8. A Pinch Of Reality, And A Gallon Of Crazy.

“Well, we have one hour until the portal opens. Until then, I’m going to be sleeping. Because this is all just some crazy dream and I’ll wake up eventually.” I stood up and groaned as my aching muscles screamed in pain.

“This isn’t a dream, Luna. You’re not going to wake up from it because it’s reality, and you’ll have to accept that.” He sighed, walking over to the fridge and pulling out a bag of marshmallows. “Go to sleep, you’ll need your energy.”

“Why? So I can go through something like a sci-fi movie?! I didn’t ask for this and I don’t want it. It’s your fault I’m here in the first place!” I huffed and threw a couple pillows at him.

“What?! How is it MY fault? Huh?” He yelled, throwing the bag of marshmallows at me.

“You could’ve just let me die when I was a baby! Who knows, I might’ve survived anyways! I don’t need someone to protect me, alright? Just…just go!” I shrieked, jerking my arm to point at the door. Orion flew through the air and slammed into the door.

“Ughh.” He groaned, getting back up as I raced over.

“Orion, are you okay?!” I asked, helping him over to the bed. “Why the hell did you fling yourself into the door?!” Plucking pillows up from the ground, I rolled him onto the bed and shoved the pillows underneath his head.

“That wasn’t me, it was you.” He grinned weakly then closed his eyes.

“You- you’re not dying, right?!” I shook his shoulders and he let out a yelp. Pushing my hands away, he laughed.

“Of course I’m not dying. But marble doors hurt, you know. And you slammed me into it pretty hard.” He smiled and pulled me into a hug. “No more slamming people into doors, hm?”

“Yeah, okay,” I blushed and squirmed out of his arms. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just got so mad and…and…” I started waving me arms frantically.

“I know, you didn’t know that you could do that, right? Listen, we have about fifty minutes of sleep, so we better use it, kay?”

“Alright,” I sighed and plopped onto the couch, “but if we get killed, I’m blaming you.” I smirked, pulling blankets over my head.

“You would.”




“Luna.”

“Mmm, no, lemme sleep.”

“Luna!”

“Noooo…”

“LUNA, WAKE UP!” A woman shrieked, making my eyes snap open.

“What?! Ow!” I shielded my eyes from the bright light she emitted.

“Look at me.”

“I’ll pass, thanks. Don’t wanna go blind anytime soon.” I shrugged, not lowering my arm.

“Look at your mother when she speaks to you!”

“Wha?!” I lowered my arm to stare at her. She had my straight black hair, my blue eyes, and my pale skin. Her presence was commanding and she wore the smirk I normally did. “Mom? I thought you were dead!”

“Well, gee. Thanks.” She rolled her eyes. “I am, but you’re dreaming. This is the only time I will be able to talk to you like this unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Well, there’s this necklace…but it’s in the Shadow’s Realm. I put a part of my soul into it so that I would be able to speak to people even after I died.”

“That’s weird.”

“Yes, but it works! Well, it does, but I dropped it into the ocean when I was flying a couple years ago.” She smiled nervously.

“Smooth move. So, I’ll look for it. Where is it in the ocean?”

“I think I dropped it in an area filled with sharks. It’s near an island with trees that grow weapons of diamonds and gold.”

“What is this?! Fairy Tale Land? Great, so I’ll pick up a couple weapons, kill the sharks, and get the necklace.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“What? Why not?”

“Well, uh, the sharks…are…made of diamond.”

“Oh! Great!” I threw my hands up and sighed. “What am I supposed to do, huh?”

“On the island, there is one tree. It is hidden deep within a cave, it emits a strong light and it itself is enormous. The weapon it makes will be tougher than diamonds, it’s clear and deathly sharp. If you can get it, you can kill the sharks.”

“Well, that’s great. I feel like an elf on a quest. So why didn’t you talk to me before?”

“When you were hidden as a baby, even I didn’t know where you were. Either half of you.”

“Yeah, so, what happened to the other me?”

“She died.”

“Great.”

“Oh no! I have to go, as soon as you’re in the Realm, take Orion with you to look for the island, no one else.”

“Gotcha. Bye, mom.”

“Goodbye, Artemis.”

“Who’s Artemis?”

“You are! Luna is just your nickname.”

“Oh.” I smirked then blacked out.




“LUNA!”

“AGH!” I screamed and fell off of the couch. “What?” I snapped at Orion.

“It’s time to go.” He laughed, helping me to my feet. “So, think you’re ready? Being as you were freaking out a little while ago.”

“I’m never ready.”

“Alright, it should be here any moment,” he mumbled, dragging me to the center of the room. “Now Luna, no matter what happens, stay calm. Don’t freak out.”

“Gotcha,” I grinned and gave him a thumbs up. “I mean, have you ever known me to do something stupid?”

“Yes.” He stared blankly at me.

“Yeah, well, who asked for your opinion?” I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Uh, you?”

“Yeah, yeah. Shut up.”

“Here it comes!” He yelled, as a gust of wind swept through the room. A circle appeared in front of us. As it got bigger and bigger, it looked like a black hole, waiting to suck us in.

“Whoa…dude, this is awesome.”

“Just wait till you’re on the other side. You’ll get to meet your subjects, your sisters, the animals.”

“Do the animals look weird?”

“Some of them.”

“Am I going to die by the black hole tearing me to shreds? And then the pieces of me drift on throughout space but no one ever finds them?”

“No, now let’s go!” he laughed and pulled me into it.