Chapter 22 - Harsh reality?

It was quite late, but Mom and Dad had taken us out, and we were now walking toward the barracks. They had talked for nearly one hour, or maybe should I say screamed, and I think they had decided to take that to Ophelia, as they were clearly not agreeing about what the fuck they should do.

The guard at the entrance, seeing us coming, raised an eyebrow.

“Where is Ophelia.” Asked Mom abruptly. The guard looked at her, at Dad and at us, and let go of the idea that he should ask us why.

“Master Ophelia is taking a break between guard duty. However, if you really need to talk to her, she is in her room in the barracks. It’s on the second floor, ask for indications there.

“Thanks.” Said Dad as he rushed behind his furious wife, the children in tow.

Feeling the strange atmosphere around us, the guards were quick to help, if a bit distant. Often, they were destabilised by the contrast between Mom’s anger and Dad’s apparent tranquillity.

“Boom-boom-boom-boom!” Made Mom, knocking at Ophelia’s door.

“Urgh… Yeah yeah coming! Stop making so much fucking noise!”

Ah. I think Mom just woke her up.

I hope she is not upset.

She opened the door and her angered face became surprised.

“Yes? Elanna, what-?” She looked around and saw us and Dad.

“What’s going on?”

Before Mom could say anything, Dad spoke.

“We just… realised… that you were teaching our children how to fight.” He said with a lot of subtext under each word.

Ophelia became even more surprised, then nodded as if she just understood something.

“Follow me, my room here isn’t big enough for everyone.”

***

We were now in one of the training rooms, from which Ophelia had ordered the previous occupant to scram. Well, maybe she asked it a bit more politely, but in the end it boiled down to that.

“So, what’s this mess all about.” Said Ophelia once we had settled in.

“Earlier today, during one of my breaks, I had the pleasure of talking with Nicklass, who said that we ‘were bold’ letting our children partake in Shi battle training.” Started Dad, Mom lightly stomping her feet beside him.

“You can imagine my surprise when I heard that, as me and Elanna only knew that you were training them in Shi, not in the arts of battle.”

Dad seems way calmer than Mom.

Well, he did promise to Vivianne to talk with Mom if she could find a monster. She did, and Dad never struck me as the dishonourable type.

True.

“I can imagine it, indeed.” She looked at the trio, a brow raised. “And so you came here to talk about this with me, am I right?”

“Exactly and, first, we would kno-”

“What the fuck were you thinking! You did not even ask us!” Mom nearly screamed, interrupting Dad mid-sentence.

“Wow, Ela, I know you love your children but that’s a bit too much don’t you think?” Shot Ophelia back at her.

“No I don’t think! You’re training our children to kill, Ophelia! To kill!”

“They will learn it sooner or later, I’m only giving them a headstart because they asked it, and I felt that their determination was real.”

“It wasn’t your choice to make!”

“No, indeed, it was theirs.” Ophelia, all along, was keeping her cool. Maybe she had already had to deal with an angry Mom?

“They’re seven for fuck’s sake!” Screamed Mom.

“Say, Ela, did you ask them why they did it?” Suddenly asked Ophelia.

“Yes I did!”

Ophelia turned her head toward us. “Did you answer her truthfully?” She asked the trio.

“””Yes!”””

Turning her head back at Mom, she was now frowning. “Then didn’t you see their will? This look in their eyes, beyond their words?” She pointed at us as she was talking to Mom.

“I DON’T CARE! They’re too young because I say so! They won’t learn that now, it’s not healthy!”

Oh? Looks like Ophelia isn’t agreeing with Mom.

Yeah, I hope it won’t escalate.

With Dad here? I doubt it will. What I fear is the impact this will have on Mom and Dad's relationship.

This is indeed quite the touchy subject.

“I’m not blaming you or saying it was your fault, Ela, but do you think killing two Yiburis, being nearly killed by one and finding the dead body of a young military aide is healthy? Girl, healthy is dead and buried. What I’m trying to do here is to avoid them starting fearing the world and closing on themselves! Don’t you see it? Can’t you understand it? They…” She pointed at us once again. “...are beyond not learning to fight! They need to know that they will be able to do something next time, even if next time doesn’t happen! Your protective attitude is poison to them, Elanna!”

“That’s not yours to decide!”

“Yes it is! You being their mother doesn’t mean you’re perfect, infallible! You won’t always make the best decision for them, because you’re just another human like me or Hurbert, and like everyone, from time to time, you need someone else telling you that you’re messing up! Look at them, just look at them Elanna! They’re always ready to fight or flee, their eyes squirming around to find the exits, the place they can use to fight and potential enemies they’ll need to face!”

“N-no but love and c-car-”

“Love and care will support them, but learning to fight will give them the tools to stop being afraid. Do you want them to be dependent on your love and care forever? Being afraid of putting a toe outside? Of closing their eyes at night? Needing to be sheltered like fragile flowers?”

“No, yes, of course I don’t want them to be afraid all the time, but I don’t want them to live like… like that.” She gestured at the whole barracks. “To only know how to fight, how to kill. Can’t they have what’s left of their childhood?” Mom was now pleading at Ophelia, the reality of the situation slowly seeping into her mind, however reluctant she was to accept it.

“You know like me that it was compromised when they awakened Shi. The events at the barracks only forced everyone to face the issue sooner. Look, Ela, if I thought they weren’t ready to go through this training, I wouldn’t be teaching them, and I’m not talking about their body here. They may be seven, but in their head, they’re ready, at least for the few first steps. They’ve seen monsters, they know why they’re training. That’s a lot more than most of the greenhouse-trained Shi acolyte of the Nadragor family. Shi fighters often turn bad because they abuse their power, and they abuse their power because they don’t understand what this power means. Your children, they do understand it, they’ve lived it, it’s seared into their very bones.”

Mom had totally deflated since the beginning of the discussion, like a pierced balloon, her rage transformed into exhaustion and reluctant acceptance.

“Why…” And, suddenly, she started to cry, Ophelia taking her in her arms.

“Why did all of this happen.” She whispered in her ears. “Why can’t they be normal? Live a-a normal childhood, w-with the most worrying things being… being if they’ll have pancakes t-tomorrow, or if we’ll scold them because they… they broke something?” Her whispers were cut by sobs once here and there, and I don’t think anyone else than me and Ophelia heard what she said.

Magic’s handy, right?

“I know, Ela, I know. It’s hard. My parents, too, had a hard time adapting when I awakened my Shi. But look at me now…” She smiled brightly, her hair turning yellow just like her Shi as she started emanating a soft radiance. “...I am happy to be here and now. I may have suffered to get here, but what is alive that doesn't suffer? I’ve seen great things, helped people, protected them, taught. This life isn’t so bad, take it from someone that is living it.”

Wow. Ophelia sure is beautiful when she smiles, but that’s another level altogether.

Isn’t she doing an Internal Infusion right now?

Ah? Maybe? Is that how she does to have the light around her?

I think.

“It is?”

“Yes. Training can be a bit harsh sometimes, but I’m sure they’ll maul it down for breakfast. Never saw children so determined. Can I tell you a secret?” She suddenly asked Mom.

“Y-yes?” During this time, Dad had taken the children a bit farther, to give some space to the two women. Well, I could still hear them loud and clear, but nice try, Dad.

“I’m training them because I think they need to feel empowered, that’s true. But I’m also training them to see how far ahead they can get even before the training masters from Nadragor come and test them. That’ll give them an edge in the future, I promise. And I can already say that Nadragor is not ready for your children. I just wanted to see how more awesome I could get them to become to surprise Nadragor.” She smiled mischievously and winked at Mom.

“...W-what?”

“Ela, your children are geniuses. I am giving them the tools to shine in the future and fair remarkably in the Nadragor family. I want to see how bright the stars they are will become. You know it, right? That the more powerful you are, the freer you are. Look at this as an investment. Let me train them, watch your kids become like the blazing sun, okay? Please?”

Mom kept hugging Ophelia for some more times, bathing in her soft yellow light. Then, finally, she let go of her and took a step back.

“...” She looked at her, right into her eyes. “Okay.” She said, breaking the long silence she had left hovering over the room. “But if something happens to them, I’ll have your skin.” She was dead serious, even knowing that her opponent was a Shi fighter.

...Wait. Isn’t Mom scary?

...Yeah. I wouldn’t want to go against an alchemist.

Yeah no, I totally get you. Scary scary.

In fact, she could probably kill the whole city if she wanted.

Uuuuuh. You’re right and it’s even scarier now. But…

Yes. It’s a bit reassuring, thinking that she is our Mom.

She loves us. She would do anything for us. She may have difficulties with her anger sometimes…

Yet you and I have the same fuzzy warm feeling in our heart.

Yeah. Having a family…

It is great. We ended up saying while fused.

***

And that’s how Mom and Dad accepted that the trio was training in the arts of battle.

This talk helped Mom a lot, as before it she hadn’t yet resolved her issues with two of her three children being ‘forced’ to train as Shi fighters.

I think that Ophelia’s personal experience helped Mom a lot on this aspect. Knowing that at least she was happy, both now and of her life as a Shi fighter, this gave Mom’s hope a tangible fact.

Knowing that something can be good for your children and actually meeting someone living it and acknowledging that it’s good, that’s two things a world apart.