The Depths Of A Broken Mind

Chapter 13

"You can do something?" Fitz asked quizzically. "I thought only the strongest minds could heal a broken mind?"

"Come here, boy," Tiergan said, ushering him out the door, to the hall.

Fitz stared absentmindedly into the air.

"I can train you, her cognate, to heal her. Your mind may not be as strong as hers, but with proper training, even you can overcome the depths of a broken mind." Tiergan said calmly.

"If I may interject," said a voice from the doorframe, "he can't do it. I won't let him." said her adoptive father, Grady. "I won't let him break either. He's already gone through too much. If he goes in there, he will break. I can't lose someone else." he said forcefully.

Fitz shook his head violently, refusing to let Sophie suffer any longer in that horrid place also known as her mind. Since at one point he could read her mind, he knew how much of a jumble it was, with racing thoughts, and some bad memories. Having her being stuck in there made bile rise in Fitz's throat.

"If I have to use my ability on you, I will." continued Grady in a menacing voice.

Fitz sat on the ground, shaking, in a fetal position, wanting to protect himself and Sophie. His head went in between his knees, and his hands went over his head. He was breathing hard. How could he heal Sophie if he was like... this? The adults stared at him, wondering why he was on the floor. They looked at him questioningly, and concern was written all over their faces as well.

"Get it together, get it together," Fitz said as he stood up slowly, brushing himself off. "I don't care if you have to mesmerize me out of it, I still want to train and try," he said in a cautious, but stern voice.

Grady blinked hard and walked out. "That was weird. He kinda just... walked out." Fitz directed towards Tiergan.

"Yes... odd. Like someone" Tiergan pointed at himself, "compelled him to walk out."

"Did you talk to him telepathically?" Fitz asked, though he already knew the answer.

Tiergan nodded. "I told him that this was our hope, and without it, she would stay in that oblivion forever. He knew that you love her because it is quite obvious, and decided that it wasn't worth the fight. We all want hope," He paused for a second, thinking. Then he said, "If you're really up to this, training begins tomorrow at dawn in the Silver Towers. Make sure that you are there. If not, our 'training' is canceled."

"I will be there, I promise," Fitz said, surely.

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The next morning, Fitz arrived 5 minutes early, just to be safe. He didn't want to be alone anymore. All he was, was a shell with a voice. He barely moved, he didn't eat, and his heart had no one to beat for anymore. That morning, he was new and there was hope. A hope for everyone.

"I see you came on time." Said the crackly voice of a disguise. It wasn't Tiergan, it was Granite.

"I want Sophie back. Sooo... I'm here." Fitz shrugged as if he wouldn't be there if it weren't for Sophie.

"Well, come in. Come on." Tiergan as Granite said. They walked into the towers, and stepped on the Vortinator, which was not usually allowed, and were whirled up into the telepathy room. Old memories lurked there, from when they were there with Sophie, practicing cognate exercises. Such a long time ago, such sadness. Fitz squeezed his eyes shut and stumbled to a chair.

Fitz sat down with a huff. "So how does this work?"

"I'm going to give you an elixir that would make it seem like you have a broken mind. You have to stay in there and find the 'warm nook' in your mind and go there. It will be dangerous. Tap me as soon as the darkness starts to take over, and you cannot find your way out. In order to heal Sophie, you have to be in there for more than a minute."

Fitz nodded scarcely as he was handed the dark black-green elixir in which he downed it without question. Fitz's mind felt fuzzy as it swelled with black waters. He tried to tread on the water but only sank deeper. He reached his emotional center, which was quite, unhinged and on the brink of derangment. Up and down with emotions, that seemed stronger than usual. Flashes of light blinded him, and he suddenly couldn't breathe. He retreated from the emotions, holding his breath, bringing feeling back to his fingers. He tapped Granite and almost instantly a chilling blue breeze swept through his clouded mind. His eyes opened and he winced from the pain of the light. "How long was I there?" he managed to form.

"3 seconds."

"3? That was it! How? It felt like hours."

"You have to get much farther. Keep trying."

And so it went for hours and hours, nasty elixirs that made him gag, but for Sophie, he down them each time, the time only increasing by 2 seconds at the end of the day. "5 seconds!!! That's all!! Sophie's getting nowhere any time soon." Fitz said with defeat.

"5 seconds is longer than the average elf. You are doing better than most could within a month. If you practice each day for a couple of hours, you'll be ready in around a month. By then you should be prepared."

"A month!" exclaimed Fitz.

"To Sophie, it will feel like nothing." countered Tiergan.

"To Sophie, it will feel like forever. She's stuck in that dark, empty place that is far from pleasant, and she will suffer and when she comes back, she'll wonder why it took so long for us to bring her back. She'll hate us all." Fitz was panting form his sudden outburst. "Sorry," he mumbled quietly, "I just really miss her."

"Fitz, we all do. Grady and Edaline don't break from her side, they haven't eaten, changed, showered, or taken care of the animals at Havenfield. It's all chaos. Take your time, she won't mind. I promise, son."

Son? Son! Son... Since when had Fitz become "son" to Tiergan. I mean Alden had been secluding himself from Della and Biana and Fitz as well. Alden felt there was no hope that he almost decided to call it off and proclaim her... d-d-dead. Fitz couldn't even think about it without the threat of breaking down in a sobbing fit.

"I have to work harder. I'll come back every day."

"I know you will. But keep in mind that it may not be possible to heal her strong, but broken mind. She does have a photographic memory, and it will be gruesome."

Fitz nodded after a couple of seconds, trying to comprehend. "What happens after? Like after she is healed?"

"I have no clue. It all depends on why she broke, and if it can be fixed."

"What if it wasn't guilt that broke her?" Fitz said quietly. "What if it wasn't guilt."

I am about to enter this in the wattys. Tell me if you think it's good enough for the "newcomers" wattys.