Chapter 12.5 - One Of Ricardos Lackeys'

  The next morning Mika went for a run and mom kind of let me help her with the garden, She was spending so much time in it, more than I've ever seen. I noticed that any time i cam outside she would immediately move away from one certain spot, it was so strange.

"Mira, can you please go grab a white bag of fertilizer from the shed? The plants here need it but the bags are starting to get to heavy for me."

"Sure mom," I said as I put the spade down.

 I loved moms shed, it was the last thing dad was able to build for her before he get really sick. But as I walked into the shed I let out a shriek. I saw two tiny little eyes peaking out at me from around the corner of the table. As I stood there with my hands over my mouth, I saw what had scared me as it came out from around the table.

"Meow...meow..."

"Oh my goodness, look at you," I said, looking down at the tiny black kitten. I gently stooped down and waited for the kitten to approach me so I could pick it up. I headed outside with the kitten, forgetting about the fertilizer right now.

"Mom, look at this little guy. I wonder how he got in your shed."

"Oh you found Salem, he loves to hide." Mom said as she took him from me and snuggled him close. "I found him a few days ago sleeping under the leaves of the flowers over there. I got him checked out at the vet and then adopted him since he wasn't chipped. He loves being in the garden with me, when he's not hiding in the shed."

 She set him down by her feet and he clumsily walked between the plants in the garden. I grabbed the fertilizer from the shed and we got back to work. After we finished in the garden, I took her to sell most of her harvest. Since she couldn't handle a normal job now she became a self-employed gardener. Then we went to the local consignment store to look around. While browsing I found a few items for my workspace at home and they were all priced pretty cheap. That evening we had steak for dinner and then watched the news for awhile.

 When mom went to bed Mika went upstairs to his room and I headed to the basement. I needed to start practicing my alchemy more and the new book I found would help me. Within an hour I heard loud footsteps right before Mika burst through the door.

"Mira!" Mika shouted to loud. "I just got off the phone with Abbey. She needs us to meet her at the abandoned warehouse by the docks at 3 a.m., while nobody else is around. So go get some rest."

"This is great, she must have some information." I said before heading upstairs.

 I was excited to finally meet Abbey the next morning. Mika talked about her a lot and I could see why. She was stunning and obviously very intelligent. it didn't take long for me to also figure out that they had something going on, there was definitely chemistry between the two of them.

"What's going on Abbey?" Mika said after introducing us.

"I was able to track down one of Ricardos lackeys', and informant." She began "He was lousy at covering his tracks, I tricked him into talking to me. Then I cloaked his tracking device with a spell, put him into a trance, and brought him here."

"Good job Abbey! Where is he now?"

"Follow me," She said, heading towards the back of the abandoned warehouse. "I'm also going to wipe his memories before I return him to Granite Falls. You guys might want to create an illusion so he doesn't see the real you before I bring him to."

 We quickly changed and then Abbey brought the man out of the trance. he was in a state of shock at first until he looked at her. He realized what was going on as soon as he tried to move his arms, which made him become angry quickly.

"Where is Ricardo hiding? What is he planning? What are his intentions with those scientists?" Mika demanded, becoming more angry with every question.

"Who's Ricardo? there's scientists missing?" The man asked, pretending to not know what Mika was talking about.

 With each interrogation attempt we became more frustrated, especially since the man was beginning to find it funny. We went through about ten spells before he finally began to talk.

"The scientists that Ricardo kidnapped are building a machine for him. I have no idea what it is or what it does. He is in San Myshuno looking for something but he travels to Mt Komorebi a lot in the past month. I have no idea what he is planning, I swear! He only uses me to attempt to find some family that he is obsessed with. He has at least a dozen people looking for them but won't tell us why. The search is literally driving him crazy, yet he becomes more powerful every single day." the man said, showing signs that he was not done yet. "Ricardo will not let anyone in the coven house either unless it's an emergency. Rowan and Daisy have also been missing for over a year. Anytime someone questions where the real boss is at, they end up missing too."

 When he was done talking Abbey put him back in a trance, wiped his memory, and took him to her truck. We got rid of our illusion, then Mika went over to Abbey and talked to her for a few minutes before she left. We went back home and talked about what we found out.

Chapter 12.4 - Not Just A Vacation

 Mom and I were in the kitchen making dinner. We decided to make Onigiri and Vegetable Dumplings from the recipe cards Mika sent us and we used fresh ingredients from moms garden. Mika was suppose to be home in a couple hours and we wanted to surprise him. Little did we know that we were the ones that were going to be surprised. We both jumped when we saw him sitting at the island watching us cook.

"Ugh, creeper!" I said, playfully punching him in the arm before giving him a hug.

"I'm sorry," He said as he gave mom and I a hug. "I was just remembering how all four of us use to cook together."

 He looked so different now, he wasn't the baby-faced, scrawny teen anymore. Mika helped us finish cooking and cleaning off the counters and then we sat down to eat and catch up.

 Mika told us all about his travels, it sounded like fun. He had time to think about everything we had been through and now saw things a lot differently. While he was gone he decided that he was going to join the detective career after getting his degree at university. Mom was so proud of him and we both congratulated him.

"You two amaze me more and more. I can't believe how much you both have grown up in such a short amount of time."

 Mom decided to go to bed early again after we cleaned up the dishes, so Mika and I went out for a few drinks. We could tell that we each needed to talk away from mom. We sat at a table as far away from eaves droppers as we could. I began telling Mika about my crazy roommate.

"I don't know what it is Mika but something is off with her. I tried to be moved, tried to report my concerns, but nobody will do anything. They don't believe me at all."

"This is really concerning Mira, especially with how easily she is fooling everyone. We need to investigate this more before you go back. We are both decent hackers so that should help and if needed we could use a spell, harmless of course." He said, rolling his eyes at the harmless part.

"I agree, we need to find out more about her," I said as we waited on another drink "So tell me about your trip. It sounds fantastic, learning about all those cultures."

""It was amazing but it wasn't just about learning about other cultures."

"What do you mean? What's happening Mika?"

"When I was in Selvadorada I heard talks about the Diavolo Coven and Ronan Tortino." He began after looking around. "I used my magic to convince some guys to talk to me. Rumors were spreading that Ricardo and Kole were in Windenburg. They told me that some crazy vampire and a witch had visited Selvadorada and they were very secretive the entire time. Then the same day that they left, some well respected scientists went missing. He had apparently threatened a lot of people while there as well."

 Mika stopped talking for a moment when he saw the waiter coming with our drinks but resumed after he left.

"They told me to go talk to a girl named Abbey if I wanted more information because her dad was one of the scientists that had gone missing. She lived in a secluded area of town and ran a shop that only the locals knew about. Abbey completely brushed me off at first because she had a hard time trusting people, especially now. but she quickly changed her mind once I told her my name."

*Memory from Mikas trip*

"Aruzzi!! You're joking right?" She said loudly with a look of concern. " Get inside, quickly!"

 She had many questions for me once we sat down. I decided that the best way to gain her trust and answer her questions was to tell her our story. the entire truth came out and none of Ricardos lies. When I was done she was in complete shock.

"I think the best thing to do is to work together. Ricardo is still searching for you guys and some girl named Silvana."

That's his sister that he didn't know was still alive. She's the one I told you about that had helped us but we haven't seen her since my dads funeral."

"We need to get to Windenburg immediately. He had mentioned to my dad that that was his next stop."

 We packed our stuff and left for Windenburg that same night. We also had decided to mask ourselves with a magic spell since Ricardo knew what Abbey and I looked like. We looked normal to ourselves but to everyone else we looked so much different. We pretended like we were a married couple on vacation and we were actually very convincing. Abbey and I went to Chalet Gardens, the Ancient Ruins, Island Bluff, and a nightclub called The Narwhal Arms. But while we were doing all the tourist things, we were also trying to locate Ricardo and see if anyone had any information on him. Nobody knew about him though, it was like their minds had been erased.

 We parted ways but promised to keep in touch. I spent the last portion of my trip in Mt Komorebi. I tried to clear my head of Ricardo and enjoy my time here.

*Back to present*

"So what do we do now?" I asked him when he was done talking.

"Nothing right now, I am waiting for Abbey to contact me. Do NOT tell mom any of this, it will destroy her."

"Fine Mika but I'm helping you no matter what."

" Good, I was counting on your help. I need that genius brain of yours. Besides, our magic has always been stronger if we are together."

"I have to practice more, I haven't used my magic at all since that night. Oh, I've also been studying alchemy too."

"That's fantastic Mira, that could really come in handy!"

Chapter 12.3 - Back Home For The Summer

   It was finally summer break and I was ready to get back home. It has been very rough since dad died. I threw myself into my school work to keep my mind busy and cut out all other social activities. I finished my school year with top grades and was on track to graduate university early. I was also anxious to get away from my crazy roommate for awhile. As I packed my stuff I decided to also pack anything that was valuable. Even though she was already gone, it's hard to say what she would do. When I arrived home I saw mom in the garden, for some reason she had become obsessed with being in this area of the yard.

 She glanced at me with a look of shock on her face and jumped up.

"Mira, you're home early!" She said happily, as she gave me a hug. "Let's go inside."

 She quickly ushered me inside, which was more unusual behavior for her. She helped me put my suitcases in my room and then we went to the Salty Paws Saloon for dinner. We stuffed ourselves with delicious food, drank yummy wine, and talked a lot. It was so nice to be with my mom again, it felt like I hadn't talked to her in years.

 The next day we worked together to finish Mikas room. He would be coming home in about a month from his year abroad. We were even more excited when we saw packages arrive while we were making a quick lunch. He sent home a bunch of souvenirs from the countries he had visited. We placed some of it in his room and then the rest went in different areas of the house.

 After we were done putting Mikas stuff away, we cooked together and then sat down for dinner. Mom was very quiet at first until I asked her what was wrong, she was beginning to worry me.

"I'm worried about Silvana, that's all. I have not heard from her since your dads funeral. What if she's in trouble?"

"I'm sure she is fine mom. Silvana is very tough and she can take care of herself."

"Yes but still..." She said before putting her dishes in the dishwasher and going to bed. It was not like her to go to bed so early.

 After I cleaned everything up, I went downstairs and turned music on. Once the bills were paid, I messed with my new science equipment for awhile before deciding to head to bed. I needed to get caught up on sleep but my mind would not relax. I was thinking about what was going on with my mom and then I would start thinking about Tristan again, which was beginning to happen a lot. He never called me and I never saw him around campus again before break started. I had to force myself to stop thinking about him. He obviously didn't want to have anything to do with me so it was time to move on.

 The next day mom and I spent a lot of time away from the house. We went to the beach, had a picnic, and even checked out the new boardwalk they had just built. When we were done we decided to take the long way home so that we could visit dad. It was still so hard, I couldn't believe he was actually gone. We stood there talking to dad, remembering the good memories with him, crying, and hugging.

Chapter 12.2 - We Knew It Was Coming

 Mira P.O.V.

    Today was finally the day, everything was packed and in my car.

"Are you sure you have everything?" Mom asked me again.

"I'm sure mom," I said with a laugh "Besides, I will only be a few hours away if I need something important."

"Be safe, study hard, and call us if you need anything," Mom said giving me a big hug.

" I will, same goes for you guys. Call me, even if it is just to talk." I said as I hugged everyone and then climbed into my car.

    I stopped at the gas station, fueled up and grabbed a quick bite before leaving town. Traffic was ridiculous but music took my mind off it. After a five hour trip (that should have taken three), I finally made it to the university. The campus was huge and there was a lot of students here already. I checked in at registration and then headed to the dorm that I would be staying in.

"Hi!" I said to my new roommate as I walked in, "I'm Mira."

"Kat," She said rudely, ignoring my outstretched hand and turning back to her computer.

"Great, I have a rude roommate. Just what I need." I thought to myself, trying to ignore the bad feeling I was getting from her.

    After unpacking and getting my side of the room organized, I changed into pajamas and sat down at my desk. I sent a group email to my family and then started going over my course materials and schedule. Within an hour I couldn't look at the screen anymore and decided to go to bed early.

    The next morning I went about my usual routine, grabbed my backpack, a quick breakfast from downstairs, and headed to class. Naturally my class was all the way on the other side of campus, it was good exercise though.

The first week of class was hectic but not terrible. During that week I began a presentation for class, did a lot of studying, and I got emails from my family with beautiful pictures from their travels.

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Lexi P.O.V.

    We arrived at the beach house at 10 a.m. and were beyond excited. After everything we had been through, a whole week on the ocean seemed like a dream and we needed the vacation.

"Hey, you guys made it!" Hollie said as she came running up to us.

"Of course we did, couldn't miss this!" I said as I hugged her.

"Everyone else is inside unpacking."

    The beach house was beautiful and seemed to have everything we could possibly need for our stay. I could tell Colton was excited, he had the same look on his face like every time he was on stage. After unpacking we made our way outside to grab some drinks and catch up with our oldest friends. We had all met back in Bridgeport during our performer days and eventually the three of them ended up moving to Sulani.

    The first couple days were spent in the sun, laughing, drinking, and remembering funny stories about each other. I never told our friends about the things we went through or why Colton could no longer speak. They didn't believe in the supernatural, so it wouldn't do any good trying to explain it. Our friends just thought it had something to do with his singing career. Colton also seemed to be doing really well so far, so I was becoming hopeful. Maybe Silvana was wrong after all!

    After a long day of swimming in the ocean and exploring for treasures and seashells, Colton and I headed into the kitchen to figure out what to make everyone for dinner. We did not expect to find two cakes on the island and our friends cheering and shouting.

"No, is it really time for this already?" I said, pretending to pout.

"We all have to become old at some point." Dave said with a laugh since he became an elder before arriving at Hollie's beach house.

    To be honest, I didn't mind becoming an elder, it was Colton I was worried about. Silvana had said that no matter how it seemed like he was feeling, if he lived to be an elder then the magic would begin to work even faster since his body would be so much weaker. But we celebrated anyways, we didn't need anyone freaking out and not believing the actual story.

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Mika P.O.V.

    *Attention passengers - As we begin our descent, please make sure your tray tables are up and your seats are in their proper upright positions. Make sure all small carry on is below your seats and your seat belt is fully fastened. Thank you.*

"Finally," I thought to myself as I put my stuff away. I have never been on an airplane for this long, it was almost a 15 hour trip.

*Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Selvadorada. Local time is 9 a.m. and it is currently 65 and sunny. On behalf of Simtropolis Airlines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for flying with us and looking forward to seeing you onboard again in the future. Have a wonderful stay!*

    I grabbed my bags, left the airplane, and headed out of the airport to find a cab. I was able to find one very quickly and after giving them the address, we headed off to the house I would be staying in for the next four months. Once inside I unpacked and went straight to bed. I was exhausted and ended up sleeping all day, only waking up long enough to grab a quick sandwich and some water and then abck to bed.

The next day I went to Puerto Llamante Marketplace. In the brochure it stated to stock up on supplies before doing any exploring in the jungle. So I bought a bunch of supplies as well as a few souvenirs before stopping to have lunch. I ordered a Horchata and Empanadas de Verde.

    While sitting down for lunch, I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with an elder Selvadoradian name Juan. He told me some local history, taught me how to introduce myself, and also taught me about Madre Cosecha. She founded and built this wonderful place and the locals can often be seen paying their respects at her statue near the entrance of the marketplace.

    Over the next week I began exploring the jungle, finding some treasures, and talking to Juan while enjoying drinks at the Cantina. If I wasn't exploring or chatting with my new friend, then I would go to the marketplace to buy new items to mail home. I also tried a bunch of new food and would often pay the chef extra simoleans for his recipes.

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Lexi P.O.V.

    "I can't believe it's already our last day here." I said to Colton as I was getting ready. I gave Colton a quick kiss before going to get his coffee and our normal Sunday breakfast, potatoes, toast, and eggs. "You're in luck, this is the last cup of your favorite," I said as I walked back into our room. When I looked at Coltons face I knew this was it.

    He tried to smile, his way of putting me at ease, but it was to painful for him now. I ran to the living room to Dave, told him what was going on, and to get the car started. I grabbed our stuff and got Colton into the car. He laid on my lap in the backseat the entire time, in intense pain and refusing to drink anything.

"Please Colton, just hold on a little longer," I pleaded with him. "We are going to be home as fast as we can."

    I held onto Colton and talked to him, trying to stay as calm as I possibly could. We weren't fast enough though, Colton passed away 10 minutes away from home. I didn't know what to say or do, I just wept. I knew as soon as I got home that evening, I would be making the most difficult phone calls of my life.

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Mira P.O.V.

    Classes were going really good and I was learning so much. the only downside so far was my creepy roommate, who was getting creepier. She was always staring at me and I even caught her following me around a few times. We weren't allowed to change dorms and no one believed me about her because she pretended to be so nice and normal. the couple times I confronted her she would just laugh at me and tell me I was being to paranoid. One time I glanced at her computer and saw articles and pictures of me and my entire family (including my ancestors.) She was a total stalker and I didn't know what to do. I needed to get out of this dorm and ignore her, at least try to. I grabbed my stuff and and headed to the local coffeehouse to finish my homework so I wouldn't have to worry about it all weekend.

"Mira!" Jessie said as she came up to my table with Miranda and Cindy.

"Hey girls, what's going on?"

    We sat together for awhile just talking and laughing. they were my first friends here and it seemed like we've known each other forever.

"Girl, there is a huge party tomorrow night. You have to go!"

"I'm not..."

"Oh come on! You haven't gone to any school events since you got here."

"Okay fine, I'll go."

    The girls came over the next afternoon and we spent hours doing our hair and makeup. They even helped me pick out an outfit, one that I hadn't even taken out of my closet yet.

    There was a lot of people at the party, a huge bonfire going, beer pong, dancing, and really loud music. A few guys came up to us, wanting to dance, but we kept saying no. Most of them seemed like pigs and we didn't want anything to do with them. Only one was different, his name was Tristan. We talked a lot, danced, drank way to much, and exchanged numbers. We were inseparable most of the night and were pretty much all over each other. Things may not have gone all the way but they went far enough.

    The next morning I felt horrible, wanted to lay in bed all day, I was beginning to regret the night before. He would never call me, I probably seemed slutty. I decided to spend the day finishing my homework from Friday (since the girls interrupted me.) Then I did some studying and finished putting together my presentation, partly to ignore my roommate who had people over.

*Phone rings*

"Hi mom!" I said, trying to sound like my cheerful self. "Whoa, mom slow down! What happened? ....oh my gods, no! I'll be there in a few hours....NO, I'm leaving right now!"

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Lexi P.O.V.

    We all have known that Coltons death was coming but that doesn't mean it was any easier. I would have never guessed that this would be how our life together would end. Mika was pissed off because he couldn't make it back in time for the funeral. No airline would give him a last minute flight, no matter how much he offered to pay. After the funeral I officially signed everything over to Mira. I wouldn't be able to handle this on my own much longer. Mira was ready for this responsibility and I knew she would do our family proud.

    I spent a majority of the following days reading new books and working in my garden, while Mira was back at school. I also talked to Mika a few times and enjoyed listening to him tell me about his time exploring the jungle and learning about the culture in Selvadorada.