"Vector Change or Vector Manipulation is the ability to alter and change physical or metaphysical properties around one's self or others. It is an advanced form of telekinesis. Objects, stationary or mobile can be moved in a controlled direction regardless of the user's speed or physical strength. This can manifest in various events. Including: Enhanced Speed, Flight, Gravity Manipulation, Deflection, Sound-Wind-and Illusion Manipulation, ......"
Beat's eyes glowed the familiar bright blue as she dryly recited the definition to Chouji and Kim. Whenever anyone needed information, they went to Beat. Being the walking computer she was, she had full access to her idydic memory. The only odd side effect is that she seemed to space out for a moment while the ability took effect.
"So, what does that mean?", Chouji asked.
"It means that Kim is essentially one of the most powerful ones here.", Apple answered.
Chouji jumped at Apple's sudden appearance. "You have to stop doing that Apple." He insisted.
She shrugged. "Sorry Chouji. I can't help it sometimes."
"How am I the most powerful one here?" Kim asked.
"You aren't THE most powerful. Just one of them. You can manipulate gravity and speed. And if you have enough information about a particular space. You could essentially move particles around enough to go into another dimension. You could make doorways to other worlds Kim."
Kim stood there astonished. A grin slowly crawled over Chouji's face.
"Now you're scaring me Chouji." Apple confessed.
"This is perfect." Chouji started. "See Kim! We can get Anna back."
"Oh no." Apple sighed.
"If Kim can get her vector thingamabob in synch with the dark place, then we can go get Anna back." Chouji retorted. "Well at least that was my theory. Beat just confirmed it though."
Beat shook her head a bit, coming out of her memory and back to the space.
"Wait Chouji. You want to go into the Dark Place and get Anna back? But she is only half there. Wouldn't you have to get there by dreaming?" Beat asked.
"Not if Kim opens a door using her power.", Apple added.
"Right!" Chouji agreed."I mean, if Roivas can do it so can we right?"
Apple, Beat and Kim all looked at each other with skeptical faces. "I don't even know if I could do that Chouji." Kim said. "All I've ever done was make a mini shield for myself. Maybe move a few rocks with Mesay."
"Hold on." Beat went into her mind and activated her ability again. After a few seconds she opened her eyes. Again a bright blue.
"The limitations of such abilities are gauged upon the users concentration and experience with the technique. Most users will have an involuntary response to various situations depending the the threat level."
She came back to the moment looking a tad disenchanted.
"If you don't think you can do it then you can't.", Apple responded.
"Sounds like it." Beat confirmed.
Chouji turned to Kim. "Come on Kim, I know you can do this. It's the only way we'll get Anna back and safe."
Out of the backdoor of Home, a brown and white horse walked into the courtyard. Beside it was Rio, keeping a hand on the rider, Anna. Making sure she didn't fall off. They walked past Chouji and Kim. And Rio held onto Anna as the horse shrank and turned back into Xil. Rio gently laid Anna on the ground. Kim gave a hard look at the unconscious Anna. Her body was there but her mind was in the Dark Place. She didn't know how they were going to get Anna. But it seemed like they were the only ones that could.
"I can at least try." Kim finally said. "But I still have no idea how we're going to do this."
"I have an idea for that." Chouji responded. "I'm going to manipulate some dark shadows against the wall. You use that to magic us a way into the Dark Place."
Kim looked at Chouji a little perplexed. "I think you just explained nothing."
Chouji ignored her and summoned the dark shadows around them. It wasn't hard seeing as how the evening sun was starting to set. He used his hands to push and pull them. Collecting on a section of the outside wall of Home. They swirled and pooled almost looking like someone had pulled a drain on the darkness. Once it was steady he turned to Kim. Kim looked right back at him with a lack of uncertainty.
"You can do this Kim." Chouji smiled.
Kim finally walked up to the swirling shadows. Beat and Rio watching a short distance behind her. Kim moved her hands cupping one over the other. As if she was holding a fragile animal. She focused on the moving shadows in front of her. The first thought in her head was, I have no idea what I am doing.
But it was quickly followed by, think of where Anna is.
Think of the Dark Place.
What does it look like?
What is there?
Who is there?
Anna is there. Waiting for us to help her.
Think of Mesay.
What time she spent there.
Think of Roivas.
What they see every day.
Kim focused and concentrated. Her eyes were unblinking and wide. Between her hands a small, transparent, grey energy ball grew. Everyone could see what was happening but they weren't sure exactly what it was. All the held breaths and fixed attentions were on Kim. Rio handed the reigns of Tex to Beat and stood next to Kim. Her robotic eyes examining the shadows. Analyzing their properties.
***
"Hello!"
And echo filled the darkness. This seemed different than last time though. I felt like it was bouncing off of walls and coming back to her. She hollered again. The echo seemed to again go away and then come back. Almost like it was a physical thing. As if she had thrown a bouncy ball against the wall and it flung past her from the force.
"HELLO!" She screamed.
The echo now pushed her backward. Forcing Anna to trip over her feet and fall to the floor. A faint, static seemed to permeate the air. The static collected loudly and then fixed itself behind Anna into words.
"......where am I?"
Anna quickly turned around. "Hello?"
"It's col.......go back."
"Mesay? I'm here!" She responded. Her voice seemed almost tangible at this point.
"I'm sorry. I tried to help."
"It's okay Mesay. I know you didn't do this on purpose." Anna quickly stood up and ran toward the voice. "I'm just so glad you're here."
I don't know what you want from me."
"I don't want anything." Anna responded. She finally reached the voice. In front of her was a blurry image. Almost like a facade, a hologram. Mesay stood there regarding the darkness in front of her. Little lights of green and blue danced just beyond her reach.
"You told me to chose a role. But I can't do this. I tried to help. I'm only hurting them." Mesay pleaded.
"How many others have you moved? Chewie, Paul, who else? Why not have them try. I can't do this on my own."
Anna watched trying to figure out what she was seeing. As she did the image started to fade.
"Hey! Wait!" she called out. And the image got clearer again. "It's a playback. An....echo."
"We can't keep living like this. We need to go back."
A quiet rumbling filled the air. It actually appeared to almost move the darkness. The light from above Anna that had stayed constant, began to flicker. She brought her attention to the rippling image. Mesay had her head bowed down now. And the expression on her face. It had this sad understanding.
"If I do this. It's permanent. And it leaves them vulnerable. But...they'll be safe. They can go back."
The light flickered off for longer periods of time. The place now had perceived walls now. Moving like sound waves across the scene. It seemed to be effecting Mesay's voice as well.
"If they go back.....an they live a normal life. I'll.........stay............go back..........don't want to."
"No. Don't! Come back!" Anna called out. It was no use. The ripples had now interrupted the image too much. It was gone. And so was Anna's light.
***
Outside of Home the wind blew and tossed and swirled. Many of the others were now watching Kim's power in full effect. But it wasn't enough to disguise the sound of the battle starting. Crashing metal and mechanical movement was just a hundred yards away. Kim kept her concentration up. The small, grey energy ball was now the size of a watermelon. The black mass was not more solid than moving shadows. Chouji was now using his ability to hold them together. Rio kept her sensors on the event checking the levels and stability of everything. Inside her computer mind they peaked as both the shadow portal and the grey energy seemed to match.
"Initiate Dark Place portal. Now!", Rio yelled. Kim ran forward and with a yell pushed her energy into the dark shadows. Everything went instantly silent, then an explosion of force flung everyone back. As they all recovered Rio and Chouji seemed to be the only ones left standing. Rio kept her steely gaze on the dark portal. Her robotic eyes zoomed in and scanned. Chouji found himself in charge of holding the portal open. He summoned a few shadows to hold his legs steady. But the majority of his concentration was on the portal. Just inside was Kim, she sat up and saw the darkness. And in front of her was a hole showing where she was.
"Kim!" Anna called. It was faint but it was there.
Kim turned around but couldn't see anything. "Anna! Anna, I can't see you!"
Rio's eyes moved past Kim and focused on the voice.
"Rio! Can you hear that?" Kim yelled.
"Affirmative" She responded. "No visual on my sensors."
Kim turned to the darkness again. "Anna!" Kim couldn't believe what she was about to say. "Come to the light! We have your body!"
Anna could see everything just fine. The portal had opened right in front of her. But it was incredibly difficult to get to it. It felt like walking though a wind tunnel.
"I'm coming!" Anna yelled back.
Just then Home itself rattled and shook. The sound of metal on earth crunched nearby. Dox ran to the side of the building. He saw a mangled form of what was once a brick drone. In the distance he caught Hoop running back to the entrance. It was quickly followed by a snorlax roar and Kyle's machine guns. Dox ran back to Chouji.
"We need to get out of here now! Tell Kim to get Anna and get out of there!" He ordered Chouji.
"We won't have much of a choice in the matter soon." Chouji replied. His hands were shaking violently trying to hold the portal open. It was like trying to keep a steel trap from closing. "Kim! I can't hold this much longer! Hurry up!"
Kim's eyes grew wide with fear. "Anna! Hurry! The door is closing!"
Anna tried to move faster but as she got closer to the light her body seemed to fade. Almost transparent like. Her eyes became blurry and she started to feel herself fall. It felt like everything was fading suddenly. Any movement seemed ten times harder for her to do. It was all she had to keep standing. But she couldn't give up. Not now.
Rio's sensors went off, sounding alarms in her head at the sudden instability of the portal. Turning to Xil, she approached Anna's body and gently picked her up.
"What are you doing?" Xilaya asked. Rio just turned around and ran to the portal.
"What are you doing?" Xilaya asked. Rio just turned around and ran to the portal.
"No Rio!" Kim yelled. The portal started to close as Chouji struggled. Kim got up and ran in between the portal. One foot out and one foot in. She focused and put her hands above her. Almost literally holding the doorway open. Rio jumped though still cradling Anna's body. Rio stopped right before Anna. And laid the body on the ground before her. Anna smiled as she collapsed. She fell directly into her body. Rio crouched down and scanned her vitals. Everything seemed normal except for an increase in brain activity. If Rio could smile, then she was doing it then.
Chouji finally fell to his knees. He couldn't hold his side of the portal any longer. Kim felt the pressure all riding on her. She let out a scream as she tried to hold it open. Rio heard this and saw Kim moments from getting torn in half by the portal. Rio picked up Anna and ran to her. Kim couldn't hold it anymore.
"Take her!" Rio yelled. As she flung Anna at Kim. Kim moved her hands in defense and caught Anna. The two got thrown out of the portal and it sealed shut. Kim and Anna were laying in mid air. Surrounded by Kim's automatic defensive vector changing of the air. It acted like a cushion when she fell. It gently let them both down and the others quickly came to their aid.
***
A little while later the last of the butterflies were passing through a canyon behind Home. They all looked a little depressed. Having to leave their stronghold. But even now they could see it starting to crumble. The loss of Rio was also riding heavy on their hearts. Anna was still asleep and Kim and Chouji were in poor shape. As Dox took one last glance at Home he could see a few of the brick golems begin to surround the building. They began to smash and it apart. He hoped that the others were safe and would be joining them soon at the first checkpoint. As he turned back, CJ finished her painting. It was of the canyon. Closed off by a giant wall of rock. In the middle of this rock was a small door. Completely out of the ordinary for the scenery. A little surprise for anyone who tried to follow them. She put her painting down at the entrance to the canyon and watched as the wall built itself. CJ's artistic skills had quite improved since she arrived at Home. If only because she got to see her artworks come to life numerous times. It had forced her to practice and get things exactly right. This was her contribution to the cause. Hiding the others. From the potential onslaught of running from Help3r.
