Chapter 43: 18th Birthday Party - Part 1
It has been a week since graduating from Moonlight High School. But this morning was different from the other mornings; Michelle and Drake both slept in, something neither of them ever did. Drake woke up feeling a bit groggy and his mind a bit misty. Fenrir was feeling tired and was in the worst mood he had been in for years. He decided to go see if Michelle was awake and how she was feeling. When he reached the room, he could not sense her or hear her. Bursting through the door, he saw her balcony door open. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he walked closer out onto the balcony, looked down, and saw Silver’s pawprints in the ground, heading in the direction of the open grass area.
He howled in pain, a sharp, deep, loud howl. Jump down and shift just as he landed. Running in the same direction as Silver did, he heard various voices through the mind link, and all he could do was shout at them, “SILVER!!!!!! POND BY THE LEDGE!!!!!” He ran faster than he ever could before, pushed by the fear of losing his twin sister. Fenrir reached the grass area in record time, out of breath, and he slowly surveyed the area. When he saw Silver lying next to the pond, he slowly approached her, whining softly. Silver lifted her head and turned to look at her brother. She got up and met him halfway. Rubbing their heads together, they wished each other happy birthday, and she lay down again next to the edge of the pond.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you here by yourself?” Fenrir asked Silver. “I just needed to get out and run. I felt so suffocated and weird when I woke up this morning. Michelle was feeling weird, too. I didn’t even have to push for control; she just told me to go run.” Silver kept lying with her head on her front paws, just looking over the pond. Fenrir lay down in front of her, facing her, but also looking out over the pond. “It is a beautiful morning, though, isn’t it?” Silver sounded happier, almost as if her brother being here was all she needed. Fenrir just let out a small huff and sneezed as the pollen from the small flowers tickled his nose. Silver started laughing through their link and then used her right front paw to splash him with some water.
Fenrir looked at her with mock shock, and then the chasing game started as they ran around the grass area playing tag. Anubis and Hildwulf arrived along with the rest of the family. They all looked confused. But it was Dominique who spoke up first after he shifted back to his human form. “You shout at us, voice clearly full of worry, that Silver ran here. Now we find you guys playing around as if nothing is wrong. What the hell happened?!” His voice boomed through the area. Silver stepped in front of Fenrir, and in that moment, she didn’t care that it was her dad; she did not like that he took that tone when he clearly could see that her brother was only worried and had made her feel better after finding her.
She spoke through their mind link, “I felt weird this morning, so did Michelle. I am guessing that Fenrir and Drake did too. Michelle told me to go run. So, I did. Fenrir felt something was off, and he came to look for me. When he found me, my state of mind was not good. But somehow, he managed to make me feel better, just by being here. He sneezed, I laughed, splashed him with water, and we started chasing each other around. If that is such a bad thing, then punish me, not him.” By this time, she was standing tall, full height, right in Dominique’s face. Her eyes were bright, and her voice loud, yet angelic. He knew then that even though Drake and Fenrir should have linked them, she was ok, she was also right.
“I am sorry, Sweetheart, you’re right. Even though your brother could have told us that he found you and that you are ok, you are right. Now, if you don’t mind, I would like to say happy birthday to my kids, if that is ok?” He let his hand stroke the fur on the top of her head, between her ears, as she bowed her head down to nuzzle his shoulder in surrender. Fenrir stepped out from behind her and did the same on the other side, and he received the same reaction. They both shifted back, while Dominique handed Drake a pair of shorts. “You know, it is still unfair that she gets to be fully dressed after shingting back, and we don’t,” Drake complained in a mocking tone. Celine laughed after she shifted back to her human form, “You know, it’s not just her…” Drake looked annoyed at both his mom and sister, and everyone started laughing.
“Well, happy birthday to you 2. Here are many more to come, and many blessings in your years to come.” Dominique and Celine hugged them, and everyone else joined in on congratulating the twins on their 18th Birthday.
As they all walked back to the castle, talking about the pool party later in the afternoon, Michelle felt a sharp pain in her back. Not wanting to say anything and spoil the good mood going around, she just kept on walking. Celine sensed something was off with Michelle. So after the boys went to their rooms to shower, Celine joined Michelle in her room. “Honey, are you ok?” She stood by the door, not wanting to impose on her daughter’s space at the moment. Michelle turned to her mom, “Mom, are you guys sure that there is nothing wrong with me?” Celine looked at her with shock. “Why would you even think that? You are perfect.” She walked over to Michelle and hugged her, and that is when she felt it. “See, Mom, that is why.” Celine turned Michelle around, lifted her sleep shirt, and looked at her back. She could see wings trying to push through. But she knew it was far too early. “Ok, come on, sit here on the bed. You see, when you and Silver jumped from the balcony, you could have hurt your shoulder blades. It is going to take time to heal, even for Silver, unless we set them back into place.”