The Light, the Dark and the Ugly by Bryan Cohen

shoes made light clanking noises with every step along the criss-crossing metal grates below. Her head was only a foot from the ceiling, which made her surroundings feel more like a submarine than some alien jet. The only thing that made it clear they were far above water was a reinforced circular window that displayed the pure darkness of the night sky. As Natalie sat on the windowsill, the cold metal sent a chill through her legs.
    She sighed. “We didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye.”
    Men in heavy armor had surrounded Ted and Natalie in the alley. Their tall, muscular build made it almost impossible to see through the wall they’d formed. In the small space between the dark souls, there was a flicker of a wave from a woman who could’ve been Razellia, but it was impossible to tell. Vella had been in an underground bunker with the other children. She was hiding from the light souls, who were Natalie's supposed allies. It still didn’t make much sense.
    A door slammed down the hall, followed by the loud, metallic noise of heel against floor.
    Natalie shook her head. “Please tell me you were trying to stomp like 30 bugs, because otherwise that’s the worst sneaking in human history.”
    Ted peered out from around the corner. “I tripped.” He rubbed some sleep out of his eyes. “I didn’t know where you were.”
    Natalie patted the spot beside her and shifted to create more room. “You’re the neediest superhero I know.”
    Ted sat down beside her. “Can’t a guy worry about his… international travel partner?”
    Natalie ignored him and looked back out the window. They sat there for several minutes in silence, until Ted got Natalie’s attention with his eyes.
    Something inside her told Natalie to lash out, but she pushed it down. “Didn’t your mom ever tell you it was impolite to stare?”
    He laughed. “You know she has.” Ted leaned back against the side of the frame. “I just wanted to say I'm sorry.”
    “For what?”
    Ted smirked. “Oh, come on.” He quieted his voice to a whisper. “We almost kissed.”
    Natalie raised her eyebrows. “No, you almost kissed me.”
    Ted put up his hands. “Fine. Fine. I almost kissed you and I’m sorry. It was just a heat of the moment kind of–“
    “I forgive you.” She put her hands over her eyes and groaned. “Gah! We need to get home.”
    The plane lurched slightly at that very moment. Natalie could feel the aircraft beginning to descend. They both pressed their faces against the window. Flickering lights pierced through the total darkness. Far below, a massive castle came into view. Fear pricked her stomach.
    Ted’s breath quickened. “You know, there’s a whole city of people who want to kill me down there.”
    Natalie looked up at him. “Do you think they’ll leave me out of things if I say I’m your ex?”
    Ted’s nervous laugh wasn’t comforting. “You’re welcome to try.”
    As the ship neared its destination, it became clear just how large the castle was. The walls were set a skyscraper’s height above the ground. There were dozens of towers in view, with several as wide as her entire house. Unless the stronghold held a million fighters, it was likely a city with a military barracks somewhere in the middle.
    Let’s hope it’s the latter.
    The ship descended faster and faster until it came to a halt atop one of the wider towers. It was difficult to tell in the dark, but their view through the window appeared to be a giant statue of some kind. It was the biggest work of art she'd ever seen, not that she was keeping track of that sort of thing. Natalie wondered if it was a monument to some dark soul god. Or did it have something to do with that General she kept hearing about? She had a feeling the actual General would be a lot more frightening than some oversized piece of rock.
    Ted gestured for Natalie to go back toward their room. She complied, and they sat on the edge of her bed in silence. When he took her hand, she