Chapter Eight

About a week or so later, Jeddite was about to complete work on another monster in his secret base of operations. He had worked on it whenever possible, and tried to take into account the fact that it would have to fight against two Scouts, and perhaps one or two of their allies, after he released it from its cube somewhere. Quite obviously, he didn't know yet just how successful it would be against them, of course. But he still hoped that it'd be quite successful against them, just the same.

He worked on it until just after 3:30 pm on October 1, 1990, when he realized that he'd done all that he could do for it here. At least at the current time, anyway.

Jeddite soon put it in a cube then in his workshop. Then he put that cube in a pocket under his usual Arabic-style disguise. He left his base not long after doing that, hailing a taxi just as soon as he could do that here. After getting into the taxi, he asked the cabdriver to deliver him to a park somewhere in the area, and they did so. He paid the driver as needed, and then exited the cab. Once the driver left him there, he looked all over the park for a good place to leave his cube, and finally decided to leave it in the mouth of a lion statue. After he did so, he soon went to another part of the park at least a quarter of it away, in order to wait for the proper time to release the monster from its cube here.

As he waited, he wondered if the monster would be able to be more successful against the Scouts or their allies than his earlier three monsters had been so far. Of course, he hoped that they would be, but also still realized that might not actually prove to be the case here for him or that particular monster. He waited for a while, before releasing the monster. He released them just a few minutes before Sylvia and Kiena eventually arrived at the park as well, at most, and the monster suddenly took over a park worker quite secretly and quite silently.

Meanwhile, as Sylvia was about to leave school again, she met up rather unexpectedly with Kiena. Kiena said, just as soon as she could pull Sylvia into a currently-empty room, "It seems I've just gotten a strange feeling here, Sylvia."

"Describe that feeling as briefly and as accurately as you can, please, then, Kiena." So Kiena did so. After she did so, Sylvia said, "I wonder if our unseen enemy is about to try to cause trouble for us here in the area again."

"I hope not. This is for all the obvious reasons here, of course. Do you happen to know just where I live now?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, if my feeling proves sufficiently accurate, would you like me to show you where it is? Supposing I get a chance to do so, of course."

"Sure, why not? I mean, we might have to be with each other quite a bit in the future, right? So if that might be the case, it might be best if we know where the other one of us lives, if at all possible, Kiena."

Several minutes later, then, they were off the school's grounds, and heading for a nearby park, of course. Just after they parked their vehicles near that park, then, they found a suitable enough place to transform, and did so as quickly and as inconspicuously as possible. They did that as the park began to fill up with many students who'd just gotten out of their schools for the rest of the day.

Just a few moments after going to that place to transform, at most, they were Skyhorse and Renaissance, respectively. They didn't know yet just where in the park they'd have to go. But they'd eventually find out, when the need arose for them to do so here. In the meantime, they prepared for action. Even while keeping their assorted weapons hidden for the moment in their respective pockets of a sort.

Eventually, they arrived near enough to where the monster and assorted other people in the park were beginning to wreak havoc in it. And where they were trying to drain energy from whatever and whoever they could drain it from at that time, for that matter. Skyhorse and Renaissance watched them for a little while from behind a large bush, so as to remain hidden until they felt they'd have to show themselves here. They studied the situation for a little while, so as to hopefully figure out better how to position themselves in order to deal with it most effectively, and how to fight that monster, of course.

Eventually, Skyhorse had Renaissance sneak through the park as safely as she could to another place in it, so that she and Ren could hopefully attack the monster from two directions at the same time. When she got sufficiently good confirmation that Ren was where she wanted her now, Sky told her to stay there until the need arose for her to move again here, of course. Ren confirmed those orders, and then closed the channel. Skyhorse soon showed herself, once she was ready to do so well enough.

Seconds later, after Skyhorse made a short introductory speech, similar to her previous ones, Renaissance showed as well, and made an introductory speech of her own. The monster introduced herself as Ibudia, after showing herself here, in fact. Ibudia periodically sent various substances their way. Especially ones that had to deal with cleaning supplies.

She looked much, though not entirely, like a custodian at the current time, and had assorted tools and equipment, such as hoses, at her current disposal. They both dodged her attacks as best as they could. Even after she made many of the people around her apparently try to cause them problems during the battle.

If they were forced to do so, they fought against her unwilling and unknowing assistants, of course. But they were as careful as they could currently be to not give those people any permanent injuries or wounds, in fact. Even if it meant they themselves had to take some hits from them or Ibudia while doing so, they still did so.

Eventually, while they were still battling here, the Pilgrim, Isaiah, and Serenade showed up. Skyhorse and Renaissance both warned Moonlight Serenade and Isaiah both not to harm the unwilling and unknowing helpers of Ibudia here, if it could possibly be avoided at all. They didn't have to do the same for Pilgrim, in fact. For he saw immediately, as he arrived, what the situation was for them all at the current time in the battle.

Pilgrim soon made a rather brief speech, as usual, and then engaged several of the people fighting against Sky and Ren in the battle. He soon had several people rendered sufficiently unconscious in it, by wise use of his available weapons, et cetera, in fact. After which, he eventually departed, when his presence was no longer required at the battle's location.

As for Serenade and Isaiah, while often working together, they helped knock more of Ibudia's unknowing assistants out of the fight, as needed, by rendering them unconscious as well, just as soon as they could do so. When their presence was no longer required anywhere in the park, they too departed the scene, just as soon as they could do so safely enough and well enough.

After everyone who had participated in the fight besides Skyhorse, Renaissance, and Ibudia had left or been rendered unconscious, Sky and Ren did a combination attack on Ibudia to weaken her enough to hopefully allow Sky to finish her off. The attack reduced Ibudia's defenses to nothing, leaving her completely unable to defend herself any longer in the present battle. Ten seconds later, then, Ibudia was completely destroyed as necessary. As was her cube, of course. As Ibudia was being destroyed in the prescribed manner, the formerly demon-controlled host body was also restored quite completely as then needed here, for the obvious reasons.

As soon as they could slip away, then, they did so. And they found a safe enough place to power down again, just as soon as they could. After finding that place, and after seeing it was then safe enough for them to do so currently, they both powered down again. And they became just Sylvia and Kiena again, of course.

Some time later, they found other things to do for them both, and split from each other for at least a little while, if not for a long while. Sylvia went to the same library where she'd earlier met Rolando rather unexpectedly. While Kiena went to the Athletic Club to participate in a dance class there with Leah and several other people she then knew in her life.

Sylvia stayed at the library until about 7, and then left it for Sweet Musicalisti. But she didn't go straight there from the library, in fact. For she made a brief stop at Wakefield Castle to change into some suitable riding attire, and to pick up another change of clothes for herself. Her sister Martha asked, before she could leave Wakefield Castle again, "Are you going to see Moonlight Serenade again, Sylvia?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. Why do you ask?"

"You seem to be spending nearly every day with him, Sylvia. Is he really a good horse?"

"The best I've ever ridden, I think, Martha."

"Really? Do you think I could see him someday?"

"We'll see. But just not for a while. He's still getting used to being around me, Martha. Perhaps later, I can let you see him."

The two sisters conversed with each other for just a few moments more, before Sylvia left Wakefield Castle again for Sweet Musicalisti. After Sylvia left, Martha found Rebecca, and found her in their room again.

When Martha returned to the bedroom that she shared with Rebecca, Rebecca said, "It seems like something's on your mind, Martha."

"Yes, you might say that, Becky." Martha was now about five or so months past her last birthday, which had been her 7th. As for Rebecca, she was about two or so months past her 12th birthday. Their brother Ulysses was about six or so weeks past his 10th birthday, as well.

Martha was a girl with roughly shoulder-length dark brown hair, and she was often interested in helping Sylvia in her garden. She had bright green moderately-set eyes. She sometimes would wear glasses, especially when reading.

"What or who is on your mind right now?"

As for Rebecca, she was the kind of girl who often liked reading about horses and other assorted animals. In the past, Sylvia had quite often taken Rebecca to stables with her when she went riding. But not lately, due to certain things that'd happened in the area for a while now, for the obvious reasons, of course.

"Our sister, that's who."

Whether that would always remain the case was yet to be seen. But Rebecca was still really hoping that Sylvia would eventually be able to do that again in the future, just the same. Time would tell if that'd ever happen again for them both, of course.

"What about her?"

Rebecca, unlike either Martha or Sylvia, had black hair which she normally wore in a ponytail tied with a pink and navy blue hairbow near her scalp, whenever possible. Otherwise, she generally wore her roughly mid-back-length hair in a bun or in braids, if she could do so well enough at a certain time. If she had to, or wanted to, wear it completely unbound, though, she usually wore it in a somewhat wavy style, by the way.

"She seems to be more intent of late on being away from us than usual."

"Well, she is a junior in high school. I'm sure a lot of high school juniors don't spend a lot of time with their families, Martha."

"Are you thinking you might be like her when you're her age?"

"No, but I suspect that I might be working after school at that age, if the need arises, Martha. And what's wrong with being like her?"

"Nothing, as long as one isn't too intent on forgetting to spend time with those people who are closest to them in their lives, whenever possible."

"Have you thought that maybe she's possibly gotten a new job of some sort?"

"If that were true, don't you think she'd be making money from it?"

"Perhaps. At least if it's the kind of job that might pay money, of course. Perhaps she's not working on that kind of job, Martha. Maybe she's been working on a job that doesn't pay her anything at all."

"Then why do such a job, if you can't profit financially from it?"

"Maybe it pays in other ways that can't be measured in terms of money, if she has such a job. If she does have such a job, I have no idea how she might be paid for doing it, if at all."

"I miss the times we used to spend together, Rebecca." Rebecca began to brush out Martha's hair, at Martha's request.

"Well, Martha, so do I. But she's eventually going to be moving out of our house, I think. And she may be doing it sooner than you and I might like. When she goes to college, she might leave us to reside in a dormitory, or not, depending on where she might go to school. If she goes overseas, for instance, she'll have to move from here on at least a temporary basis. If she ever gets married, then she won't be staying here with us any longer."

"And what about you?"

"The same things might be true for me, when my time comes to leave the nest. And for Uly or you, when your times also come for you in your lives, for that matter."

Ulysses Wakefield currently had black hair worn in a near-crewcut style. He also was of rather moderate build for his age, and in above-average shape for boys of it. He was also somewhat interested in horses. But his current main interests were model cars and postage stamp collecting. Especially ones that were from the United States in both cases. In terms of model cars, that meant that he was currently quite interested in models of assorted American-made cars. Such as the '69 Dodge Charger that'd been made famous in a now-ended American television show called "The Dukes of Hazzard," in fact. That Dodge Charger was called "General Lee," after an American Confederate General from the American Civil War, by the way.

"And then who'll be with Mom and Dad, when we leave?"

"Nobody, unless they take in other people, or have more children. The latter isn't very likely, it seems to me. And I don't think they'd be wanting to take in others around here, in terms of the former. So they'll be an empty-nest couple again, I think, when we all leave."

"And what will that mean for us, if that's eventually the case for us here?"

"By then, we should be in college, or done with it, most ideally."

"I mean, in terms of our relationships with each other, Becky."

"I have no idea how our relationships will go after we start to leave this house, Martha. I realize you'd really like to be with Syl a lot in the future. But you should know that it's probably not going to be the case that she'll be spending as much time with you or any of the rest of us as she used to. She's growing up, and so are the rest of us. I mean among the four of us kids, of course. She's less than two years away from finishing high school. She can't be with us forever. Sylvia needs to have a life of her own, and maybe she's starting to get one, if she didn't have one before school started for us last month."

"Does this seem fair that she hasn't been with us as much as she used to be during a typical school year, Rebecca?"

"It may not seem that way, to you, at least. But it's apparently the way that things will have to be from now on for all of us. No matter how much we might all prefer otherwise."

"I don't think it's very fair, Becky."

"It may not be. But it is what it is."

"So what do you suggest I do?" Rebecca finished brushing out Martha's hair. And then Martha began working on Becky's hair as Becky now wanted her to work on it.

"Treasure every moment that you have with her to the best of your ability to do so, Martha. For you may not have very many from now on. At least while she's still with us, if I'm not too mistaken here."

"And after she leaves, then what?"

"Perhaps things will change to allow you to spend more time with each other in the future. However, I'd not expect that to happen at least until she finishes her schooling and begins her professional career, whatever it might prove to be, just so you know, Martha."

"So you think things might very well never be just like they were when we were all younger again, Becky?" Martha then began to braid Rebecca's hair, after first having brushed it out enough to suit them both here.

"That's a very distinct possibility. She also seems to be much more serious about things in her life of late. I don't know why, but it just seems to be the case for her here and now, Martha."

"And what do you think of that?"

"Well, I suppose, and I hope, that it's for the better, from what I can currently tell of her recent change in personality. She was periodically rather serious before, but she's become even more so of late, it seems to me here and now, Martha."

"I wonder why she's changed, if that's true."

"I don't know. But if she has, then it's her business. Not anyone else's, unless she chooses to make it so, of course, Martha."

"I hope she's not getting herself into any trouble, of course."

"So do I. But if she chooses to have secrets, that's her right, within logical enough reason, of course. If not, then that's her right as well. And we all still have to respect her privacy if and whenever possible in the future. Just like we've always done, Martha. She's done the same for us, for as long as I can remember, so we still have to do that, if and whenever possible."

The two of them talked for a little while longer, until Rebecca was satisfied enough with her hair at present, and had Martha stop working with it. By that time, Martha had put Becky's hair in two braids, and secured those braids with bands at both ends of each of them as needed.

Martha and Rebecca soon began working on their homework in their room. And they worked on it until their mother Esther called them for supper later on. They set their books aside, and went where necessary in Wakefield Castle to have their suppers with each other, their parents, and Ulysses, who was then wearing a simple shirt, jeans, and sneakers. At that time, the necessary place was the dining room, in fact.

The present Wakefields then had their suppers with each other, and parted not long afterward from each other as needed or desired for them all. They, in fact, all went to their respective bedrooms in rather short order, when they could then do so well enough. Including, of course, Becky and Martha. By the time that Sylvia finally returned home, Martha and Becky, for example, were already quite asleep again in their respective beds.

Meanwhile, as Rebecca and Martha were either spending time with each other or eating, Sylvia was either in transit somewhere between Wakefield Castle and Sweet Musicalisti, or she was spending time with Moonlight Serenade. Most likely, the latter, in fact. Not long after she got to Sweet Musicalisti, she saddled him up and rode him off its grounds.

Sylvia rode him for a while all over the area, even when she was Skyhorse. She patrolled for a while in the area with him. And they conversed at least a little bit more with each other about whatever people or things then came to mind for themselves. If not a lot more, in actual reality, for that matter.

While they were still patrolling, Isaiah suddenly flew toward them, and overtook them near the Flowers Gate. When Skyhorse brought Serenade into a nearby alley to where they were, Isaiah said, as soon as he could, "There are several more Arab terrorists to fight now, Skyhorse. It seems they are trying to take over a movie theater, and will soon take hostages. The police are trying to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, of course, while they're trying to resolve the situation peaceably. But the terrorists don't seem to want to listen to them. It seems like they want to wreak havoc. Kiena is inbound, but she'll probably need your help in dealing with them. I also think I saw Pilgrim starting to head that way, for some yet-unknown reason, while we're at it."

"How many more, perhaps, Isaiah?" asked Moonlight Serenade.

"From what I could gather, at least a dozen or so, if not more, you two. The police seem to think they might possibly be from Islamic Jihad, Hamas, or Hezbollah, if I'm not too mistaken here. They might even be connected to the terrorists that you fought earlier when you defended the mall against them."

"I see. Well, then, I suppose we might just have to fight them, if Kiena's on the way there, at least, if not also the Pilgrim," said Skyhorse.

They conversed only a little while longer with each other before exiting the required alley here. Isaiah flashed out of the area quite quickly, winging his way toward where he thought he might be able to meet up with Kiena a little later. Skyhorse and Serenade left that alley only when it might be safe enough for them to do so, of course. And then they set off for that theater as well, in very short order.

Some time later, at around 8:30 pm local time, Skyhorse, Moonlight Serenade, Pilgrim, Isaiah, and Renaissance met about a block away from where the terrorists were currently holed up in the movie theater. They briefly discussed the situation with each other as needed, so that they'd hopefully know what was going on better, during the course of the likely battle. Eventually, they felt they'd discussed their options as best as their current situation allowed them to do that here. And they soon took up the appropriate positions in and around the movie theater, as needed.

Ten minutes after parting from each other, they were in their chosen positions in and around the movie theater. Serenade and Isaiah stayed outside, while the others sneaked in and prepared to engage the terrorists when and if the need arose for them to do so here. They didn't have to wait long, in fact, before the terrorists began acting as expected. The terrorists began taking hostages, and threatening to blow up the theater. When that happened, Skyhorse realized, "These people must be insane! There are about a hundred or so others in the theater here, at least, if not more than that."

She prepared to act, just as soon as she could, in order to take out as many of the terrorists as possible, as safely as possible. But she still had to wait for them to make enough bad mistakes to allow her to do that well enough, for the obvious reasons, of course. Eventually, they did so, and were close enough to her to allow her to act as she then needed to here. She whipped out her sword, just as soon as she could do it safely enough, and began taking them out, one at a time. As she did so, her human allies began acting as well. They soon engaged those terrorists, and took out others. As several of the Arab terrorists tried to get away from where Skyhorse, Renaissance, and the Pilgrim were then fighting them, by trying to get out of the theater, they were all met by Moonlight Serenade and Isaiah.

Serenade and Isaiah then went to work on them all, as quickly and as safely as they could do so here. By the time that they were both done doing so, to the best of their current abilities to do so, not one single Arab terrorist who'd somehow made their ways out of the theater again was still alive. For they'd been taken out by the police, Serenade, or Isaiah, in whatever ways had then been necessary.

As for any or all of the terrorists still inside the theater, Skyhorse, Renaissance, and the Pilgrim eventually had knocked them all completely out of the fight. Either by killing them or by otherwise making it impossible for them to continue fighting against the Scouts and their human ally, in fact. By the time that the situation had been totally resolved, as needed, the bomb the terrorists had threatened to detonate inside the theater was defused, about a minute from when it would likely have exploded. And all but two or three terrorists they'd just engaged were dead or dying, and the other terrorists were dealt with as then necessary. With that being the case here, the police and required emergency personnel soon attended to the necessary people in the theater, of course. Not even one civilian was harmed in any permanent enough way in the theater during the foiled terrorist attack, in actual reality. Only the terrorists were harmed in such a way, and only because they all refused to behave in a civil enough manner, there. Much to their mutual detriments, by the way.

Ten minutes or so after the situation was resolved completely as it then had been, Skyhorse and her allies, whether human or not, left the scene as safely and as quickly as they could. And they did so before assorted media personnel could catch them well enough there in any way whatsoever, for that matter. After leaving the area of the theater behind again as needed, Skyhorse and Serenade resumed their current patrolling of the Jerusalem area with each other. When they resumed their current patrolling of that area, it was then just about 9:30 pm local time.

They both eventually returned to Sweet Musicalisti by 10:15 pm, with Sylvia having first powered out of her Sailor Scout state again, of course. By 10:45 pm, then, he'd been taken care of well enough by Sylvia as needed, with a little help from both Reuben and Timothy, if required here. She stayed with him a bit longer, just to be with him then, before she left him alone again. Sylvia then went to the necessary place elsewhere on the stable's complex, so as to get cleaned up and changed into other clothes again, for the obvious reasons. By 11:10, she was done getting cleaned up, et cetera, and she soon left the complex completely again.

She headed straight home again, just as safely and as quickly as she could, in her van. Stopping briefly at an ice cream shop, she got herself a milkshake and a sundae there. She also bought some ice cream for the rest of her family, for that matter. She had the fruit-covered sundae in that shop, and the chocolate milkshake on the way back to Wakefield Castle. Sylvia soon drove away from that ice cream shop, and then headed home for the rest of the night.

She arrived home just after 11:40 pm, and put the remaining ice cream that she'd just purchased in the Wakefields' refrigerator as needed. That done, she soon retired to her room for the rest of the night. She worked for a while on her homework, where necessary, before closing her books, and climbing into her bed again. She read and wrote in her journal for a little while, before turning off her light, and falling asleep. About five or so minutes later, at most, then, she was lost again in any of the countless lands of dreams. And dreaming more of long-ago times and places, for that matter. Even without actually realizing it, at least as of the current time, anyway.