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Books

Book 2: Be Not Afraid

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Chapter Four: Sabotage!

 

Cloudy glanced desperately up and down the hallway, hoping somebody would come to her rescue. But though she waited and waited for what seemed a long time, no one appeared.

“Fine,” Cloudy thought grimly. “I guess I’ll have to break down the door!”

She hunted around in her purse until she found a hairbrush. She shielded her face with one paw and smashed the glass, shattering it to pieces. She did it again and again until the entire door was lying in pieces at her feet. Carefully picking her way over the glass, she darted down the hallway, back to the lounge.

As she darted through the doorway, she ran into Springtime, who was just coming out of the lounge, a worried expression on her face. Both gasped and recoiled for a moment before they realized who the other was. “It’s you!” both exclaimed at the same time.

“Where have you been?” Springtime exclaimed, frantically hugging her daughter to herself. “We came back to the lounge and you and Arrow and Meta Knight were gone! We were just about to go look for you when you came running into me!”

Cloudy frowned at her. “What took you so long getting back from the restroom?” she demanded.

“We had to wait in a very long line,” Springtime explained. “I was starting to get worried about you and Arrow and went back to the lounge, but you both were gone and Meta Knight wasn’t around. So I freaked out and went back to the restroom and told your father, and we all came back to the lounge and combed every inch of it. Showerstorm thought you might have been hiding or something.”

“Why would I do that?” Cloudy asked sounding genuinely confused. “Besides, it was a complete waste of time to search for me. I wasn’t even in the lobby. I was in the phone booth in the hall parallel to the restrooms.”

“Why were you in a phone booth so long?” Springtime asked. “And who were you calling?”

“I was talking to Scazzarda about some strange guy who was sitting next to me,” Cloudy explained. “He left his luggage right over by the—” She pointed toward the couch, but then gave a sound gasp.

The suitcase had vanished!

“I don’t see any suitcase there,” Springtime said. “Are you sure he was in this lounge and not in a different one?”

“No, this is definitely the one he was in,” Cloudy said. She shifted her purse to her other shoulder. “Let’s ask the flight attendants if they saw anyone that describes the guy who sat next to me.”

The mother and daughter walked over to a flight attendant who stood nearby and Cloudy asked if he had seen anyone describing Sam Danson. The attendant shook his head.

“Some special reason you want to know?” he asked.

“Because someone locked me in the telephone booth and I think it was him!” Cloudy declared.

“What?!” Springtime gasped.

The attendant’s face grew dark. “You mean he locked you in the booth?”

“Yes. I mean no. I mean—I don’t know if it was him or not,” Cloudy said in frustration. “I never saw the guy.”

“Then what makes you say it’s him?” the attendant demanded. “You can’t just accuse someone of locking you up when you don’t even know who did it. I suggest you drop this crazy charge or else you’re gonna give this airport a bad name.”

Cloudy was getting annoyed with the attendant. “If you’re not watching whom you let come into your airport, I’d say you’re giving this place a bad name of your own accord! That guy is dangerous and he needs to be stopped from going on the flight!”

The attendant grew pale. “Wh-Why do you say he’s dangerous? Do you know him?”

“No, but the woman I was talking to on the phone—Scazzarda—knows him, I think.” She heard footsteps behind her and looked over her shoulder at Meta Knight, who had just joined them. Cloudy pointed to him. “She’s his mother.”

“Well,” the attendant said hesitantly, “I never saw anyone like you described, but then again, I wasn’t standing here very long either. I’ll ask around and let you know what I find.”

As soon as the flight attendant was gone, a young woman sitting on a chair nearby cleared her throat loudly. Cloudy looked over at her. “What is it?” the puppy asked.

“Ah, I think I know of whom you speak,” the woman said. She leaned over and whispered, “Are you looking for the man with the tattoos on his arm? The one who looks like he’s been in jail?”

“Yes,” Cloudy confirmed. “I was talking with him about twenty minutes ago. He said his name was Sam Danson.”

The woman snorted and clasped her hands in her lap. “Sam Danson—ha! A bunch of baloney! His name is Nathaniel Osen.”

“Nathaniel Osen?” Springtime repeated. “I never heard of him.”

“You know him then?” Cloudy asked the woman.

“Everyone knows him. He’s a dangerous criminal, he is,” the woman chattered on. “Broke into someone’s house once when he was twelve and stole some silver miniatures. Got put in juvenile detention for three years. When he was sixteen, he was let out and then stayed out o’ trouble for a while. But when he was twenty, he shot his girlfriend and was sentenced for nine years in prison. He’d be around thirty-seven or so now.”

“Where’d he go?”

The woman shrugged. “Dunno. Hurried out of that there nearby lounge and I never saw him after that.”

“But his suitcase is gone,” Cloudy protested. “And when he left, the suitcase was still there, so he must have come back and taken it.”

The woman shrugged again, an amused twinkle in her eye. “All I’m a-sayin’ is, he never came back. And I was sittin’ right here the whole time.”

“Thanks for the information,” Springtime said gratefully, then steered her daughter back to the lounge. The others looked up as they entered.

“The guy’s gone,” Springtime told them. “He never came back.”

“But that’s not possible,” Cloudy said. “He had to have come back for his suitcase. I know it was here when I left.” She walked over to the couch and began examining it, snuffing carefully around as the others looked on. After a minute, she looked up at them. “The suitcase was here,” she repeated, almost to herself.

Meanwhile, Sniper had wandered over to the lone lounge window and looked through it. He was admiring the view of the terminal when he happened to look down and see footprints in the soft earth below. “Hey, guys,” he called. “Come look at this.”

The group walked over to the window. “What’s the matter, Sniper?” Yodi asked.

“Nothing. I just saw these footprints,” he explained, and gestured to them. He scanned the entire terminal, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. There was no one around except for a few flight attendants.

“And look!” Cloudy exclaimed, pointing to two thin parallel lines beside the footprints. “Those look like they were made by the wheels of a suitcase!”

Springtime looked at her daughter. “Are you saying,” she said in amazement, “that he sneaked outside somehow, climbed in through the lounge window, brought his suitcase outside, and then ran off?”

“It’s not implausible,” Showerstorm said. “He could have made his escapade that way.”

“If he’s gone, no use trying to look for him,” Springtime sighed.

Cloudy scowled. “If I ever get my paws on that guy, he’s gonna pay for locking me in the booth. Which reminds me, I need to pay for the broken glass door on that thing.”

“Excuse me?” Springtime said.

Cloudy hurriedly explained the situation and Springtime said she would pay for the damage herself. “I’ll go do that real quick, and then all of you come meet me at Gate Twelve,” Springtime called.

“No, wait!” Cloudy exclaimed, her eyes wide. “We-We can’t! Miss Scazzarda warned me not to get on the flight with that guy! She said he was dangerous!”

“Oh, rubbish,” Springtime said. “He likely already left the airport. I doubt he’s gonna come on our flight. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” Then she hurried off.

Ten minutes later, they were all huddled together at Gate Twelve and listened for their boarding group to be called. When it was, Springtime announced, “That’s out flight, people. Get your luggage together and follow me.”

Showerstorm again collected passports as well as boarding passes and presented them to the gate agent. When he had scrutinized them, he handed them back and said, “You’re good.”

“Stay together, children!” Showerstorm shouted as he scurried up the jetway and into the plane. They found their seats, stowed their luggage in the overhead compartments above their seats, then sat down and buckled up. Cloudy’s brother and Zach sat in one row with Showerstorm, and Springtime, Miriam, Nika, Eloise, and Star sat in a second row behind the boys. Meta Knight, Arrow, and Cloudy sat in a third row with some people they didn’t recognize.

Cloudy studied the others who boarded the plane. But although she looked and looked, she found no one who resembled Nathaniel Osen. Maybe he’s in disguise, she thought uneasily, shifting in her seat.

The pilot climbed into the cockpit and started the engines. The vibration buzzed in Cloudy’s ears and made her head feel funny.

“Here we go!” Miriam cried as the plane began taxiing across the terminal and rose off the ground. It went higher and higher into the sky until they were above the clouds. Cloudy, who was seated right next to the window, looked down and saw the trees and rivers far down below them. They seemed very tiny.

“Isn’t this fun?” Nika asked Eloise.

“Yes, it is,” Eloise agreed.

“I love flying!” Sniper cheered.

“Me too,” Sharkell added.

Cloudy didn’t say anything. She kept looking over her seat back for Nathaniel Osen, but didn’t see him. She looked over the seat in front of her to see if he was in front, but still didn’t spy him. Meta Knight, seated right next to Cloudy, noticed her looking around and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Uh, nothing,” Cloudy said quickly, sitting back in her seat. “Just exploring.” No use worrying him, she thought.

Meta Knight didn’t seem totally convinced, but decided to let the matter be. He looked away out the opposite window and sighed. Cloudy heard the sigh and turned to him. “Is something wrong?” she wondered.

“No.”

Cloudy shook her head. “Yes, there is,” she protested. “What is it?”

“It is nothing, Cloudy.”

“Meta Knight,” Cloudy said, softening her tone, “you can tell me anything. We’re friends, you know. If something’s bothering you, you can let me know.”

Meta Knight shook his head. “Nothing, Cloudy. It is nothing. I am just thinking. You need not worry about me.”

Cloudy frowned and looked out the window again, admiring the view from the air. As she did so, she had a dream.

But it wasn’t a real dream because she was not asleep, nor was it a hallucination. In her mind’s eye, she saw a huge gray jet, all of its passengers screaming in fear, careening toward a wide expanse of ocean and slamming into it, killing everyone on impact. The pilot had been knocked unconscious and thrown out of the plane, and the controls were take over by a red-eyed man with demonic tattoos on his arms and black hair. Right before the plane crashed, he jumped out of the cockpit and parachuted safely into the water, far, far away from the wreck, leaving its mangled victims behind.

“Oh!” Cloudy cried, shaking her head to clear away the horrible vision.

Meta Knight gave her a look of concern. “Is something wrong, Cloudburst?”

Cloudy stared at him, trying to deduce her odd dream. “Are you real?” she asked.

“What kind of question is that?” he asked.

In a whisper, Cloudy told him her weird vision. When she finished, all he said was, “I would not take that dream lightly. Dreams can come true, no matter how farfetched they seem.”

Meanwhile, Nika was playing a dress-up game on her phone. “Hey, Eloise, do you think I should dress my character in the blue denim or the red ski—”

She never finished the sentence, for at that moment, the plane rocked violently, causing Nika to jolt forward and the phone to fall from her hand. “Whoa!” Nika cried out in alarm.

Eloise steadied her sister and bent down to retrieve the phone, but it was out of her reach. Her seatbelt wouldn’t let her bend down any more than she was able to, so she unbuckled it.

“Eloise, buckle up,” Springtime said sternly.

“I have to get Nika’s phone,” Eloise said, bending forward to grab it. However, another violent rock sent Eloise flying out of her seat and onto the floor.

“Ouch!” Eloise cried.

“Eloise!” Nika gasped.

“Sit down and buckle up now!” Springtime commanded sharply, a tone of fear in her voice.

“But Nika’s phone!” Eloise insisted. She swooped down and grabbed it, then handed it to her twin. “Here, Nika.”

“Thanks.”

Another rock sent Eloise sprawling facefirst onto the floor. Angrily, the young girl scrambled to her feet and stood up straight, then yelled, “Hey, Mr. Pilot, can’t you control this dumb plane?!”

“Shut up and sit down!” Miriam hissed.

“We are experiencing some technical difficulties with the plane,” the pilot said calmly over the intercom. “I’m asking everyone to please be seated and have their seatbelts on.”

Elose, grumbling to herself, sat down and buckled up. “Honestly, pilots these days don’t have a clue about how to fly a plane! They think they can just jump into the cockpit and take over the controls. . .”

Another jolt startled everyone in the plane. Then Eloise heard something odd. It sounded like something was the matter with the engines.

“Hey, what’s happening?” Nika exclaimed.

Cloudy heard the commotion in the backseat and turned to look over her seat back. “What’s going on?” Arrow wondered.

“I think something’s wrong with the plane,” Cloudy replied.

Meta Knight suddenly shuddered. Cloudy, alarmed, turned to him. “What is it?” she asked.

Arrow’s eyes widened. “Uh-oh,” he muttered.

Cloudy was confused. What was Arrow referring to? The she knew what was wrong. She heard one engine conk out, then the other! They had no power!

“What happened?” a child asked.

“The engines stopped running!” a woman exclaimed.

“Oh, no!” a man shouted. “We’re going to crash!”

A few people screamed loudly and the quiet tenseness dissolved into extreme pandemonium and panic.

“Crash?!” Cloudy cried out, terrified now.

Arrow was scared too. “W-We’re gonna crash?” he exclaimed.

Springtime had heard her youngest daughter’s remark. “This is bad!” she said to the girls. “We’re going to crash!”

Miriam screamed. “No, we can’t!” she wailed. “I’m scared!”

The girls spread the news to Showerstorm and the boys. They were just as scared as the girls, but tried not to show it. “Maybe we can make it,” Showerstorm said quietly to his wife.

The pilot’s voice came again over the intercom. “Everyone keep your seatbelts on!” he called. “I’m going to see if we can make it down without crashing! Brace yourself for impact!”

The plane suddenly began its descent at full speed. The passengers’ faces showed pure terror and a little girl was crying. Cloudy held her breath, waiting for the landing.

Then the pilot shouted, “Oh, no! Something’s wrong with the landing gear! We can’t land! We’re going to crash!”

Meta Knight gasped and Nika and Eloise screamed fearfully, clinging to one another while Miriam cried. Cloudy was scared as well, but tried to remain calm. Panicking would do no good in a situation like this.

Over the general chaos in the passenger section, Cloudy heard the pilot exclaim, “Hey, who are you? Get out of the cockpit!”

“Sure, after you get out,” a familiar, cruel masculine voice said. Cloudy’s blood froze. That voice—why did it sound so familiar? She searched her memory for voices like that and came up with only one result—Nathaniel Osen.

He must have sneaked into the cockpit when all the passengers were distracted! she thought with dismay.

Then came the sound of a punch over the intercom and a grunt from the pilot, then silence. Cloudy wondered what was happening and peered out the window, trying to see toward the front of the plane, when she saw a figure falling from the plane and into the water below. It was the pilot!

“OH MY GOSH, THE PILOT JUST FELL INTO THE WATER!!!!” Cloudy shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Terrified screams of alarm and panic rose arose from the passengers. Suddenly, the plane made a nosedive right for the water!

“Oh, no!” Springtime cried.

“Help!!” screamed Miriam.

“Someone’s trying to kill us!” a woman shrieked.

“I’m gonna see who’s in that cockpit!” a man shouted, unbuckling his seatbelt.

“Stay where you are!” Cloudy screamed at him.

The plane approached the water at a fast speed and Cloudy’s ears were filled the screams and cries of all the passengers. Meta Knight shut his eyes and Arrow barked in alarm.

“Hold on!” Nika yelled, grasping her sister’s hands.

CRASH!!!

The plane slammed into the water hard and flipped. The sound of alarms ringing and people screaming and glass shattering filled Cloudy’s ears, and then everything went black before her eyes.

Books

Book 2: Be Not Afraid

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Chapter Three: Locked in the Booth

 

It was finally the day of the trip! Since their flight left at ten, Springtime had everyone meet at the house at six-thirty so she could get them to the airport on time. Showerstorm decided to go ahead with the boys in the Turners’ car and have his wife and the girls meet up with them later, and Springtime had agreed.

Springtime was frustrated as she checked everyone’s luggage to be sure they had everything and asked the kids if they had packed certain items. The problem was that all the girls—except for Cloudy—were running around and not paying any attention to Springtime’s questions. Springtime was getting very annoyed.

“Pay attention!” came a sharp voice from behind the children. They all turned around to see Meta Knight standing there, a thick, red cloak drawn over his shoulders, his eyes showing frank disapproval at their lack of respect. “This is not proper conduct. I’m ashamed of you children. Why can’t you be like Cloudy and listen to your elders when they’re speaking to you?”

Instantly, all the children looked contrite. “Sorry, Meta Knight,” Eloise said. They all lined up side by side and stood erect.

Springtime sighed in relief and flashed Meta Knight a warm smile. “Thank you very much.”

“I am glad to help,” was the reply.

Springtime surveyed the clipboard she held and asked, “Eloise and Nika, did you girls pack toothbrushes and soaps?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the twins answered in a single voice.

“Star, did you pack some beanies and jackets?”

“I sure did.”

“Boots too?”

“Yep. Four to be exact.”

Springtime hid her smile. “Ah, Miriam. I hope you remembered to bring a hairbrush?”

“I did.”

“Cloudy, did you pack some scarves?”

“Yes, Mommy, I did.”

“Good, good.”

After asking the kids a few more questions, Springtime was satisfied that everyone was ready. “Okay, I think we’re cleared for takeoff. Collect your luggage and let’s wait by the road. Scazzarda’s gonna drop us off at the airport before she starts work.”

The girls snatched up their suitcases and purses and duffel bags. Cloudy ran over to the gate and unlatched it, then pushed it open and wandered out by the road. The others followed suit.

Just then, Scazzarda’s car came roaring down the road and screeched to a halt in front of them. Scazzarda jumped out and walked over to them. “Hey, all!” she said cheerfully. “Are you ready to start your trip?”

Miriam yawned, opening her mouth so wide that her jaw ached. “Sure,” she said. “I’m ready.”

“I’m ready, too—I think,” Star added, pursing her lips. Eloise giggled at her expression and Nika furrowed her brow at the two of them.

“All right, enough chatter,” Springtime said firmly. “Kids, load your stuff in the back and climb in. We have a long way to go and we want to make it to the airport on time, don’t we?”

The girls hurried to the back of the car and Miriam opened the door, and the kids tossed their luggage into the trunk. Springtime too stowed her gear away, then turned to Meta Knight. “Did you bring any luggage, dear?”

“Not much. Just my passport and phone.” He showed them to her.

“You can share our stuff if need be.” Springtime smiled at him, and he smiled back in thanks.

Miriam slammed the trunk lid and climbed inside with the rest of the children and buckled up while Springtime and Meta Knight sat up front with Scazzarda.

“Here we go!” Scazzarda cried out. She backed up, turned around, and drove off down the road. The kids let out a cheer, excited. Their trip was finally starting!

The first few minutes were filled with the girls laughing, chatting, or playing on their phones and Ipads. After some time had passed, an interesting conversation popped up among the kids.

“Have you guys seen a turkey as of recently?” Eloise suddenly asked while starting at her phone.

Nika and Miriam, who had been playing a game of Tic-Tac-Toe, raised their heads and gave Eloise funny looks. “Well, of course,” Nika replied.

“Me too—in the grocery store,” Miriam added. She broke up at her own joke, laughing so hard she dropped her pencil.

“Fantastic,” Eloise said, sounding completely unamused. “But it says here in the local news that someone’s prized turkey recently went missing somewhere in Dreamland.”

“I bet it’s prized because they want to eat it for Christmas dinner!” Meta Knight said, chuckling.

“Yeah, the poor turkey knew what his fate would be and wanted to avoid going to the chopping block, so he ran off,” Miriam said, smirking. “Or someone else stole him because they couldn’t afford to buy a turkey of their own.”

“I bet that turkey is now being slowly roasted in an oven—along with his heart, livers, and kidneys,” Nika giggled.

“Nika! That’s disgusting,” Springtime said, curling her lip in distaste.

“Hey, I know where they should check to find the prized turkey!” Star exclaimed.

Nika turned to look at Star in the way back. “Where?”

“The local shopping center!” Star cackled. She slapped Cloudy, who was sitting right next to her, on the shoulder. “Hey, isn’t that funny, Cloudy?”

Cloudy raised her head, an empty look in her eyes. “Huh?”

Star shot her sister an annoyed glare. “You look like you’re a million miles away! What are you thinking of?” she demanded.

Cloudy just looked out the window. “Nothing of importance,” she said.

Suddenly Nika gasped. “I just saw the prized turkey!”

“Where?” Eloise wanted to know, peering out the window to see what Nika was talking about.

“I was just kidding,” Nika said with a grin, elbowing her sister. “Just trying to get your goat.”

“You liar,” Eloise retorted.

Scazzarda couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head.

“Anyway, the prized turkey was very valuable because it came from a royal turkey family,” Eloise continued, reading from her phone.

“Royal turkey family?” Star repeated.

“Yup. Says the turkey was originally owned by a king from a different planet and was later given to a local peasant whom the king greatly admired, who gave it to some woman who sold it to the man who wrote this post and said his turkey was gone.” Eloise frowned. “He said this turkey stood out from other turkeys because it wore a blue sapphire collar.”

“Who did write this post?” Miriam wondered.

“It says his name is D.P.” Eloise scratched her head.

“Tough luck,” Cloudy said with a yawn. “Sorry you lost the turkey, Mr. What’s-Your-Name, but I hope you find it.”

“Hey, hey, Cloudy. Look. I’m recording you. I got you on video,” Nika said, pointing the lens of her phone at Cloudy.

“Get that thing out of my face,” Cloudy ordered.

“What’s your opinion on turkeys?” Nika asked without moving her phone an inch.

“What?” Cloudy asked, looking confounded. “Well, um. . .”

“I think they smell wonderful, but only when they’re being baked in the oven,” Star broke in, pushing in to get in the camera’s view and shoving Cloudy’s face against the window. “The rest of the time, they look like overgrown hairballs and smell like dead skunks.”

“Star! GET OFF MY FACE!” Cloudy yelled.

Star stopped squishing Cloudy’s face against the glass and sat back in her seat. Cloudy rubbed the side of her face with her paw to restore circulation, then shot Star an angry glare.

“Hey! What’s the big idea?” Cloudy demanded. “You nearly suffocated me!”

“I just wanted to add my opinion on turkeys,” Star explained, “but you were in my way, so I had to get you out of my fur somehow.”

“I asked Cloudy’s opinion on turkeys, not yours,” Nika told her.

Star scowled. “Ohh, so I can’t speak my thoughts and Cloudy can! So that’s the way it’s gonna be, hmm?”

“When I want your opinion, Star, I’ll ask for it,” Nika said, turning off her phone and replacing it in her handbag.

“Don’t be stupid!”

“Are you calling me stupid?” Nika demanded, glaring at Star.

“Huh?! N-No, I’m. . .calling you fat!”

“Oh, so I’m fat and stupid now, huh?”

“You’re a fatty!”

“I’m on a diet, Star.”

“Well, you’re still fat! Your mom was right to put you on a diet! You’re obese! You need to lose weight!”

“Star, I’m barely fat. Maybe you’re just jealous of my slimness while you’re the fatty.”

Star struggled to think of a retort to that. “Well, you. . .you have blond hair,” she shot back, knowing full well that the comment made no sense at all.

“And you can be such a toad!”

“Okay, you two, shut up and stop insulting one another!” Eloise commanded, rolling her eyes.

Meta Knight tried unsuccessfully to hold back his laughter, but he couldn’t. Scazzarda thought he was going to need an oxygen mask; he was laughing so hard.

“Are you okay?” Scazzarda asked, trying hard to suppress her own laughter.

Meta Knight struggled to stop laughing. “Yes, yes, I’m fine,” he said, finally getting control of himself. “But these kids are so funny!”

Scazzarda grinned. “They are, at that,” she responded.

After ten more minutes, Eloise pointed out the window to her right. “Hey, isn’t that the airport termite?”

“It’s ‘terminal’, dear,” Scazzarda corrected her. “And yes, it is.” She drove into the terminal and hunted around for a parking space. After locating a vacant one, she parked the car there and shut off the engine. “Well, this is it,” she declared. “Everybody out!”

The children unbuckled their seatbelts and threw open their doors, then ran around to the rear of the car to get their luggage. Springtime helped the children sort their baggage and get organized. After they were ready, Springtime turned to Scazzarda and said, “Well, goodbye, Scazzarda. See you sometime after the New Year.”

“I’ll be waiting for you,” Scazzarda promised. Then she looked to her son. “Goodbye, Meta Knight. See you soon, my boy.” She grinned.

Meta Knight nodded stiffly. “I will see you soon too, Mother.”

Scazzarda smiled, then bent down and wrapped her arms around Meta Knight. Meta Knight, in spite of his pride, returned the embrace, then pulled away, obviously embarrassed. Springtime suppressed a smile.

The girls, Springtime, and Meta Knight wandered across the huge terminal and stopped in front of the cafeteria. Scazzarda climbed back into her car and restarted the engine, then backed up and slowly began to drive out of the terminal. As she was about to exit, she rolled down her window and called out, “Goodbye!”

“Goodbye!” the kids chorused together, waving wildly. They stood together and watched the car as it pulled out of the terminal and was gone from view.

Springtime looked up behind her and checked the clock on the cafeteria front. “Ninety-five minutes ahead of schedule,” she said in a voice of satisfaction. “Perfect.”

“Where are Daddy and the boys?” Star asked Springtime herded the girls into the cafeteria.

“Umm. . .” Springtime checked her phone. “Ah, I received a notification a few minutes from Showerstorm telling me to meet him in the cafeteria, at the table in the far right corner.”

Cloudy squinted and peered around the cafeteria. After a moment, she spotted her dad, brothers, and her friends, Zach and Arrow.

“There they are!” Cloudy squealed, jumping up and down. She weaved her way among the tables and ran over to her father.

“Daddy!” Cloudy shouted.

“Cloudy!” Showerstorm exclaimed. “I thought you girls would never make it!”

“We’re here!” Springtime said, the crowd of girls and Meta Knight following behind her.

“Hey, honey.” Showerstorm kissed his wife. “Hey, girls. Hey, Meta Knight.”

“What gate are we going through?” Springtime wondered.

“Gate Twelve,” Showerstorm said briefly. “But first we have to check in at the desk and let the desk manager review our passports.” He picked up his luggage and told the boys to pick up theirs too. “Ready, all? Let’s roll!”

As Showerstorm collected everyone’s passports and showed them to the desk manager, Cloudy looked at the shiny linoleum floors, the freshly scrubbed walls, and the bright blue ceiling. A huge flight screen hung from the ceiling and told the dates and times at which the flights were to leave. Cloudy saw that their flight to Leupochena would leave in an hour and a half.

“Okay, now we have to put out luggage on the conveyor belt and get through the X-ray machine,” Showerstorm explained as he handed back the passports.

Cloudy was puzzled. “Why?”

Showerstorm frowned. “Why what?”

“Why do we need to have X-rays done to us?”

Showerstorm smiled. “The security officers here want to make sure we’re not carrying any hidden weapons or grenades or anything else that we’re not supposed to have.”

“Oh,” Cloudy said, but inwardly she was thinking, These people have a very strict security system!

After they had all gone through the X-rays and had their luggage checked and approved, they were good to go. They walked into a small but cozy lounge not far from the check-in desk and sat down.

Star sighed. “We’re gonna have to wait a while,” she complained.

“You’ll survive,” Eloise teased. Star made a face.

Showerstorm smiled cheerfully. “We’ll just wait here and do something fun to pass the time.”

“Oh, oh! Let’s play Twenty Questions!” Nika said happily, bouncing on the plush couch with excitement.

“Good idea,” Zach said. “I’ll go first. I’m thinking of something. Vegetable, animal, or mineral?”

“Is it a vegetable?” Cloudy asked.

Zach shook his head.

“Is it an animal?” Star said.

Zach nodded.

“Is it brown?” Waffle called.

Zach shook his head again.

“Black?” Yodi wondered.

Zach grinned. “Well, yes and no.”

Many of the children looked confused, but Cloudy smiled widely and asked, “Is it black and white?”

“Yes!” Zach exclaimed. His eyes were glowing with enthusiasm.

“Is it a dog?” Eloise cried.

Zach nodded.

“A husky puppy?” Nika said slyly.

Again Zach nodded his head. “Guess who?” he said, raising his hands over his head and spreading them out, fingers extended.

“Cloudy!” everyone hollered in unison.

“Yes!” Zach cheered. “You figured it out!”

The group played several more rounds of Twenty Questions. Then they switched to a game they called Story Circle, in which one person started a story and they went around with everyone contributing a part to the story until it was completed. Meta Knight was a very good storyteller, and the children seemed entranced by his eloquence.

After thirty minutes or so, some of the children started complaining that they were hungry or needed to use the restroom. Springtime sighed and looked questioningly at her husband.

“I’ll take the boys to the men’s restroom,” said Showerstorm. “Honey, you take the girls. Eloise, Nika, and Zach, I’ll give you some money to but something from the cafeteria since there’s not really enough food in our luggage for all of us. He looked down at Cloudy, Arrow, and Meta Knight, who were the only ones who would stay in the lounge. “Stay here, kids, and don’t get up unless you need to. Meta Knight, keep an eye on them.” And with that, he and Springtime were gone, along with the Palmer sisters and Zach.

The threesome sat quietly for a few minutes. Cloudy was getting bored and restless and she showed it in her fidgeting. She thought she might just curl up and take a nap when a loud ringing noise startled her and made her jump.

Meta Knight gave her a stricken look. “That’s my phone, Cloudy.”

“Oh.” Cloudy’s hearts was still hammering in her chest as Meta Knight left the lounge to take the call. Now Arrow and Cloudy were left alone.

The two puppies quietly sat side by side for a minute or two, admiring the red velvet on the couches and the oriental rugs. Then Arrow sported a shiny round object on the floor by the couch and bent to scoop it up. It was a quarter.

“Hey, cool!” Arrow showed his find to Cloudy. “A quarter!”

“Wow, now you’re rich. What are you gonna do with it?” Cloudy asked.

“I recall seeing a gumball machine in the cafeteria. I’m gonna buy a gumball for you,” he said. He leapt lightly off the couch. “Be right back.”

Cloudy’s eyes widened. “You mean you’re going to leave me here all alone?!”

“You parents should be back any minute,” Arrow said, “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” And before she could object, he had raced away.

Cloudy didn’t feel right about being left alone in a waiting room in the middle of a strange airport, but she decided to stay where she was. She knew that flight attendants were not too far away and that it was highly unlikely anyone would try anything dishonest in such a public place, but she still felt uneasy. She clutched her purse to herself and lay down, her head on her front paws.

Not long after Arrow’s departure, a strange man with gray eyes and jet-black hair entered the lounge with a suitcase on wheels. He looked back at the flight screen, nodded to himself, and then seated himself right beside Cloudy. She scooted over to create a little more distance between them and kept her eyes on the far corner of the room.

The man pulled out his phone and typed something. Cloudy glanced up at him and noted his features—they were rough and brusque. His eyes were steely and his hair looked as though it had been slicked back with oil. The man himself had several tattoos on his arms and looked as though he had been incarcerated before. Something about him gave Cloudy the creeps.

“Where are you off to?” the man asked without looking up from his phone.

Cloudy blinked in surprise. “Who, me?”

“Yeah.” The man tore his gaze away from his screen and frowned at her. “You’re the only one over here, aren’t ya?”

Cloudy bit her lip. She wasn’t prepared for this conversation! “Well, not exactly.”

“Looks like you’re alone to me.” He studied her with his cold gaze. She stared back, just as intently, though she felt nervous. Then like the sun breaking through the clouds, his cruel expression melted away and was replaced by a friendly smile.

“I’m Sam Danson,” he introuduced himself, extending his hand. Cloudy, after a slight pause, placed her paw in his hand.

“Where are you off to?” Sam asked.

Cloudy relaxed at his friendly tone, but reminded herself not to let her guard down. “Leupochena.”

Sam showed surprise. “Really? Me too!”

“Where are you headed to in Leupochena?” Cloudy queried.

Sam chuckled and flexed his fingers. “Well, I’m going to visit my brother Owen for Christmas.”

“That’s cool.” Cloudy smiled. “My family and friends are going to Vastre Hall.”

Sam started and stared at her. “How did you know about Vastr—” Then he checked himself and stammered, “Um, I-I mean, why are you going there?”

“We’re going to stay with my aunt’s friends,” Cloudy explained. “We’re all spending Christmas together.”

“Oh, I see. . .” Standing to his feet and muttering an excuse about having to use the restroom, he quickly hurried out of the lounge, leaving his suitcase and a very bewildered puppy behind. Cloudy thought Sam Danson acted very suspicious.

Cloudy looked at the digital clock on the flight screen and sighed irritably. It was forty minutes before their flight was to leave, and still no parents, chaperone, or kids. Cloudy was beginning to get worried. It had been almost twenty minutes since her parents had first left for the restrooms and the other children had disappeared to the cafeteria.

Cloudy sighed and dug around in her purse, then fished out a quarter. “I might as well call Mrs. Scazzarda and talk to her. I’m getting bored anyway,” she muttered. She inquired of a flight attendant as to the nearest phone booth pointed down the hallway a little ways.

Cloudy slipped into the booth and shut the door behind her, then slipped the quarter into the slot and dialed Scazzarda’s number. While she was doing so, a stranger half-hidden in the shadows crept up silently behind the telephone booth and took a piece of wood from his pocket, then wedged it under the door. Smiling in satisfaction, he hurried away and disappeared around the corner.

Cloudy sighed as she waited for Scazzarda to pick up. She wondered if perhaps she should have called during Scazzarda’s work hours, but decided it probably wouldn’t hurt. In a few minutes, Scazzarda picked up.

“Hello?” she inquired pleasantly.

“Hi, Mrs. Scazzarda. It’s Cloudy.”

“Cloudy, hello! Where are you?”

“In a phone booth at the airport. Listen, Mommy and Daddy took some of my friends and my siblings to the restroom twenty minutes ago and they’re still not back. Neither are the Palmers or Zach, and they left for the cafeteria around the same time.”

“Just calm down, dear,” Scazzarda said soothingly. “Everything will be okay. If they don’t show up within the next ten minutes, notify the police or flight attendants, okay?”

“Okay,” Cloudy said. Then she asked, “Um, just out of curiosity, have you ever heard of a guy named Sam Danson?”

“Sam Danson?” Scazzarda repeated. She thought a moment and then said, “Can’t say I have. Can you describe him?”

“Oh, yeah, He has black hair, real dark and slick, and he had these creepy gray eyes. He also wears these weird demonic-looking tattoos and he really gives me the creeps. . .”

“Did you say tattoos?” Scazzarda’s voice suddenly sounded frightened.

“Uh, yeah.” Cloudy frowned. “Why?”

“Is one of the tattoos a skull and crossbones?”

Cloudy was so astonished that it was a moment before she could speak. “Yes, that’s right. Good night, how did you know that, Miss Scazzarda?”

“What flight line is he on, Cloudburst?”

“He’s going to Leupochena, and there’s only one plane heading out at ten, so he’s probably on the same as ours.”

A cry of alarm suddenly broke from Scazzarda, startling Cloudy. “Oh, no! Cloudburst, whatever you do, do not get on the flight with him! He’s dangerous!” Then came a click and the dial tone, indicating the connection had been cut off.

“Hello? Hello?” Cloudy tried to restore the connection, but to no avail. Scazzarda must have hung up on her for some reason. Cloudy frowned, wondering why Scazzarda had acted so afraid. Did she know Sam Danson?

“I’ll just get back to the lounge and wait for the others,” Cloudy said. She tried to open the glass door, but it wouldn’t budge.

“What the heck?” Cloudy muttered, trying again to shove it open. Nothing happened. She peered at the lock, thinking she might have accidentally locked herself in, but that wasn’t the cause. She looked outside, and to her chagrin, she saw the wedge.

“I’m locked in the telephone booth!” Cloudy gasped.

Books

Book 2: Be Not Afraid

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Chapter Two: Surprise Announcement

 

Meta Knight walked steadily along the trail, Cloudy curled up in his arms. As he walked, he told Cloudy about his life and family—some parts of which were shocking and sad.

“My wife left me not long after Liloy became a teenager,” Meta Knight explained, his voice full of sorrow.

“Why?” Cloudy asked, then clapped a paw over her mouth as she realized how rude that was. “Oh, I’m sorry, that was not polite. . .”

“It’s okay,” Meta Knight assured her. “She divorced me because she didn’t love me.”

“Then why did she even marry you in the first place?” Cloudy demanded. “I don’t get that!”

Meta Knight shrugged and shifted Cloudy a little. “Who can say?” He took a deep breath and continued, “My son, Gregory, abuses drugs and drinks heavily.”

“Drugs?! Drinks?!” Horror in her eyes, Cloudy stared at Meta Knight, who looked away, unable to stand her look.

“Yes. My son-in-law, Tilry, is in the hospital with cancer.” On and on he went, explaining about his children and other relatives. But Cloudy found it rather odd that he mentioned nothing about his father or even who his father was.

By and by, they reached the beginning of the trail. Meta Knight halted, not remembering which way to go. “Left or right, Cloudy?” he asked. When there was no reply, he looked down, and to his surprise, saw Cloudy asleep in his arms, her breathing slow and steady. He smiled at how calm and quiet she was and how adorable she looked when she was asleep.

“I hate to wake her,” Meta Knight sighed, “but we need to get back to her house before we get stuck in the dark.” He cleared his throat and gently tapped Cloudy’s back. “Cloudy, wake up.”

“Hmm?” Cloudy murmured, opening one eye. She must have dozed off. “What? Where’s the fire?”

“We’ve reached the beginning of the trail. Where from here?”

“Ummm. . .” Cloudy cracked open her other eye, lifted her head, and looked around. After a few seconds of deduction, she jerked her head to the left. “That way.”

“Very well.”

Meta Knight turned left and continued on his way. Ten minutes later, they reached the beginning of Whispy Woods. He walked out of the woods, but halted at the edge, From where he stood, he saw other children playing on Cloudy’s property. A few puppies and humanoid children were darting around and tumbling over each other, screaming and laughing and having a great time. Meta Knight recognized most of them from the Thanksgiving feast. But as he gazed at the happy kids, a wave of sadness washed over him. He had never had a wonderful childhood because of his father’s abuse, but Meta Knight hadn’t told Cloudy that yet. He wasn’t sure he was ready to trust her with such a dark secret.

“Ah, that is a lot of children over at your place today,” Meta Knight commented.

Cloudy beamed and leaped from his arms. “Aw, those are my siblings and friends. You’ve met them before,” she said. “Let’s go over and greet them.”

Meta Knight nodded and followed Cloudy across the pasture. Of course, the fence down the middle hindered them, but Meta Knight wasn’t fazed in the slightest. He put his right hand on the top rail, boosted himself, then swung himself over to the other side. Cloudy slipped between the fence rails.

“Hey, that was a cool jump you did,” Cloudy complimented Meta Knight.

“Thank you, child,” Meta Knight said lightly. “I’m able to do certain stunts. I learned them in the GSA.”

“What’s the GSA?” Cloudy asked.

“The Galaxy Soldier Army, also known as the Star Warrior Army. Star Warriors fight together in this army and work together to attack monsters and try to take down Nightmare.” Meta Knight chuckled. “One day, you could join the GSA too.”

Cloudy looked up at him, her green eyes serious. “Of course I will,” she said calmly.

Meta Knight frowned a little at her expression, wondering why she didn’t take her job as a Star Warrior more lightly. Most Star Warriors did. As he gazed at her face, he wondered if perhaps she was one of those rare Star Warriors who believed duty came before play or lightheartedness.

At that moment, Springtime and Showerstorm appeared on the porch and Springtime called, “Keep it down, please, children!” Just then, she caught sight of Cloudy out in the pasture standing with someone Springtime thought she recognized, but wasn’t sure.

“Hi, Mommy!” Cloudy shouted, running over to her parents. Meta Knight followed more sedately behind. “Hi, Daddy!”

“My dear, who is your friend?” Showerstorm wanted to know.

“This is Meta Knight, Scazzarda’s son,” Cloudy replied.

“I thought his name was Magnet,” Sniper said with a smirk. “And I see he’s still rolling out the Halloween costume.”

“Sniper, shhh! Mind your manners!” Springtime reprimanded him.

“His name is Magnus Stellarum, but he wishes to be called Meta Knight,” answered Cloudy, shooting Sniper a dirty look. “Anyway, I went to visit his mom, but she wasn’t home, so I met up with Meta Knight and he wanted to take me home, so I let him, and he told me about his fa—” Cloudy quickly shut her mouth, realizing that Meta Knight’s family was not a public subject to be discussed, but rather a matter to be handled in private.

“He told you about his what, honey?” Springtime asked.

“Later,” Cloudy muttered to Springtime under her breath. Then she smiled. “Well, he’s a nice person and I like him and he’s my friend. I’d like to keep visiting him and he to visit me, if that’s okay with you.”

“We’ll see, honey,” said Springtime. No way was she letting one of her children visit someone they barely knew without first checking their history.

Cloudy turned to Meta Knight. “Let me introduce you to my family,” she said cheerfully. She gestured to her mom and dad and said, “These are my parents, Springtime and Showerstorm.””So nice to meet you, Ma—um, Meta Knight,” Springtime gently told him.

“Yes, we’re very pleased to make your acquaintance,” Showerstorm said formally.

Cloudy then turned and pointed with her paw to each of her siblings in turn, telling Meta Knight their names. “These are Sniper, Sharkell, Yodi, Pancake, Waffle, and Azalea-Star, better known as Star.” The she smiled. “And I suppose you remember my friends’ names?”

Meta Knight smiled. “Not really.”

Moving over to a dark-skinned humanoid girl with brown eyes and glossy black hair, Cloudy said, “This is Miriam Capperdale, my very best friend. She’s eight. And these—” She gestured to two blond-haired twins. “—are Eloise and Nika Palmer. They’re eight too.” Then she stepped over to the last child, a brown-haired boy with sparkling hazel eyes. “And last but not least, this is Zach Linky. He’s nine.”

“It is very nice to meet you all,” Meta Knight said quietly.

“You too, Meta Knight,” Nika responded.

Springtime smiled, glad that she had trained Cloudy to be so polite. Even if none of them particularly knew Meta Knight that well, they still wanted him to feel at home.

After the introductions, for a long moment, there was silence. No one knew what to say. They all stood around and glanced at one another, uncertain what to do next.

“Kids,” Springtime said brightly, breaking the awkward pause, “I just baked some blueberry pie. Anyone want some?”

“Yeah!” the kids cheered.

Just then, a gray car cruised down the road and pulled off onto the grass outside the pasture’s fence. The driver’s door opened and out stepped a pretty humanoid woman with blond hair and dark green eyes. “Hey, all!” she called, opening the gate and entering, then walking over to the others. “It’s so nice to see you all again!”

A warm smile spread across Springtime’s face. “Hello, Scazzarda!” she said. “Thanks for stopping by.”

“I’m glad to be here,” said Scazzarda. Her eyes landed on Meta Knight, who avoided her gaze. “Hello, Magnus. What are you doing here?”

“Mother, do not call me Magnus. My name is Meta Knight. And as for my business being here, I brought Cloudy back to her house. I wanted to meet her family.”

“Why were you away from your house, honey?” Scazzarda asked Cloudy.

“I wanted to visit you, but you weren’t home, and I met Meta Knight and we became friends,” Cloudy explained.

Scazzarda grinned. “I’m so glad you did! My son is very withdrawn and never seems to like talking to a lot of people outside his family. I’m surprised he took a fancy to you.” She gave Meta Knight a questioning look.

“There’s something special about this child,” was all Meta Knight would say. “And I do not mean because she is the Prophesied One.”

Cloudy knit her brow. What did Meta Knight mean by that? It wasn’t as if she were above everyone else.

“Ahem,” Springtime broke in. “Children, Showerstorm and I need to discuss something with you.”

The children instantly perked up and gave her their full attention. “Yes, Mommy?” said Sharkell.

Springtime drew herself up and smiled. “Showerstorm and I are going to take you kids to Cloudy’s aunt’s friend’s house at Vastre Hall for Christmas. Of course, Miriam, the twins, and Zach all have to get their parents’ permission to come with us.”

“When do we leave?” Star asked.

“Tomorrow,” replied Springtime.

“Cool,” said Eloise. “If my dad and mom let us go, then Miriam can come too.”

“My parents will let me go if the rest of you can,” Zach said. “Oh, by the way, is it okay to invite Arrow?”

“Certainly,” said Showerstorm.

Cloudy grinned, feeling very excited now. Arrow was one of Cloudy’s friends from school. He was a gray Malamute with brown eyes and a curious personality. Cloudy suspected that Arrow actually liked her, though he had never told her so.

Springtime clapped her front paws together. “Then it’s settled. If you parents give permission, pack your bags and meet us here at the house tomorrow morning around seven.”

“How long will we be gone?” Miriam asked.

“Once New Year’s Day is over, we’ll start our trip home. You kids are on Christmas vacation now, correct?”

The children all nodded. “We start classes again a few days after the New Year,” Sniper replied.

“Good,” Springtime said with a smile.

Eloise raised her hand. “How are we going to be traveling?”

Showerstorm chuckled. “We’re gonna take to the sky!”

Gasps arose from all the children. “We’re going to fly?!” Pancake exclaimed.

“That’s correct.”

“Wow!” Waffle squealed. “We’re going to fly! I’ve always wanted to fly!”

“So have I!” Star said.

Springtime raised an eyebrow. “Of course, we will probably need an extra chaperone for the trip. Cloudy, can your teacher do it?”

“Nope. Mrs. Ivy’s going away with her boyfriend for Christmas,” Cloudy said.

“Oh.” Springtime turned to her friend. “Scazzarda, do you want to do it?”

Scazzarda frowned a little. “I mean, I’d love to, but we don’t get a break from work until Christmas Eve. . .But maybe Magnus can do it.”

“Meta Knight?” Springtime asked in surprise. “I don’t even know him that well.”

Cloudy felt a stab of sympathy as Meta Knight looked at the ground. Meta Knight was one of the nicest warriors Cloudy had ever met, and she felt certain he was capable of being a good chaperone.

Scazzarda laughed and put an arm on her son’s shoulder. “Oh, Magnus is very kind and good, and he loves children. He’s very dedicated to protecting them with his whole life.”

Meta Knight sighed. “I will do it if you need me that badly.”

“Well, it’s not like we’re dying for a chaperone,” Sniper said roughly, the words coming out a little more rudely than he intended. Cloudy stared at her brother, shocked that he would be so rude to an adult.

“Well, excuse me!” Nika said sharply. “Sniper, apologize to Meta Knight. That was so rude.”

Sniper rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’m sorry.”

“That is all right,” Meta Knight said gently.

Springtime cleared her throat, attempting to relieve some of the tension. “Ummm, okay. Meta Knight, you’re the chaperone.”

Meta Knight nodded seriously, his eyes steely.

“Meet here early tomorrow morning,” Showerstorm said. “Pack plenty of jackets and sweaters ‘cause it is chilly up at Vastre Hall. This meeting is now adjourned!”

“This meeting is now what?” Star asked.

Showerstorm laughed. “Adjourned means over, sweetie. The meeting is now over. You kids can go back to whatever you were doing before.”

“Righteous, dudes!” Sniper said. Showerstorm raised an eyebrow at his eldest son, wondering where he had picked up that expression, then shrugged. No use worrying about it, he told himself. It was probably better not to know—if you believed in Sniper, that is.

The children dispersed into different areas of the pasture. Meta Knight was about to walk after Cloudy when Showerstorm placed a paw on his arm. “Meta Knight, wait. We need to talk to you a moment,” he said.

“Yes,” Springtime agreed. “Come with us.” To Scazzarda she shouted, “Hey, Scazzarda, can you watch the children for a few minutes?”

“Sure thing!” Scazzarda replied.

“Thank you!” Springtime called. “Let’s get inside,” she said to her husband and Meta Knight.

Meta Knight, feeling very uneasy, turned and followed the two adults inside. Cloudy watched the three, her eyes filled with puzzlement and a hint of darkness. Without a word to the others, she got up and crept over to the front door as soon as it was shut, pressing her ear to it to listen.

 

* * * * *

 

Meta Knight stood in the parlor as Springtime and Showerstorm sat in front of him, their expressions serious. The doors and windows were all shut and the curtains drawn because this was a private conversation.

“Meta Knight,” Springtime said, “we need to ask you about your history. I know Scazzarda says you’re kind and all—and we don’t doubt her—but we just need to check for ourselves.”

Meta Knight dropped his gaze to the floor. “If you really want to know about my history, ask your daughter,” he said darkly. “She knows a lot from my past.”

Springtime looked startled. “You mean Cloudy?” Meta Knight nodded. “What did you tell her?”

Meta Knight shrugged unhappily. “I married a woman a few years ago, but she divorced me because she didn’t love me. I have a younger sister named Tourmaline who was kicked out of the house at age ten because she became a Christian. I never saw her again after that.”

Springtime’s face showed pure horror. “Oh my word.”

“I have two foster children named Gregory and Liloy. Gregory is nineteen and drinks and severely abuses drugs. Liloy is seventeen and is expecting, and she is very sweet and kind like my mother. She is married to her cousin, Tilry, who is dying of cancer.”

Showerstorm and Springtime stared at him as though he were the worst criminal on the planet. Meta Knight cringed at their looks, but continued on.

“My wife hated me and divorced me not long after Liloy reached adolescence. My uncle, Magnus, whom I was named after, is very cruel and wicked, as well as his brother, Exia. My mother, as well as I, suffer from their abuse, but the worst possible abuse comes from my father.” Instantly, Meta Knight faltered and tried to take back what he had said. “I-I mean. . .”

Springtime’s shocked look morphed into one of alarm. “What?! You were abused by your father?!”

Showerstorm sighed and placed a paw to his head. “It never ends, does it. . .”

“Who is your father?” asked Springtime.

Meta Knight clenched his fists. “I cannot tell you!” he exclaimed. “You will all reject me if I do!”

“Why would you say that?” Showerstorm wondered.

Meta Knight felt like he was going to scream in anger and hatred, but he didn’t. “Because my father is Nightmare!” he burst out before he could stop himself. His eyes grew wide and he took a few steps back, realizing he had just let out his most painful secret.

Springtime gasped and Showerstorm’s face grew darker than the clouds gathered in the sky. Nightmare. . .

“You cannot be serious.” Showerstorm’s voice was full of disdain and rage. “How could a nice knight like you be the son of that wicked, wicked demon?”

Meta Knight didn’t answer. He turned his back on Springtime and Showerstorm, trembling. Springtime bit her lip in anxiety and glanced up at her husband, who shrugged, his eyes full of sorrow. Both were at a loss for words. How were they supposed to have known that Meta Knight had been so severely abused by the worst-feared demon in the universe?

“Meta Knight, sweetie, I’m sorry,” Springtime said, her voice dripping with empathy. She placed her paw gently on his arm. “I’m sorry you went through all that. . .I had no idea. . .”

Showerstorm nodded in agreement. “I’m sorry, too, Meta Knight.” There was nothing else he could say. What could he say anyway? He was practically speechless at Meta Knight’s now-revealed secret.

Meta Knight, feeling emotionally broken, began to cry. Springtime felt terrible for him. She wanted so badly to help him, but knew there was a limit at which she must refrain from helping others. Only God could surpass the boundaries and supply the real healing. Before she knew it, she had wrapped Meta Knight in a warm embrace, hugging him tightly, comforting him as best she could. Meta Knight wrapped his arms around her neck and cried into her fur, desperately wanting and needing comfort. Springtime was more than willing to give it to him.

“Mommy?” Cloudy said quietly, opening the door and stepping inside. Springtime jumped a little upon seeing her daughter.

“Cloudy, what are you doing here?” she exclaimed. “Were you listening to our conversation?”

Cloudy looked sheepish. “Uh, maybe?”

“Cloudy!” Showerstorm said sharply.

“Okay, okay!” Cloudy cried. “Yes, I was! I’m an eavesdropper! Are you happy?”

“And how much did you understand?” Springtime asked.

Cloudy shook her head in disbelief. “Meta Knight was abused by his dad, Nightmare.”

Showerstorm sighed heavily. “Do you even know what abuse is, child?”

Cloudy shrugged. “More or less?” she confessed. “It’s like mistreatment of a person or animal, and it can come in several different forms.”

Showerstorm nodded. “You’re right,” he said.

Springtime placed a paw on her head, her eyes revealing pure shock. “How could something so horrible as this have happened and we never knew it?” she questioned softly. “We live not far from the Stellarums.”

Showerstorm looked straight into his wife’s eyes and his voice was shaking slightly as he replied, “Maybe we never cared enough to go look for others in trouble.”

There was a dead silence as mom, dad, and child stared into each other’s eyes, silently communicating their thoughts. “Cloudy was brave enough to go out into the unknown and she found Meta Knight,” Springtime said finally. “What a strong girl.”

Cloudy just shrugged. She didn’t want praise. She just wanted Meta Knight to be safe from harm. Walking over to her newfound friend, she asked, Mommy and Daddy, promise me you won’t tell anyone Meta Knight’s origins?”

Meta Knight instantly became tense and Springtime knew he was scared—scared that others wouldn’t want or love him if they knew where he came from. She couldn’t let that happen. “Of course we won’t tell, honey,” Springtime said quickly.

“Never in a million years,” Showerstorm promised.

“Thanks,” Cloudy said softly, inwardly relieved.

Meta Knight disentangled himself from Springtime’s embrace and picked up Cloudy. “Thank you all,” he said calmly, though his voice was strained.

Cloudy gazed up at him, her emerald eyes clear and solemn. “You’re welcome.”

Meta Knight gently hugged Cloudy to himself and Cloudy licked his hand in appreciation of his kindness. Then he set her down, opened the front door, and stepped onto the porch

“Meta Knight?” Showerstorm called out tentatively.

Meta Knight turned. “Yes.”

“You’re welcome to come back anytime and visit our kids,” he said.

Meta Knight’s eyes glowed a light blue. “Thank you very much—and I will,” the knight answered. Then he turned and walked down the steps.

Cloudy trotted over to her parents and settled herself between them. “I’m so glad he’s my friend,” she said.

“And we’re glad he’s yours,” Springtime replied, ruffling her daughter’s fur.

 

Books

Book 2: Be Not Afraid

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Chapter One: Meta Knight

 

December 9, Spring Breeze, Dreamland. . .

 

“Mommy, may I go visit Miss Scazzarda?” asked Cloudy.

Springtime turned away from the kitchen counter and the blueberry pie she was making and smiled at her youngest child. “Certainly, honey! Just bundle up good and don’t stay out too long. It’s freezing outside!”

“It’s December, Mommy. It’s naturally going to be freezing,” Cloudy replied, a know-it-all look crossing her face.

Springtime giggled and shooed her daughter out of the kitchen. “I know, dear. Now run along!”

Cloudy dashed up to her room and threw on her pink snowboots, a thick yellow jacket, a red beanie, and a beige scarf. She skipped downstairs and out the front door. For a long moment, she stood on the porch and gazed out over the giant pasture in which her house sat. The pasture was divided in two by a fence, the other side containing a tiny house in which no one lived. A fence surrounded the entire pasture.

Across the street was Cloudy’s school, Emmanuel Elementary, and next door to the school was Miriam Capperdale’s house. Miriam was Cloudy’s best friend.

Cloudy glanced down at the frosty grass stalks and windows of her house and grinned. The frost reminded her that it was two weeks to Christmas. While it was going to be Cloudy’s first Christmas, her mother had told her it was a very special time. Decorating the tree, wrapping gifts, baking cookies, and spending time with family and friends were just a few of the special traditions Springtime told Cloudy about. But her personal favorite thing about Christmas, Springtime had said, was celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and telling others about His love for them. That was why they celebrated the holidays in the first place.

Cloudy knew that if her mother loved Christmastime so much, then she knew she would too. Taking a flying leap off her porch, she landed in the grass. Scrambling to her feet, she jumped the fence onto the other property and ran across it for a minute or two before she found herself at the edge of Whispy Woods.

Cloudy took a step back. She wasn’t necessarily afraid of being in Whispy Woods—she had roamed it before with her parents in past months—but she was a little frightened by the eerie silence and the light fog. The silence was deafening, but the brave puppy was determined to press on with her mission. Shaking off her fear, she marched confidently into the woods.

As Cloudy walked, she thought about Scazzarda Stellarum, who lived in a cabin in Whispy Woods. She was a sweet old woman who had two children and a wonderful reputation. Cloudy had met Scazzarda last month when Cloudy and her mother had invited lots of guests to come to their Thanksgiving dinner. It wasn’t much fun at first because the school bully, Wylanda Coven, had incessantly complained about everything she had. Very ironic for Thanksgiving since it was a day on which you were supposed to be grateful for everything you had. Cloudy and her friends had attempted to explain to Wylanda what she could be grateful for, but Wylanda didn’t care. She had still complained. In the end, it was Cloudy who had brought Wylanda to her senses.

Cloudy took a deep breath of the cold, wintry air. It made her nose hurt and filled her with a fresh burst of energy. She had never experienced this freezing cold weather before, but she loved it. It made her feel so alive.

Cloudy plodded on for a minute or two more before she came upon a well-worn trail. It was used, that was clear, for it had hoofprints, claw marks, and footprints all over it. She decided to take the trail and see where it led her.

As Cloudy trotted along, she began to think about her family and friends.

Springtime and Showerstorm were Cloudy’s parents. Springtime looked almost like Cloudy’s twin, with the same black-and-white fur and sparkling emerald-colored eyes. Like Cloudy, she was a Malamute husky who loved adventure. But she was also a kind and loving mother who tried her absolute best to raise her kids up in God’s Word.

Like his sons, Showerstorm was a brown and white Siberian. He was quiet and thoughtful and loved meditating on the Bible, and he was a wonderful father who taught his children to be diligent and kind and Christlike toward others.

Cloudy’s thoughts then traveled to her siblings. Her oldest brother, Sniper, was the most annoying child in the family and loved pulling pranks and generally being a snot toward others. Her next four brothers—Sharkell, Yodi, Pancake, and Waffle—were very nice and friendly with others. The only sour note about them was that they sometimes tended to team up with Sniper in his pranks.

Azalea-Star was a gray and white Siberian with beautiful blue eyes like her aunt. She was amiable and sweet, but sometimes tended to be a little mouthy.

And that left Cloudy herself. Cloudburst was Cloudy’s real name, but everyone she knew called her Cloudy. Over a hundred years ago, Photron, the ruler of the universe and the forger of the sacred sword, Galaxia, had prophesied that a special Star Warrior would free Dreamland from disaster—disaster spelling N.M.E. The uniquely-shaped diamond mark on her left-front paw proved this, for it was what set her apart from the other possible Star Warriors. She had to fight for her planet along with the other Star Warriors she would one day meet. Cloudy was kind, compassionate, loyal, and protective of her family and friends.

N.M.E. stood for Night Mare Enterprises, an intergalactic company with sold monsters. The president of the company, Nightmare, was an evil demon who sought to rule the universe with an iron fist. He was cruel, coldhearted, and enjoyed making others miserable.

But though there was so much wickedness in the world, Cloudy did not give up faith. She believed the prophecy and trusted in her God, and she refused to back down no matter what happened to her. It would take more than a wicked, abusive president of a monster company to make her back down.

A short time later, Cloudy reached the end of the trail and glanced up in surprise. A small cabin, with its paint chipped and its roof with several shingles missing from it, loomed in front of her. A dirt driveway led to the side of the cabin and a rusty metal by the cabin said “Stellarum” on the side. Cloudy though the whole place looked abandoned and mussed.

“This must be the right place,” Cloudy mused to herself. She frowned. “But how can such a clean and neat woman as Scazzarda live in such a dirty and dilapidated building?”

Cloudy took a step onto the driveway, then stopped. She felt very queer, as if a sixth sense were warning her not to go onto the property. Cloudy, little as she was, sensed extreme danger lurking nearby.

A rustle behind her startled her. She whirled to face whoever or whatever it was, but saw nothing. She frowned, her beginning to stand on end. She felt very uneasy. Something was fishy here.

Then Cloudy unmistakably hear something her ears could not deny. It was clear, sharp, and strong. Footsteps. Someone was behind her and was creeping up on her. Cloudy tensed, ready to spring. Every muscle in her body told her to run, but she didn’t. She had to see who was pursuing her. Who in their right mind would be stalking a young girl? she thought.

Though the footsteps came nearer, Cloudy held her ground. She decided to turn around on the count of three and see who was there. “One!” she counted under her breath. The footsteps sounded closer. “Two!” Then the footsteps stopped, and Cloudy felt her blood freeze upon hearing the schwiiing of a sword being drawn.

“Three!” Cloudy counted. She spun around, quickly snatched up a heavy stick from the ground, and threw it at the dark figure standing behind her. The sword flew from his hand and landed in the grass near Cloudy as he fell backward. Cloudy marched over to him and bared her fangs.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

The figure stood up slowly and stepped into a pool of sunlight pouring through the canopy of trees. Cloudy observed the stranger. He wore a navy-blue cape, gray pauldrons with yellow lining, and around, silver mask through which only his yellow eyes showed. Upon seeing him, she gasped and withdrew.

“Goodness, child!” the stranger exclaimed. “I didn’t recognize you at first! I thought you were a monster! I’m sorry.”

Cloudy’s eyes widened in amazement. She knew this person. He was Magnus Stellarum, Scazzarda’s eldest son. He had come to the Thanksgiving feast with Scazzarda and chatted a little with Cloudy. However, the puppy didn’t know much about him.

“Hey, you’re Magnus Stellarum!” Cloudy blurted out.

The figure raised his head and gave her a strange, uncomfortable look—or so it seemed to Cloudy. She couldn’t tell for sure because he had a mask on. “Yes,” he said slowly. “But I do not wish to be called Magnus.”

Cloudy tilted her head to the side, puzzled. He acted rather odd whenever anyone else besides his mother called him Magnus. Cloudy couldn’t understand why he was so sensitive to that name. She thought it was nice.

“Then what can I call you?” she asked.

“You may call me Meta Knight. All of my friends do.”

“Meta Knight?” Cloudy repeated.

“It’s a moniker, child,” Meta Knight explained.

Cloudy gave him a blank stare. “Uh, what in the world is a moniker?”

Meta Knight’s voice was full of patience as he told her, “A moniker is a nickname given to someone that describes their personality, character, or attitude.” He tapped his foot rhythmically as he went on, “My name, Meta Knight, is given to me because I wear a mask and dress like a knight. My nickname means ‘beyond youth,’ and truly, I am beyond youth.” Then he suddenly smiled at Cloudy. “Um, forgive me, child, but I forgot your name.”

Cloudy giggled at the thought of anyone forgetting her name. It was short and fairly easy to remember! “My name’s Cloudburst, but you can call me Cloudy.” Then her ears perked up as she gazed up at Meta Knight, her emerald eyes full of curiosity. “But if Meta Knight means ‘beyond youth,’ then what does Magnus Stellarum mean?”

Meta Knight looked down. “It means ‘greatest of the stars.’”

“Wow! Are you really the greatest of the stars?” Cloudy asked.

Meta Knight shrugged. “Everyone says I am the greatest Star Warrior ever born. But that may soon change.”

“Huh?” Cloudy was confused. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that you may be the next greatest Star Warrior after me,” Meta Knight said.

Cloudy blinked at that. She didn’t truly believe that she would ever be as great as Meta Knight, but she decided not to pursue the subject further. Instead, she sat down and scratched her ear. “Meta Knight, do you live here?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Alone?” she prodded further.

“No,” he said. “I live with my mother and father.”

Cloudy knit her brow and shot him an inquisitive gaze. “Not to be rude, Mag—uh, Meta Knight, but how old are you?”

“Thirty years.” He smiled. “And you?”

“Almost nine months,” Cloudy replied. “But never mind that. I have a question.”

“Well, ask away, Cloudy.”

“If you’re thirty years old, why do you still live with your parents?”

Meta Knight instantly looked downcast or ashamed; Cloudy couldn’t tell which. She immediately felt stupid for asking him that question. “Cloudy, I have nowhere to go,” he said simply. “My wife and I were divorced a few years ago, but before that, she and I lived together in a little house not far from here. A few years after she left, I didn’t want to keep the house anymore, so I gave it to my daughter.” To himself he muttered, “I also don’t want Mother getting hurt. . .”

Cloudy’s curiosity was piqued. “What’s your daughter’s name?”

“Liloy.”

Cloudy was interested in Meta Knight’s family. “Your family sounds very, um, unique,” she said. Sensing the depressed air about him, she hastened to add, “Not in a bad way, of course. Just, um. . .”

“No, Cloudy,” Meta Knight replied sadly. “My family is not the best in the book. In fact, it is probably one of the worst.”

“What do you mean?”

Meta Knight shook his head. “I mean that my family is not one I’m proud of. I’m ashamed of it, very much so.”

“Why on earth?” Cloudy asked, then instantly wished she hadn’t. She knew it was impolite to pry into another’s family affairs. “I-I’m sorry. . .”

“No, Cloudy, you did nothing,” Meta Knight replied dully. He sighed deeply. “If you like, I will tell you about my family.”

“I’d like that,” Cloudy said. “My mom says the best way in order to get to know your new friends better is to talk to them and find out about their hobbies and pastimes, more about them, etc.”

Meta Knight couldn’t help but smile. “Are you saying you want to be my friend?”

“Of course.” She smirked ever so slightly. “What, you haven’t figured that out yet?” Both laughed at that. At the feast, Cloudy had given Meta Knight a poem emphasizing she wanted to be his friend.

“But we’re so far apart in age, Cloudy!” Meta Knight reminded her.

“Age doesn’t matter the slightest bit in friendship,” Cloudy said wisely. She walked up beside him and nudged his gloved hand with her nose. “Let’s be friends and get to know each other better.”

“Yes, let’s do. I will tell you more about my family.” Meta Knight suddenly cast a quick glance around. “But not in this place. It is dangerous here. Why don’t you lead me to your house, Cloudy? We can talk on the way over there.”

“Sounds fine,” answered Cloudy, but she was a little puzzled as to how Meta Knight’s property could be dangerous, However, she decided not to ask. “But I was going to visit your mother. Why don’t I do that and then walk home with you?”

“My mother is not home right now, Cloudy,” Meta Knight said softly. “Last I checked, she was working today.”

“Oh.” Cloudy smiled, then yawned. “Well, I’ll catch her later, In the meantime, let’s go to my house.”

“Would you like me to carry you?” Meta Knight asked.

Cloudy stared at him for a few seconds, then burst into laughter. “Carry me! Why? I can walk. I have legs, you know. Four of them, to be exact.”

Meta Knight chuckled. “I know, little one, but your house is about two miles away from here. You’re a little girl, you’ve walked a long way, and you’re tired. I can carry you back. I don’t mind.”

“Well, I am a little tired,” confessed Cloudy. “But I can walk on my own,” she quickly added. “Really.”

Meta Knight smiled and held out his hands. “Come on, let me carry you back home.”

“But I don’t want to put you to any trouble,” Cloudy objected. “Really, I don’t.”

“It’s no trouble. I’m happy to do it.” Before Cloudy could object again, Meta Knight had bent down and scooped the puppy into his arms. “Come on. We must hurry before it gets dark.”

“Okay,” Cloudy reluctantly agreed. She knew that no matter how much she argued, Meta Knight wasn’t going to change his mind, so she might as well relax and enjoy the ride. Meta Knight turned and began walking along the trail in the opposite direction from whence Cloudy had come.