Sunshadow

In the space between

More black. Seriously, everything seemed to be black. What was it with being dead and black? Why not... purple?

She waited. Something had to happen soon.

Had she made the right decision? Surely she wasn't worthy of a second chance. All those lives, taken away by her.

But Helia had said that all was forgiven. Had she met some of the victims of Moonface? Oh, god, what if she had watched her? Kiki had never thought of that before.

Keep calm, Kiki. Sol will find a way. That's what Helia and Eliane said.

☾

Bright light filled the room. It was warm and yellow, like the sun. As it faded lots of women, still bathed in this soft light, stood. Bucky had given up at this point. Weird things happened when this family was around.

"Helia?" Said Ayla, stepping forward.

"Oh, Ayla, I've missed you so much." The woman at the front put her hand out towards Ayla, but she hesitated and Helia (as he assumed she must be) pulled her hand back.

"Alright everyone, into position." The women started moving around, forming a circle behind Sol. "Open that case."

"Why? What are you going to do?"

"We're going to bring her back."

☾

Someone appeared in front of Kiki. A little girl, about 9 years old, waved at her.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"My name's Kiki," she answered. Why was this little girl here? What had she done?

"Really?" Kiki nodded. "That's what my mummy calls me. She says I'll like it when I'm older. I don't think I will. I think I'll be called Alkie or Alkina." That was what Kiki used to think. Could it be... no.

There was no way.

But, she had to check.

"What is your full name?"

That girl was dead. She died 19 years ago with her parents.

"Alkina Marta Smith. It's too long really, and Smith isn't my daddy's name. Apparently it's a family thing, but I don't like it."

So that was where she sent her.

☾

The women were stood behind Sol, preparing to call on their power. They glowed faintly, making the room seem lighter, and seeming to wipe away the death.

"Ready, Sol?" Sol nodded. She was scared of the load, as she had never called on this much power at once. She didn't want to over do it, since at extremes it can be reversed.

She started, pulling strings out of Kiki's wound. The ancestors pushed their glow across the room and towards Sol. As she received it she cried with pain.

"It's too much! I can't channel it. It won't FLOW!" She fell to her knees.

Another figure appeared. But this time it was a man instead.

"Hey, Solar Power. D'ya remember what I taught you about electricity?" He said, smiling.

"Shawn, I'm not really sure this is going to help." Helia muttered from behind Sol.

"Trust me, Hel. C'mon, you can do it." He stood by her side. "It doesn't take any energy to conduct, as it is just the passing of it from cell to cell. All you have to do is direct it towards the impact, apparently the bullet will dissolve into her blood stream and be passed out in a matter of days. That would have been useful to have for a lot of my patients, but never mind. C'mon, Solar Power, into your fingers and..."

"Dad, stop! It's not that simple! I have to repair things and focus and I feel like I'm about to explode!" Sol dropped the strings and the golden glow faded.

"What now?" Bucky said.

☾

Sol's voice rang out in the black space, echoing in the nothingness.

"Is that Sola?" Asked the little Kiki.

"Yes. She's trying to save me."

"What about me? Why won't she save me? I've been here for so long." She stamped her foot on nothing. "It's not fair."

"Go back then. No one can save you now, not even me. So help me, and say goodbye." She disappeared.

☾

"I don't know. I can't do enough." Sol lay a hand on the side of Kiki's face, closing her eyes. Everyone else did, in respect for Kiki.

"Sola?" Sol felt a small hand in her other one. "Sola, I've been looking for you. Help me help her. You can do it, Sola."

She looked to her side to find one more spirit. It was Kiki at 9, the Kiki who had watched her parents die.

"Keep holding my hand, Al." She stood again, her father at one side and her little sister at her other, and her ancestors behind her. They directed their power at Sol, who rolled her head back and took it all in. She held the strings and pulled the sides together, fusing it back into a scar on Kiki's stomach.

"Well done, Sol," Helia placed her hand on Sol's back. "Not many of us have wielded that much power."

"Not many? Who else?" Sol's eyes widened.

"Kiki, on a daily basis." Helia looked, thinking. "And... the first Sun and Moon. It takes a lot of power to produce that amount of light."

"She seems okay," Shawn was stood over her, checking her. "Heart's beating, lungs breathing. She should start to return soon."

"I feel weird, Sola." Little Kiki pulled on Sol's arm.

"We need to go, sweetie. We love you, Sol." Helia started to fade.

"MUM! DAD! No! Please don't leave again."

"You have Kina, Solar Power. You only need each other." And then they were gone.