FLASHBACK
Skye felt her comlink ring and she tapped the button with the Force.
"Hi, um, Sara?" Skye opened her eyes as she smiled.
"Amelia are you not?" She got up and walked towards the kitchen.
"Yes, I am Amelia." Skye smiled again as she got out the tea.
"It is good to hear from you." She partially wondered why the girl called and also wondered if this was the call that would bring them together.
"You also, um, A few things have happened, and I thought hard about what you told me."
"I see, anything that I can help with?"
"Well how come you never visit the hospital if you are a healer?"
"Ah that. Is not a hospital capable of healing the sick and injured?"
"Well yes, but there are some that they can't help."
"Amy I would rather explain this in person. Can you come to the Old Lighthouse gift shop near the northern market between ten and two?"
"I have school, but I could come by if Vicky can fly me there." Skye smiled as she pulled out two more cups.
"I will have tea and cookies for when you arrive. I'll send you the address." She tapped through her menu and then attached two addresses to the call. The translation droid converted into a text and sent it off. She heard Amelia's phone beep.
"I got it and oh wow. You live in the Sherwood estate. I heard it burned down. Oh, wait you are a Sherwood."
"I'll meet you out on the terrace."
"Right see you soon." Skye closed down the connection as she cooked some more water as she set a large tray with cookies, crackers, a several sliced meats. Jeff was off taking a break. Though Skye knew he was on a date with a young woman he met. Mike was working with Hast to build more drones and heard arguing the last time she walked by his door. Which was impressive considering the volume of the music he was listening to. She made a note to check his hearing a bit closer the next time she healed him.
She lifted and moved around old furniture and sent them out the window to pound the dust and other detritus free of the fabrics before bringing them back inside. Targeted sprays countered the musty smell that lingered as she used the Force to send any other dirt out the terrace doors. She had done something similar, but this room had not seen any use until now. It could be a nice place to meditate if she brought in enough plants. Perhaps if she understood Amelia's power, she could help with that. As if it was planned Glory Girl landed and set down Panacea a moment later.
"Come in, sit I hope it is not too musty, but I feel this room suits us." She guided them to one of the seats and began pouring through a tea strainer.
"Loose leaf tea?"
"Yes, I tried many of the packaged teas and even with Rapier's abilities even he couldn't get it to taste right. I found several different blends and we came up with a few that are similar to what I am used to, but this is a fine moment to use my reserved stash. I mixed it just a bit with some of the local tea, but the taste has only been enhanced." Each of the girls took a sip of the tea. Vicky's aura flared to signal she enjoyed it. Amelia looked very surprised.
"Is this fresh picked?"
"Oh, good you noticed. Part of the tea is a fungus that comes from the mountains of Alderaan. It never really dries completely out, but it will over time ruin your tea mix, but the way it can bring out the individual flavors is a plus."
"I have never heard of the Alderaan Mountains. Where are they at?" Vicky wondered as Skye giggled.
"I was not clear Alderaan is not a mountain range it is a planetary system in the Core worlds near the center of the Corusca Galaxy. My release, expulsion, no birth was on a space station several sectors away. I have been there a few times."
"You are joking right?" Vicky asked as she then took another sip of the tea making her close her eyes to absorb the taste.
"No, I am not." Vicky gave no reply, but she heard Amelia letting out a quiet moan showing her contentment. Both of them felt calm as the tea was designed to do.
"But I don't care, this tastes better than kissing." Skye giggled again and the calm was instantly replaced. Vicky felt suddenly guilty, and Amelia felt embarrassed as if she was experiencing an attraction. It was this feeling they shared at the bank. Nice and it went well with the tea.
"So um, you said you could train me to heal?" Amelia asked as she finally recovered. Skye took another sip of her tea before putting her cup down. Going out onto the terrace she picked up a pair of pots. She came back setting them down in the place she left open.
"These are tomato plants. One is just barely breaking out and the other already has flowers. I planted them at the same time gave them the same soil sun and water."
"Okay the other seeds didn't germinate until a few days ago."
"I planted them yesterday." Skye let that sink in as she retook her spot on the bench, no couch.
"Bullshit."
"Vicky language."
"Ames, I don't care."
"So how is this possible?"
"I used the Force the wrong way. If I leave it as it is then this plant will die if I stop using the Force on it. Touch it tell me what I did to the plant." Amelia felt the plant concentrating and frowning as her ability told her everything she needed to know.
"You made it grow. Fed it only using the Force that you talk about. The plant is now starving. The tiny plant is normal has plenty of nutrients."
"Very good, now touch the grown plant as I do." Skye pushed the Force into the plant as Amelia's eyes widened.
"What is it Ames?"
"I feel her doing something to the plant. It is like the plant is feeding, but that is not the right thing. I don't know."
"How about this?" Skye went deeper into the Force just before she touched the tiny tomato plant. She felt the balance of the one and copied it to the other restoring the plant's ability to draw nutrients out of the soil, water, and light from the sun or the lamps to convert into energy. Then once the plant was weaned from the Force she let go. The benefit was that the smaller plant had grown as well, but still small.
"Confusing and I am having a hard time processing all the information, but I know that I could not do what you did."
"I think you can." Skye goes out and picks up two more pots and replaced them on the table.
"This one is infected with a fungus." She smiled and Vicky giggled as she could see the fungus vanishing. Then Amelia frowned and shook her head before a grin grew on her face. Skye felt them both with the Force. One felt changed and had to have an alteration that allowed the plant to eat the fungus. The other felt like the one she restored but different as well.
"Interesting. You healed and modified the first plant here to deal with the fungus. The other you replaced what my efforts with the Force to make it grow with something else. Now what you should do is use the structure from one plant on the other. Restore their balance." Amelia nodded and the changes shifted back to the proper genetic structure, but she did not stop there as she used the first non-accelerated plant to check her work.
"Plants are so different. I helped the plants and flowers I have but I never thought I could change them so much. Simpler but complex."
"They are now I want you touch me using this vine over there from the other corner." Skye got up and went to on corner of the terrace and pointed at the other. Amelia got up and went to the other corner. She picked up several vine strings.
"I don't think this is going to work."
"Focus and it will. You have control of the plant and through that there has to be a connection to the plant I am holding. If not use you power to connect them. I feel you through the plants."
Several minutes went by and Amelia began to giggle. Vicky got curious and was shocked at what the two were doing to the plants. The entire vine wall was shifting and moving enough to give her goosebumps. Then the vines thickened in places and shot out at Skye to wrap around her wrist and up her arm. It was at this point that she lost what was going on as they both laughed. Ames nearly uncontrollably and Skye with a reserve and perfectly control giggle that was as genuine even as it sounded fake. The rest of the daylight they walked around the yard with Amelia attacking sky from dozens of yards away using the plants to bridge the gap.
Watching someone play would have bored Vicky to death and she did not like being ignored. A group of vines suddenly burst with flowers that gave off a strong but delicate scent. Then something like that would happen. What kept her interest was that Ames was laughing and giggling and snorting. She could see that this was the same joy she had felt the first time she really let go of her fear and flew.
This was Ames flying with not a care in the world. Vicky could never grow tired of watching this. She didn't even notice the two guys that joined her. Not until they let out a gasp or two. The one guy left and then came back some time later. He smelled a bit different which got Vicky to notice that he had showered. The guy with the wet hair was thin and not that appealing. He still had that geeky look to him which he would never really grow out of.
The other guy was handsome in a strange way not gorgeous or anything like that, but he showed a confidence that not few people had even if it felt false to her. No, he was using perfect body language. To show his interest in her and his not interest. Vicky just snorted and flared her aura to make them afraid.
"Jesus Glory Girl I am not going to do anything." Vicky frowned she knew that voice.
"Calm down Mike she did that because of me."
"Ya right Jeff. Like she could figure out who we are."
"Sure, she can." Vicky glared at both of them as the skinny on hit the athletic one. She knew that voice and it just did not match who was in front of her.
"Hey, Vicky that." Ames inhaled and exhaled. "Was so much fun and I learned so many things."
"That is Uber and Leet."
"Hi guys." Skye came up behind Ames and wrapped her arms around her from behind. "That was fun and That is Jeff and Mike, or Rapier and Cutlass. As they put it their past selves are nerds."
"But they are villains. Creepy and dumb."
"Ya that was us, but we really are not like that, and Skye has shown us we needed to be better people."
"Ya, but if you are going to beat us up can you at least let us get our armor on first?"
"Mike, she can't beat us up. We are not committing any crimes." Jeff declared.
"You two do realize that your crimes are all recorded." Amelia pointed out unconcerned, but very self-conscious of the girl hanging on her shoulders.
"That is Uber and Leet not Jeff and Mike."
"He does have a point there Ames, and you might want to watch where you put your hands on my sister." Vicky then brought her hand to her mouth as she realized what she had said was to another girl, but they both turned equal shades of red that froze them both in place. Then they giggled with Skye recovering way faster as she pulled back causing Amelia to stumble back into her.
"Sorry I should not have, but it was so nice to feel you happy." Amelia turned around to face Skye with fear in her eyes and in her heart. She did not find rejection but understanding compassion. A squeeze of the hand and a smile.
"There is time, let us continue to live in the here and now."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that you are both attracted to each other, and you both need a cold shower." Jeff declared with only a hint of sarcasm. Vicky groaned as Amelia giggled.
"Now I do not understand." Skye gave a small chuckle. The others laughed. Then it was quiet.
"I don't know about you, but I think we could all get something to eat." Jeff said as he broke the sudden silence.
"Ya, I have seen enough plants growing for one day." Vicky added. Which got them to moving to go inside. As they crossed the doorway Mike started talking.
"Do you know they have what is called the Lost Forest in New York. It is a moving forest with several parahumans living inside."
"I have not discovered that yet."
"It's true..." Mike paused as what she said sunk in. "Wait you believe me?"
"Why would I not. Perhaps we should go there and visit these woods." Skye suggested as the doors moved, sliding closed behind her without any mechanism causing it as she slightly moved her hand.
"Because those who go inside are lost and the only ones who show themselves are woman who can control the plants."
"Foliage."
"What's that Ames?"
"My new name, Foliage and you are Glamour Girl."
"I am not changing my name."
"But you wanted to change your costume with me." Amelia complained.
"You know you're right. That is a good idea." Vicky replied.