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

  

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

 

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. 

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

    

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. 

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

Their Adventure Together 21

Aisha

        " Great going Chris. You just jinxed us. Well done. " I hissed to Chris. 

        " Sorry. How was I supposed to know this weirdo would appear out of nowhere??" he muttered back. 

    " Weirdo?" the man said. " You think I'm a weirdo? " he laughed in a threatening way. 

    I ignored his comment. " Who are you?" I asked.

    

    " It is I, the great Arrow, humble servant of Her Evilness Bellate, and, now have also been promoted to humble servant of Her Darkness Trix. " the stranger said.

     " The foolish, weak warriors of the Balance Realm had defeated me in a mere battle hundreds of thousands years ago. However, now, I will be emerging victorious from war with the worlds! I have slept beneath the Earth for centuries, awaiting the day when the shadows conquer the world! And now, the time has come, when I aid my fellow brothers and sisters. Together, we will tip the balance of the world, and spread darkness in the whole universe!" he cackled, and lightning flashed above us, as though he was making a promise. 

    

    I gulped nervously. It seemed like he was totally capable of killing us with one arrow. THANKFULLY, he didn't try to. I guess evil people always need someone to boast to, and if he killed us without boasting, now, that would have been a complete waste. So he wanted to boast first, kill later. Which was good for me and Chris. We just had to delay him. While I was planning, Chris did something alarming. Actually, he said something alarming. 

    (While I was shaking with fear, - on the other hand) Clearly unmoved by Arrow's speech, Chris said. " Well, its a shame you all of all people were sent on this mission. Your 'brothers and sisters of the shadows'  clearly want to get rid of you, so they sent you to try kill us. But my partner and I excel at martial arts and can kill you without even blinking. So I suggest that you turn around with your pack of wolves, clear the skies and head back. " he announced in a loud voice. 

    I nodded in agreement, then realized what he had just said. " Wait, what?" I whisper-asked, my eyes wide with alarm. Chris just shook his head slightly and squeezed my hand. I relaxed, as the gesture meant he knew what he was doing. Whatever it was, I hoped it worked or else.... I shuddered. I didn't even want to think about what would happen if Chris failed.

    " What? How is that possible? You two teenagers think you can defeat me?" Arrow sniggered. Then he narrowed his eyes. " But wait. You might be smarter than you look. " he said, pointing to Chris. "How do you know that I control the bad weather? " he asked, twirling his bow in his left hand. 

    "Uh. um.." Chris sputtered, not knowing what to say. 

    " Come on, boy. I don't have all day. " Arrow growled.

    

    Chris looked at me and I looked at him. Suddenly, an idea struck me. " We know that you're Arrow, the Master of Bad Weather. " I said softly, looking around as though I was expecting someone to overhear us. Which had a very low chance since the area around us was deserted except for a few vultures overhead. "We know that you are the humble servant of Bellate and Trix, the Wicked Sisters. " My voice grew louder with each word and rang across the deserted land. " We know that you're on a secret mission to kill us. But I foresee a problem, brave marksman. My partner-in-crime and I are skilled spies. " At this, Arrow narrowed his eyes. 

    

    Chris finally understood my plan - it was called psychology; I called it confusing people since sometimes people don't understand big words like 'psychology' -  and continued, " You cannot succeed. You will return right now, or else, come and face your doom. " For a few seconds, everyone went silent. Even the wolves, who were snarling scarily earlier, had a confused expression. 

    All of a sudden, Arrow tightened his grip on his bow and walked forward, closing the distance between us. " Made up your mind? " Chris asked slyly. I tensed, and Chris sank into a fighting stance. " Let us begin then. " he said, cracking his knuckles. 

Sirena

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa!!" my twin's cries of terror got carried away by the wind. I didn't blame him. Not at all. With the wind rushing in my ears, and the fact that we were sitting on a dragon - who could decide to eat us at any moment, mind you - and the fact that were literally falling off the tall mountain we had scaled up earlier, no, I didn't blame him at all. Sure, the dragon could fly, obviously. But still, it was terrifying. Especially since we had never, ever, ever been on a dragon's back before, and we didn't know what to do or expect.

     " Hmm, come to think of it, I had never heard of a 'How To Ride A Dragon In A Different World' course before!" my twin shouted in my ear.

     " Maybe that's because nobody created it!" I yelled to my twin. 

    " AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" we both screamed with our eyes shut as we neared the ground. To our surprise, when we opened our eyes a minute later, we were sailing smoothly past the clouds and over the trees. My twin cleared his throat and pushed his messy hair back down, and I released my death grip on the dragon's mane and sat comfortably. 

     We soared through the sky, occasionally spotting flocks of birds flying over us. It was an, interesting experience, flying on the back of a 100-year-old dragon. And not just any dragon. This dragon, Kai, was the Keeper of the Key. This dragon was THE legendary dragon mentioned in all fairy tales and bedtime stories that had been passed down generation to generation over the years. My mother, Queen Aurora had told me and my twin the story countless times when we were kids. And now, I was riding on his back. 

    The memory of my mother telling my twin and I stories took me by surprise. Where did that come from? Recently, I had been getting random flashbacks and memories from a long time ago, before I was sent to Earth. My twin mentioned that part of my memory had been sealed in a part of my brain, to make sure I didn't remember and do something silly to try and get back home ( " Earth has very weird ways and they often exaggerate"), so I guess it was all coming back now, piece by piece. 

    "Sirena? " my twin called, shaking me out of my thoughts. " Sirena? " 

    " What? "

    " Are you OK? " he asked suspiciously. 

    " I'm fine. Just thinking about things. " I replied, brushing my hair back from my face. 

    " We're here! " Kai interrupted. 

   

    My twin slid down the dragon's back and helped me down. Then we looked around. " Where are we? " I asked.

    " This is the Cave of Pearl Mountains. The Silver Pearl will be in here. But first, you must unlock the cave so that the booby traps are inactivated. " Kai said. " I won't be following you inside, since this is your mission. I'll be waiting here, come out when you're done. Hopefully, you succeed. " 

    Once we were out of earshot, my twin said indignantly, "Hopefully you succeed?  Couldn't he give us a better pep talk? " I shushed him, and led the way into the dark cave. 

   

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

Their Adventure Together 20

 Black Soldier

    My mind raced as I tried to recall any legends I had heard of Kai, the Keeper of the Key. I turned to ask my twin, then cursed softly as I remembered that she had grew up on Earth. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I my brains found bits and pieces of something Sha had told me. 

    " The Dragon Kai, Keeper of the Key is a calculating dragon. In fact, he's the smartest and most cunning dragon in the entire Balance Realm itself. He defeats his opponents by matches. " she had said.

    " Matches? " I asked her.

    She nodded. " Bets, games, anything that he can win. Before starting the game, he would list out the conditions first. Losers do whatever the winner wants them to, for example. Then, he will win the game and defeat you. So, if you want to defeat him, you will have to think from his perspective. Find his weaknesses and strengths. Suggest a game to him, something that sounds exciting. Market it, like advertisements do. But make sure you are confident you can win or the game will take place on your strength areas. The idea of something new will surely intrigue him. In his eagerness, he will get clumsy. That's where you play against his weaknesses by using your strengths to corner him in one of his own silly conditions that he listed. " Sha explained.

    Before this, I hadn't understood a thing she had said. But now, I knew what she meant, and decided to use her idea- but with a little bit of improvisation. Okay, so maybe I didn't use her plan at all.  I mean, I didn't exactly want to fight a mighty powerful dragon. I just hoped it would work. And it could only work if Sirena was a good actress. " Talk and delay him. " I hissed to Sirena. She nodded slightly, and began distracting the dragon by saying something.

    "So, uh, Mr Kai, do you live here alone?" she asked, putting giving the dragon a dazzling smile. 

    The dragon exhaled. " Yes, unfortunately. " " I used to live with my wife, Zerelda, but.." he said sadly.

    "Zerelda? " Sirena asked. " What a beautiful name. Who is she?" 

    " She was my wife. " the dragon replied.

    " Well, what happened to her? Can you tell me? " she asked the dragon, who was tearing by now.

    " Let me tell you the whole story. "     

    I grinned to myself. My twin was smart. While Sirena kept talking to the dragon, I sneaked away and looked around for somewhere the key would be. My sharp eyes spotted a tiny box just behind the dragon. It was placed on a red cushion, along with a faded piece of paper. Great. I tiptoed behind the dragon, and caught Sirena's eye. Her eyes widened. I forced a smile, signing her to pretend that nothing was happening. Then I pointed to the box and mouthed, " Don't let him turn". Thankfully, she understood. 

    " My wife, Zerelda and I were a happy dragon couple. We had just moved into this cave, when one day, a few strangers walked in. They introduced themselves as humans - hunters that is. We were delighted to have company, and welcomed them in our cave. We gave them food and drinks and treated them like kings. They stayed for a few days. " Kai said. 

    Sirena nodded. " Then what happened?" she asked, hanging on to his every word. I couldn't blame her, I wanted to listen to. But I had to get the box. I took out some spare rope and groaned silently. The rope was too short to make a lasso. Looks like I just had to get it with my hands.

    "One of them were injured. So my kind wife prepared a special healing soup made of one of her scales. You see, our scales aren't just scales. These scales have magical healing powers. So anyways, she gave the soup to the injured man and healed him. That night, my wife and I left to sleep, leaving the men alone. Without us knowing, they whispered plans to each other. They wanted to steal our scales to sell it to doctors and scientists to get money. So they decided to hunt a dragon and take it home. The next day after breakfast, they sneaked up on Zerelda and stabbed her in the back. They shot her and injured her, and killed her. Then they brought her along with them on their way home. " 

    " Weren't you there? Why didn't you help?" Sirena asked.

    By now I had reached the box. Light streamed through a small hole in the ceiling of the cave. Now I could see more clearly, I noticed the box was on the cushion and the cushion was on a dragon-sized stone pillar sort of thing. The faded piece of paper I saw earlier was just beside the box. 

    " I went out to get some berries. But the hunters bumped into me on their way back, and, overcome with anger, I ate them all up. It was then I decided to be a carnivore. Meat tasted surprisingly delicious. So now, whenever I see humans, I eat them because their kind killed my wife. " the dragon replied. Then he continued in a booming voice, " And so, I will eat you as well!" 

    Sirena gulped. I frantically shook my head, telling her to do something - quick. " Uh, do you have a, a picture? " She asked.     

    The dragon froze. " A what now?"

    Sirena became more confident. " A picture. A picture of your beautiful wife Zerelda. After your heartbreaking story, I insist on knowing how she looked like. " she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

    " A picture. Hmm... " While the dragon made up his mind, I quickly opened the box, emptied it, and placed it back on the cushion. " Well, I don't see any harm of it, after all, you'll die soon anyways. " the dragon said and swung around. It was then I realized that the faded piece of paper was actually a picture of his wife and him! I panicked, and hid behind the pillar. Luckily, the dragon didn't spot me.

    " There you are! This is a picture of our wedding day. Doesn't she look pretty?" he asked.

    Sirena nodded. " Very pretty. With her pink scales and warm brown eyes, she looks very kind. " she complimented. 

    "True. She was a great dragon, Zerelda. " the dragon said, a big fat tear rolling down his cheeks and landed with a plop on the picture. I know this sounds weird, but I actually felt sorry for the guy. That is, uh dragon. Seeing such a majestic creature be in so much pain because of something my ancestors did, well, that just makes me very sad. But considering the fact that he wanted to eat us alive, I didn't think feelings could help. 

    Sirena steered the dragon around 180 degrees, gesturing for me to leave and meet her outside. I ran outside, stuffed the key in my backpack and geared up. I waited, but she didn't come out. So I cautiously entered the cave and tried to hear what was going on.

    " I'm very sorry about your wife, sir. " Sirena said after a pause.

    " Me too, girl. Me too. But there's nothing we can do about it, can we? I can't leave my job, so I'll have to be all alone again. "

    " But why can't you leave your job?"

    " I've been cursed so that I can only leave when the intruder wants me to come with him or her. " the dragon said sadly.

   " Wait. Hold it right there. I have an idea. Kai, if we let you follow us, will you promise not to eat us?" Sirena said, and idea forming in her head.

    " What? Yes, of course! " the dragon exclaimed. Then he frowned. " But then I wouldn't be able to eat you. " 

    " True, but you will be free to go wherever you want, and to eat so many varieties of food! After all, just eating meat would make you unhealthy. " she coaxed him.

    The dragon thought about it for a while. " Fine. "

    Sirena grinned. " So do we have a deal?"

    " Deal." And they sealed it with a paw-handshake. ( a handshake, with a paw)

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

Their Adventure Together 19

 Sirena

    I woke up to the sound of a CRUNCH, which my brains registered as a twig snapping. I groaned sleepily, assuming it was my twin. I turned, and my hands felt the bushy, thick fur of something huge - not human at all. That was when I heard a low growl, and a drop of something sticky on my face. My eyes flew open. I swallowed at the sight before me. My shock was so much, I had to remind myself to breathe. In front of me, an enormous black bear was growling just a few inches from my face. 

    I stared at the huge beast, my eyes open wide. My brains took in the bear's looks and started working. It was a Louisiana black bear, and I should slowly back away, making it known to the bear that I was not a threat. And not breakfast either. Thank god for the 'Recognizing Animals' lecture that my mother had forced me to attend. At least I knew what to do. 

    I put both my hands in what I hoped was a calming gesture to the bear, and slowly stood. All my instincts told me to run, but I forced myself to slowly inch behind, giving some distance between the bear and me. It was then that I looked around, and noticed I was in a cave. I assumed that the Mama Bear wanted to make this her new home, and I was an intruder. The bear growled at me again and glared at me. I gulped. I got the message. I spotted some maps and my twin's backpack. I grabbed our stuff and walked backward out the cave, smiling like an idiot all the way. Once I got out, the bear rolled a huge stone over the entrance, making it impossible for me, or anyone for a matter of fact, to go in again. I sighed, and squinted in the sun, scouting the area while looking for my twin. 

    Finally, I spotted him. I ran to him. " Come on! Let's go. We don't have much time. " I said, throwing the map to him.

     With his supernatural reflexes, he caught it mid-air and said sarcastically, " A very good morning to you too. "

    I smiled brightly. " So, where to now, Mr Map? " I asked. 

    " This way" he said, pointing to the left crossroad in front of us. Then he scowled. " And don't call me names. " he added.

    " Okay. " I said, and we followed the map. I wondered how Aisha and Chris we doing. 

    After a good 2 or 3 hours of walking- who's counting - we stopped as we reached the foot of a steep mountain.  I sighed. " Now you're going to tell me that we have to climb it right? " I asked. My twin nodded, amused. " Just our luck.. " I muttered, as he took out a rope to aid us on our crazy quest - scale up the mountain. At least, that's what I thought it was for. Apparently not.

        We used the rope as a marker.

     "To make sure we can find our way back down later on. " my twin had said. Earlier, I was confident that we could climb up the mountain. After all, I loved rock climbing back home. How much different could it be? Now I seriously regretted not taking the rope with me to use as a guide. The air was getting thinner and thinner, and I tried my best to not look down. Wrong again. Easy for me to say when I'm down on the land. Not easy to actually do while I'm walking sideways on the mountain's edge, where every now and then, a piece of rock falls and the sound of it hitting the other rocks echo for a very long time. 

    Eventually, with my twin's encouragement- " I said, don't look down. " " I'm this close to pushing you down myself. " "Step where I step, don't blame me when you die hitting your head on these sharp rocks. " (Tough love huh?) - I made it to the top of the mountain, at the entrance of a cave. 

    "Finally. I thought we were going to climb forever. " I breathed. Beside me, my twin grimaced. 

    " And now we have an even bigger job to do. " he said, taking out two torchlights. He handed one to me. 

    We entered the cave. " Hello? " I called tentatively. " Anybody home?" 

    " I'm home. " a voice boomed, echoing across the cave. " ome, ome, ome. "

    I looked up to find an enormous dragon with brilliant blue eyes, a black mane, and a shiny greenish-bluish scaled body that glinted whenever we shined it with our torches. " I am Kai, the Keeper of the Key. What purpose do you have in coming into my cave? " he continued, in the same booming voice. His eyes, which earlier looked like a calm sea, now looked like a tsunami was about to occur. I could sense his feelings of distrust and anger. I gulped and looked at my twin, hoping he had a plan. 

Chris

 

   I had absolutely no idea how on Earth we were going to find the True Beauty Flower, especially now that we were blindfolded. Aisha tried to be optimistic, but I knew that she felt the same too. Well, here's me assuming she was  feeling hopeless like me in the first place. After pondering on what Caroline had said, she got an idea. " I know! I think we have to do it together. " She said. 

    I snorted. " Like I haven't already figured that out. " 

    Aisha gave me a withering look that screamed Shut up!  at me. " I meant, we have to trust our instincts and pick any flower together. If we really deserve the flower, it would come into our hands, right?" she said.

    "What choice do we have? Its worth a shot. " I said. We held hands, and we bent down and picked a flower. My hands were shaking with the suspense. But before I could remove my blindfold, it disappeared and the garden around us withered and died. The flower in Aisha's hands glowed brightly. Too bright, in fact, that we had to shield our eyes. Slowly, the glow faded away, and we were staring at a beautiful transparent-like flower with many petals. 

    According to Ren, this should be " The True Beauty Flower" Aisha gasped. " It's beautiful." I nodded. 

    "Let's go into the cottage. " I said, and entered the cottage.

    

    When we entered through the back door, Caroline approached us. " Congratulations, children. I knew you could do it. " she said, smiling. " This is the True Beauty Flower, also known as the Pure Flower. I hope you succeed in your quest and manage to stop the evil sisters from spreading darkness. " she said.

    " Yeah, than-" I started, then stopped as a thought hit me. " Wait, how do you know that we are going to -" 

    " Oh, I know everything dear. Everything. From what your names are, to where you're going, to what your friends are doing. After all, I'm the wisest woman in the Hidden Realm. " she said, her eyes sparkling. 

    " But.. But I thought you said you were the Keeper of the Garden of Rare Flowers." Aisha said, confused. 

    " I'm a woman of many names and secrets. Don't fret, just remember me as Caroline. " the old woman said, smiling as she led us out the door. " Olga and I wish you have a wonderful journey and stop the darkness from spreading. You will be remembered as heroes forever, if you do. Thank you, and good luck. " she said, and closed the door. 

    " That was easier than expected. " I said, going out the fence gate. Aisha beamed happily. Little did I know that I just jinxed us. All of a sudden, the skies turned grey, and the cottage behind us disappeared. Thunder boomed, and lightning flashed across the sky. 

    " Well, maybe its about to get harder. " a voice started from behind us. Aisha and I froze. We slowly turned around and found ourselves face-to-face with a pack of menacing looking wolves. Behind the pack of wolves, stood a tall, muscular man with a quiver slung over his shoulder. His bow aimed at us and his red eyes glinted dangerously.

" Welcome to your doom." 

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

Their Adventure Together 18

 Black Soldier

    The next day, I explained our mission to the elders. As I explained, Sirena, Aisha and Chris occasionally added a few sentences. In the end, we had told them the whole story. From Queen Bella to the curse in my twin's family, to Bellate and Trix's cooperation to get rid of us. 

    Ren, Ria and Beth listened carefully. "So, " Ren started when we finished, " Bellate and Trix have risen again. I knew I should have destroyed them before. " she said, looking weary, as if she was a hundred years older. 

    "You, uh, Earthlings, want us, the Hiddens, to give you access to our best soldiers to fight a war with the sisters?" asked Ria. When we nodded, she continued, " Very well. On one condition. " 

    " What condition?" my twin asked. 

    " You have to prove your trustworthiness to us. To do that, you have to go to the Pearl Mountains, retrieve the key to a cave from a dragon, Kai, and enter the cave. In there, you will have to find the Silver Pearl which has unlimited magic. Bring that to the Hidden territory, and you will pass the test by 50%. " Beth said. 

    Next Ren spoke. " The other part of the test is to find the True Beauty Flower that has a hundred petals. By the time you return with it, the flower would change colour from white to another colour, depending on your intentions. By looking at the colour of the flower, we will know whether or not you can be trusted. " 

    " Furthermore, " Ria started, but was interrupted by Aisha.

    " Moons and stars! There's more?" she exclaimed.

    " You have to do it all in five days. If you fail to return, you will never be able to step foot into the Hidden territory again, and that includes you soldier. " Ria finished. 

    There was silence in the room as my friends digested the information. After a while, Sirena nodded at me. They would accept the test. " We accept! " I said to the elders. The elders gave me a map, and gave another map to Chris. The maps showed the way to the True Beauty Flower and the Silver Pearl.

    " Your time starts now. "  

    " There's no way we can do all that in five days! " Aisha wailed once out of earshot of the elders. 

    I smiled grimly. " There is a way. But we have to split up. " I suggested. "Now go pack. Meet me back here in 10minutes. "

    A short while later, we gathered back at the main hall. " Here's what I suggest. Sirena and me go get the Silver Pearl, and you two," I gestured to Aisha and Chris, " retrieve the True Beauty Flower. " 

    Everyone agreed, and bid farewell to each other. I watched as Sirena hugged Aisha and comforted her by saying, " It'll be fine. Just tell Chris to call Sally and Jerold if things get out of hand. " 

    I shook Chris's hand. " Take care. Don't get hurt. Come back within two days, don't forget. " I said. He nodded, and Sirena and I left in the direction of the pearl as the other two went to find the flower. Both pairs hoped to be successful. 

True Beauty Flower    

    

Silver Pearl

    Sirena and I followed the map into a lush forest. We walked, and walked, and walked and kept walking until the sun started to set. " Um, excuse me?" Sirena said as she timidly tugged the sleeve of my black shirt. I stopped walking and turned to look at her. 

    " You can call me Ian. This is still Hidden territory. My name is Ian here. " I said. " I'll tell you my real name later. " 

    " Ian. Right. Um, don't you think we should find a place to sleep for the night? " she asked. I frowned. Was it night already? I didn't notice. " That is, if you want to. I was just suggesting. " she added hastily. 

    I smiled. " Its alright. I just didn't notice that it became night already. " I said. I looked around for a safe place to stay. " Why don't we keep walking? I'm sure we'll come across a campsite or somewhere we can rest. " I suggested. Sirena agreed, and we continued walking.  

    

    The forest abruptly ended, and we entered a cleared ground. No trees, no rivers, no animals, nothing. Just a wasted land. As we kept walking, I kept an eye out for danger. I knew it was getting late, not to mention dark, and I knew that my twin was getting weary and tired. I started walking faster, forcing her to stay awake and stumble behind me.  

    Finally, I spotted a small cave up ahead. I sighed in relief, and made my way there. " Almost there" I said to my twin, leading her to the cave. When we reached, I stopped and examined the cave for any animals or signs that an animal lived there. Thankfully, there was none. I gathered some twigs from outside to light a fire. Soon enough, the fire burned away, eating up all the sticks I had arranged. 

    Sirena stumbled into the cave, half asleep. Without even acknowledging me, she just dropped to the ground and fell asleep immediately. Shaking my head, I took out a blanket from my backpack and draped it over her. I studied the map for some time, and did some research about the Silver Pearl. I learned some interesting facts. I was so engrossed in reading, that I didn't add more logs to the fire. Eventually, the fire died, and I realized that it was very late. Since the fire had gone out, I lay down on the cave floor and fell asleep, dreaming of the Silver Pearl.

 

Aisha

    We parted ways. Chris and I left to retrieve the True Beauty Flower. We followed the map to a small, nice cottage in the countryside. I knocked on the wooden door. The door swung open and a tall, old lady with spectacles stood before us. She looked strict. We waited to hear what she would say. 

    " Who are you, and where did you come from?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. I gulped.

    " I'm Aisha, and this is Chris. We are from the Hidden territory. " I said, standing a little taller.

    " Hmm... why have you come here? " she asked.

    " We came to retrieve the True Beauty Flower. The map that the Hidden elders gave us led us here. " Chris said. 

    " Hidden elders? " the lady asked sharply. I nodded. She opened her mouth to continue, but was pushed aside by another old lady. The second lady was not as thin as the first one, and looked wise and regal. Her brown eyes sparkled as she looked at us. 

    

    " Oh, let them in Olga. How can you turn away people from our door? " she said, and ushered us in. The first lady, Olga, frowned, stuck her nose in the air and walked away. 

    " Forgive my sister. She's just a little overprotective. " 

    " No problem. " I said.     

    " I am Caroline. Keeper of the Garden of Rare Flowers. How can I help you?" she asked.

    " We are looking for the True Beauty Flower. Do you have it here? " I asked. 

    " Yes, of course. But your intention must be pure, otherwise, you won't be able to see it nor pluck it. " Caroline said.

        Caroline led us to the back door of the cottage. She opened the door and I gasped as I saw a beautiful huge garden full of flowers. The petals shone in the sun. Caroline blindfolded Chris and me. " Pluck a flower together, only ONE flower. If the True Beauty Flower is yours to get and your intention is pure, then it will appear in your hand. But if you pluck the wrong flower, then you won't get another chance. " she said, and went back into the cottage. 

    " Aisha? Where are you? " Chris asked. 

    " Here. " I said, and felt a hand touching my sleeve. We found each other, and together, we started hunting for the True Beauty Flower. 

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