Moonflower- A Lunar Chronicles Fanfiction

Chapter 30

The cold chute slid under Cynthia as she braced herself for the end and inevitable concrete ground. Suddenly the darkness of the chute brightened and before she could fully process what was happening she landed on a pile of the white trash bags she had seen floating out in space. She scrambled out of the way of the chute just in time for her mother to come crashing down where she had just been. For someone who had just been a captive for a couple of days, she was surprisingly quick to her feet. She started fiddling with her metal arm while they waited for Leo.
It didn't take long. He came crashing down just seconds later. "I don't think anyone spotted us escaping, but the cameras definitely did. We probably don't have much time."
"That seems to be a theme," Cynthia muttered under her breath.
"I have a few tranquilizer darts in my arm, and a couple more to reload with in my leg. Hopefully we won't need them, but as soon as possible we are going to need to cut the Linh device out of my neck. We can't risk me being under thaumaturge control. I can't lead my people to do anything else," the empress said, always the practical one. Cynthia was glad she was here.
"This way," the princess motioned, leading them down the tunnel. They stayed quiet for a while, just moving as fast as they could. Cynthia worried. The Spindle wasn't going to be there. There would be a new security guard waiting at the end of the tunnel instead of Avery. There would be lunar soldiers waiting for them in that trash holding room. So many things could go wrong and she was leading the people she loved straight into danger without any sense of sureness.
Her mother wrapped her nonmetal arm around her gently. It was as if she knew her daughter's thoughts, and Cynthia almost broke down right then. She had missed the confidence and encouragement of her mother. So many times doubt would invade her head and her heart would sink with the thought of never seeing her mom again. Of all the people in the world, her mom knew her best, and it was worth so much to Cynthia that she had her back.
Still, there was another person in this world who continued to surprise her with how well he knew her too. Leo was off to the side, letting the mother daughter duo have a moment. Here he was, another person just like her with an earthen father and a lunar mother, and he had these strange abilities too. He was still her friend too despite all that had happened and all they had been through. He had her back, and if his mom was to be believed, he cared about her too. He had offered to take her place for Nyx. There were so many things about him that despite the cold dark tunnels and the desperate situation they were in, Cynthia felt a string between them, connecting them to each other. She couldn't name it, not yet, but it was there.
The bright lights of the end of the tunnel came in to view, and Cynthia felt the moment of truth approaching. The glass of the door showed what looked like an almost empty surveillance room. Almost, except for one thankfully familiar face.
Officer Avery threw open the door seemingly surprised to see the princess. He gave the empress a bow. "Your Majesty, Your Highness. You made it out!"
Cynthia was nodding and walking. "Are the ships still here officer?" Cynthia asked praying, pleading.
He nodded. "I can have the airlock open in just a few minutes," Avery promised. "Do you have a pilot?"
Leo stepped forward. "I am certainly proficient," he said with a tiny wink back at Cynthia. If she hadn't known better she might have thought she caught her mom rolling her eyes out of the corner of her eye.
The security guard smiled. "Wonderful. You have five minutes. Hurry."
The empress, princess, and pilot scrambled through the door to the air lock and across the floor covered in white trays bags. There, standing exactly where they had left them were the Rampion and the Spindle.
"Which one?" Cynthia asked, but Leo was already rushing to the Rampion and leaving his own ship behind.
"This ship means so much to my parents," he explained. "I couldn't leave it behind."
Cinder smirked and followed, Cynthia right on her heels. Leo brought down the Rampion's ramp and they scrambled into the belly of the ship. As soon as they reached the cockpit Leo started flipping switches. The princess strapped herself down in the seat behind Leo's.
Cinder sat herself down in the copilot chair. "Let me know if you need anything Leo," she instructed. The far-off look in her eyes told Cynthia that she was already downloading any instructions she could on assisting the pilot for take-off.
"This should do it..." Leo muttered, finally taking a seat and strapping in.
As soon as he did the giant doors of the room flew open, and trash bags were swallowed by the black starry sky. Leo pushed the controls forward and the Rampion lurched into the darkness.
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Cynthia watched as the moon grew smaller and smaller. She couldn't even see Artemisia palace anymore. The empress let out a sigh of relief in front of her.
"It's been a long couple of days for me," she said, the exhaustion leaking out of her words. "I think I'm going to go take a nap. I'll check the engine room on my way to the bunks, just to be sure."
Leo nodded. "Thank you Your Majesty. We should reach earth in just a couple hours."
The empress inclined her head to him. Then she folded her daughter into her arms before she left. "Call your father, tell him to calm down. We'll be home soon."
"Alright," Cynthia whispered, her voice not coming as easily now that they were finally free of that awful place.
Her mother left, and Cynthia dialed the ship's port hoping someone would pick up.
"Thia?" Came the desperate voice on the other end. Her father had so much hope in his voice that she wasn't surprised he had guessed who was on the phone. Her eyes teared up, she could barely speak. It was so good to hear his voice.
"Dad, Mom, Leo, and I are on our way home." She said, her voice coming out in bursts between tears.
There was a gasp on the other end of the line, some whispers, and then the unmistakeable sound of shouts of joy. Her father was in tears by the time he returned to the phone.
"How is she? Can I talk to her? Is she alright?" He begged. Cynthia just had to smile. Her parents were still a fairy-tale.
"She's fine dad, but she's resting. She can't wait to see you," she told him.
She could practically hear his smile. "Of course, she deserves some rest. I'll talk to her when you come home." The word home resonated in his voice. "Can you hand the port to Leo? Cress would like to talk to him."
"Alright, love you dad," Cynthia said, wishing she didn't have to give the phone away, but so filled with hope and happiness that she would see him very soon.
"I love you too Thia, so much."