ELEMENT

Chapter Forty-Two: Aroace Visibility Day

It had gotten easier to go through the portals since the first time they'd ever done it.

Meadow first walked gracefully out, then Ethan, then Sage, then Robin.

"Meadow," Robin started, "are you okay?"

"Yeah." Meadow nodded. "I knew it was going to happen."

"I did too, and it still really hurt." Ethan sighed, sounding sorrowful.

"What do we do next?" Robin asked, coming closer to Meadow. "Do you know yet?"

"...Uh." Meadow sighed. "We go to the Dark Exile next."

"You mean we still haven't figured out what went wrong in the timeline?" Sage persisted.

"Nothing's been clicking yet." Meadow searched her brain for visions, still coming on just as strong. "There's something we haven't done, something we're not seeing."

"If we have to go to the Dark Exile, is there a possibility we won't come back?" asked Ethan with some worried tone.

"No!" Meadow shook her head. "No, definitely not. I wouldn't let any of you get hurt."

"Okay, but what about you?" Sage took Meadow's hand. "What about you going out there?"

"Of my two godmothers, one disappeared and one died." Meadow tried to reassure them. "Since we know I don't belong there, I'm definitely the one who disappears."

"Really?" Sage said flatly. "Because it sounds like you're willing to throw your life away to perpetuate a cycle."

"Ethan," Robin whispered into his ear, "we should go. Some serious girl drama is about to go down."

"I agree." Ethan whispered back. "I've seen both of them angry and I don't wanna be here for it."

So, Ethan and Robin slipped out quietly while the conversation continued.

"I am not going to throw my life away," Meadow continued, rolling her eyes. "I'm not that stupid."

Sage's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? I'm not saying you're stupid, but in situations like these, you consider yourself expendable and you are absolutely not."

"Sage, I'm telling you, this will be fine." Meadow tried to lighten the conversation. "There's nothing after the Exile that I need to search, and if I don't find it, I'll just try to fix it from here."

"Fix what?" Sage squinted. "You haven't told us what it is you're fixing yet. In fact, you never tell me or even Robin what's happening."

"That's not true! I don't keep secrets from anyone!"

"You mean Ethan." Sage crossed her arms. "You don't keep secrets from Ethan. He knows more than he lets on, but neither of you ever bring it up."

"Let's not fight, okay?" Meadow sighed, feeling tense. "It's really not your problem to figure out—"

"If it's not my problem," exclaimed Sage, her tone growing with irritation, "then why the fuck have I been time jumping with you? I'll tell you why, Meadow, it's because we're friends and we fucking stick together!"

"And I'm grateful that you're doing that!"

"Then why don't you tell anyone what's happening?!" Sage's voice cracked under the pressure of her emotions.

"I don't want to fight, Sage!"

"We're going to fight!" Sage retaliated. "I'm fighting with you right now because I want to help! You need to fight with me! You stand with me, and you fight with me, and you fight for me! I am a citizen of this kingdom, I am a queen and so are you!"