This oneshot is... idk what it is. It was originally supposed to be a Marellinh oneshot, but somehow it became...well you'll see.
Marella sighed. "Why did I decide to train again?"
Linh shrugged, and dried herself, gathering all the water into a whip-like shape, that snaked around her. It sounded weird but looked really cool. Marella wished she were a Hydrokinetic like Linh. That would be way better than being... this. An outcast, having to hide their talent, never being able to show who she really was.
They were in training, with Fintan. Marella had to control the fire, her fire. So a few days a week, she would visit Fintan, and he'd train her. At first, it was just holding the power back, but soon Fintan had asked her if she wanted to learn to actually use it.
Everyone had thought it was a bad idea. Sophie had told her that it was dangerous. Keefe had worried about Fintan. Even Mr. Forkle was against the idea.
Marella had said yes.
Like it or not, the fire was a part of her, and she had to use it. And even though she didn't admit it, it was also because she felt like rebelling against the unfair rules that controlled her. If Guster could learn to gust, and Vanishers could learn to vanish, she was going to learn how to use her fire, as an asset.
So that was how she found herself training with Fintan learning to use fire as a weapon, as a tool. Different kinds of fire, red and violet and yellow. But it was a slow process. The first day, she was supposed to surround herself in fire, but she filled the entire room with hot white flames.
Fintan had explained. She had to calm herself down, stop the flames within her if she wanted to use the fire correctly. Instead of being a hot fireball, she had to be a calm pond.
So now, she, a Pyrokinetic, had to become a pond.
According to Fintan anyway.
Marella had tried, unsuccessfully, to squash down the constant whirl of angry thoughts, snide remarks, rebellious wishes, but she couldn't. Not completely.
Then Linh offered to help.
Somehow, being around the peaceful hydrokinetic, so different from Marella, calmed down the firestorm in her. The blazes were more controlled, going only where Marella wanted them to go.
Most of the time.
There were a few exceptions. But a few splashes of Linh's water and the fire was put out. Training restarted.
After a while, Linh and Marella had wondered if there was a way to combine their powers. Mr. Forkle had been hesitant claiming that it was dangerous, and anyway, why would you want to do that?
But Linh had used her incredible persuasive skills and Mr. Forkle had agreed.
Fintan had been especially supportive. He may be a murderer and a terrorist, but he was a pretty good teacher. He expected Marella and Linh to be able to handle it, and that was one of the reasons they were making fast progress. They had breaks, and sometimes Fintan would let down his shield. It was usually only a sad look or a proud glimpse of a smile, but it showed the other side of Fintan.
Plus, he made a delicious human treat, called smores, that Marella was pretty sure was better than mallowmelt. (Sophie had almost fainted when she heard)
"Are you ready?"
Fintan's voice interrupted the break, and Marella got up, ready to resume training. Next to her, Linh did the same.
Fintan said, "You know what to do."
They got to work.
Linh created a small sphere of water. Marella surrounded it in a shield of hot fire, a special kind that Fintan thought would work well. They looked at each other and simultaneously sent it hurtling toward a target.
Marella strained to keep the fire perfectly outside the water, not evaporating it or anything. Next to her, Linh did the same. But Marella couldn't keep track of it, and the fire smashed into the water, turning everything into a steaming mess.
"Oh well," Fintan sighed as Linh put out a few sparks of fire, "Let's try again. Remember to watch the fireball at all times."
"But it's so bright! I get blinded each time I look at it!"
Fintan just shook his head. "That's your excuse?"
Marella frowned and created another ball of fire. "Let's try with water on the outside."
Linh nodded and moved water to go around the ball. Steam rose, and they flung the sphere at the target. But the fire was the only thing that hit the target. The water had evaporated, even though the fire wasn't supposed to that. Marella was getting frustrated. They'd been doing this for weeks, and it just wouldn't work.
Linh quickly put the fire out again, dousing the white and yellow flames in water. The target was already damaged though, so Fintan replaced it.
"Let's try something else."
Marella immediately shook her head. "We have to do this." They needed to perfect this technique, so they could use it against the Neverseen. But Fintan couldn't know that.
Fintan sighed. "You're going to use this against the Neverseen aren't you?"
So that didn't work.
Linh tried to make an excuse. "No. We got news of a bunch of rebel trolls and ogres that might try to attack us. We could use this technique against them."
Fintan shook his head. "And if that's true after you'll use it against the Neverseen. So save your excuses."
Linh nodded, looking at a little embarrassed. Marella immediately got defensive. "So what if we're going against the Neverseen? Newsflash, they're the bad guys."
Fintan started laughing. He laughed so hard he could barely breathe. Linh walked toward him, tentatively, wondering what was wrong. Fintan finally caught his breath and said, "So you think they're the bad guys?"
Marella noticed he said 'they're'. Not 'we're'.
"The Neverseen wasn't supposed to be this," Fintan said darkly.
Linh looked curious, and she asked, "What was it supposed to be?"
Fintan had a spark in his eyes, making Marella a little more wary of him. He hadn't shown any signs of wanting to escape or being the crazed elf he was before, but she still couldn't trust him. And he was still dangerous.
Fintan shrugged, and the spark disappeared. He looked completely harmless, just a helpless man. No powers, no secrets. No dark past.
"Let's continue," he said, successfully changing the topic.
Marella crossed her arms. "You don't just say something mysterious and then continue on like life is normal."
"Well, I do."
Marella was about to protest, but Linh just said, "Can I ask just one question?"
Fintan softened, looking at Linh. "It matters on the question."
"Would you rejoin the Neverseen if you had a choice?"
The question startled them all. Fintan's eyes widened, and he shrugged. Again. "Maybe."
So it wasn't a yes. But it wasn't a no. Fine.
Fintan spread his arms wide and asked, "So now can we continue?"
"Fine."
