Reforged
Finn woke up groaning, rubbing his eyes slowly to help them pry themselves open. It wasn't that he felt terrible, he actually thought he'd recovered a great deal of strength simply by resting. It had been a groan of annoyance, aimed at his subconscious. His dream that night had been nearly identical to a chilling experience years ago, back when the hero had purchased the unknowingly cursed grass sword.
Instead of him being consumed and turned to grass however, his vision had depicted his lava vine extending its form like chains across his entire body, covering up half his face, portions of his chest, legs, and his other arm. The unholy weapon had then formed claws over his hands, which he then mindlessly used to begin shredding anyone he could get his hands on; Olympian figments, fire citizens, candy citizens.
Phoebe.
The young man shook his head, wishing to forget his nightmare. He held up his bound arm, watching for any movement from the lava vine. It remained still even after a full minute, giving its owner some relief. He remembered what PB had said about his condition, concluding that whatever Ares' had injected into him was still there, tugging at his primal instincts whenever his guard was down.
He sighed, letting his eyes fall to the floor. He'd have remained in his sullen state longer, had it not been for someone poking their head into the room's entrance.
"Finn, wake up! Breakfast is- oh!"
Sibley's expressed surprise upon already seeing the flame human sitting up at his bedside, but this quickly turned to eagerness once more as she skipped into his temporary living space and grabbed his wrist, yanking him to his feet with astonishing strength.
"Come on then, my mom makes the best breakfast."
Finn simply allowed himself to be dragged, getting a feel for his rested legs on the way to the kitchen. He seemed to be able to walk without sign of fatigue, but decided it was too soon to tell for sure. Sibley released him as they entered the kitchen, serving dually as the dining room, finding Mayel already sitting down, jamming some toast. She offered a warm smile upon his arrival, motioning to the seat at the table's end.
"Good morning, Finn. Did you sleep well?"
The flame human replied positively as he took his seat, while Sibley took the one opposite her mother.
"I'm definitely feeling better than yesterday. Hopefully I can get some practice in to see how close I am to full strength."
The older will-o-wisp sighed in the way a caring parent would, giving her guest a pat on the shoulder.
"Don't push yourself down when you're only halfway up."
Finn nodded to her words, ensuring her he wasn't planning on charging out of the village, sword drawn. He instead focused on the food, realizing it must have been quite a while since he'd last eaten, if the strong growl from his gut was any indication. While Sibley giggled at the sound, her mother simply urged her guest to dig in.
"Naturally, we prefer our eggs over-well, but I can easily make them differently if you like."
The hero shook his head, smiling back gratefully.
"No, this is fine. I even take them raw sometimes."
Breakfast went by without too much activity. Sibley drove most of the conversation that happened to spring up, asking Finn all manner of questions involving his time in the Fire Kingdom. It was obviously strange, speaking freely of his undercover position as the king's bodyguard, but also a relaxing talk, knowing he no longer had to hide behind well-meaning lies and loopholes. By the time he, and Sibley, to her own embarrassment, let out a finishing burp, their morning meal had been entirely consumed, leaving little besides crumbs and dishes.
Finn insisted on helping clean up, with the trio efficiently mowing through the dishes and silverware by the time a visitor knocked against the inside wall of the main entrance, signaling their arrival. Mayel had just placed the last dish away as they entered the kitchen, revealing a grinning Aecus.
"Morning," he called, bowing to the group.
Everyone replied I kind, before the man turned to Finn, looking him up and down.
"Sleep well, Finn? It'd be nice not to be your nurse walking you around the village."
The flame human smirked at the will-o-wisp's teasing, but beat a fist against his chest and answered firmly.
"Ready for anything, Aecus."
The man smirked back, then looked to Mayel and Sibley.
"Ladies, I'll be taking him if you don't mind."
While Sibley instantly looked disappointed, Mayel simply nodded with her hands held in front of her.
"Have fun, boys."
The two males waved as they turned to leave the hut, heading out to the village proper.
To Finn's surprise, Aecus led him past the larger building where he'd met Salvo and the elders the previous night. Instead, the duo made their way towards the village's neighboring mountain, a very convenient shroud from any eyes in the sky. Like before, any will-o-wisps they passed greeted them or waved, particularly to Finn, who replied politely in much the same way. The hero decided to finally ask a question festering in the back of his mind.
"Aecus, why does it feel like everyone here admires me or something? I understand that they're all very welcoming and friendly, but what have I ever done to deserve it?"
The will-o-wisp smiled, though never took his eyes away from the path ahead.
"You really can't tell?" he asked with amusement.
The flame human said nothing, signaling the man to continue.
"Finn, you were the first non-elemental in a great many years to see our kind as something more than just villains or destroyers. You went above and beyond what any person would do to help Phoebe see herself as a person with the ability to create rather than to only burn."
Aecus finally looked back at him, grinning.
"Look at yourself, Finn. You gave up your own identity to protect the people of this kingdom. There is no prejudice in your heart, you make your own decisions on whether someone is good or evil."
He stopped, turning around to place a hand on Finn's shoulder.
"You're more than a hero, you're a symbol to these people, a symbol that we can all coexist together with the rest of the world despite our opposing natures."
Finn stood frozen for a moment, soaking it all in. He looked around at all the will-o-wisps, some who had heard Aecus' speech, clapping and cheering for the hero. He looked back at the village leader, finally giving him a nod.
"Then I'll do everything in my power to bring that future to pass."
Aecus nodded back, happy to hear it.
"We're grateful, Finn. But if you're going to do that, you'll need to fight. Come along."
As he resumed leading Finn towards the mountainside, the hero spotted a familiar face poking out from around a hut. The curious eyes of Aleen widened as he locked sights with her, immediately pulling her head back out of view. The flame human tilted his head in his own curiosity, but shrugged it off and kept his eyes forward.
Upon closer inspection of the mountain's base, it became clear to Finn that it was an extinct volcano. Various shades of volcanic rock were layered over one another in jumbled messes, leaving behind an interesting landscape of dark-red hues. Aecus had led them to a cave entrance, which seemed to have been artificially punched out. The tunnel within however, showed distinct signs of lava boring the material away, creating a decently sized cavern in its wake.
The pair made their way past the uneven ground until they emerged onto a wide opening, which Finn guessed once housed a bubbling pocket of molten rock. The earth beneath his feet was softer than anywhere else he could remember, but was firm enough that he could easily maneuver around it without losing his footing. Aecus had walked to the other side of the chamber as Finn stared in awe at the expansive ceiling, casting aside his cloak and facing the flame human.
Once Finn's attention returned to the will-o-wisp, he furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Why are we here?"
Aecus placed his hands on his hips, nodding to the young man.
"You want to fight the Olympians, right? Take them down for good?"
Finn nodded, thinking it was an odd question. His companion held a stony expression.
"Well you're not going to succeed unless you use your abilities to their full potential."
While the hero raised an eyebrow, Aecus moved his hands behind his back and began circling him from afar.
"Don't forget, Finn, I've seen how you fight in that form. I watched the Tournament of Vulcan, your encounters with Zeus and his allies; you've been hindering yourself without realizing it."
He stopped, facing the young man.
"You have the powers of a fire elemental and your human dexterity, but you only tend to use one of them in combat. That's where I come in."
He gestured to himself.
"I'm going to teach you how to fight like a fire elemental. Those flame powers of yours are going to waste otherwise."
Surprised by the sudden offer, Finn attempted to defend himself.
"I have used them."
Aecus shook his head.
"Only at select moments in time, where you had the breathing room to experiment. Let me show you just how much difference there is."
In a flash, the man formed a blue flame sword over his hand.
"Come at me," he challenged.
Hesitating at first, Finn nevertheless formed his lava vine sword, taking a stance before charging forward, the blade pointing towards his opponent. The initial thrust of the flame human's weapon was parried and bashed away by Aecus', stunning him almost enough to not block the will-o-wisp's counterattack. Finn stepped back to reassess his movements, but wasn't given the chance. Aecus flame dashed right into his face, forcing another clash of swords that shoved Finn back. The hero flipped backwards for some extra breathing room, only to gasp as several fireballs were seen heading his direction.
He sliced them all apart, rushing forward again. Unfortunately, Aecus was no longer in the same place, now flame dashing in rapid succession around the confused flame human. Finn held his sword in both hands, keeping calm as he watched for an attack. To his utter shock, three figures of Aecus burst from the flame dash, aiming a downward strike with their swords. By instinct, the hero slashed at the one closes to his vulnerable back, disintegrating the attacker in the process.
Flare clones, he realized.
The other two will-o-wisps swung around for another blow, with Finn ducking beneath and slicing at the right one's legs. It disappeared just like the second, right before Finn was forced to stop, feeling the edge of a fiery blade pressed against his throat. His body frozen, he moved his eyes to gaze upon the real Aecus, standing over him with a blank expression. Finn had little words to say, amazed by how quickly he had been bested. The will-o-wisp knew how to use his powers, both in combination and to outmaneuver him in general. The man nodded to Finn's stance, on one knee from his last attack, but unable to step back without risking his neck.
"You see now? There is a great deal of combat movement you have yet to tap into."
He dissipated his flame sword, holding out the hand that bore the weapon. Finn accepted it and was pulled to his feet, shaking a bit as he retracted his lava vine. Aecus studied the young man, seeing he was truly feeling the weight of what he'd said. Satisfied with this observation, he proceeded further.
"If I've heard right, you're ambidextrous."
Finn nodded, his attention seeming more centered.
"Then why not use two swords?"
The flame human raised his right appendage, displaying his cursed weapon.
"I can't extend it to my other arm."
Aecus shook his head, pointing to the hero's left one.
"You've already forgotten?"
It took a second, but the flame human understood, though didn't seem too confident.
"Have you ever generated a flame sword?" Aecus asked.
Finn shook his head, though instead of letting out a breath as the hero expected, Aecus just grinned.
"Well, give it a try."
Holding up his left fist, Finn began concentrating, sending energy through his arm and holding it deep within his palm. He could see his hand glowing from the power being collected, taking it as the sign he had enough. With a push, he sent the energy outward. Unfortunately, instead of a blade, a medium-sized fireball was launched into the cavern's ceiling, blasting off a few bits of rock that landed nearby. Finn sheepishly looked back at Aecus, who just chuckled for a moment.
"Don't try shooting the energy out like a firework, think of it more as extending the length of a candle flame."
Nodding, Finn tried again. This time, he did his best to run the concentrated heat throughout his entire forearm. Groaning slightly, he managed to try shifting the energy out towards his fingertips. Leaving his hand flat provided a noticeably easily flow, and before the young man knew it, a glowing blade of orange flames had begun firing from his appendage, holding steady. Aecus backed up as Finn gave a few practice swings, keeping the sword intact.
"Good job. Now, let's see you use it."
For the next half hour, Aecus put aside any flame powers besides his sword and sparred with his companion, getting him used to his new weapon. Fortunately, the lava vine had already gotten him acquainted with using an object physically attached to him, allowing Finn to keep up with all of the will-o-wisp's strikes. Being a dual-wielder proved even more effective, surprising the older opponent several times as Finn halted his blades seconds before they would've successfully struck. Once the two began feeling the effort of their swings, they stopped, sitting down for a rest.
During the break, Finn decided to practice firing projectiles, which required little actual movement. In the midst of trying to blast a few stalactites off the ceiling, he turned to Aecus.
"So, you said everyone in the village had a reason for coming. What was yours?"
For the first time, the hero witnessed a very somber expression on the will-o-wisp's face. The look in his eyes suggesting a delving into his own memories, and not pleasant ones. The man sighed, but answered all the same.
"I left for the safety of the people. Had I stayed and fought a very unstable battle, many innocent lives would've been destroyed, in more ways than one."
He absentmindedly toyed with a volcanic pebble in his hands.
"To stay or to leave, neither option sounded right at the time. To this day, I still fell like I abandoned the kingdom and its citizens, but in the end I tell myself more people survived because I chose to flee instead. Unhappy, maybe, but alive."
Aecus tossed the rock away, watching it bounce a few times off the ground.
"Salvo joined me in my exodus. I had been his superior when we were both in the military. The friendship we grew was unbreakable, his loyalty unmatched. He stuck with me even after he was dismissed, trying to help in any way he could."
Finn raised an eyebrow.
"Dismissed?"
Aecus nodded.
"You've noticed of course, how jovial and accepting he is. It's a coping mechanism. Salvo was a soldier of great power, his presence alone turning the tide of many battles. But this was felt by him as well. He eventually couldn't take facing the destruction his power could cause, beginning to lose himself."
The will-o-wisp looked up to the ceiling, counting the stalactites.
"He was given an honorable discharge soon after, then eventually joined me here, forming our little safe haven together."
Touched by the pair's tale, Finn found himself place a hand on Aecus back, seeing the man stuck in his down mood. The will-o-wisp grinned upon feeling the act, finding it ironic to be the one being comforted.
"We do what we can to ensure no one else suffers," he finally said.
He then nodded to the stalactites.
"Give it a few more."
Agreeing, Finn aimed his hand back towards his targets, unleashing high-speed fireballs one after the other. The first few missed, but eventually one of the rocky spires burst apart, falling to the floor in rubble. Finn kept at it, hitting more and more as his aim improved. He knew stationary objects wouldn't come close to hitting a moving enemy, but the development of his powers had to start somewhere.
Another spire fell, its pieces falling next to a nearby sheet of hardened lava. Both Finn and Aecus were startled to hear an "eep!" from behind it. The two kept their eyes firmly on the source of the noise, until a head of fiery blue hair peeked its way over it. Sibley chuckled nervously, walking out from her blown cover. She waved weakly at Finn, who somehow found the sense to wave back.
"Heh, heh, sorry," the girl stated.
Aecus sighed, much like Mayel did earlier that morning, folding his arms.
"You know, you could've simply asked to come along, instead of sneaking around after us."
Sibley put on a pouting face.
"Hey, don't make it sound so childish! Aleen did it too."
She pointed over to a boulder close by, at which point the timid little girl poked her head out. While Finn blinked in surprise, Aecus regarded Sibley without any change in his tone.
"She's half your age," he countered.
The teenage will-o-wisp huffed, but pushed it aside and made her way over to the two, with Aleen trailing behind her. Aecus returned to his kindly demeanor almost immediately, smiling at the older girl.
"Well, since you're here, perhaps you'd be willing to help Finn grow more used to his flame powers."
Sibley was instantly brought to a wide grin, her attitude pumped up.
"Of course I am!"
She turned to the flame human.
"Check this out, Finn."
She eagerly scanned the area, stopping at a pile of rocks that was once a stalactite Finn shot down. Holding out her hands towards it, Finn witnessed a great amount of energy gather in them, as she focused on the rubble. To the hero's shock, the rock began heating up, turning a definite dark orange and starting to shift on the ground. As Sibley continued, she began moving her arms around, as if manipulating some invisible force connected to the rocks. The material continued to melt and reform as she worked, eventually being morphed into a humanoid shape.
Happy with her work, she turned back to the flame human.
"What do you think?"
Blinking, Finn just stared.
"Wow."
Giggling with a slight blush, Sibley then reached out with her power again, starting to manipulate the ground beneath the figure she'd crafted. The soft earth easily gave way to her influence, becoming soft enough to practically free flow. She grinned at the flame human.
"Hit it if you can," she challenged.
Nodding, Finn ignited both his hands in flames, zeroing in on his target. He fired a test projectile at the figure. As he thought, Sibley moved it out of the way by shifting the ground beneath it. He tried again, this time letting loose multiple fireballs that tried chasing the target down. Again, his aim was off. Thinking hard, he raised both hands again, beginning to force the figure to dodge to the left. He then shot a fireball ahead of it, not expecting it to hit. He accomplished his goal regardless, with Sibley thinking he'd try to cut it off and shifting it back to the right.
Smirking, Finn then focused intently on the sharply redirected figure, trying something different. Even Aecus seemed surprised when four separate bolts of fire burst from his arm, hunting down the moving target. The first bolt missed, but the three others progressively blew off the humanoid's arm, head, then torso, finally blasting it back to its original form as a pile of rock. In awe, Sibley jumped up and down.
"That was amazing! You're so cool, Finn!"
Thanking the glimmer-eyed girl, he then replied with his own comment.
"That power you have is awesome, too."
Sibley blushed again, more prominently, but smiled all the same.
"T-thanks! I practice a lot, you know."
Aecus grunted in agreement, stepping up next to Finn.
"What you just saw was the unique power Sibley inherited from her father; the ability to manipulate heat energy from a distance."
Finn watched as the young will-o-wisp caused several short pillars of rock to rise from the floor, which Aleen had begun hopping across. A few pillars later however, the little one lost her balance, waving her arms wildly as she fell. She soon felt someone gently catch her, looking up to see Finn's smiling face.
"Careful there," he advised, helping her find her footing on the pillar.
Aleen looked almost saddened when Finn finally let her go, turning back to Aecus.
"Let's keep it up."
The man nodded, motioning for the flame human to join him to the side, as the girls each took a seat on one of Sibley's pillars, eager to witness their training.
"I noticed you seem to flame dash just fine."
Finn shrugged.
"Only when I'm using a special technique a good friend taught me."
Aecus stood at a distance from his companion, igniting his hands.
"Well let's see if we can expand that usage. Use only your flame dash, no jumping out of the way. Got it?"
Understanding, Finn took a deep breath, taking a defensive stance, then nodded, signaling Aecus to begin launching blasts of fire.
In the beginning, the hero found himself being thrown to the ground by a stream of combustion at a constant rate, growling at his inability to evade. He kept getting up though, cheered on by Sibley and, occasionally, quietly by Aleen, at the older girl's urging. An hour passed, with Finn making progress, able to dodge with ease once he'd grown used to not having a physically composed form. The shadowless thrust only required a second of his flame powers, while Aecus urged him to spend as much time as possible in his fully-flamed state.
The man eventually asked Sibley to periodically spring up obstacles at Finn's feet to try tripping him up, hoping to heighten the flame human's reflexes in tandem with his flame dashing. By the time Aecus suggested taking a break, his companion refused, asking both him and Sibley to up the pace. The will-o-wisps smiled at his request, realizing this was the determination the hero was famous for.
It was well past noon by the time Finn finally fell to a knee, panting heavily with beads of lava dripping down his face. Sibley was exhausted as well, not used to exerting her power throughout such a long period of time. Aecus, while winded, remained firm and stepped over to his friend, helping him to his feet.
"Glad to see you're a quick learner."
The flame human laughed, trying to steady his breathing.
"I need to be. I can't let anyone down just because I'm slow."
Sibley and Aleen walked over to the pair, appearing quite drained.
"Can we please call it quits? Aleen and I are starving by now."
Aecus chuckled as he gestured for the group to follow him out of the cavern, to the girls' relief.
"Maybe next time you'll think twice about spying."
Sibley just groaned in reply, too hungry to care. The group gradually made it back to the outlying village, at which point Aecus separated himself from the rest.
"I'll be going about my business for now. You all take care."
Finn and the others waved him off, after which Aleen decided it was her time as well. The little girl skipped away a few steps, before turning around and shyly waving.
"Bye," she practically whispered.
Once she disappeared around a hut, Sibley grabbed Finn's wrist again, dragging him towards her home.
"Come on, Finn. Mom's probably wondering where we are for lunch."
After taking back his arm, the flame human wholeheartedly followed behind, returning helloes to any villager that greeted them. Even with the town's small size, Finn felt the walk through was too quiet, and so tried striking up a conversation with the first thing that came to mind.
"So, Sibley, if it's ok to ask, what happened to your dad?"
In an instant, the girl's cheery attitude vanished. She hung her head, eyes appearing distant and empty, her posture slouched. The hero immediately regretted his choice of topic, looking away from her.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't've said anything."
Sibley remained dampened, even as she replied.
"It's… I- I shouldn't talk about it. I can't. Not, not without mom."
The two stayed silent the rest of the way home, not even bothering to look at one another.
Finn took the initiative to knock as he and Sibley entered the girl's hut, hoping to alert Mayel to their presence. Sibley likely would've shouted their arrival, had she not still been in a quiet mood from earlier. As the two headed down the hall to reach their respective rooms for a rest, Finn suddenly heard someone speaking. He recognized the voice as Mayel's soon after, concluding it was coming from the woman's own room. Having to walk past it anyway, Finn wondered who could be visiting her humble abode, as well as why they'd be conversing so quietly.
Coming upon the room's entrance first, Finn was surprised to see that Mayel was alone, sitting on the side of her bed, holding a candle in its holder as delicately as if it were thin glass. She had a fond, yet sad smile upon her face, eyes appearing much older in her current state, staring right into the flame's center, where Finn swore he saw an image being projected. Unknowingly, the flame human had stopped, causing Sibley to bump into him and have some wind knocked out of her.
The noise was noticed immediately by Mayel, who looked up to them like a scout alerted to intruders. Her eyes were at once wide in fear, seeing Finn standing just beyond her doorway. Sibley managed to recover from her run-in and looked to see what was going on, having heard her mother gasp. The younger will-o-wisp's eyes widened as well upon seeing her parent holding the candle.
"Mom!"
She ran over and got to her knees, holding one hand over her mother's and another on her shoulder. The two turned their attention to Finn, still stiff in the doorway. He managed to regain his senses quickly, holding up his hands defensively and beginning to slowly inch towards his room.
"I'm sorry. I'll leave you two alone."
Mayel opened her mouth to speak, only able to get one word out.
"Finn…"
Just as the flame human was out of sight, a new voice suddenly made its presence known, causing the hero to freeze in place.
"Finn? Did you say Finn?"
The young man stepped back to double-take, unsure whether he'd heard right. Mayel and Sibley both turned to the candle, whose flame seemed to shift slightly. The older will-o-wisp grew a concerned expression, leaning in closer to the fire.
"Dear, what are you-"
She was interrupted by the voice.
"Mayel, please, is it really Finn, the human who embraced fire?"
The woman nodded, noticeably struggling with the effort.
"Y-yes."
All was silent for a moment, with all three pairs of eyes staring at the flame. Enough time passed that Finn debated simply leaving again, not wanting to make his generous hosts uncomfortable. Just as his legs began to twitch for movement however, a reply finally came.
"Bring him here," the voice requested.
Shocked, mother and daughter both had their jaws drop.
"Dad, what are you talking about? How do you even know Finn?"
The voice sighed, sounding aged and tired.
"There is something I must tell you, all of you, including that poor boy."
Growing ever more alarmed, Mayel nevertheless complied with the request, looking over at Finn along with her daughter.
"Finn, would you join us?" she asked tentatively.
The flame human showed as much hesitation as she did, believing he was trespassing on personal matters, yet finally stepped into the room, carefully sitting down on his knees and waiting for something to progress. Now that he was closer, he could indeed see the clear image of a face in the candle flame. The face was male, appearing quite old, but Finn could tell it wasn't from age alone. The being's sad eyes reflected a small flame as well, telling the hero that the connection was between two candles and likely nothing else. Mayel looked between the young man and the flame, deciding to speak first.
"Finn, this is my husband, and Sibley's father."
Astonished, the flame human set his eyes on the teenage will-o-wisp for confirmation, receiving a definite nod despite her solemn expression. Looking back to the flame, Finn tilted his head to the side.
"Who are you?"
The man seemed to grumble sadly, his head hanging further than it already did.
"A craftsman, burdened with the shame of losing control and causing mass devastation with the power I hold. I remain here, buried far below the surface in an isolated cell with self-imposed exile. It is forbidden to speak my name in the Fire Kingdom, as is the severity of my crime."
He looked back at Finn.
"And yet, I have been given the identity Hephaestus."
While Mayel and Sibley simply grew looks of confusion, Finn felt his heart skip a beat. He'd heard that name before, alongside others within an ancient text hidden amongst the tombs in Phoebe's library. Others that were being used once again by cruel forces, the ones who he now fought against. But he couldn't believe this man was one of them.
"You're… an Olympian?"
Sibley covered her gasp, while Mayel's eyes began trembling, stunned by what she was hearing. The man in the flame nodded with what little effort he could muster.
"Yes."
Sibley brought her face close to the flame, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks.
"Dad, how could you be one of them? There's no way!"
Hephaestus looked sadly into his daughter's eyes, pained further by the look of hurt he saw. He closed his own, ensuring he was speaking to all three as a whole.
"Not long ago, Zeus contacted me through my candle's flame, having discovered it with the help of his ally, Athena. He threatened to snuff out my only link to the outside, my only hope of seeing those I love, unless I helped in his plans, using my power."
Finn furrowed his brow.
"So the seismic hammer…"
The man nodded.
"I built the pieces."
Finn leaned forward a little.
"Why do they need it? What are they gaining?"
Hephaestus looked down, feeling useless.
"They would not tell me anything that could affect their goals, lest I betray them and speak of these dealings with those on the outside."
He glanced at his wife and daughter.
"As I have just done."
Sibley placed her hands on the candle holder, feeling the despair creeping up.
"What will happen, dad? What will they do?"
Hephaestus pursed his lips, struggling to speak.
"This flame will be extinguished, and I will be left alone forever more."
Finn watched as the two will-o-wisps beside him grew looks of horror, displaying just how terrifying the mere thought was. The flame human shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around everything that was happening.
"Then why? Why did you throw away your only hope of seeing your family just because I showed up?"
Hephaestus gazed upon the hero, a noticeable twinkle in his aged eyes.
"I was told of your 'demise', but to see you here, safe with my loved ones, it gave me the hope I needed. There is a chance to stop Zeus and his madness, and that chance rests with you, Finn, even if I must sacrifice myself to give it to you."
The candle flame suddenly grew unstable briefly, as if an untraceable wind had struck it. As the will-o-wisps panicked, Hephaestus' expression grew serious.
"They have discovered my contact with you. I must not allow them to know you have survived."
He turned to his family, sorrowed exemplified on his features.
"Mayel, Sibley, I cannot say how much I regret keeping this from you. I wanted to keep you happy, to save myself the pain of being isolated and unsure of your safety. Please, don't dwell on me, put your faith in Finn. He has the power to make a difference."
Both girls were crying by now, impacted without preparation by the man's plea and the situation at hand.
"But… dad, we can't give you up," Sibley choked out through her tears.
Hephaestus looked to his wife.
"My dearest, I'm sorry, for all of this. I have to put myself forth to fix it, no matter the cost."
Mayel took a moment to gather her words past her sobbing, her hands shaking the candle.
"Iv- Hephaestus… I know."
As the flame became more unstable, the man met his daughter's eyes one last time.
"Sibley, please, give Finn my last piece. He'll need it for what is to come."
He manage to smile proudly at the last second.
"I know you can do it."
As the fire suddenly broke into a mere wisp, Hephaestus' final words just made it through the connection.
"I love you both so much…"
Sibley's hands gripped her mother's dress, her head falling into her lap.
"Dad!" she cried, letting out the rest of her tears.
Mayel began gently stroking her daughter's hair, all while she allowed her own sorrow to silently run down her face. Finn watched the scene with an aching heart, hating how he could never understand such a horrid divide between loved ones. He sat there, patiently waiting for the two will-o-wisps to let their pain run its course. Sibley gradually managed to control herself, taking her head off her mother's lap and wiping away any remaining tears while sniffling. Mayel, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder, squeezed gently, grabbing the teenager's attention.
"He believes in you, sweetie. You have to prove him right."
Sibley stared at her parent for a moment, then finally nodded, shakily getting to her feet and moving to exit the room. Finn chose to stay quiet as she left for several minutes, hearing distant sounds of clattering and objects being shoved aside. Eventually, the girl returned, carrying a small parcel. Upon sitting back down beside Mayel, she carefully unwrapped the item, finally revealing a bar of what Finn assumed was silver. Sibley held it up to him with both hands, at which point the flame human accepted it with equal care.
"This is my dad's greatest discovery, accidentally created one day while experimenting with various minerals and ores."
Finn studied the bar, seeing all their flames reflected in its surface.
"A blend of specific alloys gave way to a metal that is both immensely durable, but at the same time flexible. Comparable to steel, except that its melting point after being tempered is far beyond any other known substance."
Finn suddenly understood, in awe at what he held.
"An anti-fire elemental alloy."
Sibley nodded.
"My dad went to great lengths to make sure the former Flame King never found this alloy, hiding it away for years."
She placed her hands around the one Finn was using to hold the metal.
"But now it's needed, with you. He wouldn't trust it to anyone else otherwise."
Understanding the burden of what he had been given, Finn nodded, gripping the alloy tightly. He then had his lava vine slowly extend and wrap itself around the bar, before nodding to Sibley.
"Do it," he urged.
The girl immediately seemed hesitant, eyeing the cursed weapon.
"Are you sure it's safe to bond it to that… thing? I'm not even sure if I could."
Finn nodded again without question.
"Your father trusts your ability, and so do I."
Sibley actually gave him a thankful smile, touched by his confidence in her. At last nodding in return, she removed her hands from his and placed them on either side of his whole arm, taking a deep breath. As Finn and Mayel watched closely, the younger will-o-wisp's hands focused an immense amount of heat, which in turn caused the metal secured in the flame human's grip to grow hotter by the second. Even in his current form, Finn still felt the need to cringe as the alloy's temperature finally reached the point of melting. It felt different than lava, which he guessed was due to the impurities present in molten rock, whereas Hephaestus' creation was likely void of any foreign minerals. As the silvery substance lost its solidity, Sibley bared her teeth, struggling to force the matter onto Finn's lava vine. The hero felt his weapon tighten around him as it felt the unknown metal take hold like glue, slowly surrounding every inch of its organic appearance with that of the alloy's unmistakable sheen.
The molten metal snaked past the portion of vine collected around Finn's hand, rushing to coat the significant amount still wrapped around his entire arm. He grunted, feeling both the discomforting heat and the fidgeting protests of the cursed blade. Sibley adjusted her hands every second, carefully keeping the metal from bonding to any part of the young man's skin by accident. Each thorn in the vine's length was covered and overwritten, leaving behind a smooth and elegant banding in its wake.
Finn's sleeve was burned away when the metal reached his bicep, the specialized fabric unable to stand Sibley's concentrated energy. Finn crooked his neck away from the material's climb up to his shoulder, watching from the corner of his eye as it finally engulfed the rest of the vine's surface. Amidst the process, he could feel a burning sensation spring from the right side of his body, as if there was a portion of his insides that could feel the effects on the lava vine from within. He assumed it was simply his body reacting, ignoring it until Sibley at last lowered her hands from his shoulder, letting them fall to the ground as she began panting.
Mayel slid down beside her to support the exhausted girl, as Finn took the opportunity to look upon his weapon. Not a trace of the vine's natural appearance was found, but Finn could still feel it beneath its new coating, coming to terms with its fusion and ceasing its fidgeting. The portion that had been gripping the alloy retracted back to the flame human's arm at his mental command, showing that full functionality still existed. He'd have to get used to seeing metal crawling up and down his limb, but that was the least of his concerns.
He watched as Sibley was comforted by her mother, both still shaken but clearly recovering from the shock of everything that had just happened. He admired their strength, guessing that most of the will-o-wisps had similar qualities, as each had a different reason for putting aside their old lives.
"Sibley, Mayel."
The two looked up at Finn, who held up his alloy-infused weapon.
"With this last gift from him, I will stop at nothing to end the Olympians' plans and reignite his candle. I swear, by my oath as the protector of both Ooo and the Fire Kingdom."
The will-o-wisps gazed at him with shining eyes, right before Sibley suddenly threw herself into him, embracing the flame human tightly. As he gently returned the gesture, he saw Mayel give him a grateful smile past her still-present despair, giving the hero a nod. The lava vine, even in its encased form, still managed to tighten itself around his arm of its own accord, as if telling its owner it was ready to take on any foe.
Hold on a sec...
gamelover41592: I know, right? Super satisfying.
nrbuer: Holy crap! It's awesome to hear from you man! I knew keeping hope would pay off some day, and the writers just proved it.
TimeManipulator99: Heh, I guess I am.
Neo Deadmu5: Definitely, that would be adorable.
Chris and Michael: Yeah, I confused a few others with that but glad to know it's cleared up.
MUTO TOHO: Can't say I ever have. Though upon taking a look, that guy's voice sounds quite a bit older than what Aecus is.
Fiery Crusader: Can't have them be too powerful after all. Gotta give the good guys a chance.
Major144: You'll see in due time, it'll be fun.
The Guyver: I have to disagree. It actually shows greater understanding of how relationships work if they start themselves back as good friends. It leaves space for a more closely developed bond over time rather than charging right back into hugs and dating. To each their own, but I was fully satisfied with how they handled it.