Chapter -39: A Meeting Fated by the Stars!

Late into the afternoon, Auris and Sarajin decided to take a rare vacation together on the border of Aquamoria and Tanglefae.

No kid to worry about, no conflict. Just them, the ocean breeze mixing with the scent of pine, and all the palm tree Sha they could ever need.

They had chosen to make one dish each to feed each other. A few birds had followed them and they gave them the scraps off their plate.

Sarajin loved her dish, a grilled fish with a thick sauce made of berries, sugar, molasses and a hint of lemon.

She had gotten so good at cooking that it invaded his memories and made him believe she was always this skilled.

He saw a bit of juice around her lips from his grilled chicken legs meal and leaned in. Their eyes both grew tender and slowly entranced them to go closer.

But before their lips connected she stirred with a blush and pulled back. He paused, smiled, then used his poncho to wipe her face clean.

She grabbed onto his hand to stop him, using the poncho as a medium.

She moved her hand so he could feel her pulse thumping quickly on her wrist.

This was the most they've enjoyed themselves in a long, long time…if only it could be this way forever.

After soaking in the ocean air just a little bit longer they started to clean up.

Auris suddenly flinched and dropped her dish. A second later Sarajin flinched and experienced a feeling of unease as he looked to the skies to the east.

"Something's coming…!" His heart rate quickened under the pressure of dread nearly two decades old…

But a quick look at his wife saw her easing her arms under her chest and closing her eyes to think.

This calmed him down a little as she cracked a serene smile and noted, "It's nothing to fear."

"...Really?" Sarajin said once his heart stopped being so loud.

"Really," Her soft melodious tones reassuring him, "Feel free to check it out though. It'll be landing southeast of Aquamoria."

"You're not coming with me?"

Auris said softly, "I would just complicate things. I'll see you home soon."

She then resumed cleaning up, having to take a moment to brush her fingers out to kindle his curiosity some more.

He grinned wide and then took off sky high. When he was gone Auris decided to double-check what she saw and hummed deep with intrigue, "Now, how can that be…?"

Sarajin didn't have to search long to find where all the commotion was happening.

Whatever fell from the sky hit the ground and left black streaks in twists before suddenly coming to a stop. Then a few signs of impact followed, the gap between them shortening until the last one saw scraps of metal lying on the ground to form a trail.

And at the end there was a small, metallic capsule with a broken glass window and black smoke rising into the sky.

One quick use of his senses and Sarajin gasped, "There's a person inside!"

He dove for the capsule and screamed, "Hold on!"

He used his powers to try and dial back the fire and blow away the smoke so he could poke his head inside.

But the moment he checked, he found it was empty.

"W-what?" But his senses weren't fooling him. If the person wasn't here, then where-

"HARK! You there, with the nifty poncho!"

A powerful, feminine voice tried very hard to come across as baritone but only sounded shrill for it.

Sarajin raised his head and looked around until eventually checking above.

A sleek, upright chair was suspended over his head thanks to a cloth unfurled like the top of a parasol and a fortunately placed rock formation.

Seated on it was someone with bare feet and slender legs paddling around like they were stranded in water.

"Yes. It is I! Hold your applause…because this is kind of embarrassing."

Sarajin took a couple steps back and yelled, "I'm right here, go ahead and jump!"

"Alas, my seat belt has locked up on me!" She said rather nonchalantly.

"Seat…belt?" Sarajin turned his head at that but nevertheless interpreted it correctly, "Still, sounds like she's stuck."

He floated up and the smoke had risen to obscure the person in the meantime.

Instead of bothering with that he noticed a belt and snapped it off with a thought.

"Ah ha!" The girl stood up, unbalanced the seat, then leaped straight down to safety.

She fumbled the landing but quickly stood proudly with her arms crossed and declared while gagging on smoke, "N-Nailed it!"

She had long, sweeping violet hair and an even longer white coat with droopy sleeves and a back that hit the ground.

And once Sarajin landed and wondered "Are you alright?" she turned sideways and proclaimed, "Of course!"

She was wearing big glasses to cover her glimmering green eyes, a sleeveless white shirt with lots of buttons, and a purple pair of the shortest shorts he'd ever seen.

All this topped off by a sweet sunny smile brimming with determination.

She leaned into him and let out a very loud hum, rolling her eyes up and down his body. It was only when her glasses let off a gleam that he was weirded out though.

"Mmm, you're very strong, but nooooot exactly what I'm after." She pulled away and nudged her glasses up at the bridge.

"She must be smart." Sarajin assumed based on that gesture.

He then waved his hand out and felt comfortable asking, "So what are you doing here, Ms…."

"Please, call me Catherine! Shout my name to the sky if you must! And who might you be, my poncho wearing savior?"

"Sarajin Stratos." Sarajin said plainly.

"Sarajin! I always remember the names of the friendly variety!" Catherine then raised her left hand aside and remarked, "But enough introductions! Have you perchance seen anyone who can do…THIS?!"

She created a fluid, wavy effect off her hand that soon solidified into something he was more familiar with…Aura.

Sarajin recoiled slightly and shouted, "Y-You're an Aurian?!"

She clasped her fist and grinned, "Ah ha! So my readings weren't off the mark. But of course they wouldn't be!"

"'Aurian'...so that's the name of the species my powers are derived from."

"She…doesn't know what she is?" Sarajin turned his head and looked at her some more. She didn't look suspicious, far from it. He hadn't seen this level of energy in a person since…well, himself in his youth.

It probably wasn't a wise call to suggest this but…

"Hey, if you're looking for Aurians, I can take you to their city."

"That would be most fortuitous! I would very much appreciate that!" She then shot her finger up towards the sky and shouted, "Onward! Adventure and mystery awaits!"

Sarajin offered to carry her but she didn't seem to mind running barefoot.

It wasn't a long walk to Sancturia and one quick use of the Gaia Temporis later found her successfully snuck in.

"Zounds! Whoever created this place has a sublime taste for aesthetics!" Catherine zoomed over to the flower beds and kneeled down.

"Hmmm, life force signature is high. Not naturally grown…"

Sarajin caught up and warned her, "Don't draw too much attention to yourself."

She sprung up and crossed her arms with a shout, "Ah, true! I am but a stranger to these lands…is what I'd say normally, but here I am among my people!"

Sarajin started to open his mouth when she interjected, "I get it. Laws need to be followed. Only VILLAINS think otherwise!"

"You seem to know your way around here sooooo…take me to the leader!"

"...I probably shouldn't," Words had been said between Borealis that he wasn't ready to confront, "Auris should be home by now…"

"Do you mind if we take a detour first?"

"Not at all!" She shouted bombastically, "Because for the immediate future…I am stuck!"

Sarajin had a minor reaction beyond wondering, "Oh yeah. I was going to ask about that thing you came down in."

"Perhaps later!" She bluntly but happily denied him.

"Whyyyy not now? It's still a ways to my place."

"Because I haven't figured out what happened myself!" She declared, almost beaming with pride…

At this point Sarajin was hugely invested in figuring out what this girl's deal was.

First things first, he needed to run her by Auris.

A quick jaunt over to his place and he invited her to go inside first. Catherine was enamored once more by her surroundings, commenting with great aplomb, "Astounding! I could see myself coming up with a ton of new inventions in this sorta place!"

Auris entered from the kitchen and remarked in a casual fashion, "I see you had no problem picking up our new guest."

Sarajin gestured out, "Catherine, this is my wife, Auris."

Catherine ran up and scanned her up and down like her eyes were a fine toothed comb, "Mmmmm, I see they grow them big in these lands!"

Auris laid her hand against her chin and chuckled, "My my, aren't you bubbly?"

"AND cute!" Catherine insisted, "Sometimes it's good to compartmentalize your looks!"

Her scan finished with a flick and snap of her fingers, "Darn. You're very, very strong, but your energy signature doesn't match…"

"Are you looking for someone in particular?" Auris wondered.

"Abso-positive-lutely! But dontcha fret over it! When I hunt my targets, these eyes are like a microscopic telescope!"

"Well, make yourself at home if you want. We have plenty of food to spare."

Catherine turned aside and guffawed, "Thank you! I've been eating out of a tube for weeks!"

She sped towards the kitchen with Auris trailing after her with her voice, "It'll be in the ice box."

"Ooooh, fancy! Oh wait, that was literally. Iiiiinteresting."

With her safely distracted Auris and Sarajin sat down on the couch and he whispered, "So what's your assessment?"

"She isn't lying. She has the same network of veins for aura as any one of us."

"But she doesn't seem familiar with Sancturia."

"There is that…"

Sarajin leaned his head back and recalled something he heard before, "Atrax told me once that Aurians used to be space travelers…"

"Really?" Auris said with mild but genuine surprise, "I have never heard of this before."

Sarajin waved his hand with a theory, "Is it possible there might be other Aurian societies out there?"

"I find it very hard to believe they wouldn't have kept in touch. And…there's something that puts that in doubt."

She raised her bracelet in his view and he nodded, "Right. She doesn't have a Drive."

"No. She does. But it has already permanently dissolved into her aura." Auris was perturbed by her contemplation of the subject.

Sarajin had to think a bit about why, "Drives eventually break down from constant use or the age of the user."

But everything about Catherine was the perfect picture of youth.

"It isn't possible for it to have dissolved early, right?"

Auris shook her head, "Aura matures with the body, and so helps accelerate the breakdown of the Drive…but she can't be older than 14, 15 at the most."

Sarajin reached the same conclusion she didn't want to suggest, "She's…an artificial Aurian?"

Auris folded her hands under her chin and closed her eyes part way, "A perfect one at that…this shouldn't be possible."

"Even my father wouldn't be capable of inducing the spiritual aspect of Aura in another person."

Catherine came into the room with arms full of sweet treats and proclaimed, "Hope you don't mind, gotta keep the brain firing on all cylinders!"

She started gobbling them down without taking a break between them.

Auris and Sarajin stared at her for a while until Auris saw fit to ask her, "Catherine."

She swallowed hard and then saluted, "Present!"

"How did you gain the power of an Aurian?"

"Aha! I see I am not the only one with a fine eye for details," She stuffed her pockets with treats and crossed her arms, "Hmmm, he never told me his name. He was a short fella in a fluffy cloak."

Sarajin then asked, "So you've never met an Aurian before?"

"I thought that'd be obvious!" She proclaimed, but immediately followed up with a little more tact, "Sorry, did NOT mean to sound rude."

Sarajin waved to her clearly, "It's alright."

Auris raised her head and murmured, "Tell us the events that led you to this planet."

"Ah, time to exposit my glorious origin story!" She raised her head back and began to shout dramatically, "Twas a day like no other-"

Auris gestured her hand and whispered in a commanding but respectful tone, "Only the stuff related to your Aura, please."

"Mmmm, fine by me!" Catherine continued on unimpeded in spirit, "So I was traveling across the galaxies, answering the call of justice wherever it may cry out! When suddenly, my radar started to blare out. A signature much like my own guided me towards a largely unexplored quadrant of space in the southern regions…!"

"My century of experience taught me to always brave the unknown to get what you want-"

"Y-You're HOW old?!" Sarajin blurted.

"Aha! You were disarmed by my incredible cuteness!" Boasted Catherine, "So upon arriving at my destination I took one of my spare shuttles to investigate."

"The signal was strong but I saw naught a world in sight. Presuming some devious manner of cloaking technology was at play, I ventured forth!"

"Alas, I fell victim to my scientific love and the planet's gravitational pull plucked my poor shuttle down towards the surface!"

"Was this the end of the galaxy cutest scientist?! To that I said 'NAY!'"

"A quick discharge of my booster and one use of my wheels later I managed to stick the landing…Only to be thwarted by a dastardly rogue pebble lodging up the gears!"

"Aaaaaand you know the rest." She stopped on the spot with a major grin and no lack of excitement.

Sarajin leaned into his wife's ear and whispered, "Did you understand most of that?"

"You have more experience with space than I do…"

"Y-Yeah, but…"

Catherine then shouted, "So! When do I get to meet the Aurian leader?"

Auris and Sarajin were both caught slack jawed and moaning with hesitation.

"Mmm?" She murmured, brow raised and wiggling, "I am sensing some friction in the air!"

Sarajin bit his teeth and murmured out the side of his mouth, "I mean between the two of us it makes more sense for me to go…"

Auris closed her eyes and leaned back, "I can see that you will not even be able to get her into the palace."

"Uh oh, what's going to happen?" Sarajin said with mild worry.

"Nothing bad," She said, seeming to be more frazzled than in a panic, "Haaaaa…it'll save us time and trouble if you just attempt to take her there."

He nodded and gestured towards Catherine, "Well, you heard her, follow me."

"Awesome!" Catherine wasted no time heading out of the house ahead of him.

Sarajin was forced to play the follower to her curiosity for a little while. She REALLY took a liking to the glowing lights flowing under the floor.

One of the stops they made was the giant pyramid in the center of the city.

"Ooooooooh, this would make for a fantastic secret base!"

Sarajin then decided to ask her while she was snooping around, "So. You're used to going to other worlds?"

"Uh huh! Had my fair share of crashes too!"

"Sounds about right..." Sarajin then remarked, "I'm something of a world traveler myself."

"Reeeeeeally?" This pulled Catherine right off the side of the pyramid to be next to him, "What's your secret?"

Sarajin flinched and realized, "A-Ah, I probably shouldn't have let that slip."

"Whaaaat do you mean?" He tried to be cheeky but she wasn't fooled.

"Heh heh, the technology level on this world seems pretty behind the times from what I've glimpsed. The magitech in this city is pretty impressive but it doesn't look like it's been capable of sustaining space travel for a long, LONG time."

Sarajin couldn't help but grin at her enthusiasm piecing this mystery together but had to cut her off with a simple, "Sorry, have to keep my lips shut."

"Respectable," She said rather plainly, "But that's a mere stopgap for my brilliant mind!"

"It's fun to explore new lands though isn't it?"

"I've had plenty of close encounters..." Sarajin said with a bit of nervousness.

"Aye! Monsters and villains alike plague the unknown lands! But I do not go down so easily, bwahahaha!"

Sarajin looked at her to get a sense of her strength but her energy seemed to all be focused into her emotions over raw power.

"Looks can be deceiving though." He thought with a scratch of his head and a fond smile.

He was able to keep her attention long enough to get them around to the other side of the pyramid and thus a few steps within reach of the palace.

As expected Gabriel caught wind of the new stranger to these parts and got away from his post to confront her, and by extension him on the matter.

"Sarajin, I know you take your freedom here lightly, but that's no excuse to-"

"AHA!" Shouted Catherine, running straight up against Gabriel and rubbing her pointer finger down his bicep.

He quickly got uncomfortable as she withdrew that finger into her mouth and started sucking on it.

With a "Pop!" she pinched her fingers together and murmured, "No paint residue...It's real!"

She then crossed her arms and started to guffaw loudly, "Bwahahaha! I KNEW it...! There ARE others just like me out there!"

Gabriel shook his head and muttered, "What are you talking about? Sarajin, who is this obnoxious little girl?"

"Ah, you probably can't tell with my cloaking device on. Lemme fix that riiiight up!" Catherine then tapped a round metal band hidden under her sleeve and in the blink of an eye, her skin turned a light shade of yellow.

Sarajin was taken aback while Gabriel instantly sucked his lips in with his pupils shrunken.

Catherine crossed her arms and giggled, "I should've been looking like this from the start, but who wants to go around being compared to pee all the time?!"

Gabriel took a couple steps back and Sarajin wound up drawing unneeded attention to that by saying, "Hey...you alright?"

"Sarajin, please take this girl out of here right now. Lord Borealis does not need these complications in his life-"

"Borealis? So THAT'S your leader's name? Sounds majestic and powerful! So, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to say 'Hi'-"

She tried to sneak into the front doors but Gabriel barred the path with a wall of aura and shouted, "Absolutely NOT!"

Catherine banged her head against it and stumbled back.

"Gabriel...!" Shouted Sarajin in disbelief.

Gabriel then firmly grasped the girl's shoulder and looked her dead in the eyes, trying his hardest to remain calm, "Listen, I do not know what assumptions led you to these lands, but you need to forget you ever found this city and LEAVE. Understand me?"

Catherine blinked a few times and then wiggled her glasses up with a smile, "Weeeeeell now you've just made me more curious!"

Gabriel bit his teeth and gave her a quick gentle shake, "I said do you understand me?!"

"Alright alright, geez. Tough security," Catherine slipped out of his grasp and took another look at the wall in her path before letting out a sigh, "If only I had brought my phase shift bracelet with me..."

She then turned to Sarajin and shouted, "Well if you need me, I'll be taking a look around the rest of the city!"

She waltzed off and Gabriel was ready to give pursuit, "Now wait just a moment...!"

But Sarajin barred his path and had to get in close and personal to make him settle down a little, "What's going on? This isn't like you."

Gabriel's skin turned a little pale and he stepped back with a heavy sigh and forehead wrinkles so deep they could fit a moat of water.

"Sarajin...there are simply some things that are better left buried in the past, forever."

"...But she IS connected to you in some way?" Was all Sarajin had to know.

"...Yes," Gabriel said following a long and terrifying pause. With a forlorn gaze he saw that girl running around excitedly through the city and murmured, "I long wished I was the only victim of that terrifying scheme, but in the back of my mind I always told myself 'There had to be others'."

He laid a hand atop his sheath and calmed down, "But I swore an oath. I have neither the time nor the resources to seek them out."

Sarajin peeked back and then glanced at him, sympathetic to her curiosity, "She really wants to learn more about where her powers came from. Couldn't you at least teach her?"

Gabriel slanted his brows and hung his head, feeling a bit of shame, "She has no place on this world, Sarajin. It's for the best if she leaves as soon as possible."

Sarajin puckered his lower lip and then turned around fully to find that she's disappeared. But she left a trail in her wake that made it easy to hunt her down around the opposite side of the palace.

She was using the tops of the huts to try and find another way in, but got too high on her toes and stumbled onto the ground.

Sarajin slid in and caught her then helped her onto her feet.

"Thank you!" She proclaimed, "Gravity just really isn't my side today, ha ha!"

Sarajin then scratched the side of his face and awkwardly tried to ask her, "Hey Catherine, how are you planning on leaving the planet?"

"What, tired of me already?"

Sarajin shook his head, "I'm just worried how you're going to get home."

"Like I said, I have experience. My shuttle only took major damage on the bottom and in the thrusters. As long as I can earth up a decent supply of metal I'll be back in my space station in little less than a week!"

Sarajin sprung at the chance to help, "I can give you all the metal you need."

"I appreciate the offer, but I can handle this just fine on my own!" Catherine proclaimed, "And make no mistake, I ain't giving up on learning more about the origin of my powers, so it's not like you'll see the last of me anytime soon!"

"...Will you at least accept my hospitality? You'd have to sleep on the couch, but my wife and I will be more than happy to take care of you."

"Mmmmm, alright, you drive a hard bargain, Sarajin!" She held her hand and Sarajin shook it, much to her delight.

"Heh heh! Now, where shall the mystery hunting cutie go next?!" She wiggled her glasses until the lens' were coated with white light and then pointed her finger to the northwest, "Thattaway!"

She broke into a sprint and left a breeze in her wake.

Sarajin smiled. This was a nice change of pace, and a part of him hoped that she would stick around for a while longer than she estimated.

But for now, he had to keep up with her courageous charge of curiosity before she got into trouble...

"Hey wait up, I'll show you around!"

Next Time: One's Justice