Fairy Turned Specialist
Chapter 3
The night of the party after Ember had fought off the medic from Red Fountain, stitched her arm up, barred her door, and went to sleep; her team took action against Kay. Timmy held Kay while Sky, Brandon, and even Riven beat the crap out of him. They beat him up so badly that he was forced to go to the medic and stay there for at least two weeks. While he was in there, he stewed and plotted. He couldn't go up against Brandon, Sky, and Timmy. But he could fight someone smaller, weaker, and stupid enough to reveal her fears to him.
Ember fought off her nervousness as she and the other Specialists stared at the raging waters. The water challenge. Swimming through raging water is hard enough, but when someone has to hold your ankles down, and you have to fight them off, it just became way harder! Ember used to love the water, but then her mom drowned while swimming and after that, Ember became nearly petrified of the water. But, number one rule, never ever show any fear in front of these guys or they would tear her apart like wolves. "Alright, who wants to go first?" Cortatorta asked. "I'll go." She volunteered and stepped forward, chin high. I looked down at the water, took a deep breath, and dived in.
"Holy crap, it's so cold! Why is it so cold?! I can't breathe!" I thought frantically, panicking at the icy cold water. Fighting wouldn't help me and neither would panicking, so I HAD to calm down. I had to swim with the current, not against it! Yes, I had a plan now! I was nearly at the end when something grabbed my ankle and I nearly jumped out of the water! Of course! The second part of the test! I glanced down and glared when I saw Kay. He smiled cruelly and started pulling me down. I started struggling, kicking and trying to force myself upwards. I looked down and screamed, losing all of my remaining air as Kay transformed into my mom, long wavy hair billowing around her, her golden eyes looking up at me accusatorily. My lungs screamed for air but mom's gaze held me; the accusation in her eyes the same as the day she died. Because I was unable to save her. I frantically tried to breathe, but it was in vain and I lost consciousness.
Kay knew something was wrong when Ember screamed, her eyes wide and unseeing, her face white. He started getting scared when her eyes closed and she sank to the bottom. He picked her up and pushed off from the bottom of the deep pool. When he emerged at the surface, her team ran to take her from him, Riven carrying her over to a stone bench and then they swarmed him. "What the hell did you do to Ember?!" Brandon demanded, blue eyes glittering in fury. "I don't know what happened to her, I swear! I grabbed her ankles; she glared at me, than she freaked out and started screaming! I didn't mean to do it, I swear!" He nearly yelled, starting to panic at the looks on their faces. "Calm down you five, what happened to Ember was not your fault, Kay." Saladin said and used his magic to take a look at Ember. "She is in a deep state of fear and loss. While the water he swallowed is keeping her down, her fear will keep her from improving and winning her battles." He said gravely and walked away. Sky rounded on Kay and Kay shrank back. "You seem to know her pretty well, what is powering her fear and loss?" But any humane feelings Kay had momentarily had toward his ex were quickly disappearing. "Like hell I'm gonna tell you idiots, I couldn't care less if she stays this way forever!" He snapped. Riven had had enough. "You'll tell us or we'll give you another lesson like the one we gave you a few weeks back. Only this one, you won't soon forget." He growled and Kay paled. Sky, Brandon, and Timmy he might stand a chance against but nobody scared him like Riven. "She hates water cuz her mom drowned in it when Ember was really young and she thinks that it's her fault. Today was the day her mom died, 12 years ago. Ember was only 6." Kay said in a rush then ran for it, Ember's teammates glaring at his back. The truth was, they had come to depend on Ember. She was kinda the mother figure of the group. She had a bag that she brought on every mission that held a solution for every problem they had encountered so far, from food to first aid to even extra weapons. Plus, any guy at Red Fountain knew they could come to her for girl advice and she would give good advice. When they didn't view her as the mom of the group, they viewed her as a sister. While Timmy ensured she got the water out of her lungs, Riven, Bandon, and Sky tried to figure out how to help her. She coughed and sat up, opening her eyes and the guys rushed over to her. "Are you OK?" They asked and she shoved her hair back out of her face. "Relax I'm fine. I just have problems with water." She looked at the pool, shivered, and tried to inch away from it.
Sky, Brandon, and Timmy were just drifting off to sleep when someone pounded on their door. Brandon growled and picked up his sword. He hated being woken up in the middle of the night and he would be sure the person on the other side of the door would know it too. "I'm going to kick your butt from here to the next planet!" He snapped, shoving the door open. "Put it away and stop making a fuss, Brandon." Ember said, blocking his swing with her wrist. "Pitiful swing by the way. Not the point though." She said, shaking her head. "I won't be able to be a better specialist until I beat the water challenge. Will you three help me?" He glanced up at the clock. "Now?" he groaned and she raised an eyebrow. "You owe us."
They practiced for nearly a week when they hit a roadblock, so to speak. "When was the last time you visited your mom's grave?" Timmy asked her after she came up coughing, having accidently kicked Riven in the face from holding her legs underwater. "It's been about a year. I was originally planning on visiting on her death day, but dad basically kicked me out of the family." She said, shrugging as if she couldn't care less but they saw a brief flash of pain in her eyes. "Alright, let's go." Riven said, still massaging his jaw. "Where are we going?" Timmy asked. "To visit my mom's grave."
Sneaking into cemeteries is actually pretty hard, I discovered. Of course, dad had to be a jerk and posted guards. I recognized the family crest that he insisted on glorifying. His casting me out might have stung, but I was glad to be rid of the endless etiquette lessons, the engagements, the same mindless chatter, and the same shallowness all around me. I walked the familiar path to mom's grave, the guys trailing behind me. I kneeled in front of her tombstone and put the bouquet of lilies on her grave. "I'm sorry I haven't visited lately, mom. I miss you. I have to do this challenge for school, but it involves being underwater, and I'm scared. I don't know what to do! What would you do if it was you?" I asked, making sure to whisper. I chuckled, "knowing you, you would fight through it and emerge victorious." I stood up, somehow feeling better than I had in days. "So that's what I'll do."
I practiced and trained right up until the water challenge was scheduled again, and this time, I refused to let my fear rule me. When Cortatorta asked for volunteers, again, I stepped up first. I dived into the water, ruling over my fear and keeping it at bay. I felt the hands grab onto my ankles and fought them off. Getting out of the water, I felt a glow of triumph. I had overcomed my fear, and I could overcome anything! I had done just as mom would have done, and it might be crazy, but I felt like she was smiling at me from wherever she was.
That was more of a filler chapter but I felt like I had to write at least one chapter centering around Ember and her relationship with the guys. Chapter 4 should be up soon! (Hopefully!) Date With Disaster is up next!