Love Battle

by Katrina Kahler

  Jason nodded. He shot down a couple more with missiles. “True, but they don’t have the unlimited raw power that you have.”

  Adam nodded his head in agreement once again. “What he said!”

  Yeah, the two boys I liked both acted quite respectfully to each other. I loved the way they both had belief in me. I couldn’t disappoint them. I couldn’t let them down. They were right. I needed to show these big blue meanies whose planet and dimension they were messing with. It was time to let my power out.

  Lifting an arm into a classic superhero pose, I flew at super speed into the heart of a swarm of octopi. They tried blasting me with their gross black ink but my super reflexes and reaction time made me impossible to hit. I let the octopi swarm at me. Better me than my friends. Taking a deep breath, I held my arms open wide. Clapping my hands together with super force, I created a HUGE roaring BOOM! The force from the sound sent all the octopi in the sky crashing to the ground.

  All of a sudden, they disappeared.

  Val looked up to the sky and clapped. “Nice job, Lia! You have certainly proven your team worthy.”

  I landed next to Val. My friends all joined me. “What do you mean?” I asked Val.

  Val grinned. “The octopi left because they now know that you truly do belong in the tournament.” She patted me on the back. “I would have thought that was obvious.” She smiled. “It was very useful that the octopi arrived. They let me decide who your teammates should be. If they agree, of course.”

  Val pointed to Adam and Jason. “First of all, Adam and Jason. Adam, you have raw power. Jason, you have great knowledge and amazing ability. Plus, you both care about Lia. Therefore, I would like you to…”

  “I accept!” Jason said.

  “Me too!” Adam said.

  “Tanya, your control of time and space is impressive,” Val commented.

  “Thanks,” Tanya replied. “I do have the juice.”

  “Will you add that juice to the team?” Val asked.

  Tanya nodded. “Of course!”

  “Luna, your magic is filled with spark and energy. And you are so creative!” Val remarked. “You’re from a parallel dimension but you spend a lot of time on Earth. You care for these people, and also for Zeke, so I deem you worthy to fight for them.”

  “I’m honored!” Luna told Val.

  Zeke stepped forward. “And wherever Luna goes, I go!” he said, proudly pointing to himself.

  “Well, I was going to choose Marie or Lori,” Val said. “But Zeke, I love your spunk. And I guess Luna’s feelings for you are strong, which makes her stronger. Okay, Zeke, you may go.”

  Val turned to Marie and Lori. “We will be gone for a few days in our time, but it will only seem like a few hours in your time. Meanwhile, it’s good to know that you will be here fighting against the bad guys if any of them do pop up.”

  “You can count on us!” Marie said.

  “Yeah!” Lori said. “I’m not a fan of travel anyhow.”

  Val circled her hands over her head. A giant glowing orb appeared. The orb landed on the ground. A door popped open. “Let us begin!” Val said. She pointed to the glowing orb. “I will explain the tournament and the rules to you during the journey!”

  “Cool!” Zeke took Luna’s hand and rushed towards the orb. “I love a fun road trip!”

  I glanced at Tanya, Adam, and Jason. “Well, guys?”

  “Whatever happens, wherever we are going, can’t be any weirder than Zeke and Luna being a couple,” Tanya said.

  Adam scratched his head. “Zeke is my best buddy, my pal, but even I don’t understand why Luna is with him.”

  “It’s a fine example of opposites attracting!” Jason exclaimed.

  “Actually, I was just trying to make sure you were all okay with traveling into space or another dimension to fight for the honor of Earth or whatever,” I said.

  “As I said,” Tanya exclaimed. “Nothing can be more farfetched than those two lovebirds. So I’m cool!”

  Adam grinned. “All in a day’s work when you’re super!”

  “I always have your back, Lia!” Jason snickered.

  Adam raised a finger. “As do I!”

  Dear Diary: Yeah, my life just keeps getting weirder and weirder. No, I’m not talking about Zeke and Luna. After all, I’ve been around long enough to know you can’t choose love. Love kind of chooses you. Just because I don’t see why Luna could be interested in Zeke, certainly doesn’t mean that she can’t be.

  To me, the truly weird and strange part is that once again, I’m heading off to an unknown place to defend Earth. I like defending Earth. Earth has been good to me, and it’s the least I can do. But I kind of miss the days of just stopping bank robbers or maybe berserk animals or even mad scientists. Though I guess, that’s part of growing up… you face bigger and tougher challenges. At least I’ll be facing whatever we’re going to be facing, along with the two boys I really care about.

  Three Tests

  Zeke, Luna, Tanya, Adam, and I sat in the strange glowing orb with a very calm Val. The space around us glowed white. The stars turned into streams of light. I assumed we were moving really, really fast. The entire orb was transparent, so it felt as if we were flying through space itself. Which I guess we were.

  Zeke looked out at the vastness. His mouth dropped open, and his tongue hung out. “Wow! Space is awesome. It’s filled with energy; it’s filled with everything that is everything. But it’s also filled with wondrous wonders of nothingness; well, except for atoms and such.”

  Luna stood up and took Zeke by his hand. “Zeke, I love the way you talk. You make everything seem special.” She looked into his eyes and smiled.

  “The pleasure is all mine. I am just a simple two-hundred-year old zombie. But I get to hang out with all these cool super-people. You guys do amazing things all the time. I’m just here to cheer you on and act as a distraction.” He bowed. “It’s my honor.”

  Suddenly, it occurred to me that while Zeke may have considered himself a cheerleader or a distraction, he was an important part of our team. We needed his encouragement, his heart, and spirit. Yeah, kind of weird that we needed a zombie’s heart and spirit; especially since, by definition, I don’t think zombie’s hearts work that well. Plus, his spirit is probably more spunk than spirit. Still, there is something about Zeke that brings a sense of normal to our group. He may be mostly-dead, but he is also mostly normal — kind of strange when he’s a zombie.

  Val walked over and put a hand on Zeke’s shoulder. “Zeke, you are on this mission, this quest, because you bring unique life and energy to the team.”

  Zeke squinted his eyes. He rubbed his butt. He farted. He burped. He blushed, turning a reddish-green with vivid splotches appeared on his cheeks. “You must have me confused with somebody else?”

  “Anybody else…” he said, lifting a finger. “I’m just a little zombie who’s mostly dead but can’t seem to die. I’m more like a crash test dummy than a fully-fledged hero. But that’s okay, that’s my role, and I accept it.”

  “You see, Zeke, that’s what makes you so, so amazing,” Val told him. “You know your role in the universe, and you’re happy with it. You even excel at it!”

  “Really?” Zeke asked.

  “Yes, really. You are a rare being. I feel only goodness in you. Your friends need your guidance and your heart,” Val said.

  “But my heart hardly ever beats,” Zeke argued.

  “Yes, that is true. Maybe that’s why your heart is so big. Because when it does beat, it must beat strong. Zeke, you are wise…”

  “Well, I have been alive a LONG time. I have seen a lot,” Zeke said.

  “Yet, you are also filled with enthusiasm. You act as though every day is new!” Val said.

  Zeke nodded. “My brain never developed past being a kid I guess. So I still have that awe. I don’t think of myself as special, just different.”

  Val laughed. “Yes, that’s why you are special. You are different from all the o
ther souls in the universe.”

  “Wait, aren’t all souls different?” Tanya asked.

  Zeke pointed. “Yeah… what she said.”

  Val nodded. “Yes, all souls are different in their own way. But trust me, Zeke, you are the most different.”

  Zeke grinned. “I’ve never been so proud to be me before!”

  “I always knew you were special, buddy!” Adam replied.

  “Right back at you!” Zeke told Adam.

  Luna smiled at Zeke. “That’s why I love you!”

  Zeke’s grin stretched from one ear to the other. “Wow, I’m so happy that I feel like farting again!”

  “Please don’t,” Tanya said.

  Zeke nodded. “Gotcha!”

  Jason walked over and patted Zeke on the back. “Good job, buddy!”

  “You talking about the not farting?” Zeke asked.

  “Ah, no, but no farting is appreciated. I’m talking about how you help our team. Frankly, I relate to you because without my armor I’m just a regular kid.”

  Zeke rolled his eyes. “Silly, Jason. You invented that armor. Right?”

  Jason nodded. “I did come up with the designs, but Lia’s dad paid for it and modified it.”

  Zeke shook his head. “Dude, your superpower is your brain! You know everything. You know every country’s capital city. You can spell Mississippi. You know how to cover your mouth when you burp!”

  “That last one’s just common politeness,” Jason told Zeke.

  “See… you know that!” Zeke said, jumping up off the ground. “Like I said…you know everything; which makes me glad that I know you. Your brain saves this team as much as Lia’s power, Adam’s energy, Tanya’s time control, and Luna’s magic, all put together.”

  The rest of us nodded our heads in agreement. I now saw why we were such a great team. Not for our power so much as for our personalities and how our powers meshed together. We really were stronger together. As Dad liked to say, our whole is greater than the sum of our parts. We just clicked. Funny how I needed Zeke to help me see that clearly.

  I heard Val in my head. Nice job, Lia. You finally see why Zeke is as valuable as the rest of your friends, your team. Together, I am sure you will do wonderful things. You will make Earth proud.

  “How long until we get to wherever we’re going,” Tanya asked, tapping her foot. “Anything I can do to speed the trip up?”

  “We will be there when we arrive,” Val replied. “You could speed the trip up, but that’s not needed. We have time. It is time I want to use.”

  “So then, will you please tell us more about this tournament?” Tanya asked.

  Jason nodded. “Yeah, I’d like to learn more too!”

  “Information is good,” Adam said.

  Zeke grinned. “I’m cool just to be part of the team!”

  I loved how my friends were willing to go off to a whole new dimension with me, to face more of the unknown. They didn’t know what they were getting into, yet they had my back and my sides and my front. That made me tingle a little inside. It also made me determined to make sure none of my friends got hurt. While they all had amazing powers, (well, except for Zeke), none of them were as strong or as indestructible as I was. I felt it was my role to protect them. “Val, please tell us more,” I asked and also demanded at the same time.

  Val looked at each of us in turn. “What your friends are about to take part in, is a great honor. This tournament, this competition for being a protector of the universe, has been going on for a LONG time. And this is the first time that a team from Earth and your dimension has been deemed worthy.”

  “That’s quite an honor,” Jason said, glancing at me. “How many teams will be competing?” he asked Val.

  Val turned to him. “Six teams from all over the universe and multiverse will compete in some events. The teams score points for each event. At the end of three rounds, the team with the most points gets to face the defending champion. If that team defeats the defending champion, the team names one member to become the new champion for the universe.”

  “What about the old champion?” Adam asked.

  “The old champion has the option to retire or stay on to help,” Val told him. “We are a very mellow bunch. Well, as mellow as we can be when protecting all that is!”

  “Can you tell us more about the three tests?” Jason asked.

  “One will test your knowledge and wisdom, one will test your communication, and one will test your strength,” Val answered. “They will all be fought on our home planet, Planet One.

  “If we win, how do we pick the new champion?” Tanya asked.

  Val grinned. “After the competition, that will be obvious. Though the current champion has not been defeated, ever.”

  “Well then, that champion is due to lose!” Zeke said. He turned to look at us. “Right? Right?”

  Luna spoke up. “Let’s worry about the competition first, before we worry about facing a champion.”

  Zeke smirked at her. “See, you are way smart! That’s why I love you!”

  Adam and Jason both sighed and said, “Ah, how sweet.”

  Tanya and I just rolled our eyes.

  Dear Diary: Okay, my friends and I are about to undertake the challenge of a lifetime. I feel confident that we’ll be able to handle whatever or whomever the universe tosses our way!”

  Planet One

  Before we knew it, we were hovering over Planet One, a large blue and green planet that seemed to glow with energy.

  “Wow,” I said. “That’s a beautiful planet…”

  “I thought it would be bigger,” Adam told Val.

  Val laughed. “Nah, it’s only about the size of your moon. But Planet One shows that bigger isn’t better.”

  “Is there any wildlife on the planet?” Jason asked.

  Val nodded. “Of course, we have some native birds and fish and squirrels. Squirrels are everywhere. They are all quite friendly. Well, the squirrels can be a little high-spirited and they’d love to send a team to the competition.”

  “Wait, squirrels?” Zeke said. “Those cute little critters that love nuts and wood? Yum, wood,” Zeke said, rubbing his stomach.

  “I don't believe that squirrels actually eat wood,” Jason told Zeke.

  Zeke rolled his eyes at Jason. “Dude, I know that, but they live in trees, right?”

  “Yes,” Jason answered.

  “Do you love where you live?” Zeke asked Jason.

  “I do,” Jason said.

  Zeke crossed his arms. “I rest my case.”

  Jason nodded. “Man, that is a good point.” Jason bowed a little. “Zeke, you are so right.”

  Zeke grinned. “Thanks for admitting it, bro.” He pointed to his stomach. “I may not be book smart.” He pointed to his nose. “But I know things,” he said.

  Adam put his arm around Zeke. “My little buddy does know things.”

  Luna hugged Zeke. “That’s why I love the guy!”

  Zeke started to blush again. “Stop, you’re going to give me a big foot.”

  I thought about correcting him and telling him he meant “big head,” but I figured I would leave well enough alone. Knowing Zeke, he’d probably come up with a way to make big foot make sense and somehow relate it to the monster, Bigfoot. Yep, Zeke was special. But I was starting to appreciate that he was special in a mostly good way.

  A big sparkling city suddenly came into view. The buildings looked like they were all made of some sort of crystals. Each one created a beam of a light that radiated into the blue sky which was dotted with just the right amount of clouds. “Wow,” I said admiring the city. The interesting thing was that none of the buildings seemed taller than maybe ten stories.

  Val smiled. “Welcome to City One!” she said.

  Okay, the Guardians weren’t great at naming stuff. Still, the city seemed both simple yet impressive.

  “Why are there no super high rise buildings?” Tanya asked.

  “Are you people afraid o
f heights?” Zeke asked.

  “High rise buildings are a condition of overcrowding. A way to fit a lot of people into an area with a smaller footprint. Planet One is not densely populated; henceforth there is no need for massive high rise structures!” Val said.

  “I love the word, hence,” Zeke said. “Hence, hence, hence.”

  “So, what’s the schedule going to be like?” Tanya asked.

  Val smiled. “We will land. I will take you to your quarters so you may rest and mentally prepare. There will be a dinner tonight where you will meet your opponents. Oh, and the squirrels… we invited them too. They act as a substitute team just in case one of the teams has to drop out.”

  “Do we each get our own room?” Tanya asked. “I mean, I love Lia like a sister, but her super smelly feet always force me to put a time shield around myself, so the scent doesn’t overpower me.” She looked at me. “Nothing personal.”

  I nodded. “It’s okay; I get it.”

  Val smiled. “You’ll get your own rooms on one floor.”

  Zeke gulped. “Oh my, oh my, oh my!” Zeke shivered.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. I couldn’t recall ever seeing Zeke worried or scared.

  “He’s afraid of being alone in a strange place,” Adam and Luna both said.

  “Zeke, your room will be right next to Adam’s. A door connects the two rooms. Adam can even leave the door open if he wishes!” Val said, trying to reassure our zombie buddy.

  Zeke shuddered again.

  “Zeke, you are strong!” Luna told him.

  “Do you mean I smell strong?” Zeke asked.

  “No!” Luna said. Even though Tanya, Jason and I all nodded our heads, yes. “I mean you are mentally strong.”

  Adam patted Zeke on the back. “Dude, if you want, you can stay in my room.” Adam looked at Val. “That’s okay. Right?”

  “Of course,” Val said. “We want you all to be comfortable and happy!”