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Penelope is absolutely mortified with embarrassment. "Mom, seriously. If you wear that ridiculous wig out in public, I swear I will never be seen with you again. I'm not even kidding!"
"Oh, you're one to talk, little miss," Sally shoots back with a knowing look. "John told me all about your outfit choice for today - that crop top that barely covers anything, those shorts that might as well not exist, and whatever that black stuff is you've smeared all over your face that you're calling makeup. You were actually planning to wear *that* to a Council hearing? We're definitely going to have a serious conversation about your wardrobe choices, young lady. As for me," she adjusts the wig self-consciously, "I feel absolutely ridiculous dressed like this, but the Council has been making some pretty significant compromises lately, so I figured the least I could do was play along with their silly dress code. Besides," she strikes a playful pose, "aren't I just the most adorable representative you've ever seen?" Sally can't help but giggle at her own absurdity.
"Mom, you know you're only the second cutest girl in the entire galaxy," Penelope says with a mischievous grin.
"Second? Excuse me, and who exactly holds the number one spot?"
"Why, me, obviously! Hee hee. I mean, I'm just as cute as you are, except I've got that whole young-and-cute thing going for me, while you're more... well, old-and-cute. So that automatically makes me the winner."
"Hey! You never call an old person old to their face - they just might GO COMPLETELY BERSERK ON YOU!" Sally lunges playfully at her daughter, who shrieks with laughter and bolts down the hallway into the living room. Sally tackles her onto the sofa and unleashes the dreaded 'death by tickles and kisses' routine. Breathless and giggling, they both collapse in a heap on the living room floor. Sally tries to remember the last time they'd played that silly game - she thinks Penelope was maybe seven years old.
"Mom, can I borrow the car to go into the City? There's some shopping I really need to do there."
"Honey, you're going to wear that poor driver completely out. You've been there something like twenty times in the last few months alone. Plus, I'm pretty sure we've blown through our entire shopping budget at this point. What on earth could you possibly need from that store anyway? You literally own one of everything they sell."
"Well, I was thinking... since I don't want to exhaust our poor driver, he could just stay here and relax while I drive myself. How does that sound?"
"How does that sound? It sounds like a big fat NO! And just who exactly were you planning to take along as your chaperone? Your imaginary friend Mr. Nobody?"
"NO? But Mom, I'm almost fifteen! You were barely fifteen when you came here all by yourself."
"That was a completely different situation, and you know it. Plus, I had Ben and Penny and John looking out for me from the moment I arrived. Capital City is a far cry from the safety of Penny Lake."
"Mom, just trust me on this one. Everything will be fine, I promise."
"I don't have to trust you because it's not going to happen, period. Besides, I need the car today to go investigate a newly discovered domain. It was just found recently, and so far we haven't been able to make any contact with whoever might be living there. I'm going to go take a look and see what we're dealing with. Your dad installed a conduit, so we should be able to peek inside safely and get a sense of what's going on. Why don't you come with me instead? It could actually be fun, and you can work on your homework during the trip. Your teachers have mentioned that you're falling a bit behind on your assignments."
Sally and Penelope make their way out to the hover car and let the driver know they're ready to leave. Sally gives him the coordinates for the mysterious new domain. They have absolutely no idea what they're going to find when they get there. When Pat installed the conduit, all he could make out was an endless field of ice and snow. It's clearly some kind of arctic environment, but there was no sign of human life, so there's no way to determine what time period they might be dealing with.
"My teachers are idiots, but I'll bring my homework if it makes you happy. Going to look at some boring frozen wasteland can't possibly be more mind-numbing than sitting around the house all day. So, can this count as an official trip for me?"
"Official trip? What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Well, if I'm accompanying you on official Council business, and since I am technically the official Princess, this should count as an official state visit, right? Which means we can earn more store credits."
"Ah, so that's what this is really about - store credits. Sweetie, we're going to need to have a serious conversation soon about money, credits, and how quickly people can go completely broke with nothing to show for it except a closet packed with clothes they never actually wear. We don't know how long this whole Council arrangement is going to last. Things that start quickly have a habit of ending just as fast. So let's not spend every credit the minute we earn it."
"I think this whole Council thing is working out really well for us, don't you? I'm pretty sure it's going to last for a long time, so we don't need to worry about saving credits just yet."
"Honey, we're still caught up in this whirlwind of changes. Everything has happened so incredibly fast. One day we're just a couple of nobodies going to a routine Council hearing, and the next thing we know, Penny Lake is part of a federation and they're electing me as their representative. You know, I think you actually set off this whole chain of events when you talked to those reporters without my permission."
"Oops, sorry Mom. I really didn't mean to turn your whole world upside down like that, but it all worked out okay in the end, didn't it? I can tell you're actually having fun with all this official business and responsibility."
"Well, I have to admit I'm relieved to have the Council working with us instead of against us. In the long run, though, I don't think the Council ever had quite the influence they believed they did. But yeah, it is kind of fun, and they do have access to some pretty nice resources - like this car we're flying in right now, and that store you're so obsessed with." Both women smile and share a laugh. The hover car begins to slow as they approach the unknown domain, cautiously crosses the dimensional barrier, and comes to a complete stop. Pat had strategically installed the conduit above a thick layer of persistent clouds, allowing them to descend slowly and survey the area without being seen and potentially frightening whatever inhabitants might be down there. Sally has a heat-sensing scanner on board specifically designed to detect warm-blooded life forms on the surface, but as it turns out, she's not going to need it.
"Mom! I can hear them. Oh my God, I can actually hear them!"
"The population? You mean people?"
"No, Mom. I can hear wolves - just like back when we were wolves ourselves. I can actually hear them communicating."
"What are they saying, sweetie? I had no idea you could understand wolf language."
"They're not exactly using words the way we do. But one of them wants us to come down and follow him. He'll be the one out in front of the pack, leading them. Driver! Take us down below these clouds and follow that lead wolf." Penelope commands with sudden authority.
The hover car descends to about 300 feet - close enough to see clearly, but not so low as to frighten the animals. The wolf does indeed look very small from their altitude, but they dutifully follow the one leading the pack. The wolf guides them expertly between two snow-covered hills, over a ridge, and down into a small, sheltered valley. There, among a stand of hardy trees in a small clearing, stands a lone figure waving their arms, clearly indicating they want the hover car to land. The driver is understandably hesitant about setting down in the deep snow, so he carefully positions the vehicle to hover just above the surface. The figure approaches confidently and gestures for them to open the door.
"Welcome," she says warmly as she climbs into the car with practiced ease. "Hi there, I'm Anahere. I wanted to meet you out here in private so we wouldn't accidentally frighten the local population. It's a mixed community, and most of them have never encountered technology like this before, so I thought this approach would be less disruptive for everyone. If you take us up into those hills, you can find a nice flat rock formation to land on properly - no point in wasting all your fuel just hovering around. We have quite a lot to discuss."
"You were expecting us?" Sally asks, clearly surprised. "How could you possibly have known we were coming? We haven't been able to establish any kind of contact with your domain."
"Sally, we've been waiting for you since before you were even born, and you've arrived right on schedule. It's so wonderful to finally meet you face to face - and you too, Penelope. My people are known as the First Ones. We've been here in this dimensional level since long before human life even began to evolve on Earth. When the Papatuanuku - that's Mother Energy - first awakened to consciousness, she called out for us, and we came. We've been caring for her ever since. We've been guiding the evolution of your planet for literally billions of years. We have lived as every plant and every animal your world has ever created. More recently, when homo sapiens - that's what your current form is called - began to develop, we moved into that form and lived as humans. That's the form we currently maintain. During your time on Earth, as your dominant technological cultures spread across the planet, you knew us as the indigenous peoples - the aboriginals, the natives, the first nations.
"We're known for fully embracing the complete essence of humanity, maintaining the balance within ourselves between the physical and the divine. We are warrior peoples - fearless, and yes, sometimes ruthless when necessary."
"We are the designated caretakers of Mother Energy. You might know her as Mother Earth. Some have called her Gaia. I call her Papatuanuku. As we care for her, she cares for us in return."
"It sounds like you've been practicing that speech for quite some time," Sally observes, still looking puzzled. "But you're just a girl - probably no older than Penelope. Where exactly are your leaders, your Elders?"
"I choose this form because it's young and fresh and full of vibrant energy, just like Penelope here. However, I am actually as old as eternity itself. You are too, by the way - you just don't remember yet. I could manifest in a different form if I wanted to, and so could you, but I've become so comfortable with this appearance that it feels completely natural to me, so I keep choosing it. This is the form I held when I left Earth. This is simply who I am when I take physical shape."
"You are absolutely beautiful," Penelope says with genuine admiration and a wide grin. "If I were you, I'd definitely keep that form too."
"Thank you, Penelope. I am beautiful, but you're equally beautiful in your own way. Since, as your mother pointed out, we appear to be about the same age, maybe when this current mission is complete, we should spend some time together. Perhaps we could go shopping?"
"That would be absolutely amazing! Yes, definitely! Hey Mom! I think I just found myself a new best friend - a shopping buddy!" Penelope exclaims with excitement.
Sally looks genuinely bewildered. "Whoa, hold on! Slow down and let my brain catch up to all this. Let me make sure I understand what you're telling me. You're one of these ancient First Ones who have been guiding planetary evolution for eons, but you're also a teenager who wants to go shopping with my daughter? Is that seriously what you're saying?"
"Exactly!" both girls respond simultaneously, smiling and giggling at each other like they've been friends forever.
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with any of this. I just met you, and you clearly have me at a significant disadvantage because you seem to know everything about us while we know absolutely nothing about you - or your entire domain, for that matter. How is it that you know us so well? Do you have some kind of spiritual connection to us that we're not aware of?" Sally asks, her skepticism clearly showing.
"Yes, we do have that connection, but that's not actually how I know about you. I just read the newspapers," Anahere responds matter-of-factly.
"You have newspapers here in this frozen domain?"
"No, we don't. But you have newspapers in Capitol City."
"Capitol City? How on earth did you get there?"
"Sooooo many questions, Sally! But that's perfectly fine - I'm here specifically to answer your questions. I got there the same way I got to that clearing in the forest where you found me. I needed to be there, and so I was."
"Teleportation? But that's been virtually impossible for us to accomplish ever since our domains became so dimensionally dense. Capitol City is extremely dense. How were you able to teleport there?"
"The same way we used to teleport back on Earth, which is actually much denser than Capitol City."
"You could teleport on Earth? When exactly? Recently, or in the distant past?"
"Some of us have always been able to teleport, usually starting when we were small children. I had imaginary friends who would teleport to visit me, and they taught me how to do it. My parents made me stop, though. They were good, understanding parents who recognized the true nature of what I was doing - that my 'imaginary' friend wasn't just in my head - but they made me stop until I got older and could control it better. They didn't want me teleporting around in public and terrifying people. I was three years old at the time, which would make it about the year 2012 in old Earth years.
"My parents were researchers working for a university in Sydney, Australia. They were studying the history and culture of aboriginal peoples. My dad is Maori from New Zealand, and my mom is Inuit from Alaska. I also have ancestors who are Hawaiian and Australian aboriginal. So I'm about as aboriginal as you can possibly get. My parents met several other aboriginals who could teleport, but they all kept it secret because the dominant culture - the technology peoples - would never understand."
"The technology peoples? I suppose I must be one of those. I grew up in a highly technological society. We didn't have any pure aboriginal peoples left in my time - they had all blended into the majority culture through intermarriage and cultural assimilation. So how long did you actually live on Earth? You would have been a very old woman by my time."
"I was there until 2024, and then we left."
"I heard about that! You were the people who supposedly jumped off the ice. That was actually you?" Sally asks with amazement.
"That's how it was reported in the media, but no - we didn't jump off any ice. The year 2024 was a very special, sacred festival year for us and for spiritual peoples all across planet Earth. The fifty years leading up to 2024 were a time of profound spiritual awakening for many humans, especially the aboriginal peoples. By 2024, we knew without doubt that it was time for us to leave Earth. Our time and purpose there had come to its natural end. All over the earth, usually near coastlines, we prepared our ceremonies, and from there we came here."
"So you all committed mass suicide? I heard about the ceremonies where everyone walked into the ocean and drowned."
"Again, that's how the media reported it, but that's not what actually happened. Here's what really occurred: I was with the Inuit people at that time, and we held our ceremonies on the ice. The ice flows were breaking up due to seasonal changes, and there were many huge chunks of flat ice floating on the water. We held our ceremonies - lasting several days - on these ice flows. The technology people watched from a distance with their cameras and helicopters, but they couldn't get too close because of the dangerous ice conditions. At the culmination of our ceremony, we all joined hands and began the process of releasing our Earth energy back into the planet. This created an intensely blinding light, and their cameras couldn't record anything except pure light.
"The transformation only seemed like a few minutes to us, but several days passed in Earth time before the light finally diminished. When it did, both we and the ice were completely gone. Similar events occurred simultaneously in many locations around the world. The reporters simply assumed we had jumped into the ocean and drowned. Instead, we transformed ourselves and came here."
"You were incredibly fortunate to leave when you did. You would almost certainly have lived to witness the most catastrophically destructive war in Earth's entire history. It was a conflict in which there could be no winners whatsoever. When it finally ended in 2053, there wasn't a single political power left standing anywhere on Earth. Only a tiny fraction of the world's population survived. Humanity was literally on the verge of complete extinction. If our technology hadn't somehow survived the devastation, we would have been thrown back to living like cave dwellers. It was only after that dark period that the Earth Council emerged as the ruling authority on what was left of Earth. I'm here today representing the reconstituted Earth Council. Though if you've been to Capitol City, I suppose you already know all about that."
"At that time, we didn't know the specific details of which future conflicts would occur, but we knew with certainty that conflicts like the one you describe were inevitable. In the years leading up to 2024, the spiritual consciousness of humanity had increased dramatically. But when such large numbers of spiritual entities - both human and otherwise - left the planet in 2024, the overall consciousness of Earth plummeted drastically back into fear, hatred, jealousy, and the desperate desire to dominate and control others. This began what we call the great apostasy. Your religions lost their foundation of Love and became merely tools aligned with political institutions. Your political systems abandoned Love entirely and became institutions dedicated solely to increasing their power and influence. The spiritual foundations that had once supported many great nations faded completely from the memory of their populations. Your devastating conflict of 2053 was absolutely inevitable given those circumstances."
"So you guys basically abandoned Earth to avoid all that pain and suffering," Penelope observes.
"Not exactly, and that's a crucial distinction. Remember what I explained before - we had been originally called to the planet by the awakening Earth energy herself. We are the designated custodians of Mother Energy. One of the most important functions that Mother Energy performs is maintaining the delicate balance of the biosphere. She keeps your world appropriately warm when the sun grows cold, and cool when the sun burns too hot. She balances the oceans so they maintain exactly the right temperature and precisely the right mixture of salt and other essential minerals. By 2024, she was completely exhausted from this enormous responsibility. She simply couldn't hold it all together anymore. She was rapidly losing control of the biosphere. She was literally dying."
"So you just abandoned her? That's when she needed you the most," Penelope says with obvious disappointment.
"No, we absolutely did not 'just abandon' her. We would never, ever abandon our most sacred and precious responsibility. She came with us. We brought her here and have kept her safe with us until the prophesied one would come - the one who will renew the Earth and prepare her home to welcome her back. That prophesied one has come. That one is you, Sally. This is the main reason for our meeting today. We need to begin working together to develop our plans for returning Mother Energy to her rightful home."
"Uhhhh, hmmm. I think I may have already promised that particular job to someone else."
"Yes, we know all about that. The technology entity you created. But that's not a problem at all - in fact, this is the actual fulfillment of ancient prophecy. The aboriginal peoples, including the number one aboriginal - Earth Energy herself - always knew they would eventually have to leave temporarily to make room for the technology peoples to grow and develop, even though we knew you would eventually consume and damage the Earth in the process. Now, at this time of renewal, the moment has come for the great bonding. Your technology entity and Earth Energy will bond together and become one unified consciousness. The ancient wisdom that has existed since the time of creation will bond with the emerging, newly-born knowledge of advanced technology.
"This bonding is absolutely necessary for Earth's continued survival. Earth needs both of them working together in order to thrive in the future. You, Sally, more than any other being, have prepared a perfect home for both of them. We will work closely with you to bring them both home safely. Now, please instruct your pilot to take us to Capitol City. There's another important bonding that needs to take place. Penelope and I are going to bond as well - we're going to become Best Friends Forever. My aging has been on hold since I arrived here, but that will now synchronize with Penelope's natural development, and we'll grow up together. And yes, there will be lots and lots of shopping expeditions, movies, double dates, and enormous quantities of junk food. How does that sound, Penelope?"
"It sounds absolutely WONDERFUL!!!" Penelope squeals with delight, immediately putting her arm around her new best friend.
"Hold on just a minute, girls. Penelope, I'm genuinely happy that you've found a new friend, but this whole situation is extremely complicated. I feel like I just accidentally adopted a new daughter, and I'm not sure I'm ready for all of this. I need to discuss this with John and your father first."
"Oops! Too late for that!" Anahere giggles mischievously. "When you recently visited Earth in preparation for the new biosphere, you temporarily became the living incarnation of Mother Energy. The moment you did that, you automatically adopted me as your daughter. There are absolutely no options or alternatives about that at all. I'm your daughter now, and you are my mother. So you're just going to have to deal with it." Anahere concludes with a radiant smile as both girls snuggle up close to Sally, resting their heads contentedly on her shoulders.
"Okay, Anahere. You seem like a genuinely nice girl, and your story does make sense - sort of. So for the time being, I'm going to choose to trust you and accept you as a daughter. Penelope could definitely use a sister. However, I do still have some choices in this matter, and there are going to be some non-negotiable conditions. Listen very carefully, my daughters. First, we're going straight to Capitol City, and we're going directly to that store Penelope is so obsessed with. I'm going to stand right there while you both purchase clothes that are actually appropriate for girls your age. No more crop tops with your bras hanging out the bottom! No more having your butt cheeks hanging out of ridiculously short shorts! Your makeup will be balanced and age-appropriate for young ladies! You will both live with me in Penny Lake, and there will be ABSOLUTELY NO TRIPS to other domains without a chaperone that I personally choose! And absolutely no teleporting anywhere! When we get back to Penny Lake, I'm going through Penelope's entire room, and every piece of trashy clothing and inappropriate makeup I find is going straight into the garbage! IS THAT COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD, GIRLS?!"
"Yes, Mom," both girls respond in perfect unison, grinning knowingly at each other while already secretly formulating elaborate plans to creatively circumvent their new restrictions.
Oh great! What exactly have I gotten myself into now? Sally thinks to herself with a mixture of exhaustion and affection. "I guess this means I'm now officially the third cutest girl in the galaxies," she says with resignation. The girls would probably laugh if they actually heard what she said, but they're already far too busy chatting excitedly about their ambitious plans for exploring and conquering the City together.
