The twilight sky painted the scenery. Several buildings had their lights switched on as the atmosphere darkened. Arisa touched the cold glass of the window, her heart pumping excitement. From this view, she could see the wonders of London. From the famous clock tower to the technological buildings that looked really small on the horizon.
"It's beautiful," said Arisa, her gaze still stuck on the view.
"Right?" said Thelma. "London is really amazing. Despite having ridden this wheel so many times, I never get bored of the view."
Arisa didn't drop her view as Thelma chatted with Kazuya. She was amazed by the beautiful places this country offered. Since early in the morning, they had been exploring the wonders of this world with Thelma acting as their guide.
Their tour started in a place called the Tower of London, which exhibited an ancient looking building. According to their official guide, the edifice had more than a thousand years of history as a royal palace, prison, and place of execution. Despite her country having a castle, Arisa couldn't help but be amazed by what she saw.
The day continued and they visited several other monuments, from the wonders of the underwater sea to a view of the outer space in a place called Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Time seemed to pass fast and after they dropped in a location to have lunch, they resumed their tour. The final tourist attraction the trio visited was the famous giant wheel known as London Eye.
As Arisa focused on the transparent glass, she almost jumped when a blue large robot flew close by her view.
"Ah, a war robot," said a cheerful voice by her side. "One day I'll pilot one of those."
Arisa gazed by her left side and saw Thelma trying to take a picture with her phone.
"So that machine is called a war robot," said Kazuya, standing by Thelma's side. "I remember seeing one before we met you. Despite its size and weapons, piloting it seems risky for powerless beings."
"Yeah," Thelma agreed. "Fighting scary monsters while piloting that baby indeed is risky. But there's nothing we can do; we had to protect ourselves somehow as we didn't want to depend on Guardians. Despite the dangers, we've been handling our troubles very well throughout the years."
Arisa remembered the giant white robot from the previous day. Despite the struggles it took to bring down that monster, in the end, it won the battle.
"We can protect ourselves," continued Thelma, "even without powers."
Arisa smiled upon hearing those words. Even though the Earthlings weren't blessed with any kind of power, they were strong in their own ways.
She remembered the agents, willing to walk further in the ruins to make sure no citizen was left behind. As that memory flashed in her mind, she remembered their hateful gaze when they first saw her and Kazuya in their armors.
"I wonder what troubles the Guardians caused to not be welcomed in this country," she said, her tone quiet. "Not that I'm surprised with that."
Thelma gazed at Arisa with a small smile. "The Guardians were once seen as heroes around here, but as time went by, they became greedy."
Arisa stared at Thelma wanting to hear more.
"They set a price for each life they saved, including on the troubles they would have to save them from," said Thelma. "Sometimes they would act nice and save others, but later demanded a payment. They've been banned from this country after the citizens got fed up with their behavior."
Arisa shook her head, not surprised with what she heard. Although she understood the citizens' hatred, she hoped they could have a little faith in them. It was sad seeing the citizens looking at her with disgust even though she was an innocent person, who always wanted to help the needy.
"It's really sad what those people have done to stain the title of a Guardian," said Arisa.
Thelma agreed with a nod. "Yeah. I really feel uncomfortable seeing people badmouth me and chasing me away, even though I just want to help. But what to do? I guess this is the downside of being a Guardian."
As silence fell for a few seconds, Arisa returned her gaze back at the scenery the window offered.
"I won't give up and do my duty, though," said Thelma cheerfully. "I'll show them that not all Guardians are disgusting. Hopefully, I'll succeed in restoring their faith in us, especially Aadila."
"Aadila?" asked Arisa.
"Yeah," Thelma replied. "Unfortunately she grew up hearing stories from her family. Someone in the family tree lost a loved one because he didn't have enough money for the Guardian to save her. Her family loathes Guardians and I think they passed those feelings to her. I'm doing my best to make her believe that there are a few Guardians with a warm heart."
"Does she know that you're a Guardian?" asked Kazuya.
Thelma shook her head. "No. I want her to believe in the Guardians without knowing my identity. Otherwise, she'll only develop sympathy towards Sagittarius because that Guardian is actually me. "
A sudden realization hit Arisa. Thelma had told Aadila that she knew all about her because of a special ability. That ability could tell her everything about an individual only by looking at them.
"Those superpowers you mentioned in the ruins," said Arisa slowly, "were they a way to force Aadila not to be suspicious about your real identity?"
Thelma smiled. "It was a joke, actually. But it could work as a ridiculous excuse. No one knows my other powers anyways."
Arisa returned her gaze to the glass that was displaying the illuminated city, her cheeks warming up. She was a bit embarrassed for believing that Thelma had such powers. But she didn't blame herself; she only knew that the Guardians could manipulate elements and summon their weapons. She had no idea of each member's special abilities.
"I still can't believe that I'm actually Saggie," said Thelma, her tone fascinated.
"Saggie?" Kazuya raised a brow.
Thelma gazed at him. "Sagittarius. I couldn't help but give myself a nickname, Kayuzo."
Arisa giggled, remembering that it wasn't unusual for Thelma to come up with nicknames. She remembered Thelma calling Leo Prince Charming. She even annoyed Train with names such as Broody Prince and Tough Guy.
A bit of sorrow flowed in her blood as she remembered Train. She gazed at the scene in front of her; the buildings were growing bigger and bigger as their ride lowered. She sighed, telling herself that he now was in a better place with his family.
"It's sad that most of us have been consumed by the mortals' flaws after being reincarnated." Thelma's voice pulled Arisa away from her thoughts.
Kazuya exhaled. "With our memories sacrificed, it's normal that most of us ended this way. It's still sad, though."
As silence fell, a memory of the Astral Sanctum flashed in Arisa's mind. Besides unsealing and collecting the Elements, Arisa was told that she was also in charge to remind the others who they really were. Her heart raced as she wondered if they would even let her talk since they wanted to kill her so badly.
"I've spoken to my parents." Thelma broke the brief silence. "They'll give an answer today since I told them it's an emergency."
Arisa's lips curved up. "I hope that they'll be alright with us stealing you from them for a bit."
"Since my exams are over and I'm waiting for the results," said Thelma, giggling, "I don't think they'll have a problem."
Arisa smiled again. Before she could add anything else, a voice in the background filled the atmosphere. It told them that it hoped that they had an enjoyable ride and an amazing view from London's Eye.
"Looks like our little ride is over," said Thelma as the attraction stopped. "Time to face Mr. and Mrs. Malulu."
Arisa took a deep breath and followed Thelma along with Kazuya. As they exited the ride, Arisa hoped that her friend's parents would accept her new journey with no worries.
--♐♑♓--
When the trio reached the Malulu residence, Arisa could sense the scent of seasoned meal filling the air. Imani, Thelma's mother, didn't hide her excitement upon seeing them. She kindly invited them to the living room while Thelma placed their bags in an area where they would spend the night.
Kazuya and Arisa entered the spacious room and accommodated on chairs close by the long oval table. Judging by the items that were placed on it, Arisa could see that the preparations for dinner were almost over.
"Dinner will be served very soon," said Imani, "just a few minutes more. I'll be back; don't be shy and make yourself feel at home."
Arisa smiled before the tall woman walked away from the area.
"She's such a kind and easy-going lady," said Arisa, "I don't think she'll have a problem lending us Thelma."
Kazuya chuckled at her last words. "She is indeed kind. But you never know; she might decline our request despite her wanting to help the worlds. After all, we're not sure when we'll come back."
"You're right." Arisa sighed. "That's the downside of this quest."
As a relaxing tone filled the atmosphere, Arisa saw Kazuya remove the phone from his pocket.
"It's a message from Mr. Dan." He swiped the device. "He wants to know how was our day and if everything is alright."
Arisa smiled. "He's so caring; a perfect legal guardian."
"I don't think he would like to face my mother's wrath if she finds out we got in trouble in the first world we visited," teased Kazuya.
Arisa giggled at his joke. As Kazuya typed an answer to their legal guardian, Arisa examined her surroundings. Through the furniture and a few statuettes decorating the area, her gaze met a portrait displaying a little girl and young boy. Arisa stood up and approached the dark furniture where the picture was placed.
Examining the image, Arisa could recognize the smiling little girl with short braided hair. Sitting by the girl's side was a boy who looked to be in his mid-teens. The strong smiling boy with really short black hair had made a stylish pose before he was photographed.
"So you've finally met Samuel," said a voice by her side.
Arisa almost jumped upon hearing Thelma's voice. She placed the portrait back to the furniture.
"Samuel?" Arisa gazed at Thelma, who was staring back at her.
"That's my older brother's name," said Thelma. "If memory isn't failing me, I've told you his story before."
Arisa replied with a nod. There was no way she could forget that tragic story where Thelma's brother died protecting his little sister. Arisa still thought that it was disgusting how Enchantress used that memory to test Thelma.
"Dinner is served," Imani sang.
Arisa and Thelma turned around in time to see the woman place a porcelain pan on the table. As they approached it and sat, they saw Kafil, Thelma's father, sitting opposite to them.
Thelma glanced around. "Is Aadila planning to eat in her room while watching a cheesy show today?"
"No," replied Kafil, laughing. "She called us this afternoon and said she would be late. She's busy working on her course's assignment with that boy, erm..."
"Axel," Imani completed her husband's words. "She also said that they would eat at an expensive restaurant. He would pay the bill as punishment for embarrassing her when he disappeared for a week."
Arisa stared at Imani, blinking two times.
"Right," Thelma teased. "I foresee great development with those two. Oh, well, more Chapatti for me."
Arisa saw Thelma stretching her arm and grabbing a meal that looked like a flatbread. She placed it on her plate and added pieces of meat.
"Feel free to serve yourselves," said Thelma, facing Arisa and Kazuya. "Mom's Tanzanian food is the best."
Arisa and Kazuya smiled at her before they focused their gaze on the table. There were so many options that they didn't know what to choose. After spending a minute examining the meals, they both grabbed the dish that attracted them the most.
For several minutes, the atmosphere was filled with chatter and laughter as Thelma's parents told them stories about their daughter's childhood. Arisa and Kazuya would move on the conversation and talk about their world. Thelma's parents didn't hide their curiosity and kept asking them more about Celestia.
Time seemed to fly. Nana, the family's android, showed up to remove the dirty dishes and offered them drinks and desserts.
"Our daughter has spoken to us about your quest," said Kafil as the subject of the conversation changed to Guardians.
Arisa, Kazuya, and Thelma sat straight, waiting for the parents to talk more. Arisa's heart increased its pace as a few seconds passed waiting for an answer.
"A day isn't enough for us to come up with a decision," continued Kafil, "it's a complex and dangerous quest you have there."
"Ever since our Little Genius became a Guardian," added Imani, gazing at Thelma, "we worry every day and hope that she doesn't get hurt. We hope that she doesn't cause a blackout in the entire city due to her not dominating her powers very well yet."
Arisa gazed at Thelma and noticed a bit of embarrassment in her expression.
"We also pray that we don't wake up one day and find an agent from the British Elite Force knocking on our door, telling us that our daughter is under arrest for breaking the law," said Kafil. "Guardians are banned in this country. Seeing her attempt to do a good deed in this country is really worrisome. We always pray every day that the British Elite Force doesn't find out her identity."
Imani placed her hand on her husband's. "It's really tough being the parents of a superhero. Before she became a Guardian, it was difficult for us to let her travel to the Forbidden Lands. But we were told that the land doesn't kill its candidates so we relaxed a bit and allowed her to go."
Arisa didn't drop her gaze from the couple as a quick silence fell.
"As my husband has said," continued Imani, "a day is too little to come up with a decision, but this is for a greater good so we can't be selfish. Thelma is the only treasure we have left after we lost our son eleven years ago. I don't know if fate is testing us but we accept the challenge."
Arisa saw Imani wipe away a tear that was forming in her eyes.
"You're free to go, Thelma." Kafil gazed at his daughter. "I'm sure the results of your exam will have top grades like always. Summer break is on the way, so we have no reason to hold you back."
Thelma stood up and rushed to her parents, wrapping her arms around them.
"Thank you, mama, baba," said a sobbing Thelma.
"You're welcome, my daughter," said Kafil. "Be extra careful for us, okay?"
"I will." Thelma nodded.
Upon seeing that scene, Arisa couldn't help but be touched, even though she didn't understand what they were saying. The language they used sounded different than the one she had heard from the people of this country.
"We're allowing our daughter to travel with you on one condition." Imani gazed at Arisa and Kazuya. "Please take good care of her; she's precious to us."
"Don't worry, Mrs. Malulu," said Kazuya, "I'll be sure to protect these ladies."
Imani smiled at him.
Arisa, Kazuya, and Thelma chatted with the parents for several minutes, until they excused themselves. Thelma then decided to show her friends her workshop before she could prepare herself to pack her belongings.
When they reached a small building, several meters away from the main one, Thelma switched on the lights. Machines and tools filled Arisa's gaze, noticing that they were carefully tidied in their rightful place.
"Welcome to my paradise." Thelma raised her arms.
Arisa and Kazuya walked further into the room. As Arisa examined her surroundings, she spotted a mini-bookshelf and a desk standing in the middle of the area.
"Wow." Kazuya looked around. "You really love everything that is mechanical."
"Yup," said Thelma, her tone proud. "I'm so obsessed with them that I decided to study mechanical engineering to understand them more."
Arisa walked around the room and saw a few posters stuck on the marine green wall. Her brows arched when she spotted racks exhibiting small robots of different shapes and sizes. She noticed that some of them were missing a few pieces, while others had worn out parts.
"Forty-seven," said Arisa, rushing towards the rack.
Reaching the area, she grabbed the brown-colored robot. Its cube-like body hardly fit on both her hands. Arisa frowned, noticing that its round radar-like eyes weren't glowing with a green light.
Thelma smiled. "You still remember my little assistant."
"Of course," said Arisa, "who would forget the little machine that protected our team in crucial moments?"
Arisa remembered the first time Thelma used her mini-robot. It helped with the timing to release the heat Arisa had absorbed during the Guardians' first attack. It protected Thelma, Nala, and Caris against Virgo's and Taurus' attacks. Despite being small and looking simple, the machine helped them a lot in that world.
"Hm," said Arisa, examining the robot. "Is it off?"
"Yeah," replied Thelma. "Unfortunately Forty-seven had to retire after I got used to my powers."
Arisa gazed at Thelma, a bit disappointed.
"Since I have superpowers now, I don't need its assistance anymore," said Thelma, folding her arms. "It suffered a lot of damage anyway; I don't think it would have worked for a long time. But I'm happy that I was able to build such a strong robot. I'm hoping to upgrade it in the near future."
Arisa focused her gaze back on the robot, wondering what kind of appearance it would have after the upgrade.
For an hour, Thelma showed her friends the robots and machines she had built before Forty-seven. As the duo was fascinated with her inventions, they showed signs of tiredness. Thelma kindly took them to their rooms and told Arisa she would join her once she finished packing her belongings.
Another hour passed as Thelma stored her belongings in the small flipping device. She yawned as she swiped through it.
"Shouldn't you rest, My Lady?" asked a male voice.
Thelma stared at the small circle echoing in the device's blue screen. By the side of the circle, she could see the list she was checking.
"Thanks for your concern, Elimu," said Thelma, swiping the screen. "But I have to make sure that I've stored everything I'll need. I'll be embarking on a long journey starting tomorrow."
The circle danced around the screen. "But aren't you traveling in the afternoon? You'll have plenty of time to check the list. You should rest; the clock will hit midnight soon."
"Midnight?" Thelma realized. "It's already this late and Aadila hasn't shown up yet."
Before Thelma could rush to her parents, a pop tune filled the atmosphere. She picked her phone from the table and frowned, not recognizing the number.
"H-hello? I-is it Thelma? Hello?" said a desperate voice.
Thelma's forehead wrinkled, trying to recognize the voice. "Yes. Who I'm talking to?"
Thelma didn't understand the person behind the phone call as he spoke fast and sounded nervous.
"Wait, wait," said Thelma. "Take a deep breath and calm down so that I can understand you."
Thelma could hear the person breathing heavily before calming down slowly.
"Alright, it seems that you have calmed down," said Thelma. "So what's the problem?"
A few seconds passed before Thelma heard, "Aadila has been kidnapped."