The Return

In an isolated crystal cave, somewhere at the edge of the multiverse, a lone woman in a black cloak meditated in the middle of a crystal clear pool of water. Her aura was undetectable and she sat motionless. A wisp of white smoke tore through the Universe and entered her.

The cloaked woman's eyes burst open for the first time in over a million years and a dark black fire and aura poured out of her like lava.

"Hmmm ... my protective soul imprint on Rey was forcefully removed by the array ... I believe it is time I left seclusion to visit her," she said. "Furthermore, that man was able to match my imprint on her ... he cannot be left un-checked. He has the potential to destroy the stability and peace me and my friends worked so hard to create in the multiverses."

The woman removed her hoodie.

She was the Voodoo Queen.

-- Ø --

"This path looks so unfamiliar!," said Rey breaking into a cold sweat, "I might actually be lost."

"Keep looking," said Johan.

"Maybe we should double back?," asked Rey.

"No," said Johan, "there is nothing but danger back there. If you need a break, let's take it. But we got to get back."

Johan looked back at Athyne who had been unusually quiet.

"You alright Athyne?," asked Johan.

"I'm tired," said Athyne noticing Johan's concerned glance. "I have not slept ..."

Johan turned back and continued to follow Rey, he spread his perception to get a better idea of where they were and was surprised to sense his father and the old man from the void after Mongolia walking behind them. While he couldn't see them, he clearly sensed them with his perception.

[Dad?,] thought Johan. [Who is the old man? How are you there?]

Johan's father turned and looked at Johan.

[Well,] said JD, [it seems this man is the guardian spirit's embodiment. I didn't notice him before because he always remained quite. But this realm seems to have manifested us to a degree ... and I have even gotten him to start talking.]

[Do either of you know how to get out of here?,] asked Johan.

JD turned to the old man and they talked. Then he turned back to Johan.

[Hanuman does,] said JD, [that is the old man's name. He says this path was used to travel between realms by higher beings in the past. He and many others would use it to travel between major realms.]

[That's great!,] said Johan, [can he take us back to Looking Glass City?]

JD turned to the old man and they exchanged words that Johan couldn't hear.

JD's face turned grim.

[He said he wouldn't help,] said JD.

[Why not?,] thought Johan.

"Hey Rey," said Athyne speaking up, "can't you use your voodoomobile to get us back?"

"Of course," said Rey, "I am so flustered from what happened to Shaemus that I am not thinking straight. But calling it tends to be taxing on me. Makes me sleep for a month. But I guess we don't have another choice."

Anywhere was better than the world where Athelion was at the moment.

"WHOOOOO HAAAA!," screamed Rey as she began to do jump squats rapidly. "I SUMMON THE VOODOOMOBILE! TAKE US BACK TO LOOKING GLASS CITYYYYYYYYYY!"

Athyne pulled out a black sign to censor her movements.

"This is so wrong and embarrassing ...," said Johan covering his face embarrassed.

As soon as Rey had began, she stopped.

Athyne threw away the black sign.

"Doesn't moving like that embarrass you Rey?," asked Johan.

"Part of the reason voodoo is no longer widely practiced is because of people's inhibitions," said Rey, "It requires sometimes unconventional words and movements for higher level techniques. Plus, progress is slow and requires dedication. I would never have reached my current level if I let cultural norms stop me from experimenting."

VroooommmmMmMMmmmMMMMMM!

"Huh?," said Johan looking around, he couldn't see a automobile anywhere near them. But the sound of a vehicle approaching them continued to get louder.

VROOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!

The sidewalk began to rumble but he still couldn't see it.

"MA HOTROD IS HERE!," said Rey as she gave Johan the piece sign. She smiled proudly as her teeth sparkled and stars formed in her eyes.

"Where?," said Johan looking around. He couldn't see the car anywhere.

"Look down," said Athyne.

Johan looked down and saw a red toy car in front of them. It was clearly too small for them to get into.

"Really?," asked Johan, "how are we going to get into that thing?"

"I haven't figured that part out myself," said Athyne.

"Just go in!," said Rey grabbing the back of Athyne and Johan's head and pushing them down.

A second later Johan found himself inside the car sitting next to his dad and Hanuman with Rey in the driver's seat and Athyne in the seat next to her.

"Really guys?," said Rey, "you don't even know how to get into cars? Men can't do anything these days."

Rey pulled out a smart phone from the car's dashboard and started playing with it.

"What are you doing Rey?," asked Johan.

"Voodoo GPS," said Rey, "never gets me lost ever."

She placed the phone on a mount on her dashboard and the phone said, "Head forward 500 meters and then keep going."

With that, Rey pushed the peddle on the car and it fired forward at an unnatural speed.

VROOOOSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

They were all pushed into their seats as the car flew forward.

The world outside the car became a blur as solar systems and lands passed by in the blink of an eye.

Periodically the sidewalk would split, and the phone would tell Rey which path to take. Rey would follow its instructions.

Ten minutes past and suddenly Rey turned the car off the sidewalk, without a command from the GPS.

SWISHHHHHHH!

The car fell through empty space.

"AHHHHHH!," yelled Johan, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING REY!?"

"I see my home," said Rey. "I need a nap."

The world around them solidified and they landed in front of a large white mansion surrounded by trees with fruit and millions of puppies and dogs running around.

Rey's voodoomobile shot forward and moments later they found themselves in a garage.

YAWN!

Rey covered her mouth as she let out a yawn.

"Alright!," yelled Rey, "we are home! Make yourself at home! I am going to take a nap, this little adventure has been draining on me."

"I need to sleep too," said Athyne.

[Dad?,] thought Johan.

[Yeah,] said JD, [I am here ... as is the ever silent Hanuman ... seems going behind the scenes separates us.]

Rey and Athyne got out of the car leaving Johan behind. He realized his father and Hanuman were no longer with him.

"Hey guys," yelled Johan after them, "I don't even know how to get home."

Johan got out of the car and realised that Rey and Athyne had left him in the garage alone.

[Ahhh,] said JD, [I took a look around, we are near the barracks in Looking Glass City. Seems that Armyka and Jade are talking nearby. Furthermore, there are many soldiers on patrol in the barracks and outside of it. Something is going to happen soon.]

"Huh!?," said Johan surprised.

[It seems that it would be better to lay low at Rey's house for a bit of time,] said JD.

"How did she get back before us?," asked Johan, "I remember seeing her in Athelion's realm when we were behind the scenes."

[Ahhh,] said JD, [Hanuman says that it was probably due to the inter-time array. The cracks into the behind the scene's realm that were caused by Athelion's fight with Genghis, may have caused anomalies where we are. So we experienced time at a slower rate than those not hit by the anomaly.]

A thought flashed through Johan's head.

"What if the tournament has already started?," muttered Johan as his eyes widened.

[That is a possibility,] said JD.

"Oh no!," said Johan as the blood drained from his face.

If the tournament had started and Johan had missed his match he would be disqualified. All his efforts and training for revenge against Armyka would be delayed another year ...

But if he hadn't missed his match, his hand was still injured and he would be at a disadvantage in a fight. Not just because of his broken hand, but also because of his deviation from training because of the length of Athelion's trials.

If he were to rush out to check if the tournament had truly started there was the possibility that he might be caught by Armyka or Jade.

That spelled doom.

What was Johan going to do?

Johan knew he had to do something.

"I guess I am going to have to pick my poison," whispered Johan as he clenched his uninjured fist.