Zilferia
Chapter 17

The first thing I notice when I come to is a gentle pressure on my right hand. I open my eyes. Nathan is sitting next to me, asleep. I look down at my hand and see that his hand is in mine. A slight smile lifts my lips. I don’t know why I’m in the hospital, but… Wait a second! Everything comes rushing back to me and I suddenly can’t breathe. A monitor next to me starts beeping like crazy. Nathan wakes up and starts to pull his hand out of mine, but I clutch it desperately, needing his support. He nods to me, understanding sparkling in his sad eyes.

Nurses and doctors rush into the room. One of them sticks something into my arm and I can breathe again, but shallowly and slowly. The monitor stops wailing and the room falls silent. I pant, struggling to regain my breath. Normally if this happened to me and I just randomly stopped breathing, I would be freaking out and crying, but I’m not.

The doctor who helped me explains. “I’m sorry, but if you experience fear or any other emotion too strongly, then… your body will be too stressed and shut down.” I nod. That explains it. My breathing is still shallow, so I can’t ask a question, but Nathan reads my mind.

“Why is she still not breathing very well?” he asks the doctor.

She grimaces. “There’s only so much we can do when her heart is so weak… but shallow breathing is better than no breathing at all, don’t you agree?” We nod. “The serum I injected into you won’t last long. Your emotions will only be held in check for another hour. So I suggest you two talk now, but try to avoid making her panic or anything, okay? The serum only works so well,” she says to Nathan.

“Of course,” he says.

“…And you should probably leave within the hour as well.”

“What- no!” he exclaims. I shake my head at the doctor, agreeing with Nathan. I need him here with me. “What if those Dragon Hunters come back?” he continues. “What if she has a nightmare or something?”

The doctor shakes her head. “I’m sorry. We all want what’s best for Crystal, and you being here will not help. We can guard her ourselves. She will be safe here,” she promises.

I decide I need to say something, but I can’t replace the words. I can’t seem to be able to talk. I watch, eyes wide, as Nathan and the doctor stare at each other, a battle of wills waging in their eyes. Finally, Nathan sighs and nods. He slips his hand from mine and stands. I finally am able to croak out one word: “Stay…” The doctor and Nathan both look at me, surprised. The doctor tries to assure me that it’s for the best. I shake my head vigorously. Her eyes widen and she sighs.

“Very well. Whatever you want, Princess. Just… be careful. Your kingdom needs you.” I nod and all the doctors and nurses leave, filing out the door until only Nathan remains with me. I can’t ask him any questions or tell him what happened to me, but he can still tell me what happened to him. Last I had heard, he was gone, back to First Earth!

Nathan sits back down in the chair next to me and sighs. He looks exhausted. I can’t comfort him with words, so I grab his hand and hold it gently in mine. He looks over at me, surprised, then smiles. I stare at his face, the face that I had missed so much in the month that I was with Patrick, and smile back.

He then tells me everything that happened since the night I had been grabbed, how he noticed that ‘I’ had been acting differently, how Gale told him to help through a dream, and Thaddeus’s plan and how they went through with it. I shiver when he tells me about Patrick laughing when he rescued me and how Thaddeus thinks that it was because of two things; that they were too late to save me- and my Gifts- and the fact that he took them to spread the word of his power, and the best way to do that is to have me out and about before anyone believed it.

As he talks, I close my eyes and just listen to his voice; the voice that I thought I would never hear again, except in my dreams. I take a deep breath and try not to dwell on the past so my heart won’t give out again from the stress of emotions.

“When we got back from rescuing you, we discovered that the fake Vlad had disappeared. We don’t know where he got to, but Vlad’s okay with it. He says he’s not much of one for revenge anyway and good riddance to the spy. He also went around to everyone apologizing for all the grief his replacement had caused. It’s good to have him back. Of course, it’s even better that you’re back,” he says. “Nothing felt right while you were gone.”

After he’s done, I smile and quickly fall asleep, exhausted. His hand is still in mine when I spiral back into the dark oblivion of sleep.

I’m in the hospital for a few weeks before I can stand and talk. It’s another week before I can go anywhere past the bathroom, and yet another month before the doctors say I can go. Nathan was by my side every moment during those months, supporting me, encouraging me… even crying for me. He never does it when he thinks I’m watching, but I hear him almost every night before I go to sleep, and soft tears of sympathy linger on his cheeks in the morning.

Waiting got harder for me. All I could do was lay in bed. Lloyd, Ham, and Sierra came by every day, telling me stories, and Nathan told me all about his universe and his family. Vlad came by after the doctors said that he could leave his own room in the hospital and thanked me, as did Chet. Nora eventually got better and tried to help me with my boredom as well, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to be out there myself, to feel the wind in my hair, to laugh and to dance and to play… the simple things were the hardest to part from, it seemed.

Finally, the doctors say that I can go- just ‘be careful.’ I walk outside without Nathan’s help for the first time in months and finally feel the light and warmth from the sun on my skin, warming my heart and lightening my heavy, clumsy footsteps. A cold breeze plays with my hair and I laugh as it dances around my face. I pick a flower and smell its sweet aroma. I feel the grass tickling the bottom of my feet, and I laugh again with pure joy and pleasure.

I spend the entire day outside despite the cold. I replace lizards, climb trees, revel in talking, laughing, singing, and dancing. I even stay there for a while after the sun goes down. I sit down on a grassy hill, exhausted, as the sun goes down, turning the clouds pink and orange. Nathan sits next to me and Nora lands on my shoulder. We watch silently as the sun’s last rays of light leave the land, plunging us into a world of shadows and coldness.

The air around us quickly loses its meager warmth. I shiver and watch as a leaf falls slowly from the tree above us. I suddenly realize that it’s the end of fall already. When I first got here, it was the end of spring… I had been gone for half a year! I turn to Nathan.

“I need to go home,” I suddenly say. He looks at me, surprised. Then he nods.

“Of course. But we might want to ask the doctors if it’s okay first.” I crinkle my nose and frown.

“I guess. I’m just so sick of being in the hospital! I never want to set foot in there again!” He smiles and laughs.

“I understand. I’ll talk to them for you tomorrow. Okay?” I nod, grateful.

He then helps me to my feet and we head home, back to our little house. I’m surprised at how much I’ve missed it. Then again, it’s much better than the hospital’s bleak, white walls and demanding doctors. I climb into bed and fall asleep. In my dream, I go home and replace Kiki a year older. She doesn’t know who I am. My parents see me and scream and run away, thinking that I should be dead. I sit down and cry because they don’t know me. I try and replace the King and Queen, but they tell me that I can’t possibly be their daughter. I go to the mermaids, but they try to kill me, and their King is dead. I go to Gale, but he tries to eat me. Everyone hates me because I was weak and I couldn’t stop Patrick. Zilferia is covered in flames and everyone except the Dragon Hunters are dead. I fall to my knees and wait for death to claim me as well.

But then there’s a comforting hand on my shoulder. I look up and see Nathan smiling down at me. He helps me to my feet. And together, we kill Patrick and restore Zilferia to what it once was. But still, no one is there to see my victory but Nathan.

I wake up, gasping, tears on my cheeks. My pillow is drenched. I look over at the other bed and see that Nathan’s still asleep. I get up and wash off the tears in the bathroom. The cold water helps bring me back to my senses. I then get dressed in my clothes that I wore during the Challenges. I didn’t think I’d miss those clothes, but it felt so good to wear those silky soft pants and jacket again… especially now that it’s fall, and almost winter. It isn’t as cold in Zilferia as it is where I lived on Second Earth during this time of year, though, I realize. I also put on the new watch that Thaddeus brought me. After he learned that mine was taken, he took the initiative to get another one to me so he, Nathan, and I could communicate after we all go our separate ways.

By the time I get back to our bedroom, Nathan is already dressed. He smiles at me.

“Let’s go get some breakfast,” he suggests. I nod and Nora and I follow him out the door. The food tastes great- much better than the hospital food. As soon as my last bite of blueberry muffin melts on my tongue, we head back to the hospital. As much as I don’t ever want to see that place again, I know that I should really get permission from the doctors to leave.

Nathan heads into the building while I wait outside with our Familiars. I watch Nora as she does spectacular tricks in the air and Greg as he shows me how he scared off a cat that was chasing him. I laugh.

Nathan comes back soon, with the good news that I am allowed to go home. “But,” he adds, “they want you to do one thing for them first.” I should have known. Help is never free. “…They want you to see your parents before you go. They need to know that one of their kids is alive and well, or else the doctors fear that they will die soon. They’ve been in a coma too long.” This is not at all what I was expecting.

“…Of… course,” I stammer. “Now?”

He nods. “Why not?”

So I follow him back into the building that I swore to myself I would never set foot in again. We meet a doctor and follow him to the back of the building. We head down some stairs and to a door. The doctor turns to us.

“The King and Queen are in this room. You can try and rouse them from their coma, but there is very little chance that they will respond. However, you are very welcome to try,” he says. We nod, and he opens the door and ushers us through. The door gently swishes shut behind us.

In front of us are two beds, each with a still, unmoving form on them. We hesitantly walk closer. In one bed is my father, Alexander Dragon, and in the other, my mother, Pearl Dragon. They are both hooked up to a lot of different machines- even more than I had been for the past two months. They are both very pale, but other than that, they look just like they did in the ‘movie’ Patrick had showed me. My mom’s stunning green eyes are closed, as are my dad’s stormy blue ones. I sit on a chair next to my dad’s bed while Nathan waits, standing at the foot of the bed. Alexander’s eyes wander restlessly under his eyelids and he’s covered in sweat. He looks just like how Nathan described me when he first saw me after the Dragon Hunters took my Gifts.

I don’t know what to do to let him know I’m here, but I try holding his hand, just like Nathan did to help me. There’s no response. So, feeling awkward and out of place, I start talking to him. I tell him about my life on earth as well as what happened after I came here. After a while, I notice that his eyes have stopped wandering under his eyelids.

I keep talking. I tell him about Vlad and the Challenges, the dragons, the mermaids. When I mention Hunter, however, I finally get a major reaction from him. The instant I say his name, Alexander’s hand tightens momentarily, then relaxes once more. Confused but excited, I try it again, this time using Rex’s name. His hand barely twitches for this one. I try telling him my name again, and he murmurs a little.

My eyes widen. He’s talking! Well, sort of. “Yes, yes dad, it’s me. It’s Crystal.” It’s a little weird calling this man dad since I barely know him, but I figure it will help draw him out of his coma.

“Cry…stal?” he asks, slurring the name.

“Yes! I’m right here!” I’m getting excited now.

“…Crystal?” he repeats, sounding stronger.

“Yes! This is Crystal! I’m here! Please, sit up! You’re okay! Come on!” He slowly opens his eyes, but they don’t focus on anything. I help him sit up.

“Crystal? Is… no. It can’t be.” His eyes slowly focus on my face. His eyes widen and tears begin making their way down his cheeks. He grabs my hand again. “…Crystal… it is you!”

“Yes. It’s me,” I confirm as he puts a hand on my face. He pulls me closer and I sit on the bed next to him.

“My… my beautiful daughter… where’s Rex? Is he here with you?”

“…No. I’m sorry. I don’t have any idea where he is,” I tell him. His eyes sadden for a moment, but then they fill with joy again.

“…But you’re here.”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“…Then that’s enough.” He finally tears his gaze away from my face to see Nathan standing behind me. For a second, he’s confused.

“…Hunter?”

“No,” I correct him, “this is my friend, Nathan Anderson from First Earth.”

“Ah,” he says. Every second he’s up, he seems to gain strength. “Nathan. I see. …You know, you look a little like a Dragon, my boy. …A member of the family, I mean,” he laughs. I’m amazed by his transformation.

Nathan smiles uncertainly, but I can see hidden pain behind his eyes. “…Thanks,” he says.

It’s only now that Alexander notices the Queen on the other bed. “Pearl?” he asks, confused.

“Yes, that’s Pearl. She’s in a coma still, just like you were,” I inform him.

“Ah,” he nods. “I see.” I then have to help him over to her. After pulling out all the things that were attached to him, I help him take the two steps to get to her bed. He sits on one side of her and I sit behind him to keep him from falling off the bed in case he doesn’t have enough strength. He does the same thing I did and holds her hand and talks to her. After a while, I join in and so does Nathan. She soon opens her eyes as well.

“…Alexander?” she says. He nods, tears in his eyes, and hugs her. Nathan and I stand back and let them catch each other up. Once they are finished, Alexander has me come over to them so Pearl can see me. I sit on the other side of the bed. She also puts her hand on my cheek as her eyes soak in my face. Reality doesn’t seem to set in for a while, but when it does, her tears start flowing and she hugs me too. Then they’re both hugging me and I feel the love of family again for the first time in almost a year. But this time, it’s with my true family. The family I didn’t know existed a year ago. The Dragon Family.

After they release me, I have to tell them the whole story over again, since Alexander hadn’t really heard and understood anything I had said while he was in his coma. Once I finish, they tell me theirs, although I already know it. I knew that Patrick messed with that video. I already knew that Thaddeus was telling the truth about what happened, but it’s still nice to hear it from them.

After they finish, Nathan and I help them outside so they can get some real food. The doctors we pass are awestruck. My dad greets them with a happy wave and a laugh, which just makes their jaws hang even lower to the ground. Apparently he hasn’t been this happy for 16 years, and everyone who knew him is astounded by this change. I laugh with him, his joy so overwhelming that I just can’t help but revel in it as well.

We replace the village cook, who freezes in shock at the sight of her King and Queen. Pearl laughs and tells her that she missed her too. The cook finally closes her mouth, rushes forward to hug the Queen, then hurries to grab the only food she had ready at the moment- sandwiches. She apologizes profusely, but Pearl just smiles and thanks her, saying that this is just fine. She probably won’t be able to eat much anyway. As soon as we leave, the cook, eyes still wide with shock, runs off to tell the village of the return of their King and Queen.

We sit down at the nearest table and start eating. I didn’t realize I was so hungry. I was too preoccupied with meeting my parents for the first time to notice that the whole day had gone by, and the sun had long since set. I wolf down the sandwich and sigh with satisfaction. Just as I finish, a huge group of people come and surround us. I frown, bothered, but Alexander and Pearl just laugh and wave to the people, greeting them by name. I’m surprised. No wonder everyone loves them; they love everyone they meet, and care about them individually! I suddenly feel guilty. I don’t act like that. I care more about myself than some stranger. I swallow. And since they’re my family, I will be expected to be like them! I feel a sudden wave of panic and I am almost overwhelmed, but I force it down.

The crowd slowly disperses as it gets colder. Before we try and replace a place to sleep for the night, Alexander and Pearl want to visit Thaddeus. So Nathan and I help them to his house. After I knock, Thaddeus opens the door, wearing his pajamas. At first, what he’s seeing doesn’t quite register. His mouth flops open and closed like a fish out of water, and his eyes pop out with surprise.

“P… Pearl?” he stammers.

She smiles. “Hello, Uncle Thaddeus! It’s been a long time!”

He still can’t seem to be able to blink. I can’t help but grin. I’ve never seen him lost for words before!

“Why… yes, it certainly has. …C… come on in,” he stammers, opening the door all the way and ushering us into his house.

After we are all seated at the table, he just stares at the King and Queen for a while. I start to feel a little awkward, but Alexander and Pearl don’t seem to mind. They just continue smiling as they wait for him to recover. Once he does, the three talk for hours. Nathan and I eventually leave, replaceing some couches to sleep on.

When we wake up in the morning, we replace that they had been talking all through the night. Alexander and Pearl look less carefree now than they did before. Thaddeus must have told them about the war the Dragon Hunters were waging in Zilferia.

They push the worry from their faces and smile at us as we walk back into the kitchen. We go and get breakfast, where we are once again swarmed by the villagers. Thaddeus eats with us, then shoos the crowd away, telling them to let the King and Queen get some rest before they get mobbed. I introduce Nora and Greg to them formally. Nora tells me that I am more like Pearl than I know. Somehow, this thought comforts me, as I see now just how great she really is.

After we eat, we head to the King and Queen’s palace- the biggest building in the village, by far. The next biggest is the hospital, and that’s about a third the size of their house. Nathan and I gaze up at it in awe. It’s made of stone with bronze and gold throughout, and there are a lot of steeples and stairs. It is built into the side of the mountain by the village. It has an old feel to it, and yet it also seems… almost new. From the outside, it looks like it has probably four stories, but there is probably part of it underground as well. Needless to say, it’s impressive. Pearl notices us staring and smiles, a little self-conscious.

“This castle was built with the help of the dragons for Alex when she first came back to the village with Jack. My family has owned it since then; we just hand it down from generation to generation for the King and Queen.”

“Have all the Kings and Queens been part of the Dragon family?” Nathan asks as we start up the stone steps leading to the front door of the castle.

“Well, ever since Alex’s time. …Thaddeus told you about her, right?” We nod.

“Of course, I did!” Thaddeus protests. “How could I leave something like that out? I also told them what happened when someone in the royal Dragon family got married, too! …The question is… do they remember?”

“Yes,” I reply. “The fiancé would be taken to the dragons to be judged. They would look into their heart and if they were good people, then the dragons would bestow the last name of ‘Dragon’ upon them. The same thing happened to the children of the Dragons- they would be judged.”

Thaddeus nods, satisfied. “Very good. But of course, that story has special meaning to you, doesn’t it? …Since it’s a history of your family.” I nod, a little embarrassed. Alexander laughs and we keep climbing.

Once we get inside, Nathan and I stop dead in amazement yet again. I look around in awe at the amazing interior. And I thought the outside was great! The Dragons’ home looks warm and inviting, stylish, open, and peaceful. There are different shades of brown and gold throughout, and the soft beige carpet really makes the place feel comforting and like a real home. Pearl laughs when she sees our faces. “It’s a little big for our little family, but I think it’s nice, don’t you?” Nathan and I manage to nod.

“You could fit the whole village in here!” Nathan exclaims.

“Well, yes, we have thrown a few parties for the village here, but not for a while… and I think a celebration is in order… our daughter has returned to us!” At this, they all cheer. My face instantly turns crimson.

“Not only that,” Thaddeus adds, “but the two of you have come out of your coma and are alive and well! That’s what the villagers really want to celebrate- they’ve already had a celebration for Crystal!” Nathan and I laugh and it’s Alexander and Pearl’s turn to look a little uncomfortable.

As we laugh, a door opens behind the King and Queen. A plump, happy lady steps slowly into the room, a look of surprise and disbelief spreading across her face. Her mouth drops open and she stares at the backs of the King and Queen, blinking rapidly and rubbing her eyes as if trying to believe that what she’s seeing is real. I smile. Nathan then notices the woman as well.

I lean over to Pearl and quietly inform her of the visitor. She smiles and turns to see for herself. Her grin widens as she sees the lady. “Matilda!” Alexander then turns as well. He laughs delightedly. “Matilda, how are you, my dear friend?” Pearl continues. Tears fill Matilda’s eyes and she rushes forward and embraces the Queen.

“Pearl! How… you’re better! I… I thought that… you…” she breaks off and pulls away from Pearl, embarrassed. “Oh… I’m so sorry. I should… give the returning Queen a more respectful welcome… but oh, dear, you’ve gotten so thin!! I’ll go fix you up something to eat right now!” She then hurries off back through the door, a new sense of purpose in her step. She calls back, “Lunch will be ready in a little while! I’m so glad to see that you two are back and are healthy… although you could do with a little more meat on your bones!” she adds, laughing.

When the door closes behind her, Nathan and I turn to the King and Queen. “Who was that?” Nathan asks. Pearl smiles.

“That was my good friend and personal chef, Matilda. …Oh, but where are my manners? I need to show you to your room!” she exclaims, putting her hand on my shoulder and leading me towards a hallway on the right. “I mean, we are a family again, and you should really stay here with us…” she continues, but I let her voice fade away as I think.

A… family? Now I’m confused. I already have a family, on earth. And I love them, even though I know that they aren’t my real family. I knew them longer than Alexander and Pearl, and they actually raised me… but these are my real parents and they need me… but so does my family on earth! I now have a life in two different universes, and I can’t choose between them! I love them both; the simple normality on earth, fitting into the crowd, just being a normal girl… but here, I have made friends with many people and creatures, the life in the limelight is actually appealing… and I have a sense of purpose. My parents missed me so much they almost died, so I can’t just leave them… but I can’t just abandon the ones who raised me and cared about me… I sigh in frustration. I can’t do this! I can’t pick between two different parts of myself! I clench my fists, a battle raging in my heart. I swallow and push the thoughts aside for the moment so I can concentrate on what I’m doing now, but I can’t push them away completely.

So I concentrate on following Pearl as she shows me where my room is. Nathan and Alexander follow behind. We go up another flight of stairs and stop at the top, in front of a wooden door with a gold emblem of a phoenix blazed into the middle of it. Pearl turns back to us and smiles.

“Ready?” she asks. I nod and watch as she twists the golden handle and pushes the door open, revealing a room beyond my wildest dreams.

The ‘room’ is huge- bigger than my entire house at home. A King size bed is on the far wall beside a huge window, the frame of the bed made of silver and the posts shooting up above it. A white cloth hangs down from it, surrounding three of the sides, since the top part is pushed up against the wall, which is painted a warm brown. A large bookcase stands next to it.

A table is on the other side of the room and there is a huge window right above it where the golden light of day pours into the room, which draws my attention to a glass dresser next to the table. I walk over to it and replace a finger scanner. Putting my thumb on it, a light flashes across the bottom of it and a beep sounds while a green light blinks next to the handle. I grab the silver handle and pull it down gently. Looking back at my parents, they smile and nod for me to go in.

So I do. I step into it and replace that it is much larger than it looks on the outside. Again, it is bigger than half my house on earth. Looking around, I see that the walls are all mirrors and there are revolving racks of clothes. There are six with shirts, three with jackets, two with earrings, two with necklaces, two with makeup, six with pants, shorts, and capris, and eight with shoes, socks, sandals, high heels, boots, etc. My mouth drops open in shock. Only the most rich of girls on earth would even dream of owning all this! I have no idea how I am ever going to wear it all. Maybe in a year, if I wore two different sets of clothes every day… but then there would still be different ways they could go together. I suddenly realize that I haven’t blinked in a while. I blink rapidly, then stare again. This is every girl’s dream- and then some!

I hear a gasp and see that Nathan had come in behind me. His eyes are bugging out in surprise as well. “You… this is all yours?” he gasps disbelievingly. I shrug.

“I… I guess so. I’m never going to be able to wear it all!” I laugh. He nods and we exit the walk-in dresser. Pearl looks worried.

“Is there enough? I asked Taylor to keep it stocked with clothes that she thinks might fit you… but there aren’t very many because we weren’t entirely sure… well, when you were coming back,” she stops there and tries not to cry. I stare at her in disbelief.

“Are you kidding? There’s beyond plenty in there, and I’m pretty sure at least most of them will fit,” I assure her. She smiles, relieved.

“Still, if you ever want anything else or if something doesn’t fit you, just tell Taylor and she will make you something else. Okay?” I nod, stunned.

“Now then, let’s move on to the next room- I’m sure Matilda will be done with lunch soon.”

“Wait… there’s another room?” Nathan gasps.

“Of course! This whole floor is for Crystal!” Pearl replies, surprised at his surprise. My mouth drops open. The whole floor? That’s like having my entire high school to myself!

Other than my bedroom, I have a huge bathroom, a room with a pool in it, a room with a ping pong table and a full sized tennis court, a racquetball room, a snack room where I have my own chef as well- his name is Steve- and, my favorite ‘room,’ the balcony. When we climb the stairs and open the door, a cool rush of wind hits me, taking my breath away. Storm clouds are coming in.

It starts raining while we stand there, but I don’t care. I love the wind on my face, the cool rain on my skin, and most of all the view. I can see the mountains, the forest, and the ocean, all of which hold memories for me. The only thing I don’t know much about is the dry, desert-like part of the land between the mountain we are on and the ocean. It looks dead and without life, but I remember that it’s not. Suddenly, I decide that I want to explore that wilderness someday. Nathan comes up and stands by me as we look out into the rain-filled landscape. I look at him and smile. Whatever adventures I will have, I want to have them with him by my side.

By the time we go back inside, Nathan and I are drenched. Alexander and Pearl had sheltered inside while Nathan stayed with me outside, so they are dry. When they see us dripping wet, they laugh and have Steve get us each a towel.

When lunch comes around, we are all sitting up to a large mahogany table, Nathan and I swaddled in thick, warm towels. Before long, Matilda comes into the room, followed by six guys in suits. They set down trays of fish, lamb stew over rice, chicken, turkey, watermelon, grapes, milk, duck soup, sandwiches, burgers, steak, salad, and even more that I don’t even know the names of.

We dive in. The food is great and before I know it, lunch is cleared off the table and Hot Fudge Sundays are served, as well as banana splits and rootbeer floats. Afterward, Matilda brings Nathan and I a cup of hot chocolate to finish warming us up. It is the best hot chocolate I have ever had. It’s hot, but not scalding, chocolaty, but not overly so, and it even has a hint of mint. It not only warms me up, but makes me feel a lot better overall. Nathan and I thank Matilda, who blushes and bows and goes back to the kitchen to start on dinner.

Then Alexander and Pearl decide that they should get to know Nathan and I. We play ping pong while telling stories. Pearl tells me of the time she saved the babies of a new mother fox. I told her that I met that fox, and she’s surprised, but she tells me her story.

“You see, I was taking a walk in the woods,” she begins, “when I came across a den of foxes. The mother leapt out and growled at me, threatening me should I go any closer. I was intrigued because I had never met a talking fox before. The fox’s name was Lola, and she told me that she was able to talk because she had helped the dragons with something and they were surprised by her courage, so they gave her the gift of speech with magic.

“I noticed two things as she was talking: she was far too thin- I could see every bone in her body and her fur was dull; and she had three little pups hiding behind her legs. Well, I asked her what the problem was, and she told me that she couldn’t leave her pups to go hunt because their father was killed by a wild wolverine, but they were all starving and she didn’t know what to do.

“So I offered to watch the pups for her. She didn’t trust me at first, and I wasn’t surprised at that, but she agreed once I told her that I was a member of the Dragon family and was a friend with not only the dragons but every creature I met. And that’s how I made a red fox as a friend.”

“That’s really cool,” says Nathan. I agree.

Alexander grins. “Just wait until you hear MY story,” he gloats. “I was in the mountains, looking for adventure when I was… oh, 18 or so when I saw my first minotaur,” he begins. “I was over confident then…”

Pearl laughs. “I’ll say, you were!” He glares at her, but then he laughs.

“Okay, I admit I wasn’t very bright then. I was a teenage boy trying to impress a girl- and that almost never turns out right.” We all laugh.

“Anyway, so I was heading into the mountains, trying to replace something to fight so I could impress a girl named Amanda with nothing other than my Gifts to protect me, and soon I found a mountain lion. I was about to take it down when what looked at first to be a hairy giant came and completely smashed the mountain lion in one hit from a tree he ripped out of the mountainside. The lion died immediately. The minotaur- still easily the biggest I’ve ever seen- then turned to me.

“I ran and ducked behind a tree just before the minotaur’s tree hit the ground where I was just standing. I then snuck around him and jumped onto his back, holding onto his horns. The beast swung around, trying to get me, but he couldn’t reach me. Then he slammed into a tree and crushed me until I let go. Before I even finished falling to the ground, he caught my leg and held me in front of him upside down.

“He smiled and flung me into the air too quickly for me to get my wits about me and use my Gift of flying to get out of there, so I came back down in a tree and was seriously wounded. The minotaur tried to get me for a while, but then it decided that I was pretty much dead anyway, so it turned and left.

“Luckily, Amanda, who was watching invisibly, sped off to get help. To my surprise, it was the Dragon family that she brought. That was the first time I saw Pearl, and when I fell in love with her.”

She laughs. “You were delirious with pain! You had no idea what was going on,” she protests.

He chuckles. “Alright, fine. It was when I woke up and found myself in this gorgeous castle with a beautiful girl taking care of me… I’ve got to say, fighting that minotaur was worth it!” We all laugh.

Then Pearl asks Nathan to tell a story. “Well… I don’t really have a story like that,” he says. “My life was pretty boring before I came here. I guess… I could tell you about the day Vlad came to get me,” he decides.

“Sure,” I say, curious myself as to what happened when he was kidnapped.

He nods. “Okay… well, not only was I on the track team for my school, but I was in band as well. And there was a football game- the last one of the year- and our school had high hopes for the team. School was canceled for the day so we could all go down and watch as we played against the Ponies. Well, we thought that we would cream them since we were undefeated for the past two years… that, and we were wolves, and ponies can’t exactly stand up to wolves in a fight.” I laugh, but no one else gets it.

“Well, the game was really close, but our quarterback scored a touchdown with only eleven seconds left… holy cow! The stadium exploded! The other side was screaming because they were so mad and our side was screaming because we had won, but just barely… it was great, but as my friends and I were leaving, a guy from the losing team’s school came over with three of his buddies and they had us cornered against a wall…

“As the biggest guy charged one of my friends, I jumped up and kicked his head and he went down like a sack of potatoes. The other two looked at each other and ran, leaving their buddy behind. My friends asked how I learned to do that, and I just shrugged and told them that I had no idea,” he laughs as he remembers. “They decided that I must be a descendent of some Viking king or something… it was actually pretty funny.

“When I started heading home on my bike, I was stopped by four guys that pulled up in a black van with tinted windows.” I nod, remembering my own kidnapping. “My friends had gone a different way, so I was alone. I got off my bike as they stepped out of the van.

“I knew right away that something was up, but I pretended not to notice…”

“Can I help you?” I ask calmly as my heart stops with fear for a second, then starts pounding like crazy.

The biggest one steps forward, looming over me with a permanent sneer drawn on his face. He was wearing leather clothes and had a strange spiky thing around his neck. He stood head and shoulders above me. I shrink back, my heart pounding so hard I can feel it in my brain. I swallow hard and gather my courage to speak again.

“…Can I help you?” I repeat, too fearful to come up with anything better. The man continues sneering down at me. The fear in me rises as he seems to be contemplating something, then it hits its maximum and suddenly disappears. I am calm. I look up at the big guy, looking him in the eye for the first time. “I said, can I help you,” I growl, making it a threat this time. The guy arches an eyebrow. Finally, he speaks.

“You have spirit, kid, I’ll give you that,” he says in a surprisingly normal voice. “So I will give you a choice, although I would rather do things my own way… you can either come with us quietly, or you can fight and come with us anyway. We have more people than you might realize, little boy,” he states as another van comes rolling up beside us. I gulp, but for some reason my fear is muted and I am able to think clearly.

“So you may fight us if you wish.” The glee on his face clearly shows how much he would rather fight as he continues. “…Or you can go with us willingly- not make a scene, not call for help, just come with us and do exactly as we say. You have one minute to decide.”

My first instinct is to kick this guy’s ugly face and then ride off as fast as I can on my bike, but I decide that that would be foolish. I can’t escape these guys for long if they really want to grab me… plus, if I agree, then they might trust me more and give me more freedom than I would have received otherwise… plus, who knows? They may have other people that they captured. I could try and help them… I reach my decision.

“Fine. Let’s go,” I say, walking calmly past him toward the van, dropping my backpack and clarinet by my bike. Everyone stares at me, utterly bewildered, as I climb into the passenger seat. I lean out of the door. “Hey, are we going, or what?” I remark as I close the door and buckle up. After standing there with their mouths open for almost a minute, they all climb back in and the big bald guy starts the engine. I notice that none of them are wearing their seatbelts and a small smile starts to creep over my face. This might be easier than I thought.

“…So they took me to this old, abandoned building and led me inside. None of them touched me; I just walked in of my own free will. Well, kind of. That isn’t exactly where I wanted to be, but it was, apparently, where I needed to be.

“Once inside, they lead me into this little room at the back of the building. There were two locked doors that we passed- the rest were wide open. I thought that surely there must be somebody in those rooms; why else would they be locked? I began formulating a plan to get us all out of there, but I lost track of my thoughts completely when I saw who they were taking me to…”

The man before me turns around. I gasp and immediately take a step back, staring into the face… the face that everyone associates with evil, hatred, manipulation, and insanity. Facing me was Adolf Hitler. My breath catches in my throat and I can’t seem to breathe. Impossible as it is, the man before me is the man that put to death thousands of innocent people… loathing swells in my chest and opens my lungs. The aversion is quickly replaced by panic, however. The only thing I’m sure of is that this man doesn’t want what’s best for me- and above all, I need to get out of there.

I swivel on my heel, charge past the unsuspecting thugs that brought me here and charge toward the locked doors. I somehow remember to grab the key ring and swiftly unlock the first door. Looking inside, I see a girl about my age with stunning green eyes and short black hair.

“What… who are you?” she demands, stunned.

“No time,” I gasp. “Let’s go. I’m getting you out of here.”

“Oh… okay,” she says, standing and following me out of the room. We tear down the hallway toward the other locked door as heavy footsteps land heavily on the wood floor, gaining on us. I ache to run faster, I know I can, but I can’t just leave this girl behind to be recaptured.

Finally, I stop and let the girl continue. She spins around, opening her mouth to protest, but I yell at her to go- now- and help anyone else she replaces along the way. I toss her the keys and she nods and runs off, tears streaming down her face.

I wait behind a corner for them to come lumbering past. I quickly trip the first one, so about three others trip on him and they all fall. As they fall, I run. I can’t run back the way I came or the way the green-eyed girl went, so I go a different way.

As I run down this new, unexplored hallway, almost twenty other guys chase me, scowls on their faces. Behind them are the four that fell, limping slightly, but clearly determined to catch me anyway. I put on another burst of speed and make a sharp turn into another hallway. Just like bulls, most of them can’t turn fast enough, but keep on going. I allow myself a small smile as I continue running, glancing back. Now there are about eight- still too many, but much more manageable.

I try turning again, but this doesn’t fool any of them this time. And, unfortunately, I end up in a dead end. I am in an empty, dust covered room with nothing but a wooden table in the center. I’m trapped.

I whirl around to see if I can get back out the way I came, but the way is already blocked by panting, angry thugs. I gulp and back up a few steps. They all grin evilly and run toward me. Before I realize what’s happening, I am grabbed and thrown on top of the table.

“…Well, after that, they started beating me up. Vlad rescued me, telling the thugs off. He apologized for their roughness- he didn’t want them to go that far. He then talked to me about Zilferia and the Games and stuff. Well, that’s all I’ve got,” he says. Thaddeus insists he has no story, so it’s my turn. I tell them about my trip into Dragon Mountain. They are surprised and overjoyed to hear that I am- or was- the Dragongirl, but that excitement quickly dies once I tell them of my kidnapping when I got my dragon part taken away, as well as a bit about my month with Patrick- just enough so that they know that I am now a Giftless, powerless girl that isn’t special in any way.

To my surprise, they are saddened for me, but they aren’t disappointed in the slightest- they give me a big hug instead.

“Oh, my poor baby!” Pearl cries. “I am so so sorry that happened to you, you poor thing! Don’t worry, maybe we can help… somehow.”

“You… you still love me?” I ask, confused.

“Of course!” Alexander gasps. “Why wouldn’t we? You are still our beautiful, talented daughter, and we love you no matter what!”

I smile, my eyes filled with tears as I feel the love and acceptance of my true family for the first time.

Nathan and I stay with my parents for a couple more days, but he soon gets restless, itching to see his family again. I know how he feels- I want to go home and see Kiki again. I also want to see my parents on earth again, as well as the few friends I have in my neighborhood… I just want to get back to my regular, boring life.

Nathan and I decide to tell my parents. We have to break it to them gently, however, since they didn’t react well to losing me the first time and there is no guarantee of how they will react to me wanting to leave again.

We decide to break it to them over lunch. As we are finishing off the last tidbits of the meal, I glance over at Nathan, nervous. He gives me a slight nod of encouragement. I take a deep breath. “Nathan and I think…”

At the same moment that I start to speak, so does Pearl. “Your father and I have…” We look at each other. “You go first,” she says. I nod and take another deep breath.

“Um… well, Nathan and I have been thinking… and we love it here on Zilferia, but… we have been here for a very long time, and…”

“You want to go home,” Alexander finishes. I look up at him, surprised.

“…Well, yes. I mean, we will come and visit, but… we miss our other life… does that make any sense?”

“Of course it does,” Pearl replies, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “It would be strange to not want to go back to the comfort of what you have known and loved for a long time. Don’t worry, I understand… I didn’t always want to be a queen- or princess, back when I was your age- so I ran away from my responsibilities and worries every once in a while to get back to what I loved first- the forest. …It is okay for you to go, we would be selfish to keep you here when you don’t want to be here. But there is something we want to ask you two, as the winners of the Games. You do not have to accept this mission…”

“…We want you to help us replace our son, Rex,” Alexander finishes for her. “It will involve traversing the multiple universes and going head to head with danger and it will be extremely difficult to replace him, since he will most likely have no idea who he really is.” He looks at us seriously. “We can’t do this, as we are getting too old for such adventures, but you two are in your prime. You don’t have to do this; we can continue to use the Games to attempt to replace him, although I would prefer not to do so since they are not very productive in anything except getting you young, wonderful people killed or hurt.”

“And you don’t have to do it alone,” Pearl adds. “We might be able to replace others to help you, but you may be on your own for the most part. …You don’t have to decide today, but it would be best if you two decided together, and that is easier if you are both in the same universe,” she adds with a little humor. “As you two decide, we will go and talk to Thaddeus to make the necessary arrangements for your travel home.” With that, they stand and start to leave. I look over at Nathan. I know what I want to do, but I can’t make the decision for him. He smiles at me, and I can read in his smile, as well as the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, his answer. I smile back, already excited for the adventures we will have while looking for my little brother.