Chap. 16 Keep Your Enemies Closer

The rest of the day, Desert had been tracking Hophter. She could only follow him to a building, though, because the trail was mixed so many times. She was about to go and see if anyone knew anything about a "young man with strange clothes and brown hair with some yellow in it" when she sensed a strong energy from Bonatha's direction. Xiloph, she was sure of it. So Galaxo WAS alive! Desert followed the energy and watched the whole way for signs of Galaxo's henchmen and realised exactly what Xiloph was doing here. Xiloph was a decoy! That was the only explanation for him coming alone! Desert remembered when they had been on an assignment together. The way he kept record of all his victims was to take an energy reading. Galaxo would use that reading to sick his energy mists on her! They were going to do the hard part for her. Then she thought, "I might as well go say hi to my long lost partner. Maybe he'll slip me some info on my other rival." Suddenly she realised exactly how many rivals she had at that moment. She didn't care. She would crush them too. All she needed was to get rid of the princess and take the crest. The rest would come in a chain effect.

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When Desert finally woke up, she was still on the astroid in an unknown position from Earth. She decided at that moment, she would be more appreciated to go tell 'Brude to watch out for Galaxo. She started thinking about the scene that would take place. They would all run around like chickens with their heads cut off and Galaxo would saunter in like from a stroll and expect to take a few heads. What no one would expect, though, was Desert to come out and tell him not only the where abouts of the Royal Worm, but her accompisses and her precious Hophter's hiding place too. The thought of all the weeping the princess would do for her friends made up her mind. All the pain she could finally cause! Revenge was at hand!

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Bonatha and the others were now completely exhausted. After their first time fighting and teleporting, they had a right to be. They all headed home except Bonatha, Carmen, and Elaine. They didn't have anywhere else to go. Hakura and her girls weren't exhausted, but they were worried about the Princess's well being, so they followed her.

On the way back to the apartment, Serena started yelling to a young man. He had black hair and brown eyes. He looked like the one in Bonatha's dream!

"Hi Darien! How are you? Have you met my new friends?" Serena gushed. Bonatha knew something was familar about him. Not in the dream, but in person.

"Hello, Serena. No I haven't." Darien answered politely. "I would like you to meet a friend of mine too."

"This is Elaine, Carmen, Bo...Vivian and some of their close friends. Who's that?"

"This is Peter. He just got into town."

Bonatha looked at Peter. She couldn't believe how much he looked like Hophter. If it weren't for the fact that Hophter had always kept his promises, she would SWEAR this was him. The way he stared at her made her even more doubtful. Hophter was never surprised about anything, especially her.

Hophter was staring because she had changed. He couldn't get over it. How could someone change so much over night? She was BEAUTIFUL! It must have happened when she transformed back, he thought, something must have changed.

Then, like a sack of bricks, it hit him.

"Vivian's 15, but she'll be 16 in 2 days, including today. Isn't that right?" Rini had gotten in on the conversation. Vivian nodded. The thought that she was also supposed to be arranging her wedding made that a sad statement for her.

Hophter realised that the crest was making her develope faster because she was becoming 16! The day most of the people in her bloodline had gotten married! That explains it!

Then the girls excused themselves to go home, with the excuse that school was tomorrow. When they got back to the room, Janus was waiting. She was a cat, still, Bonatha noticed. They had pasta and garlic bread that night and crashed on a pallet on the floor in the room Bonatha had been using.

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Hophter explained his thoughts to Darien and waited for some sort of answer. Darien agreed.

"The crest grows with her, so it might, sensing that she is sixteen, be trying to make her seem ready to become a wife. The questions are now, does it work both ways and will it be of any help to stop the threat on your home?"

Suddenly, a bright flash lit up the room. When Darien and Hophter got their sight back, they saw a Virbulan man in a strange tunic in the middle of the room.

"I am Ugraten, guardian of the guild. You are in need of some assistance." he said, half laughing at their expressions.

Hophter suddenly snapped back to reality. "The Princess. What can we do to help her? Where must we go? Does the crest grow with her? Will it's power help us...."

"Hold on! Too many questions! You are the determined Prince Hophter. Yes, Janus said you would be very determined to help your princess." He half smiled at the thought of Janus.

"About the princess, is she going to be alright?" Darien asked.

"They are both fine, for now. I am going to hide with you and guide young Hophter through the next 2 days. After that, I must leave." He transformed into a blueish-charcoal colored cat with gold eyes and began answering questions.

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Desert was within sight of Virbula. Just wait till old 'Brude gets an ear load of what I've got!

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What's she up to now? Go to the next chapter to find out!