The Other Side: A Second Chance

Suddenly, my body unstiffened, and I slumped forward as if breaching the water's surface. I gasped for air and shook my head as my hands clutched at my head. "What the hell?!" I said it out loud as I panted. "Did you seriously have to do that?"

"What can I say?" The Master's distant voice said it amusingly. "I felt as if I needed to answer directly. Now, I must request that you leave me be, as I need to recuperate."

So you felt like being dramatic? I rolled my eyes as my mother stepped back, her face stone cold, while my father and Isa leaned over to me.

"Luna, are you okay?" My father asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," I said softly. It's not every day that I suddenly lose control of my entire body."

My mother crossed her arms. "There has to be a way to stop him from doing that." She huffed. "Even if we're on the same side, I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."

"You can throw me pretty far," I said jokingly.

"Luna, now's not the time for jokes," Isa said.

"She gets it from me," my father said with a chuckle as he patted me on the head and tussled my hair. "When things get rough, a nice joke is always good to lighten the mood."

"Is he still listening?" Isa asked, and I shook my head.

"He said he needs to go relax," I said, looking up at them. "Taking over my body is tiring work for him, and the fact he did it now was merely to show off that he could."

"A dramatic type, as to be expected." My mother sighed. "Were you conscious during that?" She asked.

I nodded again. "This time, yes," I said, taking a deep breath. "It felt like I was forced into a spectator position. It was frightening." I shuddered.

Isa rubbed my back as my father patted me on the head again. "Well, thank you for telling us, " he smiled. It makes me happy knowing you can trust us."

"Of course I trust you guys," I said with a slight smile. "You're family and capable." I lowered my vision back to the floor. "I'm tired of going at everything alone or feeling like I need to."

I won't make the same mistakes I made before. Back then, I had always felt like I was alone. My issues never mattered, and I would have to face everything by myself because that's what men were expected to do. At least, that's what I told myself.

Yet maybe this time, in this life. I didn't need to do that. The people around me—Mom, Dad, Isa, and Varis—though he wasn't in the room right now, they could all help me. I'm just glad the Dark Lord, The Man in Black, is fine with me sharing this with them. I have no idea how things would be if he said I couldn't ask for help.

My father draped his arm around my tiny shoulder, and with his large hand, he yanked me into his side in a sort of side hug. "Well then, it's a bit late now to go to this "Heart of the City." Why not focus on doing that tomorrow? For now, let's get ready to go out." He smiled. "I did say when you came to rescue us, let's go somewhere."

My mother sighed and lightened up a little, and with a small grin, she said, "Well, you're not the one taking us, dear; it's Saria."

He further pursed his lips and shrugged. "Well, close enough." He smiled.

Isa, who still seemed concerned, leaned forward and said, "Hold on, what should we do about Saria? The master stated she wasn't to be trusted."

My mother frowned and placed a hand on her hip. "We continue as normal. Neither of us know for sure what she's up to; we've only been here one day."

"What is it that she does for work, Cailynn?" Isa asked, "The two of you traveled with her today. What's going on at the construction site?"

My father groaned a little, clearly bummed that the conversation was being yanked back. "I'll be honest, Isa," my mother said as she laced her fingers and stretched both arms above her head before bringing them back down. "I don't know. Even though I've been offered a job, very little has been said to me. When I went to the Arcanum Works head office building, nearly everything was under lock and key, magical and physical. Then again, I also wasn't trying to pry."

"Same with the construction site itself," Father added. "When I went to the workmen's hub and spoke with the foreman, they were quite blunt in stating that not even they know what they're building. Aenorin said that no one except the gearheads knows, and even then, based on the foreman's words, it's not clear if they really do."

Isa frowned. "That seems very concerning."

"It's a state sponsored project," my mother said. "These sorts of things are common, and now with an ongoing war, it's paramount that they keep it so as it might give us an edge against the Rusivites." My mother took a deep breath and clapped her hands together. "For now, I say we focus on the present. Don't let your paranoia get to you all; seeing as I'll be working with Saria directly, I'll do my best to keep an eye on things."

"I'll be with Aenorin mostly," my father said, "so I'll keep an eye on him."

Isa leaned back on the bed. "I'll do whatever's needed of me."

"You can stay close with Luna," my mother said with a smile as she turned to me. "Now that we're at a relatively calm point, someone's going to need to start teaching them again."

I gawked. "Momma, now is not the time for schooling!" I whined, and my father laughed.

"You and your brother both need an education, dear." My mother puffed her chest. "I don't want either of my children to fall behind."

"Cailynn," Isa said, "I don't have any of my material any more. We left it all back at the house."

My mother nodded. "I'm sure there'll be things around here we can scrounge up. Text books, last I saw, weren't that expensive."

I huffed. "Varis is going to be so mad."

"You two will get over it. Anyways, tomorrow, we'll see about trying to figure out how to get to this Heart of the City," my mother said as we all began to hop off of the bed.

With another sigh, I squeaked when my father tussled my hair yet again, thoroughly making it a mess at this point. "Don't worry, your little head," he said. "We'll make it through this. We've come this far, haven't we?"

I blushed and nodded as my heart began to beat a little faster.

 

---

 

As we left my parent's room, we were immediately greeted by the sight of Varis and my aunt and uncle all dressed up and ready to go. Varis looked bored out of his mind and still a bit grumpy about being left out of the conversation; however, his clothes were spotless, and his dark hair was brushed and styled.

"Oh well, aren't you handsome?" My mother cooed at the sight of my brother, her eyes sparkling as she kneeled beside him.

Varis huffed and puffed his cheeks as he crossed his arms. "You took too long," he said grumpily.

"Awe, I'm sorry, sweetie." My mother draped her arms around him and yanked him into her bust as she hugged him.

My father stepped past me and went over to my aunt and uncle. My aunt was dressed in a fine black dress with a low-hanging collar that revealed much of her skin. Her fine black slitted skirt hung low and revealed a fine, pale, and toned leg with black stockings.

The sight made me gulp and wonder where the hell we were going. My uncle, on the other hand, was wearing a finely tailored black suit with a lighter gray vest beneath. Around his neck, he had a large bowtie that sparkled and looked like stars.

"The two of you are looking wonderful," My father said with a chuckle as he glanced down at his long button-up shirt and denim overalls. "I don't know if we can match what you're wearing."

As if to add emphasis to what my father said, Uncle Aenorin turned to Saria with big eyes that just screamed, "That's what I've been saying!"

My aunt smiled as she pulled out a small makeup kit and began to apply some red lipstick. "That's alright," she said calmly as she finished applying a few touch-ups and smiled at us. "I just enjoy dolling myself and Aenorin. Where we're going, it won't matter how you're dressed."

I glanced at my mother, who sighed and smiled, and then up at Isa, who looked terrified at the sight of my aunt's makeup. "I sure hope I don't need to "doll myself," as you put it," my mentor said with a shudder.

My aunt pouted. "Do you not like make up? I'm sure you'd look absolutely adorable if you let me do some touch ups and brush your hair."

"Please don't touch my hair," Isa said with a slight hiss.

"Don't mind her," my mother said. "She's never been one to dress up."

"Back in my homeland, we never bothered with such looks," Isa said with a shrug. "I can't stand the idea of wearing such products and restrictive clothes."

"It's not so bad," My mother said, "You should try it at least once." She smirked.

Isa rolled her eyes. "Perhaps later, but not tonight."

"Are you all ready?" My uncle asked us.

"Hold on for one moment," my mother said with a raised finger. She then turned to me and said, "Stand still, Luna." Before I could react, my mother raised her palm to my face and said, "Legerdemain." Suddenly, I felt a tingling sensation engulf me before a cool breeze shot up and down my body, forcing me to grip my skirt and keep it down. My mother then smiled proudly and turned to my father and repeated this same spell, and I gasped when I saw all the dirt and grime on him from earlier vanish and his hair straightened out.

She did this to every one of us, cleaning us all up in an instant. "Why haven't we always done this?' I asked. "This is so much better than taking a bath."

My mother snorted. "Like hells it isn't. I much prefer a warm bath; this is more of a last minute ordeal. Besides, I like to preserve my ether for more practical moments." She hummed and turned to my aunt and uncle. "Now we're ready."

 

---

 

Ruby squawked loudly as my family and I guided her out of the small stable alongside the house and over to our wagon. The red and feathery strider squirmed and squawked in protest, as we had just woken her up from a nap. My mother cooed and hissed at her in draconian, and immediately, Ruby began to obey all of her instructions.

"Oh wow," Uncle said with a big grin. "I never knew you were a dragon whisperer, sister."

My mother smiled. "I learned Draconian about thirty years ago. It's cool, isn't it?" She hummed. It makes handling these critters all the easier when you can reason with them."

"What did you say to her?" Varis asked as he and his father climbed into the back of the wagon.

"I told her I'd get her a big, juicy steak!" She smirked.

Isa cocked an eyebrow as she and I were the next to hop into the wagon. "I hope you commit to that promise," she said, and my mother chuckled.

"I-I'll see if I can get a steak at the restaurant," she stuttered, and I frowned.

"You weren't going to lie to her, were you?" I huffed.

"No!" My mother gasped. "I just, uh, realized I don't have the money to buy a steak."

Uncle sighed. "Well, I guess I need to come to the rescue then." He rolled his eyes but then smiled broadly.

"Just this once, please?" My mother smiled pleadingly, and Uncle chuckled.

"Sure, Sister." He nodded.

Once we were all in the wagon, Father took the reins and gestured for Uncle to come sit beside him, leaving me and Varis alone with the other three. "Where are we going anyway?" Varis asked.

"We're going to the Bright Bite!" My aunt said it excitedly. "It's a marvelous place; it truly lives up to its name! It's also the place that Aenorin took me on our sixtieth honeymoon!"

Sixtieth? Wow, they've been together for a while. Then again, so have Mother and Father. I thought.

"How long have you both been married?" I asked curiously.

My aunt turned to me and smiled widely. "Two hundred and thirty four years." She hummed, her eyes sparkling. "This autumn will be our two hundred and thirty fifth year!"

My jaw practically slammed into the floor, and Varis practically fainted at the number. "You've been together for that long?!" I exclaimed, and my aunt hummed happily and nodded.

Thankfully, Varis said the next words before I could: "But Momma is only like a hundred some years old; how old is Uncle?!"

"Are you implying I'm old?" My aunt huffed, though she smiled playfully. I could assume that being an elf, she was used to receiving comments about her age.

"I'm four hundred and fifty," Uncle said from over his shoulder. "Cail is my little sister."

My mother sighed and rolled her eyes. "Please don't call me Cail."

"Oh, c'mon, you used to love it back in your boyish period." Uncle laughed, and my mother groaned.

"That was then; this is now." She pointed at the wagon as if to add emphasis.

"Bu-but wait," Varis stammered out. "If you went there on like…" he started counting on his fingers, gave up, and said, "Like a million years ago, is the place still there?"

Isa snorted and laughed, and my mother simply shook her head. I giggled and glanced at my aunt, who simply sighed but smiled. "Oh, you sweet child, yes, it's still there. I was introduced to it then; that doesn't mean I haven't gone there since." She hummed. "The place has changed a lot though, but the owners passed down their recipes to their kin throughout the years, and I swear, with each new generation." She sighed. "It gets better."

By this point, Ruby began to pull our wagon out into the street and beneath the many colored lights along the road. The sky was growing dim as the sun set, and stars began to show. Yet I noticed something—a sight I hadn't seen since my past life. The stars were gone.

Light pollution, I told myself. Oh, I forgot such a thing existed.

Already, I missed the view from the village of Oren as well as the countryside.

 

---

 

Johanneson was a city that never slept. As we moved deeper within the metropolis, the world was rife with color. The animated billboards, airships, and signs were practically neon-lit, like some form of fantasy Las Vegas. Even the people were different kinds. Nearly everyone I saw was fancifully dressed like my aunt and uncle; scantily clad men and women stood on street corners offering services. I knew my parents would be furious if they found out I knew. Bars, pubs, and clubs blared loud music, and boisterous cheers could be heard from within as our wagon rolled by. To spice things up, I even saw a street fight, which was quickly broken up by constables rushing onto the scene.

This city surely was something. My aunt and uncle seemed unphased by it all, yet even my parents and I were wide-eyed at everything. Isa, on the other hand, looked like she was going to die. Her hands clutched her fuzzy ears tightly, and she was practically in the fetal position due to all the noise.

Gods, I can't imagine what the world sounds like to her. I sighed. Acute hearing seems more like a curse than a blessing.

Eventually, we arrived at the restaurant. A small building compared to the rest, standing about two stories high with a large animated sign of a portly man in a chef outfit taking a bite out of some meat before bursting with color and joy on repeat.

"Oh, that sign is new," my aunt commented as our wagon pulled along the side of the building where other guests seemed to have parked their rides. I noticed there were even a few automobiles out front.

"The place looks busy," my mother added. "Let's hope we can find a spot to sit together."

We all nodded as our wagon came to a stop, and one by one we began to disembark.

Once my father hitched Ruby, I stuck close to both him and Mother as Varis tagged along beside us with Isa. My mother took my hand, and we followed behind my aunt and uncle as we entered the establishment, immediately my stomach audibly growled as the aroma stuck to me like a truck.

My mouth began to water as the savory smells of roasted meat and veggies tickled my nose. The sounds of idle chatter, clattering plates, and cutlery took me back to the few times my parents took Varis and me to the Yogi's Maw back in Oren. At the front, we were greeted by a cute, pink-skinned akumari woman in an all-white button-up uniform. She had a little white cap where her pink horns poked out from under. She smiled at us with sharp white teeth.

"Table for seven?" The woman asked as her fiendish tail flicked gently behind her.

Varis watched the lady with bright eyes, and I knew this was probably one of the few times he had seen an akumari, as they weren't as common in Oren. Yet as my gaze shifted from my brother, I noticed over to the right, a little ways from us, that I saw none other than Dr. Kegan, Oscar, and Anne.

The three of them seemed to be having a nice meal and conversation. My heart began to beat with excitement at the prospect of seeing my new friend again, and just as my eyes began to look away, I noticed beneath his glasses that Kegan's eyes were locked with mine.

The man smiled and waved in my direction, causing Oscar's head to turn and look over his shoulder at us. The older elf's eyes widened, and a big smile appeared on his face. In a loud voice, he shouted from across the restaurant. "Luna! It is nice to see you!"

Immediately, my excitement for seeing my friend vanished and was replaced with dread. As all eyes fell on me and Oscar, despite all attention being on his, the man had no shame. "You brought your family! Come, come sit with us!" He called to us all and waved as if trying to flag down a plane.

Embarrassment began to make its way to my cheeks as they burned brightly. My mother glanced down at me as the restaurant began to resume its business. "Luna, who is that man?"

I gulped. "That's a friend."

Isa cleared her throat as the akumari greeter began to walk us towards our tables, and coincidentally, or not, we were being taken towards a window seating across from Kegan and Oscar. "That man is actually one of the reasons we were able to save you," Isa said to my mother.

My mother's eyes widened. "Oh? If that's the case, I want to meet him!" She beamed.

Isa nodded. "Luna is also friends with his niece," she said with a smile.

"My baby has a friend?!" My mother gasped.

"Momma!" I whined.

"I'm so proud of you, my little star!" She scooped me off the ground and hugged me as I squealed in protest, not caring if I made a scene at this point, though she didn't care.

Once we were seated, a handsome waiter came over and greeted us as he handed out the menus. While he did so, I saw Oscar from across the aisle who I saw was holding Anne by the hand. My eyes shimmered with excitement as I saw my red-headed elf friend begin to walk over to our table. Despite having only been about a week, she looked much different since the last I saw her. Her hair was clean and brushed, her skin was freshly washed, and the clothes she wore were clean. She had a nice red and white dress, which popped nicely, though she looked tired.

Oscar did say she was ill yesterday; I hope she's recovering.

"Can I help you, elder?" Aenorin asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Apologies." Oscar bowed. "Wish to speak with Luna. Anne's friend she is."

Everyone aside from myself and Isa looked confused at Oscar's way of speaking. "He's a Yanky," Isa said. "He's a friend of mine and Luna's."

My mother, who was sitting beside me by the window, nodded. "I'm okay if he wants to speak with us. Anyone who's a friend of my daughter is a friend of mine." She hummed.

My uncle and aunt shared a glance and shrugged. "Well, who are we to say no?" They smiled.

Oscar beamed and bowed once more before turning to Anne, who looked embarrassed, and said, "Anne, say hello to kind people."

Anne sighed and looked at me. A small smile formed on her face as her eyes flicked over to my mother and father. Then, like a light bulb, her eyes flew wide open, and her mouth fell open. It was at this moment that I remembered who her biggest inspirations were.

"You're the Moonweaver and Deadeye! Talon! The Spellbound Rangers! Oh my gods!"

My mother's warm smile faltered, my father visibly cringed, and Isa began to laugh hysterically.

How did I not see this coming? I inwardly groaned.

Tonight's dinner is going to be fascinating…