2298
Gertok Galaxy
Planet Celestine
The Celestine Kingdom
The Castle of Dragons
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After being shown the common room, the group from Earth settled in quickly.

Hara turned to the New Yorkers and crossed her legs, resting her hands on her knees. "Was Princess Solana that unbearable on your guys' way here?" She inquired, guessing this wasn't the first time she was like that.

"Even worse." Malyla quickly answered without giving anyone else a chance, too. "After we helped her, she held a knife to Fletcher's throat and demanded to know if we worked for Emperor Oucxian." She commented with a hint of disdain in her voice.

Fletcher pressed his lips into a thin line, leaning forward on the couch. "You can't blame her. She had no clue who we were. She left her planet during war, so it's only natural she was on defense." He explained, giving his shoulders a shrug.

Logan furrowed his brow as he listened to Fletcher and Malyla. "That might be true, but she still shouldn't have acted rashly. You could have been seriously hurt or even dead." He pointed out, not liking Fletcher condoning her actions. "Luna never held a knife or anything to our throat."

Varian groaned and ran his hands over his hand. "Of course, she didn't! She was still unconscious in my arms when she came out of her crystal!" He exclaimed, shaking his head and wondering how Logan could forget that small detail.

Adel wondered how both princesses could have awoken differently. They both had been asleep for 10,000 years. "Princess Solana seemed to be waiting for us when she was released from her crystal, but you said Luna wasn't. Why?" He inquired rhetorically.

Chenoa laced her fingers together and rested her elbows on her legs, resting her chin on top of her hand. "It seems both sisters had different ways of reacting. Princess Solana may have anticipated what would happen, but Luna didn't. Luna did say she was kept in the dark about a lot of things since she's the youngest."

Fletcher could see how that was reasonable as he glanced over to Sammy, who was attentive listening. "What time did you guys leave Earth?" He asked, knowing it had to be way before when they did.

Logan quickly replied, not giving anyone else a chance to say a word. "It was like 6-ish pm? I do know the sun was slowly starting to descend from the sky, and when we made it to where Luna was, the sun was still in the sky." He replied, recalling back to that very moment.

Malyla rolled her eyes, something she did whether she was bored, annoyed, or for really any reason. "It was nighttime when we left. Where do you find Luna? We found Princess Solana in an abandoned subway station in New York." She condescendingly replied.

Hara pressed her lips into a thin line and took a deep breath. 'Malyla is a different side of the same coin to Varian.' She thought to herself before speaking up. "Ah, we found Luna underground in a cave not too far from Tonopah, Nevada. Although, it was more like we fell to her." She subconsciously rubbed her side.

Adel perked up the moment Lincoln County  wad mentioned since that was where SERA was. "Do you guys live in Lincoln County?" He asked excitedly, scooting up to the edge of his chair in anticipation.

"No," Summer Dawn glanced at her fellow schoolmates and then back at Adel. "Hara and Chenoa are from Oklahoma, I'm from Illinois, but Logan and Varian are from Desert Sands, where we all go to school." She replied, landing her fingers together and putting them behind her head.

Varian interjected to correct Summer Dawn for a little mistake. "I'm from Texas, but moved to Desert Sands when I was five to attend the academy." He matter-of-factly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Adel's eyes widened after he heard the Desert Sands Prep students say where they were currently staying. "No way, are you serious? Desert Sands? Desert Sands Prep Academy? That is like immediate admission into Desert Sands Prep College and SERA!" He exclaimed, joy bubbling up inside him. 

Pedro smiled, seeing his friend so excited about meeting someone from Desert Sands Prep Academy, which made him happy. 'Maybe Adel can ask them questions, and they can answer them. I know he has a whole notebook planned out for when he gets accepted.' He thought to himself.

Logan pushed up his glasses and exchanged looks with his friends. "Yeah, we're serious." He flashed a smile and opened up his backpack, pulling out his school uniform vest. "See, we didn't get a chance to make it back to the dorms, so we always pack up our clothes in here."

Adel's eyes grew wide as he saw the emblem on the vest, a small desert with notable sand dunes with the academy name in gold. "Wow! It must be awesome to be able to go there. I can only dream of attending the academy, but college is so close with perfect grades!" He marveled, his eyes sparkling.

Malyla rolled her eyes and huffed, leaning back. "You can only hope your grades get you in. Their admission through the scholarship program is very slim. They're probably filthy rich. You have to be rich or a prodigy to get into the academy, and I doubt it's the latter." She bitterly snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

Summer Dawn opened her box of osmanthus cakes and took a bite out of one. "Uh, not all of us are rich." She said, exchanging looks with her friends, Chenoa and Varian. "I'm there on a scholarship thanks to my grandparents and will be training to be a fighter pilot like Logan."

Logan nodded, reaching over and snatching an osmanthus cake from her box. "I got in because my whole family works for SERA. My parents and elder sisters, Sophie and Daisy, work as doctors, and my other sister Lindsay will be graduating next year." He sheepishly explained, pushing up his glasses.

Hara crossed her legs and leaned back on her hands. "I got in because I'm a mechanical prodigy, and I might have sent them a lengthy email explaining why their plans for their new fighter jets were faulty. Which kind of also sealed the deal, which, by the way, they were top secret."

Chenoa rolled her eyes at her sister's words. "I hacked into SERA and trolled them. That's how I got in. They figured my skills would be better used there than in juvenile detention. When I graduate, I will become a technical engineer! I get to code programs for SERA!" She exclaimed, feeling a sense of pride.

Malyla was taken aback by their replies and had to bite her tongue. "Hmph," She huffed, slouching deeper into the couch, thinking. 'Crap! They weren't rich, at least all, but Logan isn't. What about Varian? He seems more like a delinquent than a prodigy or even rich.' 

Adel looked over at Varian, who had remained rather quiet. He noticed he was opening and closing his switchblade. "How did you get in?" He asked the only one who had remained mostly quiet throughout the whole ordeal.

Varian wasn't one to answer questions, but he did feel he needed to explain who he was. "I got in because I'm a prodigy in everything I do. I can master anything in a matter of hours." He spoke, his voice full of haughtiness. "My dad is on the board at SERA, and he's their biggest donor."

Adel's eyes went wide. He smacked his plan into his forehead as soon as it dawned on him. "How could I not realize it ? Your dad is Damien Cohan! I heard about you! You've got the highest IQ ever recorded!" He exclaimed, causing everyone to look at him.

Malyla recalled faintly hearing about the troublesome boy when her parents worked at SERA. "You seriously can't believe him, can you?" She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. She wasn't buying it.

Varian frowned and pulled out his wallet. He walked over to Malyla and pulled out his ID card. "Look, I am Varian Cohan. How else would I have an ID card to use the commodities at Desert Sands Prep?" He asked, putting it away.

Malyla put her hands up in front of her, still skeptical."Okay, okay, I believe you. I was skeptical about an all-around prodigy who would be caught hanging out with people other than fellow delinquents." She commented sarcastically with narrow eyes.

Varian narrowed his eyes. "Hmph," He took a deep breath and pivoted on his heels, walking back to his spot on the couch. "I don't have to explain myself to you." He shortly said, putting his feet up on the table in front of him.

Hara stood up and slapped her hands against her thighs. "Okay, let's just take a step back and calm down. There is no point in getting worked up over something so trivial when we have bigger matters to handle -"

"I apologize it took us a while," Luna, unbeknownst to her, cut Hara off as she and General Nox entered the room. "We got pillows and blankets, and I found you some clothes you could wear to sleep in." She explained, placing everything she had on the table.

Nox followed Luna, setting down the massive pile he had. "We tried to find what would be the most comfortable since you are sleeping either on the couches or floors." He replied, rubbing the back of his head.

Summer Dawn smiled as she picked up a dark blue sleeping dress with pretty frills and gauzy sleeves. "Thanks, Luna, General Nox." She smiled, grabbing herself a pillow and a couple of plush blankets. "This means a lot."

Nox bowed once again with a polite smile on his lips. "You are ever most welcome." He straightened up and smoothed out his collar. "If you must excuse me, I must go check on Solana and see how far she's come." With that, he pivoted and walked out of the room.

Luna smiled politely as the others thanked her as well. "I wish for you to have a good rest and that you may wake up refreshed in the morning for your journey home. I know you must be highly anticipating returning to earth."

Malyla leaned over and grabbed a pillow and a blanket from the pile and grabbed a night shirt and pants that were golden yellow. "Understatement." She sarcastically muttered under her breath. 

Luna ignored Malyla and her sarcastic comment by smiling politely. "I understand how that feels. I was very excited to return here, even though I did not know what was waiting for me." She sweetly said, lacing her fingers together and putting them behind her back. "Is there anything else I may get you before I take my leave?"

"I think we are good, thank you, Luna," Fletcher said, speaking for everyone in the room after silent looks were exchanged. 

Luna smiled brightly. "You are most welcome! May you have pleasant dreams! Do not be too excited to return home, or else you will lose sleep." She said, turning around and walking towards the door. "Sleep well, new friends!"

Varian looked at Luna, who was walking towards the door. "What if we can't go home?" He spoke, his voice soft, then he repeated it a little louder as all eyes turned towards him. "Luna, what if we can't return home?"

Luna stopped in his tracks. "Uh," She turned her head towards Varian, then shifted her body the same way. "What do you mean if you can't return home?" She asked, not understanding why he was asking such a question. "Do you not believe Solana will find you a way home?"

Varian placed one hand on his hip while the other made various motions. "Let's be real for a second. There's always a chance for something to go wrong. There is no guarantee that we will be able to go back home, not unless we use a Celestial Dragon, and that is out of the equation."

Luna furrowed her brows as she thought about Varian's words. "I do not doubt that Solana will find a way for you to return home. Celestial dragons can not be the only technology to get somewhere in a matter of frines. When she puts her mind to something, she pursues it until all leads are lost and then does it again." She replied with a smile.

Malyla stood up abruptly. "We're going home, end of story. We're not thinking about any other outcome. We're not jinxing anything!" She exclaimed, pointing her finger at the black-haired boy across the room.

Varian narrowed his eyes at Malyla. The tension in the room grew bigger by the minute. "Maybe some of us don't want to go home." He spat, causing everyone to exchange awkward looks.

Hara had a hard time processing what Varian was saying. "What do you mean? You don't want to go home? But, Varian, your dad is there." She inquired. She couldn't imagine returning home, especially to her parents.

Varian clenched his fists and jaw. "There is nothing for me back home! My dad doesn't even visit me. He doesn't even come in person when I've caused trouble. He does a quick video chat and then sends money as an apology." He angrily shouted, marching to the door and swinging it open. "He wouldn't care if I disappeared." He slammed it behind him, causing everyone to flinch.

Luna turned towards the door. A downcast expression grew on her face as her heart sank from Varian's words. "If you will excuse me, I will find Solana and see how far she has come." She bowed quickly and hurried out of the room.

Summer Dawn itched the side of her neck. "Well, I hate to admit it, but Varian had a point. I don't think alien technology will have a way for us to return home like we did with the Celestial Dragons." She hesitantly said, trying to be careful with her words.

Malyla plopped back down in her spot and glared at Summer Dawn. "Not you too! What is with you guys and not wanting to return home? Princess Solana is right. This isn't our fight!" She angrily exclaimed. She felt like no one even cared about Earth anymore.

Pedro, who had mostly remained quiet, spoke up. "That's not it, Malyla, and you know it." He said, causing all eyes to turn to him. "No one ever said anything about staying to fight in the war against Emperor Oucxian."

Chenoa interjected after Pedro had finished. "We all want to go home, but it's a matter if we can, not that we don't want to." She said, placing her hands on her hips and looking straight at Malyla with a frown.

"We are so close to graduating, and I've been studying hard for the final test. There is no way I'm missing that if I had a choice in the matter." Summer Dawn added, running her fingers through her hair.

Malyla put her hands up in front of her and stood up. "Whatever." She huffed, walking to the corner of the room and setting up a spot for her to sleep, using a mix of what Luna and Nox had brought and her sleeping bag.

Chenoa exhaled, blowing her hair from her face. "She's Varian 2.0." She commented under her breath and crossed her arms over her chest. 'How can someone be so similar to Varian? Both are loose cannons waiting to explode.'

Sammy silently watched Malyla and her actions. He frowned as his heart sank in his chest. "I'm sorry," He turned his body back to the others and played with his fingers. "Don't take her words or actions to heart. She doesn't mean them." He said, coming to his sister's defense.

Hara, having a younger sister, understood why he was saying those words. "We don't care what's said. Besides, I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation on why she's acting that way. It's none of our business anyway." She offered the young boy a polite smile.

Sammy nodded, chewing on his bottom lip as he looked back at his sister, who had laid down. "So, um," He started, turning around and facing the Desert Sands Academy students. "Does Admiral Abigail Sanderson still work for SERA?" He asked hesitantly, playing with his hoodie strings.

Logan exchanged looks with his friends and looked back at Sammy. "Yeah, she does." He nodded. "She visited the academy last week and gave a speech to those who were going into SERA this year." He marveled with wide eyes. "She's so awesome."

Sammy's nervous expression turned downcast. "Oh, she still does?" He asked rhetorically, of course. 'Malyla isn't going to be happy to hear that. If she finds out Logan adores, she'll be upset since Admiral Sanderson was the one to tell Malyla what happened to our parents.' He thought to himself.

Logan opened his mouth to ask why Sammy seemed disappointed in his reply, but he figured it would be a touchy subject, so he closed his mouth. 

Fletcher reached his hand out and placed it on Sammy's shoulder. "How about we try to get some sleep? I think we're all tired over the day we've had." He said, being the mediator between everyone since he was older than everyone in the room.

Everyone exchanged looks, agreeing with a nod that it was time to catch some shut-eye. 

It was going to be a long morning, and their hopes would probably come crashing down sooner rather than later.

🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑

A/N: 
Frine - Minute 

This took a little longer than I hoped. I was busy and didn't get a lot of chances to write. But do not worry, I'm not going to abandon this story. I'm going to try my best to get a lot more cheaters up this month.

Chapter Talk: 
So, we learn a little more about Malyla and who she dislikes at SERA. You'll learn more about how she got prohibited from attending the college, buy that is for a future chapter. 

Thanks for reading!