To the New Year! is the fifth story by Phoenix Spiritus about Hank “Lancer” Declan and Team Kimba. It was published on 2017-06-12 and occurs on 2007-08-31 and 2007-09-01. It is preceded by Life's But a Walking Shadow and is followed by To Companions, New and Old!.
Summary[]
2007-08-31[]
Nikki Reilly arrives that afternoon. She admires the renovated new Poe cottage. Her roommate, Toni shows her around the new Poe and the newly renovated Hawthorn cottage. The high point of the tour is the visit to Melissa’s new room. After the tour, Nikki heads for The Grove. Toni is a bit puzzled: Nikki seems to be a bit off: she had not even asked about her girlfriend, Bunny Cormak.
Hank visits Lily in her room. They greet each other and discuss things, including Hank’s roommate Danny Franks (or is it Danica?). Then Lily asks if he’s unpacked The Box. When he says he hasn’t, she drags a white-faced Hank to his room to unpack it.
After they unpack Hank’s “Hannah” box, Toni walks in and discovers his DVD collection. The situation snowballs and eventually they get to Nikki’s problem with Ayla - she thinks Ayla betrayed her. He didn’t, of course. Toni gives him some sage advice about healing the situation.
Ayla is deep in thought when Toni interrupts and basically forces him to see Nikki immediately to apologize. Hank isn’t quite sure.
Nikki is relaxed after her spa bath. Toni shoves Ayla at her for the apology. After some back and forth, Nikki understands that it’s about the possibility that she might bind herself with a Sidhe Oath, which would be a disaster for everyone.
At the Poe cottage mixer, Ayla and the rest of Team Kimba discuss the changelings among the freshman class. These include Peacock, Pounce, Roulette, Ribbon, Knockoff, Envy, Scapegrace, Erin, Victory, Teke, Crimson Comet and Elle Astrid Ruud..
2007-09-01[]
That morning, on the way to breakfast, Lily asks Hank why he’s a bit bothered. He tells her it’s weird dreams. At breakfast, Lily pushes hard to get Hank to tell Nikki about the dreams. Nikki confesses to not knowing what’s happening, other than it’s bad. Then she sees Wyatt Cody walking past.
That evening, Wyatt Cody visits Hank’s room in Poe and begins to investigate what is going on. After more than a bit of back-and-forth, they discover that Nikki had cursed Hank. The Kodiak eventually discovers that the spell was one to create a Leanen Sidhe, variously called a Fairy Lover or a Hearthwife. Apparetly the Enemy got its claws into the matrix and corrupted what was intended to be a warrior’s servant - keeping his kit working, etc. After a ritual and a lot of dream work and angst the spell completes by manifesting a brownie who looks like Nikki.
Characters[]
In order of appearance, except teams and families are collected together at the first appearance of any member.
- Team Kimba - training team
- Fey - Nichole “Nikki” Reilly - sophomore Sidhe
- Aunghadhail - Ancient Queen of the Sidhe and the Five-Fold Court
- Chaka - Toni Chandler - hyperactive sophomore
- Phase - Ayla Goodkind - sophomore - Mega rich dealer - ’no fun guy’
- Lancer - Hank Declan - only boy on Team Kimba, also on the Grunts
- Hannah - Hank before he manifested (memories)
- Leanne - brownie bonded to Hank
- Generator - Jade Sinclair - Mad. Mad I tell you. Mad!
- Shroud - Jade’s “sister” Jinn
- Tennyo - Billie Wilson (mention)
- Fey - Nichole “Nikki” Reilly - sophomore Sidhe
- Bella Horton - Mrs. Horton - Poe cottage house mother (Minor)
- Loophole - Elaine “Lanie” Nalley - Junior ,RA (Minor)
- Mrs. Cantrel - Hawthorn Cottage House Mother (one scene)
- Puppet - Melissa Thurber-Goodkind - has to be on a life support machine to stay alive.
- Claire (Static Girl)- in Hawthorn
- Bugs - Bunny Cormak - Team Kimba associate - Fey’s girlfriend
- Turner family (Rhode Island)
- Wallflower - Lily Turner - Hank’s girlfriend
- Tabby Cat - Lilly’s mother (one mention)
- Strum family
- Magma - ? - Ashley’s mother (mention)
- Phoenixfire - Ashley Strum -
- Pegasus - Peggy Lane - Adopted daughter
- Angel -Mary - Poe RA (mention)
- Zander family
- Heyoka - Jamie Carson - mentioned, deceased - formerly Hank’s roommate.
- Solicitor - No real name known - (mentioned)
- Elizabeth Carson - Mrs. Carson - Whateley Academy headmistress
- Riptide - Elena Neva Natividad Amicella Lucita Obregon “Rip” - Sophomore
- Blackrose - Rosalyn “Ros” Dekkard - Senior, RA (mention)
- Thuban - Stephen Cheng Lee - Senior (?) can manifest as a dragon, size warper (Mention)
- She-Beast - Jadis Diabolik (Mention)
- Peacock through Crimson Commet are mentioned in the survey of new changelings.
- Peacock - Lina Samhurst
- Roulette - Amy Maguire
- Ribbon - Alyss Morgan
- Knockoff - Martina Hughes
- Envy - Seraphina Sophia Valocco, Fina for short
- Scapegrace - Jessie Harrow,
- Erin
- Victory
- Teke - Shawn Grace
- Crimson Comet
- Elle Astrid Ruud - student, no code name known
- Strega - Envy’s mother
- Eldritch - Caitlin Bardue - supposedly a student (Mentioned)
- Gateway - Molly - student, manifests extra-dimensional critters. (Mentioned)
- Charge - Adalie Vitesse - Ayla’s girlfriend (mentioned)
- Anomaly - Monica Carter (formerly Matthew) - (discussed)
- Jericho - Joseph Turner - (mentioned as the “fashion abomination")
- Kodiak - Wyatt Cody - Senior, head of the Alphas club
- The Kodiak - spirit of an ancient Atlantean physician
- Mr. Miyamoto - head groundskeeper
Others I seem to have missed in reading the story:
- Dragonrider (mention)
- Aquerna (mention)
- Superchick (mention)