Cadence Fall pt. 4

Silence fell in the room. Legion lets out a stern laugh as everyone stands confused.

"What do you want?" Stella asks.

"The same thing you do. Answers."

"Then why has my father been coming here then?" Dillon asks.

Legion looks around for a moment.

"Your father?" He asks. "He came here?"

He genuinely looks very confused. He has no idea what we are talking about.

"What do you mean?" I ask

"No man has come here. Only a woman."

"A woman?"

"Young, from what I remember. Black hair, empty blue eyes, tall..."

Melena shoots her weapon at him. She misses, hitting the wall next to him.

"Enough with the cryptic talk! Get to the point!"

"Fine. You are no fun any way."

"You think I care?"

Legion squinches his eyes at her, then turns his attention to us.

"As much as I don't want to admit it, I have to."

"Admit what?" Dillon asks.

Legion clears his throat.

"I need your help. Clearly this issue has grown beyond me, and I cannot contain it on my own. It's time I came clean."

"How can we even trust you?"

"You don't just take in the information. After the original human republic fell, I was created and tasked with protecting and preventing what caused the collapse in the first place."

"Which is?"

"Jump space."

The entire room goes silent.

"You're joking." Melena says.

"Do I look like I am? Anyways, the original humans were obsessed with the prospects of jump space. Some wanted to see what was truly on the other side. All would come to regret it. We originally assumed that jump space was a pocket of time and space. A gap we pass through to get from point A to point B. Oh we were so wrong. Instead, jump space is a different pocket entirely. One with its own rules and its own...species."

"What are you saying?" Dillon asks.

"There are a lot of things you don't know. To ensure the safety of future generations, rules were created, and they cannot be broken."

"The rules of jump space." I hesitantly say.

"Correct my purple-eyed friend. These rules were established to prevent humans from making the same mistakes from the past. They were created to keep humans from releasing the same monster that destroyed the empire. It is the reason why the large ships would disappear into space, never to be seen again.

"Just like the Lunar Star."

"Also correct. We still don't have an answer on how to stop it. I continued to study the creature other side after it left but my resources ran thin and I couldn't continue."

"What is it?"

"It goes by many names. The people called it hell. The religious call it the devil. I am surprised she hasn't told you, considering they were also experimenting with jump space this whole time."

"Who has?" Dillon asks.

"The one who knows everything...because she is required to."

All eyes turn around as Stella slowly backs away. She isn't trying to run. I can tell from her body language she doesn't want to, but something is up. Her entire body shivers as we confront her. Dillon reaches out his hand as she tries desperately to get away.

"Stella?" Dillon asks. "What's wrong?"

"I...I didn't know."

"Go on." Legion says, "Tell them. Tell them about the moon that I have to clean up."

"What moon?"

"Demi. Would you care to explain to the class?"

Mess? What is he talking about? What could the princess know that's so bad she won't tell us? Then it hit me. The only thing that could think of. The only thing that mattered. The shattered moon.

"Dekara? The moon? That was you?" I ask.

Stella's eyes grow wide. She knows.

"There is no way?" I ask. "It was you?"

"I am so sorry Demi, I didn't know. I only found out recently and...-"

"-...you thought it not to tell me!"

"Calm you down Demi." Leagion says. "She is not your target but the woman she is working with is. You asked easier why I need you help. The princess who came here is preparing something." Legion continues. "I don't exactly know what yet, but I have no means to stop her. She is about to open a hole to jump space itself. The creature that lays on the other side is... terrifying."

"Cadence?" Dillon says, horrified by the revelation. "You mean my sister?"

"Correct, my young prince."

"What do you need us to do?" I ask.

"Stop her. If she opens that hole, that same creature will pour out and destroy everything, we cannot let that happen."

"What makes you think we will help you?"

"You have no choice now. All of civilization will end if you don't act."

The lights start to flicker and shut off behind us. Legion begins to fade away.

"You don't have much time." he continues. "Hurry! They are coming for you!"

All the lights shut off, then turn back on again, and he disappears along with them.