Starlight

Chapter 11: Spectra and Mu

Mu? Spectra... Life and death.

And magic. I had seen them all do magic.

I didn't know what to say. To even think. And so, I just stumbled blindly after Ash and Seth, my feet shuffling through the pink petals that littered the ground. Other worlds... dimensions. And as unreal as it seemed, I was here, in the midst of it all, and it wasn't fake or imagined...

And while part of me just absorbed everything in an almost numb state, another part of me felt like it had woken up.

Seth was friendly enough, but I hadn't figured out Ash yet. Once Christine had left, he had seemed to perk up more, but while Seth was welcoming, Ash just seemed annoyed at everything. But still, at least he had said something to Christine.

Not her.

I was no stranger to her attitude. Being a cheerleader and in High School, I had been exposed to it daily. She didn't like me, for whatever reason. There was no other reason for her to say that. To accept anyone but... me. But, if there was one thing I was sure of at this point, other than I am NOT crazy, it was that I had never met Christine before.

Never.

I shook my head. I wasn't here to make friends with everyone, I guess. And whatever her hang ups were, I could either win her over, or just avoid her. They had said another name, Zitti, had a problem with her too. Were there other women or just the two? Maybe having another female...

I could speculate as much as I wanted but in the end, I didn't know. I curbed my anxiety, trying to swallow my beating heart that bled for answers.

"So, because... I can see stuff, you think I'm one of you?"

"Well, you might not be a guardian, but you are definitely a descendent or reincarnation of a Spectralite," Seth answered.

"I guess, I'm confused. You said this was Spectra but you also said it was magic..."

Ash paused, a pink petal falling into his hair. "Spectra is a place. A world full of magic and energy." He gestured around himself to the strange world we had emerged into after going through the rift. "This is Spectra... Well, what's left of it."

I followed his gaze at the streams of lotus petals before pausing. "Left of it?"

Ash lifted an eyebrow, really looking at me for the first time. He seemed to size me up before he asked, "Do you have any memories of Spectra?"

Memories. I shook my head though the strange dream of the girl jumping in the tower that burned popped into my mind. I didn't know if that had anything to do with this and I didn't want to embarrass myself if it didn't.

"Spectra was once a powerful Kingdom. One of the only Kingdoms that had the power to keep the evil rulers of Mu at bay. It was peaceful and was a strong Monarchy ruled by the Queen.

"She had two children: A son and daughter. The King had disappeared after the birth of their daughter, and even though that must of broke the Queen's heart, she continued to rule and raise her children.

"Mu began to conquer other Kingdoms and for the most part it stayed contained, away from Spectra, but over the years it started to seep closer and closer..."

"Devour is a better word," Ash snarled. "It used up Kingdom's resources, chewed them up then spit them out. The people were enslaved or killed and the Kingdoms were burned to the ground."

Seth nodded. "Yeah well, eventually Spectra found itself on the front lines in the fight against Mu. And our army was losing..." Seth took a breath, pushing his hair out of his face and looked away. "They infiltrated the castle somehow... they killed the Queen. The Prince was dying on the battlefront. And the Princess used an ancient power to try to protect her us. She knew that Spectra had fallen. She saved what she could. She sent us to a new world. To safety. Your world.

"But she couldn't destroy Mu. And in time, they repaired themselves, grew strong again, and they attacked Earth. Her magic still protects this place, but Earth doesn't have the power to protect itself from Mu. Mu will destroy it."

"If this place is safe, then why do you fight there?" And even as it left my mouth, I wished I could take it back. It sounded cruel and callas. "Not that I'm saying you shouldn't..." I amended.

"Because we are the only ones who can protect it. No other Kingdoms survived and none that would have been strong enough, anyways. We are the only protection your world has of defeating Mu."

"Were they reborn?" Was that even the right word?

Ash shook his head. "No one has all the answers because the spell, the magic, was so ancient. I don't even know if the Princess truly knew how it would work, but it was her only choice. Some were put to sleep. And when Mu began to infiltrate Earth, they woke. Others souls were reborn in human bodies with vague memories."

"And the Princess?"

Both were quiet then. Ash turned away and began leading us towards the large wooden arch the presumably lead us out of the Gardens. Seth gestured for me to follow as he continued on.

"She gave her life as part of the spell. She didn't get put to sleep with the others. Marack, her fiance, was with her when she died. And when she died, the spell sealed."

So she was gone. My thoughts went back to the dreams. Of the girl who jumped and the man who begged her to find another way.

Ash had reached the wooden gates embedded with black iron. He pushed open the gates, unveiling the courtyard and stone buildings, shattering the world of pinks and purples of the Garden. I walked into courtyard, with the soft autumn leaves that littered the ground, oranges, yellows and reds, and remembered the world of white I had come from. Unconsciously, my hand slipped into my pocket and I tightened around my phone. It felt warm in my hands. And impulsively, I thought of how I wanted to take a picture of the scene, not only because of its beauty but as an assurance that it WAS real. I pulled it free from my pocket and lifted it to take a picture of the ancient stone turrets and towers the surrounded a partially burned Castle.

The screen was blank and I frowned. Had it run out of battery? I coulda sworn I had charged it before I left Jake's. I pressed the button, half expecting to see the red empty battery symbol to light up, but nothing happened.

Seth smirked. "That stuff doesn't work here. I think it's part of the spell."

I shrugged, slipping it back into my pocket. "Well, I expected to not have service but..."

I stopped as I saw Ash's glare. He abandoned his post at the gate and strode towards me. He was intimidating and I backed up at the sudden anger displayed.

"You can't tell anyone about this place," he snarled so violently that I nearly fell back. "If the General's of Mu find their way here, it's over. This is our only safe haven and until we are back to full power, ready to fight Mu head on, Spectra must stay a secret."

Of course. How could I be so stupid? I gulped sheepishly, and twirled a strand of red hair behind my ear. "I.. I'm sorry. It's just so beautiful."

Ash ignored my words. "No one. The people of Mu are cunning. They infiltrate everything."

I swallowed, the heat rising to my cheeks, burning my face red. "Absolutely."

Seth put his hand on my arm and I nearly jumped at his touch. "Ash is very protective..."

"How do you know I'm not part of Mu though?" I hoped it didn't sound argumentative. It was an honest answer. How would I know if I came across someone who was from Mu? Would they be like the fire demon, but Ash said they infiltrated everything...

"You came through to Spectra using the crystal," Ash said matter-o-factly. "Only those from Mu can travel the rift without a crystal."

He began to walk again, headed towards the Castle and I followed, wondering how I had made it from Jake's road to the mall again... without a crystal.