90 A Promise Kep

The waves crashed against the shore with a rhythmic slosh. Such a beautiful day along the beach. He looked out, only to see where the blue sky touched the water. Breathing the salty air in, he put an arm around the figure that was nestled up neatly on his side.

"Will?" Her voice murmured groggily. He watched her beautiful brown eyes open to look up at him. "Why did you move your arm in the first place?" Maya complained. "It was keeping me warm." She shivered slightly.

"You know you can keep yourself warm with your aura, right?" Will raised his eyebrow.

"Such a romantic." Maya rolled her eyes and looked out to the sea. "It really is relaxing here." Smiling, she got off of the sofa they had brought with and stretched with the grace of a lioness.

Will watched her slender yet muscular body as she raised her arms to the sky and arching her back. He couldn't take his eyes off of the black two piece with gold lining that she wore. Maya had promised him a show as soon as he took her to earth, and he wasn't disappointed.

After they had set up their new home within the Crown Embassy, Will had torn through reality with just a thought and brought them to New York City for a while.

At first, Maya looked like a true tourist. Thanks to Michael's credit card Will had gotten on his first stay at the manor, Maya was able to taste all the pizza she wanted.

They had also gone to see pretty much every movie that was playing at the theater, much to Will's dismay. Though Maya made up for it by giving Will a fashion show in both the clothes she had brought with her, and the clothes she decided on getting while on vacation.

All of the clothes had a unique variation of the same style. She had black and gold dresses, blue jeans, black and gold tank tops, t shirts and of course bathing suits. Will knew there was more, yet didn't want to think about her promises to show her other collection later. Instead, he just watched Maya stretch. The Maya who died. The Maya who was Aremesis's slave. The Maya who grieved. And now the relaxed Maya.

It had taken a long time, yet he could finally give her the time he had promised her.

As she finished her stretch, Maya held out her storage crystal, which had been formed into a ring, and willed the sofa into it. "Should we find someplace to eat?" Her smile could outshine the sun, though that was just Will's opinion.

Taking her hand, both crimson-gold and black-gold auras sprang to life as they joined the blue sky and left the water below.

gazing down at the beautiful city of Santa Monica, the in-flight couple made their way to a modest diner they frequented for the last week and ordered their breakfast.

Taking the same seat on the balcony facing the sea, Will and Maya ignored the view, feeling it more prudent to stare at each other instead.

Had it been any other couple, they would not have noticed a man to their right occupying a table alone. A man wearing a green uniform of an Army Three Star General.

"General Risben, I really hope you are not here to ruin my breakfast." Will said without taking his eyes off of Maya.

"Not at all." a gruff voice, apparently belonging to General Risben called back. "I just love the view of the Pier from here. Too bad a young couple has reserved the best table throughout the whole month."

Will plucked a grape from a complementary fruit basket and popped it in his mouth, deliberately chewing slowly and rolled his eyes, making Maya chuckle.

The General sighed as he looked Will over. The boy was no older than twenty. His slim body was lightly tanned without any deficiency he could see. Seeing as though Will only wore a pair of sea green swim trunks, his cross and dog tags, and a set of rings, one was a plain band on his right pointer finger, the other a clear gem set into a band on his other, he couldn't see how such a young man could upset the balance of power as much as he had.

"William Carter, right?" Risben attempted to engage in conversation.

"I think we both know that I am. Though I am technically named William Ragnos through birth. What can i do for you, General?" Will raised an eyebrow ironically.

"I suppose we can dispense with the pleasantries." Risben started. "As you might know, there are two forms of government within the United States of America. State and Federal." Risben raised two fingers.

"Is this going to be an American Government class? Because I'll be honest, I barely passed that class." Will gave a chuckle at the General's expense.

"Certainly not the traditional class most would take in high school, seeing as though another form of government has apparently been added into the fold. These," he squinted down at a stack of notes in front of him. "Crown Embassies," he drew out the words as much as he could. "Have been popping up not only across the whole United States, but also in Russia, China, Ukraine, and the list goes on. But you already know that," he raised an eyebrow which most likely made any soldiers he led sweat. "Don't you."

"Are these embassies causing trouble in any way?"

"Not at all," Risben's eyebrows shot up. "On the contrary, crime has never been lower. Police officers go home with no threat to their lives. I'm sure their wives are thrilled!"

"Well there you go!" Will clapped his hands with enthusiasm. "World peace sounds pretty good, eh General?"

"Yes." Risben let the word drag.

"Where's the but?"

"But who keeps you in check?" The General's eyes bore into Will's. "Who keeps you honest?"

"You do." Will said flatly. "At least you and the whole world. I am not introducing a new power into this world for everyone to fight over. Instead, I am giving you a way to go home each night. I am implementing a new type of energy that will not harm the planet and essentially erasing famine off the map."

Will was pleased with the research Leo, Michael and Jonathan had put in for the last year. He could only imagine the food they could grow with their aura, the elemental crystals which were fueled by aura could replace fossil fuel in a matter of years. Earth aura users could help speed up tree growth locate precious minerals.

"So you wish for us to take your gifts at face value, and not treat it as an invasion?"

"Say the word, General." Will said in a low flat tone. "And I will take all of my people back through a portal to our own world and we will never darken your doorstep again."

"That isn't fair, William." Risben held up his hands in defense. "We wouldn't need to resort to that."

"Then what, General?" Will's tone remained the same. Though he was no older than twenty, he had freed slaves and won two wars. He was not your average full time job youth who came home to play video games.

"Just let some within the Armed Forces train with this magic!" Risben stood up and brought himself to sit next to Will.

"I don't see how that would help the world." Risben opened his mouth to object, but Will raised a hand to stop him. "Hear me out." He said with authority. Imagine that I give you this so called 'magic'. You now have a battalion of flying elementalists. Then when another country attacks, you can raze them to the ground, correct?"

"We do have an escalation of force, you know." Risben cut in.

"How fair would that escalation of force be if all it took were a raised eyebrow to set an opponent on fire?" He raised an eyebrow for show and noticed the general losing two shades of color in his face in the process. "Then you could blame the 'misfire' on a soldier who wasn't trained properly." Will took another grape from the basket and popped it in his mouth.

"Will, our food is here." Maya complained as she took her omelette from the waitress. "This is vacation, put the work away for now."

"I think the matter of National Security outweighs your need for vacation." General Risben growled.

"Sure," Maya pointed her fork at the General accusingly. "Why don't you work in a field your entire life," The fork seemed to suck in the light around it, her aura surrounding it. "Then almost get sold into servitude to two disgusting guards to work of a supposed 'debt', only to be saved by a boy in an inferno, watch him play with fire in the palm of his hand for months before dying, then you should totally get resurrected by a dark god to kill whole families against your will. Maybe you will be as lucky as me to have your bond to death severed by the boy who plays with fire, then tell me how unimportant VACATION IS!" she jabbed the fork out, cutting into the table in front of Risben as if it were made of butter.

The General's eyes went wide as he watched a dull fork wielded by a bathing suit clad young woman take out a chunk of table that a bullet wouldn't be able to penetrate. He looked at Will, but the youth only raised his eyebrow as if saying 'Don't mess with this girl's vacation."

"Right." Risben cleared his throat. "Maybe we should consider making an appointment in the future."

Will waved a fork in the air in farewell, then turned to Maya. "Did you really have to scare him off with a fork?"

"Don't mess with my vacation." she smiled devilishly as she cut into her omelette