(Disclaimer: A warning to those who continue.  This is a sequel to a previous story.  Both of these were written in the mid-1990’s.  While the first one was slightly edited and vanity press published, this one has not been touched in over 20 years.  I figure I should do something with it and people may get a laugh or fright from how I used to be.  Every author comes from somewhere, so this is part of my origin.  To that end, I am deeply sorry for whatever nightmares I will inflict on the literary world and the American English language.  Enjoy?)

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“This has to be a joke.  Right?  A sick joke that she’s playing,” mutters Infinity when Fate tells the others about Hydrana.  Infinity is sitting with his shirt on the table and bandages wrapped around his torso.  The three remaining guardians are sitting at the indestructible Mars oak table in the Main Hall.

“I’m not laughing.  I did what was right,” replies Fate, who is slumped over in the jeweled throne.

“What could have possessed you to let her go?  She’s an insane immortal with deadly potential!  Not to mention she is in possession of a magical artifact!” exclaims Miracle as she removes a dripping bandage from her swollen forehead.

“I think he was too scared of her.  Didn’t want to get bruised, Eddie?” asks Infinity.

“No.  It wouldn’t have helped anyone if I had stopped her.  The damage has already been done,” answers Fate.

“Damage that you caused!” yells the Earth guardian.

“We will talk about that issue in private, Steven.  Right now, I want Miracle to set up one of the space skimmers with the experimental, personal hovercraft.  The plan is that two of us will take out Adriana’s group while the third guardian will go after Hydrana in the hovercraft.  Go prepare the ship and bring some of the sun-forged weapons just in case we run into Adriana’s gang.  We’ll be in the space skimmer bay in an hour at most.  Hopefully.”

Once Miracle leaves, Infinity gets to his feet and says, “This is all your fault, Slane.  If you hadn’t yelled at her about her parents, Hydrana would still be sane and have stayed with us.  You’re the one who caused this problem in the first place.”

“So I’ve been hearing for the last five hours.  I know that you love her, but even you couldn’t prevent this from happening.”  Fate remains perfectly calm and sits straight in the throne like a king.  He makes no motion to move or attack.

“You knew this was going to happen!  Why didn’t you try to stop it instead of making it worse!  I knew you were getting cold, but pushing Delila over the edge was uncalled for!  How could you make her go insane!  She never did anything to you that would give you any right to do that!”  Infinity telekinetically throws a few chairs through the windows and punches a hole in the floor.  He finally calms down and sits on the edge of the table.

“Are you finished?  Because you totally misunderstood what I meant.  I didn’t know that any of this would happen.  And this problem would have occurred no matter what I had said or did.”

“How?”

“Her parents, especially her father, caused this problem before any of us even knew her.  All of Delila’s pain was either hiding or being consciously stored deep inside her head.  Every now and then a little of the mental anguish would make itself known in the form of either psychotic or child-like behavior.  Right now, it is like an enormous dam inside her brain has exploded and every memory of pain and loneliness is chaotically swimming around inside her skull.  If this had happened a hundred years from now, then we would have a bigger problem because she wouldn’t be able to face the source of her demons.  She must face her parents in order to get closure,” explains Fate as he gets to his feet and sits next to Infinity.

“You’ve been reading those damn psychology books again.  But I see your point.  Somehow.  In order to stop this and prevent it from reoccurring, Hydrana has to talk to her parents.  Wouldn’t it be better if she had some friends with her?” asks Infinity while he scratches a small tattoo of a thunderbird that is on his bared chest.  He picks up his shirt and pulls it over his bandaged torso.

“Yes and no.  It would be helpful if she gets angry and decides to cut loose with her powers.  That’s why I want to get a space skimmer ready and get you under control at the same time.  But this is something that she has to do alone,” mentions the Mars guardian.

“Me?  Why do you have to get me under control?  I’m fine.”

“I know how you feel about her.  If I saw Miracle go insane and I didn’t know how to save her, it would bring me down with her.  I want to make sure you don’t go down with Delila because I’m going to need your help.  Especially if we run into Adriana’s group and Hydrana at the same time.”

“Of course you need my help.  But there is one thing you have to know right now.”  Infinity’s eyes take a dark, foreboding look as he stares down at Fate.  The Mars guardian just stares back and smiles at the silent challenge.

“What’s that?  You’re the one that’s going after Hydrana?  Not in my lifetime.  Once we land on Earth, we decide on what to do.  Most likely I will go take care of her since so many people think I’m to blame.  But we’ll decide that later.”

“Fine.  This is what I really wanted to say.  If I am there when we find Hydrana and push comes to shove, I’ll be on her side.  Nothing personal, but that is where my loyalty will lie.”

“Then you simply won’t be there.  The way she’s acting, push will come to shove and then turn into a battle to the death.  I don’t need another guardian going rogue on me during this mission.  So, you won’t be the one that hunts down your girlfriend.  You’ll be way too emotionally involved.  Come on.  Miracle is probably done by now.”  Fate walks off toward the space skimmer bay and Infinity has to run to keep up.

“I’m too emotionally involved?  What about you and Miracle?  Kelly considers Hydrana an adopted sister and so do you.  Then again you are acting like a cold, heartless bastard right now.  So, why would you care about Delila?” Infinity growls.

“I don’t want to be like this.  This week was supposed to help me with my problems, but Adriana and your girlfriend just gave me a lot more problems.  And thanks to the quick battle I had with our little runaway, I am getting worse.  The mental abilities of an immortal are more powerful than that of a normal being.  There are some powers that all immortals possess, which have been undocumented.  Hydrana has displayed one that was unknown to SEAS until now.  It seems her mind has too many negative thoughts and she can give off her excess pain by intimately touching someone.  Like a kiss, which she gave me in order to mess my head up.  So, now we have to hurry before I join Delila on the slaughter circuit.”

“Well, if anyone can handle mental demons, it would have to be you.  You’ve been doing it since we’ve met.  Is what she did to you permanent?”

“Nah.  SEAS told me that her little trick will eventually disappear, but by then my own demons will be running around inside my brain.  Thankfully I can hold it off for a day or two.”

Without another word, the three guardians leave the sun base in an older type of space skimmer.  Each one thinks of the five crazy immortals on Earth, but only Fate worries about the one that could be in their very midst.