Twisted Returns

As soon as I wake up, Amber comes to get me. The sleepy haze no longer fogs up my mind when I awaken.

"Dana, we need you to come," she says. She shows me her necklace to confirm that she's the real person. "This is important."

"Uh, okay," I say quietly, as Dean is still asleep. Strange, because he usually wakes up early. "What do you need me for?"

"I don't know. It was Alina who needed you, not me. She didn't tell me what for. Just that it was important."

"Oh. Where do I have to go?"

"I'll take you. I think you've been there before, though. It's just a place where there's no distractions or anything. Go get ready and I'll be waiting outside."

----

Amber brings me to the tapestry of the circle with feathered wings. It seems that along with Alina, she also has access to this room.

Once again, I find myself going down the narrow stairs. But this time I can go at a reasonable pace.

The all blue room looks the same as the first day. Alina sits in a chair, waiting for me. I take a seat.

"I have to go," Amber says. "There are more volunteers to fight, and I have to help Katie organize them."

"Okay, that's fine," Alina says. She turns to face me as Amber walks back up the twisting staircase.

"So... why am I here?" I ask her.

She clears her throat. "As you know, everyone's mission is to protect you."

"Yes..."

"And you know that the war is getting worse everyday. Our task to guard you gets harder."

"But what do you need me here for?" I ask, fiddling with the chain of my necklace. "I don't have magic... I can't do anything about it."

"That's what we're trying to figure out. Where your magic went." She holds out her hands, cupping them. A hologram of a woman appears. She has long blue hair and pale, pale eyes. "Do you recognize her?"

"Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know..." I hold my head in my hands, desperately trying to recall any memories of her.

"This is Isabel. She is the head of the Council of Crystallaria. In other words, the one who makes all the decisions other than the royal family."

"So why are you showing her to me?" Automatically, I wonder if something has happened to her.

"She has decided that this war must end soon, and your parents agree. It's only been going on for almost a month, and we are losing. The attackers have mystery on their side."

"Marigold thinks they are duplicators," I tell her, though I'm not exactly sure what duplicators are.

"Duplicators are exactly what they sound like," Alina explains, as if reading my mind. "They can make an exact copy of nearly everything."

I shift in my chair of ice. "But that's good, right?" I think about how there would never be a shortage of food.

"Yes. There is a planet reserved just for those beings who possess the magic of duplication. They create supplies for the universe and live luxurious lives."

"So if they could have all that, why would they want Crystallaria? Or specifically, me?"

Alina shakes her head. "People are selfish. They will always want more than what they already have." Her statement reminds me of myself, which brings a wave of shame over me. "You could want things - everyone does. But most of us don't go so far as to destroy a planet."

"I guess this all makes sense..." I say. "But I still don't understand why you need me to be here."

She leans in slightly, looking me directly in the eyes. I know she's getting to her real point now. "This whole war is tied down to you."

"But I can't do anything about it!" I repeat.

"You can. I have been asked to figure this whole thing out. So I will have to ask you about what you know, what you remember."

By now, I start to get frustrated. "If I knew or remembered anything, I would have already said it."

"Yes, yes I know," she says, nodding, understanding. "But you will be surprised at what people will remember while being prompted."

"Okay... I guess. Ask away," I tell her. Right after I finish my sentence, there's a loud rumbling coming from somewhere above my head. I look up at the blue ice ceiling, already filling with worry.

Alina just waves her hand as if it's nothing, but I'm still cautious, alert. She asks, "Do you have any idea at all of who is attacking? Do you remember any suspicious people?"

I rack my brain and answer, "Not at all."

She nods and continues. "As you know, Crystallaria had very high security. It would have taken an extremely powerful magic to break in. The magic of Diana Crystal fit these terms."

"Are you - are you blaming this all on me? Someone could have used my magic!"

"Not possible. There are very few circumstances in which magic can be transferred to another person. Basically, you would have had to be killed."

"But I was killed!"

"Not exactly. And ever so, I was the one who took your life. I made certain that your magic stayed intact."

"It couldn't have been me. Why would I be attacking my own planet? And attacking myself?"

"I'm not saying you are the villain in this situation. But you could have been tricked to open the barriers, letting the attackers in and causing this whole problem."

At that point, Amber walks back into the room. Alina and I nod, acknowledging her, but continue with the conversation.

"But I know it's not my fault! I don't know who's attacking us or how they got in!"

"I know who, and how," Amber says, her expression grim. "It's my fault. All my fault."