Endless Possibilities

Just what, pray tell, was this poor young boy doing awake so early in the day? Frankly, he didn't even know. Ah well. Nothing like an early stroll to ease the mind and body, or so he thought. Poor little Cadence was never really a morning person to begin with. So why? WHY!? For the love of all things dark and lovely, you'd think this young man would have been able to sleep in today. But no, no, no! Something was telling him to get up. Wake up sleepyhead, says poor little Cade's conscience. Why, he thought. No point in staying cooped up indoors all day one would say. No! Whatever. It'd be hard for him to fall back asleep in his current state anyhow. Onward with today's agenda, which was in fact, nothing...yet...

[color=510afd]"Just another day."[/color] little Cade muttered to himself as he practically forced his way outdoors in a plain black t-shirt, khaki shorts and black low-cut sneakers. Other students in the area were all running about doing their own thing. It was just as he walked out the door and onto the intertwining pathways of the courtyard when he realized that he his poor little stomach grumbled, signalling that he had forgotten about breakfast. Mentally shaking off the thought, Cade continued onward. He heard a noise from within the bushes, causing him to jump a little, his adnormal reflexes kicking in. By the gods, it was only a stray kitten. As he saw this, his left leg blindly strikes a leg of a bench. It wouldn't seriously hurt the average person, but Cade was anything but an average person.

[color=510afd]"Son of a..."[/color] he interjected as he sat at that very spot, nursing an already bruised leg. [color=510afd]"Why me...?"[/color]

It would be a little while before the poor boy would be up and walking again, let alone running. He despised the fact that little accidents such as this one would hurt so darn much. It was unreal, but he had to live with it. With a look of disgust, he rubbed his shin non-stop trying desperately to ease the pain. Breathing a little heavier than he was before, Cade couldn't help but imagine how much worse this morning could possibly be. He just got up and already this day was off to a pretty rough start.

He continued to nurse that sensitive spot...wait no...his whole body was sensitive for heaven's sake! It didn't even hurt from how hard he hit the bench. It was really how fast he did it. Most cowboys or swordsmen probably wouldn't be able to draw their weapons that fast. As poor little Cade tried to take just a little more time to recuperate, he heard a feminine voice in the midst, to be precise, right next to him. How he did not notice this girl here before? With a straight face, he answered. [color=510afd]"I'm good. I think. And that cute little bugger...nah she's not mine. I'm gonna guess she ain't yours either."[/color]

'How did I hurt myself so bad? Do you not see the bruise on my leg!?' was what he was tempted to say. Heavens to bootsy. The distraught young man could care less about the kitten at this point in time. That frisky little thing was the reason he banged himself up in the first place. Disregarding the outside world at the moment, Cade could only sit and think that he may very well have a case of bad luck. Man, that would most definitely suck!

What the girl said next had really got him thinking. [color=510afd]"She sort of took me by surprise."[/color] he began to explain, signalling to and alluding to that furry little monster. [color=510afd]"...and before I knew I...wait you said you can feel...my pain...?"[/color] That innocent-looking girl had nothing to do with what happened to him. How was that even possible!? Whoa, hold on. [color=510afd]"You said that, but you also said 'gift'. So this gift, whatever that may be, allowed you to somehow sense my current agony. Seems legit."[/color]

Cade's deductive skills weren't always the greatest, but considering he is attending a school for the so-called gifted, he couldn't be too far from the truth now, could he?

How much longer did he have to endure this, he wondered. He figured that once he'd get back inside he would just spread some ointment on that leg, wrap a bandage around it, and that would be all she wrote. Sadly, in this condition, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. His tension running high on the inside, poor Cade shifted himself in his seat, trying to take some of the pressure off that leg.

Suddenly, those inhuman reflexes of his kicked in. But before he could do anything about them, he felt the girl's hand had been planted on him. [color=510afd]"Huh!? Wait, what're you..."[/color] At that moment, Cade felt a tingly sensation on the inside. This girl's skin was...soothing to say the least. [color=510afd]"O...kay..."[/color] As he realized it was too late to object, he figured he would have to go along with whatever this girl was planning.

[color=510afd]"Now, I'm not sure exactly what it is you're trying to do, but whatever it is, uhh, just go easy on me, okay?"[/color] Fat chance of that.

Well for the love of...never mind. In any case, whatever this girl was plotting had better work! Cade didn't even want to think about what might happen or what he might want to do if it would not work. At this point, he was almost certain that the girl's plans were for a good cause. Almost. As much as he felt the urge to just turn tail and run, he knew he couldn't. [color=510afd]"Fine. If you say so. Do as you must..."[/color] he exclaimed in a rather monoraul tone.

Poor little Cade could only sit there for only a few moments as the stranger went on and did what would seem to be her good deed for the day. Funny, considering the day had only just started. Before he knew it, she was done. As if it were done in a manner similar to that of Jesus's miracles in the Bible, the pain had vanished. What manner of sorcery was this!? He was able to stand straight up, not feeling any bit of agony at all. [color=510afd]"Totally legit. I feel better already."[/color]

He wasn't much to show much emotion to a complete stranger, but Cade was quite relieved on the inside. Now he could go about his day and not have to walk with a fake limp like a modern day hip-hop star. He turned to the girl, possibly to show at least some bit gratitude, which he should. But the girl was all into her book. With a faint smirk, he seated himself once again. [color=510afd]"Whatever it was you just did seemed to do the trick. So, yeah...umm...thanks..."[/color]

Well isn't that something. [color=510afd]"Yeah I can see that." [/color]he then said, stretching out that leg of his, hoping to get some positive feeling back into it, because all he had been feeling up until now had been nothing but physical angst. For that, and for once in his young life, he was appreciative for someone's help. Seriously, he had to be, even if he had never really asked for assistance in the first place. Whatever the case may be, what's done is done.[color=510afd] "The bruise is still there, but, you're right. I don't feel anything at all."[/color]

Now what, he pondered. Perhaps now would be a better time than any to get up and go. But something was telling him to stay. Maybe his instincts were just toying with him. In any case, he figured he ought to rest up and some more before heading off and continuing onward with whatever he had planned for the day, which was nothing really. [color=510afd]"Though I'll admit it's my own fault for not paying attention to my surroundings. By the way, the name's Cadence Arsen Laidon. Yeah, it's kinda long I know. Feel free to simply call me Cade."[/color] A new acquaintance, or perhaps more, wouldn't hurt, right?

Oh? Was it something he said? He sure had hoped that it wasn't. Just when he thought that things were getting interesting, it would seem that this little chance encounter was making a beeline straight down through a bottomless pit. [color=510afd]"Hm? Something the matter?"[/color] he inquired, not really expecting any answer from her. [color=510afd]"I know I have the face of a watchdog from Hell, but it's okay. I may look scary, but I assure you that I'm completely harmless."[/color] Well, he is, at least most of the time.

[color=510afd]"In any case, nice meetin' ya...I guess..."[/color] Before Cade could go on any further, this girl had the audacity to dump the kitten on him. Sure it was cute, but the darn thing could grow up to become a ferocious beast for all he knows. Judging from the look in her eyes, she probably wasn't going to back down anytime soon. [color=510afd]"Me...?"[/color] She can't be serious, can she? Cade sighed softly then replied, [color=510afd]"Oh well, I guess it can't be helped..." [/color]Just what was he supposed to do it, he pondered while gently stroking it's delicate little head.

[color=510afd]"Cute..."[/color]

Cade could only look on, in quite a bit of shock for the most part, as she went on almost endlessly, especially at the 'handsome' bit. Being classified as an outcast for much of his young life, it was relatively rare indeed that Cade would ever recieve such a positive gesture, let alone from a female. An odd feeling indeed. This caused poor little Cade's notable pale face to shift into a deep red. [color=510afd]"Oh no, i-i-i-it's fine...r-r-really...don't worry about it..."[/color] he then said and quickly focusing his attention on that adorable little rascal on his lap.

Speaking of which, on the subject of naming her, Cade would have to think long and hard about it as he would generally be the one having to take the utmost care for her. After all, he was the one who found her. [color=510afd]"What shall I call you...?"[/color] he pondered aloud. Then it hit him. He remembered this girl, Zelda, saying something about her gift and her using it to eliminate any pain he was feeling in his leg. The whole reason his body is as fragile as it may be was because of his own gift. This gave him an idea for the lost kitten's name.

[color=510afd]"I think I got it."[/color] He gently positoned the the kitty down on the bench beside the girl. [color=510afd]"Give me a moment to think. I'll be right back, kay?"[/color] he said then proceeded to the nearest wall. For the next few moments, the girl may think he's gone mad. As it seemed that he were intentionally going to ram into it, poof! There stood a shadow standing from within the depths of the wall. It was Cade. He needed a brief moment, alone, to think about what he was going to name this furry little critter. Almost as quickly as he had walked into the wall, he emerged with rather heavy breathing.

He walked back over to the two of them. [color=510afd]"I'm going to call her...Shadow."[/color] he announced. Now on with the explanation behind the name. [color=510afd]"Shadow. Naming her after my...my power. My gift. You see..."[/color] he continued as he then made a motion in his right hand, as if he holding a ball of yarn, and suddenly a faint violet cloud emerged out of thin air. [color=510afd]"My gift relates to darkness. You could say I have an affinity for it. It's kinda hard to put into words, but, there's this...aura. Can't see it, but I can feel it, and use it as I see fit. Perhaps it's better if I demonstrate."[/color]

Out of the dark ball of aura in his hands, he forged a miniscule violet ball of yarn, one that would be a fitting toy for a kitten, and seated himself beside the kitten. He then placed the ball in front of it and left it there. [color=510afd]"To put this as simply as I possibly can, if I can think it up, odds are that I can make it out of the shadowy aura that I feel. What you may have just seen a moment ago was me inside that wall. I can do that with this same aura. I figured that if I'm gonna be the one caring for her, I think it's only fitting that she'd be named after...my gift. So there you have it. That's Shadow."[/color]

To him, it was as legitimate as it gets. Sort of.

What the heck has gotten into this young man? It was easy to see that he was completely flabbergasted and flatout embarrassed, but what was he to do. When he noticed Zelda's hand reached out toward him again, Cade aggressively shook his head. Perhaps she would attempt the same trick she had moments ago. This time however, it'd likely be for naught. There was nothing wrong with him, at least not physically. [color=510afd]"I'm okay. I don't think I'm coming down a cold or something else to that effect. I'm fine, honest."[/color]

He was relieved to hear that 'Shadow' was indeed a legitimate name for their newfound friend. But now that she had seen first-hand as to what he was capable of, now begins the explanation. [color=510afd]"How I did get this...gift? I don't know exactly. For all I know, I might have had it my whole life, though I've only recently come to terms with it. This isn't exactly something that could be served up on a silver platter, you know?"[/color] Exactly why was he saying all this to a girl that he had just met!? At this point in time, he didn't know. That idiot. Then again, everyone here had to be gifted in some way or form.

[color=510afd]"It was just an ordinary day. I had gotten myself into quite a mess with some of the older kids at school. Before I knew it, all of the emotions, all of the pent up anger in my veins had culminated into this power. People thought something was terribly wrong with me. There was no sign of any illness they said. Could it be hereditary they thought. Who knows. It's been three years since that time."[/color] Never before was he able to speak of it so openly. He would break down on the inside just by thinking about it. [color=510afd]"There were no signs of magic or whatever in my mother, which leads me to believe that I may have inherited this...gift...from my father."[/color]

His expression ever so serious, and yet his heart, his soul, trembling on in the interior.

Yeah, cool story bro. Cade would be sorry if his trip down the same road on Memory Lane time and time again wasn't the least bit intriguing. At this point he figured why bother, especially the part about his father. Well, at least he somehow managed to omit the part about him not even knowing his baby daddy, with this term being used loosely. A secret love child was all that Cade really was in the end, but he couldn't say that little tidbit to this sweet-looking girl. He didn't even want to begin imagining how she would react to that. Oh man, as if his image wasn't already tarnished enough as it was.

Acknowledging her words, he nodded in agreement. [color=510afd]"I know it's hard. I'm sure it must be hard for a lot of us. No, all of us here. Even her."[/color] By her, he meant the cat of course. Oh how he would love to just turn back the hands of time. [color=510afd]"On the subject of gifts, I know you can sense how I'm truly feeling right now. You said that earlier; I get that part. This face, this expression I have right now is nothing more than a facade and you can see right through me, and I..."[/color] Pause. Chill for a moment. [color=510afd]"I'm sorry. It's not every day I can talk about stuff like this like it's an episode of Oprah..."[/color]

Ain't that the truth, homie.