Elayne's ordinary life takes a drastic turn when she discovers she is part of an ancient prophecy tied to the mythical kingdom of Elyssanar. Guided by Solaris, a unique companion with secrets of his own, Elayne embarks on a journey fraught with chal...
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The way back to the zoo was one of the rare times in my life when I felt truly hopeful. Moments that filled me with such optimism were scarce, but this was one of the first. I had found new information and a trustworthy ally. While Solaris was valuable, he lacked some of the details I had now.
Knowing the location of the Necklace was a significant step forward. All I needed to do next was find where the grave site rested. The revelation of my birth still felt surreal—being born of two mothers was strange. But understanding more about my past gave me a stronger motivation for the future. I could help my mothers. I wouldn't let my last remaining one fade from existence.
On the plus side, we'd also be saving someone's life. I just had to convince Solaris it was a good idea.
When I finally got to the zoo, Solaris was nestled under a bush, seeking shelter from the sun at its highest peak. I entered his exhibit, but his usual joy at seeing me was absent. His eyes remained shut, and his ears were flattened against his head.
"Solaris?" I called out, walking toward him.
"What do you want?" His voice was filled with repulsion. He didn't want me here.
I sighed and approached anyway. When I was a few feet away from him, I sat in the shade with my legs splayed out in front of me.
"I know you might be mad at me, but I wanted to apologize," I began, but he interrupted me before I could finish.
"What, so you can excuse your behavior by admitting you give up easily? To tell me you're a coward? You focus only on the negative instead of believing in yourself. I'm not surprised, Elayne. You give up. You let down the people who believe in you, turning their hopes to ashes. Yes, life threw a lot at you, but that's what happens to everyone. Did you really think you'd be a janitor all your life? You have opportunities; it's up to you to take them."
His eyes remained closed, but I could feel the intensity of his words.
"I know all of this. But not everyone can accept it as soon as it's thrown at them. We're in a different era, Solaris. Everyone has a choice, but that doesn't mean people make it for us." I huffed, frustrated that my attempt to share good news had turned into an argument. I needed to defuse this.
"And before you insult me any more, I came back to tell you I'm back in. But you know what? Maybe I don't need you. Maybe I just need you to stay here and cry while I do everything on my own." I hadn't realized I'd stood up, arms crossed, looking down on him.
He opened his eyes, ears perked up. Now he wanted to pay attention.
"You're back in? Like, back to helping us?"
I shook my head, still irritated. "No, I'm back to help my mothers, not you. You're only here because I can help your case. You feel vulnerable in a cat's body instead of your phoenix form. You want your old home rather than being stuck in this world. You're using me to get what you want."
