A/N: Another new chapter! Sorry this one took a while.
TAPDANCING GIRAF – Wow. What a guess that I can neither confirm nor deny. :D
Cupcake – Later in the story, you'll see why that's not a good solution.
Chapter Ten – Belonging
David scanned the crowd of guards, watching them train and prepare for the next attack from the shadow spirit. Moxie's accuracy quickly became better, and she moved on to learn some hand-to-hand combat with Tyto. Even the mountain troll and wing troll guards practiced (in separate corners of the training grounds), willing to lend a hand and a sword to help defeat the shadow spirit.
While looking through the crowd, David paused at the sight of his sister. She wasn't practicing with the other guards like she normally did. She leaned against the storage shed that held the training weapons. She had her arms crossed and she stared intensely at the ground. Everyone else was so busy that they didn't notice her. But David recognized Aka's actions. She only did this when she was especially irritated. It was a form of analysis paralysis for Aka, as she took this time to overthink about something she did and/or the consequences that came from it.
Weaving his way through the guards, David approached his sister and leaned against the weapons shed. He mirrored her body position. "What's up, sis?"
"What do you think?" Aka grumbled. She wouldn't look at her brother. "I thought I could get through to the spirit. I thought Eclipse would listen."
"Why?" David asked.
"Because I know she still cares about the kingdom." Aka said. "This shadow is all the negative parts of herself, that's all. If we could just get her to move on….I mean, I thought that…."
David nodded slowly. "Have you considered the idea that the shadow is not Eclipse?"
"I have entertained that idea now and then." Aka said. "But who else could it be? And even if it's not Eclipse, shouldn't we respond with peace?"
"Yes, we should." David said. "Like me, you don't immediately draw your sword when approaching conflict unless the situation may demand it, like when we did not recognize Emperor Branch and his friends in the forest." David looked to his sister. "But, Aka, you have to see that the shadow spirit doesn't want peace. I have tried time and time again to make peace with it. I did research in the library and with our mother. Whoever this spirit is, they want to hurt us. That's the fact of the matter."
Aka sighed heavily. "I think I'm starting to see that. I just wish there was something more we could do. I'm sorry for always fighting with you about it."
"Don't be." David said. "Honestly, I sometimes blame myself. My biggest regret is all the failures I've had as a captain. It's my job to be a leader, and that means listening to my guards, especially my third-in-command. I shouldn't have dismissed your ideas even after I gave up."
"Hey, take it easy." Aka cracked a smile. "Sure, I'm a little insubordinate, but that's just because I'm still your little sister. You've never failed at anything, David. You just made a few mistakes here and there. We all do. Dad wouldn't have trusted you with this job if he didn't think you could do it. So stop beating yourself up every time something goes wrong, okay?"
David smiled, accepting his sister's side-hug. "Only if you'll help more to vanquish this spirit once and for all. If we do somehow find a way to make peace with it, great. If not, we need to fight and destroy the spirit."
"Deal." Aka nodded.
"Come on. Let's get back to training." David started to walk, but realized Aka didn't join him. When he looked back, he saw she had a troubled look in her eyes. "What is it?"
Aka nibbled on her lip. "I've just been thinking. If you're right, and the spirit isn't Eclipse, who else could it be? Who would have such a grudge or hatred against our home that they'd attack it incessantly?"
"To be honest, Aka, I have no idea." David said. "Like I said, I did my research. But I can't think of who would hate us this much. Anyone we know to be dead—Eclipse, the rebels from the Flame of Happiness, Stella—they cared for the kingdom. I can't imagine them wanting to hurt anyone in Moonlight Kingdom."
"It's definitely concerning." Aka said. "That's our biggest drawback. We have no idea who this spirit is."
David looked up, as though he would see the shadow spirit above him. "Let's get back to training."
Something made her wake up that night. Maybe a sound? Maybe a soft breeze? Maybe it was just a feeling that said, "Rosie, wake up!" Either way, Rosie was asleep, and now she was awake, staring at the wall her bed was pushed against. Rosie sat up and looked around. All her roommates slept soundly. Rosie glanced to the door. Tiptoeing across the floor, she opened the door and sighed in relief when the creaking didn't wake anyone up. Rosie smoothed out her bedhead hair and glanced up and down the hallway outside her room.
There!
"Gotcha!" Rosie breathed. She ran/tiptoed down the hall, almost like a ballerina leaping across the floor, and chased the ghost child of Stella's twin. Ever since that first night, Rosie had witnessed ghosts floating about the castle now and then. It was always when she was alone, and especially at night. But she would catch glimpses of spirits. None of trolls she recognized, of course, except for Stella. Rosie hadn't seen the ghosts having another party since that one she accidentally interrupted. Maybe this time, she'd catch them again.
Stella's twin giggled and laughed as she skipped down the hallway. When Rosie caught up enough, she kept a safe distance away so to not be spotted but also watch her. Rosie followed the ghost child to the ballroom, just as she hoped. Careful to make sure no one saw her, Rosie stayed in the shadows. It seemed the ghosts of the castle were ready for another party. The spirits chatted and laughed with each other. Each ghost had a colored aura around them. As Rosie observed, the auras seemed to act like mood rings, indicating a spirit's feeling. It made her wonder why the shadow spirit didn't have an aura like that. Perhaps because it was pure evil?
Scanning the crowd, Rosie saw Stella's child twin skip through the crowd with her friend Clover right behind her. Stella snuck up behind her sister, and she scooped up the child in a hug. Even though they were both princesses, Stella still didn't look like one in her shirt and yoga pants. Rosie noticed the trolls all had a variety of clothing. The clothes they died in, maybe? That would make sense, Rosie believed.
Then, Rosie felt a tug on her pajama pants. She looked down and saw Stella's twin. The child princess smiled and waved. "My big sister says I shouldn't talk to the living trolls, because it might freak them out, but thank you for coming to the party! Watch as long as you want."
Rosie giggled. "Thank you." She watched the ghost child skip away. She became sad for a moment, remembering that this little girl was a ghost, and she couldn't be much older than adolescence. That means she suffered a truly tragic accident or some sicko murdered a freaking child. Rosie scanned the crowd again, and she froze when she saw something truly heartbreaking.
Another female troll, about seventeen, talked with Stella and Larch. This female carried a baby ghost in her arms. The ghost baby laughed and cooed, forever stuck in her infant state, never having the chance to grow up.
Tears bubbled up in Rosie's eyes. She hid behind the column and leaned against it, sliding to the floor. She did her best to silence her sobs. At first, she loved seeing the ghosts of the castle. It seemed that seeing ghosts was a gift of hers. But, sometimes, it became too much for her to bear to think about. She never spoke to these ghosts. She only ever spoke to Oaken. Every now and then, he'd visit her dreams and chat with her. Rosie could only hope he saw her sadness now, and would visit tonight.
Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room changed. It felt cold, and an air of dread settled over the room. The ghosts' auras changed: fear, confusion, apprehension, and the like.
"It's back!" Clover gasped.
"Hide!" Stella ordered. The ghosts turned to white comets and disappeared. Rosie watched them go, the ballroom becoming dark, and she wondered what on earth spooked them this time. Rosie rubbed her eyes dry, and she stepped out into the middle of the ballroom to look around. She saw nothing, though, so she headed out of the ballroom through the side door leading to the kitchen. Upon arriving in the kitchen area, she decided she was hungry and rummaged around in the cabinets for a snack. She found the jar full of cookies Rosiepuff and Camellia made, and she grabbed a handful before walking towards the door.
A knock suddenly came at the door. Rosie stopped mid-bite, and she slowly turned around. That was the door leading to outside. Who would knock at that door this late at night? One of the guards? The knocking came again, more urgently. Rosie finished her cookie and started another one as she walked to the door. The knocking was persistent, now, with greater earnestness. Rosie held one cookie in her mouth, a couple still in her hand, and she used her free hand to open the door. But when she pushed it all the way open, she saw no one. Rosie swallowed the cookie in her mouth and looked one way, then the other. She suddenly got the feeling she shouldn't be poking her head out of the door.
Before Rosie could pull her head back, something grabbed her hair and yanked her out of the kitchen. Rosie tumbled to the ground, and the shadow spirit surrounded her in a circle of black flames. Rosie jumped to her feet, staring at the flames.
"Please, what do you want?" Rosie begged. She formed fireballs in each palm to attack, should the shadow move first. "Who are you? Why do you keep attacking my dad's mom's kingdom? And, more importantly, who in the hair are you?!"
Part of the black flames separated and settled on the ground in front of Rosie. She still had nowhere to run with the flames around her. The shadows that rested before her grew and solidified, taking shape in a form that Rosie recognized from the many pictures she saw from her father and grandmother. In her shock, the fireballs died in her hands.
"Eclipse?" Rosie breathed. The form certainly looked like Eclipse. A grey Eclipse in a black dress. The shadow only held the form for a moment, and then it lunged for Rosie again.
Before the shadow could touch a hair on Rosie's head, she felt someone grab her and lift her to safety. When she looked up, she saw herself in Creek's arms as the teen darted away from the shadow. Rosie hooked her arms around Creek's neck, and he held her close as he hopped through the doorway into the kitchen. That's when he stopped and turned to face the oncoming shadow. Rosie flinched, bracing herself for the shadow's strike.
Instead, it was like the shadow hit a barrier, bouncing off it and recoiling. The shadow hissed angrily, and then flew away and disappeared into the forest.
"What happened?" Rosie breathed.
Creek gently set her down. "It can't enter the castle. Something changed since it attacked during the ball. A new energy of some kind keeps the shadow out of the castle. I have no idea if it'll get in again anytime soon; but, for now, we're safe."
Rosie hugged him. "Thanks to you. Thank you, Creek."
"I live to protect, love." Creek said. "Especially protecting you."
Rosie rested her forehead against Creek's forehead. "How lucky I am to have you as my boyfriend."
"Not as lucky as I am to have you." Creek said, brushing his fingers across Rosie's cheek. The two teens moved closer, each ready for a kiss.
"Ew, gross!"
Creek and Rosie jumped, and they saw Ariana and Erika standing at the door to the kitchen. "Must you do that?" Rosie complained to Ariana, who had shouted.
"It's just so mushy." Ariana stuck out her tongue as she went for the cookie jar. "All the kissing and the lovey-dovey and the…..ugh…" She held a cookie in her mouth and grabbed two in each hand before leaving.
"That's, what, the tenth time she's done that to us?" Creek sighed.
"You must forgive my sister." Erika sighed, taking a cookie for herself. "She has yet to find a troll who has enamored her."
"That'll be the day." Creek kissed Rosie's cheek, eliciting a giggle from her.
"I am awed by your relationship." Erika said. "Creek, you are calm and quiet, yet also bold and brave. Princess Rosie, you are charming and kind, but also a little wild. You balance each other well."
"Thank you." Rosie said.
"She is my soulmate, and I enjoy being with her." Creek hugged Rosie. "You could say we are quite enamored with each other."
"Speaking of enamored, how are you and Icestorm getting along?" Rosie asked Erika.
The wing troll princess nearly choked on her cookie. "I'm sorry?"
"Don't try to deny it." Rosie teased playfully. "You two are so cute together!"
"Indeed." Creek agreed. "Your auras resonate together in perfect harmony."
Erika cleared her throat. She drew herself up taller, more regally. "Princess Rosie, forgive my bluntness, but you are much too young to understand many things in this world, including any relationship I may or may not have with Prince Icestorm. I thank you in advance for minding your own business." She turned on her heel and marched off back to bed.
"Touchy." Rosie scoffed.
"Well, you can't blame her." Creek shrugged as the two headed for bed. "I can see Icestorm's aura flare every time I even mention Erika's name. But, given their grandfathers' relationship, they risk a lot by even considering a relationship."
"I wish Cobalt and Yuki could get along." Rosie said. "I bet they have a lot more in common than they think."
"I told you to hide those cookies better." Poppy giggled.
Camellia sighed. "I thought my cookies would be better protected by the jar."
"Jars and high shelves are nothing against Rosie's hunger for cookies." Rosiepuff said, refilling Camellia's teacup. "She gets that from her father and mother." At the moment, the three women had a tea party in the drawing room, enjoying each other's company while rain poured down outside.
The door to the drawing room opened, and Snowstar sighed heavily as she walked inside. She plopped down next to Poppy on the couch, and Rosiepuff wordlessly poured her some tea and handed her a scone. "Men are foolish." Snowstar sighed. "Your husband, Poppy, is the only one who thinks rationally in high-stress situations."
"Still stuck in the library?" Camellia guessed. Branch, Yuki, and Cobalt—acting like typical men—buried themselves in Eclipse's library to research a new method of ridding the kingdom of the shadow spirit, refusing help from any of the women or children in the castle.
"Oaken used to be the same way." Rosiepuff said. "My father taught me how to fix just about everything. But if anything broke in the house, be it a teacup or the oven, Oaken would jump at the chance to fix it himself. Every time I let him, it was usually comical and almost always ended up with him hurting himself. Oaken was the best royal guard in troll history, but he was clumsy when it came to glue."
"I wish I could've met Oaken." Poppy said.
"Well, all you have to do is imagine Branch as older, burlier, and with bristly facial hair. Then you'll get an idea what Oaken looked like." Rosiepuff said.
"And did I hear right that you later married a retired king?" Camellia said.
"Oh yes!" Snowstar said. "You married King Peppy. Branch and Poppy told me about that during lunch the other day."
"It's a long story." Rosiepuff shrugged. "Camellia, didn't you start out in the kitchens last time I was here?"
"Yes, but I was considered the most informed of the castle staff." Camellia said. "So Crimson and Jasmine made me their trusted advisor regarding matters within the kingdom."
"You and Eclipse were friends?" Poppy asked.
"Very close friends, almost as close as she and Rosiepuff were." Camellia confirmed. "I was one of the trolls who escaped the Troll Tree when the Bergens first captured it. None of my family even survived the first attack. I'm quite certain they were part of the first Trollstice feast." She sighed heavily, and then smiled. "Then, right when we were at our lowest, who should come to our rescue but the very troll we condemned as a witch and cast away from our home?"
"I'm awed by Eclipse's kindness and generosity." Snowstar said. "Just taking you all under her protective eye and giving you a new home? I would've had quite a chip on my shoulder if I were in her situation."
"Indeed." Camellia said. "I wasn't sure if we could trust her. But the more time I spent with her, the more I realized just how great of a leader she was. The trolls in the village never knew Eclipse like the castle staff did. They didn't understand her like we did." Camellia smiled at Rosiepuff. "Isn't that right?"
Rosiepuff was sipping her tea when Camellia asked. She glanced to Poppy and Snowstar, who stared back at her. They both wondered how she would answer this question. Rosiepuff cleared her throat. "I believe Eclipse did many things in her life. While she ruled Moonlight Kingdom, she did do a few things that were questionable. But her intentions were good, and she was a very dear friend."
Poppy and Snowstar exchanged brief glances. A very diplomatic and wise answer, and Camellia's satisfied nod confirmed it. The young queens truthfully did not know enough about Eclipse to judge her, but they knew it was an issue that meant something different to Rosiepuff, who knew Eclipse best.
I hope I'm as wise as her someday. Poppy thought.
Suki laughed and whooped as she flew on DJ. The phoenix chirped and practically sang as he flew with his brethren. Suki steered her phoenix steed through every maneuver she learned from the other phoenix riders.
"Way to go, Suki!" Willow cheered.
"You're doing magnificently!" Wisteria agreed. "Keep it up!"
"You think that's great? Watch this!" Suki spurred DJ straight up into the air. They flew higher and higher, spinning around and then diving down like a spear. Suki's eyes watered in the wind. At the last second, DJ spread his wings and stopped their descent. The resulting gust of wind knocked down every soldier in the training area below. DJ landed, and the rest of the phoenix trainers did the same. They cheered for Suki and DJ. Suki accepted the praise with a proud smile, and she laughed as the phoenix trainers hugged her and punched her arms playfully.
"You are a natural rider!" Eagle cheered.
"Yes, you're wonderful!" Willow agreed.
"Your mother would be so proud of you." Wisteria sighed.
"Heck, you're the spitting image of your mother." Hawk said. "You're doing great."
"Thanks." Suki said. She led DJ to the stables to brush him. The two of them always talked when Suki brushed down her phoenix steed, Suki chatting with DJ while the phoenix chirped and whistled at his troll rider. Suki loved bonding with her phoenix. In this way, she could bond with her mother.
"Hey Suki!" the red troll looked up when she heard her name, and she waved to Cooper and Moxie as they approached.
"Hey guys." Suki greeted. "How goes the training?"
"Everyone says I have the accuracy my grandmother had." Moxie said. "The archery is coming naturally."
"And everyone says I'm doing great with my training!" Cooper said. "I'm learning to sword fight with my mouth! Plus, everyone says I'm just like my dad!"
"I keep hearing that I'm just like my mom." Suki sighed blissfully. "This has all been so great."
Moxie laughed. "Is it just me, or has this whole thing been a little weird? I mean, we're learning about the family we didn't get to meet, staying in a place we've never been. But, oddly enough, I feel like I'm home here. Isn't that strange?"
"Actually, I've been feeling pretty good around here." Cooper said. "All the guards are friendly and nobody treats me differently because of what I look like. It's cool here."
Suki petted DJ's feathers. "I feel more connected to my mom than ever before. I feel like I belong here." She stared at the ground. "The more time I spend here, the more I dread thinking about when we'll go back to the Troll Tree."
Cooper and Moxie shared a look, and then also stared at the dirt. "Is it bad if I say I don't want to go back?" Moxie asked.
"Ditto, dude." Cooper said. "I don't know why, but the thought of going back to the Troll Tree makes me feel all yucky inside."
"Yeah. I don't know how I'd explain it to the Snack Pack, though." Suki said.
"I don't know how I'd explain it to my parents." Moxie sighed. "But I feel a desire to stay here. I want to fill the role my grandmother left behind and be the archer she wanted me to be."
"I want to make my dad proud." Cooper agreed.
"And I don't want to leave the phoenix trainers." Suki said. "It wouldn't be the same riding DJ with just Branch and Rosie and their birds."
"So how are we gonna tell our friends that we don't want to go back to the Troll Tree and we'd rather stay in Moonlight Kingdom where we belong?" Cooper asked.
"I guess that's the question we have to ask ourselves: where do we truly belong?" Moxie said. Suki and Cooper nodded in agreement.