Chapter Ten
The Guardians landed outside the fast-food restaurant to the surprise of everyone there, and went inside. Paying no attention to the stares they kept talking while they went to the counter to find Ned, now the manager, waiting for them with a smile.
"Um... what can I get you ladies?" he asked in his nasal voice.
They put in their orders and talked some more, continuing to ignore the looks they were getting, and the whispers behind hands.
After a few minutes Ned put out the food and said, "No charge."
Kim started. "What? Why?"
"You came in while in your super hero forms. That's good publicity for Bueno Nacho, and not charging is the least I can do to pay you back," he said, smiling at them.
Before Kim could even blink the matter was decided for her. With multiple thanks to Ned the other Guardians took their food and reconvened at Kim and Ron's favorite booth. Kim finally picked up her food and joined them. Then they realized sitting down was going to be a big problem unless they transformed back to normal. The Heart of Kandrakar appeared over Kim's hand, and with a flash they became five normal girls in their late teens. Cameras in other booths and tables recorded everything.
Tara said, "So, I protected the girl, Bonnie put out the fire, Yori made sure it was out, and Kim came and got us out. Mo, what did you do?"
"I kept the fire from spreading to other houses," she answered, "I raised temporary walls of dirt between them."
Tara nodded. "I see. Good thinking."
Monique shrugged. "I really couldn't have helped any other way and left the house standing."
There was general laughter at that.
As they finished their food, several people came over and asked for Kim's autograph. Bonnie started to get angry, since the rest of them were being ignored, but Kim came through without thinking about it. She pointed out her companions were the other Guardians, and with an embarrassed laugh, they were included in the autograph seeking.
-I'll never get used to this.- sent Tara as she slid the book over to Yori.
-It's new to you now, but eventually it will slack off. Take it from me.- answered Kim.
-The sooner it ends, the happier I will be.- commented Yori, writing her name.
Bonnie rolled her eyes, but didn't reply. Personally, she liked the attention. And she decided to keep in mind the free food.
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The good will generated by the rescue translated into fame and further acceptance by the general public of Middleton. They were more or less used to weird stuff since Kim and Ron had started doing missions. This eased Sensei's fears of repercussions. People had changed from the days when such powers meant being seen as gods or devils.
Yori shunned the limelight, as it went against her ninja training. But she was never rude or impatient with anyone who recognized and wanted to talk to her.
Monique and Tara found it embarrassing but gratifying. Business picked up at Club Banana, and more animals were adopted from the shelter because of them.
Kim, long used to fame, handled it with aplomb and went on with her life.
Bonnie took advantage.
She went into an upscale restaurant and made a reservation for Sunday afternoon while in Guardian form. Happy for the publicity, the manager assured her there would be no charge for her and her family.
Bonnie left, grinning. THAT would show Connie and Lonnie!
But alas, it was not to be that simple. On that Sunday after church, the Rockwaller family, at Bonnie's insistence, went to Chez Couteaux. Going inside she was recognized and led to a table. The manager came over to make sure everything was to their liking.
As they sat, her parents and sisters were staring at her.
"Like, how did you manage this?" asked Lonnie.
"This is like, a joke, right?" asked Connie, "No way YOU could have arranged it."
"Oh, I have my ways," Bonnie answered with a grin. She started to add something, but was interrupted.
-Fellow Guardians! Do you hear me?- came Yori's mental call.
She almost instantly felt the other three's attention through their link.
-(Grunt.) Yes. I'm busy, what is it?- demanded the teal-eyed girl.
-Be nice, Bonnie. What is it, Yori?- said Kim.
-Something is disturbing the waters of Lake Middleton. Can anyone sense anything?- was the answer.
Bonnie was annoyed, but closed her eyes and concentrated. There WAS something... Knowing the layout of the tri-city, she knew about where the lake and mountain was in relation to where she was, and a feeling of increasing warmth from that direction was evident when she looked for it.
-Yes! The water is warming up!- she sent.
-Me too! The wind is stirring from that way!- said Tara.
-There IS something going on. I can feel lines of energy passing under me.- said Kim.
-I feel movement in the earth toward the mountain. ITSATH!- said Monique after a pause.
-Excuse me?- asked Yori.
-I Think Something's About To Happen!- the Earth Guardian explained.
Even through a mental link they felt the head shake. -I hope to gain understanding of your speaking in acronyms soon.-
-We'd better check it out. We'll meet at the ski lodge. Stand by, everyone, I'm going to use the Heart!- she said.
-Fine. I'd just better not find out it's a false alarm!- griped Bonnie.
She opened her eyes to see everyone staring at her.
"She's not talking to, like, anyone!" said Connie.
"The little loser's trying to fake insanity to get out of this expensive joke," snarked Lonnie.
Bonnie turned red. She hadn't realized she'd been speaking out loud.
"Hush, girls. Bonnie, what's going on?" asked her father, glaring at her sisters.
"Something's happening at the mountain. I've got to go!" she replied, standing up.
"Well, you and your little friends do what you need to," said her mom.
Bonnie started to protest the characterization, but never got a chance.
-GUARDIANS UNITE!- came Kim's voice.
In a flash of orange light that caught the attention of everyone in the room, Bonnie changed to her Guardian of Fire form. There were immediate murmurs and comments, and several people held up camera phones.
"I don't know what's going on yet," she said, looking at her family but speaking so everyone could hear, "But be ready. There might be attacks or something, and you might have to evacuate Middleton."
She headed for the door, startling the attendants, and once outside spread her wings. She didn't notice, but behind her almost everyone had followed. She oriented herself, and took off.
"That was YOUR daughter?" a man asked Mr. Rockwaller while aiming his phone's camera.
"Uh, yes, it was," he replied, distracted. She had changed forms in front of her family, but this was the first time he had seen her fly.
Connie and Lonnie were, of course, both shocked and annoyed.
"We are so going to have to put her back in her place," Connie muttered to Lonnie, and the latter nodded as their younger sister disappeared into the distance.
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Bonnie and Tara met up over Tara's house, and flew together to the ski lodge where they found the other three waiting on the back deck.
Sitting down, Bonnie immediately noticed something. "Where's the lo- Ron?"
"He had to baby-sit Hana, so won't come unless there's no choice," answered Kim, narrowing her eyes slightly at her fellow Guardian. She chose not to say anything, since it was obvious Bonnie was trying to do better. "Does anybody feel anything now?" she asked, looking at her friends and teammates.
There was a long pause while they looked into themselves to sense their element in the surroundings. Finally there were four head shakes.
"I wonder what was going on..." said Tara.
"Sensei was of the opinion the stirring was to gain our attention," said Yori.
AND IT WAS, GUARDIANS! boomed a voice in their heads.
Immediately the Guardians of Kandrakar stood at took defensive positions.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR THAT RIGHT NOW. I WISH TO SPEAK TO YOU BEFORE OUR CONFLICT BEGINS IN ERNEST, SO ALL ARE SAFE UNTIL THE WORLD TURNS ONCE MORE.
Following Kim's lead they relaxed their stances and sat back down.
-Who are you, and what do you want?- asked Kim.
I DO NOT HAVE A NAME AS YOU USE THE TERM, SO USE THE DESIGNATION YOU HAVE ALREADY GIVEN ME, THE MOUNTAIN EYE. AS TO WHAT I WANT...
There were glances of apprehension between the girls.
I WILL TELL MY STORY SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND. IT IS USELESS FOR ME TO EXPECT YOU TO AGREE OR COOPERATE WITH MY GOAL, SO THAT WILL NOT BE ASKED.
BY ANY PRACTICAL DEFINITION YOU COULD HAVE, I AM IMMORTAL. I SOUGHT A PLANET WHERE I COULD REST AND BE ALONE, AND WANDERED OVER MUCH OF THE GALAXY SEEKING IT. I FOUND THIS WORLD WHEN IT WAS SEVENTY MILLION YEARS YOUNGER, AND WAS DISAPPOINTED TO FIND THERE WERE INTELLIGENT LIFE FORMS ALREADY DEVELOPED.
They all got a mental picture of a brontosaurus and several other kinds of dinosaur. Each was wearing a cloth pouch slung over whatever part of the body was convenient. Ohers with hands were using some types of machines.
"The dinosaurs were intelligent, and had a civilization?" Monique said, eyes wide.
"Apparently so, Mo-chan," answered Yori. "Remember that dolphins are of high intelligence as well."
THE ROCKY DEBRIS FOUND MOSTLY BETWEEN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH PLANETS GAVE ME AN IDEA OF HOW TO CORRECT THAT OBSTICLE. IT TOOK FIVE MILLION YEARS BUT I SEARCHED FOR AND SUCCEEDED IN FINDING AN ASTEROID WHOS ORBIT COULD BE CHANGED SLIGHTLY TO STRIKE THIS WORLD, AND WHOSE SIZE WAS SUFFICIENT TO CHANGE THE ECOLOGY AND DESTROY THE INTELLIGENCE.
-Hold on. It took five million years to do that?- asked Bonnie.
TIME MEANS NOTHING TO ME. YOUR LIVES ARE ALREADY SO SHORT THEY ARE LITTLE MORE THAN FLEETING SHADOWS ACROSS MY CONSIOUS.
I RODE THE ROCK DOWN WHEN IT LANDED SIXTY-FIVE MILLION YEARS AGO AND DID WHAT I NEEDED IT TO DO. I WAS INJURED IN THE LANDING, AND WHILE I RECOVERED YOUR TYPE OF LIFE AROSE.
"Sixty-five million years..." said Tara, thoughtfully, "If I remember science class, that's when an asteroid hit just off of the Yucatan Peninsula and destroyed the dinosaurs. The change in climate is what allowed the rise of mammals."
WHEN AT LAST I ARRIVED AT THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN, I WAS DISMAYED AT ONCE AGAIN FINDING INTELLIGENCE, EVEN IF IT WAS PRIMITIVE. UNABLE TO REPEAT MY CLEASING PROCESS I TRAVELLED UNTIL I FOUND A PLACE DEVOID OF SUCH LIFE, AND SETTLED DOWN.
There was a feeling like a sigh had been made. SOME EIGHT THOUSAND YEARS AGO I WAS FOUND AND ATTACKED BY ONES OF YOUR KIND WHO HELD THE SAME POWERS YOU DO NOW. THE BATTLES WERE LONG AND TIRESOME, AND FINALLY I WAS INJURED AGAIN.
"That must have been when it was found in China," said Kim.
UNABLE TO FIGHT, ONCE AGAIN I FLED AND FINALLY ARRIVED HERE. I HAVE SPENT THE TIME UP UNTIL A FEW DAYS AGO IN RECOVERY. BUT NOW I AM DONE WITH RUNNING. I WANT THIS WORLD, AND I WANT IT FOR MYSELF ALONE, AND I WILL HAVE IT.
-You will not find such a goal easy to accomplish, Eye-san. Over six billion humans live here now.- sent Yori.
I AM PATIENT, AND THOSE I WILL SEND ARE ENDLESS IN NUMBER.
-Couldn't you leave instead?- sent Monique.
NO, I HAVE NO WAY OF DOING SO, EVEN IF I HAD THE DESIRE.
-My dad's a rocket scientist, he could get you off the planet.- sent Kim.
NO. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT TOO MUCH TIME AND TOO MANY RESOURCES ON THIS WORLD. MY GOAL IS SET.
-Then I am sorry, Eye-san. To have such a venerable and intelligent entity as an enemy of mankind is a waste. There is much we could learn from each other.- sent Yori.
I RECOGNIZE WE ARE IN UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT OTHERWISE DISAGREE. I HAVE NOTHING TO LEARN FROM YOUR KIND AND YOU WOULD TAKE MUCH FROM ME. A SIMILAR EVENT HAPPENED TO ME LONG AGO, WHICH IS WHY I SEEK SOLITUDE NOW.
-Why can't we...- sent Tara.
NO. I HAVE EXPLAINED MYSELF, AND THERE IS NOTHING MORE TO SAY. PREPARE YOURSELVES, AND SPREAD THE WORD. TOMORROW IS THE BEGINNING OF YOUR KIND'S END. TAKE WHATEVER ACTIONS YOU DEEM NECESSARY, BUT IT WILL DO NO GOOD. I WILL PREVAIL AND HAVE THIS WORLD TO MYSELF.
The presence they felt was gone.
"I- I think we'd better get in touch with the police and Global Justice," said Kim, "We don't have much time to get the area evacuated."
"This is unbelievable," said Tara, "It's a major change in the world's history."
"Assuming it was telling the truth, Tara-chan," said Yori.
"I... I think I believe. It has no reason to lie," she replied.
"I would remain skeptical of its claims until I had clear evidence," was Yori's response.
"Be that as it may, we need to go," said Kim, and taking a few steps off the back deck took to the sky and headed toward Middleton.
"How are we going to get in touch with GJ?" called Monique.
"Let's go to my house, I can call from there," Kim replied.
"And get something to eat, I hope. I missed lunch at Chez Couteaux with my fam," said Bonnie.
"Wow, that's THE most expensive restaurant in Middleton!" said Monique, impressed.
Bonnie grinned, but didn't reply. Using her Guardian status to get free things was a secret she planned to keep for a while.
"We should stop at my house first, and report to Sensei first," said Yori.
That was assented to, and they changed their flight vectors accordingly.