THE MOMENT
Cassie missed her grandfather every day. His absence was heavier on days like that grey, cool morning. He always had a hot chocolate ready for her and a friendly ear to listen to whatever she wanted to ramble about. She wandered through the forest alone with her thoughts and regrets. She should have been with him; she was supposed to go with him. A poorly-timed illness kept her home while he went away on his trip. Thanks to a transporter accident, he never made it to his destination. Logically, she knew there was nothing she could have done and she would have only disappeared too. Emotionally, it was impossible to not feel like she let him die alone; it was a lot for a 14-year-old.
"I'm sorry, grandpa. You'd still be around if I was there...," she sighed aloud and expressed herself to the breeze. The path through the trees ahead was growing dimmer and she turned around to head back home.
"Estrellita, you are very correct...," a soft, ethereal voice whispered in both her ears simultaneously. She froze as a chill traveled down her spine. The voice continued as shadows took form on the path in front of her. "If you were there, your grandfather would be right here next to you...," the woman said. Her voice was louder now as if more real. She was a pale, lithe woman with bone-white horns spiraling out of the top of her head, and long black hair falling down to her shoulders.
"How do you know that? Who are you?" Cassie found the courage to ask her questions, but it wasn't enough to move. Something about the woman seemed familiar.
"My name is Ballisea," the woman replied.
"The Demon Queen?" Cassie knew of her reputation. She struggled to remember where she was warned; but, that detail didn't seem to matter at the moment. What was important was that Ballisea was known to kill everyone she's ever met.
"The very same," Ballisea nodded with a smile. "I know about your grandfather because you do; you sense it, don't you? An inkling that somehow, some way, you would have made a difference if you were there?"
"What?" Cassie shook her head. She feared the Demon Queen even more in that moment. The vague terror she felt earlier was replaced by a very real and defined horror. She read her mind, or at least her emotions. But, she wasn't going to admit it easily. "You don't know what I'm feeling!" she replied.
"I made myself present in the hopes that you would be more receptive to my message...," Ballisea sighed. A black portal opened horizontally next to her. The hole dropped to the ground and revealed an old man as it sank to the dirt. He whirled around confused until he saw Ballisea, then Cassie.
"Ahh!! AWAY!" The old man threw his drink at Ballisea, and then dashed toward Cassie. "Cass, honey? That you!?" He reached his hand out for her but he didn't slow down.
"Grandpa!" Cassie had a little bit more insight into the situation and she wrapped her arms around him, and she kept him from running away.
'CASS! We really gotta go!"
"I'm beginning to find myself bored...," Ballisea interrupted. Skeletons pulled Cassie away from her grandfather, despite his struggle.
"I need to talk to you," Ballisea nodded at Cassie, then she gestured at her grandfather. "He is proof of my sincerity." She wiggled her fingers and he dropped into a black hole beneath his feet. Once he was gone, the skeleton holding him retreated into another black hole along with the one that held Cassie. "Your grandfather has been returned to your home, I ask some of your time in exchange," she said.
"Okay, what do you want?" Cassie asked. She had some questions of her own; but, she would only ask them if she was given a chance. Otherwise, she wanted to be done with Ballisea as soon as possible.
"I lack the patience to explain it thoroughly...," Ballisea replied. "If you'll allow me to Awaken you, that will provide you with far more answers than I care to."
"Awaken... what do you mean? How?"
"Your soul is Unique. I will Awaken you with a permanent mark on your skin, it won't be uncomfortable," she added.
"Why me? What's in it for you?" Cassie asked.
"You'll have those answers...," Ballisea said.
"What's the mark, exactly..?" Cassie decided she wanted the answers.
"Your favorite number, 35," Ballisea replied.
"Okay," Cassie nodded. She didn't know she had a favorite number. But, as soon as she heard what it was, she knew Ballisea was right. There was no point in questioning it anymore. Ballisea waved her hand in Cassie's direction, and a wave of dizziness rushed over the girl. She fought to keep her balance and it was gone as quickly as it came. Then, she remembered everything. She could almost see herself standing in the transporter with her grandpa. It was like a memory; she saw both of them disappear and go somewhere white.
"Cherry...," then, her friend came to mind. A young girl with white hair wearing a red hoodie. The memory changed the more time she spent with it. It almost felt like she was remembering it from Cherry's perspective; then, she remembered why. She refocused on the present and looked up at Ballisea.
"Are we still doing fruit names?" she asked.
"It still holds some amusement," Ballisea nodded at her.
"If it's the same to you, I'd like to keep my name too," Cassie said. "This time, I'll be Cherry Cassie."
"Oh, that's novel. I think I like that for the rest too," Ballisea nodded. "Very well," Ballisea extended her hand. Cassie accepted it and her place. "Cherry Cassie, I welcome you back to the Void court."