Augh

I was going to suggest this too. Writing the bit that comes after the hard part might tell you enough about the other side of the gap to enable you to build the bridge properly.

Michael Brewer

It doesn't solve what happens in the school, but I'm picturing that moment when Thistle wakes up realizes she's safe among the team and chooses to stay with them... so many feels. <3

I know I need a potion brewed from magic beans to get going in the morning.

I imagine she wakes up getting a piggy back from Brent while Orrig is talking with the mages trying to bluff that Thistle is a part of his gang.... Then again, I'm a dirty dirty shipper and that would be adorable.

Irishxlily

Urge to make fan art of Thistle not being a morning person.... rising...

Robert

She's a plant mage sleeping under a holy tree sealing up a causeway to hell. The plot opportunities are -endless-. She could be woken by whispers only she can hear (good guys from above or bad guys from below), screams/sounds from outside, a blessed acorn dropping on her head, rejuvenated by blooming magical thistles that sprout from around her, the leaves from the tree can make her sneeze and start to come-to, and earthquake can shake her awake, the tree can shake its branches and wake her up/heal her with their falling leaves, a hail of acorns could simply fall on her head, a thistle could prick her and wake her up.... Anything that one would normally associate with a random blessing in everyday life ("We're so lucky that happened right when we needed it most...") would fit here to make sure she is serendipitously woken back up again in order to face the next trial ahead. Just tell me if I'm being annoying. :)

Mary Williams

Another possibility is to just start the next panel with Thistle waking up in a hospital trying to figure out what happened, or with a dream sequence

Shield Generator 7

No one said writing has to be done in order. If you do the scene just after, and get that the way you want it, that may help this scene by pinning down the start and finish. *Waves pompoms of encouragement*

Brent tries to take a peek when no one's looking and Thistle instinctively punches him in the face. Not that she has any strength to actually hurt him, which only makes him think she's more adorable, like in that sketch from a while back.

Allison Shaw