TAKE TWO, kotlc

Chapter 21- Oralia

"Don't give me that look," Oralia whispered, spotting her sister's not-so-inconspicuous glare. "You're the one that told me to invite him or her over-"

"It's a him," the Wayward promised, ducking underneath another prickly tree.

They were trying to find the tent that the Council promised they'd set up for them- and Oralia had managed to invite her Wayward friend over, despite having just met him yesterday.  Because Arella had told her to.

"There it is!" Arella shouted, pushing through the greenery to find two large tents that looked oddly similar to the ones from Exillium- and also ignoring Oralia's accusation.

Oralia rolled her eyes. "That looks... tropical." 

"Better than sleeping out in the mud," Arella said, scowling as her boot got stuck in some of the muddy mush. She lit up slightly as she asked the Wayward, "Wanna stay here tonight?"

Oralia rolled her eyes. Her sister had two qualifications:

That they were a boy, and that they weren't related to her. 

"Let's just get out of the rain for now," Oralia suggested, ducking inside. She found a stack of blankets piled up in the corner and wrapped one around herself to stop her from shivering.

"So... hi," Arella said awkwardly, fidgeting with her circlet. "Are you going to take off your hood or just stay anonymous or...?"

She pulled off her own and let her blonde hair fall around her shoulders. Oralia did the same, rubbing her temples- transmitting across Exillium was exhausting.

"Maybe later, I'm... cold."

"Blanket?" she offered.

"I like my hood better," the Wayward said quickly.

There was a beat of silence.

"Okay I'll bite. Who are you, why were you talking to my sister, why won't you take off your hood, and why do you have no ability pins?"

"I told you- I remember nothing. I don't even know my real name- the one my parents gave me."

"You know what your ability is, though. Everybody remembers their own ability," Arella pressed, still trying to twist her way out of the metal circlet, which was still clasped against her forehead.

"You're going to freak out- I know that for a fact."

"Trust me, I won't. My mom has five ablities," Arella said matter-of-factly.

The Wayward sucked in a breath. "Your mom is Sophie Foster?"

"Yup! We're twins!" Arella said happily, squeezing her sister in a "stage-hug." 

Oralia gave her another eye roll. Her sister got more distracted by boys than she got distracted by mallowmelt- and Arella loved mallowmelt probably even more than her mom did.

"If it... if it doesn't scare you then..." A burst of flames lit up on his palm, dancing around his fingertips. 

"You're a.. Pyrokinetic?" Oralia breathed, not sure what to think. "But why are you-?"

She lunged forward, grabbing for his hood and pulling it back before he could react...

And she was a little disappointed when nothing looked too... familiar.

He... kinda looked like any normal elf with dark hair and cobalt blue eyes- heck, he even reminded her a little bit of Fitz.

Arella just gaped at him open-mouthed and in shock.

"Arella, you're twelve! Stop looking at him like-"

"I'm not in love! Look at him! Remember Paris?"

Oralia silently thanked the universe for her photographic memory as she replayed the horrific scene... right before they faded away, the Pyrokinetic's hood had fallen off... he had the same dark hair and dark blue eyes...

"Why are you staring at me like that? Both of you?"

Oralia blinked. He couldn't be any older than they were now... and the Pyrokinetic had looked so old... clearly something was a mistake.

"Don't you dare say it's a coincidence," Arella warned. "There's clearly some Neverseen conspiracy going on right now."

"I won't- but..."

The Wayward bit his lip. "Are you talking about my dad?"