Mount Justice;
August 27th;
7:30 EDT
I waited anxiously for the return of the Team; I had even got out of bed early for it. They were on a mission in Gotham now, but Batman had forbade me from coming. My still healing knee was a bit of a problem.
Most of my time has been spent in my room recently, but making sure everyone is okay has priority over being alone in a dark room with only my thoughts. Mr. Nelson's death was still fresh in my mind. I mean, it was only eight days ago.
His funeral had been a blur for me. All I could remember was that Red Tornado had spoken and it hadn't nearly been long enough to give the great man the proper respect. I think the Team had gone with me, and M'gann and Artemis had helped me get ready. The morning of the funeral, I could barely get out of bed.
While in my room, I split my time between that blasted anti-focusing charm amulet and figuring out who that girl was, the one who looked like me. I scanned through my memories and wrote them down on paper, trying to remember if I had ever been cloned. I didn't think cloning was all that likely, since the girl would have to look exactly like me. Her eyes were a light blue while mine were dark blue. She looked like my mother, so I put down the theory that she was related to me in some way. Right now, it seemed the most possible, especially since a lot of my memories of the years I was with my mother are missing or foggy at best.
When the computer announced the arrival of Batman, Robin, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Superboy, Aqualad, and Artemis, I rushed to the glowing Zeta Tube and waited for them to come through.
Batman was the first, and from the look on his face, he wasn't happy. The Team came out behind him, and they were all covered in mud.
"I need to talk to Aqualad. The rest of you, hit the showers and head home," Batman announced.
"Head home?" Superboy scoffed, "I am home."
M'gann, Wally, Artemis, and Superboy all walked past Batman, their faces and clothes showing that the mission hadn't gone too well.
When Robin and I lingered in the Mission Room, Batman said, "Just Aqualad."
I shot one last worried look at Kaldur, then followed Robin out of the room. The black haired teen seemed to be mad about something; way too mad for just a simple mission gone wrong.
I think it may be in my best interest to leave him alone right now, so I sought out Artemis or M'gann to ask what happened to them while they were in Gotham.
Both were easy enough to find. They were in the locker room, Artemis washing the mud off herself and muttering the whole time about it while M'gann used her telekinesis to scrap the mud off herself.
"Uhh, M'gann?" I said quietly, approaching the martian, "What happened to you guys?"
"Clayface was a little harder to defeat without you than we expected," M'gann said with a sad smile on her face, "But it's alright, Batman came and helped us."
That… was a bit confusing. Clayface was an easy guy to get rid of. Freeze him or zap him, then he's done. I don't understand why they had so much trouble getting rid of him; Aqualad could use his tattoos to electrify him. Was there something wrong with Kaldur?
"I am sorry I was not there to help," I said finally, frowning in thought.
"Oh! I didn't mean it's your fault," M'gann said quickly, "It was just a lot harder without you, but that's not your fault! You need to heal, and missions just like the one we went on don't help in that process."
I couldn't help but smile at the martian. Her understanding of Earth culture was quite amusing. "You are fine, M'gann, I took no offense."
"Oh, good." M'gann let out a breath of relief.
"I prepared some croissants for breakfast, if anyone is hungry. They are in the kitchen." I had a lot of time on my hands while they were gone, so I had put myself to good use. I had drizzled the croissants with chocolate, so I had a feeling Wally would like them.
I left my room a lot more when no one else was in the cave.
"I should go…" I said awkwardly after M'gann and I stood in silence for a long time.
"Okay," she said brightly, a huge smile on her face.
A little weirded out at how happy she was, I left the room as quickly as I could. I get M'gann was always happy and all, but there was something wrong with that smile. It creeped me out a little bit.
Alright, that was enough interaction with other people today. I think they got the idea that I was okay and that they didn't need to bother me again for the rest of the week.
As I was returning to my room and getting ready to be alone again for the people I cared about's protection, Kaldur, still covered in mud, stopped me right outside the Mission Room, which was an odd thing for him to do. He's left me alone the last few days, but I suspect he was the one to leave the book about atlantean sorcery outside my door that I had tripped over.
"Arctica, I have joyous news." The smile on Kaldur's face was almost contagious, and it was something I had never seen on his face before. Well, yes, he smiled, but never like this.
"And what news is this?" I asked, doubting he actually had good news.
"I have received word from my king. He has invited you to visit Poseidonis with me today."
I gaped at him for who knows how long. I couldn't believe my luck. Poseidonis was home to the Conservatory of Sorcery, a place I had wanted to visit since I was young. I know I had already told Kaldur about my wish, but I am surprised he remembered at all. I smiled my first real, actually real smile in days; I was going to the Conservatory!
"That is joyous news. And I have the perfect spell to give me gills." If there was one, and there is only one, positive to Mr. Nelson's… body-soul separation, it is that he was no longer here to forbid me from trying experimental spells. Who knows, the spell might blow up in my face and I would suddenly wish I had listened to him. Oh well, I could live without eyebrows.
"Où est-il, où est-il?" I muttered in French. This was the second time it took me forever to find one of my books; my bookshelf seriously needed to be cleaned out.
"Ici!" I finally found that blasted fey spellbook. It was a parting gift from an old friend when I had left Old Atlantis. It was filled with underwater spells and potions that could only be completed with ingredients from the oceans, lakes, and rivers.
Mr. Nelson had never let me use any of the harder spells or potions, for fear that they would go horribly wrong. I understand his concern, but I can handle a simple transformation spell.
I flicked through the book until coming to a page with a transformation spell that would turn me into an atlantean. Consider I was going to the underwater Atlantis, it was the perfect spell.
Placing the open book on my bed, I prepared myself for the spell. It wouldn't work unless I was connected to all the magic around me. The air in the room, the earth in the glass on my picture frames, the water in the cup on my nightstand, the long gone plant life in my dresser and bed frame, the very magic inside myself. I focused on that the most, since I would be changing the magic cycle there.
Taking a deep breath, I took the proper stance for this particular spell, feet apart, hands palm-up, head held high, and began my spell.
"Jronto maga taik wakada un levar
Grant maga gout angler egar wamba font
Taik aflon ugg za oteanos wavga
Jronto maga taik tyt, angler dag ala lont."
The change started at the tips of my toes, where I could feel the strange sensation of webbing growing between them. Slowly, it spread up the rest of my body with a faint icy blue glow. It was the color of my magic, like how Klarion's was red and Nabu's was gold.
Surprisingly, my clothes changed with the spell as well. Now I was wearing true atlantean clothes; a blue, scaly skirt and light, silver belt replaced my shorts and shoes, while a white, sweetheart neckline top with no sleeves took the place of my striped tee.
I stared at my hands as the webbing grew between my fingers, fascinated by how it didn't even hurt. It looked like it did, like how one would experience growing pains.
Breathing became slightly difficult as gills took their place on my neck, in the same place Kaldur had his. Gasping, I concentrated on using my mouth and nose to breathe instead of the gills that I wanted to use. It took awhile, but I finally got the hang of it.
"Oh, c'était étrange," I remarked quietly, wiggling my new webbed toes.
Realizing that Kaldur was probably waiting for me, since the transformation had taken ten minutes to complete, I quickly put the book back on my bookshelf and ran barefoot through the Cave. The cool flooring felt nice on my feet and I reminded myself to go shoeless more often.
I grinned when I saw a now-clean Kaldur waiting patiently at the Zeta Tubes. There was a thoughtful look on his face and his mind must have been elsewhere, because I had to wave my hand in his face to get his attention.
"What do you think?" I showed him my webbed hands and feet and the gills on my neck.
Kaldur nodded, taking in my appearance. "You could pass as a native Atlantean."
"Merci. Shall we go?" I was eager to see the
Conservatory, and even more eager to meet Queen Mera, Aquaman's wife. I heard that she was a powerful sorceress, and I wanted to know her opinion on the mysterious girl that had saved me from death twice now.
Kaldur looked distracted again, and now it was worrying me. "Kaldur?"
"What? Oh, yes, King Orin is waiting for us."
I watched Kaldur carefully as he typed in our destination for the Zeta Tubes. There was something he was not telling me; I should know, I kept a lot of things from him and the Team.
"They are ready," Kaldur announced, and I followed him into the light of the Zeta Tube.
Poseidonis;
August 27th;
13:00 UTC-2
"Recognized: Aqualad; B02, Arctica: B00."
The other side of the Zeta Tube was underwater, and I had to gasp for breath to get used to the change. It was strange to have water filter through my gills, then get converted into oxygen for my lungs use, and it left me breathless for several minutes.
When I finally gained control of my breathing, I took the time to study where we were at. It was a long hallway of stone, columns spaced evenly along the walls with statues of merpeople with tridents as decoration. The Zeta Tube looked like a large circle surrounded in gold and details that were too tiny for my eyes to see. It was beautiful.
Kaldur smiled at the wonder that was surely written across my face and let me gap at the hall for a little longer, before gently taking my arm and leading me down the hall.
Getting used to my webbed feet and hands underwater was less difficult than breathing and I found I was a natural at swimming with them.
Aquaman, King Orin, was waiting at the end of the hall for us and he smiled when he saw us swimming towards him.
"Greetings, Kaldur'ahm. Greetings, Arctica," King Orin said as we swam up to him.
Kaldur put his fist to his head, the same thing he had done while I was still with a broken knee. "King Orin."
"Aquaman, it is good to see you again." I showed my respect to the king in my own way by bowing, but I found it difficult to stay straight in the water. No wonder the atlanteans didn't bow that often.
"Please, Arctica, we are under the waves. Call me King Orin," Aqua- er, King Orin told me.
King Orin began to swim through Poseidonis and Kaldur and I followed. The beauty of the underwater city immediately caught my eye and I trailed behind the student and his teacher to take in every inch of the city.
"The Queen and I are hosting an intimate dinner tonight. You are both invited," King Orin said, tearing me away from the architecture.
"I would be honored to attend, King Orin." Yes! I would be meeting Queen Mera. Oh, I felt like a little girl in a day dream again.
"Your Majesty," Kaldur said hesitantly, "There is someone… special… I had hoped to see tonight."
"You may invite a friend," Orin said with a smile.
"Thank you, my king," Kaldur said brightly.
"Until tonight." The king parted ways from us, going down a seperate hall, while Kaldur led me through the city, towards a grand building with many floors. I could practically feel the magic within radiating off of it, and I knew it was the Conservatory of Sorcery.
"That is really it, is it not? Kaldur, it is the Conservatory!" I said excitedly and swam faster towards the building.
Kaldur sped up to keep up with me, then took the lead. He swam right past the grand entrance with two seahorse unicorns that I wanted to investigate further and into a smaller door. We went past two students practicing their magic in a circular room with some sort of fountain in the center and into a courtyard where more advanced students were practicing. One boy with big red eyes and green skin had a serpent of water coiling around him, while a girl next to him was speaking into a basin of something purple.
I watched as the purple exploded around her and Kladur had to pull me away to get me moving again. He led me to… some sort of creature. It had the head of an octopus and tentacle wiggling where its mouth should be. It only had four fingers, but it was using them to create some sort of mosaic with magic.
"Ohh, I'll never finish in time!" The creature said, in a voice that was oddly high yet masculine.
Kaldur swam up behind the distressed creature and peered at what he was making. I joined him and discovered the most beautiful picture. It was of Aquaman and someone I believed to be Ocean Master fighting, but the way the creature made it was the most beautiful part. He would wave his four fingered hands and glowing blue tiles would swim up and take their place on the mosaic. They changed color when they landed to create the beautiful image.
"Topo, the workmanship is magnificent," Kaldur congratulated the creature I now knew as Topo.
"Kaldur!" Topo turned around to see us standing there. "Who is that with you?"
"This is Arctica, a friend of mine from the surface world," Kaldur introduced.
"Bonjour, It is nice to meet you. And Kaldur is right, your mosaic is stunning," I told Topo earnestly.
If an octopus could blush, I bet Topo would now. "Wait, wait. Watch. Listen."
Topo waved his hand and I felt as if I was being sucked into the story the mosaic told. The scene I had first caught sight of appeared, the battle between Aquamand and Ocean Master. It looked like Ocean Master was winning.
"Our beloved king was at the mercy of the vile Ocean Master," Topo narrated, "But two young students, Kaldur'ahm and Garth," the scene changed to show Kaldur and another boy attacking Ocean Master, "Intervened, allowing the Aquaman to triumph." Another scene popped up, one where Aquaman had just delivered a jaw punch to Ocean Master. "Impressed with their valor," a new scene howed Kaldur and the boy named Garth bowing before King Orin, "Aquaman offered both young heroes the opportunity to be his protégé." The scene changed once more to show Garth performing a tempest spell and Topo watching in the background. "Garth chose to continue his studies at the Conservatory of Sorcery, but the brave Kaldur accepted his king's offer and became… Aqualad!" The story finished up with an image of Kaldur standing in front of a proud looking King Orin.
I clapped at the finish of the fantastic story, causing Topo to look a little sheepish. "It is magnificent. You should be very proud."
Topo didn't seem to be looking for my praise, however, but for the distracted Kaldur's. "Kaldur? I mean, Aqualad?"
I nudged Kaldur in the side when he didn't respond, knocking him out of his reverie. "Oh. It is very good."
"Oh, thank you. Um, do you think it's all right I put myself in?" Topo asked nervously, "I know I was not really there, but I-"
"It is fine," Kaldur interrupted, "Do you know where I might find Tula now? And Garth?"
"On the roof, at their studies," Topo told him.
"Thank you," Kaldur said quickly, then began to swim off.
"It was nice to meet you, Monsieur Topo." I waved goodbye to the octopus creature, then hurried off after Kaldur.
We swam up to the roof of the building, where I could see a woman addressing two students. The students looked about Kaldur's age, so I assumed they were his friends Tula and Garth. Tula, I assumed, was a redhead and wore a yellow and blue top, a blue wraparound skirt, and yellow shorts underneath. Garth was wearing a blue wetsuit kind of thing and his hair was slightly longer than Tula's. Neither of them wore shoes, so I figured that must be an Atlantean thing. The woman that I guessed was their teacher wore the headpiece of a queen and I immediately knew she was Queen Mera. She was dressed all in green and gold, which went nicely with her red hair.
Queen Mera's face broke out into a smile when she spotted us swimming towards her. "Kaldur'ahm! Oh, so good to see you."
"Apologies, my queen," Kaldur stopped swimming and put his fist to his head, "I did not mean to interrupt."
"It is well," Queen Mera said graciously, "Who is this friend you have brought?"
"This is Arctica, a member of the Team. She is a sorcerer and the current Sorcerer Supreme of Earth."
Kladur's interaction made my face turn into a deep shade of scarlett. I still hadn't gotten over the fact that I was Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, and I'd rather not think about it.
"So good to meet you at last," Mera greeted me, "Orin has told me much of your adventures in Boston."
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Your Majesty," I attempted a small curtsy, and it went much better than my bow to King Orin, "I have always wished to visit the Conservatory and meet its headmistress."
"Then perhaps I should give you a tour," Queen Mera offered, "Kaldur'ahm, would you mind if I borrowed Arctica for a while?"
"Of course not, your majesty." Kaldur smiled when he saw the grin that enveloped my whole face. Touring the Conservatory with Mera; I can't believe it!
"Wonderful. Will I see you at dinner?" Queen Mera asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Both of us will be in attendance," Kaldur told her.
"We shall talk then, Kaldur'ahm. Come, Arctica, there is much to see."
I eagerly swam after Queen Mera and gave Kaldur a goodbye wave, spotting Tula hugging him when I did so.
Queen Mera led me through the intricate and vast buildings of the Conservatory, pausing every so often to tell me the purpose of each room. Most of them were classrooms, but there was also a large assembly room, a few offices for teachers and other rooms typically found in a school.
The difference between here and a regular school though, was the magic. As we swam through the Conservatory, I could feel every last bit of it. I don't know if it was because of the type of school or because I had become Sorcerer Supreme, but I could feel so much more magic than usual. The water held the most magic and I didn't even need to meditate to listen or speak to it. Water wasn't the only type of magic trying to talk to me; the sand, the schools of fish, the coral, the tiny atoms of oxygen in the water. There were so many voices in my head, vying for my attention. It was disorienting.
The tour of the Conservatory was soon coming to an end, and I felt this was the best time to ask the questions that were burning in my mind.
"Queen Mera," I began, feeling nervous to be talking to royalty on my own, "I understand that you are an incredibly accomplished sorceress, and your magical knowledge far exceeds my own."
"You are an accomplished sorceress yourself. Not many can say they are their planet's Sorcerer Supreme at such a young age." Queen Mera took a seat on a bench that was positioned by the wall and patted the seat next to her for me to sit down. "But I have a feeling you are not so young."
I sighed and took the seat next to her. "Not in human years, no. I am only half-human. My other half is fey, and to them, I am still quite young. Still, the burden of Sorcerer Supreme is not one I want, and the circumstances in which I received the title are less than ideal."
"Yes, I have heard of Kent Nelson's passing. I am sorry he is gone." Queen Mera put her hand on my shoulder in a comforting manner and I felt like she really did mean her words.
Normally, a stranger's comfort was meaningless to me, but Queen Mera was not just another stranger. She was the wife of Aquaman, a man I had known for years, and the headmistress of the school I had always dreamed of visiting. Her words resonated deeper within me than many others'.
"I do miss him, yes, but he is not the first to leave me so soon. I know I will see him again, in eternity. It is only a matter of time I share his fate, considering my profession." I laughed weakly at my own joke, but that dull, throbbing pain was still there. It would remain there, until my time on this plane has ended.
"That is a good philosophy to hold," Queen Mera told me kindly.
I let a soft smile grace my face, then remembered why I had started this conversation in the first place. "Oh, forgive me. I wanted to ask you a few questions concerning magic."
"Well, I am not sure I have any answer you do not already know, but I will try my best." Queen Mera put both her hands in her lap and awaited my questions.
I was nervous, but plowed on with my plan. "I know that it is possible to erase one's memories with magic, but what about retrieving memories one has lost?"
"It depends on how the memories were lost in the first place. Retrieving memories taken from magic requires that you find the sorcerer who took them in the first place. If the memories are gone because the individual is repressing them out of instinct, a martian would be much better at retrieving them than a spell." Queen Mera gave me a curious look. "Why do you ask?"
I hesitated, debating how much I should tell her. Queen Mera was kind and wise, but these were still my secrets and a secret can be kept between two people if one is dead, as the saying goes.
"I have questions about my childhood," I finally said, "But many of my childhood memories are gone, and the ones I do remember are not that great nor do they hold the answers I want."
Queen Mera gave me an understanding smile. "If your remaining memories are not… pleasant, then it may be your human psychology that is repressing them. If you would like, I can check your mind for magical tampering."
"I- I don't know. I do not like people in my mind unless absolutely necessary. I am sorry." I rubbed my arm awkwardly, avoiding the queen's green eyes.
"That is perfectly okay. If you ever change your mind, I will be here. I don't leave the Conservatory much." Queen Mera laughed at her joke, and it sounded like the tinkle of bells. This woman really was graceful in every way; no wonder she was such a good queen.
"I will keep that in mind, thank you."
"I hope you have enjoyed the Conservatory, Arctica, but I need to be going now. I have another class. Go and find Kaldur'ahm; he should be around here somewhere." Queen Mera stood up from her seat on the bench.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the tour. It is all I've ever dreamed of since I was a little girl." I stood up as well and gave her a little curtsy.
"I am glad I was able to give it to you. Until tonight." Queen Mera swam away, leaving me to find Kaldur on my own. It shouldn't be that hard, right?
It was that hard.
I spent an hour swimming through and outside of the Conservatory. I got lost several times and ran into several dead ends. If anyone had the trophy for the worst luck in the word, it was me.
It took an indecent amount of time, but I finally found Kaldur sitting on a bench in the Conservatory courtyard. He looked lost in thought and didn't even notice me swimming up to him. There was definitely something wrong; Kaldur was usually much more alert.
"Kaldur'ahm," I said, waving my hand in front of his face for the second time that day.
Kaldr let out a small gasp and jumped, before seeing it was just me. I was starting to get concerned, so I did the one thing I never thought I'd do.
"Are you okay?" I asked, taking a seat next to him.
"In truth, I am not. I am faced with a decision; return to Atlantis or remain on the surface world," Kaldur sighed.
Honestly, the thought of Kaldur leaving me-, I mean, the Team, made my heart ache. Who would lead us when he returns to Atlantis? Robin was the most logical option, but he was still young. I was the next choice, but I didn't want to lead; at all. Not to mention I had no one to discuss magical theories with; not that I currently do with Kaldur, but I've kinda always wanted to. His time at the Conservatory would have at least made him knowledgeable, and I feel an academic discussion with him would be riveting.
"Why would you want to leave?" I asked, shoving down my own emotions about the matter.
"Like you dreamed of visiting the Conservatory when you were little, I dreamed of going to the surface," Kaldur explained, "It filled my every thought for years, and when I finally got the chance, I jumped at it without a second thought. Now, I am not so certain. I miss my life down here, my parents, and my friends."
"And Tula," I concluded.
"How did you-?"
"Oh, please, Kaldur. I haven't survived this long by having a head as dense as Wally's. I heard the way you asked about her when we talked to Topo. She is the special someone you wanted to invite to dinner tonight."
Kaldur'ahm nodded, staring into the distance. "It is true. I think of her often, and I miss her the most."
I bit my lip. I had a choice now, be selfish and convince Kaldur to remain on the surface, or be a good friend and tell him to do what made him happy. Truth be told, it might be safer for him here, far away from me and the woman that wanted me dead and would use my friends to get to me.
"Then stay here, Kaldur. If she makes you happy, stay with her."
Kaldur looked at me with wide eyes. "But what of the Team?"
"Batman can find someone else to lead us. He cannot, however, find someone that makes you happy. Only you can do that." I really hoped my pathetic smile looked convincing enough; I didn't want him to have any doubts.
"Thank you, Arctica. If I do return to Atlantis, I want you and Robin to lead the Team."
I gaped at him longer than I had gaped at the unicorn seahorse statues. "I… I do not think that is wise."
"I know you do not wish to lead, but Wally is too impulsive, M'gann wants to please, Superboy is filled with anger, and Artemis is too untrusting. You and Robin have been heroes longer than the rest of us; you know what calls to make and how to use everyone's powers and abilities to the Team's advantage. Both of you possess traits of a good leader; Robin is eager to lead, while you are reluctant. You balance each other, and it is what the Team needs."
"Still, Kaldur, what if I lead them on a mission and they never come back?" I jumped up and started pacing in front of the bench, which felt weird and slow underwater. "What if they refuse to follow my lead? You know Wally doesn't like listening to me. What if I make the wrong decision and one of them pays for it?"
"That is why you have Robin. You won't be alone, I promise." Kaldur stood up, placed one of his hands on my shoulder, and looked right into my eyes in an unnerving way.
I stared at the look on Kladur's face; it held comfort and sincerity and seriousness. I knew he would never be comfortable about leaving the Team and being happy if I didn't say yes, and I had already decided I wouldn't be selfish.
"O-okay. I'll do it, but only if you return to Atlantis," I finally conceded.
"Thank you, Arctica." Kaldur removed his hand from my shoulder, but the look on his face remained unchanged. He was my friend, my best friend, even if I didn't want to admit it.
Those exact thoughts triggered what was probably the quickest decision I have ever made in my life.
"Fera," I corrected him, "My name, my real name, is Fera. I want you to be first on the Team to know. With Mr. Nelson gone, I have no one forbidding me from telling you my name. Don't tell Robin though, I don't want him to win our guessing game."
"It suits you well, Fera," Kaldur said kindly.
"It's certainly kept me from getting stabbed a few times," I shrugged. Kaldur's face turned from kind and calm, to worried and slightly confused. I had to laugh a little at that. "There is power in a name among the fey. A pure fey cannot touch ordinary iron, so I was named iron in French. Now, dinner is soon, is it not?"
"Uh, yes," Kaldur stammered, still a little shocked. "We should go."
At dinner, I was introduced to King Orin's brother, Prince Orm. He looked a lot like the king, only he had darker hair and not as kind eyes. I didn't like him as much, but I remained polite and respectful during dinner.
I was sitting between Aqualad and Mera on a, um, seashell, I guess? I really didn't know what it was. The table was comically long, and we only sat on one end of the pink dining table. The dining room itself was vast and I couldn't even see the other side of it.
Prince Orm was currently telling us about the discoveries of the science center, which were actually quite interesting.
"A gigantic echinoderm, frozen yet still alive," Prince Orm narrated, "Of course, at this point our data is quite limited, but Dr. Vulko thinks the creature is very promising."
"I am considering rejoining you at the conservatory," Kaldur whispered to Tula, making me nearly choke on my Atlantean food. Was he seriously going to be so direct?
"You realize you left your studies some time ago," Queen Mera pointed out from the other side of me, "Your sorcery skills have not kept apace. You would no longer be in Tula's class, or Garth's."
"Perhaps I will require a tutor," Kaldur relented, glancing over at Tula. Tula looked away innocently and took a bite of her food, looking ever so slightly awkward.
The rest of dinner consisted of Prince Orm's narrations, King Orin's reports on the state of Atlantis, and Queen Mera's review of how her students were doing in sorcery. Us younger people sat and listened respectfully, trying not to grow bored.
At the end of dinner, King Orin and Queen Mirror stood up holding each other's hand.
"We have an announcement," King Orin said.
"I am with child," Queen Mera said.
"Oh, that is wonderful!" Tula cheered, then jumped up to hug Queen Mera.
"Congratulations, Your Majesties," I said as I stood up and shook King Orin's hand politely. I truly was happy for them, and I knew they would be fantastic parents. Better than my own, though that was not too hard.
"An heir to the thorne at last." Kaldur shook King Orin's hand, then realized the depth of his words. "Apologies, Prince Orm," Kaldur lowered his head, "I did not mean-"
"No fear, Kaldur," Prince Orm said with a smile, "No one could be more thrilled at this news than I." Prince Orm shook his brother's hand, one hand on his arm.
"Thank you, brother. Thanks to you all," King Orin said, before kissing his queen passionately. We all looked away politely to give them a little privacy. Unfortunately, they were interrupted by Aquaman's comm.
"Superman to Aquaman. League emergency in Tokyo Bay. Rendezvous at the Watch Tower."
"Acknowledged." Aquaman pressed a button on his belt, turning off the comm. "It seems I must take my leave." Queen Mera frowned but stepped back to allow him to go. King Orin turned his gaze on Kaldur. "Swim with me."
Queen Mera watched them go with the same small frown on her face. She must worry a lot for her husband whenever he was called in for League business. For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine being married and wondered if my own spouse would worry whenever I was on a mission. For some strange reason, my spouse in my mind's eye had raven black hair. I couldn't have a crush on Superboy, could I? He was M'gann's, and I was afraid of what would happen if I came between them.
"We have not yet properly met," Tula said, sticking out her hand for me to shake, "I am Tula."
"Arctica." I shook her hand politely, though I was not sure of what else I should say.
"How do you know Kaldur?" Tula asked.
"I live in Boston, a city Aquaman and Aqualad often frequent."
There was a painfully awkward silence between us. Neither of us knew what to say, nor did we have any more questions about the other.
I could see Queen Mera and Prince Orm watching us with amusement, which I found slightly annoying. I was older than both of them.
"Prince Orm," I said politely once the silence grew too thick for my taste, "I may be able to dethaw your echinoderm, or at least provide a few more answers."
"And how would you help?" Orm challenged, sounding a little hostile. If I'm not mistaken, I don't think he likes me. I don't know why. I had been perfectly delightful to him all evening. It's like older human males hold an immediate dislike for me or something.
"I grew up in the Arctic Circle. If anyone knows anything about ice, it is me," I told him shortly.
A beat of silence and Prince Orm finally relented and told a guard to show me to the Science Center. There was a satisfied smirk on my face as the guard led me out of the palace. I do love winning arguments.
In the Science Center, I spoke to Dr. Vulko about the starfish and the ice it was contained in. Being the gracious scientist he was, he allowed me to go up and touch the fragile ice.
"This is old," I muttered, trailing my hand along the base of the ice, "Very old. But… I can still feel the life of the echinoderm. It is an amazing discovery. You should be proud of yourself."
The atlantean scientist blushed from my compliment. "Can you thaw the ice?"
I shrugged. "I can try, but it might injure the creature. We also need to consider that maybe we shouldn't try to free it. A creature like this may be dangerous."
"It is nothing atlanteans can't handle," Dr. Vulko defended.
"Ancient creatures like this are sealed up for a reason, Dr. Vulko. You have no idea what it is, or what it is capable of. You have no idea of who wants this creature. No one does," I berated him.
"So I should just stop my studies completely? All of Atlantis is waiting for me to discover its secrets, even King Orin and Prince Orm. I cannot stop my research."
"I am not saying to stop your research, you just need to be- what was that?" Even though I was swimming, I could still see the ground beneath us tremble, interrupting our argument. I swam up to the window that overlooked the whole city and saw the beautiful Poseidonis in ruins.
"What is going on?" Dr. Vulko asked, joining my side.
Every other area in Poseidonis had suffered a devastating blow. It was all in ruins. All except the science center. I glanced back at that cursed starfish, which probably caused this whole mess.
"That, Dr. Vulko, is what one would do to get their hands on this starfish," I said solemnly, watching the destruction in front of me.
A distant way off, I could see the palace, where Tula, Kaldur, Queen Mera, and Prince Orm fought off a slew of soldiers dressed all in black. I had no idea who they were, but they didn't look all that friendly.
The Atlantean guards surrounded Dr. Vulko and I when a loud knocking sound resounded off the door to the lab. I rolled my eyes at how they underestimated me; if I wanted to, I could knock each and everyone of them out right now.
"Dr. Vulko, stay behind me," I ordered the scientist as I summoned my Sorcerer Supreme staff to my hand. I stood at the ready with the other guards, waiting for the enemy to break through the door.
Except they didn't come through the door.
An explosion in the floor in front of me made me backup a step from the heat. Seriously, how do you make something explode underwater? Another explosion destroyed the floor behind us, sending many of the guards forward. The black suited men swam up from the floor and started shooting.
I created a shield with my staff to protect the guards, Dr. Vulko, and myself. It wasn't a shield of ice, that would do nothing against guns like these. It was a shield of pure magic, and it drained me considerably. I wouldn't be able to keep it up for long if I wanted to remain conscious.
"Dr. Vulko, you need to get out of here. Now." I grunted as a particularly powerful blast hit my shield. My shield was steadily shrinking, and as soon as a guard was left on the outside, they were shot down.
"I cannot leave my studies to these hooligans," he protested. It was hard to not roll my eyes, but the sound of another guard being shot down caught my attention. There were only three guards left, and they were crowding Vulko and I as my shield continued to shrink. Even the glow of my staff was dimming.
"Oh, j'espère que ça n'explose pas dans mon visage," I muttered.
"Tachu vagus soma sain
Kantu vagus sain."
It was a short spell, but it did its job. A light blue glow surrounded the guards, Dr. Vulko, and myself. It was so bright, we closed our eyes to prevent being blinded. My body tingled as the spell carried us away from the room and to a safer place in the science center.
When I opened my eyes, I was in a room I unsurprisingly didn't recognize. Dr. Vulko and the guards I managed to take with me were okay, but looking a little green.
"Where are we?" I asked the recovering doctor urgently.
He looked close to throwing up, but managed to mutter, "Down the hall from the room. Right. Not that far."
I nodded and stood up. "I must go. Stay here."
Before the guards could argue, I took off swimming in the direction Vulko had given me. Just to my ever-changing luck, I ran into Kaldur and Garth.
"Fera!" Kaldur swam faster and embraced me. I was shocked for about two seconds, before I hugged him back. He let go of me soon after and inspected me for injuries. "How is your knee?"
I hadn't even thought of my knee the entire time I had been in Atlantis. You'd think it would ache even more after using it to swim for so long, but I felt all better.
"Good, actually. I think being near the Conservatory increased the potency of my potions. I haven't felt a thing," I said cheerily, despite the dire situation.
Kaldur nodded. "Do you know where Manta is?"
"The room with the seastar, that way." I pointed down the hall.
"We need to stop him from getting it," Garth added.
"That is the plan. Come." I swam down the hall, not waiting for them to follow me. Our swimming took us to an open part of the hallway, where I could hear three black clad men coming our way. Aqualad and I shared a look, then dropped back behind Garth to sneak up on the enemy.
"You have a plan?" Garth asked, then realized we had disappeared. "Kaldur?"
He drew the attention of Manta's men, and Kaldur and I took this chance to attack. As they aimed their guns at Garth, Aqualad and I came from above. Kaldur formed his mace with his water bearers and took out two by clomping them over the head. I tried to take one out by tackling him, but my small size didn't make that very effective. He threw me off him, but I was able to use the pillar behind me as leverage and jump back at him, slamming him into the wall.
"I, too, have my studies," Kaldur told Garth, making me let out a small giggle. I waved my arm and created a nice sphere of ice to keep the Manta men alive while we "borrowed" their uniforms.
We slipped on the three uniforms we stole and used them to swim the rest of the way to the starfish. Having years of experience of being something other than myself, I fit in perfectly among the Manta men. I was worried about Kaldur, however, his water bearers were perfectly visible and I hoped no one saw them.
When we got to the starfish room, we saw a sub using a beam of energy to destroy the dome over the room. The ice that encased the starfish had cables connected to it, ready to lift the thing out of here.
We swam up the cables, trying to find a discreet way to snap them. Black Manta swam up behind us and I felt Garth tense, practically giving us away.
"Impressive, is it not?" Manta asked, "Aqualad."
Well, there goes our cover.
We turned around and started shooting at Manta with the guns we had stolen. He swam away and dodged the blasts before sending one of his own that sent us flying backwards. It damaged my helmet, so I struggled to yank it off my head.
Kaldur threw his helmet off too and took out his water bearers to deflect the gun blasts aimed at us. I summoned my staff to my hand, forgetting about the crude gun, and froze several Manta henchmen in blocks of ice.
Manta used the laser eyes on his helmet to shoot us again, but I created another shield that held up much better this time. Aqualad changed his water bearer into a whip and used it to tug a Manta man in the path of Manta's next gun shot.
"Such a waste," Manta growled as more forces convened behind him. "You really have no ambition beyond serving Aquaman? Aren't schools of others willing to die for their king? This fool, for example."
Garth finally wretched his helmet off, only for Kaldur to grab him with his whip and swim them both behind a column. I covered their exit with an ice shield, and then joined them.
"Garth, get your head in the game," Kaldur scolded his friend. He swam off to fight once more, one water bearer covering him as a shield.
"You are a student of the Conservatory," I told Garth, adjusting my grip on my staff. Merlin, I wish I had brought my sword hilts. "Use a spell."
I followed after Kaldur, but I didn't go after Manta like he did. I swam through the water as fast as I could to take out soldiers one by one, whether it be by knocking them out with the butt of my staff, or by freezing their hands and feet together.
Garth, having taken my advice to heart, used a spell to suck several men into a whirlpool, then throw them against the wall. The sub above us finished breaking through the glass dome and lowered a hook to pick up the starfish.
I saw Manta beating Kaldur back with his laser eyes, and I did what any logical person would do.
I tackled him.
I'm going to be honest here and say that wasn't my best idea.
One of Manta's soldiers picked me up by the back of my shirt and dangled me there. I totally wasn't that light above the water. We were underwater, and that's the only reason he could pick me up so easily.
Okay, that's a lie. I really was that light. But that's only because I'm part fey and they have to be light in order to fly.
The Manta soldier threw me into Kaldur, sending us spinning backwards. Luckily, Garth swam in front of us and shot electricity at Manta. In response, Manta shot two missiles at us. I was just able to put a shield between us so we wouldn't die at the impact.
Kaldur immediately recovered and jumped out of the smoke to attack Manta. I was so drained right now, from my transformation spell that turned me into an Atlantean, to that teleport spell I had never tried before, and now taking out dozens of Manta troops, I could barely muster up the strength to lazily swim out of the way of Manta's next attack.
With Kaldur busy, Garth was the one to grab me and shove me behind a column so I had time to recover without being shot at. Garth defended our position with timed lightning strikes while Kaldur dealt with Manta.
Both were too busy to see the soldier hooking up the starfish to the sub. Fighting past my exhaustion, I crafted a sleek blade of ice, then threw it at the cable. I was worried the water would create enough resistance that it wouldn't be able to cut the cable, but the blade proved to be sharp. The frozen starfish fell back down and broke some of the ice. I nearly gagged when one starfish arm flopped out of it, looking disgusting. It wiggled a little, causing my urge to puke to worsen.
Manta swam towards the wiggling arm, but Kaldur stopped him by tying him up with his waterbearer whips. Kaldur electrocuted him and he screamed out in pain, until he burst out of the restraints.
"If I can't have it, no one can!" Manta cried, then turned around to shoot a missile at the starfish.
Before I knew what was happening, Garth grabbed me and shoved me next to Kaldur, then covered us in thick ice. It did its job and protected us from the explosion, which I think would have really hurt if we had experienced the full force of it.
Once he was sure it was safe, Garth lowered the ice. The room was in shambles. Ice shards littered the floor. There were holes in the floor, and in the ceiling, and in the walls, but Manta was long gone.
"I like the ice," I commented to Garth.
Kaldur rolled his eyes. "Of course you do."
Poseidonis;
September 3rd;
21:08 UTC-2
Kaldur and I stayed another week in Poseidonis. I rested properly after using so many powerful spells in one day and helped the atlanteans repair their city. I spent as much time as I could in the Conservatory and found myself helping Mera put classrooms back together with magic. Kaldur and I, somehow, found time to stop by his parents' house in Shayeris. Sha'lain'a and Calvin Durahm were lovely people, and I think they liked me. More than most people did, anyways.
Kaldur told me about the relationship between Garth and Tula, and although I felt bad for him, I felt relieved that I wouldn't have to lead the Team anytime soon. It was a bit awkward between the three of us when we worked together to help the other atlanteans.
Today was the day we said our goodbyes and I was downhearted at the idea. I loved it here in Atlantis and I hoped I could come back soon. It was much better than where I had grown up.
Queen Mera and King Orin stood before Prince Orm, Kaldur, Garth, Tula, and I.
"Our city was heavily damaged, and many atlanteans were injured, but it could have been far worse." King Orin put a hand on Mera's stomach, glad his heir had survived. "I am grateful to you all."
Prince Orm held up a sample of the starfish that hadn't been obliterated. "This contains all that survived. It is already regenerating. The creature requires further research, but with the dome compromised and the Science center in ruins, we cannot safely secure or study it here in Atlantis." Orm glanced at me and Kaldur. "Perhaps the surface world can do better."
"I'm sure they will be eager to try," King Orin said. He turned his attention to his student. "Kaldur?"
"Call me Aqualad, my king."
King Orin smiled, glad his student had decided to stay. He, Queen Mera, and Prince Orm left shortly after to attend to the repairs of the city. Only Tula, Garth, Kaldur, and I were left, and I felt majorly awkward.
"I'm going to go ahead," I told Kaldur, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'll see you on the other side. It was nice to meet you, Tula and Garth."
I stepped into the Zeta Tube rimmed with a golden circle and waved goodbye to all of them. When the glow of the Tube died down, I was back at the Cave.
Batman was standing inside the center of the Mission Room, typing away on a computer. He glanced up when I came in, then took a step forward when I started to gasp for breath. I still wasn't very good at going from air to water or water to air, so the gasping and the coughing were probably normal. Probably.
Once I finally regained my breath, Batman took a step away from me.
"Your knee?" He asked in a monotone.
"Healed completely. Queen Mera was able to help with her own magic," I answered.
"Then you're good to go on the next mission. Go get changed."
I didn't even argue with him, and instead went to my room to remove this spell. Unfortunately, I ran into everyone else before I was able to change.
"Ahh! Arctica, what happened to you?" Wally panicked, jumping back at the sight of my gills and webbed hands.
I rolled my eyes as I shoved past him. "I visited Atlantis with Kaldur."
"Is that why you disappeared for a week?" Robin
asked, a small smirk on his face.
"Yes, actually. We fought Black Manta and I got to meet his parents," I said off-handedly.
"His parents? Are you two dating?"
Wally's question made me choke on my own spit. "Wh-what? No! We're just friends!"
I don't really think my red face was all that convincing, but Artemis and M'gann, being the wonderful females they were, believed me in an instant.
"Wally!" Artemis berated the speedster, smacking him in the back of the head.
"Isn't Batman waiting for us?" Robin said grumpily, his face sullen for some reason. He marched off to the Mission Room, ignoring the strange look all of us were giving him.
"C'mon, Kid Mouth." Artemis dragged Wally after Robin, and M'gann and Superboy were quick to follow.
I shrugged my shoulders at Robin's weirdness and continued on to my room. Whatever was going on was his problem, not mine.
(Rough) Translations
Où est-il? (French) - Where is it?
Ici!(French) - Here!
Jronto maga taik wakada un levar. Grant maga gout angler egar wamba font. Taik aflon ugg za oteanos wavga. Jronto maga taik tyt, angler dag ala lont.(Silvan) - Turn me to what I need. Give me gills and even webbed feet. To travel under the ocean's waves. Turn me to it, and do not cheat.
Tachu vagus soma sain. Kantu vagus sain.(Silvan) - Take us somewhere safe. Keep us safe.