Two Sides of the Same Coin

Chapter 13: Neil

As I lay in bed that night, I heard Mom and Dad arguing about telling me about my origins. I had to admit, I was both shocked and scared. I mean, learning that people are after your head because you're apparently a prince of some faraway planet was somehow both terrifying and a little exciting.

"Alex?" Alexa whispered as she walked into my room. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"What are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to go back home? I mean, it's your duty, isn't it? You're some bigshot prince."

"I don't know. I'm kind of scared, you know? Learning that you're not who you thought you were and then that people want you dead is hard to deal with."

"Yeah. I know. After all, this affects me in a way. I just wanted to let you know that whatever you do, I'll be there with you, whether as a part of you or separate."

"Thanks, but why are you being so supportive all of a sudden? It's not like you."

When I heard a sniffle, I looked up to see that Alexa was crying.

"I... I'm sorry... I don't want you to... to die. I... I don't know what I'd do!"

Her words rocked me. I didn't know what to say so I got out of bed and went over to her.

"I'll be fine because you'll be there with me, right?" I finally managed to say.

Alexa just looked at me like she couldn't believe what I just said. Then, she nodded and gave me a hug before leaving my bedroom.

By the next morning, I decided what I had to do. I had to go to Saehiter and learn about my past. I wouldn't be able to move forward without doing so. I just had to know, for better or for worse.

"What? You're going to go to your home planet?" Chloe exclaimed after I told her my plan.

Alexa just stood there, shocked. I didn't blame her though. I just hoped she would go with me.

"How are you going to get there, though? Do you even know where it is?"

"My only option is to talk to Neil again. I'm not saying I trust him, but he's my only option. I have to do this. I've made up my mind," I replied, extremely determined.

"Just don't get yourself killed, ok? I won't forgive you if you do."

"I promise I'll stay safe. Alexa? Will you come with me? I'd really appreciate it if you did. After all, it's your home planet too," I asked, turning toward my female self.

"Yeah. I'm kind of curious about our home. Thanks for inviting me," she replied a little bashfully.

With that, we made it to school. Once it was over, Alexa and I ran home to see if we could learn anything about Neil's whereabouts using the computer in the Hideout. After a little searching, we discovered that he was last spotted heading into a forest the night before. Determined, the two of us left to go search the forest.

"T-this place is kind of spooky, don't you think?" Alexa whispered as we neared the forest.

"It's not that bad. If you have any second thoughts, now's your time to leave."

"Yeah right. Like I'd leave. I want answers too. A forest isn't enough to scare me away," Alexa huffed, back to her usual self.

"That's the spirit. C'mon. We need to find Neil," I replied as I headed into the forest.

As we walked, we heard a strange sound coming from deeper inside the forest. Every time we would hear it, Alexa would grab onto me and try to convince me to leave. However, her efforts were in vain. I had a feeling that the cause of the noise was Neil, but I didn't say anything since I wasn't exactly sure. Finally, we made it to a clearing. There, we found Neil and a rusty spaceship.

"So you decided to come after me instead of waiting for me to come to you. You're an interesting one, Prince," he remarked without turning around.

"I want you to take me to Saehiter," I demanded.

Neil turned to face us, looking somewhat shocked.

"I thought you said you didn't believe me. Also, what's with the girl? Is she a friend of yours or something?"

"I didn't, but my dad explained things. Now, all I want are answers. Will you take me home or not?"

"Fine. I'll take you home if that's what you really want. First things first though, can you please explain who that girl is? Why is she here in the first place?"

"Excuse me, mister, but I just happen to be a part of your so-called prince so you better shape up before I make you!" Alexa grumbled, crossing her arms.

"What is she talking about?"

"It's a long story. I'll fill you in on the way to Saehiter. I take it we're leaving right away," I replied to the confused Neil.

"Yeah yeah. Don't get your pants in a wad, Prince. I just finished repairing her so she should be ready for liftoff whenever. I have to say though, it was nearly impossible to find the right parts. What's with that? You would think it'd be easy to find a nuclear reactor around here, but no such luck. I had to build one from scratch, which was a pain. And another thing-"

"Can we just leave already? Geez! What's with you?" Alexa exclaimed, interrupting Neil's rant.

"Fine. Hop aboard then. It's not like you're trusting me with your life or anything. I wouldn't want to waste your time," Neil sighed sarcastically.

With that, we entered the old spaceship and set off, headed to Saehiter, my home. My kingdom.