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.

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. 

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

    

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. 

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

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. 

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