"I pretty much had Arcadia Vox's ghost helping me out the whole time," I quietly explained.

He froze for a second, staring at me as his tablet slipped out of his hand.

"Wait... wait. You... what?"

I grimaced. "It sounds insane, I know, but-"

He stood up, blinking in disbelief. "But... that... it's..."

I sighed, closing my eyes.

"So you're saying you... somehow..."

"Just... just hear me out, Al."

He took a deep breath, sitting back down on the bed. "Okay. I'm listening."

"So, I do need to tell you something else related to that. Something important and crazy."

He frowned. "What is it, Sienna?"

"The last of Arcadia Vox's presence evaporated when I performed my Prismatic Radiant Requiem, but she did tell me... something."

He stared at me, his eyes bulging. "Yes?"

I breathed. I trusted Al more than anyone in the world.

But this felt crazy, even to me.

"Arcadia Vox had a daughter."

He frowned. "That'd be one hell of a pregnancy to hide from the public and world."

I chuckled nervously. "And... she and I probably share a father."

"You... what?!" He yelped, jumping to his feet. "Arcadia Vox's daughter and you?! Nightingale Eclipse's... What is this, a soap opera?!"

I sighed, palming my face. "I'm not sure what to think either, Al. But that's the truth of the matter. Red Masque had me dead to rights, and my mother forced a Dream Shift on me that saved my life. But in that process, I came into contact with... someone or something that implied she was Arcadia Vox.

He rubbed his chin, studying me carefully.

"So you're saying that the legendary magical girl turned champion, world hero, and founder of the League of Starlight had a child that she hid away from the world. And she came to you as a ghost or some presence to help you defeat Red Masque and then the Shadow Masque thingie."

I nodded slowly. "Right. Kind of. Sorry, I had to do a lot of processing just to work through this on my own. And honestly, I still feel like my brain is ready to explode."

He stared at me for a few seconds. "Okay. Let's say I buy it completely."

"Yeah. Like I said, I trust you unconditionally. And I know how insane this all sounds, but before she... disappeared, Arcadia told me I had a half-sister explicitly. And if the pieces fall into place as they are, it's... Eris."

Albert blinked in disbelief. "But she's a..."

"Yeah, a dark magical girl. Who's been right under our noses the entire time. I know. It seems like a dream, but I'm serious, Al. I just don't know how to prove it or- or find out if it's true. Like, the only clue I got is that Eris is looking for me for whatever reason and she could use Arcadia Vox's moves. Plus, she made an off-hand comment that she's good with barriers. And guess who else slings them around like candy? Yours truly. It all seems like too much of a coincidence to be just that."

He slumped back on the bed, sighing. "Sienna, what the fuck? That's just... Wow. I'm at a loss for words here."

"I know, but it's all I've got. And if that's true and Eris is Arcadia Vox's daughter, then-"

"Then it means Eris is actually trying to reach out to you for help or get to know you or something. I agree, it sounds nutty, but what else could it be?"

I sighed, pushing back my hair. "Like, let's say she's not looking for me specifically, she's just trying to get me to notice her, but the easiest way to do that is by starting a fight at the academy. She didn't know she'd find me on her first try, but that tells me she was willing to take a colossal risk to get my attention."

Albert frowned. "You think it has something to do with the cataclysm?"

I bit my lip. "Maybe? It's weird timing to say the least. Maybe she needs me bad for something. Like, fast."

"Still... just to flesh this out a bit," Al furrowed his brows. "Let's keep laying out the theories. So if we work off the assumption that she really is your sister, she might have come to Pewterstone in the first place looking for you and your mother. And if our working theory that she adopted the Dark Princess Eris persona because she was neglected and/or just acting out is true..."

I felt my heart drop. "This whole time, she just wanted to get our attention or reach out. And this whole time I just... didn't know. My mother likely didn't either."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Sitting down with Al after that fight was definitely the right call. His mind was amazing, and he always seemed to pick up on things I didn't.

He nodded. "Either way, she could have a family situation where it was a long shot worth taking. Maybe she did her own detective work and realized your mom was hiding in Pewterstone. Maybe she saw your silhouette using your Prismatic Radiant Requiem on that viral video and was desperate enough to chase down that lead."

"If that's true, it's heartbreaking. It's like, okay yeah, maybe we've had totally different lives and have no clue about each other or whatever, but still... fuck."

Arcadia Vox's last words to me came back to haunt me once more.

I closed my eyes, drawing in a breath. "Family... well, it's a complicated subject."

Al nodded. "It is. But hey, at least we're learning more about Eris. Keep in mind it's all just our tinfoil hats working overtime here, so we don't have anything concrete yet. But at least we're comparing notes and coming up with some possible scenarios explanations."

"True. Just what do you think I should do?" I asked, folding my arms. "Because it's not like I can approach her and just straight up ask if she's Arcadia Vox's kid. She clearly wants to keep it a secret for some reason."

He nodded. "Yeah, something like that may just tip her off and make her keep her distance. On the other hand, maybe you could approach her and work on building a relationship with her totally separate from that. Maybe... just keep the first half of all that speculating we just did. I think it isn't too unreasonable of an assumption to think she's just a regular girl who may be experiencing some family issues. Maybe she needs a friend and she's reaching out in her own way. You never know."

I nodded. "Maybe. I just... don't know what I should do here."

Al frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, me too honestly. This whole thing is crazy. I just... don't think we have enough evidence to fully take it seriously or brush it off entirely. It's worth at least looking into, especially if she's still messing around in Kaleidoscope City."

"And at least try to strike up a conversation or something," I said.

He smiled, nodding. "Yeah. Maybe it'll be a tough nut to crack, but if it's really possible, it's... worth looking into, right?"

"Yes." I chuckled, shaking my head. "Wow, who would have thought a dumb fight with a supervillain would lead to a potential family drama mystery."

"Life's full of surprises, Sienna. Guess it just depends on how you navigate the punches it throws you."

"I'm just gonna roll with it then," I sighed.

It wasn't the best option, but it was all I had. Just holding onto that spark of hope that Al had just given me would at least give me something to hold onto.

If there was a chance that Arcadia Vox's child. My... sister was out there, I wanted to find out the truth and do what I could for her.

I blinked, turning my gaze to Al. He was smiling confidently, his chin raised and his posture straight. "Something on your mind?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine, Al. It's just a lot to take in, you know?"

He nodded. "Yep. Definitely."

I smiled, staring down at my hands. "Well, just so you know, you've been a lifesaver. Seriously. You have no idea how important that was for me to sort through this with someone I trust."

He shrugged. "No problem, Sienna. I'm always happy to help. If we don't have each other's backs, who will?"

"Ain't that the truth," I smiled, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Thank you, Al. You're the best."

He nodded in agreement, flashing a thumbs up.

"Still, it's a bit anxiety-inducing to know I can't get into contact with her," I muttered, folding my arms. "Guess I can wait and see if she pops up here again, huh?"

Al nodded. "Give her space. I mean, that's if she's going to approach you at all. But if the tinfoil theory we just laid out is true, I'd bet my right hand that she'd be pacing around wondering how to handle all this as well. Just... wow, fuck. Stepping into her shoes for a moment, we don't know how she was raised or lived her life until now and can't make any assumptions. But if I were her and wanted to find my long lost... stepmother? Half mother? Whatever, just me, I'd probably be freaking out. And dealing with all sorts of emotions. It's just... yeah, not easy, Sienna."

I smiled sadly. "Yeah. I know."

But it was nice to get it off my chest and out in the open. At least now I had someone to bounce my thoughts and ideas off.

It wasn't a complete picture, but it was a start.

"Family... what even is that shit, anyway, right?" I sighed, leaning back.

Al looked down, twiddling his fingers and shaking his head. "Whatever it is... can I be real with you for a second? Like, seriously?"

I nodded. "Um... Of course, fire away."

He sat up in his bed and leaned forward. Then, he looked away for a second, letting out a deep sigh. "You're my family, Sienna. Always have been, and always will be. And if it's just the two of us against the world, well, at least I know I have my best friend with me. So, let's just... focus on finding a way through this mess together. As always. Kay?"

Then he blinked, wiping his eyes. His chubby cheeks were flushed red with emotion as his eyes began to leak. "I... I fully expected to die back there. Several times over, actually. Like... fucking hell, dude. I can't believe you actually came back for me, and then defeated all those monsters and, and... yeah. Sorry, just caught up in a moment. I..."

I felt my own eyes well up, and I couldn't help but smile. "I couldn't have left you back there, Al. Not after all we've been through. And if you forgot how many times you've bailed me out of whatever disaster I stumbled into, you've got a short memory."

He laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "Nah. Just having a moment. But seriously, you get it, right? I can't imagine the absolute hell you must've gone through to get to me."

I nodded. "Yeah. I do. And I'm not going anywhere. And I'd fucking do it again. So know that I've got your back, okay?"

He smiled. "Good. And likewise."

"Forever and ever."

He stood up and stretched his arms out, and I took the opening to jump at him and throw my arms around him in a big hug.

He blinked, freezing in surprise, then hugged me back, patting my back with one hand. "Hey, don't get sappy on me now."

I giggled, my eyes leaking as I buried my face in his shoulder. "That goes for you too."

He nodded, sniffling. "Right. Cool. Rock-solid."

We held each other for a minute, and I felt warmth and comfort I hadn't felt in a long time flood through me.

It was like we were back in our hideout, just playing around and enjoying the sun. I had my best friend in the world, and we had each other. My mother hadn't been swallowed by the bottle, and my life wasn't a steaming pile of crap.

It was simpler, and easier, and I had nothing to fear.

Just the two of us.

A pair of shitheaded kids laughing and living in the moment.

"Thank you, Al. Seriously. You're the best," I whispered.

"Anytime, Sienna. You deserve it," he answered softly, squeezing me gently. "Damn, but seriously, we've got a lot of mileage to go before we settle this messy family stuff, don't we? How scary is that, huh?"

I chuckled nervously. "At least we're going to do it together. And hey, I haven't always made the best choices, so I'm counting on you to keep me from making a big mistake."

He slapped me on the back. "Easy peasy."

"Yeah. Easy peasy."

I sighed, breaking away from the hug.

It felt good to talk and laugh. And maybe all of it was just in my head.

But still...

Something told me that what Al and I had just uncovered was more than just speculation and loose theorizing.

If only I knew just how complicated the whole family thing was going to get.