Bubbles - A Narrative

Small content noises come from two very awake toddlers. Their parents have long since fallen asleep as they uselessly babble back and forth. A connection unlike any other, the twins can see each other more clearly than the night sky. Tobias reaches forward to gently pat Allinea on the face and a soft gurgle escapes her. She grabs at his hand and pulls it into her mouth, suckling on it softly. Barely any teeth, barely any hair, the children coo at each other until a shift in the bed makes Tobi yawn. 

Very groggy parents huddle closer together in a desperate attempt to keep the world away from their children. There is a sleepy sigh of relief as the warmth is shared between all four of them. Alli’s eyes shut, keeping her grip on Tobi as he too fades back into a blissful slumber, love surrounding them both.

---

“Tobi, Tobi!!!” She runs quickly, stumbling a bit as she moves. They had grown quite a bit in the first 5 years of their life, definitely quicker than anyone could be prepared for. Desperate to find her brother once more, she rounds a corner of the castle to find him where she last left him ten minutes ago. He looks up to her excitement and watches her take a quick tumble with a distraught noise. She keeps her hands close to her as she does so but before he can react, she is back on her feet moving towards him again. 

“Alli, be careful please!” She’s covered in what looks like dirt and soot as she crouches next to him. She holds her hands together and her bright violet eyes shimmer with excitement. 

“Look what I found!” The world was full of such mysteries that every time Alli came across one she just desperately wanted to tell Tobi about it. No matter how big or small the discovery. She opens her her hands slowly as she giggles lightly. Inside her hands rests a small winged insect, bright in color like their surroundings. It’s tail and antennae move delicately in the wind. She was careful not to hurt it as she moves carefully, slowly. 

“What is it…?” He’s intrigued at this point, never seeing such a creature in such a desolate location. He holds out his hand instinctively and Alli rests her hands in his to let him hold the creature. 

“I don’t know! We should ask dad he would know…” she murmurs. The bug was warm for being so small, “Maybe it’s some sort of firefly!” When the wings flutter there’s a red magic that sparkles off and covers Tobi’s hand. The children blink in awe as it flutters upwards and away. 

“It’s wondrous.” It is something straight out of a fairy tale, even her brother is amazed. With an excited squee she grabs Tobias’ hand and takes off, stumbling along the rocks. 

“Hurry! Before it gets away!” Eventually he follows of his own volition and she can only see the sparkling magic as she ignores the dangerous obstacles around her. Her parents often told her and Tobi that they needed to stay close to the castle but… she had her brother. She was never afraid with him around. Their little feet struggle to carry them fast enough but within a few moments they’re both too tired to keep going. Alli falls to her knees in exhaustion and her brother quickly follows. 

“Sorry Alli… I know you wanted to catch it again. Next time you will! After we find out more about it!” He lays a hand on her arm with a soft smile, it fills her with the assurance that they will succeed next time. 

“Alright Tobi. I trust ya, let’s get back before-” 

“TOBIAS?! ALLINEA?!” Voices in the distance yell out as they both wince in unison. She interlaces their fingers as they stand and head back towards the panicked yell of their parents

---

“Here I come!!” Alli yells as she makes to start running. She’s gotten faster over the last few years and she can hear her mother cheering for her. With a great leap that goes from excited laughter to a squeal she falls rapidly towards the water. She can see Tobi close his eyes as she takes a deep breath before the waves crash around her. 

She allows the water to surround her and doesn’t fight it. She loves the feeling of it cascading around her body. The waves push and pull her as she imagines a tail where her feet are and wonders what it would be like to breath underwater. When she finally breaks the surface she takes a deep breath of fresh air and blinks the salt water away. She swims rapidly back to the beach to find her family waiting eagerly for her, smiles on their faces. 

“What’d you think Tobi?! What’s my score?” She grabs his hands as she glistens in the warm sun. Alli shakes some of the salt water out of her hair and flips it to let it sit in a somewhat orderly fashion. 

“I’d say at least an 8, given how long you were under water.” She hums in consideration and taps her foot. He seemed to be relaxed and enjoying himself but she always wants her brother to be as happy as she is. She wants a share everything she can with him and wants to learn how he sees the world too. 

“You wanna try Tobs?” She can see the apprehension in his face, the nerves fluttering in his eyes. Her parents shift and she can see her father sigh and get a tense look on his face. They never wanted to swim for very long, but this was their first time at a beach. “C’mon, no scores. We can go together! It’ll be fun.” She smiles down at her brother, eager to have a height advantage. It made her want to protect him further as the older and taller twin. A bit of his worry fades away as he nods resolutely. She then beams at him and they make their way back to wear Alli took off. 

“I’m a bit nervous Alli, what’s the point in doing this when we can just swim?” She keeps her pruney and damp hand in his as she turns around to walk a bit slower. 

“Well, just that it’s fun is all. The feeling of the wind in your hair, the splash you make with the cold water, and the way it gets your heart pounding!” He doesn’t seem to agree and so when they make it to the ledge she opens her arms up wide to the sea in front of her. “I mean, look at this all! It’s ocean as far as the eye can see. The smell of the saltwater, the warm summer sun, and the fact that you’re here makes it all even better.” 

“It is quite beautiful…” he murmurs in appreciation. She sits down on ledge and waves to her parents. He joins her after a moment and she lays her head on his shoulder. “How can you see such a uniqueness about the world Alli?” She pauses and thinks for a moment… running through hundreds of explanations in her head. 

“Well… I love reading about it. Learning how the world works and about new places and things. Coming and seeing it all with my own eyes lets me put all I’ve read into actual physical proof! Not to mention it lets me ask more questions, like…” she scans the water and points out to where there is a strange dark spot. “What is that? Is the water moving differently in that spot? Is it colder? It seems more calm than the water around it. This means I can look it up when I get home! Or ask dad. He seems to know everything.” 

Tobi tilts his head in appreciation of her explanation, “Usually it means the ocean is deeper there but… I’m not sure how deep. Or any of those other questions now that you say them.” Kicking her feet she takes a deep breath and stands, holding out her hand.

“Well come on, take this new experience and learn something from it Tobs. I think you’ll like it.” He stares at her a moment longer, but her optimism and assuredness convinces him to stand with confidence, just like dad told him to. 

“Together right?” He asks a bit nervously, eyeing the waves crashing below. 

“Together. On three okay? One…” 

“Two…” 

Together they look out as Alli grins and they yell out in unison, “Three!” The air rushes past her once again. She keeps her eyes on Tobi though, wanting him to have as much fun as possible. There’s a moment of fear before they both yell out in excitement as their hands separate and they plunge closer to the sea. They hit the water with a large splash and then Alli is surrounded once more by the comfort of the water. 

She opens her eyes and accepts the burning of the salt to see if she can find Tobi. To her dismay she looks around for his violet hair to find… nothing. Panic sets in as she begins swimming in earnest to find him with her lungs burning. Finally she spots a streak of purple as he seems to be… sinking lower?! Why isn’t he swimming up?! She dashes forward to grab his hand and his eyes finally lock on her and she can see true fear in them. 

She keeps a brave face as she yanks on him upwards only to find resistance. What is happening?! Is he stuck?! She can see less and less air bubbles from him as she tugs. Even she is pulled downwards for a moment as she yells out. Mom?! Dad?! She loses precious air in her release of fear. Tobi is struggling to stay awake. She holds out her other hand as he struggles to meet it. Stay with me… Kicking as hard as she can it still isn’t working. 

Please just… Let my brother go! She can feel the water around her, almost encouraging her to keep trying. I won’t give up on you Tobs! With fierce determination she yells the last of her air out and Tobi’s eyes widen as he watches her eyes glow a vibrant red in place of the usual dark violet. Suddenly a burst of air surrounds them, steaming slightly. She pulls Tobias to her as the water around them dissolves in a fine mist. 

They both take in large gasps of air as they look around frantically, “What…?” They’re suspended in the ocean, a bubble of air that’s rising slowly from the warmth inside. Within moments they break through the surface of the water, slowly gaining their bearings. The water around them is still warm as they feel their parents pull them out of the sea. 

“Tobias, Allinea what happened?” Their dad has her in his arms as she blinks at him still shaken up. She could see that Tobi is wrapped up in their mother’s arms as he brushes some water out of her eyes. “Alli, please talk to me.” His tone is softer and she finds his worried expression trained on her. 

“Alli saved me!” Tobias speaks up before she can even manage anything. "

You were only in the water because of me… “I got stuck and couldn’t swim up-” their parents glance at each other anxiously, “- but Alli made the water evaporate! Her eyes got really bright and then suddenly I could breathe!” Violet and crimson eyes fall on her with a curious expression. She feels a blush rise to her face and covers it as the attention falls on her, unwanted for once. A hand pulls hers down and she finds her father’s eyes looking at her with wonder and curiosity. 

“Can you tell me about it, Allinea?” So they aren't mad at her for putting Tobi danger? She hesitates for a moment but the softness of her father’s gaze and her brother’s nod of encouragement makes her feel more confident. 

“Yeah! I… couldn’t pull Tobi up when I found him underwater. He seemed pretty scared and then I got yanked too… So I got upset and knew I had to help him! So I pulled super hard and then suddenly, the water was all gone! Well… not all gone but like he said it evaporated in a bubble around us so we could breathe again! Then we floated up all warm to the top where you found us!” He blinks in shock for a moment before glancing at Tobi to confirm. When he nods his head he looks up and they both find that their mom is smiling like a fool. Alli furrows her brows but suddenly she’s being spun around and he seems quite excited. 

“You finally found your magic Alli! We’re so proud of you!!” He holds her tightly as he moves them closer together. She giggles excitedly, she hadn’t thought about that at all, hadn’t even realized honestly. She just wanted Tobi to be okay. A bit softer she hears, “You took after me, Allinea. In more ways than one.” Her mother ruffles her almost dry hair fondly and she makes a noise of annoyance at the disturbance to her hair. 

“It sounds like you took a bit after me as well at least, love. It sounds like you both need to start your training.” After making their way out of the water they each get bundled up in towels and then transported back to the guild hall. She catches her father glaring at the ocean before the portal closes and hears her mother sigh in relief once the water is gone. 

---

Alli and Otto have been training dutifully for a few years now as he instructs her on how to control her magic. She misses Tobi so much… but she knows that he is working hard so she will too! He seems comfortable near the heat and she finds that she is as well. Being so close to the lava and water bring her a sense of peace that she rarely finds alone. They stand atop a rock and watch as the lava falls into the water with a hiss, creating plumes of smoke around them.

“Just as we practiced Allinea. Try and focus on that middle temperature of scalding and cooling. See if you can find that center inside of you and try to control the speed at which the water and lava combine.” She nods dutifully and closes her eyes. She can hear the hissing of them touching and can feel the steam wafting around her, allowing sweat to bead on her body. Alli holds out her hands and reaches out both physically and mentally to the substance. The waves crashing and her father’s presence are muted as she hears her own breathing in tandem with the steam. 

Something flickers warmly inside of her as she turns her hands upwards, grabbing onto what seems to be the brightest thing she’s ever felt. She can almost feel the water pouring over her as she attempts to separate it from the lava. Though the heat… she can’t quite control it. Her brows start to furrow as she begins to sweat profusely. Her breathing increases as it feels like its overcoming her, as if the water was beginning to fly off of her body.

Panic starts to fill her as everything seems to heat up and a small explosion makes her stumble backwards with a surprised yell. The magic around her fades as she looks out into the water to find a small ball of solidified lava with cracks peeking through it. She looks down at her hands confused and frustrated. 

“It’s alright Allinea, I know you’ll get it. You’re a fast learner. Get up and try again.” Otto knows that his daughter can do this and he pushes her to reach the potential he sees in her. She nods and determination fills her eyes again, making him grin. You look just like your mother… She stands even further out on the ledge as she holds out both hands and closes her eyes. “Your brother may depend on you one day, being strong enough to protect yourself and Tobias is important. Don’t ever forget that.” 

She finds that warmth inside of her once more at her father’s words and grabs a hold of it, and this time she’s ready for it. With a slow breath she locks her wrists together and spins them slowly, keeping her mind and body relaxed. With slow movement she separates the water from the lava, keeping it practically boiling. Otto’s eyes widen as he catches the ball of lava with his own magic to not break her concentration. She pulls her hands closer to her body as she opens her eyes to lock on the bubble of water she holds. He can see the red fade from her eyes as the water slowly cools off. 

“Alli thats-!” She shakes her head and she slowly turns to him, glee and concentration fighting to win in her eyes. She sees the lava in his hand and moves over to him slowly. Stay focused. Alli wraps the water around his hands to combine their elements and his eyebrows shoot up in curiosity as he is filled with the same glee and determination that she seems to have. He nods and together they combine the water and lava into a perfectly geometrical cube. She releases it all with a huff and he catches her as she stumbles, the cube falling into her hands. 

Fatigue washes over her body as he beams down at her, “You’re so marvelously talented Allinea. I can’t wait to see how much you learn.” He lifts the small girl into his arms as she fades out of consciousness, exhaustion taking over but a joyful warmth cascading through her body.

---

Alli ruffles through some papers in the general guild office. Finally! It was time to take on their first mission. She would pick out the perfect one for her and Tobi… Cher did her first one at 13 so her parents were lucky she waited an extra year in her opinion… she wanted to see the world! 

“Allinea there you- what are you doing?” Otto’s voice cuts through her digging and she turns to look up at him as he holds a book. She gives him a moment of attention before returning to her task.

“Looking for a job.” She states coolly while holding up a few 3 star requests. Otto stiffens at the mention and shuts his book slowly. 

“...aren’t you still a bit young to want to go out on a job honey?” He implies kindly yet with an air of stress. All he gets is a scoff in return as she continues looking through the requests. “Allinea, don’t you want to wait a few more years?” He presses and she turns around annoyed at his hovering.

“Dad, I’m 14 years old. Cher went on her first mission when she was 13 so I think I have more than enough reason to want to go on a mission now.” She crosses her arms and looks up to him haughtily. The attitude in her tone makes him wonder if this truly was his sweet daughter.

“Cher is not my daughter so I have no say in what she does but-” 

“Dad! You taught me how to use my magic, there is no way I’m not ready to take on a mission with Tobi. We’ll be fine.” She huffs and he stares down at her wondering how he could reason with that… 

“Then my wonderful daughter, please for the love of god put on some elbow pads for me?” He practically begs as he looks down at his now very offended daughter. 

She does a tongue click and flips her hair into a perfect position, as it was falling from where she was bent over. The sass in that one swing has him clutching his heart at the defiance, “You’re being dramatic. If anything happens, Tobi will be there to help me.” She goes to turn as he lightly grabs her arm stopping her from turning. 

“...then how about a helmet? Don’t you trust my forethought? It’s better that you’re safe!” He releases her as if shocked when she rolls her eyes at him. Who was this girl!?

“Seriously dad!? No! Your forethought is currently clouded by bias and judgement. So no!” This time she turns fully as he seems to scramble for something to say.

“...fine… then how about starting with a one star mission?” He’s defeated by a 14 year old girl with her mother’s eyes. Hopefully she would take this offer of peace and compromise. 

She turns around slowly and eyes him with a pointed look, “...if that means you won’t come with us.” She has the best poker face on he’s seen and if the hair didn’t warn people she was his then that look sure would.

“Will you let me help you pick it out?” He holds out a hand to his daughter with a tense expression and she looks at him and back to his hand a few times before letting her gaze relax. 

“Fine. I can accept that deal.” She places her small hand in his and he gives a gentle squeeze and they shake on it. She can hardly contain her excitement though as she begins to giggle. “Yay!!” 

She does a quick spin as she bounces on her toes in glee. He can’t help but smile softly as his daughter begins to dig through the piles of flyers once more, wondering if he ever would be able to stop her. He wanted her to follow her dreams as far as they could take her… as long as she did it safely. 

---

“Come on you two! I bet I know who’s taller.” Vesi calls out and Alli races up to stand by the notches on the door that marks their growth spurts. She had to be taller there was no way that she stopped growing already! Tobi follows behind slower, hoping that his sister wouldn’t be upset once she found out the truth.

“Hmmm…” She takes an extra moment to discernibly mark slightly above the last line they drew. Alli has passed Vesi up but seems to be stopping about there. “Seem that… you’re just slightly above 5 feet and 9 inches dear, not much more than last time.” Otto stands nearby and seems to be relieved that she wont pass him up. 

Alli groans, “Then I can’t be done growing yet, I’m only 16! Tobi isn’t done yet!!” She moves out of the way with a huff and watches as her brother steps up next, albeit a bit nervous. Vesi sighs as she waves Otto over to do the marking instead, already making Alli groan. He takes the pencil from Vesi to reach slightly above Tobias. 

“Well, Vesilla you’re right. He’s just about to pass me up...” He sounds a bit grumpy but not truly upset. “Five feet and… 10 and a half inches. Who would’ve guessed?” They both step back and look up to tobias. Alli makes a whining noise and draws all of their attention. Tobias takes a breath of relief when they release him from their gaze. 

“But I’m older! I thought I would be taller…” She doesn’t seem genuinely upset but just stuck looking up to her brother. 

“I’m sorry Alli! If I could stop growing I would!” She shakes her head and crosses her arms and he seems to deflate. 

“Nope. Guess that means you’ll just have to watch out for anything above me now too.” She sticks out her tongue and it makes her father laugh openly. Tobi looks to the ground embarrassed as she continues to tease him, but grateful that she wasn’t truly upset. 

“I can’t believe they both passed me up…” Vesi mutters nearby seemingly impressed yet fidgety about how fast her children are growing. It was just yesterday that she could lift them both and now she has to look up to both of them. Damn Fenhardts and their height. 

“Come on Alli pleasee…” he was begging her to drop the subject and after a moment she does so, seeing her brother was truly frustrated.  When she ceases he seems to relax and she looks to the height chart one final time before rushing forward on another adventure. 

---

Alli is sneaking around the castle, trying to slip into her father’s office. After Tobi told her about what happened with their dad she had to know what was going on. They are 20 years old and  they didn’t need to be sheltered any longer. They had gone on plenty of missions… what was so dangerous that they would be hiding it from them? With a delicate step she moves quickly to make sure no one is around and makes a mad dash for the open office. Before she can make it inside it slams shut and angry blue eyes are glaring at her in defiance.

She jumps back and matches the icy stare with her own, “What the hell, Cher? You scared me half to death!” The girl in question crosses her arms and taps her foot with a fiendish grin. 

“You know you’re not aloud in there. That’s Uncle Otto’s office and I have a feeling that he’d be pretty upset if he found you sneaking around.” Her tone is smug as she berates Alli again, threatening her with the obvious outcome. 

“Aren’t you the least bit curious as to why our parents keep running off without a word? You have to want to know.” She scoffs and turns away making to go down the hall. Alli glances at the door triumphantly. 

“Nope. I respect my parents privacy, unlike you. Oh Aunt Vesi!!!!” Cher yells out into the void, knowing that she’d be able to hear her. Alli stiffens like a board as her mother zips over in a flash, purple magic sparkling around her. 

“Yeah what’s up Cher?” Her eyes fall on the blue girl and she nods towards Alli who was just taking her hand away from the door. Vesi narrows her eyes at her suspiciously. “Allinea what are you doing? You know that’s your father’s office.” She crosses her arms and taps her foot waiting for an answer. Alli rubs the back of her neck guiltily, avoiding her mother’s eyes.

Cher sticks out her tongue and skips on her way with a grin as Alli tries to explain herself, “I just want to know what’s going on with you two! We’re worried about you guys and you’re keeping something from us! Dad even yelled at Tobi the other day, so it has to be serious. Do you expect that we’re just going to sit around and wait when you both run off?” A vein in her mother’s forehead ticks when she briefly meets her mother’s eyes before looking down.

“Have you considered that it is nothing for you two to worry about? You may think you’re old enough to understand but you’re safe here and there is absolutely no reason for you to get involved.” She whips out a key and locks the door and Alli deflates as her tone snaps. Mom rarely got mad at either of them… 

“You will not bring this up with anyone, do you understand me Allinea?” She points the key in her direction and Alli looks down at the ground with a sullen expression.

“...yes mother…” She watches as her mom pockets the key and begins to walk away. 

“Your father and I have it handled. Enjoy your time with your brother and keep practicing.” The sound of her heels fading makes Alli sigh and stuff her hands in her pockets. She would go find Tobias and maybe he could help her feel better. 

What were their parents hiding from them…? She wanted them to be okay… her family was everything to her. There was something going on and she would find out one way or another.