Magical Starsign[/b][/u]
Chapter 1
A Crash Landing
Speeding through space. You can't really describe what it feels like except that it is like nothing you have felt before, with the stars racing by and the speed accelerating bit by bit.
Pansy could see no one except two other rockets. One up ahead and one beside her.
After Poppy had disappeared into the Baklava solar system, the others hadn't hesitated. They had all found a rocket and blasted after her, hoping for the best.
Pansy found herself nearing a planet, following the rocket up ahead. She saw as the other rocket alongside her sped on, out of sight before a loud bang and clatter, then darkness.
***
Dust, more dust. So much dust, Thalia couldn't breathe. She coughed and gasped and spluttered and when the dust had finally cleared, she was unconscious.
***
Pansy sputtered and sat up. She looked around, but that made her eyes water. The wind was blowing quite hard and everything was dark. Perhaps it was night. Wasn't bad news to Pansy, being Dark magic and all.
She got slowly to her feet and almost collapsed again. Her knees felt weak and her vision was blurred now. She felt sore all over and she was scared. She was lost in the middle of nowhere on some strange planet that definitely wasn't the Wind planet despite the breeze.
Well, I might as well look around since I can't go back, she thought, looking miserably at the wreckage of her rocket.
She dusted herself off and looked around. From her height, she could see a shadow in the darkness. Could be a boulder- or a rocket. She ran toward it, heart pounding and saw a rocket, it's front buried in sand. And beside it...... was Thalia.
***
Thalia blinked dust out of her eyes as Pansy shook her. She sat up and looked around groggily. "Pansy? That you?"
"Yes it is!" snapped Pansy, unable to control her temper. "And thanks to you, everybody's lost and where out here in some foreign planet in the middle of nowhere!" She fumed silently and Thalia looked sadly at the ground.
"I'm sorry," she said apologetically and guiltily. "I was just curious. Plus I was worried about Miss Madeleine."
"Miss Madeleine can take care of herself," retorted Pansy coolly. "And as for us, WE'RE GONNA DIE OUT HERE!"
Thalia flinched and looked away. "We know how to fight," she said meekly.
"AND WHAT GOOD WILL THAT DO US, EH?" Pansy was still shrieking.
Thalia looked very unhappy and Pansy was sobbing in rage and fear when they heard a tiny sound from behind them and spun around. Leaf was standing there, looking very distressed and tired.
"LEAF!" It was Thalia's turn to holler as she grabbed her friend into an embrace. "We're not alone!"
Pansy didn't say anything, but she wiped away her tears and looked away from the pair. "Face it. We're hopeless without
Poppy."
"You know that's now true," said Leaf, the peacemaker. "You just need to believe in your abilities and your knowledge more, that's all."
"Does it include reading?"
"Yes."
Pansy groaned. "For the first time ever, I wish I wasn't the only option here for leader," she said.
Leaf shifted uneasily. "Who else here is fit?"
Pansy sighed and stood up taller. "You're right, Leaf. I've got to pull myself together. We're on a mission now and I can't let you guys down."
"A mission?" asked Leaf, eyes sparkling in confusion.
"Yeah!" said Thalia, jumping up and down. "Or did you forget about Miss Madeleine? She's been away too long and I guess the worst."
"Well, we first have to find everyone else," said Pansy decisively. "I wonder if everybody ended up here?"
"Why do I doubt that very highly?" asked Thalia frowning.
Pansy glared at her. "I bet you wish it were true!" she snapped.
Leaf twitched her tail. "Well, let's sightsee first and see if there's anything that can transport us outta here."
"Like a rocket?" inquired Thalia eagerly.
"That's the only thing that goes through space, isn't it?" replied Pansy curtly. "Now let's go." She set off over the sand covered plain. Leaf and Thalia followed her, jumping at every noise and flinching at signs of movement.
Finally, when they got to the edge of the expanse of sand, Pansy pushed on, but was slowly dragged backwards by the wind. She cursed.
"We can't go father!" yelled Thalia over the roar of the wind. "The wind's pushing us back!"
"Then why don't you use your stupid Wind magic?" hollered Pansy in frustration.
"Good idea!" Thalia closed her eyes, then opened them and recited, "Hear me wind, hear my call! Dancing in the sky, shaping the clouds, whispering to the heavens. Hear my plea and send your gale!" She spun around and raised her eyes as Poppy had done and there was a whistling sound as wind came from Thalia and slowly drove the other wind back.
The three apprentices shut their eyes tight to prevent getting sand in them, and when they were opened, the sandstorm was gone and the bright, blue sky seemed warm and welcoming.
Pansy blinked to get used to the light and turned to the other two, staring at Thalia.
Thalia dusted herself off and smiled modestly at Leaf and Pansy. "That was cool," she commented. "And don't worry, you guys, I'm sure you'll get a chance to show off your magic soon, too."
As if in answer to her words, a great rumbling sound came from behind them. Thalia spun around just in time to see a huge claw come out of the ground, then another. "Aggh!" she screamed and ran back to where Leaf and Pansy stood.
A second claw joined the first, and a hideous head emerged from the sandy ground. Leaf squealed just before they were attacked.
They all started in the front row with Leaf (as usual) in the back. Since Thalia at the time was fastest, she got to go first and attacked the ant lion with Wind Talon. The earth rumbled as the magic struck the ground and it took out 158 HP from the monster.
Pansy went next using Shadow Die and a huge dark purple block landed on the ant lion, taking out 95 HP since it had just turned to night.
Then the ant lion went, using it's tail to swipe at Pansy taking out 18 HP. Then Leaf went and used her first spell, Flower Fragrance. It restored all of Pansy's HP.
Finally, after the fight, they all crouched, trembling. "I don't like this place," said Leaf, squeezing her eyes tight shut. "I wish David were here."
"Well he's not," snapped Pansy, recovering from shock and regaining her old grumpy ways. "So we're just going to have to make do on our own. Now let's keep moving."
All three of them got up and began walking along the barren land, not knowing what to expect, but only knowing that they were definitely not on Puffoon nor were they anywhere close to Kovomaka.
Interlude 1
Other Conclusions
Poppy groaned and rose slowly to her feet, but a cold wind buffeted her and she crouched again, taking shelter behind her fallen rocket. Where was she? She certainly wasn't on the Wind planet although it was quite windy here. But this place looked more like an Ice planet than anything else.
Daringly, she got up and, shielding her face against the snow, she shuffled forward and soon saw a light in the distance. She ran for it, slipping once or twice, but determinedly pushed on until she came across a fire. Cold and weary, Poppy didn't notice the creature sitting beside it until she nearly collapsed on it.
"Hey! Watch it there!" It was an otter, huddled so close to the flames it's fur was slightly singed.
"S-sorry," apolegized Poppy, teeth clattering. "W-where am I a-anyways?"
"You're on C-Cassia of course!" exclaimed the otter as if it was very obvious. "The W-Water p-planet!"
Poppy looked around. This didn't look like a water planet to her. But it didn't matter. As long as she had warmth, she could wait until someone found her.....
***
"James, gerroff!" said Emma irritably. Her voice was muffled by him.
"Sorry!" James scoot off and Emma popped up, glaring at him and brushing herself off. "Where in the world are we?"
"Dunno," replied James, looking around. "Wherever we are, it sure is, well, foresty."
"Oh, shut up," sighed Emma. "Just help me out and look. We need to find the others."
"Oh, right!" said James, giving her a goofy look. Emma rolled her eyes. But at least she wasn't alone.
***
Carrot scrambled to her feet and looked up. She held in a scream for a girl, just a little older than her was crouching by her, staring with gentle brown eyes.
When she awoke, the stranger lept back and stared at Carrot. Carrot dragged herself to her feet and began to take in her surroundings. She was amidst dense forest and she was alone besides the girl.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "Have you seen anyone else like me?"
The girl shook her head and looked at Carrot, a mixture of curiosity and anxiousness on her face.
"Well?" demanded Carrot. "Go away then."
The girl didn't move an inch and Carrot was getting angry. "Go away or I'll make you," she snapped and summoning her Wind magic, attempted to blast the girl backwards.
But something happened she didn't expect.
With a flick of her wrist, the girl deflected the magic and continued looking at the angry bunny, now a look of pure amusement on her face.
She would be tall standing and she was wearing purple clothes. Carrot had never seen anyone like her. Sighing, she said, "Fine. Will you help me then? I'm looking for some of my friends."
The girl then spoke, "Yes, I will help you find your friends....... I guess."
Carrot looked satisfied. "Okay, then," she said, nodding.
***
Annabeth was freezing cold and Rory was nowhere in sight. She was alone, utterly alone. She got shakily to her feet and walked some ways before bumping into something. Before she could run or move, someone grabbed her wrists and, while he held her on the spot, someons else pulled a bag over her head. Then Annabeth knew no more.
***
David whimpered. "Ror, we have to get out of here."
"Gee," said Rory grumpily. "I didn't know that."
David looked at the ground. At first, the two had been delighted because, according to some local, they had landed on Puffoon, the Wind planet. Then, they had been frustrated because no one else had wound up there.
"Look, you go explore the town," said Rory decisively. "And I'll stay here, just in case they might still land."
"Okay!" squealed David and he scampered away.
***
Ouch, thought 6703.
Why does everything bad always happen to me?He was standing on a vast white beach. It was blanketed in snow, and for the first time, he had no clue of his surrounding. He walked a little way and up a flight of stairs when he heard footsteps behind him and something whacked him hard on the back of the head. With a click, 6703 toppled over, unconscious.