Fractured Soul

Chapter 27: Revelations and Reconciliation

Roxas didn't come to the library the next day. Or the day after. He may have talked to Rin, because Mella had a break…for one day.

She isn't much better…Rin was relentless. Mella dreaded hearing Rin's voice. It only meant fighting, bruises, and blood. Granted, it wasn't as bad as the first day, but it was torture. Mella didn't want to fight, but feared the consequences of any action against Rin.

Mella was floating high and higher. Soon she was flying around the library, dodging bookcases and chandeliers of ice. However, as the days turned into a week, Mella had to be more careful with her wings. People were starting to arrive at the castle, and they all wanted to come to the library. They never read, they just whispered about her. Mella heard snippets of conversation, and they always included "Mella" or "the Ivadonan girl."

"Roxas, what's with the people?" she asked one evening as she worked on puzzling out Rhynish. He had finally shown up to make good on his promise.

Roxas shifted slightly in his chair. "Um…my parents invited them here. They're nobles. Remember last week at the dinner with my parents? They want to find something out from you. Of course now they want an audience, but I don't know why."

"Fun…so does that mean they're going to pop the question soon?"

Roxas spluttered as Mella grinned. His face turned as red as Rin's eyes before going back to normal.

"Yeah…they're going to ask you something. So do you think you can read this now?" Roxas nudged the book Mella had shown him towards her. It was Rin's book. The title finally made sense, and it made her furious.

"'The Compendium of Curses?' Roxas, why did you mark this one? I'm not learning curses. Ever." Mella glared at him. A blue bookmark peeked out from a page.

"No, Mella, it's not like that--" Roxas tried to explain, but Mella cut him off.

"Really? It looks an awful lot like that. So was all of this a lie? Just to make me learn dark magic? You've never cared, have you?"

Roxas opened his mouth to say something, but Mella stormed off. She wandered aimlessly through the library, ignoring the curious stares of the nobles. Everything had been lies. He didn't care. Roxas said she could judge. Well, I'm judging, and I'm done with this. His family must've put him up to it.

Mella was so absorbed in her internal rant that she ran into someone, or rather, some people.

"Sorry…wait," Mella looked back at the couple she had bumped into. "Do I know you?" she asked.

The woman blinked and looked to her husband (Mella could see the rings). He ran a hand through his unruly brown hair.

"I don't think you do, Mella." He said apologetically. "You probably know our children."

"Allow us to introduce ourselves. I'm Lady Sarah, and this is Lord Shayne, of Ryn."

Mella's already dark mood grew worse.

"Oh…yes. Your kids. Also known as the reason why I'm trapped here. If you'll excuse me…" Mella turned away, but Shayne spoke up.

"Mella, we're sorry. We didn't mean for them to this. We didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Just like you didn't mean to shelter elementals only to give them up when the queen asks?" she retorted. Sarah looked confused.

"What are you talking about? We've been traveling for most of the year…"

"Then ask Gwen and Alex. They know what I mean." Mella snorted, and she stormed off to her rooms. She grabbed the 'Elemental Magiks' book and flipped it to the beginning of the air volume.

"Someone's angry." Anya had appeared, sitting on the bed. "What's wrong?"

"Everything. Roxas, curses, Ryn, the king and queen." Mella muttered, flipping the page. It was talking about the air spirit. Wait…

"Okay, explain something. If I'm in Rhydona, and the only way you know you're an elemental is if a spirit tells you, then where's the air spirit been all this time?"

Anya sat there, silent, with a guilty look on her face. Mella set the book down.

"Anya?" Mella asked curiously, her anger and frustration fading away.

"The reason why you never 'met' the air spirit, was because she's been with you the entire time."

Mella's jaw dropped. "You-You're…?"

Anya nodded, and started to glow softly. The page of Mella's book turned of its own accord, showing a picture of Anya. Mella looked from the picture to the girl before her. Pale blue wings unfurled behind Anya, wavering in an invisible breeze. "I want to tell you the truth. So let me reintroduce myself: I am Anya, the spirit of air, and the youngest sister of Lea and Nadai."

Mella felt her anger return, but she remembered Lea's reaction when she pushed her for answers, so she just said, "How much of what you told me was lies? Why didn't you just tell me?"

"One: you never asked, and you had lost all faith in the spirits by the time you got here. Two, it was only the back-story. There was a girl down there brought to Ulma to train air elementals. She came from Rora, an air city. I sent her back. No one's noticed. I don’t think the queen was ever going to let her go home."

"Then why couldn't you get me out of here?" Mella cried.

"Nadai told you about moments you need to experience. There's two more you need to be here for. Plus, it's very difficult for spirits to do things here. There's too much dark magic. Actually, we-the spirits- have all been trying to teach you something."

"Yeah, you've been teaching me air magic."

"Besides that." Anya sounded slightly annoyed. "Look, Lea taught you to trust, make friends, and be wary. Nadai said to experience the moments, no matter how bad they would be. And I'm trying to teach you forgiveness, for those you've wronged…and the ones who've wronged you. I almost didn't tell you anything today. You won't let anyone explain or apologize. You over-react. You jump to conclusions, Mella. You can’t keep doing that, if you’re ever going to learn."

Mella sat silently, the book lying forgotten on her lap. Anya was right. She hadn't listened to anyone. I'm not the only victim…even Roxas was right.

"You're right…I guess I should start by apologizing to you, for not figuring it out sooner."

Anya started to say something, then grimaced and started coughing.

"Anya, are you okay?" Mella asked worriedly. She shook her head, her form fading out.

"Dark magic…isn't good. I'll see you soon." Anya vanished as if a gust of wind had blown her away.

Mella looked out into the library. The nobles had left, and she saw Roxas shut the door behind him. The lights all started to fade out. I'll make it up to him, and Alex's parents somehow…I hope Anya is okay.

Mella had never seen something hurt a spirit. Dark magic wasn't something to blink at. She said there was two more 'moments…' That, paired with what Roxas had told her couldn't just be coincidence.

She yawned. If the nobles had left, then it was late. The clock tower somewhere chimed eleven times. It's definitely late… Mella changed and fell asleep instantly, where she flew above the clouds, and plummeted back to earth to fight Rin and the other woman alongside Roxas. Darkness prevailed, and a pair of blue eyes floated in front of her. This again?

"Mella, you have a chance tomorrow." The voice said. She recognized it immediately.

"Roxas? What are you doing?" she asked.

"Saving you. After training, you have a chance."

"Why won't you talk normally?"

"I…I can't explain. You have a chance tomorrow.

"Take it."

Mella woke with a start to someone banging on the door.

"Fragment!! Let's go! We have an audience today."

Mella groaned and rolled out of bed, thinking up a plan for her "chance," whatever it may be.