Twisted Returns

"What? Really?" Cody asks,

"Yes, you all have family there," Marigold says. "With the exception of Dana, but I think it is important to go."

"Why must I go?" Katalina asks. "I am no longer Rebecca."

"Regardless, you used to be her," Marigold says. "You still mean something to your family, no matter what."

"Where is the bridge?" I ask.

"Out the back door of the castle. We'll go now."

----

The bridge turns out to be more of a tunnel than an actual bridge. And more white than rainbow. To get in, we had to walk through a waterfall. The cold temperature was felt, but the water was not.

It's like a tunnel made of glass. The glass sparkles and scatters the bright light into a million colors. The whole thing is rather large, and there are benches every hundred feet or so.

"It should take about five minutes to get there," Marigold says. "It's not as long as it looks." Good, because it looks pretty long.

It feels weird walking through this tunnel, and I can't pinpoint why. Obviously, something that happened in the past, but I don't know what. I look down at my hands, the light painting my skin bright colors.

The reds and oranges remind me too much of the blood, and that fire. I'm about to close my eyes and block it all out, but I find that the fear has disappeared. A strange feeling, because the memory still sits in the front of my mind.

And then I remember. Simply being here, on the Rainbow Bridge, eliminates feelings that you are trying to get rid of. It also intensifies the emotions you want to feel, like love. Which is why this is considered to be one of the most romantic places in this universe.

That's what's missing - the people. This isn't just a mode of transportation, it's become a landmark, a tourist attraction. There would be weddings held here (for a very costly price) and generally just... everything.

It looks like it extends onwards forever. But we keep walking and suddenly a cold sensation washes over me and the bright tunnel is gone. Instead, a whole new world stands in front of me.

Unlike Crystallaria, which is primarily blue, the world is all different colors. The water of the waterfall we just came out of is a calming aqua, and it sparkles and winks at us in the sunlight. It's a lot warmer here than in Crystallaria, and more humid.

The Glitterian castle is right in front of us. From what I remember, this is the back end of it. There are fenced off areas that resemble soccer fields and tennis courts. There is a body of water that is unmistakably a huge swimming pool. That same spell, the one that conjured the shield, pops into my head. I don't know why. It probably connects to the pool in some way.

The castle is more modern than the one in Crystallaria, with only a few towers. The whole building is a pale yellow, with balconies here and there. The place is designed more like a resort than a castle. A paradise.

"This way," Marigold says, leading us to the pool. The fence, made out of glass, doesn't seem to have a gate. But Marigold reaches out to touch it, and a section of the fence swings open. We head through and it closes seamlessly.

We walk by the pools and it's just so tempting to dive in. If Lorraine was here, she would playfully pretend to push me in. But in this little group, no one has a friendship strong enough to do that. Or maybe everyone's mood is just low.

We reach the building and there's a sliding glass door. Not really much is seen with the bright sunlight. Marigold reaches to open the door. When her hand makes contact, we can see her whole form flashing white. I recognize this as the same thing that happened with the door in Marigold's study.

The door slides open like an automatic door on Earth. A mixture of sweet scents waft over me. Smells like a bakery. Looks like one too. Huge ovens are everywhere, the first thing I notice.

The second thing I notice is a short blonde woman with an upturned nose. She runs towards us, nearly knocking a pot off of the counter.

"Johnny!" she screams, her voice nasal. She runs and wraps her arms around him. "Oh Johnny, I missed you!"

"Hi?" he says, half hugging her back.

"Oh Johnny, don't you remember me?" Tears well up in her hazel eyes. He just looks at her. "I'm Annalisa, your mother!"

"Oh," he says. He stares at her, blinking. It's as if every time he closes his eyes, he hopes to see something else when he opens them. It seems to work, though.

"Shawn!" Annalisa yells into the huge kitchen. "Shawn, he's back!"

A tall man with a receding hairline rushes over. I assume this to be Cody's father, because he joins the hug. "Johnny, we were so worried."

"Thanks," Cody says. "But I go by Cody now."

His parents pull away from the hug, looking at him sadly. "We knew you would be different. We just didn't know how much..."

"We have to report to the ballroom," Marigold interjects. Annalisa and Shawn look horrified, as they had not even acknowledged the fact that they are in the presence of royalty. They start to murmur apologies, but Marigold just holds up her hand. "We should get going."

"If you mind, Marigold," Cody says, his parents shooting him a horrified look for not addressing her properly, "but I'd like to stay here with my parents. To get back memories and everything."

Marigold nods. "Of course. But the rest of you, come with me."

----

The ballroom is similar to the one on Crystallaria. But much more colorful, with a stained glass ceiling leaving colors on the floor.

Dean's parents, Erik and Marissa, sit with him, talking to him. Looking at them, I decide that they are beautiful. But there is something cruel about their sharp features, leaving them almost scary looking. Their soft, soothing voices don't match their appearances.

Katalina sits with her mother and little sister. Seems Rebecca is not going to be lost - her sister, Natalia, looks exactly like a miniature version of her.

I sit at a table, hordes of adoring fans lined up for autographs. Even though I haven't done anything to deserve all this - I was simply born into it. I'm not exactly complaining, though.

"To Arina," I say as I write. Halfway through the n an emergency bell screeches.

Marigold stands. "Glitteria is under attack."