The room was saturated with a tense, heavy silence. Addison was vaguely aware of the tears cascading down her face, and Zed's arm holding her close to his side in a comforting gesture.

"Though Charon never attempted to connect with either of his daughters, he felt that Addison should at least be given a traditional Lunar name. He named her 'Starlight,' a Lunite name in a human tongue."

"As time passed, Charon gradually worked his way up the social ladder of Seabrook. With is skills of manipulation, it was easy for him to grow rich, successful and influential in just a few years. He even has a place on the city council. While Starlight's mother, Missy, suspects who he is, she and Dale have kept their promise through the years to never speak or think of the indiscretion again. It is amazing what humans can ignore or forget about, if they try hard enough."

Addison felt Mayar's gaze on her, feeling her grief and guilt. Grief that they had each been abandoned by their birth father, and that they had grown up not knowing one another. And guilt that Mayar was the one to share with Addison these painful and confusing revelations.

She wanted her little sister to like her.

Her sister.

Addison had a sister.

Growing up, she had never really minded being an only child. Bucky, her cousin, was as good as an older brother to her, and they did everything together. He looked out for her, helped her learn how to fit in, and got her involved with cheer.

But as Addison looked up and met Mayar's eyes, she thought about the last year or so, and all of the new friends she had made from different walks of life. How changes, while scary and confusing, had often turned out to be some of the best things to ever happen to her.

While she was hurting right now, Addison also felt an odd sense of relief and elation.

It may not have been a fairytale story, but it was still hers. Addison had always been optimistic, and she would take this hurt make something good out of it.

And at last, she knew the answers to the some of questions she had been asking her whole life.

Reaching within herself, she took in a deep breath and exhaled, and was able to offer a sincere smile to her big sister.

Reaching forward, Addison grasped Mayar's other hand.

"I'm happy to meet you, Mayar. I can't wait to learn more about you. And about our people, I guess."

Looking a little teary-eyed herself, Mayar smiled back.

Zed shifted, squeezing Addison in support.

"So, this Charon guy," Zed started in his lower-than usual voice, "What's his deal? I mean, he basically set a rogue zombie loose in his own car. That's ridiculously unsafe. And the things he said to me..." Zed's heart constricted painfully in his chest again, and Addison winced at his sorrow as she felt it echo through her.

"I don't like him." Zed finished, clearly not wanting to elaborate on whatever he and Charon had discussed.

"He's cruel," Mayar said,

"And he's crazy. It's a dangerous combination."

"More importantly, he wants the moonstone, the new one. We dont know why, but if Charon wants it, that is reason enough for us to do everything we can to make sure he doesn't get it. Especially if he is acting so recklessly."

"Hold up," Zed said suddenly, waving his free hand low in the air, since he couldn't raise it higher due to his brace. Addison couldn't help but focus her eyes on the blackened veins that spiderwebed up his arm as he moved.

"Did you just say second moonstone? WHAT second moonstone?"

Addison felt her eyes widen, and she realized that in the craziness of everything, no one had had the chance to tell Zed what had actually caused all of the chaos in Zombietown.

Willa cut in, leaning forward so that she could see Zed better.

"Last night, when we were hunting, we saw a falling star crash into Zombietown, causing all of the damage and chaos. But when we approached the crater to investigate, we discovered that it was no ordinary meteorite. A moonstone is what crashed into Zombietown, Zed. A new moonstone."

Addison could feel Zed's shock, and she gently pressed a comforting kiss to the side of his head as he absorbed this new information.

"What would he want with it?" Eliza asked, leaning forward beside Willa will a confused facial expression.

"He already has his own necklace, so what other reason would he have to get his hands on a moonstone?"

Mayar shook her head.

"I have no idea. But like I said, if it's him, it's nothing good. We need to do everything possible to make sure he doesn't get it."

Addison felt Zed stiffen and saw a memory flash in her head, of Zed as he sat in the hospital bed and watched a white haired man at the crash site on the news.

"Um," Zed said, gathering the attention of the others.

"The thing is," Zed said, "He may already have it. I saw him on the news this morning. At the crash site. It looked like he was the one calling the shots, and the whole area was covered with white tents."

Addison looked at Mayar, who suddenly looked very grave.

The group once again sat in silence, as they all pondered what this meant.

ZzZzZzZ

It was fully dark when they finally left the Crater and ascended the stairs back into the haunted woods. While Mayar had said they were welcome to stay, Eliza and the others were eager to get back to their homes. Their parents were going to be mad enough as it was. Plus, they needed to find Zed's z-band, so that they could bring him back to the hospital without having him immediately taken to zombie containment.

Eliza looked ahead at Addison, Zed and Mayar as they walked in front of her. Zed was still holding Mayar's hand out of necessity, and his other hand was loosely wrapped around Addison's waist. They really were a good couple.

Though Eliza had started out firmly disliking the cheerleader, she could now say with complete honesty that she counted Addison as one of her dearest friends. She was kind, open-minded and sincere; all very unique qualities for a human from Seabrook. Eliza couldn't help but wonder if it was the Lunite in Addison that made her empathize with others so easily.

Turning to her side, Eliza briefly met Willa's eyes.

The werewolf looked tired.

"Hey," Eliza said, gently elbowing her friend as they walked. "You okay?"

Willa offered her a small half-mile.

"Yeah, I'm good. I just wasn't expecting to learn the origin story of both of our species tonight."

"Me neither." Eliza replied. "It's a lot to take in. But in a cool way."

Eliza couldn't help but smile. She loved to learn, always soaking up any bit of reading material she could find. The information they had learned tonight from Mayar was extraordinary. Possibly even life-changing.

She would have to ask Mayar if the Lunites kept any kind of library or historical records. Surely they would have something that she would be able to comb through in the coming days, once they had sorted out this current crisis with this Charon jerk. In time, maybe they would be able to put together a revised, more accurate history account of Seabrook and all of its inhabitants.

"I recognize that look, Liza." Willa laughed, drawing Eliza's attention back to her.

"You are just dying to learn more about our new friends, aren't you?" Willa's eyes twinkled in amusement, and Eliza turned her face away so that she wouldn't see the pale, rosey blush that was definitely spreading across her grey cheeks.

Willa really did have a lovely smile, and Eliza loved it all the more because it was a somewhat rare occurrence. When Willa smiled, it was never fake. She was always sincere and honest in whatever she did, right down to her facial expressions.

"What can I say," Eliza sighed and shrugged, trying for an easygoing, nonchalant tone.

"I'm a bit of a nerd, you know."

"If by 'nerd,' you mean strong, beautiful and intelligent zombie, then yeah, you're a huge nerd."

Eliza's head snapped back to Willa, taken completely off-guard.

"Wha-'

At that moment, Eliza's boot caught unexpectedly in a tree root, protruding from the ground, causing her to stumble. Willa reached forward, grabbing onto her arm and catching her before she could fall.

Smooth, Eliza. Really smooth.

As she straightened back up, she grasped Willa's other arm for support. The werewolf felt almost scalding to the touch. Since zombies temperatures were generally on the cool side, and wolves generally ran hotter than normal, the temperature difference was a little jarring.

But nothing she wouldn't mind getting used to, Eliza thought as they stood still, falling slightly behind the group as they neared the trail head where Zed's z-band had been tossed.

Eliza was temporarily rooted to the ground as Willa stared back at her, a softer expression now across her face.

"You okay?" Willa asked, echoing the question Eliza had asked her a few minutes before.

"Yeah. I'm good." Eliza replied quietly.

"Good."

There was another beat of silence between them.

Then, to Eliza's absolute astonishment, Willa suddenly leaned forward, and kissed Eliza tenderly across her cheek. Her hand rose to Eliza's face, brushing a few errant locks of dark green hair away from her eyes.

"Wouldn't want anything happening to my favorite monster." Willa said as she rested her hand for a short moment along Eliza's cheekbone. She gifted her with another smile, but unlike earlier, this one was soft and affectionate in appearance.

Wait, what?

Then, Bonzo's voice echoed from up ahead.

"Gar bez alt!" (I found it!)

Dropping her hand from Eliza's face, she reached out and grabbed Eliza's hand, pulling her forward.

"Come on," Willa said. "Let's go."

She continued to hold Eliza's hand as she propelled her forward, and they sprinted to catch up with the others.

Eliza was glad that Willa was pulling her along, because she was pretty sure that kiss would have otherwise left her feet glued indefinitely to the forest floor.

As they approached the treeline, Eliza could see Bonzo walking towards Mayar, Zed and Addison, with a z-band held gingerly in his open palm.

Still holding Mayar's hand, Zed reached out his arm, black veins still visible in the moonlight.

Using his free hand, he quickly snapped it across his arm.

Zed, shuddered as the blackness receded, and Eliza flinched as she heard the odd crackling sound that accompanied the donning or removing of a z-band.

She remembered the sensation. Readjusting to the electric pulses was unpleasant, and even though she'd only really experienced it a couple of times, she couldn't help but recall the brief but painful jolts flowing up her arm.

Finally able to release his grip on Mayar's hand, he leaned into Addison, lovingly pulling her into his arms and placing a kiss to the top of her white hair.

Mayar flexed her hand, apparently stretching out the tendons and joints of her fingers.

"Well," she said, "I believe that you all need to get back home, as do I."

Eliza watched as Mayar looked warily at the sky, as thought the sun might make a sudden, unexpected appearance.

"We can meet up again tomorrow evening. Well, I mean..." she said, looking a little uncertain. "I mean, I guess I shouldn't assume, but are you all willing to help us? In finding the moonstone and keeping it from Charon?"

Immediately, the collection of friends nodded in agreement enthusiastically, some of them adding a quick 'yes' or 'of course!'

"Of course we will." Eliza stated firmly, feeling Willa's hand squeeze hers in agreement.

"But where do we start? If Zed's right, he may already have his hands on it."

"Even if he does," Addison piped up, "it doesn't matter. We'll find a way to get it one way or another. My mom's the mayor. If Charon or the city council is involved, maybe she might know where to look."

Mayar nodded.

"That's a good place to begin searching. We also have scouts in the city center, so perhaps they have heard something useful as well."

Eliza watched as Mayar moved closer to Addison. Mayar tilted her head to the side, and after a moment, Addison grinned widely and held our an arm.

Apparently, they were communicating in their heads again. The two sisters hugged, and their hair flared with shimmering white-blue light when they touched.

As they embraced, Eliza couldn't help but feel optimistic, despite now having a crazed Lunite enemy to worry about.

Her circle of friends was always good at taking negative situations and making them better, and she was confident that they would find a way to protect Seabrook from Charon. Working together, there wasn't much they couldn't handle.