“It’s gonna work this time Jason!” Screamed Raya. Her bright blue eyes were vivacious and determined. The neck length black hair was perpetually messy. No matter how hard she tried, it would never look neat. She smiled proudly at Jason, her older brother.

      “This time I got it! Just watch me!” Screaming even louder than before; voice brimming with absolute confidence. Jason however, was busy at his desk. Most people wouldn’t expect the room of an eighteen year-old to be clean. Well, this one's mother raised him properly. The wooden floor shined, free of any dirty laundry or crumbs. The shelves on the walls are lined with dozens of books. All fantasy and Sci-fi of course. Black painted walls with various runic designs was Jason’s doing. This was his hallowed ground. The peace of such a sanctuary was ruined by his little sister. A six year-old sister who had no idea of privacy. What else did he expect though? This had become a daily occurrence. Barging in, yelling at Jason to watch her do something, then leaving. He wouldn’t have minded so much on a normal day. Today wasn’t normal.

     The reason this day wasn’t normal, was because the countless applications  for Crest academies and Schools lay on his desk. Neatly separated by fresh ones and rejected ones. The rejected pile was thick. All the applications practically guaranteed entry. Yet, not a single one had been approved.

      Before Raya had made her grand entrance by slamming open his door and running to him, he was filling out pieces of information. As well racking his mind for various references and answering very obscure questions. That was hard enough. With a sister yelling and demanding you watch her do something,  it’s impossible. Throwing his pen down, he turned to face the little one. Hair just like Raya’s. The two of them could pass as siblings easily. Though on a few occasions Raya was mistaken for his daughter. Those occurrences were always awkward, and required explanation.

             There were a few minute differences between the relatives. Like Jason’s eyes being more of a bright cyan rather than a deep blue. Raya’s skin was lighter than Jason’s.

              Finally getting attention from Jason, Raya continued.

              “I've finally got it this time!” Bouncing on her heels in excitement.

     “Raya, What is it? It better be amazing.” Jason warned. He couldn’t just ignore her. He learned on too many occasions not to ignore his sister. If he did, she would cry and go to mom. That was the last thing he wanted to happen. Showing at least minimal interest in her kept that from happening.

      “It’s really, really amazing!” Reassuring him. Rather abruptly, she grew quiet and closed her eyes. The air of focus surrounded her. She had begun to strain with effort. Cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. The strained noise grew, sweat starting to  bead on her forehead. Jason grew slightly worried. Last time she had made this noise, it had resulted in Jason having to clean up a mess. Just as he was about to tell her to stop, a faint green glow emitted from a point. The source of the glow was below Raya’s left wrist. Her crest. It intensified, the light growing brighter. Energy melding and flowing to cover her left hand. Soon the whole hand was covered in a thick cocoon of power.

     Lines of green cracked up her arms, flowing up her body. The streaks stopped around her eyes. Snapping them open, a vivid green met Jason’s bright cyan. Just as quickly as they formed, the lines retreated back to the source. The green veil on her hand condensed and warped into a final shape. When the light finally died, Raya was holding a weapon. A simple dagger. Dull as a butter knife. The blade was a poison green, hints of purple engravings flickered on it. Curved in shape. Hilt of white and purple.  Raya was now breathing heavily, forehead dripping in perspiration. 

     “See Jason? I summoned my weapon! I really did it!” He didn’t reply. Any words that came out of his mouth, the tone of them would betray how he felt. How did he feel about it? A mixture of emotions. Any of the positive emotions, happiness, pride, were miniscule. Insignificant compared to the ugly amount of jealousy, and frustration within him. How could she summon her weapon, while Jason can’t? How could he be outdone by his younger sister? Swallowing the poisonous feelings, he cracked a huge smile. A smile that was a bit forced though. Raya didn’t seem to notice it. 

     “That’s amazing Rayla! You summoned your weapon. A really pretty one too!” He exclaimed, voice filled with artificial enthusiasm. Her eyes swimming with happiness and unending joy. 

     “Hehehe. Told you it was amazing. It won't be too long before I can use magic!” Her voice is louder and more certain than ever. Placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest.

     “Ohhhh, try to use magic before seven. Only the best of the best can use magic that young.” Rayla’s body language said “challenge accepted.” With even more vigor, she ran out of his room. Silence quickly reclaimed his room. A sigh broke it. A sound containing just a fraction of his self-loathing. He couldn’t focus on the sheet in front of him. Even if he tried to, toxic thoughts flooded his mind. Looking at his own crest in utter disgust.

[Jason's Crest]

     This thing. This useless marking. A sign of his inadequacy. A permanent reminder of what he almost was. People with this marking were destined to use magic. A destiny Jason was cruelly denied. A destiny that would never be obtained. Seeing Raya summon her weapon only further dragged him deeper; Further into an endless darkness and inadequacy.  

     His eyes turned to the thick pile of rejection letters. All of them held different messages. All of them conveyed the same thing though. How could one be as useless as you even think about applying here? How could he even think about applying at all? What made him think he could be a Guardian? Moving his eyes to the sheet in front of him, not focusing on the words.

     Rejection after rejection. How many more letters? How many more rejections? Jason stopped counting. He couldn’t be bothered to. It had to be dozens by now. Maybe even hundreds. So why was he still trying? Was it for his sister? The sister that had just now surpassed him at age six? No. Maybe for his mother? The mother that clearly deserved a better son. A competent one anyway. Maybe he wanted to avenge his dead father? One slaughtered by an indifferent monster. That didn’t feel quite right to him either. Nothing would make his father come back. Being vengeful about something that he couldn’t change was a waste of energy. At least to Jason. So why did he keep trying?

     He never came to an answer because his thoughts were interrupted. Abruptly ended by his mom calling his name. The distant smell of delectable food caused Jason’s stomach to growl. Not wanting to listen to the complaining of his body, he got up. Oh! I almost forgot. Before heading downstairs, he grabbed the way too familiar bottle of pills. Cracking it open before gulping down a singular bright purple tablet. Mom would freak out if I ever forgot a dosage. Twice a day. Morning and evening. Planting the plastic bottle back on his desk. The wafting aroma of sizzling meats dragged him downstairs. How could he resist?

      Dozens of framed photos hung from the hallway walls. One of himself and Raya laughing and splashing in a sizable pool. Another of his mother and father, holding a newborn Jason. He had seen each of those framed memories dozens of times. Paying them no attention, he walked past the nicely furnished living room into the kitchen. A woman with hair as dark as Jason’s was standing in front of the oven. An apron tied around her. Skillfully applying various spices, taking great care to avoid charring the amazing food. 

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

     “Smells amazing. I’m sure I would’ve come down on my own.” Jason commented, taking his seat at the already set table. A small smirk stretched his lips.  Raya was already in her cushioned booster seat, happily kicking her feet under the table. 

     “So you say Jason. I get the feeling if you never got hungry, you’d never come out of that room of yours.” Retorted the mother. Turning her head to briefly look at Jason. It was obvious to him that she also had a teasing smirk on her face. Having been called out so painfully, he faked a huge sigh.

     “So mean, you really should treat your children better. Someday we’ll be taking care of you. Keep that up and I won’t show any hesitations in putting you in a nursing home.” Of course he didn’t really mean that. This was their relationship. A constant mild teasing mixed with lighthearted insults. Poor, naive Raya didn’t have even the slightest idea as to what mother and son were saying to each other. It was also possible that she did know, but had just gotten used to it. Still happily kicking her feet, plastic utensils all neatly lined up in front of her. Switching the stove off, the mother turned around.

     “If that’s the case, I could just send you to a military school. Naturally out of the country. I’d cherish each letter you send, and reread them dozens of times.” The expression on her face was one of innocence and bliss. Eyes the color of amber sparkled with life. The contradiction between her words and her expressions was staggering. A beat of silence passes between the two. Finally, laughter came bubbling up, filling the kitchen. As to why they were laughing, it was mostly at themselves. Even Raya had joined in, not really knowing why they were laughing in the first place. Soon everyone calmed down, wiping away any tears at the corners of their eyes. Taking deep breaths, Serena, Jason’s mother, finally picked up the pan stuffed with food. It was a delicious stir fry. The balance between the meat and veggies was perfect. All topped with some light sauce. 

     While the small family ate, they discussed a myriad of topics. Including recent events.

     “It’s really worrying, seeing Inthis and Hadvar threatening war.” A look of worry faintly passing over Serena’s face. 

     “I wouldn’t worry about it mom. We both know they’ve been threatening to fight each other for years. This isn’t anything new.” Jason dismissed it without worry. The kingdom of Hadvar and the totalitarian state of Inthis. Always at each other's throats. Always saying that the next transgression the other commits will be the final straw. It was at least a monthly occurrence for them to publicly threaten each other. 

     “You’re right about them always bluffing and threatening each other. Though they’ve begun to rapidly expand their military the past few years. I really think they intend to fight each other.” Jason’s words had calmed Serena a small bit, but it didn’t fully alleviate her worries. Little Raya was as ignorant as ever of the serious topic of discussion.

     “I’m sure that’s just a show of force.” Again, Jason dismissed it. Maybe his mom was right. Maybe they really were going to fight this time. “Even if the two did fight, I’m pretty sure Cevor, Sillowa, wouldn’t idly stand by and watch it. Neither would Astoria.” The tone of his voice was that of someone stating an obvious fact. 

     “You’re right Jason. I might be worrying a bit too much. I gotta stop watching the news. All it does is worry me.” Serena gave a sigh of relief, and a small smile. The atmosphere had now gotten much less serious. More pleasant topics came up in conversation. 

     “Galatica would totally beat up VoidStar if the two ever fought.” Serena fought back.

     “Pffttt VoidStar would just absorb any magic attack Galatica would throw at him.” He retorted. 

     “Can he absorb after he is incinerated by a miniature supernova? Those things travel a quarter of the speed of light after all.” 

     “You know as well as I do that Guardians are well beyond any sort of common sense.”  

     “What about Nyan-cy? I’m sure she could kick both of their butts.” Raya had given her thoughts. Both Serena and Jason looked at Raya. Either blown away at the mention of Nyan-cy, or the idea that Nyan-cy could feasibly fight put up a good fight against Galatica and VoidStar. 

     Conversation flowed and the plates were devoid of any food before too long. Both mother and son quickly washed the dishes and stuffed them into the dishwasher. Even little Raya attempted to help by handing Serena some of the utensils. The stains and crumbs from the meal were washed away with a rag. 

“Alrighty!” Serena gently clapped her hands together. “Now it’s movie time.” That announcement sent Raya into a happiness overload. 

“Ooooh! Yaaaaaay! Movie time, Movie time, Movie time!” Raya screamed, voice filled with pure enthusiasm.  Scooping up Raya, Serena smiled widely. 

The tiny family found their places on the very comfortable couch. Since Jason had picked the last movie they watched, Raya insisted on choosing. 

“I wanna watch Piana’s great adventure! Please Please pleeeeaasse?” 

     Serena’s eyes filled with absolute joy, and her face twisted into a ridiculous smile. Jason knew that smile too well. The smile of a very doting parent. “Of course we can watch Piana’s great adventure! Right, Jason? I’m sure it’s going to be so much fun!” Without the slightest bit of hesitation, the movie had already started. Jason hadn’t even the slightest bit of time to respond to his mom. Even if he had an opinion on which movie to watch, he wouldn’t have had the heart to reject the proposition. Jason would never be so cold hearted!

     Grabbing the remote, Serena found the movie after a few minutes. For those few minutes, Raya was bouncing in impatience and excitement. And so, the small family enjoyed the movie. A movie about friendship. Understanding. Sacrifice. And love. Surprisingly heavy for a children’s movie. By the time the credits rolled, Raya could barely keep her eyes open. It was a rather late night for a six year old. So Jason gently picked her up as Serena turned off the TV. Raya’s gentle breathing was almost comforting to him. “I’m not...sleepy...yet..” Her exhausted voice and heavy eyelids told Jason and Serena all they needed to know. 

     “It’s bedtime for you honey. You need sleep so you can grow up big like Jason.” Serena’s attempt at coercing Raya into bed.

     “Reallllyy? Yaaaaaay” Raya’s voice grew weaker and weaker. Until she finally gave into the bliss that is sleep. Jason readjusted his grip on her. Sighing in satisfaction, Serena got up from the couch. Flashing a smile toward Jason, she headed upstairs. Jason followed. Serena abruptly stopped at the top of the stairs. Looking over her shoulder;it was one of hurt, empathy, and sadness. 

     “Any luck with your applications?” There it was. Jason knew….He knew that question was coming. Serena knew that inquiry was upsetting to Jason. She almost never asked for that very reason. Whenever she did, the atmosphere seemed unbearably heavy. Like it had grown to be now. Those words hung in the air, circling Jason. Almost mocking him. “Any luck with your applications?” Echoing endlessly within his head. Serena’s tone offered no deeper meaning. It wasn’t condescending or belittling in any way. Jason couldn’t help but feel that there was a smidge of disappointment within her question. 

“No.” A concise, simple reply. That is all that was needed. Without so much as a glance, he gently pushed past Serena. Jason couldn’t see Serena’s face as he walked away. 

     “I’m sure you’ll find one soon. Keep trying until there are no Crest academies left to apply to.” A bit of encouragement from Serena. It may not be much, but even the smallest bit of encouragement can go a long way. Especially from a family member. Stopping but for a moment in front of Raya’s room. That second of pause was over too quickly. Opening the door and gently tucking his little sister into her bright pink sheets. The light footsteps and the closing of a door were indications that Serena had retired to her room. Snapping Raya’s star-shaped night light on, he left for his own room. Slipping into striped boxers and a gray t-shirt. His typical sleepwear. As he was changing, the stack of letters caught his eye.

     His thoughts. His emotions. All had started to boil. Who do you think you are? Rejecting me. I know I can’t use magic. Why else do Crest academies exist? To help you harness and learn your magic! To help you summon your weapon! His eyes were locked on the pile of rejection. Acting on this built up frustration and anger, he violently snatched the heap of paper. Throwing it harshly into the trashcan next to his desk. Before he could get any angier, he plops onto the bed and dives into the peace of sleep.