“Actually, I was hoping we could sleep.” Alister ruffled his wild hair, and a yawn came out of him as if on cue. Noel stood near him, though she wasn’t clinging to him anymore. Her eyes were droopy and her expression seemed set in morose exhaustion. Neither of them had stood in Kali’s way, though Alister watched her climb the stairs and tried to listen for anything suspicious.
Evan nodded, "There should be another room upstairs i think, i don't really know the lay out of this place." He rubbed his face, "we should all get some rest."
Like he actually was planning on it, he wasn't. He had to make sure nothing went down.
“Yeah, there are more rooms. C’mon,” Alister sighed. “What a day.”
His sister met his eyes, and he knew she wanted to talk. He wanted to as well. It felt like it was the only way they could process super complicated things. But his mind, numb. His limbs, dead. Could he even function at this point? He didn’t know. He just gave her a small nod, and motioned Evan to follow him up the stairs. Maybe Evan could talk with them too.
He just kinda stood there, while they looked at each other back and forth and he figured he would end up alone for the night until he saw Alister motion to follow him. He gave a small smile and went to follow him.
Alister led them to the same room they’d been in earlier, kicked off his shoes, and flopped onto the bed. Noel followed his example, curling up next to him.
“Ali…” she said. “You need a shower.”
“Is that our opening line?”
“Yep.”
“Well then, you need a shower too.”
A pause. “But I feel like we’ll be even more tired after that,” she whined.
“Well then, who cares.”
A deep sigh. Noel got up. “You know what, I do. Never mind, we’ll probably feel better after taking a shower. You know what the therapist said.” She glanced to Evan. “Okay, I think I saw some random articles of clothing in the closets, so we’ll probably have something to change into. And there’s already stuff in the bathroom… Okay, I’ll go first.”
She made her way over to the closet and peeked inside. “Oh yeah, there’s shirts and jeans in here. Ooh, and some of them are my size, nice.” She grabbed a pair of jeans and a simple white tee. “I’ll return momentarily,” she announced, and took refuge in the bathroom.
Alister looked up from the bed and glanced at where his sister had disappeared. “I… Uh, I guess I can go after her, unless you want to, Evan.”
Ignis remained unconscious as Ignatius and Kali conversed. Ignatius explained further, "Although it will take time for the wraith to track him, I need to know what Darkness needed you to know. A shadow wraith isn't summoned from its sleep unless she had a reason to." Ignatius looks to Ignis, "Whatever you were thinking, let us hope you made the right choice…"
She sighed looking at Ignis. "she may or may not got increasingly more mad at me because I am apparently very stubborn and well yeah, i wouldn't listen to what she said and i kept disagreeing with her. She tried to teach me a lesson inside the temple and ignis almost got hurt really badly" she sighed, moving to put her hand on his cheek.
Alister led them to the same room they’d been in earlier, kicked off his shoes, and flopped onto the bed. Noel followed his example, curling up next to him.
“Ali…” she said. “You need a shower.”
“Is that our opening line?”
“Yep.”
“Well then, you need a shower too.”
A pause. “But I feel like we’ll be even more tired after that,” she whined.
“Well then, who cares.”
A deep sigh. Noel got up. “You know what, I do. Never mind, we’ll probably feel better after taking a shower. You know what the therapist said.” She glanced to Evan. “Okay, I think I saw some random articles of clothing in the closets, so we’ll probably have something to change into. And there’s already stuff in the bathroom… Okay, I’ll go first.”
She made her way over to the closet and peeked inside. “Oh yeah, there’s shirts and jeans in here. Ooh, and some of them are my size, nice.” She grabbed a pair of jeans and a simple white tee. “I’ll return momentarily,” she announced, and took refuge in the bathroom.
Alister looked up from the bed and glanced at where his sister had disappeared. “I… Uh, I guess I can go after her, unless you want to, Evan.”
"no no, I'm fine, you can go after her."
He smiled slightly at Alister, putting a hand on his neck as he stood there awkwardly.
Ignatius slammed his right hand on a nearby table, "Question avoided. What did she want from you?" Runes started to appear on his left exposed arm, "Disciple of darkness, daughter of the forgotten. What lesson was there to be learned? For his sake, before the wraith has time to come."
She flinched when he slammed his hand on the nearby table, "She wanted me to admit that she was right. She tried to tell me things when I opened the door to her temple and i brushed her off and told her that i was gonna continuing doing things the way i had been doing them."
She looked down. She wanted me to learn that i can't just brute force my way through everything… (That's all i remember tbh)
(I'm a very flexible creator, so if you don't remember I'm not going to hold it against you.)
Ignatius looked at Kali for a while, his expression loosened, "You must tame the wraith."
(thanks man)
"what do you mean tame it?" She asked confused, and it most likely showing up on her face.
"The wraith must be tamed by a being of darkness, only one like such are able to tame it. Like a dog without it's owner, the dog is left with two choices. To die alone, or to survive. This lesson Darkness wanted you to learn, is a lesson she never had the chance to learn."
you sure we're talking about the same people?
She didn't know how to respond to that at first if she was being honest, she paused before speaking. "How do i tame it?"
Eventually everyone was clean, dry, and wearing white tee shirts because that seemed to be the only thing in the closet, aside from the jeans and occasional pair of sweatpants. The siblings used their powers to air dry their hair, and Alister offered to the same for Evan. The all sat on the beds because laying down would make them fall asleep faster.
Showering first was a wonderful decision, not only because they were now clean and feeling better, but it also allowed them to collect their thoughts about everything that had happened. Alister sighed resolutely. Noel spoke first.
“It feels like nothing has changed. What exactly have we gained by going to that temple? Yeah, Ignis found that the temple can be seen properly in the Shadow Realm, but what exactly can it be used for? And considering something super dangerous was in there, can it even be used at all?”
Alister rubbed his hands together. “Good questions. It seems only Kali and Ignis really know. Do you think Kali could tell us?”
Noel shrugged, making a face.
While the twins were talking, he was completely spaced out on his own train of thought.
He was thinking about how much Kali cared for Ignis, and tapping his foot slightly because just because they don't hear anything coming from the room dozent mean nothing's going on.
He couldn't even hear that much if he tried to use his abilities.
(Twins? Pfft)
“I don’t know, honestly. I mean, she’s more blunt than he is, but she might not be willing to share,” Noel said.
“But why not?” Her brother tilted his head.
“I don’t know, seems like everyone is keeping secrets from us or something.”
“Well, that’s not really true.”
She frowned a little. “But we don’t get to see what’s happening for ourselves. We did nothing while we were there. I think we could’ve helped.”
“El, we barely know anything about how all of this works. What could we have done?”
“Well, if that stupid door hadn’t closed on us…”
“And besides, that dark water and huge shadow. It would’ve been so dangerous.”
She stared at the floor defeatedly. Alister pulled her into an embrace.
“Should we have ever followed them?” Noel whispered. “I just… want to walk away from all this insanity for a moment.”
Alister was silent for while. He gazed at Evan, and realized he wasn’t listening. Or maybe he was too tired to use his abilities so he could hear them. He sighed.
“I don’t think we can walk away knowing what we know now,” he said.
(Twins? Pfft)
“I don’t know, honestly. I mean, she’s more blunt than he is, but she might not be willing to share,” Noel said.
“But why not?” Her brother tilted his head.
“I don’t know, seems like everyone is keeping secrets from us or something.”
“Well, that’s not really true.”
She frowned a little. “But we don’t get to see what’s happening for ourselves. We did nothing while we were there. I think we could’ve helped.”
“El, we barely know anything about how all of this works. What could we have done?”
“Well, if that stupid door hadn’t closed on us…”
“And besides, that dark water and huge shadow. It would’ve been so dangerous.”
She stared at the floor defeatedly. Alister pulled her into an embrace.
“Should we have ever followed them?” Noel whispered. “I just… want to walk away from all this insanity for a moment.”
Alister was silent for while. He gazed at Evan, and realized he wasn’t listening. Or maybe he was too tired to use his abilities so he could hear them. He sighed.
“I don’t think we can walk away knowing what we know now,” he said.
(Oops-)
He was partly listening he heard words being spoken but he didn't really process them, still off in his own thought filled world, then he felt Alister looking at him and turned to look at him, listening to what he said after.
"ah…, I know how you feel.'
Ignatius thought for a moment, "I do not know. I only remember the creature before the wraith. A friend Darkness created when bullied by the Light. All fire bearers know what the wraith was meant to be, but never could tame the wraith themselves. I believe there is something Ignis could tell you, if he were to wake." Ignatius lifts his left arm over Ignis swiftly, "Then so be it. I will use the majority of my power to wale him and keep the wound numb."
The whole building's light began to flicker, each bulb pulsating in a slow rhythm. The energy transferring was just visible to lead back the Ignis room. There was a warm and calming heat, different than anything felt before. The energy itself was filled with warm and vibrant colors. Inside the room itself, Ignis began yelling in sudden pain. Not from the wound but from the energy put in.
In the last moment, Ignatius turns to Kali, "He cares for you. He takes a great trust in you. An action repeated throughout history. I hope his faith was not in vain…" Alas, Ignatius vanishes like a ghost.
She had so many things to ask but instead he just decided to do something on his own and she definitely almost jumped as he screamed, rushing to be next to him.
She almost flinched, before looking at Ignis, i hope so as well…
She waited for him to respond, being almost right next to him next to his bed.
"ignis?"
Alister gave Evan a tired smile. At that moment, the lights began to flicker and pulse, and the siblings felt the air beginning to heat up and vibrate with sudden energy. It was so intense, it was like an explosion in their chests.
“What is that?” Noel yelped. Then the screams started up, and Alister said, “We better check it out.”
He motioned for Evan to follow just in case, and they both got up from the beds and headed to the room where the screams were loudest.
Ignis woke up with a black tribal fire symbol appearing on the back of his left hand. Weary at first, slowly observing the room. He turned to kali slightly and smiled, "So…I lied," he giggles slightly still worn out. When Alister, Evan, and Noel arrived, the room was filled with faded colorful energy. The room felt peaceful, but they all knew there was tension also. "I'm sorry, but it's closer than we thought." Without looking, he pointed out the window. The skies were dim during mid-day, and slowly darkening.
She pushed him back into the bed, not enough to hurt him because she wasn't pressing down on the wounded area. "Jerk!" She huffed, mad at him for lying. "I knew something was up with that cut." She moved to hug him, but then the trio came in. She turned to look outside the window, frowning as the skies darkened.
"so, ignatius said you might know something? About maybe how I'm supposed to tame it?" She hardly awknowlegded the other presence in the room, making evan Frown.
"hold up, Tame what? What's coming?"
He looked at the window as well seeing the sky darkening.
"Not as good, but I could hear her." Ignis's words cryptic, "Toss a boulder into water and the water splashes. Move sand into water and the water stays calm." Ignis whistled softly and his two huskie pups, Yin and Yang, wander into the room. "A soft call can ease a companion, but a harsh yell will scare them into fear."
Kali just stares at Ignis like, what's with the riddles?! She big frowned and stared at him, maybe she could understand the last part. It what did he mean by toss a boulder into water and the water splashes toss sand in the water and if stays calm?
She sighed turning to evan "There's a shadow wraith hunting Ignis who was supposed to attack me, and I'm supposed to tame it ignatius said Ignis might know something. But Ignis is talking in riddles."
Evan could see how stressed she was, "hey, thanks for telling us."
"yeah i figured i Probably should." She muttered.
Ignis frowned a little but smiled, "You're no fun." He attempts to sit, despite Kali's' effort to keep him down. Creating a fire construct of a wraith and a dark construct of a girl, he continued to explain, "Lessons given were meant to be taught. Ignatius tells me your lesson was to be patient, to not just be harsh. To tame a wraith is the same than to accept a dog as a companion. It knows you and will listen to a fault, but will not fully trust you." Ignis's constructs moved and play out his words. Yin and Yang howl as Yin, a black husky with blue eyes sat next to Kali's side. Yang jumped onto the bed next to Ignis.
For a moment, the faded color in the room and the darkening sky took up all of the siblings' attention, but not for long. Once Kali explained the shadow wraith and her lesson, they knew what Ingis' riddles meant, at least, so they thought. Noel's mind went back to Kali's harsh brat comment, and Alister remembered when she asked them about their father.
"Kali, I think he's saying you're the one tossing the boulder into the water. You need to learn how to pour sand," Alister said. "You need to learn how to keep the water calm."
"And yeah, thanks for telling us," Noel added.
"Yeah i know i get the message " she sighed crouching down, and petting Yin. She let out yet another sigh as she looked up at Ignis.
"your welcome."
"so, i guess we know how to get rid of it now." Evan nodded as Kali spoke.
