//------------------------------// // Losing Yourself // Story: My Son, My Soldier, My Hero // by That_Random_Pony //------------------------------// Draco awoke when his uncle shook him harshly, sitting up from the cold ground and rubbing his head. "Figanti... the sun's not even over the horizon," he groaned. "What's wrong?" His uncle gestured to their training cube. "You're going to start your last lesson, Reku'un," Figanti told him, gaining his attention. "This will be the beginning, and the next few months will be spent reinforcing all of these lessons." Draco nodded softly and stood up. "Alright, I'm... where's Nyla?" he questioned. Figanti pointed to the cube. "When we get inside, we will begin severing your connection," he explained, waving for him to follow. "Reku'un... this will be the hardest thing you will ever endure... but you must hold out. Your bond will mend itself, but don't give in." Reku'un nodded, stepping inside after after his uncle. The biome for this session was a cavernous tunnel, one that was darker than the early morning. He could make out Nyla towards the back, and Eskro stood beside her, the two obviously in the middle of a similar talk. When they stood before the Nera'ak, they broke from their chat and turned to their partners. Are you ready, Reku'un? I think so... they're really worried about this. You are about to break a connection stronger than love, Doshu'um Reku'un. It is the harshest trial of any Signa. Eskro, we understand. You'd know better than to attempt scaring us. If you believe I am not being honest, do not be surprised. Alright, alright. Let's start. Draco turned to his uncle, who nodded and moved to be across Eskro. His nephew and Nyla were to his right and left, respectively. He channeled his energy, quickly focusing it on the Doshu'um and his partner. Eskro's eyes began to gleam white, his energy melding into Figanti. Draco felt a growing pain in his head, causing Nyla to grunt and shake her head. Her partner stumbled to his knees, breathing heavily as the pain began to pile on. Figanti's mark glowed with a dull grey aura, which pulsed at a gradually increasing rate. Draco cried out when he felt his a shock of pain in his heart, and his head felt as though it was being crushed. Nyla tried to thrash, but Eskro had chained her down. Minira... what is this? Just... just hang on! We can... do... this! Figanti suddenly shot his arms out, knocking both of them back. A wall shot up between them, separating the Nera'ak from their partners. Draco screamed as the pain ramped up, his head ready to implode on itself. Nyla's roar was muted by the wall, but Eskro could hear it loud and clear. She thrashed violently as the invisible anguish only got worse. Her head smashed into the wall, her tail grabbing chunks of rock and crushing them to relieve the pain. She fired a plume of flames with her cries of pain, but it did nothing for her. Draco held his head as his mind began to slip from consciousness, black coloring the edges of his vision. Then, it stopped. Draco panted as the pressure in his head and the fire in his heart vanished. He looked around, spotting his uncle as he waited quietly. On the other side of the wall, Nyla shook her head and looked to Eskro. He said and did nothing before heading for the exit. What... is that it? ...for now. She watched him leave through the wall, then continued to anxiously glance around the room. Adjacent to her, Draco was waiting for his uncle to instruct him on what to do next. "I'm going to leave you here for the next few days... Reku'un... do not give in." "Figanti, what am I supposed to-" his uncle passed through the exit, leaving him mid-sentence. "-do." He sat down against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. There was an empty feeling creeping into his heart. His emotions were loosening up, pouring out for no reason whatsoever. Draco couldn't understand it, and the more he tried to control himself, the more he seemed to lose it. Nyla... Nyla, are you okay? There was no answer to his question, so he went over to the wall and knocked. Nyla. Nyla! He couldn't feel her energy. He banged on the wall again, using his fist this time. Nyla! NYLA! "NYLA!" he roared, smashing both fists into the wall. Hunks of rock fell off, but the wall didn't seem to be close to opening. "NYLA, ANSWER ME!" Why was he so... emotional? She was on the other side of this wall, yet he couldn't help but let the anxiety and fear creep into his mind. Figanti wouldn't hurt her... he wouldn't do that with a war coming. He would break down this wall and find her just as panicked as him. But with every boulder sized chunk that he chipped off, the wall was getting thicker and thicker, to the point where he wasn't sure if there was another side. He charged a beam and blasted the wall, a large crater forming but no hole. His Rites came out, his metal fists pounding the wall and breaking hunk after hunk. His panic set in further, and he used as much energy in as little time as he could to burrow through the wall. She was okay. He knew that... but he still couldn't hold himself together. Figanti could see the amounts of energy being absorbed by the simulator, occasionally spiking every few seconds until it was at a steady high. This was normal for the first moments of the trial, but it still pained him to know that his nephew had to go through with it. He could only imagine how he was reacting, especially his inexperienced mind. There is nothing to do but wait, Figanti. We know this. That does not make it better, Eskro. My father did this to my siblings and I... and he knew we would drive ourselves to insanity and back. Come. It's best to leave him be. They are strong... guilt won't help them through this. It never has. He let out a breath he was holding, then nodded to his dragon. Be strong, Reku'un.