Twins Fay and Flora Landoff are both Gifted. They were born with extraordinary powers that have yet to develop fully. To develop them quicker, Fay and Flora are sent to Gift, the academy for the Gifted. They find it fun and exciting at first, but it...
"So, the Shifters did really want to help the Gifted but got confused?" Flora asks, a look of amazement on her face. Alison nods her head, looking pretty professional for a seventeen-year old.
And for a professional, she looks sincerely sorry.
"Us Shifters apologize for the attacks. We want to help the Gifted in the war, and so do the Winged. The Flairs on the other hand-" Alison starts, but I quickly cut her off. I know it's probably not a good idea to interrupt a deadly shape-shifter, but I'm confused, as I usually am.
"I'm sorry, Winged? Flairs?" I ask, rethinking back to my classes, but those words don't ring any bells. All I can think of is birds and flare guns, but I doubt that's right.
"Yes, the Winged and the Flairs. You know what they are, right?" Alison asks, looking between Flora and I curiously. Both Flora and I shake our heads, and Alison nods.
"The Gifted leaders wanted to wait until the other Gifted can hear before telling anyone else. It's better if I let them tell you instead. Anyways, how is Jonathan?" Alison asks, another name I don't recognize.
"Who?" Flora questions, and she looks just as confused as I feel. Not from the unknown name, but from the people that Alison mentioned. Who are the Winged and the Flairs? She said that the Winged wanted to help, but the Flairs on the other hand...I don't want to know what that means. Is there really something else out there? Then again, the Shifters appeared randomly and they turned out to have been around for a while, just as long as the Gifted and Extras. It shouldn't be too surprising that something else is out there.
"Jonathan Hernandez. He was almost killed by one of us Shifters during the last battle. How is he?" Alison repeats, and I know I should be wondering how Alison knows our teacher, or why she's so concerned about him, but the only question that comes to my mind is; Mr. Hernandezs' first name is Jonathan?
"He's fine, he just got out of the infirmary today," Flora answers, snapping me out of my thoughts. "How do you know him?"
"Our parents were old friends. We've tried to keep in touch, but it's hard to while the war's going on," Alison replies, and I nod my head in agreement. I remember all those times where I so badly wanted to talk to Fay; to just sit and talk to her, to get closer to her, but the war- the Extras, the Shifters, the other Gifted- always somehow got in the way.
"I have a question," I start. "Why did that Shifter attack M- Jonathan in the first place?" I am never going to get used to calling Mr. Hernandez 'Jonathan'.
"It's an old family rivalry, he doesn't like to talk about it," Alison answers, and I realize that I truly don't know anything about Mr. Hernandez. I don't even know his favorite color (though it's probably blue, what with him being a water Gifted).
"Now, all we need is for you two to go back to Gift Academy and inform all the other Gifted that the Shifters want to help. The other Shifters don't want me in your school in case of an ambush, but you two will be fine," Alison informs us, still standing tall and confident. How? I can barely stand on my own two feet.
"What if they don't believe us?" Flora asks, but Alison shakes her head.
"You're a leader, Flora Landoff. They will trust you."
That part I have to agree on. Flora never says it, and usually even denies it, but she's a natural-born leader. I'm proud to have her as a Gifted.
You're also proud to have her as a way to get closer to her twin sister.
Shut up, brain.
I focus my attention back to Alison and Flora, who are staring each other in the eye. I feel a little awkward just standing there, so I subtly cough to get their attention back. Okay, it's not very subtle, but it's a cough and it worked. The two look back at me and seem to shake out of their silent 'leader agreement' daze.
"Okay, we'll do that. Thank you, Alison. The Gifted owe the Shifters," Flora finishes. Alison nods her head in response, but before Flora can turn to start walking back to Gift Academy, Alison calls to her again.
"Before you leave, take this." Alison takes something out of her pocket- a silver chain necklace, with a symbol that looks like this on it;
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Flora takes the necklace from Alisons hand, a slightly puzzled look on her face.
"It's the symbol of the Shifters. Keep it, to remind yourself where you belong, and who your allies and friends are."
Flora looks back up at Alison, a now grateful look on her face. A small smile tugs at the edges of her lips as she puts the necklace around her neck and clips it on.
"Thank you, Alison. We'll hopefully see you soon." Are the last words Flora says to Alison before we turn around and head back to Gift Academy. A few feet down the road, I turn around and spot a light gray and brown eagle soaring overhead, quickly flying off somewhere, and I know that Alison is also leaving the destroyed town. The sky is completely dark and clear except for the half moon shining overhead, which I realize is our only source of light as we walk down the deserted road. I light a small flame in my hand, which illuminates the path around us.
"That went way better than what I expected," I tell Flora. When she doesn't respond, I look over at her and she's examining the new necklace around her neck. She has an odd look on her face, and I realize that she has had that look a lot of times- but I can never guess what it is.
"Are you okay?" I ask, though I doubt anyone at Gift is at this point. She silently nods her head and takes a deep breath, looking ahead and dropping the charm, letting the necklace rest on her chest. That rhymed. I'm a poet now.
"I'm fine. It's just...complicated," Flora answers, and her eyes have a misty, far-away look in them. Like she's here, walking beside me back to Gift Academy, but her mind is completely elsewhere. I wonder what she's thinking about.
I don't want to push her. After all, she has water and I have fire. I don't want to get her annoyed with me right now, no matter how annoying I can be.
So, I drop it and continue forward, trying to clear my mind of the war. I'm especially trying to clear my mind of what Alison said about the Winged and the Flairs. Who are they? What are they?
She also said that the 'leaders' of the Gifted know who they are. By 'leaders', she must obviously mean the teachers.
