Their Adventure Together 26

     Sirena

        Once we got full control of the Hidden's incredibly- skilled Hidden warriors, it wasn't hard to persuade the Black Soldier's to extend their courtesy to us as well, especially since Ian was part of them. He and Ren had immediately went to the Black Soldier's territory and had convinced them to give us whatever we needed. Armed with two HUGE groups of trained, brave soldiers and warriors, I was starting to feel like maybe we could win this war.  

The Hidden warriors

Ifa (Sharifa), the Hidden army leader 

The Black Soldiers army 

The Black Soldier's War-Dragons 

The Dark Realm's best healer, Leyra

        After gathering everyone and everything we needed, Ren and Ian had returned to the Hidden territory, and together, we made our way to the Balance Realm Palace, to meet up with the rest of them. We went there by a carriage pulled by two dark, beautiful horses, and was escorted by a few Black Soldiers on their own horses. 

            We reached by dawn, and was offered rooms for us to stay in. Aisha and I shared a room, while Chris and Ian shared another. 

Ian and Chris's walk-in closet

        

        Neil and Asish welcomed us graciously in the afternoon, and we caught up over lunch. They told us that they had gotten word that Gowri, Deva and Raju were on their way here. After exploring the palace and having a long, good rest, we changed into our given outfits for dinner with the King and Queen. 

        Aisha and I had received a few choices of gowns that was hands-down the MOST spectacular looking clothes I had ever seen, making it impossible to choose. Made of pure light, the gowns shimmered in a special way that was enchanting. The best part was, the Balance Realm tailors knew I had a twin, and had sewn outfits that matched especially for us. It was extremely thoughtful of them, and I loved the idea. Among the gowns I was offered were: 

 Mine and Ian's matching outfits

        Obviously, Ian and I chose the third option, which really looked regal and classy. I felt like a princess from a Disney movie. Aisha, on the other hand, received options of gowns that totally matched her personality and character.. her gowns seemed very similar to the desi outfits that she was used to wearing. I admit, I got a little jealous of it, but she promised to let me borrow them later on and explained the names of each outfit. All of the gowns looked very cultural and decent. 

            Aisha chose the 2nd option, a pink saree with its accessories (last picture) which I learned were called Jhumka earrings. She also wore beautiful bangles on her wrists, and looked the picture of pure elegance and dignity. Chris, was also given a few outfit choices, and he ended up wearing an outfit similar to Raju and Deva.

Chris's outfit

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Their Adventure Together 25

Raju

    We got to the palace by horse-drawn carriages. It took us about 2 days to reach there. By the time we reached the palace, I couldn't even feel my legs. I think if someone spilled boiling hot water on me, I wouldn't even react because I couldn't feel anything. I sincerely hoped that I wouldn't need to amputate my legs or something. 

     However, my numb legs didn't stop me from gawking when we halted in front of the entrance to the palace. The moment I stepped out of the cramped carriage, I immediately took out my camera and took picture after picture of the palace for inspiration. I decided that I'm going to write a mega story about our adventure. From what we were thinking to what we said to each other. Cool right?

    Anyways, back to the palace. 

    The Firl representative, Mei Li (we finally found out her name) and the Hamono representative, a middle-aged dude with a serious face and a weird sense of humour, Krath, got down after me, followed by Gowri and Deva. The four of us walked up the palace steps, and I half-expected the guards to scream "INTRUDER!" and attack us. Fortunately, none of which took place, but I was on my guard nonetheless. 

    The guards at the door opened the palace doors, and we quickly walked into the main hall. (I'm still getting used to this 'palace language'.) A butler received us and guided Mei Li and Krath to another room to be entertained. Meanwhile, two servants attended to Gowri, Deva and me. They led us to two spacious guests rooms, one for me and Deva to share, and another for Gowri. Apparentally, we were to rest and change into a more 'suitable' outfit for dinner, where we would finally meet the King and Queen of the Balance Realm. 

 

Gowri's room

Deva and my room 
  

    We did as we were told, and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the comfy pillows. I never had experienced this much luxury or comfort in my life at all, and was quite pleasantly surprised. When I finally awoke, I felt relaxed and contented. Deva was already up and showering, so I decided to pay a quick visit to Gowri's room to see how she was keeping up. 

    I got directions from a passing servant, and knocked on her door softly, in case she was still asleep. "Coming!" she answered, and a few seconds later, the door opened. "Oh Raju! Hi!! This place is AMAZING! I slept sooo well, and the outfit choices they offered me are just GORGEOUS! How are you and Deva?" Gowri said excitedly. 

    "We're good. I just came to check on you, but it seems you're enjoying yourself." I laughed.  

    " Oh, I see. Do you want to come in and help me pick an outfit? Since you're already here.." Gowri practically pulled me in, and I sat down on one of the armchairs while she tried on each outfit. I didn't mind, as I still had time to kill while waiting for Deva. 

    The pictures attached below are her outfit options: 

    In the end, we decided on the second option, a fiery red gown made of rose petals, which was inspired by a phoenix. I had to admit, the fashion designers here were really incredible. Later on, I found out that all their clothes were made up of bits and pieces of light, both dark and bright light woven together with spools of threads to create these magnificent designs. (SUPER COOL!!) 

    I went back to my room to shower, and received a few sets of fresh clothes for me and Deva from one of the servants. I stared in amazement at the cloth, feeling the soft thread-light in my hands. Deva was equally astonished. I hurriedly showered, and we put on our clothes. 

Deva's outfit 

My outfit 

    Once we were done, we tidied up the room and made our way to Gowri's room. When she stepped out of her room, I gasped. She looked stunning with a capital S. She giggled and thanked us when we complimented her. We escorted her downstairs, to the dining hall. We sat in our assigned seats, and I was surprised to see Mei Li and Krath dressed in their unique attire. Mei Li's gown was complete with armour. Krath was dressed up in a suit similar to mine. 

    Nobody made a sound while we waited for the King and Queen. Suddenly, two familiar- looking men entered the room, and we gasped. It was Neil and Asish! Gowri was overjoyed to see them after so long, and ran to hug Neil. We caught up with them, and they reassured us that everything was going according to plan. Plus, they said they had a surprise for us. I was wondering what it was, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and gaped at the person standing behind me. I couldn't believe it. It was Chris! And Aisha! With Sirena!... and some other dude dressed in all black. I didn't pay much attention to him and talked and laughed with my friends, telling each other all sorts of stories. It was a great moment, and I felt confident we could win the battle and defeat Bellate and Trix. 

    While we were talking, a sudden hush fell over the room. The King and Queen had arrived. Everyone stood and bowed, as per protocol, and waited until they sat before sitting down. The King toasted to a happy evening, and the dinner began. 

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Tata's Dream

Tata's Dream (750 words)

 * Tata - grandfather in Tamil language.

   ** Tudung - a shawl that covers the head of Muslim people.

 

      Ever since your great great Tata was young, his lifelong dream was to become a leader. A law enforcer. At an early age, the wisdom and leadership qualities he possessed were admirable. He felt the need to protect unfortunate people who became the victims of unjust employers.

 

     When he reached the eligible age to attend an interview, he went in hopes to get the position of a police officer, but, he was surpassed by other individuals. He waited for the next interview. 

 

     When that time came, while he was riding his bicycle to the police station, he stumbled and fell on the way down a hill. He landed on his face, and his teeth got hit badly. So, instead of attending the interview, he had to pay a visit to the dentist and got his teeth taken out. From then onward, Tata had to wear dentures. But he never gave up on his dream. Month after month, year after year, he went for numerous interviews, but he never made the cut. The reason was that he suffered from sudden panic attacks, and knowing this, the interviewers did not want to take any risks. 

 

      After two years, his older brother requested him to try for another job and suggested him to go to an employee leader interview at a bank. Tata reluctantly obliged and went for the interview. Since the position was still following his terms, which was protecting people, he was satisfied. After all, he always wanted to uphold the rights of people.

 

      Surprisingly, he got the job. It was his sincerity and determination that did it. He was officially employed as a bank union member. He started off at a low rank, as an ordinary bank employee. Slowly, he worked his way to the top. He helped and guided his colleagues and eventually won their trust. When the elections came, he was voted by his colleagues and became the General Secretary of National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) of Malaysia.

 

      Tata's job was to ensure fairness in all the banks in Malaysia and handle every complain from the bank employees. One day, a woman, Farah, stormed upsetly into his office. " My manager is firing me for wearing a **tudung!" she exclaimed.

 

    " What do you mean? " Tata asked once she calmed down.  "Surely they won't fire you for such a petty issue!" 

 

    Farah said that she had been fired an hour ago, just because her manager didn't like her wearing a tudung. Tata accepted her complaint, and, once she went out, phoned her manager, Mr. Lim. 

    " Mr. Lim! Good afternoon. I'm Shan, NUBE General Secretary."

 

    " Shan! Good afternoon! What can I do for you?" Mr. Lim asked.

    " I heard that you fired one of your employees, Farah, because she wore a tudung?"

 

    " Uh, um, well, I, wasn't trying to.." he stuttered. 

 

    " So, she isn't fired from the bank right? " Tata enquired.

 

    " Uh, yes sir, sure. " 

 

    " In that case, she will be coming to work tomorrow then. Thank you for the clarification, Mr. Lim." Tata said, and hung up.

 

      He then called Farah and informed her that she could go to work the very next day. She was extremely grateful to him and thanked him profusely. She spread the news of Tata's help to all her colleagues and that's how your great great Tata became popular amongst the bank employees of Malaysia!

 

      After solving many problems and gaining the support of all the bank employees, Tata's fame grew and he became the most powerful person in the history of NUBE. Till today, if you mention the name 'Shan' to any former bank employees in Malaysia, you will be surprised to know that they remember him vividly. 

 

      When he got old, he retired, and happily stayed in a small house with his wife. He was proud of himself- he had reached his pinnacle in life and had given justice to many. As he grew older, grandchildren came into his life, and he spent all his time with them recounting memories of his lifelong dream. He became an inspiration to all his grandchildren and advised them in every step of their lives. 

 

      I happen to be his oldest grandchild. Your great great Tata is  the one who has been telling me his life story everytime I meet him. He became the greatest inspiration in my life. Tonight, I pass this inspirational torch to you, my lovely grandchildren. Keep it burning brightly.

    

 P.S. I won the BRONZE AWARD!! :) 

  

Their Adventure Together 24

 Aisha

    I looked up when I heard a loud honk not too far away. I was still panting from running away from Arrow and his pack of wolves. Chris tensed beside me. " Hide the flower. " he hissed. I hurriedly wrapped the flower in my shawl and carefully placed it in my shoulder bag just before the rusty pickup truck pulled up beside us.  

    

    An old man sat with one hand on the wheel and the other resting outside the window. He was bald, but looking at his wrinkles I knew he was old. His white beard greatly contrasted with his dark, tanned skin. His outstretched hand out the window held a burning cigarette and I wrinkled my nose at the foul odour. " Hey kids, where ya going?" he drawled lazily. 

    I gulped and looked at Chris, who shook his head slightly. His message was clear - don't say anything about the flower. I understood his apprehension - it was far too risky to give anything away now, especially after we met Arrow. " We were just taking a walk, sir." I answered briskly. The old man nodded his head. 

    " You guys need a ride?" he asked, after a few seconds. I was surprised at his offer, and was at a loss of words. 'Should I say yes? Or should I reject his offer?' I wondered. Fortunately, Chris answered on our behalf. 

    "Sure, if its not much trouble for you and you happen to be going our way." he said. " We are on our way to the Hidden territory. You know where it is?" 

    " Hidden territory? Why, that's an hours drive from here! You can't be thinking of walking all the way there!" the man exclaimed. 

    " Can you take us there?" I asked. 

    " Of course! Glad to be of help. Come on in!". Chris and I got into the backseat and thanked the man profusely for his kindness. 

    I suspected that the old man would ask for something in the end, but before I could share my thought wtih Chris, I fell fast asleep, dreaming of Sirena and the Black Soldier. 

    A few hours later, I woke up to Chris shaking my shoulders saying that we had reached. I yawned, and looked outside. We had reached the Hidden territory. I got out the truck and thanked the old man who had driven us there. "Don't you want anything in return?" I questioned cautiously. 

    "Anything in return?" he echoed. "My dear girl, I don't want and neither do I need anything from you two teenagers. It was my pleasure to help." he replied.

    I was astonished. "Well, in that case, your help will be remembered forever. Thank you very much, sir." I answered. 

    He raised his cap in farewell and drove off. Chris and I slowly walked into the Hidden territory. It looked exactly like it had when we left. Nothing had changed. We walked straight into the oak tree where the elders were. Via, at the counter, didn't even look up when we walked by. 2 elders were seated in the same seats they were when we last saw them. It was somehow comforting that nothing had changed after all that had happened. 

    We walked in and stopped dead in our tracks. In front of us stood Sirena and her twin! I rushed to Sirena and hugged her tightly. Behind me, Chris caught up with Ian. When Ren entered the room, everyone stood up in respect and bowed. Together, we presented Ren with the Silver Pearl and the True Beauty Flower. We waited with bated breath while the elders carefully inspected the items. 

    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ren removed her glasses and smiled at us. I sighed in relief. I mean, it couldn't be bad if she was smiling right? "Congratulations. You have successfully recovered the items you were asked to find before 5 days passed. Now, like we promised, the Hiddens of the Dark Realm and Balance Realm vow to support you in your mission - whatever you need. " she vowed. We cheered and went mad with happiness. Sirena and I jumped up and down and hugged each other while the boys grinned and cheered. It was a festive moment. 

      

    

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Sock Puppet - Acha's Project "The Candy Crisis"

Rabbit, Queen, Chester Cat, Narrator 

       It was a beautiful day in Wonderland. In Her Majesty's palace, the Queen was listening to a complaint from a fellow citizen in Wonderland. " Your Majesty, " he exclaimed, "It is a disaster! All the lollipops in the lollipop plantation has completely disappeared!" The crowd in the palace gasped loudly and started chattering noisily. 

    The Queen was shocked. When the sound of citizens chattering and complaining became too loud, she shouted for silence. " SILENCE!" the crowd went silent. The Queen tried to regain her composure. " I will personally look into this matter. Thank you for raising this issue, sir" she addressed the man before her. "Next!" she called. 

    A young man walked in and complained. " Your Majesty, all the candies in my shop have disappeared as well!" he said unhappily. After him, almost everyone had a complaint saying that their candies had vanished into thin air. The Queen couldn't understand it. 'Who would want to steal candies? ' she thought. ' After all, candies are abundant in Wonderland. Without it, how can we call Wonderland Wonderful?''

    She called for a team of her best soldiers to find out where the candies had vanished to. But try as they might, none of them were successful. Then an idea struck her. She summoned Lewis, her wisest adviser. He would know what to do. 

    Lewis, in his own house, was facing a similar problem. All his stock of candies had disappeared! It was most peculiar. A loud knock came from the door. Lewis hopped to open it and found a few soldiers bringing a message from the Queen saying that she wanted to meet him immediately. 

    No doubt the Queen had called him to ask him to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the candies in Wonderland. Upon reaching the palace, the Queen asked him his opinion about the disappearance of the candies. Even though Lewis was the wisest adviser of the Queen, he had absolutely no idea what could cause this. " I think that someone stole all the candies from Wonderland. but I don't know why. " he mused,.

    The Queen ordered him to go investigate and gave him 24 hours to accomplish it, or else he would be eliminated from his rank as advisor and will be banished from Wonderland. Lewis had to work fast and work smart. He thought about his mission the whole journey home and that's when he realised something he never saw before. 

    Upon reaching home, Lewis packed for his mission. He then called Chester the Cat to help him. Chester agreed, and together they flew to a faraway mountain called Hydras, It was very cold and windy, and they flew with difficulty until Chester couldn't fly anymore. They landed, and continued the journey on foot. Chester took the opportunity to ask Lewis why they came here. 

    " Chester, at first I couldn't figure out this mystery. Then it hit me. A long time ago, I had read a book about the history of Wonderland. In that book, the author mentioned a dragon, Hydra, who loved eating candies. I did some research to find out whether Hydra was still alive, but couldn't find much information. However, I did learn that this mountain was called Hydras because the dragon Hydra lived here and the mountain was named after it. " Lewis explained. 

    "So, you think that the dragon, Hydra, stole all the candies from Wonderland?" asked Chester. Lewis nodded. " But, do you have proof?" he asked.

    " Well, it is stated in the book that the citizens of Wonderland used to offer a stock of candies to him every year so they wouldn't take or steal from others. After some time, this tradition faded away, so I think that my theory has a high chance of being correct. " Lewis said, 

    They stopped in front of the entrance to a cave. Lewis switched on his torchlight and led the way in. While walking into the cave, they noticed rubbish all over the place. Lewis shone his torchlight on it and discovered that it was candy wrappers. Chester was shocked. " I think your theory is true.. " he whispered softly. Lewis grimly nodded and continued walking in. Soon enough, they found a huge dragon snoring in the middle of the cave. " And this must be Hydra. " Chester assumed. 

    The dragon woke up and growled at them. " Who are you? How dare you come into my cave?" His voice echoed all over the cave walls, and Chester gulped.  

    "Have you been taking all the candies from Wonderland, Mr Hydra?" Lewis asked bravely. 

    Hydra went pale. "You found out? " " But I have not had an offering of candies for so long, and I"m so hungry. " he pouted. 

    "If we give you an offering of candies every year, will you promise to never take our candies again?" Lewis asked.

    "YES!" Hydra agreed happily. Lewis was relieved. Now all he needed to do was to convince the Queen.

    Chester and Lewis went back to the palace and met the Queen. " Well, have you found out who's the culprit?" she asked. Lewis nodded. He then explained the situation to the Queen. He told the Queen about his promise with Hydra. The Queen thought for a while, and agreed. She then made a rule where every year, they citizens of Wonderland would offer a stock of candies for the dragon Hydra, who lived in the mountains. 

    Hydra was happy, and kept to his promise. The citizens of Wonderland got back their lost candies, the Queen was proud of herself for handling the situation, and Lewis and Chester were both awarded with the Medal of Bravery for saving Wonderland from the candy crisis. Once again, Wonderland became a safe haven for all fantasy beings.

    

    

   Cave - off all the lights and use torchlights

queen throne room

dragon - rarity

wonderland lollipop plantation 

people - 1 young man & the farmer

lewis' house - a4 paper background with a small box (empty) 

candy offerings

history of wonderland book - thick book / brown colour

best soldiers - cards with spears 

mountains - cold & windy / put a4 paper behind,, off lights, use torchlight with mountain background, fan it so it looks windy

  

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Their Adventure Together 23

Sirena

        My eyes were closed. Memories swirled through my head at the speed of lightning. Voices echoed all around me. I recognised the voices. My mother's, my evil uncle's, my twin, loyal Farzan, and my dead father. Pain engulfed me as I slowly pieced together the pieces of this complicated story, and I felt sick with disgust and hatred for my uncle - the evil Drace who killed my father mercilessly. Drace was the nightmare, the dark shadow looming over my entire childhood in Vivaria. He was the reason for all the pain my twin and I went through. 

    He was smart - he, like my mother, had inherited the royal family's cunning brain. But instead of using it for the good of the kingdom, he had chosen the other path, darkness and evil. He had abandoned his own sister and his family just to satisfy his greed. Unfortunately, he couldn't enjoy his stolen glory for long as he was killed by the one who he worked for - Bellate and Trix had killed him after the evil deed was done, deeming him useless and yet another obstacle in their plan. They killed him. Just like that. All I understood from this was you couldn't trust anyone, not your family, not your friends, not the person you worked for, no. This world was dangerous, no longer the peaceful fantasy that it was long ago.

    I drifted back to the present as I heard a voice shouting at me from below. It was my twin, calling to me. I opened my eyes and blinked. I was floating. In the air. Blue and green energy whirled around me and my ears buzzed from the amount of magic in the air. I started to panic as I realised that I had absolutely no idea how I was to get back down. The feeling of panic increased, and I shouted to my twin. " How do I get back down?" 

    My twin looked up at me. " What do you mean?", he shouted back. " You don't know how to get down?" I nodded yes. " Why are you asking me? You're the one controlling your magic. Just focus on coming back down again.", he suggested.

    I closed my eyes again and focused all the energy in me on getting back down. I felt myself moving, and I squeezed my eyes together, bracing for impact. It seems that I worried for nothing, for I felt myself effortlessly gliding down to the cave floor. As I landed, I opened my eyes and gasped. A huge golden door shined at me, glimmering in the little sunlight that came through a hole in the cave ceiling. Golden stairs reached all the way to the door.

   

    I glanced at my twin. He nodded, and together we walked up the golden stairs up to the door. I took a deep breath and cautiously pushed the huge doors open. The doors groaned, possibly because it was being opened after a long time. As soon I we stepped inside, I had to cover my eyes with my hands. The brilliance of the room was blinding me. I couldn't see anything but a bright light shining all around us. 

    After what felt like hours, the light dimmed, and we put our hands down. My eyes widened as I saw what we were looking at. Glimmering softly in front of us was a round, smooth, crystal clear silver pearl sitting on an opened wooden box. The pearl wasn't big, roughly the size of my palm. My twin breathed in deeply beside me. It was the legendary Silver Pearl. 

    I walked to the pearl and placed it carefully in the wooden box. I handed it to my twin, and we quickly made our way out of the cave. Outside, Kai was waiting for us. His lips widened in a smile once he spotted the gleaming Silver Pearl, which still managed to emit a surprising amount of light even through the wooden box. My twin and I climbed onto Kai's back, and we soared through the air to the Hidden territory. 

Chris

    I was panicking. Totally panicking. I had acted like some brave hero earlier, but now I was shaking with fear inside. Aisha, on her part, had been smart enough to confuse Arrow and his pack of wolves for a while. I wonder how she managed to accomplish it. I had to ask her later when this was done. If we managed to live after fighting Arrow that is. 

    Arrow moved forward to me, and took out his bow. The earlier confused pack of wolves around him started snarling and growling again, and followed their leader. I really hoped Aisha had an idea to help us. ' Wish we had some kind of fairy godmother or something.' I thought desperately. Then I remembered Sally and Jerold, Sirena's family guardians. Immediately, I shouted as loud as I could , " SALLY AND JEROLD! WE NEED YOU!" 

    Almost immediately, dust gathered around Aisha and I, slowly forming a tornado. The sand got into the wolves' eyes, and they howled in pain. I understood what the guardians were trying to do. The guardians had provided a distraction for Aisha and I to quickly slip away. I grabbed Aisha's hand and we ran out out of tornado and kept running and we were far, far away from them. I silently thanked Sally and Jerold in my heart and I knew that Aisha was doing the same. 

    We continued running until we reached a road. We stopped, panting, and I looked up when I heard a vehicle approaching us. 

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Their Adventure Together 22

 Black Soldier

    The cave was HUGE. And by huge, I mean really, really huge. Like the size of 2 or 3 football stadiums. That's not the only thing though. The cave was beautiful. The moment I stepped in, I was mesmerized by its beauty. Even Sirena was in awe. 

    " Wow. Look at this place. " Sirena breathed. " Did you notice the hanging stuff?" she asked.

    I nodded. I had noticed the hanging stuff. "Looks like frozen ice or something. " I said, reaching to touch one. Before I could touch it, Sirena grabbed my hand. 

    " Don't touch ANYTHING. You never know what might happen. You heard Kai, there's booby traps in here. Don't take a risk. " she said. I smiled to myself once she turned away. She was learning the ways of this realm fast. 

    " So how are we supposed to find this keyhole? " I asked, checking to see if the key was still in my pocket. 

    Sirena shrugged. " I guess we can just feel for it. " Then she frowned. " But that would take ages. " 

    " How about powers? " I asked. 

    " Powers? What do you mean?"

    " Your powers. You are part Hidden, part human, plus, a pure spirit. Its obvious that you have powers. " I said.

    " Oh. Oooh! Like Wanda Maximoff? The Scarlet Witch? " she asked excitedly.

    " That's not true. Its merely fiction. But, yeah, I guess. Something like that. " 

    " Cool. So how do I um, activate it? "

    " You need to find energy. Like, maybe anger at someone you really don't like, or love for someone you miss, or a happy memory that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. " I said. " I can't believe I just said warm and fuzzy. " I then muttered. 

    " We-ell, I don't have any enemies that I hate that much. So that's out. Let me try the other options. " She closed her eyes.  I saw a vision floating above her head. I swallowed. It was a vision of our mother, Queen Aurora. 

    She was sitting in the throne room, a beautiful crown placed on her head. Her thick, wavy blackish-brownish hair rested on her shoulders. She held a golden scepter, and was wearing an amulet around her neck that matched with her blue gown. She looked so regal. The vision shifted. Now, the sun was setting, and she was in the palace gardens, pushing a little girl on a swing. She laughed, and the vision changed. Now she was lying on the cool grass, a little boy and girl lying beside her. She pointed out constellations to them. They looked so happy together.

Queen Aurora

Queen Aurora pushing Sirena on the swing.

     The vision changed yet again. I recognized this one. She was trying out outfits for Sirena and my 8th birthday. It was to be a grand one. Too bad it never took place. I clearly remembered this particular memory because she had made me and Sirena dress up in twin clothes- then she laughed, saying we looked cute. I hated my twin at that time. Only when Sirena was sent away, did I stop hating her - it was because I realized how important she was, that she was a part of me, and that only we could understand each other. I had silently vowed that I would do anything to protect her.

Sirena and I in matching twin outfits.

    The vision changed. I was there, painting something. Sirena was nearby, drawing and colouring on a piece of paper. Behind us, in the throne room, there were voices echoing down the hall. Overcome with curiosity, and we tiptoed silently to the throne room door. The door was slightly ajar, and we peeked in and eavesdropped. " We can't let this go on any longer!" boomed a masculine voice - our mother's brother, our uncle, King Drace. The vision changed, and showed the beginning of all the evil that had happened.

King Drace

    Drace was an evil man. Sirena and I both knew it. I think it was the only thing we agreed on at that time. But our mother refused to believe us. She always sees the best in everyone, and absolutely refused to think bad about her brother. But Sirena and I had known that it was only a matter of time before his secret got exposed.

     You see, he had murdered our father, Shawn, only a month before my 3rd birthday, so that he could become king. Shawn was not from Vivaria or Miromar. When Queen Aurora had travelled to Earth, she had fallen in love with him, married him, and brought him back to rule with her as King of Vivaria. Drace was evidently not pleased with Shawn's presence, and asked Shawn if Drace could become King. Our father had steadfastly refused, and had humiliated him in front of the entire Vivaria by tossing him in prison when he was caught red-handed, pouring poison in Shawn's drink. 

    Our mother was away at that time, and didn't know of any of this until she came back. Trusting her brother with her life, she was furious with my father when she found out that Drace was imprisoned for attempt at murder. Our father tried to reason with her, but, again, she pushed aside our explanations and let Drace out. Humiliated and angry, Drace set out to seek revenge on Shawn. Thus, the murder. 

    Sirena and I had witnessed it ourselves. I would never forget it. Sirena and I had been playing hide and seek with our father, and we had hid ourselves in the closet in his room. It was then we heard Drace come in, and talk to our father angrily, begging him to let Drace become King. After some time, our father grew frustrated and told Drace that he was not capable enough to rule. He said that Drace had a bad record, and that Shawn couldn't trust him to rule Vivaria fairly. Upon hearing this, Drace was enraged. 

    Sirena and I, hiding in the closet, wondered what was going on. We peeked through the keyhole just in time to see Drace stab our father with a knife he had hidden in his clothes. Sirena gasped, and I had to cover her mouth so she wouldn't scream out aloud and give us away. Thankfully, Sirena had kept quiet, tears falling from her eyes as she saw her father die in front of her and couldn't do a thing. I was grief-stricken. What a horror it was for two 2 year old kids to see their father so cruelly stabbed by their own uncle. 

    Later on, Drace pretended that someone else had come and killed Shawn. Sirena and I told our mother what had actually happened, but Drace pushed us aside and twisted our words. We were so mad that our mother didn't believe us, but there was nothing we could do about it. Nothing. 

    As the years passed, I tried to work out what happened. I had an intelligent brain, my mother always said. I didn't know what was Drace's big plan at that time, I only knew that he wanted the crown. By the time his coronation - that took place shortly before my 8th birhtday - had come, I had worked it out. Sneaking in Drace's room, eavesdropping, and pondering about it for days was how I accomplished it. After being crowned King, Drace's first order would be to imprison my mother, Sirena and me. 

    Knowing his plan, I prepared carefully. I wrote a letter to someone I trusted and looked up to immensely - my mother's adviser, Farzan. He tactfully related the news to my mother. His tact was what made my mother doubt her brother. She arranged for me and Sirena to be sent to Earth, where we would be safe, just in case. 

    Farzan had suggested for her to go to Earth with us, but she refused. She said that if she was to die, she would die like a queen, not flee like a coward. When she said that sentence, I was in awe. What an impressive queen. My mother did not deserve to be killed by her own brother who she cared about so much. But he was lost in the darkness, and greed had overcome him. There was no turning back now.

     Just like I had assumed, once the crown was safely on his head, he ordered for his loyal guards to capture us. My mother immediately intervened, and sent Sirena in a teleporter to Earth. But before she could send me, she was captured, and taken away. Scared and confused, the 7-year-old me stumbled out, with tears blinding my eyes, trying to run away from the palace. 

The teleporter

    A short while later, Farzan found me, and took me to the Black Soldier's territory. The Black Soldiers kindly accepted me into their group. I was comfortable there, only because my mother, who had made sure I was skilled in self-defense, had sent me to train there ever since I was 3. I now continued my training for 10 years, from when I was 3 years old to 13 years old. No news was heard of Drace. One day, I returned to the palace to find it abandoned. The once magnificent palace now stood in ruins. My fear grew. Where was my mother? Was she killed by her own brother? I didn't know how evil Drace was, but I sincerely hoped that he wouldn't kill his own sister just for the throne. Who knew what he was capable of? 

    After asking around, I found Farzan, now an old man. He told me that my twin was growing up happily on Earth, and had forgotten all about Vivaria. I was horrified. My twin's memory had been erased by the teleporter, a safety feature my mother had activated. Now she wouldn't remember anything! He also told me that my mother was taken shortly after being imprisoned. The Wicked Sisters had come and killed Drace, declaring that he was no longer useful. Then they took my mother away, and even Farzan didn't know if she was alive or dead. Saddened by the news, I set out to do research on Earth and on my twin. 

    All these memories swirled in my head, until I didn't realize that Sirena was starting to glow and was floating. My eyes widened as a strong wind whipped around us. I snapped out of my thoughts. " You're doing it! Just keep concentrating on finding the keyhole!" I shouted over the wind. The cave walls trembled. I spotted some fallen rocks clearing the way to a golden keyhole. I was astonished. She had done it. I ran through the wind to the keyhole and inserted the key in it. I turned and heard a click. The cave walls moved and revealed a shiny golden door. 

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