Crossing Fates : Special Story 3 - The Bean Starts School (BakuDeku)

11 - The Three Of Them

Dad glanced around the library, but instead of pointing out that the room was already empty except for them, after a moment he said, "Let's go for a walk."

Iori swallowed and nodded.

They went outside.

The sun had just set behind the nearby mountains, but it was still hot and plenty light enough. Overhead, the sky was streaked with rainbow colors.

It would be a good evening to go flying, except Iori didn't feel like it.

Dad led him to the path that went to the lake, and soon they walked along the beach toward the half-completed office complex.

It was the one place where Mom never went to anymore.

Iori darted a thoughtful, uncertain glance up at Dad's face.

While it was impossible to read Dad's expression, he felt pretty sure Dad hadn't picked the location by accident.

He said, experimentally, "I like the lake."

"I do too," said Dad.

Stopping at a stack of concrete blocks, he sat on the edge of the pile and stretched his long legs out. He gave Iori a sidelong smile.

"Don't worry, Mom will get over it. I think he'll come down here a lot once the building is completed and people move in. He doesn't let much hold him down, you know."

Iori nodded and turned to look out over the water which reflected the rainbow colors in the sky.

The lake blurred as his eyes filled, and his mouth wobbled as he asked, "Am I bad?"

In a very quiet voice, Dad asked, "Now, why would you think to ask such a thing?"

Squatting, he picked up a stick to poke at the ground, mostly to hide the fact that his tears had spilled over.

"Last Sunday, when I was playing Spy Nyr, I heard you and Mom talking about how I needed school, so I could learn how to control myself."

Dad stayed silent a moment. He said, "We were on the balcony. Where were you?"

"I climbed up to the beams u-underneath."

From the corner of his eye, he watched as Dad closed his eyes briefly and said to himself, "I didn't sense a damned thing."

He guessed that meant he'd gotten pretty good at his cloaking spell.

Ducking his head, he said, "There were some bad boys at school on my first day. I made one of them cry, and I scared the other one pretty good. And I meant to. I... liked it. Oh- also, I can breathe fire. Watch."

Holding the stick in front of his lips, he concentrated on pulling on his Power as he hissed.

Heat boiled out of his mouth, along with a lick of flame, and the stick caught fire.

"That's something, that is," said Dad in a soft voice. "Can you put it out?"

"Sure," he started to bury it in the dirt between his feet.

Dad took him gently by the wrist to stop him. "No, not that way. Try to put it out with your mind."

Iori looked at him uncertainly then focused on the stick. After a few moments, he said, "I don't think I can do that."

"That's okay, maybe you can't do it YET, but I'm sure you will be able to. We'll practice at it."

Dad passed his hand over the stick and the tiny flame died down.

"Okay, first things first. Come here."

As Iori stood up, Dad did something he didn't often do anymore.