Our Planet has Crashed [COMPLETE]

forty seven - Wings of Fire

Anemone POV:

FLAP. FLAP. FLAP.

Anemone woke to the sound of wingbeats sounding outside. Who was causing such a racket?

"Hey, little sister," Turtle said with a yawn. "Tsunami left a few hours ago. The school needed her,"

"Oh," Anemone had been planning on telling her first what Wasp had made them do. "Do you think we should tell them yet?" she whispered to Turtle.

He hesitated, "I . . . don't know. It's a little . . .  what's the right word? Weird? Evil? And . . ."

"We still don't know what really happened in those few minutes. It was . . ."

". . . Wevil" They finished and winced simultaneously, then burst into laughter.

Turtle opened his mouth to say something, but the door was thrown open and he shut it quickly. "What's wrong?" he asked Moon, who was running in.

"Wait . . . where's Kinkajou?" she cried. "Oh, she's . . ." she ran out again.

Now everyone in the hut was scrambling to look out the two tiny windows in Jerboa's hut. Anemone clasped Turtle's talons in fear.

Moon came back in, dragging a baffled Kinkajou, who was holding a banana peel but no banana. "I dropped my banana, Moon!" Kinkajou said.

"Never mind that!" Moon cried. "There's an attack incoming!"

Suddenly the hut was full of activity. Winter and Luna, along with the elves, ran out to help. Kinkajou followed, much to Moon's dismay. Jerboa ran around reinforcing the hut, and Moon came to tend to the wounded. Cricket and Bumblebee were still asleep, somehow.

"How are you guys?" she asked.

"Bored," Qibli immediately said. "Can I be put off bed rest yet?"

"No," Moon said, jabbing him in the chest, and he made an exaggerated "oww" noise.

Turtle looked away, as did Anemone. "What about you? What . . . I'm sorry but . . . What happened with Wasp?"

Qibli pretended not to listen, but Anemone knew he was. He was curious too. Anemone glanced at Turtle, a question in her eyes.

He gave the slightest shake of a head.

"We . . ." Anemone started. ". . . can't."

"Oh," Moon said, distressed. "Of course! I didn't mean..."

"It's alright," Turtle said.

"Was it with the nightshade?" Vespera said casually.

Anemone whimpered.

"Stop it!" Moon scolded. Vespera shrugged in her little box. "You still don't know all that I know."

"Tell us," Turtle whispered. "We need to know,"

"Are you sure you're ready?" Qibli grabbed Turtle's shoulders and shaking him. "You don't need to know everything until you're ready. I didn't even know I'd drowned."

He closed his eyes. "I won't tell Anemone," he promised.

Anemone glared at him. "No! You can't do it yourself! It happened to us together!" she protested.

"And you're not ready." he said.

"Neither are you!" she cried.

"Hey, hey," Moon said. "What about neither of you hear what the creepy lady has to say?"

"No!" Turtle and Anemone screamed simultaneously.

"Okaaaayyy . . ." Moon backed away. "But just be careful, please,"

Turtle and Anemone turned to Vespera without a response. "Tell us, but not them. We'll tell them, later," Turtle told her. Anemone agreed. Her friends would only feel pity for them, and right now they had an invasion to overcome.

"So, nightshade. I'm assuming this has something to do with your powers." Vespera said.

She nodded. "What did the nightshade do to us?" she inquired.

"It only enhanced your powers and brought it back, supposedly. The effects after you . . . wait, did you eat the whole flower of drink the nectar with the petals mashed into it?"

"The nectar way," Turtle scrunched up his nose. "It smelled horrible," Anemone explained.

"I see. That's a bit different, then. But the result should be the same—to enhance powers such as yours and to have them controlled. And since yours were gone—I suspect it was Wasp's doing, or even Gisela's maybe, your powers are going to be different now. Wasp or whoever made the tea—made, okay? Not who gave it to you. They will now be able to control your powers."

"What?" Turtle whisper-yelled. "No, you can't just . . ."

"Oh, yes you can," Vespera assured him.

"Wait," said Anemone suddenly. In the she could have sworn there was . . . what was it again?

"Light . . ." she murmured.

"What was that? Speak up." Vespera barked.

"I said, light. I think we drank light."

"What?" Turtle asked. "That's impossible."

"Not if it's quintessence." said Vespera.

"What now?" the two asked.

"I didn't expect you to know," Vespera sighed. "But now I'm sure that it was Gisela who gave it to you. Why, I don't know."

"Who's Gisela? You keep mentioning her, but . . . Is she a dragon?" Anemone guessed.

"No, she's an elf. I don't know why she wants your powers."

"We can do anything except bring people back from the dead." said Turtle. "It's a useful but dangerous power."

"Dangerous?" asked Vespera.

"We lose a bit of our soul every time we use our powers," Anemone said, explaining about Albatross and the SeaWing massacre.

"Oh, well I hope Gisela loses a bit of her soul every time she uses your powers. If she has one," she muttered under her breath. "Well, that's all I know. Off you go,"

"We're not going anywhere," Turtle said. "We're on bed rest."

"Oh, well, neither am I," Vespera said, mimicking Turtle's tone. "I'm a prisoner."

Anemone giggled, regretting it when her breath came in short gasps.

"Anemone!" Moon called. "Are you alright?"

She gave a thumbs-up, but deep down, she knew she'd never be the same.