Needledrop

19

Travel

Wynnona

"So, here are the rules." I start to speak to the three couples sitting before me. The twins are off stressing about something while I tell the couples the rules. Brett and Keya role their eyes at me, Giovanni, and Jake sigh, not wanting to listen to this again, and Oriana and Lillian aren't even paying attention. Athena shakes her head at me as I rattle off all the rules I'd thought up for them to follow. Hopefully. My ship, my baby, has come together very nicely as I've spent the past year fixing her up.

"We will take off in an hour." Athena tells everyone, turning to lead them all to their rooms and get settled while I go to the control room.

"Dayna, run a diagnostic of all ship systems." I say as I click some buttons.

"Everything is running smoothly." She says.

"Thank you, Dayna." I reply.

"You're very welcome." She resides back into silence, waiting for further instructions. I leave the control panel to check the outside of the ship. As I look at everything and do a last check of the boosters, a small child runs over to me.

"Miss Wyatt." Shouts a little boy. He is Jubillian, meaning he comes from this planet that is full of plants; its people are creatures that resemble the plant life there. He is a rose, tall with flaming red hair that layers to resemble flower petals and white skin, orange eyes with green legs. He would be a very handsome adult.

"What can I help you with Roe?" I ask him, squatting down to his level. His planet was destroyed by Needledrop shortly after they joined us. He was the last of his kind.

"I don't want you to leave." He cries slightly.

"Hey, listen to me sweetie." I speak softly, reaching out to cup his petal soft cheeks. "We are going to be fine. It's a simple hop, skip an' a jump there. Then I swear I'll run back here as fast as I can." I promise him, pride filling me when he smiles. I spend a lot of time with little Roe, in a way, I guess I became a parental role in his life. He'd grown on me and I loved him. Some motherly instincts in me I didn't know I had coming forward whenever he was around.

"Only if you promise." He stomps his foot for emphasis. I smile softly at him, impulsively kissing his forehead.

"I swear." I promise him. I hug him tight and he hugs me back. "Now hurry back to the rest of the children." He nods, smiling at me. He starts to run off but turns back around.

"I made these for you and Miss Athena." He pulls two necklaces from his pocket. Both are beautiful roses, one a deep red the other a brilliant purple. The purple rose is only a pendant. Both roses have something in the middle of them that glows softly, looking almost like a diamond. "They will connect you to Miss Athena. If she is hurt the rose will start to wither." I smile brightly at him, taking the two pendants.

"Thank you so much." I thank him, taking my necklace off and slipping the purple rose onto it. I grab a small key from off it, placing it in his hand. With a wave of my hand over it a small gem appears on it, glowing a soft blue light. The key duplicates, the gem on the other a golden colour. I allow him to choose one, him instantly going for the gold gemmed key.

"This will allow you to do the same." I tell him "It is also my promise to always come back to you." He smiles brightly, making a chain for the key to hang on out of vines. He places it around his neck, hugging me tightly.

"Thank you, Miss Wyatt." He whispers to me. Turning to run back to the other children, I watch him go with a large smile on his face. I smile warmly at him, a feeling I think only a parent could feel when looking at their child fills my chest. When he's fully from my view I slip the key back onto my necklace, putting it back on, and turn to see Athena leaning against the ship, a wide smile on her face.