The ocean breeze smelled wonderful and Naomi took a deep breath of it and then glanced around. She saw Isabel and Christina near the edge of the bow of the ship with binoculars, trying to see any sea life that would pass under them. Kara floated by them, somehow eating some grapes.
And she saw Elena staring across the sea as well with Blaze on her shoulder. Naomi couldn't help but frown a little. Ever since she had extended her hand in friendship to her Lorelai, her friend of over forty years ago, and had been rejected she had been kind of depressed.
That was why Naomi had convinced them to come out for a day of sailing with her. Though she wasn't nearly as good as it as Chancellor Esteban since she had grown up with her father as the harbormaster she knew enough. She had wanted it to be as casual as possible and had persuaded Gabe to stay behind.
In itself that worried her, the fact she was able to do that. The fact she had the magical throwing axe and he had been teaching her how to use it might have factored in but then Christina was here too. Naomi almost suspected something was wrong because Gabe had looked just a bit pale and he had been holding onto the doorframe during their entire conversation. She just hoped he was tired and that this would be as much of a break for him as she hoped it would be for Elena and the girls.
"Ooh, look!" Christina exclaimed excitedly as she pointed out to the ocean. It brought a smile to both Elena and Naomi's faces that she could be so enthusiastic even though it had only been about a day since they had discovered that Lorelai's son Sergei had been bullying her. Naomi could even see the bruise on her cheek from being slapped by him. "Are those what you were talking about Isabel?" She asked.
The young princess followed her directions. "Yep, that's it. Those are Marposa." She replied. It amazed Naomi that with all of the moving the young princess did and with the wind that the golden feather she wore in her hair behind her right ear stayed in place the way it did. She guessed it was just a sign that the small object had chosen her.
Naomi was kind of intrigued to hear that. She had heard about Marposa's before, including from Elena as a result of the royal retreat she had gone on a few weeks ago. But she had never seen one up close. Now she started to maneuver the ship so that they could all see them better.
Even Elena strolled up to where the younger girls were to take a peak. "I think I can just make them out." She said. "An adult and two babies. Looks like they just hatched."
"They're so cute." Christina said. "Look at them splashing around like that, it looks like they're having a really good time." She looked to Isabel and Elena. "I would love to swim with them." She added.
"They are wild animals." Elena replied. "The only way that would work is if they let us."
"I'll see if I can get us closer." Naomi said as she started to angle the boat toward them.
Christina wandered to the side of the boat to look at the Marposa from another angle. Isabel was about to go but stopped and looked at her sister closely. "Elena. Is everything okay?" She asked. "Are you mad at me because of what I did at the school?"
Elena sat down and Isabel sat beside her. She put her arm around her little sister. "No Isa, I'm not mad at you for that. I think the lengths you'll for your friend is very sweet, wonderful even." She brushed her sister's hair gently from her face. "Isa, what do you remember about before? Before Shuriki I mean?" She asked.
Isabel bit her lip in thought. "Mami and papi a lot of the time." She said and then bit her lip in thought. "I kind of remember the school Christina goes too. I went there a while ago didn't I?" She asked and Elena nodded in confirmation. "Um…." The truth was she didn't really remember too much. "I don't really remember a lot." She confessed. "Why?"
Elena kissed her on the cheek softly. "Don't worry about it Isa. Go sightsee with your friend." She let her sister get up and go find Christina as she sighed a little and laid her head on the back of the boat wall.
"I don't think so." Lorelai replied bluntly. "It's been forty one years, it's all in the past. And I think it's best that's where it stays." Played itself through Elena's mind again and she closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to escape. Some part of her wanted to say that if that was how her former friend felt then good riddance, and yet another bigger part of her couldn't feel that way.
She opened her eyes just as Naomi sat by her. "We have a few minutes before we get near the Marposa's." She said softly as she sat down by her friend. "Are you okay Elena?"
"I don't know Naomi." Elena said. Blaze fluttered off of her shoulder and landed in her hand, where the crown princess proceeded to hug the little bujito against her chest. "I guess…I don't understand why Lorelai feels that way. I mean, I know the last forty one years were difficult for everyone who was left to be under Shuriki's rule but…"
Naomi took her hand and waited for her friend to collect her thoughts.
"Isa doesn't seem to remember her or her sister." Elena said. "But I can remember going to their house each and every day after our sister's got out of school and hanging out for hours. Papi used to tease me that that was the only way he could ever rule the kingdom without me recording everything he did." Naomi smiled a little at that. "I just don't get how so much changed that she doesn't want anything to do with me."
"I'm sure her sister's execution at the hands of Shuriki, or at least her people, had a huge effect on her." Naomi allowed. "But I can't imagine it's worse than Gabe's dad or…or my mother, or anyone else who lost loved ones at that time. And that doesn't make it your fault at all."
"Maybe I'm just a reminder of everything she lost." Elena said with a sigh. "Maybe seeing me just brings back too many memories. They may not be bad per say, but I bet they still make her feel awful."
Naomi couldn't understand how she could feel such sympathy for a woman who had basically hurt Elena's feelings, but she supposed that's what made her such a great crown princess and would contribute to her being a great queen one day. "Elena." She started but really didn't know how to finish that sentence. She didn't know what she could say to that.
"Naomi, I know you're trying to help." Elena assured her. "And I am glad for it." She squeezed her hand gently. "It will just take time for me to figure out how to sort through what I'm feeling. I'm just glad I have you to help me. She smiled a little. "I still can't believe that Gabe was okay with letting us come out here like this. I mean, magical throwing axe or not you're far from a royal guard. I mean, really your actually a council member."
"I think Gabe figured we'd be safe enough." Naomi replied. "Besides, I think he was just relieved to have a day where he didn't have to worry about you two or his sister." She laughed a bit. "He thought he'd just heap that on me since I asked about it in the first place. I figured the three of you deserve it after what just happened." Naomi laughed a little. "And heaven forbid anything short of an emergency drag Mateo away from studying those orbs."
"You really are a good friend." Elena complimented. "And it's too bad that you don't have a younger sibling because you'd be a great big sister too." She looked to Isabel and Christina. "And I think they'd agree with me on that."
"Elena!" Isabel called worriedly. The two teen girls got up to see what had rattled the younger princess and they both let out a gasp at what they saw.
In front of them was a massive ship, Naomi would have called it a warship, something that she had seen when she was younger and Shuriki had ruled Avalor. Only two had been made to her knowledge and Esteban had told her both had been decommissioned. Apparently though someone had decided to make a pretty good copy of one. They could see cannons on both of the bows of the ship.
"I don't like the looks of that." Elena commented.
Isabel saw that the Marposa had moved out further to sea and she couldn't blame them. She noticed Naomi heading toward the wheel to pull them away from the massive ship too. Then she let out a gasp as one of the cannon's fired toward the Marposa. "No!" She exclaimed.
Her terror only abated slightly when she saw it had not fired a cannon but instead it unfurled a net that was aimed straight at the Marposa's. They barely avoided the net.
"Who is firing the net at them?" Christina wondered.
They saw three men step up to the deck. Elena didn't know who the two on either side were, they were tall and obviously guards of some sort. But she knew who the man in the middle was. "That's King Hector." She said to the two younger girls. "The man who was supposed to host the royal retreat."
"He's the one that was hunting the Marposa's originally." Isabel remembered.
"And apparently still is." Kara added. "I hate people like him. People like him are the reason my people seem to be gone."
"Take aim again and fire." They heard Hector shout. "And this time don't miss. I want those Marposa's."
"What a big mouth." Kara groused.
"We have to stop him Elena." Isabel said as she looked up at her older sister.
"I know." Elena agreed as she glanced at the ship again. "But how can we stop him from doing this?" She looked to Naomi. "Take us as close as you can. We have to board that ship and figure out how to stop him from getting the Marposa."
Naomi started to move the ship as close as she could. Then to all of their surprise one of the cannons actually turned to target them and they saw Hector turn toward them. "Well, well. If it isn't Princess Elena." He said distastefully.
"Still hunting Marposa I see." Elena stated coldly. "You didn't learn from the last time I take it."
"Apparently neither did you. I always get my way." Hector stated and then looked past the guard on his right to someone on the ship. "Take them out."
"Wait, what?" Naomi asked in shock.
They saw one of the cannons take aim at them and Elena hoped that maybe he was trying to trap them in a net. Not that that made too much sense since it wouldn't do much more than slow them down. Then the cannon went off and Elena's eyes widened as she saw a cannonball was shot straight at them.
"Is he crazy?" Naomi wanted to know as she did her best to move the ship, barely dodging the cannonball aimed at them.
"I'm starting to wonder." Elena admitted as she saw Isabel and Christina grab a hold of the ship railing to keep their balance. "What are you doing Hector?" She demanded.
He ignored the question of the crown princess as he was distracted by something else; complaining to his own people. "Who taught you how to shoot? Do it again and this time do it right!" He bellowed.
"Yep, psycho." Kara said with distaste.
Another cannonball was shot and while it didn't hit the ships deck it slammed right through the pole that held the sail up. It hit the waves with a loud crash, soaking the younger girls. Elena was just glad they weren't taken overboard.
"Okay you lunatic, you just stranded us." Naomi called out. "Great job. You can float away happily."
Hector laughed. "I see your servant is as annoying as you are Princess Elena." He commented, ignoring the look of annoyance that passed the blonde's face at the comment. "Heh, that's not good enough though." He snapped his fingers imperiously. "Fire again."
Isabel and Christina headed toward Elena as the next cannonball was fired at their ship. It struck the deck just behind the girls and they tumbled toward Elena. The crown princess managed to catch them both but they all fell to the deck and quickly became soaked as sea water started to flood the ship. Elena's bag fell over the side, much to her distress. It had the Scepter of Light in it. She also realized to her horror she couldn't find Blaze anywhere.
"Why is he doing this?" Christina asked worriedly.
"Because he blames me for the Marposa's getting away from him." Elena replied. "Which, I guess in truth, he is right about." She shook her head. "But it still doesn't excuse these actions. We have to get off of this ship now."
With the ship sinking Naomi abandoned the wheel to start toward her friends. Another cannonball landed right in front of her and she was thrown backwards, her head hitting the ship's deck as she fell. The ship then started to split in half, just as it had when they had gone to Merroway Cove the first time and the Kraken had attacked them. But they were all aware as they crashed into the cold sea water below.
The next thing they knew a fishing net ensnared them and they were lifted up onto Hector's warship, where they were released rather unceremoniously on the deck. Before the girls could move they had several guard with spears pointed at them. "You can't be serious." Naomi commented even as she moved against the wall of the boat to casually adjust the magical throwing axe so it was completely under the hem of her skirt.
Elena took a moment to digest their surroundings, including the fact that Kara was missing now and Blaze had not reappeared. "I can't believe even you would shoot down a ship and capture it's crew." Elena said to Hector as she stood up to face him, heedless of the two spears being pointed in her direction.
"You're not hostages Princess Elena." Hector tried to reassure her. "You're simply guests aboard my ship. Once we get back to port we'll arrange for you to receive transport back to Avalor."
"We're not hostages?" Naomi questioned as she put one arm each around the younger girls as if to try to protect them. "You attacked our ship and sunk it. We could have been killed. And now you're just going to have us placed in guest quarters like nothing happened?"
"You mean after you capture the Marposa's." Isabel added with a glare.
"After we've finished our oceanic expedition." He corrected her with a dismissive wave. He looked the guards. "Escort these young ladies to their quarters if you please." With that he turned his back on them and left the six men around them to lead them off.
The guards escorted them below decks and toward a room. They were all but forced into a relatively small cabin.
Elena supposed she should be grateful that he chose not to lock them in the brig, and that the room had more than enough chairs for them all, though there was only one bed so she wasn't sure how sleeping would be handled if it came down to it. But she hoped to come up with a plan before that became a problem.
Out of curiosity Naomi tried the door and found it locked. She placed her ear against the door for a moment and then looked to Elena and the girls. "Obviously the door is locked but I don't think we're being guarded." She said.
"Well I can probably pick the lock with my golden feather." Isabel said. She had learned how to do that from Enchancia's Prince James and Elena still wasn't sure where he had picked up that skill. It was amazing to her that somehow it was still in her hair despite everything that had happened. "But what do we do once we get out of here? How do we stop him from getting the Marposa's?"
Christina glanced out the window and could just make out the adult and two baby Marposa that were swimming away from the ship. She doubted they would be able to out run the ship. She saw another net get shot out though they managed to avoid that one too. It also showed them that it was barred just enough that no one could slip through it.
Elena sighed a little and started to pace the room. "If we could figure out how to stop the ship from moving it would at least let the Marposa's get away. Even a small distraction would do the trick." She mused as she paced. She hoped that they had no way of tracking the Marposa's again, though she had no idea how they had done so in the first place.
"This is the biggest ship I've ever been on, and I've only seen a ship like this one other time." Naomi said. " I wouldn't know where to start."
"We don't need to worry about that. There isn't a ship that can float if there's a giant hole in the boat." Christina pointed out.
"True." Naomi agreed. "But how do we put a hole in a ship this size?"
Isabel came over to sit by her friend and the two glanced outside. They saw Hector's cannon go off again and the net unfurled yet again. But this time to their horror they saw the net wrap itself around the adult Marposa and one of the babies. "Oh, no!" Isabel gasped. "He got two of them." That seemed be punctuated by what sounded like Hector's jubilant cry of excitement.
Elena repressed a sigh. It reminded her of the first time when he had caught the baby Marposa despite everything she had done to stop it. Then for reasons she wasn't sure about she just sat on one the chairs and started to cry a little.
Isabel was by her side in an instant. "It's okay Elena, I know we can figure this out." She said.
"It's not that Isabel." Naomi said as she placed her arm on Elena's shoulder. She decided that Isabel might not remember but she needed to hear the truth. "Elena, I'm sorry. But she has to know." She said, causing her to look at Naomi a moment but didn't argue it. "Isa, Christina, Sergio's mother happened to be an old friend of yours from before Shuriki attacked."
Isabel looked shocked. "Really?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around Elena's arm.
Elena shifted a bit so that she was hugging Isabel against her softly. "Yes." She admitted. "I was friends with her, you were friends with her sister. We spent a lot of time together after school, until Shuriki attacked."
"That's great." Christina tried to insist. "You can reconnect with one of your old friends." Any apprehension she might have felt about the fact that Sergio might have been around more didn't show itself at all and Naomi was proud of her for that, and was sure Gabe would have been too.
Elena shook her head and Naomi filled in for her friend. "That's the problem. Elena extended that offer to his mother Lorelai and she rejected it outright." Naomi squeezed her shoulder softly. "She wants nothing to do with her, I don't know if it's because of memories associated with her sister's death or if she blames Elena for some reason, or what it is."
"Oh Elena." Isabel whispered and hugged her again. She knew her sister well, how much she treasured her family and friends. And how much it hurt her when there was a problem with them. "I'm sorry I know it hurts, but that's her loss, not yours."
Christina came over and placed her hand on Elena's hand. "I'm sorry too." She had never lost a friend but she already couldn't imagine losing Isabel, Elena, or any of the people she had met because of Gabe. She didn't even want to consider losing her mother or brothers. "But if it helps any mom would tell you to look at the plus side. You have Naomi, and Mateo, and my brother, and me, and Sofia and her siblings."
"And we have Erika, and Sonya. We have so many friends who care about us Elena." Naomi added. "Focus on what you have now, because it is a lot. If she doesn't want that, then she's the one who's missing out."
Elena smiled at them. "Thanks. I know you're right. I just have to work through the rest is all." She shook her head. "Still, I'd feel better if we had the answer about one other problem."
Christina looked around and gasped. "Hey look." She ran to the window and opened it, where Kara was floating there. "You're okay." She said happily.
"Yes, yes I am." Kara was able to squeeze into the room. Before anyone else could ask Blaze was there as well, and to Elena's secret delight her little companion had something else in her claws; the Scepter of Light.
Blaze slipped the scepter in and then drifted in herself. She flew toward Elena who reached out and hugged her. "Me alegra que estes bien." She whispered to her and then looked to Kara. "And I'm glad you're okay too." She knew that Isabel wasn't speaking to the little Chamster in Spanish the way she was doing with her little bujito. She strolled over now and picked up her scepter. Then she knew how they were going to bring down this ship. "Isabel, go ahead and pick the lock please."
"Sure." Isabel said, happy to see her older sister seemed to me on overdrive again. She went over and got to work on that.
"Naomi, I didn't see them confiscate your throwing axe." Elena noted. "I can only assume you still have it."
Naomi nodded. "I do. It was probably a mistake not trying to search us." She pulled it from the hem of her skirt and then placed it in between her arm and her side to try to conceal it as much as possible. "Not that I would have been alright with having them try to search me anyway."
"Good because we're going to need that to free the Marposa's. And hopefully they'll be willing to give us a ride to somewhere safe because our ship is gone." Elena commented with a shake of her head. "That was still a disaster. Anyway, once we free them I'm going to repay the favor and sink this ship with this." She indicated her scepter.
"Is that a good idea Elena?" Naomi asked. "I mean I agree we need to stop him, but the last thing we need is for you to be weakened, let alone to the point where you sleep for two days."
"I think I have a bit better control by now." Elena replied. "Besides I don't need to chase a moth fairy around Avalor, I just need one solid blast to go through the hull of the middle of this ship."
"Got it." Isabel announced, feeling perhaps more pride than some would approve of with a princess picking a lock. "Whatever we're going to do we need to do it now." She opened the door and was nearly grabbed by a guard who had just been walking by.
Naomi moved quickly and smacked the guy in the back of the head with the blunt end of her axe. Together the two teens moved him into the room and shoved him into the closet. "I don't think he'll be out for too long." Naomi said. "So we better scramble before he wakes up and sounds the alarm."
They left the cabin and headed toward the stairs leading up. That was one good thing is it would be easier to know they were going in the right direction. They soon found themselves on the deck. Right now no one was around. "Okay," Elena said quietly. "Naomi, take the girls and free the Marposa. Let's hope we can get of this ship. I'm going to find the center of the ship and bring it down."
"Be careful Elena." Isabel said softly as she went with her best friend and her sister's best friend. Kara went with them of course but Blaze stuck with Elena.
Elena thought she found the center of the ship easily but from around the corner Hector and the two guards came around. "How did you get out of that room?" He questioned her.
"I guess I can do things that you have no idea about." Elena replied evasively.
"Or maybe it was your little pal over there." Hector speculated as he noticed the small bujito on her shoulder. "Too small to be a good dinner but maybe a tasty snack." He added, and Elena threw him a harsh glare. "Trying to deprive me of my Marposa I'd wager."
"They're not yours. They belong free in the ocean." Elena commented.
The guards started to approach her. "You won't stop me this time Elena." He promised. "You have to get by them to get to the Marposa anyway and that won't happen." As Elena raised her scepter he suddenly realized she was alone. "Where are your little friends anyway? Do you always do stupid things by yourself?" He asked mockingly.
Elena wanted to mock him at that moment as she saw Naomi's axe being tossed into the air and then return to her moments later. She suspected that her blonde friend had just freed the Marposa. "You won't win Hector, I promise you that." She said. She lowered her hands so the scepter was pointing at the deck.
"Looks like I've won to me." Hector gloated. At the retreat he hadn't had any guards, just some a couple of other kings and some men. This time he had come out with security just in case someone like Elena tried to stop him again. "Any last words?" He asked her.
Elena tried not to think about the fact that people usually said that before being put to death. She just hoped Naomi and the younger girls were ready. As long as they escaped, she was ready for anything, even if it meant her death. She was sure Isabel would rule fine in her stead, and that her grandparents, Esteban and Naomi would advise her sister as well as they had advised her. "Yeah, one more word. Blazes."
With that the scepter unleashed a huge burst of energy all the way through the ship and split it in half. She could just make out Hector shouting, "Are you crazy? Damn you Elena, I'll make you pay for this. To the lifeboats!" Then she fell into darkness, Blaze holding onto her shoulder.
Darkness seemed to swallow her as she descended through the ships broken interiors and she whispered, "Te queira Blaze." She then prepared for whatever awaited her.
What she did not expect was to land on the back of a Marposa and to see Naomi leaning down to check on her. As her friend helped her up she saw that the two teens were on the adult Marposa's back. She glanced around to see the babies just slightly ahead of them; one had Isabel with Kara floating beside her and the other had Christina.
The adult landed beside the babies and the two girls went to hug Elena. "What happened?" Elena asked them.
"Naomi freed the Marposa with her axe." Christina explained. "But the net swayed and the baby landed on the boat. Isabel and I helped her into the water and fell in with her, but we were rescued by the other baby, who must have trailed the ship for her family. The adult Marposa jumped up to get a hold of Naomi when the ship started to break."
"I said something about you Elena." Naomi said. "And the adult turned back to get you. I have to wonder if they somehow know about what you did the first time." They could all feel as the Marposa shifted their position in the water and started to swim. The expert seafarer of the group, the blonde smiled. "They're taking us home. To Avalor."
Isabel laughed. "That's so cool that they're willing to do that." She said as she stroked the adult's back.
Hours passed as the girls continued to see what they could and even played with the babies as they swam. Elena and Naomi stayed on the adult and just made small talk, glad that they had come out intact and Elena grateful to be surrounded by friends who did want her around. It would take some time but she would get over those who didn't want her around.
The Marposa dropped them off at the docks before heading out back for their own journeys. "I'll drop Christina off at the Nunez's house and then go back to the castle." Elena said, then reached out and hugged her friend again. "Thank you, for everything you did for me today."
"Anytime Elena." Naomi replied. "I told you, you can't get rid of me that easily."
She hugged the younger girl's goodbye and intended to head home but ended up helping a couple of the workers to load up a shipment of grains and the next thing she knew the sun was gone. She started to head for home as a ship was docking.
At first it meant little to her, that happened at all hours of the night. But she had to stop to retie a knot when she noticed something odd; a young girl no older than Isa or Christina stepped off the boat alone. The light purple cloak confused her for a moment until behind her a gray rabbit hopped off the boat behind her. "No way." Naomi whispered.
She started toward the boat and then she saw the girl turn to her. Naomi let out a small gasp. "No way. Sofia, what are you doing here on your own?" She started in disbelief. She was about to question her about being alone further when she saw the upset and confused look on her face and it brought her up short. "Sofia? What's wrong? What's happened?" She asked.
Sofia looked as if she wanted to tell her, but the instant she did all that came out was a small sob and she started to cry. The rabbit, Clover if Naomi remembered right, was right by her side. Naomi came over as Sofia picked Clover up and took Sofia's hand. "We need to see Elena, right now." She decided and started to lead the young princess of Enchancia toward the castle.