"Cinder? Cinder!" "what? who goes there?!" Cinder startled, whipping around, trying to find the direction of the voice, but she overbalanced herself and fell over. "ow!" the voice snickered. "i thought you'd recognize me. i myself barely recognized you. you've really been through something, haven't you?" Cinder groaned groggily. "Eclipse?" Eclipse smiled. "took you long enough. how are you?" "terrible," Cinder bitterly commented. "i have a Dragon Hybrid, i'm an Astra, i got betrayed by a Terra, i got struck by lightning, and the two people who were supposed to be watching me tricked me and locked me in here." Eclipse snorted. "lemme help you, then." they walked over to the door and began to pick the lock with their claws. "my parents recently disowned me. they made that decision. oh, well. now i live with the Star Wolves. i think someone's interested in me, though." "gross," Cinder scoffed. "oh, yeah? that Leaf guy seemed interested in YOU." "he's annoying." "yeah, yeah, but he's handsome, too," they teased. "and THIS is why i hate you sometimes," Cinder growled. "yeah, but you still love me." she groaned as she chipped one of her claws, sighed, and switched the paw she was using from her left to her right. "and what about you? what'll you do when i set you free?" "you know something i don't. why else would you ask?" "well, Uni is working with a Morra named Phantom," Eclipse said. "the stars have also told me that to even those odds, you have to find the half-blood Terra and get them to see who they are. i have no idea who it is, but the stars said it was a boy. any ideas?" "wouldn't i have seen--" "half-bloods don't have the eye thing," Eclipse inturrupted. "they also need help unlocking their magic. luckily, with you as an Astra, i think this boy has a good chance. maybe it's Leaf?" "what makes you think that?" "i dunno," she shrugged. "the stars told me the name would make it obvious." "it must be Leaf then," Cinder sighed. "now, will you hurry up and pick that lock?" she snapped. "i'm trying!" they got frustrated and sent a tsunami of stardust at the door, which actually knocked it off its hinges. "oh. heh. oops." Cinder rolled her eyes, shaking her head, but she was smiling as she stood up. "thanks, Eclipse." "you're welcome. let's go get your friend." "Leaf is not my friend." "no, not him. the other boy." "who, Ryker? he isn't my friend either. he's merely a guidence." "fine, Lulworth then. i heard a rumor that her and Leaf are related." "they look nothing alike!" "neither do we. it's still worth a shot." and with that, she bounded out, leaving Cinder no choice but to run after her.
