Deactivated

We Have Tons of Useless Weapons. Do We Get a Standing Ovation, or What?

"It- it's the wind mace," Aru said, holding it to Brynne. 

"My wind mace? How?" Brynne asked, waving it.

"Try it."

Brynne obliged, trying to change the wind currents. The mace of Vayu didn't move or glow or do anything special.

Brynne frowned. "It's a... deactivated? Broken?" She shook it.

"I don't know! I was about to bring it to you until I noticed it wasn't glowing or radiating magic. I tried to wave it or something, nothing happened."

"YOU WIELDED MY MACE?" Aiden and Mini both had to pull her back to avoid her from trampling Aru.

"I had to try it!" Aru shot back, "Plus, at least we know it was meddled with! Vajra is missing! I doubt it would work, too!"

It was Aiden's turn to be confused. "You know about that?"

"Obviously. I noticed it wasn't on my wrist or as a ping-pong ball, so it was obviously stolen, but I couldn't focus on Vajra then. Come on, show me your scimitars."

"What?"

Aru sighed impatiently. "Summon your scimitars. You too, Mini. Dee Dee."

Aiden reluctantly followed Aru's orders. The twin scimitars were summoned and he passed it to Aru's hand, ignoring the slight brush of fingers.

Mini did the same, with no luck. Dee Dee didn't move or react. 

"Just like what I thought. All our celestial weapons have been dactivated- Where's Nikita, Sheela, and Kara? And Boo?" Aru stopped.

Mini laughed. "Oh, then? Nikita and Kara are at the yard, and Boo's taking Sheela a complex tour of the Night Bazaar. They're loving it."

"Well, we might need them."

2 hours later, the whole gang was together.

"All the celestial weapons we own are deactivated? How come?" Kara asked, her hand touching her own celestial weapon: her trident that she nicknamed "Sunny". 

"I mean, we can still use my mace to smack people in the face, just no more wind current changing and stuff," Brynne said, her mouth full of lasagna.

Kara rolled her eyes. "So my trident works, but no more "boom epic light show," blah blah stuff? No more enchantments?"

Hira piped up. "We don't know yet, but I think. At least you still have your bow, Vajra was missing this morning," she grumbled.

"What? Really! Gosh, that must suck," Sheela said, her gaze starry-eyed. Nikita elbowed her sister.

Aru sighed. "Maybe. Oh, hey Boo!" She brightened at the sight of their pigeon friend and Mini simply waved hi (her mouth was full) by giving Boo an Oreo.

"An Oreo! Sweet girl, thank you! It's good to see you too, Aru," Boo said sweetly, perching on Aru's shoulder and playfully nibbled on her shoulder.

"Ack! Good to see you too, Boo. Did you-"

Aru was interrupted with a shriek from Boo. "More of them?!" He lifted a wing at Kara.

Kara rolled her eyes. "Well, Karna-"

She was interrupted by Boo promptly fainting on Aru's shoulders. Aru shrugged apologetically at her sister. Sorry, she mouthed.

"Wait, don't move," Mini froze, walking to Boo. She gingerly lifted a wing and saw a piece of paper tucked in the feathers.

Aiden whistled appreciatively. "How did you see that?" Mini just pointed to her glasses before unfolding the note. 

Her eyes dancing across the paper, she paled. "G-guys? You won't like this-"

Everyone crowded around Mini immediately.

Urvashi

Like that little surprise? All the celestial weapons are disabled. If you want to see your little Otherworld safe and sound, we demand payment by the 3rd moon, or we'll attack.

The note wasn't signed, but everyone knew that Boo didn't write the note.

"What-"

Nikita shoved Brynne out of the way and snatched it out of Mini's hands. "Hey-" Mini protested.

"Shh. Give me a look." Her eyes glowed green, which meant she was reacting to it. Her hair lifted a tiny bit before settling. Her eyes were back to ice-chip blue.

"The paper is made of ivory wood, which is why it looks a bit pink. The ink is from..." she frowned, "Blood octopus."

Mini gagged. "Ew. After this, I'm turning vegetarian. What's so important about this... uh, wood?"

Nikita glared at her. "Nothing. Just pointing it out." After watching everyone groan, she amended, "I thought it could tell us some clues."

"Come on, Nikki! How can paper tell you what's wrong? Ugh, do you think Urvashi knows about it? Maybe Boo was hiding it from her?" Sheela said, tugging the paper from Nikita.

"Why would Boo hide a threat from Urvashi, the head of the Council itself! Of course not! Maybe we should consult Urvashi herself!" Brynne sighed.

"Go back to the Court of the Sky to see all the Guardians? Ugh. We should just ask Boo!" Kara said.

"Ask me what?"

All heads turned to Boo. His wings were beating again and he flew off Aru's shoulder. He paled when he looked at the note on the desk.

"Girls-"

Aiden and Brynne scoffed.

"Ok, children-"

Nikita and Sheela glared at Boo.

"Pandavas-"

Aiden sighed audibly.

"And Pandava adjacents! You- you didn't happen to open the note, did you?" Boo amended, exasperate.

The beat of silence confirmed it.

"Ok, we did. Be true, you did pass out. Mini spotted the note," Aru admitted, flicking the piece of paper to Boo.

Mini mumbled something like Thanks for ratting me out.

Boo swiftly caught it and stuffed it under his right-wing. "You naughty child- Pandavas! That was private!" Boo stammered, ignoring Aiden's reaction.

"We're sorry, Boo, but- does Urvashi know?" Aru asked, letting Boo fly on her shoulder again.

"O-Obviously! I- I was just-"

Brynne cut him out. "We got it, bird-brain. What do we do now? Go see Urvashi? Consult her? Question her?"

Boo nibbled an Oreo. "That's probably the best idea- Kara?"

Kara was the only one who didn't talk a lot, excluding Hira. She must've slipped away midway in the conversation, as she was nowhere to be seen. "Do we have to go to the Council? I mean, come on, Hanuman talks a lot and- well, Uloopi kinda scares me."

Boo affectionately nibbled her ear. "Oh, Kara, we'll be fine." Plus, we won't even be in the Court of the Sky!"

"We won't?" Aru and Mini said together, perplexed. 

"Yup! Urvashi's dance studio in the Night Bazaar!"

---

Hello, Audy here! I decided to make a new novel 😇 about Aru Shah, so here's the first chapter! I hope you enjoy it... if you did, please click that vote button down there ⬇ or up at the top! Have a wonderful day/night!

-audy ♥  (@audydapotato_yt)