This chapter took awhile to write :/ I couldn't get the words right and the feelings right at all, but finally, something I am happy with at least.

Enjoy!

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Falling to Rise

Chapter 23

"One's greatest challenge is to control oneself"

~~~~~

"And thus concludes our magnificent tour!" Tyler shouted. In reality, it seemed more to Seto that Tyler just dragged he and Ian all around camp telling stories of this place and that place, and that one time so and so happened.

"Tyler! There you are!" A pink haired man came up to Tyler out of breath.

"Kyle! Hey let me introduce you to Seto and uh, angry man." Tyler pointed in Seto's direction and then to Ian.

"Hey, nice to meet you two! The both of you new here? I bet Tyler is boring you with his lame tour," Kyle punched Tyler and faked insult, "You don't mind if I borrow him do you?"

"We need him, he's helping us look for someone." Ian said.

"Oh, well it's only for a short moment, the Captain is busy at the moment, but Tyler here helps handle shipments whenever the Captain doesn't. We would literally need him for a few moments."

"They can come with, no biggie. In fact! We can introduce them to more people, come on Seto, the guy who makes all the deliveries is a really funny guy." Tyler dragged Seto as he followed Kyle.

Ian mumbled before following, "Why do I even bother?"

"I hear we finally got everything Sub requested a month back, just wait, they'll be so stoked to hear they don't have to work with scraps anymore!" Kyle expressed happily, "Man! We can finally retaliate against those Emedo b@stards!"

"I know! With these last few supplies they may just finish up the prototype," Tyler added, "Oh, Seto, Ian just wait right here. Let me help Kyle with his thing, then I can introduce you to some more people." Tyler waved and hurried over with Kyle to more people around boxes and crates. Seto watched as Tyler pointed to places across the camp to which people happily began to carry boxes to. It seemed he was busy, so Seto took a look around. Finally getting a moment to digest his surroundings.

Jerome was no longer with them, Seto knew that because only about a few minutes before the tour ended, Seto saw Jerome leave through the trees. So Jerome had left them early.

Seto noticed Ian looking around just as he was before he seemed to stare fixated to a single spot. Seto followed his gaze, Tyler was talking to someone.

"Hey, Seto, Ian, come over here, let me introduce you both to the one who carries out all our deliveries in from the city," Tyler turned and waved them over, this movement allowed Seto to catch a glimpse of the person he was talking to. And, it seemed that person caught a glimpse of who Tyler was yelling to, but it wasn't Seto. No, it was Ian.

"Ian, is that you?" The person yelled over, which Ian promptly responded by turning his back and walking away.

"I-Ian wait!" The person ran past Tyler, and ran past Seto and stopped Ian.

"Ian! It is you!" The slightly shorter man shouted, "You haven't written to us in a while, things been getting a little too busy at the castle? Huh, big shot, you always write about your work with the heir to the Emedo throne, but hey, if that were even true you wouldn't be here, now would you?"

For a moment Seto thought this man was happy to see Ian, but he was pulled to quickly into a sour lie. It was apparent on the man's face that he was mocking him, with his laid back stance that seemed to be inviting Ian to do something, even though Ian wasn't even looking.

"Ivon, you know him?" Tyler came up to them.

"Sure do, this here is my dear older brother, he's been away for so long, I miss him so much!" Ivon patted Ian on the back as his back was still turned. Tyler seemed not to notice Ian's tense body, but Seto noticed the constant clenching and unclenching motion of his fists.

"Mind giving us a moment, I wanna catch up with my brother for a bit."

"Oh, sure, see ya Ivon," Tyler ran off, but Seto stayed. It seemed Ivon didn't care to notice his presence.

Seto was unsure what was going on really, Ian didn't seem happy at the moment, but when was he ever happy? Apparently he and this other person were related, and he could see that, same dark hair, same mocking tone. Seto wasn't sure whether to do something at the moment.

"You never come to visit you know, we all miss you. So Ian, tell me about your life so far, how's it been knowing you never actually lived with a prince, I mean, who'd hire someone like you?"

Ian whirled around to face Ivon, but Ivon was faster, he snatched up Ian's sunglasses from his face.

"Whoops, my hands slipped, what is this even, is this what you use to help you see?" Ian squinted his eyes before making a grab for his glasses, but he missed, and by miss, Seto meant miss by a long shot. His hand didn't even pass a few inches close to hand that held the glasses.

"Doesn't seem like your eyesight has gotten any better, but who cares, a man who can't even see two feet in front of himself because of a little sunlight doesn't deserve pity if all he is is a liar." Ivon tossed the glasses away.

Seto's eyes widened, this guy was cruel! Perhaps even crueler than Ian, someone like him could be so cruel to his family like that, even he and Cal weren't like this.

"Y-you shouldn't say things like that, isn't he your brother," Seto interjected.

"Who are you?" Ivon glared over at Seto who was shorter than him by many inches. Ivon could easily tower over Seto, just like Ian.

"I-I'm uh...." Seto wasn't sure what to say. A friend? He never really talked to Ian, and it was obvious Ian hated him and everything to do with him. Why was he helping a guy like that, someone who wouldn't even call him by his name any more, someone who would be fine with tossing him out if he had the chance. Seto was just standing up for a guy who hated his guts, and would always probably hate his guts.

"Aww, Ian, is this your friend? Yeah right, you don't have friends!" Ivon laughed at Ian who still would say nothing. This scary guy with an even scarier voice and terrifying look even though his eyes could never be seen was to scared to fight back. But why?

Seto felt small, smaller than he already was. Here was Ian, terrifyingly silent and Seto, a small, meek voiced exile. Ivon was still laughing at Ian, and Ian's eyes began to fill with slight sadness, and Seto realized something. Ian couldn't say anything because he lacked confidence, just like him! Someone as scary as Ian, as aggressive as Ian, as powerful as Ian, really had no self-confidence at all.

"Just admit it Ian, you're a failure, just like you were destined to become. You're nothing but a liar--"

"That's not true!!" Seto shouted clutching his staff tightly as he glared full force at Ivon, "Ian has many friends! He has Adam, and...and myself, and Mitch and Jerome and Tyler and Jason! Ian isn't a failure! He's very successful!" Seto spouted with all his might at Ivon.

"Ian is an amazing fighter, he's organized, and a leader, he can... he can do so many things, things that I can't do. So don't call Ian worthless or a failure, he's your brother! Shouldn't you be happy for him?"

Both Ian and Ivon stared at Seto with shock, Ian most of all. Even though his eyes weren't directly looking at Seto, Seto knew he was surprised just as he was with everything he said.

"He's your brother, right," Seto calmed down a little, "Why can't you be happy for him?" Seto pleaded to Ivon.

For a glimmer of a second Ivon looked a little sad, a little regretful, but in a flash it was filled with hate, "Because he's a freak."

~~~~~

"Because he's a freak."

Seto saw Ivon in one moment, and in the next... Seto couldn't see anything. No, he could see, he could see just fine, but it didn't feel like he could see. He was angry, just so angry.

So angry, everything he saw was just there, but at the same time they weren't there.

His anger felt so uncontrollable. But why was he angry... Seto couldn't remember. He felt like through his distorted vision he could see Ivon, then objects all around him, to machine parts, to crates, everything flew up and Ivon vanished under the mess.

Then he saw Tyler. Not Ty, Tyler. Small and young, cheeky smile, glasses too big for his face. A blast from the past.

But what scared Seto the most, was when Tyler collapsed in a fit of coughing, painful and bloody.

Then he woke up.

~~~~~

"You're awake! That's good. How do you feel? Light-headed? Any pain?" Seto blinked, he was under the shade of a tent. Staring down at him was a bearded face with red sunglasses and navy colored eyes peeking behind them.

Seto sat up slowly and clutched his head, that image still ringing through his head. That was Tyler, but why something like that all of a sudden?

"I'm Jordan, I run this organization of sorts. I saw what you did--"

Seto's eyes widened as he panicked. Images came flooding back, the vision of Ivon getting crushed, did...did Seto kill... him, "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't m-mean to, I-I can't control it! I can't control anything, I'm s-sorry!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down. You didn't cause too much damage, only a broken ankle and a few damaged materials, but nothing to worry over." Jordan watched as Seto looked down at himself as he sat on the mattress, "Your friend out there told me that the two of you've been looking for me."

Seto didn't say anything, Ian must think of him as an even worse huma--creature. How could he even call himself human, he was hardly that anymore.

Seto felt himself being lifted onto his feet, "Come on, your friend is out there waiting. Why don't the three of us take a little stroll and have that chat it seems you've been waiting for." Jordan calmly ushered Seto outside, Ian was sitting on a crate, his pair of sunglasses resting on his face once more. Ian looked up as Seto and Jordan walked out, his eyes met Seto's as they glanced away.

"Right then, I already understand that you are currently on the run from Emedo and are looking for shelter. That we can grant, of course, if you don't mind me saying, that in return you help out a little here. We aren't a very large organization, so any help is appreciated."

"Of course, that would be no problem," Ian spoke up for the both of them, "We have three other friends, one of which was here with us too, but has already returned home for the day. I'm sure all of them would be glad to help out."

"That's great!" Jordan was very cheery, Seto didn't know why he was nicknamed Captain Moron, he seemed quite smart to Seto.

"But one last thing, Seto?" Jordan glanced down at the smaller adult, "While there aren't many sorcerers around here, we do have one person who may be of help to you. One of our founding members is from Vragan, he may just know a thing or two that could help you control your magic."

Seto looked up in shock, help... to control his magic. That would be wonderful! But, Seto would only screw things up and get in everyone's way, he glanced down glumly once more, "I...I don't know--"

"He'll do it." Ian said, interrupting Seto. Seto looked up at Ian in shock, Ian looked away from him, "He'll need to gain a little confidence if he'll want to help people next time..."

Even with the sour tone to his voice, Seto felt it, the smallest glimmer of understanding...of acceptance. He and Ian were more alike than he could imagine.

"Well, Seto?" Jordan asked once more.

"Y-yes! I'll do it!" Ian was right, if Seto wanted to be useful, he would need to start by learning how to control his powers. 

Seto is finally going to learn something magic related! Hopefully something that helps, maybe.

But that vision Seto saw, what was that??? >:) What's gonna happen, omg, all the things are going to down, and this story is going to get deeper than you could ever imagine. I've been working a long time on a bunch of things in the shadows, and soon things will be revealed.

Part 2 is also almost done, way shorter than expected, but good nonetheless

Theories??

~WrittenDarkness