The Unified Soul

I Understand

Airis sat in her room, staring at the charm of her mother's staff and wondering when she should use it. After all, she hasn't had very much practice with her mother's staff, and it can't stay as a charm forever if she was going to be a full-fledged Mage one day.

"Perhaps you should ask Lucinda for help." The voice said, "She is a magic user as well."

"I know she is, but Auntie Lucinda is a witch, not a Mage. This kind of magic is something that no one understands, no one outside the Aine family anyway."

"Yes, I understand that, but Lucinda could at least help you learn to harness your magic through the staff. After all, there is only so much I can do until the time comes for it to happen."

Airis sighed, knowing that the voice was right, but could she really talk to Lucinda about this sort of thing? A Mage to a witch? People weren't even supposed to know that Mages were real, much less one being a seven-year-old girl walking around Starlight Wonderland with a powerful staff in her grasp.

Just then, Aphmau opened the door to her room, stealing Airis' attention from her thoughts.

"Airis, have you seen Aaron?" Aphmau said.

"Papa? Nope, I haven't seen him." 

"Well, would you like to help me look for him? There's something I wanted to talk to the both of you about."

"Okay!" Airis hopped off her bed and took Aphmau's hand before running off to find Aaron. As they searched, they bumped into Kim, although from the look in her eyes, it would better to say that they ran into Ghost/Kim.

"Have you seen Zane?" Ghost/Kim asked in a rush.

"No." The two answered.

"Ugh! Neither of you are any help! Fine, I'll find him myself." Ghost/Kim ran off in a huff and the two continued looking for Aaron.

They wandered down the hall of the ship when they heard Derek and Rachel talking. Aphmau pulled Airis into a corner near the room and began listening.

"What?!" Derek shouted angrily.

"It's exactly as I said. They were discriminated against, and even Airis was there to witness it." Rachel answered.

"Hold up! Here? In Starlight? I think you heard wrong."

Rachel sighed, "No, you didn't hear me wrong. Aaron, Airis and the pack were going to a restaurant in the park. When Aaron asked to be seated, they were denied due to the fact that they were werewolves."

Aphmau's eyes widened, "They what?" She whispered and looked down at her daughter. Airis' attention met her feet, which gave Aphmau the answer she needed. 

"That's just.... disgusting!" Derek exclaimed.

"You don't have to tell me twice."

"I'm going to get in contact with the park and make sure that this issue is addressed. If they do that to werewolves, then that won't stop them from doing it to others."

"I understand, and I am fully supportive."

"Was that Aaron's first time dealing with something of... that nature? What about Airis?"

"Hmm, I'm not so sure." Rachel answered, "Aaron did have issues in high school being singled-out for how he looked, especially from all the cuts and bruises he got from fights."

"Hmm, he would bring it up if it bothered him. What about Airis then?"

"I'm not so sure about her any more than I'm sure about Aaron. But, from what I heard from Aaron, it seemed like she was physically and mentally hurt because of the fact that she's a werewolf."