Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Quartet #1)(19)

A shadow cut across Aru. She looked up to see Boo circling them. There was something strange about his shadow, though…It didn’t look like the kind of shadow cast by a pigeon. It was…massive.

Boo flew to Aru’s shoulder. He glanced at her, then at Mini. Then he did it again.

Boo was not subtle about his hint: Go forth and comfort!

Sighing, Aru walked over slowly. She crouched at Mini’s side and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“What?” Mini sniffled.

Aru thought about what she normally did to cheer herself up. She’d try to change the situation in her head. Look at it differently.

“It’s not so bad,” said Aru. “In the stories, Yudhistira was the son of the Dharma Raja and no one ran away from him. Everyone went to him for advice because he was really wise and just and all that. He was a really good king, too….And maybe, as a doctor, you’ll be even better because you’re the Daughter of Death. Maybe you’ll be able to tell faster when things are going wrong? Because you’ll be able to sense death! Like a dog!”

Mini’s head lifted.

Aru went on. “Think about it: you’ll be able to save so many more people. You’ll be the best doctor.”

Mini sniffed again. “You think so?”

Maybe?

“Definitely,” said Aru. “It’s all about what you do with what you have. Right, Boo?”

Boo huffed.

“See? Boo thinks so, too. And he’d never lie! He’s, like, our sworn guardian and all that. He wouldn’t try to steer you wrong.”

At this, something in Boo’s expression retreated. He hung his head a little. “True,” he said softly.

Mini stood up. She flashed a little smile. Without warning, she flung her arms around Aru and squeezed her tight, managing to catch a little of Boo’s wing. He squawked. She squeezed tighter. “Thank you,” she said.

Aru stood extremely still. She’d never been thanked, let along hugged, after telling a lie. But maybe she hadn’t lied at all. Maybe it wasn’t lying as much as it was applying some imagination. Looking at something from a different angle. That wasn’t such a bad thing. And maybe this kind of thinking could actually help her make friends, instead of lose them?

Aru hugged her back.

Thunder boomed in the sky. Aru and Mini jumped apart. The statues of the Pandavas’ soul fathers disappeared and the Court of the Sky rematerialized. Urvashi and Hanuman were perched at the edge of their thrones, their eyes wide.

“So it is true, then,” said Urvashi, her voice soft with awe. “They’re really…I mean…it is truly them.”

“The Pandavas have been awakened to do battle once more,” said Hanuman, rubbing his chin.

“Not all of them,” said Urvashi, staring at Aru and Mini. “Only the reincarnated souls of Arjuna and Yudhistira.”

“For now,” said Hanuman darkly. “If the Sleeper isn’t stopped, the rest will wake up, too.”

Aru glanced beneath her feet, where the world was nothing more than a blur of trees and rivers. Somewhere out there were other people with Pandava souls. What were they doing? Were they frozen? Did they have some idea of who they really were, like Mini? Or were they like her…completely clueless?

“The others will only awaken as needed. With increasing darkness comes answering light,” said Boo. “Even in chaos, the world will seek balance.”

“Is this the part where you say Do or do not, there is no try?” asked Aru.

Boo scowled.

“If the Sleeper is going to try and wake up the Lord of Destruction, he’ll need the celestial weapons,” said Hanuman. “Do you know what that means, Pandavas?”

“We should break all the weapons so the Sleeper can’t use them?” Aru responded at the same time that Mini said, “We have to get them before he does?”

“Or that,” said Aru.

Hanuman regarded them somberly. “The Daughter of Death speaks true.”

It took a moment for Aru to remember that Daughter of Death meant Mini. So what would that make her? Daughter of Thunder, Aru noted grumpily, sounded like a fancy name for a horse.

“Before I tell you of your quest, show me what gifts the gods have given you,” said Urvashi. “Gods willing, they will ease the pain of your journey.”

Gifts? Then Aru remembered the golden ball that had appeared when Indra’s lightning net vanished. She drew it out of her pajama pocket. “You mean this?”

Urvashi’s lip curled in distaste.

Mini rummaged in her backpack and pulled out a small purple compact. “This showed up when”—she choked on the words Dharma Raja—“claimed me.”

“A plaything…and a mirror…” observed Urvashi. She turned to Hanuman. “Didn’t heroes use to get fine steeds? Or battle armor? Swords, even?”

Was Aru overreacting, or was that a definite look of concern on Hanuman’s face?

“Lord Indra and the Dharma Raja are…enigmatic,” he said.

Mini frowned. “What’s that mean?”

“I think it means they’ve got flaky skin,” said Aru.

“You’re thinking of eczema.”

“It means,” said Hanuman loudly, “that your fathers are mysterious, but always for a reason. These gifts from them are intended to help you in your quest.”