¤Morning; Jan 6, 2009
The abandoned observatory
Mt. Alliance¤

Aphmau slowly opened her eyes and saw Aleena next to her, looking at her with worry.

"Aleena?"

"Oh, sister! You're okay!" Aleena hugged Aphmau.

"What happened?" Aphmau asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"You don't remember what happened last night?" Aleena asked. As soon as she said that, Aphmau remembered what happened. That shadow with red eyes that looked like Aaron came in. He completely brought Aaron to his knees, literally. And then...

"Wait, is Katelyn okay? Where is she?!" Aphmau asked, worried.

Aleena looked towards the middle of the observatory and Aphmau followed her gaze. She saw Katelyn lying on the ground unconscious with Aaron sitting next to her. He was watching her, not peeling his eyes from her.

"Katelyn!" Aphmau got up and ran over to her, despite Aleena's best efforts to stop her.

"Is she--?!"

"She's fine." Aaron answered, still watching Katelyn. Aphmau sighed with relief. Aaron looked like he had something bothering him, but Aphmau's main concern right now was Katelyn. Katelyn was practically her sister. They were always best friends growing up.

"Nnnuugh..." Katelyn slowly opened her eyes.

"Katelyn?" Aphmau asked.

"Ugh... what...? Where am I? Aphmau?" Katelyn sat up slowly, not noticing Aaron.

"You don't remember anything?" Aphmau asked.

"No... all I remember was me about to leave home for something... and now I'm here." Katelyn answered. She turned and saw Aaron.

"GAH!" She jumped back onto Aphmau, making them both fall over.

"Katelyn, what the heck!" Aphmau pushed her off.

"Who.. is that?" Katelyn asked, looking at Aaron.

"That's... Aaron." Aphmau said.

"Aaron...? You found him!" Katelyn pulled Aphmau into a hug, suffocating Aphmau.

"I knew you could do it!" Katelyn said. Aphmau broke free of her grip.

"But... why are we here? Why aren't we in Phoenix Drop?" Katelyn asked.

"Because we can't leave." Aaron said, looking away from them.

"Why?" Katelyn asked. Aaron looked at her.

"Last night, we were attacked by a shadow of some sort. It threatened that if any of us-- except you-- tried to leave, we wouldn't live to tell about it." Aaron said. Katelyn's eyes widened.

"But... why can I leave if you can't?" Katelyn said.

"We don't know." Aleena said, walking up towards them. There was a moment of silence.

"Well, I'm not leaving." Katelyn said.

"Katelyn--"

"No, Aphmau. I can't leave. I can help you find this... shadow... and make him let us go!" Katelyn said.

"If you don't leave now, you may never leave." Aaron said. Katelyn looked at him for a moment.

"Fine. But I don't wanna leave Aphmau here and just leave when I could help." Katelyn said. Aphmau smiled at her and Aaron sighed.

"Now I have two sisters!" Aleena said, pulling Katelyn and Aphmau into a group hug.

"What?" Katelyn said, confused.

"Just go with it." Aphmau said.

Aaron got up and walked towards the balcony and climbed it, disappearing into the darkness that was up there. Aphmau's curiousity got the best of her and she followed him.

   "Aaron?" She called. Aaron was sitting on the side of his bed, looking at the wall.

   "Your friend should leave. She shouldn't make the same mistake we did." He said. Aphmau opened her mouth, but then paused.

   "We?" She said.

   "Yes, we." He said.

   "You always say that I was the one who made the mistake of staying..." Aphmau said. Aaron sighed.

   "You think I wanted to get stuck up here for two years? No. But I didn't have a choice... he didn't let me make one before he forced me stay by threatening my life... and everyone else's." Aaron said.

   "Aaron... I..." Aphmau didn't know what to say to him.

   "And now, he's found out about you. Do you even realize the risk you take every day being here?"

   "Seems better then the risk of trying to leave." Aphmau said.

   "Well... you're not wrong. You wouldn't make it very far down the mountain. At least not alive." Aaron added. There was a long awkward silence

   "Did he... do something to you? The shadow, I mean. It's just... you seem..." Aphmau couldn't think of the word. Aaron finally looked at her. While he seemed expressionless, Aphmau could see a hint of depression and sadness in his eyes.

   "N-Nevermind... It's not important." Aphmau said. Aaron looked down. They just waited in awkwardness.

   "I-I'm gonna check on Katelyn." Aphmau said, about to leave the balcony.

   "Aphmau." Aphmau stopped as Aaron called her name. She turned slowly to see him looking up at her.

   "Y-Yes?" She answered.

   "Thank you." He said. He looked back down, his face now hidden in the darkness and his hair. Aphmau didn't say anything and climbed down the balcony.

   "How's brother?" Aleena asked quietly when Aphmau got down.

   "I think he's just... shaken up." Aphmau said. Aleena nodded.

   "Where's Katelyn?" Aphmau asked. Aleena pointed to the observatory entrance. Aphmau walked outside and saw Katelyn looking down on Phoenix Drop. Aphmau walked next to her.

   "How are you feeling?" Aphmau asked.

   "I... I don't know... I... Should I go back?" Katelyn asked. Aphmau didn't know what to tell her.

   "W-Well... it's your decision." Aphmau finally answered. Katelyn sighed, looking down on Phoenix Drop again.

   "Yeah... I guess..."

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   YAY! I WROTE! :D

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   Writer:
   NylodnewgPlaZ
   Editor:
   NylodnewgPlaZ (You proud of me?)