Reaching Salvation: Post-Acer Part 6

"Well I'm glad you don't. Maybe someday I'll manage it," Tom replied darkly. Did Eithne really think Tom would be cool with what the Scot had done to him?

-------

Luke began to burn from overuse of his Flow. Not only was he experiencing the adult-level changeover all at once, he was mentally a wreck and found it incredibly hard to control his Flow. He was lacking in confidence and courage, and he just couldn't seem to do it like he used to.

"I-I can't, it's too much," he gasped harshly.

Nathan opened up Empathy and immediately was assaulted by emotion. But he didn't dwell on this long. With a massive wave of power he ushered calm and confidence upon his friend. It was billowing forth at such power that waves of it began to be felt in both the villages.

---

Eithne nodded before flash stepping away. He felt the calm and frowned.

Tom leaned against a wall, wondering whether Eithne should be forgiven. He also wondered where he was going to stay. There was a place for him in both villages, after all, and the majority of people in the Illuminati were decent people he got along well enough with. Ugh, too many heavy decisions for his first day back. He needed a drink.

--------

Luke began to calm down, though Nathan would be able to feel Luke's own confused and haphazard thoughts when he used Empathy. The nan had never really recovered from the trauma inflicted on him. As he began to regain control, however, the flames began to shrink back into him, until it was just a fireball in his hand. He was glowing red with the glow of Flow, and finally he was registering on the power scale, instead of just being a broken and weak presence.

"I-i can try..." Sage mumbled as she lead Joey back to her house, keeping an eye out just in case anyone threw a stick or something at her.

As Luke gained control, Nathan stopped inflicting calm and fell to his knees. Luke could now feel Nathan's sorrow.

"I know this can't completely make up for what I did." He said. "But I'm going to keep helping you fully recover your flow and combat functions.

"T-thanks," Luke replied, voice dry and harsh. He didn't know how to respond. He knew Nathan was genuine, but he himself was feeling quite guilty for the way he had acted over Nathan.

"Do you want me to take you back to Kira now?" Nathan asked quietly. He still needed to talk to her at some point.

"I'll burn that forest down if I go back at the moment," Luke replied. Without the empathy, his control was fragile. "I'd forgotten what even my weak level of power felt like."

"Are you going to stay here then?" Nathan asked questionably. "If so, I'll go and let Kira know. I need to apologise to her as well.."

"Yeah, let her know my situation and that I say that it's fine," Luke replied weakly, sitting back down and letting his power loose around him.

Kira was curled up against a tree, a shield made of vines completely cutting her off from the outside world as she tried to cope with everything.

"Stay safe." Nathan said with a nod before he vanished completely and began heading in Kira's direction.

Kira started shaking more violently when she felt Nathan coming in her direction. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

In under a minute Nathan was stood near Kira's vine shield. "Kira... I'm not here to hurt you. I've got news about Luke." He was trying to shut off his emotions again but it wasn't working.

Erika had finished her song. This was the first time she had felt so relaxed in a long while...

Josh and Al had run off as soon as she was finished. Josh looking very confused and babbling while Al was silent.

She sounded... Mrs. Hadden sounded like... someone.

"Y-Y-You're l-lying!" Kira muttered, her quiet voice barely penetrating through the vines. "L-L-Leave u-us a-al-alone..."

She was crying, wondering how someone she had once cared so much about now had become such a big object of fear.

"No. I'm not." Nathan said. His voice sounding like one of someone who's defeated. His emotions were echoing around the forest now. His sorrow and his sadness. "I've given Luke back his power... Kira. I'm sorry."

"Y-You're t-trying t-t-to trick m-me..." Kira muttered, shuddering, the whole forest seeming to shudder with her. "Wh-Where i-i-is h-he?"

"No" Nathan said, closing his eyes to stop the weakness seeping out. "He's at the cliff's getting used to his power... He doesn't want to burn up the forest."

"I...I tr-trusted y-you..." Kira whimpered. "A-A-And n-now L-Luke's o-on f-f-fire..."

"I'm sorry..." Nathan said. Tears began to fall from slowly from beneath his eyes. "I wasn't myself. I didn't know what I was doing. I... I... hurt the one's I cared about."

"I'm... s-sorry."

Kira stopped crying, having not expected Nathan to start crying himself. The vines slowly curled away from her, and she looked up at Nathan, confirming her fears. He was crying.

She rubbed her eyes dry, a vine reaching up and wrapping around Nathan's shoulders in an odd sort of hug.

"I... never meant to hurt you or Luke." He hung his head. "Now I can feel your pain... I'm sorry. I scarred the two things in my life that could've been great."

Kira bit her lip, pushing herself to her feet. She hesitantly stepped closer to Nathan, pulling him into a hug.

Nathan didn't react and remained stock still with his eyes leaking. Every now and then he'd mutter that he was sorry.