She heard the scream from inside the house, and it tore her away from her
soapy water and dirty dishes in time to run outside. "Sweetie?" She reached
the door and leaned out, in time to see her son sitting in a mud puddle,
his robes torn and his face red with blood dripping from his nose. His blue
hair was filthy and down the road she could see two boys running away. Her
hands flew to her mouth, and she raced to his side. "Oh, Seymour... are you
alright?" The little boy was sobbing into his hands, trying to stop his
nose from dripping any more. "No. Dhey pushed me down again, Mama." His
words were slurred from his now swelling nose, and his eyes were red. She
picked up her son and carried him back inside. "I know, I saw. Let me see
that." Pulling his hands away from his face, she examined it. Just a bump,
she knew, and she told him as much. "Come on, lets get you in the bath."
The little boy nodded and she walked him to the bathroom, where he climbed
into the tub and started the water running. "Why do they hate me, Mama?" He
looked up at her as the hot water swirled around his legs. "I didn't do
anything to them." She nodded. "I know, honey. Some people are just like
that. Its because you're different." The boy nodded. "Because of you, and
Daddy, right?" His mother nodded again, her own eyes teary. "Yes, baby.
Because of me and Daddy. But always remember that you're special. That
you'll be stronger than any of them because of who you are." The little boy
nodded, determined. "I will be. I'll be stronger than anyone else!" She
smiled and nodded. "That's my boy. You will, I know it."
As time passed, the little boy grew to a not so little boy. On his twelfth birthday, his mother pulled him aside. "Sweetie... your father and I were talking. You're in training to be a summoner, right?" The young man nodded. "So... we've decided that, if you want..." She continued quietly and his eyes widened. "But Mama! I... you..." She nodded. "I know, hon. I know. But, this way, you can always stand on your own feet, and be strong. You won't need to beg or plead, because you will be an equal to them." He nodded slowly, his eyes tearing up. "I'll be waiting for you, when you're ready."
Quietly, she moved away. He stood in the doorway as she walked out, his eyes streaming tears, and his father put his hand on the young boy's shoulder. "Be strong, my son. Your mother is a brave woman, willing to do this for you. Always remember this sacrifice." The blue-haired boy nodded and wiped his eyes. "I'll be the best summoner ever. I'll be super strong, to make Mama proud." He waved and called out to his mother. "I love you, Mama!"
Those words she carried in her heart as she made her way slowly to the temple. There, the high priest led her inside the Chamber of the Fayth. This was a new temple, and so it was still clean and pristine, and she smiled bravely. Her tears ran down her cheeks as she stood before the smooth crystal dome on the floor. The priest looked at her and murmured, "My lady, are you sure you want to do this?" She nodded. "I do. For my son." He nodded and slowly began to chant, singing the Hymn smoothly and with passion. She closed her eyes, and the grief in her heart at leaving her son was intense. She allowed the words to carry her, and slowly she felt as though her body was heavier and heavier. As the Hymn grew louder, she found that without moving her mouth, she could sing along, and then... there was nothing but the music. All was black, and the only thing she knew was the song. .... And slowly, the darkness faded. The Hymn, a part of her for so long, faded slowly to become just a song again, and she rose, feeling lightheaded and then she was fine again. She stared at her feet, which were floating slightly above the crystal dome. When had she gotten here? Had it worked? She looked up and her eyes widened. "My... my son." He was grown now. His hair was long, arching gracefully from his head and tied back behind him. His eyes were still ice blue, and the lines on his face were solid now. "My boy... I've missed you." He nodded and his eyes were teary themselves. "how old are you, now, sweetie?" He wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Just past my nineteenth birthday, Mama." She smiled and tried to hug him, and passed through. A lump formed in her throat. "Have... "she swallowed and tried again. "Have you been well?" He nodded and she gave a sobbing laugh. "I've missed you so, sweetie." He nodded and again wiped his eyes. "I'm... I'm here to become a summoner, Mama. Will... will you grant me my aeon?" Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. "I will, Seymour. I will." And she did, and the aeon was born. "Remember me, every time you summon it, sweetie." His blue bangs swayed as he nodded. "I love you, Seymour."
"I love you too, Mama."
And she watched as he turned and walked away, out the door. He paused at the feathery inner doors, and turned again, and she could see the little boy in his eyes. She waved, and he bowed, and then, looking every bit the summoner he now was, he knelt and prayed, his eyes never leaving hers. Then, he turned and walked out the door. She stared after him as the doors slid closed, and as the Hymn overtook her once again, she knelt down and wept.... "Goodbye, my summoner."
As time passed, the little boy grew to a not so little boy. On his twelfth birthday, his mother pulled him aside. "Sweetie... your father and I were talking. You're in training to be a summoner, right?" The young man nodded. "So... we've decided that, if you want..." She continued quietly and his eyes widened. "But Mama! I... you..." She nodded. "I know, hon. I know. But, this way, you can always stand on your own feet, and be strong. You won't need to beg or plead, because you will be an equal to them." He nodded slowly, his eyes tearing up. "I'll be waiting for you, when you're ready."
Quietly, she moved away. He stood in the doorway as she walked out, his eyes streaming tears, and his father put his hand on the young boy's shoulder. "Be strong, my son. Your mother is a brave woman, willing to do this for you. Always remember this sacrifice." The blue-haired boy nodded and wiped his eyes. "I'll be the best summoner ever. I'll be super strong, to make Mama proud." He waved and called out to his mother. "I love you, Mama!"
Those words she carried in her heart as she made her way slowly to the temple. There, the high priest led her inside the Chamber of the Fayth. This was a new temple, and so it was still clean and pristine, and she smiled bravely. Her tears ran down her cheeks as she stood before the smooth crystal dome on the floor. The priest looked at her and murmured, "My lady, are you sure you want to do this?" She nodded. "I do. For my son." He nodded and slowly began to chant, singing the Hymn smoothly and with passion. She closed her eyes, and the grief in her heart at leaving her son was intense. She allowed the words to carry her, and slowly she felt as though her body was heavier and heavier. As the Hymn grew louder, she found that without moving her mouth, she could sing along, and then... there was nothing but the music. All was black, and the only thing she knew was the song. .... And slowly, the darkness faded. The Hymn, a part of her for so long, faded slowly to become just a song again, and she rose, feeling lightheaded and then she was fine again. She stared at her feet, which were floating slightly above the crystal dome. When had she gotten here? Had it worked? She looked up and her eyes widened. "My... my son." He was grown now. His hair was long, arching gracefully from his head and tied back behind him. His eyes were still ice blue, and the lines on his face were solid now. "My boy... I've missed you." He nodded and his eyes were teary themselves. "how old are you, now, sweetie?" He wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Just past my nineteenth birthday, Mama." She smiled and tried to hug him, and passed through. A lump formed in her throat. "Have... "she swallowed and tried again. "Have you been well?" He nodded and she gave a sobbing laugh. "I've missed you so, sweetie." He nodded and again wiped his eyes. "I'm... I'm here to become a summoner, Mama. Will... will you grant me my aeon?" Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. "I will, Seymour. I will." And she did, and the aeon was born. "Remember me, every time you summon it, sweetie." His blue bangs swayed as he nodded. "I love you, Seymour."
"I love you too, Mama."
And she watched as he turned and walked away, out the door. He paused at the feathery inner doors, and turned again, and she could see the little boy in his eyes. She waved, and he bowed, and then, looking every bit the summoner he now was, he knelt and prayed, his eyes never leaving hers. Then, he turned and walked out the door. She stared after him as the doors slid closed, and as the Hymn overtook her once again, she knelt down and wept.... "Goodbye, my summoner."