The World of Nightingale

Chapter 5

May and Jake sat in the mud for who knows how long. It could have been hours, minutes, maybe even days, May wouldn't have noticed. All that she cared about was that the people who had been lying to her for her entire life weren't there in the moment. She sort of felt that they might've had their reasons for keeping all of this a secret, but at the moment, all she could think of was the fact that her parents and sister had raised her to believe that the one thing that had brought her joy in the world was fake, when in fact it was very real, and she had somehow built a block around herself keeping herself from finding out about being apart of Nightingale sooner rather than later.

They sat there for so long, the rain stilled, and the night soon came upon them, crickets chirping in the distance, and the occasional firefly wandered about.
Part of May wondered if her parents or Blair were even looking for her. If they were rejoicing in her disappearance at this very moment, wanting May to be gone from their lives anyway.

Maybe that was their plan in the first place, make their daughter dislike them enough so she leaves without them making her leave.
She wouldn't put it past them.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jake whispered, his voice sounding strained as though he were in pain or of large discomfort. May pulled back slightly, her forehead wrinkling in concern as she scanned him briefly. The darkness and shadows made it nearly impossible to discern his exact features, but with a small flick of her hand, she pulled a small light from inside of her and expelled it from her fingertips, channeling the core energy to make an orb of blue light.

"No, are you okay?" May asked abruptly, turning the conversation back onto him in an instant. She wasn't ready to face her own problems at the moment, so she built up a wall around them, burying those issues to deal with later. Right now, she was more concerned with how Jake's forehead was wrinkled as though he were holding back a cough, and the pallor of his pale slightly sweaty skin.
"Wait a minute—" May reached up, spotting a dark spot in the corner of his lip, and wiping it with her thumb. Even with the blue light, it was easy to tell that this was blood. "Your eighteenth birthday— you're not supposed to be here anymore." May gasped, jumping to her feet.

How could she have been so stupid? So self centered that she hadn't even thought about the fact that Jake was literally risking his life every second he spent on earth with her.

"Uh right- can you walk- that's a stupid question you shouldn't be walking by yourself- where is the portal? I can help you get there if you point me in the right direction- I'll have to figure out how to levitate things by command- that shouldn't be too hard-" May began to ramble to herself, pacing the ground as his he rubbed her chin in thought before turning back to Jake, who held up his hand so she would be quiet.

"It's okay, the portal is right here." He said, again, his voice so tense, it could've been used as a tightrope and it wouldn't have broken.

May looked around bewilderingly, not seeing anything but the dense forest around their clearing other than a ring of trees that formed a circle. Though it looked like a sort of hobbit hole or door, there wasn't anything else special about this wood, or it's position.

Jake pulled out a necklace from under his shirt, the amerite crystal glowing orange and purple in the darkness. It was like a radioactive wave hit the clearing, glowing yellow speckles like fireflies stirred in a gentle breeze, swirling around the two before settling on the place around them, coating the trees in a sheer of glitter. The trees moved, twisting even further to add to the circular branches, layering onto it, tangling into a sort of round gateway made from gold glittery trees.

"What now?" May whispered, her body frozen from the shock of seeing so,etching so magical happen right in front of her eyes yet again, though doubtful that reaction would ever change no matter how much time she spent in Nightingale.

"Now help me up." Jake requested, holding out his empty hand, holding the amerite crystal in his other. May helped as best she could, though she doubted she did anything else other than give him the balance to stand.
Jake then tossed the crystal into the gateway.

May half expected for it to land on the ground, but as soon as the crystal went through the ring of trees, then it was like it was caught in a magnet, suspended in mid air. The crystal began to melt, forming a shimmery liquid like surface, like a sunset orange and pinkish purple galaxy. "Here is where we say goodbye May Scott." Jake said, squeezing the girl's hand in which he held, smiling down on her.

For a second the words didn't register with May, but then her head snapped in his direction. "Wait wait, you're not planning on going alone! The second you step through that portal you'll be running from the Gathered. Remember, you're an extinct species sort of, and one of the villains at that."

Jake nodded grimly, as though none of this was news to him.

"And you still plan on going through?" May asked.

Jake nodded, making May's mouth flap open, but he cut her off before she could get a word in otherwise. "I don't have a choice May, okay? I'll be fine, you have to trust me, I have a feeling we will see each other again soon."

"But you can't—" May began to protest about her only friend's safety, "at least not alone."

"He won't be alone."

Both Jake and May turned their heads towards the voice to find a certain ice fairy that May did not want to talk too.

"I know we aren't at the best of terms right now, but I can at least promise to keep an eye on your friend while in Nightingale, it's not like I have much time on earth available anyway." Blair admitted, shifting the bag on her shoulder as she wore a grey tank top and sparkly silver leggings, her wings glowing faintly teal in the darkness as though a light were fading from then before they became limp for good. That or fall off, both were possible outcomes.

"Actually, I think it's best if you all go." Again, the group turned their gaze to find Mr. and Mrs. Scott standing together. "That way it's easier for you to adjust to everything."

May wanted to go on a rant about how she could've had time to adjust in earth had they told her before she figured to out herself, but she found the fury fading a bit as she realized this could be the last time she saw her parents.

She still didn't say anything as they said their farewells, and handed May a bag packed with sone if her childhood favorite things and essentials, as well as her favorite toy stuffed animal, Nimbus the dragon.

"I know you're probably really upset with us, but know this Mayonnaise, we will always love you, and if you ever choose to return to earth one day, our doorstep is always available to you, and to all three of you." May's mom added, nodding towards a slightly uncomfortable looking Jake.

"Now hurry, before the pendant's magic fades." May's dad said, pulling out a mason jar labeled stardust and opening it's glittery contents over the trio's heads. "For a softer journey." He explained before together, their parents shifted them though the portal, not even giving May a chance to apologize for being so angry, nor return their 'I love yous'

—Agent Emily