Guardians of Plaxas

Chapter the Twenty-Third: Ruby

I only stop for short periods of time, urging Petal to go faster and faster, rarely letting her rest. The run-in with that tribe had shaken me, and now I want to reach Opal more than ever.

It takes me five days, but finally I see the town on the horizon. It's on a peninsula, stretching out into the ocean. I've never seen the ocean before. It's beautiful.

The town stretches out in front of me, a wide expanse of houses and some taller buildings, all surrounded by a tall wall, broken only by a metal gate.

As I watch, two people arrive at the other side of the gate. They both wear black cloaks that shade their faces and they watch me as I come closer.

My heart is thumping in my chest. What if they won't accept me into the town? I'll have to go all the way back to Kitney. I don't have any food and I'm cold and dirty. I desperately need a bath and a warm bed to sleep in.

As I approach, the taller person by the gate seems to brighten under her hood. She throws it off and I can see her face.

I know her.

My sister.

"Ruby!" she shouts. "RUBY!!!!"

I jump of the horse and I'm already running by the time I hit the ground, my arms flung open, catching Opal in a giant embrace. I haven't seen her in so long.

She sobs into my shoulder, her hair getting into my mouth. "I missed you. I-I missed you so....so m-much,"

"I know. Me too. Opal. I-I came to-"

She cuts me off and leads me over to the gate, her arm around my shoulder. The other person is staring at us, looking shocked.

"Kaitlynn. I want you to meet my sister. Ruby."

"Aren't you....but you're...." the small girl stammers, looking shocked and mystified.

Opal shakes her head. "There was a mix up and I was sent to the school instead of Ruby. We're identical twins."

"I....yes. I can see that." the girl blinks in surprise and then glances up at the sky. I'd been so intent on my goal of the town that I hadn't seen the three dark shapes heading toward us in the sky.

I tug on Opal's arm. "What are they?" I ask.

"Elves. Sun elves. On Striped Phoenixes. We....they were spotted yesterday, at our borders. We don't know why they're coming, but they're almost here. Most of the people in the town are preparing for war."

Kaitlynn nods. "They....they're kind of beautiful. And we don't know if they're coming for war, anyway."

A voice suddenly blasts across the town, coming through speakers situated all over.

"Guardians, please resume your activities inside. We are now going on lockdown mode and will remain so until the danger recedes. Please stay inside and out of sight of doors or windows. Thank you,"

"Come on, we've gotta get back," Opal takes my hand and the three of us run through the streets until we reach the school which is by far the largest of the buildings in the town.

A man stands at the door, looking increasingly worried. "Opal. Kaitlynn. Ruby." he nods at us. "We were getting worried. Opal, Kaitlynn, show Ruby to your room. I take it there is an empty bed in Bella's absence? She can sleep there, until we figure out what to do with her."

Kaitlynn and Opal look shocked at this man's knowledge of me. I'm surprised, too. How would he know who I was, and that I was here at all?

The three of us begin to walk past the front door, but the man catches my shoulder as I begin to walk past. "Welcome, Ruby. I'm glad to see that you found your way here. I figured you might, sometime soon." he releases my shoulder and strokes his chin. "Twins. Such a strange concept.

I stiffen and continue walking, up to where Opal and Kaitlynn are waiting. Because I know that Opal and I are not regular twins.