After 33 days of searching the cosmos, the Xenotypes, including Goh and Leah, the captains of the Xenarmies, Vael, the general, the head scientist, the pilot, and other strong fighters finally arrived on Earth. Their ship, the Zypheirius, had enabled them to travel faster than light. They descended upon a desolate, broken land a few miles away from Vitoria where the first light of dawn barely pierced the lingering shadows.
"The impact… it destroyed the Earth pretty badly," Leah said, her voice filled with shock as she surveyed the devastation around them.
"The Auragmite is that powerful," Goh chuckled darkly
Leah shot him a stern look, her expression hardened. "That's not something to joke about." She turned away and started walking a long distance from the others.
"Search everywhere and bring everything you find suspicious." Vael ordered.
They searched for six hours, combing through the area with little success. Their energy trackers flickered weakly. Outside Earth's atmosphere, the Auragmite's energy signature had been clear, guiding them toward the planet. but now, it only gave them a faint signal to follow.
Leah, growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress, moved farther away from the group, using her tracker to scan the area. They had only three trackers, one in her possession, another with Vael, and the last with the head scientist. The signal was weak but there was something, faint, but clear enough to show that the Auragmite was on Earth but concealed.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something. A strange human girl was stumbling towards her, her body frail and her steps unsteady. Leah's sharp eyes caught the shimmer of the girl's dark purple and black hair, and her tattered clothes were a sign of the devastation that had torn through the land. But what really caught Leah's attention were her eyes—vivid purple, glowing with an eerie light.
"Help me," the strange girl whispered, her voice strained and hoarse as she reached out toward Leah, trembling.
Leah's heart skipped a beat, surprised that the girl showed no fear at her strange appearance—her purple skin, wide alien eyes, and otherworldly features. It seemed as though she's been walking for days.
A wave of compassion washed over Leah. She knelt down, gently lifting the child into her arms before she could collapse onto the ground.
"Leah!" Goh called from a distance, his voice sharp as he approached. "Are you alright?" he asked, his tone cautious.
Leah looked up at him, her expression unreadable. "Did you find anything?"
"No," Goh replied, shaking his head. His eyes quickly fell on the small girl in Leah's arms, "But it seems like you did."
Leah looked down at the girl
"What's that?" Goh asked.
"A human Goh, A human" Leah answered simply, her voice soft.
"Oh yeah, I've seen their images in our archives." Goh muttered, frowning. "Does she have or know the whereabouts of the Auragmite?"
Leah raised an eyebrow, her expression incredulous. "Seriously, Goh? She's just a little human. I think she needs help" she said softly. Then, almost to herself, she murmured, "Isn't she beautiful, like Amethyst" as she brushed a strand of the girl's hair from her face.
Goh sighed, his mind working through the urgency of their mission. "It's the 4th of April. We have until the 29th of June to report back to Carlos. We can't afford to linger."
Leah's face softened as she looked down at the girl. "I'll call her April," she said with a slight smile
Goh frowned, watching in confusion. "She probably already has a name, Leah."
"Not one I know her by," Leah replied.
Goh shook his head. "Alright, we don't have time for this. We need to move."
Leah gave no response, and with a sigh, Goh watched as Leah placed her hands on April's chest. Energy began to emanate from her palms, a green and white glow enveloping the child. As the healing energy surged, Leah's expression focused, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Let's split up," Leah finally replied, her voice low but firm. "Go join the crew, I'm going to search personally. We'll meet back here in 50 days. Whatever we find, we will bring it back here."
"What?" Goh protested, his voice rising with frustration. "That will divide the group!"
"The goal still remains the same" Leah responded
"Are you sure?" Goh questioned looking at her
Leah glared at him. "Are you having other plans?" she asked pointedly.
Goh hesitated, then grumbled, "Alright, I'll tell the others. But I'm not leaving you alone."
Leah nodded, her gaze softening slightly. "Then come with me."
Goh sighed and turned to go inform the crew about plan, we'd search the area, and return here in 50 days. The crew agreed.
* * *
The next 15 hours passed in relative silence as they made their way through the desolate land. Goh trudged behind her, grumbling and rambling about nonsense. Eventually, they stumbled upon a small, sparse forest. Leah wasted no time setting up a bonfire. She hadn't been tired at all, carrying April with ease on her back.
She laid April down gently and resumed her healing, her hands glowing with steady, warm energy.
"Did you bring food?" Leah asked, her voice breaking the silence as she looked up at Goh who stood watching.
Goh frowned, clearly exhausted. "We only had a little, so we split it. This is our share." He handed her a small ration, his gaze lingering on April.
Leah nodded, taking the food without a word. She shot a sad glance at the unconscious girl in her arms. "She's not waking up…" she murmured.
Goh shrugged nonchalantly. He felt no concern for April and wouldn't mind if she never woke up.
Leah retrieved a small gem, the one with the Auragmite's power. It glowed faintly, its energy vibrating with quiet intensity.
"No, Leah!" Goh exclaimed, his eyes widening as he saw her pulling out the gem with the Auragmite's power, the one meant to keep them safe. It signaled the presence of monsters or enemies, and its full force could annihilate everything around them. They had very few of these gems back home and had brought only one for the mission, which was in Leah's possession. "No! What do you think you're doing?" He shook his head, trying to stop himself from imagining the worst.
"I'm healing her with it," Leah replied calmly, her hands hovering over the gem. "If this can help her, then it's worth the risk."
"You can't just use it like that now!" Goh protested, his voice rising. "That is supposed to keep us safe!"
"Don't you want to see what it's capable of beyond its original purpose? Once its power is unleashed, it weakens until it's drained, but what if it's used for something else?"
"I don't like this idea," Goh said, shaking his head.
"Trust me, Goh. We'll be fine. Who knows, she could even be our detector, and besides, the xenotypes are the strongest beings in the universe. Nothing can harm or defeat us."
Goh hesitated, his expression flickering as if he almost agreed. "I don't know... Do whatever you want. Not like I can talk you out of it."
Leah grinned slightly as she focused her energy, sending it into the gem. The glowing stone floated between her hands, vibrating with power. She moved her palms closer to April's chest, and in a swirl of energy, the gem disappeared into her body. For a moment, the air around April shimmered, and purple flames seemed to engulf her form before fading away.
April gasped and coughed, her body jerking as she regained consciousness. She blinked rapidly, her wide purple eyes staring around the strange surroundings, filled with unfamiliar faces, two purple weird creatures.
"Ahhhhhhh!" she screamed, scrambling backward in fear.
"Hey, kid, we're your friends," Leah said, holding up her hands in a calming gesture. "We… we just helped you. You're safe"
April blinked, her wide eyes darting between them. "Who are you guys?" she asked, her voice shaky.
"I'm Leah," Leah said gently. "And this is Goh," she pointed to Goh who looked tired and so uninterested