Chapter 11: Forces of Love
Zaltana stood up and faced her father. "If I live through this, I want you to know that I hate you so much for leaving me and mom. I hate you because you never thought me how to throw a baseball or anything. I hate you for becoming one of them. I hate you for coming back now, not on one of that night when I cried myself to sleep. I hate you so much I can't even hate you!" She was half crying and half frustrated.
"Zalie, I left you because I didn't want to bring the danger to you." His eyes pleaded with her.
"Dad I've heard this before. I do not give a crap about it. Maybe I would be less screwed up if I had a father at home that didn't run out on my mom and turning her into some turbo slut, who brought home guy after guy. Some of which weren't even human like." She crossed her arms shivering at the memories of some of the guys her mother brought home. "You should have stayed to make sure I was safe and help me train these god forsaken powers. Help me make sure everything was okay. You ran away!"
"I screwed up Zal, is that what you want me to say? Should I say how I thought it was going to be better to leave to keep you out of danger! Is that what you want?" They were on the verge of screaming at each other.
"I want my father back." Zaltana turned her back on her father so he would not see her start to cry.
"Zal," He started to say.
"I should go back inside." She ran inside leaving her father standing on the steps. Luke ran after her only to run into a locked door.
"You look like your having a good night." A soothing voice said from behind Luke said. He turned to see Stanton standing there behind him.
"What would you care, you don't have kids." Luke melted into the shadows and left. Stanton soon did the same thing, although he waited for Serena. Inside they were discussing what they should do. Zaltana walked in and sat down next to Duncan.
"Where's Luke?" Kedem asked.
"I don't know we were just fighting. What I miss?" She tried to change the subject.
"We are going to try to find the others. There are two other sets of you children." Kedem said before he poured himself some more tea.
"Which ones?"
"I was rascally about to tell the rest of you guys this. The Sons of Jupiter are in New York City with Celia. We have gotten in touch with her, and she will be expecting us. However, Greer is not as easy to find. Greer is the guardian of the Outer Four Sisters." Kedem explained.
"Who are the Outer Four Sisters?" Catty asked.
"I'm getting to that… you youngens can't wait for anything."
"Oh no he missed a nap didn't he?" Rowen joked.
"Shut up you." He threw a tea basket at Rowen. "Anyway the Outer Four Sisters are the oldest daughter from each of those planets. They went agents their parents will to help with the Earthlings. You all have had run in with the Atrox," He paused. "What your about to come in contact will scare the living day lights out of you."
"What do you mean?" Duncan asked.
"Kali." Maggie said. "She is making a come back. She's been quite for almost 59 years. The Atrox is even scared of her. She has the power to drain dreams, hope, fears and life force out of a person with a single kiss." Zaltana's face went pail thinking about how evil Kali could be to steal the human essentials with just a kiss.
"If you think that's bad, she's gotten powerful enough that if her victim even thinks of kissing one of her hence men, it still counts as that kiss and their essence is hers." Kedem explained. "Children, I am taking you to New York and we are going to find the other teams. There is no way in hell that you are going to be able to fight Kali on your own."
"When we find these guys, What are we going to say, 'Hi I'm Rowen Stevens and this is Zaltana Phoenix, Duncan…' wait Duncan, what's your last name?"
"Meyer." Duncan was back on his one word answers.
"Ok. You're an Irish boy. We've gotten a Scottish guy, Irish guy, German guy and Zal what are you?" Cyrus asked.
"Native American and Russian."
"Oh yeah were kicking more ass and we can get drunk and do it too." Zaltana threw a pillow at Cyrus. They laughed.
"Why are we staying here and not going with the Children?" Vanessa asked.
"Valid question." Kedem sank into his seat. "You all have families that wouldn't understand what was going on and why you were going off to New York with some old man and Lady."
"Your mother for instance is really protective. She wants to know where you all at all times. Jimena your grandmother wouldn't understand what was going on. Catty your mom would say just go for it. Tianna I'm not quite sure about your family. Serena I'm not quite sure about your family either." Maggie explained.
"Duncan and Rowen's parents already trust me enough to bring them here. Cyrus's mom will remember me if she saw me. And Zaltana's mom married a former Child of the Sun and knows all of this stuff." Kedem explained.
"What do you mean my mom will remember was she a Child of the Sun too?" Cyrus asked totally confused.
"No, she was a Daughter, one of Maggie's finer ones. She was a good Daughter. She could think on her feet. Saved my knuckle heads a few times."
"Oh crap he's going down Memory Lane again!" Rowen joked.
"When do we set out to find these other kids?" Zaltana asked. She needed to get away for a while. And she needed out now.
"As soon as you two can." Kedem told them.
"Lets go get our stuff." Zaltana said.
"Zal we can't rush into this. They could be sending us on some sort of death mission. And all you want to do is go in head first?" Cyrus stood up in front of Zaltana.
"Cy, they could also be sending us to save the world. From people that want to steal kisses and hope." Zaltana shot back standing up.
"Zal, are you going to go running in head first to every problem you face? Do you ever think?" They looked as if they were about to kill each other.
"Cy, you've known me how long? Do I ever think before I act? I act on instinct, unlike you who thinks it through, down to every possible out come and you miss life." Zaltana had been saving that up for a good fight, this classified as a good fight.
"At least I haven't been arrested, suspended, sent to three different middle schools in 2 years as well as spending winter brake in Juvi!" Cyrus screamed back at her.
"Which one do you thinks gonna send the first blow?" Tianna asked watching the fight.
"Should we stop them?" Catty asked as she watched things start to heat up between the two best friends.
"Let them fight. If you stop them their feelings are only going to get bottled inside. They will have to fight it out one day to get out all the tension between them. If they stop now it will cloud their judgment later on when they need a clear mind." Duncan explained.
"How do you know that you just met them yesterday?" Tianna asked. She had gotten an Ice Tea some where along the line and was now drinking it.
"Their like me and Rowen. We've been friends for a while and we fight each other like that every now and again." Duncan explained.
"Cyrus I don't care if you're an old Bustard, but your too reserved and you never live, you never have fun with out worrying about what will happen to you if your mother found out." Zaltana finally spoke after a screaming match.
"Oh, I'm the Bustard? Your parents were never even Married! I'm friends with a Bustard. Maybe I want to make my mom proud and go off to a good school."
"The only way you would be doing that is if you choices to forget everything when your 18. What will you choices?" Zaltana asked him. She had her left hand on the chair and her right hand in a fist at her side ready to dance with Cyrus.
"I don't know I haven't thought about it yet. I still have a year or so to decide. What are you going to do when your asked to decide your fate?"
"I will ascend. Its got to be better watching and helping out, then staying here."
"Zal, what's gotten into you lately? You've been acting so weird. Besides your mom's slut problem and taking care of the twins what's been bugging you?"
"My dad's one of the guys I've got to fight. I don't know what Stanton wants with me. I just want to be that kid that never fit in and trips people with soccer balls." Zaltana fell back to the couch in defeat.
"Its okay Zal, you've got us to watch your back and fight with you. Your not going to be fighting alone." Duncan rapped his arm around her.
"Yeah, we can even help you in History… Math is another story, but we can help you out in History Class." Rowen said rapping his arm around her from the other side.
"You want to know why were staying with you?" Cyrus asked kneeling down in front of Zal. She shrugged looking at Cyrus, her best friend since they were kids. "Your our friend." He paused and looked her in the eye. A smirk ran across his face as he grabbed a pillow. "Not to mention our sister!" The all started dog piling Zaltana while some how she ended up on top. They were all laughing.
"You guys ready to kick Kali's goddess ass!" Rowen cheered. They laughed.
"Before I send you out." Maggie said. "Finish your tea." She pointed to Duncan and Rowen's cups which were half empty. "I want you to be careful. That goes for you two Kedem. You guys are going to New York City, to find these four boys. And you are also going to Arizona to find the Outer Four Sisters. They are harder to find since One of them lives in Phoenix, and the rest live on different reservations. Good luck you guys."
"Thank you Maggie." Zal said she was still laughing from when the guys tried killing her.
Zaltana stood up and faced her father. "If I live through this, I want you to know that I hate you so much for leaving me and mom. I hate you because you never thought me how to throw a baseball or anything. I hate you for becoming one of them. I hate you for coming back now, not on one of that night when I cried myself to sleep. I hate you so much I can't even hate you!" She was half crying and half frustrated.
"Zalie, I left you because I didn't want to bring the danger to you." His eyes pleaded with her.
"Dad I've heard this before. I do not give a crap about it. Maybe I would be less screwed up if I had a father at home that didn't run out on my mom and turning her into some turbo slut, who brought home guy after guy. Some of which weren't even human like." She crossed her arms shivering at the memories of some of the guys her mother brought home. "You should have stayed to make sure I was safe and help me train these god forsaken powers. Help me make sure everything was okay. You ran away!"
"I screwed up Zal, is that what you want me to say? Should I say how I thought it was going to be better to leave to keep you out of danger! Is that what you want?" They were on the verge of screaming at each other.
"I want my father back." Zaltana turned her back on her father so he would not see her start to cry.
"Zal," He started to say.
"I should go back inside." She ran inside leaving her father standing on the steps. Luke ran after her only to run into a locked door.
"You look like your having a good night." A soothing voice said from behind Luke said. He turned to see Stanton standing there behind him.
"What would you care, you don't have kids." Luke melted into the shadows and left. Stanton soon did the same thing, although he waited for Serena. Inside they were discussing what they should do. Zaltana walked in and sat down next to Duncan.
"Where's Luke?" Kedem asked.
"I don't know we were just fighting. What I miss?" She tried to change the subject.
"We are going to try to find the others. There are two other sets of you children." Kedem said before he poured himself some more tea.
"Which ones?"
"I was rascally about to tell the rest of you guys this. The Sons of Jupiter are in New York City with Celia. We have gotten in touch with her, and she will be expecting us. However, Greer is not as easy to find. Greer is the guardian of the Outer Four Sisters." Kedem explained.
"Who are the Outer Four Sisters?" Catty asked.
"I'm getting to that… you youngens can't wait for anything."
"Oh no he missed a nap didn't he?" Rowen joked.
"Shut up you." He threw a tea basket at Rowen. "Anyway the Outer Four Sisters are the oldest daughter from each of those planets. They went agents their parents will to help with the Earthlings. You all have had run in with the Atrox," He paused. "What your about to come in contact will scare the living day lights out of you."
"What do you mean?" Duncan asked.
"Kali." Maggie said. "She is making a come back. She's been quite for almost 59 years. The Atrox is even scared of her. She has the power to drain dreams, hope, fears and life force out of a person with a single kiss." Zaltana's face went pail thinking about how evil Kali could be to steal the human essentials with just a kiss.
"If you think that's bad, she's gotten powerful enough that if her victim even thinks of kissing one of her hence men, it still counts as that kiss and their essence is hers." Kedem explained. "Children, I am taking you to New York and we are going to find the other teams. There is no way in hell that you are going to be able to fight Kali on your own."
"When we find these guys, What are we going to say, 'Hi I'm Rowen Stevens and this is Zaltana Phoenix, Duncan…' wait Duncan, what's your last name?"
"Meyer." Duncan was back on his one word answers.
"Ok. You're an Irish boy. We've gotten a Scottish guy, Irish guy, German guy and Zal what are you?" Cyrus asked.
"Native American and Russian."
"Oh yeah were kicking more ass and we can get drunk and do it too." Zaltana threw a pillow at Cyrus. They laughed.
"Why are we staying here and not going with the Children?" Vanessa asked.
"Valid question." Kedem sank into his seat. "You all have families that wouldn't understand what was going on and why you were going off to New York with some old man and Lady."
"Your mother for instance is really protective. She wants to know where you all at all times. Jimena your grandmother wouldn't understand what was going on. Catty your mom would say just go for it. Tianna I'm not quite sure about your family. Serena I'm not quite sure about your family either." Maggie explained.
"Duncan and Rowen's parents already trust me enough to bring them here. Cyrus's mom will remember me if she saw me. And Zaltana's mom married a former Child of the Sun and knows all of this stuff." Kedem explained.
"What do you mean my mom will remember was she a Child of the Sun too?" Cyrus asked totally confused.
"No, she was a Daughter, one of Maggie's finer ones. She was a good Daughter. She could think on her feet. Saved my knuckle heads a few times."
"Oh crap he's going down Memory Lane again!" Rowen joked.
"When do we set out to find these other kids?" Zaltana asked. She needed to get away for a while. And she needed out now.
"As soon as you two can." Kedem told them.
"Lets go get our stuff." Zaltana said.
"Zal we can't rush into this. They could be sending us on some sort of death mission. And all you want to do is go in head first?" Cyrus stood up in front of Zaltana.
"Cy, they could also be sending us to save the world. From people that want to steal kisses and hope." Zaltana shot back standing up.
"Zal, are you going to go running in head first to every problem you face? Do you ever think?" They looked as if they were about to kill each other.
"Cy, you've known me how long? Do I ever think before I act? I act on instinct, unlike you who thinks it through, down to every possible out come and you miss life." Zaltana had been saving that up for a good fight, this classified as a good fight.
"At least I haven't been arrested, suspended, sent to three different middle schools in 2 years as well as spending winter brake in Juvi!" Cyrus screamed back at her.
"Which one do you thinks gonna send the first blow?" Tianna asked watching the fight.
"Should we stop them?" Catty asked as she watched things start to heat up between the two best friends.
"Let them fight. If you stop them their feelings are only going to get bottled inside. They will have to fight it out one day to get out all the tension between them. If they stop now it will cloud their judgment later on when they need a clear mind." Duncan explained.
"How do you know that you just met them yesterday?" Tianna asked. She had gotten an Ice Tea some where along the line and was now drinking it.
"Their like me and Rowen. We've been friends for a while and we fight each other like that every now and again." Duncan explained.
"Cyrus I don't care if you're an old Bustard, but your too reserved and you never live, you never have fun with out worrying about what will happen to you if your mother found out." Zaltana finally spoke after a screaming match.
"Oh, I'm the Bustard? Your parents were never even Married! I'm friends with a Bustard. Maybe I want to make my mom proud and go off to a good school."
"The only way you would be doing that is if you choices to forget everything when your 18. What will you choices?" Zaltana asked him. She had her left hand on the chair and her right hand in a fist at her side ready to dance with Cyrus.
"I don't know I haven't thought about it yet. I still have a year or so to decide. What are you going to do when your asked to decide your fate?"
"I will ascend. Its got to be better watching and helping out, then staying here."
"Zal, what's gotten into you lately? You've been acting so weird. Besides your mom's slut problem and taking care of the twins what's been bugging you?"
"My dad's one of the guys I've got to fight. I don't know what Stanton wants with me. I just want to be that kid that never fit in and trips people with soccer balls." Zaltana fell back to the couch in defeat.
"Its okay Zal, you've got us to watch your back and fight with you. Your not going to be fighting alone." Duncan rapped his arm around her.
"Yeah, we can even help you in History… Math is another story, but we can help you out in History Class." Rowen said rapping his arm around her from the other side.
"You want to know why were staying with you?" Cyrus asked kneeling down in front of Zal. She shrugged looking at Cyrus, her best friend since they were kids. "Your our friend." He paused and looked her in the eye. A smirk ran across his face as he grabbed a pillow. "Not to mention our sister!" The all started dog piling Zaltana while some how she ended up on top. They were all laughing.
"You guys ready to kick Kali's goddess ass!" Rowen cheered. They laughed.
"Before I send you out." Maggie said. "Finish your tea." She pointed to Duncan and Rowen's cups which were half empty. "I want you to be careful. That goes for you two Kedem. You guys are going to New York City, to find these four boys. And you are also going to Arizona to find the Outer Four Sisters. They are harder to find since One of them lives in Phoenix, and the rest live on different reservations. Good luck you guys."
"Thank you Maggie." Zal said she was still laughing from when the guys tried killing her.
