COOLING OBSIDIAN

Chapter Eleven

 The lava on the surface of the sun bubbled insistently, like it was expecting chaos. When the ship finally lifted out of the Sun's surface, the fist explosion sounded from the far side of Simplaiya. Suddenly, a figure came crawling down the docks, dragging itself toward our ship. It was a Mercury demon. I backed away instinctively, yelling for Magma Man to ascend faster. He did so, and I returned to the window to watch the city burn.

"Wait, Ketro!" called the demon. Wait... that was Hixtel's voice. I opened the emergency exit, leaning out as far as I dared. The pressure in the cabin dropped intensely.

Hixtel sat on the dock, bleeding. His face had returned to its full, healthy state. The gashes in his body were spurting blood, so he looked pale, even in the warm glow of the sun. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and his eyes widened as we rose higher and higher. His blond hair was matted, clotted with blood and sweat. "Wait," he called, falling onto his shoulder.

"Close the door!" cried Lava Lad, running into the room. He grabbed the door, trying to shut it. I wrenched it open, pointing down at the dock. Lava Lad peered down, then shook his head. "We can't, we'll be at risk for blowing u--"

A loud beep blared from somewhere down below, then a heat less intense but still as hot as the sun's warmth hit me. I stumbled back, falling onto Lava Lad. Fire flared up in a column beside the ship, debris and lava shooting into the air. A boom sounded then, rocking the ship. We scrambled for leverage, something to hold on to. I caught hold of a crate, grabbing Lava Lad's wrist as he slid past me. The ship steadied itself and we cruised onward. I ran to the door, poking my face out. The docks and trading center were in ruins, incinerated for the most part. The Interspace Check-in Terminal, the marble building we'd seen on the way inside, was in shambles. More explosions sounded, farther away. I scanned the docks frantically for Hixtel, but I couldn't find him. I sat on a crate, defeated.

The trip to Mars seemed short. I was pretty sure I'd been in a daze the entire time. Once we arrived, I stepped out of the ship, thoughtless. Blank. I was escorted to my room in order to rest and recover. Magma Man and Lava Lad were imprisoned again, their sentence shortened. Felicity was taken to the nearest hospital to treat her trauma and possible injuries. I signed myself up for a therapy class and worked with Lukon on his training. Life continued. Of course, Hixtel's funeral rites were the grandest, most beautiful, and most honorable possible, and he was awarded a young warrior's medal, a prize given to youth who died fighting for their planet. To this day, his wreath and shroud still stand at the Pavonis Mons castle, a centerpiece in the throne room. I visit on a weekly basis to pay my respects.

Now that you have read my story-- my crazy, life-changing, experiences-of-my-life story-- you know that it's true: life is hard. Life has challenges. Like has blind curves. Life has trickery. Life has loss. But life also has a way of working itself out. There's this thing where it seems like everything should have gone wrong, and it did, but you're still here and you're in awe of it. Like you weren't supposed to make it, but you did. There's a kind of satisfaction in that. Now I have allies all over the galaxy. I'm ready to take on whatever life throws my way. This is Ketro Mons, warrior and daughter of Mars, signing off. I'll see you in the next battle.