The PureLights of Ohm Totem (24 page)

Piv was staring at her, looking her up and down.“You wanna join?”

Zoey frowned, “Join?”

“Yes,” replied Ke. “We're forming now.”

“Forming what?”

Ke winked at her. “I'm glad you asked, young one.” He added in a quiet voice to Skint and Piv, “It's the young ones who aren't brainwashed yet.” He paused as if a thought had just entered his mind for the first time. “Do you know what brainwashing is?”

Zoey shook her head. She'd heard the word before, but didn't know exactly what it meant.

“It's when a spirit animal, or a group of spirit animals, convince you to change your thinking to fit their own ideas. They want you to help their agenda, and steer you in the direction they want you to go. They use special techniques. Nova's doing it to you already. Don't get me wrong, I love Nova, but she got to me when I was young, too. She brainwashed me extremely well. I've overcome it, but most here have not. She means the best, but tends to steer you where she wants you to go, rather than where you want to be.” He thought for a moment, “Does that make sense?”

Zoey shrugged, mumbling, “I don't know.”

“What was that?” asked Ke, leaning in to listen to Zoey. Piv leaned in as well, aiming his ear in her direction.

Skint gave Zoey a friendly nudge. “I-I-I heard y-you. She s-said, 'I d-d-don't know’.” He smiled at Zoey, giving her a look that suggested they were now equals because he understood her.

He's weird
, thought Zoey.
Ke's nice
. She didn't think she was brainwashed, though, and shook her head. “I'm not brainwashed.”

Ke's browse rose, “Really? Well, not all of us know right away.” He stepped a couple of inches forward, his hooves made a clopping sound. “Anyway, we're forming a government.”

“Oh yeah,” replied Zoey, “Numee told us.”

With the mention of Numee, all three bristled with annoyance.

“She's been a pain,” said Piv.

Ke gently nosed Piv's side, pushing him to the left. “She's not a pain. She's just brainwashed like the rest of them.” He turned to Zoey, changing the subject, “Everyone's been talking about how beautiful your voice is.”

Zoey lifted her wings in surprise. “They are?”

“Yes, it is beautiful. Voices like yours have a unique ability to sing in rhythm with nature. I bet you're a good singer.” Ke lifted his shoulders, puffing out his lower lip. “Mind if you share a little song with us?”

Skint stood on his hind legs and waived his hands in front of his face. “No, no, no.” Startled at his own reaction, he hugged his arms in and crouched on the ground.

“Why is that?” asked Ke, looking a little peeved.

Zoey, relieved that she didn't have to sing, also wondered why Skint was so adamant about her not singing.
And why would Ke want me to sing for him? I don't even know how to sing.

“B-b-because I know that she d-doesn't know how to s-sing,” Skint stammered.

Piv walked between Ke and Zoey. He looked up into the zebra's eyes. “Yeah, I can tell she doesn't know how to sing. Plus, she has a speech problem.”

Ke lifted a hoof, carefully pushing Piv out of the way. Piv scooted to the right, irritated by the interference. Ke bent his neck to look eye to eye with Zoey. “Is this true? You don't have a good singing voice?”

“I-I guess not,” replied Zoey.
Why do they care if I can sing or not?

“Well,” said Ke, “alright. Then that's that.” He turned and walked to the maple tree only a couple of feet away. He scratched his right side against the white, smooth bark. He grinned. “You want to join our cause to right the wrongs in this world?”

Skint put his arms in the air, and for the first time, Zoey saw a gray crystal on his forehead. Her eyes narrowed just as the crystal turned red a second later.
That's a Dim! But, how did it turn from gray to red? Dim's can’t do that, can they?
Zoey didn't care. She knew he was a Dim. She started to back up, getting more and more worked up about being so close to a Dim. She started fluttering her wings to escape, but they weren't lifting her off the ground like they should. Someone was holding her down. She looked behind her to see who it was, but saw no one. Did she simply forget how to fly?

“Hey!” came a yell a short distance away. Zoey felt the weight holding her down suddenly let go. She lifted off the ground and hovered at a height level with Ke's eyes. He looked genuinely concerned. “Are you okay, Zoey?”

Numee ran over to the group. “Who held her down?”

Piv and Skint both shrugged their shoulders. Zoey landed on the ground as Numee crept forward. The sharp raccoon eyes darted from Piv to Skint to Ke. She pointed her paw at the zebra. Her voice turned into a low growl. “You and your group keep your paws and hoofs off the students! Understand?”

Ke nodded his head. “I understand, Numee. What I don't understand is why you are pointing your claws at us. We did nothing.”

“Y-yeah,” said Skint. He put both paws up in an 'I don't know' fashion, stuttering, “W-w-we didn't d-do anything.”

Numee pointed her tail at Zoey. “Then how do you explain what just happened? She couldn't get off the ground. Someone had her in an energy clasp!”

Piv grunted as he walked away, rolling his eyes as he walked by Numee. Ke watched him, then turned to Numee, “Again, I don't know. I saw what happened, but I don't know who did it.”

Numee locked eyes with Ke. She nodded, “You aren't lying. Thank you, Ke.” She looked around. “Then who was it?” She glanced at Skint, peering deeply into his eyes. She nodded again, “It wasn't Skint and I doubt it was Piv.” She looked off into the distance.

“Numee?” asked Ke, startling Numee out of her detective work, “can you do me and my small group a favor?”

She tilted her head, a little confused as to what the favor might be. “What is it, Ke?”

“Would you stop spying on us? We have the right to our own opinions, you know?”

“You do, Ke. I agree. However, I don't agree with your ideas on this government stuff you keep talking about, that's for sure, and you must not accost the students.” She glanced at Zoey, who was following the discussion intently.

Once again, Zoey felt like she had done something wrong somehow. She could see that Skint was glaring at her.
Why is he staring at me like that?
He had both eyes fixed on hers. They were intent and unblinking.
Is he making me feel like this?
Her heart started to race and her body started to perspire.
What's he doing?
She started to feel paralysis creeping over her, a feeling she was getting a little too used to. Anger rose from her belly as she narrowed her eyes on Skint. He mimicked her. She screamed. “No!”

A moment later, Skint tumbled backwards about five feet, landing with a thump on the grass behind him.

Zoey fumed, breathing heavily. Her body tingled everywhere and her heart felt as if it was on fire.

Numee’s ears twitched furiously. “What was that?”

Zoey snapped back into the moment.
Did I do that?

Numee turned to Ke. “That's why I spy.” She pointed her nose at Skint, who was taking his time getting back up. He was clearly dazed. “I think your group likes to do things a little too controlling.”

Bothered, Ke's brows drew down, though his voice was soft. “Around us, she is safe. I assure you, Numee.” He bowed, flicking his head to the right, telling Skint and Piv to follow him. They walked west, toward the large Sihu forest.

Numee rubbed her fur against Zoey's feathers. “Are you okay?”

Zoey didn't respond. She was still in a daze. Her body wobbled as she did her best to keep upright and balanced.

“Zoey. Zoey. Come back,” Numee sang, waving her tail in front of Zoey.

Shaking her head, Zoey stretched her wings wide and voiced her question. “Did I do that?” She pulled her wings back in to her side, realizing that she was exhausted.

“Yes,” responded Numee. “I've only seen a VioletLight do that sort of thing.”

Zoey yawned. “Really? How did I do that?”

Numee slowly shook her head, “I don't know. Can you remember exactly what you felt before Skint went rolling backwards?”

Zoey closed her eyes tight, doing her best to remember. “Well,” she said, “He was making me feel terrible and I didn't want to feel that way anymore. I felt like I couldn't move. It made me mad and then all my anger and frustration built up inside of me.”

“Anything else?”

Zoey's voice quieted as her energy drooped even more. “I was stuck and couldn't move, but I wanted to move so badly that it felt like my anger was about to burst out of my feathers. I think I yelled 'no' to get it all out. Then he tumbled backwards.” She opened her eyes, astonished. “But I was looking at him when I yelled it. I...” Zoey started to feel dizzy. Numee was becoming blurry in her vision. Then she fell on her tail feathers, and with a big yawn closed her eyes, saying, “I'm tired.”

Numee softly leaned her cheek against Zoey's head. “You're drained. You used your own energy against Skint. I think you accidentally gave your energy away.”

She placed her paws on Zoey, just like she did on San earlier. Zoey started to feel better within seconds. Her mind stopped spinning, her legs stopped wobbling, and her body strengthened. It felt like a flood of water slowly flowing into her head, down her back, through her feathers, and into her legs. She stood up. Her vision was normal again.

“You see, Zoey? If you use the energy that I just used, that of the Great Spirit, then you'll find that it's a well that never empties. It's there for everyone's use.”

Numee padded forward, heading in the direction of the Spruce Hollow. Zoey followed, hanging her head in thought. The grass was soft, and every step felt pleasant.
How do you use the energy of the whatever-you-call-it? The Great Spirit?

Coming around a tree, Numee stopped. “You have to remember that Skint has been here for only a few more moons than you. He's still a Dim. He gives off a strange energy when he's around, and sometimes he does strange things. He hasn't gotten it out of his system yet.”

“If he's a Dim, then why is he here?”

“He snuck over from the Dim Lands, then found Nova and asked her if she'd help him, which, as you see, she granted.”

“Help him with what?”

Numee turned her head to the forest, as if looking for Ke and Skint. “He wants to become a PureLight.”

Zoey felt a cool breeze flow through her feathers, taking some of the heat of the day away, making it a perfect afternoon. She followed Numee's gaze. “How can Skint be turned into a PureLight?”

Numee gestured with her tail to follow her. “Let's continue to the Spruce Hollow. I want to check something out.”

“Okay,” Zoey agreed, walking after her.

Numee furrowed her brow. “To answer your question, there's a rumor that the PureLight Order can turn a Dim into a PureLight instantly. I think that's why Skint is here. He heard about it and didn't want to be a Dim anymore. So he crossed over.” She shook her head in disgust, “I can't imagine being a Dim. Yuck!”

“Then,” replied Zoey, “why is he still kind of a Dim if the PureLight Order can change him so quickly?”

Numee stopped, prompting Zoey to do the same. “Didn't Nova tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

Numee frowned. “That the PureLight Order went missing eons ago. We think Crepus stole it.” Numee started to walk again. “So, without the PureLight Order, Skint must work hard to find the love in his heart to transform into a PureLight.”

They rounded a large tree, then stopped. In front of them stood the Spruce Hollow. It was magnificent, and even though Zoey had been inside and slept there, it amazed her again. It practically took her breath away.

“Yeah, it's spectacular, isn't it?” asked Numee.

Zoey nodded her head. There really weren't any words to describe it.

Numee's crystals glowed as she smiled. “Race you!” Without warning, she took off toward the giant tree.

Laughing, Zoey jumped into the air and flapped her wings. She gained speed, soaring over the head of Numee, landing softly in front of the door of the Spruce Hollow.

A moment later Numee arrived. She was beaming. “You did it!” She brushed her fur against Zoey.

Zoey raised her wings in celebration. “I know. I won!”

“You sure did,” replied Numee. “What I'm talking about, though, is even better than winning.”

Zoey scrunched up her brow. “What's that?”

“You, Zoey, with your beautiful voice that will be spoken of in legends, stories, fables, and myths to come...” her grin grew larger “...didn't mumble or murmur once on the way here.”

Zoey shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Numee nudged her with a paw. “It's bigger than you can imagine.” She turned and walked up to the door. She knocked three times, then stopped. Two more times, then paused. One more time and the peep-hole slid open.

“Who goes there?” asked Taregan.

Numee rolled her eyes. “Just let us in, Taregan.”

The door slowly opened with a clunk and the clang of the bells. The old crane tapped his foot up and down, wings folded. “Follow the rules, Numee.” He gestured his beak to Zoey, then looked at Numee, “And don't make me look bad in front of the students.” Glancing at Zoey, he gave her a wink. He turned to Numee, sighing. “Yes, what is it?”