*present*

The boy could say whatever he wanted- I knew he knew Sky.

I could tell he got nervous whenever I said his name. I've almost always been good at reading people.

If only you could've read the situation when you were six, I thought, but I shoved the thought out of my mind. I didn't have time to be thinking about that.

"Listen, I know you know who he is." I say.

"You can't be sure." The boy says, obviously trying (but epically failing) to keep the nervous tone out of his voice.

"Oh, yes I can. You sound all nervous. Don't worry, I'm not the bad guy here. I'm telling the truth about my identity, I swear it."

The door opened a crack. "Fine." The boy said. "But I'll tell you now, try anything, and I will kill you."

I scoffed a little. "Like you could."

"My name's Tyler." He said.

"Skylar." I introduced myself again.

I walked inside, and saw the boy.

And the first thing I noticed?

A shining golden and purple amulet hanging from his neck.

I sucked in a breath.

"He's gone too, isn't he?"

Tyler stared down at the amulet. "Yeah...gone since yesterday. I'm his son."

"You're his son? You don't look much like him." I observed. I knew what Sky looked like, my dad had shown me pictures before.

"I know. I'm adopted. So is my sister, Mac-" He stopped himself. "Hold up. You haven't told me how you know my dad."

"I technically don't." I shrugged. "My dad did. Told me tons of stories. You know, Ty? Best friends with your dad?"

He gave me a confused look, and shook his head. "No..."

"You're...kidding, right?" I said. Of course he knew about my dad. I mean, geez. He was Sky's best friend, and after all the stuff they'd been through...Tyler had to know something.

He shook his head again. "No idea who he is."

"Yeah. Okay." I said. He had to be joking. Or he didn't trust me. Whatever.

"I'm-" He cut himself off, sighing. "Nevermind."

I followed him to the kitchen, where a red-haired girl sat at a table, scribbling in a book. When she saw me, her eyes widened, and she immediatley slid out of her seat and hid under the table, taking the book with her.

"Macey, it's okay. She's not here to hurt us." Tyler said reassuringly, but the "Macey" girl didn't budge.

"Sorry, she's a little shy. And a little scared." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

I gave him a look.

"Okay, a LOT shy. And a LOT scared." He admitted. "Give me a second."

I stayed back as he walked over the table, and crouched down next to the girl.

"Come on, it's okay. You don't have to fully trust her yet, but you can trust me, I'm your brother." I could just barely hear him talking.

"I don't bite. Promise." I said. "This sword's only for mobs."

And weird freaking shadow-demons or whatever they were, I thought.

She slowly got up from underneath the table, staying silent. When she stood, she clutched her book to her chest, as if it were her lifeline.

"Macey, this is Skylar." Tyler said, having gotten back up on his feet.

"Hi." I said, but Macey stayed silent. Could she speak at all?

"Macey here doesn't like to talk much. Sorry 'bout that." Tyler explained.

Oh.

"It's cool." I shrugged. I knew what it was like to not want to talk. I had been like that for a few years after...

No. I thought. Not the time.

"So," I said, leaning backward onto a wall and banishing the stupid memories from my mind for the time being. "When are you guys going to go?"

Tyler's expression turned confused. "What do you mean, go?"

I gave him a look. "You know, go. Look for your dad."

He cast his gaze down at the floor. "Um...we're not going to."

"You aren't going?" I asked, not able to believe it.

Tyler shook his head, as silent as Macey.

I could feel by too-well-known anger rising up inside of me. I've always sucked at controlling emotions, and Notch knows I have too many.

Well, all except for one specific emotion that I refused to let myself feel. I knew better.

"What in the Nether do you mean, you aren't going? Doesn't it bother you that your dad has disappeared to Notch knows where?"

"Yeah, it bothers me!" Tyler diverted his gaze straight to my eyes. "You're crazy if you think it doesn't bother me."

"Then explain this to me, Tyler. Why are you just sitting here, waiting around when your dad could be dead-or worse?" I demanded, not looking away.

He winced at the word "dead", but didn't look away. "Because he told us not to! And if there's anything we've learned in the past two days, it's that his rules are there for a reason!"

"Who gives a crap if he told you no?" I argued. "If you don't go looking for him, who else will? My dad told me not to go looking for him, but I'm going anyway, because he's been there for me no matter what, and I couldn't call myself his daughter if I didn't at least try to help him when he's in trouble!"

"You don't know if they're in trouble." Tyler said, his voice quieter and not as angry. "They could be fine."

"That is B.S. and you know it." I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "Or did you not get one of those freaky phone calls?"

Tyler didn't say anything.

"That's what I thought." I responded.

"Oh, what do you know?" Tyler huffed.

"What do I know?" I repeated. "I know that if you two don't get a move on soon, it won't be long until you're targeted."

"By who?" Tyler asked, the anger gone from his voice and curiosity replacing it.

I shrugged. "Not sure. But they're some sort of freaky smoke demon."

I moved so he could see the cut in my shoulder, that burned straight through my jacket. "I've already run into them once."

Macey moved behind her brother, and I heard an extremely quiet voice say, "I'm scared."

"It'll be fine, Macey." Tyler reassured her.

"No it won't. Not if you stay here. Won't take long for them to figure out who you are, and where you are." I said. "I'm going to go. It's up to you, Tyler. Are you going to stay here, or are you going to go and help your dad?"

Tyler looked back and forth between me and Macey, and sighed.

"Fine. We're coming with you."

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I've already said this on my profile, but how would you guys feel about an Ask the TC2G Characters book?