Siobhan stood at attention alongside the boys, her light grey uniform pressed and neat, her hair braided neatly down her back. Across from them stood four men, including Zoisite. They all wore white uniforms trimmed with gold, but unlike what Zoisite had worn on the day he found her, their cloaks were gold, lined with their regions color.
"Zoisite, are you absolutely determined to go through with this?" Nephrite frowned as he looked at the girl. She seemed fit enough, and, given that she had not yet had any training, her posture was acceptable, but none of that changed the fact that there was a girl in the training uniform of a Shitennou.
Zoisite shook his head, "It's not a question of what I am or am not determined to do. Gaia chose her."
The man whose skin was a much deeper tan than Nascha's shook his head, "I do not like it. You said that the stone also responded to her twin? A boy, I believe."
"You and I both know that the stones will respond to anyone with power, but the response was weak. He would make a knight or commander, but not a Shitennou. Nephrite, you're being stubborn." Zoisite's words were calm, measured, but his eyes reflected some degree of frustration and annoyance.
"She's a girl! What other response did you look for?" Nephrite turned to face Zoisite, ignoring the quartet of trainees who stood across from him. "Do you want to serve a third king? Is that what this is? A plot to hold onto your position for another generation."
Kunzite quickly stepped between them, facing Nephrite, "That's a ridiculous accusation and you know it, Nephrite. Zoisite has suffered more than any of us from the loss of Gregor."
"And he's born a burden we all know the weight of for far too long." Jadeite's tone was long-suffering, as if he was more than used to playing referee. "We miss one brother; he longs for four. No, there is no reason he would chose to remain in this purgatory any longer than necessary."
Nephrite's jaw tightened, but then slowly the tension drained, "That was out of line. My apologies, Zoisite. If they fail…"
Jadeite shrugged, "If they fail, we retest them. If Gaia is still determined that these are the four, then we try again in a year." He smirked slightly, ignoring the way his son's own smirk had faded into a scowl as he focused on his own teammates.
"And if I command you to find someone else?" Nephrite's voice still held a note of challenge as he looked over Kunzite's shoulder to Zoisite.
Zoisite shook his head, "I obey Gaia in this matter. Not you."
"As if you've ever obeyed me, Old Man… all right… but I still don't like it."
Kunzite smirked, "I doubt you're going to be the only one who feels that way."
The four then turned their attention back to the trainees and Nephrite addressed them, "All right… I suppose you four won't entirely embarrass us tonight. Fall in."
Siobhan was in a daze as she followed at the end of the line. The feast tonight might have been about her, but after watching the debate among the Shitennou over her, the last thing she wanted was to be center of attention. If even one of the Shitennou doubted her, did she really stand a chance?
As she was introduced to hesitant applause and confused expressions, she felt something stirring in her. The lords and ladies of the Golden Kingdom were gathered, and most all of them looked at her as if she were some kind of cosmic joke. She realized that they all expected her to fail, and she decided that she would prove them wrong. She stood straighter, and when she sat back down with the other boys-Endymion having joined them once they reached the banquet hall-she knew that she would win their approval, and they would be brothers, whether they liked it or not!
They ate mostly in silence, being too intent on eating to talk, though Endymion seemed to be able to eat and talk at the same time.
"Dad said we'll try the ceremony in three months-on the Summer Solstice. I have only been to Elysian once, and I don't remember it, since I was a little kid." Nascha snorted and Karan rose an eyebrow, but neither corrected the prince. "Dad says it's beautiful. He says that the blessed dead are there and that they live on and never really die. He says that's where all our dreams come from too, and that if the bond works, even we get old and die, we'll all be there together."
Tuon couldn't help but laugh, and Siobhan had already noticed that the boy seemed quite happier when the prince was around. "I've never been, but I know Dad goes with the others once a year. He always comes back… weird…"
Endymion was hooked and leaned his elbows on the table, leaning over to hear Tuon better, "Weird how?"
Karan gently pulled the prince back by the collar of his shirt, "Manners, Endymion."
"Oh… sorry…" He smiled to the oldest of them and then looked back to Tuon, "Weird how?"
Shaking his head, "Like… he feels happy and sad at the same time. I don't know. It's just weird."
Siobhan frowned, "Wait, how do you know how your dad feels?"
Tuon shrugged and didn't answer, turning his attention back to his food.
"Tuon is an empath. That's why he started training when he did." Karan's answer was straightforward, but at least the older boy had said something to her.
"Oh." She nodded as if that explained everything, despite the fact that she was completely lost.
Chuckling, Nascha leaned over, "It means he can feel other people's feelings, and sometimes hear their thoughts. There hasn't been a Shitennou with empathy in years."
"Or stargazing, Nascha. I'm not the only freak here!" Tuon's voice did not carry past the table, but the intensity was almost a physical blow to Siobhan.
Nascha shrugged, "I never said you were a freak, Tuon. Look at us. Destiny has something big in store for the five of us… I'm not sure what, but it's exciting."
Siobhan was lost as she looked around the table. Wasn't the fact that they were the future Shitennou and High King enough for destiny? What more could it want.