Life Finds a Way

Chapter 26

Genesis watched as the cloud of fury passed from Clarissa's face to be replaced by a smirk. He wondered if she had figured out that he was pushing her buttons on purpose. It wouldn't have surprised him if that had been the case. He hadn't been entirely joking that she had a long way to go, but she was in better shape than he had anticipated after seeing her with a sword the first time. He didn't think he could make her into a master of the sword in the time they had, but she could be good enough to pass the exam at least. He pushed all that back as he thought about what was still to come after the meal. He couldn't hold back the frown that came with that thought.

After Genesis' quip about needing more time to train her, Clarissa moved to eat as fast as she was able. She knew he was probably trying to irritate her but didn't want to take the chance that he wasn't kidding. She was thankful she had when he stood up before she was completely finished. At least she had been able to eat most of her food. She was finding that she had a much hardier appetite than she ever had before. She knew it was most likely due to the fact that she had mako running through her system on top of her increased activity.

Zack and Angeal didn't follow them when they turned back toward the training rooms. Zack gave her a grin and the thumbs up sign as he followed Angeal in the opposite direction. She gave him a smile as they walked off. She was glad she had met the effervescent Second early on. If she was going to be faced with one impossible task after another, having his positive energy nearby would be a boon.

She followed Genesis back to the room they had used earlier. She was a little disappointed that they didn't go back to the VR room, but she was sure it was because she was a long way from being able to target anything. She knew she needed to learn how to handle the materia first. She wasn't looking forward to it after the last time.

When Genesis reached the center of the room he turned to her and pulled a green orb from a pocket inside his duster. He held it up for her to see clearly before speaking. "The three materia we checked out yesterday are now assigned to you. I will be holding on to them until you learn to not allow them to activate when you touch them." She gave him a nod in understanding before he continued. "I won't be letting you handle them alone at all until I can be sure you won't instantly drain your reserves. For now, I will activate the orb and guide you through the process."

Clarissa watched as the orb started to glow softly. He held up his hand and indicated she should come closer. "I want you to hold the orb between our hands. I will talk you through taking control of it and then handing it back to me. If it looks like it is going to run away with you then I will take control back. Is that clear so far?"

Clarissa had to hide her smile. She wasn't sure if he realized that his irritated demeanor was gone now that he was talking about materia. She didn't ask though, as it was entirely possible he had done it on purpose. Maybe handling materia took a softer touch.

She reached up and covered his hand with her own while she tried to concentrate on the feeling coming off the active orb. She was pleased to note it had a much smaller pull than the last time. Once her hand was in place Genesis curled his fingers around her hand and turned them over, so the orb was now resting in her palm and caught between them like the first time. His voice was just above a whisper when he spoke. "I want you to close your eyes and concentrate on the feel of the materia. It will direct you if you pay attention. Don't allow your concentration to break."

He fell silent when she closed her eyes. She focused her attention on the words coming from the orb and found that if she listened closely it was telling her how to best access the power of the planet. She pulled lightly at the active spell, trying to keep it from overwhelming her. It was easy to tell when control had been transferred. The spell flared, causing Clarissa to panic momentarily. It was Genesis' soft voice that kept her from losing control. "Don't get lost in it. You are the one handling the magic, not the other way around."