"Eddies and Streams, to answer your question."

I was back in my soul world. Celistar was sitting in the center of it, looking at me.

"You are doing better?" I asked.

"Not as much as I would desire," she said, "But you fell asleep under the light of the moon, so I was able to meet you here."

"That makes… sense?" I replied, not really very sure of how it made sense. The whole two girls, one soul thing didn't really click with me. I wasn't even sure if Celistar counted as a soul on her own or what was going on. But I did know a good opportunity when I saw it.

"So, Eddies and Streams, as you said," I continued, eager to make best use of the time, "That's the name of the mystery power?"

"Yes, the 'mystery power' - as you so amusingly put it - consists of flows of energy called 'Streams' and nodes of the same called 'Eddies'."

"Oh, so the big flow of it I made around my arms is one of the Streams then."

"Correct, and the little stops it makes along the way? Those are the Eddies."

"That still doesn't answer my question though. What would you call the power itself?"

Celistar seemed a little lost for a bit. "You know, I do not remember. I have a feeling that it did have a name, something that should be innate to the power itself, something you could sense from it."

I did as she said, turning my focus inward to see if anything came to mind. At first there was just silence, but as I concentrated, I felt the water in my soul lift and form a curtain around me, shielding me from view. In this cocoon of water, a single bright Mote formed, the pale yellow-white of my energy. It danced around my head, and then landed on my nose. A little 'ping' noise emitted from it, the trilling sound of the softest bell. The shell of water around me turned the the color of the mote and fell, splashing into the rest.

As the water went still, I heard the ringing noise intensify, gaining volume as the rest of the water followed that which had fallen into it in turning brighter, it spread out away from me, a formless shape with layers of light interspersed with a rich deep dark, in which many Motes sparkled in the void.

It reminded me of something I had seen in the sky when I'd originally met Celistar. I looked up at where she sat, expectantly. A word formed in my head of its own volition.

"Nebula." I said, and I felt my soul pulse in response.

Celistar made a happy grin with her eyes closed, the very picture of contentment. "Yes, that was it."

Around me, the water went from still to exploding upward, hanging above our heads in constellations with Motes as the stars, clouds of it twisting around and forming long flowing patterns not unlike the silken scarves that Gran loved to wear, twisting and turning slowly in a sort of solar wind that only they could feel, reaching outward from each mote to make the sky of my inner world dance.

My realization had clearly awoken the true nature of the power… no, the Nebula I wielded, and I could feel that I had grown stronger for it, if only a single step. Looking down at my feet, I could see that my Core was deeper below than ever, but at the same time, the celestial phenomena above me were reflected off the water, and I could see below that many of the streams of the Nebula in my soul's 'sky' were being drawn inexorably towards the Core. I looked up, trying to spot the center of the formations, the locus the Nebula was moving towards, but the three-dimensional complexity of it eluded me from the answer.

I looked back at Celistar. "Thank you for that, I feel like I just made some progress."

"Do not think me wholly unselfish," she replied, still with her eyes closed, looking very peaceful. "As you progress, so do I. I tethered my fate to yours in that cave, come what may. It is only fair that I do my part in the process as I am able."

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She stood up and stepped to the side, dimming little in the process. It was clear that where she had been was the most optimal place for her to exist, so I was a little worried to see it.

"Do not fret," she said.

I wondered if she could read my mind for a brief moment before recalling what Gran always said to me when she did the same trick: 'You're too easy to read, Char. It's like when Liam eats, you never have to guess what he had… it's all over his face.' I smiled at the memory, and Celistar gestured at the location she had been at.

"Please, sit. I'll help you complete your next Stream." Following her instructions, I sat where she indicated. Little ripples pulsed out as I did so.

Instantly, I had a feeling of invigoration. No wonder she'd been so energized and sunny sitting here. As Grandpa used to say: 'What's got you so bright and shiny, someone stick a battery in your butt?' Sitting there, it kinda felt that way. Pulses of refreshing energy came from below and cleared the fog in my brain. I realized that it was probably responsible for me even being able to recall Grandpa's words, since I didn't have very strong memories of him. I was thankful for it.

"Settle all your thoughts, and clear them out one by one." Her soft voice was somehow very soothing, which made it easy to do as she asked. I recalled the meditation the other day where I was able to complete my first stream, through my arms. This felt like that.

Her connection to me apparently allowed her some insight as to the state of my mind, as once I had it settled, she continued. "Now, start the Stream in your arms. Each Stream is part of a greater flow, and one must build on the other," she intoned, and I realized why I was having so much trouble before. "While they may flow separately, they all get their start together." Her continuing words were enlightening, making me wonder what I had missed before without her guidance. The flow in my arms faltered a bit as my mind wandered, earning me a light tap on the head.

"Focus!" Came the voice, but I could hear the warm smile in it. She was having fun.

I brought the Stream back into order, completing the cycle. I could feel the burst of energy between my palms as that Eddy swirled into life.

"Take your hands and rest them on your knees while maintaining the flow of the Stream." It sounded impossible, but since she was asking for it, that was not the case. I pulled my fingers apart and felt the current stumble, so I paused, pushing and prodding at it. It was like water tumbling over rocks, disjointed and chaotic, but still there was something of wonder there, rapids in a fast flowing river.

Eventually I settled out the Stream and it had resumed its previous flow. I moved my hands wider, stopping as needed to settle myself. Eventually I had my hands sitting on my knees, as instructed, the Stream orderly as it jumped the wide gap, resuming in my far hand. I took deep breaths in through my nose, slowly releasing them.

"Now, start the energy through your legs, left to right. Nature is balance, and so must your Nebula reflect this as it moves in Streams throughout your body."

While what she said made sense, the way she was phrasing it gave me the vibes of a street corner charlatan, and I had to remind myself that this guest of mine had once stopped time and somehow survived through eons to be here. Clearly she knew what was up.

Taking great care to maintain the first Stream, I started work on the second, pushing Nebula out from my Core, but down and to the left. This immediately felt easier - more 'balanced', as she had put it - and I reached the first Eddy, and watched the flow of the Stream swirl to fill it up, slowing even as the main current rushed onward. I took care not to push forward until it had filled completely, taking the time instead to mind the original Stream through my arms, accelerating the flow as it met my Core to give it momentum to move through and push into my legs.

Opening more Eddies as I moved down my leg, I reached my knee. As I pushed down towards my foot, I realized that unlike my hands, my feet weren't touching, and the flow stumbled as my concentration grew murky again. This time, I didn't need the 'love tap' from Celistar, and instead I was able to correct myself before I wrecked myself on the shoreline of the Stream I was building.

I realized that just as my hands were no longer forming a circle, my feet needn't either, so I simply jumped the flow from one to the other when I reached the nexus in my foot. The Eddy in the right foot burst to life seemingly out of nowhere as I did so, finding the whole process easier than it seemed like it should have been.

Using this momentum the Stream had built up, I moved up the right leg quickly, filling Eddies in single breaths, before I hit my right hip. From there it was a mad dash back to the Core. Well, a 'controlled mad dash'. I wasn't about to lose all the work I'd just done and kept careful control of the Nebula as it flowed through.

As I connected the flow back, my whole body grew hot. I felt the weight of my body lessen, and I opened my eyes to see that I was lit up like a river of stars, each Eddy shining brightly as a Stream of Nebula flowed through me, spinning faster and faster as I lifted up into the air. Looking inward, I could feel the path as it flowed endlessly, a symbol of infinity inside me linking my whole body together.

Celistar clapped, her melodious laugh filling the space. "You are finally complete."

Before I could ask her what she meant, she gave me a light push, and I floated off into the sky, becoming part of the rich tapestry of Motes and Nebula.

A deep, overwhelming sleep took me down into its depths.

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