The Search For Peace

Chapter 23

As another wave crashed into the building and sprayed Sanjay in the face, he turned his head and searched for the exit they were all longing for. His eyes locked onto the arch a few spaces away, but with all the water gathering in between, it seemed impossible to get there before the whole place was submerged. Unless...

"You guys, follow me!" Amidst the confusion, his companions found him and plunged through the blocks of water, Juliet and Alyssa holding hands as they did. When he was sure they were all behind him, he raised his arms and used all the magical energy he had left to part the sea in front of him. A somewhat path was created from their spot to the arch, but it was obvious he couldn't hold the currents for long. "Go, now!"

Ultima was the first to oblige, followed by the two friends who still couldn't register what was happening, and the three of them hurriedly got through with only a splash to bother them. Kevin spared him a worried glance and nodded solemnly before passing through himself, and when they he made it to the end, Sanjay spread out his hands from both sides to hold the waves in place as he ran through himself.

A deafening crash sounded when he stepped under the arch, and they braced themselves as the waves escaped into their location. "This way!" Ultima was quick on her feet, knowing full well it won't be long until they were completely drowned in this angry, glowing sea. She lead them down the steps she and Juliet had used to first come inside, and desperately wished for the cellar door to appear in sight already.

"Oh my god, the water's coming!" Alyssa cried as she hurtled forward, all but knocking Ultima off balance. 

"We know, Alyssa, you don't have to announce it!" Juliet sidestepped the lot and moved forward, too tired to wait for anyone at this point. 

Ultima gasped when her eyes finally landed on the prize. "There's the door!" Miraculously enough, they all made it out through the narrow cellar, climbing up the ladder that lead to the exit above one by one, Sanjay the last one to get out.

The boy tried his best to lock the door to wade off the water for a bit, but realized it was kind of pointless when he saw the catastrophe outside. A cyclone had formed in the sky, a twisting series of clouds leading upwards from the point of the ominous clock tower. Sharp wind currents violently tossed the trees this way and that, making the water gathering at their feet dance with delight.

"Okay, I know I've already said this, but," Juliet pulled on the sleeves of her sweater and whined over the howling wind: "What is going on here?!" 

"Honestly, I wish I knew!" Kevin yelled back, his untamed curls blowing in all directions as he held onto his own coat for dear life. "Where are Ralph and Carter?"

The question was directed at Sanjay, who stood from his spot with quite difficulty against the wind. "You should know, since you're the one that told them to steal a ride!"

"What?!" Ultima decided to jump into the conversation uninvited. "What's the point of that anyway? You can't drive a car in water!"

"Yeah, well," They all followed Kevin's finger as he pointed at something in the sky. "You can always fly."

Sure enough, there, a few spaces ahead, was a blue and gray blimp, floating not so gracefully as it pushed itself to their location.

"Oh my god, we're going to ride in a blimp!?" Alyssa jumped with excitement, forgetting about the whole disastrous situation for a second. "Awesome!"

"You have the decency to be excited right now?!" Juliet called her off, her hair in her face.

A shaft in the Gondola opened up when the aircraft was close enough, the head of a certain short Taurus clan member poking out. "Heeeyyy!" Ralph bellowed through cupped hands. "All aboard!"

"Yo, RALPHEO!" Kevin was ecstatic as he made his way over the bushes towards the steel ladder that had been positioned for them to climb up. Juliet and Alyssa followed without hesitation, while Ultima and Sanjay exchanged worried glances. 

"What about Harmony?!" She asked no one in particular, only to be answered by a roar of thunder from up above. The cyclone grew uglier and uglier, sparking with electricity from time to time.

"We'll come back for her later!" Kevin yelled from the gondola and ushered them to come forward. With one more brief look at the swaying clock tower, Ultima shook her head and advanced for the ship.

However, Sanjay remained hesitant. At the foot of the ladder, he stood, his mind debating between whether he should go with the others or turn around. From the railing of the gondola, Ralph looked down to meet his gaze, the wind picking up his usually stiff hair and blowing it everywhere with ease. 

"What're you waiting for?" When he realized the brown haired boy was too lost in thought to respond, he called again. "Sanjay?!"

The boy looked up, gripping the ladder with one very sweaty hand. "I-I can't..." He was stammering, as if unsure of what he was about to say.  But even so, he lifted his chin and looked Ralph in the eye when he said: "I'm not going to leave her behind. Not again."

And with that, the boy dashed in the opposite direction, his hoodie barely holding onto him as he did. "Wait!" Ralph almost fell over when he cried out to stop him. "What do you mean, again?!"