Orange Shadow Magic: Awaken. Book 1

Chapter 20: A Secret Revealed

Avery rubbed her eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. How could this be happening? How could she of all people be in this prophecy, to begin with? Her evil past should've immediately banned her from the prophecy! Although she desperately wanted to be in the prophecy, why would Malaxy, Gala's mother ever choose her? Although she didn't want a glimpse into reality, Avery had to understand that the reason why she was on this list was directly in front of her face. Gala had been the only person to trust her and be a true friend to Avery. Gala had known from the beginning that Avery wanted to be in the prophecy. Gala had known that without Avery on the list she would always be alone. Gala knew that if Avery wasn't on the list, something terrible would happen to all of them. Gala also knew that without Avery on the list they would regret it. Gala had obviously been the one to write Avery onto that list, for who could have? There was no good reason for why Gala's mother would put Avery on the list, and Gala had been the only other person who knew of the prophecy's existence.

Finally, Avery could not take the unbearable silence any longer. "My evil past puts you in a bad position, Gala. There is no possible way Malaxy would ever put my name on that list!" Avery yelled, spinning around so that Gala wouldn't have to see the hurt expression on her face and her hands forming fists as she decided what to do. Gala made no sounds, no stupid motions to try and spin her around and talk sense into her. She just stood there, waiting to see if Avery would say more.

"We are very much alike," Gala whispered from behind her, startling Avery to turn around and look for a shadow spirit in the room.

"You've told me this before." Avery snapped and felt the anger rising within her, trying to push her body into her shapeshifting form - a dark pegasus which she only turned into from anger, hatred, or deep sadness. But she wouldn't allow that hideous monster to control her like it did before, she would not allow her anger to consume her like her father expected. Maybe Gala had been right when she told Avery to free all of her emotions and feelings, allowing them to slip away from her. Maybe that was the answer. Then her father couldn't rile her up into his trap, like he did by killing her father. Then King Expella couldn't have control of her anger. Then nobody would ever get hurt again. Mattzew would be her sidekick again, and it would be them saving the world - the dynamic duo like it had been before all of this had happened, before he had learned her unspoken secrets. Before Coral had come into their perfect lives. Gala would always be her best friend, but she wished she could have Mattzew again, by her side like Gala was now.

"Then you must tell me why. Why was I put there? Why were you put on this list? We are both evil. I understand how what I might feel must have affected you too, when you first read it." Avery said, allowing her feelings and emotions to slip away, until she was in a strange sense of calming peace which she hadn't felt in a very long time.

The only answer Gala gave was, "We are very different, and yet we are the same." Gala's riddles puzzled Avery, but she had given up anger and her words only fueled her curiosity. Finally, Gala continued on saying, "We are both evil, like you said. But you and I had different reasons for our choices. You chose to be evil because you felt no other choice. You were angry at your destiny, the thing you were bound to become, and changed your fate, leading you down a road of villainy and everything you were taught to never do. It leads you back to where it all started, with your evil father King Expella, and you wished for someone to be truly proud of who you were, someone who could accept you for you. King Werepaw couldn't do that, and neither could King Expella. I, on the other hand, was lead by my destiny. I could not change what happened that night, nor could anyone. Nobody except I knows what happened - not even Coral, and she was there! But I will tell you. I chose to become a shadowlade. The people who kidnapped me were going to take me to their village called Dolphin Village in Creshville, to give to their mother so that she could have a daughter. But I told them to go into the forest first. I wanted to change myself so that maybe I wouldn't have to be a sweet little girl who everyone told what to do and what she couldn't do. I wanted to be strong and powerful so that no one would question me about my decisions. I didn't want to be like other girls. I didn't want to be like my sister Coral, who Malaxy was training to become "different". I wanted to be wild like the bats and free as a bird. I wanted to wield a sword and use wildlife to my advantage, be able to fend for myself, my sisters, and everyone, but mostly my mother. I wanted to prove to her I could be worthy of the prophecy and be able to protect everyone in it. So I did what I had to. I told one of the kidnappers to say the shadow spirit luring spell, so that I could be a shadowlade and no longer have to hang onto my emotions about what I could and couldn't do. We both made our choice, and for the same reason."