The Remarkable Ones

The night sky was dark blue. Cassidy thought blue was the colour of anxiety. She felt angry, which made her feel even sadder. Then she thought about the entire journey she had been on for so long. The improvement she had been doing as the Queen of Avoránic. Even though she was thinking quite a lot about planet Earth the first year after she arrived. She was anything but brave when she became the Queen. She thought it was a joke, that day they revealed the result of the election. She was convinced they were trying to make fun of her. But then she realized it was nothing else but the truth. The government told her they had elected her as the queen. “You can see all the aura in the world. Nobody can hide from your sight. Of course, a person able to interpret the aura of all living creatures would be useful. We had that in mind while taking the decision”, one of the oracles said. 

If she hadn’t that gift – the gift of seeing things other people can’t – would they still elect her? Probably not.

Castor was hard-working but too shy. His sister was the leader Avoránic needed at that point and still needed these days. She was the most hard-working at the time, but she worked in complete silence. Of course, he felt left behind sometimes. That’s a quite natural feeling. It’s human nature. Cassidy and Castor – the only human beings alive at Avoránic. Sometimes he missed planet Earth. It’s like he and his sister have switched places. Castor is the one who misses Earth now; the one who thinks about the silver-coloured moonlight and the fruits they won’t be able to taste again. Cassidy had difficulties accepting her new life earlier, but now she seems to have forgotten where she came from.

The Castle was light, perhaps a bit overwhelming. On the other hand, everyone felt welcome. Everyone but Nels, Castor’s best friend who betrayed them earlier this year. Castor was wondering if his suspicious thoughts about Nels actually were true. He hoped to be the leader of Avoránic but failed. He wasn’t even meant to be anything else than a staff member of the Castle. Everyone knew he didn’t fit the role of a leader. He was too weak. Leaving the Castle to work with the enemies was proof enough.

“The magicians”. That’s the phrase Cassidy used for her biological family. That’s how she refers to them. They were somewhere. On another planet, perhaps they’re all still alive. They will never know who their twins are.

“You have to flee the country. You have to believe in your own courage. You have to gain knowledge, and you have to work hard”, Sarphira said. The mother of the one with the incredible gift of seeing the truth and her brother who was named “beaver” in Latin.

It was obvious who was the most loved child between Cassidy and Castor.

What’s in there?

She reminded herself how it turned out the last time she was this curious about something. That time her brother and herself - by mistake - released a terrible beast in the castle. But that was a long time ago. Ages. That time in life when everything was a challenge. Now she was leading Avoranic in the direction every oracle - and herself - wanted. She was happy with her life.

But, what’s inside that door?

She opened it only to find it was just another room in the castle she yet hadn’t explored. Same as the 499 other rooms and hallways. That’s what she expected at least.

”Ah, there you are! I have been looking all over for you!”

Castor was breathing heavily and sounded like a bear on a hot afternoon while having a panic attack. ”Oh, I’m sorry my beloved brother… I might have forgotten our meeting…”

Cassidy looked at her very well-polished shoes.

”That wasn’t very nice!”, Castor jokes. But it was true. Cassidy was all over the place in her mind right now.

For a long period of time, they just looked into the empty and dusty room.

”Do you miss home? I get that feeling now and then. That you are.”

Castor looked at his sister and she got something that reminded him about brain fog. She just wasn’t there, her eyes were… distanced. Eventually, she shakes her head.

”No, I certainly do not!”

They both knew she was lying.

”I mean… Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if we had never come here. Sure, this place is more developed than Earth. Just look at the technology! But… Some things do not exist here, which I miss from the earth. I miss the silver light of the full moon. The red light of the moon here on this planet is scary and gloomy. I miss the fruits too. Like oranges…”

Meanwhile, Cassidy was floating away in her mind about everything she missed from the earth, her brother had already disappeared. She didn’t even notice he was slowly walking away from her. It was when Norya came and gave her a big hug she noticed the difference. Norya had blue hair which enclosed Cassidy completely. Cassidy had long, curly black hair which Norya always had been a bit envious of. The yellow, big, bright eyes that belonged to Norya looked nicely at Cassidy. Norya’s pointy ears were waving in excitement.

”It sounds like a wonderful place. Earth. I would have been the luckiest if I had been able to see it with my own eyes. Do you really mean the moonlight is silver-coloured? And not a red light as here? That sounds so cool!”

Norya had somehow made Cassidy feel more at home in the castle. It helped a lot to just talk about planet Earth. They sat in the big garden and ate a madina - a fruit that was only growing in Avoranic, Cassidy’s kingdom. And they talked about Cassidy’s old life. The madina was nice and sweet but reminded of a strange version of strawberries, in Cassidys’ opinion. Norya hadn’t seen a strawberry in her entire life, so she couldn’t really relate at all.

Meanwhile, on earth, two adoptive sisters were talking about life. They didn’t yet know they were part of something bigger than what they could understand.

Aline took a sip of her coffee and looked at Ingrid.

”How was work today?”

Ingrid took her cup in her hands, warming them with some help from the hot drink inside. ”It was fantastic. Do you know what? It was this little girl who came into the store today, and she was so adorable! She gave me a piece of paper and she had written on it that I had given her strength after she purchased a keyboard pedal. She was shy playing the piano in front of others.”

Ingrid grinned and looked thoughtful when she said it.

”Wow, what did you tell her?”, Aline wondered with eyes as big as planets.

”I don’t know, actually. She said she was shy, and I said I knew how it feels…”, Ingrid replied.

”In other words; you were just a human being. Sometimes genuine people are the ones who make a difference!”

Carl suddenly appeared in the room. He looked amused.

”Hello Dad”, Aline said and gave him a big hug. ”Had a good day?”

”Yes, it was a calm day, at least”, Carl answered.

He was a police officer and was used to seeing a lot.

”How was your day? Aline? Ingrid?” He asked.

”Fantastic!” Ingrid replied with dreamy eyes and her response made Carl confused at first. He was used to coming home to a depressed face and a skinny, black-haired girl who didn’t talk much.

His facial expression changed immediately.

”I’m glad to hear that, sweetheart”

Aline and Ingrid went to the mall.

”I know that Carl isn’t my father, but sometimes I wish he was”, Ingrid said out of nowhere. She got dreamy eyes again.

”He could be your father, you know. I think he sees us both as his daughters”

”You think?”

”Absolutely, don’t you see how he treats you? Just like me!”, said Aline with a big smile.

Ingrid grinned.

“You’re right”