Chapter 137: B4 — 9. A Happy Ending

AuthorSME

PoV:

1: Rachel Park

Recap: Nia being Edgy, Adorable Nia, Rachel acting as Matchmaker for her cousin and his best friend, putting them on a crash course!  Now, let's see how this roller coaster ends!  We also learned there's a new crystal in town that needs to be dealt with, and so, time to call good ol' Uncle Tom!

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Rachel held her phone in front of her as the number dialed, but instead of Tom’s voice that answered on the other end, Clay picked up.

“Ah, Rachel,” he mumbled, “I’m sure you’re a bit confused by the redirect, but I’ve been listed to take General Dallas’s calls when he is asleep.”

“I see … That makes sense.”  She gave a weak laugh.  “I’ve woken him up in the middle of the night before.”

Clay remained neutral in tone.  “Understandable with the things you can discover with your hearing, not to mention your sleep cycle.  So, what is the nature of your call?”

Rachel explained the situation to the military-man over ten minutes, going into detail about the criminal network she’d discovered so far.

Once finished, Clay released a low hum, leaning back in an armchair; she assumed he was sitting in front of a hotel room TV.  Maria likely set him up in one of her expensive rooms, or Reed had pulled some strings since they’d gotten closer on the quest.

“Can you tell me what size, shape, color, and glow the Crystal had?”

Rachel could have slapped herself.  “... No, I didn’t ask my cousin about that.  I can get it from him shortly.  However, judging by his story, it shouldn’t be all that difficult of a fight.”

“Mhm, I can see that, but as you pointed out, the fact that the Gate hasn’t closed means something else is at play.  If they haven’t come up against the actual foes the Crystal opened for, such as the insects in the Montana event, then I suspect we have yet to see the true strength.”

“True,” Rachel admitted, wanting to just get permission to head right in, but it wasn’t looking like it would be that way.  “So … you’re saying I should probably get someone to back me up?”

A small bit of humor touched the man’s voice.  “You can’t tell me that the Legend’s Quest didn’t make you aware that even Mythickin have their limits—dare I say you have your limits.”

Rachel puffed out a long breath, running her left hand through her hair, being mindful of the waterfall braids, while staring up at the starry sky.  “Yeah, I get it.  How soon can we go in?  I still don’t know the protocols with the whole selling Crystals thing.”

“Right…”  Clay paused, adjusting his posture with a low grunt.  “To be frank, I don’t think you can realistically make a move tonight … at least, not legally, as things are still being constructed.”

“Okay … So, what’s up?”  Rachel mumbled, moving over to the side of the covered deck to sit and stare at her grandfather’s prized tree.

“I need to contact the Gateway Administration Division of the Department of Demi Affairs.”

“GAD, huh?”  Rachel mused.  “Does that mean the DDA will be taking over all issues related to the Gateways and Demi?”

She caught a shrug in the movements of Clay’s clothes.  “That’s how the agency and laws are currently shaping up.  GAD may request organized and licensed Demi groups for assistance, but ultimately, it was up to who they think would best work the case when it’s illegal operations like this, and they will have their own teams given time.”

“I get it,” Rachel replied.  “I’ll see who’s free.  Scarlet’s having some personal time with my family right now, so I’d rather not call her—maybe Anthony or Selvaria.”

Clay sucked on his tongue, creating a soft noise.  “Unfortunately—everyone but Scarlet, Kyle, and Maria is off to the Bahamas.”

“When … did this happen?”  Rachel asked, genuinely shocked, considering she’d just spoken to them several hours ago.

“Shortly after you finished the call with them, I assume.  Cahira was crying about needing more treasure to feed her pet turtle and pay for her crew.  She said even normal missions given by the military would create the opportunity for loot, as she called it, and so I offered them the opportunity to handle some Demi terrorists causing problems in the Bahamas since they were close.  I needed to send a team there anyway.”

“Great … I’d rather not call Maria since she hasn’t had much time with her brother, and Kyle … yeah, he’s refused to do any of the Crystal stuff.  I mean, I could try and handle it on my own,” she slowly offered, ears shifting to the left.

Clay cleared his throat.  “Ahem—I might have an alternative … Fiona should be back in Miami by early afternoon.  She was getting ready to enter the airport when you called, forcing them to duck into a conference room real quick.  A Military Cargo Plane was in the area and available to return to Miami, bringing back her family and the goods they’ll be transporting to the U.S.”

Rachel’s full lips pulled together.  “Mmh … so, in the end, I’ll need to wait for tomorrow night to handle the portal.  Don’t you think it’s risky, seeing as it could change in that time?”

“Heh, that’s why I asked you to describe it, but in the end, it’s a risk we’ll have to take.  GAD is brand new, and while they are screened agents to fill key positions, including this one, it will take several hours to get one ready and down to Florida City.  In addition, it’s nearing 4 A.M., which means your operation window is shrinking and swiftly.”

She couldn’t argue with him there, glancing down at Gisele and Hayan as they stared each other down; they seemed to have a complicated relationship that Rachel wasn’t too interested in dissecting at the moment.

“... No—you’re right, Clay; I’m just trying to jump the gun.”

A short chuckle transferred through the speaker.  “I get it; you’re itching to get back into the action.  I’ve known plenty of soldiers like you.  Strategically, this is the best play, though, and you’ll agree if you took a second to think about it before letting that spur in your heart push your forward.”

Rachel slowly nodded.  “Right … If I popped into this new world and there’s some kind of solar event, then I could be screwed.  It doesn’t really identify what time it is when looking at it, and given that it’s a rich forest environment, it indicates a strong likelihood of sunlight.

“My cousin could overpower me without a doubt if my Lunar Pool was drained and I was under the sun; since he had trouble, it wouldn’t be wise to go in under those circumstances while knowing there are likely unknown enemies still waiting to be discovered.  I could be screwed … it’s just annoying, knowing there’s a new place with enemies to explore.”

“Excellent … Now, what about Fiona?”

“Hmm,” Rachel’s head bobbed left and right, debating the scenarios and their combination.  “Honestly, she’s good paired with anyone.  She’s well-rounded with a lot of versatility between her elements, but it is all elemental damage, and that’s where I come in with the raw physical force.  Yeah … I’ll give her a call.  Umm, what about Bree and Serah?  David said he’d get them assigned to us.”

Clay paused, shifting in his chair while pulling over what was probably a laptop or tablet.  “Give me a moment … Hmm, are those the two female FBI agents that were with you after The Oscillation?”

“Those are the two,” Rachel replied.  “Maria really connected to Bree, and personally, I’d rather have someone more familiar with us than go through the whole process of getting to know them again.”

“Mhm.  I understand that.  Let’s see … They do seem to have a note that they’re on a priority basis in dealing with your group, but they’ve mainly qualified for local low-level work around Miami, not GAD.”

“Why not?  They seemed to have a lot of experience in fieldwork.”

“Heh … you can’t have a lot of field experience at their age.  No, they are ambitious and have some things to fill out a resume, but it doesn’t scratch the requirements they’re putting on fieldwork for GAD; we’re talking about government representatives on missions going to new worlds.”

Rachel frowned, motioning for her two pets to chill out after they started looking more menacingly at one another; they swiftly backed down, Hayan jumping up to snuggle next to her left side as Gisele took her right.  “They’ve been dealing with us, though.  Doesn’t that count for anything?”

“Sure,” Clay mumbled, “but not GAD, and it’s less to do with what they’ve done in the last two weeks and more with their entire life experience; in short, they’re just too young.  We’re talking about people that have seen real war and made life and death situational decisions, not college kids with a paper behind their name and some Police work.

“Still … I’ll recommend their name to be put back in the cycle with a recommendation to handle cases around Miami when dealing with your team.  In truth, the recruiters wouldn’t have seen their experience with your group since General Dallas had almost everything related to you redacted to avoid incidents from occurring in the future—Relica’s breach caused him to tighten everything down.”

Her smile returned; it felt good trying to help the two women.  “Thanks, Clay.  Maria will love you for that, and Scarlet likes them, too.  It’s nicer knowing the people you’re working with than some random agent.”

“That being said,” Clay sighed, “I can’t guarantee they’ll be drafted.  Since I’ve been working with General Dallas, I have a lot of pull—plus, there’s the fact the DDA falls under DOD jurisdiction, but other political factors are involved.  Keep it in mind.”

“Noted,” Rachel pulled one of her locks away from the side of the deck where she was laying; thankfully, it was clean, thanks to her grandfather’s pupils who helped with the household chores as a part of learning to use his controlled breathing techniques.  “I’m thankful for everything Tom’s pulled for us and what I’ve heard you do for Maria.  I don’t expect the world to move for us.”

“Right…”  Clay’s tone turned more serious.  “We’ve discovered several types of Champion Demi that have interpretation-type abilities, and through them, we’ve been able to discover quite a bit about the Crystals from those birds Fiona rescued.”

Rachel’s mind flashed back to the strange toucan-type creatures that came from the world the Azure Frost destroyed.  “What’d we learn?”

“A lot, actually … a lot more than we hoped,” he mumbled with a grave tone.

“That bad?”

He swiftly went over the information, explaining that there are quite likely much more than what the birds were able to tell them, but they couldn’t handle the Gateway that had ended their world, which speaks volumes on what could come after if they had managed to overcome the rapidly growing ice flower.

It reminded Rachel that a world-ending item was casually kept in check by Maria’s weak natural solar aura.

Size of Crystal - Crystal Level 

Crystal Shape - Grade of Crystal

Crystal Color - Rank of Crystal

Glow - How Soon It Will Go To The Next Stage

Events - Things That Can Happen When Moving To The Next Stage

Clay’s explanation sent Rachel’s mind ablaze with questions, but she knew he couldn’t answer them.

His tone was low while muttering.  “So … we’re in a race against the clock to stockpile as much power as we can for whatever comes next.  If we’re going by those rankings, a Level 4, Grade 5 Crystal at Rank 8 was able to utterly destroy an entire world, and High Rolling’s Gateway wasn’t far behind.

“If those creatures decided to stay and migrate to our world, as seems possible, then I have no doubt they would have been able to destroy humanity, and that is why the President has changed his approach … We must deal with these Crystals, and take whatever we can get because humanity literally depends on us being able to close them.”

Rachel was silent after he finished; it was difficult to conceptualize.  “... There’s a lot to unpack there … I suppose; the most pressing questions on my mind is how often do they show up and how do we contend with the ones that are allowed to stay?”

Clay released a low growl in his throat.  “Actually, everything’s not adding up with what the bird’s told us, which Tom pointed out and has my mind pondering what we learned in the Legend’s Quest … Something you mentioned.”

Her brow furrowed.  “Go on.”

“The birds explained that Crystals don’t normally start at such high levels, and never high grades or ranks, which typically advance as time goes on.  It makes me think about what you discussed with these God-like beings that were messing with Cahira’s Quest, and that gave you those items.”

Rachel shifted her posture on the deck, glaring up at the polished wooden beams above her.  “I’m fairly certain they don’t have the power to create them, given what I learned there, but manipulating the framework that’s linking this System is possible for them to a certain degree.  I wouldn’t put it past some of them being able to do the same with the Crystals, even to just experiment with it like a new toy … I wouldn’t put it past it with the personality I’ve seen from a creature like Moongmor.”

“Hey!”  Nia huffed.  “He made sure I was born so I could be with you, though!  He’s like my dad, you know…”

Mhm…  Rachel blew air through her lips.  So, is my mom still on the list, and what about my dad?

“Duh!  Geez, you’re so dense sometimes … like I can’t have two dads and a mom.  Who only has two parents?  That’s so weird!”  She laughed.  “Oh … humans do … you’re all weird!”

Okay, Living Denier…

“No … you did not just call me weird!”

Double standards, much?  Rachel giggled.

“I was joking … you’re being mean, and after I…”

Cover my big ass?  Rachel finished with a smirk.

“...”

Nia released a pouting huff before retreating to silence.

Love you.

“... Whatever … it is big.”

Clay took her information and pondered it while she had her little internal conflict with Nia; she was a typical moody little girl, and Rachel had no doubt she’d forget all about it in a few minutes.

“... That is an interesting take,” Clay whispered.  “These beings are more interested in the people than the Crystals, though, and their goal doesn’t seem to be to utterly wipe out humanity.”

Rachel slowly shook her head against the pillow she was using.  “I don’t know.  I’d have to meet one and ask to really get a read on it, and I don’t see that happening soon, but if these strong incidents are just a product of their random curiosity, then it should mellow out and allow us to get ahold of it.”

“We can hope.  In any case, I’ll leave it at that; I need to think about this more before bringing it up to General Dallas.”

“Good luck!”  Rachel laughed, imagining the man putting out a PowerPoint in a DOD meeting about gods manipulating the Crystals.

Hanging up, she bobbed the phone against her lips, reaching over with her free hand to scratch Gisele’s neck; Hayan snuggled closer at the action, probably a bit jealous, but she already held him earlier.  It was strange, trying to divide her attention between her pets.

If they increase their level and power the longer they’re open, couldn’t you purposely wait to get a better experience?  It also means that our group severely out-leveled the content of average Level 1 Gates.

“Hmm … maybe it won’t be that bad.”

Turning her attention back to her phone, she called Fiona, not having much hope she’d answer on a flight; to her surprise, she did.

“H-Hold on … I’m trying to touch the button … Nora…”

Her sister’s voice responded with a light giggle.  “Fi, it’s on.”

“What?  No, I can’t see … sucking hobgoblins, it went dark again … it won’t recognize my finger!”

“You’re too small!”

“Gmmmgh … Wait … it is on!  Rachel?!”

Rachel laughed.  “Yeah, I hear you, Fiona.  Are you doing okay?  I hear the sound of those engines in the background … How are you receiving calls?”

“WiFi!”  Fiona chimed.  “Normal flights disable that kind of stuff, but not military ones!”

“Oh, nice.”

“So … yeah, what’s … Nora, shhh … Mom and Dad are sleeping!”

“What?”  Nora mumbled, adjusting her chair.  “I’m not being loud; we’ve just got good hearing.”

“Mmh … okay … man, yesterday was crazy…”

Nora snickered.  “You thought packing was the crazy part this week?”

“When you’re flippin’ three inches tall, it is,” Fiona grumbled.  “It’s like trying to move a house of giants, and little ol’ me is still the brawn of the operation with my Levitation Spell.”

Rachel nodded.  “Sounds pretty crazy.”

“Yeah … and when it doesn’t work on a safe because it’s too heavy for my Spell … and people make fun of you for it,” she replied with a weak chuckle.  “Oh, right, what’s up, Rachel?”

The next several minutes were dedicated to explaining the situation to Fiona; Jessy finished getting ready in that time and had come downstairs to the gardens, sitting a few feet away in a cute yellow dress that matched her hair.

Typically, yellow on blonde was horrible and gave Caucasian women an unpleasant, pallid undertone, but Rachel was a little surprised the pale yellow, shin-length dress actually gave her a more bright, statement-making poppy look that fit her personality.

Rachel gave her a small smile and waved as Jessy hurried across the stone walkway in her yellow thong sandals but continued to talk to Fiona.

“So, in short, I need you to zip down here and help me take out this Crystal when you get back in Miami.  Sound good?”

“Mmh … yeah, I think that should be…”

“I wanna come,” Nora pleaded, and before her sister could interject, she pushed on, fighting for her case.  “I won’t ask again until I graduate in three months—I promise!  I mean, I won’t be able to even enroll for a bit, and Mom said there might be some troubles with Demi and schools, too; so, I’ll just be stuck at home with nothing to do.”

“Shh…”  Fiona hissed.  “Umm … ugh…”

Rachel smiled.  “I mean, she’s not wrong, Fiona.”

“C’mon, Rachel,” Fiona moaned.  “The Crystals aren’t a game, Nora…”

Nora cut in again.  “Have any of you asked me about my own Slime needs that need to be met?  No … you just give me a bunch of food and think I’m fine!”  She whispered in a frustrated tone.  “No one even considers how I’m feeling inside…”

“I get that you have an urge to eat living things,” Fiona mumbled.  “I mean, Rachel has her own pride thing, and Scarlet’s got an urge to drink blood.”

“See!”

“Mmh … What do you think, Rachel?”  Fiona asked, looking for support.

Rachel shifted a little to look at the tree across the yard, forcing her two pets to move with her, full lips pulling together; she released a quiet sigh.  Jessy was trying to look like she wasn’t listening, but she could only hear Rachel’s side of the conversation with how low the volume on her phone was.

“I get it, Fiona; you want to protect your little sister, but Nora’s needs might be something you’re overlooking.  Maria’s having a bit of a hard time with Zoe and Felix suddenly getting so close.”

“Eh … heh, yeah, I’ve talked with her about that,” Fiona mumbled, probably lying on top of her phone while glaring down at the microphone part.

“You know, Nora,” Rachel hummed, seeing Jessy going over her looks again out of the corner of her vision, “my cousin is having some issues with his own experience with the Crystals; it’s not a simple monster masher game.”

“I know,” Nora returned.  “Is he an Aberationkin?  If not, then they don’t know what it’s like because I need to feed on things … It’s not something I really like or want to do … it’s a need.”

There was concern in Fiona’s voice as she asked, “Isn’t the mice that we bought from the pet store working?”

Nora released a long, frustrated groan.  “I told Mom it was to make her feel better, but those things are tiny … I’ve been surviving off all the stray dogs, cats, mice, lizards, birds … I ate a hedgehog, badger, and stoat, too.”

“Nora … you need to be honest with us…”

“Right … and have Mom or Dad wince again,” Nora grumbled.  “I got enough weird looks from the rest of the family when we got together.”

Rachel could see where she was coming from, and it was rough; she hadn’t expected becoming an Aberationkin to be so hard, but it was probably different for each of them.

Fiona was silent for a moment, trying to work through it in her mind, and finally gave in.  “Fine … If you can convince Mom and Dad, and you have to tell us more about what you’re going through.  Okay?  Is that alright with you, too, Rachel?”

“Uh … yeah, that’s fine.”

You are reading story The Oscillation at novel35.com

“Yes!”  Nora softly cheered.  “I’d hug you, Fi … well, if I could.”

“Heh, I’ll hug you, then,” Fiona replied with a sad sigh as she moved away from the speaker.  “We’ll talk more about it tomorrow … Well, we can talk a bit before bed.”

“Thanks, Fi; you’re the best!”

Catching the hints, Rachel said her goodbyes and hung up, asking Fiona to text her when they’d get here, sending her the address.

Rachel’s gaze lifted to the ceiling, listening to her grandfather’s soft breathing; he really had trust in her word that everything would be alright after the police carted off the criminals.  It gave her a bit of joy, knowing he believed in her.

It also showcased his complete control over his emotions and the abilities he’d gained from The Oscillation.

Jessy gave her an awkward smile; she really had gone with makeup and the whole nine-yards; she was looking more like a 7 with the level of detail she’d gone over her appearance.  Rachel was impressed.

“So … your friends are coming over to help you with something?”

Rachel dropped her phone against her chest with a short chuckle.  “Yeah … with something.  Umm, Mason’s coming down the street; he should be here in like three minutes.”

“Oh … okay,” she took a calming breath, placing her hand against her breast to feel her own racing heartbeat.  “I can do this … Just tell him how I feel.”

“I know saying don’t stress out isn’t going to help,” Rachel said, giving her a smile.  “It’s a big moment, but just be yourself; Mason likes you because you're real with him … mostly.  This part you’ve kept boxed in … well, kind of … he’s just really, really dense.”

Jessy scratched her forehead before cursing and worrying about messing up her makeup.  Rachel tried to calm her down as Mason slowly walked up to the front gate, punching in the code.

“H-He’s here?”  Jessy squeaked.

Nia roared to life in Rachel’s mind.  “You’ve got this!  We’ve got your back, Sister!  Smash him in the face and tell him you like him!”

Uh … I don’t think you know how relationships work, Nia.

“Nu-uh!  I know!  I know all the stuff!  You don’t know!  Jessy’s going to kill him!”

She’s … not a Blackwidow, Nia.  Rachel restrained a laugh that would make Jessy even more nervous.

“What’s that?  … Wait, what’s a spider have to do with Jessy?  She’s going after a bear!  You’re supposed to punch them in the nose!  Just like Hayan did, and he got dominance!  Victory lies before you, Jessy!  Hit him in the weak spot!”

Heh … have you noticed their size difference, Nia?

“Oh.  My.  Goodness!  You’re right!  We need to give her a boost so she can get in position!  Quick!”

Rachel gave up; Nia would understand as things went on, but her cousin being a Bear Beastkin was mixing her perception of a real bear vs. a Beastkin.

“It’ll be worth it,” Rachel whispered with a wink.  “Oh, and you look super cute.”

Jessy was standing, unable to sit still, and her hands clasped at her front.  “Mhm…”  Was all she could mumble.

“Yeah!  Super cute, just like me!  You’ll knock that dead brain bear out cold!  Use the platform to your advantage!”

Leaning over before her cousin could hear her, she whispered, “I’m going to leave you two alone, but I won’t be too far away.”

Jessy blushed.  “Right … your hearing.”

Jumping to the roof with her pets in pursuit, Rachel hopped to the other side, holding her skirt down as her cousin walked across the driveway.

Landing, she greeted him with a smile.  “Yo!  Feeling better?”

He shook his head.  “Naa, not really, but … I think I know what I need to do.”

Rachel nodded.  “Mmh … Okay.  Well, mind telling me a bit about what the Crystal looked like real fast?  I need to get a grasp on how strong the creatures are that we're supposed to fight on the other side.”

“Umm … is that how it works?”  He asked with a short grunt.  “Humph … Well, it’s about as big as I am, cone-shaped, and it was blue; I’m pretty sure it had a green glow the last time I saw it, but all of that was like three days ago.”

A little into Level 1, Grade 2, and Rank 2, huh?  If this Crystal works normally, it should cycle through all of the colors before upgrading its shape … at least, if it functions like our Skills.  The size or level is increased when the glow finishes its Yellow phase.  If it’s already gone through all the colors to reach Grade 2, then it’s been up for a while.

“Huh … Okay.  Thanks,” she smiled, jumping back up to the roof.

Mason almost followed her rise before forcing his gaze down, grumbling about her, jumping everywhere like that in a skirt.

Rachel settled onto the clay tiles of the 3-story roof with her pets beside her.  Let’s see how they do.

“You’ll see; my girl’s got this!”  Nia chimed with pride; it was like she’d personally mentored her with Rachel as a proxy, and now she was watching her student blossom.

Mason slid the door open, eyes downcast, but when he stepped through and caught sight of his best friend, he slowed to a stop.  “Jessy?  I … uh, thought you’d be sleeping … You’re all dressed up, too.  Is something going on?”

“Umm … hey, Mason,” Jessy replied, sounding a bit breathless.  “So, umm … I just … I wanted to say…”

“You okay?  You’re not looking too good,” he mumbled, getting a bit closer to look at her.  “Well, no … you look really nice right now, but…”

Firming her posture, Jessy took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and blurted, “I really like you, Mason.”

Her jaw snapped shut, tensing for the trainwreck she knew was coming … it didn’t come.  She opened her eyes to see Mason standing a few feet away, looking somewhat confused.

Rachel heard every muscle twitch, drawing her a perfect picture of their responses.

Jessy was red-faced, voice filled with stress, and the silence only increased the girl’s desperation as she began to word vomit in the silent night, making nervous gestures.

“I … I know that kind of came out of n-nowhere, and I just … I wanted to tell you for so long, but it just never felt right—Clare came into the picture, and … and I know you like her, and I’m not nearly as pretty as she is, but I just … I had to say something,” she swallowed, close to tears as his conflicted stare fell to the sand nearby.  “It … just felt like my last chance…”  She finished, shoulders drooping in defeat.

“No … what’s she doing?!”  Nia cried.  “She’s not supposed to be crying … he’s a demon!  We need to save her, Rachel!”

It’s fine!  She soothed.  Mason’s just a meathead and too slow to respond.  Give it a second.

A long, loud sigh shot out of her cousin’s lungs, lips coming together as he rubbed his neck, likely looking for the right words, which was like a missile striking Jessy’s defensive walls and dropping her into a numb depression to save herself.

“Hey, Jessy, I’m … I’m sorry for putting you in this position.  Rachel told me how insensitive I’ve been with the whole … you know, asking you to come here, and it’s not fair to you.”

“The bear ratted us out!”  Nia gasped.  “We’re made!”

In truth, Rachel was a little annoyed he dropped her into it.

Jessy’s feet pulled together, pawing her toes with her flip-flop; she was smiling while trying to hold back tears.  “N-No, I get it…”

Mason shook his head.  “Umm … no, I don’t think you do,” he mumbled, releasing a low growl.  “Why’s everything so complicated…”

She looked up at him, eyes moist and on the verge of letting the dam break.  “... What do you mean?”  It was hard not to catch the slight choke before she cleared her throat.

“I talked with my cousin, and … she’s right.  I hate to admit it, but … yeah, it took her evil blob smashing my face in, but … I got it.”

It was Jessy’s turn to be bewildered, eyes searching randomly for answers around the yard as her brain jarred.  “Your … cousin?  I mean, yeah … she’s pretty much perfect…”

Jessy trailed off as Mason couldn’t help a laugh that shook his chest.

Poor girl…  Rachel sighed.  He’s making this so painful.

“Rach?”  Mason laughed.  “Yeah, she’s far, far from perfect!”

“W-What’s up with the bear and being so, so rude to us?!”  Nia snapped.  “We need to punch him in the nose!”

Rachel rolled her eyes as her clothes flashed, turning into her combat outfit.

“Let’s go!”

Chill, girl … Just listen.

“Gmmgh … fine…”

She huffed, returning to their casual outfit.

Mason took a long breath before saying, “I’m gonna be real with you, Jessy, and that’s something I’ve always really liked about our friendship.”  He started to pick up steam, shaking his head and smirking up at the house.  “I would complain about all the Korean bullshit my parents put me through, and you supported me in everything I wanted to do since we were kids.  You know, truth, I wouldn’t be who I am today without you.”

Oh.  My.  God.  Just say it, you idiot!  Rachel screamed.

“H-Hey … d-don’t yell in my ear…”

Jessy’s hands were practically knots, her mouth partially open as she stared at the ground in utter confusion; he’d sent so many mixed signals that she wasn’t sure what to do anymore, but finally, the answer she was waiting for came, drawing her gaze back to his yellow irises.

“I never thought about you as anything more than my best friend, but … I’m willing to try and see if we can go beyond that.  I know things can’t be the same now … Rachel told me as much, and that’s okay … I think.  Well … because when I was thinking about it on the way back … I’d rather lose Clare than you, and I really don’t know what to think about that … I don’t.  So … yeah, I’m willing to give it a shot.”

He gave her a weak grin.  “Umm … so, Jessy, mind going out with me to figure this out?”

Predictably, Jessy’s brain had checked out at this point.

“Jessy?”

“... Mmh?  Oh, uh, y-yeah, umm … w-what was that again?  I just … I don’t know if I heard you right,” she mumbled, mind spinning from his awkward delivery.  She was probably still wondering if she should cry or jump for joy.

Clearing his throat, Mason said, “Jessy—will you go out with me?”

Rachel could practically see the light in Jessy’s hazel eyes return.  “Y-Yeah!  Umm … so, uh … does that mean we can … you know…”  Her voice wasn’t the only thing that trembled.

“We can … what?”  Mason slowly asked.

Jessy swallowed the lump in her throat, trying hard not to bite her lower lip.  “K-Kiss?”  She whispered so softly that it would require enhanced hearing to catch; luckily, Mason had that.

He released a short chuckle, brushing back her blonde bangs to hold the back of her head, gently guiding it so he could lean down and meet her lips.

The girl’s body went stiff, and a single tear fell out of her left eye.

It was relatively quick, but the results had Jessy stumbling to the left in a daze the moment Mason pulled back.

“Jessy?”

“I’m fine … I’m fine!”  She mumbled, eyes swimming.

“Heh, I’ve never seen this cute side of you,” he laughed.

Jessy tasted her lips, face practically on fire, but she wouldn’t back down at this point.  “... It was my first kiss,” she whispered.

Mason’s left eyebrow shot up.  “Wha—no way!  Wait … I mean, I guess you’ve never really talked to me about boys or kissing before … wait, wasn’t there some Jack guy or something?”

“No … I was just trying to see if mentioning a guy would make you jealous,” she grumbled.  “I was trying everything they told me to do online … I’m not proud of it, but umm … yeah, so … that was really nice, so … could we do it again?”  She asked with an awkward smile, cheeks likely still ablaze.  “I was kind of distracted by your hand on my neck.”

He complied with a weak shrug.  “Always up for making out,” he chuckled.

Rachel shook her head with a wry smile, thinking back to Anthony’s own strong hands and soft lips; she suddenly realized in shock that that had been her own first kiss.  She was so caught up in the moment that everything melted away.

“Wow,” Nia cooed.  “It’s so sweet!  I like this a lot better than the punching plan; yeah, that plan sucked, Rachel.”

What?  It wasn’t my plan!

“Uh-huh, trying to shift the blame now, are we?”  Nia snickered.  “Oh, they’re so cute!  Stop ruining the moment by thinking about yourself; it’s distracting me!”

… Okay, your highness.

“Finally, some peace … NO, keep listening!”

And who’s the creeper?

“Not me!  Wait … am I?!  Oh, no … What have you done to me?  I’m trapped in a fathomless abyss of misbehaviors, but it’s not my fault, I tell you!  It’s the Rabbit that wears me!”

Rachel sighed.  Nia was in one of those moods.

Wouldn’t hold up in court; false statement; I’m a Hare.

“He-he-he … listen, listen to them!  No, why are they stopping?”

It didn’t last long before Mason pulled back.  “... Hey, Jessy…”

“Mmh?”  She asked, clearly still wanting more.

“There’s just … some things I wanted to talk about.  Actually, it’s kind of why I asked you to come…”

The blonde was certainly disappointed the kissing had ended but settled back to the porch to listen with a smile.  “I’m here for whatever you need!”

Rachel shifted her focus as he told her about the Gateway and why it was haunting him.  Jessy didn’t really understand what he meant by mushroom people since she didn’t watch the Presidential broadcast but let him know she was on his side.  She’d always be there to listen or offer advice if he asked it.

Mason wasn’t feeling too well, possibly still suffering from the strike Hayan planted between his eyes, and says his mind is still kind of foggy after everything that happened today; Jessy was a bit tense about what that meant for her as he went to get ready for bed, but was happy when he said they’d talk more about all of this tomorrow.

Both of them went to different bathrooms to get ready for bed; it was reaching 4:40 A.M., and both were feeling drained after the emotionally charged encounter.

Rachel had half-expected her cousin to jump on the opportunity to push for the next level with Jessy.  However, she reminded herself that the girl wasn’t just eye-candy her cousin was looking to test out but his best friend.  He’d treat her right.

She spent the following hours of the night pondering the news her cousin gave her; the crystal could be well on its way to the next stage by now, which could mean a few things they had to look out for.  Still, Fiona, and possibly her sister, would be there with her.

Tonight will be eventful.  I can test out something fun, too.

Once the sun started to rise, Rachel went inside to escape its rays; Jessy had already fallen asleep across from her bed, and a few of her grandfather’s students were beginning to show up for their morning exercises.

Nothing of significant importance could be heard from the 24/7 club except some partying that had slowed down.

Nia used her 3rd transformation that she’d gained from Molly’s shopping adventure to make her final outfit a black bikini and done-up hair to give her safety while sleeping; of course, she added her own rabbit cutesy flair to it, but Rachel didn’t particularly mind considering how happy she was to start building her wardrobe.

It didn’t take long for her to drift into a deep sleep.

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