Chapter 6: The Time is Now
Just as promised Zaltana took Helia and Mickey out for ice cream. The boys came along too. Nothing happened while they went out. No Followers talked to them or anything. It was almost as if they were just a bunch of friends with out any worries. At the end of Zaltana and Cyrus's street corner they split their own ways home. Cyrus watched Zaltana walk her siblings down the street. When they were about half way home he started down the side street, which he lived off of. Duncan and Rowen walked off in the same direction. Helia and Mickey laughed and ran around Zaltana playing this weird form of tag. Zaltana's eyes were scanning the shadows and her ears were listening for any sounds. She quickened her pace so she could get the kids inside. She didn't want them out side with Followers creeping around. They reached their house to find the door unlocked. Zaltana told Helia and Mickey to quite down for a few minuets. After walking around the den turning on all the lights, Zaltana told the twins to stay in this room and not to make a sound unless someone besides their mother and herself walked into the room. Other wise they would have to scream their heads off.
After they agreed Zaltana walked over to the closet and found her brothers baseball bat. 'Walk softly and carry a big stick' she thought as she crept over to the kitchen door. The light was already on in there but that could have been because Zaltana forgot to turn off the light in there again. But then she heard someone's footsteps walking around in there. She opened the door a crack to peer into the kitchen. She expected to see a buff guy all dressed in black with a sky mask creeping around trying not to make a sound. But instead she saw a man who was skinny but had some muscle on him, shaggy dark brown hair that was cut pretty badly. Almost as if he had to cut it on the run. He was pacing around her kitchen as if he was planning something or waiting for someone. She walked over to the staircase and headed up stairs so she could sneak into the kitchen from the other entrance.
Before she could pass mothers room her heart started to race. She went and grabbed the locket out of her mother's jewelry box. She had kept it there so she didn't lose it. After putting it on she went back down stairs. She hid behind the wall so she could look into the kitchen easier without being seen.
"Come on where is that girl? I need to see her one last time." She heard the man say. Her hands gripped the bat tight as she showed herself to him.
"Who the fuck are you, and what the hell are you doing in my kitchen?" Zaltana raised the bat to swinging position.
"I'm looking for Zaltana Rose Phoenix. I need to talk to her." Zaltana made the phone come over to her.
"You have five seconds to tell me who you are and why you want to talk to me before I call the cops." A smile crept across the mans face. "What are you smiling at?"
"My baby's still a Jedi knight. It makes a father proud." The man said. She started to lower her bat.
"Daddy?" before she knew it she was around him hugging him.
"Zal, you've gotten so big. Your beautiful." Zaltana smiled looking up into her father's ash eyes.
"Come on into the Den, you should meet the twins." She took his hand and started to lead him into the Den. "Wait, why did you come back after all these years? Why now."
"Why now? Because evils getting ready to make another move. And its time you learn the truth about what's going to happen to you." He said. Zaltana stopped him from talking.
"Help me put the twins to bed then tell me. I don't want them to hear something that could hurt them." Her eyes grew dark when she realized that this would be the last time she ever saw her father. He nodded and followed Zaltana into the den. The wide-eyed twins looked at Zaltana ready to scream. "Its alright guys, he's family."
"Who is he?" Mickey asked hopping off the couch where his sister still sat.
"Mickey, Helia, I'd like you to meet my dad." Helia looked at him and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"Its nice to meet you." Her tired quiet voice said looking up at him.
"Come on you two its past your bed time." Zaltana said walking over to her little sister. Zaltana lifted Helia up and carried her to the stairs. "Come on Mickey, its your bed time too."
"But Zal, I'm not tired." Mickey whined.
"You have kindergarten tomorrow, you need your rest. Now come along." Mickey followed his sisters and Zaltana's father followed Mickey up stairs. After putting the twins to bed Zaltana lead her father back down stairs.
"Zaltana, have you met Kedem yet?" He asked.
"I met him today, what does that have to do with anything?" She questioned.
"Did he tell you that you have till your 18 to keep your powers and you have to make a choice?" The two were sitting on the black leather couch in the front den. The door opened all of a sudden. Zaltana turned to see her mother walking in.
"Mom? What are you doing home so early?" Zaltana asked standing up.
"Zaltana, who is that one the couch with you? What did I tell you about bringing strange men home with you?"
"Mandy? Is that you? You look great! Same girl I married." He said looking at his wife that he left all those years ago.
"Luke?" She dropped her bag at the door and walked over to Luke. "Is that you?"
"Yeah, its me. You've raised one beautiful daughter. Sorry I couldn't help out. Have you been getting the checks?" He asked as Mandy's face was berried in his chest.
"Yes I have. What brings you back now of all times?"
"Didn't I ask that one earlier?" Zaltana said trying to lighten the mood.
"Mandy remember when we were kids and I told you about the Atrox and how I was one of the Children of the Sun?"
"Yeah but what does that have to do with anything?" She asked as they all once again sat down on the leather couch.
"Its Zaltana's turn to fight. She's a Child of the Sun. I need to take her to Kedem." A saddened look washed over Mandy's face. "I know you don't want her to but she has to fight."
Just as promised Zaltana took Helia and Mickey out for ice cream. The boys came along too. Nothing happened while they went out. No Followers talked to them or anything. It was almost as if they were just a bunch of friends with out any worries. At the end of Zaltana and Cyrus's street corner they split their own ways home. Cyrus watched Zaltana walk her siblings down the street. When they were about half way home he started down the side street, which he lived off of. Duncan and Rowen walked off in the same direction. Helia and Mickey laughed and ran around Zaltana playing this weird form of tag. Zaltana's eyes were scanning the shadows and her ears were listening for any sounds. She quickened her pace so she could get the kids inside. She didn't want them out side with Followers creeping around. They reached their house to find the door unlocked. Zaltana told Helia and Mickey to quite down for a few minuets. After walking around the den turning on all the lights, Zaltana told the twins to stay in this room and not to make a sound unless someone besides their mother and herself walked into the room. Other wise they would have to scream their heads off.
After they agreed Zaltana walked over to the closet and found her brothers baseball bat. 'Walk softly and carry a big stick' she thought as she crept over to the kitchen door. The light was already on in there but that could have been because Zaltana forgot to turn off the light in there again. But then she heard someone's footsteps walking around in there. She opened the door a crack to peer into the kitchen. She expected to see a buff guy all dressed in black with a sky mask creeping around trying not to make a sound. But instead she saw a man who was skinny but had some muscle on him, shaggy dark brown hair that was cut pretty badly. Almost as if he had to cut it on the run. He was pacing around her kitchen as if he was planning something or waiting for someone. She walked over to the staircase and headed up stairs so she could sneak into the kitchen from the other entrance.
Before she could pass mothers room her heart started to race. She went and grabbed the locket out of her mother's jewelry box. She had kept it there so she didn't lose it. After putting it on she went back down stairs. She hid behind the wall so she could look into the kitchen easier without being seen.
"Come on where is that girl? I need to see her one last time." She heard the man say. Her hands gripped the bat tight as she showed herself to him.
"Who the fuck are you, and what the hell are you doing in my kitchen?" Zaltana raised the bat to swinging position.
"I'm looking for Zaltana Rose Phoenix. I need to talk to her." Zaltana made the phone come over to her.
"You have five seconds to tell me who you are and why you want to talk to me before I call the cops." A smile crept across the mans face. "What are you smiling at?"
"My baby's still a Jedi knight. It makes a father proud." The man said. She started to lower her bat.
"Daddy?" before she knew it she was around him hugging him.
"Zal, you've gotten so big. Your beautiful." Zaltana smiled looking up into her father's ash eyes.
"Come on into the Den, you should meet the twins." She took his hand and started to lead him into the Den. "Wait, why did you come back after all these years? Why now."
"Why now? Because evils getting ready to make another move. And its time you learn the truth about what's going to happen to you." He said. Zaltana stopped him from talking.
"Help me put the twins to bed then tell me. I don't want them to hear something that could hurt them." Her eyes grew dark when she realized that this would be the last time she ever saw her father. He nodded and followed Zaltana into the den. The wide-eyed twins looked at Zaltana ready to scream. "Its alright guys, he's family."
"Who is he?" Mickey asked hopping off the couch where his sister still sat.
"Mickey, Helia, I'd like you to meet my dad." Helia looked at him and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"Its nice to meet you." Her tired quiet voice said looking up at him.
"Come on you two its past your bed time." Zaltana said walking over to her little sister. Zaltana lifted Helia up and carried her to the stairs. "Come on Mickey, its your bed time too."
"But Zal, I'm not tired." Mickey whined.
"You have kindergarten tomorrow, you need your rest. Now come along." Mickey followed his sisters and Zaltana's father followed Mickey up stairs. After putting the twins to bed Zaltana lead her father back down stairs.
"Zaltana, have you met Kedem yet?" He asked.
"I met him today, what does that have to do with anything?" She questioned.
"Did he tell you that you have till your 18 to keep your powers and you have to make a choice?" The two were sitting on the black leather couch in the front den. The door opened all of a sudden. Zaltana turned to see her mother walking in.
"Mom? What are you doing home so early?" Zaltana asked standing up.
"Zaltana, who is that one the couch with you? What did I tell you about bringing strange men home with you?"
"Mandy? Is that you? You look great! Same girl I married." He said looking at his wife that he left all those years ago.
"Luke?" She dropped her bag at the door and walked over to Luke. "Is that you?"
"Yeah, its me. You've raised one beautiful daughter. Sorry I couldn't help out. Have you been getting the checks?" He asked as Mandy's face was berried in his chest.
"Yes I have. What brings you back now of all times?"
"Didn't I ask that one earlier?" Zaltana said trying to lighten the mood.
"Mandy remember when we were kids and I told you about the Atrox and how I was one of the Children of the Sun?"
"Yeah but what does that have to do with anything?" She asked as they all once again sat down on the leather couch.
"Its Zaltana's turn to fight. She's a Child of the Sun. I need to take her to Kedem." A saddened look washed over Mandy's face. "I know you don't want her to but she has to fight."
