The waterfall reminded him of the blood pumping through his veins. Its roar was loud, but it meant the current was strong, and that's what he wanted to be. Strong. Powerful. Able to destroy anything that got in his way.
Akash, a young, wild Meditite, stared in amazement as the water crashed down onto the rocks below it, exploding in foam and continuing its journey down the river. It was crystal-clear, pure, divine. He took a tentative step forward, but he heard a rustle in the bushes and immediately retracted his foot. He was a coward. He hated himself for it. His eyes darted to and fro, but he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. With a shaky sigh, he slowly walked toward the waterfall, curling his tiny hands into fists. He was ready.
When he reached the edge of the falling water, he craned his neck to look up. The beginning of the waterfall seemed so high up, and fear seized his heart. Wouldn't he be hurt if he stepped underneath and meditated? He hung his onion-shaped head before suddenly shaking it violently and furrowing his brow. He had walked so far from his group of Meditite just to go to the waterfall. He was going to do it. He was going to get stronger.
Akash dove onto the rocks and almost slipped off their slickness, but he scrambled up and sat before he plummeted into the water. If the sound of the waterfall was loud when he wasn't under it, it was deafening when he was. He wanted to cover his large ears, but the pressure of the water colliding with his body made it almost impossible for him to move. He did, however, manage to cross his legs and lift his arms slightly, pinching his fingers and thumbs together. His dark eyes slid closed, and he began to clear his mind.
It seemed like forever had passed when a harsh vision burned in his mind. Tall shadows—they looked like they belonged to humans—were rushing toward where he was located, and fast. He could tell that they weren't friendly either, what with the dark muttering they were exchanging. Akash began to tremble, and he opened his eyes just in time to see the people burst from the bushes. They were male, all five of them, and in their huge hands were nets and guns. They were staring right at him.
"There's one!" one of them cried.
Akash's heart threatened to leap from his chest and make a run for it. He desperately wanted to do the same, but he found himself glued to the spot by overpowering terror. As the men rushed toward him, he squeezed his eyes shut, hot tears being swept away by the waterfall. He was done for. He didn't even have a chance to prove himself.
Suddenly, something inside of him seemed to stir. It felt warm, like a tiny ember, but it soon erupted into an uncontrollable wildfire. Akash gasped as his eyes jolted open. The humans were closing in on him; one of them had raised his gun.
No, he thought. I won't let it end like this!
He concentrated on the strange heat that was radiating from his chest. That was when he stood up despite the insane amount of pressure that was hitting him, staring the pack of men down, and lifted his palm to them. The water reacted immediately, foam exploding around his small body as it shot forward in the direction of his enemies.
"Hidden Power!" one of them shouted before they were struck by the redirected waterfall. When Akash slowly lowered his arm back to his side, they had all vanished into what he thought were the depths of the river, and the water gradually returned to pounding against his skin.
A satisfied smirk formed on his face. He felt strong, powerful, and able to destroy anything that got in his way.