Ever had growing pains or something like that where you just hurt for a few hours or a day really badly? Well, I was thinking about that, and I thought about Walt. Then about sayings I could tie into my stories and POOF story is born, please enjoy.
PS- did you guys know there was a Kane Chronicles Wiki? Yeah I know, I'm slow, I'm slow.
Disclaimer: Walt, Sadie, the rest of the gang -even Felix (Rightful Owner Rick Riordan: especially Felix)- is not owned by me.
No pain no gain, isn't that what they say? Walt repeated to himself. He'd been repeating it to himself forever. Since he'd gotten to Brooklyn and started these class. Over and over. Like a war chant. He could find a rhythm in it. No pain no gain, no pain no gain, no pain no gain…
It was supposed to be a warm-up, except Walt was sweating getting so warm his legs felt like they were melting like a chocolate bar that's been in your pocket too long. He felt the bones twist and crack and reform and flip over and over and- ouch that last one hurt! It was like intense growing pains times 3. His legs were cramped up like he'd just run a marathon.
The warm-ups were killing him. Even those. Felix could just sit there with his arm closed, yell the word, and have a couch floating, and here was Walt, sweating like a pig and in pain when he was lifting something hollow. Some kid- but Walt knew that wasn't entirely it.
But he'd made a choice once he heard the tapes. He'd decided to come here, knowing there was pain in the horizon and included, so he could try to gain something from his ancestry. At least gain something in the short life he was doomed to. Magic vs. pain. Was that fair? Maybe. Either way, Walt was being a sucker and going for the shiny option.
No pain no gain, no pain no gain, no pain no -ouch!- gain, no pain no gain…
"You're doing okay Walt, strong and steady." Carter said walking around the room. "Try to focus your magic on lifting the four corners instead of the whole object. See, the corners is the basic support for-"
"Carter, move over." Sadie said, bumping Carter out of the way.
He nearly smiled.
She looked down at Walt with bright blue eyes. Walt couldn't imagine how bright they'd had been when the goddess Isis had been in her. Could they get much prettier? Her caramel hair hanging on either side of her face, blue streaks framing her face.
"Okay Walt, pretend that the magic isn't coming from you. Pretend I'm giving you a big barrel full of magic and you're taking it from there, okay? Except pretend that the big barrel is the amulet you've got okay? Forget what Carter said about corners that only works if you want to learn about physics and support and such. You don't. So big. Barrel."
"Yup," Walt said. He imagined a barrel like Sadie said. That's when a barrel literally appeared and the effort of making it appear –even if that was so not his point- made him drop the vase he was holding. His legs bucked for a second, but he made a quick revocery. Okay, this could be blamed on surprise… Yeah- his secret wasn't out in the open.
"Whoa Walt, you're being literal about this." Sadie said with a laugh. My gods, she was cute when he laughed. She pointed at the vase and hi-nehmed it back together.
"Try again," she said with a smile. She stayed with him as he tried again.
No pain no gain, no pain no gain…
Yeah, he was gaining so much from this, it was worth it. No matter what his in-pain brain said. It was.
No pain no Kane, no pain no Kane…
