In the Valley

Attainment

Usually I have an AN at the end of the chapter but this one is important, I swear...

Hi.

Just kidding, I just wanted to thank you for sticking around for this long. I know this story's just a rocky road with a bit of sprinkles... Actually just a rocky road. So thanks.

~

Jamie, as he told me, was stuck at a train station with cash enough to get him halfway there. What would happen next would be decided by fate. When Josephine put him down, he immediately ran to the train, hoping nobody would see the display. She winked at Jamie, holding up the note.

He wondered why she didn't take him either. It didn't make much sense. He sat down in a bench with a hooded person. They had a flower that changed color in a flowerpot. The two sat in silence until they spoke up with a voice that reminded him of an oracle, "What color is the flower?" He looked at the bright flower, taking on a solid red. He told her the observation.

They took off their hood and said, "Ah, do you know what that means? It's the color of blood and the color of love. But it's usually death." He figured, predictions always meant something. "If only I knew who... Would you happen to know?" His eyes flashed with fear.

Before he could say anything, the oracle left without another word. Despite what they said, he smiled as he realized he had just met the royal oracle. Not as exciting as a royal guard or the queen, but it's still something, he thought. The oracle was usually right though.

Jamie cast away the thought. It had to be love, that's what always wins in the end, right? He decided to take a nap on the train, but he could only think of flowers and his parents. He slightly regretted leaving them without some kind of notice, and he was growing hungry with every passing minute... He checked his pockets, finding a pack of crackers and cheese. He remembered he left all the snacks with Alex before she got taken away.

He stared out the window, trying to catch a glimpse outside the valley to see what was out there. Just bright light. Using the time to think on what just happened, Jamie figured out a few things. Number one, that was not the queen. Number two, whatever they meant about an early warning was connected to Alex. Number three, Alex was connected to her.

Ugh, her. He couldn't even say her name with shivering. Didn't she cause that explosion in the lab? He saw it in the news, so it must've been that. She came from somewhere, but nowhere, just like Alex. He thought that if the two of them came from the same place, would that mean Alex was the same as her?

No, Alex is cheerful, quiet, nice, and deserves to be free. And Mauve is pure insanity. It couldn't be. A chill went down my spine. I'd have to be in a mile radius of Mauve.

The train came to a stop, jolting Jamie back into his seat. He decided to check outside his compartment. The conductor got closer to his compartment, which Jamie figured wasn't good. He felt the train ticket jabbing at him.

"Ticket?" The conductor peeked through the ajar door. Jamie handed him the ticket that would only get him so far. "Halfway to the castle, huh?" He asked, like this was a regular occurrence. He stamped the ticket while saying, "I'll let you off the hook, your parents and I know each other well. Hey, where are they?" Right, my parents talked to him once or twice.

"They're already at the castle..." I blatantly lied, not seeing how that would make sense. All I got was a satisfied but confused look and the conductor walking off to start up the train again. I sighed and said, "I'm coming, Alex."

~

It was times like this I regretted asking the wrong questions. I could feel her passionate hatred as she held up Mauve in the air, prepared to throw her down. I ran in front of M.D. yelling, "Stop! She doesn't deserve this!"

"You don't know what she's done to deserve this in the first place! She's a pathological liar with a thirst for revenge!" M.D. hesitated more with every second, seeing the tears floating around Mauve who was screaming for forgiveness.

I asked her what she did to deserve this. M.D. turned and stared at me. "If you must know, this isn't the Mauve I know. Mauve was a perfect little princess. She used to deserve that sort of treatment. Now, I don't even know what to do with her."

"But why?" M.D. was ignoring me, her eyes moving upward as Mauve was lifted higher and higher by an invisible force. I quickly raised my arm, knowing that she was going to kill her if she was thrown down. Mauve was pushed downward into me, my body being smashed into the floor along with hers. It hurt, but Mauve looked about as okay as she could be. She looked at me with eyes that said help. But I couldn't, nobody would tell me anything. The only thing I could do was fight back.

I picked myself up with a newly found strength rushing through me. I threw my fist at M.D., who caught it with a smirk. I gazed at Mauve, who was yelling, "Break my shackles! It's the only way!" She seemed to sense whatever was going through me, her power. I took the shackles in my hand, not knowing what to do with them. "Break them! I know what my powers can do!" Still confused, I tried to see if I could rip them off. M.D. was debating whether to stop me or not.

M.D. walked away, strangely. It didn't matter. The shackles were off, and she was free. She started floating, much to my surprise. I forgot she was only still alive because she had a purpose, but I'm not sure what her purpose is. But I would find out soon, as Mauve forcibly took my hand, and asked, "Let's do this, together. Are you in?"

It was too late to answer, as Mauve attained her goal. Me. It felt weird, as I could see out my own eyes, but I couldn't control myself. "Thank you Alex. After we free this kingdom, we'll go back home."

I didn't want to say anything. I couldn't, anyway.

~

Cliffhanger, I guess. Don't worry, even I'm pretty excited. Anyway, see you next time. *laughs maniacally* I love writing...