Serafina watched as her children labored in the fields. The crops they'd planted were already peeking out from the ground, and Lily was watering each row, carefully calibrating based on Roen's advice on what the soil needed. Ivan stood in the background, glancing at the sun with a complex expression.
Were the crops getting enough light without being scorched by the sun's heat? Could they grow faster and larger with more?
Finn smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. Now that their powers were openly known, the triplets were eager to test their limits. Roen was the most adamant about increasing his strength quickly, to the point he often tired himself out. Lily was changeable, throwing all her will into strengthening her power one day, and wanting to rest more the next. Ivan was quieter lately, and contemplative.
While earth and water had their obvious roles and extensions of their power, light was a bit more subtle in its uses. Ivan couldn't conjure light out of nothing, he could only manipulate, strengthen, or lessen what was already there.
Finn had been trying to find the right time to tell him about what had happened when he was a baby, but didn't quite know the words.
She'd been so frightened for so long that he would bravely want to fight the Void on his own… but he looked discouraged just now. She sighed.
"I don't think I've ever told you about the day I first realized your power," She said as if the thought had just occurred to her. In fact, it had bothered her to keep it from him for a long time now.
Ivan tilted his head, peeling his gaze away from the sky to look at her with curiosity. "Oh?"
"It was just before the War Between Worlds. You were barely old enough to hold your head up," Finn smiled as she recalled the tiny baby he'd been. "The Void had been in our world, and was wreaking havoc in the dreams of a little girl who came to visit us."
Ivan frowned, likely recalling his lessons about the War and about the Void as an entity of the Darkness.
"We came on a picnic, and she fell asleep on the blanket. Suddenly, you woke up in my arms and became inconsolable. It wasn't like you. You were such a good baby," She raised her hand to push a lock of fiery red hair back from his forehead.
"Am I not still good?" He questioned, mostly joking, and she pulled him into a hug.
"You are far better than just good," She said. "But back to the story. You were screaming and flailing, and soon, so was the girl. She was having a nightmare, where the Void attacked and tortured her. In your flailing, you touched her head, and both of you immediately quieted. When she woke, she said a light had driven the Void away."
Ivan's eyes had drifted during the story, and she could tell he was turning the information over in his mind.
"We are preparing for war," He said at length, "For a final battle."
"Yes," Finn squeezed his shoulders with one arm. "Having enough food to feed everyone is a very important part of war."
"But you see," Ivan looked at the ground, "I've been considering war in my studies, in as much detail as the tutors will allow. He says curiosity is natural but I must not stray too far down that path without your approval."
Finn made a mental note to thank the teacher for his wisdom. "And what have you considered?"
"Direct combat," His hazel eyes looked towards his working siblings. "Lily could easily drown an army if she gets strong enough. Roen could open the ground and bury them alive, or crush them."
Finn put effort into keeping a neutral expression, but internally her heart was breaking that her ten year old son was spending time thinking about such things.
"But me? I thought well, I could make it brighter, but what would that do?" He shook his head. "Maybe blind someone temporarily at most."
"Light is important," Finn said, "it pushes Darkness away."
"And when the darkness pushes back?" Ivan regarded her. "Will I be strong enough to be of any help? I have no light of my own."
"Then you should look for light elsewhere," Finn said softly. "Let it strengthen you."
Her son looked at her curiously, and then towards the sun. He closed his eyes, absorbing the warmth.
He looked at peace with that expression on his face, and she etched it into her memory to sketch later. The way the light played across his face was like it was embracing a friend.
"I like the sun," He said after a moment, "The purity of its light is different than fire, or the moon, or fireflies."
Finn nodded, not knowing what she could say. Ivan inhaled and opened his eyes.
"May I train with the recruits?" His face braced for a quick refusal.
"Recruits must be fourteen," She reminded him, "You are only ten."
"I've learned some," He said. "Father teaches me a little here and there, but he doesn't have time for more. He's very busy."
"Perhaps another tutor…" Finn contemplated the idea.
"How can a tutor train me for battle?" He tilted his head.
"How would going with the recruits be better? They know less than you, so you would learn little, but they are bigger. You would get knocked down easily. You should train more before taking on such opponents," His mother said kindly.
"How did Father train for leadership? Or Uncle Riley?" Ivan faced his mother with narrowed eyes.
"Riley was trained by his father when he was young. Both your father and he volunteered for their year of service when they were the proper age." Finn blinked. These questions were unusual for her son.
"All three of us need to learn. Just in case. Perhaps with each other as opponents, it will be enough, for now." Ivan put his hand to his chin as he turned back to his siblings.
"Just in case of what, Ivan?" Finn's voice lowered, and he looked at her from the corner of his eye.
"We will not be safe forever." He said, "and I think the time is coming sooner than you will admit."
The woman's face froze, its expression held in a curiosity rather than the subdued panic that was rising in her belly.
Gwen had promised the Fae would keep the children safe 'until the appointed time.' Once everything had lapsed into peace, Finn's worry had abated somewhat. But now…
'No, Gwen. They're still children! This can't be the appointed time! Let it be once they're grown, married, with grandchildren. After I'm dead. When they've led full lives. It can't be so soon!'
But Ivan's words struck deep within her. The final battle surely was an obvious candidate for 'the appointed time' when children with magical powers would be called upon for greatness. The defense of the world as it merged with the others.
She still didn't like it.
"Then we must do all we can to prepare for it," She said at last. "I'll speak with your father tonight about your request for more training and we'll come up with a plan."
Ivan looked mildly skeptical but satisfied.
"Thank you," He said, wrapping his arms around her for a brief hug. The gesture reminded her of when Gabriel was this age, and her nostalgia grew.
Inwardly, her heart went out to her brother, hoping he was safe. He didn't like the fact that he'd been sent on a rescue mission of sorts, but so far, no news was good news. Her eyes drifted to the North, half expecting some enormous new portal to have formed in the sky to drop doom on them all as it had on Ceto.
But the sky was clear, and she was thankful.
Roen wiped his brow as he walked over to them, his work temporarily completed. Lily's feet moved heavily over the ground as she followed. The spectators applauded the children's work, as clearly it took physical effort to use their powers.
"Let's get you all home, shall we?" Finn suggested. "It's been a long day, and the crops are going well. I'm proud of all of you."
She gathered them briefly into her arms, although they almost didn't fit anymore. There was a time when she could fit all of them in her embrace, but the bigger the grew, the less they needed her.
Lily glowed under the praise, while Roen ducked his head with humility. Ivan glanced at the sun once more, and Finn wondered if he were contemplating their conversation from earlier. The other two looked at him with questions in their eyes, and he shrugged.
"They'll talk about it tonight," He said.
"Plotting against me?" Finn pantomimed outrage, "Scheming about how to get me to agree to your desires! I'm absolutely shocked at you three!"
The children snickered, not fooled by their mother's game, and the party set off home together.