Kit's ears pounded as he watched in slow motion, Nita's eyes widen as
she automatically reached for her charm bracelet with all of her spells on
it. Kit stared at the glede in his hands as though he were in a dream, and
finally held up the glede and watched its brightness overtake the dismal
cave. The Lone Power staggered back, blown by the power of the glede. Then,
Kit pulled Nita up and ran through the darkness, to the wall, and suddenly
they were in a whole other place completely.
They ran, Ponch alongside, through a sandy wasteland. The sky was bleak and reddish brown from the sand in the air, and the wind was nothing but the faintest breeze that stung Kit's eyes with sand. Nita covered her head with her arm, not anticipating this.
"Ponch- where are we?" Kit asked in amazement.
(I had to get us out of there.) Was Ponch's only reply. (But He'll be coming soon, so we might want to move.) Nita gave Kit a quizzical look, and Kit noticed that the glede was gone from his hands.
'Did I drop it in the cave?' he wondered. Shrugging, he, Nita, and Ponch set off through the desert, bowed against the growing wind and sand that blew in torrents around them.
A dark figure appeared in the sand dunes where the three shadows had just left, scowling in such a way that made the darkness bend around him like he owned it and it moved at his will. Shadows cast across his no longer handsome face, he set out after them.
"What are we going to do?" Nita asked, sand stinging her eyes.
"I'm not sure. Ponch is running the show now. Ponch?"
(I guess we'll have to keep running until he stops following us. That might take forever.)
Forever. The words rang in Nita's ears.
"So- we might just have to keep running from him until we lose him- or we die?" Nita asked, a chill running down her spine despite the immense heat.
(I guess so. Unless you have a way to stop him.) Kit stared into the sand. How would they continue this on forever? It was a dark, looming thought that hovered over him grimly. Kit grimaced against the sandy wind.
"So," Kit didn't know what else to say. What would he have said? 'At least we'll hop from universe to universe together?' Not too reassuring on his part. Ponch stopped to scratch himself from the sand. His collar jangled merrily, a sound that echoed through the sand dunes and to the Lone Power lost in the red world.
He looked ahead and saw the dog, Nita, and Kit. He had them right where he wanted them. Now, he just needed to strike-
And, without warning, the Lone One appeared next to them, startling them terribly. Ponch let out a yelp as the One sneered maliciously, and suddenly the world faded to black again.
Nita looked at the new world she had been spat into. Despite her stomach discomfort, she stood and stared around at the rainforest. Feeling guilty for her thoughts about the banana's hanging from the trees, Nita turned and began to run again with Kit and Ponch. They went on in silence except for the soft pit-pat of rain dripping on the green leaves and the buzz of the insects. 'Is this how we'll spend the rest of eternity? Racing from universe to universe?' Kit wondered. Closing his eyes, he tried not to imagine that this was how it would go. They had to think of something.
Nita couldn't help it- she grabbed a banana off a tree and peeled it as she walked, devouring it in seconds. Ponch and Kit didn't even notice. Kit looked grim and determined, deep in thought, and Ponch was striding forward, panting hard. Nita tossed he peel aside and strode on with them until her legs were sore and her muscles hurt.
"I need a rest. My feet are killing me," Nita surprised herself in saying. Kit looked astonished.
"You know we can't stop. If we do, He'll catch up," Kit answered, searching for a way out of this.
"I know, but how much longer can we keep this up? You know it won't last. Either we give in, or we do something to stop Him." Kit had this thought exactly, but couldn't bring himself to admit it. Finally, he shook his head angrily.
"I know, I know. But we have to keep walking in the meantime while I figure out what that something will be," he urged Nita to get up. Unwillingly, Nita got to her tired feet and trudged on through the mud beneath her sneakers.
***
Dairine stared out the window into nothing in particular. She had been stealing glances at her clock ever five minutes or so.
7:15 PM
Sighing, she wondered where Nita and Kit were. She tried to get through to Nita, but she was out of ambit. Flopping herself down on her bed, she grabbed a book and began to read, without really concentrating on the text her eyes were scanning. Finally, her dad appeared at her bedroom door. He said nothing at first, but Dairine knew what he was thinking.
"She might be back soon." Dairine tried on a smile. It didn't fit. Technically, she wasn't lying. Nita might be back soon, but might not. Dairine cringed, and her dad noticed.
"How's Mom?" Dairine asked, getting off the subject at hand.
"She's been better. This whole Nita missing ordeal has got her sicker, but she knows Nita will be back. Deep down, I think she knows." Her dad smiled a weak smile, and Dairine knew what was going on. Her mom was on her last hours. It had been a couple months since she had the surgery, and Dairine could sense that this wouldn't last long. Sighing, Dairine tried to smile once again, but her lips would not even move this time.
***
Kit felt weary and sleepy. Every other minute, he would squeeze his eyes shut and open them, hoping his surroundings would melt away and become his room. He tried to keep his eyes in focus, but he was so tired.
Nita didn't feel much different. Her feet were numb and her head felt heavy. She had a pounding headache, but still she walked on.
Ponch was on the verge of howling. He didn't want to be here, in this new universe they had just arrived at. The hard rocks of the coast hurt his paws and the waves crashing against the shore were deafening in his ears.
'At least this is better than the last one,' Nita thought, cringing at the memory of the freezing cold snow, icy air in her lungs, and chilly, bleak sky. The fact that she didn't have a coat made matters worse there.
"That's it," Kit sighed, slumping on a rock near the salty ocean spray. "There's nothing we can do." Nita gave him a mournful look, but knew he was right. Kit wished she wouldn't look at him like that. It pained him to see that. 'If only we could go back in time and change things. Just change the fact that Nita had ever-' And suddenly Kit's thought was burst in by a stroke of brilliance. He leapt up, the perfect plan ringing in his ears.
"Ponch! Take us back to the One's universe!" Kit called out. Both Nita and Ponch gave him a look of bewilderment, and Kit groaned. "Just do it!" Ponch gave him the impression of a shrug, and got up from his resting position near the rocks. Shaking himself all over, he stretched and Nita stood up too. She looked behind them, and cried out,
"Watch out!" For the Lone One had caught up, and Kit turned back to Ponch wildly. Then, the world was spinning, falling, fading to black.
They ran, Ponch alongside, through a sandy wasteland. The sky was bleak and reddish brown from the sand in the air, and the wind was nothing but the faintest breeze that stung Kit's eyes with sand. Nita covered her head with her arm, not anticipating this.
"Ponch- where are we?" Kit asked in amazement.
(I had to get us out of there.) Was Ponch's only reply. (But He'll be coming soon, so we might want to move.) Nita gave Kit a quizzical look, and Kit noticed that the glede was gone from his hands.
'Did I drop it in the cave?' he wondered. Shrugging, he, Nita, and Ponch set off through the desert, bowed against the growing wind and sand that blew in torrents around them.
A dark figure appeared in the sand dunes where the three shadows had just left, scowling in such a way that made the darkness bend around him like he owned it and it moved at his will. Shadows cast across his no longer handsome face, he set out after them.
"What are we going to do?" Nita asked, sand stinging her eyes.
"I'm not sure. Ponch is running the show now. Ponch?"
(I guess we'll have to keep running until he stops following us. That might take forever.)
Forever. The words rang in Nita's ears.
"So- we might just have to keep running from him until we lose him- or we die?" Nita asked, a chill running down her spine despite the immense heat.
(I guess so. Unless you have a way to stop him.) Kit stared into the sand. How would they continue this on forever? It was a dark, looming thought that hovered over him grimly. Kit grimaced against the sandy wind.
"So," Kit didn't know what else to say. What would he have said? 'At least we'll hop from universe to universe together?' Not too reassuring on his part. Ponch stopped to scratch himself from the sand. His collar jangled merrily, a sound that echoed through the sand dunes and to the Lone Power lost in the red world.
He looked ahead and saw the dog, Nita, and Kit. He had them right where he wanted them. Now, he just needed to strike-
And, without warning, the Lone One appeared next to them, startling them terribly. Ponch let out a yelp as the One sneered maliciously, and suddenly the world faded to black again.
Nita looked at the new world she had been spat into. Despite her stomach discomfort, she stood and stared around at the rainforest. Feeling guilty for her thoughts about the banana's hanging from the trees, Nita turned and began to run again with Kit and Ponch. They went on in silence except for the soft pit-pat of rain dripping on the green leaves and the buzz of the insects. 'Is this how we'll spend the rest of eternity? Racing from universe to universe?' Kit wondered. Closing his eyes, he tried not to imagine that this was how it would go. They had to think of something.
Nita couldn't help it- she grabbed a banana off a tree and peeled it as she walked, devouring it in seconds. Ponch and Kit didn't even notice. Kit looked grim and determined, deep in thought, and Ponch was striding forward, panting hard. Nita tossed he peel aside and strode on with them until her legs were sore and her muscles hurt.
"I need a rest. My feet are killing me," Nita surprised herself in saying. Kit looked astonished.
"You know we can't stop. If we do, He'll catch up," Kit answered, searching for a way out of this.
"I know, but how much longer can we keep this up? You know it won't last. Either we give in, or we do something to stop Him." Kit had this thought exactly, but couldn't bring himself to admit it. Finally, he shook his head angrily.
"I know, I know. But we have to keep walking in the meantime while I figure out what that something will be," he urged Nita to get up. Unwillingly, Nita got to her tired feet and trudged on through the mud beneath her sneakers.
***
Dairine stared out the window into nothing in particular. She had been stealing glances at her clock ever five minutes or so.
7:15 PM
Sighing, she wondered where Nita and Kit were. She tried to get through to Nita, but she was out of ambit. Flopping herself down on her bed, she grabbed a book and began to read, without really concentrating on the text her eyes were scanning. Finally, her dad appeared at her bedroom door. He said nothing at first, but Dairine knew what he was thinking.
"She might be back soon." Dairine tried on a smile. It didn't fit. Technically, she wasn't lying. Nita might be back soon, but might not. Dairine cringed, and her dad noticed.
"How's Mom?" Dairine asked, getting off the subject at hand.
"She's been better. This whole Nita missing ordeal has got her sicker, but she knows Nita will be back. Deep down, I think she knows." Her dad smiled a weak smile, and Dairine knew what was going on. Her mom was on her last hours. It had been a couple months since she had the surgery, and Dairine could sense that this wouldn't last long. Sighing, Dairine tried to smile once again, but her lips would not even move this time.
***
Kit felt weary and sleepy. Every other minute, he would squeeze his eyes shut and open them, hoping his surroundings would melt away and become his room. He tried to keep his eyes in focus, but he was so tired.
Nita didn't feel much different. Her feet were numb and her head felt heavy. She had a pounding headache, but still she walked on.
Ponch was on the verge of howling. He didn't want to be here, in this new universe they had just arrived at. The hard rocks of the coast hurt his paws and the waves crashing against the shore were deafening in his ears.
'At least this is better than the last one,' Nita thought, cringing at the memory of the freezing cold snow, icy air in her lungs, and chilly, bleak sky. The fact that she didn't have a coat made matters worse there.
"That's it," Kit sighed, slumping on a rock near the salty ocean spray. "There's nothing we can do." Nita gave him a mournful look, but knew he was right. Kit wished she wouldn't look at him like that. It pained him to see that. 'If only we could go back in time and change things. Just change the fact that Nita had ever-' And suddenly Kit's thought was burst in by a stroke of brilliance. He leapt up, the perfect plan ringing in his ears.
"Ponch! Take us back to the One's universe!" Kit called out. Both Nita and Ponch gave him a look of bewilderment, and Kit groaned. "Just do it!" Ponch gave him the impression of a shrug, and got up from his resting position near the rocks. Shaking himself all over, he stretched and Nita stood up too. She looked behind them, and cried out,
"Watch out!" For the Lone One had caught up, and Kit turned back to Ponch wildly. Then, the world was spinning, falling, fading to black.