Twinkle's Story: Chapter 24

*I'm finally here with a new story chapter. Yay!*
*The new POV is only going to be occasionally. In other words, it's not going to be like Twinkle's and Duke's which are every chapter.*
*There will also be another new POV coming up soon. It'll be like this new one. As in not as often as Twinkle's and Duke's.*
*So sorry that the new POV doesn't have an official "name" yet. It's been bothering me for the past few days, so I just decided to leave it blank for now. Hey, making up new names is difficult! I really do mean 'making up new names'. Creativity...*
*You might know who the new POV is, but I'm coming up with another name for it. You'll see...*
*That suspense, though...*
*Enjoy the chapter! :)*
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(Unavailable Name at this time)

I take a deep breath as I shudder, looking down at the pale gray tiled floor. Shiny green shards cover the section of the floor where I'm looking at. The green tiara, once whole, now shattered among the hard floor. Every fox mother got a tiara as a gift after having their baby. The green tiara was my gift. I sniff. Now that gift- the one gift I truly ever had- is broken.

"What are you staring at now? Get up and look at me, gosh darn it!" The tough and highly-trained officer stretches his arm all the way across the old, faded gray table. As his paw is just about to slap my head, I look up from the floor. I quiver as I'm about to speak. But before I could utter a single sound, he slapped me. The back of his paw against the top of my snout.

I cringed as he slapped me, tears coming to my eyes. He then yells, curtly, "I said 'get up'!"

Through unsteady breaths, I push the old and creaky chair I've been sitting in, behind me. When there's enough space, I stand up between the table and the chair. I raise my paw up to where he hit me. I grimace. It hurts so badly. I look at the shirt sleeve on the arm I raised, as I put it back down at my side like my other arm. Now everything I am is faded away.

It wouldn't be as bad if the orange of this jumpsuit is a bright, more vivid orange. I sniff in distaste as I press my nose into the fabric. Instead, it's a faded, light orange color. I sigh and look up at the officer who's the only other one in this small, tightly spaced room. "Yes?" I whisper, not enough air in me to speak louder.

"You've never answered my question," he says, calmer this time.

I take another long sigh, air coming back to me. "Officer, I confess. How many times do I have to say 'I'm guilty'? However, no matter what you say or do to me, I won't regret it. I had to do it! For me, for him... For us."

"Does he know the true reason why you m-"

"No. No, he doesn't. For his safety and sanity, leave him alone. Let him believe that his father always loved him."

"Doesn't he think you're the evil one, though? Does he not know the truth? About you and him?"

I gulp. "Y-yes. He believes the entire, polar opposite," I sigh, "but he can't know the truth. He just can't! He's too vulnerable. He'll break once he knows. He will break." I feel the first few tears start rolling down my cheek.

The officer looks me in the eye. "Remember when your father told you the news?"

I tremble as I stay standing. The awful memories flash by in my head. The screams, the cries, the slamming door, the heartache. Being told that my whole life was a complete lie. Being cursed just for one mistake an ancestor did so long ago. And I was only a little girl. The news broke out on the day before my birthday.

"Well, he's just as much illegal to be a Jamaasian citizen as you are."

He's the only other one alive that's cursed. The other one being me.

I gasp. "You're not being serious, are you? You can't possibly think of arresting him, too. He's done nothing illegal. Only I have." I hang my head down in shame.

"But remember, he is illegal."

"But just because of that stupid mark! That doesn't make up who he is! You're just looking for the bad in people!"

"Oh, unlike you, I follow the law. And I'll do whatever it takes to preserve it. No matter what."

As he's about to twist the doorknob to open the door, he turns around. As he faces me, he raises a paw and moves it horizontally. His paw in front of his throat.

I understand the message loud and clear. It sends shivers down my spine. They're coming for him. The one who hates me more than anybody else in the world. The one who wants me dead. The one who is clueless to the truth. The one with a fire burning in his soul. I relax for a brief moment. He's not an ordinary fox. And not just because of the curse. He is a fire. Made up of flames destined to destroy me. Burn me to ashes. They're coming for him. My son.


DUKE

"You're not being serious, are you? We can't possibly travel to the outskirts of the world we live in for... for whatever this is," Twinkle says, as she runs to keep up with me. I make sure she stays a steady distance away from me. I slow down just a bit, so I can look over my shoulder. She just gave up on chasing me. Bent over, paws on her legs, she pants. "Slow down at least!" she says between breaths. I stop to let her catch up with me.

When she arrives at my side, looking utterly exhausted, I ask, "Why not?"

Twinkle just rolls her eyes. "Ugh! We just can't, Duke! Okay?"

I stare blankly back at her, then say, "No, it's not okay."

She lets out an exasperated sigh. "Yes. We can survive a few days and nights outside. And on a building's rooftop. We can do that. But-"

"Yeah. But what?"

"Duke, why must you make things so hard to explain?"

I grin. "Hey, I'm just asking."

"You know what? Whatever."

"Were you going to say something?"

"Uh... Yes. Yes, I was."

"Okay then... Now say it."

"I don't know. Going on an expedition to find somebody we barely know anything about, going through some territory we've never seen before even if it's still in fox's.. We don't know how long it'll take. It could take a very long time, Duke. How could we possibly survive? Alone, in the wild, unfamiliar areas..."

I give her a mischievous look. From how my ears are angled to the way I smile. "Alone.. How about that!"

I see her face beginning to blush in embarrassment. "Oh Zios. You had to say that in the way you did, didn't you?"

I giggle. "I'm just saying."

"Enough you! As I was saying before you... rudely interrupted me," Twinkle giggles as well, "Oh darn it, Duke!"

"Yes, Twinkle?" I ask, like a servant talking to a leader.

"Stop making me laugh! It's not... not... funny." She ends up laughing.

"Twinkle, are you sure about that?" I ask, concerned.

She clears her throat. Or that's what I think. "We're only fourteen, though. Can we both manage to take on this huge task?"

I sigh. "Age does not matter. We both act way older than our actual age. We've been through so much more than the average fourteen year old fox." I pause, then continue. "As well as by our actions. Most people our age haven't done what we've done. You know.. Spending time on a roof, spending nights alone with dates, nobody watching..."

"Okay, I get your point!" Twinkle says, obviously blushing.

I have the mischievous look on my face again.

We end up going on the long journey. Our lives begin to drastically change. But not exactly in the ways we intend them to.


TWINKLE

I'm still trying to recover from the prophecy message I had a few hours ago. Right afterwards, I told Duke about it. Surprisingly, he completely understood what I was telling him. He then informed me that he got the new prophecy message before I did. It made me a tad jealous before, but I don't really care anymore.

The voice of the prophecy message, haunts me. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe in the way it sounded? The words of it? I shrug. Too much thought.

I feel taps on my left shoulder. I turn around to see Duke's right paw repeatedly tapping my shoulder.

"Uh... Yes? May I help you?" I ask, trying to sound completely confused. "Do I even know you?"

He gives me a perplexed look, lost in thought. "Hmm.... Let me think. No."

"Uh... Okay?"

"Let me introduce myself. I am an awesome fox of the name Duke that is so awesome that has the ability to shoot flames out of claws. Now may I ask, who are you?"

"I am a cold, blue-colored fox that looks awkward. I am a cold, blue, depressed fox with depression. I cry all day in my princess tower, waiting anxiously for a friend."

"Maybe you, a blue fox that's cold and depressed, and me, an awesome fox that's awesome, can become friends?"

"I like that plan."

"Okay."

We both end up laughing at the joke we made up as we went along. It makes the thoughts of going on this adventure, far less intimidating. And I thank Duke for that.

Suddenly, the prophecy message replays in my head again. It makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. I don't even bother moving closer to Duke, who stands just a few feet away to my left.

The ending of the message replays in my head.:

"To complete what you two are destined for, you two have to find the last remaining piece in the puzzle. If you do, there's a high chance that Jamaa would be saved. If not, expect your lives to become even more miserable. Find the last one. You three are Jamaa's last hope. Find the green. It will shine like the strike of dawn. By how you play the game, your life will change. Play wisely."

I gulp. What could this message possibly mean for Duke and I? How is it going to affect us? How are we possibly going to find the green fox of our mysterious prophecy?

As if by cue, I hear a faint voice in the wind. "Only the future will tell..."

I take a deep breath. "Okay, Duke. Let's go."

We continue walking. We find ourselves walking towards the edge of fox territory. The edge that's also the edge of Jamaa territory. The edge of the world. Or as we know it.