The Adventures of the Junior Phoenixes, Part 5: The Last Pendant

Chapter 17: Reunions

Chapter 17

     Echo, Jinx, Teller, Rain Fox, Destíne, and the gnomes had Apparated from the Ozarks to the Great Stone outside of the school in Salem. They tried to get into the school by using the secret tap in order to enter but the Great Stone did not open. They tried to Apparate into the school using the Pendant of Darkness (since Rain Fox insisted on keeping hers tucked in her pocket) but it did not work.
     “Must be some really strong charms if we can’t even use the Pendants to Apparate in,” Jinx noted.
     It wasn’t until a group of Wapanaki opened the Great Stone from the other side that they were able to enter. At first the Wapanaki were wary and guarded against their entry, but when they recognized Echo and Rain Fox they relented and allowed them entry. They were escorted to Commoner’s Hall where some of the students were.
     “ECHO!” Iggy had shouted. She ran up and nearly tackled Echo to the ground. “And Rain Fox? Jiminy Christmas! You’re all here!”
     “It’s nice to see you, too, Iggy,” Rain Fox replied with a smile. Destíne stood next to her and smiled at the other students. She was glad to see other people around her age. Moonstone Ackers, Luminara, Nymphara, and Spirit’s ghost hung around; they gave hugs and greeted the group. Rain Fox introduced the students to Destíne.
     “This is Shade’s cousin,” Rain Fox told the students.
     “Shade!” Iggy, Nymphara, and Luminara shouted. Iggy, Spirit, Luminara, and Nymphara ran out of Commoner’s Hall in a hurry.
     “What was that about?” Jinx asked.
     A few minutes later the students returned with another group. Star, Dan, Sam, Bria, along with Sherman Locke, walked in. Star immediately ran up to Teller and hugged him first, then Echo. She was about to hug Rain Fox when everyone stopped.
     Shade stepped into the doorway.
     After a few moments of disbelief (and reviving Jinx after she had fainted) the group conversed at length about all that had happened to them. There was a sense of joy and gladness that had been absent among them. When Jinx came to, she punched Shade in the arm harder than she had ever punched him before. Echo cried when she embraced him; she was overjoyed. Shade cried, too. Rain Fox hugged Star, Sam, Dan, and Bria almost all at once, glad to see them unharmed.
     The group was not done being surprised. A half hour after Echo, Rain Fox, and the others arrived, Mawl the house elf appeared, accompanied by Dev, Ravenus Rouge, Raine Watterson, and Sky Heart.
     “You!” Sky Heart yelled as soon as she saw her sister. She ran up and slapped Rain Fox repeatedly in the shoulder. “Don’t-you-EVER-leave-me-like-that-again!” she shouted as she smacked her sister. “I was worried sick about you, you toad!”
     Rain Fox rubbed her arm, and then embraced her sister. “I love you, too, Gabby,” she told her.
     Ravenus Rouge stepped up to Jinx and kissed her, much to everyone’s surprise.
     Jinx punched him in the chest and pushed him away. “What the heck?” she asked.
     “Just in case I never get to see you again,” Rouge replied, “And I never get a chance to do that again.”
     Jinx gave him a funny look. “You’re a- you’re a-“ Jinx stammered, “Oh, what the heck?” She stepped forward and kissed him back.
     Raine laughed. “I didn’t see that coming,” she commented.
     Rain Fox looked over at Teller. Teller returned her look by shaking his head. Rain Fox smiled. Teller grinned.
     Rouge stepped away from Jinx and walked up to Shade. It took a few awkward moments for anything to happen between the two former friends, but finally Shade extended his hand. Rouge responded by hugging Shade.
     “You have no friggin’ idea how happy I am to see you, you scar-faced punk,” Rouge said.
     “I’m glad to see you, too, you ugly criminal,” Shade told him.
     Dev rolled up to Echo and gave her a sad, small smile. “Hey Kitty,” he said quietly.
     Echo took a deep breath and stepped to him. “Hey, Fuzzy,” she said.
     “Come with me,” Dev told her, “I have something to show you.” He wheeled back towards the door to Hale Hall and Monument Lawn and rolled outside. Echo followed him. He rolled out onto the lawn and stopped just before the tall statue of John Proctor.
     Echo approached him slowly.
     “How are you?” Dev asked.
     “I’m okay,” Echo said. “You?”
     “I’ve been better,” Dev replied, “I’ve been much worse.”
     “Good to know,” Echo remarked.
     “Are you still mad at me?” Dev asked.
     Echo walked up slowly, still keeping her distance. She began to circle him and the statue. “We both know the answer to that question,” she told Dev.
     “Then you already know why,” Dev said, “You know what I have to do next, then.”
     “I know,” Echo said, “The last part. We need the last piece of the puzzle.”
     Dev nodded. “Exactly.”
     Echo made a complete revolution around the statue and stood arm’s length from the wheelchair. “Can it wait? We can wait until tomorrow to finish it. Let’s give the others a little time before we throw them for another loop, yeah?”
     Dev nodded. He put his hands upon the wheels of the chair and was about to move forward. Echo stepped aside and let him roll beyond her. She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder as he was about to roll away.
     Dev stopped. His heart leapt inside his chest. “Kitty,” he said with a sad tone, “We can’t.”
     Echo didn’t look at him. She simply took another deep breath and nodded. “I know,” she said. “I know.”
     Dev reached over with his left hand and placed it on hers as it rested on his right shoulder. He caressed it for a few seconds before she lifted it off. He sighed. He rolled away and left.
     Echo turned and watched him enter the Grand Hall of the school, opposite of Commoner’s Hall. He didn’t look back.