he didn’t seem to be completely aware of who he was. He kept pausing, staring into the distance, suddenly crying without warning, recoiling every time she went near him.

Slowly, piece by piece, Tifa managed to extract the fox’s story from him, every sentence making her feel more and more sorry for him. She didn’t understand the specifics but he had been part of a group used as experiments for weapons. In the end he had killed a friend, although perhaps friend was too soft a term to describe the relationship, and had nearly been killed by another friend. He had nothing left and was all but mentally broken.

That was the first time Tifa got close to Martin, embracing him tightly before he could pull away from her. For a moment he struggled, then paused and finally broke down in tears on her shoulder. From that point their relationship got a lot closer. Martin was still a nervous creature but he didn’t seem to be as afraid of Tifa as he had been up until now.

It was now five days since Tifa had arrived and it would mark the point of no return for her in terms of going home. Unknown to her, back on her homeworld of Mianol star mages were desperately trying to reverse the effects of the accident that had displaced her. Although the creation of more star portals was impossible it was known that other worlds likely existed and it was on one of these that Tifa and a few other unlucky victims were now stranded.

Although their efforts were with good intention they shut the door on Tifa ever returning home. Her body was full of particles that made up the star portal, tiny amounts of star crest magic left over from her recent trips to Ario and Selaquin and from the bolt that had struck her earlier. It was these particles the star mages were trying to find, trying to pull them, and anything attached to them, back to Mianol.

The effects started a little after breakfast. Tifa began to feel dizzy, eventually falling over and dropping a container of water. It felt like someone was trying to drag her brain out of her skull and as much as she clutched her head it wasn’t helping. Martin was close at hand and seemed extremely worried about her. It was lucky that he stretched out his hand and touched her when he did. Moments after his fingers touched her fur the pair was suddenly pulled out of space and time. It was a star portal trip without the portal.

Quote:With the second resounding thump in five days, Tifa hit the floor. This time her landing was softer, cushioned by something grainy that tasted like the sea. A second thump beside her caused her to look up, Martin lying next to her in a heap, his legs trailed over her back. They must have looked a sight but luckily nobody was around.

The first thing that hit Tifa were the temperature and the sounds around her. Where once it had been chilled and quiet, it was now warmer and the air was filled with the sound of laughing and waves lapping against the shore. Tifa’s headache had gone but she felt a little dizzy as if she had been spun round many times and left. Martin was looking very much the same, the fox actually looking a little greener than normal.

Seraph had been hovering in mid air close by but quickly darted back to Tifa and wrapped himself around her neck like an overly large scarf. He generally did this when he felt his presence may cause problems. Tifa looked around her, the pair having landed on a patch of sand just behind some flimsy looking wooden buildings. There was a tall wall to another side of them, trees planted along the top of it casting a shadow down on them from above. Tifa slowly crept round the edge of the wooden structure and peered out.

Ahead of her stretched a long breach of golden coloured sand, covered in all manner of furs and creatures she didn’t recognise…beings without fur that seemed twice as tall as the furs around them. Children ran back and forth, frolicking in the waves and throwing oversized balls to each other while parents looked on from under large parasols. Tifa had never seen anything like it, the scene wasn’t like anything that had ever happened on Mianol.

“What is it?” asked Martin, stepping up beside her nervously, “What are we doing here? What’s going on?” He was full of questions and seemed to cling to Tifa in a scared manner.

“Martin, calm down ok. Nothing’s going to hurt you while I’m here. Stay there ok, I’ll be back in a moment.” Tifa made a move to step out from behind the wood hut but quickly found Martin’s hand wrapped around her own. She turned and took a moment to soothe Martin’s nerves and then finally stepped out.

Almost immediately she was nearly hit in the head by a flying inflatable beach ball. Instinct served her well and she caught it though, lowering it just as a young female koala came running up to her. “Sorry! My brother throws too hard!” she said quickly as she came to a halt.

“Oh! No, that’s alright, here,” replied the canine as she handed the ball back. She found the young girl staring at her as she did, curiosity getting the better of her, “What is it?”

“You look funny!”

Tifa felt her cheek redden at the comment causing the girl to giggle. “R-Really?” asked Tifa.

“Yuh huh! You should change into some beach clothes before people think you’re weird!”

Tifa gave the girl a small look over, she was wearing a one piece swimsuit and flip flops like many others on the beach. Tifa could understand how out of place she likely looked. “What is this place?”

“Oh you’re silly! This is Emerald Coast, best beach in all of Station Square! Nice meeting you!” With that the girl was gone, running back towards her brother a little way up the beach. Rifa just stood and thought for a moment, wondering just what kind of world she was in now.

And that is how Tifa life in Station Square began. It has now been three years since her arrival and she has had a lot of hard times. Alone in a new world with only a half scared fox as company it took her a long time to understand how things worked. Technology seemed to be abundant, something Tifa had no knowledge of, but luckily for her she had Martin who helped her understand a few basic things.

Still it was slow going and for a year after her arrival she didn’t have a job, a place to stay or anything to her name. She lived on good deeds and kind spirits but luckily for her she was the type of person who could attract such things when she needed them the most. Eventually she found her footing, managed to get herself a place to stay and set about trying to make a new life for herself.

Over the years she has set up a small business of her own and tried to make a life for herself. There had been no more space jumps and Tifa knew of no way that she might get home. As much as it pained her to do so she had to force herself to forget about her home and her family. They were gone and it was unlikely that she would ever see them again. What pained her even more though was the thought of her parents and how they would deal with their loss, then there was her younger brother Abyss. He had barely crossed into double figures in terms of age…would he even remember her? Or would it be best if he completely forgot and avoided the pain.

Tifa spent many night crying herself to sleep during these years. Martin was the only comforting presence she had. He seemed to have developed a trusting bond with her after his rescue and, although he never said anything, understood her pain completely. His true feelings eventually came to light when he proposed to her out of the blue. Tifa was the happiest she had been since that fateful day on Mianol and accepted without a second thought.

It is now a year later and the life of Tifa and Martin has stabilised somewhat. It is not normal by any means and Tifa has to hide both Seraph and her talents on a daily basis. It seemed that their new home is very limited in terms of magical ability and the canine has no wish to stand out. Martin is also a little more comfortable around people now although still tends to only leave the house with Tifa if he can afford it. He is easily startled and prone to frequent outbursts. Tifa now runs a hairdressers in downtown Station Square and is trying to make the best of her new life.

The most recent event of any consequence in her life was a run in with a very bad tempered and annoyed Amy Rose. After smashing up her shop when she was refused a job, the pair eventually developed a friendship and for a while Amy stayed with her and Martin, working in the hairdressers to pay off the debt of rebuilding it. In recent months Amy has vanished after expressing wishes to join GUN. Tifa worries about her, she was headstrong and brave but easily annoyed and a little unstable at times. With the recent invasion by Sarath and his forces her tension has only grown stronger.