TWO: Starfish (This one takes place shortly after the end of Chosen Destiny. It features Sharon and a new character who will be an important player in Stolen Destiny. This one's not too serious or traumatic, I promise.)

The wind was strong as Maverick Clarke stood on the cliff overlooking the Reservation in Tiger's Bluff. He'd been raised on the Reservation by his mother. Maverick had never known his father, but his mother described him as a magical man from another land, and Maverick believed that's exactly what he was. It would explain a few things.

He was not alone. A girl with blonde hair and glasses stood precariously close to the edge of the cliff. Her ponytail blew chaotically in the wind as she stared down at the Reservation.

"You're not thinking about jumping, are you?" He asked casually.

She nearly went over the edge, but Maverick's reflexes were fast, and he steadied her before she could fall. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm alright," she replied quickly.

"I'm Maverick," he said gently, trying not to startle her further. "Who might you be?"

The girl hesitated. "My name is Sharon," she replied a bit shyly.

"Are you alright, Sharon? You seem a bit lost in your head."

"I'm fine... Just contemplating the Universe, I suppose."

"This is a great place for that. I do it all the time... Have you ever visited the actual Reservation?"

"No... I've actually never been to Tiger's Bluff before. I recently discovered I can teleport, and I somehow ended up here." She covered her mouth with her hands in obvious embarrassment. "I mean... Oh goodness... Ya must think I'm doolally." Sharon's voice took on an accent as she grew nervous.

"I'm pretty sure I don't know what doolally means," Maverick replied with a laugh.

"Crazy," Sharon explained softly. Her eyes were very sad as she explained this. Maverick focused and tried to send some soothing energy her way.

"Where are you from, Sharon?" He asked.

"Ireland, originally... But I live in Angel Grove now," she admitted. She still wouldn't make eye contact with him.

"That's not too far from here. Look, don't worry, Sharon. I'm a Shaman. Trust me, I'm good with things most people would deem, um... Doolally."

Sharon laughed softly as he used the word. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm a bit sensitive... I spent about a decade locked away in a place for the mentally ill and I guess I'm always scared I'll end up back there, but you're a Shaman. You understand magic, right?"

"I do, Sharon," he replied soothingly. He could tell she was desperate for people to accept her. "It's okay to talk openly about things like that to me."

Sharon paused, and Maverick sensed that she was still a little bit nervous. "I've met some bad people, Maverick... And I'm not the best judge of character sometimes. My sister Denni says I'm a bit naive... Not unkindly, mind you. She's great... She just worries about me being too innocent in a world that's anything but."

"She's a good sister," Maverick decided. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to, Sharon. I just thought you might like to experience the Reservation up close, since you were staring at it from up here. It's beautiful, and full of magic, and I promise no one will judge you."

She smiled again, relaxing slightly. "I think I can trust you... And I want to see it. There's a Reservation in Stone Canyon and one in Stone Hollow, but none in Angel Grove. I've always been curious about them... I like the energy they give off. They feel like sanctuaries."

"They are sanctuaries. You'll be safe there, Sharon." He manifested a ball of light in his hands, demonstrating some of the magic of the land.

"That's beautiful," she said. "Ae you sure it's okay for me to visit?"

"Of course it is. We get visitors all the time. The local kids come here on school trips a lot. They used to visit the restoration village that was built on our land, too, right near this spot... But after a terrorist attack back in 1989, they stopped taking kids there, and it shut down. Now they all come to us, which is better. They can learn the history of the land without the Colonizers putting their spin on it."

"Will you teach me?" She asked excitedly. "I love learning new things. I used to read a lot while I was hospitalized. It's how I comforted myself and passed the time."

"I'd be happy to." He offered Sharon his hand. She took it. To Maverick's great surprise, sparks flew out of their hands as they connected.

"Whoa... You are magical," he said.

"And so are you," Sharon replied. "What sort of powers do you have?"

"Other than your basic Shaman skills like healing, visiting the Underworld, and traveling the dream realm, I'm a Seer. I had visions even before I became a Shaman. I'm also good with working with nature..."

"How did you become a Shaman?" Sharon asked. "I'm sorry... Is that too personal?"

"Probably, but I'm going to answer you anyway," Maverick replied with a laugh. "It was about a decade ago. I was twelve. My mom and I were in a pretty bad car wreck. We were both killed. I decided not to accept that and found my way back to my body. I healed myself, resurrected myself, and then did the same for my mom."

Sharon's eyes widened in surprise. "You were able to do all of that at twelve?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'm stubborn." He grinned at her, then sensed her own pain. "Oh, Sharon... What happened to your mom wasn't your fault. You were just a baby."

She looked lost then. "You picked up on that?" She asked softly.

"You were broadcasting, I'm a Shaman, and I caught a flash of a vision. I'm sorry..."

"No, it's okay. I'm alright." She offered him a sad but brave smile. "Can we enter the Reservation now?"

He returned her smile. "We sure can," he said. He led her onto the sacred land. As soon as she crossed over the edge, she visibly relaxed. Her magic, however, seemed to react to her new surroundings. Sparks flew out of her hands again.

"I feel so safe here," she said despite her sparking hands.

"You haven't been safe very often, have you?" Maverick asked sympathetically.

"No," she admitted softly. "People in Ireland thought I was broken. They called me a witch... And my Da, well... He wasn't kind to me."

Maverick could sense that this was an extreme understatement. He wanted to find the man's soul and punish him for harming the daughter he was meant to protect, but he remained calm for Sharon's sake.

He took her hands in his own and looked deep into her eyes. "You aren't broken, Sharon... You're just regenerating."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

He moved her closer to the sea and called a starfish he knew well to the edge of the water. "This is my friend, Luna... You're like this starfish, Sharon. Sometimes, out in the ocean, it gets chaotic, and circumstances cause the starfish to get hurt. This one lost an arm once."

"But she looks fine," Sharon said in confusion.

"That's because starfish regenerate, no matter how badly they get hurt. It may take a long time, but they always get there eventually. Even when they break, they find a way to become whole again." He watched her closely as his words sank in.

"I'm not broken... I'm regenerating," she said softly. "I kind of like that..."

Maverick was pleased to see the last of Sharon's stress fading away. He smiled and let her gently stroke the starfish before sending it back into the sea.

"Do you feel better?" He asked.

"I do, actually. Thank you, Maverick. I'm really glad I met you today."

"I'm glad, too, Sharon. You're welcome here any time. Just ask for me."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked in confusion.

"Because someone should be. You are a good soul, Sharon. I can tell. And besides, I can never have too many friends, right?"

"I don't really have any of those... It's just my siblings, and people who knew my biological Ma."

"Well, now you can add a young Shaman to the list! We're friends, Sharon... So don't be a stranger."

She smiled shyly before hugging him. "Friends can hug, right?"

"Of course they can," he replied. "Hug me anytime you want."

"How did you call the starfish?" She asked after a moment.

"I can feel Luna's spirit. We have a bond," he replied.

"Is she your familiar?"

"You could say she's one of my familiars. I have a coyote, too. He's a good boy... But Luna and I understand each other. I know what it's like to feel broken... Luna helped me learn how to come back stronger."

"And now, you're teaching me," Sharon replied.

"I believe in paying things forward, especially important life lessons."

A hint of unexpected mischief appeared in Sharon's eyes. "Can I meet the coyote?" She asked.

Maverick laughed. "Sure. He's been watching us curiously anyway... Doug, come here!"

"Doug?" Sharon repeated in surprise.

"Not every name has to be mystical, Sharon," Maverick replied with a laugh.

An eager coyote came trotting over to them. Maverick scratched him behind his ears before saying, "Doug, meet Sharon! Sharon, this is Doug."

Sharon let Doug sniff her hand. She looked stunned but excited as he rolled over and exposed his belly to her.

"He likes you," Maverick replied. "You can pet him. It's okay."

Sharon eagerly pet the coyote. Doug seemed as happy about that as she was. Maverick smiled as he watched them bond.

He was unaware that someone stood on the cliff where they'd previously been watching them closely.

"Excellent," Garron said softly. "This is precisely what I had hoped for... Soon, my boy, you will learn the truth... Until then, let me leave you to your moment of peace."

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Doug

Garron

Luna

Maverick

Sharon Morgan