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The end of the school year had come and gone. The students of Elysium Valley High School had written their last exam almost two weeks ago. Final report cards had gone home shortly after that. The early days of July were bustling with activity as the graduates from all three of the Valley\u2019s high schools made their plans for the future. With two post-secondary schools and a technical college in town, many didn\u2019t have to look far to continue their education. Despite that, quite a few still left to go elsewhere. Elysium Valley was a small town, all things considered, and couldn\u2019t offer all the programs of a big city.<\/span><\/p>\n There was also the usual traffic of people heading west into British Columbia for camping and east towards Calgary, Jaspar, and Banff for other vacationing purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n When the school year ended and the Ssu-Ling still hadn\u2019t made an appearance, all three sehashi teams had gotten together to discuss their summer plans. The Song sisters had made plans to visit some relatives in Stony Plain. Corentin was going with them part of the way as he had some family he was meeting up within Edmonton. Dumia elected to stay put so she could spend some time with her girlfriend.<\/span><\/p>\n Kousei\u2019s parents weren\u2019t planning on going anywhere as they both had to work. Teir had pre-purchased tickets to a couple of conventions in nearby towns. As much as he wanted to stick around, he made a point of explaining that not only were the tickets not cheap but all the arrangements were in place for the trips. Besides, a couple of his favourite authors and actors were going to be there, and it was a unique opportunity. Yan, who was going to a three-day dance camp in Calgary, had snorted and told him to stop being an idiot. He wasn\u2019t the only one leaving town, and it wasn\u2019t like he was going away for the entire summer. No one was.<\/span><\/p>\n The closest thing to that was Hana\u2019s family, who would soon head for Calgary\u2019s International Airport. It was time for their biannual trip back to the Dominican Republic to visit the grandparents. She would be gone for a week. It was usually a trip that Hana looked forward to, but this year, with the looming threat of the Ssu-Ling hanging over their heads, no one wanted to leave town.<\/span><\/p>\n Not that we can explain that to our families<\/i><\/span>, Dionne sighed, flipping through her magazine. <\/span>I\u2019m glad we\u2019re not going anywhere this year. Allan signed himself up for the summer semester to give himself an excuse to not go anywhere. Cory never goes anywhere because her parents work all the time. They haven\u2019t coordinated their holidays since she was six. It\u2019s sad, but she thinks it’s kind of funny. And then there\u2019s Hatemi, who\u2019ll get hauled off to Jasper again this year for the annual family camping weekend she loves so much.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Dionne sat up and fanned herself with the magazine. <\/span>Why anyone would want to camp in this weather is beyond me. I can\u2019t remember the last time we had a summer this hot.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n The phone ringing interrupted her thoughts. She put her makeshift fan down and answered it as she was the only one home.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHello?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHey, Dionne.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, hey Hatemi. How\u2019s it going?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHot,\u201d Hatemi complained.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBesides that. Everyone\u2019s hot right now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBetcha Hana isn\u2019t with her swanky air-conditioned apartment. Cory, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAh the life of the upper class,\u201d Dionne sighed. \u201cMy basement isn\u2019t too bad right now, but everything I need is upstairs so I have to leave sometime.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt least you have a basement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou have one, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy brothers have pretty much taken it over, so if I want to go down there, I have to put up with them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, come on. Charlie and Shuji aren\u2019t that bad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re just saying that because you don\u2019t have to live with them,\u201d Hatemi grumped. \u201cSummer is extra wacky with them. This heat isn\u2019t helping.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI bet. So…what\u2019s up?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was wondering if you\u2019d seen or heard anything about those mutual acquaintances of ours.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Dionne shook her head even though Hatemi couldn\u2019t see it. \u2018Mutual acquaintance\u2019 was the code word they\u2019d all agreed to use when they needed to discuss the Ssu-Ling where other people might overhear them. \u201cNot a peep.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m starting to get worried at this point. We know they\u2019re out there, so why haven\u2019t they done anything?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOn the bright side, at least we got to write our exams without having to deal with them,\u201d Dionne said, trying to be positive.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat sounds like something Cory would say. Personally, I could have used the excuse not to study.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t do well?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy math mark could have been better, but I did ok in social and computers. My Japanese grade was excellent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNaturally.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDad would have killed me if that was low.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh please. You\u2019re such a huge fan of all things Asian that there\u2019s no way you could get a low mark in that class.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTrue, true.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHave you heard from the others lately?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, but I hear Yan got accepted to some swanky dance camp, and he\u2019s leaving in a few days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGood for him!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cKousei says he\u2019s ridiculously pleased with himself about that. I bumped into him the other day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s doing ok?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe seemed fine. Apparently, he has a girlfriend.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, really?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know her, but her name is Emmy Jackson, and she goes to Khun-Lun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe name doesn\u2019t ring any bells.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMe neither. I tried calling Dumia about it but she was busy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you suspect that this Emmy girl is one of the Ssu-Ling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t occur to me until just now, thanks a lot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to see if Dumia knew anything about her. Kousei\u2019s our friend, after all. It…seems weird that he\u2019s dating someone from a rival school.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn his defense, most of the girls at our school fawn all over him, so it\u2019d be hard for him to find someone who genuinely likes him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFair point.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo, when\u2019s your dad hauling you off for that annual trip to Jaspar?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Hatemi made a disgusted noise. \u201cDid you <\/span>have to<\/i><\/span> bring that up? He hasn\u2019t shut up about it since school let out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWith our…mutual acquaintances around, I figure it’s best to know what everyone\u2019s up to this summer so we\u2019re not caught with our proverbial pants down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, yeah, that\u2019s fair.\u201d Hatemi sighed. \u201cHe somehow got time off work so we\u2019re heading out next Friday and we\u2019ll be back on Monday.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a shorter trip than usual.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDad says that it\u2019s all the time he could get off with how weird the weather is. Hot weather means fire bans at all the parks but fires still happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s that going to affect your trip? I know how hardcore your dad is about camping.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the funny thing, actually. It\u2019s so hot that mom talked him into booking cabins this year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAre you serious? That\u2019s awesome! My parents did that back in junior high, and it was one of the best trips ever.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it might not suck this year, although I have to admit I\u2019ll miss dad\u2019s campfire cooking. The man\u2019s a genius with meat and an open flame.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s always a trade-off.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sticking around the Valley?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYup. As far as I know, Cory and I are holding down the fort while everyone else comes and goes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt least the town is in good hands.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n There was a pause. \u201cI\u2019ve got to go. Mom\u2019s calling me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOk. Take care.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Dionne hung up the phone and went back to her magazine. She flipped through its glossy pages for a little while longer before giving up. This is crazy. I can\u2019t concentrate on anything. This may as well be one of those scrolls we found in Vulturia\u2019s lair for all the sense it\u2019s making. She sighed and stood up. <\/span>It\u2019s hot, but I think I need a change of scenery.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Dionne made her way to Arcadia Station to wait for the train. There wasn\u2019t a lot to do in the Arcadia Heights area, and she didn\u2019t feel like hanging out at Paradise Park. The air-conditioned environment of the Elysium Valley Mall was much more appealing, as were the climate-controlled train cars she needed to take to get there.<\/span><\/p>\n She sat down on one of the many light grey benches that divided the platform, her eyes drawn to the map of the transit system even though she\u2019d long since memorized it. There were several routes she could take to get to the downtown core, but the most efficient would be to take the Grey Line heading east towards the Industrial Sector and transfer to the Red Line at Xanadu Station, taking that line all the way west where it eventually connected with the Gold, White, and Grey Lines. The Mall wasn\u2019t far from Pangu Station on the Red Line. All said and done, including Arcadia and her final destination, there were seven stations in total on her route.<\/span><\/p>\n The eastbound train arrived right on schedule and Dionne got on board, taking a seat near the middle of the car. It wouldn\u2019t be a long trip, so she hadn\u2019t brought a book to read. She slipped her headphones over her ears, turned her music on, and watched as the scenery flew by. Each station had such interesting artwork, and it rotated every so often. The city council was big on supporting and featuring local artists. It was a nice treat for commuters to not have to look at the same walls and have something besides ads to break up the otherwise solid-coloured walls.<\/span><\/p>\n Dionne felt a slight pang of disappointment upon seeing that the artwork in the Industrial Sector Station was the same as it had been the last seven months. The ad posters had changed several times during that time, yet the art remained the same. The same was true for the next two stations. The stations around the downtown core, hospital, schools, and the museum got their art swapped out more often.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s weird that Xanadu Station hasn\u2019t had a change yet, given that it\u2019s so close to Xanadu Tech. <\/i><\/span>She shrugged.<\/span><\/p>\n She reached her destination and got off, walking through the station and out onto the busy downtown streets. No record-breaking heat was going to keep people from going about their business, it seemed. Dionne hurried into the air-conditioned confines of the mall and waited until she\u2019d cooled down a little before wandering around. It was tempting to head into the <\/span>Strawberry Palace<\/i><\/span> for a sweet treat, but she decided against it. It wasn\u2019t nearly as much fun going alone.<\/span><\/p>\n She winced as she passed the emergency first aid station in the center of the mall. <\/span>Those started popping up not long after Phaeton started her attacks. It\u2019s a little surprising that they\u2019re still up given that there haven\u2019t been any more lately but I think it\u2019s good they\u2019re still around given what I know. People seem to feel safer with them around even though dad complains about them being a drain on the city\u2019s resources.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n For a while she window shopped, looking at all the new displays. She spotted Achlys, Dumia\u2019s girlfriend, heading into <\/span>Light and Sound<\/i><\/span> and thought about going to say hello. <\/span>Probably not a good idea. I don\u2019t really know her. If she hadn\u2019t shown up to the park with Dumia that one day I wouldn\u2019t know who she is at all. I\u2019ll just go somewhere else. Shame, too. I think they might have finally restocked Aeon\u2019s albums. I\u2019m still missing her first one. Now that I know she\u2019s a sehashi I feel a little obligated to support her career.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n She turned a corner and stopped. <\/span>Was that used bookstore here before? It doesn\u2019t look new but I don\u2019t remember seeing it before.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Dionne went in, looking around. Nothing about the store looked odd. There was dust on some shelves and the carpet looked a little worn in places.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCan I help you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She jumped, turning towards the speaker. \u201cOh, no, sorry. I\u2019m just browsing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The speaker was the shop clerk behind the counter, a young-looking Asian man with the tips of his hair dyed red. He seemed satisfied with her answer and went back to reading his book.<\/span><\/p>\n Dionne looked around for a little while longer and then left the store. <\/span>I don\u2019t know why I was so freaked out about a used bookstore. I think the tension of waiting for something to happen is finally getting to me. I\u2019m jumping at shadows.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n She grabbed some lunch from a sub shop and sat down to eat. Roughly halfway through her meal, she watched as a couple made their way to the aid station. It wasn\u2019t unusual for people to use the stations for minor things, but the way the man was leaning on the woman\u2019s shoulder seemed odd. A few steps away from the station, he collapsed to the ground and screamed. The woman jumped back as he began writhing. Dark fur sprouted from his skin and his face elongated into a long muzzle. His ears were now longer and at the top of his head and he had a long, whip-like tail. When he stood back up again, his legs bent in all the wrong places and he snapped at anyone around him, displaying wickedly sharp teeth.<\/span><\/p>\n With a sigh, Dionne got up to find a secluded spot to change in. <\/span>Here we go again.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n The strange creature had several people cornered by the time Archer arrived on the scene. She couldn\u2019t blame them for being afraid. The creature itself was weird enough even without knowing that a person had turned into it.<\/span><\/p>\n Steady now<\/i><\/span>, Laira\u2019s voice advised.<\/span><\/p>\n Nodding, Archer lashed out at the creature. \u201cJade Bolt!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Howling in pain and surprise, it turned around. It said nothing but looked at her for a moment before rushing at her, teeth bared. Archer yelped and hurried out of the way. The thing hit one of the wide, round columns the mall used for advertising. Colliding with the solid concrete stunned it for a moment.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGolden Arrow Barrage!\u201d Archer called out, taking advantage of the situation.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPlease stop!\u201d a woman cried out.<\/span><\/p>\n Archer turned. It was the same woman who\u2019d tried to help the man earlier, the one who became the creature. \u201cMa\u2019am, I know this person is a friend of yours, but in his current state he\u2019s hurting people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know, but can you please stop hurting him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Archer shook her head. \u201cEither I keep fighting or I let him hurt and possibly kill everyone he comes across.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCan you fix him?\u201d she pleaded.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest with you, I don\u2019t know. I\u2019ve never seen anything like this before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut…aren\u2019t you one of those people they\u2019ve been talking about on the radio lately? You fight crazy freakish things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Archer dodged another one of the thing\u2019s charges. \u201cWe\u2019re called sehashi if you want to know, and yes, we fight weird stuff, but all those fights have been against weird people who were supposed to be that way. I\u2019ve never seen anyone change into a monster before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Archer fired off a few more volleys of arrows at the creature, trying to hit the area around it to not upset the woman any more than necessary. \u201cDo you think it\u2019s possible to reverse this?\u201d she asked under her breath.<\/span><\/p>\n Without knowing what caused the change in the first place, it’s hard to say with any certainty.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMay as well try,\u201d Archer said as the creature charged at her again. \u201cJade Bolt!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Bright green energy hit it square in the chest, singeing its dark fur. It cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n Your aim has improved,<\/i><\/span> Laira commented as Archer walked towards it.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThanks, but now what?\u201d she asked, looking down at the thing. It snarled defiantly up at her.<\/span><\/p>\n I suppose you should try concentrating on returning it to its original self. If it’s an ability you have access to, the words will come to you as they have every other time.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Archer studied the snarling creature. <\/span>All my abilities so far have been offensive. Do I have what it takes to fix this? <\/i><\/span>She looked at the woman.<\/span> I don\u2019t know these people, but I should help them if I can. I bet Shield could do it if she was here. Then again, my friends are always with me in spirit.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Something clicked to her. \u201cSpirit Flash Revolution!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n A golden light washed over the creature. When it vanished, it had returned to its original human form. There were some minor burns from where Archer had hit him, but he was in otherwise good condition. Sobbing with relief, the woman raced towards him, completely ignoring Archer.<\/span><\/p>\n Shrugging, she left to go change.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWait,\u201d the man called after her.<\/span><\/p>\n She turned. \u201cYes?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThank you for what you did. I know I attacked you, but I couldn\u2019t stop myself from doing it. It was like something else was controlling me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Archer frowned. \u201cWell, I\u2019m glad you\u2019re alright. Take care.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Her shopping forgotten, Dionne rushed out of the mall, heading for the nearest train station. She rode along until Khun-Lun Station came up. Even though she was nowhere near her home, she got up and exited the train, heading for a bus stop. It wasn\u2019t long before she arrived at a stop near Cory\u2019s apartment. Despite the heat, she raced towards the building and slammed the elevator button, the lobby\u2019s air conditioner barely registering to her. It was a quick ride up the elevator to the floor Cory lived on with her parents\u2014when they were home, that is.<\/span><\/p>\n