I stood on the beach, the wind gently rustling my hair. I watched my friends joking around with carefree laughter. Audrey had climbed a tree to keep Deynan's bouncy ball away from him, and Sophie was watching, giggling. Isaac and Abigail were sitting off to the side, talking happily.

I stood apart from everything, feeling happy, yet...detached. It seemed like something was missing.

Just then, I heard a low growl. I turned, and suddenly, the beach was filled with zombies.

A feeling of panic rose in my chest. How had they gotten here without anyone noticing? What?

"Sierra, do something!" Sophie shouted.

I spun around to make sure she was okay, but my friends were gone.

My eyebrows knit. Where did they go?

But the zombies were closing in. My breathing sped up. I had to be a warrior. Or wait...was it unicorn? No, phoenix. Wait, what?

"What are you doing, turn into warrior!" Audrey hissed in my ear. I flinched and turned towards the sound, but no one was there.

The mob was getting closer and closer. They could have reached out and touched me. My heart was beating faster and faster. It felt like there was a boulder on my chest and I couldn't breathe. My throats constricted.

"Are you okay?" came Isaac's voice from somewhere to my left.

"Yes!" I shouted. "Yes, yes, I'm fine!"

But that was a lie.

A blonde woman reached out a decaying, gray hand and touched my cheek, dragging her cracked nail down my face. I felt a trickle of blood in its wake.

I began to shake, petrified from overwhelming terror. I couldn't transform. I couldn't even run.

Just then, I heard a shout.

I turned and standing right behind me was Ravi.

"So, uh, what's on your mind?" he asked, his hands in his pockets. He didn't look casual, but he was trying: for me.

And suddenly, all the zombies were gone.

My mouth started moving of its own accord. "Well...out on the battlefield just now, something sort of...happened."

His eyebrows creased. "What do you mean?"

The knot of anxiety in my stomach began to disappear.

"I couldn't turn into warrior. I can't be honest. I can't."

And then suddenly his hand was on my shoulder. A feeling of warmth spread through my body. I looked up.

His dark eyes were serious, caring, and concerned. "Are you okay?"

No, I wanted to shout. No, I'm scared.

But I just said, "I-I think so."

And suddenly the world began to spin and then everything was dark.

Something small appeared in the darkness. Curiously, I crept forwards. Then I realized what it was.

The mirror. It was farther away this time, as if showing me that the mirror itself was more important that the reflection. I gazed at it curiously. The handle was scratched a few times. It hadn't been like that before. I turned my attention back to the reflection.

Fire.

Not the fire of a phoenix, but the fire of death.

~~~~~~~

I sat up straight, breathing heavily. I waited a few moments for my heart to calm down. I looked around. It was still dark. Rolling over, I glanced at the clock on the nightstand between my bed and Audrey's. 4am. I slumped back down onto my pillow.

I stared at the ceiling, pulling the covers up closer under my chin. I let out a deep breath. I hadn't slept well. I wasn't used to having nightmares that seemed so...real. If I closed my eyes, I could still see the faces of the synthetic zombies closing in...

I pushed back the covers and quietly swung my legs out of the bed. I wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep. It just wasn't going to happen.

It was a relatively chilly night, so I pulled on a light sweater. I silently slipped out of my dorm.

The castle at night was an odd place to be. Serene, quiet, and slightly ominous. Everything was looming and shadowy. I tried to find comfort in the dark, how it enveloped me and calmed the world around it.

I stopped at one of the openings that overlooked the courtyard. It really was a beautiful place. I leaned against the window ledge, staring out into the darkness, watching the glitter of a few lamps flickering on the walls.

Just then, I noticed a shadowy figure moving up the side of the wall across from me. I frowned, a trickle of nervousness running down my spine. Sidestepping behind a wall, I closed my eyes and let a wave of joy, light, and love of life wash over me. Fairy wings sprouted from my back, and I felt lighter, happier, and even more awake than I was before.

I glanced around, making sure no one had noticed the flash of light that came with my transformation. After a few seconds, I looked out at the shadowy figure again. They had reached the roof. I considered briefly going to get help, but figured there was no time.

I stepped up onto the ledge and flew out silently across the courtyard. Flying felt interesting as a fairy. It wasn't quite as biological as pegasus flight. More magic was at play, keeping me buoyant. I also realized that, though I was flying directly towards a possible enemy, I wasn't scared. It's hard to feel scared when you're filled with so much happiness.

I reached the roof that the figure was on and silently landed. He or she had sat down on the ledge opposite, and was staring up at the sky.

I quietly crept forwards, trying to not alert them to my presence. Then they pulled their knees up to their chest.

I froze. I recognized that movement, but from where?

With a start, I realized the shadowy figure was none other than Amarie. She had changed from her usual white dress to black leggings with a white sort of tunic over it, cinched with a thin belt. She still wasn't wearing any shoes.

I let my fairy transformation drop, feeling more solid again. For another moment, I stared at Amarie. She looked so peaceful. I had never seen her looking anything but anxious and afraid. In the starlight, she was as beautiful as a princess. I smiled. I took a breath. Then I walked up and sat next to her.

"Hey," I said, as quietly as I could.

She jumped half a mile, almost tumbling off the roof. I instantly shot out and grabbed her shoulder.

"Whoa there," I laughed as she steadied herself. "It's just me. Sorry if I scared you."

"It's okay," she said, her voice a bit shaky. She smiled. "You just...surprised me."

"Sorry," I apologized again.

Amarie looked like she was trying to think of something to say, but couldn't. I instantly felt guilty for disturbing her peace.

"Hey," I said softly, "you don't have to be worried when you're talking to me. I know that's easier said than done, but I'm a good listener. And I'm not going to judge you for being yourself, I promise."

Amarie glanced at me hesitantly. "Thanks, but...I wouldn't promise that."

"Amarie, I like you," I replied. "I can't think of anything that you could tell me about yourself right now that would make me like you any less."

There was a moment of silence. In the distance, I could hear the waves crashing against the shore of the island.

"Why?" she whispered.

I frowned. "Why what?"

She turned to look at me. There was pain in her eyes. "Why do you like me? What is there to like?"

I was stunned.

I hadn't realized how insecure she was. My heart throbbed in pain.

"Amarie," I said slowly, "what do you mean? There is so much to like! You're brave and beautiful, you're a fighter, and intelligent, and kind! How can you say there's nothing?"

She smiled slightly and looked away. "Thank you, but I'm not any of those things."

"Yes, you are!" I protested.

Amarie turned again and looked me in the eye. "Sierra...why do you think Giselle is a good person?"

The question surprised me. For a few seconds, I didn't respond. Then I pulled my thoughts together. "Well...first of all, I saw Giselle's backstory. She lost Juan, was manipulated by someone else, and was afraid of her own power, all of which put her in a bad place. I'm not saying what she did was right, but it's understandable, given the circumstances."

"What about The Destroyer?" she asked.

I was confused, but answered anyways. "You saw his backstory just like I did. He lost his brother. He was angry and hurt and afraid."

"But is he a good person?"

I shifted. "Um...it's hard to say. He might have been, had nothing gone wrong, and he still might be, in the future. I don't think anyone is inherently a bad person...so I guess my answer is yes. He's a good person. He just hasn't let it show."

Amarie smiled sadly. "What about Damius?"

I bit my lip. "Um...I'm sure he has a very clear backstory that explains why he's the way he is and what corrupted him and led him away from his goodness."

Amarie laughed slightly closing her eyes. "This is what I mean. You see the good in everyone, Sierra. No one is a bad person, it's just good people doing bad things. But not everyone is like that. I wish it were true."

I frowned. "There's not a baby out there who hates everything and plans to take over the world. That kind of mentality comes from being raised."

Amarie sighed. "Maybe. But don't you think people born into good families and have good lives can turn out terribly?"

I thought about this, running my hand across the stone. "I guess. But something must have happened to them to make them that way."

Amarie shrugged. "I don't know the answer. I've just been thinking. I've never met anybody like you before. You see the world like it's bathed in golden light and nobody knows it. Like it's your duty to show everyone how good and amazing everything is. I think it's...admirable. Incredible. But that idea is still foreign to me."

I sat, silent, feeling the wind as it played with my hair. Her words had struck a chord within me, though I couldn't say what. The words of the conversation seemed to settle in the air around us, no longer prominent but not gone. I wondered if they ever would be.

There was a long period of silence. The waves in the distance were soothing.

Finally, I looked back at Amarie. "Why'd you come out here?"

She looked up. "To look at the stars."

I followed her gaze. The sky was beautifully clear. Out on the island there wasn't as much light pollution as there was back on the mainland, so you could see thousands more stars than usual. I had never fully appreciated it.

For a few minutes, we just sat there, gazing, breathing listening. It was peaceful.

"You know what I think?" I whispered. "Any person that takes time to appreciate the stars has a little piece of starlight in themselves."

Then, without another word, I stood up and made my way back to my dorm.

~

A/N: There will be a part 2 to this chapter, but I wanted to try and update faster.