Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

A black noise filled the space around her, preventing her from even hearing her own frantic heartbeat. Her vision blurred as tears welled up with overwhelming force. Her body refused to obey, trembling nonstop as her consciousness slowly faded, leaving only the overwhelming emotions.

Don't worry...

Someone's painfully familiar voice spoke words so softly that it dared to drown out the black crackling noise. Now, all that was heard in her head was the noise and a gentle, caring voice.

Everything will be alright...

Tears rolled in a new, enormous wave, showing no signs of stopping. Her hands rubbed her face with pressure, trying to shake the water off. The warm, gentle touch of someone else's fingertips plunged her into an even deeper trance. Whatever happens...

Promise me we'll always be there...

One hand rested on my shoulder, gently stroking it, trying to soothe it, while the other continued to painstakingly wipe away the tears, tenderly touching my cheek with velvety yet masculine fingers.

Promise me...

Click. And all the sounds that had previously barely reached my ears suddenly faded, emptying my thoughts and mind.

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*0*

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Welcome to the white space. You've been here for as long as you can remember.

No images of reality surface in your memory. What am I talking about? This is my reality.

A soft white light enveloped the entire space, wherever my eyes looked. It wasn't irritating, but rather calming. A small light bulb hanging from somewhere above also flickered faintly, but didn't emit any light. It simply filled the space with its presence. In the corner of the marked square, a cute black kitten lay curled up, purring to itself. Sometimes, its little snores resembled a song, as if it were trying to sing it in its own, cat-like way. In another corner lay a box of sweets of various shapes to soothe my sorrows. On the other side lay a phone. Inside, you could find notes about the days passing here:

??? Day "Today everything was fine"

??? Day "Today I spent the day in a white space, everything was fine."

??? Day "I met up with friends and we took a little walk. Everything was fine."

There was nothing else there. And there wasn't any need. And finally, on the floor, there was a notebook with a heart on it, filled with a multitude of scribbles that I probably wouldn't show anyone.

My eyes were fixed on the motionless, gray-glowing lightbulb. The body lay relaxed on the absolutely white surface, not even intending to move. The only thing that showed any activity in this person lying on the floor was the chest, which rose and fell slightly as it took in air, repeating the same movements over and over.

Suddenly, a deafening noise echoes across the white expanse, as if someone were moving enormous mountains nearby. Just as it began, the rumble suddenly subsides, followed by the sound of something small and iron hitting the ground. I raise my head and then sit up, intrigued by this sudden event in such a quiet corner of the world. In the distance, something glitters in the white light. I rise to my feet and walk toward the glitter. I'm very curious as to what could have fallen from the empty white ceiling, which doesn't even reveal the sky. As I get closer, the object gradually becomes clearer and more distinct. It's a small garden sickle. What is it doing here? Or better yet, how and why did it fall here? The questions are left behind, since no one can give me answers. Well, unless Myavka tries. But that's unlikely. Having hidden the rather sharp object I'd found in my pockets, I returned to my spot marked with a black line. Before I could even sit back down to meditate under the lightbulb, my gaze fell on the door. A white, unremarkable door, devoid of any patterns or markings. But at the same time, it was special. Or rather, what lay on the other side of the door was. I walked over to it, carefully placing my hand on the handle. The handle yielded easily to my movements, and with a single turn, the door opened. For a moment, I stopped watching the glowing glass as a new, colorful world appeared before my eyes beyond the newly opened door.

And the first thing I noticed was the quarrel between the two occupants of the brightly colored room.

"Just tell me where you hid it! Please, you know how important it is!" - I heard the slightly worried and desperate voice of a young man with a rather bizarre appearance, slightly childish. In response to his command, a clear and confident voice of a girl, no more than twelve years old, is heard.

"Sorry, Basil, but it's your own fault – you need to take proper photos!" - She says, sounding offended, bluntly addressing the problem.

A boy stands behind them, slightly taller than the two men, clearly trying to break things up. But frankly, he's not doing a very good job.

"Oh, come on. Aubrey, just tell me where the album is. And don't despair so quickly, Basil. Even if our interrogation doesn't help, we'll find it together later,"  -  he says, looking at his friend's triumphant face and his friend's downcast mood.

The hooligan's gaze darts to me, who's arrived during the argument, and with light movements of his feet, he closes the distance between us in a matter of seconds, feeling even more resilient.

"Hikki! You're finally here!"  - She immediately grabs me in her arms, clearly trying to distract herself from the argument she's created. "We've been waiting for you." A girl slightly shorter than me, dressed in a light sky-blue nightgown with a soft pink bow on her bright purple-violet hair. She snuggled even closer as two boys approached our embrace.

"Hikki! Please help! Aubrey hid our scrapbook and drawings and won't give them back!"  - the boy protested. Basil was easy to recognize—his appearance was slightly different, but his personality was kind and gentle, like flowers. His blue hair, soft blue overalls, and mint-colored T-shirt, as well as a wreath of lilac and purple flowers, added a touching touch to his appearance. However, now his sweet appearance was overshadowed by despair.

"Hey, she doesn't have to help! Just take another photo!"

"I will, but only when we find the album!"

"No! You keep that photo and just stick the new one somewhere off to the side!"

"It's such a beautiful landscape! Of course I'll keep it! And besides, it's a memory of a moment..."  - His voice trailed off suspiciously under Aubrey's angry gaze.

"A landscape!? Aren't I supposed to be beautiful there?"

"You turned out well too! You just don't want to accept it!"

"You can only watch and listen to three things forever: the fire burning, the water flowing, and how every minute a new excuse is found to burn or keep the photo, never quite deciding."

A short, inviting tap on the elbow draws my attention to another friend who has decided to leave the enraged "Chihuahuas" and talk to me.

"Hi, Hikki. - Sorry, I couldn't calm them down before you got here. So... Could you help me find the album? They won't calm down." The voice, despite the situation, was cheerful and upbeat. Kel, a boy slightly shorter than me, wore a checkered T-shirt of various colors and eggplant-colored shorts.  His hair was the same purple-violet and clearly a little tousled.

Getting an approving nod from me, he ran off, determinedly and persistently beginning to search the room. I looked around to see where the best place to start searching would be.

The purple sky was strewn with stars and constellations, reminiscent of planets, rockets, and UFOs. I approached the malfunctioning pink TV in the corner. I lifted it, revealing a rabbit hole underneath. Who knew about that? The table across the room was also empty, save for a messy strew of ring-shaped cereal. The blue-leafed tree was also empty. On the counter sat a blender, someone's forgotten gift, a toaster with burnt toast, and a cup of coffee spilled across the counter. Nothing.

In the middle of the room, the raging war over the right choice continued, but Aubrey seemed to be outvoting Basil. Kel was stuck somewhere in the corner, wrestling with a melon. A melon?

I moved closer. It was oddly shaped, and it seemed to have something sticking out of it. Pulling my newly acquired sickle from my dress pocket(?), I swung it, and the melon burst with a loud crack, leaving behind only juice and bits of debris. Next to the melon's puddle of water lay the lost album and a couple of scattered photos and notes. The album consisted of a cover and loose-leaf files, each containing notes, drawings, and photos taken by friends.

"You found it! Awesome!"  - Kel exclaimed, looking at the album in my hands. Aubrey and Basil turned at the sound of my voice. Aubrey, tumbling and shoving with Basil, ran up to me and snatched the album from my hands.

"No! I'll burn it anyway..." -  Aubrey muttered under her breath, laughing maliciously. She quickly flipped through the pages and snatched the photo she needed. Basil snatched it before his friend's eyes lit up with a furious fire.  - "Basil!"

"I won't let you!"

A chuckle sounded from somewhere off to the side. Kel was barely holding on, lest he jump up and take the initiative in this impromptu game of tag.

Who cares, it would have gone on for a long time if the photo hadn't fallen into a cat-shaped hole near the stairs. Aubrey jumped triumphantly and laughed ominously, while Basil held back tears over such a missed shot.

"By the way!"  - Basil (after a while of suffering) suddenly perked up.  - "They invited us to the clearing in the house! Hero said he wanted to see the new photos. Well, at least the ones that were left." He cast a reproachful glance at Aubrey as she continued her triumphant dance.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner! I'm getting hungry!"  - Kel jumped to his feet and headed for the stairs. Basil immediately followed. Aubrey, not paying attention to her friends' actions, was clearly confused and hurried to catch up.

The clearing. The little house. There was something there that sometimes makes you nervous. Something special. Something...

"Hikki? Are you coming? We can wait for you if you need to!" Aubrey shouted from the top of the stairs.

I broke free from the hypnosis of my own thoughts and headed toward my friends. Of course I'll go. I want to see what was making me nervous. To know. To feel. Maybe even touch.

(On the way, the recently sleeping serpent approached me and gave me some money, clearly being generous.)

A huge yellow cat watched us with its violet eyes, and a bright white light filled its vision.

The next second, trees with soft blue leaves and the same violet, with shimmering stars and constellations shaped like various objects, appeared before my eyes. I looked back. Kel emerged from a tree stump, bouncing cheerfully. Then Basil, clutching a sketchbook under his arm. And then Aubrey. Together, we headed south. Aubrey occasionally reminded Basil of her victory in the argument, causing him to pout slightly, though his smile grew increasingly irritated with each passing moment. Kel hummed a familiar melody, but I couldn't continue it, and watched the new squabbles of his friends walking nearby.

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Finally, we reached the landing. Familiar faces appeared all around, running, climbing, generally minding their own business.

Kel's eyes lit up when he finally found the coveted figures sitting in the treehouse, peering out the window.

"Hero! Sunny!" A ringing voice echoed across the landing, after which the owner of the words began waving the named.

Sunny? Sunny. There it is.

Kel waved his arms vigorously as he ran toward the ladder. The others tried to keep up with their active friend. Emerging from my lost thoughts, I headed for the tree. It was high up. Wasn't he scared? Didn't he fall while climbing it?

Climbing a small rope ladder, I was greeted by the large space inside the treehouse. Although you wouldn't know it from the outside. The soft green wallpaper blended perfectly with the interior. Although next to the gray things, it still looked abstract. The friends sat down on the beanbags, already deep in conversation.

"Hi, Hikki." Noticing the voice, I recognized Hero's face. He was wearing the same white shirt and light blue pajama bottoms, paired with dark purple hair. I sat down next to him, and he smiled softly. "You're a bit late today, did something happen?"

"Aubrey took my album and hid it, and then she even threw away the photo of the beautiful sunset!" Basil complained, not mincing words, but a little quietly. Aubrey rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Aubrey, that's not nice of you." Aubrey held her breath dramatically.

"I looked like a wet duck in that one!"

"It was fine! Besides, you know my style of photography!" Basil said, not about to tolerate complaints about his work.

"Okay, okay.  I see you have the album. I have a couple of recordings for it; Sunny and I made them while we were waiting for you.»

Sunny. I glance around and finally find him. Sunny. My sweet little brother. How could I have missed him?

He notices my gaze. He turns. His dark hair slightly obscures his eyes. A dark blue T-shirt, slightly too big, and his favorite shorts with the same blue stripes. I'd completely forgotten what he looks like. Why? I remember his hair; it always hung down to his nose with his careless bangs, just like his hands, which usually look pale, like his face. I remember him in a black suit and tie...

"Hikki?" My thoughts faded when a quiet but loving voice broke my trance. "Is everything okay?"

He's still so small. And still so shy. I nod slightly, and he smiled slightly.

The conversation turned to the album. Up until a certain point, we reread the jokes and notes from the inserts, looking at the drawings and photos, until Kel was struck by an idea.

"Look, this is our unfinished basketball game! Let's finish it!"

"No, we wanted to reread Hiro and Sunny's notes today," Aubrey objected.

"Tell me you're afraid of losing to me!" Aubrey blushed.

"No, I'm not! Let's go!" Aubrey jumped up defiantly and pointed at Kel.

"But where's the ball? I think we took it to your place," Basil explained, looking at Kel. "And we played there too—on your court."

Silence fell over the room.

"Oh. Right." Kel snapped back.

"What, Kel, have you changed your mind?" "Aubrey asked, grinning wickedly, already rubbing her hands behind her back in victory.

"What?! No!" He stood up, slamming his forehead against Aubrey's, clearly preparing for another argument. "Let's go to our place!"

"Are you sure? The mess you've created in your room isn't fit for entertaining." Hero raised an eyebrow at his brother's decisive words. Kel blushed slightly.

"In a few seconds, I'll be gone. Come on, let's go!"

Hero rolled his eyes. The conversation about the upcoming fight was interrupted by my younger brother's quiet voice.

"I'll stay here. Someone needs to watch the house."

"Are you sure? I can stay with you if you want," Basil says, already preparing to settle back down on the soft beanbag at the table. He's right, Sunny doesn't like being alone. I don't want to leave him either.

"It's fine. I'll get some sleep, too." Basil's slightly tired expression reassures him.

Kel, practically jumping out of the house, clearly worried about the mess, nervously breaks into a run and immediately stops.

"Oh, damn!"

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Chapter Text

"Ha, you think if you come faster you'll have time to fix all the mess? You know I'll find every uncollected speck, remind you of it, and then beat you in basketball. You don't have... OUCH!"  - Aubrey hits her head on the back of her friend, who momentarily froze, distracted by her own thoughts. -  "Kel! What are you doing?!"

 "Don't yell! It's Berly." - Aubrey suddenly turned serious, joining Kel's surveillance from the bushes.

"What's the plan?"  - Aubrey's tone was firm, as if they'd decided to do something illegal.

"I'm thinking."  - Kel was determined.

"Guys, it's just Berly and Van. We'll just go around them or say we're busy."  - Basil's soft voice was heard from the side, apparently not intending to offend the friends they were hiding from on the court.

"Let's go through those bushes. We shouldn't be spotted there,"  -  Kel insists, ignoring Basil. Aubrey nods, and together with his friend, crouching, they follow in the direction indicated.

Hero rolls his eyes, but a couple of seconds is enough for him to also crouch and follow the two, in his opinion, "idiots." Basil didn't even have to bend over; just lowering his head was enough. I squat slightly due to my height. My white skirt covers my knees, but fortunately, it doesn't hinder my movement.

Will he be okay? He always tried not to be alone. And he wasn't always a sound sleeper. What if he was disturbed? What if he got startled by some noise from the landing? Maybe better...

His knees touch his frozen back, and his mind returns to the "present."

"Aubrey, why are you standing?"  - Basil whispers worriedly.

"I don't know. Hey, Kel, what's wrong?"  

Kel hisses sharply. His gaze darts to the clearing, where two figures are gathering the remaining kids from the playground. Something's clearly brewing here.

"There'll be a commotion, and while everyone's distracted, we'll slip through,"  - Kel whispers, still looking at the group of kids in the center of the clearing. Aubrey nods in agreement with the plan. Hiro shakes his head. Basil looks ahead, worried.

Kel begins to move slowly, the rest of his friends following in a tightrope. All is well. Bye. Aubrey hits a twig and it breaks off. But no one seems to notice. Then Hero trips over it, but regains his balance. And then Basil comes along and...

"Oh." - A slightly pained voice rings out. Silence falls over the playground. Kel glances at Basil in disappointment. Basil looks apologetically at Kel and a frightened Aubrey.

"Here are our targets!"  - Someone from the crowd shouts triumphantly. It's Burley. She points a finger at our crowd and shouts.  - "GUYS! GRAB THE BALLS! WE'RE PLAYING DODGEBALL!"

The kids running across the playground immediately spread out, grabbing balls.

Kel raised his hands in a friendly manner, signaling he'd been caught.

"Berly, please. Let's do it next time?"

"No! Last time, you promised me a game of tag, and then when we started, you ran off in the opposite direction, claiming you were chasing someone." Berly said irritably, preparing to attack. "No mercy this time!"

Aubrey looked at Kel accusingly.

"Where else have you managed to 'miss each other'? Just so we know."

Kel exhales heavily, admitting his guilt, and emerges from the bushes.

"Okay."  - A dramatic pause, and all of Kel's acting chops come to the fore.  - "Oh, dear Berly! Please, use me in any games you like, but leave the boys alone!" He turns to us, feigning tears. -  "Leave me alone! Run. I'll stay and take my well-deserved hit..."

"Okay then."  - Aubrey turns and heads for the court exit, not even attempting to play along. Kel looks at Aubrey, perplexed. What's going on here?

"Hold! Everyone's playing!" - She slams the ball down the ground. -  "Line up! Get ready!"

A commanding voice commands obedience. And in that instant, our entire team is lined up in a neat line, centered on the line.

I feel eyes on my face. My hands. My legs. A sudden sense of unease overcomes me. My heart starts pounding wildly. My eyes dart around the crowd.

Everything.

Eyes.

They.

Looking.

Me.

What.

Please.

A warm hand encircles mine, squeezing it gently.

"It's okay."

"I'm with you."

My gaze focuses, and a familiar figure appears in my eyes. It's Hero. I squeeze his hand lightly. Warm. Safe. Reliable.

"One." - The countdown began suddenly. Kel hunched his shoulders, spitting out something along the lines of, "I loved you guys until the end, I'm sorry for everything..." and so on. Aubrey visibly composed herself. But mostly, it was clear she was nervous. She and Kel, holding hands, stood in defense of the cowering Basil. Although, considering they were attacking from both sides, that wouldn't help much.

"Two."  - I looked at Hero. He was still smiling sweetly. I bet he was nervous too, he just didn't show it.

- And... - Finally. The treasured... - THREE!

Balls flew from all directions with considerable force. Kel and Aubrey immediately scattered, forgetting about protecting the innocent Basil. An illusion of safety. He immediately curled up into a ball on the ground, like an ordinary mound. Kel practically stood on his hands, throwing himself from side to side to avoid being hit. Aubrey jumped and squealed, but even managed to stick her tongue out at the bouncers. For which she later got hit in the face with a ball and was eliminated first. Sitting down on a bench nearby, she whined for a couple of minutes about a bruise that was about to appear, and then, standing on it, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

- Just try losing to them!

"You've been caught for less than a minute!"  - Kel yells back.

...

For about five minutes now, Kel and Aubrey have been sitting on the bench, watching their friends suffer against the enraged dodgeball players.

"Your support isn't working,"  - Kel mutters under his breath.

"You just don't want to accept it. It's your own fault for not paying attention."

There are three left. Basil. Hero. And me. Berly, after analyzing us with a glance, sets his sights on a new target.

"Come on, Basil! Don't be modest!"  - She yells at the intimidated Basil. -  "You look more like a flattering rabbit than a dodgeball warrior!"

"I'm not a rabbit! And I didn't want to play this!" -  For expressing his opinion, the ball hits Basil on the back of the head.

"Sorry!" -  Someone from the crowd shouts, looking clearly guilty.

"It's okay."  - Basil replies, letting out a frightened squeak as he tries to quickly cross the field and finally get some rest.

"Does it hurt a lot?"  - Kel asks as Basil sits down on the bench.

"That's nothing. My face has already been ruined more than once in one day!"  - Aubrey pouts.

"Oh my God, you're talking about that again. Thanks Kel, everything's fine. Aubrey."  - Silence falls.  - "You have a bump."

"Yeah, I know!" -  Aubrey whines pitifully.

While her friends on the bench tried to calm the tearful Aubrey, Hero dodged the balls gracefully and elegantly. It was like he was waltzing. Without even breaking a sweat! The swords simply missed me. Either they couldn't see me, or the bouncers needed glasses. And then suddenly. I collapse to the ground. Something looms over me. Rolling over, I see Hiro's tender gaze.

"Almost missed."  - His cheeks flush slightly. We don't move for a minute. The entire court holds its breath.  - "Ow!" -  A sudden blow snaps me out of my trance.

"Enough of your romance! Let's play!" -  Berly yells angrily.  - "Are you okay?"  - Hiro asks, helping me up. A slight heartbeat. What's that?  - "Ouch! I'm leaving, I'm leaving!"

Berly irritably watches Hiro leave the court, bouncing his leg, and kneading the ball with his hands, ready to strike.

"Good luck!"  - he whispers, and finally heads for the bench.

"Go for it, Hikki!" - Aubrey shouts, furious, waving her arms. -  "Get revenge on them for our bruises!"

"The losers weren't allowed to speak!" -  Berly interrupts her angry speech and sets the timer on the ground. "So. The survivor turned out to be Hikki. What a surprise. So, balls ready!"

"Um, Berly? Uh... where are the balls?"  - Van asks suddenly. Berly looks around. Her eyes grow wider and wider with each passing second.

"I don't get it. Where are they?!" - The puzzled voice is interrupted by the sharp sound of a strangely shaking tree.  - "Whoever it was, you better give up all the balls!"

An irritated cry startles the owner of the sound, and the cardboard tree falls to the sand. It was Boss, but because of his generally gentle nature, he's more commonly called...

"Cadet?! Have you lost your fear?" -  Berly exclaims.

"Cadet's" quiet voice follows her:

"It's just... I think that's a bit harsh, Berly!"

"Whiner! You just don't like playing with us."

"You kicked me out of the clearing because I think this game is cruel!"

"Stop!"  - Aubrey interjects.  - "So you're not letting him on the court because you don't even try to understand why he thinks that way?!"

Berly rolled her eyes.

"He's a weakling, and he simply can't play with us."

"Wait, but the court is shared!"  - Kel chimes in, clearly siding with the disgruntled Aubrey.

"What difference does it make!? We were in the middle of a game, and you interrupted us! Give us the balls back and end this circus!" - Burley says angrily, extending his hand to the Cadet.  - "Faster."

"But..."

"Okay, that's enough! Do you know why I ran away then? And why aren't the others so willing to play? I think the Boss already told you the answer, but you just don't want to accept it!"  - Kel gets up from the bench and runs up to me. -  "It's time to stop ordering people around and try to play normally, not for survival!"

"Are you challenging me?!"  - Berly shouts loudly. The crowd surrounding us visibly retreats half a step. "Come on, line up! Let's show who's boss!"

Silence. Some looked away, others tried to break away from the crowd and go home.

"You... You're all cowards! It's just Kel!"

 "Don't forget about us!"  - A girl appears next to Kel. From the right pocket of her nightgown, she pulls out a pink, rather cute, bat. Basil stands behind me, ready to come to the rescue if I need protection.

"Fools..." -  Berly glances back at Boss. Behind him sits a small basket of stolen balls. Berly, approaching it, pushes Boss aside, picking up a ball. Aubrey is about to turn the heat up. - "Well, you want a fight? Then you'll get one!"

And the heat starts. Berly throws balls in our direction with unusually fast speed, not even thinking about whether it's a face or a leg. Aubrey hits a basketball with the bat, squinting slightly at the recoil. Kel easily catches one of the balls and, spinning around, gives Burley the credit with even more force, hitting her. It grazes her arm, and for literally a minute, the wave of balls softens. Unfortunately, not for long.

"Kel, pass!" -  Aubrey shouts her friend's name, and the next second, a friend's ball flies at Aubrey. She bats it away, knocking Burley's glasses off. Despite the blurry world, Burley continues the wave of attacking objects. How many balls are there? Is that a bulletin board?!

Basil runs forward and tosses a seed. As soon as it hits the ground, its roots take root, then a stem emerges, and finally, the flower itself—a sunflower, shielding the friends from the incoming board.

"Wow, Basil! What is that?"  - Aubrey cries, inspired, seeing such a beautiful "shield."

"It's a fast-growing sunflower."  - Basil says hastily, simultaneously hiding behind him and squealing at the sharply flying balls.  - "I recently discovered this kind. A couple of rays of sunlight are enough for it, but a couple of minutes are enough for it to become brittle again. And also..." -  He looks into the pocket of his overalls. " - I only had two sunflower seeds."

You could see Basil begin to tremble slightly, and it was best not to look at his face. It was written all over with despair.

"Calm down. This is enough for us."  - Kel insists, grabbing my hand and dragging me behind the sunflower. The flower twitches nervously from the stream of balls. They fly off, hitting others on the court who haven't yet managed to hide. Burley continues to attack. -  "How long can he last?"

"I told you, a couple of MINUTES!"  - Basil squeals on the last word.

Kel looks around. He's looking from behind the flower. Another tennis ball nearly hits his bast.

"Okay."  - He sits up straight and looks at us. His gaze shifts to me, then to the object in my hand. The small sickle I used to cut the balls as they flew at me. -  "I have an idea! Let's throw a flower right at her face!"

...

Basil throws a seed. It grows into the ground, and a new sunflower instantly sprouts from it. The previous one sheds its leaves and vanishes into thin air.

"Pull!"  - Kel shouts, and a multitude of hands grab the stem, pulling it back, moving further and further away.  - "Aim!" -  The balls fly sharply toward the sunflower, shaking it. Aubrey peers out and points it in the right direction, then gives a thumbs-up.  - "And... Fire!"

I grab the sickle and sharply slice the stem in half. The taut flower flies forward with ease, heedless of obstacles, and crashes hard into Burley, stopping the wave of balls.

She falls to the ground. Stars twinkle before her eyes. Cautiously, apprehensively, her friends on the court peer out from their hiding places. Aubrey falls to the ground, exhausted, exhaling heavily. Kel arches, her back cracking.