Being a Collection of Short Tamora Pierce Fanfics (Mostly One Shots)

In Which the Gifted Meet Each Other

AN: so, yep, another continuation on that AU. Anything modern, and that's pretty much where I'll be going all month.

Nova was curled around her shoulder as Alison pulled up to where the palace used to be. They had long moved it to another, smaller building, but at the moment they had converted it to teach and study the Gifted children. A man wearing a uniform with the same crest as the notice she had received approached her.
"Ms...." He checked his clipboard. "Olau?" She nodded.
"Yes, that's me." He nodded.
"Good. Come with me please." She followed him down the halls, her bag in hand. "The others are all here and settled. I'll show you to your room and then to the common room where they are." She nodded. He came to a hallway, opening the door. "This is yours. You may set your things down, and I'll show you to the common room." She entered the room, setting her bags down on the bed, and the man turned around and walked out. "This way please."

Her guide deposited her outside the common room, walking off. Alison opened the door, and Nova wrapped his tail around her neck like a fluffy scarf. There were five other teens in the room, and they all turned to look at her. Two boys and a girl were on the floor near the window, painting with watercolors. Another girl, looking to be of Yamani descent, was curled up in an armchair reading. A third boy had been sitting on the sofa, but when she entered, he stood to walk over to her.
"Hey, you must be our sixth. I'm Patrick."
"Alison." He smiled.
"Nice to meet you. As far as we know, this is it. Gemma Naxen, Jason Contè-not that Contè-, and Sam Tasride are over there with the painting. In that chair over there..." his face got colder as he continued, "is Yuna Queenscove." Yuna, having overheard, curled tighter in a ball, as Alison realized. She was the reason they were here. Gemma looked over.
"There's room for you too-oh you have a cat!" Alison smiled.
"This is Nova. I tried to leave him at home, but he insisted." Gemma grinned.
"Well he's gorgeous. And he's got the same color eyes as you! You know, the Lioness was said to have a cat just like him. According to the legends," she stood, going over to offer Nova her hand to sniff, which he did, "he was actually the constellation the Cat, sent down by the Great Mother Goddess to aid her in her journey to become a female knight." Nova meowed, impressed with the attention, but not so much with the story. Alison laughed.
"He's always been very opinionated. I wouldn't be surprised if he were a constellation." The boys stood up to come over and say hi, and soon all five of them-Yuna stayed where she was-were chattering happily.

The next morning, they were all herded into a classroom. In front of them was a man, who introduced himself as Lance Reed.
"Good morning children. As far as we know, you are the only 6 people to have been found with magic in centuries." Patrick looked uncomfortable, but Reed didn't notice. "We have brought you here to train you, and to eventually, we hope, find out how this is happening and what it means." Jason, in the front, frowned.
"Be honest with us. Does my cousin want a Gifted army? Our alliances are fairly strong, but Tusaine has been nibbling at Tyra, and we've had issues with them in the past. How willing do you think we'll all be to fight?" Mr. Reed looked taken aback.
"I assure you, military participation is not part of the plan." Patrick glowered.
"What about treating us like lab rats?" He sighed.
"That is not the plan. Yet. Yes, we would like to take a blood sample, but we won't force you to. At the moment, it is mostly about teaching you to use your powers. Untrained Gifted children were well known for having accidents." Patrick scoffed, clearly skeptical, as Mr. Reed started their first lesson.

Their third night there, Alison couldn't sleep. Grabbing a flashlight, she crept down to the library, figuring she'd find herself a book, Nova at her heels. Yuna was already there at the desk, reading. She'd been quiet and avoiding the others the whole time. She looked up when Alison came in.
"Hi." Alison sighed.
"Hey. Sorry, couldn't sleep, figured I'd find something to read."
"No, Alison, it's alright. If...if you want I'll leave." Alison shook her head.
"It's okay. I don't mind." She paused. "I don't hate you, you know. I don't blame you for wanting to get training." Yuna gave her a tiny smile.
"That...means a lot. Thanks." She got quiet. "I...I did it because of what he said. There...was an accident. A bad one." Alison softened.
"Oh. Yuna, I'm so sorry." She sat on the desk. "But hey, we're here now. We're getting training. It'll be okay." Yuna smiled, and the door burst open. It was Sam. He grinned at them both.
"You guys have got to see this."

'This' was a hidden tunnel, leading to what Jason-who'd been dragged along-said had once been a courtyard. There was a statue in the middle of it. The writing at the bottom said it was of Jonathan IV of Contè. Gemma grinned, pulling out a permanent marker, and Sam lit up at the sight of it.
"Yessssss! Let's do it! What say you, Jason? Since you're the most closely related?" Jason shook his head, chuckling.
"I'm not going to stop y'all." The five immediately took to 'decorating' the statue, covering it in Sharpie. When they were finished, they stood back to admire their work. The statue now had a mustache, monocle, unibrow, and several messages from the artists. Gemma stuck the marker back in her bag.
"That was fun. So, if you guys don't mind me asking, what all can who do? So far, I can light fires, and I can see in the fire." Sam shrugged.
"I can do light, mostly. Little healing." Alison nodded, having sat on the statue's base.
"I can heal, as well as light, and I have the Sight." Jason leaned against the statue.
"Mostly combat magic. Hurling bolts of it. That's why I was worried about military applications. But of course this is just what comes naturally to us. We'll get more training later. What about you, Queenscove?" Yuna had hung back, trying to separate herself. She looked up at his question.
"I...mostly I can summon water. I should be able to heal, but I haven't mastered it yet." Before the others could respond, the sky chose that moment to start pouring. The five immediately rushed inside.
Once inside, none of them wanted to go to bed just yet, so all six of them-once Patrick poked his head in-holes up in Jason's room. They laughed and joked and told stories all night, and Alison relaxed for the first time she had left home. These kids, she realized, were just like her.

AN part two: anyone with a speaking role is mine. Like I said, just taking derivatives from her work.