The training with Raven was making Skipper more aware of his surrounding and how was interacting with people. He started to see things that he had never seen before and realized the truth slowly in what he was seeing through Aquarian. He was starting to become more powerful and focused in his training day by day. He was learning more importantly how to focus. Skipper was trying to balance his decision to stay normal even though he wasn’t and remember his destiny. He would see Jenny sometime during the morning, but remained focused on the task at hand. He felt himself withdrawn from Zeke as he didn’t know how to approach his friend.
Skipper needed some time away from his best friend, for he felt a choice was going to become between them. Skipper was beginning to see the hidden meanings in what Raven was showing him. He sighed as he blocked an energy ball from her. His energy was flooding through him. He was having a better range in control overall but he was far from what Raven would tell him.
****
Much of previous Light Group had fallen away and Dash retriggered a renaissance within the branches. Though he was moving through the seams, before he took control back. Other rogues began to take note on the upheaval and walk away from the company entirely to free themselves, though working with the Light Group no one was safe, for leaving was not an option. Dash had made his strive to control the entirety of the corporation within a set time. He sneered at the rogues that were becoming messy. To gain control and the presence over the other groups, he began the executive order to destroy and threats.
Though he was pulling as the new leader, Dash had brought his own ideals as to search for the missing parts and to establish the new Light Group as to make him more in reverence slowly over what Pisces had built behind his own personal group. He grinned for he would be in the place of Pisces with the new group very slowly for all to see. Dash wouldn’t align himself just yet. He wanted to concentrate on the doorways to Saturn where he felt the strength of the Light Group. Dash looked out the window and saw that the rogues would falter but a few he would watch their progress as to see what they would do.
****
Aquarian sat in a meditative state overlooking the stars. He closed his eyes and felt a disturbing presence. He turned his head and looked in the direction to see the emblem of Pisces on a cloth approaching him.
“Why are you in my realm again, Pisces?” Aquarian questioned him.
Pisces stepped down on the steps and clapped his hands. “My age will be becoming once more. I know that I will be winning this war. Your battles will become meaningless. I will rule over you all. I have done so much. I have been moving beyond Aries’s age and so forth back.”
Aquarian gradually got up and glowered at the zodiac, “what changed in your brother to do us so wrong?”
“I will covet what I desire most. I will have everything I will need. You will surely find out my master plan at some point. The other zodiacs will soon find out enough. I have been resonating such things long before. Perhaps, one day you will find out what I have been pushing all along.” Pisces glared.
“When the fight for the planes come, I will see you on the battlefield,” Aquarian said threateningly.
“Aquarian, no need to have it now, for I will be watching. I know how you want to save your beautiful age. Your age is meant to inspire and stay strong but in reality, it will be for not. Mark my words, Aquarian, I shall come and rule all over this galaxy.” Pisces’ voice grew louder.
Aquarian narrowed his eyes at Pisces, “you won’t. I will stop you here. I will stop you and destroy you.”
“Your champion isn’t strong enough, nor can he handle the followers. Only then once he has bridged the ended conflict would I even look at him. There is too much to be done. I will have my way.” Pisces lured Aquarian.
“Then why are you here to tell me this? Why don’t you go and connect with your followers?” Aquarian rumbled.
“I haven’t been able to communicate with them, Aquarian. My age has passed; nonetheless, I can see what they do. I like taunting you. Once my champion arrives and bares the symbol then I will be able to communicate. He or she will be found. I will see to it that the awakening will be found. There will be a bittersweet ending for all of the world.” Pisces bickered with Aquarian.
Aquarian crossed his arms and glowered. “You don’t hold everything, Pisces and the other zodiacs will come into this knowledge, but until then you should be afraid as I gain more power in my age, you will have a hollow channel through your champion.”
Pisces narrowed his eyes for Aquarian was right. He could do nothing but wait for he had a small channel, for reaching into another age was forbidden. All magics and celestial presence was over once the new guardian arrived. Pisces had no more power and had to wait. He disappeared into the shadows and Pisces looked onto the earth. He feared that the champion of Pisces would appear.
****
Skipper opened the door to his room to see Zeke sitting on his bed. Zeke glared at his friend.
“Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in school. I’ve been worried sick,” Zeke gestured.
Skipper closed the door behind himself. He sighed looking at his friend, “I’ve been with Raven. I’ve been kind of hanging out with her. She has been showing me some things.”
“What?” Zeke retorted, “why are you hanging out with that crazy chick?”
Skipper shook his head and walked over to the window. He peered out the window and exhaled worryingly for Zeke was asking something he didn’t even fully understand himself. He was coping with his training and powers. A lot was weighing on him for he was trying to place everything in the right category. He needed more time and didn’t really have it.
“I can’t really tell you, Zeke, but I’m learning new things that are important to me. I’m changing,” Skipper’s eyes began to spark, then closed his eyes feeling the pulls of his gifts.
He sighed and focused clearly. The glow in his eyes disappeared. Skipper was changing and over the last few days felt the training beginning to help him as he learning to control his bursts of powers.
Zeke got off the bed and went to Skipper turning him around harshly. “I don’t understand. I want to know what happened that day. You vanished before me. I didn’t know where you went. I’ve been worried sick. I’ve been looking for you and I don’t really see you.”
“Is it happening again?” Zeke stood back in distress, “are you losing control again?”
Skipper stared at his friend, “no.”
“It’s happening again. You’re turning away from being normal. You’re normal, Skipper. You don’t need to be special. I was the only one who cared about you being normal. Everyone else gave up on you.” Zeke probed.
“We are friends. You’re my friend. Why are you talking crazy?” Skipper said frustrated.
Zeke waved his hands around. “Everyone told me not to be your friend afterwards, but I didn’t care. I wanted my friend back, yet I kept thinking in the back of my head if you would ever revert. Come on Skipper, you don’t need to hang around Raven to make you special. I don’t want you special in that way. Just be the normal Skipper I know.”
Skipper glanced at Zeke for who he was for the first time. He felt upset, betrayed, angry at the boy before him. He didn’t think that Zeke would be a hypocrite. Zeke had just told Skipper he was friends with only to make him normal. Zeke narrowed his eyes at Skipper.
“I wanted you to be normal with me. I don’t or need a special friend. Is that all too hard to say?” Zeke shrugged.
“So, what are you telling me?” Skipper asked despondently.
“It’s either Raven or me,” Zeke ordered.
“That’s not fair. Why do I have to choose between the both of you?” Skipper argued.
“Because you need to understand that friendship is important. Our friendship is important. We need to stick together,” Zeke rounded.
Skipper leaned against the wall and felt like he hit a wall. His best friend was now testing him. Skipper thought back to all their sweet memories and remembered his new-found destiny. He had changed. Skipper removed himself from the wall and stared at Zeke hard.
“I chose Raven,” Skipper said pointblank.
Zeke looked at Skipper as if he lost his mind, “why?”
“Because I have to choose what is right.” Skipper said flatly.
“Why the hell are you choosing that weirdo?” Zeke charged.
“I chose her because she is friend who will accept me for who I am now. You don’t accept me and telling me to choose period. A real friend wouldn’t do that. You want me to change back, Zeke. I can’t do that. I’m changing. We’re teenagers. We are bound to change. I can’t take back to what happened but I can make it better.” Skipper reasoned with his friend.
Zeke balled his fists, “I have been your friends for yours and you choose the red-haired girl who you have known for like two minutes?”
“She is my friend too. I don’t want to choose, but she is important and I won’t turn my back on her,” Skipper analytically. “You made me chose. You did this to our friendship.”
Zeke scowled at Skipper then raced out of the room. Skipper looked out the window and breathed out for he lost his best friend. He could have recognized why Zeke felt the way he did, but Skipper had to listen to his instincts. He had a destiny to deal with and it wasn’t easy. Raven was helping him. He saw her as a friend and she was there for him.
****
Night fell and the winds moved over the grass blades in the front yard. The lightning bugs glow against the plants as the sun disappeared into the dark clouds progressing upward. Gladys turned on the light in the room and glanced outside to see a figure in the distance. She gasped as the figured disappeared. She turned and ran over to Paul who was watching TV in the living room. She alerted her husband and he got up to look out the window to see no one.
“Who was that?” Paul questioned.
He opened the front door and stepped over a letter. Paul picked it up and then opened the letter.
Dear Paul and Gladys,
The time has come for Skipper to realize his true destiny. Time isn’t on our side as the people who are wanting him will come for him soon. I am giving you a warning as to fight for your son. I want him to be with his parents as he will need you in the future. Make the decision now, for if you love him then fight. His destiny is tied to others as it will become the light that will be needed for the Aquarian Age. I have entrusted him to you to protect him. You aren’t his true parents, but his parents that love him. I appeal to you as to guide him into something great.
Sincerely,
H.M.
Paul and Gladys sighed as they looked down at the letter. The time was coming where they had to make the decision to protect Skipper. Gladys held onto Paul, for she was afraid that their time was coming to an end.
Paul turned to her and smiled. “We have a chance to still protect him. We knew he had this great destiny before him. We have to decide as his family to do right by him. We have accepted him, Gladys. We have to protect our son. We have to get ready to leave with him.”
Gladys shook her head, “we can’t just leave, Paul. We have always lived here. I don’t want to leave. We are his parents, but I don’t want to leave home.”
She hugged him and framed her face into his shoulder. Paul held onto his wife and felt her scared. He stroked her back and glanced at the lightning bugs move about. Some birds flew away and Paul looked away trying to find the courage to ensure the safety of his family. The figure watched Paul and Gladys then disappeared into the night.
****
Hans walked down into a large library and turned to gaze at the vast books. He moved down to the lower level to see some books written about the last age. Hans opened the book to see the title, The Champion of Pisces. He arched an eyebrow and pulled the book toward him and began to read.
Over an hour later, Hans frowned for he had read that Pisces had made a trump card as to complete his task over the Aquarian Age as to have a child filled of Piscean energy just as the champion of Aquarius was the same. He pondered as to what he would do. He turned his head and knew that he would have to instruct his men to find the champion of Pisces. He slowly walked out of the area and realized that the rogues would help find this child. He grinned for all the other groups would find this child and it would be appealing.
Hans had to search out for the child, but the last information of what Karly had would reveal everything to him. As the stepped out of the library, he turned to begin to begin the mission of finding the champion of Pisces and with that he would restore Pisces to his own state.
****
Raven crossed her arms together watching Skipper levitate slightly from the ground. Sweat dropped from his face as he fiercely concentrated. The air around him intensified as he focused his energy into one sector. Raven moved from her spot then walked over to him glowing orange and red. Skipper’s energy flared against hers in a tug-o-war fashion. She was challenging him once more and the two energies blended together and facing off as one. He grunted then fell to the ground as the energy was too much. He looked up at her and sighed.
“Raven, I’m trying to practice and you keep testing me,” Skipper called out.
She laughed slightly at him, “I have to because if I don’t then you aren’t expanding, Skipper.”
He slowly got up and narrowed his eyes at her. She was always pushing him and most of the time, he didn’t like it. Raven rolled her eyes at him then disappeared and reappeared on the other ends of the room. Skipper dusted himself off then narrowed his eyes at Raven. He couldn’t still figure her out. Out of frustration, he slapped his hand against his head looking at the most complicated girl on earth to him.
“Raven, can’t you ever be normal?” he chuckled at her.
She laughed at him, “no.”
He sighed then sat Indian lotus style then mediated once more. A barrier of blue and green energy formed around him. He shut his eyes and levitated above the ground a few inches. Some rocks and debris moved away from him as he mediated. Raven watched him from the sides as he was improving greatly in a short amount of time. She was proud on the inside, for Skipper was controlling his power and realizing his true potential. She smirked at what was happening. She turned and faded through the walls as he continued to mediate.
****
A tall lanky man with two glass eyes and another eye tattooed on his middle forehead strolled up to a mountain style hotel. He knocked on the door and it opened to reveal Showman. The man grunted and the tattoo on his forehead glowed with black energy.
“You must be Showman.” The man said darkly.
Showman deliberated then glanced at the man with concern. “Nostromo?”
Nostromo nodded then Showman let him in. Nostromo stepped into the small room and studied the tiny fixtures and small bed. He cracked his shoulders and stood taller than before. He turned to Showman who still looked puzzled.
“Karly sent me to find you. We have work to do. There are many things going on with The Light Group. We are going to be doing this ourselves. There is in an internal war going on with the company. There are a few factions building up.” Nostromo directed.
“I was sent here to find the child of prophesy from Karly. I was checking out this place that had the readings,” Showman deuced.
Nostromo sighed then sat down at one in one of the chairs. “My loyalties are to the guardian Pisces. There are now five factions divided within The Light Group. No one can be trusted other than us. There has been so much unruly nature among our own brethren. I fear it will tear us apart.”
Showman stood up and looked out the window as if waiting for something but turned his head somewhat to Nostromo. “We will track the child of prophesy. He will die. We will find him. What more can we do than that?”
Nostromo shook his head, “we are at war, Showman. We can’t trust anyone and someitms you must abandon your goal to live. There are other key players now that will become a threat in the future.”
Showman turned to Nostromo now worried, “why is that?”
“We must be wearied of Coen, Hans, Dash, Alanis and Cersin. There are a few others but with them they are already making through the shadows. Each person has their own agenda. Some people aren’t into following the old ways. Some people waited for Pisces to bow out. If you let humanity taste power, they will come for it.” Nostromo indicated.
Showman swallowed his saliva for things went from bad to worst. The group was dividing and the loyalties have been compromised as Nostromo explained. He turned to the window to see what else he could do. To find the child of prophesy almost seemed now a lost cause but what more could he do? Showman wanted to find the child for Karly. He promised her, but she was gone. He looked over to Nostromo and shook his head.
“Despite what is going on. I want to fight for Karly. I want to fight for the old ways. Pisces will return. We have to find others that will believe in our cause,” Showman said disjointly.
“There are others like us, but we can’t stay at The Light Group, for they will round us up and destroy us. If you want to go after the child of prophesy, then we need to be smart. The other groups will be looking for him, but they will surely come for us at some point, Showman.” Nostromo turned his head feeling their prize compromised.
Showman contemplated for they had to round up others within their unit to bring about their own purpose, “if you’re with me, then I will finish the rest.”
Nostromo stood up with a sudden spark of happiness for Showman was willing to work with him against the odds. The Light Group had become fragmented in many ways and power was necessary in order to rule the world now.
“We will begin this fight for us now,” Nostromo smirked.
****
The darkness waned in and the stars twinkled brightly above the symbol of Pisces. The previous guardian looked down at his symbol to feel some of his influence waning back and forth. He was distraught as his followers would disobey him. He paused then paced back and forth. He was in entity, a celestial being that coveted more power and prime. Pisces was bound to the role of guardian but wanted more. His name was much than this title. He sneered at the amount of strength and loyalty that came deep from the galaxy. His reign would rise once more as the stars shined over his constellation.
A giggle alerted him in the darkness as he turned around to see Elu watch him with curious eyes, “what do you want, Elu?”
She strolled out of the darkness and giggled to him. “I know your war is coming, but remember that I will be the one in the end to judge your war. The other zodiacs all have a part to play. Some things must run the course of destiny.”
Elu warningly turned to him and glared. “I am a watcher for now, but when it comes time for the war to end, I will restore the balance once more and it will be for not. I go beyond the invisible, Pisces. Much of your origin will reveal to me soon.”
She drifted back into the darkness and giggled. “Your groups, champion, followers and others will come finding what it means to understand beyond the celestial energy of mine.”
Pisces waved her off. He recognized Elu was all powerful and took the appearance of whoever she wished, yet to see her on this plan meant this had become bigger. She was watching and their battle had a part to play. He grinned for it would appear that the gain was much greater if he could win. Elu couldn’t interfere, yet but he would do all he can to take over this galaxy and perhaps others when he could.
“Only one galaxy at a time…” he whispered to himself.
****
The winds shifted around the town as the days seemed to grow longer. Many children strode back and forth to the school. Other cross guards helped the other children, teenagers and adults. Some teachers rushed other students into class as others talked amongst each other Jenny and her friends ran to their classrooms. She waved to Skipper as he smiled to her. Tommen sat on the bench looking up at the sky. The skies colors shifted from blue to green then to other colors. Raven spotted Skipper then walked up to him.
“Are you ready to leave soon?” Raven stated.
Skipper stopped in his tracks and turned to her feeling a bitter sadness. He inhaled as he remembered their deal. He was only there till the dance began. The dance was tonight. He had to remember to be normal. He was going to overturn his destiny to protect others. Skipper didn’t like being told something he couldn’t do, but in his heart, he believed he was doing something for the greater good.
“Not really, Raven, but a deal is a deal.” He simpered.
She nodded to him then ran ahead. Skipper felt an ominous energy of darkness grow in the direction of someone. He turned his head towards the direction to see Zeke glaring at him. Red glints appeared in his eyes as he studied his old friend. Skipper began to turn to walk to Zeke, but he stepped back then ran away. Tommen sat on the bench and small red glints appeared in is eyes as he saw Skipper strolled into the school.
Skipper saw Jenny and waved to her. Jenny felt a deep connection to Skipper as she saw him. She ran over to him and smiled for the had only small moments, he thought before making the journey to an unknown adventure. The pair walked to the school and talked about the class assignments.