I wake up the next morning to a burning smell. I nudge Hades awake and when he awakes enough I pull him awake and when we realize what's happening we jolt out of bed and go out to the room and we go to the kitchen where the burning smell is coming from and we find that Karai is trying to make breakfast. We laugh a bit and I go and turn everything off a bit as Hades pats her head a bit.
-Karai.
K-Sorry, I wanted to make you something for breakfast as a way to thank you for yesterday but.....it didn't went like I thought.
Ha-What did you wanted to make?
K-The eggs you always do with ham and the sandwich that you eat at breakfast, with the melted cheese and the......well, I guess......
She shrugs and pokes the table without motivation.
K-Sorry.
-That was so thoughtful of you. Tell you want, why don't we do it together? Just let me get some new eggs and pieces off bread and everything we need.
She looks at me hopefully.
K-Can we?
Ha-Yes, let's start over, together. We'll help you.
Karai smiles widely at the idea, with her motivation high again. I clean up the kitchen and get everything ready while she gets the stuff we need organized. Hades takes Karai on his arms and we start making breakfast together.
Ha-Turn this one a bit to the left.
Hades points to what he wants her to do and she does it smiling. Hades gives her a kiss and smiles. We make scrambled eggs too and Karai disperses the ham on it before it solidifies. Hades takes a spoon and gives it to her so she mix it, he holds her hand at the beginning before he lets her do it alone. He turns off the oven and he checks everything more closely. When he's satisfied he nods and whispers something to Karai.
K-Breakfast is ready.
Ha-And what do we have for breakfast?
K-We have fried eggs, scrambled eggs with ham, boiled eggs and toasted bread.
I smile as I give her a kiss.
-I'm sure that it will be great.
We serve the breakfast on our respective dishes and eat them together. When we finish Karai helps us clean the dishes. Hades washes, Karai dries them and I save them on their places where we can all reach. When we finish we prepare and we go out for a walk. Karai walks happily in front of us turning back to wave at us from time to time. At some point Karai sees something that catches her attention and she runs back to us excited and points to a pet store. I look at it and playfully.
-I don't know.
K-Can we at least enter and see them? Can we pretty please.
-Hades?
Ha-I don't see why not.
Karai jumps in place excited and we laugh as she pulls us to the store. When we're inside as Karai looks at the dogs and the cats I see that Hades is more serious than normal when he's with Karai.
-Hades, what's wrong?
Ha-Shh, listen. Do you hear that? Can you feel it?
I take a breath and I feel what he's talking about. There is an earthquake after another happening somewhere far from here. They're small but a lot to be ignored and strong enough to be felt. I look at Hades with a hopeful smile.
-Hopefully it will not grow to happen here.
Ha-I hope so.
Suddenly we hear Karai's voice.
K-What do you hope for?
Hades gives her a side hug pulling her closer to him.
K-Is something wrong?
Ha-Nothing, everything's fine.
-Did you saw all the animals here yet?
K-I wanted to show you one that is very cute and weird.
She gets us to one cage that has rabbits and points to one of them.
K-Look at that one in the corner. The colors.
We look at the bunny and we see that this one is with yellow fur with a black tail and the point of it's ear black as well with silver eyes and a red stripe that goes from the nose to the center of the ears beginning.
-That's weird, cool in a way but still weird.
K-And is lonely. Poor thing.
Ha-Do you want it?
K-Perhaps when I'm older I'll ask for one but today I'm happy just seeing them from time to time.
Ha-If you're sure about it.
She nods and we go out of the store and continue our walk. Karai is at a far distance from us but still within our eyesight. At a moment when she turns to look at us when suddenly we feel the ground tremble with enough force to be deafening and we all go to our knees as it trembles and trembles. Karai looks at us terrified and it trembles a bit more.
K-Ahh, daddy, mommy.
She covers her ears as alarms goes off and cars alarms goes off. Hades pulls me under a doorway and gets Karai to do the same.
-Karai.
K-Mommy.
Ha-Stay there, don't move from there.
-Wait for us to get you.
We keep there and it seems to have no end and I look at Hades worried and afraid for Karai and I know he is too but he keeps a calm and collected demeanor. I take his hand and he holds it tightly without hesitation. He looks in Karai's direction and I squeeze his hand as it starts to shake again. We hear as Karai screams yet again as it shakes. I feel as something small hits my head but I'm too concerned about Karai that I don't register I'm in danger as well and so I don't bring up my shield either. The earthquakes continue and they don't appear to be going to stop anytime soon. I hear as Hades curses under his breath. He looks at me and he reaches for my face but instead of relaxing I get a bit more tense. I close my eyes for a moment before I open them again. We stay there for a bit more and just as we move a bit we feel an even stronger one that we have to call our auras forth and I realize that Karai hasn't awaken her aura yet.
-Karai, she doesn't have an aura yet.
He nods and his aura extends over for both of us as I stretch to get my aura completely to protect Karai. It works for a moment before a boulder hits my shoulder from the side immobilizing my entire arm and I growl in anger as my aura disappears completely. I try to call it back forth but I can't make it come out further from a single brisk of power on the palm of my hand.
-Karai.
K-I want to go home.
I feel relieved as she speaks but I know she's crying and afraid. I can hear it on her voice when she speaks.
Ha-Are you fine? Are you hurt?
K-Not hurt. But scared, a lot.
-We know sweetie, we know.
The ceiling cracks a bit and some boulders fall to the street and I can hear Karai screaming.
Ha-If only we were together I could get us to Olympus in an instant or to the condo at the very least.
-As long as we're together.
Everything seems to be calm for a moment and the aftershocks come small and each time less until they stop completely. We look at each other and we nod. Hades stands and he helps me get up before he goes to get Karai. He takes each step carefully as he walks and I follow stepping where he did. When we reach where Karai is we are shocked by what we see. She's hugging her knees with her face buried against her legs and she's protected by her aura as it forms in a hawk that has its wings stretched out over her protectively. Hades puts himself on a knee.
Ha-Karai?
She looks up and her aura disappears as she jumps to her father's arms sobbing. Hades takes her up on his arms and stands and then he pulls me closer to him. He transports us back to the condo and he puts Karai on the couch with me. I hug her as Hades goes to the bathroom, he comes back with a first aid kit. He checks Karai first and she only has her knees and her hands with a few scrapes. Hades rubs a bit of alcohol on her knees and she pulls back a bit.
K-Hey that aches.
Ha-Sorry, but that's good. It means is working just fine.
K-But it hurts.
-We know baby, but that's how it goes.
Ha-Give it back and stay still.
Karai stretch her leg again for Hades and he holds it as he rubs a bit more alcohol in it. He cleans it completely before he gets a kiss on her forehead.
Ha-There you go. All cleaned up and patched up. Now.
He turns to me and he points to my arm. I let go and sit back.
K-What happened to you?
-Oh is nothing really. Don't worry.
Hades takes my arm and gives it a few squeezes until I can move it again. He squeezes a bit and I squeeze away when I notice Karai looking at me with a smile. We laugh as she gives me a kiss on the cheek.
K-So it doesn't hurt as much.
-Thank you, I feel much better now.
Hades keeps going and he finds a few stray cuts on my left side that only need cleaning. He checks my neck and then my face and he finds a deeper cut on the left side of my face on my forehead. He treats it as naturally and carefully as he can and then he checks himself. Lucky us the only thing from him that got damaged was his suit. I can see the blame on his face as he too realizes that he's not hurt at all. I take his hand and comfort him for a moment before speaking.
-Calm down.
Ha-But.....
-Calm down. Everything's going to be fine.
K-Yes daddy, look.
She does a twirl showing him that she's okay before hugging him. He jolts her away for a moment and gives her a smile.
Ha-Also, there is something that we must celebrate.
He snaps his fingers and his aura comes out and as I catch on what he meant I too call my aura forth.
Ha-Now you too have an aura. Try it, try to call it forth.
-Concentrate.
She looks at us and our respective auras and then she looks at her hands and she takes a deep breath. She mimicks our movement and a little flow of aura flows out of her hand as if it were a glove and she looks at us and smiles happily.
K-I did it.
Ha-Yes you did.
Suddenly her aura disappears completely and she frowns sadly.
K-Aww.
Ha-Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it pretty soon. You'll see.
Karai nods still a bit disappointed for that but still manage to turn it around to make it a good thing.
K-I promise I'll practice and I'm going to be the very best. You'll see.
Ha-I have no doubt of that.
-The very best.
She celebrates and she jumps on the couch between us. She accommodates over our legs stretching as fast as she can and I look at her knowingly.
-Are you comfortable?
K-Very.
Ha-Then you won't mind if I do this.
Hades pokes her arm a bit and she smiles. He does it one more time and she let's out a soft laugh, Hades does it one more time and she squirms.
K-Stop it, that tickles.
Hades smiles devilishly before speaking.
Ha-Oh really?
He does it a couple more times and she laughs hard but Hades doesn't stop until she gives up.
K-I give up, I give, I give. Stop it.
Ha-Come here.
He picks her up to his lap and gives her a couple kisses.
Ha-How about this. I'll train you in how to control your aura until you can do it by yourself.
K-With mom too?
Ha-Of course.
We keep talking a bit until we exhaust ourselves to sleep.
