Their Adventure Together 17

 Chris

    The next day, we woke up bright and early. I stretched, and startled when I saw someone at my bedside. After a moment, I realized it was the soldier. "What are you doing? Scaring me half to death when I open my eyes. If you had said anything, I would have just kicked you flat. " I said crossly, swinging my legs down the bed. 

    The soldier snorted. " Like as if you could kick me without ending up flat on the floor yourself." he said smoothly. I stopped mid-way of getting up, and glared at him. Then I sighed, knowing fully well that if we ended up arguing, I would come off worse. So I just ignored him and went to the bathroom. I literally felt him smirking behind me. 

    But before I could say anything else, the door opened, and Ren stepped in. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully. " I just wanted to check on you. Breakfast will be served in 10minutes!" she reminded. I was forced to swallow the sharp retort that sprang to my lips. Instead, I smiled and thanked her. "Ian, if you could come with me for a moment, " she called, and the soldier left with her, grinning at my inwardly-fuming face. He even gave me a little wave before heading out the door. Steam poured out of my ears. Sure, he was Sirena's twin, but seriously, that guy was the limit. He could try the patience of a saint. 

    I quickly got ready and went down to the dining hall. I slipped into a seat next to Aisha and Sirena. I glanced around the hall. "Where's the soldier?" I asked my friends. They shrugged. None of them had seen him. Breakfast was served. I recalled that the soldier went out with Ren earlier. But Ren was sitting at the head of the table, chattering animatedly with her sisters. I decided to ask her about the soldier.

    I walked up to Ren. "Um, excuse me, Ren. But can I know where the soldier, uh, the Black Soldier is?" I asked. 

    "You mean Ian?" she asked, surprised. I nodded. "I told him to come have breakfast. I had to go settle something, so I left him alone. I suppose he got lost. " she chuckled. 

    "Lost?" I echoed, worried. The soldier was reliable. He was capable, strong. He would never get lost. "Can you help us find him?" I asked Ren. Sure, the soldier was annoying, irritating, and defiant. But he was the one who helped us so many times. He was my...well, my friend. We argued, but that doesn't mean we don't care about each other. I realized how much I missed his sarcasm and humour, his cool as a cucumber posture - only when he wasn't here. 'I guess that old proverb is true. You never value someone until they're gone.' I thought.

    Ren nodded, and together, Sirena, Aisha and I separated to find him. An hour later, we met up in the oak tree. None of us found him. Everyone begun to get worried. Ren conducted a location spell. The arrow of her spell led us to an abandoned tree-tower. We climbed to the top to find it empty. "Ian? Are you there?" Ren called.

    We heard a peculiar noise. " BAM BAM BAM! Let me out!" the noise was muffled. 

    Aisha, with her sharp hearing, figured that the noise was coming from a large cupboard at the back of the room. The cupboard had a key in, and was shut. "Who is in there?" she asked, not turning the key.

Sirena

    "Its me! The Black Soldier! Let me out!" came a cry. Aisha unlocked the door, and swiftly ducked when the soldier fell out. He groaned in pain as he hit the floor. I rushed to help him. 

    "Oh my god!" I cried. " Why are you in here? Who locked you in? What happened?" I asked in a breath, then continued, " Are you alright?" while helping him up.

    "Ugh. I'm fine, thanks. I just saw this abandoned tower, and decided to explore. I opened the cupboard, and looked inside. Since it was such a huge cupboard, I stepped in to see what was inside. Suddenly, the door swung shut and somebody locked me from the outside! 

    "Hmm..interesting. " Ren mused. "There isn't anyone here with a bad intention, so my only guess is that it was the maid, Rose. She's always closing doors and locking them, for some reason. " Her voice lowered to a whisper as she continued, " Personally, I think she's afraid of intruders. Living in the past I'm afraid. " she concluded. " I don't think she knew you were inside. I'm so sorry dear. " Ren apologized. 

    " At least one good thing came out of this. " my twin said, grinning. " Look what I found! " he said, holding a shiny object in his palm. 

    "My bracelet!" Aisha exclaimed. " How did it end up here?" she asked, after a moment's thought. "I thought I had lost it forever!" she said.

    I was happy for her, but, once again, I felt someone else's feelings - someone worrying. I quickly identified who it was. It was my twin. I wondered what he was hiding, and decided to ask him about it, but, I didn't get to. We walked to the dining room. As I opened my mouth, Via grabbed hold of me and dragged me away to give me a full history lesson of her life long ago. (I didn't even understand a thing.)

    An hour later, I finally got away from Via and got directions to my twin's room. I knocked on the door. "Come in!" someone called. I turned the knob and entered the room. Chris was standing on a bed, playing an air guitar, and the music was blasting in the room. It was a miracle that nobody could hear it from outside. "Sirena wants to see you." my twin said, tossing something to Chris. "And put on a shirt. " he added, in a lower voice. I stifled a laugh. 

    "Actually, I wanted to see you." I said to my twin. The Black Soldier looked surprised. 

    "Me?" he asked. I nodded. " Well, what is it?" he asked.

    I hesitated. "Uh, its, its, a bit private." I said. Without another word, my twin grabbed my wrist and pulled me out the room. 

    Before I could begin, he started. " Look, I know, I know. You felt me worry right?" he asked.

    This time I was the surprised one. "Yeah. How do you know?" I asked.

    "Sirena, I'm your twin. I know what you're thinking. You know what I'm thinking. Its called twin bond. " he said.

    "Anyways, you see, Aisha's bracelet was stolen by Bellate and Trix's henchmen. So, if the bracelet was found here, there's only 2 thoughts that come into my head. " he said. "First, either the henchmen are Hiddens, and are staying here, or,-"

    "Or, the henchmen came here and laid it for us to find. " I finished. He nodded. " And, they might have been the ones to lock you in. " I added.

    "Exactly. Now you see why I'm worried. If they know where we are, its dangerous. Not only dangerous for us, but also for the people around us as well. " he explained. After a moment, he asked, " You do understand, right?" 

    "Yeah. I understand. And don't worry, I'll keep it to myself for now. We'll tell the others later." I said before he could tell me. " Also, how do I learn to use this 'twin bond'?" I asked.

    My twin, who had turned to leave, now turned back. He grinned. " You don't need to learn. " he said. Seeing my look of confusion, he added, " You just used it. Finishing my sentence is one of it. " he said, and left. 

    " Twin bond" I mused thoughtfully. "Interesting. " I said, as I walked away. 

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

    

Their Adventure Together 16

 Aisha

    Lunch was DELICIOUS. I had never, ever eaten anything else that tasted so good. I would describe what I ate, but, seriously, I ate way too much to describe. You see, Marga-, um, Ren I should say, wanted to celebrate us being here, so she ordered lunch to be cooked - by the Hidden cooking expert. Remember how the Black Soldier told us that each Hidden has a different talent? Yup, this Hidden's talent was cooking. And oh man, did she cook! The food was wonderful. 

    There were so many varieties, "Pan Mee, Hakka Mee, Soup Mee, Char Kway Teow, fried rice, fried chicken, keropok, nasi lemak, ikan bilis sambal, dhal, thosai, tandoori chicken, cheese naan, roti canai, it just goes on and on and on! " Chris had exclaimed in surprise. I have no clue how on earth we managed to eat all that up. But we had a good time and stuffed ourselves to the brim. 

Pan Mee

Hakka Mee

Soup Mee

Char Kway Teow

Fried rice

Fried chicken

Keropok

Nasi lemak

Ikan bilis sambal

Dhal

Thosai

Tandoori chicken

    The Hiddens, who usually wore tops with pants, surprised us by wearing gowns that looked beautiful but darkly coloured at the same time. Ren was dressed in an elegant floor-length black dress with a maroon shawl. Ria and Beth came in matching dark blue sleeveless gowns. Dra wore a dark red knee length dress that had black lace in the shape of butterflies. A dark green floor-length dress with matching silk gloves were worn by Via, who looked really beautiful that night. Her granddaughter, Sha, came in a black top with an attached black skirt. Her skirt had intricate designs of flowers.

      I learned that Hiddens made the most beautiful clothes. As a matter of fact, Sirena and I had gotten ourselves measured so that the sewing Hidden - the Hidden who's talent is sewing - could tailor new clothes for us! I can't wait to receive them. 

Sha's outfit.

     We met a few other Hiddens, some of Sha's friends. At first Chris, Sirena and I couldn't call the Hiddens by their nicknames. We kept on calling them by their full names, " They're used to the Earth way" as the Black Soldier put it. Oh God, it was extremely embarrassing. Every time that happened, the Hiddens would go silent, and we would realize our mistake and immediately correct ourselves. Thank goodness we finally got used to it now. Here are some of our Hidden friends;

1. Via (Olivia), the librarian and "counter-lady" 
(she works in the oak tree's counter)

2. Sha (Sasha), Black Soldier's friend, her talent is defense
(archery mostly) 

3. Ren (Margaren), the leader of the elders, she is very powerful,

 but really nice as well (she has a staff to help her control her powers).

4. Ria (Victoria), Ren's sister, an elder, her gift is knowledge.

(she is highly educated, and knows her stuff, so nobody messes with her).

5. Beth (Elizabeth), Ren's sister, an elder. She reads the future, like a fortune-teller.

(Although she looks creepy, she is super kind to us)

6. Dra (Thandra), the Hidden who's talent is cooking. 

(she is good at cooking and at fighting too - you can tell from her face. Never debate with her.)

7. Adira, the Guardian of the Dark Realm. She's a simple but courageous person.

(although she looks weak, don't be deceived. She can beat a thousand giants in a battle.)

    We were shown to our lodgings and fell into a deep sleep. The journey was tiring, and we had "partied" for so long, making us weary. It seemed that Hiddens didn't have dinner, but had supper. We ate our supper in our lodgings. We ate a dish called 'Cabuela'. It was bread that was twisted together and had meat and veggies inside. Sort of like a sandwich, but the insides couldn't open and the filling was cooked. Dra taught me how to prepare it. 

   First, we had to make the dough of the bread, then roll out two pieces of dough into a long cylinder-shape. Then we had to twist it together. After twisting it, we slit a few parts to put in the filling of potatoes, tomatoes, and just about anything you want. Next, just pop it in the oven, and it was done. I thanked her for the recipe and decided to try it when we're back in our "carriage". 

     Sirena and I shared a room whereas Chris and the Black Soldier shared another. The rooms were made of wood, and the atmosphere was cool. It turned dark much faster in the Hidden territory compared to Earth. If we were on Earth, 5.00 in the evening would be 8.00 at night in the Hidden territory. Snuggling in my comforter, I smiled. What a wonderful day. I just hoped that the Hiddens would agree to help us defeat Bellate and Trix. If they agreed, the Black Soldiers would too. And that would mean the entire Dark Realm at our side. If Raju, Gowri and Deva managed to convince the Light Realm, and Asish and Neil could talk to the palace, then, we would be unstoppable. 

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

Their Adventure Together 15

Black Soldier 

    The next day, I woke up bright and early. I dressed, and fed the horses. After checking the map and ensuring that we were on the right road, I started moving. The others weren't awake yet, so I let them sleep in. 'After all, ' I reasoned, ' they did have quite a shock last night.' 

    After a while on the road, I stopped. We had reached the Hidden's territory. Chris emerged from his cabin, yawning tiredly. " When did you wake up?" he asked. Then he looked around. " Where are we?" he asked, walking up to me.

    "Good morning to you too. " I replied. " We're in the Hidden's territory. " I said. 

    "Good mornin-" Aisha started, stretching. She stopped mid-way of her stretch and dropped her arms to her side. " Wow. Where in the world are we?" she asked.

    Before I could reply, my twin walked out of her cabin. Not wishing to hear the same question being repeated again, I stopped her before she could speak. "Welcome to the Hidden territory." I gestured to our surroundings. 

    "The Hidden's territory was huge. The girls really ruled over here. Our territory was 2 times smaller than theirs. To some people's eyes, this large territory looked like nothing. It looked like an empty, wasted land. The Hiddens themselves had created a magical illusion to deceive those who's hearts were not pure. Which is quite admirable, I suppose. We had asked them to make one for us, the Black Soldiers too." I started.

    "Those who knew the Hidden's and were searching for them however, saw an elegant group of girls, those who commanded respect and made sure they got it. They were powerful beyond words, and were unique in their own ways."

     "Each had their own talent and passion. Some were good archers, some good cooks, some good explorers, some good at fights, and the list goes on and on. Each new Hidden contributes a different talent and different knowledge to the rest of them. Their main power however, is the power to create magic. The Hiddens excel at using their magic powers. Being a neutral party, they have learned all the ancient magic that has been passed down generation to generation. From enchanting a person to dance, to conjuring a great feast out of thin air, to all sorts of self-defense. Their power, if fell into the wrong hands, had the potential to destroy the entire universe. Like I said, massively powerful. A tip; don't even dream of making them mad." I explained to my friends.

    They took in all this news readily, which surprised me. But I suppose they must have gotten used to having history lessons throughout their little "adventure". I had told my good friend, one of the Hiddens, that we would be coming earlier. I had sent her a pigeon. She had written back, promising to meet us there and bring us to her elders. I looked around to find her, and spotted a girl in the crowd, waving at me excitedly. 

    I waved back. Once she got out from the crowd, she rushed to me with a hug. " Ian! Its so good to see you again! How are you?" she asked, beaming. (Although the Hiddens command respect and are extremely powerful, they have excellent manners. In fact, I think they could win a prize for their hospitality. )

    I hugged her back, and requested to meet with her elders. She nodded, and almost immediately straightened her face. If you looked at her now, you wouldn't have known that just a millisecond ago, she was smiling so much that her it was impossible to return her smile.

    She weaved through the crowd of Hiddens, and made her way to a giant oak tree. " Come in. The elders are in here. " she said.

    "Why are the elders in an oak tree? " Sirena asked. "Not to be rude or anything, but I was just wondering. " she added hastily. 

    The Hidden didn't mind. " None taken. " she replied. " Oak trees represent wisdom, strength and justice. At least, that's what we believe in." she explained.

    We stepped in a lift. The Hidden knocked on the wooden wall thrice, and the lift started moving upwards. "Can I know why everyone here is in black? And totally covered?" Aisha asked next, as we passed other Hiddens, all similarly dressed as my friend. 

    "The Hiddens are a secluded community. We live in the Dark Realm, which is quite a cold place. Wearing dark colours helps to keep us warm. The other reason we are fully covered is because we try to expose as little of us as we can. As we practise magic, it is unwise to expose ourselves because if at all we get injured in a serious way, for example, loss of a limb, then we are useless to the entire Hidden community. We need every single pore on us to be able to practice magic. " she answered. "There's even an old saying here, 'An injured Hidden is a useless Hidden'." she quoted.

    My companions nodded. "That's interesting." Chris commented. The "lift" stopped, and everyone got out. The inside of the tree was astounding. From the outside, all one could see was an old oak tree. But on the inside, it looked very different that you began to wonder if you are still in your world! 

    Hiddens bustled around us, working and chattering at the top of their voices. "Wow. What a din!" Chris exclaimed, laughing. There was a wooden counter sort of thing, where an old looking Hidden was turning pages of a book feverishly. My friend brought us to her. 

    "This is Via. " she said. The lady didn't look up at us. After a few seconds, my friend continued in a whisper, " She's a real bookworm. She usually doesn't look up unless its important and you shout at her. Poor thing, she's slightly deaf. " she said. Then she winked and shouted, " VIA! I'M CALLING YOU!" 

    "Aah! " Via startled and almost fell out of her seat. " Did you have to shout? I was going to look up. " she frowned, pushing her glasses back on her nose. "Now what is it?" she asked. Then she noticed us. " Who are they? You do know that intruders aren't allowed-" 

    "Argh! Grandma! That was a longgggggggggg time ago. " my friend groaned. " How many times do we have to tell you? Don't live in the past!" 

    "Alright, alright. Whatever. Don't come crying to me when there's a problem later on. " Via grumbled.

    "We need to take my friend and his companions to our elders. Are they in?" she asked.

    "Yes, yes, they're in. Just go in. You don't need me to come in. Just go like you do every day. " Via said, still looking unhappy.

    "Thanks Grandma. " my friend said, placing a couple of notes in the old lady's hand. Don't forget to buy some snacks on the way back home. " she said. Before Via could reply, she pulled us in a room behind the counter. 

    When we entered, we saw 3 old ladies who, despite their age, looked quite fit and healthy. One of them, I think it was the oldest, was holding a staff. " Sasha. " the lady nodded. " How are you?" she asked warmly. 

    "I'm good, thanks Ren. " my friend replied, bowing. " I have brought some friends with me today. " she continued, gesturing to us. 

    " Ah yes. I had word they were coming. Did Olivia outside approve?" she asked.

    "Uh, well... kinda. " my friend answered, shrugging. 

    " Well Sasha, I think that you should introduce them to me then. I'm kinda confused at the situation. " another lady asked, smiling at us. 

    My friend began the introductions. " This is Ian, a Black Soldier, Sirena, his twin, Aisha and Chris. Everyone but the Black Soldier is from Earth. " she said, pointing to each of us. 

    The lady with the staff nodded. " Welcome to the Hidden territory. No doubt you have had a tiring and long journey. I'm Margaren, one of the elders here. These are Elizabeth and Victoria, the other elders. " she welcomed us. 

    " We would be delighted if you could stay, and we will show you to your lodgings. But before that, we have to explain a few rules that we have here in the Hidden territory. " Elizabeth said. 

    " Rule No.1: You should NEVER, ever, call a Hidden with her full name. Names are powerful. Names are strengths, names are weaknesses. You can however, call her with the last three letters of her name. For example, Sasha is Sha. Olivia is Via. Margaren is Ren. Do you understand? Also, Black Soldiers follow this rule as well, so don't be so confused." she said. 

    Next Victoria, or, Ria, as I should say, took over. "Rule No.2: As you three are from Earth, this might seem quite new to you. We Hiddens are extremely busy people. Some of our cultures and traditions might be weird to you, but please respect our culture and not badmouth us. " she said.

    " The other rules will be explained later on. Now, let us show you to your lodgings. " Margaren said, guiding us to the door. I looked at my companions. 

    "These Hiddens sure are strict. " Aisha said. " I can't wait to see what happens while we're here. " she added. The rest of us felt the same. Excited and nervous for what this place would bring. But now, as we go for lunch, I must end the story. Another story for another day. 

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

Their Adventure Together 14

 Chris

    The next day, the carriage - if you could call it a carriage - halted with a sharp jerk. I had just left the soldier (since black soldier is too long, I refer to him as 'soldier') at the reins. I wanted to get a hot drink. It was really cold outside. But as I took a sip of tea, the carriage jerked and tea spilt on me. I bit back a cry of frustration and surveyed my clothes. At least not everything was wet. I quickly dabbed at a spot on my shirt while walking out the cabin to the soldier. 

    " What happened?" I asked, still dabbing at my shirt.

    "What happened to you?" the soldier asked curiously instead on answering.

    " I spilt tea on me when you jerked us to a stop. " I replied, disposing the tissue in the garbage can. " So why did we stop?" 

    "Well.. uh.. " he stammered and nodded at something on the pathway. I sighed and leapt down to get a better look. I squinted my eyes and saw a few moving things. In front of me, a few ducks were crossing. There was about 7 ducks. 1 mama and the others were ducklings. They crossed and I climbed back up. 

    "All clear. Let's go!" I said, grabbing the reins of the horse. In a flash, the soldier snatched the reins out of my hands. I glared at him. Then he pointed to another thing on the pathway. "What now?" I asked impatiently. 

    He shone a torch on the pathway. (It was late evening, and it was getting dark.) There, on the pathway, was another duckling which had gotten left behind. Upon taking a closer look, I realized that the duckling had only one leg. We watched as the duckling - with great difficulty - tried to cross the pathway. 

    Before I could say anything, the soldier handed me the torch and went down. He walked to the duckling and picked it up. Amazed at his reaction, I stared at him as he cradled the unfortunate duckling and walked back to the carriage. 

    Meanwhile, Sirena and Aisha had came out from their cabin. "Why did we stop?" asked Aisha. 

    " The Black Soldier is down. He's holding something. " Sirena replied.

    "He's carrying a duckling with only one leg. " I informed them. We watched as the soldier climbed up and handed the duckling to Sirena. 

    " Why are you-" Sirena started, but he cut her off.

    " Clean the duckling and prepare a place for it to live. Its part of our crew now. " he stated, looking at me as if expecting me to object. Which I didn't. Instead, my mouth dropped open. 

    "Wow. I had no idea you were so caring! " Aisha said exactly what I was thinking. 

    The soldier just shrugged. " Close your mouth, Chris. Something's going to fly in. " Sirena laughed, walking away with the duckling. 

    I didn't move. Aisha swiftly closed my mouth and shoved the rein of a horse into my hands. " Let's get moving already" she said impatiently, walking back to her cabin. She paused and looked back at the soldier and me. " Try not to kill each other before we get there. " 

Sirena

        I bathed the duckling and held it whilst Aisha rubbed it dry with a small hand towel. It was about the size of my palms put together. "Its so cute!!" Aisha squealed with delight when I let her hold it. "Do you think its a girl or a boy? I think its a girl. " she said. 

    "I think so too. " I replied. We gently placed the duckling on a small pillow in her "house". The "house" was an old shoebox Aisha had found - it was rather big - and two tiny cups, one for water and one for food. Then we took a slightly larger bowl and filled it with water. It was to be a temporary mini-lake for Ari. Yes, the duckling's name was Ari. Aisha and I had announced it at dinner, and there were mixed reactions from the Black Soldier and Chris...

    "Ahem." Aisha started. Chris paused eating and looked up from his plate. I was eager to tell the boys the news. The Black Soldier however, didn't even look up.

    "Yes? Girl?" he asked, while neatly slicing a piece of chicken. 

    "My name is Aisha." Aisha huffed, to which he replied," Whatever." I grew impatient. They were always arguing with each other. 

    I rapped the table before the argument got more intense. " Can we get back to the subject?" I asked curtly. "Or would you like to continue your petty argument?" I added, when I received death glares from the both of them. I took their silence as a yes.

    "We named the duck. " Aisha said, avoiding the Black Soldier's eyes. This time, he actually looked up at her in surprise.

    "You did what?" he asked disbelievingly. Chris, on the other hand, was as cool as a cucumber. 

    "They obviously did. I expected them to do so." he said. " What's his name?" he asked, as if expecting this all along.

    Aisha opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by the Black Soldier. "Woah, woah, woah. Let's all hold on a minute. Who said you could name my duckling??" he protested (although he didn't sound angry, more like amused).

    

    Aisha didn't answer him. " Sirena did it. And its a girl." she said. The Black Soldier visibly relaxed. 

    "So she did it huh?" he asked, looking at me. After I didn't answer, he reached for a cup of water. "Nevermind. Forget it. What's her name then?" 

    Aisha looked at me. I looked at her. We were silently debating on who should answer. Chris was utterly baffled. "None of you are answering. That's weird. You said you named the duckling, but there's no name yet? Strange. " he mused. 

    I sighed. "Her name is Ari." I said slowly, letting it sink in for a while. 

    "Pfftt! " the Black Soldier spit out water on the table. He seemed stunned. "Ari?? That's what you named her? What in the name of all things incredible made you name her that??" he burst out. 

    I shrugged. "It was the first name that came to mind. Why though?" I asked.

    "Do you know who she is? " he asked. After getting no answer, he explained. " Her Royal Majesty, Queen Ari of the Birds. She was the famous ruler of the birds - ducks included - and has assisted the King and Queen of the Balance Realm many, many times. She was an excellent spy, a mistress of disguise - she actually got that title - and has achieved by far the greatest compared to her subjects." " Which is quite incredible, I mean, for a duck. " he added. 

    Aisha stared at me. Chris's eyes widened. The Black Soldier grinned for the first time. "So you do remember your history lessons. " he said, in a more delighted tone, which is quite an improvement from his usual monotone voice.

    "History lessons? What do you mean?" Aisha asked, now staring at him. The silence that followed further confused her.

    "I feel like we're missing something. 'We' meaning Aisha and me." Chris remarked.

    I sighed. It was time to tell them. " Uh, its actually nothing complicated. It just turns out that my biological mother, was the Queen of Vivaria, Queen Aurora. She married my dad, Shawn, when she went to visit him in Earth. But then my mom disappeared from Vivaria after a sudden attack on the palace, and my father got killed in the process. So I was left in the hands of her stepsister, Queen Karuna of Miromar. My aunt left me as an orphan on Earth, where my foster mother, Ruby and her husband, James - who recently passed away due to an illness - adopted me, I grew up on Earth and never knew of this world until this happened." I gestured to our surroundings.

    "My mother had two children, twins. One boy and one girl. " I continued.

    "So you are the girl, and you have a twin right?" Aisha interrupted. I nodded and resumed. 

    "The tradition in this world, the Balance Realm, is that the girls are Hiddens and the boys are Black Soldiers. So my twin brother is a Black Soldier. " I paused. Chris and Aisha were hanging on to my every word. " And that Black Soldier happens to be.. him" I ended, pointing to my twin brother. 

    To my amusement, Chris and Aisha froze. Minutes ticked by. After a while, they suddenly 'unfroze' and stared at me in shock. "Your.. you.. his.." Chris stammered.
    Aisha seemed to recover slightly faster from the shock. " You two are twins?" she exclaimed, incredulous. 

    " You two are twins?!" Chris echoed. 

    I nodded. " We are. " the Black Soldier replied, his face solemn. Then he smirked, " But I'm still 5 minutes older than her. " 

    I rolled my eyes but didn't reply. Brothers.. such annoying creatures sometimes. Nevertheless, I was glad to finally return to my home and reunite with my twin. I finished eating and washed my plate. 

    My shoulders felt lighter after telling my friends, knowing that I wouldn't have to lie to them much longer. I skipped to my cabin happily as my friends still sat in shock. It was then I realized that I didn't know my twin's name. But I brushed it off. Overall, it was quite a good day. And my twin had just told me that we would reach the Hiddens' territory tomorrow. I couldn't wait. 

    After all, this was my realm, my home, my family. And everywhere I went, I knew they would respect me even though I came from Earth, thanks to the remarkable reputation my mother, Queen Aurora had. I just hoped that my mother would be alive, and proud of me. I made a silent vow that I would rescue her and stop this war - with a little help from my twin.

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

    

    

LIFE CHALLENGES - POEM

Mistreated,

Suppressed,

Help, I'm being trapped,

It seems like I'm forever hiding and lying,

I put on a smile,

But its slowly killing me inside,

Why is it like this?

Why am I always controlled by others? 

Why does it have to be me?

The list of questions are endless,

But the million dollar question is,

Can I take it?

Am I strong enough,

to pretend and put on a face,

Am I patient enough,

to keep speaking sweetly until the hard surface breaks,

Am I worthy of my title,

for others to respect and acknowledge me,

Am I good enough,

in the eyes of this cruel world?

Thoughts,

Fear,

Fears from the thoughts of others that I can't read,

God knows what they would be thinking,

Why can't I just let myself go?

Why do I care so much about what others think?

Why, why, why?

If only someone could answer and explain to me why?

What will happen if I ignore them?

What would they think of me?

What difference does it make to me?

I keep asking myself,

I dream about being someone else,

But when its showtime,

I just can't do it,

Am I strong enough, 

to just be me without caring what they conclude,

Am I patient enough,

to tolerate all forms of nonsense and teasing,

Am I worthy to be me,

for them to like and appreciate me,

Am I good enough,

In the eyes of this ruined community?

Quarrels,

Broken friendships,

Then there's my personal problems,

It this the life I always dreamed of living?

I think its time to change it,

Why do I still help them after all they did?

Why do I always run back to them when I need help?

Why do I continue to trust them when they treat me so?

These questions I can ace,

I don't need anyone else to tell me this,

The answer is simply because,

This small part of the cruel world,

This tiny portion in this ruined community,

Lives my family,

My family,

The ones I love so,

Even though sometimes I don't show it,

I do,

However much they snap at me,

No matter how many times they oppose me,

They are still my family,

And that's never going to change,

We'll still cling to each other in the moments of despair,

Still help each other when we are attacked,

And although we argue and fight,

Hey, its my family,

I can forgive them... right?

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

Their Adventure Together 13

Chris

     " Hey! Come and have dinner! " I called to Sirena as she walked in the cabin. 

    "Sure." Sirena said and continued walking. 

    " Come and have dinner like, right no.. " I broke off as Sirena started pacing. " What's with you? You're acting weirdly. " I continued.

    " You're right. " I jumped when Aisha suddenly appeared out of nowhere. We both looked intently at our friend. 

    " What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? " Sirena asked. " Hello? You too are looking at me as if I grew two heads. " She stopped pacing. " Did I? " she asked. " Grow two heads.. " she trailed off. " Can I get an answer here?? " she finally burst out exasperatedly. 

    " You didn't. Grow two heads I mean. " Aisha answered and put down four plates on the table. Come have dinner. I made thosai and sambar. " she explained, gesturing to the circular golden brown food in the tray. " Its what I eat at home. Its really nice, trust me. " she added after seeing our confused faces. " Just try it. "

    I started eating ravenously. I don't know about the other two, but I was starving. I had just eaten an apple for lunch. " Umm. Zhish zhastes zoogd. " I mumbled while eating. The girls paused eating to stare at me. I swallowed my food. " What? " I asked.

    " He means, Yum this tastes good. " I turned around to see the Black Soldier standing behind me, hands casually placed in his pockets. Sirena and Aisha were amazed.

    " How did you get that? I thought he was speaking alien language. " Aisha asked, astonished. 

    The boy shrugged. " I just got it. " He said and sat down to eat. And with that last sentence, he didn't say another word until he finished eating. I guess he wasn't the chatty type. More like the ' I-just-do-my-work-and-leave' type.

Sirena

        I couldn't sleep that night. I tossed and turned on my small makeshift bed. The Black Soldier's words swirled in my mind. Finally, I got up and went to the window. I pushed the curtain aside and sat down. Moonlight streamed across the cabin Aisha and I shared. The full moon shone brightly and the cold wind gently blew on my face. I sighed. For a moment I was thoughtless. 

    I remembered a song I had heard when I was a baby. It sang about the moon, the shining stars, the cool night breeze, the dew drops on the plants, the serene sound of the waves crashing in the sea. The song played itself in my mind, and I closed my eyes. Without me knowing, sleep crawled over me, and I fell asleep by the window, the blurry image of someone I loved singing the lullaby to me. 

Narrator

    A while later, the door to the cabin opened. A person stepped in to check on the girls. He squinted in the dark to find Aisha sleeping soundly and Sirena's bed empty. He looked around the room and spotted Sirena fast asleep by the window. He smiled at the sight. He walked to her bed and took her blanket. He then walked to the window and gently draped the blanket over her shivering shoulders. Satisfied, he turned and walked out the cabin, closing the door behind him.

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