Chapter 10: Fly

Proving Grounds: Forgotten Planet; Japan, Amami Ōshima

1821Y 05M16D 0700H

"The hell are you telling me to run up there and blow it up?" Menan dodging the roots of the Flower. Acki burning the rest but the plants' juices just smother the flames.

"That is how Baby said it, me and Shiro ran up Luci's barrier while you ran up the Flower and blow it up. That's the plan Bro." Acki look at the hanger, Shiro is already there and Baby is fuming in anger. Menan suddenly ran pass him. "Goodluck Bro, I will pray for you!" Acki followed Menan pushing him making him unbalance then giving him a thumbs up.

Luci shaking his head. "Do they remember the plan?" Baby busy barraging the boys in Spanish curses while they ran towards the barrier.

Luci sighed. "Pink Knife," she shot a tiny laser towards the Flower hitting one of the steel beams embedded in its body creating a spark. The Flower exploded sending the boys flying towards the barrier.

"Pendejos, get on the copter." Baby angry, smacking both of them.

As soon as the shockwave dissipates they launch the helicopter. "Baby, can't you fly straighter?" Menan asks, Baby instantly threw the radio at him.

"Incoming!" Acki shouting as he hangs outside the helicopter. From the fiery inferno, the flower launches its roots upward trying to grab them. Shiro jump off and started cutting. Luci opened her door; rained down pink on the plant.

"Baby, pick me up by the watchtower." Acki jump off then ran the roots of the Infested Flower leaving scorched marks along the way. Menan shook his head.

"Pendejo, Go! I'll fly around the watchtower to pick you up. Menan sighed. "Render — Brenning, the hell this hurts."

As the boys jump-off, the helicopter was able to gain altitude and started to veer towards the watchtower. Ca'li's sphere attached below gave Baby a bird's eye view of the area. "Luci, got a clear view, fire a big one right smack in the middle."

"Okay, call the boys to steer clear of my spell and get me on top of that thing."

The boys heard the call, they kept the Flower while distancing themselves.

They saw the helicopter hovering above the Flower, Luci jump off with Nar'vash grabbing it as they fall; riding it. "Sage Art," The black spheres eyes opened, brimming with energy it looked down the rampaging plant. "Pink, Ruyi — Jingu Bang!" A colossal pink laser hammered down the Flower burying it on the ground. Luci shot up from the sheer force of her own spell. Baby sent her whip towards her tugging her back to the helicopter.

After the smoke cleared the main body of the Flower has disintegrated only a huge crater was there but the roots are still moving ever so slightly.

The boys hurried towards the watchtower as always Shiro is already there standing on the rooftop waiting.

. . .

Proving Grounds: Forgotten Planet; The Pacific Ocean

1821Y 05M16D 0900H

The weather is good, the sun is shining and there is a good tailwind. Smirf is doing laundry in the deck while Mat is modifying the Frigate.

"Mat, why is Cat doing laundry on deck? We do have an automated washing machine and a dryer to boot." Azaleah sitting on Mat's shoulder. He glances at her then said. "She probably forgot, been doing manual laundry ever since then, remind her later."

Mat looked at So'liel by the railings, staring intently at the sea and her single-wing cut anything that jumps out of it. "What is wrong with her?"

"She is starting to be sentient, overriding her programs and protocols..."

"Starting to decide for herself... Hmm," Mat cutting Azaleah's sentence. The fairy yawned. "Right now, she is just like a child... trying to make sense of everything around her."

Mat walks towards her. "Child, come here." So'liel turned around and ran towards him leaving her wing still guarding the railings. "Here take this," He sent her a file. "This contains over a thousand storybooks, read it in your spare time, picture it, and play around with the stories. This will give you something important — imagination." He taps her head then left So'liel to her devices.

So'liel held the file with both hands the ran towards a bollard to sit, she flips the file and converted everything to Latin then started to turn the pages.

A shirt came flying by over her head. "Sol, catch em... catch em!" The wind played around, making them run around the deck trying to catch the shirt when it got near the railings the wing cut it in half.

Azaleah looked at Mat. "Was that real?" He just shrugged.

"Don't ya be sad it's ok, was an accident." Smirf looking at an expressionless So'liel. Sol picks up the file and showed it to Smirf. "W'ats that — a storybook. Wow! Where ya get that?" So'liel just move slightly. "Ya father gave ya that huh! That's good to hear. Now ya go read em, while Ah prepare lunch. Okay." So'liel slightly nodded then sat back on the bollard.

Mat looked at Azaleah. "Was that..." She just shrugged and said. "Anyway, congrats — you didn't tell me you were Sol's father. Hoh ho ho."

"Thanks, aunt Azi... and sorry I didn't know myself."

"Aunt Azi, I could live with that — I'll teach my little niece how to fly."

"Fly?"

"Yes, fly — on 'Wings of a Thousand Blades'... Hoh ho ho ho."

"You are a bad aunt,"