Rise of the Unknown

Chapter 7

“North? Nicholas St. North? Santa Clause?” Shade looked at Emma throughly confused.

“No. Polaris. The North Star. She’s my closest friend on the moon.” Emma smiled. She should have known. Polaris did love to help those she saw in her mirror. “She must have saw you in her mirror. Recently, she’s found some way to project herself onto Earth without leaving her bedroom.”

“Really?” Shade seemed very interested in Polaris. “How?”

“No idea. I’ve been stuck here on Earth.” Shade was quiet for the longest time.

“Emma, are you really the moon’s daughter?” Emma’s heart sank as she thought of Jack, her biological father. He may be the reason she was born, but Manny was the best and only father she ever had.

“Y..yeah. I am.”

“Oh.”

“What?”

“Well, I just thought the moon’s daughter would look different is all.”

“Oh.” Emma looked at her clothes. “Yeah, I rule over Spring. What are these rumors you keep talking about?”

Shade opened his mouth to speak when a voice called his name. “SHADE! WHERE’D YOU GO?” Shade rubbed the back of his head annoyed. Emma jumped recognizing the voice as the crazy taker that kidnapped her. She reached for her bracelet, but it wasn’t there.

“Crap,” she muttered backing up.

“Come here.” Shade gestured for her to come closer, and she did so. “Pretend you’re asleep.” He lifted her up in his arms. Emma closed her eyes, but used the plants and her ears to see.

“Yo, Shade. Whatcha doing out here?” Link looked at the body in his brother’s arm. It was the girl and she was knocked out. She must have tried to run.

Link grinned. This was better than catching some dumb dream. His dad had to be proud of him now. Always he’d been stuck in Shade’s shadow. Not that he hated his brother. He adored him, but Link wanted to be noticed. He was tired of being just Prince Shade’s younger brother.

“Just getting some air,” Shade answered emotionlessly. Link frowned. Shade sure had been acting werid.

“What’d ya think? Pretty good for my first hunt, huh?” Link grinned poking his brother’s side.

“You don’t want to know what I think.”

“Well, sure I do!”

Shade glared and this time spoke with tense emotion. “You don’t want to know what I think.” Shade gave him a cold glare. His teeth were clenched. Link backed away.

“Hey, no need to get touchy. I won’t ask again.” Link tried hard to mask the hurt in his voice.

“Link, man I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“What… You kidding? Listen Shade, I’m not four years old anymore. As soon as I catch a strong dream I’ll be a full fledge Taker. Stop treating me like a kid!”

Shade frowned. “Link, what’s your deal?”

“Me?! What’s my deal?! What’s your deal? Dude, I don’t know what your problem is. You don’t speak. You’re always out stargazing. Ever since you ate that dream you’ve been all weird.”

“What do you want from me, Link?!”

“I WANT MY BROTHER BACK! You know! The brother that looked out for me and went along with my crazy ideas! The brother that patted me on the back when I accomplished something, even if our parents didn’t! I want THAT SHADE BACK!” Tears started to pour down his cheek. All the emotions, the rage and loneliness, that had been built up inside him since Shade’s first hunt spilled out with his tears.