Convergence

Chapter Ten: The Mars-Quake

The breeze carried slightly heavier than the day before.

Ella looked out onto the sea, her feet sinking into the sand. Being planted so firmly into the ground gave her confidence in her actions.

Nick stood behind her at a distance, squinting at her while her hair whipped with the wind. She was nervous, clearly. But, without words, she was able to say that she was ready.

"Hold both of your hands out." Nick instructed from behind her, as she did so. "Stay fixed in your position and try not to move. You're channeling a great amount of energy here, and I don't mean to alarm you, but one wrong move could send the whole thing down. When you're ready, catch one and bring it up."

Ella inhaled and exhaled carefully, her hands outstretched towards the waves. One small one couldn't work, so her eyes darted to the next. Slightly bigger. That'd work.

So, she focused her energy on one, and it splashed slightly. She and Nick both knew she'd have one chance to do this for every wave, and if she got too tired, she wouldn't do it at all. But Nick had full faith in Ella. They'd watched her grow with her abilities and as a person. And Xudio was right, she could do anything she set her mind to. They had no doubt in their mind that Ella could do this.

It came close to the end of the shore, and Ella snapped her hands, her palms now facing upwards. The wind changed directions, now coming up behind Nick and Ella. Nick was close to making some kind of noise, but they held it in. She needed full concentration.

The wind, clashing against the water, pulled the wave up and ever higher to the sky. It moved like a curtain, like a waterfall flowing upwards. Ella smiled, laughing, a few droplets falling on her face from above. She kept her hands out to maintain it.

"I did it!"

Nick exhaled, rushing closer. "Kid, that was incredible! Now, see if you can lay it down, without—"

Ella let her hands down, the wave collapsing. The water splattered all over the shore, and on Ella and Nick.

"...splashing us." Nick continued, flapping their hands up and down, and ruffling Ella's hair. "We'll work on that."

"I did it, though!" With every one of Ella's movements, she dripped more water everywhere.

"Yeah, that's a start for sure," Nick smiled as they nodded. They put their hands on their hips, looking back towards the research building they worked at. "I just hope nobody saw that."

"Oh. Right." Ella sat on the ground, using her hands to make a sand castle.

"Wow, you got derailed so fast." Nick sat down with her, poking at the sand. "Wet sand is better for making one." They pointed their finger at the water, and bringing over a giant glob of it, it splashed down onto the sand. "There."

"Smart." Ella tilted her head, using it to build a tower.

"Yeah, see?" Nick pointed at their head. "I can put my degree to good use."

"Didn't know you went to school for sand castle-ing." Ella snorted, making more towers.

"I minored in physics, it's the same thing!" Nick laughed back, flapping their hand up and down.

"You can minor in something?" Ella stopped for a moment, tilting her head again as she asked.

"Yeah," Nick pointed out, making hand motions as they spoke. "I went to college when I was seventeen, where I majored in chemistry, and minored in physics. I worked harder at the chemistry thing, and got a Ph.D. when I was twenty-three."