Leaving with a new friend and the boy in the ship

"Have you ever thought about being a chef?" Alanna asked Candace. Sasha had fallen asleep quickly; she hadn't got as much sleep as Alanna, Taryn, and Kevin since they had left.

"Um," Candace said, "everyone says I should be one. I've thought about it a couple of times. Felix and Picard say I should use my talent and make room for improvements." She laid back and looked out of the window toward mercury's beacon. The blue light shined on her light brown skin and Alanna's creamy skin. "So," Candace said, "Felix is your uncle. How does it feel to find a lost relative?"

Alanna thought about it. "Well, it's good that I found my sister's brother. But it feels weird at the same time, because we're related, but I've never met him or known him when I was younger. Mom didn't talk about him much. Candace, I have a question for you."

"I'm listening."

"Most kids would be sorta- depressed about a past like yours. No offense, but why aren't you?"

Candace looked at Alanna for a moment. "It's all in the past," she told her. "There's nothing anyone can do to change it, and you can't let something so trivial get you down. That's my parents' problem if they didn't accept me." She yawned and fell silent. Alanna got out of bed and went downstairs.

"Hello, Alanna." The voice startled her. She looked up and saw Felix sitting on the couch.

"Hey, Felix," she sat down beside him. They were quiet a moment, then she broke the silence. "Why did you leave my mom?" Felix thought about it, then said, "Didn't I tell you today?"

"Well- you should go visit Vale. I understand about wanting to see everything, but you haven't visited them in years. Think about it: You left before I was born and they haven't seen you since. Don't you think they'd want you to visit?"

Felix shook his head. "It'd be too hard to leave."

Alanna put a hand on his shoulder. "If you really wanted to leave, you'll leave when the time comes. Plus, you need to see your old companions again. Will you, uncle? Please?"

Felix did want to see Vale and the others again. "Okay," he finally promised. "I'll go see them. Picard too."

Alanna stood up to go to bed. "Good. You two can leave tomorrow."

"Wait- huh?" Felix was surprised. Alanna turned around and winked.

"Well, the sooner the better, right? The sooner we beat Alex the better, so sooner is better. And we're leaving tomorrow, so you can leave then." She went back upstairs. Felix shook his head. Just like Jenna, he thought.

Sasha stretched. "I-feel- great!"

Kevin picked up his pack. "I'm gonna miss Candice's cooking," he said.

Taryn looked around. "This place sure does look like Vale," he stated.

Candace came out of the house with a pack.

"Are you going to Vale with them?" Alanna asked her.

"No," Candace said casually, "I'm coming with you."

"What!" Kevin exclaimed. "Are you sure about that? It could get really dangerous."

"So," she told him. "I stayed on my own for two years. How dangerous could it get?"

"Why do you wanna go?" Picard asked.

"I wanna help. I don't want some lunatic taking over my world. And, even though it might be hard, it'll be adventurous and fun. Plus, I'll get to see the world." She looked at Felix and Picard with wide, shining , hazel eyes and a quivering lip: the puppy dog face. "Ppppllllease!"

It was hard to resist this face. "Alright," they gave in. "You can go."

Felix got serious. "Just promise you'll stay safe."

Candice sighed. "I promise."

Picard gave her a weapon. "It's the Sylph Rapier. Sheba let me have it to remember her with." He noticed that yet another pair of her dark blue jeans had holes where the knees were. "Must you rip every pair of jeans you get?"

Candace smiled. "That's just the way I like them. I can't help what I like!"

"Are we near Kalay and Lalivero?" Taryn asked.

Picard nodded. "Very near. This village was built three years ago, near that town."

"Good. I need to see Master Hammet. What about Lalivero?"

"You have to go by ship to reach Lalivero. But tell you what. You can have my ship if you can control it."

"We know how," Taryn said. "We've read about it and our parents told us how."

They all walked outside the village to the shore. A big ship awaited them.

"If you have the Hover Jade, you can make it fly," Felix told them. Taryn showed them the green stone.

Alanna hugged her uncle. "Seeya, Uncle Fee," she said. "Tell our parents we said hi."

"Bye," Sasha waved from the ship.

"Seeya," Kevin called.

"Later," Taryn shouted.

Candace looked at Felix and Picard. "Thanks for taking me in, guys. I promise I'll come back when this mission's over."

"Watch over them," Picard told her.

"Alex is manipulative. Don't fall for his tricks." Felix warned.

Candace got on the ship. She looked at them one last time before they turned north toward Vale.

"Make the ship fly!" Candace said eagerly. Taryn took the jade out of his pocket.

"My mom said all of us have to focus on it," he told them. Everyone looked at the Hover Jade and concentrated. The ship lurched. Then slowly came off the water. They stumbled.

"Oh, cool," Kevin said.

Candace looked over the edge of the ship. She looked a little sick at first but quickly got over it. "Now you won't have to miss my cooking, Kevin," she told him.

"You heard me?" he asked, a little embarrassed.

"I'm very vigilant," she said. "Where are we going?"

"Kalay first," Taryn said. "I need to see Master Hammet. We're just testing out hover right now."

They landed the ship and got off. Then, they headed south, reaching Kalay in a matter of minutes. When they got their, Taryn gaped.

"My dad stayed here? This place is pretty swanky." They went up to the castle, which was easy to tell apart from the rest of the buildings. Guards got in the way before they could get to the entrance.

"Who are you?" asked one of them.

"What are you doing up here?" asked the other. Taryn stepped in front.

"We are here to see Hammet," he said firmly.

"You can't just barge in this place expecting to see Master Hammet." said the soldier who had spoken first. "You have to have an important reason or an appointment. You children clearly have neither. Leave at once."

Taryn raised a finger in the air. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong, see... We do have a reason for being here."

"Then what is it?" asked the other soldier.

"A young boy named Ivan stayed here years ago, did he not?" Taryn asked.

"Yes," said the first soldier. "Do you know where he is? How do you know him?"

"Because, It's been twenty-five years, hasn't it? Wouldn't Ivan be fully grown now, possibly married?"

The soldiers nodded at Taryn. He continued. "Ivan is my father."

They stared at him in disbelief. Then, to be sure, circled him looking Taryn up and down. Then one gasped. "I don't believe it! Ivan has a son! How old are you, boy?"

"I am fourteen," Taryn said.

"What about your friends?"

"I am fourteen, two months older than him," Sasha said.

"I'm thirteen," Kevin pouted a little because he was the youngest.

"And I'm fifteen," Alanna told them.

"You are the children of Ivan's friends, aren't you?" asked the soldiers. They all nodded.

"Can we please go in?" Taryn asked. "I have news concerning him."

"Sure, go ahead," the soldiers told them. They led them inside down a long red rug, and to a door.

"Right this way," said one soldier.

Sasha opened the door to a big room. Sitting there were two old people, a man and a middle- aged woman. They saw them walk into the room.

"Who are you?" asked the man.

"Are you Master Hammet?" Taryn asked him.

"Yes I am. Who are you?"

"I am Ivan's son."

Hammet studied him a moment. Then his eyes went wide. "Great Scott, it's true!"

Lady Layana walked over to the five children. "You all look just like your parents." she said.

"Where is Ivan?" Hammet asked. "Why didn't he return to Kalay?"

"Ivan is in Vale," Taryn said. "He found his sister in Contigo. I just want you to know he's alright." They turned to leave.

"Good bye," Lady Layana said.

"Thank you for letting us know Ivan is alright," said Hammet. Taryn and the others nodded and they left.

The ship flew calmly over the waters. Alanna and Taryn were playing a game of rock paper scissors. Sasha was looking out at sea. Kevin was in a chair. Candace had went inside. A scream came from inside the ship. Everyone ran in to see what was wrong with Candace.

"What's-" Alanna started. She noticed a boy with blue hair and and grey eyes- in a towel! "Who are you?" Alanna, Sasha, Kevin, and Candace turned away.

"Uh-" the boy stammered. "This is- very awkward. Can I put some clothes on?"

"Please," Candace said.

The boy came out of the ship in a blue blazer,green shirt, and light blue jeans. "Sorry about earlier," he said to them, especially to Candace.

"It's okay," Sasha and Candace told him.

"Who are you?" Alanna asked.

"My name is Roscoe," he said.

"Well," Alanna replied, "I am Alanna. This is Taryn, Kevin, Candace whom I'm sure you've already met, and Sasha."

"Nice to meet you," Sasha held out a hand. Roscoe shook it.

"N-nice to meet you, too. Nice to meet you all. Where are we going?"

"We?" Kevin asked.

"'We'," Candace said, motioning to everyone else, "were gonna turn around and take you back to where you come from."

Roscoe shook his head vigorously. "No, I wanna come with you all."

"Why?" Taryn asked.

"Because- I- just do. You could use my help."

Alanna pointed at Sasha. "We already have a Mercury adept," she told him.

"Can't you use another?" he asked.

Sasha looked at Alanna. "Don't we have two Venus adepts?" she said.

"Alright," Alanna relented. "You can stay. I don't have time to argue anyway- I'm about to win two coins from Taryn."

"Yea right," Taryn said. They continued their game. Candace climbed up to the crow's nest. Kevin sat back in a chair with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. Sasha continued to look at the water.

It's a good thing Felix's name is Felix. Now I can let Candace call him what my uncle's name used to be: Uncle Fee!

(In loving memory of Felicia(Fee) ) The funniest person I knew!