章 9: Chapter 9: I Have The High Ground

<Ethan's POV - Right after his "duel" with Phil and Luke>

I notice Luke glancing at me, like he's working up the nerve to ask something.

"What's on your mind, Luke? You look like you're about to ask for the bathroom key," I joked.

Luke scoffed. "Very funny. But seriously, Ethan... do you think you could teach me how to do what you did?"

Off to the side, Phil raised an eyebrow, pretending to be hurt. "Hey! I can teach you to front-flip too, you know."

"Yeah, but... Ethan's flip looked cooler," Luke admitted with a grin, earning a dramatic sigh from Phil, who just nodded in agreement. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, it was pretty awesome. But since you're already giving out lessons, Ethan, how about you teach me too? I was going to ask you to show me some dance moves, but now I think lightsaber combat would be even better. That way, I'm ready for the next Comic-Con. Who knows if someone there might want to duel, right?"

I shrugged. "Sure, I've got some time."

"Hold on! Let me grab the camera so I can review it later—practice when you're not around," Phil said, darting into the house. His eagerness always cracked me up.

While he was gone, Luke started warming up like he was preparing for a marathon, stretching his arms and bouncing on his feet. It was hard not to laugh at how seriously he was taking this.

Phil returned, balancing a tripod and camera in one hand while fumbling with the settings. "Okay! Ready!" he called out, clearly pumped.

I looked between the two. "So, what'll it be? You want to learn actual lightsaber forms, or just some cool choreographed moves for your duels?"

They exchanged glances before Phil answered. "Let's start with the choreographed stuff. Baby steps."

"Good call," I said with a grin, stepping into a more formal stance. "Let's start with something iconic: Anakin's signature move." I demonstrated slowly at first, guiding them through the motion. As I sped up, the saber became a blur of light, and by the time I was done, both Phil and Luke were staring wide-eyed.

"Don't worry," I said, smirking at their dropped jaws. "With practice, it'll feel like second nature."

Next, I showed them some of Ahsoka's dual-wielding techniques from The Clone Wars, then a bit of Obi-Wan's defensive stances. They tried to mimic the moves, stumbling at first—Luke dropped his saber three times in a row, and Phil almost hit himself with the hilt—but they were starting to get the hang of it.

"Okay, let's focus on Anakin's move," I said. "Once you nail this, you can build on it. The key is repetition."

They got into it, running through the sequence again and again, gradually improving. I noticed a punching bag hanging from a tree nearby and felt a sudden urge to train myself.

While Phil and Luke practiced, I walked over to the bag, giving it a playful tap. Then, I let myself sink into the rhythm. I swung the saber in controlled arcs, striking the bag, dodging when it swung back at me. The more I moved, the more natural the flow became, as if I were back in The Dreaming sparring with real opponents.

I hadn't even noticed Phil and Luke had stopped and were watching me until Luke spoke up. "Wow…"

I paused mid-swing, glancing at them. "You guys okay? Need help with the move?"

Phil shook his head, eyes wide with admiration. "No, we're good. But, uh… watching you right now? It's like we're watching an actual Jedi movie scene or something."

I chuckled, lowering my lightsaber. "Well, I've been at this for a while. But trust me, if Obi-Wan were here, I'd take him down."

Phil burst out laughing, clapping me on the back. "Oh, sure, sure. But I'd pay to see that fight."

'Little did he know, it's already something I've done.'

"Well, it's almost noon. I should head back now. Gotta get some practice in for the concert," I said to Phil and Luke, though in truth, I wasn't really planning on practicing just yet.

"Oh, right! We can't wait to see you perform, Ethan," Phil said with genuine excitement.

I grinned. "Well, get ready to have your minds blown."

As I walked back to my house, a strange feeling crept up my spine. Someone was watching me. I glanced around, but the street was empty. Probably just my imagination, I thought, shaking it off.

I unlocked the door, stepped inside, and locked it behind me. But before I could even take another step, I froze.

Aunt Fay was standing right in front of me.

"Aunt Fay? What are you doing here? I thought you had things to take care of."

She gave me that trademark smirk, the one that always felt like she knew something I didn't. "Can't I visit my favorite nephew whenever I want? Besides, you're safe now. None of my old enemies will dare bother you anymore."

Her smile lingered, a little too sinister for my liking. "Still," I said, crossing my arms, "most people think you're dead. What would they say if they saw you hanging out here?"

She waved me off like it was nothing. "Oh, please. The Dunphys already know I'm alive, thanks to you. You really should be more careful about where you leave your things. But besides them, who's going to visit you? Your girlfriend?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

I frowned, feeling the heat rise in my face. "I could get a girlfriend if I wanted to."

"Sure, sure, keep telling yourself that, dear nephew." She chuckled, still convinced I was some awkward, shy kid when it came to girls. I wasn't sure if that was more annoying or amusing. Probably both.

Her smile faded as her tone grew more serious. "Anyway, I didn't just come here for a casual visit. The wards around our house activated. Did you use the ruby for something? The wards don't flare up unless someone used magic in this house."

I scratched the back of my neck, suddenly feeling like I'd been caught doing something I shouldn't. Should I tell her? On one hand, she's my aunt, and I trust her… to an extent. But on the other hand, this is the same woman who once teamed up with Doctor Doom. And, well, we all know how that turned out.

'Hmm'

I don't think I can keep it hidden from her anyway, so I guess I should just tell her. Maybe not everything though.

"I did use it, Aunt." I took out the first lightsaber I created with the Dreamstone and showed it to her.

Aunt Fay raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You used a magical item to make a lightsaber?"

I shrugged. "Can you blame me? You know how much I love Star Wars."

She sighed and crossed her arms. "You do realize I left that for your protection, right?"

"And I am protected. No one would be able to fight me while I have this." I twirled the lightsaber confidently.

"Oh really?" Aunt Fay smirked, and suddenly, a pentagram lit up on the floor. A small demon appeared, immediately lunging at me. I quickly sliced through it with ease, its head rolling cleanly onto the floor.

Aunt Fay observed me with sharp eyes. "Hmm. Last I remember, you couldn't move like that. What happened?"

"I trained while you were gone," I replied nonchalantly.

"Uh-huh, and you learned all that in two weeks?" She clearly didn't buy it.

"I did—" Suddenly, I felt something tightening around my throat, choking me. "It's me, Aunt Fay!" I croaked, struggling to speak.

She studied me like she was scanning my soul. After a tense moment, she released her magical grip. "Apologies, Ethan. I thought someone might be impersonating you."

cough cough "No worries, Aunt. Just maybe check before you strangle me next time," I joked, half-seriously.

She helped me back to my feet, brushing off my apology. "Still, how did you learn that quickly?"

"I just copied what I saw in Star Wars."

Aunt Fay looked thoughtful, tapping a finger against her chin. "What else can you do?"

"I can mimic voices," I said, then immediately mimicked her voice perfectly.

"That's uncanny, but it doesn't feel like magic," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Because it's not magic. Just talent." I flashed her a smirk.

"Fine. But that's not enough to protect yourself from real threats."

"I can use it to disorient enemies," I said playfully.

She rolled her eyes. "You always have a comeback, don't you?" Without warning, she grabbed one of my fake lightsabers and transmuted it into a real one. Then, with a flick of her wrist, we were transported into the mirror dimension.

"Let's see what you've got, nephew. No magic. Just swordplay." She took a defensive stance. "Your move."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you!" I launched myself forward with speed, faking an attack to her left. But she read my move effortlessly, sidestepping and landing a light slash on my side.

"Ow! What the hell?" I gasped.

"Fight like your life depends on it," she said, dead serious.

I grimaced, realizing this wasn't going to be easy. Refocusing, I threw everything I had at her, attacking with a series of fast-paced strikes. But she blocked and parried each one like she was reading my mind.

"Are you sure you're not using magic?" I asked, frustration building.

"If I were, you wouldn't be able to move," she said with a grin. And right on cue, she froze me in place with a snap of her fingers.

"Hey, that's cheating!" I complained.

"That's what you get for doubting me." She advanced on me, poised to strike.

With every ounce of focus, I broke free from her magical hold, surprising her just long enough to dart behind her and position my lightsaber at her neck. "Gotcha."

She raised her hands in surrender, smiling with approval. "That was good. You've improved, but now you see—you're far from invincible. You might be able to handle ordinary foes, but against real enemies with power? It won't be this easy."

I nodded, exhausted. Breaking her spell had taken a lot out of me.

We continued sparring, her movements quick and calculated. I tried to keep up, but she was good—too good. As we circled each other, an idea hit me. I dashed up the stairs, gaining the height advantage. I couldn't resist.

"It's over, Auntie Fay! I have the high ground!" I smirked, raising my lightsaber dramatically.

Aunt Fay shot me an amused look and, with a lazy flick of her wrist, froze me in place once again. "Oh please," she said, climbing the stairs slowly, savoring her victory.

"Not fair!" I groaned, stuck in place.

She tapped my lightsaber with hers, a clear sign of my defeat. "High ground doesn't work when you're dealing with a sorceress," she said with a grin.

Once she released me from the freeze spell, I couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, point taken."

She helped me up once more, her smile fading into something more serious. "You did well, Ethan, but there are bigger threats out there. You need to learn sorcery, not just how to play with toys." She waved her lightsaber for emphasis.

"I know you want to be normal, but what would you do when you're in a position like I put you in earlier, but with someone who aims to kill you?" Aunt Fay asked, her voice laced with concern.

Her words made me think for a moment. "Alright, but I won't do it until after the concert."

She rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Are you serious?"

I crossed my arms and pouted. I knew she couldn't say no when I pulled this move.

"Ugh, fine." She sighed, summoning something into her hand. "But take this and always have it on you." It was a silver ring with a pentagram carved into it.

"What's this?" I asked, turning the ring over in my hands.

"Just a little protection. And it'll notify me if you're in danger when you're not at home."

I slipped the ring onto my finger immediately. "Thanks, Aunt."

She snapped her fingers and, in an instant, we were back in my house, the mirror dimension vanishing around us.

Aunt Fay and I didn't realize how long we had been sparring until a knock at the door startled us both. Knock, knock.

We froze. Who's knocking? I thought, exchanging a quick glance with Aunt Fay.

Before we could react, the door creaked open. "Ethan, would you like to come over for—" Claire's voice stopped mid-sentence as her eyes locked onto Aunt Fay. Her face went pale. "Fay... you're back? I mean, you're alive? How?" she stammered, trying to act like she didn't already know.

I cleared my throat, trying to save the moment. "Uh, yeah, Claire. Aunt Fay's been, uh, back for a while now."

Claire shot me a puzzled look. "But, Ethan, I thought—" She hesitated, glancing at Aunt Fay again, her tone dropping to a whisper. "Is this about, uh… those things I found in your room?"

Aunt Fay raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by Claire's hesitation. I groaned internally, realizing what she was getting at. Here we go again.

"Claire, seriously?" I said with an exaggerated sigh. "It was MSG. Remember? The king of flavour?"

Before Claire could respond, I broke into my best Uncle Roger impression. "Haiya, Auntie Claire! Did you forget already? You're not that old, are you?" I waved my hand dramatically, just like Uncle Roger would.

Claire blinked, caught off guard, and then her face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh… right. The MSG thing." She gave an awkward laugh, still eyeing Aunt Fay cautiously. "I guess I'm just... a little jumpy."

Aunt Fay smirked, crossing her arms. "No need to worry, Mrs. Dunphy. I assure you, I'm not involved in anything... questionable."

Claire still looked unsure. "Right, well, uh… I just came over to see if Ethan wanted to join us for dinner. But I can see he's, um… busy."

I quickly nodded. "I'm done for now. I'll come over in a bit."

Claire glanced between Aunt Fay and me one last time, clearly still feeling uneasy. "Okay, well… I'll set an extra place at the table, just in case." She gave a hesitant nod to Aunt Fay. "You're welcome to join us, Fay, if you're staying."

Aunt Fay's smile was polite but firm. "I appreciate the offer, but I'll pass tonight. Got a few more matters to attend to."

Claire nodded slowly. "Alright then. See you soon, Ethan." She gave Aunt Fay another uncertain glance before backing out of the room and closing the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone, I let out a long sigh. "That was... awkward."

Aunt Fay chuckled, crossing her arms. "She really thought I was mixed up in drugs? You could've come up with a better story."

"I panicked," I muttered, rubbing my forehead. "It's not exactly easy to explain magic to someone like Claire."

"True," Aunt Fay said, her smirk widening. "But you'd better be careful. Curious people have a way of finding things they shouldn't."

"I'll handle it," I said, rolling my eyes. "Thanks for the lesson, Aunt Fay."

"Just keep practicing," she said, her tone shifting to something more serious. "And remember—after the concert, we start your real training."

I nodded. "Deal."

With a flick of her fingers, Aunt Fay vanished in a shimmer of light, leaving me standing alone. I stared at the empty space where she had been for a moment, then glanced down at the ring she'd given me earlier. Rolling it around my finger, I headed to the the Dunphys' for dinner.

*to be continued*