Allies of the Sun

Chapter 21

      Jay teleported to Sasha's room which probably wasn't the best idea but when they got there they saw that the room was empty. The one time Sasha was actually needed, she wasn't there.
      They started searching for Sasha, when they found her they would tell Sasha what happened and leave her to tell Aspen. Jay still had to go back to that stupid failed party to talk to Alina for whatever reason. When searching, Jay found a puddle of blood in a hallway. There was even a trail of blood leading somewhere so they decided to follow it since it looked like the blood-spill happened recently.
      The trail led to the healer's room, so they went inside. Sasha was there along with Aspen, Lexie, Ace, Gabe who was wearing a very weird outfit, some boy they hadn't met, and a half-dead man.
      Jay tried to back out of the room not wanting or caring to know why Ace was there along with a dead person, but the healer spotted them. "So, what happened on your little excursion to the castle?" she asked with a pointed look toward Aspen. So it's already on the news then. 
      "Did you tell them yet?" Jay asked hoping they could leave if she had. "Tell us what?" Aspen asked. Jay looked at Aspen but didn't say anything to her. "Sasha," they called, wanting her to follow them.
      Sasha got the message and followed them out the door and they went to where they had hidden before, Estella's room. They had decided that she should know too, they were her parents and this meant that she and Aspen could meet.
      They burst through the door and Estella looked up from the book she was reading. "What are you doing here, again?"
   "Your parents are dead."
   "My what are what?!"
   "Your parents are dead."
   "Oh, yes that, I know already. Did you have to say it so casually though?"
   "What do you mean?"
   "It's not like I knew them so I'm not that sad about it but you didn't have to say it like that!"
      Sasha cleared their throat behind them, announcing her presence. "So, what happened at the party leading up to... that?" Sasha asked. "Well Alina has a girlfriend I guess, also I think there is someone making her do things," they answered. "Who would be behind her actions?" Sasha asked, confused. "I don't know, someone in the Blood Moon?"
      "Excuse me, but could you please stop talking like I'm not here?" Estella said kindly. But I don't have anything else to say to you. "Oh, yeah we can leave now, see you later!" Sasha said, turning to the door. "Oh but don't forget to go see your sister! You can talk to her now. She should still be at the healer's quarters," she added before they both left the room.
      They went somewhere where nobody could hear them. There still might be members of the Blood Moon hiding around and Jay wasn't going to risk them hearing their conversation. "I don't think Alina killed her parents," Jay said, continuing the conversation. "Why would you think that, everything we know about her says that she did."
   "Context, and the fat blackmailer."
   "What do you mean?"
      Jay didn't know how to explain it so they shrugged and Sasha said, "Ugg, just give me your phone, it should have been live right?" And she took their phone to watch the live feed from the party. You're not gonna hear what they said just by watching that.
      "So Alina cried, that doesn't mean she isn't faking it," Sasha said, annoyed. "I was talking about the weird conversation they had, not this." Sasha glared and said, "Well what did they say?"
      Jay summerized their conversation and Sasha listened skeptically. "I guess that makes sense, do you think her girlfriend will make her a better person?" Jay didn't answer and it seemed Sasha had expected that so she said, "Let's go check on how Estella is doing with Aspen."
      Jay followed her back to the healer's quarters to see that it was silent. This was unusual because usually Gabe or Aspen would be yelling something. They were both staring at Estella with a confused expression. Gabe doesn't know that the king and queen are dead so he's probably surprised Estella is here, looking at Aspen. Then Aspen then started to speak.
   "So you're saying that you were cursed to be away from us until one of our parents died?"
   "Yeah"
      It seemed Estella had already explained everything about her curse, which was now broken. "So why are you here right now then?" Aspen seemed on the brink of tears as she asked what she already knew the answer to. "Someone poisoned our parents earlier tonight," Estella answered.
      Aspen started crying for the loss of her parents. "It's okay, I can keep you safe," Estella comforted. "How?" Aspen asked softly.
      "I'll just... send you where no one will ever find you, not even Alina!" Estella said. "Speaking of Alina, we don't think she killed your parents," Sasha said. "Jay overheard her conversation with her new girlfriend." Aspen stared at her, her face a mess of tears, and then said, "WAIT, ALINA HAS A GIRLFRIEND!?"
      "According to what Jay overheard, yes," Sasha answered. "But she said she was straight at the party!" Gabe exclaimed.  "Then why was she flirting with me?" Jay said. Gabe stared at them in silence then said, "I WAS RIGHT THIS WHOLE TIME," he seemed oddly happy which made them a little uncomfortable. Aspen started to giggle, probably still in disbelief, or shock, Jay didn't know which. "I don't think she knew." She continued to laugh. "I'm lost...." Lexie said slowly. "It's okay," Gabe replied, still very happy for some reason.
      Estella then changed the subject back, "I know what to do. Glimmer's master can lead you to the only portal to earth, it will be much safer there for you and you can leave tomorrow. I know we just met, but it is my job as your older sister to keep you safe." Aspen looked over at Estella and gave her a sad smile. "Thanks." Jay didn't know what she meant but they went along with it anyway. "Well I have always wondered what earth is like so it will be fun," Aspen said with a smile on her face.
      "Earth...? But aren't humans like... REALLY dumb?" Gabe asked in confusion. "Most of the things you have heard about humans aren't true. They might not be as smart as us, but they aren't dumb," Estella said matter-of-factly. So they're probably smarter than Gabe.  "As the new leader, I can't go with you, but Sasha and Hunter will keep you safe and your friends can accompany you to Earth if they want to."
      "New?" Aspen asked. "I thought Conner was the leader?" No one said anything so Aspen asked, "Where is Conner?" Sasha pointed up but didn't say anything. Jay decided to tell her since nobody else would, "He's dead." Jay didn't know why but Sasha gave them a death stare. Then they saw that Aspen had started crying, again. "Wh- Why does ev-everyone I c-care about DIE?!" she said through sobs. Lexie patted her on the back and hugged her.
      "So who wants to go to Earth!" Estella said a little too cheerfully like she didn't yell at Jay earlier for saying her parents died 'too casually'. "If it means you can stop Alina and that organization faster if you know I'm safe then I will go," Aspen said when she had stopped crying. "Will any of you go with me?"
      "I will," Lexie said immediately. Jay nodded because they had nothing else to do and they weren't going to let Aspen go to an entirely different planet without them. "If Jay's going then I will too," Gabe said, then hastily added, "not that I wouldn't go if they weren't."
      "That solves that but how will we stay hidden among all those humans?" Aspen asked her sister. "There is a demon girl that might help but no one in the Midnight Sun has ever seen or spoken to her, we know she can shapeshift but that is all we know. She is unpredictable, and she might be dangerous so be careful." She replied. Then how do you know about her?
      "Glimmer will introduce you to her master and she will guide you to the portal." The second Estella said that, Glimmer burst through the door. "Did somebody say my name?" She asked. Aspen shrieked, startled at Glimmer's sudden entrance. "What's up?" she asked.
      "I want you to accompany them to earth, or at least to the portal there. You are to introduce them to your master and have her give them the necklace that marks a unicorn's protection," Estella said. Jay was confused because they thought their brother had killed her master.
      "Yeah J.T, my master that your brother didn't brutally kill," Glimmer snorted. You will not let that go, will you? They then remembered unicorns could read minds when Glimmer glared at them angrily.
      Everyone was silent when Estella said, "Did I miss something?" There was a second more of complete silence before Gabe said, "Yes, yes you did."

Uploaded: October 17, 2023