Friend for the Waves

Calla looked over her shoulder as she ran, a smile spread wide over her face.

"You're going to have to be faster than that Ace!" She called. Her younger brother responded with a fake snarl.

"Oh, come on Calla. Come back here," He called back after a moment. Calla giggled, watching her footing so that she wouldn't trip. Living on the edge of the forest had its perks but also its downfalls.

Literally.

Running harder she went deeper into the forest. They would reach the beach soon, with its sparkling sand and crisp, cool waves. It was one of the favorite places to spend their days on the island. She came to the ocean shore often with friend, her brother, even by herself. She was not afraid of the water like some children were. The people from her village knew it, making her a popular companion to bring to the beach.

A legend was told throughout the island of a water spirit who would befriend a special soul and would be at that person's call all throughout their life. When they grew old and passed, the water spirit would wait, until the time came to choose the next wielder. Then it would become an aid to the next person. There had only been two who had been able to speak with the water spirit.

"Calla!" Ace's voice shouted behind her. She stopped abruptly and turned. Ace has stopped a few feet behind her.

"What?"

He pointed at something beyond her. She turned to see a wall of waves standing, motionless, at the edge of the beach. Ace walked up beside her and she took his hand into hers. Together, they walked slowly toward the beach.

"Is it Anahita?" Ace whispered.

"I don't know." They neared the wall of water, now on the beach. Calla took a few more steps forward and felt a slight tug on her wrist. Ace had stopped and didn't seem like he was going to come any closer to the oddity. Releasing his small hand, she came to stand at the base of the froze wave by herself.

"Are you there?" She asked. She wasn't sure what would happen, but she thought she would try and talk to the water spirit.

She reached out, only hesitating a moment before her fingers mean to cool water. Calla felt the water moving under her fingers, yet to the eye, it looked completely still. As soon as her fingers touched the smooth surface, the wave gathered in on itself where her fingers had touched it. She heard Ace gasp behind her, heard the sand shift as he took a step, not knowing if it was towards her or away.

Calla turned her attention back onto the strange event that was taken place before her. The wave had condensed itself into an orb of water in front of her. She hadn't realized she had pulled back her hand from the familiar element until she was reaching back out to the water. When her fingers reached the orb, instead of falling back into the ocean, the orb seemed to be sucked into her fingers. It disappeared and Calla turned back to her wide-eyed and open-mouthed brother.

"Anahita?" He asked.

"I don't know." Calla looked down at her hands.

"Of course, it's me. Who else would it be?" Calla jumped at the voice, looking around to find the source of the voice. Her gaze fell onto a girl about her size who has in a simple sea blue dress. Her hair started almost blonde before cascading into deep blue on the tips. The girl's eyes were a lively green.

"Calla?"

"Ace, over there," Calla pointed at the girl, who grinned back at her. Ace followed her gaze, but turned back to his sister, puzzled.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"There isn't anything there," Her brother stated.

"But there is. There is a girl with blue hair," Calla insisted. Ace shook his head.

"I'm going to get Mom." Before she had time to stop him, Ace turned and ran back into the forest, towards the village. She turned back to the girl.

"Why couldn't he see you?" She asked.

"Because he isn't you."

"So, your saying only I can see you?"

"Yep. That's how this works."

"Who are you?"

"Anahita, silly," The girl replied. Calla's eyes widened, "And you better get used to me, because we are going to be best friends."

"What does... I'm... I'm confused," Calla stammered. Anahita giggled before drifting over to Calla. Her movement was so fluent, gliding over the sand. Calla noticed that she left no footprints.

"You are different, special, Calla. You have been selected by the spirits to be able to control the water spirit... well for the most part. You can manipulate the element of water, but I am still the spirit of water itself," She explained, taking Calla's hands into her own, "I know this can be hard to wrap your mind around at first, but just try it." She gently turned Calla toward the glistening ocean, whose surfaces had calmed to its normal tamed waved. After guiding Calla's hand out toward the sea, Anahita took a step back. Calla's head was spinning, trying to make sense of it all. She had heard the legend of those who where chosen to control the elemental spirits, but it never occurred to her that she would be chosen as one of those few.

Opening her palm to the sky, Calla waited, unsure of what to do. Anahita gave her an encouraging nod, although Calla was still a bit confused. She imagined what she would feel if she could wield one of the elements, closing her eyes to envision it. When she opened her eyes a minute later, there was an orb of water, much like the one Anahita had been in. Excitement erupted in her as she used her newfound ability to have the water flow around her, spiraling around her. She turned back to the spirit.

"This is so cool," She exclaimed. Anahita nodded. Something caught Calla's eye and she shifted her gaze to behind the water spirit. Ace had returned with their parents.

"Ace told us that there was a strange wall of water that disappeared when you touched it," Her mother said, hurrying over to her.

"I'm okay Mom."

"Are you sure? Do you know what happened?" Calla nodded. She pulled up some of the sea and hand it come and rest in her cupped hands. Her father and Ace had come up beside them.

"Is it?" Her father breathed. Calla nodded again.

"Anahita was here?!" Her brother exclaimed excitedly.

"She still is," Calla said turning to her new friend. The spirit girl was still there, but when her family turned to follow their gaze, they seemed confused.

"I don't see anything, love," Her mother said.

"Oh, they can't hear or see me," Anahita added.

"Oh..." Calla's gaze was pulled back to her family, "That's too bad. She is really nice."

"We must go tell the village. They will be pleased that a spirit has visited and gifted someone from our village," Her father said. They all stood to leave. Calla followed behind, Anahita at her heels.

"Are you going to come with me?" Calla asked.

"Of course, this is a package deal," Anahita replied, smiling.

As she walked back to her village with her family, Calla could tell that her life was changed from this moment and for the rest of her life, but she could deal with that. An element spirit was her friend and she had the ability to wield an element.