Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, so don't take it as a reflection of the show WordGirl.
A/N Hope everyone had a 4th of July, whether in America or not. Thank you everyone who reviewed, sorry I didn't reply to all of you. Enjoy and R&R.
There was no way to break the bracelet off. Tobey tried cutting it with scissors, slipping it off with butter and using a laser made from assorted items; nothing could remove the afflicting jewelry.
"I don't think there's anything else I can do." Tobey sighed. He and WordGirl were sitting cross-legged on the bedroom floor examining the lexinite bracelet. Tobey had begun trying to twist the bracelet off the girl's arm when the door to the room opened up.
"Well good morning," Nona smiled as the lights of the ship began to brighten. "It is officially seven A.M. in your hometown and we are exactly fifteen minutes away from Theasuria."
WordGirl shot a look out the window. Earth was long gone by now, she and Tobey must not have noticed. How had they traveled so fast? The ship didn't feel like it was moving all that quickly. But that wasn't the real concern WordGirl had at the moment. They were about to land on another planet. Once there, how would they ever get home?
Looking back down at the bracelet, Becky couldn't help but wonder how her family was doing. They must have been so worried by now. Was her mom leaving the courtroom right now? Becky could see her mother receiving the horrible news right in the middle of the court session. Sally would start crying and would have to leave the case, and maybe even lose her job!
Becky's father was probably worried sick. She could see her dad searching the streets with tears streaming down his face. He'd most likely blamed himself for her kidnapping.
And TJ . . . well he might be enjoying the time away from her, but he would sooner or later miss her. He was still her brother after all.
As WordGirl looked back up at the woman before her, she was surprised to see Nona bend over and remove the bracelet with a simple touch on its underside.
"I want you to understand that once we leave this ship you are no longer on Earth; food, travel, religion, schooling, you name it, it's different. You are not considered children here on Theasuria and will be expected to uphold all laws, traditions and customs of this planet. You are no longer Americans; you have no constitutional rights and will now live by High Law. And lastly, there's plenty of Lexiconian rocks to draw from. If authorities see a need to apprehend you, they can. I suggest you two stay on your best behavior and mind every lesson your guardian teaches you."
Nona took a small box from her pocket and placed the nauseating jewelry inside. WordGirl felt instantly better; should she try to escape again? WordGirl sent a glance over to Tobey. He didn't seem to notice . . . WordGirl addressed Nona.
"How long do you plan on keeping us here?"
"To be honest," Nona paused tentatively. "I'm bringing you to your new guardian until you learn everything he feels you need to know about Lexicon. After that you'll be sent to Suidas."
"To who?"
"Not who, what. Suidas is the palace built in the city of Chang'an on Lexicon." Nona turned and began walking, waving for the two children to follow her out of the room. "But enough of that now, Zeph- I mean 'Kevin,' is expected to explain all that to you."
Tobey looked sharply at WordGirl. The look in the boy's eye expressed his skepticism perfectly; he was mad. Nothing Nona had said pleased the boy and he was just one comment away from snapping at the woman. But there wasn't much WordGirl could do at this point. She felt bad that Tobey was being brought along and she was a bit worried for both of their futures. WordGirl didn't understand how this was going to help stop Adler.
If he was crazy enough to seek her out on Earth, Adler was going to be just as crazy and probably come to Theasuria too. Nothing about this plan made any sense to her. And what was Nona talking about? Suidas? Why did Lexicon need her back now, or was this their backwards way of protecting her from Adler? Well, if they wanted to keep her safe they shouldn't have lost her in the first place.
WordGirl looked back to Tobey. He had begun following Nona. WordGirl did the same. Fighting would just be a waste of time. She wouldn't be able to figure out how to fly the ship without Huggy's help, and there was no way she could carry Tobey thru space.
Heading for the exit of the ship reminded WordGirl of all the alien-space movies she had watched with her brother. The astronauts would walk down the long exit tunnels of their ships, passing computers and bright lights as they did so. And once they finished their long walk they would be greeted by the sight of a strange new world. WordGirl found herself feeling a bit nervous. Tobey seemed nervous as well. He kept fidgeting with his glasses and peeking over at her to try and see her response to the situation. WordGirl would have to try and look calm.
Once the small group reached the door they waited. None of them spoke or maintained eye contact for too long. Each person was lost to their thoughts; lost in themselves.
The ship jolted.
"Okay," Nona broke the silence as the group reached out to balance themselves against the wall. "Roget's landing the ship. I need you two to stay close to me when he opens the door."
"What makes you think I'm staying with you?" Tobey spat.
"Because," Nona smiled. "We're landing in the market place, and I'm certain you don't want to get lost there."
The ship shifted several more times, jostling Tobey and Nona about a bit. WordGirl chose to hover a few inches off the ground to avoid the painful ordeal. Finally the ship stopped. Nona reached up and pulled WordGirl back to the ground.
"You can't fly here WordGirl," She warned reaching to take one of Tobey's hands. He pulled back and crossed his arms. "I'm not going to have you hold my hand the whole way, Tobey. But I am serious about staying close. Not that anyone will recognize you two, but you never know."
"Why does it matter if they recognize us?" As Tobey spoke the door began to dissipate.
As the light from the outside streamed in the small group was blinded. WordGirl turned her head for a moment to let her eyes adjust, her ears filling with the new sounds. But nothing could prepare her for what she saw when she turned back around.
For as far as the eye could see lay a concert jungle swarming with life. Though none of the buildings were over twelve stories high, they were magnificent in architectural design with a hint of South Asian craftsmanship. There wasn't a single car on the rather narrow streets, but from wall to wall people were moving about and visiting the hundreds of shops and stands randomly scattered about. There were so many bright colors, unfamiliar smells, music filled with asian musical notes, everything was stimulating.
Birds of all kinds flew over the crowded streets. Some of the spices WordGirl had never seen before, but for the most part they were recognizable. There were plenty of other animals that could be seen in the streets. New breeds of dogs followed closely behind their owners helping to carry some of their wares. Cats, monkeys, mice, horses; all in the streets, all perfectly trained.
Advertisements appeared as holograms above stands and shop windows, and people seemed to possess very sophisticated communication devises . . . and yet, there didn't appear to be any cars, planes or large machines anywhere. And, though paved, the road was made of pretty stones, not futuristic metals. It was as if WordGirl was looking at a world that had advanced in way completely different than Earth . . . wait, it had. Some technology was more advanced than Earth, and some wasn't. Where Earth saw a need to invent a horseless carriage, Theasuia saw a need for hovering carts for horses to pull. No wheels anywhere.
Even the clothing looked different. All the women wore vibrantly colored short dresses with decorative leggings. Jewelry lavished on the rich and dull colors on the seemingly poor. Men wore lose fitting shirts of bright colors and even brighter pants. Shoes seemed to be an optional thing as both rich and poor didn't go out of their way to wear them. Odd.
But the thing that shocked both WordGirl and Tobey most: no one looked a day over twenty. They were mostly children. Kids shopping for food, picking out colorful fabrics, running the city.
"Well come on you two," Nona sang out as she jumped out of the ship and onto the platform they had landed on. "We'll have to make an appearance before the grand council and then get you two where you belong before curfew. And believe me, in a city of this size, a trip downtown can be an all day thing."
Tobey and WordGirl glanced apprehensively at one another.
"What other choice do we have?" WordGirl shrugged, making sure to keep her voice low.
"To not go quietly to our deaths."
"I don't think she's trying to kill us."
"I don't know about you, but I want to go home."
Nona came back to the two so she could hear their whispers. At her approach Tobey stepped out of the ship and into the foreign city. WordGirl sighed and followed suit. The moment she exited the ship the door behind her sealed up. WordGirl turned back to see her ship taking off, and with it her and Tobey's hopes of sneaking back to Earth.
"Don't look so forlorn," Nona went to lead the way. "I think you'll both find you fit in here much better than you did on Earth."
"No," Tobey argued. "I think we'll find that you have no intention of taking us back home."
Nona dropped her smile and silently went about leading the way thru the city.
Tobey and WordGirl stuck close behind their guide. Every child they passed gave them strange condescending looks. Even younger children turned their noses up at the eleven year olds. WordGirl suddenly began to feel particularly out of place. Her superhero costume made her appear to be the looniest person on Theasuria. What was Nona talking about; they'd 'fit in.'
Suddenly something caught WordGirl's eye. Behind one of the food stands, if that was what it was as she had never seen any fruit like that before, their came a frightening sound. WordGirl stopped her walk and listened closely. Tobey took note of WordGirl's position, and he too quit following Nona.
"What is it?" Tobey asked.
"It sounds like," WordGirl began heading for the stand. "Like a fight."
WordGirl and Tobey tried to slip between the irregular fruit stand and its neighboring vendor only to have their path blocked by a plucky looking seven year old.
"What's you think yous doin'?" She asked throwing her hands high into the air. "Naa naa naa naa! Yous can't just come back into my stand. I Have Right Bachao!" Her shrill voice echoed off the close buildings and even caught Nona's attention. "Bachao!" She yelled stomping her feet unflatteringly.
Again Tobey and WordGirl exchanged glances. They weren't certain how to respond to this. The little girl didn't like their reaction. She began punching at the two older children, screaming unintelligible words and making a scene.
"Stop it you dreadful little beast!" Tobey called reaching out to take hold of the little girl. WordGirl on the other hand just slipped around the girl and continued on her way back to the alley behind the stand.
For it appearing to be the middle of the day, the alley was very dark and cold. The sounds of the city echoed horrible in the confided space, making it almost impossible to hear anything happening in the lane. The perfect place for a mugging, and WordGirl was right. Pinned to the wall was a young boy, maybe five or six. Two teenage boys were liberating the youngster of the coins he had in his pockets along with other food items WordGirl wasn't able to recognize. No matter, stealing was stealing.
"Hold it right there!" WordGirl called as loudly as she could. The two teens turned to look at her. "I suggest you give that boy back his money or I'll have to give you two a timeout." WordGirl realized how lame that was only after she had said it.
The two teens looked to each other before one of them stepped forward, the other firmly holding the small one in place. He seemed to be the older of the two, maybe fifteen years old.
"I don't understand what you mean, mere dost." He smiled extending his hand for a shake. WordGirl didn't return the kind gesture.
"Don't play stupid with me," WordGirl passed the first boy to grab the arm of the second young man. "You're robbing this poor boy and I won't settle for that." Asserting only enough strength to cause the teen to release the young boy, WordGirl twisted the teens arm. The teenager yelped in pain and dropped the kid. Without missing a beat the child took off out of the ally.
"Paagal Ladki, look what you've done!" The eldest yelled firmly grabbing WordGirl and forcing her to look at him. "That little chor been stealing my khana again, you let him get away!" He pushed WordGirl aside as he addressed the other teen. "She is not welcome at our shop bhai, challo." The two began leaving the ally just as Nona and Tobey came into it.
"WordGirl!" Nona called racing up to the girl. "I told you to stay close to me!"
"But . . ." WordGirl was slightly stunned by the situation. Did she just help a thief escape? But those teens weren't the police, they were robbing him! She saw it! "Those boys, they were . . ."
"Probably getting their goods back," Nona rolled her eyes at WordGirl. "Until you know how this town works I highly recommend you lay off the acts of heroism. Little kids can be thieves too. Now we must get moving." Nona set off again.
"Tobey," WordGirl said as the two eleven year olds trailed a few feet behind Nona as they navigated the crowed and unforgiving streets. "We've got to think of a way out of here."
"Really?"
"Be serious. We might get separated once we reach our 'guardians.'"
"Yeah, I kinda figured. But Nona and her friends seem to have the upper hand here. I can't even understand half the words these people are saying let alone be able to ask for directions back to the loading dock."
WordGirl continued to look around. There were no street names or giant landmarks, it was a wonder Nona had any idea where she was going.
"If we run off now we'll just get lost." WordGirl tried to read some of the shop's floating signs, but the half English and foreign language mixes made it almost impossible to do.
"It's got to be better than going to this council." Tobey followed WordGirl's example and tried to make out some of the writings.
"Not if they send out search parties. There's no way for us to survive here without their help, and they know that. That's why Nona isn't chaining us up or anything like that. There's no way we'll get far."
Tobey watched as more kids sneered at their passing. Everyone seemed to hate them. Their clothes, hair styles, their language . . . and the old hag they were walking around with made them the object of pointing, stares, whispers and jeers. Nona didn't seem fazed by the cruel jesting at all. But then again, she was native to this planet and the children were probably use to seeing her every day. Though the Earth clothes she was wearing must have alarmed them.
The torturous walk lasted about an hour when Nona finally spoke up to her young travelers.
"See the building up ahead?" She pointed to what had to be city hall. "That's the home of our planet's queen and her grand council."
This governmental building was huge. At three stories tall, it was long enough to cover eight city blocks. Its design was unlike its surrounding buildings. It was Victorian in construction and possessed, unlike other homes and buildings, a garden out front. It was the first green life Tobey and WordGirl could recall seeing since they stepped into the city. Looking now, there were no plants throughout the city.
Nona confidently stepped up to the main gate surrounding the building. She sent a worried glance in Tobey's direction but quickly replaced it with a smile. WordGirl didn't like the anxious look in Nona's eyes. It was then WordGirl thought about this woman on a workman's level. Nona was just doing her job, delivering WordGirl to the council or whoever. Tobey's being there was just a precautionary measure due to Adler's attempt on the boy's life. Nona had no idea what was going to become of them. She probably would never see them again after this.
Nona pressed a button to a security box near the gate and a hologram of the security officer appeared.
"Suprabhat Nona!" The man cried happily on the screen. "The whole of the council waits on your being here. Happy to seeing you bringing princess with you." There was a loud buzz as the gate slide open.
"Suprabhat mere dost. Shukriya." Nona lead the way into the Victorian garden. It was beautiful and classic looking. Nona took notice of the children's interest. "It's modeled after the gardens on Britannica. Being that Theasuria is a nurtural planet, we are able to embrace many architectural interpretations. In fact, WordGirl you will be staying in a Lexiconian mansion just north of here."
"And I'll be staying . . ?" Tobey came alongside Nona.
"Well," Nona breathed. "If you really are the son of the late Theodore, you'll be staying here for a little while until we can either send you back home or to Britannica; whatever the queen agrees on."
"Late?"
Before Tobey could get an answer, or ask more questions, a whole host of elegantly dressed people flooded the garden. They were not like the children outside the gate at all. All of them were adults and dressed more dully. Suits for the men and single patterned long dresses for the women. Nona smiled at their approach.
"Okay you two, best smiles and behavior. These are the council's servants, and they've been sent to gussy you up and prepare you for examination. Wasn't that nice of the council?"
"No," Tobey fussed. "I don't want to be 'gussied,' I want to go home. I demand to speak to whoever's in charge now!" Tobey dodged any servant who got near him as he marched his way toward the house.
"I think I'm going to agree with Tobey on this one." WordGirl smiled leaving Nona and the servants behind. She quickly caught up to the boy. "You think telling 'em offs going work?"
"When you come up with a better idea, let me know."
"Stop you two! I have to speak with the council first!" Nona called after the children.
"I suggest we get a head start." WordGirl took hold of Tobey and speed off down the hall. Flying around the council hall didn't allow for sightseeing. WordGirl was doing her best to locate the council members so that she and Tobey could have their say without Nona's influence. Tobey just did his best to keep his glasses on his face and hoped WordGirl wouldn't smack him into anything.
When WordGirl finally slowed down a bit, she noticed a set of large doors being guarded by two soldiers. If the council wasn't back there, then they were nowhere. WordGirl made haste for the doors and blew past the guards with ease. She landed in the room and placed Tobey beside her. Tobey was disoriented from his flight and wobbled a bit trying to settle himself. It was then that WordGirl noticed the council members.
The room was full of important looking people, all seemingly representing a different country, or planet as the case would be in space. They sat on elevated platforms looking down on WordGirl and Tobey. Seated at the presumed head of the council was a elderly woman dressed in the finest attire WordGirl had seen all day. Whispers immediately broke out as the council members pointed at the two children. Some made faces of disgust while others stared on with interest.
WordGirl suddenly felt sick from all the negative attention. Tobey finally gained full consciousness as the whispers in the room became louder. Each member speaking in a different language, no longer worried about whether or not the children could hear them. They made broad, open gestures at the two seemingly mocking their appearance and lack of social grace. WordGirl leaned in close to Tobey.
"What was that great plan of yours again, because I really don't think they want to hear what we have to say."
Tobey didn't respond to WordGirl, he was staring off in the direction of the eldest council member. WordGirl followed Tobey's gaze up to the woman to see that she had risen to her feet to watch the boy as well. And even with the commotion of all the people, WordGirl could hear Tobey clearly enough.
"Grandma?"