Orange Shadow Magic: Awaken. Book 1

Chapter 26: The Last Goodbye

Avery grinned slyly at Gala, as a plan slowly dawning upon her. She decided that she was going to sneak inside the king's castle, with, or without Gala and the others. She had to do what needed to be done, and no one could stop her.

Avery tapped Gala's shoulder and whispered, "I have a plan to get revenge. We should sneak inside the castle, pretending to be maids, swipe the lockets, and wreak havoc on the castle just before we leave." Gala turned around and nodded once, fury in her eyes.

"For Coral!" Gala cheered, not reading between the lines of what Avery was saying.

Everyone turned their heads toward Gala, and Mally and the rest of her group came bursting through the trees.

"Gala, what do you mean?" Lily asked as she tried to catch her breath.

"I mean, we're going to steal the lockets!" Gala exclaimed, her voice echoing throughout the forest. "King Expella will pay for what he did to Coral!" Gala exclaimed and raised her hand in the air in triumph.

Avery said casually, "Meet you at King Expella's castle," and then she shapeshifted into a Pegasus.

Avery waited for a split moment, then she neighed for Mattzew, Mally, and Lily to get on. When Avery did this, Gala blasted off into the trees, her sprinting leaving skid marks on the ground. Malaxy's flimsy wings fluttered as she unsteadily rose off the ground and rose beside Pegasus.

"Let's do this, Thor," Mattzew muttered, and Pegasus flapped its wings, then flew toward the direction of King Expella's castle.

Avery's plan spun wildly around in her head, as the realization of what she was about to do finally hit her. She knew that she was straying from the original plan, but it was for the best. Little did her friends know that she was still a villain, however with good intentions to get the three magical lockets back, so that she and all of her friends could finally win this war. Avery absolutely had to turn evil, to gain her father's trust and win the war under Mally's name.

As soon as she arrived, she hid in an alley, let everyone down upon the ground, and transformed back into her human form. "Wait here, let me scout out the surroundings," Avery said. Avery thought about sharing the news, but it would only cause them more pain. She couldn't do that to them, after everything that had happened.

"Wait, let me come with you. I know the castle the best," Mally cried out. Even after every bad thing that had happened, she was still trying to boast out her talents.

"Wait a minute, you're not going anywhere without me! After all, I was Coral's big sister." Gala demanded, "I must prove myself, too! I made a promise, and I couldn't keep it. I never break my promises."

Avery sighed. There was no way she could stop all of them from coming with her. Besides, she needed one of them to grab the lockets for her. She knew that King Expella was going to be super overprotective of his precious lockets, that he was going to put it in his pocket. She would out trick him by making him believe that she was going to return back to his side as a villain. Avery would grab the lockets and give them to Mally or Gala, or whoever was beside her at the moment, and continue to become the villain she was always meant to be. She couldn't be a hero forever, she just wasn't fit for it. Avery could be a mixture of both a villain, and a hero. Then, she could just be her. Just Avery. Avery didn't want to have to be changed by anyone ever again. She had to do that in order to be everyone's friend, except Gala. Gala understood her. So Gala would understand what Avery had to do.

She stomped up to the moat, and crossed the drawbridge which had been left unguarded for the time being. She couldn't shake off the eerie feeling as if King Expella had been expecting her to come back. She didn't notice Mattzew and Lily following her inside the castle doors, as she was too absorbed in her own thoughts.

Before anyone could stop her, she was in front of King Expella himself. She nodded to him, but decided not to curtsy.

"Well, how nice to see you again, my daughter!" King Expella laughed at the base of his throne, this time talking to Avery, although Mally was his supposed renown "daughter". Avery spun around, surprised to see Gala, Mattzew, Mally, and Lily standing loyally behind her. She didn't want to reveal the shattering truth to all of her best friends, but it couldn't be helped now.

"Father?" Mally asked tentatively, nervous to be with her evil father once more. She would summon the ghosts again, if necessary. King Expella spun around angrily.

"No, you daft weasel! I'm talking to my blood-related daughter, the one who almost became the villain who would've taken over the world, but instead turned to you little beast and your squad. Except, of course, she probably didn't tell Lily and Parker any of that." Lily gasped and looked at Avery, whose head was hanging. Her lips almost widened into a smile.

"Parker's dead!-" Lily chastised, but listened to what Avery had to say.

"Me? A villain? Never!" She stuttered, but Lily herself felt Avery give in to the temptation. It all made sense, Avery's ability to steal, her good fencing skills, all of it! "You may be my blood father, but King Werepaw was the only real father I could have ever had. Besides, what's in it for me?"

"Lassy, have you ever wondered where you get your lust for revenge and your bloody thirsty tongue? You're never satisfied with anything! You'd make a great apprentice, and an even greater villain! Come with me! Your powers are long and great! I don't need this little weasel," he gestured to Mally, "if I have my real daughter - in the flesh - to become my long-awaited heir to the throne, because then I won't need pathetic Mally Johnson anymore. Because I'll already have another powerful being to walk the realms besides me when I conquer them. Besides, you've already met me at your pathetic little boarding school. How they were ever able to keep you there, I will never know." Lily could see the choice in Avery's eyes was clear. Reaching forward, Avery grabbed her father's hands and sat beside him in her new throne. Avery hung her head as Mattzew screamed and tried to climb into the throne with her, but Avery crouched and pushed him off the edge, and pointed to the blue sky. Three golden stars were suddenly present in the sky, and Mattzew reached out to touch one, but realized it was a magical locket in disguise. Although Mattzew was shocked, he seemed to understand that becoming evil was not what she had truly ever wanted.

"I'm so sorry. There was no other way," she whispered to all of them, but Gala was the only one who nodded. All of her other friends couldn't, or ever would understand. "Please guys, I'll be with my father, and finally accepted for my villainous ways. I'm a villain. I was always a villain. The lust for evil is in my heart. It's my choice, not yours. I'm leaving, and nobody can stop me. Who would I be if I stayed?"

Gala surprised Avery by saying, "Go, I'd do the same." Everyone turned to her, including Avery's father.

"Gala, would you like to come with us too? Come on! Be on the right side of history! We all know you like Avery more than both of your sisters combined! Since the minute she's been here, you've both understood each other! She understands you, and you both help each other! Gala, you've got an evil heart. Nobody may know except Coral, Mally, and Avery, but I know what happened to you when you were little, too! Join us, and we can help you! You'd be offered a throne here, and all around fame and glory!" King Expella ranted, but Gala shook her head.

"You killed my sister, so I could never forgive you," Gala whispered coldly then turned to face Avery, and nodded understandingly. "Avery may understand me more than anyone in my entire life has, she may have given me a chance like no one else, and she may be the only person like me, trapped with an evil heart, but my place is here," Gala whispered and stepped back. "Good luck to you, my friend. And I just want to let you know, I love you. I always have." Gala wept, one of the only times she was able to shed tears, and she shook Avery's hand.

"You too," Avery said, right as her friends disappeared outside the palace doors, and she sat loyally beside King Expella to become a villain, which she was and had always meant to become.