The Butterfly Girl: A Star is Born

#107 The Missing Piece

[The Twins]

Early in the afternoon, the Twins decided to take one last trip back to see the Moonflower, making sure that during their own dangerous experiences, the Moonflower was kept out of harms way. Now that we knew that the Shadow Demon was keeping an eye on them, they had to be sure that the last piece of home they had left was kept away from danger. They spotted no danger as they arrived and they were relieved to see the Moonflower shrub untouched. However, it had grown a lot more since the last time they checked on it. As they looked around, they noticed it had consumed the entire shrub it was planted underneath. The original flower stayed put underneath, but there were thick vines creeping up and around and hanging tightly all over the bush, little white buds beginning to sprout everywhere. Observing it carefully, they started to pull branches and leaves and placing them over the bush to keep any exposed parts of the plants out of the sunlight.
"Hey, do you think that those Shadovians were the ones that destroyed the Moonflowers before we met Sophie?" Flyboy wondered as he tucked some of the loose vines into the leaves of the bush.
"I don't know... we never really figured out if it was them or those blobby things we saw last time we were down there." Fleetfoot said as he piled sticks on top of each other, then balancing leaves on it to cover the exposed flower buds.
"Yeah... but do you think they'll come back for this one when they find out we saved it?"
"I don't know. We don't even know why they were killing them all in the first place."
"Do you think they already know? And they're just waiting to attack at a good moment like they just did before?" Fleetfoot sighed and looked over at his brother.
"I don't know... but as long as we can keep this one alive, then that's all we should worry about. It's only been a few weeks and even though we don't know anything about it, Sophie said that the area near the tree house is always safe. It'll most likely come back, but as long as we can protect this, then that's all that matters to me. It's all we have left..."
"False." suddenly whispered a voice. The Twins looked up in surprise, wondering where it came from. Until they turned their sights upon the flower glowing faintly beneath the shrub.
"This may be the only remaining thing you familiar yourselves with, it is not the only thing you have. You are strong, as are your companions. Keep your defenses raised and the life of the remaining will be spared."
The Twins knelt closer upon the flower, listening intently. They haven't heard it speak in a while, and even now it still manages to voice the truth. Giving them hope in a place where hope struggles to be held.
"Are the Shadovians coming after you?" the Twins asked. They waited for a moment, but it didn't speak. Confused, they asked a different question.
"Do you know why they're coming after us?"
"The real truth remains hidden from sight, there is no clear path to reach it. Wonder wisely. There is plenty else to discover."
The Twins rounded that answer down to a 'no'. But they continued to ask more and more questions.
"Can we defeat the shadow if it comes back?"
"Anything can be defeated depending on the pressure. Even those that seem stronger than everything. Death is what gives Life meaning."
"Do you know how we can defeat it?"
The flower went silent, but only for a moment. The Twins waited patiently for an answer, watching it sparkle with every syllable.
"There are answers hidden behind shadows. Asking yourselves with no evidence will get you nowhere. If you really desire the opaque truth, you must go beyond your boundaries and learn to walk in the dark. Remember the fact that you don't know everything, and keep your mind open to answers you think cannot be possible. There are possibilities in everything that looks impossible."
The Twins were confused by its speech, but continued to listen. Hoping that whatever they could understand would make some sense to them.
"Hidden in the depths of the earth, blanketed by darkness, there may be hidden answers there for you to discover. The truth continues to live no matter how well hidden it is, but it will most definitely be dangerous to find. You are strong enough to continue living, no matter how badly damaged you get. Follow the light in the dark."

The flower faded back to its original color and the Twins stared at it a moment longer. From what they gathered, it seems there might be a clue lying around for them to find that might help them answer some questions.
"Where is this clue?" they asked. But the flower spoke no more. They asked what is was, but they were given no reply. It seemed from here on out, they were on their own.
"Did you understand any of that?" Flyboy asked his brother.
"I'm not sure, I think so. Should we tell the others?"
"Of course we should! This is important. You remember what it said, right?"
"Um... yeah. Probably. I think if we talk about it with everyone else, they might understand it better."
"Yeah, let's head back then. The sun is about to go down. We'll go get Apollo and Sophia and bring them to the tree house in the morning. They're smarter than us."
They left quickly and started repeating the words of the flower in their heads, hoping that when they repeated it back to their friends, it might be easier for them to understand.