Bear was able to comfort me a little bit, but I still felt like an outcast. To be an outcast with people who are..'special'..says alot. I went through most of the day without a problem, like if nothing happened. I stop noticing the scent of fear that came off everyone, I guesss I just got used to it and shrugged it off. Hawk didn't say anything to me since combat training, and I started to feel kind of bad for snapping at him. Oh, well, his fault really.
"Here guys." I handed Ted and Badger a slice of cake each.
"Cake?!" Badger's little eyes wide with wonder and delight. They stuffed their little faces, showing how much they were enjoying the delicious treat.
"Where did you get this cake?!" Ted looked at me begging for more.
"It was for my birthday, my friends made it for me." I shrugged then got tackled yet again by the little kids.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Their little squeals were so loud, but I didn't mind.
"Thanks." I played with them the rest of the time on duty, then headed out to the meadow for Force Training.
"Lupa, finally! Are you ready?" Panther walked up to me arms wide open. Grabbing his ear, I pulled him closer.
"Didn't I say not to call me that?" I asked him sweetly, but he laughed and made me let go of his red ear.
"Wolf, front and center!" A Chinese councelor yelled from somewhere. The crowd of trainees split in half immediately, leaving a trail straight to the councelor. The guy had kind of a Jet-Li look to him which would have made me laugh if I didn't feel nervous.
"Yea?"
"Why haven't you been comming to training?"
"I was excused from it."
"Oh, really?" His eyes narrowed, leaving little slits barely visible. His face softened and he laughed. "I'm just kidding, relax, welcome." Punk. "Who doesn't have a partner?" A group of three walked out from the crowd. Puma, Panther, and another girl.
"I volunteer." Panther raised his hand, taking a step forward.
" Nope, you know that's not how I work. Puma, you'll be her partner." No, heck nah! This ain't going to work.
"What?!" The red-head shrieked. "Why can't Python be her partner?" She obviously wanted to stay with Panther, figures.
"No. You're assigned to her, that's that. Wolf, a word before you begin." I nodded him and followed towards the edge of the meadow while the other trainees began.
"Mr.."
"O."
"I can't be with her, like I REALLY can't." There was no fear in my voice, just worry.
"I understand, but I already told her she had to. That girl needs to be taught that she can't get everything."
"No arguement there." I muttered under my breath, Mr. O raised an eyebrow.
"So I'm sorry, but it's final. What is your power?"
"See that's the thing, I don't know. I just got them..Saturday night, and everything was a blur, there was wind and ice, and fire, and I have no idea what else. I can't fight with her because she's the reason I changed in the first place. I still haven't bee able to control it yet, so I can't train with these people." He rubbed his chin, wheels in his head turning.
"Well, don't change form, just use what you feel like using."
"I don't know how!"
"Ok, take a deep breath and close your eyes." So I did, feeling one of his fingers on either side of my head, just above the temples. "What do you feel INSIDE?"
"My skin, it feels hot, but right underneath I feel really cold, and I feel like I have a storm blowing in the chest." My eyes opened, "How in any way is this supposed to help?" This guy was wasting my time.
"Shh!!" He swatted the side of my head. "Just focus. Focus on the cold. Feel it there inside you. Bring it out to the surface. Imagine a blue glow, making its way out from deep within you." I saw it. The blue glow in me. It was slowly making its way to my skin. Opening my eyes I looked down at my hands. Little ice crystals swirled around them.
"OH MY-" I got swatted again.
"Focus! Picture a ball of snow in your hands, the shape, weight." I didn't close my eyes, not this time. Watching the little ice crystals almost made me lose concentration. They swirled around in my palm, gathering together until a solid ball of snow was formed.
"It worked!" The councelor opened his eyes with a smile.
"I've opened your control for ice, once this group leaves we'll work on air. You can't fight fire with fire, so ice your best chance."
"I still don't know how to fight with it." I crushed the snowball in my hand, watching it sprinkle to the floor and melt in the grass.
"Don't worry, it'll come to you." He beckoned with his head that I should get going.
"Sleep well?" Redhead sneered.
"Yup, actually I did. Liger took very good care of me while I slept too." I smiled sweetly, innocently.
"I'm not going to go easy on you just cause you're new to this. Treat this as an orientation to the real life of a Force trainee." Puma's hands little up with fire. She twirled a finger in the air, the fire mimicking her movements into a small tornado. She made a lasso...out of fire. What the heck! And Mr. O was still expecting me to fight this girl?! "Here, puppy. Time for your leash." Throwing the end of her burning rope, she laughed like a maniac. I could feel the heat just as I dropped to me knees, leaning back.
"You seriously trying to kill me?!" This was training not for real!
"Didn't I already try to do that once? It shouldn't be a surprise for you anymore. If you would just keep your distance and obey like a good little mutt, we might of been friends." I rolled away just as she launched her rope, now whip. The snap next to my head was insanely loud. She DID NOT just call me mutt.
The craving for power began trying to seep into my skin,I could feel my body temperature drop slightly, but it felt good, really good. Puma ran towards me, snapping her whip by her side. Twirling my hand in the air, little snockflakes began to fall around me, transforming into a solid cold whip of my own.
"Call me mutt one more time, I dare you." My eyes burned slightly for a moment, I felt stronger, and excited.
"Ugly, orphaned, flea-infested mu-" Hurling towards her, my whip wrapped around her neck, she tried throwing her own, but the fire was extinguished by my ice. She stood there, trying to untangle herself. Her lips had begun to chatter and turn blue from the cold that now cover her body. Pulling down on my end, she fell forward, face first into the dirt. With every step I took closer to her, the ground beneath my feet froze. This is the feeling I missed during my crazed birthday transformation. It felt like nothing I've ever experienced, and I wanted more.
"You really are a stupid, short-tempered, weak, spoiled brat." My eyes shone, revealing that I was enjoying every moment of this.
"Stop, I'm...It's cold!" She chattered.
"What happened to not going easy on me? Or trying to kill me? Or the 'orientation to the real life of a Force traine'?" I pouted my bottom lip, shaking my head in fake pity. The skin around her neck had turned blue.
