Dawn of a New Era
Chapter 24: A Birthday to Remember
Jasmine's Point of View:
It had been weeks since our encounter with my father, his escape, our parents joining us in our journey and my recovery from my fever. Not really much has come up since then, except for the fact that it's my birthday. But I'm not really expecting much, since last year, I got nothing, not even a 'Happy Birthday' from my family. It fells awful, like a painful swelling inside your heart, that's how it felt last time, because I was heart broken. I was a young teen looking forward to her fourteenth birthday, only to be cast aside like normal, no cake, no presents, no one to celebrate the day with, I felt like I no longer mattered. It hurt.
I let the painful feelings leave me and I pushed myself out of bed and changed into a pair of black sweatpants and a green spaghetti strap shirt before heading out of my room and into the kitchen to make breakfast. When I got there though, I was surprised to see everyone else making breakfast. Olivia was not cooking however because I bet the others would think she'd eat it all. Rose worked on the bacon, Rover cooked the sausage, June flipped pancakes, Cobi pulled a set of French toast off the burner, Gabriella had set the table and Annabel had done a fruit salad.
"What's going on here?" I couldn't help but ask. The others turned around to me and grinned.
"We're making breakfast today!" Olivia exclaimed as she pulled me over to a chair and I sat down.
"I can see that, but why? I always make breakfast for you guys, why the sudden change of heart?"
"As you said, you always make breakfast," Cobi reminded me. "So today, we deicided to do that for you. Even you Jasmine need a break every now and then too. It's the least we can do for all that you have done for us."
"Also, we invited our parents over. I hope you don't mind." Gabriella noted to me. It didn't bother me in the least, but what are they planning? I know that their up to something, they all are.
It was then that I heard a 'meow' at my feet. Midnight stood there, her beady golden eyes looking into my own, a silent begging. She rubbed herself against the side of my leg before she jumped into my lap and curled into a comfortable position. "I have nothing against it." I told them, my eyes focused on the sweet kitten in my lap.
"That reminds me Jazz," Cobi turned around to face me. "We're stopping on a near by planet called Dixon and was wondering of you would accompany me on the surface there today?" I raised my eyebrow at him.
"And if I did agree, what would we do?"
"We would go out to shop where ever you wished and go for a nice long walk together, just the two of us, and go out for lunch." He listed off, not phased by my question. "Maybe head over to a fair I heard they were having today and go on some rides, well, that is if you plan to accompany me."
I rose from my seat and stood before him, smirking. "I'll play your little game, but I will find out what you all are planning."
"What are you talking about Jazz?" Rose asked, trying to suppress a smile of her own.
"You know what I'm talking about Rose, but I'll play along… for now." I turned to sit back down in my seat as my team looked at me puzzled, I guess they hadn't thought that I would have caught on as fast as I did.
The team got back to work before dipping up everyone's plate and digging into their breakfast. Just after eating the first few bits, my mother came threw with the other Hyper Force behind her. My team ran to greet their parents and I got up to welcome my mother in.
"Hi Mom." I said softly. She smiled back at me.
"Hello Jasmine." She greeted me. "Thank you for letting us come over."
"I'm just glad to be with you again Mom." I hugged her, and I felt her hug me back. Midnight, not liking that she wasn't getting any attention, jumped onto my shoulder and rubbed her body against the back of my neck.
"Alight, alright! I'll feed you!" I exclaimed, releasing my mother from my grasp and walked over to the stove to fix a plate of food for the annoying, yet adorable kitten. Once I made it, I set it at the table and she jumped off my shoulder to eat while the rest of us laughter at her behavior.
"Quite the fussy kitten you have there." Sprx remarked.
"And yet, she can get away with it, being as cute as she is!" Nova laughed, stroking the kitten as she ate. Midnight stopped for a moment from eating her breakfast and let her body rub against Nova's hand, happy for the attention.
"Its quite interesting to see the team you have now with you Jasmine." Antauri told me, making his way over to me threw floating in the air. "Not only do you have our children with you, but you've also been accompanied by two other humans and a kitten, that when angered, transforms and could be dangerous, but it is protective of you. I did not think you would gain such a large team."
"Neither did any of us Antauri." Gibson said before turning to his daughter and Sprx and Nova's son. "Nor did I expect to think that you two would have gotten together in the time that we were separated from you. I honestly thought that the two of you were never going to get together." Gabriella looked at him sadly.
"Does that mean you don't approve Daddy?" She asked him, practically in tears. Gibson raced to calm her as Rover was held by his parents and watched Gibson try to fix what he had said to Gabriella.
"No Gabriella, what I meant by that was, I was surprised. I never said I didn't approve of your relationship. Just promise me you two won't do anything until you're of a higher and wiser age." Gabriella and Rover blushed a bright red at this and Gabriella hugged her father, happy for his approval of the relationship.
"I heard that you and Cobi are heading down on to the planet below for the day." My mother told me.
"We are." I said, looking away from the two blue monkeys.
She sighed after a long silence. "Just stay out of trouble." I couldn't help but laugh.
"Mom, there is no way I can promise that."
"She's right Aunt Jinmay." June said. "Trouble follows us everywhere, like I bet it did with you along time ago as well. The only thing any of us could promise you is that we'll try to stay out of trouble, but then again, no promises."
"June's right Mom." I told her, finishing up my plate. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get changed into some fitting clothes for the fair." I headed back out to my room and started to change for my day out with Cobi.
Cobi's Point of View:
I watched Jasmine leave the kitchen, and as soon as she was out of sight, the team burst with the real matter of what was happening today. Jasmine and I heading out to the fair is to give her a good time as well as get her out of the robot, so the others can set up her birthday party. We all knew that Jazz didn't even have a birthday last year, thanks to the queen of dead, so we're throwing the biggest bash we can muster to make up for that.
"Thanks again for doing this Cobi." Jinmay said to me. "Show her a good time and we'll radio you in when we're done."
"Will do Mom." I told her, pulling on a light black jacket due to the colder climate here on this planet. "You just make sure she's got a good party to come back too."
"Oh don't worry, we will." June said.
"Yeah, party is my middle name; the girl won't know what to do with the party when she gets it." Rose said. "Or with all the presents that we're getting her." Rose looked at me harshly. "You did get her a present, right Cobi?"
"Of course I did Rose!" I snapped at her. "Do you really think I would forget about my girlfriend's birthday and not get her a present?" Rose held her hands up in surrender.
"Relax Cobi, I was just checking. We want to make this the best birthday for her ever, so I have to check everything. Can I see what you got her?" She begged. I raised my eye brow at her before shaking my head. When I did so, I saw Rose turn livid and Sprx and Rover ducked for cover. "Why not?"
"Because I want to keep it a surprise, thank you very much. Now if you don't mind, I have a girlfriend that I am escorting to the fair, and I do have to get going before she wanders in here looking for me." I turned on my heel and hurried out of the kitchen and made my way to Jasmine's room, where I saw her all ready to go in a pair of black jeans and a short sleeve blue shirt and a purple windbreaker. "You ready to go?"
She laughed and took my hand in her own. "I am, and when are you going to tell me what you all are up to?" I shook my head at her.
"Hopefully not until we're all set and finished up." She rolled her eyes, but dropped the ever resurfacing subject and we made out way of the robot into autumn scenery that surrounded the festival we could see off in the distance. The distant noises of the crowd were noticeable from here.
Before long, as we walked down a path, the smells of the festival hit us like a ton a bricks. French fries, pizza, maple syrup products, and smoke, from the cook of grease and from the smokers. It was easy to see them at the edge of the park, not being allowed to smoke inside the fair, smoking most of a pack before deeming themselves ready to return with their friends inside the gates.
Jasmine and I made our way inside, and since we already had something to eat we avoided food stands for the time being and started to look around some of the craft centers and looked at what the locals of the planet were selling.
They had many things, and all of the booths were presented well. Jasmine seamed mostly fixed on the booths that had these colored, beautiful candles that were all different scents. They also had bubbles in them as to give them a beautiful texture when light is shown on them. Needless to say, she bought one for every girl of the team. I shook my head when she did, I take her out for the day and she's still thinking of others. That's my Jasmine.
We went over to other stands that also had some edible products, like some jam and jelly. They were two totally different booths, but they sold a similar product. One sold these amazing jams that were some berries that were mixed with others that gave it quiet the interest flavor, but the jelly's took the cake for being the most out there of them all. Garlic Jelly, Christmas Jelly, Hot Pepper Jelly, these were only a few of the ones that really stood out there. After Jasmine tried all of them, and then made me try a few of the really abnormal ones, she bought two small bottles of every kind. It's a good thing these guys have a lot of money, because Jazz is sure using up quite a bit of it.
The next stand we went to had candles as well, but these ones were quite different, yet similar to the last ones. These one, however not colored, had this theme to them, to be in space, under the sea, or in the woods where it snowed. All of which had an animal or creature of some kind there. Jasmine took an interest into them and a different one for each male of the team, even me. When she got it, I couldn't help but feel so full of joy. It was simple design of a sword offered up to a new warrior, symbolizing a new beginning.
"Thank you Jasmine." She smiled and we finally moved out of the craft centers and I called Olivia to come and get all the things Jasmine bought. When Olivia met us outside the center and saw all the bags, her jaw dropped. There was quiet a few bags, nearly twelve of them in all, I don't blame Olivia for being surprised. Olivia called for back up, because she couldn't carry them all, and Gabriella and Rover came to lug back all the bags, just as surprised with Jasmine as the rest of us were.
Once they left with all the bags, Jasmine and I headed for some rides, starting out with something called that graviton. I had a bad feeling about it. As soon as we got on, there was a music center in the middle of the close off, rotating dome. Jasmine pulled me toward a set of mats that were on the wall, and we stood against them. Other people soon filled up the ride and they closed the doors. Loud music started blaring out of the speakers near the guy who sat in the middle of this ride, in the music area. The others around us started cheering, and Jasmine laughed at it all, a bright grin on her face.
Once the ride started, I could feel the gravity beneath me start to do away, and I was able to climb up slightly on the wall behind me, using the mat to push me up. When I turned to see Jasmine and see how she was fairing in here. I saw only her feet next to my face. I instantly looked up and saw her sitting on the metal area above her mat, other children soon joined her up their, but I was never able to reach her, the gravity where I was down toward the ground was so powerful, it pushed me into the wall, I felt like I couldn't move, like being stuck between two walls.
I am so in for a long day.
June's Point of View:
While Jazz and Cobi were gone, we had to clean the robot first before we set up her party on the observation deck. Streamers and lights were hung; snacks and meals were placed out on the long table. And a large birthday cake, sat in the middle of the dessert table.
"Well it looks like everything is all set." Jinmay said.
"I think so." I whispered as I took in the sight around me. Midnight came out for the occasion from her normal nap and jumped atop my shoulder. She meowed at me and rubbed her body against the back of my neck.
"Does she require more food?" Antauri asked.
"No, she just wants some attention. If she ain't sleeping or eating, she's whining at us for attention." I scratched the top of her head and neck, like she always loved it.
"Hey guys!" Olivia shouted, Rover and Gabriella walked in behind her, millions of bags in their hands. "Is everything going okay?"
"Everything's fine 'Liv." Nova said. "But what's with all the bags?"
Olivia stared at her blankly for a moment. "Bags?" She then noticed the white plastic that she held in her hands. "Oh right! These bags! Jazz sent them back with us, there all from stuff she got at the fair. All these bags were too much for me to carry alone." Everyone's jaw dropped.
"What exactly is in these bags?" Gibson asked.
"Don't know." Rover said. "Jazz gave specific instructions not to look inside them; my guess is a birthday or Christmas present."
"Yeah Rove, but twelve bags worth of stuff?" Sprx asked his son. Rover only shrugged.
"We're going to go place these in her room." Gabriella said. "Should we go retrieve her after word? Or is there anything else that needs to be done?"
Annabel shook her head. "No, well call them in a few minutes. We're just looking over the last few things here. Let them enjoy themselves for a little longer."
Jasmine's Point of View:
Cobi and I were coming to a close on this wonderful day. And what a better way to end it then to take a romantic ride on the Ferris Wheel? So here the two of us were, at the top of the Ferris Wheel, the sun setting, and all was quiet, which was quite strange for a fair. You normally hear screaming children until near midnight. Whatever the case, I didn't let it bother me. I had my head on my boyfriend's shoulder and he had his arms wrapped around me.
"So how was this day Jazz?" He asked.
I turned to face him, away from the multiple colored sky. "I enjoyed it, thank you so much for bringing me here Cobi." He grinned and kissed my forehead.
"I'm glad." He whispered. It was then that we hear a high pitch ringing from Cobi's pocket. He pulled out his communicator and held it up to his ear so that I couldn't listen in. "Okay." He said after a moment. He put away his communicator and then faced me. "Time to go back." I looked at him strangely as the Ferris Wheel brought us down to the bottom.
"What do you mean Cobi?" I asked as we stepped off the platform. He led me back in the direction of the robot, ignoring my question. He led me back to the robot, and once we reached the door, he pushed me inside.
It was dark, I couldn't see anything. I felt Cobi's hand still in my however and he led me down the darkened halls. If I remember correctly, he led me to the observation room. I could just barely make out the shapes of things within the room and the stars in the sky threw the window. It that instant, I was blinded by light and faced with my team and my mother's. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They all shouted into the air. They remembered?
"I wasn't going to forget it this time." Jinmay said. I couldn't help but cry when I realized that she would never make that mistake again, or anyone else for that matter. I ran into her arms and she held me, like a real mother should. "Common!" She said. Pulling me away to face her. "We have food, presents, cake and ice cream all to get to tonight!" I turned away from her, my happiness returned and enjoyed my birthday to the full extent I could muster.
Witch's Note:
Thank God! I finally got that done! Not that I didn't like that chapter or anything, but I got busy again this week, I wish I could just have an extra day off, so I could write.
What'd ya think? Good or bad? Oh and there are two questions if you guys would be kind enough to answer.
Question 1 of the Chapter: How much longer do you think it will be before the team reaches Renelle?"
My Answer to Question 1: That's a secret….
Question 2 of the Chapter: What power do you think everyone will have? (Only new Hyper Force Members!)
My Answer to Question 2: Take a guess, you guys will find out sooner then you think!
Remember to Review and Vote if you haven't!
Halloween Witch!