The Dragon Prince

Tifa's Guidance

Arya

“Are you okay?” A familiar voice echoed through my room, pulling me out of my panicked state. I looked up to find Ash hovering over me, his face scrunched up in concern. 

“Yeah, I was just having a nightmare.” He nodded, giving me a comforting smile. He reached out a hand for me and I took it gratefully, relishing the familiar feeling of his hand in mine.

“Come on, we need to get to training. I want you to meet the others.” He gestured towards the bathroom, “Go get freshened up. I’ll grab you some new training clothes.” 

The realization that I was still in the dirty clothes from the night before caused me to blush, I knew I had to look like an absolute disaster. Ash didn’t seem to mind though, thankfully. 

He placed a kiss on my forehead before heading for the door.

“I’ll be back in a moment, take your time.” 

I nodded at his back as the door closed behind him, breathing in a heavy sigh. I wandered over to the bay window and stood staring up into the branches above. A sudden tug at my chest sent me reeling, sparks of light blurring the edges of my vision. I could feel the pull begging me to search the dark night, to find some unknown thing above me. I scoured what I could see of the tree, my body buzzing with electricity. 

I focused on a dip in a large branch, a shadow having caught my attention. I stood transfixed as the pull gained traction, almost yanking me off my feet. 

I shook my head vigorously, trying to break whatever spell I’d been under. Sending one last curious glance up at the shadowy spot in the tree, I turned and headed for the bathroom. 

*******

The training area was filled with Fae. 

Sleek muscles of varying shades surrounded me, ranging from iridescent green to deep royal purple. 

Ash stood in front of the large gathering of Fae warriors, giving instructions and directing them through training. He finished up giving orders and turned to me, the wide grin on his face making my anxiety spike. 

“Now, let’s find you a partner.” I raised my eyebrows at him as he stroked his chin, looking at the Fae around us. 

He pointed out a lean woman towards the back corner of the field training on her own.

“That’s it! I’ll pair you with Tifa. Come on.” He grabbed my arm and tugged me in her direction. 

As we approached, I took the time to study the slender woman. She was shorter than the others, maybe a couple inches shy of five feet tall, but she was fast. She was wielding two daggers, flowing through the motions so fluidly she was almost a blur. 

We stopped a few feet away from her, continuing to watch as she went through her motions. Ash cleared his throat loudly, causing her to jump. She looked over to us with an awkward smile, her radiant green eyes flashing in the golden light.

“Oh, uh, hi captain.” She brushed a dainty hand through her short curls. 

Ash gave me a mischievous look, turning towards her with the same expression. 

“Tifa, meet your new training partner, Arya.” 

Her eyes shifted over to me, giving me a once over. A curious look came over her as her gaze settled on my clothing, her brows raising. She turned to Ash, her mouth open in question, but he raised a hand to stop her. 

“She’s not going to be working on physical training with you. I want you to help her work on her magic.” 

Tifa’s brows raised even higher, almost comically. 

“She’s uh… new.” He added, giving her a half grin. 

“What do you mean new?” Her eyes slid towards me again, the curiosity on her face becoming more apparent.

“We don’t know what her powers are.” Ash said flatly, running a hand through his dark hair. 

Tifa’s mouth dropped open, gaping at him. I blushed furiously, suddenly aware of my own strangeness. 

“Okay… so this is a joke, right? How does a high Fae not know what their powers are?” She shifted on her feet slightly, sheathing her daggers. 

“You’ll have to ask her yourself, but you’re our strongest magic wielder. I know you’ll be able to handle it.” He nodded and turned before she could argue, making his way back across the field.

Tifa turned to me with a sigh, giving me an awkward smile once again. 

“He can be a d**k, huh?” 

Her words broke the tension, eliciting a startled laugh from me. 

“Yeah, he really can.” 

“Well let’s do this then. Don’t want to piss off old grumpy.” She held out a cupped hand in front of her, bright orange flame springing up from the center. 

“Besides, he’s not wrong about one thing, I am the best magic wielder here.” 

******

After the initial introduction, Tifa’s demeanor changed. She was actually extremely easy to talk to, and work with. As I explained to her the events that had happened over the past few weeks, she sat in stunned silence, hanging on my every word like a lifeline. When I’d finished detailing my harrowing tale, she’d given me a friendly hug and led me to a more secluded part of the field.

“Alright, we’re going to try and reach your magic.” She sat down on the plush grass, crossing her legs in front of her as she gestured for me to join. I plopped down on the grass in front of her, copying her position.

She reached out and grabbed my hand suddenly, drawing my gaze to her own. 

“If you can’t do it at first, it’s okay. You’ve had a traumatic experience and your magic may still be blocked. Don’t be too hard on yourself, okay?” I nodded at her words, taking in a deep breath.

“I’ll be okay. Let’s do this.”

She dropped my hand, instructing me to close my eyes and focus. 

“Deep breaths Arya, try and feel for it. Clear your mind.”

I took in a few deep breaths as instructed, but my mind continued to wander. I was restless from the stress of the last few weeks, all the information that had been forced upon me racing through my thoughts. My parents, Ash, Aideon, being in an entirely new world. 

I could feel the weight of it all crushing down on me, the speed of my breath picking up. I was hyperventilating, unable to keep myself together. 

I felt a steady hand on my shoulder, opening my eyes to find Tifa’s in front of my own. 

“Calm down Arya, I’m here.” I struggled to reign in my frantic breaths, her soothing voice relaxing me. 

“If you’re overwhelmed, it may help to sort through each thought and put it to the side. Focus on the now.” I nodded, closing my eyes once again, my breathing returning to normal as she guided me. 

I went through each thought carefully, filing them away as I went. There was nothing I could do for my parents at the moment, so I envisioned myself folding the thought up like a piece of paper and stuffing it in a filing cabinet. Ash was a slew of problems on his own. I wasn’t sure how to feel about his constant mood swings and self depreciation, but that was something I’d have to deal with later. I filed that away too, arriving to the next thing on my list.

Aideon. I had no idea what to do with the Fae prince. He was handsome and bold, but mysterious and strange. I decidedly placed the thought of him on a shelf above the cabinet in the little office I’d created in my mind, the thought of shoving him in the cabinet making me uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure why, but it felt right.

The final issue, being stuck here, puzzled me. I wasn’t unhappy here, everyone had been kind to me since I’d arrived. I did miss my home, but in a way, I felt at home here too. This was my true home, a place I hadn’t known existed. 

Instead of storing this thought like the others, I decided to face it head on. This was something I was going to have to live with whether I liked it or not. 

This world exists, it was a part of me as much as I was a part of it. 

With that thought in mind, I envisioned holding it up and lighting it ablaze. I watched as it crumbled into nothingness, feeling suddenly free.

The room I’d conjured up vanished, leaving me in an expanse of pitch black. I wandered through it, searching for the magic I’d been promised. 

A trail of white smoke appeared before me, it’s tendrils reaching up to caress my face tenderly. I followed the trail until I reached a solid glass orb. Reaching out a hand, I touched its surface gingerly, the warmth of it radiating through my entire body. 

I pushed gently, its surface giving a little at my touch. 

A sudden pang of fear hit me, causing me to turn away from the ethereal orb and scan my surroundings. It was pitch black all around, but my senses were picking up a feeling of wrongness. 

I heard a voice in my mind then, the familiarity forcing me to shudder. 

“You’ll never find them.” Menacing red eyes bored into my own. 

I let out a piercing scream, falling backwards into the ball of magic behind me. 

“Arya!” 

My name was being called from somewhere, but I couldn’t seem to find it. All I knew was pain, anger, frustration. I was engulfed in flame, in ice, in water. It felt as if all the elements were forcing themselves into my soul, my mind unable to comprehend what was happening. 

I could hear screams around me, a male voice telling someone to contain me. 

“You’ll never find them…” A voice repeated monotonously, the red eyes returning to my vision. 

I felt a well of energy hit me, and I forced it in the direction of those eyes. 

Darkness crowded my vision as the earth gave a resounding shake, screams once again echoing around me. 

The ground came up to meet me as I fell into darkness.