If I were to compare the girls to real people, Celeste and Sadie are almost twins. Save that Sadie's hair and eyes are a lighter shade and her ethnicity, but they're really similar. Julia looks a lot like Nina (red hair), but not much else. Nina's wicked on trombone! Okay, off topic. Liana reminds me a little of Florence, since they have the same color eyes and same hair color.
Well, I'm about to register for high school. I've been trying to decide, and now that I have, I'm not going to be taking Japanese. Anzu liked this. So, I'll be going to the school down the street and taking college courses in place of an elective. I'll get loaded with English ((hopefully honors/advanced)), Geometry, American History, Biology and all other requirements. Let's hope they've got a band…or I'll make sure they get one…:freaky Kagura Sohma eyes:
Mage stole the copyright info a few chapters back, so we still own everything! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :kisses 009:
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The Cyborg Children
Chapter Thirteen: Newton's Law
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"What you're saying is going in one ear and out the other with no chance of ever going back in, so why waste your time?" Julia said, moving her hand like someone's mouth. With the other hand, she turned the volume up on her stereo.
It was the next day after the final showdown, and Julia was sitting wide awake in the infirmary. Jet was trying to explain something to her, but every time he tried, she'd turn the volume up. Julia was like dealing with water: she'd stay for a minute and run through your fingers the next.
"Fine, I won't tell you!" Jet shouted back at Julia over the sounds of a piano. Julia's eyes looked at him up and down, then moved to the stereo and jacked the volume up even more.
"TURN IT DOWN! JULIA, IF YOU HAVE ANY HOPE OF GETTING OUT OF HERE SOON, THEN TURN THE VOLUME DOWN!" Ivan bellowed. Julia sighed and turned it down just a little.
"I'm bored to tears, just sitting down here! Dude, you could give me something interesting to do. Having my dad give me a lecture on who knows what isn't what I have in mind, pardon me." Julia said, now brushing her hair. "If you'd let me go, then maybe I wouldn't have torture you with my soundtracks!"
"Tough luck, you," Jet said.
"Ask Sophia if she can come down here! For all I care, get anyone else down here to entertain me! You've stuck me down here, and…!" Julia exclaimed, waving her arms in anger. Zero popped out of nowhere to stand next to Jet.
"They wanted to know if she could come up, 'cause everything is really boring up in the house." Zero said, nodding toward Julia. Julia folded her arms in victory. Issac looked over at them.
"Go if you must," He said. Julia gave a loud cheer and turned her stereo off. Zero threw the sheet away and vanished in a periwinkle blur with Julia.
"It's so boring up here, I feel like just having a sham battle to have something to do," Rene said, dealing out another game of BS.
Up in the Kazumi residence, it had been dull. Well, save for maybe an hour before. Hana had turned the surround sound system on to play the song Ojamajo Carnival. It was a fast-moving song, with a ton of loud vocals in Japanese. Midori and her had been singing along the whole time, and turned it up so the house was shaking with the pulse of the song. Even Ivan and Julia had been able to hear it, way down in the Dolphin's infirmary.
"This isn't hard any more. Florence, you're lying about the Aces, I have all four…" Sophia muttered, sliding the pile of cards at Florence. Florence's eyes were glazed over and staring into empty space.
Zero appeared again. "I brought Julia with me!"
Rene threw her cards aside. "All right! How did you manage to come up?"
"Julia was torturing them with her Chicago soundtrack, so they let me bring her back here," Zero explained, setting Julia down. "Hey, maybe we can do something more interesting now instead of making me predict cards."
"Can you stand up?" Sophia asked. Zero shrugged and put a brace around Julia's leg. "So I guess you can! Would you like to…have a little competition?"
"Violin and first part for Canon in D, and we're set to go!" Julia cheered, accepting the challenge. Zero snapped her fingers and there were the requested items.
"Let's see what you can do," Zero said. Julia picked up the bow and began to play the main theme of the song.
Florence, Rene, Sophia and Angelina stood gaping as Julia's red hair fell beautifully in her face as her bow danced across the strings. None of them could imagine that a person like Julia was capable of attaining such…grace. Julia was grinning at them.
"This isn't so bad. When you get into sixteenth notes, it's evil." Julia said while she played on. "Hey, I fooled you all! None of you thought I'd be able to sit still for five seconds when we met! Proved ya wrong, didn't I?"
Sophia folded her arms. "You know what do get, I hope?"
Zero smiled and a flute appeared with the first part to In Times of Triumph. ((IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IT, YOU MUST! IT IS WICKED!)) Julia looked ready to top whatever Sophia had coming.
Sophia whipped through a few scales in less than three minutes. Then she began to play off the sheet music. Julia marveled at her speed.
"Now, top that!" Sophia commanded after she had finished.
"I need one of my soundtracks, then we'll be set. Oh, wait. Clear the furniture away and get the surround sound on!" Julia cheered. Zero snapped her fingers again, and everything was set to go.
"I'll warn you once: your father is headed up here right now with the rest of them, including Celeste. So, why wait any longer? GET A MOVE ON IT!" Zero cried, turning up the volume on Julia's Chicago soundtrack. ((You know my songfic format style, so we'll be using that, the song is called I Can't do it Alone, but it isn't as much a songfic as merely fun))
My sister and I had an act that couldn't flop
My sister and I were headed straight for the top
My sister and I earned a thou a week at least
Oh, sure!
But my sister is now, unfortunately, deceased
Julia bowed her way into a cartwheel, then shot Sophia a glare. Sophia walked on her hands to where Julia was standing, then did a back handspring.
The sound of jaws dropping to the ground was heard over the roar of the speaking music.
Hana and Midori popped their heads in to see what music it was. They sat down on the couch, which was suspended about three feet from the ground. Sophia and Julia got ready for the next round of it.
Oh, I know it's sad, of course
But a fact is still a fact
And now all that remains
Is the remains
Of a perfect double act!
"Me working with you on an act is a riot!" Julia shouted, doing a flip off the couch, which had floated up to the point where Julia could almost kill herself from hitting the ceiling. She stuck it and jammed a finger into Sophia's chest. "Here comes round one in a few seconds!"
((spoken))
Roxie, do you know you are exactly the same
size as my sister? Oh, you would fit in her wardrobe
perfectly. Look, why don't I just show you some of
the act, huh? Watch this.
Sophia took that as a cue to do her prelude. She lifted one leg up above her head, then let it fly backwards and turned it into a handspring with a twist.
"They're going to be here just in time for them to really start going at it," Zero muttered. There was the small click of a door from somewhere. Loud voices were shouting back and forth to one another. Now it wouldn't be long until the whole troupe was up and watching the two.
Now you have to imagine
this with two people.
It's swell with two people.
"Morning, everyone!" Liana shouted. Her brown eyes were sparkling with energy as she flung the door open. Then she saw what was going on.
Julia had just nailed three back handsprings and was going on doing a wicked ballet/karate move. Sophia was across the room, waiting for her turn. Julia raised her arms and Sophia dove into the splits, then turned them into a series of somersaults. The last somersault turned into a full-on flip, ending with Sophia standing in front of Julia.
The door slammed shut, music thumping the entire house with its pulse.
First I'd...(drums!)
Then she'd...(saxophone!)
Then we'd...(together!)
But I can't do it alone!
Then she'd...
Then I'd...
Then we'...
But I can't do it alone!
Zero tore the walls down with a wave of her hand. Julia ran for a few seconds, whimpering in pain, but none the less running. After she had run for half a minute out into the rain, she turned it around and did a series of cartwheels and ended with a twist, completed perfectly.
Sophia did a long series of varying handsprings, then dove again into a somersault. She rolled into a backward somersault and flipped up. Jaws had long since busted down to the trenches of the ocean after only Julia's performance.
The two whirled together in a martial arts-like pose. After a second, they whirled away again, only to be standing with the other's moves in mind.
The door flew open again.
She'd say,"What's your sister like?"
I'd say, "Men,"
Yuk, Yuk, yuk
She'd say, "you're the cat's meow"
Then we'd wow the crowd again
When she'd go...
I'd go...
We'd go...
"YOU!" Madison screeched, trying to wrestle Julia into her control. Julia sprang backward with a few well-aimed jumps.
"If it was like this," Celeste said sleepily, for she had woken up a few minutes before, "I would have stayed awake to watch! KEEP IT UP! I'LL JOIN YA!"
Celeste tried to kick her way out of Jet's arms, but was unsuccessful. Madison screamed as Sophia laughed and sided with Julia. Zero laughed. The ceiling vanished. Midori lit her rockets and set off a few fireworks from her pockets.
And then those ding-dong daddies started to roar
Whistled, stomped and stamped on the floor
Yelling, screaming, begging for more.
Madison had discovered Julia's cheerleading baton and was using it to try and trip Julia.
The men sat down on the sidelines to watch the rather interesting form of entertainment being provided by the females. Zero zoomed ((and you thought I was done with alliteration!)) up into the damp sky and twirled. The rain seemed to come toward her as she gained speed. And then…
The rain condensed into one cloud and began to storm on Zero. Zero laughed at it and raised one arm, and it vanished. Clouds broke across the heavens again, but there was no longer rain. Julia booed as Madison used the furniture as steps to try and head Julia off.
Sophia jumped in front of Julia, allowing Madison to seize the girl. Julia kicked and twirled and did everything in her meager power. Madison squealed gleefully in her delight.
Midori lit a green firecracker and zoomed away as it exploded.
((spoken))
And we'd say, "O.K. fellas, keep your socks up.
you ain't seen nothin' yet!"
Celeste had settled into a comfortable position on the couch. Her blue-green eyes could not take it all in fast enough.
So instead of doing anything to try and break free this time, Julia sat in her mother's arms patiently. Madison was surprised by the change and moved her arms. Julia bolted and ran after Sophia into the rain.
"This is getting far to boring to not be able to spice things up," Zero chuckled, waving her hands happily. Just as Julia landed from a cartwheel, a mound earth rose from underneath her. She screamed in surprise, but laughed as the mound rose.
Sophia let out an equally loud scream as the ground beneath her feet jumped in various places. Midori laughed and looked down at Hana and Hana gave her sister a thumbs-up. Midori laughed and lit five more firecrackers.
Julia fastforwarded the song a little to get to the best part.
And then those two-bit Johnnies did it up brown
To cheer the best attraction in town
They nearly tore the balcony down
Julia ran from her mother, though she was limping now. Madison was wearing out, also, but it wasn't as clear as it was on Julia.
Julia ran for a mound and dug her fingers into the top and jumped up. She was now standing there, belting out the words to the song as it boomed along.
Sophia re-entered the open living room and dove off the couch in a flip. She landed square in the center of the couch pillow next to where her father was sitting. Britain yanked on her ankle and she screamed and kicked his head with her bare foot.
"Nice try, but sorry," Sophia said, dashing back out onto the rough.
And we'd say. "O.K. fellas, O.K.,
we're goin' home, but here's a few more partin' shots!"
And this... this we did in perfect unison.
Julia went into a handstand on her mound of earth, gasping in pain. She let her legs fall apart, so she formed a human T. Sophia was now easily nailing handsprings, and Madison was watching blankly from the playing field.
Everyone else was in the excavated living room, watching two crazed females battle for no real reason. Celeste was entranced by it; she was at the edge of her seat with excitement.
Just as Sophia was about swing herself over Julia in one bound, Julia lowered herself. Sophia's eyes widened as she collided with Julia's right leg, and it was no soft blow.
Now, you've seen me goin' through it
It may seem there's nothin' to it
But I simply cannot do it
Alone!
Celeste stood and almost immediately fell back down with excitement. Julia was sitting out with Sophia, wailing. Sophia was trying to apologize, but it wasn't really working.
Zero sighed and made the two zoom back inside and shut the living room off again.
"How in heck's name, Julia, did you manage to do that?" Celeste asked. Julia looked at her with a look like 'what planet have you been on?'
"I've learned to deal with pain," Julia explained. "It's just something you learn to deal with after your seventh fall down the stairs, thirteenth trip in the mud, and all your bruises from Martial Arts."
The song ended.
Julia's green eyes were glittering with their forbidden ecstasy. "Hey Zero, could you make rain again? Maybe since my mom let me use a projectile weapon, she'll let me play in the rain now!"
"I doubt that would happen in any case. Do you play any wind instrument? Our fight isn't over yet." Sophia said, standing.
"I can sing, can you?" Julia said. Sophia nodded.
"You're on."
"No, it's not on. They dragged me out of bed to come up here for some good reason. So, save your singing contest for later. Hell, I'll join ya. Gentlemen, get it over with. Not next year, this one." Celeste said. She sat perfectly straight up, her hair tucked behind her ears neatly.
"I shouldn't be doing this," Zero said sourly. "They elected me last night. Just to let you know, cowards, they'd like it better if they heard it out of you. But oh well. On with our tale.
"None of us volunteered to be like this. We were kidnapped off the streets because the organization Black Ghost was trying to develop a new weapon. You can see the different war-inspiring traits in us: acceleration, ice, fire, transformation, and flight. But none of the original nine cyborgs was happy with it. They rebelled. Black Ghost was ticked off, as you can imagine. He sent 0010 after them, and at that point they were here."
"Shortly after that, we needed the first reconstruction." Haruka said, entering. "Like hell I don't know. 0011 came, which was the whole reason we needed to rebuild. My grandfather, your Professor Kazumi, was kidnapped by Black Ghost. As Tama has told you, he's the leading biochemistry researcher in the world. 0012 was a house. 0013 was an invisible monster that made Tokyo the way it is today."
"And after that, Black Ghost gave up on cyborgs for a while. It wasn't until Keiko Kazumi…ahem, had a little fun…with and employee of Black Ghost. The man took the baby away with him when Keiko told him about it. Guess what, those heartless fools at Black Ghost raised the child as a hacker, then when she was old enough, they changed her into cyborg project number 0014.
"The same man went back and had a little more fun. Thus is how project 0017 came into being. Oh, what about 0015 and 0016? Those two fell apart upon waking. 0018 and 0019 were sent to destroy 0017 and 0014, or at least kill them and bring them back. 0014 was skilled enough to break into their coding and implode them. Sure, she was only four, but heck, she could fight.
"So back to you, the seven children. You seven were unexpected by everyone. All your parents knew about all of you all along. But, then, why couldn't you meet? Simple. You were all being tracked by Black Ghost. They hadn't given up hope. Alone, you were hardly needle points in a sea. Together, you'd be like an island. So once your parents were kidnapped, you all didn't know how to react to meeting six new people from all over the place.
"But you managed. When I met you as Emma, you all seemed to know each other for forever and a day. You argued like sisters. You fought like sisters. You watched one another like sisters. And Ivan…."
Zero paused. Her eyes were shining oddly, and she was pink. "Then it was the Megas Project. You dealt them down, didn't you?"
"You're rushing things," Celeste said. "But no, skip ahead, we know about them."
"When I used synthesize and banish, it meant that Emma no longer existed. When they programmed that ability into me, they locked it until I died. Yes, that's right. Until I died.
"Emma is gone forever. Sure, if I felt like it, I could morph and take her shape. The thing is, I'm not Emma. However much you want me to be, I can never go back to who I was a year ago. None of us can live our normal lives again. The Kazumi family gave it up when they accepted Midori. You seven gave up being normal when you called your grandfather. No, scratch that. You gave it up when you were born. Hikaru Raven Mamora bet away her life on a card game. No one knew what he or she was getting into when they took on the task ahead. Look where we are now, wishing it could go back to normal.
"This is normal from now on."
"So you're telling me that my cousin is dead," Sophia said.
"So are your aunts and uncles." Zero answered. "That's right. Black Ghost killed my parents after they turned me into…this non-Emma. They killed them after Sophie took me away."
"Her name…Raven of Light…you say she bet her life away on a card game?" Celeste asked. Zero nodded.
"Oh, I have nothing to hide any more. 0021 was Emma. 000 or Zero, is who I am. No one is ever going to accept me," Zero said, trembling.
"I know how to crack the truth out of you," Sophia said. "You used to love it. Well, Zero, truth or dare?"
Zero looked Sophia in the mischievous black-blue eyes. "Dare."
"I dare you to kiss the person you love."
Zero became magenta. "You're serious?"
"Yes."
"Why not you first?"
Those black-blue eyes twinkled. "That would be no fun. Come on, then you can dare someone else."
I've wanted it for so long…I get my prize, and I don't want it! What's wrong with me? I can't remember feeling like this…it's crazy…it feels like I'm on fire…
Zero stood from her seat and walked toward Ivan. He looked at her. Sophia, you're gonna pay for making me do this in front of everyone, yes you are.
Ivan stood up. Zero loosened her ondangoes. Her hair fell down to her waist, and she smiled, and flushed deeper.
"Is something wrong?" Ivan asked her.
Zero felt his face with her fingers. "You're wrong."
And she kissed him, smack dab on the lips.
There wasn't a single person in the room who was shocked out of their mind.
Zero pulled herself away, a shade of magenta that could give a crayon a run for its money. Ivan was a delicate shade of pink. Zero sat down on the coffee table, shaking her head.
"I should get back to my explanation. In short, we're all sorry for hiding this from you for so long." Zero said finally.
Celeste beamed at her. "Why should you be sorry, any of you? If you had told us, we never would have gotten to meet one another like this. We'd probably all be gone by this time, too. I'm sorry for getting so mad."
"I am too," Julia apologized. "I shouldn't have rattled you down like that. But now, can't we just get Celeste's question answered: who are we?"
"We all know that," Florence answered her, smiling. "We're whoever we chose to be. We're still ourselves. We've been the same people our entire lives. Sure, we can't go back to the past now, this is what we chose."
"It's owari! This was our destiny, we could have never denied it!" Celeste exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "Imagine if we knew beforehand: we would have sat around and acted like no one was ever going to come after us. We would have been bored by one another. It would be so dull. But look now! We're like shoujo heroines!"
And they went back and forth, answering their own questions.
(Were you serious when you did that?) Ivan asked Zero.
(Of course. I don't know what to do with myself now. I can't go back to school. I can't go anywhere.) Zero replied.
(Come with me.)
(Are you high or something?)
(Are you?)
(N…no. But then…no way, you're telling me that…?)
(Ditto your feelings.)
(That sounded like Celeste.)
(But you still love me, don't you?)
(Don't you?)
Ivan flushed and Zero giggled at him. "You're so cute when you do that!"
They kissed again.
"So, is it safe to ask when you're going to have a date?" Julia asked. Zero went pink.
"Is it safe to ask if you're sorry?" Zero asked.
"Well, of course we are!" Liana exclaimed. "We only asked for our questions answered, and that we got. We found out the truth. It's a world without danger."
Zero did a double take. "Are you mental or something?"
"No, I just love seeing you do that." Liana replied, standing and waltzing off to the kitchen in a ditzy-drunken fashion.
Elyon walked in in her place. "You're going to hate what I'm about to tell you."
Zero's hazel eyes contracted. "What is it?"
"We all knew all along who you all were."
"WHAT?"
"Matter of fact, it was Mi-chan who told us. Don't feel bad, we were shocked out of minds when we heard ourselves."
"But why…or for that matter…when did she tell you?"
"Once 0018 and 0019 attacked us, and Hana couldn't talk yet. If you'll remember, Mi-chan's a year older than Na-chan. Gene was only twenty, and I was…damn, I was only eleven when that happened. Gene and Kei-kun made her tell her story about ten times over before they started believing."
"So they didn't patrol your house?"
"Why should they? Once Na-chan showed up, they screened us. But we haven't seen anything wrong with Michi, so I think they've left for good. As a matter of fact, did you ever beat 0031 and 0010?"
"In the end, yes."
Elyon's dark eyes gazed downward. "I should have told you earlier, but I couldn't. 0010 was one of my friends. Her name was Catherine. Her father was American. She moved here when I was four, and we practically grew up together. It wasn't until she was fifteen that I was able to see something was wrong. When she turned seventeen, she went missing."
Zero gasped and her own hazel eyes snapped into realization. "That was when the Megas Project was initiated."
Elyon nodded. "The rest of you must be very confused by all this." She smiled, letting a braid flop into her face. "Looking at your faces is hilarious. Come now; let's go see if Liana has finished off the groceries already. I wouldn't doubt it,"
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"You guys are so awesome, thank you so much for letting us stay!" Celeste shouted back to the Kazumi family. The entire family was standing outside, watching the rest of the small army depart. Midori and Angelina had swapped e-mails; everyone had traded something with one of the Kazumi grandchildren. Elyon waved, but couldn't outdo Midori, who had set up a firework display to spell out "BYENESS!" Genevieve was smiling and crying as they climbed into the Dolphin.
Rene, Angelina and Julia were the last to go down, and Julia waved one last time before the hatch closed and they were in the control room.
It was the next morning, and everyone had decided it was time to get back home. The girls were scared about school, for they had missed a month of it. It was Joe who came up with the plan: everyone would call to the Shimamura residence and get an explanation that they had been visiting. Celeste would call Julia and get details from there.
"We're going to be in China in roughly five hours," Liana said. "You know something, I never thought I'd be able to stand you."
"Heh, me neither," Julia said, smiling and rubbing the back of her head. "And now, here we are, about to break up."
"Give me your phone numbers and e-mails and we'll stay in contact. But it will never be as good as talking face to face," Liana said, grabbing a piece of paper. The girls wrote down their information.
"I know!" Julia exclaimed. "I'll have a Christmas party! December twenty-second, be there or I'll drag you!"
"Count me in!" Celeste cheered, slapping Julia a high-five.
Hours were passing, and the entire time, Liana was gathering her clothes and packing them up. After she had, she sat down with the others to a BS tournament. Zero and Ivan were watching from one of the couches, holding hands and kissing every so often.
"Okay, Liana, guide us to your house," Rene said. Liana sat down at the controls and guided the Dolphin into her backyard. Tears were streaming down her face as she stood up. Celeste was crying too, as well as Julia and Florence.
"I'm gonna miss you," Julia said into Liana's shoulder as they cried. Liana handed her an e-mail address and phone number. "I'll call you. I'll stay in contact. Come to my party."
Liana stood up on top of the Dolphin, looking down onto her house. She had never been more upset to see it. Zero jumped down with her luggage and caught Liana as she jumped down.
"Emma, Zero, whatever you want to be called, I'll miss you like hell. Come visit some time, I'll cook you anything." Liana cried into Zero's shoulder. Zero cried as Liana lifted her head and went around to the front. Chang and his wife got off and followed their daughter.
Everyone was waving as the Dolphin lifted up into the sky. Liana waved like all heck after her friends until they were a speck in the sky, then turned and went inside.
"Sophia, Uncle Britain, we'll be in England in six hours." Rene said. "Zero, will you…"
Rene turned red at the scene. Ivan and Zero were holding each other in a tight embrace, kissing so tightly it looked like they were sucking life from one another. Sophia laughed, and only then did the teenagers break apart.
"Zero, will you be going with Sophia?" Rene asked again.
"I dunno…Ivan, where are you gonna go?" Zero said.
"With you." Ivan replied.
"Okay, we'll go with Sophia," Zero answered Rene. "Uncle Britain, is that okay?"
"It's fine!" Sophia returned, hugging her cousins.
And when Sophia got off at her house, she was crying harder than Liana had been. Julia even tried to sneak off with her, but got back on board after Sophia ran around front, over the gate, and waved. Zero and Ivan held hands and waved, then kissed before entering the house.
"I'm next," Rene said quietly. "There's four hours at top speed and I'll be gone."
Angelina was piloting the whole time, but every so often she'd pull up her Internet Explorer and search for traces of Black Ghost. There was nothing left. There was no sign anywhere she looked of and organization called Black Ghost. Rene gathered her possessions and shoved them into her suitcases, then flopped back on the couch and watched Celeste and Julia have a singing contest.
And before they knew it, they were in Africa. Rene Josephine Meraga, before she had called her grandfather, would have loved nothing but to stay in her home her entire life, but now, she would have cared less about going back.
"Rene…" Celeste began, hugging Rene and seeing her out of the Dolphin with her suitcases. "Call me s-s-s-oooooon, okay?"
And Celeste was bawling now, waving farewell to Rene from the control room with Julia, Angelina and Florence left.
"Florence, we're heading back to Germany. It'll be about five hours." Julia said. It was getting more and more quiet as the Dolphin began to empty out.
"None of us got to our important matters," Florence mentioned, smiling. "I missed my recital. And you know what? I don't care. I could care less, really. I'll go back to playing piano, but it'll be another couple of months before the next recital date."
"Yeah, I missed my black belt test," Julia added. "But, I kicked can anyway! You give up something you love for something else,"
"You're right," Celeste said. "It's going to be strange being back at my house. There's not going to be any more all-night gigs, no more infirmary, no more…loud noise…"
The four girls sat in the living room, shooting back what they were going to miss and what they weren't.
"The best part is," Angelina said at last, "We won't have to worry about any more of those crazy goons like 0023 and 0022 coming after us. That's the very best thing."
Julia got a good laugh out of that.
Time evaporated as they reached Germany. Florence grew quiet, then suddenly exploded into tears all over Angelina's shirt.
"I-I-I-t-t-t-t-t won't b-b-b-b-b-b-e-e-e the same!" She wailed, climbing out of the Dolphin for the last time. "I love you all! Please, stay in contact!"
Angelina hugged her. "We all will. Why shouldn't we?"
Florence smiled a little. She gave Angelina one final hug before standing on her porch and Angelina climbed back into the Dolphin. The three from inside waved good-bye to Florence, and all of them were crying.
"It's going to be me, then Julia, then Celeste will head back home." Angelina noted, setting the controls. "Roughly seven hours until we reach Colorado, and from there it'll be an hour until you get to California."
Angelina and Julia got their clothes and various other articles together into their bags. It was sad to watch them go about, tears in their eyes, packing away their memories of the last four weeks. Celeste watched as Jet flew about with Julia in his arms to get her clothes, and started crying.
"Hey Celeste, what are you crying over?" Joe asked his daughter. She looked up at him with her mother's eyes.
"Have you ever had that feeling where it feels like your life it being picked away, piece by piece?" Celeste asked, crying her eyes out into her father's shirt. He lifted her into his lap.
"No, not in the way you have," Joe told Celeste. "But do you know what?"
Celeste shook her head no.
"You'll see them again."
"That isn't helping me very much."
"How about: you'll be seeing them at Julia's Christmas party in under a month?"
"Start trying harder, daddy."
Joe sighed. "Didn't you forecast this a while back in the stars?"
Celeste clasped her hands together. "That's right! There's supposed to be a tragic loss, but then that same thing will return in unexpected ways! Daddy, how did you know?"
Joe picked up Celeste and twirled her around. "You told us!"
Celeste laughed and wiped away her tears. "Thank you so much!"
He kissed her forehead. "Nothing at all, my princess,"
When they reached Angelina's house, Julia was crying so badly, it seemed like she was a fountain. Her green eyes were faded, and her cheeks were red from crying.
"Angelina…" Celeste said, pressing her e-mail into Angelina's hand. "Let's have a webcam chat some time. I'll hear from you soon!"
Celeste waved from the control room, crying but smiling. Julia was crying into Jet's already soaked shirt. Celeste walked over to Julia and patted her head.
"What?" Julia barked, her voice hoarse. "Celestia, I'm going to miss you like all hell. Promise you can come?"
"Well, duh!" Celeste replied, hugging Julia. Julia grinned weakly.
"I'll be the last one to leave," Julia noted. "But we have a few weeks to look forward to, don't we now?"
The two were hugging one another in a vice-like grip, crying together. Four weeks ago, these two girls would have no sooner hugged than cried together. And there they were, clinging to one another like it was the end of the world.
And guess what?
IT WAS!
Just kidding.
Jet picked Julia up as the Dolphin landed in their backyard. Celeste helped them inside before giving Julia one last hug.
"Here. Take this CD." Julia choked out, handing Celeste her Chicago soundtrack. Celeste accepted and kissed Julia's ear.
"Love ya!" Celeste cried from the top of the Dolphin, waving one last time to Julia, who was waving too.
"Love you too!" Julia shouted back, jumping from her from her father's arms and waving so hard, it looked like her arm would fall off. Eventually, she was dragged inside and the Dolphin was gone off, back to Japan.
"I'm so happy and so sad at the same time," Celeste said. "When we get back, can I go to sleep?"
"Of course you can." Francoise replied, stroking her daughter's brown hair. "There's no need for you to ask, you're not out hunting any longer."
"It's a world without danger," Celeste said, then began to nod off. "And it wasn't just because of me. That, like Angelina said, is the absolute best part of the entire trip."
Night, everyone.
-&-&-&-&-
:begins to cry: THAT WAS SO SAD! I feel like Celeste: happy and sad. Happy that this is almost the end of my longest story and sad for the same reason. Thank you so much for staying with us through this!
Next chapter will be the epilogue, thanks and after that, Sadie and I will host our ultra-special Question and Answer session. You can enter seven questions in your review and demand I answer them! All questions are taken! HURRY HURRY!
:Mika plays her Chicago Soundtrack…and plays All That Jazz….because she loves jazz: