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The sun shone on Radu, sitting alone on a rock on the unidentified planet. No signs of any intelligent life form could be found on the planet. Radu's sensitive ears couldn't detect any sound except for those of animals. The planet had not been on any of the maps on the Christa. In fact, the sensors did not even know the planet was there until the Christa passed it. The others were exploring the planet and doing tests on it, but Radu had other thoughts on his mind. The largest thought running through his head was this: if the planet was not on any maps, and no people had been on it for years, then where had this ring come from?
The ring looked like an ordinary one. It had two silver wing-like things coming off a deep green stone in the center. This emblem was attached to a circled chain. Nothing was extraordinary about this little ring except that Radu felt some strange power coming from it.
Radu's thoughts were interrupted by Rosie laying her hand on his shoulder. "We're ready to go now, Radu."
"Huh... what?" Radu was startled. He hadn't heard Rosie walk up behind him. "Sorry. I was just thinking about this ring. Where do you think it came from?"
"You found a ring? Let me see it!"
Radu held up the ring. Rosie frowned. "Really. Let me see it."
Radu swung the ring back and forth in front of her eyes. "It's right here. Can't you see it?"
"Fine. If you don't want to show me, that's just fine. We're boarding now." Rosie turned to go onto the Christa.
"Rosie, wait. You seriously don't see it?" Rosie didn't answer, but Harlan ran up behind him.
"See what? What did you find?" Harlan seemed excited about something.
"Only this ring," Radu said as he held it up.
"What?" Harlan asked. "Oh, I get it. Suzee set you up, didn't she? She thinks that you and your imaginary ring would trick me. But Harlan Ban is nobody's fool. It takes more than that to trick me!"
"Trick you? Why would I want to do that?"
Harlan just laughed at Radu. "So I would lose my bet with Suzee, that's why. We have a bet to see who will fall for some one's joke first, and the winner gets this planet named after them. Planet Harlan, here I come!"
Radu got a strange gleam in his eye. "How about Planet Harlan-Radu? We could double team Suzee and share the name."
Harlan agreed and the two guys started plotting their plan to trick Suzee as they walked aboard the Christa. They were so busy in their scheming that they didn't notice the shiny black bird following them on board. Its feathers glistened green and purple as the sun shot its parting rays towards the exiting bird.
*******
"Look at these readings!" cried a voice in disbelief. That was Harlan, who was doing a mandatory check up on the hyperdrive with Suzee. "The hyperdrive's engines were drained yesterday."
"It looks like the hyperdrive's engines were drained the day we left Planet Bova, too."
Harlan shook his head in embarrassment and smiled. "I still can't believe he convinced us that he was turning into a machine."
Suzee grinned. "Yeah, but who else could plug himself into a socket and not get hurt?" Then she suddenly realized something. "Say, wasn't Radu checking the hyperdrive both those times?"
Coincidentally, that was the exact time that Radu slid down the jump tube. "Hi guys, have you-"
Unfortunately, Radu was cut off by the hyperdrive's flashing lights. The energy from the hyperdrive flew like streaks of purple lightning towards Radu. He instinctively dove away from the hyperdrive. He clutched the ring, worn round his neck on a silver chain, and miraculously the lights stopped.
Harlan was the first to recover. "What was that?"
Radu held up the ring. "I think it has something to do with this," he said, puzzled.
"A chain?" Suzee was almost as perplexed as Radu.
"No, the ring." Radu already knew Harlan's response before he said it.
"What ring?"
Radu couldn't bear being with Harlan and Suzee anymore. It was all getting to be too much for him. He rushed out of the room before either of them could ask him any more questions.
"What's with him?" Harlan asked.
"I don't know, but he's been acting really weird since we left that planet. Do you think we should tell Commander Goddard about this?" Suzee seemed genuinely concerned.
"Nah, Radu will probably be back to normal in a few days. I hope."
*******
Radu paused while walking to the classroom. He laughed a strange, nervous laugh and started to talk to himself. "This isn't happening. I'm going to look down, see that I'm wearing an empty chain, laugh to myself, and everything will go back to normal." He held up the ring, saw that it was there, and sighed to himself. "Still there." His slow walk to class started again until he heard a cawing of a bird behind him. Before he knew what was happening the bird flew up and alighted on his shoulder.
"Great," he said, more to himself than to the bird. "It was fine when I was seeing imaginary little inanimate objects, but now there's a bird sitting on my shoulder." The bird cawed again as Radu sighed, resigned to his fate. "OK, bird. It's time for us to go to class."
*******
The kids were in the classroom discussing Radu's strange behavior. They were wondering whether they should confront him about it, tell one of the adults, or just let it slide for the moment. Before they could come to a decision Radu walked into the room, stopping all discussion for the time being. He still had the 'imaginary' bird perched on his shoulder, and he was still wearing the ring around his neck.
"That's a pretty bird, Radu." Rosie said happily. She loved animals.
Radu was amazed. "You can see it?"
"Of course," said Suzee. "It's a... Starling, right?"
"Um... right. I think so." Radu was too relieved about not going crazy that he was almost in a daze.
Rosie petted the bird as it tried to hold its dignity. "What's his name?"
"It's a girl." Radu didn't know how he knew, he just knew.
"OK," asked Suzee, "What's *her* name?"
Whatever had given Radu that feeling of knowing before, it was gone now. "I don't know."
Inspiration struck Suzee for a moment. "How about naming her after that Earth legend we learned about that girl turning into a Starling?"
Bova, negative as ever, had to point out the fault in Suzee's plan. "But she didn't have a name."
As the others started arguing about what her name should be, Radu got a strange sense of knowing again. "Legend. Her name is Legend."
Rosie again tried to pet Legend, but she flew to Radu's other shoulder and chirped chastisingly at Rosie. "Did you get Legend off the planet we left yesterday?"
Radu nodded. "I think so. I found her on the ship a while ago. She must have snuck on."
Harlan realized something. "Does Commander Goddard know about her?"
Miss Davenport walked into the classroom. "Does Commander Goddard know about what?"
Bova grinned and said, "Say hello to Legend."
"What in the world is that thing doing here?"
"Her name's Legend," pointed out Rosie. "Can we keep her?"
"Pleeeeese?" chorused the kids.
"Certainly not. Remember our last experiences with animals on board the Christa? It's a wonder we're still alive!" Miss Davenport was unconsciously doing her best to spoil all the fun the kids tried to have.
"But what if Commander Goddard said it was OK? Then we could keep her, right?" Everyone, even Miss Davenport could see that Harlan had a point.
"Screen on, Command Post." Miss Davenport was attempting communication with Commander Goddard. His face appeared on the wall and Miss Davenport continued. "Commander Goddard, the children have snuck a bird onto the Christa and wish to keep it as a pet. This is highly inadvisable considering their past experiences, but if you believe no harm can come from it they will be allowed to keep it."
After a lengthy two seconds of thought Commander Goddard agreed to let the children keep Legend. After all, how much trouble could one little bird cause? But the crew was just about to find out.
*******
That night Radu walked through the mystical fog of his dreams. The air around him had a controlling, almost smothering feeling. He was startled when a strange girl walked out of the fog. She had light brown hair that hung halfway down her back. Her green eyes flashed with a controlling, hypnotic light.
Stranger still was her skin, which was slightly blue with a luminescent glow behind it. She had pointed ears that came out through her hair. But oddest of all was her voice. It had a strange, lilting quality to it, and a light accent that was a cross between Irish and Scottish. She pointed a slender finger at Radu and spoke.
"The ring. Give me the ring."
Radu backed away. "Who are you?"
"I think you know that. You were the one who guessed my name. I'm Legend."
"What do you want?"
"The ring. Give it to me, please. I need it."
Radu covered his ears and closed his eyes. "Go away! Leave me alone!"
The mist retreated, leaving him in the real world. As he opened his eyes he caught a last glimpse of a bird flying out of the room. He laid his head back onto his pillow and escaped into a dreamless sleep until morning.
*******
The next day Thelma and Suzee were doing a mandatory check on the hyperdrive. Radu stood nearby, talking to Suzee. And of course, Legend was sitting on his shoulder and the ring was still on its silver chain.
"Radu, are you feeling OK? You don't look so good."
"Gee, thanks." Radu was waiting for Suzee to finish so they could start their rematch of Thark-ball. Their last two games had ended as a tie; Radu won one and Suzee won the other, but this one was for the title! However, Suzee couldn't help noticing that Radu seemed a little drained today.
"No, really. Are you still up to our game?" As much as Suzee wanted to win, she didn't want to win by making Radu play when he was sick.
"Yeah, I'm up to it. It's just that I had this weird dream last night. It was about Legend, but it wasn't Legend. It was some girl, but..." As Radu was speaking he unconsciously stepped forward towards the hyperdrive. The hyperdrive again shot the streaks of purple lightning into the ring. The ring started to beam with a light of its own. The power of the energy shocked Suzee and Thelma away from the hyperdrive, but this time instead of running from the energy Radu accepted it. He seemed to glow as he was re-energized. Radu would probably gone on like this until the hyperdrive was drained.
Legend flew up onto the glowing hyperdrive and it immediately stopped. The purple lightning ceased its flying from the hyperdrive and the ring stopped beaming. Radu opened his eyes and said in a daze, "Never mind, Suzee, I feel wonderful."
"What was that?" Suzee blinked her eyes in rapid succession in an attempt to clear her thoughts.
Thelma did her normal trick of shaking off strange occurrences and sauntered over to the hyperdrive. "Shoo, bird. Animals are not allowed to sit on the hyperdrive."
Legend just tilted her head at Thelma and gave her a look that if she could talk would have said, "Me? Move? You've got to be kidding."
"Come on, bird. Get off the hyperdrive." Thelma tried to shove the bird off the hyperdrive, but as her hand touched Legend's feathers she was given an electrical shock. Radu quickly pulled Thelma's hand off of Legend's back and the electricity stopped flowing.
Thelma seemed just a little dazed. Her only physical change was that her hair, which before was just a layer of wire, now resembled an afro. Thelma jerkily stumbled over to a repair room while Suzee tried to process what had just occurred.
"Radu, what was that?"
"I have no idea. I think it has something to do with Legend." Radu had decided to keep the rest of his assumptions to himself. However, Suzee was more observant than he thought.
"Radu, you know more than you're telling me."
Radu realized how possibly Suzee could help him. "Suzee, could you do me a favor? Could you read Legend's mind for me?"
At this Legend flew off the hyperdrive and almost left the room. Radu blocked the doorway and, with one hand clasping the ring, ordered Legend to come to him. Legend obediently landed on his shoulder and cawed angrily at Suzee.
Suzee walked over to Legend and began to read her mind.
*******
Suzee's spirit was gliding through a strange forest, much like the one on Planet Bova. The trees and grass were all a deep green, and everything seemed peaceful. The only thing disrupting the tranquillity of this place was occasional streaks of red light above the tree tops or darting through the bushes.
Suzee glided on. She reached a pond in the center of the forest. The water was a clear blue, and even in the deepest section Suzee could see the strange rocks that covered the bottom of the pond. They were either colored a deep green or a shimmering silver. The rocks themselves all bore the same shape, an oval in the center with two wing-like things coming off the sides.
Suzee reached into the pond and picked up one of the rocks, a green one.
A young girl was standing by an older woman. The girl appeared to be an Earthling, but the woman was obviously not from Earth, due to her slightly green skin and large pointed ears. Suzee couldn't understand what they were saying since they were speaking in Gaelic, but she could tell that the woman was teaching the girl how to make something, a blue glowing orb of some sort. The girl succeeded
in her task and hugged the woman. *Her mother!* thought Suzee.
Suzee dropped the rock back into the pond and picked up another rock, a silver one this time.
The same girl was in this image, only changed. Her ears pointed through her brown hair and her skin was now slightly blue. The most changed was her eyes. They were still green, but now they shone with hate instead of love.
She was standing gravely before a man with the same pointed ears and the same blue hue to his skin. He yelled something at the girl, who continued to stand silently before him.
His voice then turned cold. He pointed his finger at the girl and chanted something in Latin. A single tear ran down the girl's face as he spoke, and as he said the final words her voice shrieked out though the air. Great golden light rushed out of her body to form a single silver orb. The orb condensed into a ring, but before the man could take it the girl commanded it away with a word.
The girl suddenly began to lose her shape. She seemed to melt into something smaller. Her feet curled up and became claws. Her brown hair grew long and its color changed into a shiny black. The hair covered the length of her body and attached itself to her arms. Her arms turned into wings, and suddenly the girl wasn't a girl anymore. She was now a Starling.
Suzee suddenly realized something. The man - the one who changed the girl - was the girl's father.
Suzee dropped the stone back into the pond and reached for another. Before she could pick up the stone she noticed a girl; the girl from the images. She was standing on the other side of the pond. And she was very, very angry.
"What are you doing here?" asked the girl.
"Who are you?" asked Suzee.
"I'm Legend. And you're a nosy little thief that pried into my memories."
"But I didn't-" Suzee tried to explain.
Legend continued speaking as if she hadn't heard Suzee. "I thought my mind was impenetrable to people like you, but I suppose this weakened state left my defenses down."
"But I-"
Legend's tone turned angrier. "You have no right to be here!" Suzee flinched backwards as Legend's height increased. Anger seemed to pour from every surface of her. Her powers heightened until the light around her was too much for Suzee to bear. "Get out!" screamed Legend, and Suzee was violently thrown out of Legend's mind.
*******
Suzee's purple eyes stopped glowing as she exited Legend's mind.
"What did you find?" asked Radu. He didn't receive an answer. "Suzee, are you OK?" Suzee continued to stare off into space. Radu shook her shoulders. "Suzee! Answer me!"
Suzee looked feebly at Radu. "You were right. She isn't a normal bird." Suzee closed her eyes and collapsed onto the floor.
*******
That night Radu again walked through the mists of his dreams. This time the fog had a demanding feel to it. A soft wind howled in the distance. He continued to walk through the mist until he reached what appeared to be the couch from the lounge. All his friends were sitting around it talking and laughing ominously. He walked up to them.
"Hi guys, what's up?" Radu said nervously.
"Oh, great. Look who just showed up," said Rosie sarcastically.
"Who invited him here?" asked Suzee.
"We don't talk to thieves," stated Harlan.
"What are you talking about?" asked Radu. "I didn't steal anything."
"Really," said Bova. "Then what's that around your neck?"
"But I didn't steal this," explained Radu. "I found it."
"And then you didn't give it back to its owner," pointed out Harlan.
"But I didn't think-"
"That's right. You didn't think," sneered Rosie.
"You get one last chance to give it to its rightful owner, otherwise you'll never be friends with us again," said Suzee.
The lounge disappeared to reveal Legend standing behind it. "That's right. Give me the ring."
Radu shakes his head. "No! I don't care what you say! This is just a stupid dream!" And with those words the fog quickly rolled away to show...
*******
Harlan was shaking the tossing and turning Radu. "Wake up!"
Radu woke up with a start. "The ring- Legend!" He checked to make sure the ring was still on its chain. It was still there, Radu was relieved.
Harlan, however, was still keyed up about Radu's dream. "What is it? Another message from Elmyra? Are the Spung going to attack us?"
"No, it was just a normal bad dream." He glanced at Legend, perched a few feet away. "Well, relatively normal."
"But no Elmyra?"
Harlan seemed so worried that Radu had to laugh. "No Elmyra."
"And no Spung?"
"No Spung."
"You sure?"
Radu threw a pillow at Harlan. "Yes, I'm sure. Make like Bova and sleep." He motioned towards the sleeping Bova, who was oblivious to all that had happened. Eventually, after reassuring Harlan several more times that no Spung were coming to destroy them, the two boys went back to sleep.
*******
Radu once more walked through the mists of his dreams, but this time the air had a distinctly different feel to it. Instead of being ominous or scary, it seemed rather sad. The howling of the wind in the background had a more mournful sound to it. And saddest of all was Legend, on her knees crying with her back facing Radu.
Radu walked up behind her and put his hand on her back. She turned around and said, "Oh, Radu. I'm so sorry for everything I've done so far. At first I thought I could scare you into giving me the ring. Then I thought I could use images of the others to pressure you into giving me the ring, but you were too strong willed for that. Now I'm asking you nicely: Would you please give me my ring?" She looked imploringly at Radu.
Radu wrinkled his forehead. "I still don't get it. What is so important about one little ring?"
"That one little ring contains all my powers. Many years ago someone tried to trick me out of my powers, but before he could take them I cast a spell to hide the ring until another of my kind found it. You are one of my kind."
"You're kind?"
Legend grinned at Radu. "I'm an Enigma, a master of tricks, spells, and powers of all varieties. I personally specialize in impossibilities."
"You specialize in impossibilities?"
"Sure," she smiled. "Whenever someone says something is impossible, I prove that person wrong."
"Wait a minute," said Radu. "Slow down. You said that only an Enigma could find the ring. Are you saying that I'm an Enigma?"
"Give the boy a prize," said Legend.
"But I can't be. Look at you. Look at me. We're so different. I'm not an Enigma, I'm an Andromedan." Radu thought that would clear up any of the confusion Legend was creating.
"So what? I'm a Pieces." Legend smiled at Radu's confusion. "Would you believe me if I told you I'm from Earth?" Radu shook his head. "Well I am. You see, when Enigmas reach their full magical potential they change physically. All Enigmas look like I do in the end." Radu stayed silent.
"We Enigmas are spread out among the universe," explained Legend, "and many of us live and die without knowing our full powers. If, by any chance, one of us does reach their full potential, that person would become immortal."
Radu broke his silence here. "Immortal? No way. You're just a kid."
Legend became slightly angry at that. "Just a kid? What year is this?"
"2261."
"I was born March 2, 621 AD, so let's see that means..." Legend made some mental calculations. "I'm one thousand six hundred forty, and I was trapped in that bird shape for... two hundred and fourteen years so far... although it'll probably be another two hundred and fourteen years until *somebody* decides to give me my ring back," she said accusingly.
Radu became defensive again. "If you're so all powerful, why didn't you just take it off its chain?"
Legend sighed. "OK, maybe I bragged too much. Enigmas are vulnerable to certain metals. I can't use anything silver unless it was charmed for me. Other Enigmas can't use other particular metals.
"It's nearly time for you to wake up, so let's make a deal: You give me the ring and I'll train you on how to use your powers to the fullest. Just think: you and me, ruling the universe, learning all the secrets of the planets, or maybe just playing a hundred new tricks on Miss Davenport. It's amazing what you could do with an eternity. So what do you say?"
Radu said nothing, but he began to take the ring off the chain. The ring was almost passed into Legend's hands when...
*******
An alarm went off. The mists retreated, leaving Radu awake in bed. Harlan was already getting dressed and Bova was still asleep.
"Harlan, what's going on?" asked Radu.
"It's Suzee. She's having some complications and Commander Goddard says he needs all our help!"
Radu quickly got changed into his uniform, but Bova was still asleep. He pointed to Bova and said, "What about Sleeping Beauty?"
"I've tried to wake him up, but he won't get up! Let's take him along. This is really an emergency, and we can't waste any more time!" The two boys carried Bova out of bed and into the medical station.
*******
Commander Goddard leaned over Suzee's body. She had gotten worse. Ever since she had run that check on the hyperdrive yesterday she had been in a coma-like condition. Now she was sinking deeper into that state, and if someone couldn't revive her soon she may be lost to them forever.
Rosie was already in the medical station when Harlan, Radu, and Bova rushed into the room. Actually Harlan and Radu were the ones doing the rushing. Bova was just sort of lying in between them.
Commander Goddard said, "I wanted you here because of Suzee. She's slipping deeper into the coma, and I think that if some of her friends were there to remind her of this world she might come back to us."
"I have a better idea," said Radu. "Let's allow the cause of the problem become the solution." Before anyone could puzzle over Radu's cryptic message he yelled out, "Legend!"
Legend flew into the room and alighted on Radu's shoulder. Radu took off his chain, slid off the ring, and carefully slipped the ring onto one of Legend's claws.
Instantly the ring began to glow as Legend flew off Radu's shoulder into the center of the room. As she swung down in graceful arcs the ring's light grew brighter and brighter until everyone in the room had to shield their eyes.
As the light faded they saw Legend, as she really is, standing on the ground with a huge smile on her face. She called a triumphant cry and ran over to Radu and gave him a great hug. "Thank you thank you thank you!" she cried as he swung her around in the air, laughing. "I knew you would give me the ring eventually!"
As he set her down on the ground again she walked over to Harlan who still had a surprised look on his face. "You'd better be careful or your face might stick like that," she laughed.
As Radu's merriment died down he said, "Legend, could you maybe fix whatever you did to Suzee?"
"Oh, sure." She walked over beside Suzee and chanted:
"Your absence here has caused a great gap,
"So awaken now from your long nap."
And what do you know, Suzee opened her eyes and sat up. Her eyes adjusted and she recognized Legend's face. "You're-"
Legend made an elaborate bow and said, "Taliesin Valerie Eirias, at your service. At least that's what my dad calls me. But my mom called me Legend."
"And your dad's the one that-"
Legend shushed Suzee. "Yes, yes. But I'll explain that later. Right now I have to be off."
Radu rushed over to her. "But why?"
"So I can come back," she explained. "And by then I will have a good excuse to join your group's adventures. But I can't stay when all of you know who I really am. So first I'll have to erase your memories. Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit."
And with that she started to chant again,
"Knowledge is pain, so let's see a smile,
"Forget what you've seen and done for a while!"
Then Legend touched everyone's head with her finger. Her finger glowed for an instant as their memories of the past few days faded. When she lifted her finger away from their heads they fell to the floor, asleep.
Legend's path stopped when she reached Radu. "We, however, have a deal, and I'm not one to welsh on a promise. You may keep your memories and when I return we can start your training."
She started to walk away, but Radu stopped her before she could disappear. "But what about the others? What will happen to them?"
"They will awaken in the morning, and this will seem naught but a midsummer's night's dream," she whispered as she faded away from sight. Radu rushed to the window and watched the stars rearranged themselves into the sign on Legend's ring for a second. He could almost swear he heard the melodic sounds of Legend's laughter fading into the distance.