Dark shadows cast across a boy, just about seventeen, who walked inconspicuously to a hidden corner. Again and again, he heard his father's voice echoing through his mind, calling for him to join him in a conversation. A serious conversation, the boy could tell.
Hold on, I'm coming, he thought in his mind, exasperated now that his father wouldn't keep quiet. Of course, he couldn't hear him. Only have been training for a year, he hadn't learned telepathy yet.
The boy kept walking. One he was certain that from where he was no one could see him, he disintegrated into plain air, cold and bitter, with its ferocious wind biting anyone's skin.
In a warm room, the boy stumbled. He hadn't perfected the art of teleporting without a spell yet. After steadying himself, the boy blinked and glanced around at his surroundings. His expression turned with familiarity to where he was. The Room of Meetings, he realized. Why had his father called him here?
"Ethan."
The boy who was named Ethan spun around at the commanding voice of his father. "Why am I here?" he asked him defiantly. Certainty gripped him like claws, knowing by the grim look on King Tidus's face this news would not be something he would like.
But his eyes remained cold, yet questioning to his father.
Tidus spoke up, his face heavy with something that was almost...grief. "Ethan. I have spoken with your mother, and Edna about this, and they have agreed. Much as we hate to do this, the circumstances have left us no choice."
"What is it? Stop dancing around it," Ethan demanded, pacing back and forth. His voice sounded angry, though he was more afraid of what his father would say.
His father cleared his throat uncertainly. "We have decided," Tidus began, "that fire, water, and wind will be trained starting now."
"What! How can you say that?" he turned away, furiously.
"I know it isn't right. But with each day, our enemy grows stronger, and with each attack, we realize that you need help. Remember what happened last time Safari caught you?"
Ethan's hand immediately flew to he left arm. He winced as it still stung at his touch, and remembered the horror of almost losing his arm. Instead it had been twisted badly, pain surging through it when he'd last been taken prisoner and tortured by Safari.
His father's face turned soft as he saw the delicacy in which Ethan still handled his left arm. "Yes, I know," he murmured softly. Then he continued on, "So you must see why we shall begin Fira, Aqua, and Windel's training now? We don't have a choice."
The boy furrowed his eyebrows, making his green eyes smaller while he thought or a moment. Then, ever so slowly, he turned around. "I don't care," he spat, eyes flashing. "I don't care if Safari catches me, and even kills me. As long as it doesn't endanger my siblings. If, if they start too young, then they most likely will die. They need to be sixteen! At least Savannah- I mean, Fira and Aqua are fifteen. But Windel, he's only seven! And do you remember what happened to Wendy?"
Tidus didn't respond, just waited for Ethan to finish. Ethan hated his cool demeanor, as if nothing made a difference to him. But he knew it was all show, He knew his father, and he knew that this was a difficult decision he'd made.
"We don't even know if she is still alive right now! You can't. You just can't-" Ethan broke off, as he peered into the depths of horror of what might happen to his siblings.
"I know," his father replied. "It is endangering their lives, but, as I've said already, we don't have a choice."
Ethan breathed out a sigh, almost like a huff. After a moment of pondering, he said calmly, "You will try to show them of their power. But you won't succeed. I can assure you."
"I wish you luck, in keeping them from common realization."
Not wanting to struggle in his teleportation again, Ethan muttered the spell under his breath and snapped his fingers. He ended up back in his home, just outside Savannah and Sarina's rooms, in the middle of the night.
Hold on, I'm coming, he thought in his mind, exasperated now that his father wouldn't keep quiet. Of course, he couldn't hear him. Only have been training for a year, he hadn't learned telepathy yet.
The boy kept walking. One he was certain that from where he was no one could see him, he disintegrated into plain air, cold and bitter, with its ferocious wind biting anyone's skin.
In a warm room, the boy stumbled. He hadn't perfected the art of teleporting without a spell yet. After steadying himself, the boy blinked and glanced around at his surroundings. His expression turned with familiarity to where he was. The Room of Meetings, he realized. Why had his father called him here?
"Ethan."
The boy who was named Ethan spun around at the commanding voice of his father. "Why am I here?" he asked him defiantly. Certainty gripped him like claws, knowing by the grim look on King Tidus's face this news would not be something he would like.
But his eyes remained cold, yet questioning to his father.
Tidus spoke up, his face heavy with something that was almost...grief. "Ethan. I have spoken with your mother, and Edna about this, and they have agreed. Much as we hate to do this, the circumstances have left us no choice."
"What is it? Stop dancing around it," Ethan demanded, pacing back and forth. His voice sounded angry, though he was more afraid of what his father would say.
His father cleared his throat uncertainly. "We have decided," Tidus began, "that fire, water, and wind will be trained starting now."
"What! How can you say that?" he turned away, furiously.
"I know it isn't right. But with each day, our enemy grows stronger, and with each attack, we realize that you need help. Remember what happened last time Safari caught you?"
Ethan's hand immediately flew to he left arm. He winced as it still stung at his touch, and remembered the horror of almost losing his arm. Instead it had been twisted badly, pain surging through it when he'd last been taken prisoner and tortured by Safari.
His father's face turned soft as he saw the delicacy in which Ethan still handled his left arm. "Yes, I know," he murmured softly. Then he continued on, "So you must see why we shall begin Fira, Aqua, and Windel's training now? We don't have a choice."
The boy furrowed his eyebrows, making his green eyes smaller while he thought or a moment. Then, ever so slowly, he turned around. "I don't care," he spat, eyes flashing. "I don't care if Safari catches me, and even kills me. As long as it doesn't endanger my siblings. If, if they start too young, then they most likely will die. They need to be sixteen! At least Savannah- I mean, Fira and Aqua are fifteen. But Windel, he's only seven! And do you remember what happened to Wendy?"
Tidus didn't respond, just waited for Ethan to finish. Ethan hated his cool demeanor, as if nothing made a difference to him. But he knew it was all show, He knew his father, and he knew that this was a difficult decision he'd made.
"We don't even know if she is still alive right now! You can't. You just can't-" Ethan broke off, as he peered into the depths of horror of what might happen to his siblings.
"I know," his father replied. "It is endangering their lives, but, as I've said already, we don't have a choice."
Ethan breathed out a sigh, almost like a huff. After a moment of pondering, he said calmly, "You will try to show them of their power. But you won't succeed. I can assure you."
"I wish you luck, in keeping them from common realization."
Not wanting to struggle in his teleportation again, Ethan muttered the spell under his breath and snapped his fingers. He ended up back in his home, just outside Savannah and Sarina's rooms, in the middle of the night.
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