Friendship Bonds: An Epic Story (3)

   * * * KYLE THIRU * * *

        It was another morning. The rooster in our backyard crowed loudly beside my bedroom window. Yes, we have roosters in our backyard. Welcome to my world. We also have 2 cows - one mama and one kid - , a couple of goldfish in an aquarium in the hall, an entire family of cute rabbits and a stable of horses.  Everyday, I have the job responsibility, to feed ALL of them. Everyday. Sure, its tiring, but since I like animals, its not that bad compared to my siblings. 

    Well, my family isn't poor or anything. Its just that we love, love, love animals, and my parents like, rent or sell animals to people around here. Plus, my father is more of a countryman, not a cityman, if you know what I mean. He bought a medium-sized bungalow surrounded by lots and lots of land. He can talk forever about a single WEED. My mom, of course, totally agrees with him. So, here we are, in the middle of nowhere. Although I must admit, this place is quite nice.

    I have a younger sister, Amala Anne, ( it was her idea to get the bunnies ) who is 11 years old and a younger brother, Murali Joe, who's the baby of the house. ( He's not actually a baby, he's 6, but he acts like one. ) I'm the oldest, 13. Now let's continue about my day.

Friendship Bonds: An Epic Story (2)

  * * * ANDREW LEE * * *

        I heard the front door opening and went down to greet my parents - they had just returned from work. Behind me, my younger sister bounded down the stairs and my older sister dried her hands as she came to the door. " Hi Mom! Hi Dad! " we chorused. 

    " Hello dears! How was school today? " my mom asked. 

    "Good. " I said. My sisters mumbled something that didn't catch my ears. I went to the schoolroom - we had a room with all our books and stationaries for school - but was stopped by my parents. 

    " Andrew wait. Your father and I have great news for you! " my mom said. " You have gotten a free trial at Dahlia Academy of Arts in Paris! " my mom continued excitedly. " If you do well on the trial, you'll get a scholarship for the entire course! " 

    

    My eyes grew wide. I love dancing, and Dahlia Academy of Arts is a dream come true! Ever since I was a kid, I adored dancing, dance is my life. I couldn't live without it. " How?"  I sputtered. 

    " We sent in a video of your dancing from one of your competitions, and filled out a form. Then the academy notified us saying that since you were so good, they decided to test you. You'll be learning there for a month, after that, they will decide if you will stay or leave. " my dad explained. " So do your best son. " he added, giving me a pat on the back. 

Friendship Bonds: An Epic Story (1)

 * * * IVY AQILAH * * *

        "IVY! " my mom hollered from downstairs. "IVY AQILAH!" she called again. I heard footsteps and jumped of the bed just in time to lock the door. The handle rattled. " Ivy. Aqilah. " my mom said. " Open the door please!" She didn't sound angry, but she only used my full name, Ivy Aqilah, when she meant it. 

    " I'm not going to Singapore and back every month or so! " I screamed in reply.

     So, you might be wondering, why Singapore? And what do I mean? And so on right? Well, its quite simple actually. You see, my mother had suddenly got this idea - from God knows where - that I should go to boarding school. In Singapore, of all places. Now, I know that Singapore is not that far from Malaysia, but its still another country and I don't want to go to boarding school. Plus, its not even teaching music! Its for accounting. Which I don't like. So, that's it really. 

    

       

    

Their Adventure Together 11

 Deva 

     " Ow. OUCH! " I cried out as Gowri patted my head with a wet towel. I tentatively touched the bruise on my head which had now swelled and turned purple. I sighed.

    " Why on Earth did you challenge that Firl to a fight? " Raju asked as he walked in after hearing my cries. Shaking his head, he added slyly, " It would teach you a lesson to stop boasting so much. Its not like you're so strong anyways. " I jumped up at once to defend myself, but Gowri pushed me down again.

    " No getting up until I allow you to " she frowned. I fumed silently as Raju smirked and waved before heading out the motel. Or should I say tree -house. The "motel" that the Firl brought us to was a tree. Amazing right?

    I even got a leaf as a souvenir. " What? " I asked when my cousins blinked at me as I plucked it. " I want to remember this place. " I said, but they just shook their heads and walked away.  They think I don't know, but I do know. Gowri and Raju love this place and are taking their own memories of it. In the morning, I saw Gowri plucking a few plants-she loves gardening-and quietly tucked it into her pocket to put in her bag later on. I could bet RM100000000 that she would bring it back to Earth and plant it in her garden. 

    As for Raju, I saw him all right. I noticed that he was taking quite a number of pictures- of Firls, Hamonos, the "motel", and just about everything else. I can bet on him too. He would certainly paint this scenery and its people,um, creatures here. He loves to paint and draw in case I didn't mention it earlier. Anyways, back to the story.

    In the morning the next day, the Firls kindly taught us some basic fighting skills. Alright, who am I kidding? They literally dragged us out of bed, without breakfast which is terrible, and we flied - by we I mean they flapped their wings and we were carried in their hands- down to the training ground. Or should I say... worst nightmare, obstacle course, scariest thing I have EVER SEEN. 

    Let me tell you why. The "training ground" as they called it- I call it the deadly obstacles- was filled. Filled, with BOOBY TRAPS. Spiky things that spin ( and looks like it could slice you in half ), falling grounds ( the ground opens and swallows you. Literally. ) and other deadly obstacles. It was an obstacle course plus training ground.  And, it looked deadly I tell you. Here's a few pictures Raju took.

    So yes. I think you can get why we were all trembling. One more lesson learned.  I'll add to Raju's list,

   Mental note for future reference :

• All buildings in the Light Realm are either trees, mushrooms or bushes. 
• The food in the Light Realm is DELICIOUS. 
• Hamonos are extremely patient.
• NEVER try to fight a Firl. You might as well commit suicide. 
• Firls might seem gentle and kind because they're girls, but never ever UNDERESTIMATE A FIRL.  
• Firls' training is  torturous. 
• Firls' are smart. Way more smarter than us on Earth, so never debate with them- it'll turn into a fight.

    The Firls taught us to defend, block, punch and kick. It was a full karate lesson, FOR A YEAR. I have absolutely no idea how they managed to cram one year's karate lesson into 3 HOURS. I am seriously clueless. After the 3 hours of training, they finally, finally gave us a reward- breakfast. All of us were starving and practically drooled on our empty plates. I seriously hoped that Aisha, Sirena and Chris were doing better. 

    

 Gowri

    Oh my gosh. Oh god. I was so hungry, I thought I was going to die out of hunger. Thankfully, the Firls served us breakfast. When we finished eating, half an hour later, they took us to the top of a mountain to witness the sunrise. Yes, you heard me. The sunrise. Now you realize exactly how early we woke up. The Firls had no trouble waking up though, it must be a natural thing I guess. 

    I wondered how Sirena, Aisha and Chris were doing. Hopefully nothing terrible happened to them. Speaking of which, we had to get started on the alliance thing. We called a meeting with all the leaders and advisers of the Firls and Hamonos. Once we explained the situation with Bellate and Trix, they agreed to help us. Deva thought they were very kind, but I think that they did it to just avoid their realm from getting attacked. Oh well, whatever the reason was, I'm glad they decided to help us. One down, two to go. Overall, we had a memorable and unique experience here, in the Light Realm. We were so lucky that nobody harmed us. 

    The leaders decided to go the palace of the Balance Realm to confirm with the King and Queen. Since Neil and Asish were there as well, we thought it was a good idea. So the next day, we went to the Palace of the Balance Realm. What a sight it was. It was beautiful, extraordinary. The combination of black, white, silver and gold that were painted on the walls looked outstanding. Raju immediately made a note of the colours used and snapped a picture - so he could paint it back home. If you didn't know, Raju adores painting. In fact, his room is full of canvases, paint and brushes. The minute you step in his room, the smell of paint is overwhelming. 

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Their Adventure Together 12

Black Soldier 

    I led the way to the Room Of Secrets. I unlocked the door and invited the girl in. When I saw the picture earlier, I suddenly realized who she was. It was her. The one I had been searching my entire life for. The girl who was a mystery to me, the one which I researched about to find out if she was alive. I never met her all this while. The girl whom I could never forget. Her, my twin sister. It was her. I'd finally found her. My twin sister. Yet I couldn't even recall her name. 

    She stepped in the room and gasped (I didn't), her eyes full of amazement and wonder. I didn't blame her. The room was beautiful. It was blue in colour, like the northern lights. The ceiling never really ended. It kind of just... went on? Ok, so there wasn't a ceiling, but you could see the night sky with its twinkling stars. Like I said, the room was stunning.  But I had came here way too many times that I forgot its beauty.

    Along the walls, there were tons of papers, pictures, drawings, maps and everything else I had used for research. " What is this place? " she asked. I startled and dropped the papers I was holding.

    " Its the Room of Secrets. " I answered. After a few seconds, I realized that she wouldn't know what the Room of Secrets was, so I explained. 

    " The Room of Secrets holds the truth of everything that happened. Like, if I want to find out who killed uh, a certain soldier in World War 2, then I just have to step in the ring there, " I pointed to a silver glowing circle in the middle of the room, " and ask the room. But the room only knows what has happened in the past, not the present or the future. So, if I ask whether we are going to die, the room won't be able to answer. Or if I ask where is your friend now, the room also won't be able to answer. So.. that's how it works. " I finished.

    She nodded, still mesmerized by the rare beauty of the room. As far as I knew, Earth didn't have places like these, so I just let her look around for a while as I retrieved the black heart pendant from my coat. 

Sirena

    I was speechless for a few minutes. The room was beyond beautiful. It was.. there's no word in the dictionary to describe it. The most I can say is that its amazing, like nothing I had ever seen in my 13 years of life. Extraordinary. This realm was taking me by surprise. Looks like even the Dark Realm couldn't refuse a little light. 

    The black soldier explained to me everything about the Secret Room, and, I must admit, I was a little excited to try it. But I didn't think that he would let me. Anyways, I had absolutely no idea why he even brought me here. Considering the fact that we never really said more than 10 sentences to each other and how distrusting and rude he was throughout the entire trip, its astonishing that he suddenly decided to trust me and take me to this Secret Room of his.

    I asked him what he brought me here for. What he said next completely took me by surprise. " What's your name? " he asked, instead of answering me. I was shocked. I was offended. He was with me and my friends for more than a week, but he didn't even know our names? I call that bad conversational skills.

    But since I didn't want to offend him and make him lose his sudden trust in me, I answered him. " Sirena. I'm Sirena. My friends are Chris and Aisha. " I added, in case he didn't know. He just nodded coolly as though he knew that all along. " Now, what have you brought me here for? " I asked, my interest growing.

    " Do you know who you are? " he asked, once again avoiding my question. I wanted to know why he didn't answer me, but his question was too tempting. Who I was? What kind of question is that? It was a weird question to be asking, but I knew that he was smart, so I guessed there was a reason. 'And that reason probably was that who I thought I was is not the truth.' I concluded. Impressive. My conclusion surprised even me. 

    " Yes? I think I do. " I answered hesitantly. He waited for an explanation. " I am Sirena Alexander, and I'm 13 years old. I live in Ohio, USA. I am an only child, and I have a cousin named Dina James. Her father is my father's brother. " I stated. 

    " Hmm.. Earth has made you blind. The lies that were planted in your brains and body is impressive. You have completely forgotten who you are. This is what I feared when I tried to find you. " his words stung me. What was he saying? Everything and everyone I had ever known was a lie? How does he even know that? I don't understand.

    " I.. I don't quite understand.. " I stammered. I tried to ignore his words, but there was truth in it. How did I know? The same way I knew how Aisha was feeling the other day. I felt him. He was telling the truth. But I couldn't accept it. How can it be possible? I just came to know him, but he knew more about me than I knew about myself. A hundred thoughts swirled in my already confused head. 

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Their Adventure Together 10

 Aisha

    " Change of plans! " Chris announced, walking in the cabin. He dumped a map, compass and a lantern on the wooden table. 

    " What change of plans? " I asked, joining him at the table. I poured a cup of warm tea and handed it to him. 

    " Thanks. We are not going to meet the Black Soldiers' leader. We are going to the Hidden's territory first, get their elder's approval, then go meet the Black Soldiers' leader. Since its on the way. " Chris explained. He took drained the cup of tea and sighed contentedly. " I'll get going then. " he said and called out farewell before closing the door. 

    Just as I started reading the map, the door opened again. I looked up. It was Sirena this time. " Did Chris tell you that we're changing course? " she asked, pouring herself a cup of tea. " Yum...  this tea is good. Where do they even get it from? " she mumbled. 

    " Yes. Chris just informed me. What are you doing? Want to shift? " I asked, gathering the two cups and standing up. 

    " No thanks. I'm sure you're busy as well. " she stood. " By the way, Chris is reading the map and helping the Black Soldier guy to ride the horses. " she added before I could ask. 

    " Okay then. " I said. I started scrubbing the pots and pans.  A few minutes later, I was done. I took out my apron and flopped on a nearby chair to have a nap. 

Sirena

I put on a coat - it was really cold out there - and grabbed a broom. I called out goodbye to Aisha before leaving. " Bye Aisha! " I called, but she was already snoring. I smiled and quietly made my exit. 

         I entered the cabin that I shared with Aisha. I hummed a song and started sweeping the small room. But as I swept, I realized a strange thing. Every time I swept, the dust on the floor was still there. The broom didn't pick up the dust! I stopped humming and stared at the broom suspiciously. 

    As I squinted at it, it suddenly made a fizzing noise and whizzed out of the cabin, dragging me along! " Fizz! Whiz! ARGH! " the sound from the broom clashed with my shrieks of terror. The broom dragged me past all the cabins and whizzed straight into the Black Soldier guy's personal cabin that he strictly forbid any of us from entering. My eyes widened with horror. He was definitely going to kill me now! I tried to stop the broom, but it just went faster. Finally, it dropped me on the floor.

    

        I stood up slowly, massaging my poor hands. " Bad broom! " I scolded. " Now look what you've done! You ... " I trailed off as I spotted the Black Soldier standing at the door. 

    

    " WHAT are you doing in MY cabin? " he asked, crossing his hands. 

    " I didn't do anything! It was the broom's fault! The broom brought, no, dragged me here! How can the broom even fly?! Look at my hands, its all red and it hurts! I couldn't even stop it, it wouldn't listen to me! Don't blame me for what it did! The broom even dropped me on the floor! " I ranted, tears of frustration coming in my eyes. I sniffed. 

    

    It seems like my ranting had done the trick. Its not like I was lying anyways, it was all true. The Black Soldier's stern face softened slightly. He walked to me. " Which part of it hurts? " he asked, taking my hands. 

    

    The moment he touched me, I felt something that was similar to an electric shock. My entire body tingled with his touch. I looked at him. Once again, it hit me that I had seen him somewhere before. I noticed that he felt the tingles too. Confused, he let go of my hands. 

    I rubbed my tears away and showed him my palms, which were now red and was full of cuts and scratches. " It hurts. I didn't do anything, honestly! " I burst out. 

    

    The boy sighed. " Alright, I know you didn't. Where could these bruises have come from then? " he said. He turned to the broom. " You, you are coming with me. I shouldn't have left you unchained. You naughty thing. " he added to the broom, who whimpered and dropped down, as if it was dead. The boy shook his head and continued reprimanding it.

    A glowing light caught my eye. ' What is that? ' I wondered. As the boy was scolding the broom. I slowly walked to the light. I saw a half of a heart. I gasped as I realized what it was. ' The half of the necklace! Finally, I had found it. ' I rejoiced silently. 

    

    Before I could ask the soldier where he got it from, the necklace piece displayed a picture of the soldier and me. It looked like the picture was edited. The bright background behind me was clashing with the dark background in his picture. 

    There was a purple force field around me, and the boy-soldier was holding his sword and shield. It looked like we were battling each other. I wondered if the necklace was showing the future. 

    Then the necklace piece displayed the two halves of the heart necklace, one half in my picture, the other half in his picture. The heart was connected, and there was a flash of light. " What are you doing? " the boy shouted. 

    

    He grabbed the necklace piece from my hands and paused when he saw the picture. After thinking a while, he stuffed it in his coat. " Come with me " he said, walking out of the cabin. I followed him to a secret room. When I entered, I was shocked. And then I realized what I had missed before. 

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Their Adventure Together 9

 

Gowri

    " Wow. " Deva said once we passed through the gateway. 

    " That's one way to see it. " Raju replied. " If I were you, I think the term remarkable is what should be applied in this situation. "

    " Oh quit bickering you two. " I quickly intervened before they started. I definitely didn't want to ruin the moment.  

   ' The Light Realm is such a nice place '  I thought. ' Surely there can be no harm here? ' I wondered if it was true. 

    " Excuse me, who are you? " a voice from behind startled me. 

    I turned around. A man wearing what looked like a kimono - you know, the type people wear in Japan - was staring expectantly at me. It would be an understatement to say that he glowed. In fact, he was shining so brightly, I had to shield my eyes to not go blind. Not to mention that he had a halo over his head.

    " Er, we're just.." I started. 

    " Visiting " finished Raju. I breathed a sigh of relief. I had panicked for a moment there.

    " You're VISITING? " asked the man, almost shouting the word ' visiting'. I winced. 

    " Can I, uh, we, get directions to meet your leader? King or something? " Deva asked, his tone sounding doubtful. 

    " KING? " shouted the man again. Deva nodded. " AH, KING! I WILL HELP YOU FORIJERS. I WILL GET A FIRL! " he continued.

    

    Raju and Deva blinked. " What did you say? " they questioned. 

    " HE MEANT " I started, pausing when I caught myself shouting. I cleared my throat before speaking again. " Um, he meant, he will help us foreigners and will get a .. a.. What was it again? "

    " A FIRL. F-I-R-L " he spelled patiently. 

    " Ah yes, a firl. " I finished proudly.

    " Quick question, " Deva asked, " What is a firl? " 

    Good one. Even I didn't know what a firl was. I turned to the man, waiting for his response. 

    " THIS IS A FIRL! " the man victoriously announced when a winged person came swooping down. 

    " Hi Grandpops! " she exclaimed happily. 

    " WHAT DID YOU SAY? " the man asked.

    " I SAID, HI GRANDPOPS! " the girl said, landing smoothly on the ground.  After the man nodded, she turned to us." Sorry. All the shouting must have been chaotic. Poor grandad. He's almost deaf you see. But he has endless patience. Not like me though. I am extremely impatient! " the girl said, smiling cheekily. 

    " I heard you asking what a Firl is. I am a Firl. " she continued before we could reply. "Firls are winged people as you may have noticed. Our wings are either black or white. It depends on your family really, if you come from elite families, your wings are black. If not, you're a white winged person, like me. Usually only royals have black wings. " she explained quickly. 

    " Firls can only be girls though. Any boy who lives in the Light Realm are Hamonos, like grandad here. " she added, pointing to the man earlier. " He's the gatekeeper. Its his duty to keep an eye out for visitors. " 

    

Raju

     I took a quick look at the firl. She wore a purple and black outfit that ended with a skirt. Her legs were covered with a tight black pants of some sort, with boots. Her wings were white. I also noticed the hilt of a sword hanging at her side. She looked like a tough fighter. Her fingers were covered with mud and scars that represented the battles she fought.

    " So... are you firls warriors or something? " I asked, gesturing to her sword. 

    She nodded. " I'm a middle-level warrior. After two years of training, I'll become a senior, like them. " she pointed to a group of firls training with shields and sword opposite us. 

    " Wow. " Deva commented, impressed. " When do you start training? " he asked.

    " We start training once we are capable to hold a sword. I started when I was 3. " she said proudly. 

    " That's cool. Now, can you help us? We need to meet your king. " I said. Then I proceeded to explain how the Balance Realm was in danger, and we needed armies to defeat Bellate and Trix. Gowri and Deva explained a few things too. When we were done, the cheeky face was gone. The girl went pale. She agreed to help us, but only tomorrow. Since it was night, she insisted we stay at a motel nearby. 

   Mental note for future reference :

• All buildings in the Light Realm are either trees, mushrooms or bushes. 
• The food in the Light Realm is DELICIOUS. 
• Hamonos are extremely patient.
• NEVER try to fight a Firl. You might as well commit suicide. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COPYING OR REPRODUCING THIS STORY IN ANY FORM OR MANNER IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

Their Adventure Together 8

     

Sirena

     I hadn't got slapped so hard before. The taste of blood spread through my mouth. Sure, I got slapped by my foster mom, but only once. " Mr Dark's" slap was way worse. I was sure that I was going to die. Chris jumped up to punch the man, fists ready, but was pushed down. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Aisha trembling with fear. 

    The first man grabbed the collar of my shirt and was about to give me another slap when the second boy intervened. He quickly got off the door and pressed the sharp end of the sword close to the first man's neck. His words were sharp. " Let. Her. Go. " he instructed, his voice so low, I had to strain my ears to hear it. Or maybe my ears couldn't hear well. His voice sounded familiar, like I had met him before. ' But that was impossible ' I wondered.

    The first man carried my collar higher. The boy pressed the sword now directly on his throat. " Let. Her. Go." he repeated, this time more louder than before. " I said let her go! You have gotten no orders to harass them! " he exclaimed. Mr Dark scowled and dropped me down. I breathed deeply. The slap had taken my breath away. The boy ushered the man to the door. He firmly closed the door behind him and locked it. 

    He offered his hand to help me up. " I know you're untied. I noticed it earlier. " he said, smirking. I glared at him and got up, ignoring his outstretched hand. He let his hand drop to his sides. I didn't want to trust him. " Who are you? " I asked.

Chris

    " Who are you? " Sirena asked the mysterious boy. Half his face was hidden in the shadows. I wondered if we could trust him.

    " Who are we? " the boy asked her back in disbelief. " You don't know who we are? " When Sirena shook her head, he laughed. " You're kidding " he said after laughing. When none of us replied, he straightened his face and said, " We are the Black Soldiers". " We are skilled fighters. Our enemies are always defeated. This sword, " he gestured to the sword hanging at his side, " was forged by the greatest miners in the world. It would hypnotize anyone the blade touches. But its immune to Black Soldiers, though it would still kill one if its wielder's good. " he explained.

    " We live in the Dark Realm. " he added. " But I guess you know that already. What did you come here for? You mentioned an alliance," he pointed to Sirena, " what alliance do you want? We are a neutral party. We don't fight in the politics of Vivaria and Miromar. " 

    " We know. But we still have to ask you to help. This is the war of the worlds. Bellate and Trix are trying to take over all the realms! And then they will take over Earth, where we come from. You have to help us before they come to you! " I begged.

    " Well, normally, we won't take any sides, but in this case... You mentioned Bellate and Trix? They're the one who's in this? " he asked. 

    " Um, yes. Why ? " I questioned.

    " Interesting... " he muttered softly. I stole a glance to Sirena and Aisha. They were nodding encouragingly. 

    " Do you think you can get an alliance with us? And what about the Hiddens? Have they agreed? " he asked, narrowing his eyes. 

    Oops. He was starting to get suspicious and impatient. Time for a distraction. But before that, a quick history lesson. " What are the Hiddens? " asked Sirena, raising her eyebrow.

    The boy sighed. " The Hidden are the girls that live in the Dark Realm. They are almost always covered, have magic and are super powerful. " he explained, running his hands through his hair.

    " Can we have a quick discussion? " Aisha asked him. He nodded, frowning at his watch. I was amazed. He had a watch. Perhaps they were like normal people. 

    I gathered around the girls. " So...we ask the Hiddens as well?" Aisha asked. I shrugged my shoulders. 

    " We should. The more people we have, the better. " Sirena suggested. " Though we should have knew about all the inhabitants of the Dark Realm before coming here right? " 

    I nodded. " I'm so going to kill Neil when we get back. " I muttered.

   

    " Are you done? " the boy interrupted. We turned back. 

    " Kindly take us to the palace to meet your leader. " Aisha asked bowing. 

    The boy pondered on it for a moment. "Very well. On one condition. We visit the Hidden territory first, and, only, and if only the Hiddens agree, then I will take you to my leaders. Agreed? " We nodded. "Good. Sit here quietly while I take us there." he said.

    " Wait. " Aisha caught his sleeve before he went out. " How do we know if we can trust you? " she asked. I waited for his reply. 

    " If I wanted to harm you, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be so polite. " he said shortly and went out the cart. 

    I looked at my companions. " I guess that's a yes then. "  

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Their Adventure Together 7

 

    Neil opened a portal to the Balance Realm. One by one, they made their way through the portal. When Sirena opened her eyes, she expected to find a war happening before her eyes. Fortunately, there was a beautiful sight before her. A river was flowing happily, as the birds flew above her chirping. The sun was shining, and the breeze was cool. She smiled.

    " Welcome to the Balance Realm " Neil announced. " Turn to your right and you will see the entrance to the Light Realm, and on your left is the gateway to the Dark Realm. 

       Dark Realm gateway

Light Realm entrance

    "Wow. Talk about a neutral party" Raju muttered. "So, which one are we going into first?" he asked.

    " The Light Realm? Does anyone want to go to the Dark Realm first? " Deva asked, shaking with fear. 

    " No. " Aisha disagreed. " We have to split up. " she said, ignoring her brother's shocked gasp. " You are the one who said there's no time to lose. " she said to Neil. 

     Neil frowned. " Never quote me unless I give you the permission to. " he said. After thinking about it, he agreed reluctantly. " Normally, its bad to split up, but, given the circumstances, fine. We need to get there before Bellate and Trix do. ". 

    So Aisha, Sirena and Chris left to the Dark Realm and Deva, Raju and Gowri went through the entrance to the Light Realm.  Neil made plans to wait for Asish then go to the Balance Realm's main palace to plead for help.

    Aisha

    'Sirena and Chris look brave.' I said to myself. 'Hopefully there's nothing dangerous waiting on the other side. ' I thought as we passed through the gateway. Our surroundings were dark. Gloomy. Scary. ' And cold ' I shivered and quickly put on warmer clothes. 

    " So.. where to first? " Chris asked a few minutes later. I glanced around us. Something wasn't right, I could sense it. And I was right. All of a sudden, a pack of ferocious wolves leaped out from the shadows, circling us. Their eyes were red, with thick black coats. 

    The wolves growled and bared their teeth. A few men slinked out out the shadows. They blended in perfectly in the dark. " Well, well, well, what have we got here? " one of them asked.

     I looked at them carefully. Each of them were dressed similarly, a black mask covering their faces, a black cape, a sword hanging at their side, black leggings and black boots completed their look. Everything was black, even their swords. 'Strange' I remarked softly. Before I could study them further, the men rushed forward and captured us. The last thing I felt was the world spinning as I fell down.

    

    Sirena

    Someone groaned. 'Aisha probably,' I guessed. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. Or at least I tried to. A jolt made me fall down again. We were in a wooden cart. My hands were tied behind my back. I saw Chris beside me, unconscious. Before I could wake him, another jolt, more harder than earlier, did. 

    He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. I saw his eyes widen as he realized that we were captured. He spun around, looking for Aisha. I looked for her too. I spotted her. I tried to call Chris, but my words were muffled. I was gagged. Just great. This couldn't get any worse. I thumped the bottom of the cart. 'Yes! He heard me! ' I nodded my head in Aisha's direction. Once she woke up, the three of us sat down, staring at each other. We had failed. What were we thinking?

    I scanned my surroundings to find something useful. It was dark. Really dark. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I found a jagged piece of wood. I moved myself nearer to it, and started rubbing my hands up and down, trying to cut the rope. Chris and Aisha just stared at me, not daring to make a sound. 

    After what seemed like an hour, the rope binding me was finally cut. As the last pieces of rope frayed, I heard the distinct sound of voices. The same voices from earlier. I quickly glanced at my companions. They were coming.

    The door to the cart opened, and two men stepped in. I peeped around the door before they closed it. We were in a clearing in the middle of the forest. It seemed like we had stopped for a break. The two men removed their masks, and I let out the breath I had been holding. They were normal people after all, with human faces. Before they realized I was untied, I quickly placed my hands behind my back, pretending to be tied.

    The first  man knelt down beside Aisha. The second person - who I realized was around our age, just leaned on the door, watching. The first man roughly yanked the gag off Aisha. He did the same to Chris. When he came to me, I was trembling. God knows what he would do to us. He removed my gag. I gasped for fresh air. 

    " Who are you strangers? Why intrude in our home? " he asked, his voice ringing in our ears.

    " We didn't mean to intrude. We just humbly request to meet the king. Or your leader. Whichever that you have. " Aisha said.

    " And who do you think you are, that you can request the presence of him ? " he asked. I doubted that Aisha knew what to say now. 

    " We mean you no harm. We have come to make an alliance. " I said.

    " You're taking a huge risk you know, " he sneered. I swallowed. I knew I was. I held my head up high regardless. I noticed that the second man, or boy, was amused at my boldness. For some reason, my determined look annoyed the first man. I held back a satisfied smile. I had found Mr Dark's weakness - he was too proud to be challenged. I maintained my gaze, looking in his black eyes. Seconds ticked by. ' What was he waiting for? ' I wondered. I got my answer sooner than I expected. 

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Their Adventure Together 6

     The holo-call ended abruptly. Aisha turned to look at Neil. " What is the Balance Realm? " he asked. " What else are we not supposed to know?" he added annoyed. 

    Neil didn't try to defend himself. " I was about to tell you." he pouted. " Anyways, Asish told you already. The Balance Realm has been divided into two parts, the Dark Realm and the Light Realm. We don't have time to tell you the entire history of Vivaria and Miromar you know. The Balance Realm is located half in Miromar and half in Vivaria. Though they are a neutral realm, no creatures or people EVER go there. " Neil said impatiently. " I'm never giving a history lesson again, especially to kids" he muttered while they processed the information.

    " So...we are headed there right?" asked Raju. 

    " Yes. Get your stuff. And also, get some warm clothes but, pack some casual clothes too. " Neil gave instructions as they left the table to get ready. 

    Sirena, Aisha and Gowri went to the room they shared. Aisha, the last one to come in closed the door and sighed. " So now we are going to the Balance Realm, where no creature ever went, but of course, we are going there." 

    Gowri pulled out her backpack from under her bed. " We should pack some food. So that we don't end up dying of starvation. " she suggested as she frowned at the clothes on her bed. " By the way, which scarf should I use? The grey one or the red one?" she asked. 

    " Grey. I have two grey ones. I can lend you one. " she offered to Aisha. When Aisha nodded, the three of them packed their grey beanies into their backpacks. Sirena lent the two girls one of her grey mittens - she had three pairs. (They decided on grey to recognize each other.) Then the girls packed a few T-shirts, pants, food and water. Then they cleaned their room and went downstairs solemnly. 

(The Grey Girls)

       " What took you so long? " Deva exclaimed as he spotted the girls coming down the stairs. "We've been waiting for ages!" 

    " We packed food and drinks, which, I'm sure, that neither of you packed! " Aisha retorted. " Anyways, let's go now. We're ready. " she continued, after getting the satisfaction of seeing all the boys flush with embarrassment. 

     Their small group went out the cottage, each and every one of them nervous at what they were going to face. They worried about their safety. But together, they had faith that they would make it. 

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Their Adventure Together 5

     " Let's move people. As fast as you can. " Neil ordered as the children bustled about, covering every single mirror they could find with cloth and rags, anything they had as long as the mirrors we covered. They were quite a number of mirrors in the small cottage, but soon enough, every single one of them were covered or brought down. ( Now that the mirrors are covered, no magical contact could be made. )

    After they finished clearing the lunch dishes, the entire household had a meeting. " Those two were Bellate and Trix, the most evillest twin sisters in the entire Vivaria and Miromar! Bellate is in charge of Miromar, while Trix handles Vivaria. It seems they have joined forces for a reason that I believe, is because of the 6 of you. " Neil paused for a dramatic effect. " You two, " he pointed at Sirena and Chris, " are clearly in trouble. I'm assuming that Trix wants you. Trix doesn't always interfere with her sister, but it seems fate has brought them together for this particular case. 

    "You four on the other hand, " this time he pointed at the cousins, " have already met Bellate. As you may have guessed, she is the Queen Bella you saw in the palace of Miromar. It was not a pleasant meeting, as you all know. " Sirena and Chris had been filled in on their trip to the castle, " And now, " he concluded. " We are all in terrible danger. Challenges will come, each one more worst and devastating than the other. The witches and their minions will feed on your weaknesses, your worst fears, and your loved ones. My rule? Always keep your eyes and ears open. No matter where you are. You can't trust anyone but those in this house. Don't ever let your guard down " he emphasized. " And be careful. They will do anything they can to destroy you, and nothing will stop them. " he added. 

    " Whoa, whoa whoa. Hang on a minute. Why would that, uh,  Trix lady wants us in the first place? " Chris asked, spreading his hands in front of him. " Why are we such a hazard to her plans? " he added. " I mean, I'm no evil person, but seriously, what does she want from me and Sirena? " he elaborated hastily, after receiving glares from all of them. 

    Neil rubbed his forehead and sighed. " You two are trying to stop the family curse right?" he asked. When Sirena and Chris nodded, he explained, " Trix is the one who's behind it. The black necklace, the black dress, the black lady. That's her all right. Black magic. It's all her. So obviously, I think that you are smart enough to deduct that you are standing in her way. As for the cousins, Bellate wants to be the Queen of Maromir, and since she's not a heir to the throne, she wants to kill those who are. Which is the four of you. You four are the heir to the throne, so she wants you dead. She will stop at nothing to get herself the title. So as you can see, I think we can conclude that we, are in big trouble. " he finished.

       "So, after that massive explanation, what is our plan? " asked Raju, diverting the conversation to their earlier and main topic. They were silent for a while. " I think.." Raju started when a ringing sound interrupted him. " What is that? "

    Neil rolled up his sleeve to show his black watch. " Incoming holo-call from Asish" the watch announced. The 6 teenagers gaped and blinked as the VDA's boss, Asish appeared in a hologram. Neil, who saw their reactions shrugged. " What? We are in the future you know. " he said. 

        "I have some news for you. " Asish begun. " The two realms, Miromar and Vivaria have formed an alliance. Bellate and Trix have officially joined forces. " he informed. " It is impossible for us to seek help now. If you want, we can go to the Balance Realm. It has been divided into the Dark Realm and Light Realm. Of course, usually they don't take sides in any case, so we will have to beg for their help or" he paused. " Give them something they want and need in return. " Asish finished. The connection broke, and once again silence filled their home. 

    

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