Called To Return
After the heartache of losing my father we knew that our time living in America drew to an end. We just could no longer live in a house filled with his ghost. Everywhere we would go would remind us of my father, the pots he brought over from Japan, the sink that, we as a family, would spend what seemed like ages doing the washing up, the back garden that mum and dad spent ages over just to get the Japanese style right, but there were plenty of arias that were not Japanese, and more American. It was just too much for both mum and me to handle. After all, at the end of each and every day we would end up sobbing in each other's arms several times a day.
Then there was the run to school, the bullying did not go away, it only became worse. I ended up getting into more and more fights, even with the boys, which I found harder than fighting with the girls. I had no friends there nor did I have anyone there that was willing to stop it. The teachers became worse and gave me a detention regardless of what I did, even a slight bruise would land me a detention.
This made me worse and I even started to get into a gang fight which landed me in hospital. However when my mother found out the reason as to what was going on it broke someone in her. By the look in her eyes, the moment that she saw my injuries, I knew that it was the last straw. So mum and I packed everything and set off to the other side of the pond, back to England.
Where we stayed with that woman Miss Blue, well Aunt Blue, you see it turns out that she was my mother's older sister. Which came to me as a shock, even though I should have known that she was a relative of my mother. After all, it would have been utter foolishness for someone of my background to be sent to a stranger's home! However, I wondered why she had kept that a secret from me.
"I didn't have the time." Was all she said on the topic.
Which was true all the same, but she could have told me on the way to hers. I, over the past year, had noticed that, even-though they were sisters they both had different personalities. Aunt Blue was, needless to say, eccentric and whose head wasn't screwed on right and was always elsewhere. Meanwhile my mother's head was always down to Earth and screwed not just on right but also probably so tight that it would take a great deal to get her to have any eccentricity.
I would sometimes hear them arguing about many things, like about how she had kept the house or about what we were having to eat that day. It came to a point that mum had taken it upon herself to do the meals and Aunt Blue would do everything else. Even I had my chores to do! We all worked around the house.
Apart from that it had been nice, until one of mum's friends had told her about the cold war. Fortunately it was not as violent or brutal as the one that killed my father, but it was still a war nevertheless. I feared for all of the other little boys and girls that would lose their fathers or older brothers. I feared for all of the wives that would have to bury their husbands.
I wished that there were no wars, that way they wouldn't lose their fathers or brothers. I voiced my opinion on this matter to my mother, but she sat me down.
"Aqua, I know that you do not like wars, and I know that many mothers and daughters will lose the ones that they love, however not all wars should be avoided for the sake of sparing those who are left behind. After all, if we had not gone to war against Hitler and his Nazis what do you think would happen?" She asked.
I bobbed my head down.
"We would be forced to turn over those we love and we would lose our freedom and we would have to do terrible things." I replied getting the point. I found that I was losing my American accent by that time. The accent that I had was a cross between New York and Queen's English.
Then it turned to April the fifth nineteen forty eight it was time for me to get to school. That was when I heard a voice call my name. I ran down the stairs.
"Did you call me mother?" I asked.
"No dear, now get your uniform on. You do not want to be late for school." She replied.
So, with that I climbed back upstairs. I then heard the voice again but, thinking that I was hearing things, this time I ignored it. I pulled up my navy blue skirt that ended at my ankles and my denim blazer with the school's crest on. This was a baby blue shield with three coral blue diamonds on top in a triangle. It had two curves at the top like hammocks that made a point at the top.
I then heard my name again, but this time it was clear and so was the voice. I turned around in a trance and walked over to my built-in wardrobe. I opened it before I could even think and the blue light of the blue rock met my eyes. I then closed the door behind me and reached out my hand and was pulled back into the world of the rock...
A New Quest
Immediately when I woke up I knew where I was. I felt a smile sped across my lips. I felt like I was, in some bizarre way, home. Knowing deep down, that this was where part of me belonged. In a way I felt like I always belonged here. This part, I knew, was not in me the first time that I came here, however I did not care nor did I even want to question it.
I even suddenly wanted to stay here for a while, however I knew that I had my mother and Aunt to return to. Yet it did not have to be so soon. Then I suddenly was concerned that If I stayed too long then I would never see them again. If it wasn't for them I knew that I would have stayed in this world forever.
"Welcome back my dear friend, Dame Aqua Aoshine Shockreaper!" Exclaimed King Yaminox. "I can not express how so ever truly glad I am to see you again!"
I smiled as if slipping back into some roll that I knew was the version of me before I left. The version of me that was so excited to return home. The me that never found out about her father's death. I was that heroine again. It was as if I had never left. It was strangely refreshing and it was like light had entered my world after being in the dark for so long.
"As am I." I replied in my American-British accent, bowing low.
"You sound slightly different than before. Why is that?" He asked.
"I live with my Aunt Blue in Great Britain now. I have to even write the way the British do, like I cannot tell you how many times I have been hit for forgetting to put an u in colour or whenever I forget to use shop instead of store or pavement instead of sidewalk or to say maths and not math!” I exclaimed.
He laughed slightly.
"It sounds like a very big adjustment! I would love to hear all about it if I had the time!" He laughed.
"It is!" I laughed. "I will tell you and Sir Whittenni and Sir Elishun all about it! I promise! So come on! Tell me, where are they?"
His face became grave. He looked aside for a moment. He let out a deep and sombre breath before he looked back at me.
"I am afraid to say that is why you are here. Sir Whittenni and Sir Elishun have been both captured by Akinatsu Ruby and Leafgrass Emerald, the red and green witches. Sisters of the witches that you slew in your first adventure here." He explained.
"And I am assuming that, by your tone, that you shall not be coming?" I had to ask.
The King shook his head in shame.
"No, but believe you me, I can never express how I wish that I could." He sighed disheartened.
He looked back at his kingdom.
"No, I have to remain here. After all, I do have a kingdom to run. However, do not assume that I shall let you embark on this quest alone. No, I have ordered two of my best knights to accompany you. They are Sir Gallyed and Sir Gin. They are to meet you later, when you have your essentials and eaten. Then shall you be ready." He explained.
"I am as ready as I was when I slew those two witches a couple of years ago!" I exclaimed boldly.
King Yaminox smiled at me.
"I assume that you are, however this journey shall be long and you will be grateful for the food that will be in your stomach." He said.
And for the next three hours, I was eating and had an instructor bring me some basic training. Then we were at the archway at the other end of the kingdom. Then two knights marched up to where we were. One was wearing white armour and the other black. They took their helmets off and bowed low to their king.
They, to my surprise, turned out to be twins. They had one grey and black eye, (the grey on the right and the other on the left but on the other one was the opposite) they both had dark and enchanted features, but being thirteen at the time, I was far too young to appreciate that. They had dark skin, however, with their features you would look away and remember them as white.
"Hello, Dame Aqua Aoshine," He started and took my hand and kissed its back. "I am Sir Gin."
"Hello, I am Sir Gallyed." He said as he did the same.
I curtsied, remembering to be modest and show grace.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance!" I said just like my mother had always taught me, almost like my mother was there, looking over my shoulders making sure that I minded my manners.
"Now, have you all got what you all need?" King Yaminox asked.
"Yes, we all have our meals packed and Gin has the map."
"And what about you Dame Aqua?"
I tapped my bag with a smile.
"I am well packed."
"And we will return with our brothers in arms or not at all!" Gallyed vowed.
"And we shall do our best to keep our sister in arms as safe as we can!"
With that, we all turned around. Putting footstep forward after footstep we soon left the kingdom and the king behind.
Don't worry, we will be coming and we will save you!
The Red Witch
We travelled a long time before we stopped. The twins prepared our meal for the night. After all, I was far too young to know how to cook as well as an adult. Although I did observe them as they boiled the water and then threw in some dried fish and a few small leaves into the boiling pot. They even scraped in some other vegetables and we waited there in silence for it to boil. After which, we ate everything that we could and I found a nearby river, where I cleaned up, which was something that I did know. It was one of my chores at that age.
We all took out a rolled up dark green mat and slept until early morning. Which made me wake up with stiff muscles.
Is this what dad had to put up with while he was out at war? I wondered as the twins prepared our breakfast.
We soon had our breakfast and we were led by Sir Gin to places of this world. The world of the rock that I had not seen before. Forests, fields and we did have to stop once for lunch but then we were off again. I walked and walked. As I walked I could tell that the twins were going slower, just so that I could keep up. This annoyed me at the time but I had to remind myself that I was a child at the time and they were adults. So I had to put myself in my own place.
Then I started to see the first sign that we were getting closer to Akinatsu by specks of crimson dotted around. We were soon in a forest whose trees were turning from brown to crimson. We had to stop for tea and then the next day drew to a close.
The following day we travelled further and further until the whole area that we were in was nothing but shades of crimson or scarlet. Which would have looked beautiful if they looked as if the landscape was made of red coral and not like everything was coated in blood.
We stopped for our lunch and then it was mid afternoon when we saw a fantasy-like palace that looked like it was carved out of ruby.
"So, this must be where she lives." I commented. "I would wish that I could live in a place like this, however my Aunt's mansion back at home looks and is more interesting. Also has more colours like green orange purple."
"What?" The twins said as they looked at me confused.
I shook my head and rolled my eyes.
Forgot they don't know about the world outside the rock.
"Never mind." I said as I walked up to the doors that opened.
I walked through but then I heard the sound of two people bumping into something. I looked behind me to see that the twins were getting up with frowns on their faces. Once they were up they raised their hands to the entrance. Their fingers flattened, like they were pushing against glass. Then I saw the ripples coming from the area where the hands were, like water. Yet they could go no further.
I walked over to where they were and clasped their hands into mine. I pulled and pulled at their hands but they just could not pass under the door frame! It was all too clear that they were not going through regardless of how much I pulled or how hard. It also became clear to me who the witch's target was.
I let out a deep breath.
"Wait for me. I'm going to find out where my friend is." I said, gesturing to them to stay and not try anything.
"No! You- you cannot go alone!" They cried.
"I'm sorry, I must. I'm the only one who can." I said with an apologetic but determined look.
I climbed to my feet.
I wondered where Akinastu was keeping him. I knew by the fact that there was only one witch living here that they had a friend of mine each and that, if I was going to be the target then they would make it easy for me to find them, however I also knew that they were not going to make it that easy. After all, it would hardly be any fun for them if I was able to solve whatever clues they gave me.
I looked around the opening and looked up. The pattern at the top, leading to the left were round circles but the one that lead up the stairs were triangles. That was where to go. So I followed them to a small door at the side of the staircase. I opened it to see Sir Whittenni looking at me with a pleading look on his face.
"Aqua! What are you doing here?" He asked.
I opened my mouth to speak.
"What else is she to do? Rescuing you of course!" Said a woman's voice behind me.
I turned around to see a woman identical to the other witches that I faced just with crimson hair and scarlet eyes.
"So, you must be Akinastu Ruby?" I said.
"Aqua, get out of here!" Sir Whittenni said. "Please run!"
"Oh, but you're the reason that she is here!" She taunted.
I felt very annoyed that she was answering the questions that Sir Whittenni was asking me, regardless of how right she was. I was about to protest until I felt myself fly right over the stairs and my back hit something that burnt my back as I slid down. I felt the floor slap against my behind.
"Ow…" I groaned.
I looked up at her as she pointed behind me. I frowned for a moment but then I remembered the twins! I looked behind me and spotted that they were holding their throats and coughing. The next thing that I noticed was that there was a red cloud around their mouths and noses. I recognised what it was immediately.
"No! No, no, no!"
I charged at them. I tried to get to them but something was in my way, like a wall, keeping me from going outside. I banged against the forcefield hoping against all hope that I could somehow break through it and then go and help them but there was no such luck. I banged and banned until my hands became bruised.
I turned back pleadingly.
"Stop it!"
"No." Akinatsu said in such a calm and chilling manner that it gave me the chills.
I tried to run and attack her but she raised her hand and I was soon back to where I was. I tried to cover my ears so that I could not hear the choking. Then she appeared behind me and with one arm pushed my hands down. Then let go for a moment, but like a snake my arms were locked into place by her arm as she pressed my face against the forcefield and with her fingers kept my eyes wide open.
"Don't do this! Please don't kill them!" I cried as I tried in vain to move.
"No." She said again.
I tried to push her off again, but the more that I tried the more I came to realise that she was just too strong! I tried to turn my head but her arms and hand were unmoving.
"Please don't let me see this! Please!"
"No."
"Why are you doing this?"
"You killed my sisters."
The twins fell down as their faces drained of colour and eyes started to close. I pushed back and that was when I felt it. The cold thing that was my only hope, pressed against her leg. I slid my hand back and took it out and pushed it into whatever was behind me. I felt the grim warm liquid stain my school uniform and Akinastu fell away. She was bleeding heavily as she took her last breath. I took out the dagger and then cleaned it.
The twins let out a loud breath as they were released from Akinastu's poison gas. Then all the red faded and the palace too.
I looked at the dagger that I had used to kill the red witch with. The blade looked like it too was carved out of ruby with the words Chi-Nastu engraved into it. The guard looked like it was carved out of black glass with a white diamond in the centre and at each end was a ruby and an emerald. The weight was shaped into a seven pointed star.
I fell in love with it and soon was glad that it did not fade along with everything else. So I took the hilt off the witch's leg and then attached it to the top of my left arm. With Sir Whittenni, we moved on. After a little rest of course.
The Tempting Dream
We travelled a long time before we came out of the forest. Then we walked on some more until we walked over to a flower bed of white and red poppies and black and purple tulips. I thought that they were beautiful, like a pointillist's masterpiece of a painting. It looked so beautiful and, honestly, I never thought that I could see such beauty in the world of the rock.
I could feel my feet hurting. From that I knew that there were going to be cuts and blisters along the rim of the shoes and ankles. My school uniform was in sweat and it was cut and ripped at places.
That was the one thing that I was not going to look forward to telling my mum about. Then again nor was I going to enjoy telling her what had happened to me all of the years that I was gone and why I hadn't aged a day. In tact I didn't want to talk to her at all about the rock nor its world. No, I wanted to keep it to myself, my little secret. I didn't want to share it with anyone. But I knew that I must.
I could just stay. My mind pointed out to me. I could just stay and never have to tell mum anything. Yeah...I could stay in this world, where I can go on adventures with my friends and I don't have to deal with death, or change or anything that I had to deal with in my world.
I thought about it for a bit but I could not recall what I thought about back then. I could feel that my mind was getting foggy and lazy. It was like there was something over it, making my thinking slow. Then my thoughts became silent. My eyelids were getting heavy and I found it getting difficult to lift them.
Even my legs weren't working properly for I felt them move and bump into each other. I let myself fall and I was too far gone to feel the pain of my fall. I was now flying to a different world, one in my mind. One of dreams and where things were light and bright.
I saw a woman with a long white dress, like the ones that angels wore. She had long golden locks, like the sun had been trapped within each strand of hair. Her eyes were ink blue, like deep dark water. With a face the colour of sand which held an otherworldly beauty.
She walked gracefully over to me like she was floating.
"Oh deer!" She said, her voice rang like the sound of a glass bell. "How hard you have had it in your world."
"H-how do you know that?" I asked as I felt myself becoming calmer and calmer as she came closer and closer to me.
"My poppies and tulips tell me all what plagues people's hearts. They tell me so that I know how to help them." She said, walking closer and closer to me.
My eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"Because I love to help those in need." She said as she wrapped her arms around me and, in spite of the alarm I felt in my heart, I felt more relaxed than I could have imagined.
I felt a peace and I knew, deep down, that this was what I needed. All this time I needed someone to hug me and make me feel safe. After my father died, after Akinastu. I knew that all this time all I needed was someone to comfort me.
I felt a tear fall from my cheek.
"Come on child, tell me about it." She said and as soon as I opened my mouth I found it difficult to stop.
The next moment I found myself telling her all about every time I was picked on and fought with other children, who must now all be adults. Then about the bullying I had received from the teachers, who must be old. I told her all about my evacuation to England. About my previous adventures in the rock. About my life between leaving and returning and Akinastu. I told her everything and left out nothing.
"Oh, my child, how very unfortunate you have been. Tell me, if you could, would you wish to forget all of that?" She asked.
I looked away. Part of me wanted to forget. I wanted to go on in my bliss. I wanted to forget about my dead father and about Akinastu, but I knew that would not be fair. Not on my friends, not for my mother and not for my aunt.
I looked down and pulled away from her.
"No, that would not be fair on the others." I said.
"And what about remaining in the rock?" She asked.
"No, I want to go back to my mum and aunty again." I replied.
"How about your father? What if you stay here, I can see if I can resurrect him?" She asked.
I looked down. It was true that I wanted to see him again, and I knew that mum wanted to see him again, but that would mean that she would not see me again ever. I also knew that I wanted to see my mum and aunt but I knew that that would be selfish of me.
But would it be fair on my dad? I questioned.
"No. That would not be fair on my father." I said.
I then frowned as I started to wonder why she was asking me all this.
Why was she trying to get me to stay here? What would she get out of this?
She's a witch.
With that I pushed her away in alarm.
"Wake me up, you witch!" I growled.
She shrugged, accepting my words.
"As you wish." She sang with a smile.
My eyes opened. The poppies and tulips were dead and we went on our way.
The Green Witch
We travelled far away from the sea of dead poppies and tulips. We travelled on to where the grass started to turn emerald green. As I looked up I could already see the emerald green twin spires poking up like two stakes trying to pierce the sky. We came closer and closer until we saw an emerald wall hiding all but a small section of the front, from view. What I could see was that the door pointed up in an arch and that beside it were two wings that, I assumed, led to the spires. Behind it sat a large domed roof.
We walked in and past the gates but when it came to the door, it opened but, as with her sister, only I could enter. I looked back to the others already knowing that they must have felt utterly useless at the moment. The twins were tasked with the job of helping me but all they could do was just watch and wait for me to defeat the witch. I did have to admit that I did feel sorry for them.
They looked at me, the wound to their pride was evident in their eyes. They also communicated just how concerned they were for me too. Yet in spite of this, they nodded as they understood that I was going to have to do this alone. I could feel my heartbeat in my ears and I had to push on through my fear and move on.
So I tuned and, again, looked for some clues that would lead me to where the witch and Sir Elishun were. I spotted that the ground beneath my feet had a pattern which were engraved lines going diagonally. I then walked down the wing that the diagonal lines were slanting nearest to which was the right. I walked and walked until I came to the staircase that led to the snake-like tower. I then saw the same pattern inside the spiralling staircase. So I slowly walked up it. After all, I needed to conserve my energy and be on the lookout for traps. I was soon at the top where I saw the elf.
The moment he looked at me he shook his head but he was not saying anything. I walked up to him and crouched in front of him and looked down and spotted that the cuff around his neck was shaped in a way over his vocal cords that meant that he could not speak!
"Well, well, well! So you are the famous Dame Aqua Aoshine! What a pleasure that it is to finally see you!" Came a voice similar to her sisters.
I looked back to see an identical face to her sisters but her hair and eyes were emerald green.
"I am sure that my sisters hardly liked your visit?"
"What do you think?" I said, trying to act more braver than I actually was.
"Well, this would be the part where I make my vows of revenge, although I hope that I should not come to that." She said as she took a step closer to me.
I cocked my eyebrow.
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Wish to offer you a choice, however, I do recommend that you think carefully. Become my daughter and my appreciate I shall treat you like my own. You will want for nothing for you will have everything. If not then suffer the consequences of your actions, and believe me, they have more ramifications than beyond here."
I nodded.
"Alright then."
I took out Chinatsu and pointed it at her.
"Then tell me. Does this answer your question?"
She cocked her eyebrow.
"So it seems that you have made your choice." She said as she came to the window.
She had a predatory look in her eyes.
"Well let me warn you, that if I were you I would hope to be killed by me. After all, if you are not, then you will have to face my brothers, and believe me, they are much, much, more worse than I am." She said.
I smiled as I shrugged.
"I think that I will take my chances."
She let out a sigh.
"Venusdemort, slaughter!" She shouted as she raised her blade.
Suddenly it disappeared for a moment then I heard the sound like a slit and then a spray. She then heard a scream but that too was muffled by the sound of gurgling.
She looked at me with those twisted eyes of hers. She raised her hand and beckoned me closer with her finger. I followed her and then looked outside, to my horror, my friends outside were all dead! I let out a scream and stepped back as I felt myself shaking all over. I felt a hand on my shoulder and a tip of a blade under my chin.
I looked up to see the witch looking at me triumphantly.
"Now will you reconsider my offer?" She asked.
Suddenly a wild anger rose up in me like an animal and I whacked the blade away. I didn't know what I was doing but I drove the blade into her. I wanted to hurt her, to make her feel what I felt. But her sword was longer and it dug into my hip, but I don't know if it was the anger or adrenaline but, for some reason, I didn't feel the pain as much as I knew that I should have. This, I believe, was the reason that I was able to go on. I flicked the blade. I didn't know what I hit, only that I knew that I hit her. The blade in my side fell away and she was dead.
I was helped down by Elishun as the Emerald castle disappeared. There, I knelt in front of Sir Whittenni and wept.
The Second Goodbye
Me and Sir Elishun collected the bodies and made our way back to King Yaminox. I felt defeated and hollow the whole way back. I felt tired too, I could feel myself nodding off several times while I was walking. We had to get some sleep, which, for me, was deep. I can't remember what I dreamed about but, whatever it was, had me waking up screaming with a cold sweat all over. Sir Elishun hugged me tightly and when we couldn't sleep any more we ate our breakfast and went on our way.
We were greeted by King Yaminox. He looked at us with sorrow and compassion. He didn't ask me any questions, he just wrapped his arms around me and waited for me to tell him when I knew that I was ready.
We placed them each on a stone table and underneath them we placed logs underneath the tables. Then we stood around them. I felt compelled to say something, snything. After all, I knew that, as their friend, it was my duty.
"S-sir Whittenni, I-I'm sorry." I started to cry. "I-I f-failed you! J-just l-like I-I failed the t-wins, just l-like I f-failed m-my f-father. I-I s-should have s-saved h-im, I-I- sh-should've s-saved y-you!"
I could not continue. I just broke down and I didn't even know when my knees collided with the ground beneath it. I wept and wept. I didn't pay any attention to what was around me, I didn't even realise that when I stopped none other but me and Sir Elishun and King Yaminox.
My eyes were bloodshot and puffy. My cheeks were crimson and saw. I felt hollow. I couldn't even feel my heart beating in my chest. Nothing mattered to me. I didn't even feel hungry, though my stomach had never felt emptier.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see King Yaminox. He gave me a sympathetic look.
"It's time for you to go home." He said, warmly.
I nodded.
"By the way, Emerald told me that she had brothers...."
"You shall face them, when the time comes, but, for now, you need to go home. Get some rest and cheer up."
He wiped my tears away. I looked up at him. I put on a false smile and nodded, I couldn't argue with that.
"Then goodbye, Your Majesty. Goodbye Elishun." I said.
"Goodbye."
I then turned to the ashes on the table.
"Goodbye…Sir Whittenni." I said more to myself.
Soon I was out and woke up in a pile of mud. I looked up and spotted that I was looking directly at mum and Aunt Blue. I had never been so happy to see them, however looking in their eyes, it was all too clear that they knew what was going on.
"It is nineteen sixty three." Mum told me.
I nodded already knowing what she meant by that. We had a lot of explaining to do...
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