"It's a long story," said Arisa, making herself comfortable on the bright sofa. "But I'll try to summarize everything. In a short answer, we're here to recruit you for a special quest."
Thelma's brows raised and she tilted her head lightly. "A special quest?"
Arisa replied with a nod. As a short silence fell, Thelma shifted lightly from her seat, looking sideways thoughtfully. Arisa's heart sped. Despite knowing that Thelma wouldn't mind risking her life to save the worlds, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
"This quest must be really tough for you to need my help." Thelma broke the quick silence.
"It is." Kazuya folded his arms. "We're not sure if the five of us will be enough to accomplish it."
Thelma frowned. "The five of us?"
"Yes," replied Arisa. "We'll need as many Guardians as we can to defeat the obstacles we'll meet on our journey."
Thelma shifted her view to Arisa, her dark brown eyes brightening with curiosity.
"Don't tell me you were able to convert some of those bad guys to the good side," she teased.
Arisa giggled. She knew that it would be impossible to convince those Guardians to join them. After all, they did terrible things to stop her awakening. Despite that sad truth, she couldn't help but laugh at Thelma's joke.
"No." Arisa shook her head. "The five possible Guardians that will hopefully fulfill this quest are Kazuya, you, Caris, Garoh and me."
Thelma's eyes widened. For a few seconds, she looked at Arisa, her mouth agape.
"So, in the end, you really were one of the real chosen ones," said Thelma cheerfully. "I knew it!"
Arisa smiled at Thelma's energetic reaction. She remembered how happy Thelma and Nala were at the theory of her being a possible Guardian. Her heart wrenched, remembering the team's lovely healer.
At the thought of the Lunarian, she wondered how Garoh must be doing after a month of losing his lover. She curled her fingers, remembering how broken he was after the battle against Taurus.
"Caris and Garoh became Guardians too." Thelma's voice washed away Arisa's thoughts. "I can't believe I've been hanging out with my fellow colleagues all this time. Since I'm sure Caris is the Guardian of Pisces for obvious reasons, I guess Garoh is Capricorn. This means that Aries was the one that chose you, isn't it, Arisa?"
Arisa's lips curved up. "Yes; I'm Aries."
A smile spread across Thelma's face as she rubbed her chin.
"Caris would make a perfect Oracle," Thelma teased. "All her theories about you ended up being true."
"Yeah," Arisa agreed.
Memories of her first encounter with the curious looking Oceanian flashed in Arisa's mind. Caris had called her Aries even before Arisa could ask her what her name was.
Arisa remembered how fascinated Caris was with her aura. She even mentioned that Arisa and Zen could be the stars themselves as their auras resembled them. Back then, Arisa thought that it was impossible for her to actually be Aries. But in the end, everything that Caris had told her ended up being true.
Her heart raced, pumping sorrow as she remembered him.
"Then that means you were the candidate those despicable Guardians were looking for," said Thelma. "I wonder what threat you represent for them to desperately hunt down every candidate in that world."
For a second, Arisa froze, guilt flowing through her veins. She touched her chest, trying to forget the massacre the Guardians had caused in the Forbidden Lands.
"They fear my power," she said, her voice quiet. "I have the ability to awaken the source that feeds our powers."
As silence fell, confusion spread on Thelma's face.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Arisa has a special power to seal and unseal magic," replied Kazuya. "Her ability is essential for our quest. But we'll need helping hands to successfully accomplish it, that's why we're here asking for your help."
Thelma leaned her back on the sofa, gazing at them curiously. "Well, I'm all ears."
A faint mechanical sound filled the atmosphere, interrupting the conversation the trio were about to have.
Arisa gazed at her left side and saw a medium-sized android entering the room. She noticed that it had thin glowing white patterns as its eyes. As it approached the area where they were sitting, Arisa saw that it was holding a tray loaded with cookies and juice.
"Snacks are served." The silver android placed the tray on the short glass table. "Have a nice meal."
"Thank you, Nana," said Thelma, stretching her arm and grabbing a cookie.
The android turned its head to her side. "No problem, Miss. If you need anything else, be sure to contact me."
Thelma nodded and the machine left the area, filling the atmosphere with light mechanical sounds. A quick silence fell and Thelma stretched her arm again to grab another cookie.
"Don't be shy," she said, taking a bite of her cookie. "Eat up or I'll finish that plate by myself."
Arisa smiled and timidly stretched her arm to grab a glass of juice. As she drank it, Kazuya grabbed a cookie for himself.
"Sorry," said Thelma. "Nana had to interrupt right when you were about to tell me everything. As I said before, I'm all ears."
Arisa rubbed the cold glass of juice. "Well, you already know the tale of Light and Darkness and how the Guardians were born."
"Yeah." Thelma nodded. "After Eteria won the trials that would decide our fate for a hundred years, the stars chose twelve brave Earthlings to protect Earth from Eteria's hands."
Arisa nodded, glad that she wouldn't need to tell her everything from the beginning.
"Unfortunately, throughout the time the Guardians became a threat themselves," said Arisa, sorrow striking her heart. "And the stars couldn't do anything as they needed them to protect the worlds."
Thelma sighed. "Yeah. It sucks that we let our flaws get the better of us."
Arisa agreed with her, wishing that their flaws as mortals wouldn't interfere with their duty as Guardians.
"But many centuries later, the stars found a solution," continued Arisa. "With the birth of the Thirteenth star, the stars themselves decided to reincarnate as mortals. Their plan was to retrieve their powers and bring peace to the worlds."
Thelma shifted from her seat. "Thirteenth star? Reincarnate? What?"
Arisa gazed at Thelma, who stared back at her with widened eyes. Arisa understood her reaction. To this day, she still couldn't believe that she was Aries' reincarnation.
"It seems that two stars were blessed with a child." Arisa's heart skipped. She touched her chest, her forehead wrinkling. "It seems that their child had the ability to open and close portals. With him having those abilities, the stars decided to retrieve their powers. He would then close all the portals and disconnect the worlds from each other."
As she spoke of the Thirteenth star, Arisa remembered the baby's cry from the memory Enchantress had invaded. She remembered herself telling the baby that she and the baby's father would be back. She still could see the baby's tiny hand curling on her pinkish finger.
She clenched her fists as a sudden sorrow flowed through her veins.
"Are you okay, Arisa?" Kazuya asked.
Arisa replied with a nod. She exhaled, trying to calm down.
"Continuing with what Arisa was saying," said Kazuya, "we're actually the reincarnated stars. Including you."
Thelma gasped. She then opened her mouth to say something. As nothing left her lips, she closed it and looked away thoughtfully. For several seconds, silence fell in the atmosphere.
"W-wait." Thelma found her voice. "You're telling me that I'm actually Sagittarius."
Arisa and Kazuya replied with a nod. Thelma's chin dropped again. She tried to say something, but nothing came out.
"It may sound crazy," said Arisa. "But that's the truth."
Thelma gazed at her. "It really sounds crazy. I'll need several hours to digest that revelation."
Arisa's lips curved up, understanding her friend's situation.
"So we're the reincarnated stars in a quest to retrieve our powers," said Thelma. "How will we do that?"
Arisa removed the necklace from her neck. The silvery-blue orb with a marine green spiral shook a bit as she showed it to Thelma.
"This is Eklipta," said Arisa. "It will help us find where the Elements, also known as Masters are hidden. Once we defeat them, it will absorb them. For it to talk to us, it's important that you join us in this quest."
Before Thelma could say anything, a beeping sound invaded the atmosphere. Arisa saw the small box on the bright wall, glow dimly with a blue color.
"My Lady." Samson's voice filled the atmosphere. "There's a guest and he would like to talk to Miss Aadila. He's named Axel Cheng."
"Tell him to go away and that I'm not here." Aadila's voice could be heard in the living room.
Thelma shook her head. "With that loud voice, I bet he already knows that you're here. Don't listen to Aadila, Samson. Let him in; direct him to the living room."
"Alright," said Samson.
It didn't take long for them to hear footsteps approaching their area. A few seconds later, their gaze met a boy with an average height. He had a slightly built figure and short black hair. Looking at him, Arisa thought that he was more or less their age.
"H-hello," he said, his lightly tanned hand fidgeting on the strap of his shoulder bag. "Is Aadila here?"
Thelma stood up. "She is. Have a seat; I'll try to convince her to talk to you."
"T-thank you," he said, walking across the room.
As Thelma walked away, Axel sank on the sofa opposite to Arisa and Kazuya. When he set his dark brown eyes on them, he suddenly froze, his face expressing surprise.
Arisa gazed at him and smiled, having no idea why he was looking at them like that.
Silence fell for several seconds. As Axel distracted himself by looking at his surroundings, he would always end up freezing his gaze on Arisa. When Arisa gazed back at him, he looked away.
"Do you happen to know this fellow, Arisa?" Kazuya broke the awkward silence. "You've been exchanging gazes a lot."
Arisa glanced at Axel and shook her head.
"We've never met before," said Axel. "She just looks like someone I know. Sorry for bothering you."
"It's okay," said Arisa. "Even though there are many worlds out there, there are always people who remind us of someone."
Axel smiled. "True."
Sounds of light steps filled the silence as Thelma walked in the room. "Aadila is waiting for you in the office. I hope you've written a letter of apology because she's still angry at you."
"Thank you," said Axel, standing up. "I understand her; I would also be angry if my assignment's partner disappeared for a week. I only hope she'll understand my reason."
Axel waved at them and quickly walked away, leaving the room.
"I hope Aadila gives the guy a break," said Thelma. "He seems like a good guy."
Thelma threw herself on the bright sofa.
"Back on topic," she said, "how long is this quest?"
"We're not sure," replied Kazuya. "We depend on Eklipta."
As Thelma gazed at them, blinking repeatedly, Arisa stretched her arm and passed the necklace to her. Thelma examined the item carefully.
"We need to gather companions in order for it to talk to us," said Arisa. "We're hoping that you, Garoh and Caris will be enough for it to decide to communicate with us. "
Thelma rubbed the spherical pendant. "I hope so too. I can't imagine our eighty-years old selves kicking ass."
Arisa and Kazuya laughed at her joke.
"On a serious note." Thelma stretched her arm and delivered the necklace back to Arisa. "I'll have to talk to my parents before you count me in."
Arisa nodded. "Of course; it's an unpredictable journey that we're embarking on. It's understandable to talk to them first."
As Thelma smiled at her, Arisa hoped that Thelma's parents would allow their daughter to join them.
A melodic sound broke the brief silence. As Arisa gazed to her right side, she saw Kazuya shoving his hand on the pocket of his dark pants. He then removed a rectangular-shaped device.
"It's a message from our legal guardian," he said, swiping on the phone. "He's waiting for our return to have dinner."
"Then tell him that we're on our way," said Arisa.
"Aw," complained Thelma. "I was hoping for a sleepover."
Arisa gazed at her. "Maybe next time. We left our stuff in the hotel."
Thelma crossed her arms, disappointed.
"Then it's tomorrow," Thelma suggested. "Since we may embark on our journey sooner than expected."
Arisa nodded. "Sure. We'll talk to Mr. Dan to let him know."
Thelma smiled and grabbed her phone.
"Can I have your phone number so we won't lose contact?"
"Sure," replied Kazuya.
As Kazuya told her their phone number, Arisa examined the medium-sized room. She was still fascinated with the many different furniture and paintings decorating the bright walls. What caught her attention were the black wooden statuettes standing on a few small and roundtables.
"Alright." Thelma typed on her phone. "I'll send you a message so you can record my number. Your name is Kazuya, right?"
Kazuya replied with a nod.
"Hey Kazuya, it's Thelma here." She typed. "Oh, wow, autocorrect knows you as Kayuzo. I shall call you Kayuzo from now on."
Kazuya stared at her with an unpleasant expression. Arisa and Thelma laughed at his reaction.
"Okay," said Kazuya, standing up. "We should go, Arisa."
Arisa stood up. "Yeah. Before Mr. Dan starves himself while waiting for us."
"I'll drop you by your residence," said Thelma as they walked away.
"Thank you," said Arisa.
As they walked through the corridor, seeing more paintings hanging on the wall, they crossed path with Imani.
"Are you going somewhere?" she asked curiously.
"Yes," replied Arisa. "We're going back to the hotel; our guardian is waiting for us."
Imani folded her arms, her face expressing disappointment. "I was hoping that we would have dinner together. I had a Tanzanian dish in mind."
Arisa stared at the lady, having no idea what to say.
"Save that for tomorrow, mom," said Thelma. "There will be a sleepover."
A warm smile spread across Imani's face. "Great. We'll have a Tanzanian dinner tomorrow. Have a nice trip and I hope nothing will ruin tomorrow's plans."
Imani made way for them to move. As they walked away, Arisa waved at her.
Before they could leave the house, Thelma remembered Aadila. She told them it was better if they said goodbye to her or she would be angry with her. They reached a room filled with bookshelves and a computer. Axel and Aadila were concentrated on a large book and writing notes.
At the sight of them, Aadila smiled and waved at them. She shook their hands, telling them that she hoped to see them again soon. As Thelma reassured her that she would definitely see them again, Arisa felt Axel's gaze on her. When she looked at him, he looked away. Arisa frowned, wondering what was wrong with him.
As they said goodbye, Axel offered his hand. With a smile spread across his face, he shook hands with Kazuya.
Despite feeling uncomfortable with his strange behavior, Arisa shook hands with him. Before she could drop his hand, she felt heaviness on her eyelids and weakness hitting her knees. She breathed heavily, feeling as if her body was in need of water.
"Arisa!" Kazuya curled his arms around her before she could fall.
Arisa breathed heavily, wondering what had just happened.
"Are you okay?" asked Axel, his tone concerned.
Arisa nodded, slowly moving away from Kazuya's arm. "I don't know what happened. I suddenly felt weak."
Arisa rubbed her forehead, trying to process what was wrong with her.
"Maybe it's hypoglycemia," said Aadila. "Have you eaten yet?"
Kazuya frowned. "Hypoglycemia?"
"Low levels of blood sugar," replied Axel quickly. "It usually happens when a being hasn't eaten for long hours."
Arisa gazed at Axel, somehow feeling a bit better.
"But I had a snack minutes ago," she said.
Thelma touched Arisa's shoulder. "Then those cookies weren't enough. Let's go now, so you can eat a proper meal."
Arisa nodded and followed Thelma, still doubtful about her sudden weakness.
After saying goodbye to every member of the family, the trio hopped on Thelma's red car. She didn't take long to start the machine and drive them to their destination.
"I wonder if someone told Axel that we are from another world," said Kazuya as the car finally left the Malulu property. "He's been staring at us a lot, especially at Arisa."
"I noticed it too," said Arisa. "Do I really resemble the person he knows that much for him to keep staring at me?"
Arisa rubbed her arms. Despite Axel looking really friendly, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"He must be a shy guy." Thelma gazed at Kazuya from her rearview mirror. "When we're shy, all we do is be quiet and stare at everything that surrounds us."
Arisa sighed. "I hope that's his reason for staring at me too much."
As Thelma focused on driving, Arisa gazed at the scenery the window offered. Despite Thelma's words being reasonable, she couldn't help but have a bad feeling. She exhaled, hoping that this time her instinct was wrong.