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But there was intense political upheaval from the war, as you can imagine. Some forty-five million Etherians died between military and civilian casualties; both kingdoms were in shambles.

❂❂❂

The manacles closed around Micah's hands, affixing him to the skiff. He stood at the coast – so close to Fort Ammeer that he could see Bright Moon's flag waving in the air from a distance.

Bright Moon, who thought he was dead.

Carmen gave him a silent, piteous look; she hadn't spoken the entire way here.

Micah swallowed. "You were betrayed too, weren't you?"

Her feline eyes widened, and Carmen shook her head silently. She looked as though she was trying to form words but made no sound. So she gritted her teeth.

Micah gazed at her sadly. "You can't talk anymore, can you?"

Carmen nodded, and Micah avoided her eyes. "Look, I know we can't save her. She never loved either of us, no matter how much you want to pretend. But please...untie me."

She tilted her head, looking at the other soldiers. Micah set his jaw in a hard line. "I won't escape. I swear it."

Carmen reluctantly pressed the button. The manacles fell off, and Micah gazed at this small felinetta, the woman his age. He could have been in her place if Light Spinner hadn't left him all those years ago. "Please," he whispered. "I want to remember what a hug is like before I go."

Carmen sniffled. Then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Micah returned the embrace, holding her in a secure grip as she sobbed beneath his touch.

"I know what it's like," he murmured. "I'm different too. Not in the same way, but...remember. You're not the only one. And I hope you'll make the right choice in the end."

Carmen stayed there for a while, her tail touching his wrist gently. When she pulled away, she had a deep look in her eyes. The felinetta grabbed his face and kissed him on both cheeks. Then she motioned him to step onto the skiff and pressed the button. The manacles were refastened.

Micah grinned tiredly at her. "Hey. If we go to the same place when we die... I'll tell you how long I survived. Take good care of your lady because the Rebellion will be out for her blood. And I won't blame them."

Carmen looked away from Micah, trembling as she held up the remote. Then she pressed another button.

And Micah launched into oblivion.

✧✧✧

Nell sat on his bed, holding a note from Angella, who had been too upset to leave her chambers for the past few days.

The Alliance is demoralized. They thought Micah would simply kill her. Put her down, as one does a sick dog. They have consistently underestimated her.

I don't know what to do. Without international help, we will be overrun.

Nell's mirror shimmered from across the room. He bolted to his feet, expecting a messenger of sorts.

The visitor didn't come through. They're stuck, Nell realized. He raced to the mirror but didn't know where the person had come from. What should he do?

His magic teachers could pull people out of the In-Between with force. Nell wrapped the magical rope around his knuckles. She gave a firm tug, casting a thin line of kinesis that manifested as a glowing blue strand and praying that the person on the other side could get to it.

A bundle of red and black tumbled down, landing on the floor with a moan. Nell stood back. It's her.

She's alive.

Nell felt his knees knocking. "Why are you here?"

Alura laughed shakily, sucking in a breath. Shimmering moondust flowed beneath her mask like a vacuum. With this, she staggered to her feet.

Then she pushed him, pinning his wrist to the wall. "Listen to me," she said in a harsh whisper. "I need your help. Micah is alive. So grow the hell up, and help me save him, or we're all dead."

"Save him?"

Alura's hand trembled over his. "He's being sent to Beast Island. It's a death sentence. I...I was almost left there myself. Dragons. Razor-fins. Creatures that hunt you. And...and..."

She breathed heavily, and Nell wrenched his wrist free of her grip, taking her by the shoulders. "What?"

She hissed at his touch. "Whispers. Voices that tell you to kill yourself – tones that urge you to give up..."

Nell swallowed. There's still a chance. And if we can't save him... "I don't trust you," he said, turning away. "You tried to kill both of us before. So why do you suddenly want to save him?"

"What in the moons do you care?" Alura snapped. "You get to save your precious Micah. Isn't that enough?"

"I want to know you're not leading me into a death trap," Nell said firmly. "You wanted to take me to the Fright Zone so you could keep mistreating me. I have no reason to believe you care about Micah anymore – not after what you did."

"Cast a truth spell on me," she said desperately. "We are running out of time!"

Nell looked at her. Her eyes held a desperate expression, and she leaned against the wall for support. "It's going to hurt, isn't it?" he said.

"It is worth the pain."

Here goes nothing. Nell enchanted a truth spell with great effort – he hadn't had to use one of these in ages – and cast it on her. Alura gasped as it went through her. Soon, the hiss of its effects reached Nell.

"I will ask you one more time," he said sternly. "Why are you interested in saving Micah?"

Alura panted beneath the power. Was it still hurting her? Nell didn't know...

Finally, she responded. "I still love Micah. I have always loved him – and he is the one thing that can save me from my soul's demise. Please...I need your help. You will save us both if we can recover him."

Nell gazed at her, shocked by her confession. "Alura..."

She burst into peals of laughter. "The same cannot be said of you," she said. "I know. I know how you tried to use me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play the fool with me!" she said. "You know what you did! You...love them instead. Well, they're gone. I killed them because you – don't – deserve – them. And I...I liked it. I liked it..."

A spiral of horror raced through Nell. "Zeka?" he whispered. Oh, moons. She killed Zeka... "Alura, I –"

"Don't try to defend yourself," she snapped. "You don't just get to...to..." She sniffled, shaking her head as if waking up from a dream. "We don't have much time."

Nell swallowed, disturbed by the sudden mood change. We'll discuss this later. "Is Micah already on the transport?"

"I don't know. My sense of time is warped."

Great. "So, what do you need me to do?"

Alura gestured to the vials of moondust on the nightstand. "I'll need many. I can't use a mirror again without my bones shattering. So we'll...we'll have to teleport."

"Teleport all the way to the Fright Zone? Are you insane?"

"Got any better ideas?" she snapped.

"No, it's just – you'll get strained."

"If I absorb the magic, I don't have to worry about that. It becomes part of me, as though I was prepared to cast a spell. Trust me."

Nell breathed out. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright. They're all yours."

Alura nodded, walking over to the nightstand and breathing in deeply. A cold chill filled the room, and the moondust traveled toward her through the vials, entering her chest. Then, with a glow, her hair began to billow again. "Come, now. We must make haste."

A voice came from the door. "Nell? Are you alright?" It was the queen. The queen, who insisted that Micah was dead.

I can't tell her. Like the rest of the Rebellion, Angella was out for Alura's blood. Nell had to get her to save Micah. If she was willing to do that...perhaps she would come with them after.

"Jolly good!" he called. "Just...um...getting ready for a shower."

Alura grabbed his hand roughly. Then they dissolved in a burst of darkness.

❂❂❂

Did you know...

- My document says this chapter should have a trigger warning, but for some reason I can't see anything in the chapter that warrants it. Let me know if you need it.

- Shadow Weaver's line to Nell is similar to what Adora says to Catra in S5. You can see where both of them were influenced by her.

Tell me what you think...

- Will Shadow Weaver and Nell save Micah in time? Why or why not?

- Why do you think Micah recognized Carmen as someone who was "different?"