Disclaimer: One million munny to whoever can guess what's supposed to go here.
The man sat leisurely down on the leather chair as he picked a book out of his satchel. Running a hand across the worn hardback he smiled to himself. The meeting at The Radiant Garden had gone well and now he was on the lounge car of the train, jubilantly glancing over his spoils. His lips mouthed its name, making a silhouette of the title to those curious children or dubious adolescents that noticed the book in his hand was an unusual one. Adults were often passive and paid no attention as he examined the sacrosanct artifact. Well, it was still too young to be considered an artifact, exactly, but given time it would soon be one of the most valuable books ever obtained. Because in a few years, it would be the last. They were to make sure of it. He, of course, chose not to think about that, however, he did agree with the decision reached. The words hidden in the text he now secured tightly in his hands were the most dangerous words to ever be recorded, and in the wrong hands, terrible things could transpire. He ran an interested eye through the front page. It was a foreword with a rhyme scheme.
This book is old
It has been buried and sold
Auctioned and gifted
Removed and lifted
This book is a hand-me-down
But can make the land be drowned
Never underestimate the tattered and torn
And though this book is fragile and worn
The power it can utter
Makes earthquakes shudder
So make certain, you're sure
You can ensure
The Darkness won't bother thee
No matter what the risk may be
Because if this book is so old
And its contents never have been told
Then when it was composed
How could it have supposed
It was already this age?
To read this, you must be a gifted mage
For the words may flicker differently for some
Only that of the truest conscious could read what I have done
Could it be you? My long forgotten son?
The man smiled all the wider as he began leafing through the aging pages. Finally he got to the back of the book, where a large number was branded in roman numerals. XV.
It was raining when he came back, a rare occasion for the sunny world, named for its mass exodus. A smile almost rose to lips at the look of the familiar castle, but then he saw that all three apprentices had their lights on in their quarters. He huffed into the castle, storming to check on each one of the trio who most certainly weren't supposed to be awake at 4:00 a.m.
"Aqua, Terra, Ventus!" he shouted. They were all in the library sitting in the lounge chairs, conversing loudly and laughing wildly. Well, that was until Master Eraqus arrived to break up the fun. They all stiffened and shot up to stand at attention.
"Master!" they all replied.
"What did I tell you? Ventus was to be in bed at 7:00 and you two," he pointed to Aqua and Terra, "Were supposed to be in bed by 9:30." Ven rolled his eyes. Rookie mistake.
"What? Do you have a problem with my teaching methods?"
"No, Sir." he replied. And he really should've left it at that, but he just had to say something. Another rookie mistake, "But I don't think it's fair that I have to go to bed at 7:00 and Aqua and Terra get to go to bed at 9:30."
"You don't? I thought someone your age could use more sleep."
"I'm fifteen, Master." He replied, trying to keep the embarrassment from showing on his face.
"Oh." His eyebrows lifted slightly in shock, but he wasn't one to back down on his rules, so he answered, "I'm sorry, Ventus. But your bed time is still 7:00." He could hear Aqua and Terra's stifled laughter beside him. His arms stuck closer to his side with frustration.
"Excuse me, Sir, if I am mistaken, or it is not my place to note this, but Aqua is seventeen and Terra's eighteen. Yet, they get an extra two hours and a half. I don't see this as fair."
"Yes, yes, you've explained that it wasn't fair before, but you still have to be in bed by 7:00."
"But –"
"Fine. 6:00. Now do you have anything else to add?"
Ventus shook his head.
"Alright. Then all of you, back to bed. I expect you to be up first thing in the morning."
They had just finished an exhausting day chalk-full of training. But, surprisingly, none of them were tired. They had finished training at 5:45, giving Ven only 15 minutes to eat dinner before being forced to sleep. And he was furious, but he didn't want to bring it up to the Master; he couldn't afford being pulled out of training early to go to sleep. Plus, it'd probably be even more embarrassing. Ventus was well aware he was the youngest, but he hated it when Master Eraqus deliberately went out of his way to stress that to him.
So after eating his dinner without a word he scurried off to bed. But, of course, the Master still wasn't content. He had to send Aqua in there to make sure he fell asleep. After what happened last night, she dare not challenge him. So basically, there she was, the girl of his dreams, babysitting him. Absolutely humiliating. And he didn't fall asleep right away (no one does), so Aqua asked, slight giggles bubbling in her throat,
"Do you want me to read you a story?"
He turned on his side away from her.
"Are you sure?" she questioned, plopping down on the bed, sliding her legs up onto it, as she caressed his hair.
"Yes. I'm sure." He answered harshly. The tone scared her a bit.
"Are you okay?"
He sat up and hugged his knees, "You guys get to stay up late. I still don't think it's fair."
"Well, maybe I could make it up to you."
"How?" he inquired, suddenly a lot more interested in the conversation.
He was slightly disappointed when she revealed a book in her hand.
"I told you, I didn't want a story."
"It's not a story," she smiled, "it's a book the Master was hiding from us at breakfast. I did some snooping and found it in his secret library."
"The Master has a secret library?"
She nodded.
"I'll leave the book with you. I didn't get a chance to open it, so you go ahead and read it."
Once she had left, he opened the book, skimmed the foreword poem, and went straight to the middle of the book. It read:
A wish I detect
One of your heart's select
What a juicy kind
Just speak your mind
Whisper into my bind
Maybe I could find
A way to set your desires free
Tell me your volition, and your volition it will be
He smiled. A joke book. Who knew Master Eraqus would own something like this? But he played along and whispered into it.
Then something weird happened. Maybe it was his eyes playing tricks on him, but he swore the words on the page were different from before. There were more of them.
A wish I detect
One of your heart's select
What a juicy kind
Just speak your mind
Whisper into my bind
Maybe I could find
A way to make you what you want
But be careful what your eyes may taunt
Maybe you were fine as you were before my part
But now you'll have the strength to steal her heart
And as for a kid? No one will see that
When it's you they look at
But you must answer the question
Is it a sign or a message, a trial or a lesson?
Only that of the truest conscious could know what you've done
Could it be you? My long forgotten son?
AN:
I wrote this two years ago and found it on one of my many, many flash drives and decided to put it up. If you'd like to know what happens, review and maybe I'll write more.