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Hey there, readers! I'm back with another chapter of The Fox's Path for you to, hopefully, enjoy!

"Excellent work, Miss Nicolo," Magi Bloom praised, the otter teacher looking very closely at the white flame that completely engulfed the vixen's right paw.

"I see that you've certainly been doing your homework. Alright, you've held it long enough. Let me just see how the rest of the class is doing, and then we'll see how well you can manipulate the Spirit Rune," Magi Bloom said, waiting for Taylor to extinguish the flame in her paw first before turning his attention back to the rest of the class. Taylor's classmates were currently working on having three stones interact with one another, and maintaining stability. From the looks of hard concentration she could see on more than one face, it seemed to take a lot of effort to maintain. Admittedly, just the one Fire Rune stone was a bit of a challenge for her to keep stable for a long period of time, so she was definitely impressed when she looked over at Jeremy's desk where he had a fire rune, an ice rune, and a wind rune that he was focusing on.

The three stones were all glowing a soft white color and levitating several inches over the bat boy's desk, slowly rotating in a perfect circle. From the center of the circle they formed, a whooshing sound was faintly heard. Taylor watched as from the center, there formed what looked like a miniature tornado. Drifting around the tornado were little shards of ice. And at its center was what looked to be an even smaller tornado, made of fire. Other students were doing, or attempting at least, something similar to Jeremy, but with different stone combinations.

Taylor's eyes, however, were glued to the sight of Jeremy's stones. As she watched, the fire and the wind tornadoes started to thin out into a single twisting stem, at the top of which the ice melted and reformed into what appeared to be petals. The three magical energies formed the shape of a rose. Taylor looked up to see Jeremy smiling at her, giving a quick wink. She could feel her cheeks burn.

"Wonderful job, Jeremy!" Magi Bloom said, startling the bat, whose concentration faltered, and the rose dissipated instantaneously, with the three different colored stones loudly clattering to his desk.

"Uh...th-thank you, s-sir," Jeremy said, blushing beneath his light brown fur.

"Keep it up and soon you'll be ready to transfer to Energy Manipulation or maybe even Advanced Energy Manipulation." Jeremy nodded nervously while gathering his dropped stones. Magi Bloom turned back towards Taylor. "Alright now, Taylor, please take out your Spirit Runestone."

Taylor nodded and reached into her satchel, pulling back a handful of stones, and dropping all but one in. The stone she held looked like polished silver, and was as long as her thumb. Etched into it was a V-shaped carving with a horizontal line underneath the bottom part of the V. Taylor had picked up this particular stone before and felt a little lightheaded when she had focused on it.

"Okay now, for this stone, I just want you to focus on it. This one is a bit more advanced than most of the other stones, so only focusing for right now."

Taylor closed her eyes and focused on the stone in her paw. The lightheaded sensation returned instantly, but she continued to focus, waiting for the Magi to tell her to stop.

"Good job, Taylor, now please, open your eyes."

Taylor complied, and looked around a little confused. She was still seated in her desk in the classroom...but she and the Magi were the only ones there. She looked at the other, empty desks, which all looked dusty, one even with a cobweb on it.

"Welcome to your own Spirit Sanctuary," the Magi said, spreading his arms wide.

"My Spirit Sanctuary?" Taylor repeated the words in confusion.

"That's correct. You see, Taylor, right now we're currently in a place, created by you, that exists outside of what is generally perceived as being normal space and time."

"Uhm...okay..." Taylor said, feeling unsure of what to do, or even to think, at this point.

"Right now, in how you and I are perceiving now, we have actually disconnected from our bodies, which are still back in my real classroom," the magi lectured.

"So this is all just some kind of illusion?"

"Not quite, Miss Nicolo." The otter smiled sympathetically. "This, all that you see around you right now, is very much real. It's just a different form of real that you need to step outside of yourself in order to access."

"But you just said that this wasn't real."

"Actually, what I said was that this wasn't my real classroom. It looks like mine...albeit in a significantly dustier state than I generally prefer, but it is a construct created entirely by you. Everything here you can change and otherwise influence on a whim of your conscious and subconscious mind. The reason why it looks like my classroom is because you made it that way."

Taylor thought about this. After everything she had seen and done here on this strange world, the vixen found that this new piece of information was much easier to swallow than it would have been back on day one...or even back in week one.

"So we're here only in our minds?"

"Not quite, for the mind is also just a part of the body. We're here in spirit," Magi Bloom said with a wink.

"So wait, what are our bodies doing back...uh...in...uh...regular space and time?"

"They're right back where we left them. Now, we should be heading on back right about now."

"Uhm, okay...so how do we do that?"

"Just focus on the energy from the stone, and you'll feel...well, it'll feel like a tugging sensation. Let it pull you back." Taylor nodded...what she now assumed was some sort of ethereal avatar of herself's head, and felt for the energy. She immediately could feel that tugging sensation, only she felt it all over. She didn't resist it, and felt herself being pulled along at a rapid pace. She blinked her eyes open and looked around at the other students, almost all of whom were still concentrating on their three stone combinations, with the exception of Jeremy, who had been looking at Taylor, seeing her look back at him brought a blush to his face right before he and looked away.

"The best part about the Spirit Sanctuary," Taylor looked up to see Magi Bloom leaning up against his desk right in front of her, "is that the concept of time works differently for it. For example, while you and I were both in yours, everything we were doing was going at a much faster pace than for everyone else here. From their perspectives, we just stood here frozen for half a second, at least if anyone had bothered to look at us."

Taylor's head swam with the possibilities. "Of course, Taylor, I'm going to have to ask not to attempt to use the Spirit Runestone again unsupervised. Becoming a disembodied spirit can get a little disorienting from time to time, and without proper guidance it can be very easy to be unable to find your Spirit Sanctuary...or even your way back for that matter. Understand?"

"Y-Yes, Magi."

"Good." Just as the magi opened his mouth to speak, there was a tone. He looked at his watch and smiled. "And that's the bell. Alright, everyone. This weekend's homework assignment is to find and list an algebraic equation that is connected to each of your runestones. Yes, Jeremy?"

"You mean one equation for each individual stone, and not one single equation that's linked to all of them, right?" Jeremy said after putting his clawed hand down. The magi nodded.

"That is correct. You are all to write down each equation and have them ready by Monday. Have a good weekend, everybody," the otter called after the students as they quickly filed out of the classroom and into the hallway. Taylor waited for the majority of bodies to pass by, so as not to get swept up in the current. As per usual, Jeremy accompanied her to her locker.

"Uhm...you did r-really well back there Taylor," Jeremy said. The wings he kept hidden in his hollowed out backpack were wriggling around more so than usual.

"Thanks Jeremy...what you did with your stones was just so...amazing," Taylor said as she grabbed a few books she would need for her other homework assignments from her locker before shutting it.

"Uhm..." Jeremy looked away and started to rub the back of his head nervously as he seemed to fumble with his words a bit. "Taylor...I was, uh...I..." Jeremy looked away for a second, and then took a deep breath.

"Would you like to go to the movies with me tomorrow?" he asked in a rush of words, seeming surprised at his ability to actually say it. Taylor's eyes widened; she hadn't been expecting this.

"Oh...uhm...I--" Not sure what to do, Taylor could see fear in the bat boy's eyes.

If I say no, he'll be crushed, she realized. "Uhm...o-okay." It just seemed to slip out of her mouth. Before the vixen could say anything more, Jeremy's face lit up with a wide grin.

"Cool! Uhm...my mom and dad don't want me out after dark, so maybe sometime in the afternoon?"

"O-Okay..." Jeremy's backpack looked like it was going to burst open, what with all the fervent squirming going on inside it.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow!" Jeremy started to jog off, looking like he was about to literally start jumping for joy.

Wait...does he even know where I live? she wondered, thinking about going after him, when suddenly Taylor felt a sudden slight jab on her left and right side, accompanied with a ZZZZT sound. She let out a high pitched yip and whipped around, paws brought up in fists, to see the doubled-over form of Kyubei Carla Hystrid, who was laughing while clutching her sides. She was wearing a pair of cut-off jean shorts with a black tank-top, with writing on it in a language that Taylor couldn't read. She had on a pair of light blue leather boots with long laces and pink and blue striped stockings.

"That was just too good!" The female porcupine laughed, taking in some deep breaths.

"M-Magus Hystrid?" Taylor asked, her face red with embarrassment.

Kyu held up a manicured claw to indicate for Taylor to wait a moment. The porcupine slowly tapered off her laughing fit before she got herself back under control. She wiped away a tear before speaking.

"I'm not a Magus. Eric is, but I am considered a separate entity and therefore a separate person. I just assist him sometimes with his lessons and lectures, just so you know," Kyu explained.

"Oh uhm...okay...so how's it going?" Taylor asked, knowing that Laura was pulled up to the front of the school by now, waiting on her and Lily, since today was another day of training for Shaun and the other students chosen to head into the Badlands next month.

"Meh. Eric only needed me for some demonstrations today but, after my part was finished in the last one, I kinda got bored and wandered off. Much to my surprise, my wandering today has led me to the most adorable sight of little Miss Nicolo being asked out on a date," Kyu said, a smirk on her face. Taylor blushed deeply.

"Th-That...That's Jeremy, and he...I don't think that it's a d-d-date. Uh...not a date-date," Taylor said lamely, only to have Kyu snap her clawed fingers in her face.

"You just blush at the slightest thing, don'tcha?" Kyu asked, before her face softened. "Look, being a teenager can be pretty confusing under normal circumstances."

Oh please don't start explaining female puberty to me, Taylor begged internally.

"And after a big change like yours," Kyu winked with a smile, "well that's certainly not going to make dealing with the things you're feeling now any easier. I became a girl as an adult and it's still pretty confusing at times. But lemme tell you this. If you like someone, maybe not someone you would have been so interested in back when you were," Kyu looked around before leaning in to whisper, "a boy," Taylor looked up at her and let out a slight whine, "then you have nothing to be ashamed of, young lady." Kyu pulled Taylor into a hug.

"It's all so...weird..." Taylor said after the hug ended. Kyu nodded sagely.

"It is for everyone." The porcupine then looked Taylor up and down once over. "You really need to start loosening up y'know? What do I have to do, take you over my knee again?"

The second Taylor's eyes went wide in apparent fear, Kyu burst back into laughter once more.

"Uhm...I actually should get going now, my ride is waiting," Taylor said, backing away a little from the laughing porcupine, who waved her off.

"See ya around!" Kyu said, wiping away another tear.

At the school front entrance...

Taylor, despite the recent discomfort, relaxed when she saw Laura's warm and caring smile as she approached the SUV. She could see that Lily had already called shotgun, as she was sitting in the passenger seat.

"About time Tay-Tay, we just about had to send out a search party for you," Lily said.

"Lilypad, don't tease your little sister." Ever since Taylor had told Laura that she did want to stay with them, the older wolf had started referring to her as her youngest daughter when speaking to others about her, with Abe following suit as well. Taylor had yet to start calling them Mom and Dad, not entirely sure of her feelings about that. She did however feel a small fluttering sensation in her stomach as Laura called her Lily's sister...before being a little annoyed at being relegated to the role of little sister.

"How was your day, sweetie?" Laura asked, only turning on the engine once both Taylor and Lily had buckled their seatbelts, pointedly stating that fact with her eyes while looking at the teen wolf who let out a sigh before complying.

"It was pretty good. I got an A on my Alchemy test."

"Very good, sweetie! I'm very proud of you!" Laura praised while Lily rolled her eyes, unable to hide her smile.

"P.E. was a little tough though," Taylor said.

"Oh? Did something happen?" Taylor could hear the concern creep into Laura's voice.

"Nothing bad, I promise, I guess I'm just not a fan of Tectoball," Taylor said, hoping to placate Laura's worries. Ever since the incident, Laura had started to become even more protective of the vixen. That and the three additional attacks that had occurred since the altercation with Jenna Silverbright.

"But then she got into a bloody fistfight in her Algebra class," Lily chimed in. Taylor let out a little giggle at that.

"Algebra was boring as always," she said, suddenly feeling nervous about what happened after Remedial Energy Manipulation. "Uhm...I visited my Spirit Sanctuary in class today."

"That's very good, Taylor! You're coming along beautifully. Now the Magus told you not to go trying using your Spirit runestone without proper supervision, correct?"

"Yes, Laura," Taylor said, subconsciously playing with the tip of her tail.

"Sweetie," Laura began after watching Taylor in the rearview mirror, "is something wrong?"

"Uhm...not really...just...my friend Jeremy, he..."

"What'd he do?" Lily asked with just a hint of a warning edge to her voice that Taylor picked up on. Laura wasn't the only one who became much more protective of Taylor after what happened with Jenna.

"...He asked me out...to the movies...tomorrow..." Taylor said it, waiting for a response.

"Awwwwwww!" Taylor looked up to see Lily smiling at her. "He's got the biggest crush on you! It's just too cute!" Lily gushed, her tail once again its usual blur of happiness and excitement.

"Jeremy," Laura said as she looked thoughtful for a moment at a red light, "isn't he Katherine and Asher Myotis' son?"

"Yup!" Lily practically squealed in her seat. Taylor was mystified at this reaction from lily.

"I remember him. He seemed like a very nice boy...a little on the shy side," Laura said, her smile reaching her eyes in the rearview mirror.

"That's putting it mildly, Mom," Lily said. "Oh my Azcore, this is so cute! Tay-Tay, what'd you say?"

"I-I kinda said...y-yes..."

"OH! I can help you pick out what you're going to wear on your date tomorrow!"

"Lily! It's not a date! We're just going to the movies!" Taylor defended, blushing.

"Right, Tay-Tay, sure thing," Lily said dismissively.

"Now hold on, girls. You do remember that the gates close at sunset, right Taylor?" Laura asked as the turned down the street that led to the very gated community being mentioned.

"Yes, Laura, I'm pretty sure that we'll be going in the middle of the day."

"Okay, so definitely a sundress. Now we'll definitely have to start color coordinating your nails if not tonight then definitely tomorrow."

"LILY!" Taylor called out just as they drove through the large ornate gate.

YES! And there's chapter seventeen! I do hope that you enjoyed it, dear readers. Once more the characters of Kyu and Eric Hystrid are the creations of my good friend from FanFiction.net, AeroQC, who is a very talented author, and whose works I totally recommend!

Also, Happy Holidays everyone!