Time at the Academy passed fast, especially looking back at it now. So much had happened in my nearly two years there. So many memories, sometimes dry like a hot summer, cold as winter, colorful as autumn, or envigorating like spring. The garden had become my fortress of solitude. There were only a few places of quietness in the Academy. Quietness I so yearned for after a long day of training.
I remember it being a cold day, one where you could watch your breath dance through the air. It was early in the morning and I hadn't slept particularly well. I had some time to myself after breakfast as Sage was out for the day and decided to head back to bed. However, Five was constantly teasing me. She knew I had a tough time dealing with her quirkiness early on in the day. She wanted something from me and knew I would eventually give in to her teasing just to get her off my back.
"Just tell me what you want, Five," I sighed, longing for the warmth of my bed again.
"Where's Sage gone today?" she asked.
"How am I supposed to know?"
"I thought maybe your bugs and birds told you?"
"They haven't," I said annoyed as I walked upstairs. She obviously didn't understand my connection to them.
"Well, maybe you should ask them then?"
"Why do you care where he's going?"
"Because it's been a while," she said. "Since, you know,"
"I don't." I stopped halfway through the stairs. I cursed myself for letting her intrigue me.
"Our training sessions with Sage or getting shorter. He's cooped up in his study for hours at a time. This might be new to you, but to us this means-"
"He's found another," I said. Five smiled and nodded. I was a sucker for a good mystery, but just too tired to deal with Five at that moment. So, I told her she would have to go and figure it out on her own. She didn't like it.
"You're not even the slightest bit curious? You will do as I say, you know," she said in a menacing way.
"I said no, Five," I grew a little angry with her.
"I've heard whispers that-" As she spoke those words I felt my stomach turn upside down and my head spinning about. It was One who interrupted her midsentence.
"Five!" She shouted. "This is unacceptable! You're lucky Sage isn't here or you would be in a lot of trouble."
"Meet me in the garden if you're not too much of a chicken," Five said with a death stare and without opening her mouth as she walked away.
I was laying in bed and staring at the ceiling. I still felt tired, but my mind was racing. I found the idea of having a seventh brother or sister quite exhilarating. I imagined what he or she would be like and what powers they would have. I wouldn't be able to catch any sleep in the state that I was in and so I decided to give in to my curiosity. I cursed myself for being the way that I was on my way to the garden.
"Finally," Five said, "I was almost worried you weren't coming." She had this grin on her face that she had made her own. She could have facial expressions that I couldn't read probably even though I was usually pretty good at it.
"Yeah, yeah," I sighed, "You've got me right where you want me."
I sat down in the grass as comfortably as I could and turned my gaze upwards. Far above, wheeling on the thermals was a bird of prey, perhaps a falcon. I squinted, my hand above my brow, but still, I couldn't make out enough for an identification. One bird was all I needed to find Sage. I had become quite adept at communicating with birds, no matter what kind. A bird of prey had eyes sharper than any other and would be able to spot Sage from miles away. I understood very little about my connection to animals. All that mattered is that I somehow understood them and they understood me.
Sage was just a block away. The tiny café huddled despondent among the huge city buildings. Washed out under the overcast sky, it hunched in itself, fighting against the drizzle. Hundreds of people rushed by it, outside on the crowded street. The half a dozen customers glanced up as the door swung open, heralded by a blast of cold wind. Unlike the outside, the interior of the café was warm and cheery, with bright lights and colorful walls. The customers returned to their conversations as the door swung closed behind the new entrant and the cold breeze was forgotten. I couldn't tell what they were saying and the bird wasn't able to get any closer, but Sage was definitely there. And it looked like he was meeting someone.
"Wanna check it out?" Five said after I had told her what the bird had told me. I'd be lying if I had said no.
The door was locked. It always was. Most people lock their doors to keep unwanted visitors out, but the Academy's door was locked to keep us in. That lock had more of a psychological effect, though. Each one of us had strong enough powers to open the door one way or another. Five didn't even need to touch it to open it. Sonia was in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. She always used a little too much soap so the entire kitchen smelled like fresh mountain air. There was music on - Phil Collins. She was drumming along with his songs on the plates causing quite the cacophony.
"I've heard whispers that you're going to open the front door for us," Five said. Sonia instantly dropped the plate and dishwashing brush she was holding. With hands still covered in foam, she walked over to the door, unlocked it, and opened it for us.
"Now hand me the key," Five said. Again, Sonia complied without saying a word. "Now wish us good fun."
"Have fun, kids," Sonia said coldly in a voice that wasn't really hers as Five and I went outside. Five closed the door behind us. I felt a little disgusted by what she had done. Her power was certainly useful, but also highly unethical. Five was a little unethical herself anyway. I never really knew what to expect from her. I never knew how to respond to her or how to act around her. She made me very uncomfortable. I had seen her use her powers before, but never on Sage, Master Lucius, Sonia, or any of our siblings. Though I doubt this was the first time she had.
"Have you ever used your powers on me?" I asked as we walked down the street. She kept quiet and gave me an awkward grin. Then I remembered she had tried to earlier that morning.
The streets were bustling with people. I had watched the people passing by from the window in my room many times, but now I was one of them. The crowd had a life of its own, the vibrant clothes shone in the morning light and the people moved like enchanting shoals of fish. There was chatter between old friends catching up, and new friends made. It was busy for sure, but the hustle and bustle brang a life to the city I couldn't live without. Each person in the crowd moved as if unseeing hands drag them this way and that, pulling their eyes to one thing and then another. They responded in predictable ways, each of them with a goal to achieve for the day. But underneath that was free will, the ability to truly choose their own path. An ability I began to envy more and more.
Finally, we reached the cafe where I had tracked Sage, but he seemed to be nowhere around. The barista had tired eyes, yet there was that glimmer, a give away of her good heart. She was one of those surviving sparks, one of the ones who held on to who they really were. I walked up to her and asked her if she had seen a man matching Sage's description. She shook her head. Then, Five started to vividly question her in a harsh and undiplomatic way. I apologized for her behavior amid my own tired smile, "Sorry, she's just feeling like being a bit of a fusspot today."
I saw her spark glow a little brighter, her face more relaxed, a smidge more joy in her eyes, "That's alright, dear," she said as she turned to Five, "you be a fusspot today."
I laughed unexpectedly, and I knew that I was feeling that tiny bit better too, "Thanks for indulging her fuss-pot-ism."
We walked back outside and looked around aimlessly.
"Those birds of yours are worthless liars," Five said annoyed but before I could respond I felt a hand tightly grabbing onto my shoulder.
"What are you guys doing here?!" It was One. Apparently, she had followed us here.
"What are you doing here?" Five asked.
"Following you two lawbreakers. You need to stay away from here, Six. She's a bad influence."
"I'm a bad influence?!" Five said clearly taking offensive. "At least I know how to live a little!"
I felt awkward standing between my two sisters squabbling in the middle of the street. The insults went from bad to worse as I realized this falling out had been long in the making. I tried to calm them down a bit but I couldn't get a word in between them. Then Five did something she would remember the rest of her life.
"I've heard whispers that you just stopped breathing!"
Suddenly, a heavy silence settled over them, thicker than the uneasy tension in the atmosphere. One had a look on her face as if she had just passed through an icy shower. With both hands, she grabbed her throat and started to panic. Five, realizing what she had done, started to panic alongside her.
"I've heard whispers that you started breathing again!" she yelled, but it did not work. She tried again, but One's face just kept getting redder. The veins on her forehead started to show and for a moment I thought they were going to pop. Five started to cry and completely lost herself. Passersby started to rush towards us realizing something was terribly wrong. One fell down on the ground and was frantically throwing her arms and legs around. I kneeled down beside her.
"Breathe," I said. "Just breathe." I began to panic myself. I didn't understand how it was she suddenly couldn't breathe anymore. It had to be psychological, between her ears, but that didn't change the fact that she was choking to death and the color was slowly disappearing from her face. I felt the cold winter air kiss my cheeks and allowed my instincts to take over. The next gust of wind felt different. It felt controlled by someone - by me. With a graceful movement of the hands, I redirected the air through One's mouth and into her lungs. It was the first time I had ever been able to control one of the elements. One immediately calmed down a little as she began to breathe on her own again.
"Thank you," she wheezed as she wrapped her hands around me.
"I'm so sorry, One," Five sobbed, but One paid no attention to her. I watched the tears roll from Five's eyes, her hands sweaty, and her face distressed. Like her, I couldn't quite fathom what had just happened.
