Back at Starlight

Aphmau's POV:

The rest of yesterday went really well. Me and Dottie talked for a while and we tried to comfort each other. After that, Melissa came over and helped me out of my wheelchair so I could sit and let my feet touch the water, and also so I could make sand castles with everyone. Then we left and planned to meet again soon after our trip for today. Melissa said they normally stay at starlight for about a month before going back for more research on Aaron, and now that I'm coming along we might stay longer, but for my first day back they only said for a week. Too bad that'll mean another twenty hour trip back and fourth from starlight and back.

Melisa helped me pack my wheelchair in the car and brought Aaron and I into the car. It took us half an hour to make it all the way to the docks and get on the little boat. We spent so many long hours on that boat. Once more, I threw up a few times over and on the boat. I think I started getting sea sick ever since the Celestial Canon. We weren't in the ocean yet, but I still could feel the rocking when it was falling. I feel the same feeling when I'm on a boat, which is probably what why I always feel so sick whenever we're on a boat now.

"We're finally here!" I heard Melissa shout all the way across the boat. I rolled over to her and Aaron and saw the island now too far off.

"Oh, thank goodness..." I barely made out. I was so seasick I almost threw up again after I said that. Thankfully I spared Aaron from my vomit by swallowing it as soon as it came up. I can say it was incredibly disgusting, but it was worth it.

"Here, let me get you in your room. Maybe when we come back you should try sleeping instead." Melissa rolled me back to the other side of the boat and into my temporary room.

"There ya go! Just try to relax until we get there, and I'll go get you another bucket." Melissa left to go get another bucket for me to throw up in. I just waited out of breath. She came back, left a bucket next to me, and went back to check on Aaron. Hopefully it won't take much longer to get on land. I swear once we get there, I'm gonna jump out of my wheelchair and kiss the floor beneath me.

We were being docked when I threw up one final time. It was probably the vomit I swallowed coming back up again. I threw up in my bucket, and almost dropped it I was so weak. The driver of the boat kindly took it from me to throw it in the sea. Melissa was helping me and Aaron off of the boat, with Aaron holding onto Melissa's hoodie and Melissa rolled me down the gangway to the shore. I absolutely would've jumped for joy and kissed the grass beneath my feet, but I was way too weak to even move. I just slumped in my chair and whined to myself.

I must've fallen asleep in my wheelchair, because when I opened my eyes we weren't outside anymore. We were definitely back at the hospital. I recognize this room probably more than the doctors. Sometimes they'd even forget where they put my medicine and I would tell them where it is. I know this hospital room like the back of my hand. I was laying down with the basic white blankets covering over my body, and with a bucket at my side. Just then, a doctor walked in.

"Oh, Ms. Aphmau! Good to see you're awake! I heard you threw up a lot on the way here, so I gave you a container to throw up in." He pointed to the bucket.

"Oh, thanks. So, we normally have to stay for a month?" I asked.

"Well typically yes, around that long, but this time we made sure it would only be a week, so you don't get overwhelmed by this place again. You remember what happened last time."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember." I pouted. I guess that answers my question, which was 'Can I stay here instead of going back home?'. Well, I guess even though I was probably asleep for hours, I would take a nap just because I can. I played my head back down on the soft yet thin pillows, and gently swayed myself to sleep.

I woke back up once more to the emptiness that my mind created. I saw Alina, and she ran up to me. I was still in my wheelchair, unfortunately. She jumped on my lap and my wheelchair rolled back a little.

"Hi mommy!" She cooed. This time I didn't bother arguing with Alina back and fourth, claiming I'm not her mother.

"Alina! It's so good to see you again! Do you know any ways I could bring you to my world?" I said kindly, but still very bluntly.

"Uhm, I think so. You just have to picture me in your world, and stretch out your arms!" She stretched out her arms and placed a big smile on her face. Good to hear it's easier than I thought.

"Do you know how much time here you have left?"

"I think I have...ten days!" Alina giggled and put up all of her fingers. I didn't want her to get worried, so I just said good job. I would've done it now, but we're still at the hospital. I'd much rather do it back home.

"Hey mommy, why are you in a wheelchair?" She asked so innocently.

Because mommy's legs got a little bruised, so I have to sit in this wheelchair until they're healed." I explained with the most kid-brain sentence I could think of in that quick moment that explains why I have dysfunctional legs at the moment.

"Oh, don't worry! I can fix that! But I don't think I can in here." She said, staring off into the big black void-room we were stuck in.

"That's alright. I'm getting help, and I don't want you to waste your energy." I said.

"But-"

"No buts, missy. You don't have to do that, and I need to get you out of here soon." I started hearing the voice of my friends on the other side.

"I think I have to go." I said softly.

"Okay mommy! See you later!" Alina jumped off my lap and ran into the void where I couldn't see her any longer. The room started to shake like an earthquake. Everything started to fade to white.

I woke back up in my hospital room, with Melissa one one side and Aaron on the other of my bed. I could only presume Melissa was the one that was shaking me so aggressively.

"Hey guys. What's going on?"

"The doctors told us to wake you up. They said they found something important." Melissa helped me into my wheelchair and we went towards the doctors experiment office-place. Whatever it's called, we went there. Melissa seemed like she was hiding something else, but she didn't say anything.

"Aphmau, good to see you up and moving, well, to the best of your ability." The doctor said. "I have very urgent news about your case. It's about your magic again."

"What about it? Is it still fading?" I asked, hoping he'd say no.

"Well, yes, but that's not why I called you here. We found the source of what makes you so strong."

"You did?! What is it?" I asked, filled with curiosity.

"Well, as you already know, on our computers we kept linking your magic to Irene, but we didn't know how. We were doing research on her recently, and it said that she had split a pice of her soul and left it here. We think that might be the cause of your strong magic, and also why it's specifically healing magic."

"That's interesting..." I said, unamused. That was information I already knew from Blaze.

"But, we also found out why it's fading. That piece of her soul is slowly disappearing, probably ever since that fight you had here. We don't know how to fix it, and we don't know if you'll survive without it, seeing that you've probably lived with this your entire life." The doctor explained. Well that's something new. So, I'm dying because Irene is gone? Well that sucks! How am I supposed to do what she wants when I'm dead because of her?! What if I never save anyone from the void because of this? And don't I need to find the other pieces? How am I supposed to do that with a fading piece, and aside from that, the piece I have to find is probably fading too! I really need to work quickly. Blaze said I only have a little time left. But I don't know how little I have.

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