Rising Shards

“Well, you have to stay for a story at least,” Dad said. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen you in your throne, and just as long since I’ve seen your eyes light up listening to one of your mother’s stories.”

Because I’m a doormat, I agreed to listen to Mom tell us a story.

As they sat back down at the dinner table, my heart still thumped rapidly. I felt intense guilt for the thought that crossed my mind for just a lightning flash of time about trying to use my powers on them to get away. They’re my parents. They’re maybe not cool with me being gay, but maybe they can learn to be more accepting? They just want me to listen to a story. If I listen to the story, then I can go home and regroup. Part of me knew I was lying to myself, but I didn’t see a way out otherwise. I wondered if my mother was going to read from a story book or something, but she began without one.

“Long ago, in a world now passed, there lived a lioness. She was very lonely when she was young, as lionesses in her home were frowned upon. Through that cruelty, her fangs were shaved down, so she could fit in with the people considered ‘normal’ in her city. Every day, the lioness dreamed of places far away, happier places, where she could be free. Every day, she’d look out to the town square, where the wolves passed through. One wolf caught her eye every day, a lonely wolf with sorrow in his eyes. As fate would have it, their paths would soon intertwine more than just a daily passing glance.

“During a celebration of the selection of future leaders, tragedy struck. An elder was killed, and the lioness was part of a group blamed for it. She was exiled, but she did not mourn her former life. When she escaped the mob chasing them out of the city, she realized the wolf was among her new party.

“The exiles traveled across worlds, and the lioness rediscovered her true power. With the help of the wolf, she regained her fangs, and her special abilities. The group helped out whoever they could, not wanting to let their gifts go to waste. Though the lioness bonded with all of them, she formed the most special bond with the lone wolf. He too had a painful past.

“Over their adventures, the exiles experienced triumph and tragedy, saving whatever they could from the darkness, though some things were always doomed to burn in the wastelands. The exiles connected with the spirit of the end mother, who, despite her dormant state, guided them on the truest path in her slumber.

“Eventually, the lioness and the lone wolf grew weary of battle and travel, and their love spurred them to find a more stable place to stay. Upon finding their new home, the lone wolf and the lioness welcomed their first child, a daughter as beautiful as the stars.

“For a long time, things went well. The daughter of the stars grew, and the end mother blessed her with an incredible power. The bloodline of the lone wolf was strong within her, and because of that blood, when she was of age, the daughter could awaken the end mother. But when she came of age, and the opportunity was presented to her for the awakening, the daughter of the stars denied her gift, and rejected her chance. Because of this, the lioness and the lone wolf decided to have another child.

“Their second child was a daughter of hope. Hope that things would go differently this time. Shortly after she was born, the lone wolf and the lioness decided to return to one of the homes they met on their travels, fearing that the stability of their new home had poisoned the will of the daughter of stars.”

I tried to keep a stone face, but despite my mother’s soothing voice, her story had me gripping the armrests of the chair.

“The family prepared their boat, ready to set sail to a familiar place. On the night the family’s boat began to sail away, the daughter of the stars showed her true colors, and betrayed her family once more. Not only did she reject the gift, but she snuck away with the daughter of hope as the lone wolf and the lioness fell into a maelstrom at sea.

“For a long time, they were lost. Until they found a way to reach the daughter of hope again. The daughter of hope was brave, and smart, and strong, and searched for her parents, following the trail they left behind. And now, the daughter of hope has the chance to follow a different path from her sister, and awaken the mother of the end, Endora.”

My mother’s gaze had turned cold and calculating, not matching the tone of her voice. But even the sweetest tone  couldn’t make what she just said appetizing to me.

“You’re Endoran,” I said. “You’re part of the Order of Terina…”

“No. We’re not part of the Order.” Mom said. “There are other sects to the Endorans.”

That wasn’t any better. Jeans was Endoran. Wildfire Hearts was Endoran. From everything I knew, nothing good came from those who followed Endora.

“Over our travels, we learned that the only way to true freedom is Endora.” Dad said.

I tried to stand up, deciding I was really done with this, but my wrists and ankles were suddenly bound. “Hey!” Constraints had latched around me from the armrests and the chair’s legs. The chair was somehow bolted or glued to the ground or held with powers I didn’t understand.

“Zeta, hear us out before you make any rash decisions.” Mom said.

I remembered how Endorans had tricked Kalei into thinking she was talking to people she really wasn’t. They brought her into the void and basically forced her into a vision trying to get her to do what they wanted.

“Are you not really my parents?” I asked. “That’s it, isn’t it? This is some…it’s some weird Endoran void trick…you’re just—”

“Oh, we are most definitely your parents,” Mom said. “One hundred percent beyond any shadow of doubt. If you’d really like, the instrument we used to prove we weren’t retention sprites can also detect blood related family members. We have plenty of other means to prove this.”

“We’ve waited a very long time to see you again, Zeta,” Dad said. “We’ve waited so long for this moment…and we don’t have much time today. We’ll explain everything once it’s done. But please, trust us. You’re about to help out so many people.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“I think we might need to bring Zeta up to speed on what brought her here.” Dad said.

“Was the story not enough?” Mom asked.

“Maybe something a bit…more direct.” Dad said. “We owe her an explanation that makes her understand, at least.”

I scowled. The way he said that reminded me of all the times Jeans said I was dense or slow.

Mom sighed. “Make it quick. I’ll get the rest ready.”

Dad knelt before me with the energy of a parent about to give their kid a bandage for a skinned knee.

“To be honest with you Zeta, we’ve known where you were for a long time,” Dad said. “Once we got things sorted out after the void storm, we figured Stella would have things under control with you, and for the most part, it seems we were right.”

Mom left and returned with what looked like a tea set. She began mixing liquids with the various cups and glasses.

“We’ve kept tabs on you a bit,” Mom said. “Enough to know your current status, your school, that sort of thing. When your fangs came in and you began classes, then we decided to reach out to you.”

“You could’ve…just seen me?” I said. The sentences came out almost backwards, but it was hard to follow both in the details they were telling me and the emotions I felt from them. “This whole time? You knew where I was?”

“Yes, we knew where you were, but remember, our situation and stability with your home dimension is complicated after the storm. Try to keep up.” Mom said.

“We sent out the first retention sprite to your school,” Dad said. “That was mostly recon. We didn’t expect you to follow it. Just to plant the seeds of the idea of something better out there.”

“Then you traveled to Vita Coa.” Mom said, tapping the cup she was working on and holding it to her nose to smell it. “We figured for a long time you’d end up there at some point.”

“How did you figure that?” I asked.

“Destiny,” Dad said. “Endora’s destiny pulls things together the way they’re supposed to go.”

I clenched my fists.

“We had a retention sprite ready to visit the island, and because Endora is aligned with our wills, it so worked out that we sent it shortly before you arrived.” Mom said. “This worked out because the Exumi assumed that Arctus had simply returned. But after your work on Vita Coa, we were surprised that we didn’t hear from you again right away.”

“We gave you so many breadcrumbs,” Dad said. “We were confused as to why you weren’t following them.”  

“They weren’t just breadcrumbs,” Mom said. “They were full meals. And you still didn’t even try to pick up the trail.”

“I was recovering…” I said. “I fought Jeans, we broke the Starlight Despair…I was so drained afterwards.”

Mom rolled her eyes. My parents looked at each other and said, “Stella,” in unison.

“We realized we needed to speed the process up.” Mom said. “Then we ran into your friends earlier this week, and everything fell into place.”

“My friends?” I asked.

The two looked at each other. Dad left to the let someone in. It wasn’t just someone, it was a full group of people that were apparently waiting outside the hotel room. It was Ovie, 09, Aira, Laenie, and a girl I didn’t recognize.

“We’ve been out here so long my legs were starting to cramp up.” Ovie said.