After helping First clean her wound and change her bandage, she went to sleep on my bed. I left the room and went into the public bathroom and looked in the mirror. blood stained my nose and chin, there were cut and bruises all over my face. both of my eyes were black and the left one was swollen shut and the right one was bloodshot and bleeding around the iris. there was a crescent shaped laceration on my where my right cheek bone would be. my hair had mud caked on it. I flexed my right wrist testing the bone that was broken.
" that Shimmer of hers worked wonders, I've never seen a bone be healed in twenty seconds." but if she can heal so well, how did she get hurt? and why haven't she healed herself? I wet a washrag and started wiping my face clean. the blood and water dirtied the water turning it a reddish brown. after I got my face clean I took off the dirty clothes and put them in a potable washer next to the sink. I walked in the sanitation tube and started the rinse cycle. the water washed all the dirt and grim off my skin. once the rinse cycle ended I started the sanitizer. the stinging of the cuts on me caused me to cringe. after cleaning myself, I put on a white t-shirt and gray sweats. then I grabbed some medical glue from the cabinet behind the mirror and closed the laceration after cleaning it again I put a bandage over it just incase it opened. when I exited the bathroom I noticed that First had fallen to sleep on my bed. I'm surprised she agreed to teach me how to use Shimmer, maybe I could become a ascended with it. she did say it was possible to control atoms with it. I pulled out a second pillow and covers and laid down on the floor. a few minutes later I drifted off to sleep. Me and my squad stealthily maneuvered through the forest, the Drat we were hunting was picking us off all month. I raised my fist and everyone stopped. I pointed at a tree and everyone took aim. I counted down with my fingers. three, two, one. we all open fired at the target with our kinetic rifles. the Drat move quickly weaving through our net of bullets. once it got to the closest soldat, it changed into its beast form the Draten are known for. It looked like a praying mantis mixed with a horse. it sent him flying with it's scythe like arm. he hit a tree with a wet thud. he fell to the ground. we all started shooting it but our bullets bounced off its shell harmlessly. it raised its hoofs and smashed the visor of the soldat next to me, they didn't move after that. it turned around and kicked me in the chest sending me flying into a tree. I felt intense pain in my back and could only watch as it grabbed and ate my last squad mate alive. once it was finished it turned to my direction. it walk slowly it twisted maw grinning. I tried to get up but my body wouldn't move. it swung it's raptorial at my neck. I woke up in a cold sweat, I grabbed at my neck and realized that what happen wasn't real.
" It was just a nightmare " I sighed in relief. I looked up at my bed to see if I had woken First up. the bed was empty, I jumped up in a panic. did she change her mind? Did she think I wouldn't be able to help her? as my mind filled with doubt I noticed a pale glow. I looked down on the ground and there was a trail of glowing footprints leading out of my apartment. it led out of the apartment building and into the garden next to it. I followed the trail and found her in the middle of a field of red spider lilies dancing. as she spun the flowers seemed to dance with her. Her dance seemed to be of anguish and despondency, her hands reaching for the sky appeared to be guiding the starlight, shaping it into white rose petals dancing around her. it was as if the entire world went gray and the only thing I could feel were despair. she was lamenting, I didn't know the object of her mourning but her melancholy spread into everything around her. it was unnatural, it was ethereal. it felt like I was under her spell for a eternity. she kept dancing, spinning until she was rid of her sorrow and when she stopped, the spider lilies turned white. I didn't realize it until now but I was crying, the tears fell uncontrollably. by then she had saw me. " Was it I who woke you child?" I shook my head,
" No you're not a fault." she went silent after that. " what was that?" I asked
" A way to regenerate Shimmer, I usually do it alone since my intent spills out while I do it" she came closer as she spoke and she smiled softly as she flicked my forehead " you shouldn't spy on others " she started walking back to the apartment building after that " goodnight! " she said cheerfully "g'night" I muttered softly. The next day I was woken up by a call on my holowatch. I stretched and rose off the floor. "who is calling me this early in the morning?" I went into the public bathroom and brushed my teeth and changed the bandage on my cheek. the swelling in my eye went down enough for me to see out of it. I walked back into my room got dressed in a long sleeve blue shirt and some jeans and checked who was calling me. It was the dean of the primary school I was in, what was this about, he never calls randomly. I answer the call and a tall man with graying black hair and purple eyes appeared in a hologram. He was Marius's father and ascended as well. " I greet Lucent Orin." I raised my hand in a salute. he continued to look at the paperwork on his desk. " Index 1427, Lafayette. son to a deceased father and a adulterous mother. I ask you, what authority does your parents give that allows your behavior?" he continued staring at his work. " Radiant Menelaus has claimed that you assaulted his son without cause. he wants this slight again him punished immediately. your rebellious actions against those with privilege amused me, I respected your will to fight against what you considered unfair. but you have forgotten your place." he looked me in the eyes now. " Your actions has caused my superiors to come to my school and question my authority. I no longer feel the need to tolerate your outbursts. they want to press charges, sue you for all your worth. but you're worth nothing. you attacked a aspiring ascended candidate. you made him bleed. and from what I can see he's had his revenge. You have been a great student while you were here but you will no longer be welcomed at Northridge. this is the last time I protect you Lafayette, you're expelled. Marius will return your belongings to your apartment. do you understand?" I nodded slowly " he sighed after that
" Faye, I hope the sovereign's mercy finds you on the frontier, soldat" he hung up after that. I sat on my bed in silence. that bastard Ajax snitched! First woke up after that. she stretched and yawned. she turned to me
" is there any food? " no but I can order some" she shook her head and summoned a apple from white sparks. as she ate, she ask a question.
"who was that?" " well he used to be my dean" she nodded. " now that I'm expelled I'll need to look for another job"
the school was paying for the apartment and now that I was out they wouldn't be paying anymore and the job I did have wouldn't pay enough to afford both my bills and rent. As I debated on how I was going to get another job First walked to me and placed something in my hand. I look down to see what she gave me. "what?" it was a 100 unit coin. "where did you get this?" she shrugged "I made it, I did some reading with your wrist device last night about this nation. and it seemed like money is important to you right?" the problem of money was no longer a problem. "thank you" I say quietly. The next thing on my mind was what I would do for the four years before university not that I was kicked out of school. As I was thinking First simply watch me. "Hey First, about our deal. how do I go about learning Shimmer?" She stood up off my bed and spoke "we should let you heal before getting into training" she gestured me closer and as I walk to her she put one hand on my forehead and the other on my stomach. she began flowing Shimmer from one hand to the other healing my wounds. after she was finish she spoke. " now, in order to learn shimmer you need to have complete control over your body. in other words you're too physically weak to learn Shimmer right now so you need to train your body first" I stared for a while. "you said I'm too weak?" she giggled and nodded "yup! don't worry though I'll fix that". she seemed confident.
" have you taught someone before?" I asked "nope" she said energetically. " but it shouldn't be that hard." I didn't know how I felt about that. "Could you do it in four years?" she shrugged her shoulders "maybe, why so fast?"
"You remember how I said I would become cannon fodder?" she nodded. "well that happens in four years, luckily I'll be free to train those four years." It seemed that being expelled was a good thing for me.
"Ok then! we will start with improving your strength first" I followed her as she walked outside to the parking lot. it was empty since I was the only one who live in the the building. she summoned dumbbells and weights and added a bench-press machine. I sat on the machine and rolled my sleeves back. I grinned "lets get to it".
A week later I was sitting on the parking lot floor sore from head to toe. "get up!" First demanded "you still have five sets left" I looked up at her. " You're a monster!" "Aw don't make me blush, now get up and finish your workout or I'll add another ten sets!" I wanted to cry, she had me lifting 120 pound weights 12 hours a day and healing me when I ran out of energy. I got up and continue my leg workout. after I was done I laid on the floor sweating. my shirt was drenched with it. First looked down on me clenching her nose. " clean yourself up, you stink." I dragged myself of of the ground and started walking to the public bathroom. "tomorrow is stamina training, so enjoy your break because I'm going to work you to the bone!" she yelled as I walked away. it's as if she love seeing me suffer. I got in the sanitation tube and started the rinse cycle. as much as I complained, I can feel myself getting stronger. First appeared to be healthier as well, although for some reason her wound still haven't healed any. I'm a little concern but she doesn't seem worried. every other night I catch her in that same flower field dancing, I think that there is more to it than regenerating Shimmer but I don't want to pry. A month later First increased the weight of the dumbbells to 240. she somehow increased the density to do it. I've been gaining muscle, as I looked in the mirror I realized that I was no longer the scrawny kid that was being bullied, instead I looked quite handsome if I do say myself. I even had a six pack now! the only blemish was the crescent scar on my left cheek. First thought healing scars were a waste of energy. First seem proud of her teaching, smiling brightly when ever I finished a workout without quitting. one day after I finished my workout she walked in front of me. " You gained nearly double the strength you had before you started training and you're getting used to the new weight as well. I'll be moving you along to the next part of your training." I was ecstatic "really? what's that?" She gave the biggest smile I ever seen her make. "sparring".