My Sister, The Chosen One

Five

Tainy & Miguel- Sunbathe

Sasha:

Rey is standing on his balcony when I got to his apartment. I should have given him his key back a long time ago. We haven't been together in over a year. He's been really shaken up since the loop incident. That was why I was the one that went under for Elias. He's drinking and I have no idea how to make him feel any better. I greeted him and stood with him as he looked over the balcony that's overlooking the city. His wings are growing nicely. They're gracefully white and I often have the urge to reach out and touch them, but it's not my place to do so anymore. I don't think it ever was.

"Elder Redwood asked for you," he smirked at me after a while.

"Did he?" I asked, feeling that bubbly feeling return. Elder Redwood. Ah! What is it about him?

"You know he's at least twenty years older than you, right?"

"You know he's super hot, right?" I shot back. He laughed. "We're fairies. An age gap is literally just a number when you look the same for the first centuries of your life,"

"Yeah," he cleared his throat. The Weeknd is playing inside. The others should be here soon. "I am really sorry you had to find out the way you did, Sasha. I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I love you. You're my best friend and-"

"Hey," I stopped him. "I'm okay. I mean, maybe this was for the best. I would have married you," I laughed. He looked down at me worriedly. "Come on, Rey. I don't love you any less than before. We just make the perfect team and I guess I got caught up in it. It makes sense, how you liked dressing me up and would try really hard to make me happy even when it got a little too much,"

"Ugh, stop thinking about the signs," he shook his head. We both laughed. "I really am sorry, Sasha. I wanted to give you everything. I still do. You and Breeze deserve the world. I'm turning out to be a crappy king,"

"Are you kidding me? The other kings bow to you. You might be the first gay King in history, but you are most certainly going to be the one everyone is going to remember, and not just because we kind of have the same taste in men, but because you're giving your soul to this realm and that's all that matters. You being King has nothing to do with our personal relationships,"

"Thank you, Sage," he put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him. "I actually have something to tell you. I invited others. I invited Elder Redwood and my brother."

"You have a brother? We were dating for three years and you never told me you had a brother?" I asked him, annoyed.

"He's my dad's son. Not a lot of people know because he was born out of wedlock,"

"I accept that reason," I sneered. It really is a good reason. He laughed. The gray in his eyes sparkled.

"Rey," someone called from inside.

"Come on. I'll introduce you to him. I also want to thank you for not telling Elias. The only other person who knows is my brother."

"No problem. It's not my secret to tell. I have no reason to bring it up. He was a little embarrassed when his loop was all about Breeze,"

"We knew that he's been in love with her since they were little," he laughed.

"True," I agreed. I froze and stepped back when I saw him standing in the kitchen. Rey looked at me confused.

"You are not going to believe what happened to me yesterday, man," Elvin began to take things out of a reusable bag with cartoons on it. Does Elias know? How could he not tell me? "I met your guardian. She kind of saved me. It was amazing," I stepped over to Rey when he motioned me to go over. "You didn't tell me she was so-"

"Hi," I spoke up. He tensed up and turned back to look at us.

"Princess Sasha," he bowed, stunned to be caught talking about me. Rey and I laughed.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Drake," I greeted him.

"You too, Lady Sasha. I'm so sorry," he shook his head, his face flushing with embarrassment.

"What happened yesterday?" Rey laughed, going over to him.

"We caught a burglar that's been terrorizing the high towers for a few weeks now. We got a sweet bounty for him," I informed him.

"The half-snake guy? That was you guys?" he laughed.

"Yes," I nodded.

"I didn't really do anything but get my backpack stolen. It was all her. She took him on like it was-"

"My job?" I laughed.

"I was going to say nothing but yes, that's your job. You're the guardian of the realm," he nodded, scratching the back of his neck.

"What were you going to say before I so rudely interrupted you?" I asked. Rey laughed and slid him a glass of whatever it is he's drinking.

"Strong," he took a big drink.

"Is it too strong for you?" I asked.

"What? No, it's the perfect amount of strength," he cleared his throat nervously.

"Elvin, this is Sasha. Sage, this is my brother. Elvin Drake. He is the lead researcher and owner of Drake Tech."

"You own Drake Tech?" I asked, surprised. Why don't I know more things? I am going to have to ask my sister a bunch of things before she goes.

"I do. Accidentally, um, I invested in a project and it was a big hit among shifters, and they just kind of handed it to me. They even named it after me," he took another drink.

"My sister used to work for you before she was scouted by the military and started at the University she was placed at," I nodded.

"She did. Yes, which is why I know who she is. She is brilliant," he complimented. I like him, usually people I meet say the craziest things about me. Things I didn't even know about myself.

"She's also very taken," Rey added. "Breeze and Elias are an item or soon will be,"

"Really? Elias?" he popped his neck loudly.

"Does that bother you?" aww, that's discouraging.

"No, not at all. I just don't get along with Elias particularly. He's a d**k," he bit out sourly. We both laughed when Elias and my sister walked in together.

"There goes his other foot," Rey laughed.

"Shut up, Drake," Elias glared at him.

"Point made," Elvin rolled his eyes. I need a drink. Not the one they're drinking, that is burning my eyes.

"Mr. Drake, I can't believe we're finally meeting. I used to work for you," Breeze held her hand out for him to take. She has crazy eyes. My little blueberry is adorable.

"I know. You were one of my brightest students. How are the university projects treating you? Cudos on the universal energy cannon," he shook her hand excitedly. Elias walked through them and took Elvin's drink. She is going to love all the extra attention he's going to be giving her. She deserves that.

"Thank you. That was a bust though," she sighed taking Rey's drink without taking her eyes off of Elias.

"It was a big step forward. Just means the experiment isn't over," he shrugged.

"That was mine," Rey looked down at her.

"You broke up with my sister and she's looking for cute rebound geniuses. Shut up," she rolled her eyes.

"You two were dating?" Elvin asked.

"It isn't the way she's making it seem. We wouldn't be in the same room if it were," I glared at her. She mouthed sorry and went over to Elias who is enjoying this. All of it. Jerk. Elvin is right, he really is a d**k.

"They were together three years," Elias added. I hurled a burst of harmless black energy at him. He pushed Bre out of the way, taking the hit. "I am going to end you,"

"You've tried. Never ends well, Lord of the Realm," I laughed. "Let me see the award."

"Right here," Breeze rushed over to me, showing me her arm. The Early Dawn crest has a pretty iridescent glow under the light. Next year she gets to pass it on to the next holder of the award. If there is any.

"Wow, did it hurt?"

"No. Not at all. Lady Honoria just placed her hand on my wrist and bam that's it," she smirked.

"That is cool," I admitted. Some of us are just built differently. I doubt there's anything she can't do on her own.

"Let me see," Rey came over to us. There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," I walked away feeling a little light-headed. All this new information is both comforting and overwhelming. I pulled the door open to see Elder Redwood standing there. My mouth fell open and I couldn't say a single thing. My heart is racing so fast my bodily functions have no idea what they're intended for at the moment.

"Princess, this is getting to be a habit of yours. I think I can help you this time. I believe the words you're looking for are, good evening," he smirked. I burst into laughter. He is so cheeky. Stop making me crush on you, tall man!

"Elder Redwood. I am sorry about that," I stepped aside. "Why don't you come on in?"

"Thank you," he stepped inside and waited for me to walk in with him. Everyone stood up when we walked in together.

"Whoa," Breeze whispered. I know right!

"I feel a little underdressed for the occasion, my king," Elder Redwood slid his hands into his pockets nervously. Is he kidding? His suit costs more than my entire apartment. I'm wearing a gray sundress I got at the outlet store on sale. It has tiny pink tulips on it.

"We're just hanging out, Ericson," Rey went over to him. They shook hands like they'd been friends for ages. He greeted Elvin the same way and introduced himself to Bre and Elias. She came over to me excitedly.

"Oh, sweet fireflies. They're both super hot," she whispered into my ear. "When you walked in with Elder Redwood, power couple is not even close to describing the surge of strength between you two. Think of how cute my nieces and nephews will be,"

"Shut up, Breeze," I glared at her, but she's not entirely wrong. Elder Ericson Redwood is a fine wine on a balcony overlooking the pink sands of Aldrich, beautiful. I don't remember ever feeling this way before.

Our dinner was delivered and we started catching up on everything we missed while we were gone. Elder Redwood is a very interesting man. I replaced him as the Guardian of the Realm four years ago. He was amazing and his time as a guardian was very controversial because we were at war with some of the other realms for a while. When word got out about Breeze and her team working on a functional core to provide a more natural energy source, some of the other countries did not take it well. It was then that I decided that I needed to protect her at all costs. It was when I knew Breeze was going to be more than just the girl who knows all the smart things the rest of us overlook.

"I would like to bid everyone a farewell. I have to get back to work tonight," Elvin interrupted our conversation. He stood up. We all did.

"You can't save it for tomorrow?" Rey asked, disappointedly.

"I am going to be swamped tomorrow. A classified project is coming up and I have to prepare for discretion," he shrugged.

"It feels like you're saying you're going to be gone for some time," Rey shook his head.

"Yeah, a few weeks tops, but it's going to be here in Aldrich. I can come and go easier. It was nice meeting all of you. Lady Breeze, it was an honor. Keep taking care of us," he smiled at her.

"Why don't I walk you out?" I offered. Everyone looked over at me. "We don't want a repeat of what happened again."

"I'm not going to live that down, am I?" he grinned.

"Nope. Never," I shook my head, going over to him. We fell into step together.

"Thank you, I was feeling a little awkward. Everyone in that room is an A-Rank socialite," he shook his head.

"Well, it's all work. You are by far the richest person in the room," I admitted. He is.

"Money means nothing in a world where blood is everything," he shrugged.

"Then you're still up in the front. You're a prince even if the rest of the world doesn't care to admit it. You outrank all of us. Except maybe Rey,"

"You're too kind, Princess," he smirked.

"Well, it's just a title to me. I share an apartment with my little sister and she's all I really care about. Her and my job. I am literally the awkwardest person when it comes to socializing. The guys are just friends with me because I've saved them a s**t load of times," we both laughed.

"No, my brother genuinely loves you. This is why I have to bring this up. You're very beautiful Sasha Airstorm, but even if he says what he does, I know he'll never stop loving you. You're his best friend. I know it's killing him to know he hurt you the way he did," he tipped my chin. "Rey has been through enough and I'd hate to hurt him more than he already does,"

"I understand," I cleared my throat. Awe! I can't even be upset about this.

"It would have made a great story," he smirked. A little squeak burst out of my throat. I gripped his tie and pulled him to me. His lips crashed against mine and for a second, everything faded away. I let him go and stepped back, licking my lips. He tastes like popcorn. He's a woodland fairy. How disappointing. He seemed perfect. Our elements are not compatible at all.

"Now it makes a great story. Rey needs you to be around a little more. He's very lonely and he would have been alone for a long time had I not gotten caught in the loop with him. So, don't be a stranger, Elvin. He's my best friend too and I will do anything to lessen his burden."

"Thank you, Sasha. That means a lot to me," he nodded. "I feel a lot more at ease knowing he has you around,"

"You can call me Sage. All my friends do," I grabbed his hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze before turning around to go back to Rey's apartment. I glanced back at him once to see that he was still looking at me. I laughed and rushed up the stairs. That is a great story. I cleaned myself up before going inside.

"Is this Rey Northwind's apartment?" there's a guy standing outside of Rey's apartment. He is adorable! His bright red hair is stunning. Those golden eyes are gorgeous.

"Yeah, this is Rey's apartment. Come on in," I invited him in with me. His face flushed as he followed me inside. I remember him from the loop now! This is the man I caught him making out with, in Rey's backyard. In the loop. Why is he so familiar? "Look who I found outside,"

"Blaze," Rey choked on his drink. Breeze went over to help him.

"My King," he bowed.

"Your name is Blaze?" I knew that. I heard Rey say it once. "That is a cool name. Fire pixie?"

"I am, yes," he played along while Rey tried to catch his breath. "I'm Blaze Firestorm,"

"You're the King of the Flame realm," I blurted out and looked over at Rey. Oh, my sweet fireflies!

"I am," the fire king confirmed. We all bowed to him formally. "Oh, no, no, no. Any friend of King Rey is a friend of mine. Leave the formalities for the public,"

"Right, yes. Uh, to what do I owe this pleasure, Blaze?" Rey asked, trying to steady the panic in his eyes. King Blaze is gorgeous and has the kind of voice that would make anyone shut the hell up if he got impatient. We really do have the same taste in men, Rey.

"I didn't mean to impose, Rey. I didn't know you had company,"

"We were just leaving," I blurted out. The others all turned to look at me.

"We are?" Bre asked.

"Yes, you and Elias have things to do. You told me. Elder Redwood. Would you like to walk me through what comes with us being grounded? I wanted to meet with you anyway. I'm sure King Blaze and King Rey have something to talk about with discretion," I cleared my throat. "King s**t,"

"Right," he stood up. "I will see you Monday morning, my King,"

"I'll see you guys later," Rey smiled. "Sage, a minute?"

"Of course. I'll meet you guys outside," I told the others as they walked away.

"What the f**k are you doing?" he glared at me when they were out.

"I love you, Rey. With all my heart and I want you to be happy. I know you love me and that you care about me but I have never seen you look at anyone the way you looked at him when you guys were younger and he's here. Right there. He's right there, Rey," I wanted to point at him but it would be too obvious.

"So this has nothing to do with the fact that he's King of the Fire Realm? A realm we are usually at war with, Airstorm?" he glared at me.

"A win for us both. You get the man of our dreams and f*****g peace. Isn't that our overall goal as protectors of the realm, your highness?" I smirked. I may not have been chosen to be Queen but I still have the realm's best interest at heart and his as my king.

"You are the f*****g worst,"

"You know I'm right, Rey. You know I am," I laughed. He looked away. "Come on. Look at him. The man is bigger than you are. Imagine having his hand wrapped around your throat while-"

"Stop," he covered my mouth laughing. "You have no self-control,"

"Rey, we both know you have enough for the two of us. Go get 'em, tiger. We almost died. Live a little,"

"Get out," he pointed at the door.

"I was already leaving. You simply postponed that," I teased. He shoved me towards the door making me laugh.

"Tell me what Elder Redwood says and I don't want to know if you end up sleeping with him," he slammed the door in my face. I spun around excitedly before heading for the stairs.

"Do you think they're going to be talking about a treaty?" my sister asked when I approached them.

"The Fire is King being here is dangerous for all of us. I hope the King knows what he's doing," Elder Redwood looked up at the building. That means, he hopes so because it is his ass that is on the line for trusting us when we were coronated. Elder Redwood, although I haven't interacted with him much, is the man behind the scenes. He makes sure we come back alive and always get what we need.

"He usually does," both Elias and I said at the same time.

"And when he doesn't. He has his trusty Sage to consult," Elias added.

"I try to remain unbias," I shrugged. That is the biggest lie I've ever told which is probably why I wasn't nominated for Queen.

"We'll see you later," he took Bre's hand in his. She waved at me shyly as the two of them walked away.

"This is a bold question and I am only asking it because I want to know what I am getting myself into," Elder Redwood caught my attention. He has it from the moment we met. I mean, yeah my encounter with Elvin was cute and had potential but he's Rey's little brother.

"All right?"

"Are you and Rey still together?" he asked.

"We are not. We haven't been for a while,"

"What about his brother?"

"His brother? He's his brother. That would be inappropriate on both our ends. It would have been both an awkward and funny story,"

"I find you very distracting, Princess. You are nothing like any Realm Guardian I know. They're all just kind of assholes and moody," he chuckled.

"Oh, like you?" I laughed. He grinned.

"Exactly,"

"I can be vicious. I have days when I just want to be in bed but growing up I didn't have that luxury. I had Breeze to take care of and she's always been different. I need to be okay so that she is. Even if she's far away,"

"That's a heavy burden you have on your shoulders, princess,"

"It seems that way but it really isn't. Seeing her smile, laugh, and succeed. It makes me happy. It makes me proud. It makes me feel like I am fulfilling the promise I made to our parents. Besides, I'm having a lot of fun. I love my job. It has taken me to places I don't have the imagination to create in my head. Places with names I can't even pronounce. I've met a lot of very interesting people,"

"That's good to hear," he smiled.

"Would you like to go on a snacking expedition with me?" I asked.

"What is a snacking expedition?" he laughed.

"Well, Aldrich is known for their street vendor's cuisine. I love to eat. As a void magic fairy, I am always kind of hungry. Breeze made me a walk-in pantry and is constantly adding snacks to it. You can say no and suggest something else. I just think that as the New Aldrich Elder, you'd like to see the city through the eyes of the people who need us most,"

"That sounds like a lot of fun," he nodded.

"First thing first. We need to get you changed. You stand out a lot. It's super distracting," I motioned his body.

"To you?" he asked with a smirk.

"There is literally nothing I can think of putting you in that won't distract me, Elder Redwood," I admitted to myself.

"You have no filter between your brain and your mouth do you?" he chuckled.

"None. I once told the former King to shove his wand up his ass after he tried to hit Rey with it. We were live,"

"I remember that. For a moment, I thought you were going to stick it up his ass when you took it from him," he smirked.

"He did too. He peed his pants. What a lame-ass," I laughed, taking his hand. "I know a place. Let's go,"