Lonnie's Warrior Sword

by Jessica Brody

  “And you haven’t apologized?” Lonnie asked, shocked.

  Jay scoffed. “No. I don’t apologize.”

  “Why not? Are you afraid?” Lonnie challenged him, knowing it was the same thing he’d accused her of being before they’d left Auradon Prep.

  “Psh,” Jay said, waving this away. “Of course not.”

  “I think you are. I think you’re afraid of admitting you did something wrong. And that’s why you’ve been acting like a total clown around her all weekend. Because you’re too cowardly to do the right thing.”

  Jay opened his mouth to argue, but Lonnie quickly cut him off. “So don’t lecture me about bravery. If you were brave, you would just tell her you’re sorry. But it looks like bravery is a trait that neither of us really has.”

  And with that, Lonnie walked away, leaving Jay frozen and speechless on the steps of the Imperial Palace.

  She didn’t know where she was going. She just knew she had to get away. She had to walk. She had to think. She had to mourn the loss of her precious sword. All alone.

  I guess there’s nothing to do now but admit defeat. I may have won the challenge, but I didn’t get what I really came here for.

  After wandering around the Imperial City for nearly an hour, Lonnie found herself standing in front of the Hall of Wisdom. She stared up at the majestic structure with its deep red columns and tiered wooden roof.

  Her sword was inside those walls.

  Not more than a hundred feet from where she stood.

  And yet she’d never felt farther away from it.

  With a sigh, Lonnie mounted the steps and entered through the heavy wooden doors. She just wanted to look at it. She just wanted to see it one last time before she returned to Auradon Prep.

  The great hall was empty of people. The sword of Shan-Yu sat on a gold pedestal in the center of the room, protected by a glass case. Lonnie walked slowly toward it, feeling her disappointment grow with every step. When she reached the pedestal, she pressed her hands against the glass, feeling it shimmer and vibrate beneath her fingers.

  She knew from years of coming here as a child to gaze upon her future possession that the glass protecting the sword was enchanted with a special kind of magic. An ancient magic that Lonnie knew nothing about. All she knew was that the glass was unbreakable. Impenetrable. Not even the sharpest sword or the strongest warrior could shatter it.

  Lonnie stared at the beautiful weapon behind the glass. The jagged steel sparkled under the lights of the great hall. She let out a long, sorrowful exhale and watched as her breath fogged up the glass and then cleared almost instantly.

  “It’s just a sword,” Lonnie said aloud, trying to make herself feel better. “What’s so special about it, anyway?”

  So she was going home empty-handed. So what? Even though she hadn’t seemed to prove anything to the Imperial Council, she’d certainly proved something to herself. That she was just as mighty and strong and brave as her mother. That she could take on the reigning champion of the Auradon Warrior Challenge and win. That was enough, wasn’t it?

  The next day she’d simply walk into a shop in downtown Auradon and purchase a brand-new sword. It would be just as good. It would win her plenty of R.O.A.R. competitions. Sure, it wouldn’t be soaked in history like this one. Sure, it wouldn’t come with a tradition of honor and bravery. But what did that matter? It would be brand-new, and it would be hers. She didn’t need this stupid old sword, anyway.

  Lonnie started crying again.

  Who was she kidding? Of course she needed this sword! It was her birthright. She was destined to have it.

  Just not yet, apparently.

  “I don’t understand,” Lonnie whispered aloud to the weapon held prisoner behind the glass case. “Why can’t you be mine? Why won’t the council let me have you?”

  “Ah, but see, that is where you are mistaken,” came a rattling voice from somewhere behind her.

  Lonnie gasped and turned around to see a very old woman walking slowly toward her with the help of a cane. The woman’s wrinkly skin seemed to fall in layers around the features of her face. She was dressed in a red satin robe, and her snow-white hair was pulled back into a tight bun secured by a black ribbon. It wasn’t until Lonnie noticed the necklace of bright green jade hanging around her neck that she realized who this person was.

  “The All-Knowing One,” Lonnie said, tipping forward into a bow. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was here.”

  The old woman ignored her apology and came closer. “You are mistaken to believe that the council has anything to do with the decision to deny you the sword.”

  Lonnie’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. What was this old lady talking about? “I don’t understand,” Lonnie said as politely as she could. “It was the council who told me I couldn’t have the sword.”

  The woman smiled, her crinkled eyes brightening. “Yes, but have you ever considered that the council is nothing more than a messenger service, delivering verdicts from another source?”

  “You,” Lonnie said with sudden realization. “You were the one who told them to deny me the sword?”

  All this time she’d been blaming the council, when it was her. This woman. She was the one responsible for Lonnie’s going home empty-handed.

  Lonnie wanted to feel anger toward the little old woman who stood before her, but she just couldn’t muster any. There was something about the woman’s kind, bright eyes that made it impossible to direct any ill will toward her.

  “You give me far too much credit, my dear,” the All-Knowing One said with a chuckle that sounded more like a croak. “I wouldn’t dream of making a decision as important as the destiny of this city’s greatest asset.” She nodded toward the sword.

  Lonnie was confused again. “But if it wasn’t you who made the decision, then who did?”

  The old woman tilted her head and gave Lonnie a strange look, as though she were surprised Lonnie hadn’t yet figured out the answer to her own question. Then she raised her cane and gave the display case a light tap. “Why, it was the sword itself, of course.”

  Lonnie blinked rapidly, trying to keep up. “The sword made the decision?”

  “Didn’t your mother ever tell you how special this sword was?”

  “Well, yes,” Lonnie replied. “But she never said it was magic.”

  The woman’s head teetered from side to side. “Magic is a strong word. It’s very hard to put a label on something so ancient and steeped in history. Let’s just say the sword has been around longer than all of us, and therefore it is quite capable of making its own decisions.”

  Lonnie closed her eyes tight, trying to wrap her head around everything that was happening. “So you’re saying the sword doesn’t want me?”

  “Oh, no, my dear,” the All-Knowing One said, making a tsk sound with her teeth. “The sword knows it belongs to you. It’s just waiting for you to prove that you belong to it.”

  Lonnie felt a scream of frustration rise in her throat. She took a deep breath. “But that’s what I did! I proved my worth. I won the Auradon Warrior Challenge. It’s the most difficult competition in all the kingdom!”

  The woman smiled her crinkly little smile again. “Clearly, the sword is not impressed with such accolades.”

  “But what more can I do?” Lonnie asked desperately.

  The woman leaned forward on her cane. “I suppose there’s always the third wish,” she whispered.

  Lonnie’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Y-y-you know about Jordan’s lamp?”

  “Of course. They don’t call me the All-Knowing One for nothing.” She cocked her head to the side. “Although I never cared for the title, myself. A bit too flashy for my taste.”

  “Wait a minute,” Lonnie said, holding up her hands. “Are you saying that if I wish for the sword, I’ll get it?”

  The old woman shrugged. “Genie magic is very powerful.”

  “But I promised Jordan I would save the third wish for her,” Lon
nie said, more to herself than to the woman.

  The All-Knowing One nodded, as though she, too, could feel the weight of Lonnie’s dilemma. “I suppose, then, you must decide how much the sword is worth to you.”

  It’s worth a lot, Lonnie thought immediately.

  After all, she had been born to have that sword. She wanted so badly to have it now. She wanted to show up at that induction ceremony holding it proudly in her hands. And she did deserve it. She knew that! She didn’t care what the All-Knowing One or the council said. She had taken on the hardest challenge of her life and won. She was a warrior. The greatest modern warrior. And she had the medal and cash prize to prove it.

  She reached inside the jacket of her uniform and pulled out the lamp. Jordan had given it to her for good luck. And…

  Just in case you need to use your third wish.

  See, a voice inside Lonnie’s mind said, even Jordan wants you to have the sword.

  Jordan was willing to give up her wish for Lonnie’s. That’s how good of a friend she was….

  Lonnie glanced up to see the All-Knowing One studying her closely. “Do you know what you will do?”

  Lonnie nodded. “I know what I will do.”

  I know how this works. I just close my eyes and rub my hands against the cool metal surface of the lamp. And make my final wish.

  A strange sound echoed across the large, empty room of the Hall of Wisdom. It sounded like a choir singing and insects buzzing and thunder rolling all at once. Lonnie’s eyes shot open, and she jumped back from the golden pedestal.

  “What’s happening?” she whispered.

  Lonnie watched with a mix of fascination and alarm as the glass case around the sword began to shimmer. Like it were made of nothing more than air. The mysterious humming sound grew louder and louder as the clear barrier continued to glisten and sparkle.

  “You chose wisely,” the All-Knowing One said somewhere behind Lonnie. But Lonnie didn’t turn around. She didn’t dare peel her eyes away from the magnificent sight that lay in front of her.

  Then Lonnie felt a gust of warm air travel through the great hall. She glanced up and swore she saw small specks of gold blowing around her, like very fine glitter. She looked back at the sword and gasped when she noticed that the glass case was no longer there. It had simply ceased to exist. The sword was sitting on the pedestal with absolutely no protective case around it.

  Certain she must be imagining things, Lonnie slowly extended a trembling hand toward the sword, expecting her fingertips to be blocked. But her hand sailed right through the space where the barrier had once been. She let her fingers graze against the handle of the mighty sword, feeling a tingle soar through her hand, up her arm, and all throughout her body.

  “B-b-but,” she stammered, bewildered. “There must be some mistake.”

  “There is no mistake,” the All-Knowing One said meaningfully.

  Lonnie looked confused. “But I didn’t wish for the sword.”

  She racked her brain, trying to retrace her steps over the past few minutes. There weren’t many to retrace. She’d closed her eyes, she’d rubbed the lamp, and deep in her mind, she’d thought the words:

  I wish for Jordan to be free of her commitment.

  She’d kept her promise. She had sworn she would save the final wish for Jordan, and that’s exactly what she had done. So then, why was the sword suddenly unprotected? As though it were giving itself to her?

  The woman croaked out another laugh. “You see, when you put your own desires aside for the sake of your promise, you not only proved your loyalty to your friend, you also proved your honor. And that is the secret of being a true warrior.”

  The secret of being a true warrior.

  Where had Lonnie heard those words before?

  Then the memory came flooding back to her. She saw herself as a little girl, training with her mother under the cherry blossom trees. She’d wanted to keep going, keep practicing, keep fighting, thinking that strength was what proved a person’s worthiness. But her mother had smiled that gentle smile of hers and said, Being a valiant warrior is not about the strength you have here. It’s about the strength you have here. And then her mother had touched Lonnie’s chest, right over her heart.

  Lonnie hadn’t truly understood her mother’s words until this very moment. Until she had been faced with the choice that would finally prove her worthiness.

  Until the right challenge had presented itself.

  Just as her mother had said it would.

  “Honor.” Lonnie repeated the word aloud, marveling at it just as Jay had done back in the arena. She loved the way it felt on her lips. Like a secret. Like a key that opened any lock. It was more challenging than any obstacle. It was more valued than any medal. And it was something you could never prove with swords or shields or spinning logs.

  “The sword of Shan-Yu has seen the honor inside you,” the All-Knowing One said, “and it has given itself to you.”

  Then the old woman stretched out a bony finger and pointed toward the golden pedestal. Toward the glimmering, ancient sword that had waited so patiently for this moment.

  Lonnie sucked in a sharp breath and reached out, grasping the sword by its sturdy handle, pulling the mighty weapon toward her.

  Claiming her birthright once and for all.

  Not only did I earn my sword, but I finally found out what my mom meant about the strength in my heart. I get it now! Oh, and did I mention I also got some serious prize money for winning the challenge?

  “You really know how to travel in style!” Jordan exclaimed, leaning back in her blue velvet first-class seat. “A five-star royal suite and now a private car on the high-speed Auradon Express train?”

  Lonnie grinned and ran her hands over the sheathed sword in her lap. She hadn’t been able to stop touching it.

  Since she didn’t really have much use for the cash prize that came with winning the Auradon Warrior Challenge, Lonnie had decided to spend it on train tickets back to Auradon Prep for her and her friends. It was the fastest way to get home, and—in this private first-class car—definitely the most glamorous.

  “Pretty nice,” Jay said, running his hands over the gold-encrusted fixtures of the compartment.

  “Try not to steal anything,” Jordan teased.

  “Just your heart,” Jay quipped back.

  “Dream on,” Jordan said with a groan.

  Lonnie was so happy about having her sword, she didn’t even mind that Jay and Jordan were back to their usual squabbling. She glanced down at the mighty weapon in her lap and another huge beaming smile lit up her face.

  “You realize we’re going to get in a lot of trouble now,” Jay said. “After your little de-wigging escapade in the arena, everyone back at Auradon Prep knows you were here. And it won’t be long until they figure out Jordan and I were with you.”

  Lonnie had certainly thought about that. She knew that unveiling herself back in the arena would have consequences, but she didn’t care. She was ready to face them. She was ready to face anything. She didn’t want to hide anymore.

  “That’s okay,” Lonnie said with a shrug, peering down at her sword again. “Some things are worth getting caught for.” Then she glanced between Jay and Jordan and quickly added, “But if you guys want me to cover for you, I will. You don’t have to get in trouble just because—”

  “Relax,” Jordan interrupted her. “We’re in this together. If you go down, we go down.”

  “Yeah,” Jay said with laugh. “I’m a VK. I’m not afraid of no Fairy Godmother.”

  “Besides, you’re right,” Jordan added. “Some things are worth getting caught for.” She winked at Lonnie. “Like friendship.”

  As soon as Lonnie had returned to the suite with the sword, she’d found Jordan there packing up her things. Lonnie told her what had happened at the Hall of Wisdom.

  “I made my third wish,” she’d said to Jordan. “And you’re free.”

  “Really?” Jordan had asked, grinning
. “You really did it?”

  “Of course,” Lonnie had said. “A promise is a promise.”

  Jordan’s smile had immediately fallen from her face as if she had been lost in thought for a moment.

  “So,” Lonnie had gone on, “you won’t have to finish the documentary for Ben.”

  “Good,” Jordan had said, but there had been a hollowness in her voice. Like the word had no meaning. “Great. Perfect. Thanks.” Then she’d turned and finished packing. Jordan hadn’t mentioned the conversation since.

  Lonnie now turned and stared out the window of the train, watching the gorgeous scenery of the Auradon countryside. It was whizzing by so fast, the trees seemed to blur. The three of them fell into an easy silence, which was quickly broken by Jay’s fidgeting with the window shade. He kept pulling it up and then yanking it back down. Then, when he seemed to tire of that, he moved on to playing with the overhead lights, switching them on and off.

  Lonnie soon realized that Jay must be nervous about something.

  Getting caught?

  But he’d just said he didn’t care about that. She was about to open her mouth to ask why Jay was acting so strange when Jordan beat him to it.

  “Jay!” she snapped. “What are you doing? Why are you fidgeting with everything?”

  Jay looked at Lonnie, and she noticed something unfamiliar in his dark eyes. Something she’d never seen in Jay before.

  Fear.

  Jay turned to Jordan. “I have to tell you something,” he said hurriedly, as though he was afraid that if he didn’t get it out, he’d lose his nerve.

  Jordan crossed her arms. “What?”

  Jay took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. For what I said about your dad. It was mean and hurtful and I shouldn’t have said it.”

  Lonnie and Jordan both stared at Jay in total shock. Neither could bring themselves to believe the words coming out of Jay’s mouth.

  “I know I’ve been acting a little nuts lately,” Jay went on, still rushing through his words as though desperate to get them all out. “I think I was just too afraid to admit that I hurt you, so instead I’ve been trying to cover up the awkwardness by acting silly. Hoping you’d just laugh and forget about being mad. And I’m sorry for that, too.”