Guardian

act 2: x. new aura

"Okay, we have to head back home today," Hope sighs as she bounces baby Cai in her arms. She gives Zay a look. "She's not latching on to my breast anymore; she's just biting it. She's getting hungry, though. Can you run and grab a bottle from home? Get an escort, too, please."

Zay nods from his spot besides Zyra. He stands and comes to kiss her lips for a moment before zooming right out of the room. Hope rolls her eyes as that upsets Cai even more. "Damn him."

"Here, let me see," Ally speaks with a soft smile as she come to grab Cai from Hope's embrace. Ally bounces and coos at the baby, going back to sit down. "Is it fine if I use mind manipulation on her? It'll just sooth her."

Hope shrugs, going to where Zyra sat and lifting her daughter. She sits in her spot and leaves her daughter on her lap. "Go ahead. She's been frisky since she woke up."

"Are her teeth coming in?" Marie asks, coming over to Ally and Cai, lifting the babies chin to peer into her mouth. Marie chuckles, looking at her daughter. "Yep. Her front tooth is growing in."

Hope sighs heavily and leans back into her chair, shaking her head as she closed her eyes. "God, I think I was too over my head with having another kid. I can't do another teething stage."

Marie frowns and moves over to Hope's side. "Don't worry. It'll be over before you know it," she comforts her, kissing her temple. "You want some breakfast?"

Hope shakes her head, leaning into her mother's embrace. "Mom, I think I have postpartum depression. I haven't been feeling in the mood for anything since I had Cai."

"What's that?" Keith asks, placing plates in front of Lian and Amelia.

"It's basically the hormonal imbalance that happens after giving birth that sometimes causes depression," Marie sighs, massaging Hope's back. "Have you talked to Zay about it?"

Hope nods, massaging Zyra's scalp. "He's been doing his best with trying to take the pressure off of me, but with the energy unbalance, Cai getting fussy a lot, Zy losing her speed... it's a lot to take in."

"Maybe you guys should move back home for a while," Marie says, peering over her daughter's shoulder. "I can help take care of the girls. I won't bother you guys too much, either. I know that's why you left."

Hope chuckles tiredly, sighing in relief as her mother massaged out a knot in her neck. "I'll talk to Zay about it."

Izabel comes into the dining room with Aria on her hip. "Okay, I have to head home today. I told Nick that I would be back today and promised that," Izabel says, chuckling as she sat the girl down. "He's tired of our trips here."

"How's he gonna be apart of the family if he doesn't like the two day trips we take here everytime something goes wrong?" Hope jokes, making Izabel laugh brightly.

"He says they're too spontaneous for his work schedule, so he'll catch us on a day something chaotic happens on his day off."

"Understandable."

"Do you need us to stay longer, Marie?" Ally asks, moving her eyes away from the calm baby to her sister. "I'm sure the girls don't mind."

"Ally, you have a village to run," Marie chuckles, shaking her head. "Go home. Like Hope said, if something chaotic happens, we're all connected. We'll be back here in week's time. Plus, you're pregnant and winter is soon. You guys gotta start preparing."

"Oh, right, I am pregnant," Ally reminds herself, looking down at the sleeping baby on her small baby bump. "I forgot somehow."

"Momma, can I get some toast?" Zyra asks from her mother's embrace, pointing to Amelia. "I want apricot jelly like 'Melia's toast."

"I'll get it for her," Keith speaks, heading back out of the room before Hope could respond. "I gotta fix Aurora's plate anyway."

"Can you make me a plate of food, too, dad?" Hope calls, to which the man sticks up his thumb. She smiles happily.

"You've been oddly quiet today," Marie says to her granddaughter, tickling her chin. "You haven't even spoken two words."

"I miss my speed," Zyra sighs, cuddling closer to her mother as her eyes teared up. "I can't run anymore. I'm like Aurora."

Aurora frowns from her spot. "Hey, I'm right here."

"At least you can climb on walls, do bubbles thingys, and make your hair different colors," Zyra complains, sniffing as she wiped her eyes on Hope's shirt. "I'm normal now."

Zyra was only a quarter of a Miracle Warlock since Zay wasn't one at all and Hope was a half. The girl had been unlucky and not received any of Hope's traits, but instead only Zay's speed. Her hair didn't even have an aura trigger. She was basically a regular warlock. Without her powers, she was just... regular.

"It'll be okay, baby," Hope coos, hugging her tightly and kissing her head. "We'll figure it out."

"Everything will probably go back to normal when Ally has her baby. The energy imbalance is coming from energy the baby is creating from Ally's womb and the energy of Yuele's awakening," Marie explains, standing up from her spot. "Even if Yuele has to go back to sleep, that'll put everything in place again. It's only temporary, baby."

"Thank god, I miss my ice abilities," Izabel chuckles, holding up the ball of energy in her hand. "There's so much energy flying around that I don't even trust myself to use this stuff."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best," Marie chuckles. "I still don't even know what an energy diffuser is. I've never heard of that."

"I'm gonna have the counsel take a picture of me and put it in a history book. I'm probably the first to have an ability and I'll be known for generations!"

Lian giggles. "Don't get big headed."

They laugh for a moment but it dies down quickly as the sight of Austin entering the room. He irks an eyebrow as he steps in front of everyone and gestures to his hair. That was a dark shade of midnight black. "Something's wrong."

All of the Miracle Warlocks in the room feel a tingling sensation. Marie gapes slightly, looking at everyone to see if they felt it too. Their faces showed that they did.

Ally looks at Marie, her eyes wide. "There's no way."

Amelia's eyes were as big as golf balls as she stared at her father. "Dad... you have a Miracle Warlock aura."

"I... have a what?"

Just as Austin says this, a zip! enters the kitchen. They look over to see it's Zay, patting out a small flame on his shoulder. He smiles at everyone and hands over a full bottle to Hope, though he was confused by their looks. "What? I'm sorry I took so long. I couldn't find an escort. I had to go to a different village to find one."

"Babe, we think Austin is a Miracle Warlock."

"Oh. Yeah, okay, the faces make sense then."