\u201cYou\u2019ve heard of Tanza, Wilma, Grace, and Belinda?\u201d asked the Lord Vice-President.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe mobile sub-continent?\u201d asked Belinda. The Gaians nodded in confirmation. \u201cDreary landmass, if I recall the history of it correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt wound up about four nautical miles off the coast of this continent, yes?\u201d asked Wilma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d confirmed Fran. \u201cFor most of our planet\u2019s history, it\u2019s been of little interest to us except for occasional geologists and fool-hardy mages wanting to unlock the secrets of its mobility. \u2026That is, until a seam of minerals unique to the planet was discovered in its substrata.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFascinating,\u201d said Yazmyn, her sarcasm thick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt became fascinating, Miss Jacobson,\u201d interjected the Lord Vice-President, \u201cwhen the minerals reacted in ways contrary to the laws of magic and science. The Lord President, my superior, opened Tanza to a number of interested parties in exchange for furthering their own scientific knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe other countries of Gaia have slightly limited scientific facilities,\u201d explained Malachite. \u201cCapitalis offered\u2026some assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI see,\u201d said Grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWas it worth it?\u201d asked Bethany, genuinely interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 25 major powers of Gaia each had representatives on Tanza,\u201d continued the Lord Vice-President. \u201cThere were some 500 life-forms engaged in top secret research unlocking the energies of the minerals when-.\u201d The Lord Vice-President then started coughing. \u201cF-Forgive me-!\u201d he managed to get out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLord Vice-President!\u201d called Gabi as she handed him a little bottle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, my pills! Thank you, my dear!\u201d the Lord Vice-President coughed. He tried to explain to everyone as he opened the pill bottle. \u201cI should not be in this position now, everyone. I serve an interim role until the fate of-!\u201d More coughing interrupted him. He stopped and took his pills, then swallowed some water Gabi got for him. \u201cLord Presidents and Lord Vice-Presidents have come and gone since I retired from the office of Lord President, but my advice is still sought from time to time. It really can be a nuisance. The current Lord President of Gaia was kind enough to offer me a less-stressful position as she navigates being the ruler of Gaia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI praise her wisdom, but\u2026the point?\u201d asked Belinda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBarely into her third term of office,\u201d explained Malachite, \u201cthe Lord President was on Tanza for an official visit when-.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe entire subcontinent vanished!\u201d finished Opal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVanished?!\u201d yelped Ruby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay, not the kind of fascinating I was looking for,\u201d said Yazmyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was taken out of time and space,\u201d explained Malachite, \u201calong with all personnel. There have been sporadic sightings rumored since, but-.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid you follow them up?\u201d asked Ruby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo no avail,\u201d replied Flora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA week after Tanza vanished,\u201d continued the Lord Vice-President, \u201c300 statues appeared outside the citadel, riddled with time distortions and\u2026well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMagi-forensics indicated,\u201d said Pearl, \u201cthat the statues were once people, specifically the people that vanished with Tanza.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Petrification,\u201d guessed Belinda. The Gaians nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can imagine the outcry,\u201d said Tim. \u201cThere was almost war, but the government in Capitalis denied all knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI take it the Lord President was among those petrified?\u201d asked Wilma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d replied Gabi. \u201cM-Mi abuela, the Lord President Rosa Morales, is still m-missing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Rosa?!\u201d yelped Grace. \u201cHang on, when did Tanza vanish?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA year after you departed to find the last three Roses,\u201d replied Pat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, poor Rosa!\u201d sighed Belinda. \u201cAfter that Entrooper mess, now she\u2019s trapped!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s still no satisfactory answer for the subcontinent\u2019s disappearance,\u201d said Malachite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd why not, Malachite?!\u201d snapped Wilma. \u201cWith all the GMA\u2019s dirty tricks at your dispo-!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTanza was taken out of time all together!\u201d interrupted Malachite. Wilma glared, then sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Something far beyond any Gaian\u2019s capabilities, since they\u2019ve never bothered to use temporal magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve offered up Capitalis to inspection,\u201d said Fran, \u201cand instigated this conference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is hoped,\u201d said the Lord Vice-President, \u201cthat agreement can be reached on the limitation of the use of high magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, of course!\u201d groaned Belinda. \u201cYou want to protect your own mystique, make sure the other powers of Gaia aren\u2019t getting too big for their boots. But what about Tanza, hm?! What about finding Rosa?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis conference,\u201d interjected Malachite, \u201cgives us the perfect opportunity to figuring out who is capable of using such magic! \u2026And thus, a step closer to finding the guilty party.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh splendid,\u201d grumbled Bethany. \u201cIt\u2019s taken you a year to figure that out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBethany\u2026\u201d warned Wilma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have to side with Bethany somewhat,\u201d remarked Ruby, \u201cbecause, Malachite, as you say, your plan hinges on the guilty party being here at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt the very least, Miss Kobayashi,\u201d said the Lord Vice-President, \u201cwe may find a clue!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd, meanwhile,\u201d grumbled Grace as she fixed Malachite with a pointed glare, \u201cany insight into alternative magical sources would do the GMA nicely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI may be bound by my oath to further the GMA\u2019s agenda, Grace,\u201d retorted Malachite, \u201cbut the ultimate goal is to discover the truth! Who could have done this? Who would risk the wrath of so many Gaian powers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho indeed?\u201d asked Wilma. \u201cThe Gaian Civil Wars were so bloody, why risk another one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026What if it\u2019s someone in Emperor Entropy\u2019s organization?\u201d asked Ruby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMiss Kobayashi?\u201d asked Tim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPat, Opal, Gabi, did you ever fight against any Entroopers?\u201d quizzed Ruby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe sure did,\u201d replied Pat. \u201cThat was how our parents found out about us being Cosmic Roses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid they leave after you got rid of the big bad?\u201d asked Yazmyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Big\u2026bad?\u201d asked Opal, echoing the question on all Gaian minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Their boss, probably soulless, has maybe a few \u2018elite\u2019 minions,\u201d translated Yazmyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cW-We\u2019ve never encountered their leader,\u201d replied Gabi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t get any threats?\u201d asked Bethany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, we didn\u2019t,\u201d answered Pat. \u201cJust waves of Entroopers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYaz, Beth, you girls think this one\u2019s smarter than Lord Typhoon?\u201d Ruby asked her friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot wanting to announce their plan until it\u2019s in motion, sounds about right,\u201d replied Bethany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou think they might attack the citadel?\u201d asked the Lord Vice President.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s possible,\u201d replied Ruby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe citadel\u2019s shields can repel any attack,\u201d retorted Malachite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what we all said about the High Priestess\u2019s Temple back home,\u201d said Belinda. \u201cNo, we need to be better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMr and Mrs. Daniels,\u201d said Ruby, \u201cwhere do you and Pat fit into Gaian society?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m the High Monitor, the main head of operations,\u201d replied Fran. \u201cTim\u2019s my assistant and Pat\u2019s my apprentice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAny chance you three could bring Bethany along to help check for any glitches in the system?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRuby?\u201d asked Bethany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat would actually be splendid,\u201d replied Fran. \u201cPerhaps we can finally isolate a problem we\u2019ve been having with the Mana Pools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI tell you, it\u2019s just the instrumentation-!\u201d interjected the Lord Vice-President.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLord Vice-President, with respect, let US make that determination,\u201d said Tim. \u201cThe whole system needs an overhaul. Miss Bethany, will you accompany us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure thing,\u201d replied Bethany. \u201cAlways eager to learn new technology and the science behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour world leans more towards the scientific?\u201d asked Pat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, but I think we just proved that there\u2019s magic in the universe,\u201d replied Bethany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, given that we\u2019ve used magic instead of science throughout our history\u2026\u201d said Pat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOoh, magic-based technology, then?\u201d asked Bethany, intrigued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd she\u2019s about to go full egg-head,\u201d sighed Yazmyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEgg-head meaning someone insufferably smart?\u201d asked Opal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBingo!\u201d replied Yazmyn. \u201cYou got any phrase like that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot exactly like that,\u201d said Opal. \u201cAlthough we do say book-worm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what we say too!\u201d Yazmyn grinned. \u201cI think you and I are gonna get along just fine!\u201d Opal grinned in agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCome on, let\u2019s do some patrolling!\u201d she said. She and Yazmyn stood up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think we\u2019d better get going as well,\u201d said Pat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMiss Williams, this way, please,\u201d directed Tim. Bethany followed her hosts out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat will we be doing, Ruby?\u201d asked Wilma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026We\u2019ll be at the conference, looking over things,\u201d decided Ruby. \u201cWe need to see if the culprit or its representative is in attendance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI-I know the best place to do that,\u201d offered Gabi. \u201cThat is\u2026if you\u2019re okay with it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPerfect!\u201d praised Ruby. \u201cWe\u2019ll take up our position there. Lord Vice-President, you have some stuff to do for the conference, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNaturally,\u201d replied the Lord Vice-President. \u201cI take it I am to carry out my duties to make our potential suspect think I am ignorant of the whole thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the idea, Sir,\u201d confirmed Ruby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLeave that to me, then. I once did that when I was Lord President.\u201d By now, everyone headed off to do their parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMinister,\u201d said a woman in workman\u2019s clothes, \u201cI appreciate that you want to speak to me, but I have an assignment that requires my attention!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is not the assignment you must pay attention to,\u201d replied the minister. \u201cListen to me, my dear. Listen to me carefully.\u201d The minister pulled out a stone and a faint noise could be heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWh\u2026What is that-?!\u201d yelped the woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo not resist the noise. Do not fear it.\u201d The minister\u2019s words were burrowing into her mind, giving the noise time to activate the bliss centers of her brain. \u201cThat\u2019s it, my dear. You now obey a higher power as I do. Hear that music. Let Dame Petrify command you as she does me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026C\u2026Command\u2026mmm\u2026yes, please, Dame Petrify\u2026command me\u2026\u201d The woman was zonked out and deep in hypnotic bliss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cYou\u2019ve heard of Tanza, Wilma, Grace, and Belinda?\u201d asked the Lord Vice-President. \u201cThe mobile sub-continent?\u201d asked Belinda. The Gaians nodded in confirmation. \u201cDreary landmass, if I recall the history of it correctly.\u201d \u201cIt wound up about four nautical miles off the coast of this continent, yes?\u201d asked Wilma. \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d confirmed Fran. \u201cFor most of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1061,1063],"tags":[1060],"class_list":["post-7830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cosmic-roses","category-stories","tag-magical-girl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7830"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7831,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7830\/revisions\/7831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}