The Fighters

Mum?

I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. There wasn't any fixed agenda for today as it was the supposed "free" day for rankings but with their record, I wouldn't be surprised if we had the actual 3rd trial today.
Everyone had gone off for their own thing after breakfast and I was the only one left in the dorm. Asia had left with the twins to- and I quote- "find the fighter's rooms and put itching powder on their beds". Leia had stormed out after them to stop them. I had no idea where the two Freds were and Casseiopia had either gone home or was still screaming her head off at the fighters.

I embrace the quiet, it gives me space to clear my head and slowly accept that I've been here for two trials. Being a fighter might actually be in my sights. But, with my mind, this happiness doesn't last long. It decides to come up with pages of things that could go wrong, ranging from utter embarrasment to losing my life.
Another thing that had been nagging at my mind, trying to bring itself to my attention, was my mother. Ever since Friedrick had given me the locket, my thoughts had been reeling with possibilities. For the first time, I realized that I really didn't know a whole lot about mum. And for a child who thought she was dead for most of her life, I think it's pretty fair that I don't have much information about her. But, an identical twin? An aunt? Shouldn't I have been told about that? And specially some magical aunt with shimmering scarlet eyes? Mum should have told us something.

I took out the locket and studied it once more slowly, my fingers passing over the two images. They were two girls as similar as they are different; one scarlet, one blue but even a torn down and time ridden image couldn't hide the determined look in their eyes.

Eventually sleep takes over and I drift off again eventhough I had woken up just a few hours ago.

A young woman stands with a small screaming bundle of sheets in her arms. Tears fall fast of the woman's face causing her to lose balance and stumble into into a chair. The bundle holds a tiny infant who shakes fists and cries at her mother obviously sensing her discomfort. A few minutes later the door to her room opens and a young man enters. He smiles at the lady before noticing her miserable look.

"Ellie what's wrong," he asks walking forward to wrap his arms around her.

"You know perfectly what's wrong." She sniffles "She'll follow the same path I did. She'll become one of them and there's nothing we can do to stop it"

"Elenora," he tells her sternly "We are Chloe's parents. As long as we are alive she will not go anywhere near the Fighters. We can stop her from training. She'll grow up to be someone great in another field"

"It's in her blood" the woman gloomily interrupts "She will become one of them. It's her destiny, just like it was mine"

"You fought it" he tells her comfortingly "You're free. You broke the curse"

"Look where that has got us" she mocks "I'm not free, I just dragged you down with me. It can't ever be truly broken because it was never meant to be a curse. It was supposed fo be a blessing that one of my bloodline will always have a place with the fighters."

I wake up, the memory crystal clear in my mind. Elenora was the one word never spoken in our house anymore. It was the unspoken ban. Because Elenora was my mother.
The memories swirl around my head as I slowly put the pieces together.
Mum had been a fighter. She knew I'd become one. That's why Dad never let me train. One by one my thoughts link together as short memories of picking mum flowers and conversations between my parents fly through my mind. But the chain of memories break as a thought hit my mind like cold water splashing on me.