At Ternal Island, Valentine sat in her own personal hot springs in the backyard, her gaze fixed on the stars twinkling in the night sky. She had a glass of wine in hand, her golden hair gathered in a loose bun, and her violet eyes lost in thought.
'There was some strange power of chaos I felt earlier,' Valentine mused. 'I'm pretty sure Sin and that other person beat whoever it was. Nice to see he remembers his training.' She scoffed quietly to herself, sipping her wine. 'He better…'
She let herself sink further into the heated water, only her eyes and head visible above the surface, much like an alligator. 'I felt Juniper's chaos too… I guess she's still mad at me, it seems. I can't blame her though.'
The engine of a powerful lucanaship downshifted in the distance, producing a series of light crackles and pops as it slowed and landed near the front of the house. Valentine smiled to herself, "Looks like he's back now."
Crim and Skysin emerged slowly from the hatch as the engine faded. Crim scanned the pretty home and whistled, "Damn this place is nice. Thought you lived in a barn or something."
"As my old man always said, looks can be deceiving," was the casual reply.
"Yeah, I thought you were like a tomboy at first," Crim teased.
The energy drained from Skysin, who frowned, "I do NOT look like a girl."
The glass front door opened and Valentine stepped out, dressed in red pajama pants and a long-sleeved shirt, with a gentle smile.
Crim paused, his gray eyes widening as he took her in, 'Holy shit…!'
Valentine quickly noticed the bruises and scratches on the two and hurried over, stopping before Skysin. "Are you two okay?" she asked with concern.
Skysin smiled, "Yeah, we're fine." He put his arm around Crim's neck, drawing him in. "This is my friend Crim! Met 'em at the rover exam!"
Valentine offered her hand with a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you, Crim."
"I—nice to meet you too, Miss Valentine," Crim managed, shaking her hand nervously.
She chuckled, "you can just call me Valentine." She was already heading back toward the house. "You two come inside, shower, and change into some clean clothing. I'll wash that stuff up."
After the two cleaned up and changed into comfortable clothing, they stood together on the porch, enjoying the night air. Valentine approached from behind and then bowed deeply. "Thank you for being friends with my son. All the kids here always thought he was so weird…"
"MA, C'MON!!!"
Crim laughed awkwardly, "n-no, it's fine, really. Sin's a cool guy." He hesitated for a moment. "Although I can see how…"
Skysin squinted at Crim, "You're one to talk, asshole…"
"Language, Sin," Valentine warned. Skysin quickly corrected himself. Valentine straightened, adjusting her hair. "You two fought someone earlier tonight, didn't you? Did everything go okay?"
"Yeah," Skysin replied, "turns out some bald guy took some type of… Neo Pill."
Valentine considered this silently, her violet eyes glinting in the porch light. She crossed her arms. "I see. Well, it's good the two of you handled it."
Noise of the front door had opened and closed, and Alzar slid before the entrance of the living area, arms held open, grinning, "squirt! My boy! Manage to pass the exams, huh??"
Alzar and Skysin shared a fist pump, "you know it Gramps! Sweet as griddlecakes."
Alzar looked to Crim, giving the boy a firm handshake, "you must be Sin's friend, I'm Alzar."
"Crim Magmastiem."
Alzar took a seat on a cushioned chair, "now that's one hell of a surprise." The old man laughed, "kid was always a smart-mouthed weirdo."
"I'm not weird you old fart."
Alzar scoffed mocking the violet-eyed speedster, and let out long sigh, "so, what's the plan now huh? Gonna be heading out soon?"
Skysin made a solemn smile, "yep. That's the plan." Skysin combed his fingers through his wild hair, "I wanted to come by and let you two know before anything, of course."
Valentine's eyes had lowered, looking to the floor.
"Oh right," Skysin added, "June was here too earlier. Turns out she's a general in the Omi-Sodaldo."
"That little brat," Alzar huffed through his nose, "too busy to visit her old man, as usual it seems. Shameful as ever" He shook his head.
"She at least told me to tell you guys she said hi."
Valentine softly scoffed, smoothing her long wavy hair back, "…of course she did. Can't blame her though."
Skysin's eyebrows had raised, looking to his Valentine, "whatcha mean mom? Something happen?"
"It's nothing." Valentine quickly shot down, standing to her feet, "just qualms between a mother and daughter, is all. But I'll be heading to bed now, it's been a long day."
Valentine kissed Skysin's cheek and looked to Crim, "again, it was a pleasure to meet you."
"You as well, Ms. Valentine."
With that, Valentine went upstairs, leaving Skysin and Crim with Alzar.
Skysin relaxed along the metal railing of the porch, "hey gramps, what exactly happened between mom and Juniper? I know they got into some kind of fight, but was it really that bad?"
"…You could say that…" Alzar suddenly motioned his hands back and forth, "…don't bring me in between that fiasco though, boy. That's something you gotta ask your mom."
Alzar had sighed in his head, 'a 'fight' is an understatement. Those two nearly took out three whole planets…'
"It's better to discuss that with your mom. It's her business, and that shows respect," Alzar added, speaking to Skysin.
"I guess." Skysin shrugged.
Alzar laughed, "but I suggest you kids get some rest. If you're leaving tomorrow, you'll need the energy."
The two nodded, heading upstairs.
In Skysin's room, which surprisingly wasn't a jumbled mess and is clean. Blue walls with posters of beautiful women in bikinis, people performing tricks with hoverboards, and singular picture of a blue hedgehog with headphones wearing a red jacket and baggy pants with sneakers. Skysin laid on his large bed, Crim on the floor in a makeshift sack of blankets Skysin got for him.
"Yo…Sin…how old is your mom dude?"
"That's a weird question man."
Crim staggered.
"But honestly, I dunno. I think she's like forty or something?"
Crim's face went dead-pan, "how the hell do you not know your own mothers age??"
Skysin scoffed, throwing his arm up, "it's complicated! I'm really close with my mom, but at the same time…I barely know her, personally, except for a few things. Like she's hiding stuff." Skysin rolled to his back, looking up to the ceiling, the fan slowly spinning, "like when someone first looks at a lucanaship, only see the outside. She's never really opened up to me."
Crim remained silent, looking to the fan. 'Just like Rust', Crim thought to himself.
"But I don't mind waiting until she can really open up to me, however long that is."
"That's a good way of thinking."
"Yeah, but I'm pretty pooped out now."
"Me too, well, good—" Crim paused, he could already hear snoring. Crim sat up, coming to see Skysin already knocked out. Crim merely shook his head, laughing to himself, and went to sleep, "night, dumbass."
***
Bright and early in the morning, the sun beamed across Ternal Island!
Skysin and Crim stood with Valentine and Alzar, the hatch of the lucanaship, Lucy, opened and ready to go.
"Did you bring everything you need?" Valentine asked, her face filled with worry.
"Yeah ma," Skysin chuckled, "got everything that I need."
"What about your stuffed animal?? Mr. Wufflcans??"
"Pfft…" Crim and Alzar both covered their mouths.
"Jeez mom, c'mon…!" Skysin's face grew red, cringing, "I'm seventeen now!" Skysin lowered his head, squinting his eyes, whispering, "…you promised me you wouldn't bring that up anymore…"
"I know—I know, I'm just worried is all, okay?"
Alzar chuckled, slapping his hand on Skysin's shoulder, "oh he'll be fine! The boy can handle himself, both of them. I think they proved that."
Valentine nodded, "okay."
Skysin pulled Valentine into a hug, "thanks for everything ma, really."
Valentine pulled him tight, "you don't have to thank me silly. Just don't do anything stupid."
"I know ma," Skysin chuckled.
"Welp," Alzar clapped his hands, "you boys have a good time. And be careful out there, the omiverse is vast."
"Right." Crim and Skysin nodded.
As the two had entered the ship, Skysin grinned, "I'll be sure to drag June here next time too."
Alzar smiled, "that would be much appreciated my boy!"
Getting inside Crim started the engine and they took off.
Valentine kept a solemn smile, waving goodbye to them as they disappeared into the beautiful clear skies above. Valentine lowered her hand, releasing a sigh, "and just like that…he's gone. Seventeen years flying by in the blink of an eye..." Valentine clenched her small fist, "but for a good cause."
Alzar silently nodded, "I'm guessing she's here now?"
"Right in front of us."
Angelic lights had slowly swiveled before the two, like a gentle tornado of holiness. A gentle breeze traveled through the air, trees and grass flowing as leaves were picked off.
A petite woman rivaling the same height as Valentine steadily appeared from the lights, wearing a robe-like dress, one side longer than the other. Her long silver hair plaited in two fat braids, falling over her small shoulders. Those sharp, cat-like watermelon-colored eyes gleamed with a hint of mystery, her plump cherry lips curved into smile, holding her arms behind her slender back. Standing like an individual with insurmountable power at her fingertips, "hello my dearest sister. Alzar. It's nice to see you two again."
Valentine's face had hardened, her violet eyes glaring to the woman before her, "Nitanz."