Note: Sorry guys! I know, I suck for not updating in like forever. Still love me? Also, the Buddha joke in no way reflects how I feel about the religion, it was just a way for Maria to rag on Kyle.
It was nearing dusk by the time Jim pulled up to the caves. Everyone piled out. Ava stood by the car and stared up at the rocky structure.
"So, this is where yous guys hatched?" Ava asked, casting a glance at Max, Michael and Isabel. Isabel nodded.
"Yeah." She said.
"Lucky." Ava muttered. Max looked at her, remembering seeing the dupe pods in the sewer in New York. He could understand her feeling a little jealous—them being placed in a secure cave, her and the others in a cold damp sewer. It's only natural that they grew up knowing they were less then their doubles. They were the inferior ones. Everyone was torn from their thoughts as Sierra clasped her hands together.
"Everyone ready?" She asked. The others, unsure what was expected of them, simply nodded. They all slowly trekked up the hill, once they were at the top, everyone looked at Sierra expectantly. Sierra chewed on her lip, deep in thought.
"Well?" Kyle asked. Sierra blinked and looked at him.
"Hang on, I'm trying to remember how this went." She said. Kyle's jaw fell open.
"You mean you don't even remember what happened!" He exclaimed. Liz, who was standing next to him, pinched some of the skin on his arm, telling him to shut up. "Oww!" He exclaimed, jumping a bit.
"I remember." Sierra said, giving Kyle an indignant look. "Just, give me a second." She said. She closed her eyes for a second as it slowly came back to her. She opened them and looked at everyone. "All right, you guys," she said, pointing to Liz, Kyle, Michael, Max, Isabel and Ava. "Sit over there in a circle." She said, pointing to the entrance to the cave. Max and Liz sat together. Kyle went to sit beside Liz when Sierra's voice stopped him. "Kyle, since you and Liz don't have fully developed powers yet, you should have one of the full fledged aliens sit between you and her." She said. Ava, who was closest, took the spot next to Liz and Kyle sat beside her. Sierra smirked and cast a look at Michael. Michael rolled his eyes and sat next to Kyle. Isabel was the last to sit as she took the spot between her brother and Michael. "Okay, everyone hold hands. Max had no problem taking Isabel and Liz's hands, neither did Liz with Ava, Ava with Kyle or Isabel with Michael. Sierra noticed that Michael and Kyle weren't holding hands. She frowned. "Is there a problem, boys?" She asked. Kyle turned his head and looked at her.
"How about he and Isabel switch?" Kyle asked.
"Kyle, holding Michael's hand doesn't make you less manly or anything." Maria said. "Although, all that Buddha crap might." She muttered.
"Hey!" Kyle yelled.
"Kyle, will you quit being such an idiot and just hold Michael's hand?" Isabel said, a little annoyed. Kyle groaned and put his hand out for Michael to take.
"You tell anyone about this and-" Kyle began. Michael rolled his eyes and took the guy's hand.
"You think I want this getting around?" He asked.
"All right, if everyone's done with the jokes and complaints," Sierra said, her voice a little hard. "We can continue." She stepped over to the circle and stood behind Michael. "I need all of you guys to close your eyes and breathe in and out."
"What, meditating is going to get you to Antar?" Michael asked. Sierra jabbed the toe of her foot in the small of her back. "Sorry." Michael said.
"Now, as I was saying." Sierra said. "Eyes closed." She said. She watched as everyone closed their eyes. "Now breathe in through your noses slowly, then breathe out through your mouth even slower." Sierra heard the sound of everyone slowly breathing in and out. "Keep breathing, after a while, it's going to feel like second nature." She instructed. Ten minutes passed of them just sitting there breathing. "All right, now, everyone, imagine a small dot of light. Concentrate on that dot of light. Visualize it. Imagine that dot of light getting bigger and bigger." She said. She left them at that as she walked back over to where Jim and Maria stood. "I need you two to make sure nothing goes wrong." She said. "No matter what, don't let them let go of each other's hands until either I'm back, or-" Jim looked at her, understanding what the "or" was. He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"There isn't going to be an or." He said. Sierra looked at him and sighed.
"If I'm not back in an hour, you break the circle, got it?" She instructed. "If you see anyone who isn't me trying to come out, you don't even think about hesitating, you break that circle. If-"
"Oh god." Maria breathed out. Sierra looked at her and saw her eyes were trained on the circle. Sierra and Jim looked over and saw a small ring of light in the middle of the circle. Sierra smiled softly.
"Wow, it didn't take as long as I thought it would have." She said. She looked back at Jim and Maria. "Remember what I said." She told them as she began to walk over to the circle.
"Wait." Maria called after her. Sierra stopped and turned back and saw Maria walking over to her. "What was the last if?" She asked. Sierra wasn't sure what she meant but then quickly realized she had been cut off before.
"Using up all this power is probably going to have some physical effects on them, especially Kyle and Liz." Sierra said. "As much as you and Valenti are going to want to run over and help them all and everything, you can't, understand? Even if they start bleeding from their ears or something, you can not touch them until it's time to break the circle. If you even tap them, you run the risk of breaking their concentration and then everything's over, okay?" Maria pursed her lips, not particularly liking the idea of seeing her boyfriend and friends in pain. "Maria, do you understand?" Sierra asked.
"Yes." Maria said.
"Good. Now, knowing Valenti, he's probably going to want to go all protective mode the minute they look like they're in any distress, especially with Kyle, I don't care how you have to do it, but you keep him away." Maria nodded. Sierra turned over to the circle and saw the ring getting bigger and bigger.
"Be careful." Maria said softly, taking Sierra's hand in hers and squeezing it gently. Sierra turned back to Maria. She gave a curt nod and a half smile. Maria slowly released her hand as Sierra continued on her way to the circle. She stopped and turned back to Maria.
"Maria." She called to her. Maria went over to her. As soon as she was close enough, Sierra pulled Maria into a tight hug. Maria reciprocated the embrace. Sierra planted her chin on Maria's shoulder. "In case I don't come back," she whispered to Maria. "I want you to know the truth." She said. "You're my mother." She said. Maria couldn't help it as a soft sob escaped her lips as she heard those words. She tightened her hold on Sierra. She wasn't sure if she was crying tears of joy because she now knew the truth and the truth was she was going to have a family with Michael, or if they were tears of sorrow over the fact that her daughter was about to enter in a dangerous situation. Sierra and Maria stayed in the embrace for a bit before the wind picked up around them, signaling the portal was open wide enough. Sierra placed her hands on Maria's shoulders to push out of the hug. Maria was less than willing to let her go.
"Don't, don't go." She pleaded. Sierra was beginning to be blinded by her own tears as she continued to push Maria away. She was finally able to get Maria to let go. Maria placed a hand over her mouth as she tried to hold in her sobs. Sierra took a deep breath.
"I'm doing this to save us, all of us." Sierra assured her. Maria slowly stepped back and rejoined Jim as Sierra walked to the circle. She stood by where Ava and Kyle's hands joined and stopped, taking in a few deep breaths. She slowly lifted her foot up and stepped over their hands, careful not to jar them at all. She slowly brought her other foot in. Once she was inside the circle, she stood up straight, squaring her shoulders and walked through the portal, disappearing in its depths. Maria's knees buckled under her and Jim held her up.
"She'll be back." He assured her, hugging her close to him. "She'll be back."