"Uncle Dimi!" Honey screamed in shock.
"Evening, princess," Dimi inclined his chin.
"What's wrong with your face?" One of the blond boys asked.
"Brock!" Noble tried to correct her son, but she was also at a loss.
"Sweetheart, are you hungry?" Fort tried to smooth things over, "We have Barbecue almost ready. I even have rolls, mushrooms, and potatoes!"
Honey gasped, new tears falling from her eyes. Finding no other words, she ran to her room.
"Did I say something wrong?" Fort gaped.
"Princess must really hate potatoes," Dimi nodded seriously.
"I don't think that is it." Noble traced the path of Honey's retreat. "Wasn't she supposed to be at her after-school lesson?"
"I believe so." Fort checked the family calendar on the communicator in his hand.
"Probably skipped it to see some boy, and he broke her heart," Dimi clicked his tongue, "boys, those stupid little…"
"Dimi! Little ears!" Noble instinctively covered the sides of Blaze's head.
"It's nothing they haven't heard before!" the old Awakened protested.
The professor did not have time to argue. "They aren't going to hear it now. I'll be back."
Leaving the men behind, Noble hurried down the hall. The door to her daughter's room was shut, but that didn't stop the massive amount of emotion from radiating from the room.
At first, Noble was alarmed, but she took a deep breath to steady herself. 'It is probably just adolescent angst. No one has stronger emotions than a teen girl who feels wronged.'
She knocked lightly. The soft sobbing on the other side of the door subsided. "I'm fine!"
"May I come in?" the mother tried to put on her most friendly tone.
"I would prefer you not," Honey answered as calmly as she could.
The door cracked and Noble peeked in her head. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
"At least it is you and not Dad," Honey flopped back on the bed, which the woman took as permission to enter. "He would try to make some goofy joke to make me laugh."
"And you are not in the mood for joking." The professor sat on the foot of the bed and laid her hand gently on the girl's leg. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"If I say no, will you try to pry an answer out of me with your emotional prodding?" Honey placed a pillow over her face.
Noble arched her back indignantly. "When have I ever…Don't answer that. I will not pry as long as you can assure me it isn't anything life-threatening and you won't make any life-changing decisions based on whatever the problem is."
"What? No! Nothing like that." The teen pulled the pillow off her face. It was much calmer than before. The energy emanating from the girl had also settled somewhat. "It was just something stupid. I'll be fine. Thanks for caring."
The girl sat up and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. Noble suspected it was a ploy to get rid of her, but Honey really did seem in better spirits than she had moments before.
Wanting to stay true to her word, Noble hugged her daughter and asked no more questions. "I love you."
"I love you too. I'll be out in a minute after I wash my face." Honey hurried into the bathroom without waiting for a response.
Back in the living room, Noble found another round of chaos had already begun. Both boys were trying to unsuccessfully arm wrestle their esteemed guest in a strange three-way battle for supremacy. As soon as Dimi saw the other Awakened, he put the children out of their misery by pressing their fists down simultaneously.
Fort placed the final plate on the table. He bit the inside of his cheek nervously. "How's our girl?"
Noble frowned. "It's worse than we thought. She actually hates your potatoes."
The man hung his head. "It's the end of the world as we know it."
"And here I thought all the drama was reserved for teenage girls. You missed your calling on the big screen." Noble kissed her husband on the cheek before levitating all of the cups from the cupboard into place. "I don't think it is anything major with Honey, but I will keep an eye on her."
"If it really was a boy," Dimi shook off his human hat and scarf before approaching the kitchen, "then I could make a few phone calls. Get his whole family's citizenship knocked down a few levels or removed entirely!"
"Yes! Obliterate them!" Blaze made some swipes with his hand through the air.
"Uncle Dimi is a hero once again!" Brock praised with gusto.
With a tight smile, Noble inhaled deeply through her nose. "As much as I appreciate your care and concern, I don't think that will ever be necessary."
"What will be necessary?"
All five heads swiveled toward the hall. Honey stared back quizzically. Her dark hair had been smoothed and her face cleaned of tears. To everyone's relief, the teen looked much more herself than she had when she left.
"Nothing, because it won't be necessary," Noble gave Dimi and her twins a stern look.
She could feel that Honey's emotions had settled and if any of them set her off again, it would not go well for them.
Fortunately, all of the men had the good sense to remain silent on the matter.
"Are you ready to eat?" Fort jerked his head toward the table. "The barbeque is ready. We have made our guest wait long enough."
"Some hospitality!" Dimi feigned offense. "I am invited over only to be attacked by the strongest nine-year-olds in existence, then offered to spend time with my old friend and served a delicious meal. How dare you! If this keeps up, I might want to come back every day."
The family and their guest all gathered around the table and sat to eat. Noble wasn't hungry, but the food really did smell delicious enough that she couldn't help but put some on her plate.
Dimi heaped the mushrooms on his plate such that there were almost none for anyone else. "Does that actually fuel your Ability?" Fort asked, curious as to his friend's fascination with the food.
"I've no idea, but it cannot hurt. Mushrooms have always been one of my favorite foods." Dimi shrugged.
"Just don't spore at the table, please," Noble smiled to show she was kidding.
"I only ever did that at a meal once to chase off my date." Dimi took a huge bite from his plate. "She had terrible manners."
Dimi's Aspect was tied to fungi. He could produce spores that could affect the body or the mind depending on the circumstance. The Ability to affect both the body and mind from a distance had been part of what made him a formidable foe in the Dreamscape.
The man might have retired from the dueling for other pursuits, but his legacy lived on. Behind the affable 'uncle' was a deadly warrior.
"Did you kill your date?" Blaze's eyes gleamed with malicious glee.
"Blaze!" Noble nearly dropped her fork mid-bite.
"No, she was fine, just some mild indigestion," Dimi chuckled, "but there was this one time…"
"So, how was everyone's day?" Noble tried to veer the subject away from murder.
The glare from Honey across the table told her everything she needed to know.
She had stepped out of one minefield….and into another.