Six years have passed since the group returned from the other world, they traveled back to their home city, Vicen, with a fortune of gems which they used to strengthen the noble house and bring riches with the jewels they chose to sell.

Throughout these years Tidus has grown to become an enigma of a child. At half a year old he spoke his first word, while at a year he was reading books in the family library on his own, his iridescent eyes holding an unnatural level of clarity for one his age. The family had hired many physicians in an attempt to understand the strange pupil condition, though none had any answers to the mystery.

In the end the parents decided to leave it as is, considering it a blessing to their child, and though the family made several attempts to keep his abnormality under wraps it was naturally leaked as gossip, spreading through the city rumors and tales of the child with iridescent lies, stories of how he cast his first spell at two, or how he slew a beast at three. Naturally, these were nothing but rumors, as the child spent most of his time playing and molding shapes and figures in mud in the garden, such as now...

"Tidus!" His mother called as she passed through the garden, finding him in his natural playing spot, a large mud puddle with a lump being fiddled about between his hands.

He froze in his play as he turned to look towards his parent. "Mommy! Look, I made a bird!" He carried the lump over to show her, although it was poorly made it resembled crow rather well.

His hair was black like his fathers while his face was oddly effeminate with the Iridescent cascade of light within his eyes.

Danielle smiled and patted his head. "Well aren't you a little artist, though I've told you, again and again, this isn't very noble-like. Perhaps someone got you can use to play besides mud for your birthday party later hmm?"

"Really?! Like what? Is it clay? Clay is much better for molding! I hope it is." Tidus expressed an excited smile at the thought.

She playfully shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? You'll have to find out later, after tutoring. Speaking of which where are your Tutors? They're usually here by now." They had put much expense into hiring the best teachers that they could manage, some had even traveled from distant cities to teach the little genius.

"I did double the work yesterday so I could have today off! Hu hu, aren't I smart?" He boasted to her gleefully.

"Ohhh? Perhaps I should have them assign more from now on if you can do that." Danielle threatened with a smile.

"G-guh.. Anything but that! It is so boring! Especially history!" The very thought of another history lesson gave him thoughts of scaling the courtyard wall, again.

"Oh fine. Since its your birthday today I was going to have them keep the lessons light today anyway. I suppose you can continue playing for a while longer, though you'll need to change before the guests arrive." She explained before patting his head once more and returning inside, preparing for the future event. This will be Tidus' grand debut to the other nobles of the Souva kingdom.

Titus returned to his station, as in the pile of mud. Tenderly he smoothed and perfected the body of the mud bird, carefully searching a pile of sticks for the perfect ones to use as legs, drawing the feathers into the body with a thin quill he had taken from inside, breaking off bits of a pine cone to act as a beak.

Over an hour passed as he continued to play with the mud, occasionally watching the birds of the courtyard as a reference.

Finally, he was finished, it had hardened over time as he fiddled with it into a minorly realistic representation of a crow.

"What do you have there?" A girl's curious voice came from behind him. He turned around to find his sister, a girl 8 years old with energetic blue eyes and blonde hair like their mother.

"Sarah! It's a bird! Like the black ones that like to come for food." Tidus happily explained as he held it out for her to see.

"Oooh, you're getting better huh! Say, do you want to play explorers?" Sarah was mildly impressed by his progress with sculpting but as a girl and a child at that, she had other ideas of fun rather than mud.

Tidus thought for a moment before nodding his head, rolling the bird into a mud ball before tossing it aside. He couldn't bring it inside of course as it was mud and would simply dirty the manor. "Okay! Let me clean up a bit and then we can play!" He ran over to the pond to rub the dirt out from under his nails and off of his hands before following his sister off to play.

They played together for over an hour, pretending to be explorers who pass through the gates to the other world that opened thirty-four years ago, blasting imaginary fire and lightning at imaginary beasts, discovering treasure and gold. A child's dream for adventure.

Their time soon came to an end though as their mother called them in to prepare for the party, She helped her children change their outfits to be more presentable for a public event.

"It's a shame your brother is off at the capital for school, would have been nice if he were here." Danielle lamented as she helped to button his shirt. Children of nobles are all sent off to the capital at the age of 9, to learn and socialize with others and if they have the capacity, to become a mage or knight. Of course, commoners and merchant children are also capable of joining although the price tends to be high and require a test, unlike noble treatment.

"I want to go when sister goes, Do you think they'd let me in early if I tested well?" Tidus wonders as on the occasion he helps Sarah with her homework and in relativity to his own, it seems rather easy.

Danielle freezes for a moment, put off guard by his question as his parents had actually been petitioning for the same thing, as they had been progressively raising the difficulty for his tutors and considered it a waste of such talents to wait two extra years. "You wanna leave mommy?" Despite her thoughts, she gave her child with puppy eyes.

"N-no way! With all three children at the academy, you could stay at the temporary manor within the capital and relay your commands for the family from there through letters!" He explains his thoughts quickly in hopes not to offend his mother with his will to leave.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

She blinks in silent surprise for several moments before laughing lightly and patting Tidus' head yet again. "Well aren't you smart, I'll have to ask father about that." There were certain ventures that Edward wanted to make in the capital as well, as since the expedition while their funds had increased greatly their followers had diminished, what better place than the capital to find new ones?

"Enough of that now though, it's time for your party" She took Tidus by the hand and brought him to the ballroom, where the party was waiting.

There were many people gathered throughout the large room, some servants he knows, his family, but many were strangers. However, before he had a change to look them over more carefully his father came over to besides him and began to speak.

"Everyone, thank you for all gathering for my sons birthday, this is Tidus Aenward." He patted Tidus' back, prodding for him to speak.

"Pleased to meet you all, my name is Tidus Eldwick Aenward." He performed a slight bow, his parents had priorly informed him beforehand that although this is his birthday it is also a formal event and that it is important that he put his etiquette classes to use. While some might find something like etiquette classes boring and dull, Titus took it as a game of pretend, getting into his character his expression was calm despite the nervousness inside at the stares of others. It was rather funny to watch them all staring and he despite the atmosphere he couldn't resist a small smile.

The party held multitude more nobles than was normally to be expected for a minor noble house, however, the rumors were many of the child and while many were false it still aroused their attention. Many came to scout out their children's future potential enemies or allies and based on the child's calm aura and mysterious eyes at such a tender age few were already considering potential ways to grow closer to this small noble family.

There was a respectful amount of applause before the party continued underway, several noble homes sent their children to speak with Tidus as going themselves would be against decorum, so while the children gathered in their own groups or around Tidus, the adults did the same with his parents.

"Hi, It's nice to meet you all." Tidus spoke to the other children with a tinge of excitement in his voice and less formal, as they all appeared to be around five or six, and were children who unlike him had the minimum of learning.

The children spoke of toys, games, and adventures while the parents spoke politics rumors and tales of exploits, attempting to ingratiate themselves with the parents of the bright child. Though there was still many nobles who did not, as it would be stooping themselves too low to make such an attempt with only minor nobles.

Thus the party continued on for several hours with little events of interest, Tidus restrained himself from following the rest of the children to play outside, leaving them with a few kind words of playing together the next time they are to meet. Instead, he attempted to speak with those nobles who reserved themselves to their own groupings away from his parents.

"I wish to formally thank you all for coming today, as I know you have more important matters to attend than these small festivities, I appreciate your attendance." Tidus gave a respectful bow. He had rehearsed such lines with his etiquette teacher for a week prior, as while these higher nobles may be prideful they had fair reason to be with the resources they have. He knew that growing a relationship with powerful people would be beneficial to his parents, and the work he had already done with their children would benefit him in the future. His teacher had always said that while it was good to impress those of higher status it was best to be deferential so as not to appear a threat.

"What a fine lad you are, your parents must be quite proud." An elderly bearded man spoke with a calming smile of a grandfather.

From what Tidus had learned of the guests to come, this was Aldin Vaen, a representative from the king himself.

"You give me too much credit Sir Vaen, I still have much to learn and grow. I believe I met your grandson earlier? He has your eyes and your smile, I'm sure he will do great credit to your family in the future." Tidus spoke with respectful eye contact, leaving an impression on the man.

"I knew your grandfather you know, the first to rise to nobility after the gates opened, he was quite the leader." Aldin decided he would continue the conversation with this young one.

"Yes sir, I have heard many praises about you and my grandfather's exploits in the other world from my father, you two are the ones that inspired him to form his own expedition, and gain the wealth he acquired on the expedition of my birth." Tidus continued with his respectful town.

Another spoke up from the circle of higher nobility, a Silas Wintergreen, A man with ownership over a large portion of the nearby lands, specializing in mining and jewel craft. "I hear you were born in the other side of the gates? I can't help but question your interesting eyes, they remind me of the jewels often my family often sells."

"Yes sir, I like to consider them as a blessing as distinctive features are useful for inspiring fame in the common folk." Tidus looked up to him and addressed him with a smile, his ears twitching at the other children's joyous laughter and mirth from outside. While he wished to join them these connections were more useful.

Tidus continued his banter with the adults, roughly easing his way into their common talk, which proved more difficult than he had hoped due to the age difference and all of his mannerism coming only from class practice and training, with little real practice.

Soon enough the party reached its end, there were presents but those were to be opened and gratitude to be expressed through the participant's handwritten letter, which is custom.

He managed to leave exceptional impressions on the group of adults while leaving the children to consider him fun, despite his refusal to join them outside with their games.

After saying goodbyes to everyone by name at the door of the hall the room soon came to a silence as Tidus released a heavy sigh and flopped into a chair.

"How did I do dad? I think I convinced them to keep our family in their minds. Though I really wanna sleep." Tidus spoke with a weary smile, taking a sip of water for his worn throat.

Edward laughed heartily and patted his head. "You did great my son! I couldn't be more proud if I tried. They won't be looking down on us much longer will they? Though that's not important now, You're tired I understand. But don't you want to open your presents?"

At the mention of gifts Tidus' ears perked up and he felt revitalized. "Sleep can wait! Presents!" He hopped from his chair and walked briskly towards the room the gifts were stored in, his parents and sister following along, happy at his excitement.

There were toys and new clothing aplenty, a servant at the side had a list of the party attendants and what gifts they brought, tomorrow he would write their letters. This time was for him however, time to himself and his family. He much preferred this style of party.

Soon enough he finished through the gifts, the kings representative had brought a pair of lustrous black gloves while the jeweler had brought a sapphire ring, he would make sure to wear them the next time he were to meet them.

After he had made his way through the guests' presents his parents brought out their own, a high tier set of sculpting tools and a promise of an ample supply of material to work with, along with a silver necklace with a onyx gem cut into the shape of the family emblem, a swirling gate in honor to what first brought their nobility thirty years prior.

While he was excited to learn to use the tools to sculpt with clay it was far too late and after a short family meal, everyone went to bed.

As Tidus slept an Iridescent light shown through his veins...