I do not own anything. I swear, this part just rolled out, and I did not plan any of it to be in the story.
I know it is the shortest chapter up till now, and I intend to continue soon with the next. I already cut the beginning of this chapter off, and put it in the next, so I have started on it, this just seemed a part of its own. So no need to delay posting it.
Obelix went to his hut, too upset to even retreat to his menhirs. Asterix wanted to go after him immediately. Or maybe he wanted to strangle Phyllis first and go after him then. But Getafix stopped him from doing both that, by checking if he was okay. He did so very thoroughly, to the point of agitating him even further than he already was.
"I'm fine, Getafix, Obelix…"
"Will be fine too…you on the other hand have to be more careful with that girl."
"She would never have really have gone through with it..." He looked out of the window impatiently. He knew Obelix; whatever the large Gaul was thinking about right now was nothing pleasant. But Getafix grabbed his shoulders and looked at him, very intently.
"Asterix, Phyllis has two opposite powers fighting for dominance. And yes, she must strong-minded to be able to fuel them like that, but her mind is also in complete turmoil. I understand that you want to learn more about what our village is facing. If I were the chief of this village, I would encourage you to learn everything you can. But I chose to focus on other things, so I'm telling you different."
Asterix looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"That girl is ill. You can see all the signs: the paleness, the dark circles under her eyes, the drawn look on her face when she doesn't cover it up. She is at the very least exhausted, physically but certainly also mentally."
"I did notice. But she seemed a bit better…"
"A few good meals won't take away three years of being on edge. And it most certainly won't restore eight years of neglecting her emotions. She has been focused on revenge for eight years, and fed the powers that supported that. It is very easy to start believing nothing else exists. But when you saved Goliath, that became impossible.
Getafix smiled "So now she's in turmoil. Which is a good thing. You do not overpower someone by mimicking him. I learned that much from you." He turned serious again: "But she needs guidance and support and she is not willing to except it from anyone but you."
Asterix thought hard. He had noticed that she tried to value his opinions. And he had seen her struggle between different moods. If Getafix thought he could help her determine her way, he trusted that judgment. But he had no idea which way to lead her.
Getafix walked away from him. "I'm not a healer…it is as difficult for me to grasp the powers that reside within those women and men that are as it is for you. But I do understand that it has to do with knowing very well what you want and who you are. And by awakening the will to cure inside someone, they can help him cure." He looked back at Asterix.
"That sounds familiar," Asterix said.
"It does, doesn't it." Getafix seemed excited at his words, but when he continued his tone was dead-serious. "When Manilla started trying to understand her powers, she had never met Mesmeron….she developed a theory, and later a set of principles, that resembles that of druids strongly. It is a ground rule to let go of negative emotions, and thus certainly also of battle. It is not a bad technique on it's own, Bonny is living proof of that. But …
"Phyllis uses the same technique to enforce others to do what she wants them to do. It is not a different power. She simply learned to use it differently."
"I believe so. I've done my best to convince Manilla of this…I've used you as an example in fact."
Asterix raised an eyebrow.
"You would have been a good druid, Asterix." The blonde warrior opened his mouth to protest, but Getafix shushed him. "I do not think you would have been happy, but you would have been good. You understand the value of live, and you take time to think things over…most of the time." He paused for a moment. "However, it became clear very soon that you would never get adjusted to living without battling. When your friend was being bothered, you did not tell him to let it go after you defended him. You encouraged him to take action, and to make a stand."
Asterix knew what Getafix was referring to. This was the closest he had ever gone to letting his favorite pupil know he knew exactly how Obelix had ended up in a cauldron of potion when he was six.
"I knew back then that you would never succeed me…that you would never feel good doing so. But I also knew that at some point in my life, there would be a time to pass on the secret of the magic potion. It was my full intention to pass it on to another druid. Just like the other secrets that I have learned. Some of them however, you already know, and if I had to pass the secret of the magic potion on right now, you would know that too."
"…"
"Being a warrior should not exclude you from it. Just like being a warrior does not exclude Phyllis from her ability to heal. You are both up to being more"
"Getafix, I…"
"It just so happens that my magic potion will not be the main key in winning this one, Asterix. And I hope one day someone we can both take comfort in will come along to pass the magic potion making onto. I just want you to realize that if you should be that person, you would do fine. It's just a potion. And Phyllis powers are just what they are. They don't determine her, she determines how they work."
"And I thought you were keeping out of all this…" Asterix said incredously. "You need to tell her this Getafix. It will help her."
"I'm not the one she identifies with. And I think she realizes that it is the same force, though it wouldn't hurt to mention it again. But it doesn't make her path clear. She can choose to live in the past, and put everything on ending Mesmeron for good. She can chose to protect old friends or not, or to protect new ones…..this is what is driving her over the edge. And you need to pull her back, or she won't be able to do any of those things. Help her regain trust."