"Bahrny…?" Sky mumbled.
"He's a special case… most of us have a single affinity but he had two… Summoning and Manipulation." Leeds explained, "He's also mastered the other affinities while taking his already two past the normal limits of a demigod… if this world didn't have gods before then it's safe to say that he would have been the first."
"Now then, let's talk about you!" Jennifer pointed at Sky.
"You're a manipulator..." She gave Leeds a dirty look, "Like the waste of space underneath that tree, though you're all a waste of space in my eyes."
"A manipulator takes an already existing source of their power and is able to freely use it… this is something you've done before..." Jennifer explained.
"I have?!" Sky looked surprised.
"When you struck the giant with lightning and when you created thunderclouds outside of the town hall." She said.
"Most of our abilities are linked with our internal states and emotions," She said, "Both of those times you lost control of your emotions which lead to your powers being drawn out."
"While emotions are something that we can't fully control, our internal states and flow of energy is… this is especially important for a manipulator."
"To fully manipulate lightning you need to first be able to summon it, and the best way to do that is by sparking your emotions." She smiled devilishly.
"To do that, I will be beating you enough so that you are an inch away from death." She started giggling.
"What..." Sky turned pale.
"Hopefully your survival instincts kick in and save you, if not then we have the best healers in our camp, you'll be recovered enough to train again tomorrow." She looked oddly excited.
Leeds slowly rose to his feet. "That's what I was trying to do… before you came along you witch." He formed an arm out of water again.
"I don't need a man's help to do this." She grumbled.
"I wasn't offering any… besides it's first come first serve!" They both turned their heads towards Sky. Their bloodlust was running rampant, sending all the nearby animals in a flurry of cries.
BAM! They both kicked off the ground and charged at Sky. BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!
***
Something felt warm and cozy. He remembered this feeling… It reminded Sky of when he was younger. He would have a rough day outside from chasing and running with Don and he would come home to his mother, rest his head in her lap and drift off as she gently ran her fingers through his hair.
He felt at ease and relaxed. Slowly he opened his eyes and saw Lucy looking down at him, a warm, motherly smile on her face as she continued to brush his hair. There was a gentle glow around her, illuminating the surrounding area. Quickly Sky jolted upwards causing a sharp jolt of pain to run through his body.
"Ah, don't move yet… your body is still badly hurt." She said.
"During your training with Jen and Leeds you became seriously injured and they both called me out here to help." She explained.
"Ah… I remember now… I thought I would die..." Sky murmured remembering how the two hunted him down like a rabbit.
"Where are they now?" Sky asked.
"In their homes, it is past nine after all." Lucy giggled.
"NINE!?!?" Sky shouted, receiving a slap to the head for being loud.
"You were out for quite a while..." She replied.
"Why are you here?" Sky asked.
"Because I'm a healer..." She smiled, "Sky… your mother… she has the God Disease… doesn't she?"
Sky looked at her with wide eyes before relaxing and nodding.
"It's something mothers get when they give birth to half-bloods, no one knows what causes it nor how to treat it… or so the doctors have said." Lucy continued.
"And the reason you're here is to get her healed… am I right?" She asked again very confidently.
"How do you know all this?" He asked.
"I've been tending to your mother in the infirmary, it's where they're keeping her." She finally said.
Sky's eyes widened as he opened his mouth only to be stopped by Lucy who pressed a finger onto his lips.
"She's perfectly fine, healthy and getting better." She said seeing the visible tension leaving Sky's body. "But you cannot meet her, not now at least."
Sky nodded allowing his eyes to drift to the ground around him. He realized the glow wasn't just around Lucy but around him as well, and the surrounding area. He looked around and saw strange, white, bell shaped flowers blooming and small, firefly like orbs coming out of them.
"What are these?" He asked.
"Whitebells, they represent healing, purity and peace." She replied.
"I've seen a flower like this before." Sky said, trying to remember where.
"You probably have, they bloom all over Harbinger and each color has its own meaning," She continued, "Blue means sadness, pink stands for love, red for anger, yellow for nervousness and more."
"Demeter loves these flowers, but there is one that she loves the most… it's called a Greenbell," She explained, "It stands for hope, happiness, and prosperity."
"But it has another secret meaning that only children of Demeter know, it means 'leave everything to me'" Sky looked up to see her smiling ear to ear. "A flower used to show the passing of one's wishes and dreams to another."
"You know Sky, it's my favorite flower as well!" She continued smiling contagiously, "It makes me feel closer to my mother..."
There was a gentle pause as the two quietly sat and listened to the crickets in the background.
"Lucy… last night you talked about purpose… can I ask what's yours?" Sky looked at her.
She looked at him and nodded. "I want to live in a world where no families become separated, where I can see Matthew grow up..." She smiled, "And you too..."
Sky's ears reddened as he tucked his head back into her lap. Lucy giggled as she continued to brush his hair. The two sat in a gentle silence as the night darkened and the glow illuminated the nearby area.