Wiggin Academy and the Forbidden Curse

Wiggin Academy’s black school bus finally arrived on Clifford Street, which was deserted even though it was a hot summer day. Mako who was seated at the end of the bus, in the most broken-down compartment, was the last student aboard the bus. Every other first year student had been dropped off before her. So, when the bus came to a full stop, Mako didn’t have anyone to say final ‘goodbyes’ to, she didn’t wave back at anyone. Mako strapped her bag onto her back and exited the last compartment all the way from the back.

Bard had already gathered her luggage from the trunk of the bus. “Have a wonderful summer, Mako,” he said chirpily.

Mako smiled. “You too, Bard,” she said.

Bard gave her the luggage and boarded the bus again. She waved him and the gloomy driver off, but she didn’t move from her spot until the black bus left through a portal. She stood for another moment on the empty street; alone and weary. Mako looked around the street before she crossed the road. No one was outside, all the doors and windows were closed. She trudged down to the last house- 62 Clifford Drive was her home.

Mako put the suitcase on the step. She secretly lifted the ‘Welcome’ mat and found the spare key hidden beneath the straw rug. She opened the door by herself and entered her empty house, that was much cooler than outside. She didn’t forget to lock the door behind her before she went up to her room, her luggage trudging along too.

Mako put away her suitcase and all of her belongings where she needed them. It felt strange coming back home after such a long time. Sleeping in her own bed, taking a bath in the small bathroom, eating alone. There wasn’t anyone to talk, she couldn’t walk around with Aiden or Penelope by her side. She couldn’t run to Professor Wiggin when she wanted to train or join him for his work when they were all bored.

After Mako took a long soak in the tub, she put on her pyjamas and went downstairs for some dinner. Mako opened the fridge but found nothing special. She climbed onto the kitchen stool reaching for some grapes, when she noticed something on the dining table near the garden window. Mako went over and found food spread out and a note.

Welcome home, dear!

Mom and dad cooked you a special meal, so make sure to eat every bite of it. We know we couldn’t pick you up because of work. But we’re coming home early and we’re bringing your favourite mint chocolate-chip ice cream. So, cheer up and we love you baby!

-from Mom and Dad.

Mako lifted the lid off the plate. She found two pieces of lasagna, which her father definitely cooked because mom would’ve burned the house down. Mako took the plate and used the microwave to heat them up, until the steam was visible above the cheese. Mako picked up her fork and quietly ate as her wet hair dripped on the towel around her neck.

Like her parents had promised, they arrived early from work and with a big bucket of ice cream. Mako’s mood was definitely lifted after they had appeared, she didn’t feel alone anymore. But she still felt the weariness without her friends and Professor Wiggin. After a few long hours, the Hawthorne family finished the ice-cream in record time, and then, they headed to bed for the night.

Mako laid on her mattress; it was strange and she felt out of place. The only thing she didn’t seem to find unfamiliar was the window in front of her. It reminded her of the same window she had at the dormitory back at the school. There weren’t a lot of stars here in the city, but the moon was still as bright and round for her to see. Under the bright silver beams of the summer moon, Mako dozed off with not a lot of anticipation for tomorrow.

Mako awoke to the sun shining in her face. She slugged out from underneath the sheets and lazily brushed her teeth before she headed down the stairs to a rowdy kitchen. The radio was playing soft music her parents enjoyed before work. The sun was streaming in every window giving tons of light to their small kitchen.

“Good morning,” said her dad.

Mako slid onto the stool next to him. “Good morning,” she smiled. “Aren’t you going to work?”

“I’m leaving in the afternoon,” said her dad as he drank his coffee, which was always black as Mako’s alchemy. “Your mom is late as always though.”

Her mom was bouncing around the house collecting her stuff. “Okay, I have everything I need,” she announced. She came up to Mako and kissed her cheek multiple times. “I love you, baby.” Mako nodded since her mouth was full of toast. “I love you, Henry,” said her mom with a kiss, and then, she ran out the door, already out of breath.

“Bye!” Mako shouted from the stool. The house had quieted down. She wondered what she was going to do all day long.

“Must be boring after spending so much time at the Academy,” said her dad.

Mako nodded. “It was a lot of fun there,” she said.

He gave her a side glance. “And here I thought you were scared because of what alchemy you had,” remarked her dad.

“I’m not scared anymore,” she said.

Her father looked at her with a proud smile. “Good,” he said. “And you shouldn’t be.” Her father put the newspaper down and looked at her. “How are your friends, Penelope and Aiden, was it?”

“I don’t know,” said Mako, but then, a smile crept up her lips. “Penelope is probably gone to the beach with her family. And Aiden is definitely still asleep. Professor Wiggin is at the Academy reading or smoking or both.”

“Looks like you made a lot of good memories,” said her dad.

Mako slumped her head on the counter. “I sure did,” she muttered.

“If you’re bored, why not go to the park?” asked her dad. “I’m sure loads of kids are there.”

Mako hesitated before she answered. She never told her parents that kids at the park didn’t like her coming. There wasn’t any need to tell them since she rarely went out. But maybe it would be different this time. Mako drank some orange juice before she grabbed a cap and went off to the park in the neighbourhood. She arrived and it was quite busy; many kids were playing on the slides and monkey-bars.

Mako entered the playground. She sauntered over to the empty swings and took a seat. She rocked back and forth lightly like the breeze, but nothing really exciting happened. Some kids started to take notice of her presence, they didn’t run away or tell their parents. Instead, they stuck to the other side of the park.

A sigh released from her lips. Even though the sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky, the playground was grim as her mood. Mako played on the swing for a little while, until an ache started to chip away at her heart. She got off the swing and sauntered back home.

“You’re back already?” asked her dad from the living room.

Mako took her shoes off. “Yeah,” she said. “It was too hot for me.”

“Oh, okay,” said her dad. Mako made her way up the stairs. “Oh right, Mako!”

Mako froze on the last step at the top. “Yeah?”

“A Willow arrived for you,” he said.

Mako rushed down the stairs. “Where is it?” she asked eagerly. She grabbed the letter from her father’s grasp. She quickly opened the note and read it as fast as she could.

Mako, it’s Penelope.

It feels so strange talking to you through a Willow. Summer just started and I already miss you. That’s why I thought we should all have a sleepover. I already invited Aiden, he said he didn’t want to come, but I forced him to. So, he’s coming today. You should come to my house too, it’ll be fun. My address is; 143 Bumble Rose Meadow.

Hope to see you soon, Penelope.

“Dad,” she called out.

He looked over to her fiery expression. “Yes?”

“Can I go to my friend’s house?” she asked desperately.

Her dad smiled. “Sure, why not,” he said as he got out of his seat.

Mako ran up the stairs and packed herself a bag of extra clothes and her toothbrush. Hastily, she fumbled down the stairs and her dad got the car keys. They locked the door behind them. Mako jumped into the car and buckled herself in the front seat- eager to get going.

In the longest hour, Mako jumped out of the car before it even fully stopped. She found Penelope and Aiden standing outside the massive plain field, which had a dirt road and a cozy four-story house covered in green vines that had white primroses sprouting like a storm.

“Penelope, Aiden!” Mako shouted.

Her friends turned when they heard their names being called. “You came!” Penelope ran over and hugged Mako close. “I missed you!” Penelope announced.

“Me too,” blubbered Mako. She quickly ran over to Aiden and squeezed the life out of him too. “I was so lonely without you two!”

“Yeah,” he sighed, “I was pretty bored myself.”

Mako was eager for the Summer break now. Nothing could beat this sensation of being with her friends.

John lit his cigarette as he sauntered through the halls of the Academy. Nowadays, any time he had to do something or go somewhere there was no one to interrupt him. Those rowdy kids sure kept him busy. The school sure had quieted down after they left for their Summer break. John blew out the smoke of his cigarette and couldn’t actually believe that he was bored out of his mind. Usually, he wouldn’t mind the silence and the time to himself. But lately, he missed those kids more than he’d like to admit.

“John,” a voice stopped John dead in his tracks. Hugo Vulcan approached John. “I had to ask you something.”

John raised a brow. “That’s new,” he remarked. “What does the great Vulcan need from the forgotten Wiggin.”

Hugo scowled. “I heard that you trained that boy, Aiden Phoenix. Is that correct?”

John grew stern. “I didn’t train him that much,” he told Hugo. “Just a few moves here and there and some lessons on alchemy.”

“How do you think he is?” asked Hugo. “What type of alchemist is he?”

John was confused. “Why are you asking me this?”

“Aiden personally asked me to train him,” said Hugo.

John raised a brow. “A Vulcan will train a Phoenix,” he alleged with a hint of mockery, “are you sure that your family will approve?”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass what others think,” snapped Hugo. “Just tell me what I need to know, so I don’t have to waste my time on you and longer than I have to.”

John held his hands up as truce. “Okay, okay, calm down,” chuckled John. “Aiden’s a smart kid, very talented and I know he has the skill to be a prodigy alchemist. But that’s only if he finds a worthy teacher.”

“I thought so too,” said Hugo. “I believe that he has the qualities of a great alchemist.”

John sighed dramatically. “That’s if you train him right,” he jabbed Hugo on purpose to see his reaction.

“I have to if he wants to beat your student,” remarked Hugo.

John smirked. “You obviously haven’t seen their bond at work,” he told Hugo. “None of them will crawl to the top at the cost of the other.”

“We’ll have to see about that,” held Hugo.

John turned away. “See you around, Hugo.”

John didn’t need to wait and see with those three kids. Individually, they all had great potential, but as a team, John believed that they could be invincible. He was glad that Aiden found a teacher to train him. That boy is a born-genius who has the natural skills, that many train to achieve, like Mako and Penelope. A smile crept up John’s lips as he recalled Mako’s training sessions. She didn’t have the natural talents like Aiden, but John had never seen anyone work harder. Besides, where was the fun in training a genius kid? John would rather train a no-good kid who had no discipline in the art of alchemy whatsoever. Training Make was going to hard for John, but the thrill of seeing her grow into what he knew she could achieve was going to be worthwhile.

John made his way to his brother’s office who was still cooped up in that room, despite the school year being over.

“Caden,” John called out as he entered his brother’s office.

“Good morning, Johnny,” said Caden from the seat in front of the arched window. Caden was lounging on the couch with his hawk beside him. “Pour me a drink before you sit down.”

John grabbed the heavy glass decanter and filled two glasses with the dark golden liquor known as Dragon Fire. He gave a glass to his brother before taking a seat with his own.

“The school has quieted down a lot,” said Caden with a sigh. “I always dread this time of the year.”

John nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

Caden looked over to John. “You sure got along with those kids,” he smiled knowingly.

“Who those twerps? Yeah, I’m working on them,” remarked John.

“The child who will surpass her predecessors,” foretold Caden. “Do you believe in that prophecy?”

John looked over the rim of his glass. “I had my doubts in the beginning,” he said. “But not anymore.”

“We’ve found ourselves a group of remarkable students this year, Johnny,” said Caden. “I have a feeling they will go far if they keep striving for more.”

“The dark lord is planning on coming back, brother,” said John. “Don’t you plan on stopping him?”

Caden brushed the feathers on his hawk. “I don’t think beating Balthier is in our hands anymore,” he told John. “Another has stepped forth for that mantel.”

“You think Mako is that child?” asked John.

Caden shrugged. “She is the only one with the strength to do so,” he said. “These kids will be something worth remembering, you mark my words.”

John absorbed his brother’s words, which always had truth to them. But this was only Mako’s first year at Wiggin Academy and she had five more to go. There was a lot these kids needed to learn and study if they wanted to become the masters of this generation. Wiggin Academy taught all students with equality. However, this school also had the magic of picking the warriors that legends would be written about. John believed that his brother was right about the prophecy and the chosen child, Mako Hawthorne.

-The End-

A/N: Thank you to all the fans of Wiggin Academy and the Forbidden Curse. This book has been some journey for me as a writer and reader. I absolutely adore Mako, Penelope and Aiden. They literally stole my heart as I wrote them. I hope that you loved them just as much as I did. Thank you for loving this story and giving it a chance.

Will a sequel happen? I think it will once for sure. I love these characters way too much to just let it go. Professor John Wiggin, Mako, Aiden and Penelope will definitely make a comeback in the near future. I hope you will join on their next adventure at Wiggin Academy.