[Blaze_of_Glory]

Oops! I meant to have this posted last weekend. Apologies for the delay, it turned out much longer than I was expecting.

I included some stuff that’s happened several posts back in case anyone needs a reminder of where we’re at. I also tried to tie a few of the previous posts together.

Nice new character, by the way, Alexa. Really cool to have a NB character!




Everything was in chaos. People rushing about in a panic, all desperate to leave and get back to their families. I stumbled around, lost and suddenly feeling very alone. Noelle and Ayla had immediately gone after the girl who'd screamed - apparently their friend, Najila - and I lost track of them in the chaos. Lissa had disappeared too, pulled away by her parents.
"Soraya!" my sister cried out, shoving her way through the sword, and I had never been more glad to see her in my life.
"You're okay," she gasped, hugging me close. "Come on, we have to go."
"That man - he just - " I still couldn't process what had happened."I know," Amani said grimly. "I wish we could help too, but there's nothing we can do for him right now. And we don't know what caused him to vanish like that. It could be dangerous here. Come on, we have to go tell Mom and Dad."
It was in tense silence that we flew back to Agrabah. Mom was waiting for us on the balcony when we landed. "Is something wrong? You're back so early," she noted, concerned.
I swallowed. "Mom... something terrible has happened."
I watched horror dawn across her face as Amani and I recounted what had happened.
"Oh no, not Kai... poor Jalilah, I can't imagine what she's going through right now. And Najila too," she murmured, and I remembered that both Jalilah and her adopted sister, Janelle, had been among Mom's friends from when she's journeyed to Exilia to help battle the villains.
"Mom, do you know what's happening?" Amani asked in a small voice. I had never seen my sister look so lost and scared before.
Mom gathered us both into her arms. "No, but I promise you, my darlings, we'll figure it out. Everything's going to be fine, you'll see."

The entire next week was a flurry of activity. Mom and Dad spoke to the lords and village heads from all across Agrabah, as well as foreign dignitaries and various members of the Varden. We discovered to our horror that it hadn't just been the man at the Reunion Ball, but at least a dozen in Agrabah had disappeared, too, and many others from every kingdom in the Enchanted Forest. This wasn't just a stray curse or bit of dark magic, it was a full on worldwide crisis.
At last, the Varden seemed to come to some sort of conclusion, and so one week after the ball, we all set off for an emergency meeting of all its members. For once I didn't even try to get out of going. This was serious, more serious than anything I'd encountered in my whole life.
Amani, being crown princess, went to sit with Mom and Dad with the various leaders and other important figures, leaving me alone to find a seat.
"Hey, Soraya!" I saw Lissa waving at me from where she'd already found a place. I smiled, grateful to see a familiar face, and even more thankful that... well, that nothing had happened to her.
"Hi," I said as I sat down next to her. "I'm so glad to see you! Have you heard from Ayla and Noelle?"
Before she could reply, two figures appeared at the door, one brunette, the other white-haired. I breathed a sigh of relief as Lissa and I waved them over. Noelle flashed us a grateful smile as she sat down.
How are things in your kingdoms?” Noelle asked cautiously.
“There’s been quite a few disappearances, but so far, no one I know,” Lissa replied, looking as nervous as I felt.
“Same with us, plus Agrabah’s been having some drought issues, and Mom and Amani are really worried,” I added.
“I hope the Council figures out what is going on soon,” Neva bit her lip. “This is really scaring me.” Noelle put a reassuring hand on her arm.
“Attention, please!” Queen Ivory called out, and the soft murmur of conversation in the room immediately died down. “Thank you all for coming to this emergency gathering of the Council of Light. As you all know, we’re here to discuss the chain of disappearances of Estorianians that have been occurring throughout all our lands.” Her voice caught at this last sentence.
King Shang took up the speech. “We’ve been keep track of this horrifying phenomenon, and… we believe there’s some thing the vanished all have in common.”
The room waited with baited breath. “The only people who have disappeared so far… are those who have not been a part of the Tales of Estoriana,” Mom addressed the room. “And the fairies of Never Land think they know why.”

Astrid addressed the room now, and I had never seen Pan look so grim before. “The Never fairies are born from the first laugh of human babies. As a result, in the past, whenever a child stopped believing, a Never fairy would die. But that hasn’t happened for decades now. Because they live on through the stories people on Earth tell, about the magical worlds. And because children believed in fairy tales, we could live on. But it’s not just Never Land that’s like that - it’s all of Estoriana.”
“It’s the belief of the people of Earth who sustain us. They tell our stories, spread our legends, believe in us, and our magic lives on. But lately… the people are beginning to lose their belief in fairy tales. We see it everywhere whenever we visit Earth. And what we’re seeing is the effects of that. Estoriana, the rest of the magical lands, and all their people… are fading away.”
“And that’s why those who have a story in Tales of Estoriana, or at least have an ancestor who does, have so far been immune to this fading,” Laurel added softly. “More people tell their stories, so they can survive for longer. But… it’s only a matter of time until we all feel the effects of this.”

For the first time in over a week, the knot of terror in my chest eased a bit. My family, and Ayla's, and Noelle’s and Lissa’s - we all featured heavily in the Tales, and we were all descended from well-known characters whose stories had been told for centuries. The knowledge that none of us were going to disappear - at least, not in the immediate future – gave me a brief, fleeting moment of pure lightness.
Then I immediately felt guilty, as I thought of the man at the ball and many others that hadn't been so lucky. What would become of them, then? Was there even a way to bring them back? How did you undo something like this?

Before I could reflect on this thought further, there was a loud crash, and a boy and a girl fell out of the ceiling above and onto the meeting table. We all jumped back in shock.
A woman with long, dark hair was on her feet in a flash. “Tamsin! Aspen!”
The two, whom I could see now were twins, scrambled backwards, off the table and to their feet, but it was too late. Everyone in the room was staring at them now.
“S-sorry!” The boy, Aspen, stammered. “We didn’t mean any harm… it’s just… “ His voice trailed off as all the eyes in the room were fixed on them.
“It was my idea.” The girl, Tamsin took a step forward. “Mom – “
“Yes, I’d already guessed that,” Their mother narrowed her eyes at them. “And what exactly were you thinking, young lady, interrupting such an important Council meeting like this? And dragging your brother into it too, as usual. Don’t you understand how serious all of this is?”
“Yes!” Tamsin exclaimed. “We understand exactly, which is why we had to come! We were at the Ball that night too, Mom. We have a right to know what’s going on!”
“You’re too young – “
“Some of the members of the Varden were our age when they first set out to fight the villains,” Tamsin argued. “Look, we didn’t mean to make a scene – and we wouldn’t have had to if you’d just let us come along!” she jutted out her chin defiantly. Her brother winced, refusing to meet the gaze of anyone in the room.

“They have a point, Amaryllis,” Queen Ivory said with a grin.
Amaryllis sighed. “Still, this was not the way to go about making it.”
“Come on, Rhyllis,” Mom gestured for the two kids to take a seat. “They’re here now, so let them hear what we have to say. We can’t blame them for being worried and wanting to know what’s happening.”
Tamsin smiled triumphantly and immediately sat down with the other Varden kids, many of which I recognized from Reunion Balls in the past.
I turned now to flash a smile at the two kids as they took their seats. What they’d just done might have been inappropriate, but I admired them having to guts to pull of a stunt like that. Aspen gave a small, awkward smile in return, then quickly ducked his head, picking up a nearby book to bury his face in.
I heard Noelle whisper something excitedly to Ayla. A moment later, Ayla’s parents walked over to see what the fuss was about. Immediately, I could tell something was up from Jack Frost’s expression. He was staring at Noelle’s copy of Tales of Estoriana like he’d seen a ghost.
Mei leaned down to say something to Noelle. She looked a bit mutinous for a moment, but soon walked over to join Lissa, Neva, and me, leaving the Frost family alone to have a private moment.
“What’s going on?” I asked curiously.
“No idea! This message just suddenly appeared in Tales of Estoriana. Seems like Ayla’s dad knows something about it. Hopefully, if it’s something good, Ayla will fill me in,” Noelle mused.
Jack’s conversation with his daughters lasted a long time. When he was finally done, he turned to the rest of us, and began to address the entire Varden.
He then told us the entire story of his long, extraordinary life, leaving out no detail. We all sat in stunned silence until he finished, all of us transfixed in the tale he was telling.
“So, Katherine, the Guardian of Storytelling - also known as Mother Goose, is sending us a clue to aid us with the new danger we are facing.” Jack finished, waiting for it all to sink in for the rest of us.

Astrid, Ivory, and Lillie looked at him with fresh wonder and love in their eyes. Mei rubbed her husband’s shoulder, then wrapped her arm around him.
I felt like I’d just been told the most extraordinary legend - a story that spanned centuries.
“Thank you for telling us all that, Jack.” Queen Laurel finally broke the silence. Jack bowed his head in a slow nod, in acknowledgement of her words.
“Yes, thank you Jack.” Iv agreed, “Now, can you explain what Katherine’s clue means?”

Jack read the clue out loud to the Varden,

“Nightlight, bright light, do you remember?
Time’s first lesson; remember, remember, or lose the last ember!
Seek the Author, seek the pupil; return to the beginning, the once upon a time.”

“She addressed it to me, using the name she first knew me by, Nightlight. The next words are the beginning of the vow I made when I was the protector of Prince Lunanoff, swearing to protect the baby prince always. ‘Time’s first lesson’ refers to Father Time, the former wizard named Ombric Shalazar. The first lesson he always taught all the children of his magical village was, ‘I believe! I believe! I believe!’ - because all magic is only possible with belief.” He began breaking down the mysterious clue.

“She keeps saying ‘remember,’ because I have a history of losing my memory, and she has no way of knowing what all I remember from our past at the moment. And also probably because humanity is forgetting our stories. I think that she is urging to remember ‘or lose the last ember’ because if we don’t get enough people to remember our stories again… then I can only imagine we will all disappear eventually, our bright lights flickering and then fading away.” Jack continued.
“That makes sense,” Astrid mused, “It fits in with what Lillie, my Never fairies, and I have figured out so far.”

“I am not sure what the next lines mean, ‘Seek the Author, seek the pupil’… I don’t know who the Author is, or the pupil. Katherine isn’t the Author, I know that much, I can feel it.”
“Here!” Noelle spoke up excitedly, “In the front of Tales of Estoriana it says it was written by ‘The Author’!” We all looked at the cover, and sure enough the words were there.
“So we need to figure out who this Author is, and who their pupil is.” Calla said, “But where do we even start?”

“We can start with the last piece of the clue, and try to work from there. Katherine says to ‘return to the beginning, the once upon a time.’ I think she means to return to the beginning of our history together, where we first met - in her village on earth. I can only hope that more clues can be found there. That was where our story began, and where she first began to become Mother Goose. The village of Santoff Claussen, which name means the ‘place of dreams.’ The place where Katherine first spoke the words ‘once upon a time.’” Jack explained.
“And where would that village be?” Queen Kida of Atlantis asked.
“Deep in the forests to the east of Siberia.” Jack replied.

“So,” Iv began, “All we have to do is find Katherine, find the so-called ‘Author’ and their pupil, and restore belief in us to enough people so that we won’t all fade away. Seems…. just a tad bit more impossible than all the other things we have faced and accomplished, so should be totally doable!” She laughed, with a bit of her usual sarcasm, despite the fear and worry I knew she felt - we all felt.
“Like we told everyone earlier, we will figure this all out together - like we always do. Together we are strong, and together we will get through this.” Astrid restated, firmly.
And with those brave, uplifting words, the Varden’s meeting was over. I felt overwhelmed with all the new information laid before us. I was both terrified – and strangely, almost excited. Change was on the horizon, I could feel it. And somehow, I knew that I was going to have a role to play in the events to come.
Noelle looked over at Ayla in excitement. “Siberia! I’ve never been, have you?”
“Oh no,” Noelle’s mother cut in, shooting her a glare. “Noelle, you won’t be going, and neither will any of the other children. This is far too dangerous for you, and we’ll be going to a place where you won’t have any magic to defend yourself with. We don’t even know who or what this Author actually is, so who knows where we’ll end up on this quest?”
“What?!” Noelle exclaimed. “But Mom, you all just finished saying that this concerns all of us! And besides, like Tamsin said – “ She shot a grin at the girl who had fallen through the ceiling with her brother. “A lot of you were the same age when you went to fight the villains! And you won’t have any powers on Earth either – but Ayla will!” Her best friend nodded vigorously, backing her up.
“The very fact that you’re treating this like some kind of fun adventure proves that you aren’t mature enough to handle that kind of responsibility,” Calla said firmly. “Coupled with your display at the Reunion Ball – “
That was the last straw. “Do you really believe I think of this as – as just fun and games? I know how serious all of this is, Mom! For goodness’ sakes, the literal fate of the entire world is at stake! Just because I’m not sitting around acting like it’s already the end of the world doesn’t mean I don’t understand the gravity of the situation. You told me to trust in the Varden – that they’ve faced the impossible before and always came out on top, and that’s exactly what I’m doing now. Why is it that you always have to assume the worst of me?!"
Noelle stomped off, not waiting to hear an answer. Ayla, looking worried, was about to head after her, but stopped when she saw the looks on Calla’s and Nikolai’s faces. I understood her discomfort. As much as I wanted to intervene, this was clearly a family matter, and I didn’t think this was the time to put ourselves into the middle of it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my parents and Amani signaling towards me that it was time to leave. I sighed. “Ugh, sorry guys, looks like I have to go. Keep in touch, okay?” I smiled at my new friends. “After all, I did promise you all a magic carpet ride.”

__________________________________________


Later, as that same magic carpet descended upon Agrabah, we were greeted by a chilling sight. I gasped in horror.
The warm, golden sands had faded to a flat, gray due. The bright colors of the palace had been drained away too, and the nearby oasis was similarly dull and lifeless. It was like all of the color and vibrancy had been sucked out of the entire kingdom.
“What happened here?” Mom gasped, jumping down from Carpet’s back.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, a circle of gold appeared and began to spread, and soon, the sand of the courtyard was back to its usual hue. Slowly, the life and color started to return to the palace and surrounding city, radiating outwards from where Mom was standing.
My family and I exchanged looks of shock and terror. A new twist had been added to the tale unfolding before us, with worrying consequences.

“I think there’s only one possible explanation for this,” Calla said, a few hours later, to the other members of the Varden.
It was decided that it was much too dangerous to try meeting again, so the Varden was communicating with each other via a magic mirror network. Courtesy of Queen Layla, and her daughter Janelle, who were experts in mirror magic, being descended from Queen Imperia herself. We were all gathered around the huge mirror in the Great Hall right now, which was split into fractals – each showing a different Varden member’s location.
Mei nodded. “Somehow, our presence is slowing down the process of Estoriana’s fading. But how?”
“I think I might know,” a small voice spoke up. All eyes turned to Juliette, one of Noelle’s sisters, and she flushed a little under the scrutiny. “Unlike those of our ancestors, our stories are recent, so they’re still fresh in a lot of people’s minds. Tales of Estoriana was a popular book of fairy tales on Earth for many years. While many in this generation of kids are no longer believing, there are enough of those out there who still remember our stories to keep our magic going, at least for now.”
“I think Jules is right,” Noelle declared, and her sister shot her a grateful smile for backing her up. “We all know the Varden hold a special and powerful magic, and that might just be able to slow down the process of Estoriana’s fading.”
“That’s where all the evidence points, certainly,” Saige agreed.
Mom spoke aloud what we were all thinking. “This would mean that, at least for the foreseeable future, none of us can leave our kingdoms. So… what will we do about the quest for the Author?”
There was a silence. “We’ll have to choose a delegation to go in our stead,” Queen Kida of Atlantis said at last. “It’s less than ideal, but we have no other choice. It may be a dangerous journey, so everyone needs to choose wisely.”

The meeting ended after that, with the promise to keep in touch if anything else happened. Now that we knew the Varden’s magic could be the only thing keeping Estoriana from fading even faster, we couldn’t waste any of that magic.

After we were dismissed from the meeting, Amani heading straight for the palace library. I followed behind, recognizing the determined purpose in her step.
“Where are you going, sis? You’re thinking of something, aren’t you?” I asked, half-jogging to keep up.
“It’s just…” my sister said slowly. “Jack found the message from his old friend in Tales of Estoriana. If it’s really someone speaking through the book, I wonder if they have anything else to share.”
Sure enough, when we stepped into the library, the book was emitting a warm, golden glow. The gentle, enticing magic it emanated reminded me distinctly of the feeling I had standing under the softly rustling leaves of the enchanted Grove.
We immediately snatched it off the shelf, flipping through the ornate pages eagerly until we got to the one with glowing text.

At the very top of the page was an illustration. It showed a group of maybe 15 or 16 people, their figures enshrouded in shadow so that it was impossible to make out their identities. They were walking down a long, winding path, surrounding by dark and twisting tree branches, towards a location that lay shrouded in mist, mysterious and unknowable. A quest into the unknown.
Below it was a series of lines, with an almost lyrical flow to them, like a poem or a song. They seemed to be grouped into stanzas, each with a different theme and message. The first lines of the poem, just below the illustration, read:

Two worlds lie on oblivion’s edge, separated by an unbreachable wedge
Cast aside the rift torn by centuries’ rage, unite to escape your fate’s cruel cage
Each stanza below is one’s destined call, take heed Legacies, for split apart you fall

Journey through worlds both familiar and strange, as the pieces of the map slowly rearrange
Leading to the realm where all tales are kept, the forbidden haven where no mortal has stepped
There we shall await you at journey’s end, where salvation will come from the hand of a friend

Far far away beneath sunset skies, from belief’s last ember a new hope shall rise

I clapped my hands together in excitement. “It’s a prophecy!”
“Oh, Soraya,” Amani gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. “There’s a line about you!”
My eyes lit up. “Me?!” I scanned the page eagerly, following each line of prophecy until I saw:

A princess with the mettle of the desert hawk, crown jewel of the kingdom in the sea of sands
Your smile may soon be shadowed by sorrow, though keep in your heart the hope for tomorrow
When you find the wisdom you’ve yet to unlock, the song of your spirit will ring through the lands

“It’s referring to a princess of Agrabah, yes,” I agreed slowly, frowning in confusion. “But… how can you be so sure it’s referring to me? I mean, you’re older, and you’re the crown princess. And the prophecy specifically refers to the ‘crown jewel’.”
My sister looked down, shuffling her feet. Suddenly she looked nervous and uncertain.
“Amani…” I said slowly. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
She sighed. “I guess it’s time you knew. I should have told you a long time ago, but I was just afraid.”
“You see,” Amani ran her hand through her hair, shifting nervously. “I – I’m not actually a descendant of Jasmine. In fact, I don’t know who my birth parents are. Mom and Dad took me in as a toddler, but I’m not actually their biological daughter.”
Shock coursed through me. I’ve heard it said for years that the two of us didn’t really look like sisters, but I had never suspected. “You – you’re adopted?”
“Mom found me begging on the streets when I was three and took me in. Being a descendant of Jasmine, I suppose she has reason to sympathize with an orphan street urchin.” Amani smiled. “I’m so grateful for everything that Mom – Jess – has done for me.”
“Mom,” I cut in. “Call her Mom. Because that’s who she is.” I folded my arms. “Why did the two of you keep this a secret for so long? Did you really think this would change anything between us? You’ll always be my sister, no matter what! I don’t care if you were adopted or not.”
Amani looked at the ground nervously. “I’m sorry I never told you… I didn’t think you would think less of me for it, but I guess I was still worried about how you would react. But now, with all this happening in Estoriana, and you having to go on this quest… I don’t know. I feel like you deserve to know the truth before you go.” She bit her lip. “And I have to tell the people of Agrabah, too, at some point.”
I put my arms around my sister. “Only when – and if – you’re ready. It doesn’t matter, anyway. No one’s more deserving of being the crown princess, no matter who they were born to.”
“I don’t know…” she sighed. “Sometimes, I feel like I’ve stolen something that was rightfully yours.”
I laughed incredulously. “Amani, you’ve worked to help the people of Agrabah your whole life. You’re the best crown princess we could ask for, and you’ll make an amazing queen, too.” I shrugged. “Besides, I was never cut out for ruling. I can’t sit through meetings or discuss policy without my eyes glazing over from boredom. I’d much rather journey into unknown worlds, and battle the threats to Estoriana’s safety as they come. We both want to help our people – and this is the way it’s meant to be.”
Amani smiled. “You know, you may grow to be pretty wise, Soraya. Thank you.”
I smiled, not letting go of the hug. “I’m really glad Mom decided to take you in. I couldn’t have asked for a better sister.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” she murmured against my hair. “I’m sorry I hid the truth from you for so long. I love you, Soraya.”
“I love you too, sis.” I pulled back and clasped her hands tightly. “Let’s go together on this quest,” I said excitedly. “Since we don’t know for sure which princess of Agrabah it’s referring to, why don’t we just go on the journey together, as sisters?”
“You’d really want me to come with you?” Amani looked genuinely shocked. “I thought you’d be raring at the chance to go off on an adventure, without me around to nag at you.”
I laughed. “True, we can’t seem to go a single day without arguing. But, in a way, I think we both keep each other grounded. Besides, isn’t there some part of you that’s curious about what else is out there? Don’t you want to see some of the places from Mom’s old travel journals?”
Amani ran a hand through her hair nervously. “Truth be told, I’ve never thought much about it. Agrabah is my home, and I’ve never wanted to be anywhere else.” But then a smile spread across her face. “But maybe it’s time I expanded my horizons a bit, and try to see the world the way you do for a change. Okay, Soraya. I’ll come with you. To be honest, I’d be pretty nervous about letting you go off on your own anyways.”

That night, we lay side by side in bed, the way we used to when I was small. We spent half the night huddled under the covers, giggling and telling stories in the dark. And it was just like old times, before time and age and her duties as crown princess had put a new distance between us. When I finally drifted off to sleep, it was with a smile on my face.

The next morning, when I woke up, she was gone.

I rolled over, rubbing my eyes sleepily. “Amani?”
It was strange. The covers hadn’t been disturbed, and her side of the bed still felt warm to the touch. Her slippers were still there by the bedside too.
I sat bolt upright, a horrible though creeping into mind. No… it couldn’t be!
I leaped out of bed and dashed out to the hall. “Amani!” I yelled desperately. I ran through the halls, frantically searching every room, even places I knew she couldn’t possibly be in.
“Soraya? What’s wrong?” Mom asked, poking her head out of a meeting room.
I turned to her, tears already blurring my vision. “It’s Amani. She’s… gone.”




“What a day!” Tamsin sighed as she flopped onto my bed once again. “I think my brain is still trying to process all this new information! And ow, my leg still hurts from that fall.”
I glared over at her. “And whose brilliant idea was that? You should just be glad that Mom’s distracted, otherwise we’d be grounded for at least a month.
“She wouldn’t have been able to ground us if we’d been chosen for that quest,” my sister grumbled. “I can’t believe we weren’t included! I really thought this was our chance, finally.”
I gawked at her, though really, I shouldn’t have been surprised. “You thought that we’d be chosen?”
“Well, why not?” she asked. “We’ve been waiting all this time, Aspen, for something exciting to come along that’s going to change everything! Take us out of these boring, ordinary lives and sweep us away on a grand adventure. Some of the original Varden members were our age too, remember? This could have been our chance! To see not just Estoriana, but other worlds, too. Can you just imagine?”
“I didn’t know you felt that way,” I said quietly. To be honest, I’d never thought our quiet, mundane life was something we needed to escape from. I was happy the way we were, despite all of Mom’s worries and overprotectiveness. Had Tamsin really never been content here?

My sister studied me curiously. “Haven’t you ever wondered what else is out there, Aspen? What grand, interesting places there are that we could never have even imagined?”
“Of course I have.” I flipped idly through the pages of my book, not seeing any of the words. “We’ll have to leave home eventually and find our own way. But I never thought… well, that we would be the kind of people who would be destined for a greater cause like this.”

But that wasn’t entirely true, was it? A voice inside me chided. The truth was, I always knew my sister and I were different. Her eyes seemed to look beyond the horizon, never content with where she was, always wanting more. She was exactly the kind of person I could imagine a prophecy like this would single out – curious, bold, smart, resourceful, and fiercely brave. But me? There was never anything special about me. I didn’t possess amazing magical powers, cunning wit, exceptional courage, or any of the other things the heroes in books were supposed to have. The kind of people I’d always imagined the Varden to be like. All my life, I’d just followed Tamsin along on her crazy ideas and wild schemes. If it hadn’t been for her, I’d be completely unremarkable.
I was terrified that one day, she’d leave me behind to go on an amazing quest just like the one about to unfold. And I’d only be able to read about her years later, in books like Tales of Estoriana, marvelling at all the things she’d go on to accomplish. We had always been so close, she was like half of my soul, and I didn’t know who I would be without her. I certainly wouldn’t be anyone worth paying attention to.

“What are you two talking so excitedly about now?” Mom poked her head into the room.
“Mom! Mom!” Tamsin bounced up and down, her previous annoyance at Mom all but forgotten. “Tales of Estoriana just started writing itself again! And it seems to be a new prophecy!”
Mom’s face abruptly became serious as she took the book from Tamsin. Then it changed again as she read through the prophecy in its entirety. All the color drained from her, and she looked like she’d seen a ghost.
“It… can’t be,” she whispered. She looked from Tamsin to me and back again, then seemed to steel herself. “But… it says that the machinations of fate may yet be undone. So maybe there’s hope yet. Oh, please let it be so!”
“Mom?” I said hesitantly, feeling inexplicably terrified. “What’s going on?”
Mom swallowed hard. “Tamsin, Aspen… I’m so sorry. I didn’t want it to burden you, and more than that, I didn’t want to believe it could be true. But now… there’s something I need to tell you.”

_______________________________________

Tamsin found me later, sitting alone in the cornfield by the edge of the Yellow Brick Road.
"How long are you going to hide in there?" My sister leaned over me and put her hands on her hips. "Mom's worrying herself sick."
"Just give me a moment." I couldn't look her in the face. "Tell Mom I'm sorry... I'll go back in just a minute." I couldn't face her, not yet... couldn't face the gravity of what she had revealed to us. The dark shadow that had apparently been looming over us all this time, without us knowing.
Tamsin sighed loudly. "Hiding in the cornfield isn't going to make anything better! Come on, Aspen, get out."
"Aren't you scared at all?" I asked, finally turning to face us. "You're not at all worried about the fact that one of us is destined to - to - " I couldn't finish that sentence.
"Well, of course I'm worried! But that's what I came to tell you - there's good news! Ta-da!" From behind her back, my sister produced her copy of the Tales of Estoriana, worn and dog-eared from use. "It turns out, we are part of the prophecy after all!"
"Wait, what?" I snatched the book from her, my heart hammering.
"Look!" Tamsin pointed halfway down the page.

You’ve lived all your life as part of a whole, but can you trust the one who is half of your soul?
Though the machinations of fate seem set in stone, their power may yet be overthrown
If you can believe in the truths you’ve hidden, and claim the legacy you thought forbidden

A potent mixture of fear and hope was building in my chest. With what Mom had told us, it became clear that these lines were clearly referring to one of us.
Though the machinations of fate seem set in stone, their power may yet be overthrown...
"Does that... does that mean what I think it does?" I asked.
"Yes!" Tamsin clapped the book shut. "See, I knew it couldn't be set in stone. So let's go show that dusty old prophecy who's boss!"
"I don't know," I replied nervously. "That first line still makes me nervous. Do... do you think one of us is going to turn dark, Tansy?"
My sister laughed. "Of course not! That's just silly. Clearly whoever gave Mom that prediction all those years ago had no idea what they were talking about. This prophecy just confirms it's far from being set in stone. Now come on! We have to get ready for the quest!"
"What?" I took a step back. "We - we don't even know which one of us it's referring to!" I wasn't sure which prophecy I was even referring to - the one about the quest into the depths of the unknown... or the one spelling one of us as doomed.
"So? We'll make them allow us both to go!" Tamsin clapped her hands. "I'd much rather have you by my side anyways."
"There's no way Mom will let us," I protested weakly.
"She won't be able to stop us if it's a prophecy." My sister grinned. "What do you say, little brother? This could be our chance to finally be free! We might even make some friends our own age." Her face changed. "If you really don't want to come, Aspen, I can go by myself. But I'd really like it if we did this together."
It was the first time in both our lives that Tamsin had said something like that to me. Usually, she took it as a given that I would go along with her crazy plans, no matter how I protested.

The truth was, I was both too terrified to go alone on this unknowable quest, and too scared to let my sister go without me.
I swallowed hard. "Okay, Tansy. I - I'll go."