“You ran off like a child. Doing things on your own and turning down help isn’t being responsible. Especially when the consequences of your actions affect so many people. ”

~The Grand Councilwoman

Bones

Well, this turned out as I imagined. I start by drawing the surrounding fire arcana into myself, extinguishing it. One tap on the little girl’s forehead suppresses her power and leaves her unconscious. Chase and Daimyon are badly injured. No other choice. I remove one of my earrings, which changes to liquid in my hand, and pour a single onto their mangled bodies. A golden aura envelops them and their wounds mend. Daimyon’s arms regrow and Chase’s punctures close. I specifically told Daimyon not to use the Skywave cannon because I knew this would happen. Although, I may not have found them otherwise.

Reading their spirits, visions of the past events flood my mind and confirm my suspicions. Now that their spirits have returned to their bodies, I can move them safely. I wrap us in my phoenix wings and fly back to the academy entrance, where Ligaiya stood waiting for us.

“What happened to my students?” She asks.

Between her combative stance and her folded arms, it’s clear that she’s upset.

“They were attacked, and Daimyon used the Skywave Cannon.”

Ligaiya sighs and grabs the little girl from my wing before walking through the portal. The tension between us is so strong it’s exhausting. Our trip is short, silent, and an eternity. As she enters the infirmary, I hear the sound of a bomb ticking in my head. My wings dissipate once she grabs the boys from me and lays them in separate beds before preparing a sedation for them.

“They’re healed. Why do you need to sedate them?” I ask.

She scoffs, her frustration seeping through her pores. The sound of her heels intensifies as she makes her way in my direction.

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“Everyone isn’t like you, Bones, thankfully. They need to rest if they are to recover from the trauma of today’s events. Or did you forget that they are still children?”

Her tone makes my blood boil. Never mind my attempts to keep calm, it’s time I address the elephant in this room.

“Is there a problem, Ligaiya?”

Through her eyes, I could see the explosion. I have no idea what I’ve just unleashed.

“Where do you want me to start? From the beginning, or right at this point? Which problem do you want to tackle first, now that I finally have your attention?”

I remain silent as she continues on her rampage. “Answer me, Bones! Why would you teach the Skywave Cannon to a novice? What did you think would happen?”

“What do you want me to say?”

She steps forward, grabbing me by the collar with an insane grip. Her strength was beyond anything I would’ve imagined. When did she gain this power?

“You’d better say something quick.” Instinctively, my phoenix wings protrude from my back to meet the sides of her cheeks. “I. Wish. You. Would.” She says, her teeth gritting from pressure. Our auras clash as our eyes meet, and the infirmary begins to shake. I sigh and gently push her hand aside, retracting my wings.

“I did what I thought was best.”

“You were gone for five years. Five years I waited, and worried. You didn’t make any effort to contact anyone to check in or anything. We didn’t even know if you were still alive. Do you know what that’s like?”

She grabs my hand and squeezes tightly to further convey the pain that was pouring from her eyes and down her face. “We could’ve helped you. Me and Kouki, your mom...you abandoned everyone who cared about you. You abandoned me, even though you knew how much I needed you.”

This is the most difficult thing for me to see, and I can’t help but respond.

“I’m sorry, okay? For everything. I just didn’t want you to get hurt.” I say, looking down at my hands. This power had every intention of hurting her to defend me before I could even decide for myself. “Ligaiya, I’m still not fully capable of controlling it. You have to understand, it’s frightening at times when I think of what I am...what I’ve done.”

Her tone turns soft.

“You’re an idiot, Bones. I’m not a little girl anymore and I can take care of myself.”

I heard her say it, but I still couldn’t look her in the eye. No one else has any idea how powerful this spirit is. How violent and angry it is.

“Ligaiya, I…”

I can’t finish my sentence, which adds to her disappointment. She turns away from me.

“I can’t do this with you. Until you learn to trust me, we’ll never be like before.” At last, Ligaiya departs the infirmary.

~End