Contest: The Keeper Exams

Host: ShatteredSparrow

"Gwen?" Ariel questions, stepping inside my bland excuse of a room. I look up at her in the mirror while trying to pin my brown hair back from my face. Ariel halts in the doorway, her jaw slightly ajar. "You look beautiful, Kate's in red too." I groan, my shoulders slumping and my head dropping.

"Well that's just great!" I snap, my good mood plummeting into the abyss of no return. I looked like my mother and hadn't even been trying.

"Stop whining, it's not attractive." A sardonic voice bickers, I jerk my head up as Aaron steps through the door in a black traditional tux.

"Aaron!" I squeal, turning away from the mirror to embrace my cousin in a bone crushing hug. "You are the first friendly face I've seen in a week! And that's ironic considering all we ever did was fight." Aaron chuckles and pulls back from me, thoughts of Connor override my senses and I grip his arms tightly as desperation eats away at me. "Connor? Is he okay?" Aaron cringes and wiggles himself free of my painful grip, nodding his head in response.

"Yeah, he's fine. My mom has him, they're already at the banquet."

"Well, we should head that way, right?" I pause as realization dawns on me. "How the hell are we supposed to get there?" I wonder, Aaron smiles and shrugs, a knowing look in his eyes.

"I suppose the same way Thomas got me in...but you all apprentices aren't supposed to know just yet." I narrow my eyes at him.

"Teleportation, right? It's the only logical explanation, every Hybrid can do it so it's easy and it makes this place undetectable because there's no tunnel leading up." Aaron frowns and rolls his eyes.

"Stop thinking, you'll straing yourself." I scowl and cross my arms over my chest.

"Why'd you agree to be my escort?" Aaron blinks at my abrupt question and frowns.

"Why wouldn't I?" He counters, I give him a doubtful look.

"Because we hate each other, always have since I first came to live with you guys." Aaron pinches his lips together and shrugs one shoulder.

"Nah, it's just more fun to make you think that I hate you." I form a response but a knock on the door interrupts my train of thought. Ariel pokes her head in, smiling.

"Kate and Thomas are ready so when you see them go ahead and join the group behind them. Okay?" I huff at her, Aaron steps forward and nods a thank you to her as she ducks back out the door. Then he turns to me and scowls.

"If I didn't better I'd think you were a whiny little girl, not a twenty-one year old mother. Gosh Gwen, stop acting so rude and childish. I thought Thomas was joking when he told Mom how horrible you're acting. Clearly, I was wrong to think better of you." He scolds, a disappointed look on his face.

My eyes widen slightly and I find myself at a loss for words, Aaron was my fifteen year old cousin therefore he shouldn't have had any right to call me out on my actions. But he clearly thought he did. He'd always teased me but never actually told me to grow up, the strangeness of his words really struck a cord in me. Maybe I was acting a bit childish about everything.

Aaron pokes his head out the door and gestures for me to join him, he offers me his arm with a cheeky grin. "Come on cuz, your parents are down the hall." I scowl at his word choice and rest my hand in the crook of his arm.

"Shut up, they are not my parents. They're my biological creators." Aaron laughs.

"Whatever," He says, rolling his eyes as he sticks his head back out and then jerks it back with an air of urgency. "oh, also Mom is planning on talking to you at the banquet about leaving Connor with us since you're an apprentice here and won't be able to raise him anymore." Aaron says and I feel my heart clench. I open my mouth to interject but Aaron covers it with his hand and gives me a look.

"I shouldn't have told you, but I wanted to warn you and say that when she does ask, don't make a scene in front of everyone. You're a Latimer, okay? We've got a reputation among the Hybrids that goes back to your parents and even your father's grandfather. So, seriously, keep yourself under control or it'll come back on all of us, including your parents and before you bitch at me, I know you care about them. No matter what you say otherwise." He warns, I nod my head and pull my mouth away from his hand.

"Who made you the voice of reason?" I hiss, a well of anger bubbling just beneath the surface. Aaron smiles mockingly.

"I've always been smart, you just never took the time to notice." He bites, I roll my eyes.

"Fine, but I'm not giving up my son and I hope Kalina realizes that." I growl, Aaron shrugs and peaks out the hall just as Kate and Thomas pass by the doorway.

"Just talk to my mom before making that decision, she was Connor at one time. She'd know what's best." He reasons as we join behind Kate and Thomas with the other apprentices. As we walked, I took the time to compare Kate's dress to mine. Hers was a deep maroon red with black lacing and mine was a flowy bright red dress with beading on the bodice. They looked nothing alike, and that pleased me.

It wasn't long before the group of us reached a set of doors guarded by Guarde members, when they saw us, they instantly made way for us. Kate and Thomas barely slowed their pace before marching into the room and expecting us all to follow dutifully. Most of the apprentices did, but I hung back while Aaron tried to force me forward.

"The hell are you doing Gwen? Come on, this is the transport dock. From here we go to the banquet where Connor is. Come on." Aaron's words push me forward, he knew exactly what to say to make me move. I would've done anything for Connor, and Aaron knew that so he used it against me.

Once we were all inside, the doors were closed and darkness fell over us. A sense of panic rose up inside me and it only grew stronger when a brilliant white light erupted from Kate's neck, exploding angelically from her Keeper medallion. Aaron and I took a step back when the rest of the apprentices started to press in on us and away from her and Thomas.

A shooting pain went through my left wrist and when I glanced down I saw a metallic bracelet clinging to my wrist. That feeling of panic leapt into my throat, what had I been thinking stepping into this death trap? Connor. I pull at the metal, trying to force it away from my skin, it was deathly cold and shivers ran along my spine.

But the harder I tried to pull it off the tighter it seemed to get. With a cry of desperation, I release the wretched thing and stared at it in wonder as the metal relaxed and began to warm up to my skin temperature. And then it hit me; it was alive with the Keeper magick and if I tried to take it off it would only get tighter.

"Damn it, they think of everything." I mutter bitterly, crossing my arms over my chest. Then the world around me starts to disintergrate as a new one forms. The dark room dissipates and in its place is a beautiful hall decorated with the most expensive of things.

"Hey, where are we?" I question, shoving through the other apprentices to stare Kate and Thomas in the face. Aaron trails behind me, whispering 'sorry' and 'excuse us' to everyone I shove aside. Kate's gaze lands on me and she smiles.

"The Hybrid campus of Arizona, this is the banquet hall and through those doors is the Apprentices Banquet." She explains, my head snaps to where to double doors are and bursts of excitement course through my veins. Connor was on the other side of those doors. We could hear music playing and it only added to the sudden feeling of happiness swirling around us all. Then there was the trumpets and Kate began to talk again.

"Alright, you'll be introduced in order of the Gifts. Starting with Dream and ending with Wraith. You'll wait to be announced before entering and you'll be guided to a long table where you will all sit and dine together. Thomas and I will be announced first, don't make a scene. There are Guarde members roaming the building and if you try to run you'll be caught, I promise." Kate threatens, her tone harsher than usual.

"Don't make a fool of yourself, the people in that room are here to support you and show you why you're special. By the end of tonight, maybe you all with understand why the apprentices are so important to the Hybrid society. And you'll stop complaining about being one of the chosen." She bites, her patience obviously having run out. Thomas clears his throat and glances around at all of us.

"Also dance, eat, be merry, and have fun. The Exams start in a few days, this is your night. Every Hybrid important to you is here, so don't waste it feeling sorry for yourself." I snort and cross my arms over my chest, who was he to tell me how to act? Oh right, my father. If I ever decided to call him that.

The doors to the banquet hall open and music floods my ears but there's a loud voice that seems to impossibly rise above the music as it begins the introductions. The first is Kate and Thomas, like they said they would be.

And their intro only solidifies their importance at this event, they were not only the cherished Keeper and gifted member of the Guarde but also Mr. and Mrs. Latimer. Aaron was right, we did have a reputation and the noise of the Hybrids when they entered the room really drove that point home.

Then a series of events happened all at once; some apprentices darted off down the halls while others loitered with their escorts, looking happy to wait for their intro and smart enough not to run. Those that did try to run were dragged back down the halls, kicking and screaming, by the hulking Guarde members that practically appeared out of thin air.

A whole group of twelve or so Guarde members ganged up on us, forcing us to gather with the others of our Gift. Some of the apprentices tried to use their Gift on them and escape but found it didn't work. I tried it too by forcing painful emotions on a Guarde member but all that happened was a shock pain electrified my arm with the bracelet on it and I realized they were interuppting our Gifts.

Then the excitement really got started when the loud voice started to introduce apprentices and escorts. Pairs of two were thrust into the spotlight of a thousand screaming Hybrids and all I could do was clutch Aaron's arm and pray it wouldn't happen to me. I hated crowds, always had, and that sounded like a lot of people. A lot, a lot. Like, a really lot.

"Gwendolynn Latimer, Emotion Apprentice, and her escort, Aaron Mikhail." Aaron started forward, but I tugged back. My chest tightened and a feeling of sickness overcame me. I couldn't do this.

"Gwen? Come on, Gwen?" Aaron snaps, tugging on me but I only shook my head and fell backward. Suddenly, a member of the Guarde stood above me and pulled me to my feet. It was a boy around the age of maybe nineteen or twenty with sandy blonde hair and green eyes. He smiles and whispers something into my ear.

"Fearless." And that's all it took, just one word from a Protectionist and I didn't feel nervous anymore. Aaron gives me a questioning look as I take his arm and we begin our entrance. I glance fleetingly over my shoulder at the boy, mouthing a 'thank you'. He nods and returns to his job and I turn back to the crowds.

The beauty of the banquet was mesmerizing. I couldn't even begin to fathom the size of the room, it was just too big to comprehend. And the millions of people watching me barely fazed me, but I didn't know many seconds I have left on the spell.

The chandeliers glittered and the music resounded through my skull, but in a good way. Everything was amazingly done up in dazzling proportions. There were flower centerpieces and an overhanging balcony like those that might be seen in an opera house. Crowds of people looked down at me from the sky, their faces cast in varying colors from the lights glimmering through the chandeliers.

Aaron and I reach the long table in the center of the room and he pulls my chair out from the table before taking his own. Kate and Thomas were seated adjacent to us, their table was just a few feet away. When Aaron and I are seated, the spotlight swings away from us and flashes on the next set of apprentices. And it's perfect timing too because the spell wears off just as they're announced.

When the last Wraith apprentice enters the room, a resounding tune begins to play from the Hybrid band. And Thomas gets to his feet, offering Kate his hand. Aaron too gets up and I realize what's happening. The other guys sitting at our table climb to their feet, escorting their dates to the dance floor. But I don't get up, that fear is back and I'm not going to dance in front of everyone.

"Gwen, come on." Aaron urges, frustration tinting his voice. I shake my head and refuse to move. Thomas and Kate walk over to us and Thomas gestures his hand out to me.

"Come on Gwen, you're fearless, remember?" He pushes his Protectionist magick into the word and I'm against struck with the sense of being able to overcome anything. But I still don't move.

"It'll wear off and I'll be mid-step!" I shout back, Thomas sighs and pulls me to my feet.

"You'll be too busy dancing to realize you're afraid. Trust me." He says and spins me into Aaron, I fall against him and the both of us laugh. Kate smiles as Thomas leads her back onto the dance floor with Aaron and I on their heels.

The music gets louder, but none of us seem to know the steps. Kate and Thomas start dancing, but the rest of us just look on with confusion. Until slowly, their fevered movements begin to make sense and the music slows down and I feel myself start to move with them. It's not long until we're all caught up in the same dance, perfectly in sync but still with absolutely no clue as to the moves. We're just dancing without thinking.

When the song ends we're all left to ourselves, the millions of Hybrids surrounding us dash forward. Parents and kids, infants and teenagers run up to us and ask to dance, or to take pictures, or some other odd thing. I'm so caught up in all the attention I don't realize it when Aaron tries to tug me away from it all. His words only break through to me when I hear my son's name. I jerk my head up and see where Aaron is pointing and with that, I politely excuse myself from the couple I'd been talking animatedly with.

"Kalina!" I shout, my eyes landing on her first as I try to pick out my son. He's sitting at the Mikhail table with Lily and Nathaniel. "Connor!" I squeal, he looks up and meets my eyes and my heart clenches. Then he jumps down off the seat and runs up to me.

"Momma!" He cries and I hug him tightly, I missed him even more than I'd originally thought. I cling to him and he to me for the majority of the night, just too paranoid to put him down. That is until Kalina practically drags me into the festivities of the Latimers, Mikhails, and Udinovs. The three families I was related to.

"Gwen, this is Mandy Udinov and Zeke Latimer. Nathan's kids, your other cousins." Kalina introduces, I shake both of their hands.

"Nice to meet you guys."

"You too, so you're an apprentice?" Zeke asks, crossing his arms over his chest, I nod.

"Well good, Thomas needed one relative to make it to continue the family tradition. I'm glad it's his daughter." Mandy comments, smiling brightly. I nod, my happy mood souring just a bit. Kalina laughs and waves good bye to the pair, pulling me off to a secluded corner.

"I need to talk with you Gwen, about-" Kalina gestures at Connor, I sigh and remember Aaron's words. This would be fast.

"Alright." I comment, faking idiocy as I put Connor down. He runs off to join Lily and Nathaniel who are currently sitting on Nathan's lap. "I'm not leaving him." I snap, Kalina raises her eyebrows and sighs.

"Gwen, I think you should let him grow up with Luke and I." I start to object but she holds up her hand. "Just hear me out, okay?" I scoff and cross my arms, waiting for her to continue. "I was Connor, I had not one but two parents who were important. Okay? I grew up in that base, living in one of the rooms you've no doubt been staying in. I hated it, I mean, yeah I liked being with my parents but I was lonely. Connor won't be happy there, especially since he's been living with Lily and Nathaniel since he was born."

"You'll be so busy you'll never see him, I know you say I'm wrong but I'm not because - and I can't make this more clear - I was Connor. I spent more time with the Guarde members and the trainers than either Kate or Thomas, they were just too busy. It's not their fault, it was just unrealistic to keep me there. So Nathan came and got me and took me away to live with him and life got a lot better. So I am telling you know, don't make Connor live my childhood." Kalina reasons, I bite my lip and shake my head.

I wanted so badly to tell her she was wrong, to yell and scream that I wouldn't do that. But I couldn't because she was right, Thomas and Kate had been so busy protecting me that they forgot to be there for me. And I would end up doing the same thing to Connor.

"Gwen?" Kalina questions, waving her hand in front of my face. I blink and shake my head, meeting her eyes. "Don't do that to him." She says in one last attempt, I nod and sigh heavily.

"Fine, okay. He stays with you." It hurt me to even speak the words and I felt like I might collapse with the pain in my chest. I was basically handing him off to Kalina, but I didn't know what else to do. And suddenly I wasn't feeling the celebratory mood anymore. Kalina tried to talk to me but I waved her off and went back to my seat, staring down at my plate of food.

The rest of the night passed me by in a blur of heart break and sorrow. Kate made a speech and Connor sat on my lap, but I didn't have it in me to pretend everything was okay. This was not okay. I hated this.

When the night was over the apprentices were the first to be escorted out of the banquet hall, I was the last. I was just trying to hold on to Connor for as long as I could but eventually, I had to let him go. Kate's medallion brought us home just like it had taken us there and the metallic bracelet finally came off once the doors to the transport dock were sealed tightly shut. I wandered back to my room in a fuzzy haze, only able to think about Connor. This couldn't be happening, not to me. But it was.

And I really really really hated it.