The Pillars of Ponderay (5 page)

P
etra wasn't a Balance Keeper, but as far as Albert was concerned, he was every bit as brave. As Albert, Birdie, and Leroy approached Petra on the bridge, Albert recalled how when they'd first met Petra last term, he was an awkward boy with a voice that rivaled a field mouse's squeak.

“Hydra!” Petra yelped again.

I guess that hasn't changed much.

Petra knew secrets about the Core that not even the oldest students did, so it hadn't been surprising to Albert when Petra ended up discovering what the Master Tile
really
did. Last term, Petra had been a die-hard supporter of team Hydra during the Pit competitions. Eventually, Albert had come to think of Petra as a part of the Hydra team.

And by the looks of it, the Core had recognized Petra's value, too.

“I'm a Messenger now,” Petra said as Albert, Leroy, and Birdie followed him across the Main Chamber and into one of the tunnels. “Basically, I do runs for every Professor. Not just Bigglesby. And that's good, because that man enjoys handing out detentions, even if I'm just a
second
late!”

Albert loved listening to Petra talk. Sure, he usually said too much, but the guy had a certain awkward charm. He was a Pure, someone born and raised here. And he was a great friend.

“So where are we going?” Albert asked, sidestepping a giant black cat the size of a horse, with three eyes and six legs.

Petra smiled. “To see your dad, of course!”

Albert's heart felt instantly lighter. He was so happy to be back in the Core, but with all the weird warnings they'd gotten so far, he just felt a little
off.
Professor Flynn almost always had the answers Albert needed.

The four of them entered the familiar tunnel that led to Professor Flynn's office. Blue flames lit the way, flickering on the rounded walls. When they were almost to the end, Farnsworth took off, sprinting as fast as his paws could carry him.

“Is there something going on lately? I mean, besides the tremors off the California coast?” Albert asked.

Petra nodded as they came to a stop at Professor
Flynn's door. “Unprecedented things. I'm sure your dad will explain it all. This is one of the first emergency sessions we've had in a long time.”

He lifted his hand to knock, but suddenly the door swung open.

It was Trey, Professor Flynn's Apprentice. He was tall and thin, with an English accent that most girls in the Core adored.

“I see you've made it back,” Trey said, looking down his nose at the three of them. He nodded once at Petra.

“Yeah, right on time,” Albert said, grinning. Trey was intimidating to most of the Balance Keepers, but not to Hydra. They'd learned that while he was mostly about business and rules, he also had a soft spot for those who loved the Core. After a while, he wasn't so bad.

“Did you miss us?” Birdie popped her hip.

Trey nodded. “The Core needs every Balance Keeper it can get right now.” He had a file of notes in his arms, and he shifted the papers as if he was eager to move along. “I do have to get going, though.”

Albert wasn't ready to let Trey go yet. He needed answers, and he needed them now. “Can you please just tell us what's happening around here?”

“I'm afraid my duties have called me elsewhere right now. No time to explain,” Trey said. “I've got to be on my way. But good luck, and please, Hydra. If you've learned
anything
since I saw you last, remember to stay out of trouble.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Leroy called after Trey's retreating figure.

Albert turned to his friends as soon as Trey rounded the corner. “What was
that
about?”

Birdie's face was bright red. “Is he mad at us?”

Leroy just held his palms out as if to say,
I don't know.
Farnsworth simply scratched at his collar and let out a burp.

“He's been very busy lately,” Petra explained. “Professor Flynn has had him doing work
all
over the Core, all hours. He's probably exhausted. I wouldn't worry.”

But Albert was beyond worrying. He felt nervous from his head to his toes. There was definitely something off about the way everyone here was acting. Emergency or not, it was still the holidays. He'd expected bright lights and trees and presents all around, maybe even some fake falling snow.

“I'll wait for you guys out here,” Petra said, waving Hydra through the open door. He looked into the room with longing, and Albert remembered how badly Petra wanted to be a Balance Keeper.

“It's great to see you, buddy,” Albert said. Petra smiled as Hydra disappeared into the room.

The door shut behind them and memories flooded into Albert's mind at the sight of this place. As they rounded the corner into another towering cave, Albert saw the Waterfall of Fate.

It spilled from the ceiling, pouring glittering blue
water into a deep pool below. Beneath the surface, thousands of Tiles were waiting for new Balance Keepers to come and claim them. Albert remembered the feeling of swimming deep down, stretching his arms to try and grab a Tile. He remembered the strange feeling he got when his fingers closed around the Master Tile, and the way his dad had looked at him when he'd emerged from the water.

“Albert!”

His dad's voice drew him from his thoughts, and Albert ran across the cave. He almost tackled his dad in a giant hug, totally losing his cool. But hey, they hadn't seen each other in
months.
Sometimes it was okay to act like a little kid again, even for world-saving, Master Tile–wielding Balance Keepers.

“I knew you'd make it safely here,” Professor Flynn said. He pulled away from the hug and smiled down at his son. He had the same three freckles on his nose as Albert, the same messy mouse-brown hair (only with flecks of gray). Professor Flynn wore his usual glittering green Professor's outfit, but Albert loved that in his eyes, his dad still held the magic of youth.

“The IceBlitzer was awesome!” Albert said, grinning. “You should have seen the air I was getting on that thing! Best. Present.
Ever
.”

Professor Flynn laughed. “Well, it was the least I could do. I hated to miss you at the airport, but”—he spread his
arms wide—“the Core needed me here.”

“Yeah, I know,” Albert said. “I've been monitoring the tremors. Which Realm is acting up?”

“It's Ponderay, isn't it?” Leroy asked.

Professor Flynn nodded. “Very good, Leroy. Ponderay hasn't acted up in hundreds of years. Not even a hint of an Imbalance. I'm afraid we here in the Core have taken its peaceful state for granted and have thus found ourselves quite unprepared to deal with this Imbalance.”

“If there's an Imbalance for real,” Albert said, realizing that his suspicions about the tremors had been correct all along, “then that means what's happening off the coast of California is because of Ponderay.”

Professor Flynn nodded.

A lump formed in Albert's throat. “But Mom and the kids are in California! They're in danger. We should tell them, and get them out of there.”

Professor Flynn put a hand on Albert's shoulder. “Everyone is in danger, Albert, just like last term. You know, as well as I do, that we can never share the news of the Core. This simply means that we must train harder than ever before. If we do our job right, your mom and everyone else in California will be okay.”

Birdie stepped forward, her arms crossed over her chest. “You called us here, even though we're the First Unit for Calderon. So does this mean . . .”

“As one of the highest-ranking teams from last term,
you have been called here to do an emergency training session in case we need another team to enter the Realm behind the Ponderay First Unit,” Professor Flynn said.

“YES!” Birdie fist-pumped the air. Leroy sighed and adjusted his glasses, but there was a ghost of a smile on his lips. Albert felt a flutter of excitement in his gut, but he couldn't celebrate like the others. That was twice in one year that his family was in danger on the surface of the earth.
What are the odds of that happening?

“We'll do the job right,” Albert said, putting on a brave face. “We'll fix the Imbalance.”

“I'm glad to see you're excited,” Professor Flynn said. “This doesn't usually happen, and as a result, while you're here, you won't be entering Calderon at all. Ponderay must take precedence. Next term, if everything returns to normal, you'll resume First Unit responsibilities for Calderon. You'll help train the next backup units in the Pit. But for now, with Ponderay, keep in mind, this is still a competition. You'll be starting over, in a sense, competing against another team to see who will go inside the Realm.”

Albert's stomach twisted. “Just one other team? Who will we be competing against?”
Please don't be Hoyt's team. Please don't be Hoyt's team.

But looking into his dad's eyes, Albert knew.

“Argon,” Professor Flynn said. “So yes, you will be competing against Hoyt. I know you would rather
compete against almost anyone else, but Argon was the only other high-ranked team who could assemble on such short notice.”

Albert groaned, scuffing the ground with the toe of his boot.

Professor Flynn nodded. “We've spoken to Argon about this, and they've promised to be diplomatic about the entire competition.”

“Sure they will,” Leroy said, joining Albert's side.

“Oh, this is going to be good.” Birdie rubbed her hands together.

Professor Flynn clicked his tongue. “News of the competition is not why I had Petra bring you here this morning.”

He sat down at his old wooden desk, the chair creaking under his weight. The three of them took their seats across from him. From here, Albert could really see them now: the dark circles underneath his dad's eyes. Professor Flynn was
exhausted.
Both mentally and physically.

“What's wrong, Dad?” Albert asked. “Why's the Core so tense? I mean, besides the obvious Imbalance.”

“You remember the events that unfolded last term,” Professor Flynn explained. “Well, with a second Realm acting up, that's two in one year. Almost unprecedented.”

“It hasn't happened since the eighteen hundreds,” Leroy added. Albert guessed his Synapse Tile was kicking in, now that they were back in the Core. Its power
gave Leroy the ability to notice
and
remember the details of anything he saw, from directions to pages in a history book.

“True indeed,” Professor Flynn sighed, and continued. “What I'm about to tell you three is top secret. Not to be shared with
anyone.”

He looked pointedly at all three of them, and they each nodded.

“The problems in the Realms are being caused by one of our own.”

Albert gasped. Birdie clapped a hand to her mouth, and Leroy nearly toppled out of his chair. Farnsworth growled.

“What?” Albert asked. His voice squeaked like Petra's. “How do you know? And who would do that?”

Professor Flynn shook his head. “I know it's hard to believe, but whoever is setting these Realms off Balance is entering them from
inside
the Core. The Imbalance in Calderon last term, and this one now in Ponderay, is too drastic to be caused by natural means.”

“But why?” Birdie asked. “Why would someone want to do that?”

Farnsworth whimpered and leaped into Albert's lap.

“Sometimes Balance Keepers turn bad,” Professor Flynn said, his voice sad. “Sometimes, when given great power, people lose control.”

It felt like someone had just dumped a bunch of
fifty-pound weights inside Albert's stomach.

“That's horrible. We have to find them. We can find them, right, Dad?”

“That is the hope,” Professor Flynn said.

But he didn't look very convinced. He stood up, motioning for Hydra to do so, too.

“For now, work your hardest in the training Pit. Become the best Balance Keepers you can be.”

“We will,” Albert, Birdie, and Leroy promised together.

They turned, ready to leave. But before they were out of earshot, Professor Flynn called out.

“Albert?”

Albert turned. “Yeah, Dad?”

“Don't worry about your mom and siblings. Your mom's a smart woman. She'll get them out of there safely.”

“I hope so,” Albert said.

His dad lowered his voice. “Watch your back, kiddo. If there's a traitor in our midst, a Tile like yours might be the very thing that person wants to seize for their own.”

Albert nodded.

He turned and followed his friends out of the room, a chill running up and down his spine.

W
hen Petra saw the looks on his three friends' faces, he frowned.

“That bad, huh?”

“Worse,” Albert sighed.

Leroy patted Albert on the back. Birdie's shoulders drooped, and Farnsworth sang out a mournful howl.

“Then I guess this is a bad time to tell you that you're due in the Pit, like, now?” Petra said. He was looking at Hydra like they'd be seriously disturbed.

But Albert's face broke into a smile.

“No, Petra,” he said, walking a little bit faster. “That's the best news I've heard all day!”

“Let's go!” Birdie clapped her hands.

“I never thought I'd say this,” Leroy sighed. “But let's do this, dudes.”

Farnsworth yipped and sprinted down the tunnel with Albert, Birdie, and Leroy fresh on his heels.

They didn't see the worried look on Petra's face as they left him behind.

The pathway to the Pit was the most welcome sight Albert had seen since his return to the Core. Being a Balance Keeper made Albert
crave
danger, the same way Leroy craved cake.

“First one to the top wins!” Albert shouted as they burst through the old wooden door that led to the pathway to the Pit.

“Then that'll be me!” Birdie giggled, shoving past the boys.

Inside was a massive, towering cavern, and an uneven pathway that zigzagged left and right, higher and higher. Leroy groaned—no doubt at the lack of railings. Waterfalls fell at random over the path, creating a misty, dreamlike atmosphere.

Albert sprinted forward. Farnsworth wiggled past him and raced up the narrow pathway, barking and howling.

Birdie was fast and light on her feet.

But Albert had been secretly training while he was back in New York, running on his stepdad's treadmill every night. He pulled ahead, the soles of his boots just barely hanging over the edge of the path.

“Oh, no way!” Birdie yelled behind him.

Albert could hear her breathing, so he really laid on the speed.

Left, right.

Through a waterfall, then skidding to a near stop as the pathway went left again.

Albert reached the top and dove onto the orange platform where Farnsworth was already waiting. The little dog howled as if to announce Albert as the winner.

Birdie came up just a few seconds behind him.

“You were using your Master Tile!” she groaned, wiping sweat from her forehead.

Albert shook his head. “Nope. Just plain old Albert magic, nothing extra added on.”

“Rematch next time, then,” Birdie said, bending to stretch her legs. “Hey, where's Leroy?”

Together, Albert and Birdie looked down. Far below, Leroy was inching his way up the path, as slow as a worm in the mud.

“It'll probably take him a day or two to settle back into the way things are here,” Albert said. He cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled down. “Come on, Leroy! Let's go!”

“We're gonna be late, Leroy!” Birdie shouted. “Pick up the pace!”

“Haven't you read any books, you guys?” Leroy's voice echoed up toward them. “Slow and steady wins the race!”

Birdie and Albert burst into laughter, then sat down to wait for their friend.

A few minutes later the platform rose high into the air with Albert and his friends on board, carting them away from the pathway below.

Cool air whooshed into Albert's face. He held his arms to the sides and let out a happy scream. He felt like himself again. This was where he was meant to be. Birdie and Leroy joined in, and even Farnsworth let loose a happy howl.

The platform stopped a few seconds later, and the door to the Pit swung inward.

“Ladies first,” Albert said to Birdie.

She smirked, and held out her hand. “Then go ahead, you two.”

Team Hydra entered the Pit with their heads held high.

“There you are! It's about time,” a voice said, as they stepped through the doorway. Someone emerged from the shadows ahead. “I was beginning to think you'd chickened out on me.”

Albert almost gasped when he saw who was talking.

It was a tall dark-haired girl with muscles so big that Albert figured she'd be able to punch him all the way back to the surface if she wanted to. There were scars covering her arms and neck, even a few on her face. Not
to mention the dark, almost-black eyes. The girl was the description of intimidating.

“You're Tussy,” Leroy said. “Professor Asante's Apprentice.”

The girl nodded. “That's right.”

She held up a copper clipboard. “I'll need you three to sign this form for me. Just a few formalities, now that we're in the middle of the worst Imbalance the Core has ever seen. Training will be far more dangerous than you've ever experienced. Sign on the dotted line, please.”

Birdie took the clipboard and together the three of them read through the papers that were attached.

Leroy finished in about two seconds flat. “Chance of . . . hold on, does that say
dismemberment?”

Tussy shrugged. “The training exercises for Ponderay are quite grueling. But I assure you, nothing like that has happened in at
least
ten years.”

“I'm gonna be sick,” Leroy whispered.

Albert patted him on the back and signed the documents. But even his hands trembled a little. Birdie signed next, and with lots of encouragement, Leroy finally signed, too.

Tussy grinned, but it sort of looked like the expression belonged on a hungry shark.

“Great,” Tussy said. “Let's get started.”

She turned on her heel and marched around the edge of the Pit to the bleachers where a few Core people were
already sitting, ready to watch the action.

Right in the front row were three people who made Albert's hands curl into fists.

Hoyt, Slink, and Mo. Team Argon.

They were Hydra's archenemies, and total jerks. Hoyt smirked as soon as he saw Albert and his friends. He turned and started whispering to his team, and they all laughed louder than was necessary.

“Wow, really mature,” Birdie growled. “Looks like they haven't changed a bit.”

Tussy hardly seemed to take notice as she stopped at the edge of the bleachers.

“You'll be wearing these today.”

She scooped up three bags and tossed them to Albert, Birdie, and Leroy.

“The climate in Ponderay will be completely different from what you're used to. This is no Calderon, if you get what I mean.”

She laughed, but no one else did.

Albert opened up his bag and peered inside. It was a pair of thick blue pants, almost like a wetsuit, and a long-sleeved blue Hydra shirt to match. Knee-high boots were also included, and these had a similar waterproof feel to them, with Velcro and snaps. Birdie and Leroy had the same stuff in their bags.

Tussy pointed to a small, curtained-off area at the edge of the Pit cave.

“Change, please. And quickly. There's no time to spare.”

Birdie went first, and a few minutes later, all of Hydra was decked out in their new gear.

The clothes stuck to Albert's skin like glue. It was weird, but he felt like he was about to be some kind of space hero or underwater traveler. He was sweating in minutes, and he hoped the temperature inside the Pit would be better suited for this kind of gear.

Tussy nodded in approval and motioned for Albert and his friends to enter the Pit. As usual, there were two orange platforms, one on either side of the Pit. This meant Hydra would already be
competing.
No warm-up, no practice, just full-on head-to-head from the start.

Albert looked across the Pit. Hoyt's team was piling onto their platform, wearing similar outfits in shades of orange.

“You know, I think I'd almost rather be back in that cooking class right now,” Leroy said.

Albert sighed, but he felt the familiar weight of his Master Tile around his neck. He had to be a leader.

“We beat them last term,” Albert said, facing his friends, “and we'll do it again now.”

Birdie and Leroy nodded, then all three of them walked back to Tussy.

“This training will be quick and dangerous,” Tussy said, filling them in on what she'd apparently already
shared with Argon. “We've calculated that we have seven days—just one week—before the situation in Ponderay becomes so dire that we'll have to send in another team. At the end of those seven days, whoever has the highest score on the leaderboard will become the Ponderay First Unit, and along with Professor Asante, will enter the Realm to try and find the Means to Restore Balance.”

“Wait,” Leroy said. “Professor Flynn said we'd be competing to be a backup unit to the Ponderay First Unit. Now we're competing to
become
the Ponderay First Unit? What happened to the old First Unit since this morning?”

Tussy sighed. “They quit.”

“They
quit
?” Albert, Birdie, and Leroy said in unison.

Tussy nodded. “Like I said, this is a terrible Imbalance we're facing, and we don't totally know what we're dealing with since no one's entered Ponderay in decades. Not everyone is brave enough to stick around and put their lives on the line. Anyway, now we're replacing them, and seeing as you three did so well last term, you're first on our list of prospects.”

Tussy crossed to the bleachers and stood at the ready while Albert and his friends piled onto their platform.

“This is just great,” Leroy said. “The First Unit actually chickened out!”

“Didn't we see them last term?” Birdie asked. “Wasn't their leader, like, totally fearless?”

“Apparently not.” Albert shrugged.

Tussy clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. “All right, Balance Keepers, enough standing around. Let's begin!” She blew a whistle, and their platforms began to sink.

The last time they'd been in the Pit it was full of all sorts of Calderon things: tall twisting spires, hanging vines, and suspended barrels that spun like King Fireflies.

But today, as their platform reached the floor, Albert had no idea what he and his friends were in for. Right now, the Pit was empty. Just a big, deep hole in the ground. Albert hopped off of their platform, and Birdie and Leroy followed suit.

The ground was the same, at least. That strange, trampoline-like floor that acted like it wanted to suck Albert's feet under.

Overhead, Tussy blew her whistle, and suddenly the ground started to tremble.

“What's going on?” Leroy asked.

“Who knows.” Birdie shrugged.

Albert was too busy watching to say anything at all.

Across from him and his friends, ten holes appeared in the floor, at least three feet wide each. There was a big
boom
that almost made Hydra topple over.

Faster than a bullet from a gun, ten rock pillars shot out of the holes, stretching so high that Albert had to
squint to see their tops.

“Whoa,” Albert said, his mouth hanging open.

“Sweet molasses,” Leroy added.

From overhead, Tussy spoke into a MegaHorn.

“Today's task is straightforward. At the tops of these pillars—which I'm sure you know are stand-ins for the Ten Pillars of Ponderay—are ten large Tiles. You want your team to collect more Tiles than the other team, plain and simple.”

“What are the rules?” Birdie called up.

Tussy smiled like a shark again. “There are none.”

“Nice,” Albert said, bouncing on his toes.

Across from him, he saw Hoyt sneering his face off.

“Balance Keepers, are you ready?” Tussy yelled into the MegaHorn.

Six voices answered. “Ready!”

The whistle blew and the madness began. “Let's split up!” Albert said to his friends. “Each of us take a different pillar, and try to work our way to the top.”

“How?” Birdie asked. “We can't just
shimmy
up a pillar that size!”

Leroy, who had been busy staring at the pillars, shrugged like he'd figured out a plan ages ago. “There are holds in the pillars, every four feet or so. We can use those to scale the sides.”

Albert turned to stare at the pillars. Sure enough, he saw the holds Leroy was talking about, little divots in
the rock formations. Perfect for putting a hand or a foot inside. It was just like a rock-climbing wall.

“He's right.” Albert grinned. “Let's go. Move fast. And watch out for Hoyt. I have a feeling he's not going to take this lightly.”

“Got it, boss.” Leroy nodded. He turned his hat backward.

“Let's cream them!” Birdie clapped her hands.

His friends both raced away. Albert sprinted across the Pit floor, losing sight of them as he zigzagged between pillars. Albert heard someone scream and looked up to see Slink falling through the air. He smacked the ground next to Albert, only to be sucked under and shot right back up again.

“Nice one, butterfingers!” Hoyt screamed.

Albert looked up. Hoyt was already halfway up a pillar, using his Speed Tile to scurry like a Hexabon. Across from him, Birdie was just starting the climb.

Leroy was nowhere to be seen.

Move fast, Albert.

He reached an empty pillar, and started the climb. It was tough work, especially after having been away from the Core for so many months.
It couldn't hurt to practice with my Tile.
Albert closed his eyes for a second. He pictured the symbol that he'd studied back in his room in New York. It sort of looked like a dumbbell.
Iron Grip.

Still focusing on the symbol, Albert made his way
slowly up. Iron Grip was working, because even though Albert's arms and legs were tired, his fingertips never slipped from the pillar. He was climbing fast, and in seconds, he was halfway up.

“Just a little farther!” Albert told himself when he saw a handhold about a foot over his head.

He reached for it, was about to grab a hold, when it simply disappeared.