"I can't really do anything. Look." He glanced around him at the various shadows, trying to feel the connection between them. His core began tingling and the shadows moved no more than an inch. He exhaled a large breath.
"See, I don't even know why i have a power that i clearly can't control properly."
"When does it work best?" Asked Arthur simply.
"When im angry or upset i guess, but it takes a lot to make me feel either of those emotions." He paused for a moment, just staring at Arthur. "Why did you agree to this when you are clearly uncomfortable with it?"
"As a way to get out of the building," said Arthur, "and a way to be true to my own nature without getting in trouble." he shifted to wolf form as he said it, happy to let the wind ruffle his fur. Shifting back he came over to Soren, "Is it easier to use it as a form of defense if someone were to attack you?"
Soren gaped in shock, a little nerved that Arthur was so close to him, but horrified by what he had just witnessed. "A wolf… Fur…" he forced the on coming sneeze to stay inside.
"I see, i didn't really expect that… Why do you keep that hidden?"
"It's magic by their standards," said Arthur, "So I'm not allowed to without getting in trouble, even though it's a part of who I am." he sighed, pacing around Soren, "So seriously, does your power work well under pressure?"
"It will get to the point where I get frustrated and then it seems to do something, why do you ask?" Soren was starting to get agitated by Arthur's pacing.
"Sometimes it take unconventional ways to master magic" said Arthur thoughtfully.
"What powers do you have anyways, they seemed pretty adamant that you were the right person to help me." He narrowed his eyes skeptically.
"Chaos" replied Arthur flatly, stopping to face Soren, "By technicality it's classified as a dark magic, and it happens to be one of a kind, but that's not why they chose me,"
"I'm tired of only half a story, can we actually do something productive now?" He could feel something churning at his core. No, not now!
Arthur gave him a firm look, "try summoning some shadows to your hand" he said stepping back.
Soren closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling in his core. It did nothing. Nothing came to his hand. "I've told you, i can't."
"You've got to focus," said Arthur, "Don't let anything stop you"
"I have been trying to focus for as long as I can remember, i've been reaching deep within, to places i never knew existed within me. I have been trying to master this ever since I started school and focus has never once helped me." The churning in his core became stronger. "You don't know how many hours I have put into trying to master my umbrakinesis because I dont want to be a disappointment to my family, you don't know how angry I am at myself for not being able to do this. I just wish I wasn't so weak!" His eyes snapped open and a dark presence burst in front of him, expanding to shrouding both him and Arthur.
Arthur Immediately wrapped himself in a fire aura, an instantaneous reaction he couldn't control, Falling to his knees he tried to fight the memories washing back over him. Memories of agony, torture and pain washed through him and the band on his wrist began to glow as his shield cracked. "Soren Stop it!" he yelled his voice full of fear as he felt his control slipping.
"Arthur..?"
Soren's voice cracked when he realised Arthur was in pain, and the shadows vanished. He stared at his shaking hands, then at Arthur. "Are you….are you okay?"
Arthur had a violet aura surrounding him and he was on his side clutching his head. He tried to make the memories stop, control the chaos.. anything. But the memories flooded through him without warning. Old scars appearing in the form of dark violet scales.
"Arthur!" Soren fell to his side, trying to figure out how he could help. He hadn't seen anything like it before. "Arthur talk to me! I'm sorry…"
Arthur finally calmed down after a few moments. Still breathing heavily he carefully took control of the now wild chaos energy and returned it to its dormant state. Taking a deep breath he got to his knees, "It's not your fault" he said quietly, "I have… a very bad history with shadow magic…" He tensed a little as more memories flashed through his vision, Calmenta came the voice in the back of his head, his wristband glowed a little and Arthur relaxed as the memories were forced away by the presence in the back of his head. Thank you he thought, silently thanking and hating the fact that he was there.
Soren continued to look at Arthur, his entire body shaking. "I'm sorry.." That's all he could repeat, quietly, over and over again. He hadn't realised how dangerous he could be when he let his emotions take over.
"I told you it's not your fault" said Arthur firmly, "My reaction was something that's been instilled since I was ten, Because if I didn't react that way I could've been seriously injured." he forced a weak smile, "No one else would have reacted the way I did, and you didn't actually hurt me, you just surrounded me in your magic. It's not your fault that it brought back painful memories"
(My traumatized boi with a heart of gold)
(Such a cinnamon roll)
"I'm terrified of myself i.." Soren glanced away from Arthur, ashamed of what just happened. "Please help me.."
"Stop that" said Arthur firmly. "First mistake is fearing your own powers. Secondly I already told you. You never harmed me." Arthur got to his feet, "Get up we're gonna try something different."
He did as he was told, taking a deep breath. "So what now? Im ready for anything."