“Mom.” Corazon whispered.

     “And Dad.” Felicia added.

     “And brothers.” Tia said.

     “And sisters.” Giselle sighed.

     “And everyone else.” Dienna pounded the wall. “I’d almost rather be back there as a slave than up here by myself.”

     “You’re not by yourself.” Giselle said after a pause.

     “We’re all here for you.” Tia added. “Everyone’s here for everyone else. We’re family now.”

     “Besides,” Corazon said. “We’re of more use to our families here, than back there.”

     “You’re not gonna start on that hope speech, again, are you?” Dienna snapped.

     “I already said it once. I meant it when I said it, so I don’t need to say it again.” Corazon replied.

     “Come on,” Tia put her arm around Dienna’s shoulder. “I’ll stay with you in your room until you fall asleep, if it makes you feel better. You know,” Tia’s voice began to fade as she walked Dienna out of Corazon’s room. “To have someone to talk to.”

     “I’m sorry I said that.” Giselle mumbled.

     “It’s okay.” Corazon replied. “We needed to remember. We would have remembered anyway. At least no one forgot.”

     “I feel bad, though.” Giselle said. “About making Dienna homesick.”

     “We’re all homesick.” Felicia interrupted. “Except none of us want to show it, or admit it. I’m going to bed.”

     “Goodnight.” Corazon said. Then she went to clean up the training stuff. It wasn’t long before she heard Giselle sobbing. “Giselle? Are you okay?” Corazon stood up. “Oh, Giselle.” She took Giselle into a hug. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

     “I just feel so bad.” Giselle said through her tears. “Not bad like angry, or sad, just bad all over.”

     “I know how that feels.” Corazon replied. “I felt bad like that when something had gone wrong and I felt like I’d hurt someone and that it was all my fault and I was feeling really emotionally distorted on the inside anyway. I know it’s not a good feeling, but it will pass. Just cry it out.” Corazon had her own, silent tears sliding down her face. “Shh-hh-hh-hhh. It’s okay, Giselle. Don’t worry. Everything’s okay.” They stood there in a hug for a few minutes, until Giselle stopped crying. “Do you want to sit down and talk?” Corazon asked.

     “Why not?” Giselle sniffed and sat down on Corazon’s bed.

     “Give me a minute to clean this up.” Corazon said as she bent down to the keyboards and helmet. “There.” She said when everything was back in the box. “Now what’s up?”

     “Everything.” Giselle said. “My mom’s probably freaking, my dad’s probably drinking again, my sister’s probably all messed up. Not to mention I’m still trying to get over that engine room crisis.”

     “What engine room crisis?” Corazon asked as she sat down next to Giselle.

     “When Felicia had to reroute one of the engines.” Giselle sniffed again. “We’d been hit and it knocked one of the engines out-of-whack and it totally shut down. I was ready to freak, but Felicia went right to the problem.” Giselle took a deep breath. “She told Twilight about the engine and then looked around for a spare cord. She had me connecting and disconnecting the wires while she fixed the controls. It wasn’t hard, or anything. It was just like a VCR.”

     “I’m glad someone can understand how to install VCR’s.” Corazon said sarcastically. “Next time we get a new one, I’ll call you.” Corazon smiled. “Do you feel better, yet?”

     “A little.” Giselle replied.

     “Well you’re not leaving until you feel all better.” Corazon stated. Giselle laughed. “It’s what you would say to me!” Corazon protested.

     “You really think so?” Giselle asked as she smiled.

     “Giselle, it’s why I like you so much.” Corazon replied. “You never let anyone frown. You never let anyone out of your sight unless they’re smiling. You’re one of the best friends I’ve got.”

     “Thanks.” Giselle gave Corazon a half-hug. “I’ll go check on Felicia before I go to my room. Goodnight.”

     “Goodnight.” Corazon said. “See you in the morning.” Yawning, Corazon lifted her feet onto her bed and waited for the light to go out. They didn’t. 

Corazon sat up and looked around. The box. Sighing, Corazon got up, lifted up the box and placed it on top of the dresser. Then Corazon went back to bed, and tried to go to sleep. Because of her early-afternoon nap, Corazon wasn’t tired at all.

     She lay awake in the black room for quite some time. She thought about home, her family, school, how her grades would be affected by her disappearance, how her school would be affected by the Bandaa, how the world would be affected by the Bandaa, if a war had been fought and how long the war might last. Finally, Corazon fell into a light, but comfortable sleep.

     Corazon dreamed that night. It wasn’t a dream, exactly. More like a nightmare.

     Corazon was lying on the sofa at her house. Her family was around her, doing what they pleased. Then she was at school. Corazon was looking at her report card. Her grades from the second quarter, to the third quarter hadn’t changed. Then she was in the cafeteria. No one was talking because the Bandaa had outlawed talking. She was also sitting near people she didn’t know because the Bandaa had assigned seats. There were Bandaa warriors walking around the large room, keeping things in order. They zapped at anyone who fell the least bit out of line. Then Corazon saw the Bandaa zapping U.S. military people like flies with a fly swatter. Then she saw the president kneeling before the Bandaa Queen and King, Heranna and Racule.

     The next thing Corazon knew, she was standing in a black void. She was alone. The image of her family came and went, as did an image of her school. Then Corazon came face to face with Heranna and Racule. She and her four best friends, Dienna, Tia, Giselle and Felicia, were standing in a semi-circle, in front of the monarchs. Twilight was nowhere to be seen, but, somehow, Corazon knew that in order to get him, she had to get through Heranna and Racule.

     The five friends locked arms and stood firm while Heranna and Racule started blasting at them with laser-fingers. Even though it hurt dramatically, none of the girls moved. Finally, Heranna charged at Tia and Racule charged at Dienna, the girls on the ends of the semi-circle. Tia and Dienna disappeared. Then Felicia and Giselle were next, leaving Corazon alone to fend against the evil Bandaa.

     Corazon began backing away from them. She had never been more frightened in all her life. Heranna and Racule advanced on her, very slowly. Corazon wanted to turn around and run, but when she tried, her feet wouldn’t move. Instead, she saw all the faces of all of the families of all of her friends. She saw the faces of her own family. She heard the screams of pain and yells of agony that had come from all of the people that the Bandaa had hurt in some way. Her heart pounded as sweat dripped down her head in rivers. Her feet still wouldn’t move, and the screams didn’t stop. She kept seeing images of the terror and pain that the Bandaa had inflicted upon all those who had stood in their way.

     Then Corazon saw Twilight, standing strong and tall, and she saw all of her friends. Then the five of them began to chant “Corazon, Corazon, Corazon,” Corazon was going mad. All of the pain and suffering the Bandaa had caused ate at her heart. The confident chants of her friends built up her confidence. Then she couldn’t bear it. Corazon screamed her own bloodcurdling scream and felt her wrath unleash.