Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Kathy sat patiently waiting for them to explain why they abandoned her. She readied her mind to be hurt, disappointed, angry, and sad. She didn't want to be overwhelmed then her powers would spiral out of control.

Hala gave Aerial a look of caution and he squeezed her hands in encouragement.

”My sister is a shadow magician.”

Kathy's eyes widened in surprise. Elara is a shadow magician?

”Lady Elara is a shadow magician? I thought your mother banished all shadow magicians, ” Kathy voiced her thoughts.

”Not Elara. Elara was born after Lena and me, ” Hala answered.

”When my mother gave birth to both Lena and me, she had birth complications. Her twins were born twelve days earlier, ” Hala started and Kathy interrupted her.

”You have a twin?”

Hala smiled sadly. Her blue eyes revealed intense sadness.

”Yes. On the day of our birth, our mother had a power surge that caused a blackout in the kingdom. Due to that, they couldn't recognize who was the firstborn. Mother accepted that and raised both of us as equals. There was no Luna Princess then because there was no firstborn, ” Hala explained, still holding on to Aerial's hand.

Hala then went on to tell Kathy how close Lena and she were during childhood. She told her about their joint birthday celebrations and how they did everything together.

”We were good to each other until our twenty-first birthday. The acting oracle prophesied that after our awakening the Luna Princess would be named. Lena was very excited because she had always wanted to be Luna Queen. On the evening of the day, our powers awakened. I was gifted with nature while Lena's powers didn't awaken with mine. In Lunae, if your power doesn't awaken on your twenty-first birthday, you will be powerless. Since her powers didn't awaken, I would be crowned Luna Princess.”

Kathy was confused. Her awakening occurred in her twenty-third year on the night of the red moon. She decided to tell her parents about her questions after they finished their explanation.

”Lena was enraged and went on a mass-destruction spree. Her hopes of being Luna Queen were dashed to the ground. She ruined everything she could find in the castle. Father tried to stop her but she was far too gone. Her eyes had turned fully black and a black mist covered her whole body. She hurt the castle guards and maidens with what seemed like black smoke. For the first time, I was scared of my twin sister. She hurt young Elara who was trying to calm her older sister. Elara had just returned to us after her Siren father took her for years. Mother called for the acting oracle she came. She took one long look at Lena who was still on a rampage and called her a shadow magician. Mother's heart broke for she knew she had to send Lena away else she would destroy Lunae and everything in it, ” Hala explained with her voice breaking slightly.

Aerial held Hala by her shoulders and turned her to face him. He gazed deep into her eyes with nothing but love shining in his blue irises.

”It is not your fault, my love. You couldn't have been able to do something to help her then, ” He said staring at her tenderly.

Kathy could feel the love her parents had for each other. The longer she spent in Lunae, the more she discovered things that answered some of the questions she asked all her life.

”What has your sister being a shadow magician got to do with why you left me?” Kathy didn't mean to sound insensitive but she needed to know.

”As impatient as your mother. Calm your curiosity, Princess. We are getting there, ” Aerial said smiling fondly at her.

Hala then continued explaining. She told Kathy how Lena was banished from Lunae and she was proclaimed Luna Princess. It was calm after that and the kingdom was safe.

”Three months after our birthday, Lena returned to Lunae. She killed my mother and father then fled to the werewolf territory after the warriors almost caught her. The wolves have an alliance with Lunae and they were to hand her over but she escaped again and since then no one saw her again. Until your ten-year birthday.” Hala paused for a moment.

Kathy knew then that Lena had a hand in her being sent to Earth.

Aerial took a deep breath and continued from where Hala left off.

”The acting Oracle came to the castle on the morning of your tenth birthday with another prophecy. She said that that day could bring sadness because the dark half of Queen Luna would terminate the future of the Kingdom. She went on to explain that Lena would return to kill the Princess. Your mother accompanied by our finest guards fearfully took you out of Lunae. She was going to place you in a good home but Lena sent men after her. Your mother then kept you at the beach and fought together with the warriors to keep the men from reaching you. But before she could realize it you wandered off and someone took you.

”After the battle, your mother stayed back for weeks to search for you but it seemed like you disappeared. She returned to Lunae heartbroken. Since then, things never remained the same, ” Aerial concluded sadly.

Kathy took a few minutes to digest what she had just heard. She was however pleased that she wasn't abandoned. Maybe April found her when Hala dropped her. She could finally fix the puzzles in her mind but one piece was missing; her memories.

”If I was fully aware of everything that was going on then why can't I remember anything from when mum picked me at the beach?”

”We have no idea what happened that day. Hopefully, your earthly mother can answer those questions, ” Hala replied.

Kathy knew that it was time to tell them about her power. She told them about the night of the red Moon when she first got her powers.

”My mother became Luna only after Lena and I was born. She awakened on the night of our birth and died twenty-one years later. Maybe the red moon aroused your dormant powers.”

The moon was very bright outside. Kathy looked through the windows to see that it was night already. The night was a new beginning and Kathy could feel it. Exhaustion hit her and she realized that she had spent a day in Lunae.

”Has Gabriel gone to get my mum?”

”Yes. I sent him to Earth after he left the castle, ” Hala replied.

”You look exhausted, my Moon. I will take you to your room. Sleep well, tomorrow you will begin training. Our days are longer than Earth's. One day in Lunae is like two days on Earth.”

”Why do you call me that?” Kathy asked. ”Moon.”

Hala smiled and said, ”Cynthia warned us to not tell you about anything from your past, else it would hurt your mind. We don't want a repetition of last time.”

Kathy nodded in understanding and stood up with Hala. She hugged Aerial, and couldn't stop herself from touching his long hair. He was very much taller than her so that was quite difficult.

”I want to braid your hair, ” she said almost pouting.

He laughed lightly, his belly vibrating against her. He looked down at his sleepy daughter and smiled.

”You are very sleepy, Princess. Fret not, you will get to braid my hair. Tomorrow after training, come spend time with me, ” he told her.

Kathy smiled satisfactorily and bid him goodnight. Hala let out a soft smile on seeing the exchange between father and daughter. Hala then accompanied Kathy to her room and left after kissing her good night.

Now alone, Kathy took off her dress and shoes. She opened the trunk of clothes and grabbed a simple nightdress and a pair of thick socks from the table.

Climbing onto the bed, she slept off almost immediately, not realizing how exhausted she was.

She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a pair of black eyes. With a gasp, she moved backward only to fall on her butt.

One pair of black eyes became two, two became three pairs and soon, she could see eyes all around her. She sat in the middle of all the eyes, feeling the piercing stares on her. Suddenly, all the eyes seemed to come together in one pair. They materialized into a woman's face.

”Run,” the female's voice eerily said.

Kathy raced into the forest while looking back now and then. However, her legs seemed shorter and her body thinner. She kept on running until she could hear water splashing. Kathy knew that she was close to water. She increased her speed and was about to burst out of the clearing when a hand gripped hers.

”Got you, ” The female said.

Kathy woke up with a gasp, panting as though she had been running in reality. Her fur bed was wet with her sweat. She thought her nightmares would be over once she got to Lunae but she was wrong, it seemed like they only got worse.

She threw open the window to see that it was already morning. The day was bright but there was still no sun. Two moons lit up the sky. The white moon was responsible for lighting while the red moon looked like it had no task. Kathy spent some time moon-watching until she felt hungry.

She took a quick bath, got dressed, and went downstairs accompanied by the two guards at her door who followed her at a close range. She could see maids wandering up and down with foodstuffs on their hands. She followed the scent of food to the kitchen.

The maids looked surprised to see her in the kitchen. One looked like she would piss herself at any moment. Kathy wondered why they acted that way.

”Luna Princess,” an older maid said and they all bowed.

”Sorry for my intrusion... ” She started but the looks of fear on the faces of the maids stopped her from completing her statement.

”What is wrong?” she asked in confusion.

”Please do not apologize for anything, Luna Princess. Whatever it is, we are at fault, ” that same maid replied.

Kathy thought they were strange. Everything in Lunae was strange. She decided to ignore their behavior.

”Anyway, I was hungry so I followed the scent of food to this place.”

”A maid would lead you to the dining room. Your family is already there. We are still bringing the food. We will be done a few minutes,” the older maid said. Kathy now saw her as the head maid. The other maids continued putting the food into huge glass bowls.

Kathy nodded and followed the nervous-looking maid. Why were they so nervous around her?

They got to the dining room, indeed her family was already seated. Triton pulled out a chair for her, and she smiled her thank you.

”You woke up rather late, my Moon. You were quite exhausted yesterday, ” Hala said to her.

”Yes, mother. I am used to Earth's days so almost two days with no sleep took its toll on me,” She replied, patiently waiting for breakfast to be served. It didn't take long for the maids to bring in the food.

Kathy clapped her hands together in excitement. She was that hungry.

”Is food more exciting than me, sweetheart, ” a familiar voice said from behind her.

Kathy turned so fast that she almost had a whiplash. She saw a smiling April standing at the door.