Within the safety of the cave where Angie and
the injured Raven brothers took refuge from the dangerous storm, the torch
light began to dim.
"We need some light," Angie whispered.
She stood up and walked to where she had placed the torch. Finding
another good stick for a makeshift torch, she used her powers to create
a flame for the new light. Taking the burned out torch from the hole
and replacing it, she sighed in relief. "There, that should keep
all of us both warm and dry."
Michael, who had flown into the storm earlier
to try to help his older brother Victor and Angie, sat up against the wall
as he held his injured right arm, the result of being caught in a thunderstorm
microburst. "Thanks, Angie…for saving both me and my brother."
Sitting down herself, the female magician
said, "I'm just glad you're both all right. I hope I did okay trying
to help Victor, though. The bleeding on his head seems to have stopped,
but just in case, I'd better change bandages." Cupping her hands
once more, she created another bandage. She then made the one she
had used before disappear and quickly wrapped his head again. "There,
a clean bandage should help against infection."
"You're great at first aid," noted Michael
seriously. "Ever consider being a nurse or doctor?"
"No, not really. My hands aren't so
steady, and if I see a whole lot of blood, I'm likely to faint. Besides,
my parents always told me to pursue my own dreams, be something I want
to be. I never expected being a magician to become my destiny."
"I understand. Some people can figure
out destiny when they're young, others won't know until their lives end,
and still others will learn by surprise, like you did."
"Yeah, really." She then looked at the
opening of the cave. "I hope everyone back at the reservation is
doing all right in this storm."
**Don't worry, Angie, they're fine,** Khenta
thought to her. **I'm on my way out to where you are now.**
Khenta, please be careful. I don't
want you to get yourself hurt trying to help us.
**I don't fear death that easily. What's
more, Mike is hurt, Victor is seriously injured, and you'll need me to
Heal their injuries. Just try to stay calm.**
Okay, but it won't be easy.
**I'll be there in a few minutes. Just
stay where you are.**
Khenta, in her Phoenix true-form, continued
flying in the hazardous weather conditions. She knew of the troubling
situation with Angie and both Raven brothers, so she wasted no time in
going as fast as she could to reach her friends. I'll reach them,
no matter what it takes. If I can stay low enough to the ground,
the lightning won't be able to get to me. As for the currents against
me, they are forcing me to fly harder, but I can make it.
Back in the cave, Angie sat down next to Michael,
her mind in intense thought.
The younger Raven brother had suspected something
within Angie and tried to confront her about it. "Angie…are you kinda
having feelings for Victor?"
"No, Michael, I am not," answered Angie in
a seemingly straight manner. "I'm not capable of this concept.
My family and my friends are first in terms of who I love, and that will
be the end of the discussion."
"But—"
"Let's end the discussion, please," she insisted.
"Right now I'm more concerned about Khenta getting here safely."
Angie closed her eyes to focus her inner energies,
which helped her to keep calm in this harrowing situation.
Michael, though, was convinced she was hiding
her true feelings for Victor. She does love him, but she won't
admit it. Khenta was right; she's scared of this feeling.
Both Michael and Angie knew their only hope
for Victor would be Khenta's Healing ability, so they looked carefully
at the opening of the cave when Angie's sensitive ears picked up a squawking
sound.
"It's Khenta," she whispered. "She made
it!"
Into the cave entered a breath-taking bird
with orange feathers and blue, white, and purple highlights on the outer
feathers. It shook off the water 100 feet into the cave and soon
converted into its human form, Khentura Fire Eagle.
She ran up to the others and was relieved
to see them all basically safe. "Are you all right?"
"I'm okay," said Angie, "but Michael's right
arm is injured, and Victor has a bad cut on the top of his head."
"Just leave this part to me, Angie."
Upon coming up to Michael, he said, "Do Victor
first. His injury's more serious than mine."
"Okay. Just don't do anything sudden
with that arm."
Khenta noticed the blood seeping through the
bandage. "Vic's injury is pretty bad, but I should be able to Heal
it. Unfortunately, it won't be well enough for him to be able to
compete next month." She then removed the bandage from his head and
placed her right hand on the bleeding area. Closing her eyes, she
let her Power come forth. Her hand began to glow on top of the wound.
"Stop the bleeding," she whispered softly to herself.
Soon, the cut closed up, which ended the blood
loss. "Now, sleep a little longer." She helped him feel warm
with her Power, and soon Victor rested very comfortably.
Khenta turned to Angie. "He'll be all
right now."
"Good," the female magician said in subdued
relief. "Now, what about Mike?"
"His injury won't be a problem." She
placed her hand on the injured arm.
Feeling warm in that area, Michael felt the
pain disappear. Able to move his arm seconds later, he happily said,
"Thanks, pal. I owe you one."
"No, you don't, but why did you fly out into
the storm? You knew how dangerous the conditions were."
"Victor and Angie were both in trouble, so
I had to do something."
"You worried both Ananda and Grandmother,
and I wouldn't be surprised if Vic gets on your case, too."
"Khenta, I couldn't just leave my brother
seriously injured! I—"
"Hold it," Angie interrupted. Her sensitive
hearing started picking up a rumbling sound. "What's that noise?"
Michael also listened carefully for the noise
and realized what it was. "It's water. Flash flood's approaching
rapidly!"
"Too much rain has fallen," Khenta said worriedly.
"This cave is not high enough to keep water from coming in. We'll
drown."
"Oh, no, we won't," stated Angie, quickly
getting to her feet. "Khenta, you and the others stay here.
I'll handle this." She then ran towards the opening of the cave.
"Angie, wait!" Michael shouted. "It's
too dangerous trying to stop the flood with your magic."
She ignored his warning. There's
no time to lose now. The Magic Force is my only chance of stopping
the flood from harming all of us.
Coming to the cave's mouth, she pulled up
and went into a spin while her body glowed in her light-blue aura.
"Magic
Force, reveal the power within!"
Emerging in her special crimefighting costume,
she put her arms forward. "I've got to stop the water from getting
in. Let my heart guide my power!"
Creating a barrier around the opening, she
saw the rushing water approaching very quickly. Just as the barrier
was completed, the floodwaters crashed into it, immediately causing a severe
mental strain on Angie. This is too much for me to handle by myself,
she realized. I'm gonna need Ace's help on this. I just hope
he isn't mad at me for keeping that memory from him.
Reaching out with heart and soul, she tried
to contact the Magician telepathically.
In the living room of the Magic Express, Ace
and Cosmo discussed Angie's strange situation.
"Something in her past has made her frightened
about falling in love," Ace said in concern, "but she's blocked that memory
from me. I didn't want to force it out of her, so I withdrew my thoughts
to give her some space."
"Poor Angie. I never thought I could
find someone scared of having a crush on a guy."
"I know. Maybe the way she was treated
during her school days is a factor as to—AHHHHHH!"
Ace suddenly felt a sharp pain within his mind and clutched his head.
"Angie…is in serious danger! I can sense it!"
"What's happenin' to her?" Cosmo asked in
distress.
"I don't know." He then closed his eyes
to communicate with his younger parallel. Kindred sister, what's
wrong?
In his mind he heard from Angie, I'm trying
to stop a flash flood but the water pressure's taking its toll on my powers.
I can't do this alone. I just hope you're not mad at me about that—
Envisioning what she was doing, he became
very anxious. Angie, I'm not angry with you for blocking that
memory. I understand why you want to keep this recollection inside,
but right now we need to concentrate on stopping the flood before it's
too late for all of you.
He stood up and went into a spin. Glowing
in violet, he quickly yelled, "Magic Force, reveal the power within!"
Cosmo was stunned to see Ace in his superheroic
outfit. "Whoa, is it that serious?"
"Yes, it is," said a still luminating Ace.
"Angie's trying to stop a flood from drowning herself, the Raven brothers,
and Khenta. If I don't help, it'll be too late for all of them."
"How can you help her from over 200 miles
away? You can't just magically go there."
"No, but I can try something we actually did
once before. It's never been done from such a distance, but to help
Angie I'm willing to go for it."
He then contacted Angie mind-to-mind.
Angie,
listen to me very carefully. I'm going to attempt something you did
for me once before when we dealt with that rogue magician back in Lazaro
City.
You mean, power transference?
Yes. You did it for me then, and
I'm going to do it for you now, even though the distance this time is greater
than before. Keep concentrating on the cave opening with all you
have.
The Magician closed his eyes once more and
put his arms out to the sides to concentrate. "Magic Force, please
hear my plea. My kindred sister desperately needs help in her situation
and cannot stop the flood alone. Although we are many miles apart,
our bond of friendship is as strong—no, stronger than ever.
Give
some of my power to her!"
He then began glowing even brighter in violet
and silently prayed the power transference would get to Angie in time.
Back at the cave opening, Angie felt the exertion
of keeping the flash flood waters from penetrating her barrier.
She literally pushed herself to the limit
when she suddenly felt a new surge of power. "It must be Ace," she
whispered. She then yelled out, "May the power of Ace's heart give
me the strength…to fight on!"
Her light blue aura soon took on a new shade
as tints of violet shone through. Using the power from her kindred
brother, she became stronger in heart and soul. Adding the love of
herself, her family, and her friends, her heart became warmer than ever
before.
"Mom, Dad," she whispered, "may your love
guide me as well."
You can do it, Angie, said her mother
Nancy. You have the power within your soul.
Believe in your power, Robert, her
father, added. We are proud of you and always will be.
Then, she heard an unlikely voice in her heart.
Hello, Angie.
She remembered the voice from so long ago.
Mr. Whitefeather?
Yes, young one. Your heart is filled
with love, kindness, spirit, and compassion. You have never forgotten
about me.
I could never forget about a special friend
like you, Mr. Whitefeather.
Your heart has the greatest strength of
all. I know you can do this, young one. Feel the love of those
closest to you in your life, and you can save yourself and your friends.
Angie's soul was as warm as the sun itself.
I can do it. I know I can do it. I just have to hold it off
until the water recedes.
At the back end of the cave, Khenta felt Angie's
warm heart. "She feels love from all those she holds so dear to her
heart. I can also feel the hearts of both magicians…beating in perfect
sync. Ace is helping her with his own power, although he is back
in Electro City."
"That's incredible," said Michael.
Victor slowly awakened from his sleep with
a rather bad headache. "Oooohhhh," he groaned. "Man, my head
hurts!"
Khenta looked at him and smiled. "You
okay, Vic?"
"I…I think so. What happened to me?
The last thing I remember was climbing up the mountain when Angie warned
me about the storm, and a rock was coming at me a few moments later.
The rest is a blank to me." He then noticed where he and the others
were. "It's the cave? How did I end up here?"
When Michael explained the gist of the situation,
including the current flash flood problem, Victor was worried about Angie.
"Where is she?"
"She's trying to stop the flood from coming
in here with her powers."
"Will she…be all right?"
"I hope so, bro. I honestly hope so."
Angie's powers, combined with Ace's transferred
powers, continued to hold the water from breaking into the cave.
Finally, after about a minute, the flash flood
began to diminish in its intensity. As soon as the flooding was down
to just heel level, Angie put her arms back down and allowed the barrier
to disappear.
She fell to her knees and breathed very heavily.
Are you all right, Angie? Ace thought
to her.
Yes, I'm okay. A little weak, but
not as weak as I have been in the past. Thanks for your help, kindred
brother.
Glad I could be of assistance. Like
I said before, if you ever need me, I'm just a thought away. Just
one other thing. I know you do have feelings for Victor. Don't
deny your own heart of these feelings.
Please, Ace, I don't want to get into this
again. I can still block that memory from you, and I won't let you
find out. I'm sorry I have to resort to this, but I am not capable
of falling in love.
Angie, please. If you won't open to me,
open to someone. You can't conceal these feelings forever.
The female magician soon got back on her feet
and ran up to the others. "Are all of you okay?"
"Yeah," answered Michael, "we're fine, thanks
to the combined magic you and Ace used."
Victor looked in surprise at the attire she
was wearing. "Angie? Is that you?"
She quickly turned and was happy to see Victor
all right. "Yeah, it's me. I kinda…well, share the same kind
of magic as Ace, and in the dangerous situations, I'll look like this."
She then began to blush. "I feel so embarrassed."
He smiled at her. "Don't be ashamed
about it, Angie. You and Ace Cooper have the same Magic Force, which allows
both of you to combine magic in extreme situations?"
"Mm-hmm, that's about the size of the matter."
Michael then asked, "Is it safe to come out
now?"
"Yes," Khenta answered. "It's all right
to leave the cave now."
Both Michael and Angie helped Victor to his
feet. "Thanks, guys. Unfortunately, I think I won't be in the
competition next month because of this. How embarrassing."
"Better to have you alive and not competing
than dead," Angie added jokingly.
"True. Let's get out of here."
When they left the cave, all were surprised
to find Ananda, on his steed Red Cloud, outside with the horses Shadow
Wind, Soaring Eagle, and Lilyflower.
"Ananda?" Khenta said while stunned.
"How did you—"
"The storms let up in town, so I took the
horses and brought them out here. It'd be easier than trying to walk all
the way back. Karen was very worried about all of you."
"I wouldn't blame her," Angie noted.
"Come on, let's take the horses and get back. It's about dinner time
anyway."
Khenta joined Angie on Lilyflower while the
Raven brothers mounted on their steeds. In a matter of minutes, all
four horses galloped rapidly to get back to the reservation in time for
supper.
Karen waited anxiously in the living room when
she saw all five individuals come in. "You're all okay!" she cheered.
She then came up to her granddaughter and hugged her tightly. "I
didn't think you would make it."
"It's all right, Grandmother, I understand.
We almost didn't make it at all. A flash flood nearly took us, but
Angie saved us with her powers."
Karen came up to the young magician and hugged
her with happy tears. "Angie, thank you for saving them and my granddaughter.
You have proven yourself a friend of our culture by your talented playing
and then risking your life to save the others. I have learned that
I need to judge each person by the heart, not by the whole group."
After Angie released the hug, she stated,
"And I have learned that disagreements among friends are normal.
I just have to make sure I take the problem calmly instead of getting all
worked up about it." Then, her stomach growled like a bear.
"Um, let's eat before I faint from all the excitement and hunger in my
stomach."
Everyone laughed but loved the idea, seeing
dinner was the perfect way to put the perilous situation behind them all.
Ananda and Karen had cooked supper this time,
and everyone enjoyed it.
Karen then stood up and said, "I would like
to salute our new friend Angela Jacobs, a kindhearted soul who possesses
love, compassion, and spirit, even for those who are not the same as her.
She is one person who will make a big difference in the world some day
in her lifetime."
Angie blushed somewhat. "Aw, geez.
I'm just trying to do the best I can as a person. I don't think I'm
that special."
"Yes, you are," Khenta said. "Don't
be so modest all the time."
"Okay, I won't, but don't expect me to brag
about it, either."
"Say, how about we have a comfortable chat
out on the porch soon after dinner?" suggested Ananda.
"Sure."
A short time after dinner, Angie had already
taken her place on the porch and looked at the sky.
Just then, Michael came out to join her.
"Angie and Victor sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love,
then comes—"
"Will you stop that?" Angie asked while feeling
annoyed. "There is no love anywhere."
"Oh, really? You've been asking about
Victor so much lately. How can you not have feelings for him?"
Angie then snapped at the younger Raven.
"Look, Michael, I'm going to say this just one more time, so get this in
your head right now. I am not falling in love with anyone!
Why won't you leave me alone about it?" Angie walked to the other
side of the porch and tried to fight away tears.
Just then, Victor came along to join them.
"Nutcase," grumbled Michael, slumping down
in his chair.
"Me?" demanded Victor. "Who went out
in the middle of a rainstorm and almost got killed?! I'm surprised Mr.
Greyleaf didn't do more than ground you for breaking your promise about
wind-riding."
"I only did that because you were in danger,"
shot the younger of the brothers. "Not the dumbest thing I've ever
done either, and if Khenta hadn't hunted for us, you'd still be out like
a power-surged string of Christmas lights!"
"Couldn't you have just told someone?
You don't think straight, Mike!"
"You know, Vic, despite me sometimes absolutely
hating your guts, I'm still your brother, so no. I would still come after
you."
There was silence after that exchange.
"Boys," sighed Khenta, who came out with Ananda,
half amused. "Very rare to find them so companionable. . ."
She then noticed Angie alone on the other side.
When the Phoenix approached, Angie became
curious about one thing. "Um, Khenta, why is Michael being grounded?
I mean, he's 20 years old, not a teenager."
"Grounded for a shifter doesn't mean the same
thing as for other people. For us, grounding means 'to center,' to realign.
When Michael went out and injured himself, it was sheer will that kept
him human; what tends to happen is erratic shifting, which is extremely
painful for most of us. Grounding, which can take anywhere from three days
to a month, brings our gift back under our control."
"Okay, I guess."
"Well, Angie, how did today go?"
"It was going fine until the insanity of this
afternoon. I—Ace thinks I'm falling in love with a certain Raven brother,
but I—"
"Can't be? Don't want to?"
"I'm not able to fall in love with anyone."
Ananda was concerned about her. "Young
one, why do you think you can't fall in love?"
"Because there's something in the past that
will always remind me I can't love anyone outside friends and family.
That one little area of my heart is cold and hard because of that incident."
"What do you mean?" Michael wanted to know.
"How can someone have a part of the heart be cold?"
"There is such a thing," Khenta noted.
"She's used to having love of those closest to her, family and friends.
Angie, please tell us. What happened to make you believe that part
of your heart was cold?"
"It happened in my senior year of high school,
a week before the Homecoming Dance…"
Angie was on her way to her next class for
the day when she suddenly heard the nasty laugh of someone familiar to
her.
For the last couple of months, she seemed
to have noticed a change in the one boy who always picked on her, Bobby
Riggins. He had not acted up on her, not trying to cause problems
for her. In a strange way, she actually started finding him more
interesting.
Passing by the hallway just before her
class, she noticed Bobby with his old gang. "I don't get it.
I thought he changed."
Her sensitive ears picked up the conversation.
Bobby said, "I think Angie's fallen for
the trick. I'm gonna make sure she gets hers at the Homecoming Dance
next Friday night. When we win Homecoming King and Queen, and we
get the first dance in the middle of the auditorium, I'll signal for you
guys to spill water all over her, and the dress she wears will be ruined!
I can't wait to see the embarrassed look on her face when we make a fool
out of her!"
Angie became extremely embittered by what
she heard. "Why that jerk! His change was nothing more than
an act. Well, I'll show him. When he asks me to the dance,
I'll expose his plan."
A couple of hours later, as Angie was changing
books at her locker, Bobby came up to her and acted innocent. "Hello,
Angie."
"Hello, Bobby," she said, trying to play
along.
"You know, I don't have a date for the
Homecoming Dance next Friday, and I was wondering if you would come to
the dance with me?"
Turning to face him, she smirked in saying,
"Why, so you and your friends can dump water on me if we win the Homecoming
King and Queen titles? I thought you had changed, Bobby. I
sincerely thought you were becoming a better person, but now I know you're
still the same jerk you've always been."
"But, Angie, baby—"
"Don't you dare call me 'baby'!
That is reserved for an infant, which is exactly what you act like.
I overheard everything you said to your friends, and I refuse to be a victim
for one of your foolish pranks!" After slamming her locker door she
added, "The next time you want to do something rotten to someone, you'd
better make sure your intended victim does not have sensitive hearing."
She then walked off to get to her next class while other students stared
at Bobby.
Bobby became enraged enough to clench his
fist and hit the locker next to Angie's. "That girl is gonna pay
for this! Everything's ruined!"
The next day at school, Angie was trying
to reach her Calculus class when Bobby and his friends literally had her
surrounded.
"What do you want now, Bobby?" she asked,
growing very nervous.
"What do you think, loser? You ruined
everything for the plan I had, and now you're gonna pay! My friends
and I are not going to let you get to your precious Calculus class."
Suddenly, a deep male voice said, "Do anything
to this young lady, Mr. Riggins, and you will not stay here long enough
to even get to the Homecoming Dance."
Angie noticed it was the principal.
"Mr. Parsons."
"Bobby, you and your friends can wait in
my office…now."
"But, I didn't—"
"No arguments, young man. NOW!
In addition to that, you are now out of contention for Homecoming King.
I will see to that part personally."
Bobby and his friends sulked off toward
the principal's office.
Mr. Parsons turned to Angie, who was breathing
heavily and had a look of fear on her face. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, sir. I'm okay. I'm so
grateful you showed up. I thought Bobby had really changed."
"I thought so, too, Angie, but I guess
some things never change. I'll walk you to your class."
"Thank you."
Mr. Parsons escorted Angie safely to her
Calculus class, where he explained to her teacher the situation which caused
her to be late.
Ashley noticed how shook up her best friend
was. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I think so." As she took her
seat, she angrily thought to herself, If all boys are going to be like
this, then maybe it's better off if I never have a boyfriend in
my lifetime.
In tears Angie stated, "I dropped out of contention
for Homecoming Queen because I thought all the other boys were going to
try the same thing. I let that part of my heart become cold and hard
because after what Bobby had planned to do, I never thought I could have
a man to love in my lifetime. I was so devoted to my studies afterward
that having a boyfriend was completely out of the question."
Khenta shook her head in sadness. "Angie,
having someone to love is nothing to be afraid of. As Ace told you,
this is truly one of the most special feelings you can have. Has
this been a contributing factor to all your stress as well?"
"Well, this and one other reason."
Victor wanted to step away from the scene
and back into the house.
When Michael noticed, he quickly followed
his older brother. "Vic, what's going on? Why did you walk
away for?"
"Because I can't stand seeing Angie feeling
hurt."
"You mean…you honestly have feelings for her,
too?"
"Yes, I do. She's a famous person, yet
she doesn't want to act like one. She'd rather be herself, a friendly
person with a kindhearted soul. Ever since she arrived, I have felt
my heart to be warm around her. She's a down-to-earth individual.
I think…I really am falling in love with Angie."
"Vic," Michael said as he patted his older
brother's shoulder. "She's in love with you, too, but she doesn't
want to believe it."
"I know, and after the story she told, I can
understand why she feels this way."
Outside, Khenta, Ananda, and Angie sat down
on a porch sofa and continued their conversation.
Ananda asked, "What is the cause of your stress
of the last few weeks, which resulted in your explosion on your friend
Cosmo?"
"The truth is," Angie started sadly, "I have
a fear that I will fail them. I'm afraid I'll let them down somehow.
It's this awful fear I've carried for a long time. I'm letting this
fear get to me. I assumed Ace and Cosmo would throw me off the team
because I'm not living up to the expectations. It's not guilt I have,
but—"
"You're scared about making sure you're doing
everything right," Khenta completed. "Angie, you are a human being.
You can't expect yourself to live up to Ace's expectations. You have
to make your own expectations. What do you expect from yourself?"
"I expect myself to do my best."
"Right. That's all anyone can ask out
of one person. Everyone has a path to pursue, but you should not
compare yourself to others. If you spend your life doing that, you'll
never be happy with yourself."
Khenta's right, Angie, Ace said in
thought. You've been pushing yourself too hard because you thought
you were failing us. The only person you can fail is yourself.
Don't worry about trying to meet someone else's expectations. You
have to be the one to set your own. You're no failure in our eyes,
Angie. Believe me, when you put too much pressure on yourself, things
will go wrong. If you take things just one step at a time and not
worry about trying to do it right, you'll get it right.
You think that might be it? Angie thought
back.
Yes, that and this feeling you're denying,
the feeling you're falling in love with Victor. I saw the story you
told to Khenta and Mike.
I don't know if I can face that feeling.
Angie, I know you do have love for Victor.
Don't be afraid of loving someone outside family and friends.
Hearing Ace's thoughts to Angie, Khenta then
asked, "What is the biggest concern you have if you do fall in love?"
"I'm afraid I'll forget my family and friends,"
she replied. "I don't want to lose sight of those closest to me."
Kindred sister, it's okay. You have
a close circle of family and friends within your heart, but it's all right
to open your heart and feelings to another. Fear not of your feelings
toward Victor, for I have sensed how warm your heart has become since meeting
him. You can tell him the truth. You have my support.
"I support you, too," Khenta added.
"Don't reject how you feel."
The two Raven brothers then came back out.
Michael thought to Khenta, ^I think we need
to leave them alone for now.^
**Agreed, Raven. Let's leave them by
themselves for now.**
After Khenta signaled to Ananda what was happening,
the three people soon left Angie and Victor alone on the porch.
Angie got up from the sofa and walked to the
balcony area, where Victor soon joined her.
The two friends stared at the red sky as the
sun was setting on this day.
Silence stood between them for nearly a minute.
"Angie," Victor started as he finally broke
the silence, "I really want to thank you for saving my life at that rock
formation today. I thought I knew what I was doing when I was climbing,
but you really came through. In addition to that, you rescued my
brother before he could get hurt worse in the storm, and then you kept
all of us safe from the flood waters with your powers. We're all
grateful to you for what you did."
"It was nothing," Angie said nervously.
"That's what…friends are for." She then turned away from him.
"You okay?" he asked worriedly. "What's
wrong?"
The female magician started to shed tears.
"Victor, I don't know how to say this, but…but…"
"You can tell me, Angie." He then put
his hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to be afraid of me."
She turned to face him sadly. "Victor,
I…I…I have feelings for you. I've never had this happen to
me before, and I'm really scared."
"There's no way I can say, 'I know how you
feel,' because it's not the right thing to say in this case. However,
I can understand why you feel scared because of that story you told about
what happened to you in high school. Khenta also told me you're not
accustomed to having someone to love outside of family and friends.
You're worried you'll forget your family and friends if you do fall in
love with someone. I'll tell you right now that is not true.
Those closest to you will always be first in your life, but it is okay
to be able to care for someone on the outside, too."
He then took his hand to her chin, making
her look up at him. "There is something I have to confess.
In all honesty…I have had feelings of love for you, too, Angie."
Her eyes widened in astonishment. "Really?"
"Yes, and it's not because of your powers,
either. It's your heart, a heart filled with love, kindness, and
compassion; one that truly deserves to possess the power of the Magic Force.
When you do perform, you're basically one of Ace Cooper's protégés.
Away from the stage, though, you like to be just plain Angie Jacobs, fun
and friendly person. You don't like to boast about being with Ace,
possessing magical powers, anything of the sort. That's the biggest
reason my heart has become warmer, and I have had feelings toward you.
Your true magic has always been within your heart from the beginning.
I'll always admire you for that."
"Victor, I…"
The two closed their eyes and came closer
until their lips eventually came together in a warm kiss. The kiss
lasted for only 10 seconds, but it felt much longer to both of them.
When they finally released from each other,
Angie looked at him and calmly said, "I…love you. I honestly
and truly love you. I never thought I could ever say that
in my lifetime."
"I can understand that," he said with a smile
to her. "What you've been through in your life has made it very difficult
to have feelings of love outside that special circle of friends and family."
He then took a hold of her hand, which was a little shaky. "It's
okay, Angie. I'm not going to bite."
"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to this yet."
"That's fine. If we are meant to be
together, let's just take this one step at a time. I don't want to
rush anything on you. Is that okay?"
"Yes, yes, it is okay." She hugged him
with tears of happiness and joy. "Thank you, Victor. You've
been able to help me warm that one part of my heart that has remained cold
for so long. My heart has never been this warm in my life."
"That's what love is supposed to be, a feeling.
Most people make the mistake about 'love at first sight'. In our
case, it's been love at first feeling. I love your down-to-earth
demeanor, your personality, and you as a person. You're so spirited
in what you do. That's why I love you."
"I guess I felt warmer around you because
you were sensible and understanding. You're a patient person who
really deserves a chance to open that riding school."
He then put out his hand. "May I escort
you into the house?"
Angie took up on the offer. "I would
be honored, Victor."
The two walked into the house and were immediately
surprised by Khenta, Ananda, Michael, and Karen. "Congratulations!"
they yelled at the same time.
Angie started to shy away when Khenta thought
to her, **Angie, don't. We're all happy you're not afraid of falling
in love anymore.**
Thanks, Khenta. I'm happier than
I've ever been before, and I think Ace can feel it, too.
You're right, Angie, the Magician thought
to her. I am absolutely thrilled for you. In the process
of learning the source of your stress, you ended up finding your first
true love. Khenta, thank you so much for helping her.
**Glad I could be of help, Ace. You
can bet this news will spread rapidly, but let's just hope Paparazzo doesn't
find out yet.**
Agreed, Ace stated. Besides,
Angie will be "performing" tomorrow night. Angie, would you like
to stay out there for a couple of more days, just to play it safe?
Not a bad idea. This way, I really
can
be in two places at the same time. Thank you, Ace. For the
first time ever in my life, I am truly at my happiest point. Good
luck tomorrow night.
Thanks, kindred sister.
Karen came up to Angie and hugged the young
magician. "I'm happy for you, too, young one. You are a person
who is truly worthy of having someone to love. I just hope things
will work out okay for both of you."
"We're going to take this very slowly," noted
Victor, "have time to figure out our true feelings. Besides, you
have to remember that Angie is a performing magician and crimefighter herself
while I still have to work on getting the license to open that riding school."
"True relationships are built on patience
and trust," commented Karen. "You two are very patient individuals.
You'll know soon enough if you were truly meant to be."
Angie smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Swallowtail.
Um, would it be okay if I could stay here for a couple of days more?
I mean, I really like it out here."
"Of course you can stay here. Give your
soul some more time to be at peace before you return to your friends."
"Yeah, and play a major trick on the audience
and Paparazzo. They'll think I'm there performing with Ace, when
I'm really here."
Everybody was surprised.
"Hologram, I assume?" Michael asked jokingly.
"Of course. Ace, Cosmo, and Angel have
made vast improvements on the holographic program ever since that Raptor
XII problem, so this should work perfectly."
"I can't wait to see the show!" Ananda exclaimed.
"This should be really fun."
When all went to sleep that night, Angie in
her room, heard the voice of her special friend again. I am happy
for you, young one.
Thank you, Mr. Whitefeather. I'll
never forget this trip, my new friends, or you. Thanks for being
there for me.
I am within your heart, like your parents,
family, and friends. I know you are at peace within yourself, and
you have also discovered true love. May your soul continue to be
content and happy.
Thank you…friend.
She slept peacefully with a smile on her face.
The next night, all in the house had gathered
around the television set to watch Ace Cooper's latest act.
On television were Ace and "Angie," the hologram.
"And now," said Ace, "for our grand finale
act of this evening, I will make Angie and the box she will be standing
in disappear completely. Where she'll end up is not known even to
me at this point, so if you don't see her in the theater for the rest of
the evening, don't worry about her. She'll be fine, right, Angie?"
"You know it, Ace. Let's get started."
The real Angie could not help but laughing
at herself. "Man, they really did a number on me, and I think the
plan will work out okay."
"Sure it will," said Victor, holding Angie's
hand. "Ace really knows how to do things when it comes to fooling
people."
"Agreed," added Ananda. "We'll keep
this a secret, too. After all, magicians—and their friends—can't
reveal secrets."
Everyone laughed heartily at his joke.
On TV, Ace motioned for Angie to step into
the box. "You'll be okay in there, right?"
"Don't worry, Ace. I'll be okay."
After stepping into the box, however, the hologram immediately vanished.
Ace was ready to make this trick work flawlessly.
"Okay, here we go."
Pulling the cape over the box, he steadily
moved his hands all around the front of the box. "This is it, folks!
Time for Angie to vanish without a trace!"
He then took the cape back and wowed the crowd
with the complete disappearance of Angie and the box.
"Now, if you'll take a look at the screen…"
A giant screen lowered onto the stage, and
it showed the holographic Angie asleep on the sofa in the living room.
"As you can see, my partner is doing just
fine and sleeping comfortably."
The show ended in a thunderous applause as
Ace exited from the stage.
Everyone went to bed smiling because they
had seen another spectacular act by the greatest magician in the world,
Ace Cooper.
Two days later, Angie packed her luggage, loaded
it into Khenta's car, and was ready to return home to Electro City.
"Everyone, I had such a wonderful time here, and I will never forget this
experience."
Karen smiled at her. "Angie, if you
ever need to get away from the city for some peace, you are more than welcome
to come here."
"Thank you, Mrs. Swallowtail. I learned
so much being here, and you can bet I will be back again."
Ananda came up to her and gave her a special
necklace. "Have this as a physical memento of your spiritual journey.
We were so glad we could help you deal with your stress, even if temporarily."
"It was still helpful to me. The rest
of the solution is up to me at this point. I have to remember not
to worry about living up to someone else's standards, not worry about failing
my friends, and…not be afraid of falling in love."
"I understand," said Victor. "I'm happy
for you, too."
The two came together in a kiss once more.
Lasting for ten seconds again, their hearts
were truly warm.
After coming apart once more but still holding
hands, Victor calmly said, "I love you, Angie."
"I love you, too, Victor. I know I'll
see you again."
"Yeah. Mike and I will be back in Electro
City in a few weeks. When we do get back, what do you want to do?"
"Invite you to dinner at the Magic Express.
I'll be cooking."
He agreed to the idea with a hearty laugh.
Khenta then stepped into the driver's seat.
"We need to go if you're going to be back there in time."
"Oh, yeah. So long, Victor." She
then stepped into the car. "I'll see you again."
"I will see you again as well. Pleasant
journey to you."
As the car left the reservation, and all waved
goodbye to the female magician, everyone had special memories which would
last a lifetime.
When Angie and Khenta arrived at the Magic
Express hours later, they were both welcomed by Ace, Cosmo, Zina, Angel,
Vega, Ms. LeSage, and Mona Malone.
"Hey, what's the occasion?" Angie asked curiously.
"Just welcoming you back," answered a happy
Ms. LeSage. "And we heard about you having someone to love yourself."
Khenta stepped out of her car. "So,
Ace, you told your closest friends, huh?"
"Yeah, I did," the Magician answered embarrassingly.
"Hope you're not upset, Angie."
"Of course not, Ace. At least it's all
of you, and no Paparazzo!"
Everyone laughed very hard and helped unload
the luggage.
A few minutes later, Angie noticed Khenta
going back into her car. "Khenta, thank you so much for letting me
go to the reservation. It's been a true spiritual trip, and I hope
I can do it again."
"As Grandmother said, if you ever feel you
need to be there, you're welcome any time."
"If any situation warrants me to do so, I'll
let you know immediately. Now, you'd better get going before your
grandmother worries about you again."
The Phoenix left in her car as Angie waved
goodbye.
After Angie came in, she wanted to say something.
"Cosmo, I'm really sorry for blowing up on you before. I guess I
was concentrating so much on trying not to fail my friends that I just
applied too much pressure on myself to succeed."
The experienced apprentice came up and gave
her a hug. "Aw, that's okay. Just remember, disagreements among
friends is normal, and if we have one, we'll talk about the problem instead
of blowing it out of proportion."
Ace then stood up and gave her a hug.
"We're all happy for you, able to figure out what caused your stress…and
finding your first real love. I know your heart is completely warm."
"I want to apologize for holding that bad
memory back from you. I didn't mean to, but I was scared."
"It's all right, Angie. The important
thing now is that your soul is at peace, and you now have warmth in every
part of your heart."
"I'm just happy I have the best friends anyone
could ever hope for," she said happily, knowing that she had the love of
all her friends and family, living and deceased, all within her heart to
give her comfort for any situation.
