Sunset Legend

• 21 •

"Well. It's about damn time." I jumped at the voice, accidentally smacking Jaxon in the nose as I sat up in bed. He mumbled something, eyes still closed as his arm tightened around my waist. I couldn't fight the smile as Summer stood in my doorway, a confident smirk on her lips.
"I would say it's not what it looks like-"
"But it's exactly what it looks like," Jaxon finished. I rolled my eyes as Summer bounced across the room. No one was going to be stuck on what happened last night. We can only move forward.
"Time for our run, girly," Summer said a little too happily. I groaned, knowing how bad this was going to hurt. "Sol's command."
"Fine," I huffed, throwing the blankets dramatically to my side. Summer laughed as Jaxon sighed from underneath the blanket.
An hour later we were surrounded by nothing but soft grass and sweating under the high sun. My legs were throbbing, but I wanted to go farther. I wanted to be stronger for Jaxon. For me.
"How you feel?" Summer asked, her breathing as uneven as mine.
"Fantastic," I chirped. She rolled her eyes and smacked my shoulder. I laughed lightly, rubbing away the sweat on my forehead with my arm.
"Good enough to run back? Or should I go get your mans," she said, wiggling her body in a weird way.
"He is your brother," I said, laughing as her wiggling had turned into weird hip jerks as she moved in a circle.
"Don't remind me. Oh my god! If you guys get married, we'd basically be sisters!" She yelled, smacking my shoulder at a million miles per hour. I grabbed her hands to stop her, almost getting smacked in the face.
"Way too soon, but that sounds amazing." Summer flipped her beautiful orange hair dramatically over her shoulder.
"I'm amazing I know."
"Who's amazing?" Sol asked, slowly skidding to a stop in front of us.
"Me, but listen to this juicy stuff." I pushed Summer over. Her face of pure shock looked up at me.
"Okay now I have to know," Sol said, chuckling as he helped her up.
"It's nothing," I said, looking straight at Summer.
"But-" Sol started.
"Race you back!" I screamed before bolting through the grass towards the castle. Sol, just as I expected, dropped the topic and flew past me. He didn't even look back as I stopped, turning back to Summer. "Just, don't say anything until we come back. Please?" Summer's face twisted, but she nodded anyways. "You better come back."

"Hit me," Sol instructed. I looked up at him from where I stood in Ray's body. Summer stood protectively next to my unoccupied body with her mother near her, staring into my eyes that were glowing. Jaxon stood on the other side of the room, nothing more than a prince watching. His arms were crossed across his chest, his feet apart in a stance that meant concentration.
"I'm not going to hit you," I said. Hearing Ray's voice instead of mine was still weird to me.
"We need to see if you gain their strength."
"Then let me in you," I blurted. I had been curious about what it would be like to be in his body. Sol shrugged.
The familiar sensations ran through me as I switched into a much larger body. Ray was blinking too fast as I survived the room.
"He's got a nice view," I said. Summer laughed and rolled her eyes.
"What's going on?" Ray asked.
"She's going to hit you," Jaxon said.
"Well, Sol is," Summer corrected.
"I did not agree to this!" Ray shrieked, throwing his hands up to protect his face.
"Sorry," I said before swinging a heavy arm into the side of his arm. Ray stumbled back, mumbling something. I looked down at his hands, at the strength I now had.
"Fight me," Jaxon stood in front of me now, dressed in shorts and a tee shirt with his hands held up in a fighting stance.
"How does this help me?" I asked, shaking his arms loosely at my side.
"To learn how to move in another person's body. You never know what will happen," he said, his face blank as he stared at me. I nodded once.
"My money's on Solstice," Aurora said. Ray snorted before laughing as Summer smacked her mom's arm.
"You can't go against your own son," she laughed.
"Hit me." I heard for the second time today. I rolled my neck slowly. Here goes nothing.
I swung my heavy arm straight for the sun that sat on his chest. He could of easily dodged it and had me on the ground in a second, but instead he just moved to the right before swinging for Sol's head. I ducked like the way he had taught me in training as I ran for Jaxon. He stood there, waiting for me to hit him.
Teleport.
Suddenly, it felt natural. The smile on my face confused Jaxon as I disappeared from his line of sight. I was behind him before he could turn around, my arms wrapped his neck.
"I could of just made some money," Aurora laughed. Summer was crouched next to me, her hands covering her mouth.
I was back in my own body, leaving Sol wrapped on Jaxon. He looked at his arms and where he was before a grin pulled his lips up as he ran to me. I laughed as he picked me up in a hug, spinning us.
"Look at you!" His grin was contagious as he set me down.
"You are simply amazing," Aurora said. I blushed, looking down at my hands that were holding one another.
Before I was a useless princess with no say in my future. Now? Now I was dangerous. I was someone you would be afraid of. I was writing my own future.
"Papa Sol to thank for that," he said before poking at my side. I laughed, smacking away his hand.
"Papa Sol?" Aurora questioned, a thin eyebrow raised in both question and amusement.
"Big bad Sol has a soft spot now," Summer whispered loudly for everyone to hear, dramatically elbowing her mom in the side. Aurora laughed, her laugh light in the room.
"You guys make me sound like I'm a heartless man," Sol huffed.
"You did just throw yourself through a door last night to beat someone," Jaxon said from where he stood across the room. I could see his lip twitching, fighting the smile.
"Listen..." Sol started, rubbing his hands down his face. Chuckles filled the room and warmed my heart.
Aurora wrapped an arm carefully through mine and lead us out of the training room, into the hall. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel ready. I'm scared, but physically I feel ready," I said, looking over her shoulder and down the long hallway that was dimly lit.
"I think the night before we should celebrate," she said, her face nothing but kind.
"Celebrate when we both return," I said. I refused to let my mind wonder of what would happened if only one of us returned under the sun.
"A dinner is the least I can do," Aurora pushed. My heart pounded as I thought about us being all together, one last time. Just incase.
"A dinner is perfect."

The next two days I only saw Summer and Sol. Sol would train me until my body should of ached, but it wouldn't. I was strong. Summer would run in the morning with me. She would challenge me to kill animals, challenge me to slip into her body. They pushed me to the best me I could possibly be.
Aurora was unseen. She was busying around the castle and the border, watching for anyone else who may stumble upon her lands. Jaxon spent a lot of time with her, planning the mission or just simply enjoying her company.
Ray was around, bouncing between everyone and keeping everyone updated with the mess that was this castle. He joined us once on the run, keeping my mind far away from what was going to happen very soon.
I had dreams about confronting the queen of the Winter lands, laughing in her face as I crushed her heart or looking bored as I made her explode too fast. I would day dream about ending Frosts for my old people, for Bells.
I did everything for Bells in my heart. I could feel the too cold of a breeze urging me to keep fighting.
Now it was the morning the day before I was to head out, sitting in a chair that's back was pushed against my bathroom sink as Summer's fingers ran through my hair. She was brushing the blinding white dye over my beloved red hair. My heart was heavy as the dye ruined my true identity.
"It's going to be okay. When you get back, I will dye it back to red," Summer said softly, observing how tense my shoulders were as she worked.
"Promise?" I asked, my hands starting to tremble in my lap.
Summer stuck out her pinky. I laughed lightly as I twisted mine around hers.
"I promise, girl." A few minutes of silence passed as she finished wrapping the hair to let it sit. Once she was done, she sat on the tub across from me. "I'm happy that you finally talked to Jaxon."
I sighed, leaning on the seat for full support as I closed my eyes. "You were right." I paused. It was hard to swallow. "I didn't want to have any regret if things went badly in the Winter lands."
I opened my eyes to find tears pooling her dark eyes. I cursed under my breath, knowing once she would start I would lose the strong hold I had.
"He is coming home. You are coming home, Solstice." She pointed a shaky finger at me. "You bring so much happiness to everyone in this castle. You are my best friend now. If anything happens to you or my brother I will personally destroy every inch of that place." Her voice broke, her hand falling into her lap as a tear escaped. I watched the tear roll down her cheek, her lip trembling.
I had such love for everyone in this castle. I would do anything for them. It happened so fast. We all just felt right.
"Summer, stop," I whispered. Soon my cheeks were wet as I slapped her knee. It was a wimpy hit which just made her snort. She looked at me and a laugh bounced off the walls.
"We're a mess," she said, wiping at the fallen tears.
"Everything will be okay soon," I responded.
"Soon," she repeated.