Luca was having a great day. He loved his nursery at the clinic. He had his Mina, his best friend Westlin, and plenty of toys to play with. Mina liked reading stories to him and his mom visited as often as she could. Luca knew his mom was super important and very busy. He was sad that ShaSha wasn't around as often as he used to be, but ShaSha said it was important that he travel about. Of course Luca liked to spy on Sha Sha. He hadn't told anyone he could do that yet. He understood far more than he let on. Sha Sha's memories were leaky and Luca was constantly picking up odd bits and pieces. He also had a scattering of memories from when they both had been John, but those were like dreams.

  He hadn't expected ShaSha to go to sleep after doing the super duper important ritual thingy, but he had. ShaSha was asleep for the first time ever and it turned out that this greatly confused the Guide. As the only conscious mind of the duo Luca suddenly discovered he had fully access to the Guide and all of Shada's skills and abilities. Of course Luca was still too young to really understand the Guide properly, but he was prodigiously intelligent. ShaSha had magic! Now Luca could play with magic to!

  The first thing Luca chose to do was make his toys dance like ShaSha did sometimes. It was always so much fun watching his blocks and dolls fly around the room! Luca was terribly excited. He didn't even notice that he was white and not brown, nor did he notice that he was glowing. Little Westlin was staring at Luca oblivious to the flying toys.

  Mina watched in horrified fascination as Luca deftly directed his toys to and fro while giggling up a storm. She knew Shada wasn't here. He always let her know he was around. Something must be wrong. Luca's appearance had defaulted to his normal glowing white elven form and he seemed to be in control of the magic that was making his toys float. Mina's essence sense wasn't strong, but she could tell that it was Luca using it. It felt slightly different to when Shada was using his skills or casting spells.

  "Luca? Sweetie? What are you doing?" Mina asked in a tentative tone. Magical toddlers were a bit beyond her normal experience. Sure Luca was a bit strange, but there is strange then there is a toddler making toys fly!

  "Making my toys fly like ShaSha!" Luca exclaimed in excitement.

  "How are you doing that sweetie? Where is Shada?" Mina asked in concern.

  "ShaSha is taking a nap. I already told you that! Silly Mina, did you forget like when you forgot I don't like zupa nut paste?" Luca said with his face scrunched up.

  "I heard you, yes, but sweetie Shada doesn't sleep. Why is he taking a nap?"

  "ShaSha helped with the big ritual thingy and got very tired so went to sleep. I like to sleep when I get tired! My bed at home is so comfy!" Luca said distractedly as he focused on making a doll dance.

  Mina didn't know what to think. She was worried about Shada and had no idea why Shada was unconscious or how that resulted in Luca suddenly having Psychokinesis. She got up slowly while dodging flying toys to ask someone to check on the ritual. Had something gone wrong or had Shada just exhausted himself for the first time? It had been a big ritual and Shada was still a very low level spirit. She also knew that Psychokinesis was just one of Shada's abilities. What else was Luca going to do on a whim? After talking to an assistant Mina turned back to Luca.

  "Luca?"

  "Yes Mina?"

  "Do you know how Shada makes you look like your mom? Can you do that? You are all white and glowy," Mina asked. She was hesitant to remind Luca that Shada had other powers, but if anyone came in they would see what they definitely shouldn't.

  "Of course! Sha Sha always talks to me when he does it. There are presents, er no not presents, er presets! Yes, there are presets, I remember!" Luca said excitedly. He was proud of himself for remembering the strange word!

  "Can you use the preset to look like mommy please?" Mina asked in mild panic.

  "Oh sure, but why? Brown is soo boring! I want to be, hmmm, red!" Luca said as his skin started changing colors rapidly. Red then blue, green and yellow, followed by midnight black, then an eye searing polka-dotted pink and orange that hurt to look at. Somehow the little prodigy was using multiple skills and babbling all the the colors he knew while blocks flew through the air. Westlin was giggling and clapping happily at the show.

  Mina sat in her rocking chair not knowing what to do or how to react. Magic toddlers were well outside of her normal skill set. Luca wasn't hurting himself or anyone, but it just didn't seem right. She hoped Shada would wake up soon or that Shinobin would come back to let her know what to do.

  "Mina! Guess what! I just had a great thought! Oh my gosh! I can give myself fur!" Luca said as purple fur sprouted from his entire body. "I'm so soft!" Luca giggled while petting himself in awe.

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  Mina gulped. How far could he push that skill? She didn't want to try to explain to Shinobin that her child suddenly sprouted a tail! It was then that she noticed something strange. Luca's speech was clearer than normal. He was developing rapidly and could speak in complete sentences in multiple languages, but his body was still underdeveloped. His articulation was never the best, but right then he was speaking clearly.

  "Mina? Why do we have 10 fingers? I want 12!" Luca said as a new extra long finger sprouted from each of his hands.

  When had Luca learned to count? Mina was growing increasingly concerned that something was very wrong.

  "Meena? Mah hed fels funy." Luca said as the blocks started falling to the ground.

  Luca was swaying on his feet. A trickle of blood ran from his nose and he was once more his 'normal' half elven self. Mina quickly scooped Luca up. There was was an unexpected shift in the air as one of the hidden Shadow guards contacted one of his partners to summon Besta.

  Mina cradled the confused Luca while trying to stem the blood from his nose. She was surprised when Besta suddenly rushed into the room.

  "Mina!? What's wrong? What happened to Luca!?" Besta said while examining Luca with her skills and spells.

  "I don't know! He said Shada was asleep then his toys started flying, he grew fur, and extra fingers and things were crazy!" Mina said as they both fussed over the small half elven child. Westlin was startled and started crying.

  "If I didn't know better I would say Luca had essence exhaustion, but he is just a kid he can't use essence yet!" Besta said suddenly.

  "I think...I think he could with Shada unconscious. Like I said things were flying Besta!" Mina said.

  "Dear Sierra, here let's get him to his cot. I will need to treat him immediately. Go tell Jallena I need..." Best rattled off a list of supplies.

  Mina immediately went to fetch what she could before running off to find Jallena.

  It took at least 30 minutes for Besta to stabilize Luca. He had passed out and appeared to be dreaming while Besta did her best to ensure he was ok.

  The two women hover over the poor child until Shada suddenly reappeared and hour or more later.

  ---

  Shada woke up confused. He was helping with the big ritual and then he had passed out. He didn't even know he could pass out. He hadn't slept since coming to Sierrallas. It took him several minutes to reorient himself. It seemed like Spirit Walking had deactivated, but not Split Mind. He was inside Luca, but not in control. Luca seemed to be unconscious himself. His essence reserves were low so he couldn't have been out too long or so he thought.

  He used his skills to float free of Luca's body and found himself at the clinic nursery. Mina and Besta were talking softly nearby. His Timekeeping Skill let him know it was afternoon. So it didn't surprise him that Luca was down for a nap. The concerned looks on both women's faces did worry him though.

  "Mina, Besta, good afternoon. Is something wrong? Did we mess up the ritual somehow? I think I must have exhausted myself," Shada said to both women via Spirit Speech.

  "Shada! It is so good to hear your voice! We were worried. Luca started doing magic and then got sick and I had to call Besta and there was fur and fingers..." Mina said in a rapid panicky voice.

  "Slow down Mina, it is ok. What is this about Luca doing magic?" Shada asked. He didn't have any diagnostic spells, but he could tell Luca was fine. Tired and asleep, but fine.

  "Luca is sleeping off the effects of physical essence exhaustion. As far as we can tell when you fell unconscious after the ritual Luca got access to your abilities," Besta said in a far more calm voice than Mina. She was patting the other woman on the arm and trying to sooth her.

  "I...I didn't know that was possible. I have never fallen asleep in this form. It shouldn't have happened..." Shada paused as he thought. The System should have been able to handle his situation right? I mean the Precursors had these abilities, but were they active this soon? He didn't know and examined Luca worriedly.

  "Luca appears fine now. Whatever happened appears to have stopped. I have full control of my abilities," Shada said as he used Shapeshifting to hide Luca in his Wylderfolk guise.

  "I had to treat him. He was bleeding from his nose from overdrawing his essence," Besta told him.

  "I didn't know that was a thing. I can empty my essence with only mild discomfort," Shada said.

  "Of course you can! You are a spirit for Guide's sake! Luca is a mortal, if we over draw, we suffer from essence exhaustion," Besta explained.

  "What I want to know is why he could use your powers. I know he is special, but what happened here Shada?" Mina asked as she composed herself.

  Shada realized that neither Besta nor Mina knew the full truth of who he and Luca were and how they were really the same person in different forms. He saw no other choice than to explain the situation to the two women. They were rather shellshocked after he finished.

  "You're Luca or Luca is you? I don't understand..."Mina trailed off in confusion.

  "We are the same person. We were once a man named John. We have our own distinct minds, memories, and personalities. His mind is linked to our physical body and mine to our spirit body. It is part of the heritage the Goddess granted us," Shada explained quietly.

  "Why are you so different? Luca is just a child. Sure he is smart and developing fast, but he doesn't act like you do Shada." Besta asked.

  "Luca's mind is still developing with his body. It isn't capable of holding an adult consciousness. So we are essentially completely independent," Shada replied.

  "Not as independent as you seem to think. He was making things fly Shada!" Mina exclaimed.

  "I remember you saying that. It shouldn't have happened, but I...we...are something of a unique existence. I don't know all the rules. I will have to be more careful in the future," Shada said as he considered the implications of what had happened.

  Shinobin entered the nursery while everyone was lost in their thoughts. "Hello, is Luca down for a nap? I wanted to give him a cuddle before checking on my patients," she asked as she picked up her sleeping child and looked at the morose women.

  "There was a bit of an incident apparently," Shada said tentatively.

  "Incident? Is everything ok? By the way where did you run off to after the ritual?" Shinobin asked. "The City Lord and others were asking for you."

  Shada looked to the two women before explaining what he knew. Shinobin was not a happy mother and hugged her son fiercely. "Shada you have to be more careful! This will not happen again! Am I clear?" Shinobin asked sternly.

  "Yes, mother," Shada said in a subdued voice. He hadn't been scolded in decades.