"Sure."
Just then, Professor Lemmings came over, but not in a walk. He was breathless. "Evan!" He ran between the twins. "Stop!"
"What?"
"It doesn't matter what you're arguing about... Don't use your stones over this."
Then he got it. The professor thought he was attacking Samantha.
"Oh no! She asked me to!" he said.
"Yeah! We're trying to figure out more about his element," Samantha added.
"Oh..." Roger Lemmings eyed them both, then fiddled with a pocket. "I thought... Never mind then." He brightened up. "It's good you're still trying to learn more about it."
"It's not easy though. It's not light, yet it's hot..." Evan shrugged. "It's hard using it without knowing what it is exactly."
"Since Visero was arrested, there's been a lot of research on the moonstones, as you two probably already know. Yours is a hard one to make progress on, Evan, but right now, the popular theory is that it's something not of Areth. The other elements ― wind, fire, lightning, rain, ice ― are all common occurrences on Areth. They're what cause natural changes to our planet."
"So you think Evan's light exists on another planet, and it might have effects there?" Samantha asked.
"That's the popular belief right now among scientists."
"Whoa." Evan stared down at the moonstone in his hand. Suddenly all his earlier jokes seemed ignorant and stupid to him. This stone was something special.
"They're still arguing over a name for it," Professor Lemmings continued. "Right now it seems to be space-focused ones, until we understand what it does on its native planet. I've heard celestial stone, cosmic stone, even soluna stone." Smiling, he shrugged. "Call it whatever you want, because the jury's still out on an official name."
"I like soluna," Samantha said. "But what about the heal stone? That's not a natural force. Is that normal on another planet?"
"That's one of the quirky, rarer stones. It might not be something as obvious as weather patterns, but it is something that still happens. Think of how amazing our bodies are. Every life form has a certain amount of regenerative abilities. It's something that's found in all of us, and so, it's a part of nature as well. The same way we can all create wind of our own." He blew at her. "Or can become electrically charged with static when it's dry out."
"I guess."
"But until we learn more, you two keep experimenting with your stones. Encourage your friends to do the same. It's probably best to keep it a secret from everyone else for now, until we understand the risks better. Hearing about something like a wish stone could cause a disaster. Imagine, a stone that can grant your deepest desire..."
"But does it really work?" Evan had to ask. "We still get tired if we use too much energy."
"But that's because I wished for you to have all that energy just so you could deal with Visero. After he left, the wish's effects were over. It didn't seem like a good idea to give you complete energy. I mean, that fire tornado should've been an eye-opener to all of us..." Roger Lemmings stared at the Clark University Center. "It's dangerous if you lose control."
"Yeah..." Samantha looked down at her shoes.
"But keep practicing. And keep trying more combinations like that. If you can keep control of your element and work well with someone, you could do all kinds of amazing things. Try different things. And remember too, your element is powered by your own personal energy. If you and someone else get along well, then chances are you'll have better luck combining your energy and elements. It's a really personal thing, so don't underestimate that part of it."
"Sam and Oliver both overreact to things," Evan shared.
"Then work on controlling your emotions a bit, Samantha. Sometimes nice and easy gets the job done."
"It's hard when someone's trying to kill you. Or when they're just a jerk."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right about that." The professor glanced up at the university clock tower. "But I hope you don't take any of this personally. To be honest, you're the one who's impressed me the most."
"Oh, thank you!" Beaming, her cheeks tinted a bit.
"Wind might not be as strong as some of the others, but you make it versatile and unpredictable. Keep practicing with it. You'll only get better. One day, I'm sure you could pull off some interesting tornados with a partner. Oh, but I'm sure you won't need to." He chuckled. "Hopefully with everyone realizing all the crimes Visero's committed, the Superiorist movement will finally fall and at last we can all get along. You two might even have some Tranlude classmates in the future!"
"Shape-shifter classmates?" Evan asked.
"Hey, they can't all shape-shift now," Samantha said. "Don't start a stereotype!"
"Well, I ought to get going." Roger Lemmings took a few steps. "Looking forward to seeing you both in Mythology 101 this autumn. I'm grateful for all you've done, but don't expect an easy grade. I take my subject seriously."
"Can we get extra credit?" Evan had his orb materialize. "For practicing with these?"
"I don't think that would be fair to the rest of your classmates. But perhaps a bonus question relating to moonstones might be appropriate."
"Still haven't found yours yet?" Samantha asked.
"No, not yet. But the search is part of the fun. Well, have a good break."
"You too."
"'Bye."
Watching the professor and his waving coat leave, Evan finally felt like himself again. Finally, it would be back to the usual. Summer break and its period of relaxation. He and Samantha would go back home to their parents for the few months ― maybe less if it got annoying. It would be nice not having to worry about homework, exams, rent, food, and Tranludes. Just figuring out how to last the boredom.
Samantha stretched. "What are we doing about lunch? We could get take out and bring some back for Joby and Oliver."
"Do you feel like practicing with our moonstones first?"
"Just in general, or do you have something in mind?"
"Something in mind."
And so, a long semester came to a close for the twins and their friends. Finally, the Tranludes were no longer a mystery, and with their moonstones by their sides, the future was looking bright.
But how long would moonstones remain a secret? How many types were there? All the answers left only more questions.
But one thing was sure: life would never be the same for Samantha, Evan, Joby, and Oliver.
###
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed my book, please leave a review! It makes all my work worthwhile.
Visit moonstonesofareth.com for more about the series, and to learn more about the next books!
Power by Moonstone - coming September, 2015
Joby starts to get serious about street art, even going by the alias Tiger. But his new street art friends aren't what he once thought they were. Soon they're more interested in committing crimes than in the art itself, and they want Joby to introduce them to moonstones. Joby finds himself constantly having to choose between impressing his new friends, and remaining loyal to Samantha, Evan, and Oliver, his old friends. With his mind elsewhere, Joby finds his accuracy with his lightning stone has also gotten much worse.
Corpuless - coming October, 2015
While away on summer vacation with his sister and their friends, Evan is soon caught up in a conflict between an old village and a monster said to be dead, but still wandering the woods and seeking revenge. Who is the true victim in the century-old struggle between man and beast, and are Evan and his friends going to be the scapegoats in the end?
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