Lightning Struck
Wind and Flame
Billie was asleep again and found himself back with Zen again.
Zen stood there, looking slightly anxious and worried, uncharacteristic for her. “I fear there is not much time left before Death makes a final attempt on your life,” she told him hurriedly, running her hand through her black and white hair, another thing uncharacteristic for her. “An attempt that might actually work, no matter how much training I give you.”
“Whoa, wait, what?” Billie asked, confused, staring Zen in the eyes, wondering what was wrong with her.
“I’m afraid that Death will succeed, that he’ll kill you,” Zen confessed. “If you die, who knows how much business he might gain? It was not your time when you were struck by lightning, and it shouldn’t be for years yet. I don’t understand why Death is breaking the rules, and why Life has not intervened yet.”
“Life?”
“Life. If there’s Death, there must also be Life, of course,” Zen replied distractedly. “But right now we’re wasting valuable time. Before you leave, I am going to teach you how to use air, at least just a few basic things which you will have to practice on your own. This will be our last meeting, for this will be all that I will have left to teach you. The rest you will have to learn on your own.”
“Why?” Billie asked, completely confused now and feeling scared. Zen thought he was going to die soon, despite everything and for some mysterious reason Life hadn’t reprimanded Death yet for breaking whatever rules there were.
“Because, time has run out, or at least it will if we do not start finishing your training now,” Zen said, finally dropping her hand from her hair. “Come,” she instructed.
Billie obeyed, silent and with his head bowed in thought. He grabbed her hand, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself in the same place again, the air still this time. Zen was standing about ten yards away with something he couldn’t see in her hand. Suddenly she threw the thing at him: a small rock. Billie reflexively held a hand up in front of his face to block it, curving his fingers slightly. He felt air starting to swirl now in the palm of his hand. Getting an idea, he thrust his hand out and a stream of air knocked the rock back where it fell a few feet away onto the ground.
Zen grinned as Billie looked up from the rock towards her, slightly shocked that she had thrown it at him. “You are a fast learner,” she complimented him.
Billie looked back down at the rock again before returning his gaze to Zen.“Billie,” a voice said. It was Adie, waking him up. It was probably was getting late already.
“Go,” Zen told him.
“But what about earth...and fire?” Billie Joe asked her, not wanting to leave when he felt like he knew so little.
Zen sighed before explaining as fast as she could, “Earth does not bend to human will and fire...fire is destructive and is too dangerous to try to control. As you already know, it takes more out of you, also.”
“Will I ever see you again?” Billie asked as he felt himself being tugged back to consciousness in the real world.
Zen remained silent as Billie disappeared.
Zen stood there, looking slightly anxious and worried, uncharacteristic for her. “I fear there is not much time left before Death makes a final attempt on your life,” she told him hurriedly, running her hand through her black and white hair, another thing uncharacteristic for her. “An attempt that might actually work, no matter how much training I give you.”
“Whoa, wait, what?” Billie asked, confused, staring Zen in the eyes, wondering what was wrong with her.
“I’m afraid that Death will succeed, that he’ll kill you,” Zen confessed. “If you die, who knows how much business he might gain? It was not your time when you were struck by lightning, and it shouldn’t be for years yet. I don’t understand why Death is breaking the rules, and why Life has not intervened yet.”
“Life?”
“Life. If there’s Death, there must also be Life, of course,” Zen replied distractedly. “But right now we’re wasting valuable time. Before you leave, I am going to teach you how to use air, at least just a few basic things which you will have to practice on your own. This will be our last meeting, for this will be all that I will have left to teach you. The rest you will have to learn on your own.”
“Why?” Billie asked, completely confused now and feeling scared. Zen thought he was going to die soon, despite everything and for some mysterious reason Life hadn’t reprimanded Death yet for breaking whatever rules there were.
“Because, time has run out, or at least it will if we do not start finishing your training now,” Zen said, finally dropping her hand from her hair. “Come,” she instructed.
Billie obeyed, silent and with his head bowed in thought. He grabbed her hand, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself in the same place again, the air still this time. Zen was standing about ten yards away with something he couldn’t see in her hand. Suddenly she threw the thing at him: a small rock. Billie reflexively held a hand up in front of his face to block it, curving his fingers slightly. He felt air starting to swirl now in the palm of his hand. Getting an idea, he thrust his hand out and a stream of air knocked the rock back where it fell a few feet away onto the ground.
Zen grinned as Billie looked up from the rock towards her, slightly shocked that she had thrown it at him. “You are a fast learner,” she complimented him.
Billie looked back down at the rock again before returning his gaze to Zen.“Billie,” a voice said. It was Adie, waking him up. It was probably was getting late already.
“Go,” Zen told him.
“But what about earth...and fire?” Billie Joe asked her, not wanting to leave when he felt like he knew so little.
Zen sighed before explaining as fast as she could, “Earth does not bend to human will and fire...fire is destructive and is too dangerous to try to control. As you already know, it takes more out of you, also.”
“Will I ever see you again?” Billie asked as he felt himself being tugged back to consciousness in the real world.
Zen remained silent as Billie disappeared.