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It was a clear and sunny day on Turgor, much to my delight. The trees were enjoying the warm weather as well, leaning over to laugh with each other while soaking up the sun’s rays. I rolled over in bed and waited for the groggy feeling to pass before sitting up. My clothes were neatly folded on the chair across the room, courtesy of Mimi stepping in to be the cabin mother figure.
I rolled out of bed and headed to the shower, bumping into Kris in the hallway. He eyed me, but I was in no mood. I was a lot of things, but no one would ever call me a morning person.
“Good morning,” he muttered, stepping to the side so that I could squeeze past his large frame. I grunted at him and shuffled past. I could have sworn I heard him snicker, but when I whipped around to glare at him properly he was already headed down the stairs.
The nice but quick shower woke me up enough to move a little faster. I quickly dressed, made my bed, and then followed my nose to the delicious smells coming out of the kitchen. Sure enough, Mimi was fluttering around in a glittery fit while she scrambled what looked like eggs and buttered toast magically.
“Ah, good morning, Kathleena,” she sang, flicking her hand and sending a plate gliding to me. It landed with a gentle thud as I slouched into a chair at the kitchen table.
“Morning,” I mumbled. “When can I start drinking coffee?”
“When you’re old enough to vote,” Grandpa said, coming in to the kitchen. He ruffled my hair, ignoring my protests, and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “How are you, dear?”
“Fine.” I grabbed a piece of toast and took a huge bite, washing it down with a glass of purple juice Mimi had provided.
“What are you up to today?”
“Well, I’ve been keeping an ear to the ground for chatter about the Senior Council.”
He took a sip from a coffee mug. “So far, they’ve been pretty quiet. No inquiries into your whereabouts, no new edicts issued.”
“‘No news is good news,’” I said, quoting Grandma. She used to say that a lot when Grandpa had first slipped into a coma and we’d been scared he was going to get worse. She’d said it so much that first year, I found myself parroting it all the time, much to Nia’s annoyance.
Grandpa made a noise of agreement. “I think today you should continue practicing Awakening things.”
“Excellent idea, Lamont,” Mimi chirped, sliding food onto his plate.
“Ah, you spoil me.” Grandpa beamed. “Thank you for taking such good care of us.”
Mimi blushed, her wings fluttering so fast, it seemed like she was going to vibrate. “Oh, please. I’m happy to help in any way that I can.”
I rolled my eyes but remained silent. It seemed like my grandfather was still a charmer, even on another planet.
“Grandma says hi,” I said, drawing his attention back to me. Was it petty? Yes. But my loyalty lied with my grandmother, who was on Earth and all alone. I was in no mood to see my grandfather doing anything other than the duty he was assigned on Turgor.
His eyes misted over. “How is she?”
“She’s well. Lonely.”
Grandpa sighed and patted my hand. “I miss her so much. Her smell, her laugh. Her hair.” He gave a sad chuckle. “I think about her all the time, Kay. You have to know that.”
I softened as his brown eyes bore into mine. “Yeah, I know it.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, each in our own thoughts. I remembered that I needed to check my DiGi. But first, I wanted to see what was happening in the news.
“Hey, Mimi, do you have the newspaper?” Even though our Digis were a great source of information, I still missed the habit of checking to see what the local newspaper was writing.
Mimi floated into the living room. “Yes, as a matter of fact. I summoned one from my shop early this morning. I was reading in my room and brought it down for Kris. He must have left it somewhere in here...”
As she searched, I watched two little blue birds hurriedly make their way to the kitchen window. When they landed, I saw that it was Meke and Roshi, our little avian spies. Grandpa slid the window open and they hopped onto the kitchen table.
“Oh, thank goodness you’re here, Lamont!” Meke chirped. He seemed really agitated. Mimi scampered off to grab them a bowl of bird seed. “We have news.”
Kris emerged from the living room. He shrugged at my questioning glance.
“I noticed the birds flying your way and figured they must have something to share.”
I turned back to the two hovering around my breakfast. “OK, so what’s going on?”
“We’ve discovered a KaKoninan base, hidden in the Ollosi forest!” Roshi fluttered her wings. “There’re about a hundred of them, all building weapons.”
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and looked at Grandpa. “So what do we do with this?”
Grandpa opened his mouth, but Kris jumped in before he could say anything. “I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. We’re going to attack them before they can attack us.”
Roshi, Meke, and I stared at Kris. Attack the KaKonians? Sounded like a suicide mission. I didn’t think we were ready to go into battle. Nia was off doing her own thing; would she be on board? And Jala was still training Rena. Would Rena freeze again?
“I think it’s a good idea,” Mimi said. “We need to be on the offensive, not defensive. If we can seriously damper their operations, that would definitely put us at an advantage.”
“And maybe we can gather some evidence for the Council,” I said, thinking about Nia. I didn’t want to be on the outs with her. If this could help bring her back into the fold, I was all for it.
“OK, so when do we attack?”
“Tomorrow night.” Kris leaned against the kitchen counter and folded his arms. “Practice, train, rest up. We’re going to need it.”
I nodded and went outside and around the cabin. My stack of tires was almost depleted, but I wasn’t interested in them. I wanted to clear my head. I sat down on the ground, noting the slight dampness from the earlier rain. My breath formed a cloud every time I exhaled. The weather on Turgor was almost as temperamental as it was on Earth, but I still preferred it. Being in the hot all of the time in Mississippi began to wear on you after a while.
I closed my eyes, letting my fingers rest on my thighs. Breathe in, breathe out. My pulse slowed a bit. The air caressed my face. I took another deep breath. In and out. In and out. Slowly, my mind became quieter. If a thought attempted to push its way into the surface, I pushed it back down below.
Help...me... came the quiet voice I had been seeking. Tears prickled my eyes as my heart ached. I so desperately wanted to save this planet and all of the wonderful inhabitants who lived on it.
I’m trying, I thought back. I’m trying to help you. We all are.
Be...strong...
I didn’t answer, but I could sense it knew that I would. I might not have wanted this war, but I would make sure I did my best to win it.
The next evening, the group of us huddled in Dia’s cabin. I had pulled Yolanda out of her training module (a small black box that she connected to for days on end to stay current with the other Evrodes) and she was back around my neck. I touched her and she warmed against my touch. It was so nice to have her back. I felt naked without her.
“So we attack from the East, throw them off-guard,” Jala said, pointing at the map. “We need to hit them with a surprise that will stun them.”
“Leave it to me,” Nia replied. She was leaning against the farther wall, her arms folded and her attitude apparent.
I ignored her. “Rena and I can Awaken whatever Nia throws at them. Kris and Nahime, I need you to immediately attack the ones who aren’t stunned.”
Kris nodded and flexed his fists. Nahime tipped his hat in my direction. I took that as a yes, then turned to the two blue birds that were perched on the arm of my chair. “Roshi, Meke. You should fly high and call out if anything goes super shady.”
“It’s a battle,” Kris said, rolling his eyes. “Of course things are going to be shady.”
“They know what I mean.”
Grandpa turned to Mimi. “Can you heal if things go badly?”
“Of course. I will stick to high above as well and do my best to patch any of our injuries before they become too serious.”
Grandpa gave her a grateful smile before addressing all of us. “There’re one hundred of them and only a handful of us. We need to be quick and confident.”
We all made noises of agreement. I stood up. “We might as well get this over with. No point in standing around waiting for a mystical sign to appear.”
Nia eyed me. “Why are you so eager to go to battle?”
“Because I’m tired of waiting for the next attack on us.” I paced the living room. “I’m tired of looking over my shoulder, wondering when this is going to end. And I’m tired of feeling helpless.”
“I as well,” Jala said, standing up. “We are warriors and we are powerful.”
Kris shook his head. “No, Jala. We are warriors. These are kids. We must protect them.”
“Kids or not, unfortunately it looks like we’re the answer to Turgor’s prayers,” Nia said, pushing herself off of the wall. “Let’s hope the cosmos know what they’re doing. I guess age means nothing in this case, only ability.” She nodded towards Kris. “Just watch your back.”
He nodded as well. It seemed like they were calling a temporary truce in light of the evening’s planned activities.
“Let’s get this over with.” I tossed on my jacket and headed out into the night. The others followed suit.
The KaKonian hideout was a distance away, but thanks to Nia’s ability to Create tears in space, we were able to step onto the frozen ground on the outskirts of their compound in record time.
Small brown tents were spread throughout their camp, each complete with a little flag depicting the KaKonian symbol swaying gently in the breeze. Most of the KaKonians were sitting around various fires to keep warm, while others marched along the perimeter to keep watch.
Even from our distance, crouching along thick bushes that nestled between the trees, I could see the KaKonians’ pale eyes and snarls. A shiver ran down my spine.
“You guys ready?” Nia whispered. We all nodded and she backed away from us to stand in the darkness. The moonlight glanced off of her DiGi (which she had fashioned as a watch). It glittered in the night, adding mystery to her fast hand movements as she wove a Creator spell to create her distraction.
Watching Nia Create was always fascinating for me. My sister deserved the respect most people gave her. She was a quick study and extremely talented in learning the hand moments needed to Create things on Turgor. It was not an easy skill, which was why Creators were so limited.
She muttered something as her hands began to slow down. Yolanda pulsed against my skin. “She’s almost ready,” she whispered. “Brace yourself.”
I swallowed nervously, but before I could respond, the air became still. Nia froze, disappearing into the dark for a moment.
Kris growled and stood up, followed closely by Jala and Nahime. They drew their weapons and swiveled back and forth to see what was going on. Mimi, Roshi, and Meke hovered near Rena and me while Grandpa put a protective hand on Nia’s shoulder. This time, she didn’t shake it off.
My head began to pound as the air pressure increased. It was getting stronger and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My eyes slid over to Rena, who was going pale under the pressure change. I began to succumb to it, convinced I would pass out when the air pressure suddenly let up with a gentle pop. Cool air rushed into my lungs and I took a grateful deep breath.
“Put down your hands, A’Nia McLaughlin,” came a feminine, almost musical voice from behind my sister. She and Grandpa whirled around and took a few steps back until they were almost on top of us. Kris, Jala, and Nahime moved in front of them, ready to slay anyone who didn’t appear to be friendly.
“Put down your weapons.”
“Come and get them,” Kris bit out. He looked terrifying. I almost felt sorry for anyone who dared to attack us.
One by one, the same members of the Senior Council who had sentenced us to work in Caldbeck began to appear in front of us. They were dressed in ceremonial red robes, their magical emblems embroidered in gold on the lapels. I locked eyes with the one who had skin so translucent, he was almost clear, sweat sprouting on my forehead. My pulse quickened.
Nia pushed her way to the front of the group. Those of us who were crouching stood so that we could see her more clearly.
She frowned and put her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here?”
“We’ve come to stop you from making a grave mistake,” one of the members said. “You cannot win this fight. Leave, with your lives in tact.”
“You told me that you knew nothing of the KaKonian attacks,” Nia almost screeched. She lowered her voice. “Why did you lie?”
“The Akearman Stars are a threat to this planet,” a Senior Council member with orange scaly skin hissed. “An abomination. We cannot allow you to destroy us all in your quest for fame based off of some ancient theories that no one believes in anymore.”
“You and your family will be stripped of your titles and banned from Turgor,” the clear one said, his smug face shimmering in the moonlight. “You will be removed immediately.”
Nia just stared at them. “You’re betraying everything you stand for,” she whispered. “Please, do not do this.”
None of the members answered her. A short man with long, auburn hair stepped forward and began to move his hands together. I assumed he was making a portal.
Yolanda cast a small forcefield around me, even though we both knew the Senior Council would be able to break it. I watched Nia, who hadn’t moved since the Council had arrived. She just stood staring at them in shock.
They parted and a shadowy figure emerged from behind them. I squinted as Nia gasped. “Mrs. Temely?!”
Mrs. Temely smirked. “Hello, children.”
“What are you doing here?” I shrieked.
She rolled her eyes. “You were never a smart student, Kathleena.”
“Antoinette has been keeping an eye on you,” a Council member snarled. He towered over the rest of the group, his grey skin tight over rippled muscles. I briefly wondered how they’d found a robe that fit him. “She’s been providing updates from your planet.”
“You traitorous cow,” Nia spat. I huffed in agreement. I knew Mrs. Temely was trouble.
“Enough!” a Council member thundered. “This ends tonight.”
“Perhaps we should get out of here,” Yolanda whispered. “I’m not liking these odds.”
“I agree,” Kris muttered. “We need to regroup.”
“And leave so soon?” came a growl from behind us. We all whipped around to see the very large group of KaKonians flanked around us. While the Council had been talking, they had snuck away from their camps. We were surrounded and outnumbered. I felt like I was going to puke. “This is just starting to be fun,” the KaKonian added.
“You don’t scare us,” I said, my voice stronger than I appeared. “Leave now while you still can.” Yolanda glowed a faint green in solidarity.
Some of the KaKonians laughed. The biggest, a huge beast with a large, deep scar than ran down the side of his face and neck, stepped forward. His massive club was made with large metal spikes sticking out on the end. It somehow looked tiny in his hands.
Kris stepped next to me. I could feel the anger radiating off of him and took comfort that as long as he was near, we still had a chance of escaping this situation alive.
The large KaKonian spat at us. I stepped back before it could hit my feet. “Enough talk,” he said.
Before I could react, a blast hit me from behind. I went flying forward, but Kris caught me before the KaKonian leader could hit me with his club. Kris spun and dragged me into the trees, where Mimi was waiting.
“Quick, put her on her stomach,” she said, worry thick in her voice. I could feel searing pain pulsating from my back. I moaned, instead focusing on the sounds of fighting coming from where all three groups were. As Mimi quickly dusted my back with some type of powder, I could see Nia still standing stock still, watching as Jala and Nahime tore into KaKonians left and right. Their swords were slick with purple blood, but they didn’t stop moving, fluidly slicing one poor soul after another.
I couldn’t see Rena and hoped that she was hiding. Grandpa was surprisingly fighting as well, having grabbed a large branch. He swung at a Senior Council member and then dropped to roll before the member could blast him. If I hadn’t been in so much pain, I would have been impressed.
Mimi muttered a few words over and over again until the powder began to glow. Kris stood, his sword in hand as he kept a lookout for KaKonians. The pain began to lessen until finally my back didn’t hurt at all.
I stood up with Mimi’s help and shook the dirt off of myself. The sky lit up with blasts of magic flying from all angles. I ran to my sister and pulled her into the shadows.
“Nia! Snap out of it,” I said. She looked at me with blank eyes. I grabbed her shoulders and gave her a little shake. “You need to snap out of it, right now. We’re going to die if you don’t help.” I pushed back the desire to cry as my sister blankly stared at me, offering no response. “Nia, please. I need you. Grandpa needs you.”
Nia blinked. Her eyes refocused on my face. “It can’t be.”
“It is. And we’ll figure it out. But right now we have to survive. We can’t let our friends die.”
A single tear slipped down her face. She quickly brushed it away, grabbing my hand to pull me with her as she marched straight to the middle of the battle.
Kris noticed and he ran behind us, attacking anyone who dared to attempt touching us. Jala and Nahime were still moving fluidly through the crowd. The KaKonians were losing numbers quickly. The Council members had fanned out and were sending powerful blasts of magic at my friends, who so far had been lucky to have either dodged them or to be stitched up by Mimi.
Nia and I walked straight up to the KaKonian leader. I could feel the anger coursing through my sister somehow. My heart was beating so loudly, all other sounds seemed far away. Her anger was feeding my anger. My vision began to cloud red, my body tingling so strongly, I felt as though I were vibrating. This horrible monster was trying to hurt my friends. They were trying to destroy us.
Nia clenched my hand in her grip and raised her free one up to face their leader. He snarled and raised his club, ready to crash it down upon us.
But before he could move, a bright light began to emanate from my sister’s palm. She wasn’t saying anything, but I could hear her as though she were speaking inside of my head. I’m going to make you pay for all of the pain you’ve caused, she thought at the KaKonian. I silently agreed, my vision now blood red. I felt like I was on fire. She felt ice cold.
The leader attempted to bring his club down, but he couldn’t move. Panic flitted across his scowl for a split second as he struggled to break free of the invisible binding that was holding him in place. Large blasts of magic were dodging Kris and hitting us, but I could feel no pain. The sound of blood rushing in my head was deafening. I felt like I was there, but not there. I felt light. And pissed off.
My eyes flicked over to the white light coming from my sister’s hand. It was too small. You are hungry, I thought, eager for KaKonian blood. You are powerful, searing hot. You are death and you will not be stopped.
The light began burning so brightly, it was blinding. I squinted, but Nia stood strong, her eyes focused on the being in front of her. The light shot out to all sides at once, piercing each KaKonian through the chest. I watched, emotionless, as the KaKonian leader’s eyes widened before his hands fell to his side, its club hitting the ground with a loud thud. A hush descended over all of us. The leader took a tiny step forward and then dropped. Smoke rose from where the light had pierced both of his hearts.
I could hear Kris’ heavy breathing right behind me. My vision began to clear a bit, but Nia spun around to face the Council and Mrs. Temely, whirling me with her. I gasped. They had all disappeared. Every one of them...except the small man with the auburn hair. He was lying on the ground by Nahime’s feet, gasping for air. A dark red puddle pooled underneath him.
Nia and I walked in lockstep to him.
“You...will...never...win.” He gasped, his lips tinted with blood. “Abomi...nation...”
Nia raised her glowing hand, ready to direct the light at him.
“Wait!” Jala cried, running over. She looked down at the member. “He can answer some questions. We might be able to get pertinent information out of him.”
“Abomi...nation...” he croaked.
“Shut up!” Nia screamed. “Just shut up!”
The fallen member focused his eyes on her and gave her a weak grin. “You can try to kill us, traitor. It...will not do any...good. They will still win this war, with the KaKonians’...help...”
“They?” I asked, my voice a tad bit higher than it should have been. “Who are they?”
The member sighed and closed his eyes, his final words spoken. I could feel the rage draining out of me. Nia was still staring down at the Council member, but she was no longer icy to the touch. I released her hand and looked around us. Dead KaKonians littered the field.
“Let’s get out of here,” Yolanda whispered. “More might be coming.”
I nodded, weary. Mimi and Grandpa began to move back into the woods, followed by Rena, Nahime, and Jala. Kris gently pushed Nia and me along, his hand resting on my back a second longer than Nia’s before letting go. I looked over my shoulder at him as we marched over thick vines and leaves.
“Thank you for protecting us,” I said.
He grunted, but it didn’t bother me. He’d been there when we’d needed him. That had to count for something.
Nia eventually shook herself out of her reverie long enough to Create another portal for us to travel home. Upon entering Dia, who was nice and warm and smelled like vanilla, we all went our separate ways. None of us spoke. The sentiment in the air was clear: the Senior Council had betrayed us, the KaKonians would definitely be attacking soon, and there was something out there scarier than both of them combined. Our fight tonight certainly did not feel like a win.
I collapsed on my bed, staring at the ceiling. What had happened on the field? How did my Akearman Star powers actually work? Why had my vision changed colors?
I need to have another talk with Grandpa, I thought. Just let me close my eyes for a second...
It was my last thought of the night.