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Moranaugh · The Monster Catcher's Journal

0:37
Hello Travelers and Monster Catchers abound,
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I'm Stella Ferris and this is the Monster Catcher
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Journal Podcast. Welcome back and I hope you
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enjoy the story. But this story is not about
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shadows that lurk in the night, nor about sharp
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fangs nor feathers or fur. No. This is the story
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of something much different. The story of a vacation.
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So I didn't want to go on this vacation, but
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Orion insisted. So, here's the story. It was
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strangely hot for a September evening. My mind
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was restless, pulled toward the thought of venturing
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out into the wild to catch more glyphs. The hunt
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never really leaves me. It lingers, like an itch
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under the skin. But just as I was gathering my
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things ready to slip out into the night, Orion
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appeared in the doorway. He stood there, arms
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folded with that professor's patience he always
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wears. Though I could see the stern glint in
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his eyes, he insisted that I, along with Xena
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and Luna, join him and the rest of the class
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on a four day trip. It'll ease your mind, he
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said. And I've even got a person that can watch
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your glyphs while you're gone. I didn't believe
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it. Truthfully, I didn't want to slow down. A
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vacation felt like waste of time when there were
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so many mysteries left uncaught. So, so many
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glyphs. yet to be discovered. But Orion would
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not take no for an answer. So begrudgingly, I
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went. The ride itself was long, four hours across
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land and sea aboard, a hover bus that hummed
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like a hive of bees beneath our feet. We passed
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over, endless stretches of sparkling water and
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clusters of sky -bridges tethered to nowhere.
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Xena tried to sleep, her cheek pressed against
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the window. While Luna, she whispered stories
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to herself to keep herself entertained, I stared
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off at the horizon, wondering if any part of
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this trip could possibly be worth the time, and
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then we arrived. Before us flowed at the most
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beautiful resort I had ever seen, an entire island
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suspended in the sky, its edges dripping with
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waterfalls that poured down into the ocean far,
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far below. Great towers of glass and crystal
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rose from its surface, shimmering with the reflection
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of sunlight and wings of passing glyphs. Exotic
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flowers spilled color over every path, and the
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air itself smelled of salt and something sweet
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like honey drifting on the wind. But all of that
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paled in comparison to what I saw next. At the
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edge of the lagoon, half hidden in the spray
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of a waterfall, was a creature I had only ever
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read about in our old records. The Moranok. A
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nearly extinct glyph, shaped like a miniature
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giraffe, but not truly flesh and bone, its body
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rippled like water, a translucent blue slime
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that glowed faintly from within, as if carrying
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a star in its core. Only ten were ever said to
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exist in the entire world, and all of them, every
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last one, were gathered here, on this resort.
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For the first time, since Orion dragged me along,
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I felt my pulse quicken. Maybe this vacation
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wasn't going to be a waste of time after all.
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As we stepped off the hover bus, the warm air
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hit me like a wave, thick with salt, and the
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faint tum of wings from the glyphs drifting above
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my boots touched the crystal -like pathway, and
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I barely noticed the chatter of my classmates,
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or the way Xena stretched her arms after the
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long ride, my attention was fixed ahead. There
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it was again. The Mornog. It simmered, just a
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few yards away at the edge of the lagoon, the
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sunlight slipping through its translucent body
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so that it glowed like a jewel. Its long, elongated
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neck swayed as it bent down to sip from the water,
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droplets sliding down its gelatinous skin and
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breaking into the rainbows. Every moment was
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slow, deliberate, almost otherworldly. I couldn't
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help myself. My feet carried me forward, step
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by step. drawn as if by a spell. I was only a
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breath away when a figure moved sharply into
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my path. A uniform resort guard, his expression
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stern, planted himself between me and the creature,
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his hand rested firmly on the baton at his belt,
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though his tone carried more warning than threat.
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Do not touch the moronog, he said, his voice
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steady but edged with caution. They are not to
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be caught. not even approached too closely. There
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were only ten left in existence. I froze, caught
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between frustration and awe. Ten left, I had
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known that from the stories from the record Orion
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once showed me, but hearing it spoken aloud,
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seeing the living proof standing right behind
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him, made the words feel heavier. The guard continued
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as, gaze -shifting briefly toward the lagoon
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where the creature shimmered like a mirage, They
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were nearly wiped out, defoured long ago by the
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Ignizura. To them, the Moronog were nothing more
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than food. What you see here are the last survivors
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protected under strict law. This resort is the
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only place they remain. His words hung in the
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air like a verdict. Behind him, the little glyph
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lifted its head, eyes like drops of - starlight,
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meeting mine for the brief instant. My heart
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thudded, torn between the hunter's instinct that
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urged me forward and the weight of responsibility
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pressing me back. I swallowed hard, nodding.
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I wasn't going to hurt it, I said, though the
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guard didn't move from his place. The Morinog
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shifted, rippling in the sunlight, and for the
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moment I wondered if it sensed what I felt, that
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strange mixture of longing, reverence, and sorrow.
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I was about to turn away, disappointment curling
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in my chest, when I felt it, something wet, cold,
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and strangely sticky pressing against my hand.
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I froze. The sensation was unlike anything I've
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ever felt before, like dipping my fingers into
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a bowl of warm jelly that somehow pulsed with
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life. Slowly, I tilted my head down, afraid to
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move too quickly and scare it away. There he
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was. The Moronog. The little blue glyph had slithered
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right up to me, its translucent body glowing
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faintly under the sun, with its long jelly -like
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neck and nuzzled against my palm in a gesture
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so familiar, so strangely affectionate, that
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I forgot to breathe. Its head left trails of
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slime across my skin, but I didn't pull away,
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I couldn't. My heart was pounding too hard, my
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mind caught between disbelief and wonder. When
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I finally looked at my gaze, I saw the guard
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staring at us, his brows shot upward, his mouth
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slightly ajar in stunned silence, he blinked
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as if unsure his own eyes could be trusted. The
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monarch— Sorry, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to
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mess up my words, but the moronog have never,
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his voice caught, then steadied, though it carried
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a note of awe. They have never acted like that
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before. He's studied me, then glanced back at
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the creature still clinging to my hand like a
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lost child. You must have a real knack for whatever
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it is you do. This little guy, he loves you.
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Even the lagoon seemed to go quiet, the other
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guards shifted uncomfortably as though unsure
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whether to intervene, while my classmates whispered
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among themselves, but the first guard only shook
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his head in amazement. And, stepped back into
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place, his tone grew firm again, returning to
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duty though his eyes still betrayed his astonishment.
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Just don't push your luck. You're under their
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protection now, not the other way around. And
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with that, He resumed his post, leaving me standing
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there, hands slick with glowing slime as the
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Moronog leaned against me like we had known each
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other all along. Don't get me wrong, I really
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loved that the Moronog took to me so well and
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that they loved me, but everywhere I went They
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followed. At first it was just the one, the little
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slime -necked giraffe who decided my hand was
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its new pillow, but before long it became clear
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I had a shadow I couldn't shake. I tried to ignore
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it. I slipped into my swimsuit, grabbed a towel,
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and stretched out on a lounge chair near the
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pool. The sun was warm, the water sparkling like
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crystal. It should have been the perfect moment
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to relax, but then splat! A cool sticky weight
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landed across my face. Blue glue. I keep saying
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glue, but it's not glue, it's goo, slid down
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my cheek, dripping onto my towel. I peeled it
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off, only to find two bright little starry eyes
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staring back at me, the moronog gurgling heavily
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as it smeared slime like a child finger painting.
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I groaned. Really? Fine, if I wanted to swim,
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maybe I could lose it in the water. I stood marching
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to the pool and dove in with a splash. The cool
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rush of water was refreshing for all of two seconds,
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until the glow followed me under. Like some strange,
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gladness comet, the moronog dove in after me,
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wobbling and wriggling in the water with an excitement
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that sent trails of bubbles dancing to the surface.
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I kicked away, but no matter where I turned,
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it stuck to me like glue. By the time I climbed
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out, my skin shimmered with blue streaks. Finally,
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exasperated, I trudged back to the hotel room.
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The hall was quiet, the door a welcome sight.
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Maybe I could shut the world out, just for a
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little while. But when I turned the corner, my
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heart sank. They were waiting. Not one, not two,
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all ten. Ten glowing, jelly -bodied moronog lined
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the corridor outside my door. Their next bobbing
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eyes gleaming like little lanterns in the dim
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light, a chorus of wet gurgles rose as they spotted
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me, and the first one, the original culprit,
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slid forward expectantly, as though proud of
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what it had done. I pressed the key card to the
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door with a sigh, some kind of vacation, I muttered
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sarcastically, stepping inside, one of them decided
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to slime me again, and of course, when the door
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closed, I could still hear their squishy bodies
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plopping against the wall. Waiting. Always waiting.
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What was I thinking? Orion had given each of
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us a holographic phone for emergencies. Sure,
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I didn't want to involve Orion in my problems,
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but at this point I felt like it was necessary
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to call Orion. So, I did. And if 10's slimy...
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Endangered glyphs following me around wasn't
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an emergency, then I didn't know it was. I yanked
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the dove eyes from my bag, flicked it open, and
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pressed the dial. With a soft hum, a miniature
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holographic Orion shimmered into existence above
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the phone. He stood there, arms crossed, his
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image flickering with the faint blue glow of
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projection. What is it, Quasar? Orion asked,
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his voice carrying that patient professor's edge.
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Like he already knew. This was going to be trivial.
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I can't enjoy this trip. I blurt it, pacing the
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room as the squishy sounds of Morynog echoed
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faintly from the hall. The Morynog keep following
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me everywhere. Orion arched a brow. Oh, come
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now, Quasar. It's only one little Morynog. I'm
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sure you can handle it. I spun towards the door,
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yanking it open with a dramatic sweep. Instantly,
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ten glowing heads swiveled toward me. Necks wobbling
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like slimy periscopes, their starlit eyes blinked
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in unison. Started as one, I said though through
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gritted teeth. Now it's all ten, my voice cracked
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as I held the phone up so Orion could see the
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squishy army lined up outside my door, and do
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you even realize what this means? If they stay
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out of the water too long, they can dry out and
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die. Please, Orion, help. The holographic Orion
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blinked, his expression flickering from annoyance
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to something closer to concern. He rubbed his
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chin thoughtfully, the projection glitching as
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he shifted. Well, he began slowly. That is unexpected.
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Unexpected, I cried, throwing my arms in the
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air as another blob of goo splattered against
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my door frame from an overly eager Moronog. I'm
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being haunted by endangered slime giraffes, Auron.
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If they turn into little blue raisins on my watch,
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it's going to be my fault. And I'll be in trouble.
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Don't worry, Quasar. I'll alert the resort staff
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and have them collect the moronog. Auron assured
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me. His hologram flickered once, twice, and then
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vanished into the air. I sank onto the bed, wiping
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the last of the slime from my hand. Relief was
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finally beginning to set in. What when I heard
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it? The rhythmic echo of boots in the hallway.
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A knock sounded at the door. When I opened it,
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four figures stood before me. They weren't dressed
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like resort staff at all. Instead, they wore
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sleek dark uniforms stitched with silver lines
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that glittered like starlight. Each outfit bore
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the same emblem, a consolation burning bright
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across their chest. Their eyes gleamed with confidence.
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A confidence that felt too polished, too rehearsed.
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And then in perfect unison, they struck a pose
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and began to chant. I'm Altair, soaring brighter
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than the night, a blazing hawk with wings of
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light. I'm Lyra, music sharp as a blade, a song
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of shadow where legends are made. I'm Vega, burning
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fierce, a radiant flame, catch my spark and remember
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the name. I'm Regal, strength that shakes the
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sky. A giant of stars with fire in my eyes. Together
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we shine, together we fight. We steal your glyphs
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and vanish from sight. We are Team Constellation.
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Brighter than the rest, so hand over your glyphs.
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We'll put you to the test. They held their final
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poses, hands outstretched dramatically at the
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corridor lights catching on their uniform, so
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they shimmered like falling stars. My stomach
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dropped. These weren't staff. They weren't here
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to protect the Morinog. They were glyph thieves.
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I know you're not staff, I said firmly, stepping
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between the Morinog and the glittering uniforms
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of Teen Constellation. My voice carried more
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still than I felt, but I refused to waver, and
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I won't allow you to steal these glyphs. Altair
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tilted his head back and laughed, the sound sharp
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and mocking his silver -feathered cape. shimmering
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under the hall light as he leaned forward, smirk,
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cutting across his face. Oh, and who's going
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to stop us, he taunted. I squared my shoulders,
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meeting his gaze without flinching. I will. I
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were chuckled, strumming the strings of her jeweled
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weapon like it was a harp. You, alone? Don't
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make me laugh. Regal stepped forward, his boots
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thudding against the floor. muscle straining
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under his star -edged uniform. You and what army,
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he snared, eyes glowing faintly like embers.
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The air grew thick with tension, the moronog
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huddling close behind me, their slimy forms trembling.
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My heart pounded for a moment, I thought they
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might be right, that I was standing alone, and
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then footsteps heavy, hurried, echoing down the
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corridor. Four resort staff rounded the corner.
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their uniforms gleaming with constellation emblems,
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but these ones, real, authentic. With glowing
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security badges, the guard from earlier, the
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one who'd stopped me from touching the moronog,
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charged at their side. His baton crackled with
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electric light as he shouted, step away from
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the guest and protect it glyphs now. The color
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drained from Vega's face, her fire dimmed for
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a heartbeat. Lyra faltered mid -strom, her smirk
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slipping. Altair, though only narrowed his eyes,
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a dangerous grin spreading across his face. Well,
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well, looks like the stars have given us an audience.
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The corridor filled with the sound of boots buzzing
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weapons and the nervous gurgles of 10 -rare moronog.
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It was about to explode into chaos. Before the
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staff could reach them, Team Constellation acted
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fast with a synchronized flick. They threw a
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shimmering net over the tin moronog, their glowing
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bodies squirming as they were trapped like stars
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in a jar. Get him! Altair shouted, dragging the
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net towards the corridor's exit. Lyra, Vega,
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and Regal followed their confident laughter.
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echoing down the hallway. A hot air balloon was
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waiting outside, outrageously oversized, emblazoned
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with constellations just like their uniforms.
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They clambered in, wore a noggin toe, and out
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air, cut the ropes, but they didn't get far.
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I called out Aura Beak, my golden scarab with
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a comically duck -like beak. His tiny wings shimmered
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as he pulled himself up, tilting his head with
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that familiar gleam in his insectoid eyes. Then,
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with an ear -piercing high -pitched screech,
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he let out a sound that reverberated like a sonic
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horn. The balloon shook violently, stretching
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and popped. It exploded in a glittering burst
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of canvas and rope. The moronog tumbled safely
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into a soft bush, blinking up at me as if nothing
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had happened. Team Constellation, however, did
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not fare as well. Their balloon remnants caught
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the wind and hoisted them skyward like a constellation
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of flailing puppets. Altair flowed, Vega screamed,
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and Lyra spun helplessly, and Regal grabbed on
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the ropes in a vain. From above, they shouted
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desperation in their voice. Well, we'll orbit
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back another day. Keep your eyes on the stars.
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I couldn't help laughing as Urabeek waddled profoundly,
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feathers, well, carapace, glinting like he'd
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just saved the day. The moronog gurgled happily,
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tells wiggling in gratitude, and I realized that
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my vacation had once again turned into something
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entirely unexpected, but at least we had won.
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The rest of my vacation was spent getting to
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know the moronog. watching them wiggle through
20:39
the water, laughing at their playful little squelches,
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and learning the unique personalities of each
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of the ten survivors. I never did manage to relax
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in the way most people might on a floating island
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resort, but in a way I didn't mind, every moment
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was filled with discovery, laughter, and a little
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chaos just the way I liked it. And that, listeners,
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is my vacation, not one of calm beaches or cocktails,
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but one full of rare glyphs, sticky blue goo,
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a heroic golden scarab, and a team of thieves
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who got a very cosmic comeuppance. Some vacations
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you take for yourself, some vacations will find
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you, and leave you with memories you'll never
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forget. That, my friends, is this episode's final
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countdown. I will see you next time, and may
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the stars of Nibiru, the suns and the moons,
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shine their beautiful light down on you. And
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as always, stay brave, stay cool. Bye now.