What Lies Deep Below [CLOSED] (2,001 views)

[Blue]

"O-oh..." Azelf, nervously focused on his salad bowl and then gave a glance again at Star. The shoyru had a lot of questions in his mind, about her siblings, but he kept holding back. "W-when I drank that potion to turn into a faerie, not sure what changed exactly. Honestly, I barely use my powe--oh wait... Pardon me..."

Azelf stood up and went to the fridge. "I know we're already underwater but... would you like something to drink?" He placed his hands on his hips with a confused face, reacting to how silly that sounds. "Or at least want to try this Funnydew Melon Juice?" He takes out a pitcher of the juice, brings out two cups from the container and goes back to the table. "You know, to go with the salad, as all... I dunno, if juice does go well with it though..." He placed the pitcher where they can both reach it. "Well... if you want that is..." The shoyru cleared his throat.

"Anyway... yeah." Azelf continued. "I-I don't often get to practice very much... 'cause I'm afraid of... what could happen." He stared at his hands. "Though if I don't face my fear, I'll never get it right." He clenched his fists, then looked at Star, noticing her expression. "B-but I'm willing... and I want to overcome... it..." There was a moment of silence. For all Azelf knows, he was prepared to do what it takes to finally be able to act like himself, not only with his family, but also with his friends.

[Maddie]

"I'd love some," Star replied, reaching for the funnydew melon juice. As she tilted the pitcher towards her cup, she laughed under her breathe, "even though I have no idea how it'll work." She was surprised to watch that the juice did effectively pour from the pitcher and into the cup. She could have stared at it for hours in bewilderment, but instead resigned that physics were broken in Maraqua and took a drink.

"Hmmm," Star thought aloud as she brought the cup down from her mouth. "That's what I try to tell my brother all the time. If you don't face it, nothing will happen! So it's good that you've accepted that much." She smiled. "I'm proud of you." She then strummed her fingers against the table (it woke up Winter, who was beginning to doze off) and mumbled, "Although... I'm not sure if there's anything a magic novice like me can do to help..."

[Blue]

The Bubblebee and Puppyblew suddenly came into the kitchen, as bubble trails appear while chasing after each other.

"Uhm... guys..." Azelf softly told them. "Please, no run--er... swim... uh... racing...? In the kitchen?" His voice was unsure; he couldn't think of a proper term how to tell the two petpets off but they obeyed and stopped at the corner. "Behave, okay..." Azelf looked over to Winter, who was still on Star's lap. "Hmm... Winter hasn't moved from that spot in awhile... Though he does that to B often..." He shrugged. "I wonder--"

The shoyru shook his head. "I-I mean, I'm getting off topic here..." He started fidgeting his hands again. "I-It's okay! Pawkeyt and Sweet don't practice magic much either. They... uh, help me with spells to practice... a-and I guess they're my guardians in case things get out of hand?" Azelf's eyes widened at his somewhat troubling statement. Why did I say that? Will she agree to that? He thought. "And they're my encouragement whenever I feel like giving up..." Azelf took a deep breath to calm himself. "So, please... will you help me?" He gave a sweet smile. "I really appreciate it with you being there."

[Maddie]

Star stopped midway on taking a mouthful of salad and nearly dropped the fork. "Wait me?" she asked, pointing to her chest. "You want me... to help with magic?" She put the utensil down and exhaled a large puff of breath, lying back in her chair. "Wow uh..." she mumbled doubtfully, scratching her head. "Can't you just wait until your siblings come home? I-I mean..." She sighed and sat up again, causing Winter to jump down from her lap. "Listen, don't get the wrong idea. It's not like I'm not willing to do it... I just wouldn't know what to do if something, y'know... happened."

[Blue]

Azelf couldn't help but feel disappointed at himself. Oh why did I even say that? I knew she'd react like that! He gave out a quiet sigh not too noticeable for Star to see. Winter hovered over next to Azelf, looking confused and curious, as the rest of the petpets went by his side as well, reassuring the shoyru for what he was about to say.

"Well..." Azelf began. "I guess that would be an idea... b-but I-I don't know when they'll be uh... home... B usually goes home late from his adventures..." He paused. "Or he could be working at the Faerieland Employment Agency... he actually d-didn't say. Sweet is looking after our shop the whole day a-and Pawkeyt's with his pirate pals..." He placed his hands together. It's not like you'll mess up. B already said you're getting the hang of it... and as far as progress goes, these past days you're doing well... I guess. He thought to himself. But I'll never forgive myself if something bad happens... He finally came to a conclusion. "M-maybe I should wait for them?"

"FEEPIT!" Winter chirped angrily at him.

"W-what?" The shoyru was stunned. Suddenly, Winter harshly flew out of the kitchen, and went back holding a note on its mouth. "What's this?" Azelf took the note and reads it aloud:

"You've improved a lot in magic since the day we met can. With a positive mind comes with a positive outcome. I'm sure you can do it and will do just fine. Signed... B."

Azelf placed the note on the table. "Never thought of it that way before... h-how did B know I'd need this?" He shook his head. "A-anyway..." He returned his attention to the biscuit kacheek. "Star, I know what I said sounded kinda risky..." He tried to look for the right words to say. Don't make it sound worse, don't make it sound worse. He breathed in and slowly breathed out. "But B's... uh... a-actually right." He toughened himself up. "A-and the petpets are really smart, they'd know what to do. They... always have." He smiled shyly at the petpets, as like a sign of thank you, then glances back at Star. "All that is still left... i-is if you trust me..." His eyes were full of hope, waited patiently for her to respond.

[Maddie]

Star's tail swished uncertainly under the table. She loved Azelf, but her inner instincts were pleading with her to bail before any trouble started. Even still, a tight, guilty feeling in her gut reminded her to have patience and show some compassion. This young shoyru clearly relied on her - to abandon him now might damage his self esteem for the rest of his life. She wasn't going let something like that happen again. Not after seeing what it did to her brother.

Star closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. She noticed the note on the table and leaned forward to eyeball it; when her eyes returned to Azelf, they were shimmering with a new found sense of duty. She smiled in the most encouraging way she could. "Of course I trust you," she said. "Are we starting now?"

[Blue]

The shoyru couldn't believe his ears. Was it true? Is Star really going to entrust him with his magic practice? This made Azelf a little more protective than he used to, but this feeling to protect may help him be able to control his powers better and prevent any trouble. Like a knight even. Wishful thinking. He kept in his heart what his brother said, as well as swore to keep Star safe.

Azelf looked at his almost empty bowl of salad. "I guess we should finish our food first?" He replied nervously. "Suppose... these don't have to be washed... 'cause... since... we're... underwater... and everything..." He sighed and facepawed. "I'm still getting used to the logic in Maraqua myself."

~***~

Azelf led Star downstairs, leading to the basement, as the petpets followed. "Uhm, B... does his magic here often and the rest of us accompany him." It was a bit dark with a hue of sea green, yet reflections of water are seen on the walls. "He tells me that I should practice here too." They stopped at the door, with Azelf holding the key. He slowly opened the door. The room was huge, filled with all kinds of magical elements and experiments, as if it were an old witch's lair: Potions, books and scrolls can be seen in the shelves; a table full of documents where B puts all his knowledge about his discoveries; a magic pot to concoct potions with; a bunch of pixie dust floating about.

Azelf placed his hands on his waist. "Well... " He waved his hand, as bubble trails appeared. "The pixie dust is probably a side effect in the atmosphere, but totally harmless." He looked over to the biscuit Kacheek, with a bit of a nervous expression. "It's not too creepy, is it?"

[Maddie]

Star had her hands pressed against her chest while she examined the room from just outside the doorway. She could feel that her body was trembling, but she wouldn't dare let Azelf notice it. Not only did she want to keep him from worrying, but she also didn't want him thinking she was scared. Unnerved was the better word.

Eventually, she took a hesitant step inside to get a closer look. She forced a smile when Azelf addressed her about the room's appearance. "Nah, I've seen worse," she joked with a tinge of nervous laughter. But it was a lie; the room was creepy. She had never seen anything like it before. It was times like this that reminded her why she generally stays away from magic. "It's nothing I can't handle, though," she added as an afterthought, straightening her posture to appear more confident. It was pretty convincing. "So where do we go from here?"

[Blue]

"Uh..." Azelf nervously looked around and set up the tools he needed while the petpets helped. The shoyru positioned a table in the middle of the room, as the petpets gathered a few candles, some potions, wands and scrolls from the shelves. Azelf placed a chair just near the corner for Star to sit on. "You may sit here, Star..."

As he finished putting everything in place, Azelf stood in front of Star, rubbed his hands together and began to explain what to do: "I-it's like... a-a simulation test where you... watch me a-as I train..." Embarrassed a bit, due to the thought that it sounded like she was only there just to look, Azelf brushed his foot on the ground back and forth as he was explaining. "But it's really important that I have a guide... and that guide for today... i-is you, Star..." He also lend her a blue book. "My brother kept a journal and recorded all the spells he's planned and how they turned out. We helped him log all these." All the contents of the book seem to say there were spells that worked successfully and those that are still blank. Azelf shrugged. "Ehh... Just a glimpse of his. He even gave me my own book to log in mine..." He shows her a purple book and a pen with it. "Here it is... this time I have you to help. And the petpets will back you up too in case you have any trouble... a-and at least an hour a day of practice is enough... according to B."

He approached the table, now complete with all the materials needed. He nervously stared at the table, as the petpets focused themselves to him. "B-but before I begin..." He looked over to Star, making sure that she's fine seated just a few inches away from where he is standing. "Uhm... are you ready?"

[Maddie]

When she was first instructed to sit down, Star had a distant look in her eyes, as if she were not entirely there. This was all just so new and astonishing. "Just watch?" she asked uncertainly, rubbing the worn corners of the blue book he handed her. She considered thumbing through it, but decided she didn't want to get any more involved with magic than she already was. "I don't really see how that's guiding you, but whatever helps. I guess I should just be glad I'm not holding a wand and reading spells out loud to you." She laughed a little, holding the book to her bosom as if she were guarding herself.

Star scooted her chair back a couple times and waved a hand for him to start, bubbles trailing after her. "Start small and I'll see if I can handle it. I'm sure you'll do fine, though. I trust you." She braced herself and gave him an encouraging smile.

[Blue]

Azelf smiled back at her and nervously brought his attention to the table. Feeling uneasy, he took a deep breath. "Okay..." He breathed out. "...here I go..." He stared at his two hands for a moment and clenched his fists, toughening himself up. He closed his eyes. meditated for a few minutes and began to execute a spell. Whispering a few gibberish to himself, as if it was different language, his eyes started to glow yellow from before, as well as his whole body. The room suddenly became dim as all the light went to where Azelf is standing. The furniture began shaking again as the petpets, now next to Star, watched attentively. Bubble trails surrounded him as if air was circling around the shoyru. The light grew brighter until it suddenly turns to dark purple, which startles him, making him stop what he was doing. Struggling to break free of his own spell, he shook his head, groaning and crying, "W-wait! Wait--"

A bit of spark caused him to throw himself away from the table and lie on the floor. His eyes stopped glowing, as he massaged his head. "Ugh... w-what..." The petpets approached him, wondering what was wrong, as Azelf sat up, still trying to recover from what he had noticed about his powers. Something unusual about it, but he doesn't understand why.

[Maddie]

By the time the furniture began to shake, Star was already out of her chair and ready to head for the door. She had expected the worst, but was nonetheless rattled by the supernatural hoodoo. Luckily she was brave enough to stand by, and after Azelf's incident, she was glad she did. She immediately ran to her friend to check if he was okay.

"Azelf! Azelf!" Star cried, kneeling down next to him and helping him sit up. "What happened?? A-Are you hurt?" she asked in a panicked tone. Her heart was pounding fast and loud, and it was impossible to hide the shakiness in her breath; But she didn't care about concealing her weakness, Azelf's safety was more important at the moment.

[Blue]

The Faerie Shoyru saw the fright in his friend's eyes. He wouldn't want Star to worry, especially with this unknown phenomenon going on within his powers...

"I-I'm okay... I'm okay..." Azelf reassured, in a soft voice. "That felt weird though... a-almost new. I-I've never done that before. I-I can't explain it..." True, never has he expelled such power. Residue of this power still shows on his paws, as he dazed at them and clenched his fists. This feeling, this newfound strength. He didn't know how or why, but to him, he felt completely different. He felt could do so much... So empowering, that he could do anything and everything.

He secretly wanted to try again, however, he was more concerned of what would happened next if he did. His petpets surround them, with much concern. "I'm sorry, guys..." He began to doubt himself. "Though... I think I can control it this time...?" The urge to try again had been clouding up his mind, but he shook it off. "Has this... ever happened to Cici before, Star?"

[Maddie]

Star exhaled a heavy breath of relief. "No, never," she replied with an exasperated tone. "Otherwise I would have been more prepared." The room went quiet as Star took a moment to catch her breath, the dust settling all around them. "Azelf..." she started uncertainly, "are you really sure I'm the right person to be supervising this kind of thing? T-This is just so out of my league-!"

Star stopped and shook her head. She hated how apparent her fear was. She was supposed to be stronger than this. "I'm not sure what I would have done if you actually were hurt... A-And are you seriously considering trying again? I want to support you, b-but..." The conflict was hitting her hard.

[Blue]

That moment kept him indecisive. Azelf doesn't want to frighten his friend any longer, yet thoughts of a newfound strength, still waiting to bring out his true potential, lingers in his mind no matter how much he's tried to avert his attention from it. But the look on Star's face gave him a constant reminder on how he should also consider how his friend feels. Besides, despite how much Star isn't into the magic arts, she still accompanied him with his spell practice.

If that's not loyal, then what is?

"We, uh..." Azelf started, trying to make his tone a bit more bold. "Y-yeah. I am sure." He gave an encouraging smile with a nod. "It's really brave that you're still here and..." The petpets, while trying to process everything and noticed that Azelf's aura did have a sudden change, looked shaken as well. They all went over to Star, helpless and scared as if they've seen a ghost. The shoyru sighed. The guilt is still in his chest. "I'm sorry if I had to pull you out of your comfort... spot? O-or was it zone? Oh, right, zone. Of course." He scratched his head in embarrassment.

Glancing over to the table with the candles and scrolls, he pondered deeply, "What... happened to me?" He turned to face Star again, while the petpets continue to be at her side. "I-I could try again... in a bit... until I try to find out where that spark came from..." Azelf's eyes were flashing white to dark purple... What could that mean?