Breaking The Barriers

5 Wither into the truth

After the breakdown, my room felt like an igloo. I noticed that something's not right with controlling my emotions right after my father got infected by the burned one the other day. Always when I arrived in my room, I could let out my emotions that I was holding. First, it were just glass bottles, breaking because of the frost, or when there were frost drawings appearing on the windows. Now even the temperature feels lower than before, and sometimes I can even see my breath. I must not let anyone enter my room, so they won't notice, because I can't stop it, neither can I reverse it. And from the last time, I was afraid to use my magic, because I had a serious frostbite on palm of my hands. I always wear like oversized hoodies or bandages and say that my hands are weak from the training at the specialists training grounds, but the reality was that my own magic hurt me.

Anyways, after the little 'operation' that I was helping the faculty with, they kept Beatrix locked somewhere beneath the Specialists' yard. No one was allowed to go there. Queen Luna also took Stella back home. Thanks to queen Luna's presence, and to these events, the faculty held a little training. It is held every year, but this year, it was longer. During the training day, fairies get partnered with their specialists and are supposed to prepare together for the burned ones. They are practicing on the training grounds, in the bush maze with simulations and also theoretically.

I was partnered with Riven. After Aisha left combat with him. He was out of shape. Well, like not literally, but he was down because of Beatrix. And I was down because of Bloom and my father. We were the perfect broken duo. During the simulation training, we were meant to defeat a training dummy in a form of a burned one. Professor Harvey told us that the key is mutual trust. Riven must hold the enemy so I have time to channel controlled magic. We didn't pass even a single attempt.

During the training on the training stage, we fought against another pair of fairy and specialist. Riven fought bravely and I sabotaged some of the enemy's moves with my magic, but it wasn't enough. I noticed Aisha and Musa, accompanied by Farah and my father, checking on us. I suddenly felt a rush of emotions. Riven was trying his best, but then he got smacked on the ground. That's when I suddenly chose to stand up as a specialist fairy. First I fought fist to fist and then I used my magic to make an icy sword. The fairy used her fire magic to stop me, I blocked it with my ice, because it was stronger magic. I was myself surprised that it worked, but I focused on the specialist. I fought with him and then I kicked his feet and pointed my ice sword towards his neck. I also pointed on the fairy to show that my magic is ready for her attack. They surrendered. I helped Riven up from the ground. ,,Nicely done, little one." He said. ,,Now you're rhyming? Such a poet." I said, chuckling. Then I saw Farah and my father approaching us. ,,That is not how you're supposed to fight. A fairy must guard the specialist from the magic and specialist must defend the fairy from a threat!" Farah said. ,,What you did was not professional." My father said. I kept a straight face. I walked down from the stage with Riven. I came to my father and looked into his eyes. ,,I thought that soldier has to do anything to survive, so I improvised." I said calmly. He just looked at me surprised, but not in a good way. Then I and Riven went away to take a break.

,,You alright?" Riven asked me. ,,Yeah, sure, you?" I said. ,,Well you don't see alright to me, just saying that if you wanna talk about it?" He said. I just shrugged. He smiled. ,,It's hard to talk about it with someone you don't fully trust, right?" He said, still smiling. ,,No, it's not you, I mean.... I would tell you...." I started panicking. He just looked at me calmly. I sighed. ,,It's my father." I said. He slapped his knee. ,,I knew that, not really, but it was a guess - family drama." He said, chuckling. I smiled. ,,He just keeps everything from me and this one time I heard him and Sky talk. And dad wasn't talking nicely about me. So now I'm maybe angry and sad?" I said, didn't really know how to express it. ,,And you?" I asked him. ,,What?" He played dumb. ,,What's your drama? You're not focusing enough, I know that you are one of the best specialists and I can see when something's not right." I said. ,,Well I was just going easy, so you're the star of the show, you know." He said with a chuckle. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow and the 'are you kidding me?' face. He chuckled again and then he spilled the tea. ,,It's just Beatrix and Dane. Beatrix is locked, thanks to you, of course, and Dane is becoming the first year monster I created." He said. ,,I didn't know they are going to lock her. I didn't even know what was the mission. I know I could've backed up and tell them that I won't help, but...." I started. ,,But?" Riven repeated after me. ,,But honestly.... I was scared. I was scared of Farah, Harvey and my dad. If I say no, they'll turn their back on me." I said sadly. I started rubbing the bandages on my hands. ,,I'm sorry, I didn't know that and I want you to know that I don't even blame you. It's just that Beatrix was the only one who saw me as I am, or even better." He said. ,,Well I see you like a cool stoner with a big heart." I said smiling. I offered him a hug and he accepted.