01.25 - Firework

The winners of the final battle faced off against Cuddles and all members of the three losing teams combined, minus their former assigned Cuddle-Fish, who now joined the winning team to somewhat even the odds.

After a valiant fight, the last team standing was the first to get their pick of chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice cream. The losing teams did not miss out but had to show a bit more patience until it was their turn.

The afternoon ended with a pizza party.

As the sun began to set, everyone met at the central plaza to watch the midsummer firework show.

Vega held Cuddles in her arms. The other Cuddle-Fish relaxed with Merope, Kass, Aqua, and Mary, who had joined after checking in on the setup and leaving the rest of the firework show in the hands of Luc, Uriah, and Gabe.

The surrounding lights went dim as the last rays of the evening sun gave way to the darkness of the night.

The gathered people’s attention drifted to the open skies as the first makeshift firework illuminated the surrounding darkness with a bloom of white light.

Blue and green hues followed and were succeeded by yellow, orange, and red.

A mirage of colors lit up the skies above.

Their reflections sparkled in the eyes of their young audience and their parents alike, as the show seemingly came to an end.

Just as the first viewers were about to turn their gaze away from the black canvas of the evening sky, a new constellation appeared in the heavens.

Unlike the flimsy star signs imagined by men, this collection of moving stars left little to the imagination. It was the brilliant white silhouette of a Cuddle-Fish, painted on the firmament with dozens of small, bright lights.

The crowd was left in awe as the celestial Cuddle-Fish slowly changed its hue. All colors of the rainbow were painted on the night sky as the speed of the transition slowly increased. The show reached its final crescendo as all the dots vanished in a brilliant cloud of small flares.

For a moment, the sound of silence filled the air. Then a collective gasp rippled through the crowd, and cheers and claps resounded all over the place.

---

The scene in the parking lot did not mirror the elated atmosphere of their distant audience.

“Damn,” said Gabe. “That last Aura battery gave in halfway through the finale. You two still alive?”

“I am good,” Uriah said, audibly exhausted. “Honestly, I didn’t expect this to work out. You better check on Luc. That last salve must have taken quite a toll.”

“You don’t think he…?”

“No one has ever died from Aura exhaustion… as far as I know.”

Gabe knocked against the front hatch of Luc’s Throne. “You okay in there?”

No answer.

“We could open the cockpit by force,” said Uriah.

“But we still need to bring the Thrones back home,” said Gabe. “Time for plan B, I guess.”

Gabe channeled Aura into a Core attached to a wristband. His spell exchanged Luc’s and Uriah’s positions. Gabe went to check on an unresponsive Luc who had appeared in the cockpit of Uriah’s Throne. Seconds later, Uriah opened the cockpit of Luc’s machine from within.

“Nothing to worry,” said Gabe. “He is out cold, but his vitals are fine.”

“Guess we have to lock the Thrones and carry him back to the waterpark.”

“Can you give me a hand?”

“Just give me a moment to recoup.”

---

Luc slowly opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. He tried to stand up from the bed he lay on, but something kept him down. He was inside a large, old-fashioned bedroom, surrounded by Mary, Vega, and Cuddles.

“Careful, birthday boy,” Mary’s calm but firm voice resounded in his head.

“Where am I? What time is it?”

“In the annex. You’ve been out for about four hours. Not enough time to fully restore your Aura reserves.”

“Did the last spell work?” asked Luc.

“A bit too well,” said Mary. “You…”

“It was great!” exclaimed Cuddles, interrupting Mary. “I’ve never seen anything like that finale.”

Vega nodded along. “It was quite the show.”

“Never mind. Just bring more Aura batteries next time,” said Mary. “If you ever plan to repeat the show, that is.”

Luc looked around.

“Uriah and Gabe already brought the two Thrones back home after carrying you here,” said Mary. “The others are waiting in one of the living rooms.”

“Maybe eating could help you recover,” said Vega. “Aqua and I made some chocolate cake while you were out. Nothing fancy; we had to work with the available ingredients.”

“You should be able to walk,” said Mary. “But be careful.”

Luc stood up slowly and followed Vega and Cuddles, while Mary walked beside him to ensure he wouldn’t stumble.

He was welcomed by Aqua, Merope, Kass, and the other Cuddle-Fish, all still excited from the firework finale, who congratulated him on his thirteenth birthday.

Thirteenth birthdays were special to the citizens of the Empire, as were dates marked by prime numbers in general. Not nearly as revered as in the Theocracy, but important nevertheless. In this case, it marked the true beginning of the teenage years and the first baby steps that lead into adulthood.

But the celebration could wait.

Right now, the chocolate cake was more important to Luc, who hadn’t eaten anything since Vega’s pastries yesterday noon.

The cake was fluffy, soft, and very sweet, with only a hint of bitterness.

He was still eating when his mother left the table.

“I’ll escort Vega, Merope, and Kass on their ride back to the Stellaris estate,” said Mary. “I’ll pick you up afterward. Use the time to rest and recover some more. There is still that special present I promised you waiting back home.”