Poppy and Janna's Perspective
When Poppy and Janna followed the trail of feathers, they wound up in a classroom. Where the feathers ended, Jinx was bound to the wall by a bunch of feathers and gagged-though, that didn't stop her tirade of curses that neither of them could hear.
"Are you hurt?" Janna asked, approaching Jinx. Jinx started to shake her head, screaming something behind the gag. She didn't even notice the look Jinx sent over her shoulder, but Poppy did. "I'll make sure you go free-"
Poppy spun, her suit materializing over her clothes in a flash of blue starlight. She raised her buckler to block a flying feather. Her hammer appeared in her other hand as she faced the dark-haired woman who wore the feather cloak.
"Finally," Xayah said. "Someone does something interesting."
Janna's suit appeared in a flash of light and Zephyr appeared as her backpack faded away with her civilian clothes. The spell Lulu had cast to change her appearance fell instantly. "Who are you?" Poppy asked.
"A rogue," Janna said. "I knew I recognized his name."
"Rude to talk about someone when they're not around," a voice said. Poppy turned to see Rakan appear in a poof of feathers. He was wearing a deep teal star guardian uniform and a cloak of feathers.
"Less talky, more stabby," Xayah said, throwing a trio of feathers. Janna spun her staff and wind knocked them off-course. Poppy lunged at Rakan and he twirled out of the way, leaving Janna to aim for Xayah. Wind surrounded her and she levitated in the air before diving forward. Xayah threw a barrage of arrows that Janna deflected with a gust of wind.
"So, how's your day goin?" Rakan asked as he dodged the swings of Poppy's hammer. He lept up onto a table to avoid a sweep aimed at his legs...his shockingly bird-like legs. Poppy swung at him again and he hopped away, spinning in the air as she smashed the table in half. He landed gracefully and bowed. "Mine's going awesome," he dodged a few more sweeps and strikes from the hammer, "found some star guardians, gonna sacrifice 'em to live longer. The dark side really does pay." He twirled to avoid a kick. "If you weren't about to be donezo, I'd recommend you try it out." Poppy grunted as she hopped backward and threw her hammer at him. He did the splits before rising back to his feet with a grin and a wink. "You'll get me eventu-aahh!"
Poppy's hammer bounced off the wall and flew back at him, hitting him in the back and knocking him off balance. Poppy tackled him to the ground and finally got a hit on him. "Tell me something I don't know."
Janna flew toward Xayah, dodging feather after feather as she got closer. She waved her staff and a strong wind blew Xayah backward. Xayah spread her arms and her cloak fanned out to catch the breeze. She threw another dozen arrows. Janna spun her staff in a circle in front of her, a shield of wind blocking the feathers. Without Janna concentrating on blowing Xayah back, she landed on the ground soundlessly.
"Behind you," Xayah announced.
Janna felt it before she understood. Like the air revealed what Xayah was doing. As a trio of daggers came loose from the wall they were embedded in, they flew at Janna's back. She waved her staff, aiming a stronger gust straight at Xayah, sending the rebel star guardian flying backward into a wall. Janna floated to the ceiling, keeping her staff leveled at Xayah as the feathers passed where Janna was standing just a second ago and flew straight to Xayah, pinning her legs to the wall.
"Give up," Janna said fiercely. She glanced and saw Poppy had pinned Rakan to the ground.
"Hey, Xayah," Rakan called.
"Yes, dear?" Xayah responded nonchalantly, a smug smile forming on her lips.
"You know my favorite thing in group dances?"
"Switching partners." The feathers binding Xayah dissolved into shadows with a flick of her wrists. With another wave of her hands, all the feathers she'd thrown around the room spun like a cyclone. Poppy dove to the ground, holding up her bracer as a shield of starlight blocked them. Janna spun her staff, a shield of air protecting her. Rakan leapt to his feet and hopped toward Xayah. She grabbed his hand and they floated, placing a kiss on his lips before she landed near Poppy. Rakan bowed to Janna gallantly.
"May I cut it, my lady?" Janna raised her staff.
Poppy reached for her fallen hammer and Xayah threw a feather, binding one of her hands to the ground. Poppy gave it a thought and her suit altered, her free hand gaining a solid armbrace.
"Too little, too late." Xayah threw more feathers, binding her to the ground by her pants, her shirt, and her hair.
Janna waved her staff and a gust of wind dragged Rakan to the ground. Xayah threw another barrage of arrows and she knocked them aside with a gust of wind. Noticing Poppy and Jinx were down, Janna brought both hands to her staff and the atmosphere in the room changed, everyone's ears popping. Xayah raised her feathers and Rakan braced himself. But Janna did the unexpected. She threw her staff upwards and it turned back into Zephyr in a flash of purple.
"Warn the others," Janna said. Xayah threw her feathers, but Zephyr phased through the wall. Janna raised her hands in surrender, taking a step back toward the wall. Xayah didn't waste time throwing feathers to bind her to the wall.
"Let's get them out of here before anyone comes for us," Xayah said, turning to Poppy.
"Are you sure?" Janna asked serenely.
"What do you mean?" Rakan inquired.
"Don't listen to her," Xayah ordered. She pulled a syringe out of her pocket.
"I'm only saying our friend Lux has the most potential I've seen in a while," Janna said calmly. "Sacrificing her could earn you more time than all three of us put together."
Jinx tried her best to scream, face turning as red as her hair while she glared daggers at Janna. "What are you doing?" Poppy asked.
"Hmmm," Xayah considered. Rakan looked at her excitedly. "We have a few hostages. Maybe we'll see how bright she really is?"
Rakan embraced her. "This is why I love you, Yah Yah."
"Call me that again and-"
"You'll cut me into pieces, I know."
Lux and Lulu's Perspective
Lux and Lulu were at the football field waiting for Janna and Poppy. The entire school was empty now and Principal Duvell would definitely be upset tomorrow. Lulu was playing with Pix when Zephyr flew at them as fast as...well, the wind. They squeaked at Lux and Lulu frantically. It was so high-pitched that Lux wanted to cover her ears. But that would be rude.
"What?" Lulu exclaimed, nodding as Zephyr continued.
"What's the secret message?" Lux asked, trying to humor her.
"Road star guardians captured the girls and they're gonna hurt them!" Lulu translated.
Lux stood up from the bleachers she'd been sitting on. "What?" She asked frantically.
"Road star-"
"Where?"
Lulu made a series of squeaking noises and Zephyr responded. "Science building, room 213."
Lux took a deep breath, beginning to pace. She tied her hair up to keep it off her shoulders. It distracted her when her mind was moving a million miles a minute. If the three of them were in danger, the threat was huge. And, with only Lux and Lulu, it wasn't realistic to go in wand blazing.
"Are we going to go?" Lulu asked nervously.
"Yes, but...I have a plan."
In Room 213
Lux ran into the classroom, wearing her suit, followed by Pix. "Girls, where are you?" Lux called. She looked around and saw Poppy, Jinx, and Janna all gagged and bound to different surfaces with feathers.
"Thanks for joining us," Xayah said, leaving her hiding place under a table and standing. Lux fought the urge to flinch as feathers flew at her, pulling her to the chalkboard. As they dug in, her arms were bound to the wall. Pix dodged a series of feathers until Zephyr flew in and distracted her. "I'm so glad I don't have one of you annoying little rats anymore-"
"Got it," Rakan announced, leaping up to grab Zephyr, holding onto it tight.
Xayah looked for Pix and he was gone. She turned back to Lux and said, "you know the old one sold you out. She was right..." Xayah assessed Jinx, "you're disgustingly bright. Almost makes me nauseous." A feather appeared in between her fingers and she twirled it around dextrously. "I thought I counted five of you."
"I hope I'm enough," Lux said. "Please, let my friends go. You can take me instea-"
Xayah laughed. "Rakan, you owe me twenty bucks. I knew she'd say it."
"You know we don't even have money from this planet, right?" He struggled to hold onto Zephyr as a green butterfly flew by him.
"Why are you doing this?" Lux asked, tears forming in her eyes. "We're both star guardians."
"Another twenty bucks," Xayah said with a dark chuckle.
"Stop talking, please," Rakan pleaded to Lux.
Bright green light shone near the other girls as Lulu transformed from a butterfly to her human...ish form. Pix phased through a cabinet, turning back into a staff. Lulu caught it in the air and gestured with it theatrically. Like an orchestra conductor would gesture with a baton. Green light shone as the feathers in the room all turned into green sand.
"What?" Xayah exclaimed. She whispered something to Rakan. Jinx dove for Zap, picking up Kuro while Shiro turned into a rocket launcher. She hefted both and aimed them at Xayah and Rakan. Poppy's hammer flew to her hands and she raised it. Lux twisted her fingers and her wand appeared, strings made of light forming a lasso when she twirled it. Zephyr bit Rakan and flew straight to Janna when his grip loosened. Janna's familiar turned to her staff and she brought it to the ground, sending an icy wind outward.
Xayah raised her hands in surrender, grinning. "You won, you beat us."
Rakan raised his hands as well. Xayah whistled a short note and the feathers on Rakan's cloak began to crackle with dark energy. A fan of feathers appeared in both of Xayah's hands and she threw them out. Lux, Janna, and Poppy blocked with shields of starlight or wind. Jinx shot each feather before it could hit her. Lulu tapped her staff on the ground and the feathers turned to snowflakes.
"See you soon, losers," Xayah taunted, leaping into Rakan's arms as he closed his cloak around them. They disappeared in a flurry of feathers.