Angelina woke up to find herself next to a busy street. She wondered how she'd gotten there.
The street cleared a bit and an old man started to cross. Angelina watched as a truck headed straight for him.
Without thinking, she started towards him. She knocked him out of the way just as the truck passed over where he'd just been.
She watched in amazement as the man and all her surroundings flickered and then disappeared. She found herself back in the cavern with the creature.
"Congratulations." The creature told her. "You have just passed the first test."
"That was a test?" Angelina gasped. "I thought he was actually in danger!"
"As was the point." The creature said. "I wish to see what you would actually do in such a situation. Do not do anything you would not do in real life. I will be able to see through feeble acting."
Again, it breathed in her face and she woke up somewhere else.
This time, she was in a nursery. A baby started crying. Angelina thought of Tommy. She saw a bottle on a table near the cradle.
"It's okay." She cooed, picking up the baby. "Here, I've got your bottle. Drink." The baby sipped from his/her bottle and then started crying again. Angelina started humming a lullaby and rocking the baby back and forth gently. Soon, he/she was fast asleep.
Angelina found herself in the cavern once again.
"You know how to comfort a baby." The creature hissed. "You seem to even like it. Very well, I have one more test for you. Do it well, and I will lend you the Diamond Key."
Angelina watched as the room changed to show a schoolyard. A boy was physically harassing a girl.
'No acting.' Angelina reminded herself silently as she walked towards them.
"What are you doing?" She asked the boy.
He froze. The girl scooted away. Everyone in the schoolyard turned to stare at them. Angelina refused to feel embarrassed.
"What were you doing to that girl?" She repeated, louder. "Stop hurting her!"
"Stuff." The boy murmured. He grinned. "Stuff I'm about to do to you!"
The boy tackled Angelina and started doing bad things. She gulped. His touch was reality.
She kicked him off. "I don't want to hurt you, so stop while you're ahead!"
Was this automatic or was she forcing the words out? She decided it was automatic.
"Well, I want to hurt you." The boy replied with a sly smile. He tackled her again.
Angelina started fighting back, trying not to hurt him too badly.
Moments later, she was kicking a crystal.
She blinked. She was back?
"You are not afraid to stand up for yourself or for others." The creature remarked. "You have earned the Diamond Key. It will return to me automatically when you are done with it. You can only use it once, so be careful with it. Good luck with your task."
It disappeared, revealing a large, old-fashioned key made completely of diamond.
"Thank you." Angelina whispered. She took the key and hurried back to her ship. "I'm a fourth of the way there, Chiro." She told her brother's body. "Next is the Sejucee Necklace."
She looked it up and gasped. It was the necklace her teacher always wore! How was she supposed to get it?
She took a deep breath. She wasn't giving up now. She had to try.
"To Earth I go." She mumbled and took off.