As Moondancer came to, she found herself in a rather ratty apartment with a large hole in the roof. Everyone from aboard the ship was in the room, with Alinivar and Zarbol standing over her worriedly. "You okay?" Alinivar asked as she slowly got to her hooves. "You were kind of out of it when we crashed."
"I used a PSI my mind wasn't ready for," Moondancer pointed out as she shook her head. "That's never pleasant..."
"Well, we're on Earth now," Zarbol offered helpfully. "Niiue's out reconnoitering, seeing what he can see of the surroundings while making certain our location is secure-"
"Ah, good, you're awake," Niiue called as he entered through the door. "We should be safe enough here as far as continuing Larice's repairs...but just about everything else is non-functional. We are in the right general location for the Apple at least, so it needs to get found quick. Alinivar, Col., Zarbol, that's your job...but take Moondancer with you. It's better for her right now not to sit and mope. Show her more of the world, get her mind off things." Smiling, he floated a wallet full of dollars - as opposed to the bowbucks Alinivar was used to using for currency - over to Moondancer. "Besides, of the four of you, she's the only one who understands Earth currency."
"Earth doesn't have space travel," Moondancer pointed out. "Won't they comment if a group of aliens wander around?"
"I've got disguises for all of you," Niiue responded quickly. "Here, put them on."
Sighing, Moondancer joined the others in putting on their disguises. Alinivar looked like an ordinary human boy in a green and yellow striped shirt. Col. Saturn sat atop a make-shift robotic body he could control with his feet, a trenchcoat making it look like he was the head. Moondancer was in a dog suit, with Zarbol inside a balloon whose string was tied to the dog's paw. "This is really the best you could manage?" Moondancer asked despairingly. "Why am I a dog?"
"Would you prefer to be a cat?" Niiue teased playfully.
"Honestly...?" Moondancer murmured irritably.
Chuckling, Alinivar led the way out of the building, Moondancer forced to follow along as Zarbol all but towed her behind him. The building was in as bad condition as the room had been, filled with trash and junk to the point the halls were barely passable. A sign at the front revealed why, as the building was apparently condemned. For some reason, Alinivar immediately turned north into the dump.
"Somehow I don't think this is the city Niiue wanted me to see," Moondancer pointed out flatly.
"I can sense another Point of Power," Alinivar explained. "The more PSI Col. Saturn and I can do, the better. Besides, maybe it'll help you with your PSI to be exposed to it, too."
Not having an argument for that, Moondancer shrugged and followed along as the group maneuvered the junkyard, doing their best to avoid the flying bits of paper charged with residual PSI energy that attacked them if they got too close. Moondancer made note of how the PSI animated the inanimate object to give it a semblance of its own will even as they destroyed them, feeling it was somehow important. However, the only truly profit they gained from destroying them was exercise for Moondancer's mind via use of her PSI, and the fact the destroyed paper turned into dollars...for some reason.
As they moved deeper into the junkyard it started to drizzle, and then the drizzle slowly turned into fog that obscured the path. Much to Moondancer's confusion, Alinivar paused to open every wrapped box they found along the path and to search through every trash can. She would have commented disparagingly about the habit...but just as she was about to, he found a power up disc for Starmen containing data for PK Fire Delta. This left the whole group in a somber mood.
Elsewhere in the junkyard, in an area suspiciously devoid of fog or rain, Alinivar also managed to find a small green gem filled with PSI energy. Moondancer wasn't sure why he held onto it so tightly.
Alinivar led the way up to a strange conglomeration of PSI energy that blocked the path. "You finally got here," it spoke in a voice that seemed to have no sound. "This is the seventh Point of Power, but it's mine now. Take it from me, if you dare."
The sphere of light unfolded into a strange canine that seemed to be made of junk parts put together. Alinivar, Col. Saturn, and Zarbol focused on a defensive strategy, using PSI to keep everyone protected from damage and healed while striking with weapons when they could. Moondancer couldn't help but marvel at just how well they worked together in battle, considering how little time it had been since they'd all joined forces. In point of fact, they worked together so well that the creature was so much scrap before Moondancer had even gathered her thoughts to fight. "...impressive," Moondancer murmured in surprise.
"We've been doing this a lot," Alinivar offered deprecatingly. He then led the way to the seventh Point of Power...a pool of black water with junk floating in it, a Tardrowned Pool.
"This is what we came for-" Moondancer began to demand irritably, only to stop as she felt the power suddenly emanating from the spot. Music seemed to play from nowhere as the spot resonated with six others throughout the star system, forming a strange, not-quite-complete harmony. She felt residual energy flowing into her mind to strengthen her thoughts, while most of it flowed into Alinivar and Col. Saturn.
Moondancer's eyes widened as she briefly saw into Alinivar's mind, and an image of Maria singing to Giegue...
As Alinivar turned to lead the way back into the city, Moondancer began to look at the blue Mook in a different light. He was more important than he realized...