The Ninth Star
Summary: An evil enigmatic being known as The Ninth Star was once in a group known as the Nefarious Nine, all of whom were destroyed. The sole survivor of the attack, The Ninth Star takes up residence in a new host, and has now been tracked down to Valestrai, where there are nine powerful magic wielders under investigation. Sofia and company are called in to help question the suspects, but nothing could have prepared them for the outcome when the mystery begins to unravel. *Takes place two years after The Tainted Ten*
Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First. The following characters belong to me: Jastin Butterford, Muscles, Malango the Magnanimous (mentioned) Corban, Charlie, Serena, Angel, Shikoba, Alo, the Ninth Star (and other Stars), and several others not mentioned in the other lists. MarionetteJ2X owns Nana, Tanya, and Terra. Mr. Shortman92 owns Christopher Crowley and Amaya. NerdsinaTree owns Captain Nereus. Royal Detective owns Gabriel Sebastian. Allyrwhitney owns Freya. Jettmanas owns Davidius. Creepy-Pasta owns Neoma. Pinkscarlet08 owns Amerie. Theblackraven2.0 owns Malcom "Mac" Woodruff. Also, the "Nefarious Nine" title belongs to NerdsinaTree, as the title was originally supposed to be used in "The Tainted Ten" until we added a tenth character.
A/N: I'm throwing out another chapter for everyone while I'm in the middle of my written comps. :) It's a bit longer than the first chapter at least. I hope y'all enjoy! (And send any good thoughts/prayers my way if you're up to it. I need any encouragement I can get. These prompts are no joke! lol)
Chapter 2: Open Call
The atmosphere in the Mystic Isles was relatively calm and had been for quite a while. There were still issues to take care of, naturally, but overall, the environment had been mostly peaceful and routine. For some, that would be a bore, but to many others, that was a blessing in disguise.
Perhaps the only difference in the isles right now was Chrysta being off on a months-long secret mission, with a few newer Protectors with her. She had taken on the role of a mentor to several new members, and she often thought she had lost her mind. Sofia had been challenging due to her headstrong nature, but she also at least listened and helped. These newbies were so green, and she feared for their safety and her sanity. However, if they were going to be legitimate Protectors, they had to withstand the dangers and unpredictability that came with secret missions.
Because of the slower days, that had left more time for other ventures and experiences. Most notably, Vega's birthday was fast approaching, and Orion had decided to do something special for his dear friend. It was actually rare that either of them got to celebrate their birthdays, but they'd come to expect it. That was just one of the sacrifices that came with their very intense jobs. However, that wasn't going to stop him from trying. Vega worked harder than anyone in the isles, and he wanted to recognize her for her efforts and relentless nature.
Plus, perhaps one might call it selfish, but he really just wanted to spend some time with her away from others. They so rarely got to hang out like they used to do when they were younger, and he missed that. He missed the closeness, the comradery, the adventures they'd take together… He hoped to reclaim that somehow.
Orion had just walked into the headquarters when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, smiling when he saw his friend there. "Good morning, Vega," he greeted in his usual pleasant tone. "How are you today?"
Vega couldn't help the soft smile that appeared on her lips. Orion was just such a good guy, and he was always looking out for her. Even something as simple and mundane as small talk sounded endearing and meaningful when he was the author of it. "I'm fine, Orion. Thank you for asking, like always." She laughed and lowered her hand, patting his arm. "You said you needed to talk to me."
"Oh, yes, um…" He nodded toward a private location off to the side, where no other Protectors were gathered, and gave her a questioning look. "We could speak over there, if you'd like."
"Sure." She followed him while adjusting her Enchantlet on her upper left arm, which had gotten a little loose in her hastiness getting ready. She'd woken up a few minutes later than usual, and she was such a stickler for promptness that she hadn't fully fastened it in place. When her friend paused, she stopped near him, looking up at him with a smile. "What's going on, Orion?"
"Do you remember what we talked about when we were in our early training years? What we'd always wanted to do?"
"Get full Windwalker Wings?" she asked in mild confusion, gesturing toward their wings. "Check."
He chuckled. "No, no… A place we'd always talked about going together—your dream destination…"
Vega gasped softly. He remembered that? "Ilmakana?" she guessed, seeing the slow smile appearing on his visage. "How? I thought they forbade outsiders from entering after the Thunder War several years ago."
"My family is good friends with the emperor there. Esric and I used to spend our summers together, cloud cruising and several other mischievous things, before he and his family moved away and built the realm. That's why I always told you that I'd take you there someday." He smirked as she stared at him in awe. "And to think, you doubted me."
"Well, you could have told me that you were friends with the emperor, Orion… I would have believed you!" She grinned. "So… We're going? When?"
"On your birthday in a few days." He chuckled as she momentarily broke her usual "character" of calm, cool, and collected and threw her arms around him, hugging him happily. "I take it that's a good gift for your birthday?"
"I don't know how I'm going to surpass it for your birthday, but I'm sure going to try…" She released him and smiled softly, combing her hair back into its usual place around her shoulders. "I am certainly looking forward to it. Thank you so much. It means a great deal to me that you still remember my silly ramblings as a child."
Orion hummed, patting her hand. "They weren't silly then, and they aren't silly now."
"Excuse me, Orion and Vega," one of the workers began, sheepishly rubbing his arm as the older Windwalkers turned to him. "Um, you both have a visitor from the Valestrai Realm. She wants to talk to you both."
"Valestrai?" Orion frowned. "It's been a long time since I've heard that name. Thank you." He gestured gently toward Vega, allowing her to walk in front of him, before he followed her.
When they reached the holding room, they noticed a woman and what appeared to be a wolfdog sitting on one of the ottomans. The woman had Native features and darker skin, her brown eyes an almond shape, serious and observant. Her attire was surprisingly casual for someone from the Valestrai Realm, where many tended to don elaborate clothing. She wore a white tank with a dark purple circular pattern as trim along the bottom of the shirt, with an off-shoulder long sleeved sweater of sorts that exposed much of her midriff. The sweater was a colorful pattern of beige, red, yellow, brown, and turquoise, with different designs stitched into the fabric. Her white pants were lined with a turquoise belt and painted images of wolves and dream catchers along her legs and calves. White beaded moccasins peeped out beneath her pants, one tucked behind the other as her legs were crossed. Her right middle finger was adorned with a large silver and turquoise ring, and she wore a matching set of feather-themed earrings and necklace. Her jet-black hair ended somewhere around her calves, though it brushed the floor as she was sitting, leaning over a bit to pet her wolfdog's head.
The wolfdog was a mix of white, light gray, and even pale blue fur, a long tail curled around his body, and a red bandana tied around his neck, the larger expanse of the fabric resting against his upper back. Those pale blue eyes he possessed were very observant, and while he leaned into his owner's touch, he was clearly continuously on guard.
"Good morning," Vega greeted calmly as she and Orion stopped a few feet away from the duo. "I'm Vega, and this is Orion. We hear you asked to speak with us."
The dark-haired woman stood, her serious demeanor still evident as her wolfdog stepped up next to her, sitting as commanded. "My name is Shikoba," she told them. "And this is Alo."
As if on cue, the wolfdog bowed his head once before settling in place.
"I am a Native Ambassador and Investigator from the Valestrai Realm." She tapped her ring a few times, perhaps an anxious habit before continuing, "I am sure you are familiar with the group called the Nefarious Nine." Seeing them nod silently, she sighed. "Then you may also know that eight of the nine were destroyed; however, one of them escaped: the Ninth Star. The Ninth Star is an evil being predicted to be in my realm, and some of our other investigators have specifically narrowed down the potential evil being to a group of the realm's most powerful magic wielders, who happen to be working at our headquarters."
Orion and Vega exchanged glances. They'd of course heard of the evil being before, but never had they imagined that they would be the ones to be approached about it. Should have known better, obviously.
"This person or being is nearly indestructible," Shikoba continued, "having survived the mass destruction of the original nine members and killed endless numbers of people in the past."
"And how can we help?" Vega asked, hearing Orion sigh softly beside her. She was thinking the same thing. Hopefully this wouldn't ruin his hard work and planning…
"As Protectors, you can use your precise skillset to determine who the real evil member is and help subdue whoever ends up being the Ninth Star. Without interference, I am afraid the being will destroy our realm next…" She frowned as Alo gently nudged her leg, and she scratched his ears with a small smile.
"Chrysta is busy," Orion surmised. "Garish and Turon are working on their own local mission."
"Nerissa is probably a few seas away by now on her own task." Vega rubbed her arm. "What about Galial?"
"She has a special assignment with one of the elf kingdoms, I think. She isn't due back until next week." He noticed the weary expression on his friend's face and smiled. "You know what that means."
"I hate to call her in when she basically 'retired' for a reason though… Isn't there anyone else?"
Orion shook his head, folding his arms. "Chrysta took most of the trainees with her, and others are elsewhere. I'm afraid we don't have a choice."
Shikoba frowned. "Do you not have any other Protectors who can help?"
Vega tucked some hair behind her ear and nodded slowly. "There is…one…"
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Like Déjà Vu
