Adventures of Hopper: What is Truth

WHAT IS TRUTH

Adventures of Hopper complete third series

Attack of the Dragons 03

Starlyn: The road to the perfect fuse 51

Rise of Dreamworld 118

Son of Fire 166

THE BROTHERHOOD 217

FATher of LIES 268

NEW BEGINNINGS 322

Dedication Page

This book is dedicated to my future self. Although I am telling an origin story of how everything came to be, and how AOH came about; I believe we all have our own origin story where we fall and then rise anew. We might not know how or where we learned to do something, but all the traits we pick up along the way help shape us into who we want to be in the future. N yeaa!! Along the way we do need to look into the past to better gauge what to do and what not to do. People say our past shouldn’t define us. That’s true, but it doesn’t hurt to relive a memor from time to time in order to figure out if you are better or worse.

ATTACK OF THE DRAGONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The CCC 04

Finding the Truth 11

Summer 17

Quarantined 23

DOMINATE LOVE 33

The one True King 40

BIOGRAPHY PAGE

THE CCC

“Where are we? Snake, where did you take us? All I see is darkness for miles!!”

“You want to step into the light? Well, why didn’t you just ask?”

“Aaah, the lights!!! They are too bright. I can’t see the truth!!”

“Lady, we are the truth. We are……the CCC!!!!”

“The CCC? I heard of you people. Yea, your name stands for….uh…let me think here a minute. It’s off the tip of my tongue. Oh yea!! Now I remember. You are part of the ’Couple of Children that Can’t grow up!!! You guys fight over the smallest and most trivial things. Am I wrong?”

“Adalyn, what are you doing? Stop making jokes. I don’t know what the CCC is, but if they protect Pures then I’m all for it. Can you please be serious just for one moment? That’s all I ask.”

“When am I not serious?”

“Eheme, shibe, shibe!!”

“Sixth Star, can you hear what those two are saying?”

“Huh, what did you say?”

“Wait, a minute. Are you even trying to use your senses?”

“No! Why would I? It’s perfectly safe here.”

“Ehmhmm!! Ladies, please follow me this way and I’ll escort you to your rooms. You girls must be tired from all that fighting.”

“I could go another round!!”

“Adalyn, what are you doing? These people are showing us hospitality. Can you do the same?”

“Wait! Send Sixth Star to her room. Bring Adalyn to me.”

“You gonna show me your lame movement now?”

“It’s not a movement. It’s a revolution!!!”

“Ha!! A bunch of kids running around cancelling others out just because they hurt their feelings; is what’s going to change the world!!”

“Am I supposed to answer that?”

“That wasn’t a question!!”

“What are you even doing here?”

“What are you?” Snake, I saw your moves back there. Dragon said you were a Messenger boy, but you and I both know that’s not true. So, with your many talents, why have you resorted to….giving up!!!”

“Giving up? Is that what you call this?”

“I call it what it is; and right now, you guys are trying to rehash the old saying; If I don’t see it, then it must not exist. Instead of fighting the enemy….why not act like there is none at all!!”

“DO YOU KNOW WHO THE ENEMY IS? CAUSE I SURE DON’T!! I thought I knew but found out that I was just as blinded as you are. Is Dragon the bad guy and Christians the good guys? I don’t know. Are we the bad guys and Dragon the good guy? I don’t know. Maybe Dragon, Christians, and families are all the bad guys. Again, I know not. Maybe…maybe we are all our own enemies. Maybe I’m the bad guy, you’re the bad guy, your closest friend is the bad guy, or maybe your neighbor down the street is the bad guy.

Who are we even supposed to be fighting?”

“Snake, the Bible says that the Dragon is the enemy, and the Lamb is the good guy.”

“Oh great. You can read a book. I wish we could all read a book, just like you. Oh wait, we can. Don’t believe everything you read, kid. Instead of struggling with trying to keep the Truth; why don’t we just, ‘snap’; the enemies are no longer there!!”

“Snake, you can’t just close your eyes and, ‘poof’, the nightmares go away. The Bible tells us to fight the enemy, not act like none exist.”

“Why are we on the first line of defense? We didn’t ask for this. Somedays I wish I could have my own physical body back and just….live…….a normal life!!”

“Snake, we are aliens. There is nothing normal about us. The more you talk, the more you are starting to sound like Shadow. All Shadow wanted to do was escape. He told me so himself. ‘Instead of fighting, why don’t you and I just go away together? Why should we have to fight? Let’s just leave and let others clean up the mess!!’ What, was he the bad guy trying to break up the Truth and you were the good guy struggling to keep it?”

“FREEZE!!! Put your hands in the air slowly and don’t try anything rash.”

“Little girl, you know nothing. You never will and never did. See, Shadow was never the enemy. I……..was!!!!”

“Rarrrrr!!!!

What the?

Come out here and fight me face to face instead of teleporting away, you Coward!!”

“Bye, bye, Pure!!!”

“FIRE!!!!!!!!”

“Shield of Faith!!!”

“Adalyn, what’s going on? Why are they firing at us? Where’s Snake?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. I heard you trying to sneak up on us. If you want to throw in the towel like Snake did and get your physical body back, then I understand. I’ll just battle the enemy alone if I have to!!”

“Hopper, you’ll die!!!”

“Hopper?”

“Sorry, that’s just something he would’ve said. ‘I’ll take on the whole word if I have too’, and that’s exactly what he did. Every town and city he preached in; he was always cast out. It wasn’t that he was that bad, but just the opposite. Daddy always said Hopper spoke the truth even if it hurt; and again, he always did just that.”

“The Truth!!!”

“Yea, that’s what I said. Is it the way I said it or something?”

“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I’m just thinking of something on the fly so try to stay with me.”

“Uh….ok!!”

“Okay. Eelon may have turned out to be Hopper, but Hopper was never Eelon. Shadow may have been Swift, but Swift was never Shadow. Dragon may have been Shadow, but Shadow was never Dragon.”

“Adalyn, you’re not making any sense. What are you talking about?”

“Maybe all these people were never the bad guys. Maybe they, like us, were just searching for the Truth.”

“Aah, I’m starting to get it. What they perceived as ‘Truth’ is what others did not. So instead of struggling to convince others to accept the ‘Truth’ they had too….”

“Cancel them. We always saw them as the enemy, but what if they saw us also as the enemy and just wanted to get rid of us. Everyone is searching for the ‘Truth’ but whatever Truth we perceive, always leads back to Jesus.”

“And since nobody knows the day nor the hour that Jesus comes back…”

“They just kill!!! Jesus says that He will not come back until every corner of the earth has heard of His message. What if instead of killing all the Pures.”

“Snake is quarantining them all and then killing everybody else. So, since all the Pures have heard and fully believe God; then once Snake kills everyone else ....”

“Jesus will have no choice but to say that the only people left on earth have heard of My message; so, I guess I can come down.”

“So, what do we do?”

“We make him blind!!!”

“You can’t sacrifice yourself!!! That would be worse than giving in. We are the only Pures left on earth?”

“No. I am the only Pure left on earth. You are already dead. We just need a distraction so we can get out of here. DRAGON, I SUMMON YOU FORTH. Come to my aid and protect me like you would your own!!!”

“Reverse your fire at the Dragon!! Bring…him…..down!!!!!”

“Sixth Star, take my hand and come on. We have a place to be and not long to get there.”

“You seriously think a flying snake can stop another snake? Have you ever seen snakes fight each other? NONE WIN!!!! I SEND YOU HENCEFORTH TO BE CANCELLED OFF THE FACE OF THIS EARTH NEVER TO RETURN AGAIN!!!”

“Adalyn, did you see that? Snake just killed Dragon like he was nothing!! After all that he has been through, he dies in the most unfashionest way possible? Wait, why are you smiling? Has nothing I said resonated with you.”

“I heard what you said.”

“And?”

“Is Dragon really dead?”

“Adalyn, are you towing with me? You and I both saw the same thing. Snake just killed a Mist and a very powerful one at that. Now Dragon may be able to send other Mists into the LGBTQIA because they have love, but in order for him to come back; he needs someone equally as powerful and strong enough to hold all of him. The only people like that are Pures, and since you are the only Pure left; I don’t think you would be willing to let him come in and stay awhile.”

“Who said I was the one he is in?”

Finding the truth

“Adalyn, are you going to tell me what just happened back there? Where are we, and where are you going? Look at me when I’m talking to you!! We should stay and fight; not run off!!!”

“Snake is cancelling the world whether we like it or not, and you and I are just…..you…and I!! Now we can try to rescue other Pures, but I fear by the time we rescue them; there will be no others!! As I said before, everybody is trying to find their own ‘truth,’ and as Pures; I think it’s time we examine ours. Anyways, Dragons new army is more than well adequate to slow down and weaken Snakes plots.”

“What’s gotten into you? Do you not see? We should go back before there is no back to go to!! You’re seriously just going to let Snake destroy all of mankind? You’re going to let him…….destroy Earth!!!!!”

“Yes!!!”

“I’m sorry. I for sure thought you said yes.”

“That’s because I did.”

“Why?”

“Earth was never ours in the first place. The Bible says God created mankind so that He, the Son, and the Holy Spirit would never have to be lonely again. If that were the case….then why were we created last?”

“Maybe we weren’t? Crap, Adalyn, what are you making me say, girl?”

“You’re spitting the truth!!”

“I am?”

“The Holy Spirit created in seven days, correct?”

“Correct, but it also says that a thousand years to Him is like a day for us and a day to Him is like a thousand years. So, since Jesus said He’d come back one day, and if we look at all the important most repetitive numbers in the Bible; 3704; then…….”

“Jesus should be back by the end of the week. The numbers three and four may show up most in the New Testament, but Jesus never intended for us to live in the New!! Why? The New Testament is all about Jesus coming down and wiping the slate clean, but that was never His intention from the start, which means….”

“That means that seven is the most important used number in the Bible which would put us at only…..day two!!! But how do you know you’re right? You could be wrong!!!”

“Exactly!! What if…the numbers weren’t for us!! Think about this for a sec. There are no girl angels in Heaven, correct?”

“I don’t know if that is entirely true, but we never know.”

“So, the only way God could’ve decided not to want girls in Heaven is if He had previously made a girl and then regretted it. Why? Why does anyone regret anything. Love!!! Love makes people do crazy things. It makes people abandon everything and everyone else so that they will only listen to their love. But since God is a jealous God and doesn’t want His people following another; He cut it then and there and said no relationship love will ever exist again.”

“Go on!”

“How many planets are there in the world?”

“I don’t know, but when we take pictures of stars; sometimes we can see stars behind the ones we took a picture of because these new stars are farther away. That means…..”

“Those stars are part of a different galaxy and provide light to whole other fleet of planets!!!”

“You saying?”

“God may have created our world in seven days, but there is also no way since He created humans in ’His image!! That means he created us to rise with the sun and fall with the moon. Now, although Jesus is all powerful; you and I both know that weeks go by fast. There is no way God created one thing and then instantly thought of the next thing to create without using His brain. Yes, when He created us; He created our brains in such a way that in order to grow; we had to rely on past trials and errors in order to form a better outcome. Why would God give us a brain like that if He Himself never had to use His brain for that purpose?”

“You are speaking truth their. All the planets we’ve discovered have two things in common. One, at one point in time; they all had the same density as Earth and were suitable to live in, but then as they broke away from the pull of the Sun; they became unfit. Two; every planet we’ve discovered has shown footprints and landmarks of a civilization that was never touched before.”

“Exactly. It makes you wonder, does it? How many planets did God build a civilization on before He looked at Earth and said, ‘It…is….good!!!!’”

“So, to find the Truth; we have to first trace back our steps and find out who God was?”

“Sixth Star, no!! People have tried answering and finding clues to that very thing, but that’s not what they should be asking themselves. We could discuss who we think created God all day and where He gets His power from, but what about His errors? God is a perfect God so everytime He made a civilization; why would He then kill them and start over?”

“So, the better question instead of asking who God is; we should ask; who/what killed off all of His civilizations on each of His planets and is threatening to kill ours as well?”

“Now you’re talking. We need to find out who he was!!”

“I have an idea, and I’m sure you do too!! So, I ask again; where are we?”

“We are where it all began!!”

“It all began in a hospital!! What is he? Was he some sort of…experiment gone wrong or something?”

“Nonsense, Sixth Star. This planet is where he was born and raised; until one day….he died. His throne was taken from him, and he vowed vengeance upon his own people, but killing just his planet did not satisfy him. He needed to wipe out all of mankind….on every planet!!! So, after being sentenced to death down under; he used his magical powers to make a system where he could live forever. The only catch was he wasn’t immortal like God, so he had to use vessels in order to keep regenerating life after life. Then once one life-form died…he simply hopped on to the next. Trying to find a creature that people would fear but learn to respect….he settled upon the image of a dragon. And that’s how he has been ever since.”

“So, what is he on this planet?”

“She’s a half-breed!!!”

“And where is this, Half-Breed!!! All I see is an empty bed, syringes on the floor, bodies littered everywhere and dry blood claw marks on the wall. I hate to say this, but I think the Dragon that is on this planet….was on this planet!! She’s dead.”

“Don’t be too certain about that. Everything around her bed may be dry…she, on the other hand, is still fresh. Come one. To the castle!!!”

“Is Dragon already trying to take back his throne? He’s not even in full suit!!”

“It’s not the castle she’s taken over but more specifically the person on top of it. Hurry!!”

“What’s the play?”

“I don’t know. I’m making it up as I go along. Love is the one thing Jesus tried to stray from, but then later on after He found Earth; He realized that Love is the one thing people need in order to feel structured. The only problem was that He found out too late. Dragon had already been cast out and since He hadn’t known love; he made it his mission to pull us away from our first Love; which is the Father.”

“So, if we go back in time; put love into the enemy; and then jump back to now….”

“Then the Truth will totally be changed, and what Snake is fighting for will be meaningless. Snake feeds his motivation off of the Scriptures, but if the Scriptures have changed and are now plastered with Love…he will have no choice but to admit he was in the wrong.”

“And all the killings will stop!!!! How do we put love into the enemy when Jesus himself did not? All Dragon knows is hate!!

“We use the one people that he decided to wipe out of Heaven for fear of rebellion. US!!!”

“Adalyn, you know what the funny thing is?”

“What?”

“For years, people have been telling others that the catchphrase is, ‘LOVE VS THE ENEMY.’ Now we are trying to tell others that LOVE IS THE ENEMY!!”

“It’s a longshot but I believe we can manage. After all….”

“We are the one race God fears, so in reality; Dragon should not be fearing Him. He should be fearing us!!!”

“Exactly!!! Let’s get to work!!

Summer

“YOU KILLED HIM!!!”

“Who’s that?”

“Shh!! That is Dragon, and in the chair is the king. Now get down before they see us.”

“As I recall, Dragon, it was you who killed him.”

“Stop calling me Dragon. I have a name……or did you take that as well!!”

“Summer, your name still stands; but your image does not. What kind of mother would kill her own child? Oh wait, that’s right. When I found you, didn’t your mother threaten to do the same thing to you; you just did to your own child.?”

“Don’t you dare talk about my mother like she’s the enemy.”

“But dear! Do you not see? You are the enemy!!!!”

“Should we save her? They got her chained around the neck!!”

“Has a chain stopped Dragon before!”

“Guards!! Guards!!! Bring the prisoner back to her room. The era of the Dragons is no more!!!”

“What about now?”

“Rrrrrrrrrerrr….rarrrrrrrr!!! You call these rubber-bands chains!!!”

“Look out!!”

“CHAINS OF FIRE!!!!”

“Na. She’s whipping those chains like they were born to be whipped. Never mess with a girl when she is angry.”

“BURN!!!!!!”

“What about those!! There are more coming. What if they see us?”

“Then let’s introduce ourselves.”

“SWORDS OF THE SPIRIT!!!!”

“SPEAR OF PRAYER!!!”

“Duck!!!!”

“SHIELD OF FAITH!!!”

“Jump over my back!!”

“What are you two doing here? Are you part of the king’s men here to kill me?”

“No! We’re here to save you, Dragon!!”

“Save me!! Nobody ever saves the dragon. In fact, all run from me because I’m cursed. They believe me the enemy.”

“Summer, you are not cursed nor are you the enemy.”

“If I am not the enemy, then who is?”

“Girls, can we skip the naming for later? Right now, we need to focus on getting out of here. Back to back; hurry!!!”

“Are they the enemy?”

“No!! They’re just a roadblock that needs to be removed.”

“Are you the enemy?”

“No, well; technically yes and no. They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Can we start there?”

“Why are you helping me?”

“On your three o-clock. Duck!!!”

“SPEAR ME!!!!”

“Summer, you are needed elsewhere.”

“Are you sure I’m the one needed, or the Dragon inside me?”

“Look, we’re sorry about what happened to your son, and if there were any way to bring him back; we would.”

“I don’t want my son back. I just want vengeance.”

“Dragon, killing the king will not bring you peace. I’m sure if you let Summer speak; she would grieve.”

“There is no time for grief in war. There is only kill or be killed.”

“Your heart has turned to stone. Where has your love gone?”

“Love!! Love is meaningless!! Love is what got me in this mess in the first place. It has done more harm than good. Everyone I loved turned their back on me and wanted me killed just beause I was more powerful than they. Does that make any sense? Wait, a minute; who am I talking to? You’re just a kid. How could you ever understand where I am coming from!!”

“..........You have no idea. When the world turned their back on us; I too seeked vengeance.”

“Who held you back and was there for you when nobody else was?”

“........My sister!!”

“....................................”

“Summer, where was your hope? Your son would’ve bridged the gap between Normals and Half-Breeds; but you just now have killed that Hope. Do you regret nothing?”

“He had his shot!!”

“HE WAS JUST A BOY!!!!”

“Sir, for your safety, we need to get you out of here….now!!!”

“Hold a minute. I want to hear this.”

“Whenever someone shows signs of a dragon; they are either killed, hunted, or outcast whether they are an adult, a teen, or just a baby. The sooner we get rid of them; the better.”

“But he was your own kind!! How can you live with yourself?”

“I didn’t want him growing up in a worse state than me. I lived over half my life alone and on the run.”

“So, you made the choice for him!!! You are no different than your mother. Did your sister sacrificing her life for you mean nothing?”

“It’s better to die fast instead of living your whole life in constant suffering everyday wishing that you were dead. Who would ever want a life such as ours?”

“......CHRISTIANS!!! Except, it’s better to live in constant suffering everyday instead of dying fast knowing you never gave the Message. In fact, the only thing Jesus tells Christians to look forward to when they are baptized is suffering and trials. ’Count it all joy my brothers and sisters when you experience afflictions of any kind.”

“Okay! Now we can go.”

“You really want me to come with you?”

“It’s what you were made for!!”

“Then you have to do something for me in return.”

“What’s that?”

“Bring my son back!!!!”

“You killed him!!”

“Does that matter? I can see your thoughts. You want to instill love in me. If that is the case, then bring my son back. That’s the deal.”

“I….uh…..I….pst, never make a deal with the devil, remember!!”

“”I…uh…I don’t know where he would be? When people die, they turn into Mists, and from there I could find him and bring him here.”

“THEN DO IT!!!”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Every man is born with evil in their heart, but since babies know not right from wrong; nobody knows for certain where they go when they die. Do they immediately go to Heaven? Do they immediately go to Hell, or do they go into the judgement pool with everybody else? I’m sorry, but I……”

“Can!!!”

“Adalyn, what are you doing? You just said that….”

“Summer, it’s a deal. You help us and we’ll get your kid back.”

“Promise?”

“Adalyn, I just said I don’t deal with babies. What are you…..”

“Promise!!!”

“Then lead the way out of here, Lovechild!!”

“TIME FREEZE!!!

Come on. I am nowhere near as strong as Sixth Star, so I don’t know how long the spell will last.”

“Long enough!! Hang onto me, girls. We’re flying out of here!!!

Quarantined

“How? How are we going to get out of here?”

“Have faith, fellow Pures. Just have faith. I don’t know how we are going to get out of this but I am confident we will.”

“How can you be so confident? Our magic does not work down here, and we are the only ones left!!”

“We may be down here; but that doesn’t mean the road ends up there!!”

“Hey!! Are you going to stand around and mope all day or are we gonna fight? It’s your serve, remember!!”

“Does any of this mirage haunt you?”

“Why would it. Look, we served our time and delivered the Message. Snake has done us a service by transporting us here while we wait. We got wonderful beaches, games galore, volleyball courts, drinks up to wazoo, and people that wait on us hand and foot for any indulsures we need. If I were in your shoes; I’d just say we hit the good life. Instead of worrying about the world around us and never getting anything back from what we sowed out; why not live it up? We worked hard; we impacted a lot of people, and a lot of people have met Jesus through us. They got what they wanted, and now we can get what we wanted!! They had their shot. Now stop moepping, and start hoping. Hoping to win that is….if we don’t crush you first!!!”

“Bring it!! I’ll take you two to one!!”

“I’ll take that bet and rub it in your face!!

“Service. Serving one set three.”

“Hold!!!”

“Ouch!! Hey, what is it this time? Did you forget to tie your shoe again?”

“No, look!! What is that, blocking the sun. It looks like it’s coming towards us.”

“It’s dropping too fast. LOOK OUT!!!”

“Aaaagh!!! *BOOM*

“Sir, sir!! Are you ok?”

“Jacklyn, go over and see what just crashed our net and made a huge crater.”

“I aint going over there. You go!!”

“Na eh!! I had my share of adventures for my lifetime. You go.”

“Will you two babies just quit already? I’ll go, if that’s what you want.”

“Uha!! Uhaa!!”

“Look. I’m carefully walking towards the crater now, as you can see. Nothing is around that we need to be afraid of. I’m about to look over the side now.”

“If you see anything then just tug on the rope that’s around your waist and we’ll pull you back.”

“I told you guys, there is nothing to be….aaaaghhh!!!”

“JACLYN!!! Where did you go?”

“I fell in. Pull me up!! Pull me up!!!”

“What do you see down there?”

“Nothing! It’s a long waze down and all dark. Wait a sec.”

“What? What? What’s down there?”

“BURN!!!!!!”

“I see two red eyes and nothing else. Come on!! Come one!! Come on!! Hurry!!”

“Jacklyn, breathe!! Just breathe!! You’re safe now. Whatever was down there can not hurt us anymore.”

“Aaaghh!! I almost got singed. Unless the crater just spewed lava…or something else did.”

“Girls, get back!”

“What’s happening? The sand is shaking beneath my toes.”

“It’s shaking beneath all our toes. Whatever it was that covered the sun, it was big!!!”

“I don’t like it. That was definitely no Pure.”

“Unless we grew in size!!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Make the wall!!”

“Rarrrrrrr boom!!!”

“Umm!! That hand could crush our wall in a matter of seconds!!”

“What about the other one!!”

“Oh no!! I think I know who just dropped in!!”

“Whoever it is….we can take em!!”

“Nah!! There is no taking this dragon.”

“Ha!! Ha!! Ha!!!!!! Thank you Snake for giving me everything I ever wanted right here on a golden platter. What’s stopping me from devouring all your souls?”

“We die or you die; who cares!!!! All I know is that we will both die if we don’t get out of here.”

“And why should I…….trust…….you?”

“We mean you no harm!!”

“You have always meant me harm!!!!”

“That was in the past. This is the now!!”

“That makes no difference. Time changes for no one. People always die. It’s just a matter of the environment they die in.”

“Then tell me; do you want to die in this one?”

“I have killed more people than you have lived. It matters not where I do nor when. What matters is only how many I can take down with me.”

“We are just a handful of Pures, Dragon. If you help us escape, then we offer you a world of people who deserve your bite.”

“Sandra, what are you doing? It’s God who decides whether someone deserves judgement or not. We are not the judge.”

“Look around you!!! What else is there to offer?”

“I don’t care what else there is. We can’t just offer the….”

“I ACCEPT!!!”

“Let’s make it so.”

“Wait!!”

“What?”

“Use one of us as your vessel.”

“Why? That would make me weaker if I were inside one of you.”

“We have to cover our own backs now. You know how it is.”

“Then I decide who I want to inhabit.”

“Fair enough!!”

“Jacklyn, step forward!!”

“You best not turn me evil.”

“Evil!! That’s nonsense. I’m not going to turn you evil, little girl.”

“Phew. For a sec their, I thought you were being….”

“I’M GONNA MAKE THEN FEAR YOU!!!!”

“Jacklyn, wait!!”

“Make it so!”

“And so it shall!!”

“Rrrrrrrarrrrr!!! The power! It…it’s…..Jacklyn!! Jackylyn!!”

“CONSUMING!!!”

“Pures, swords ready!! Jacklyn, let us see your eyes. Turn around…..slowly! Slower! Slower! Wait, why have you stopped? Jacklyn, what’s wrong?”

“Heh, heh,heh, hau, hau, hauu!! You stupid girls.”

“Oh no!!”

“I thought you would’ve known by now. Never make a deal with the Devil, especially if it’s one you don’t intend to keep.”

“Scatter!!!!!!”

“BURN!!!!!!!!!”

“Summer, what are you doing? We’re supposed to be flying that way. Do you know where you are going?”

“I do, but you don’t!!”

“Woo!! Sixth Star, I can’t hold on. My fingers are losing their grasp.”

“THIS IS WHERE YOU GET OFF!!!”

“Adalyn, hold on. We’re going haywire.”

“I know. TIME FREEZE!!”

“It didn’t work.”

“I don’t understand. That spell always works on other people.”

“Dragon is not other people. He was here long before time itself existed.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“There is only one thing to do. We pray and hold on tight!!”

“Why didn’t this roller coaster come with extra seatbelts!”

“This roller coaster never came with one!!”

“Getttttt off of mee!!!”

“Summer, what are you doing? We promised you your son and in return, you promised to help us. Why are you backing out? My word is my bond.”

“That may be true of you, but it is not of her. There is evil in her heart and deception in her tongue. She speaks lies and has done so since the very beginning.”

“Adalyn, say it isn’t so. Please”

“It’s not so.”

“LIES!!!!”

“Woooo!!!”

“Hold on!!”

“Summer, I may have lied about your baby, but I did not lie about anything else. I genuinely thought we had a connection back there since we both went through the same thing. We were becoming close friends, I thought.”

“Friends!! Friends!!! Would a friend ever lie to another………on purpose!!!”

“Adalyn, what did you do?”

“I…I…Sixth Star, it’s impossible. You said so yourself. We will never be able to find her child because that is not your specialty.”

“I did say it was not my specialty, but I did not say it was impossible. You did.”

“She said it, you said it; it doesn’t matter anymore. I am sending you two straight to meet him in person!!”

“No! No!! No!! Noooo….aaaagh!!!” *Crash*

“Achh!! Achh!! Adalyn, are you ok? Where are you? Adalyn, if you can hear me then say…..oh no. You drop her this instant, or I swear I’ll…..”

“You’ll do what? You’re just one Pure, and I’m thousands!!!”

“Please. Before you drop her, just hear me out. Although I did say that finding babies was not my specialty, I didn’t say that it was impossible.”

“So, you’re saying that there is a chance?”

“SixthStar, don’t say anything. If he finds out you’re lying, then he’ll cut you open like he is about to….shut up!! We’re trying to have a conversation here!!”

“Continue, Sixth Star. What were you going to say? Is it a yes or a no?”

“Well, the chances are pretty slim, but I think I can….”

“YES OR NO?”

“Sixth Star. Don’t do it!!”

“.............YES!!!”

“What are you thinking? You just lied to her straight up. There is no possible way that what she wants can be done. I’m sorry but this time we can’t give the devil what’s due.”

“If I’m lying to you then it’s not on purpose but on accident. I’m only a human so I can’t control every single word that comes out of my mouth, but if I could….I’d vow never to lie to anyone.”

“I’ll……be the judge…..of that!!!”

“Drop her!!”

“Ouch! I think you just made a second crack that shouldn’t be there.”

“Search me and know my inner thoughts, for I am yours!!!”

“Hisssssssssssxactly!!”

“Sixth Star, what do we do?”

“Just stay on the ground and don’t move!!

“Hisssssssssssssssssssss!!!”

“He can smell fear, and when he smells it……he feeds!!”

“He’s getting too close. He’s in my space bubble and touching places that he shouldn’t be touching. I can’t stand still much longer. It’s getting hard to breathe.”

“Just stay still. He is just like Shadow. He’s curious; that’s all.”

“Why doesn’t he take his curiosity somewhere…woo!! You don’t sniff there.”

DOMINATE LOVE

“We good?”

“Hssssssssss”

“Dragon, I asked if we are good? Return to your human form and let us be. There is no fear or lies within us.”

“Whh.whh..what happened? I feel dizzy, like I’m going to faint. Where are your clothes?”

“Summer, fear not. You were transformed, and since Dragon knows not love since it wasn’t around; he was just exploring. There weren’t many of us when he was here. Concerning your weakness from your retransformation..I’d say you’re growing weak; and are growing weaker every minute.”

“Ohh. Oh my. Adalyn, please forgive me. Here, let me help you redress.

Hopechild, I thought I was the only dragon left on this planet. Are there others?”

“There are others, but not here. Pieces of Dragon are scattered all throughout the cosmos right now. In the future, the present you died; but here in the past, you; Dragon, have yet to meet all of your counterparts and become whole.”

“I…I…here you go. It won’t happen again.”

“You can’t control Dragon just like he can’t control you. Neither can we change the time, which means that Dragon will still find his other parts and become whole. Our job though is that once he does become whole; he will be vengeful, and dominant; showing no love whatsoever. If we can show him love, then we could potentially rewrite the Chapters.”

“Really that bad, huh?”

“You have no idea.”

*Zipppppp*”

“Do you know what love is? Have you not experienced it? What about the husband of your child? Where is he?”

“He was evil, so I killed him.”

“What about his dad?”

“I killed him too.”

“Your mother?”

“Killed her?”

“Dad?”

“Killed him.”

“What about your husband’s uncle, and don’t you dare say you….”

I killed him!!”

“Why? After we told you not to kill the king; why, just why? What did all of these people do to you?”

“As I said, we live in a kill or be killed world. If you want to instill love in me then just forget it. It’s impossible.”

“Which Testament do you live under? Do you live under the Old or the New?”

“Has it not been said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth? Are we not supposed to fight for what’s right?”

“Right? What do you…uughh.”

“Sixth Star, what is it?”

“Summers gone.”

“Huh?”

“Dragon is trying to doubt us by using Scripture. It’s one of Summer’s fazes. Once she’s gone….he takes over. We just have to wait until her body reboots.”

“How long will that take?

“Not long enough!!”

“What Testament do you live under?”

“‘You have heard that it was said, ’ Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’ but I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

“You expect me to roll over and die? No thank you. You fight anger with anger. Giving in and submission yourself; just means that you’re asking for trouble. What do you even kill them with then?”

“Kindness!! Love!! Unselfishness!! I promise you, if you show someone so dark the brightest of light and keep getting brighter then they will have no choice but to shield their eyes and run away.”

“Congrats, Hopechild?”

“Whh….what? Summer!! But I thought that you…”

“I was, and you just won your first argument.”

“Come on girls. The sun’s wasting away.”

“More than the sun is going down.”

“Sixth Star, wait up. Can we still trust her? She just…”

“I don’t care what she did. We show her love and a second chance.”

“Love you say?”

“Adalyn, when I was up in Dreamworld with Shadow; I never had a second to breathe my own air.”

“Did they all treat you as dominant?”

“Adalyn, all of these people are from the Old Testament. They believe that we’ve covered up more than just the Truth. Don’t talk bad of them. We just have to show them a submissive/respectful love and not a dominant/I’m gonna kill you if you don’t love me in return kind of love.”

“Yea, no biggy. All we have to do is show a killing machine who kills anyone who so much as looks at them funny, a respectful type of love. She has been on the run her whole life with no friends, and everybody that has been successful enough to get to know her….she killed. How different are we?”

“Shh! You don’t have to tell the whole entire world the truth.”

“It’s not like they already know.”

“What you girls talking about back there?”

“Nothing.”

“Do you guys feel that? Is the earth caving in from under our feet?”

“The rumbling may be coming from down under, but I don’t think that’s what’s opening up!! Look above!”

“Are those….”

“DRAGONS!!!

“But how; why? Where?”

“I guess news of the king dying has traveled fast. Now dragons of every planet; wait…the universe are coming to claim the throne. If we don’t get out of here; the war to end all wars will end with us…..dead!! We should get out of here like yesterday!!”

“Wait.”

“Wait? Little miss Lovechild, did you forget why we came back here in the first place? We came to save Summer………and we did.”

“I’d clap but there is nothing to salute. All we did as Christians was break into an already broken family; steal one of the children, turn them good, and then leave with the family being in a way worse position then when we first arrived. Should we not be saving the whole family and not just kidnapping one; Hopechild!!”

“Adalyn, I know you are all about love and that you can find it in any situation, but we can’t save a planet. Jesus himself says that we can’t save everyone.”

“We are not just going to let them kill each other either. I can hear the footsteps of the Half-Breeds already on their way. It’s only a matter of time before the Normals gather in numbers. Summer; piggyback ride!! Turn into a dragon. We’re going up!!”

“ADALYN, YOU CAN’T JUST KINDLY TELL THE DRAGONS TO LEAVE AND THEN EXPECT THEM TO LISTEN TO YOU!!!”

“I have to try!! Speaking to them all won’t do, but if I can find the one true Dragon then I will be able to convince the rest. I just have to convince him first. This time, you take the ground, and I’ll take the sky.”

“Down with the snake. Kill Hydra!!! Kill Hydra!!!”

“Hydra? Tha’s impossible. No Hydra snake exi…..oooh! Come on legs, run!!!”

“I”

“See”

“You”

“All”

“There”

“Is”

“Nowhere”

“You can run”

“Where”

“We won’t”

“FIND YOU!!!”

“Half-breeds!!!”

“March on!!!”

“Jesus, I could really use your bolts of fire you shot down out of the sky for Eli. These people need to know that you and only you are the King!! Show em Your power!!”

THE ONE TRUE KING

“They’re not slowing down!!”

“Neither are we!

Swords!!!”

“SHIELD!!!

Whatever you do, do not let any of them touch the ground.”

“Just focus on what you’re doing.”

“They’re trying to break into my shield from all sides. Normals!! Half-Breeds!! There is no reason to fight. I know that your earthly king is dead, but your heavenly one is not. Instead of hate, show love!!”

“I don’t think it’s working. I can see air bubbles in your shield.”

“Please, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, stop!!, WHATEVER IS TRUE, WHATEVER IS NOBLE, WHATEVR IS RIGHT, WHATEVER IS PURE, WHATEVER IS LOVELY, WHATEVER IS ADMIRABLE-If anything is excellent or praiseworthy- THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS!!!”

“Lower your shield, Mortal. Killing the enemy and assuming the throne will make me praiseworthy!!”

“I don’t think they understand clearly what you are saying, Star.”

“THE LORD EXAMINES THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT THE WICKED, THOSE WHO LOVE VIOLENCE, HE HATES WITH A PASSION.”

“Then we’ll passionately break this barrier.”

“WOLF, where are you? Which one of you Dragons is Wolf?”

“LISTEN, YOU LEADERS OF HALF-BREEDS, AND YOU RULERS OF NORMALS. SHOULD YOU NOT EMBRACE JUSTICE, YOU WHO HATE GOOD AND LOVE EVIL? YOU WHO TEAR THE SKIN FROM MY PEOPLE AND THE FLESH FROM THERE BONES. YOU WHO EAT MY PEOPLES FLESH, STRIP OFF THEIR SKIN, AND BREAK THEIR BONES IN PIECES. YOU WHO CHOP THEM UP LIKE MEAT FOR THE PAN, LIKE FLESH FOR THE POT. THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS.

‘You will cry out to Me, but I will not answer. At that time, I will hide My face from you because of the evil you have done.’ Please, do not forget your first Love. Forget not the one who gave you your chair in the first place so that you could sit.”

“Hopechild, the Dragons gave us our throne, but we burned it down and have created the new one with our own two naked hands. They treated us as servants. They had no love!!”

“Was it not Jesus who gave you your hands?”

“Hiyaaa!!!”

“The shield!! It’s broken. I don’t care which one of you is Wolf, but I do care who is my friend…..and you are my friends. Sixth Star, I’m coming.”

“Hurry!! I don’t want to be a steppingstone!!”

“You will all be my steppingstones!!!”

“Wolf!! Wolf!! Where art thou? I’ve come to rescue you. If you can hear me then howl big and proud.”

“Awooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!”

“Umm, have you ever heard the story of the boy who cried wolf?”

“That was no wolf!!”

“Do you feel that? The ground!! It…it’s shaking. Wait, why aren’t they fighting each other? They act as if they have just seen a ghost.”

“THE THRONE…….IS MINE!!!!!!!!”

“On second thought, I have heard of the boy who cried wolf, but have you ever heard of the girl who cried wolf? RUN!!!!!!!”

“Adalyn, wait!!! Whoever this wolf is, we can take em. Wasn’t it you who said we should save the planet from fighting each other? Well, we saved them, but now something else is fighting them. If we leave now, then we will be accomplishing nothing.”

“What more if we stay?”

“We are hope and love. We can’t just leave them here.”

“So, what are we? Are we here to save them, kill them, or leave?”

“Actually…..all three!! Here he comes.”

“Thank you for warming the seat up for me, Summer. Now that the king is dead, I can resume my hold.”

“How you thinking we are going to stop this thing?”

“We? I think you meant you. The rest of us are out of here.”

“Where are you going? Half-breeds!! Normals!! This is your home. Yea, you don’t agree on anything and would rather fight each other all day, but if we don’t unify together today right now, then there will be no tomorrow where you can fight. What say you?”

“Sixth Star, look, I can see him. His beaty eyes are coming out of the smoke!!”

“Adalyn, do you see what I see?”

“Yea, I see a skyscraper wolf about to make all of us his meal if we don’t move now!!”

“No! No! Wait. I feel like I have seen that wolf before, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

“You can put your finger all over him for all I care, but as for me and my household…..we’ll run!!!”

“Adalyn, listen to me. This wolf was not born. Just like Dragon….he was made!!!”

“Sixth Star, I….I…I don’t know what you’re talking about, but what I do know is that whether the wolf was born or created, it is getting closer. We are doing no good by standing here talking.”

“Go!! Get the people to safety. I saw him tame this beast before.”

“Who? Who created him?”

“There is only one man who could create such a beast. Ha!!”

“What is it?”

“We were played like fools. He was never on our side. All he cared about was putting his world on Earth. That is what he said from day one. Idiots!!”

“Sixth Star, contain yourself. Keep moving. Keep moving.

Who created him?”

“..................SHADOW!!!!”

“Whether Shadow created him or not, God did not create us to be a people of fear, but of love, courage, and a sound-mind. DRAGONS!!! Forward!!

We’ll help you the best we can, but Summer, you need to turn into Dragon in order for us to have a fighting chance.”

“Fighting chance? Why not use all the armies here at our disposal? Are not we called to fight? This is their home so should they not be defending it?”

“I will have no more bloodshed watering the ground today!”

“But if I’m Dragon and he’s Dragon, then won’t we just team up instead of fighting?”

“Make up your mind, girls. He’s over the cliffs!!”

“What will you have me do?”

“All I want you to do is hold him so that we can strike the final blow.”

“You’re gonna kill him!! I thought you two girls…..”

“Summer, that’s not what we meant. We are not going to kill him. We are going to heal him. Here he is. Get ready!!

Adalyn……fuse!!!!”

“Stop! You can’t use love and hope to heal his heart. He’s the enemy. He destroys worlds in his quake. His heart is…….”

“Stone!!”

“Exactly.”

“Listen, we are not going to kill him. Everyone wants love, but few know how to properly ask. Nobody is born thinking to themself, ‘I’m gonna rule the world one day.’ Circumstances just happen. We can try, but it’s hard to change the circumstances people were put in. What we can change though is how they see us when we interact with them. Don’t be another face in the crowd. Now get before you can’t get no more.”

“Star, you sure about this?”

“Let’s get this over with.”

If we make it out of this…”

“Don’t say it. You can’t lose hope. Not you. Not now!!”

“But you’re the one with hope.”

“Are you not a Hopegiver as well?”

“Take em to church!!!”

“STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN!!!”

“Dragons, on me!!”

“Summer, my swords are feeling a little bit cold from the last battle. They could use some heat to get fired up!!”

“Coming right up.”

“Roarrrr!!! Puny mortals!! No sword can pierce my hide.”

Sixth Star, what do we do?”

“He said no sword can pierce him, but remember how your sister died?”

“I wouldn’t know. I was dead.”

“What about Eelon’s swords? He was using…..”

“OXYGEN!!! Do you still have your piece?”

“Why of course I do. Let me get it out real…..noo!!! It’s sleeping out of my hand. Summer…..stop!!! You’re gonna hit the….”

“BURN!!!!!”

“Aaaaagh!!! It hurts!! It hurts!!! Aaagh!!! I’ll get you next time. Mark…..my….words……”

“Is she dead?”

“Unfuse!!!

“No thanks to you, Summer.”

“Hey!! My fire wouldn’t have touched that ‘piece’ if it hadn’t fallen out of your clumsy hands, Star.”

“That’s……TWICE….now!!! I told you not to kill the king. WHAT DID U DO? You killed the king!!! Just now, I told you to hold down the Wolf so that we could heal him. WHAT DID U DO? Oh wait, don’t tell me. I know. YA KILLED HIM!!! You have no love. You have no trust!! You have no respect!! You have no caring heart!!........YOU HAVE NOTHING!!! The only thing you know how to do well is kill!!”

“I’m a Dragon!! What did you expect from me?”

“I don’t know!! I just….I just….expected more! It was foolish of me ever to think that your heart could be turned. All you see is death but have never personally experienced it. See, I’ve experienced it, and would be more than happy to give you the nickel tour.”

“Get her off of me!! Adalyn, help!! Get her off of me!!”

“Come on Star!! That’s enough. Practice restraint. She’s not worth it.”

“Let me at her!! I don’t care how strong she thinks she is. She needs to be taught a lesson.”

“She’ll get her lesson, but it won’t be from you!!!”

“Ouch!! Why did you do that for?”

“Be lucky that the wolfs corpse was there to break your fall, because if it wasn’t then I would’ve thrown harder.”

“Wait, where are you two going? You can’t leave me. I’m sorry.”

“You can’t fix this with just a sorry. Now Summer and I are going back to do something we should’ve done from the very beginning. Clean up her mistake. REVIVE THE KING!!”

“Adalyn, wait!!”

“Star, you don’t have to say anything. I know what you did, and I know why you did what you did but wasn’t it you who said that in order to fix something you have to own up to your mistakes. We’re owning up to ours so how bout you own up to yours?”

STARLYN:

THE ROAD TO THE PERFECT FUSE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ready to go 54

Faithchild 63

Adelheid 68

Dissasociated 77

Restored Faith 85

Heart of Faith 93

The Cup of Blackberries 99

Lost Faith 107

Ready to go

“How’s it going?”

“Aren’t you late for your meeting?”

“That can wait.”

“Why are you here?”

“I’m just checking in on my girls.”

“Why do you care more for them than your own Dragon?”

“I can make more of him whenever I want. Those two, I cannot.”

“They are not here!!”

“Where?”

“Let’s just say…..we won’t be seeing them around here anytime soon.”

“Can you be certain?”

“Have I ever steered you wrong before?”

“Do I have to answer honestly or accurately?”

“I’ll make sure they’re taken care of.”

“Gooood!!! I knew I could count on you.”

“Count on me? We can’t count on anyone anymore.

Are you ok, King?”

“Kid, uh..what are you doing here? Where am I? Aaagh Get that thing away from me!!”

“King, it’s me.”

“Dragon!! Dragon!!! Guards! Guards!!”

“King, stop!! Don’t attack her. Summer is here to apologize to you and not to kill you. Is that right….Summer?”

“Sorry. Forgot I was still in Dragon form.

King, it is me. It’s Summer, the girl you took captive and then told to kill her only child.”

“I remember you. Stop coming closer or else I’ll have no choice but to stab you with my sword out of self-defense.”

“I mean you no harm. It is true what Adalyn said. I am here to apologize. I’m sorry for the way I acted.”

“You? Why are you apologizing? I should be the one apologizing to you. You have nothing to apologize for. I made you do all those things. I forced you on the run. I forced you to kill. I forced you to flee. And because of how I have treated you….I caused you to start this war.”

“King, nobody can force another to do anything, let alone me. I do everything by choice and not might. I’m here to say that through the help of this young girl here, I have changed my ways. She has shown me what true love is without even having to utter a single word.”

“You!!! You were the first person to rush in to Summers’ aid and defend her. I remember now.”

“Yes, that is correct. She was also the first to suggest we save the whole planet from war instead of just leaving it worse off. Although we were all different in and of our own ways, she still loved us enough to not only get between our corralling’s and arguments, but also to help us unite together. You see, king, we are about to attack, but then an even bigger enemy appeared. Again, she was the one to tell us to stay wrong together and not flee. Lastly, she could’ve killed this new enemy, but instead wanted to heal it.

No matter what we did in the past, she looked through that and saw what we could be. I am here today to say that I can see what you can be and forgive you for what you have done to me.”

“Dragons!!! Refrain your claws and stand behind me!!”

“She…..she leads you?”

“Her heart should lead us all.”

“Asibhe, asibhe, asibheehe!!”

“Agreed.”

“Adalyn, what are they saying?”

“I have no idea, but whatever it is; I hope it was something good.”

“Look! The guards are also taking back their swords.”

“Summer!!”

“King!”

“Adalyn!!”

“Your majesty!!”

“I have no idea how you did it or where your heart lies, but if you can turn not only one Dragon but all the dragons including my whole planet, to not harm but unity…then wherever your heart is; there I want to be as well!!”

“Summer, what’s happening?”

“Basically, he’s thanking you for saving his planet and changing all of our hearts. As a thank you, he wants to offer you a reward.”

“Then why didn’t he just say that?”

“Shh!! He’s about to speak again.”

“Summer! I may have been wrong about you and your kind. You said yourself that none of you can be forced into anything. So, whether this child here is truly able to steal your hearts or not….you all had to first allow her to do such a feat. That is the true power. I hereby accept your apology even though I still am not clear what it was, and furthermore say that I am sorry. You are forgiven.”

“Are dragons allowed back on?”

“Everybodies actions are their own.”

“Can’t blame a girl for trying, right?”

“We may not accept them here, but I promise that we will stop sending scouts out to spy on your planet. You are now free to live as you want.”

“Thank you, your majesty!!”

“As for you, young child. I cannot express my thanks enough.”

“It’s not only me you should be thanking. Sixth Star, a Hopegiver, also had a hand.”

“Yes, yes, she did have a hand, but not a clean one. Do with her as you wish.”

“Wha…what are you doing? What is that? Now, I have no intention to kill.”

“I know you don’t. This weapon is not to kill but to lead. The sword you see before you has been passed down from brave warrior to warrior ever since this planet first was. It is made of dragon scales and scorched using dragon breath. The hands that crafted it were…..many!!! It was a time when no evil reigned. This sword brought us together whenever we were at odds. The holder always was one who reminded us of who we once were…..and who we can be again. Now, I offer it to you. Lead in the Truth and Love that is within your heart.”

“Thank you for the kind….gesture, King; but I cannot accept. I told you already. I do not kill.”

“You may not have a choice, my child.”

“Huh?”

“There will come a day where you won’t be able to decide between love or punishment. You will have to punish….or be punished!!!”

“Killing is a sin!!”

“No! No, my child. Even Jesus killed. Nothing we do with our hands, or our minds is considered a sin. What is considered a true sin is when we do something and think we don’t need God to look over our shoulder when we do it or know that we did.”

“Explain!”

“It’s not a sin to make idols. What is a sin is when you are so wrapped up in it, that you ignore God completely and don’t talk to Him about it. Jesus’ disciples asked Him, what is good and what is considered a sin? How can we be good like You if everyone was born with evil in their heart? Jesus said it is not the sin that makes you a bad person but what you do next. If the Holy Spirit tells you to say you are sorry to Me, and you do; then He’ll still punish you, but he won’t count it against you. The only time he counts it against you/punishes you severely is when the Holy Spirit tells you what you did and that you should say you’re sorry, but you blatantly choose not to say it.”

“Give me the sword!!!”

“Adalyn, your life is all about love. You can’t justify sin by using love as a medium. This is a new part of your understanding of Truth where you yourself can’t pose it?”

“That is why I will need all of you to help me find out what sin is. In order to lead you…I need something to lead you out of that is complex and then bring you into something that is clearer.”

“Summer, before I died, I said, ‘Let the era of dragons be no more.’ Now I take back that statement. Use your Kind to help others further clarify the Truth!! I have faith in both of you.”

“Faith!! The confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Oh, how I would give anything to change what I have done. Who am I kidding? All you are is just a dead corpse and I am cutting you open with my spear in order to take your heart. But seriously, I really messed up this time. Hope is just basically a wish upon a star. That is all it is. I have hope that you will turn right at the step sign. It is not proving that you will turn at the stop sign, so if you indeed do turn left and not right, then welp; I had hoped for the wrong thing. Faith on the other hand is trust that you will turn right, because I know that in order for you to get to where you are headed, you have to turn right. So, I have undeniable faith/trust that you will turn there.”

“HEY!! ARE YOU DONE TALKING TO YOURSELF, OR DO YOU WANT A RIDE?”

“I wasn’t talking to myself. I was…Adalyn, what are you doing here? Didn’t you hear everything?”

“Summer and I heard every word. Now I don’t condone you for your actions, nor do I condemn you. You want to be a faithchild and not a hopechild so you purposely have gone into places and turned them against each other. Why? You can’t hope for something good if you have never ‘seen’ what could be. Since you have already seen what could be, you destroy a group just so that you can not only give them hope in what could be, but also faith/a secure trust that if they turn their ways, then what could be is what is.”

“But I turned this planet on itself just so that I could be one hundred percent certain of what they could be once I put hope in them. I just wanted assurance that the hope I gave was actually real.”

“No need to explain yourself, child. John 20: 24-29 offers a great visualization to what you did.

’Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So, the other disciples told him, ’We have seen the Lord.”

But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nails marked in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’

You did the same thing. You wanted to see what is possible/the nails in His hands and also physically touch them/be there so that when you preach to others, you already know that what you say of the future is true.

‘A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. Then he said, ‘ Peace be with you!!’ Next, He turned to Thomas and said, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’

Oh, how I wish we could all see what could be so that we can be more confident in how to change what is.

‘Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and…..my God!!’

Sadly, no one else has been able to get so close to God like Thomas did, but that’s ok. We may not know what’s going to happen, but that is where hope comes in. Hope is something that we can want to happen in someone else’s life, but faith is believing that the thing you want best for someone is something that can never be changed. Hope can falter, but faith lasts forever.

‘Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet still believe.’”

“Adalyn, wait!! I have someone who has been begging me to come with you. I told her that you were leaving, but she wants you to stay. In fact, we all want you to stay.”

“Summer, drop me on the ground. I have one last thing to say to these people.”

“Here is the heart, Adalyn.”

“Give it to Summer.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“ADDRESING ALL OF YOU. What you saw witnessed here today was just an act of love. Now, I know that before Star and I got her, that this world was running ok; and I know it will still do forever more once we leave. But if you want me to show you what love is; it’s really simple. Love others the way you want to be treated and forget not your first Love.”

“Thanks, Adalyn.”

“Everybody ready.”

“Adalyn, what if we falter?”

“You gave me this sword to help lead people to the truth, so I say this one thing. Love others and do not punish, because if you do then there is no galaxy in the midst of galaxies where you will be safe from my wrath. If I hear so much as a whiff that you have defied what I just said then I will personally take this sword that you offered me, come see you in person…..and cut off your head.”

“Twice!!!”

“We promise.”

“Don’t promise, just do. A wise person once told me to never make a promise you can’t keep….especially if you said it on purpose. Now I pray to God that this is not the case for you.”

“I assure you it is not. To quinch your doubts, please let my daughter go with you. She is my only one, but I trust her with you. Lead her in all Truth and right. And if it be found out that we have indeed broken your wishes……..then keep her.”

“Daddy, you can’t do that.”

“Babygirl, I want you to be an heir to a much better throne than I could ever offer.

Take good care of her now, and if she stumble; hold her hand and please pick her back up.”

“We won’t let you down and I’ll care for her as if she were our own.”

“God-speed!!”

Faithchild

“Where are we off to?”

Before we go anywhere, we need to know what to call you?”

“My name!! My name….uh….my..…My name is Adelheid.”

“You’re a little shy I see, but nonetheless that’s a pretty name anybody would want.”

“Then you can have it. I want a new one.”

“A new one!! What’s wrong with being noble and kind?”

“It’s just that a name is more than attached to a meaning. A name is also attached to an image. Whenever you hear a name, before you think of the definition, you think of first what people with that name look like and act like. It bears the image of that person and all the thoughts that go with it. A change of name shows that you give up the old life of who you were and a clean slate for what you can be. Do you ever wish you could change your name?”

“Here you go, Summer. Eat up.”

“Why did you just give Wolfs heart to Summer so that she can eat it?”

“She’s weak. We all are. What we have been through these past few weeks and months is not for the faint of heart. A name is like a heart. It can fail, but it can also be revived new. A name alone doesn’t change who you are for nowadays you can be on your deathbed and propose to give your last beating heart to someone else so that it can come back to life and give someone else a chance. Although you now have a new heart in you, and it might be stronger than the one you had, you, yourself, are still the same. You just now have a stronger, younger, more radiant heart. But I can see where you are coming from. The only times Jesus changed someone’s name is when He knew that they would make a great change one day, so He wanted them to have a new name so that people would recognize them for what they can do and not for the life that they did. Sadly, names aren’t given feely just because someone wants to forget their past. They need to have a radical change in their life that causes Jesus to want to change their name so He can make them new. What were you known for, and if you were presented with a new name, what weight do you want that name to present now?”

“Basically, people knew me as being stuck in the past. I always looked to old traditions in order to help gauge how the kingdom should be done now. It didn’t matter if what happened before was a disaster. I still used that philosophy. Once I realized that we kept spinning in circles, I changed my philosophy and birthed the name Faithchild, because I always saw into the future of what we could be instead of the past of who we were. Most times I saw too far into the future that not many people believed we could get there. Thankfully, my dad was able to keep me grounded and also see things for what they were. ‘You can’t save everyone,’ he would say. Sometimes in order to help someone out the most, you have to know where they are now and stop trying to push them for what you think they could become. Although, him keeping me grounded, sometimes would diminish my faith in what could be because he didn’t want me to forget what is.”

“Do you always talk in this style?”

“It comes naturally to me. My dad said not to hide it from the world. Although most people will scratch their head puzzled trying to figure out what I mean when I talk, others will be able to use their mind for what it is meant to be. Once you find the people that can understand what you are saying, then you will know that those are the people that are willing to see outside the physical.”

“At least you have someone that helps remind you of what’s real, and someone you can go back to whenever you want if you feel lost.”

“You have no home? No family? No friends waiting for you back at……”

“Nowhere!!”

“How did they die?”

“Protecting me!!”

“Protecting me!!”

“Protecting me!!”

“What about your sisters?”

“I watched her die!”

“I watched her die!!”

“I am the last!!

“Mothers?”

“My sister killed her!!”

“My dad killed her!!”

“My friend killed her!!”

“What about your brothers!!”

“I killed them!!”

“Dragon killed them!!”

“I had none!!”

“What about friends? Who killed them?”

“Dragon!!”

“Dragon!!”

“Your dad!!”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

“None of us did. You know, your planet is not that far back. If you want, we can fly you back and tuck you in your night safe comfy bed. We can have your dad kiss you goodnight and let you rule your kingdom in peace. You do look like you are able to do that.”

“I don’t want to be able. I want to be disabled so that God can show me what is able!!”

“Everyone who has ever gotten close to us….has died.”

“Girls, you can’t deter me. I know the risks, and I know the rewards.”

“Be prepared to lose everything, just for a glass of water.”

“Thanks for telling me. Most of the foreigners that have come to my planet, have never told me of the risks. They just told me of the love and kindness of their Dad, and duh!! Who wouldn’t want that from a dad?”

“Maybe you’re not as bad as we first thought!!”

“Thank you, but I can’t take all the credit. There is another who without him, I would lose faith pretty fast. That is, unless you have somewhere we should be?”

“At the moment, no. Our plan was to come back here and secure Summer’s heart. We have done that tenfold, but now I am starting to think that God didn’t bring us back here only because of her. Lead the way.”

“I have a confession as well.”

“What?”

“I knew you were coming all along, and I’m not the only one who is excited you have arrived. Follow me!!”

Others? Who are you talking about, others? How many……kingdoms are there?”

“Oh, there are more than the eye can see and on every single one of them, it only gets worse. Thankfully, while my dad has been taking care of his kingdom, I have been sneaking off to take care of the others by inspiring faith in the unseen. You!!!”

“Please don’t say that you told them all we would one day come to rescue them!!”

“That’s precisely what I told them. BLACK HOLE!!!”

“Wait, how did you summon…..”

“We are being sucked in. It’s too strong.”

“No! No!! No!! Noooooo!!!”

ADELHEID

“Ouch!! Adel, did you seriously have to warp us so fast? I think I almost threw up.”

“You’ll get used to it. Just come out of it gradually. First timers always have the worst experience.”

“Dragons….detransform!!”

“Where exactly did you take us?”

“Well, you saved our kingdom, but why stop there?”

“Listen, we can’t just ball in with our fists and beat up every bad guy we see.”

“You won’t. This time you will defeat the enemy by talking them down.”

“How?”

“With your testimonies!!”

“HALT!!! No one can enter the castle unless invited. Who are you?”

“It is I….Princess Adelheid of Majestra. Timmy, you don’t recognize me?”

“Adelheid!! I am so sorry. I didn’t recognize you. Timmy has left his post and moved up. You will find him inside. He has now become one of the king’s own personal royal guards. I have taken his place out here. He has told me a lot about you.”

“I am sure all good I presume.”

“Have you ever done us wrong!

Who are your friends? Are they….staying long?”

“These are the people I have been telling you all about. They have come to stop the Darkness. May we see him?”

“I may be enjoyed that you are here, but the king doesn’t show my appreciation. As I recall, he called you a lunatic and told you to never step foot on his planet ever again unless you physically had the two in your possession that you talked about.”

“Well!!! Todays the day!”

“I hope with everything in me that your faith is correct, because I don’t want to be the reason that you were put to death.”

“You won’t be. I promise.”

“RAISE THE GATE!!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, please follow me.”

“So, this king…”

“King Sparro!!”

“Yea!! What’s he like, because um…he sounds like the guy that will put anybody to death if he doesn’t agree or like what they have to say. Who’s to say he won’t agree with our testimonies and sentence us?”

“Where’s your faith?”

“Adelheid!! It’s so good to see you again. What…what are you doing here? The king was very adamant he did not want to see you again or else…..you know what!!”

“It’s so good to see you again too, Timmy. It’s been too long.”

“Sixth Star, I don’t think Timmy and Adel are; ‘just friends.’”

“You’re just now realizing that?”

“Timmy. Won’t the king know that you are away from your post?”

“Oh, he knows. Once I heard that you were coming, I made it perfectly clear that I was leaving so that the king would have no choice to watch and follow. He’s on his way here, with the rest of the guards.”

“Guards!! How wild are you?”

“Let’s just say, Adel is not the only one who knows how to release her chains!!”

“Timmy, what’s all the commotion about? I should have you beheaded for leaving your post. Who are you even talking….too.

Princess Adelheid!! What a surprise to see your shining face once again. What brings you here?”

“Hello Sparro. You of all people know why I am here.”

“Oh yes. Guards!! Circle her and her friends. If they so much as blink at you the wrong one….give them a love tap!!”

“Yes sir!!”

“So…..did you find your alleged invisible friends from the stars above who have been sent to free us from our bondage?”

“Yes!!”

“Stab the girl!!”

“Hey, what’s happening. My spear is going straight through her like she…like she….”

“Demon!! You brought us an undead demon here to slay us!!!”

“Sparro, wait!! I can explain. This girl is no demon. She is a Hopegiver and her name is Sixth Star.”

“Release your spears!”

“Thank you.”

“Adel didn’t tell us that one of you was a Hopegiver. None of them have come up to the surface in quite a long time to help us. Is your friend a ‘giver’ as well?”

“Nah!! She can bleed!”

“Poke her!”

“Hey, watch the....oww! What was that for?”

“Son, is what she says true? Remember, if you lie….you know the punishment.”

“...................................She bleeds!!!!!”

“Bring your sword to me. I have to see this for myself.”

“Here you go, my king!!”

“....How? Someone has to die first before they can become a Hopegiver. There are few that can become Pures, but out of them all, only a few are honored with the privilege of turning into a Hopegiver. Tell me girl, how did you turn into one? Where do you get your healing abilities?”

“Love!! mhmm…I have love.”

“Speak up girl. I can hardly hear you. What did you say?”

“Irhirmmm!! I said….I SHOW LOVE!!!”

“That will be all!!”

“Wait, sir. Don’t leave just yet. Adel has said that we came here to stop the present Darkness. Now even with my love and Star’s hope, we can defeat this enemy on our own. There is a way, however, where I think we can. Nightmaster has given us healing crosses which infuse into our bodies and allow us to quickly turn anything evil into one that’s good. With it, we can revive life in one who was once dead.”

“If you are from the future like Adel has preached, no man-made weapon from past, present, or future can kill this thing. Shadow is a demon, and as such, he answers to no one. His powers, unlike angels, he exerts them whenever and wherever he pleases. These healing stones you have will do nothing to him. The only I would be convinced that these stones are real is if a demon turned on his own and gave one to you. That’ll never happen though.”

“King, grant me access to approach you.”

“W..why?”

“I have a secret I want to tell you. It’s kind of like a tell and show.”

“What is it, child?”

“Nightmaster!!”

“Yeah!!”

“Well….”

“Spit it out!!”

“He is a demon, and here is one of his healing crosses that he has given me!!!”

“This…this is real!!!”

“Yes, it is, but so is this present Darkness. Thankfully, we have fought Shadow already and know how to weaken him.”

“Your world must be worse off than first thought. I have heard of gods turning on other gods out of betrayal, but demons turning on demons. That’s unheard of.”

“Sir, there are different types of demons. There are generals and there are soldiers/leagues. There are also the Dragons personal infantry/the inner circle. I’m sure they fight each other all the time for the top spot of commander. Also, the Bible says that not even the demons themselves like Hell. Every day, they cry to God to bring them back……but sadly……He turns His back and says, ‘You made your choice!!’”

“Nightmaster is one who has escaped and is now the guard over all the beasts so that they don’t become free on their own accord. Although they were made by others, he controls them. In order for one to escape its chains and be used by one, a sacrifice has to be made. A soul for a soul.”

“So, what you’re saying is that Nightmaster was tired of living where he was and decided to use his powers of evil and turn them good? He knew that he couldn’t change the world on his own because he is just one guy, so he broke free from his chains, put his healing power in these crosses, and then gave them out to ever Pure who crossed his path?”

“Not exactly. He only keeps his crosses in Dreamworld so he can help out there. Very rarely has he ventured to take his cross outside of his realm, but one day he wishes everyone had his power.”

“Sir, what do we do? What if he comes here?”

“I told you all. Do not worry. We have taken him before.”

“No!!”

“No!!”

“No! You have not taken Shadow on before. In your era, you took on Dragon, Shadow and Eelon while they were trapped inside somebody else’s body thus making them weaker, but here; they don’t need a host to live in. They are at the peak of their prime and as strong as ever.”

“So, what will you have done?”

“There is only one thing to do. Every time Jesus creates a new world in hopes of keeping life sustainable, Shadow comes in and uses either himself or his henchmen to disrupt and ultimately tear each other apart from the inside out. If he does come and lay waste…..then we run!! Build ourselves anew on another planet. Get a fresh start at life, and who knows; Shadow might have become weaker the next time we meet.”

“Next time!!! If you’re trapped in a room and run as fast as you can, the room will still be dark.”

“Sir, Adelheid is not wrong. These two have already defeated Dragon’s planet and have restored love.”

“How is one Dragon going to destroy the very thing that created him in the first place?”

“I don’t know!! Together!!!”

“Adalyn, there is only one Dragon in the real world. The others have died off on their planet and even if you found them, none of them would be willing to fight.”

“That may be true that back in my time, there was only one Dragon since all the rest have died off, but here…..there are many!!!”

“Dragons!!!!! Show yourself!!!”

“Aaaghhh!! Hey! Hey!! There are too many of them? What do we do?”

“Men, do not be alarmed nor terrified. These dragons are on our side. They fight with us to help stop this present Darkness.”

“Just….just detransform alright. Please! We can’t have dragons running around or else that would cause an unneeded commotion. Adelheid was not the only one banned from every planet known to man just because of her message of faith.

Timmy!!”

“Yes sir.”

“Find our guests a room and make sure it is big enough to have a view. I want to hear all your testimonies tomorrow so that I can have a better understanding if we should stay or if we should go.”

“Umm!! Sparro! Before we go, I think you have something of ours that doesn’t belong to you.”

“Huh? Oh yea. Sorry. Here, take your cross back.”

“Thanks. Nightmaster chooses who gets these, and he has given me this one to choose the next. I would hate for it to fall into the wrong hands and have someone use it for their own personal benefit.”

Dissasociated

“Here we are. Umm…how do you want to do this? Do you two want to sleep in here and have the dragons sleep on the other side, or let them have their own house so that you can have privacy?”

“Move!! You kidding, bro? This will be the best sleepover party with dragons, normals, magics, Pures, and Hopegivers all living and sleeping under one roof the world has ever seen. This party will be lit, both figuratively and maybe physically; that is if they feel like it.”

“Before we choose beds for the night, I was thinking of….sleeping with someone else!!”

“Adel, we know what you mean. Go with Timmy and have fun. We can hold down the fort here.”

“You hold down the fort all you want. We have some praying to do. Come on Star.”

“Here, catch!!”

“Oww…hey!! What was that for? Why did you hit me on the head with a pillow?”

“Addy, we are at a party. Now is not the time to be serious. Now is the time…..to enjoy!!!”

“Enjoy!! How many sins do you think we will break before the nights done?”

“That’s what your prime concern is? You are so worried about following in the Truth, that any even small instance where we might conceive a ‘sin’ is considered evil. Party pooper!!

“Hey, in the Bible, Jesus tells Peter and the other disciples that if you can’t figure out how much sin is acceptable, then just refrain from it all entirely.”

“Yes, but that’s where your generation bases its beliefs. Inside of deciding how much is too much, you just use the, refrain from it all technique. That’s not Jesus is….wait, why am I even arguing with you. You are too young to understand what the Bible really says. Stay in here and pray all you want; I’m going out to find some drinks and hang with the other Dragons. You are more than welcome to join us, that is, once you stop being a kid!!!”

“DRINKINGS BAD FOR YOU.”

“Yes, YES IT IS!! BUT IT IS NOT A SIN!! Drunkenness is a sin but drinking in and of itself is not a sin. Get your priorities straight.”

“Star, are you done talking to your…mhmm…young associate? Come on!! Come join the fun.”

“Be right there!!

Last call, Adalyn. What will it be? Do you want to stay in here and lock yourself in your room like the Bible says, or do you want to come hang out with us and find out what the Bible really says concerning topics that your generation has seemed to simply sweep under the rug?”

“..............huh!!!!!......Don’t get me drunk!!”

“SHE’S IN!!! That’s my girl. Everything here is only 10% and nothing higher. That is how much alcohol content the Israelites used to drink and consider as wine, so that is how much we will drink and no more.”

“How much do you know, that I…do not?”

“Pour her a drink.

Well, to start off with, Wine back then was only considered as strong grape juice. You know, there are the sweet grapes you pick and then the grapes that you let sit on the vine for too long and they start to taste bitter? Well, that is where they got their wine from. That type was later fermented and only served at parties and gatherings; never individually. You need yeast to make wine and anything else alcoholic so the more yeast, the more flavor. Sadly, most times out of the year, Israelites as well as others were limited by the kin on how much yeast they could have per family, and then weeks before the Passover, they had to throw out their yeast and wait till afterwards before they could buy more. There goes your key ingredient. So, since yeast was in such short supply and they needed it to literally make everything else in the house they needed, they could only risk using a very small amount of it to help ferment their drinks. So, when you read the Bible and read the word ‘wine’, you picture a modern day 12-20% alcoholic drink, right? Back then, no one could risk making a wine that would be higher than 10. 10 in and of itself was a lot of yeast and cost a long amount of time to create.”

“What about Jesus. What type of alcohol did He make when He turned water to wine at his parents’ wedding?”

“None!! Jesus only turned water into bitter grapes. It would not have been a miracle if he turned it into modern day wine because anybody could have used grapes to do it. The reason it was considered a miracle is because grapes and yeast were already long depleted prior to the Passover and since his parents’ big day was only weeks away from the Passover, they were short on ‘wine’ as is. That is why they ran out within the first hours and asked Jesus to make more. Now, all the freshest grapes had been picked so that they could be served first, while the least amazing grape, ‘wine’, was served last. It was least because it could be made out of any type of grape and didn’t need to be fresh grapes. So, if Jesus turned water into regular fermented aged alcoholic wine, it would not have been a miracle. People could’ve just said that he went to the back storage and picked up a few of the wine coolers. The people didn’t need alcoholic wine because they knew they were about to be served it, so it made no sense to ask Jesus for it. The ‘wine’ they asked him for was the wine that had just run out which was the freshest grape wine. So, Jesus made that, and nobody could claim that it was made by someone else because….as I said, all the vineyards were already depleted of all the ‘fresh grapes’. So, there is no way that anybody including Jesus could have physically found and made wine, especially as many barrels that Jesus did. That is why it was considered His first miracle because no one was able to say that they could create what He did.

Now get down and grab a pillow. We are slowly becoming outnumbered. On three, we will throw. Ready!! One….two….hey!!! That’s not fair. You dragons cheat. When a pillow is being thrown at you, you can’t use your breath to burn the pillow just so that it won’t touch you. We don’t have fiery breath!!”

“LIFES NOT ALWAYS FAIR!!! DEAL WITH IT!!”

“Oh, I’ll deal with it all right!! I’ll deal with it just like I dealt with your master. Get close and personal.”

“Sixth Star, wait. The Bible says not to associate yourself with them. Stay on this side of the line. It is safer.”

“And……..perfect!!”

“Hey girls, I almost forgot to ask you some….*poof*”

“Timmy!! Uh..um…what are you doing back here so fast. I thought you were out with someone special.”

“Who just hit me on the side of the head with a pillow?”

“Her!!”

“I shoulda known. Should I make it my jurisdiction that you and Adalyn act like this all the time before you are about to give a big speech?”

“More or less!!”

“I expected better. Maybe I have to report this behavior of yours to the king.”

“Wait!! Timmy, what did you expect us to act like when you opened that door?”

“I don’t know. I expected you to be…idk…Christians!! You know, praying by your bed, in a bent position, reading your Bible, and talking to God.”

“Timmy, the Bible says that we are indeed aliens once we become Christians, but you have to remember something about us all Christians.”

“Oh yea, what’s that?”

“We are still people and know what the meaning of fun is!! It’s people like you that stereotype us and force us into hiding because we don’t want to act like ourselves or else you all will shame us for practicing….. ‘sin’!!!”

“Join us. The teams are outnumbered as is, but I believe that you could change the tide.”

“Me stoop that low!! Ha!! If you forgot, I am trying to move up in the world, not down. I don’t associate myself with girls, especially ones who are old enough now that they shouldn’t be playing child games anymore.”

“Oh yea, that’s right. You have a date with Adelheid. Why don’t you bring her here as well?”

“Star, stop talking to him. We are playing lava tag and Adalyn has already fallen in the fire. We need you.”

“Ummm….that’s the thing.”

“What?”

“I…..I…..”

“Out with it boy!!”

“I lost her!!”

“You what?”

“Now, now!! Adalyn, I can see where you are concerned but there is no need to be.”

“I made a promise with her dad that I would keep an eye on her. Should have never left her out of my site, no matter how close her friends were.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t exactly know specifi…..”

“WHAT……HAPPENED?”

“.......We were walking hand in hand along the night sky. I looked up, saw two dragons flying around the moon, and then pointed them out to Adelheid. She looked up and couldn’t make them out at first, but then they made a heart, and she could see. Once I saw the heart, she squeezed my hand tightly and I thought that was my que.”

“You thought a squeezed hand meant that it was your que? Boys!!”

“Anyways, I leaned in to kiss her and she started fidgeting.”

“Fidgeting?”

“Yea, like she was having a seizure or something. I asked what was wrong, but she kept blaring out that ’he was here!!! He was here!!!”

“Who? Who was here?”

“She said that she saw the king letting him in because they had made a trade.”

“What trade?”

“Her for the stone!!!

After that, she said she needed air and took off. That was the last time I saw her on the ground.”

“Saw her on the ground? Timmy, you are making no sense. What happened?”

“.........She associated!!”

“Partys over. Star, take Summer and a few other dragons to search the hillside for her. It’s time to get serious.”

“Yes Maam. We won’t return until we have her safe in our talons.”

“You can’t go out there. Remember what the king said. He said that if people saw that dragons were back, they would freak out and cause a panic. We need to play this safe.”

“Safe went out the window the day you lost our girl. Now get out of the way before I cut a piece through you.”

“It’s dark and cold out there. You could get lost just like Adel.”

“Did that ever stop Jesus from searching for one of his sheep’s? It says that Jesus will leave the ninety-nine sheep just to find the one that ran away. Shepherds of that day did the same thing, and are we not Shepherds?”

“..........You’ll never find her!!”

“Timmy, don’t give up the faith. Adelheid would not want any of her friends to lose it.”

“It’s not that I lost the Faith, but more that Shadow found it!!

Restored faith

“You are awake!! I’m so glad that you girls are all ok. I’d ask how you all slept, but the looks on your faces tell me that you weren’t able to catch a lot of z’s last night. I wonder, why is that? Did you lose your faith last night that your testimonies today wouldn’t do the best, so you prayed all night to your God that He might return the faith that you lost?”

“We never lost our faith, we just…..misplaced it!! Say hi, Adelheid!!!!”

“Hi Sparro.”

“Nice…..uh…nice to see you in good health, Princess.”

“Why thank you. I’m glad to see you in good health as well.”

“Oh, Sparro!!”

“Yes Star?”

“Make sure that you are able to secure a seat with a view. Would hate for you to miss the day’s entertainment. After all, it’s only getting started!!!”

“Girls, they are ready for you in five!”

“King, let me take you to your seat.”

“Get off me, Timmy!!

I can walk myself back!”

“Hello Timmy.”

“Please say that you found her.”

“No thanks to you!!”

“Did any of the villagers see you dragons?”

“That’s what you are so worried about? There is no hi Adelheid? There is no thank you for saving my girl. There is no embracing of hugs? No nothing!! You care more for the safety of this kingdom instead of the life of the one girl that you love the most. Shame shall befall thee!

Needless to say, to answer your question, it’s a yes. We were spotted.”

“Did they panic?”

“They lost their minds!!”

“How many of you did they see?”

“.........................ALL OF US!!!!!!!!

And……..it…….was….worth it!!!!”

“Adalyn, you’re limping. Wait, why are you walking towards me and putting your hand on my shoulder? What did you do? How’d it happen?”

“Adalyn, let’s go!! We’re on.”

“......I did what had to be done!!”

“Done? Is it really done? They think that I was in partnership with the evil king and purposefully led Adelheid to that spot. I took her so that Shadow could have an easy get in, drop off and collect his rewards. They don’t trust me anymore. They believe I don’t care for them. Now I have to prove to them that I am still loyal, but what is there for me to prove?”

“Here is your seat, my king. This is the best spot in the audience to see both the stage and also all the exit points, like you asked.”

“Perfect. The king is sitting down and is distracted by the girls. I know how to pledge my loyalty once more.”

“Hey!! What are you doing back here, kid? No one is allowed back here without the king’s consent. I’m going to have to ask you to leave!!”

“Who are you to tell me what to do?”

“Put him down!! Please, I don’t know who you are, but just release your hold on him and put him down.”

“Oh, I’ll put him down all right. I’ll put him down so hard that he personally meets the devil…….alive!!!”

“No!! No!! Nooo!!!”

“CHOKE!!!”

“Okay!! I’m going. I’m going. Just don’t hurt me. I’ll say I saw nothing.”

“Did I say you could leave? SPEAR!!!

Right through the heart!! Man, I’m good.

Now, if I were a stone, where would I hide!!”

“Hide!!! Who said we were hiding? We weren’t hiding, we just weren’t unhiding either.”

“You could say that we grew up under loving parents who wanted nothing but the best for us. Although that is true, and we did learn a lot about God that way; we were still stuck in darkness.”

“We thought that our love for God was strong, but when I first met the real enemy…..I ran and hid.”

“It’s true. When I saw Dragon’s eye in the window and saw him kill my parents; instead of fighting back for my one true Love…..I ran.”

“Same. When the king’s sorcerers came to take my family, I watched as they killed them, but being too weak to fight back….I also ran.”

“Thankfully, there was one who was found alive. For me, it was my mother.”

“My father!!”

“My brother!!”

“I was mad!!”

“I was mad!!”

“I was mad!!”

“And knew I needed to prove that I was still loyal to my Father in love. Here, my mother raised me and taught me how to not only keep the love burning within me, but also help others keep theirs. That’s when I first became a Hopegiver.”

“Growing up in a house where the Dragon literally waged war inside my mother, you would think that would turn her evil? Na. It did the opposite. She showed me that no matter how dark you are or how dark the world around you is, you got to keep fighting. The moment darkness wins…is when you let up. That is when I first started to become a Lovechild.”

“People, please; listen to their words and what they have to say. Use me as an example. When you don’t listen to your parents and have no one to guide you in who your first Love was, you turn vengeful. Once you become vengeful, you start to hate anything and anyone that is happy, because you can’t be. So, you kill all of them, which in turn gives them a reason to see you as the enemy. Thankfully, out of my own safety, I killed all of them…..even my mother. I pray, don’t you ever get to that point. Don’t give them a reason to hate you. Be like Adalyn here. The only reason people should hate you is because of the love you show; not the hate you give.”

“At the end of the day though, your parents can only teach you so much.”

“When God returns, He is not going to ask, ‘Did your parents teach you well? If so, then come sit at the table. If not, then I know you not either.’ No. He is going to say, “What did you do here to spread my name, because do you not remember what I preached? In order to follow me, you must put your family and everyone else down in order to pick up your cross.’ Living your whole life inside the safety and comfort of your home, is not picking up your cross, people!!”

“I left to seek the truth!!”

“Me too.”

“Me too.”

“Me too!!”

“WHO LEFT WITH YOU? SURELY GOD DID NOT INTEND FOR HIS CHILDREN TO GO INTO THE BATTLEFIELD ALONE. When no one else believed in you, who took your hand?”

“My sister!!”

“My sister!!”

“My brother!!”

“Although we did fight a lot back and forth, I could always count on them.”

“WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE THAT WE MAY CONGRATULATE THEM ON RAISING SUCH FINE GIRLS? WE SAW WHAT YOU DID LAST NIGHT. BRING THEM TO US.”

“It cannot be done.”

“God used them to help raise us up, but their time….was done!! She died before my eyes!!”

“She died before my eyes!!”

“He died protecting what he knew to be true.”

“These guardians did not let darkness define who we were. They gave their lifes in hopes that one day, we the Lights, would shine forth.”

“WAS IT WORTH IT?”

“Was what worth it?”

“Was it worth giving up everything and everyone you loved, only to turn around and see them all die in your arms?”

“THE LORD GAVE!!!!!!”

“.........AND THE LORD TAKETH AWAY!!!

“WERE YOU NOT AFRAID LAST NIGHT WHEN YOU TOOK ON SHADOW?”

“........WE WERE!!!”

“See!! People, these girls are not the bright shining stars that Adelheid has been telling us about. Just look at them. Most are limping. Others are weary. Some are tired. They have aches and pains, and above all….they fear!!! I thought God told you that you should be a people of no fear. Cast all your worries on the Lord for I shall give you rest. Is that not what the Bible says? Why should we follow people that are always living in fear? I thought to be brave, you have to show no fear.”

“Bravery does not mean showing no fear. In fact, God wants us to fear. He says there is a healthy fear and an unhealthy fear. An unhealthy fear is when you completely let go and darkness seeps in. Healthy fear on the other hand is when you are so afraid that the only person you look too to help you out, is Him. Then fear makes you run to Him so He may help you. God uses fear to make us run to Him, while Darkness uses fear to keep us rooted.”

“I CAN SAFELY TESTIFY THAT LAST NIGHT, NONE OF YOU WERE ROOTED. IN FACT, YOU WERE MORE AND WILD THEN EVEN MY PIGS ARE OUTSIDE.”

“Yes. I don’t know how to respond to being called pigs, but I’ll take it. Do you think if we indeed were in fear of Darkness, we would not be showing……strength?”

“Okay, you girls have shown that God does indeed care for community and family, but what about individuals? I’m sure these people would like to hear about How God touched you all personally, and how the you of back then has shaped you into the you of today, well..the past!! Star, since you are the oldest, I’ll let you start.”

“Thank you, sir. I shall try and make this brief so that all of you don’t fall asleep on me.”

“Haaaaa!!!”

“My story begins with a single glass of water.”

“Here you go ma’am. It’s not much but my mom packed me a water bottle and a small cup to pour it in. You can use it as your demonstration if you want, to help us get more of a visual.”

“Thank you, young steward. You know, you kind of remind me of my brother in your looks. You sure I don’t know you from somewhere?”

“No ma’am. But would you like…*croak…too?

Sorry. I feel like I have a frog in my throat.”

“I know the feeling.”

“Keep my seat warm. I have somewhere I need to be.”

“But, my king. The girls have gotten their introductions and questions out of the way. They are about to start giving their individual testimonies. Do you not want to stay for that?”

“Let them give their testimony………for this will be the last time that they do!!!”

HEART OF FAITH

“Timmy, get out of there!!”

“Who said that? There is no one in this room but me. I demand to know who I am speaking to.”

“Make all haste, I urge you. The king is coming and will be upon you any second.”

“Sir, a boy has taken out your guards. He lays in your throne room, now.”

“Give me my sword!! I’ll deal with him myself.”

“I present before you all a clear clean glass of water. See, there are no spots or particles inside whatsoever. Your mom was either very good at washing dishes or she goes out and buys you a new cup everytime you go out.”

“Maybe!!”

“Um…ir ir!! So, this is how we all started off. We started off pure, clean, innocent, and full of…”

“NOTHING?”

“The Spirit.”

“Jesus, if it is you talking, then I am not leaving this room. Someone has to expose Sparro for the villain he is. I’m baring the doors and locking the room down. If I don’t make it out of here……. tell Adelheid I love her.”

“Although we started out pure, it wasn’t long until sin entered into us. Here I’ll display by pouring a blackberry packet into this empty cup.”

“Are we ready?”

“Shadow, not yet. I have a little…situation holding us back.”

“Take care of it. It’ll give you a perfect excuse to kill the boy. He’ll finally be able to cry with his love, again…..forever.”

“What if he has friends?”

“I’ll give you the power to turn into a wolf so that you may dispose of him much either. That is all.”

“Jesus says we were all born with sin, but through the grace of Jesus Christ, we can refill our cups and wipe out the disgusting blackberry packet.”

“Sadly, most people rather either leave the packet in there, or try their hardest to shake it out of the cup on their own; but as you can see; there are still a few droppings that stay stuck to the bottom of the cup. So, since they can’t shake the sin; instead of living a life of turmoil, they just accept it as is.”

“I’m coming for you boy!! You should know by now not to steal from someone. Isn’t that something your God has written down on His stones!!!”

“IT’S NOT STEALING IF IT’S ALREADY STOLEN. I’M JUST TAKING IT FROM YOU AND PUTING IT BACK!!”

“You keep telling yourself that, kid. Whatever helps you fall asleep at night.”

“In an attempt to cover their own sin and not have it so publicly displayed, people have turned to making their own gods and ideas to make it look like there are some sins that Jesus said are bad, but their are others He said are ok. There are real sins that He has said, but then there also have been made up sins that we as a human have invented so that it is totally impossible to keep them all.

Adalyn, can you please open this water bottle?”

“Here you go, Star.”

“So, since we have decided to cover our own sins and make up others, we have made it so that….let me pour this. We’ve made it so that not only our sins are now covered, but it is a lot harder to now find and drink from the real true pure water. Thankfully, there are those like my brother, who will fight to find the true water, and when they find it, they will defend it.”

“OPEN UP!!”

“Never!!”

“OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW OR ELSE I’M BREAKING IT DOWN!!”

“Uhh!! Umm. What can I use as a weapon? Think, Timmy, think!!

His scepter!!! It’s sharp enough that it just might work!!”

“Once my brother decided to search for a new glass of water, his true journey began. Before this, he was only searching for things on the earth and looking for hidden messages within the very text of Scripture. This time though, he, like others, learned that in order to find the cleanest and freshest water, you got to go to the source. Water is always coldest/coolest at the top of the waterfall and never the bottom. Why? Water up there is always still. Once it starts moving, that’s where it slowly loses its cool. So, instead of looking down, he found that he needed to look up.

“Look up? Why, of course. The king would not have hidden the stone on a low level. He would have hidden it high enough so that no one would be able to reach it. I see it.”

“Here, my mother called me up and told me that I was needed. I thought since I was successful as a Hopegiver elsewhere, watching my brother would be a piece of cake. Boy was I wrong. I found out that no matter how much scripture you grew up reading, how many people you had previously saved, nor how close you were to the Truth; God will always test you. I fought monster after monster.”

“FINE!!!! I’M LETTING MYSELF IN!!!! KNOCK…..KNOCK!!!!”

“You don’t scare me, Sparro!!”

“It’s not me you should be afraid of.”

“I know!! I’m not afraid of you, nor am I afraid of what is inside you!!”

“Hyaaaaaaaa!!!!”

“You will never defeat me!!”

“WHERE’S THE STONE?”

“You’re gonna have to rip it out of me.”

“At first, I was winning victory after victory, but inside, I was slowly crumbling away.”

“Face it kid!! You’re weak! You’ll never defeat me. YOU’LL NEVER DEFEAT…….THE SHADOW!!!”

“It wasn’t until I got separated from the others by the act of something my brother meant to be evil. I was at my low. I cried to God…..but I received no answer.”

“God, where are you? I need you. Give me the strength to defeat my enemies.”

“Your God is dead. It’s just you and me boy!! But if you really want to talk to Him then I can personally send you there if you’d like.”

“Never!! I found the water of life, and my brother was threatening to pull it away from me. I would not give in no matter how dark it got. I would and did…fight back!!”

“Aaagh!!”

“Ouch!! You hit me on the side of my head using my own rocks. You’ll pay for the damage…..with your life!!”

*TING* TING*

“E….NOUGH!!!”

“There I was. I was smack dab against the wall. It felt like the darkness had succeeded and got what it wanted.”

“This is where your story ends, Timmy. I really much liked you and made you a son to me. The only problem is, my son is dead. So, in order for you to be my son……you have to follow him!!”

“Remember guys, whenever the Dragon tries to do something to you that means harm, use it for good. He sent me down under where I was questioning anything and everything, but once my eyes were opened, I realized my new surroundings and all the new people I could lead to Christ.

Darkness never wins…unless you let it!!”

“Yaaaahhhh!!!

YOU…WILL NEVER…GET THE STONE!! JESUS, OPEN MY EYES!!”

“Transform!! Rar!!

Rarr!!

Rarr!!”

“Give me the strength to close this wolf’s mouth. I may be no David, but I’m no sinner either.”

“Aaaaghh!!”

“This is for Adelheid, you little piece of….”

“*SNAP!!

“That was the sound I heard when Shadow bashed my head against the tree.

I may have died physically that day, but as you can see. EVEN THE GRAVE CANNOT HOLD ME!!!

I have conquered LIFE!!

I have conquered DEATH!!

And I’ve crushed the devil’s heart in my hands.”

“Uuuch!! Huu!! Hauu!!”

“Timmy, what…..what are you doing on stage, and what are those things in your hands? Arre those what I think it is?”

“Here, take your stone.”

“How?”

“.....I took his heart!!........He was a Dragon!!”

THE CUP OF BLACKBERRIES

“You may have killed one Dragon, but in reality; you just injured the real threat a little. He has more.”

“Adalyn, I’m trying. Are you not proud of me?”

“You’re making progress. Here, young Steward, please take a sip off the top of this blackberry water.”

“Mmmmm. Blackberry!! My favorite!!

Here. You can have it back.”

“As you can all clearly see; here let me hold it up for you; Young Steward here has taken a sip of water off of the top. I also want to remind you of what he said. ’Mmmmm. Blackberry!! My favorite!!

“Here you go, Summer. Eat up.”

“The Bible says that we are all born with sin, but also that we love it. I mean, who doesn’t love Blackberry? The only way we can know what a sin is is if we know what to judge the sin on. We judge the sin using THE TRUTH. I could stand up here now before you and say that everytime you take a sip of this unclean water, you are further going deeper and deeper into darkness, but that is now what I want to use this water for. See, the Steward said that he loved blackberries. He didn’t say that he loved the water. Why is that?

He was trying to push away all the water so that he could get to the source of what it is he truly loved…….THE BLACKBERRIES!! We are all trying to get to the source, but don’t know how. What can we use to help keep us motivated to drink and dive deeper? That word….is hope!! Without it, Star would not have had the strength to keep pressing forward.

Jesus says Heaven is like a pearl. Now we know the process it takes to get a pearl. You don’t go and find a new, already opened clean clam. No! You painstakingly wipe away all the guck and seaweed around the top of a clam and then try your hardest to pry deeper and deeper into the clam so that you can get to the source…..the pearl!!”

“How’d she get all of that from me just taking a small drink of water? I was thirsty, that’s all.”

“I’m telling you, they’re from the future!!”

“Hope is a great thing, as Star has shown. To keep fighting, you hope that at the end of the rainbow, a pot of gold will lie, but in order to sustain that hope….you need love. Why would I put my hope in the gold at the end of the rainbow if I personally did not love gold?”

“Hoping that gold is at the end of the rainbow even though I personally have never seen it is good, but love will spur me to tell others about it and get them on board. Whenever you meet someone and they are all comfy and warm, you can’t help but tell others about them even if they don’t know the person. Love for that person is your gateway to tell others what that person is like. Just like love spurs you to keep walking, love also spurs you to tell others about God even though people think you are weird.”

“Or hate you so much for this invisible love you have, that since they can’t force you to stop; they have to eliminate you all together.”

“Well yea. That’s a true statement as well. But that tells you it’s working. To kill the enemy, you have to make it seem like they are killing themselves. Let me speak. Someone walks from a dark room into a light room. It doesn’t matter how powerful or big they are; you get hit by light; you cave. The more light/love you push on someone, they are going to hate you so much for it, they will have no choice but to shield their eyes and give in as they bow down to it and give in.”

“Bow down to you?”

“No! Bow down to God. The reason that they are ‘bowing’ to us is because they see God in us so since they physically can’t interact with Him, they bow down to his image/us, to show that they submit.”

“I said this to myself a year ago I think, ’But why wouldn’t you submit? If you are showing people a loving Father/a lovely pot of gold, of course they would want to follow you. But what about the people that already walked on the rainbow prior and fell off. How do we help them get back on?”

“The same way we first motivated them to walk. Love will make us want to keep pushing them forward.”

“Will you lose a lot?”

“If the Bible says you will…..then get ready to lose it all, because Heaven is worth that much more. It says that all that has been lost on the earth will be made new in Heaven. So, if you lose someone down here, who knows? You may reconnect with them later on.”

“Here you go, Steward. Please take a big gulp!!”

“Will do. Thank you!!

Here you go!!”

“The only way he could have taken a big gulp like that is if he really really really wanted to get to that blackberry spot on the bottom. You have hope that you can make it using God’s help. To sustain that hope, you love. It’s your love for blackberry that you want others to experience the same love you feel.

Please, Steward. Pass the cup around so that others may have a drink.”

“.... It’s almost empty. I can start to see the powder where you first poured it!! But how? Shouldn’t it be dissolved?”

“Why? God never shook the cup so that it would be hard to find the center again. We shook the cup on purpose so that it would be hard for others to find the original packet. Through your hope that the blackberry would still be down there, you continued drinking. You only saw the packet once, when I poured it, but after that, you never saw it again. You just kept drinking. In order to keep drinking, it was your love for blackberries that kept you going.

You then realized that you couldn’t drink it all yourself and needed others to help drink. You loved blackberries and had unconditional hope that it was still down there that you passed it off to others and said, ’I believe blackberries are down there. Would you like some? If so, please help me drink.

Some looked at you and thought you a crazo because the packet would have already dissolved making all remnants of the berries gone, but you still had hope they were there. In the midst of all the swirling water, you had hope that what you saw…a.k.a the blackberries, were still in there…. somewhere. You just wanted to help others see that blackberries were in there. Although they, like you, had not seen the berries, you all still drank, holding onto the belief that berries were in there.”

“Most people didn’t share your enthusiasm for finding the berries and decided to leave, but you knew better. Up till this point, you and your other followers were just drinking water not knowing if berries indeed were still on the bottom or not. Not only were the berries on the bottom, but so were you.”

“Thankfully, God saw your determination and when the water got low enough, as you tipped the water to get a drink, He gave you the eyes to see the small patch of blackberries that were still stuck to the other side of the cup. That….is called Faith. Hope is belief in anything visible or otherwise, but faith…ha. Faith is more of a certainty that what you believe is real because you claim to have ‘seen’ it.”

“At this point, the water is low enough to where everytime it is tipped, you will see the berries on bottom, but also not low enough to where you can just look through the water and see them. You still have to drink.

So with this newfound faith of yours, you have gotten so low/close to the Truth that you have seen the berries, but since the water is still covering them, people don’t believe you.”

“You have climbed to the highest part of the rainbow, looked down, and saw the pot of gold. But then you had to walk down in order to get it so as you are walking down, the gold disappears. That was just enough though, because you saw it even if nobody else might have glimpsed it; you glimpsed it.”

“With this newfound foresight, your hope is restored, your love is restored, and you now have fresh faith in what you preach, because you saw the blackberry. Jesus says, ’If you love me, you’ll keep my commandments.”

“Keeping His commandments means to stay walking on the straight and narrow. Stay walking the rainbow. Stay drinking the water. Others may look at your sideways, but instead of pushing them aside, the Bible says to try your hardest to open their eyes and help them get on the road with you.”

“Here we get to the word associate!!”

“Associate″ means to do what you see the other person doing. You see them eating a blue candy, you also eat a blue candy. Jesus says, ‘if it is sin, don’t associate with them.’ That means don’t eat the blue candy. What it doesn’t mean is don’t say hi to them. Don’t ask them how their day is. Don’t hug them and show them they’re loved. Act like they don’t even exist. No. Jesus says ``still hang out with them and make them feel loved, just don’t eat the blue candy with them whenever you see them eat it.”

“Help them walk straight.”

“Help them onto the road of the rainbow.”

“Give them a sip of the glass.”

“Just don’t push them aside.”

“I SEE WHAT YOU’RE PASSING OUT, BUT WHAT IF PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO EXPERIENCE THAT WITH YOU? WHAT THEN?”

“We work!! We become servants!! We seek the lost!! We save all we can. We leave no stone unturned. ‘Faith without work is dead.’ That means, if I walk on the rainbow, but don’t feel like letting others walk on the rainbow, then there is no point.”

“Be a light to all men. Don’t take a candle and hide it under a bush!!”

“You can know everything about everything, and be the bestest of students, but what good does that do if you’re the only student in the class?”

“WHAT IF WE FALTER? WHAT IF WE FORGET THAT WE LOE BLACKBERRIES AND TURN TO LOVING THE WATER INSTEAD OF WHAT FIRST CAUSED US TO LIKE THE WATER IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE BLACKBERRIES?”

“If you falter….then just ask for forgiveness, get back up on the rainbow if you fall off, and keep walking. You might forget your true love from time to time and turn to others, but all that matters…is you coming back.

Thank you, Timmy, for coming back.”

“..................................MAY I HAVE A DRINK?”

“ME TOO!!”

“I’M THIRSTY!!”

“WHERE’S THE CUP?”

“Uh…Adalyn. I think we need a bigger cup.”

“TO Baptism!!!

Our water bottle may be small, but the lakes are not.

Hey kid. You got an extra blackberry packet?

Kid?”

Kid?”

“One minute. I’m drinking the rest of this. I want every drop I can get.”

“I’ll let you finish.”

“Thank you. Here’s the packet.”

“WHO’S READY TO DRINK….AND NEVER THIRST…AGAIN!!!!”

“YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH”

LOST FAITH

“After that, they baptized and performed miracles all day, sir. They healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, made the lame man walk, and made the mute speak.”

“Hmmm!!”

“Sir? Are you sure it was a good idea sending them there?”

“We didn’t send them anywhere.”

“Their numbers are growing, and so is Summer.”

“How?”

“They are killing your pets like they are just toys and then reassembling them all together under one person. Summer. They are taking the hearts and then reviving them in her so that she not only gets stronger, but now has the power of each diseased Dragon that she consumes. Should we separate her or…..”

“No! We stick to the plan. Take this stone to the NightMaster. His services are needed.”

“What are you going to do?”

“They may rule the day……….but I rule the night!!!!!!”

“MOVEMENT ON THE EAST!!!!! MOVEMENT ON THE EAST!!! SOUND THE ALARM!!!”

“Dinga dinga dinga dinga ding!! Ringa ding a ding a dinga ling!!!”

“What’s that?”

“Oh no.”

“HE’S HERE!!! DARKNESS IS COVERING THE FACE OF THE EARTH. ARCHERS, GET YOUR ARROWS READY. TRUMPETS, BLAIR THE WARNING!! TO YOUR POSTS!!”

“Baduiuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!”

“Baduiuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!”

“Okay, that’s really not good. We should go check it out.”

“Wait for the eyes in the middle of the storm, and fire!!”

“STEADY!! STEADY!!

NOT YET!!!

PULL BACK!!!!!

HOLD!!!!!!

HOLD!!!”

“Sir, it’s getting closer. If we don’t fire now, then we’ll be too late.”

“Patience….is a virtue, my dear friend.

FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Puu!! Puu!! Pew!!!

“ROAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!!!”

“Incoming boulders. SHIELDS UP!!!”

“Aaaaaghhh!!”

“Terry, nooooooo!!!”

“HOLD THE LINE, MEN!! HOLD THE LINE!! HE’S NEVER GOTTEN PAST HERE BEFORE. DON’T GIVE HIM AN EXCUSE TO GET PAST NOW!!!!

FIRE AGAIN!!!”

“Puu!! Puu!! Pew!!”

“May the Lord’s Angels protect us all!!”

“Sir, he seems to be deflecting our arrows. Oh no!! Everybody down!!!”

“BURN!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Aaaaaghhhh!! I can’t stop it. I can’t stop it. It’s burning me”

“Stop, drop and roll!! Stop, drop and…….aaaaghhh!!”

“I’M HERE FOR MY QUEEN!! You’ll hand her to me, and no one else will get hurt!”

“Hurt!! You destroy worlds without a blink of the eye. What makes you think that…..”

“I’M HERE!! I’M HERE!! If you want me, then like any true gentleman, you will keep fighting and let nothing stop you from holding me in your arms.

I’ll be waiting!!”

“Rapunzel!! Rapunzel!! Let down your hair. It matters not the size of the dragon for I shall slay it. Nothing will keep me from you, my Darling. No sword, no breath, no life, and no death, will separate us. I’ll climb the highest peak and scale the tallest tower. Nothing will keep my love between you and I.”

“Will you do anything for love?”

“I’d die for you.”

“.........THEN DIE!!!!!”

“Adelheid, he’s dodging all our attacks!!”

“Good! That means his love for me is strong. But it’s also his blindside!!”

“Hey! Where are you girls going? Don’t you dare go where I think you’re going.”

“Adelheid, my love! Where art thou? I speak but hear no reply. I look but see no face. Where are you, my beauty? Why do you not answer? Please, come to me, I beg of you. My soul is troubled and will not be stilled until you are near.”

“Raise the gate!”

“But ma’am. No one is allowed out there, especially you.”

“I’m not alone. These two will accompany me. I know what I’m doing. Now raise the gate!!”

“Adelheid, let me hear your voice one last time. That is all I wish for.”

“...........HERE I AM.”

“HOLD YOUR FIRE!!!”

“What in God’s name are those girls doing out there walking towards Shadow?”

“There you are my love. Tell me, have I won your heart? If so, let me hug you and hold you in my arms….my queen.”

“I don’t like this. I don’t like this one bit.”

“Timmy, they have a plan, I promise. Just let it play out.”

“No way. They are going to get themselves killed. DRAGONS….RISE!!!”

“I see you three girls aren’t the only ones wanting to see me. Tell me, how’d you all sleep last night? Did you heal from your wounds ok?”

“I did, but I can see the scar I gave you last night has not.”

“That was a lucky shot. As far as I’m concerned, you hit your mark quite well.”

“I was aiming for your face!!!”

“Ok!! OK!! That’s enough!!! Both of you!!!!”

“What’s Adelheid doing? She has put herself between Shadow and her girls!”

“I will have no more fighting on this ground. We have watered the ground enough last night, and nothing grew. I will not have it repeated today.

Shadow, do you really want me to come with you?”

“There is nothing I’d wish more. I’d give up everything to have you.”

“Even destroying other planets?”

“........Yes!!!”

“Then it’s settled.”

“Adelheid, you really can’t be serious. Was what we fought last night mean nothing? Does not the blood from the ground still cry out?”

“I’m not asking you to understand. I’m just asking you to have faith. I don’t care how small. Just have some.”

“Wait, wait!! What’s going on?”

“They’re giving in!!!”

“No! No! Noooo!! This can’t be happening. They can’t give up just like that. They need to be fighting! They need to be avenging. They need to be doing something. Something’s wrong. I’m going down there.”

“Glad we’re in agreement, ladies. Don’t worry. I’ll take real good care of her.”

“You better. I promised her daddy that I’d keep her safe and that no harm shall befall upon her. Can you promise me that?”

“Girls, what are you doing? Stop him!! Kill him!! Rescue my girl!!! Do something. Just don’t let him get……”

“I promise. Ta-ta!!”

“Away!!!”

“Goodbye Adelheid. I wish you the best. We will meet again one day.”

“Adalyn, watch out!!!”

“Whaa…*crack*”

“That’s for my Adelheid.”

“Timmy, stop. I had….ouch!!”

“That was your good knee!! Don’t you dare make me crack your bad one.”

“Timmy, please. She’s way safer with him then down here against…Owwww!!!”

“Tell me she’ll be ok. Tell me!! Can you swear it?”

“Timmy, help me. I can’t get….ouch. I can’t get up. Why did you….I’m bleeding!! You cut me!!”

“Just like you cut me!! Why’d you do it?”

“Timmy, she’s safer in the eye of the storm than laying on the outskirts of it.”

“Get her back!!”

“Timmy stop!! Summer, grab that arm and help me hold. He’s going mad. Here, Adalyn, take my spear. Help yourself up.”

“Thank you. Now Timmy.”

“Having difficulty?”

“Timmy!! Huu Heuww!! We’ll get her back, but you’ll have to wait. Trust us.”

“Trust you? How?”

“The same way these people trusted their king. They had faith. Since you now have done one of the most well-known taking over of kingdoms by killing the king; these people now need a new one. You….need to be that one. We thank you for your service but leave the sword fighting to us. It’s time to lead and not be led. You don’t see the bigger picture, but we do.”

“How could you just give her over? Open my eyes so that I may see.”

“We didn’t. She wanted to go and told us to have faith in her going. That’s why we didn’t put up a fight.”

“That makes no sense. Just because someone told you not to come, you should still come. I just. I just. I….I…help me see.”

“Before you can see, you need to help these other people see. When people follow you for a long time, do you tend to do some things that they would not understand, but you are looking at the bigger picture and are preparing them for it? You know that they will get stronger through the darkness they walk through?

Release his hold.”

“Adalyn. What if he attacks you again?”

“He won’t. Now he’s seeing what is unseen. He’s starting to understand.”

“If you say so. One…two…three!!”

“Timothy, can I trust you to lead these people?”

“.......I’ll try, but no promises.”

“Good. Don’t promise anything, because you don’t know what the future could hold.”

“Do you want your scepter?”

“Keep it. It’s seen enough violence and I don’t want it to see anymore.”

“You know what you need to do?”

“I do. So blinded was I in losing Adelheid, that I did not see that you had already saved my whole kingdom.”

“Let us be the shepherds to bring this sheep home. Your job is to tend the flock until we get back.”

“You will come back?”

“I have no choice. If I find that you have disobeyed my wishes, then I’ll have no say but to come here and beat you aside with the very scepter that you gave me.”

“You don’t really mean that, do you?”

“Am I smiling!!”

“Uhhh…..”

“That wasn’t a question.”

“You can count on me. I’ll lead them in all Truth and all light. Their love will be vast, and we will remember your name.”

“Don’t remember my name, but His. DRAGONS…..WITH ME!!”

“Thank you. Thank you for helping us see the truth. We may be confused in darkness right now, but you have shown us that by not losing faith….there will be a blackberry patch if we drink enough to it.”

“Keep drinking, my friend. Keep drinking.”

“Come on Adalyn. You can ride with me instead of riding alone.”

“Girls, one last thing before you go.”

“What’s that?”

“Be dangerous!!”

“Always are!!

RISE OF DREAMWORLD

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Healing Stone 120

Xavier 131

Mother Dragon 139

Feeble children 144

Angels vs Demons 152

From death to life 159

HEALING STONE

“Here they come!!”

“Adelheid, hang onto me tight. We’re going in hard.”

“I can soften our fall.”

“Shadow, it’s nice to….see you again? Where’d you go?”

“Adelheid, why have you turned us invisible? Can they still hear us?”

“Time for the snake to squirm!! Let’s see how well your wolves have been trained. Will they still be able to follow if they can’t see who leads?”

“You think you’ve won, have you? My followers need not see my face to know I am who I am.

Genie, have you made the seat?”

“Did you retrieve my stone?”

“Have patience.”

“Then the same goes for you.”

“Did you get Nightmaster?”

“You know he rejects the light. You’ll have to go to him.”

“Thank ya, Genie.”

“Send him my best.”

“See, transporting me somewhere else has not diminished my stature in any way.”

“I had no dealings with them. You forget your place, Shadow!! We are in Nowhere!!”

“I know where we are.”

“Do you? You may have a relationship with Nightmaster, but right now you and him rule two different worlds. You have not yet combined, so if one finds the other on their territory without them asking to be there….then; you get the gist.

In order to walk anywhere in the Physical, you have to walk the same distance in the Parallel to match. So, if we want to walk to the Nightmaster above, we need to walk to him below; which would put us….”

“..........Having to walk directly past his beasts!!!”

“Now you’re getting the picture. Tell me, Shadow, how fat are you?”

“Move it princess!!!”

“I’m going, I’m going. Where are we even?”

“You sure you’re the only one that has a stone?”

“As far as I’m concerned. Nightmaster gave me only one to give out.”

“That may be the case, but then how did you receive yours?”

“He put the crosses into us. He said we could use the crosses to enhance our healing abilities.”

“Us? Who’s the other?”

“You got the stone for me, Genie?”

“NightMaster, I thought Shadow would be on his way here by now to tell you.”

“Tell me? Tell me what? He has not crossed my border above land.”

“That is because he is not going above. Someone he was with turned him invisible. That means that his physical body is in Nowhere while his parallel body still walks up here.”

“He seeks to sneak into my territory right under my nose!!!”

“Sir, he didn’t turn invisible willingly. He was forced.”

“That matters not. He has ample opportunities now to stop this person, but if I see him rising from my depths then there will be war!!! He knows the code. We fight above land and not below. If any is found sneaking in others territory below, then it shall be taken as an act of attack. No dealings ever happen in dark but only in light. The world only goes dark if something big is about to make it light.

Tell your troops that they best be praying really hard that I do not see Shadows face, or else they’ll be guaranteed that I’ll sick my beasts on every last one of them.”

“You don’t mean that do you?”

“I mean every word.”

“Then for the sake of us all, the girl he was with had better do her best to keep him down there as long as she can.”

“Down there? Adalyn, what do you mean down there? You said that your sister was fused with the healing stone. Why should she be able to heal others from all diseases, when she herself cannot be healed? How is that fair?”

“It’s not.”

“Do you think it could be possible for…”

“Don’t say it.”

“Don’t say what?”

“Could one intentionally extract the healing DNA from the regular DNA and then refuse it into their own DNA?”

“I don’t see how that’s possible. She’s already dead and we’re in the past which means that she could potentially still be alive.”

“Only living things change. You can’t take someone dead from the present and bring them to the past so that they can come back to life. They stay dead.”

“Then why are you worried? Her DNA will be shot and so will her healing.”

“I wouldn’t be so confident about that. DNA can last one hundred fifty to millions of years after death. As long as the body is untouched and kept preserved then DNA can just eat off of each other and survive indefinitely.”

“Can you two tell me why we are talking about extracting dead people to get their DNA?”

“We’re not talking, Shadow is.”

“Adalyn, Shadow wants the healing stone, and he will stop at nothing to get it from you. But what if he learns of your sister and decides that it would be easier to extract it from a dead girl instead of a live one? Think of how that would change the future. He would have both the power of death and life in each hand. He could change the world to only have one section following him and if they don’t; he punishes them. We can’t have that.”

“What if we can?”

“Adalyn, you seriously aren’t going to just sit by and let him extract your girl. If he is down there, then we should protect her.”

“Protect a corpse? What has this world gone too!!”

“Star, Shadow is already down there. Adelheid told me that that is where she would send him so it’s only a matter of time.”

“Adelheid, hold! What did you say? You were talking about a sister?”

“Oh yea. Why chase Adalyn if you can just chase her sister. She also has the healing stone in her. We just have to extract it.”

“Why are you telling me this? It seems like you are helping me, but that would be impossible since we……”

“Have to preserve the timeline. Don’t you see? In order for NightMaster to make his healing cars, he needs a healing stone.”

“Yes, but can’t you just give him your physical one?”

“No.”

“Why not.”

“Timelapse!!!!”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. I need to call Adelheid and for that, focus is required. Now shh.

“Adelheid, did you hear something? What was that? I saw something move.”

“That’s because something did. Have you never been ‘inside’ of NightMasters’ territory?”

“No!! I made a pact with Night that all our dealings would happen above the earth and nephew below unless asked if we could venture there.”

“And you’re a man of your word?”

“Princess, there are two ways one can rise to power. You can either scare people into submission, or you can rise with respect. One requires people to vividly be scared of what you can physically do and the other requires people to be scared of what you don’t do but are too afraid to find out.”

“So, you’re telling me that out of all your years as king, you have never once had the idea of sneaking into the other’s territory to spy out their map in the case that they turn against you. Then you will be ready.”

“Ready? Ready for what? Princess, there is a single word that drives us to do what we do, and you heroes have not quite seemed to grasp.”

“Oh really. What’s that?”

“It’s called trust. We trust and know that whatever happens in life, Night will be here for me and I for him. We may not like each other but both know what ruling is like and will gladly help the other. You don’t have to like someone to trust them. We don’t look at each other cross. When one calls, the other picks up the phone and is right there on time to do anything they can to assist the other.”

“So, what do you call this?”

“Hey, I wasn’t the one who put us here, remember that little girl!! But when someone intends you harm, the best thing you can do is turn it around for good and with this healing stone, I won’t be needing Night’s service ever again. Now what was the name of Adalyns sister, again?”

“I didn’t give it.”

“Adelheid. Come in Adelheid. Where are you?”

“Did you say something, Shadow?”

“I don’t think I did. What, are the voices in your head coming alive?”

“Adelheid, I repeat, come in. I have something to tell you.”

“You sure you didn’t say anything because I could’ve sworn that…”

“It wasn’t me, but please, by all means talk to yourself. You’ll forget that I’m here and may even relay info that you wouldn’t relay to me otherwise.”

“Adelheid!!”

“Anything?”

“Ouch!! Shadow, what are you doing? Stop poking me with your claws.”

“If you don’t answer back then I’ll do more than just poke you.”

“Y..ye…yes, I’m here Adalyn. What is it?”

“Have you made it to the caves?”

“We have!!”

“Shadow, wh..what are you doing on our feed? I only contacted Adelheid’s spirit and not yours.”

“I know, but here I am. Funny how that works. Listen, if you are here to try and stop me from fusing with your sister, then you can just forget it. That is, unless you want to come down here and let me extract the healing power from you instead.”

“On the contrary, Shadow. I won’t stop you. I wouldn’t even be able to make it if I tried. My sister is already dead. What you do with her is none of my concern.”

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” At first, I thought you said that you didn’t care what I did with your sister, but that’s preposterous because you should…right?”

“My sister is of no concern to me right now. What matters is the timeline, and you’d do your best to keep it intake. Adelheid, if you could be so kind. I give you my passing to say my sister’s name.”

“Adalyn!! You can’t be serious. Who knows what he could do with that kind of power? Has defeating him to defend the stone meant nothing? Now you’re just going to hand it to him on a silver platter?”

“Adelheid, please do not rush. You yourself can see in the future. If we don’t give him the stone, then he’s just going to find other ways to retrieve one. I will not risk losing more lives when they are not needed.”

“What if he gets out?”

“I’m more then positive you can make sure he stays down there until the time being.”

“Are you certain of this?”

“Nothing could be clearer. Just have faith.”

“What’s her name, kid?”

“Can you promise me that you won’t use her to punish the innocent.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Promise me. My sister is pure and as such, when she will fuse with another…..pures can’t turn evil like everyone else has to, which means that although you are not pure, you will still be able to reap the benefits of a big chunk of what the healing stone can do. The only thing you won’t be able to do with it, whereas with me, is raise the dead and create things out of nothing. You can only use it on people and nothing else.”

“I don’t need the instruction manual, lady. Now give me her name.”

“Not until I hear the words you know I want so desperately from your mouth.”

“How do I know I can trust you and that you won’t bring me a random girl?”

“Shadow, just like you, I’m all about truth and when I hear someone breaking what I believe, I turn. I’m all about love. The only time I would deceive is if I were first deceived, and the only way that could happen is if someone broke my wish of not loving. So, tell me, is that a knife in Adelheid’s side because if so then I’ll have no choice but to send my dragons over, pull out that knife, and stab you with it. Good boy!! Now keep slowly pulling out that knife and raise it with your hand, then say your code.”

“I Shadow hereby solemnly swear to only use my gift I receive for good and not for evil. So help me.”

“See, was it that hard?”

“I held up my end of the deal, now pay up yours. The name, please!!

“............. Huuu!!.....It’s Dandelion!!!!”

“Pleasure doing business with you, Adalyn. I hope we can meet like this more often.”

“Only time will tell. You keep my wishes, and you might get yours. Goodbye!!”

“There, you happy? You got what you wanted. Now keep up your end of the…huuu!! Shadow…why? I’m your Princess. I just helped you. Huu!! Why’d you just stab me?”

“I told you. Life’s all about trust. I gotta see if this healing stone works, don’t I!!!

Oh, Dandelion!!

Dandelion!!”

“Shadow, I can’t breathe. Hold me.”

“Get your hands off me and stop clawing for help. You may be dying now, but if your girl is as great as you say she is, then there is nothing to worry about. You’ll be saved in no time.

DANDELLION!! GET OVER HERE!!”

“You called me, Shadow.”

“Yes, I did. Do you not see that this poor lady here is bleeding out at the side? If we do nothing, then she will surely die. I would not want that, and neither would you, my darling.”

“I can’t heal her!! I’m but a mist. The only way I could do it is if I used a host, but there are none around.”

“You have me!!”

“You!!! You killed my father and now to entice me back, you threaten to kill this girl before my eyes so that I have no choice but to weep at your feet.”

“Dandelion, that was not me. The actions I may have done or didn’t do in the future, do not impact me today. The Shadow whom you are speaking of is of a new era while I am of now. Whom you speak of sounds cruel and heartless, but I will try my best never to become like him. My goal is to…”

“Yea, yea, I know. Your goal is to put Dreamworld on earth so that no one has to suffer again.”

“Exactly! Would the future me have agreed with you just now?”

“Please…help!! I can’t hold on much longer. Darkness is slowly clotting out my eyes and the future is becoming nonexistent.”

“Dandelion, whatever I have done to hurt you in the future, I am sorry. Come with me to Dreamworld and I’ll show you who I am. From there, you can decide your verdict, but don’t do it here. What do you say?”

Xavier

“We stick to the plan. Hopefully we don’t have any more timewinds where we have to give in to Shadow in order to keep the timeline intact.”

“Did you really have to sacrifice your sister though? I mean, we could’ve just given him our one physical stone.”

“We couldn’t. NightMaster said to give it to a Pure, and he is no pure. Now we only have a small amount of time left before Shadow and Adelheid surface. At that time, we need to get you, Summer, into your ultimate form so that we can meet them when the battle starts. We know where he is, but he doesn’t know where we are, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Who do we fight for? If we fight with Shadow, then we’ll keep the timeline intact because if we don’t then nothing you and Star did in the future may never happen. But if we fight with NightMaster then the world could change so much that everyone you love might not exist.”

“How is destroying one world gonna change what will happen on another?”

“The Bible that your uncle carried was created on Dreamworld!!!”

“Don’t say that.”

“After Shadow and Night merged, Night made the healing cars to help people as best he could because all of Shadows’ men were prisoners and others he stole from other planets. Then one night, NightMaster did the same thing Shadow had done to him. He sneaked into Shadows private chambers and there is where he found Shadows special Bible that was used to bring me to life. He tried grabbing as many as he could, but Shadow came in at just that moment. Caught and nowhere to turn, NightMaster did the next logical thing. He ran and ran all over Dreamworld with Shadow and his wolves chasing him. Knowing he would be caught eventually, he threw as many copies of the Bible over the side so that they would fall down to earth and be found by people such as your uncle. Thankfully, when your uncle found one of these Bibles, he didn’t summon creatures for evil but for good. Instead of having people flee from the truth like Shadow made all of his creatures do, your uncle used them to help further point people towards it. That is how he became known as the messenger among creatures. As for NightMaster, he was banished back to his territory and a special invisible wall was placed up to divide the territories. Everyone could pass through it, but if you were a Demon such as him, you would always get sent back. Even though their worlds had combined, those two never saw much of each other ever again.”

“So, what you’re saying is that right now I may have lost my sister, but if I fight against Shadow and NightMaster wins, I may lose them all!!!”

“Not exactly. They might still exist further along; they just won’t cause all of the events that you went through. They’ll just be normal everyday people.”

“Then again, they might not.”

“What’s your decision?”

“It has not changed. If we can instill love in Shadow and then help him win, the timeline will still be intact but with a nice Shadow instead of an evil one, we might just come out on top after all.”

“What if we can’t instill love?”

“.....Then we have no choice but to cut the head off of the snake. All hope lies in Adelheid. It’s in her hands and not mine. If she can instill love in Shadow before they reach the surface, then we may have light. If not, then only death shall greet us. LET’S MOVE!!”

“Where are we going?”

“To get you….more body parts!!!”

“What’s the plan, X? Do we go down and help out or stay up here and relax?”

“It all depends……..on that!!”

“Girls, at the ready. Whatever is entering our atmosphere, send them back.”

“It’s the king!! He’s found us. He’s taking us back.”

“Stay strong. The king is dead, do you not remember?”

“That may be so, but his legacy is not. Before we left, we caused a lot of disruption, Xavier.”

“Shapeshifter!!”

“Yes sir?”

“Can you turn into a dragon and show our uninvited guests the door, please? I have to find my mother, and no one is going to stop me from accomplishing that.”

“It shall be done.”

“KEEP YOUR EYES PELLED FOR THE DRAGON, TEAM!! This should be an easy get in, get out. We keep the casualties at a minimum.”

“Adalyn, look. We may not have to search for the Dragon. One is coming towards us right now!!”

“DEFENSIVE FORMATION. I don’t want blood on this one. Summer, take half of your dragons and circle around. The others circle the other way, and Star and I will help push it down.”

“What if it attacks?”

“Then we defend!!”

“Hey, where’d it go? It just disappeared!!”

“Above you!! This dragon can shapeshift. Use your sword!!”

“Not yet!!”

“FREEZE!!”

“What the? He’s not even a real Dragon. He’s an ice dragon!!”

“Keep moving. Ice is easy to dodge but hard to get out of.”

“Why are you here? Your king is dead, and if you don’t leave then you too will be.”

“King!! Our King is not dead!! He’s alive.”

“That’s impossible. The girls swear it.”

“Girls?”

“Adalyn, they think we are of kings men. They don’t know who we are.”

“Then let’s introduce ourselves!!”

“Xavier, who’s winning?”

“I can’t see. I can’t….oh no. Watch out!! They’re about to crash.”

“Who’s on top?”

“I don’t know. I don’t….aaaghh!!”

“Uuah!! Uuuh. Is everyone ok?”

“Shapeshifter, can you hear me? Shapeshifter!! Where are you? Tell me you are ok. SHAPESHIFTER!!!

“He’s dead!!!!”

“You lie. Who are you?”

“I stabbed him in the heart with my sword. He was a dragon.”

“You’re lying. He was no dragon.”

“Then why did he attack us as one? Who is he?”

“He was my friend!! And you killed him!!!!”

“He attacked me. I defended!!”

“You didn’t have to kill him. My dad would never order his men to kill on impulse. He’d tell them to first love then kill.”

“I am love!!”

“Loving death doesn’t count.”

“I….I…….I’m sorry. We mistook him as our Dragon we came to kill.”

“Whatever your business is here on my planet, I can assure you that Shapeshifter has no part in it.”

“We see that now and again, we are sorry.”

“Sorry, does not bring my friend back. Now take all of your dragons here and leave my kingdom before I do something that I’ll regret later.”

“Sorry, may not bring your friend back……but I think I might.”

“Don’t touch him. You have defiled him enough. Must you do it more?”

“Son, it’s okay. She is simply righting a wrong by healing your friend and bringing him back to….your kingdom? You’re the king?”

“That I am, and I have worked hard and bled much to get to this position. The world hated me down on earth, but upon coming up here I realize that hurt follows. But now that I’m king, I will show these people never to mess with me. Everywhere I go, the world is corrupt, people die, you lose more than you gain, and nothing stays. The world I will create here shall be void from all evil. My world will be like a beautiful dream, except here, you will never have to wake up.”

“Kid, stop it. You’re starting to sound just like…..Shadow?”

“Thank you, Adalyn. I can breathe again.”

“Wait, how come Shapeshifter knows Adalyn’s name? Summer, where have you taken us?”

“Well, if the fate of the world depends on the battle between NightMaster and Shadow, we first need to go back in time to understand how each got their start. We need to go back before Shadow was Shadow and Night was Night. Meet Xavier who will later be known as…”

“Shadow!!”

“Then that means Shapeshifter is….”

“Nightmaster!!”

“You’re forgetting some.”

“I know. You four girls must be Genie, Autumn, Abby…and last but not least; Sofia.”

“How do you all know who we are?”

“Xavier, I’ve heard of you. The child that became king and then one night…..just vanished.”

“I didn’t vanish. Shapeshifter saved me and brought me here to see my father. Instead of seeing him, I found these girls and decided to rebuild my dad’s world. Tell me, do we really fight each other in the future? If so, then how do we avoid it?”

“Adalyn, we can’t tell them anymore of the future or else they might change it. Remember, we are here for the Dragon and nothing else.”

“But everyone here is no Dragon. We know all of these people.”

“Then the dragon is not up here, but down there.”

“You’re going down to the surface? May we join you? I’m looking for my mom down there. Shapeshifter has told me that she is searching for me everywhere but has not found me. Please, her not finding me is turning her mad. She has locked up my bio family just because they won’t speak, but although she may be turning cruel on the outside; I still see her as my mom and want to go to her.”

“Xavier, don’t you see. Love for your mother is blinding you from seeing her as the true enemy. She is…..”

“Dragon!!”

“I don’t care what she is or who she is. To me, she’s my mother and that’s good enough for any reason.”

“Shadow, don’t you see. She is the thorn that we have to get rid of. Leave your love behind and witness the truth. See things for what they are and not what you want them to be.”

“You’re one to talk, Lovechild!!! Aren’t you three supposed to be advocating to help others see what they could be and not who they are now?”

MOTHER DRAGON

“Knock, knock, knock!!!”

“Who is it?”

“IT’S ME, YOUR SON, XAVIER. I’ve come home!”

“Can it be? Are you really here? Please, come in.”

“Wait, wait!! Xavier, what are you doing? Why are you walking away? Who are these people that are swarming in?”

“They’re here to relinquish you of your crown!!”

“Xavier, help me!! Don’t let these people hurt me. I’m your mother!!”

“NOT ANYMORE!!!!

Strap her to the chair and tie her down tight.”

“You can’t kill me. Do you not know who I am?”

“We know exactly who you are. We just don’t care.”

“Burn!!!”

“She’s spitting fire. Shapeshifter, pour some ice on my hand. It’s time to shut her up.”

“Here you go.”

“Summer, drop it in.”

“Huuu!! You won’t…”

“Hold her steady. She’s trying to claw her way out. Dragons, fuse the nots.”

“Her fire has gone down and she’s calming. Adalyn, get the sword. We have to stab her before she gets free again.”

“You can’t kill me. You can’t kill me!! You won’t kill me!!!!

“Get Shadow out of here. He need not see this.”

“Come on Xavier. This is not a sight for young eyes. Follow me.”

“No. I need to see this. She took away everything from me. I want to see her suffer for what she did. Release your hold on me.”

“Star, release your hold.”

“What happens if you kill me? The timeline will be shot. Nothing you know…will exist. I’m the only one.”

“You’re wrong!!”

“I’m…the only one.”

“Shield his eyes!!”

“Aaaggghh!!!”

“Hurry, extract her heart. If we don’t then she can still live.”

“Give me that sword.”

“Xavier, what are you doing?”

“Adalyn, give me the sword. She tried to rip her heart from me, now let me rip it from her.”

“Xavier, hurry. Her skin is starting to come back together.”

“Let…..go!! Girls, I tried stabbing her, but I was too late. Her skin is trying to pull my sword in.”

“Xavier, let go of the sword and get back here. The sword is just a material thing. We can get a new one.”

“Roarrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

You had your shot, peasants. Now bow down before your maker!!!”

“She’s transforming! Everybody down!! Dragons, get Xavier and the rest out of here. Their safety is our number one concern.”

“She’s broken free from the roof. We’ll hold her off.”

“I’m not going anywhere!! We’ll stay and help fight.”

“Xavier, if any of you die, the timeline dies. The reason we can kill your mother is because we already have a Dragon of our own. Your legacy will still remain, but if any of you die; we have no one to replace you.”

“I know the risks and still say that we’re staying. If anybody wants to leave then leave now. I won’t hold you back.”

“If she’s our thorn then we must pick her.”

“Okay then. We need a plan.”

“BURN!!!!”

“Shield of faith!!! Get underneath me. Shapeshifter, get the dragons and go around.”

“Genie, Abby, Sofia, Autumn, you know what to do. Turn into your wolves, but strike sideways.”

“Xavier, we all can’t fly. Only Sofia can.”

“Then hitch a ride with Shapeshifters team and then tell them when you should jump.”

“What about you, Xavier? We can’t stand underneath this shield forever.”

“Then we don’t. We let her in.”

“Adalyn, remember when I told you that no fire can scathe us?”

“Why are you bringing that up now? Fire can scathe us. Dandelion showed us how.”

“That’s true, but if we take the heat in small doses then I think our healing stones in us should be able to regenerate fast enough. Dandelion died because her cells couldn’t heal herself that fast with that much heat on her.”

“I don’t know. Whether you touch a small fire or big fire, it burns anyway you look at.”

“How do you know?”

“....I don’t. I just have faith!!”

“Dragons, drop us now.”

“Shields away!! We attack on foot.”

“They came by air and land to vanquish the beast once and for all. As the beast roared its last breath, the girls plunged the sword into her heart, killing it forever. Upon ripping it out, I was shocked to see them throw the heart to Summer and then she happily tore it to smitherings.”

“Xavier, stop narrating and start helping.”

“Helping!! Help you do what? You killed the beast. Now leave before I realize the graveness of the situation.”

“The situation? The situation is that there is no longer a thorn in your side. The situation is that ....”

“Adalyn, stop. We’ve helped enough. We need to go now!! Grab on to my hand.”

“But we need to prepare him. We may have stopped his emotions from breaking out, but now we need to….”

“Summer, teleport us back! Hurry.”

“Wait, wait. I think we forgot…..”

“Hmmm!! Look at this shiny cross I just picked up. Wonder what it is!!”

FEEBLE CHILDREN

“Celeste, watch out. He’s coming around!!”

“Help!! I’m trapped!! I’m trapped!!”

“Use your shield to block his claws. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

“I can’t. My faith is failing. He’s breaking through. He…he….he’s…dissapearing?”

“What? How? No..no..noo…noooo!!”

“What’s happening? You can’t all disappear! I got you. Hang onto me tight, Jade.”

“Celeste, it’s okay. You can let me go.”

“No!! I won’t lose you. How could this have happened?”

“I don’t know. Someone must’ve gone back in time and killed the original Dagon thus making it impossible for us to still exist.”

“Then how are you disappearing and others aren’t?”

“There must be another. Those of us associated with the old are disappearing with the old. The only way I fear it is if her spawn still lives. If her spawn exists then the young that are associated with her, still exist.”

“Wait!! You don’t make any…..sense!!!!”

“Shadow, are you ok? I heard you coughing.”

“What do you care? It’s just a little blood. Probably reacted to something in the air down here.”

“The only thing down here is death and I’ll not have you become part of it. Here, wrap your arm around me and I’ll support you from falling.”

“Why are you……loving me? Is not that Lovechild’s job? Have you and your friends not baited me here so that they could find a way to keep me in one place and kill me?”

“.......We have!!! Only problem is, I speak of my own accord and not on the voices of others. They may want you dead, but I don’t. Now lay down here and rest. We’ll never make it in your condition. I’ll get a fire started and look for water.”

“Where will you look? Everything’s dead here.”

“Just have faith. I saw a small stream awhile back.”

“Stream? You’re not talking about See through Lake, are you?”

“Huh?”

“Whatever you do, don’t look at your reflection in the water. The water will show you what could be if you pursued what you wanted in the future. The further you lean in to look however, the more you’ll find yourself under the water staring up instead of above staring below.”

“Shadow, no Mist can trick me and pull me under the waves by showing me a positive version of my future. I can already see what is to be, remember.”

“Just looking out for you, my Princess. I promised Adalyn I would. Promise to come back?”

“Only if you promise to be here when I do.”

“Have I ever failed my promises?”

“I will say that you always try your hardest to keep them.”

“Thank you. Tell me, where’d I go wrong? If the future is as bad as it is, then how?”

“How do you know what is to be?”

“Nobody has ever gone back in time to stop something that turned out good. My vision for Dreamworld started out pure. How did I go dark? Where did I take a left turn? Can you see that?”

“It matters not what I see but who you are. Stay in the path you trek, and doom shall never meet you ahead.”

“Do you always talk like this?”

“Funny, the girls asked me that same thing.”

“How can I stay in my path if I know not when I falter? And don’t you dare say that…..”

“Just have faith.”

“I should a asked NightMaster. He would’ve told me.”

“You rather trust the word of a Demon as opposed to mine?”

“Why are you getting all….wait a minute. There are only two people that Jesus shows visions of past, present, and future too on a daily basis. They are Prophets…….and Angels.”

“Woo! Woo!! Hey now. If you think that I am an Angel, then you got your wires crossed. I am no Angel. I’m just a Messenger.”

“But aren’t Messengers….”

“Sorry to interrupt. Time to go draw water. Byeeee!!”

“You can’t leave. We just got here.”

“Where is here, exactly?”

“Well, now that we know why, we need to find out how.”

“Move it snakes. I need to get through so that I can change her dress. This could be the day.”

“This is the day!!! This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

“Who let you girls down here?”

“Is she dead or just sleeping?”

“Regardless of whatever state she is in, I think she looks beautiful as is, and I love that you have been dressing her up for someone’s bride.”

“She’s not dead, and she’s nobody’s bride but my own. The forces of darkness are keeping her from me, but I’ve been trying my hardest to bring her back.”

“You don’t have to try alone. Let us help you.”

“What do you girls know of death and life?”

“Let’s just say that we have had way more experience with death than life. Death outnumbers all our years.”

“She outnumbers theirs.”

“That’s nothing that….wait…wait..where’d it go?”

“What are you digging around for?”

“The stone! I had it here in my pouch. How could I have been so…..oh no.”

“Did we leave it?”

“We can figure it out later. Right now, we have someone to wake. Adalyn, if you would please!!”

“Step back, Reaper. I need focus.”

“What are you….open your eyes.”

“Reaper, just let her. It helps her become one so that she can.”

“Can what? Why is she twisting her hand?”

“She’s activating it.”

“Activating? Activating what?”

“‘Gness, so xypnao apo ton ypno sou gia nha secothes st’ aletheia. iii athootita kai iii agnotita sou den tairiazoun me olous. so chreiazomaste edo simera gia nha apokatastisoume all osa itan, all osa einai, kai all osa t ginoun.”

“Can you understand?”

“Shh, I know the tongue.”

“Sas eucharist gia thn agnotita kai thn athootita ths psichisl ths. patera, eulogese auto to spot kai epanes afise then sti morfi ths. dose ston theristi piso the nyfi the.”

“Woo!! What’s happening? The mansion is shaking, her dress is tearing off.”

“Reaper, go to NightMaster and use your scythe to heal him. My wounds inflicted on him may have healed in the past, but they could resurface.”

“Heal a demon!!! Those are two words that should never be put in the same sentence. Can’t you just keep healing her yourself?”

“Nope. Once an article or anything goes within someone, its power is subdued. It is more powerful on its own. That’s why I wanted the stone because I am only so strong. The only thing stronger than articles, is faith. If you have the faith that she will be awake when you get back then she will, but faith requires you to give up everything you believe in. Look, feel her skin. It’s wet, but it’s not full. She needs your faith to become full and have her eyes opened. That is if….”

“No. No. Noo. I’ll do it. I’ll do it all. On top of it, I’ll bring back a red dress and a ring to show you that I did.”

“Adalyn, should his girl be all the proof he…”

“Deal. Hurry along. She’s not getting any younger.”

“Adalyn, I know you are not as strong with the stone in you, but couldn’t you have healed her fully on her own?”

“I could have, but he wouldn’t have learned his lesson. He would’ve been the leper that enjoys what Jesus did for him but walks away without a thank you. Jesus could have just physically touched everyone in the Bible and healed them all right then and there, but there were specific people He wanted to get the message. These people He knew would not thank Him properly for healing them so He told them to go do odd things that they personally had to sacrifice as something they would never do so that He could get the praise. That’s all it is. These people after doing what Jesus told them to would come back and be more willing to believe Him. Why? Not only did they believe He healed them, but they also found out what true faith was.”

“Think he’ll be back?”

“I know he’ll be back. Let’s get her ready. I want this mansion in top shop shape when he gets back. Jesus says His temple will be a house of Love and not a den of thieves.”

“What about snakes and underaged kids drinking and partying upstairs!!”

“Summer, take the dragons and crash their party. Star and I’ll clean up the snakes. Afterwards we can start on the walls and the table.”

“My dragons are mighty, but they are not vast.”

“Have the kids help you. Tell them that they’ll get……”

“THE MANSION.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Tell them that if they help you clean up then they’ll get the whole entire mansion as their own getaway house.”

“Then where will Reaper and his wife live?”

“Just have faith. There is a place for them.

ANGELS VS DEMONS

“Sire, we have incoming!!”

“How? Shadow is in the ground. Who could possibly be coming here to…oh no!! Not him!! Oh no!!”

“Where is he?”

“We’ll never let you see him.”

“Girls, move or be moved!!”

“You move!! There is only room for one Angel on this planet.”

“Yes! Yes, there is.”

“Watch out! Don’t let his scythe touch you or else you’ll be turned no more.”

“Stand still!!”

“Girls, transform. Wolves, attack on three…two…one….what the?”

“Now you little adorable wolves stay in this cage while the grownups have a chat. If you be good girls, then daddy willll be back shortly to let you out.”

“You beasts behaving yourselves down there?”

“Grrrr”

“Rarrr, rarrr, roarrrr!!! Burn!!!!!”

“Huu, phew! Your fire is improving but mind keeping it down a notch next time? Anyways, any of you hungry? I brought you a sacrifice!!”

“Wait, wait. I’m innocent!! I’m innocent!! I’m innocee….aaaghhh!!!”

“Still feeding your beasts well, NightMaster?”

“If you are here to kill me then be killed. If you’re here to join me then remember that I always have an extra seat open to you.”

“I’d rather die a thousand deaths than walk one day by your side.”

“What brings you to my world, Reaper?”

“It’s not by choice, I can assure you. If I had it my way, then I’d kill you without so much as a blink of an eye. Sadly though, there are some girls who think healing you would be a better way to go.”

“Who says I need healing?”

“Look. the scar you got from way back when may have healed there, but now it has resurfaced and I’m the only one who can heal it for good. You need my powers. Just let me help you.”

“The beasts are the only help I need.”

“Would it be nice if you could harness your own power though? I’m giving you to the count of three to turn around or else I’m pushing you in the hole. I’ll find my wife another way. This is your last warning.”

“Three……….two……….raaaaaaaaaagghh!! Huu! Let me go, NightMaster. Let me go. I’m sorry.”

“DOES IT LOOK LIKE I NEED YOUR POWERS!!!!

FISTS OF HELL!!!! *Boom*

Now get off my world before I turn the playing up a notch. This is your last warning.”

“I know. You kill em, I keep em.”

“FLY!!!”

“Oh no you don’t.”

“I’m gonna squish you like a bug. Now stop rolling around and let me hit you.”

“You may be the Keeper, but you wouldn’t be you if it weren’t for me.”

“Get off me you oversized mosquito!!”

“Ouch!! You don’t bite someone’s hand when they are trying to hug you.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, but if you continue, then I’ll have no choice but to.”

“Bring your worst!!”

“If you insist.”

“Get us out of here! Get us out of here!!”

“WEREWOLVES, rise up and take your place.”

“That’s good……it’s just not……that good.

GINGES!! I call upon you to show forth your power. Show these heathens what true strength lies.”

“Time to die!!!”

“Huraaaaaaaghhhh…..ICE BLOCK!!”

*Pish*

“Haa!! I was made long before ice took its shape. Missing your wife, I see.”

“Speak of her again, and I’ll end you.”

“Let’s take this downstairs, shall we.”

“Nice try buster but remember that you are not the only one who can turn invisible.”

“Woo!! What was that? Adelheid, can you feel that rumble as well. What’s happening up there? Can you see?”

“It’s nothing. NightMaster is just taking care of a little pest control.”

“Pest control? How mighty is the battle and who will win?”

“It’s not about who will win but more of what this battle will conclude. This is the start of NightMaster pulling away from you. Nights only a half-demon meaning he doesn’t have full power unlike the Reaper. However, the Reaper doesn’t want to kill Night and only heal him. Problem is, Night only sees darkness and knows no healing, but this battle will prove otherwise. In the process of Reaper stabbing Night with his Scythe, he will transport some of his healing power onto Night who will then use that power to make the healing stones which will produce the healing cars, and then everything else needed to take you off your throne. Oops, did I say that out loud?”

“That’s your play?”

“Uhh!!”

“You girls came back in time to prevent me from taking my seat and instead letting Nights events unfold, while you do your hardest to stop my events from unfolding by trapping me down here!!”

“If it makes you feel any better, I still love you.”

“Yea, like love is going to solve everything right now. While you girls take everything from me, you expect me to believe that your love for me will calm everything?”

“If it works for Lovechild then it can work for us.”

“Are you forgetting something?”

“Hey, let me go. Do you know who I am?”

“No, but I know what you’re not, and you’re not Adalyn.”

“Dandelion!! Take over!! Dandelion!! Take over!!”

“What the? How are you…I’m changing!” What did you do to me?”

“I reversed you and Dandelion by putting you in her body and then moving time forward so that you are now her.”

“Put me back this instant.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Look, we can make out a deal.”

“I thought you said you’d rather die a thousand deaths then walk one day by my side.”

“NightMaster, we can fight all day and get nowhere all night. Please, just let me heal you so that we can go home in peace. Both of us are lords of death. That is our destiny. It may have been written for us, but if we flip the page before the Author can flip the page then we can start writing our own. What do you say?”

“I said, ’I… DON’T.. NEED.. YOUR…… POWERS!!!!”

“You don’t need my head either.”

“This blade is from my scythe. I won’t let you kill me with my own blade, but I’ll be more than glad to stab you with it.”

“Hold out!!!”

“Adelheid, you’re mine. The girls may be on to me, but you won’t be. I’ll rip your neck out of your throat so hard that it breaks all the dimensions. Now let me…”

“HEAL YOU!!”

“You will never….heal me!!”

“Raaaaaaaghhhhh!!!”

“Aaaaghhh!! You….will never…uchh…..get rid…of mee!!!”

“Goodbye ol friend.”

“Is it done?”

“Girls, you shouldn’t have seen this.”

“Is it done?”

“Do you need to see the nails in his hands and feet to confirm what is true?”

“Why?”

“It had to be done. He was….”

“Wait. Look over there. I don’t think he’s…..”

“Is that all you got, Reaper. You’ve grown soft over the years.”

“Grave won’t keep you, huh?”

“Not when I have time on my side.”

“You’re welcome!!”

“Thank you for helping me see the truth. As a reward…I shall take you back to trues form.”

FROM DEATH TO LIFE

“Here he comes. Are we ready?”

“Ready!!”

“Roll out the carpet, line up along the side and wave. Go! Go! Go!!”

“Can’t I just wait inside with you. I don’t like raising my hand during any occasion. It all started at church when the pastor told me to and I couldn’t. Can’t I just say hi in a different form of….”

“Look kid,I don’t know what sob lame excuse you’re telling me, but to answer you, the Bible says of us to raise our hands as a sign of respect, praise, and thanks for all He has done. Pertaining to now, Reaper is no Jesus but after all that He has done for you and brought to this town from giving you his mansion and leaving you kids alone, the least you can do is thank him by welcoming him home with a wave. Now get out there and join the others. That’s my final say.”

“What was that all about, Adalyn?”

“Oh, it was nothing big. It was just a bratty kid giving a lame excuse that since he doesn’t feel comfortable raising his hand, he wishes he could portray his thanks another way.”

“All we are doing is asking him to raise his hand for two minutes just until the Reaper touches ground and walks inside. Are two minutes really that unbearable for him that whenever someone tells him to do it, he refuses? Ugh, kids these days. When the church tells you to raise your hands and you see everybody else doing it, it is not your choice whether or not to raise your hand because you believe that that portion of the Bible doesn’t apply to you specifically. Help me with this table inside. Summer and the others are downstairs showing their thanks by painting the walls and cleaning up here and there.”

“What are you kids doing here lining up outside of my house. I thought I told you that if I ever see one of you around again then I’ll make sure you never return again. Now get!!”

“Reaper, we are here to show our thanks and welcome you home.”

“Wait, what are you doing? Why are flowergirls pouring flowers all over the ground? Who is this? Girl, don’t put your arm in mine. Do you know who I am?”

“Sir, I’m here to walk you down the aisle, but first; let my friends tailor you a proper suit.”

“Suit? What for? Am I attending a wedding or something?”

“Yes….yours.”

“Thank you girls, this gown is superb.”

“Agnes, this dress was actually taken from your husband’s stash. We found it thrown out and decided to tidy it up a bit. Hold still while I apply your crown and Jezel does your makeup.”

“How do I look? I’m so nervous.”

“Agnes, the perfection of looks falls upon the wearer not the bearer. Girl, you are to die for. Many others would kill to look as beautiful as you and take your place.”

“Many have tried!!”

“MUSIC, MYSTRO!!!”

“Reaper, may I show you to your bride?”

“I’m ready.”

“Girls, hurry up. He’s walking down now.”

“Agnes, just breathe. I’m sure you are a box full of emotions right now, so use them but only slightly. Adalyn has your ring and Star has Reapers. Once you two have exchanged vows and ended, you will ride Atticus out of here. There will be two dragons in the shape of a heart with fire coming out the side. There is nothing to be nervous of.”

“Have any of you ever been married?”

“Uhhhhhhh.”

“Ummm…”

“Summer has!!”

“How’d that go?”

“Let’s not dwell on the past right now. It’s the future that counts. If you could follow me, Milady!!”

“Thank you kind sir. Tell me, am I crying?”

“It’s natural. Here, so Reaper doesn’t see you as a ball of water.”

“Thank you. *huuphsnhhphaa!! Blourraaghaeehheheehhh!!”

“Bum ba bum bum bum bummmm!! Bum ba dumum bum bum bummmm!!”

“All rise.”

“Star, are you sure this fits in the timeline? Adeheid would’ve told us.”

“Summer, this is nowhere in the timeline or related to our story but can you give me a break. Reaper hasn’t seen his wife in for so many years. We have to make it big for him as our way of saying thank you. Now, shh. People are looking at us.”

“WE GATHER HERE TODAY TO WITNESS A MOMENT IN TIME. A MOMENT THAT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. HERE TO LAY BIRTH TO THE REUINION OF AGNES AND REAPER.”

“Woooooo!!!”

“Get him, tiger!!!”

“You go!! You go!!”

“Wopp, woop, woop!!!”

“SILENCE!!! Agnes, Reaper, I feel silly for asking but do you remember your vows by chance?”

“They must have gone blank. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t remember mine, but I have a say.

‘AGNES, I may be a creature of dust but darkness is merely the absence of light, and fear is merely the absence of love. If we want to be rid of fear , we cannot fight it, but must replace it with love.’

“Agnes?”

“Light is to darkness what love is to fear. In the presence of one, the other disappears.

“IS THERE ANY HERE WHO THINK THAT THESE TWO SHOULD NOT WED? SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE!!

“LET THE LIGHT SHINE FORTH FROM THE DARKNESS TO GOVERN THE DAY!!!”

“Umm, thank you kind stranger for that. In that case, do you two have the rings?”

“Rings? I don’t..ouch!! Yes, I have my ring.”

“Reaper, please repeat after me.”

“Okay.”

“Place it on her finger and say what I say. ’Just as this circle is without end.”

“Just as this circle is without end.”

“My love for you is eternal,”

“My love for you is eternal.”

“Just as it is unbreakable, my commitment to you will never fail.”

“Just as it is unbreakable, my commitment to you will never fail.”

“With this ring, I take you to be my eternal light.”

“With this ring, I take thee to be my eternal light.”

“Agnes, take out your ring, place it on your husband’s finger and then repeat after me.”

“I uhhh.”

“Ohh, that’s where I punched NightMaster and ripped his……I’ll clean it up.”

“Here’s a napkin sir.”

“Thank you.”

“Ready to try again?”

“Ready!!”

“Okay. Repeat after me. ``This wedding band, without beginning or end.”

“This wedding band, without beginning or end.”

“Is a symbol of my love for you.”

“Is a symbol of my love for you.”

“Just as it is made of pure metal, so I give you my pure love.”

“Just as it is made of pure metal, so I too give you my pure love.”

“Reaper, you may kiss the bride.”

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

“GIVE HER THE SUGAR!!!”

“Agnes, I love you and I will always love you. I remember saying that I will love you until death do us part, but even in your death I could not forget you.”

“Here is your dragon, Mr and Mrs.”

“Thank you, young man. Up on three, Agnes. One…two….”

“Woo!! Hey now Reaper, I saw you grabbing more than the depths of hell there.”

“Thank you and I shall be back soon. Thanks girls for making my wishes come true. Glad I could help you with your story and I thank you for helping me with mine. May God’s blessing fall upon each and everyone of you.”

SON OF FIRE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Child of Er 168

Brightest Star 174

Creature of Dust 181

Into the Shadows 186

Love that breaks the Darkness 193

Do not be afraid 200

Wolf 207

CHILD OF ER

“Ready to go, Adalyn? We’ll let them celebrate in peace.”

“What about us?”

“For now, you all can stay here. We’ll call you dragons if we need anything but right now, you need your rest. Us three will go alone.”

“Where are we going, Star?”

“Summer says she smells a rat from a distant planet and wants to check it out.”

“We’re taking directions from her nose, now?”

“The Israelites took orders from strange stuff as well, and it turned out good.”

“I’m sure none were as weird as a nose.”

“Come on, where’s your Faith?”

“She’s back where I left her?”

“Are you sure of that?”

“What do you……let’s go!!!”

“Get your hands off of me. I did as you asked. I told you everything and got you out. The deal was after you got everything you wanted from me then you would let me go. Are you not a man of your word like you said you were?”

“I’ll let you go, but the timing is not right. I have one last thing to trade you for…uhh…I mean barter for. Look up there in the sky. You see those two dots breaking through the ozone? Those are your girls coming to save you. Thank you for telling Summer to come here. Tell me, how did you convince her to come?”

“I told her I smelt a rat and that she needs to come clean it up.”

“Get over there and stay down!! Here they come.”

“Summer, where have you taken us? Are we to search this whole entire planet for one dismal rat?”

“This rat is anything but small. I can smell it. He’s close by.”

“Close by? I am looking around and see nothing but rocks and grass for miles.”

“STICK EM UP, GIRLS!!!”

“I can see now why you said the rat was big.”

“Back for another round two, Shadow? This time I’ll give you a tattoo on your other cheek!!”

“Ha!! You’re really funny. As much as I would love to bout with you in the ring, there are bigger matters at hand that I must attend to first. Now, you will do as I say, or I will shoot you.”

“Your threats do not scare us. We have all already lived our lives in the past, present and future. Our aim is to change the future, and a future without us in it…we have seen.”

*click*

“So has she.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Don’t shoot her. She has not lived her life. Spare her.”

“You wouldn’t spare me!! In wanting none of my events to play out, I won’t let any of yours play out either!! Now hand me the kid.”

“What kid?”

“Summer, do you really believe that your child is lost? Adel and I have found him. The thing is, I have Dandelion in me and need help getting her out before I can put him in. Or….just use one of your healing stones to bring me back. You will accompany and raise him up. Adel has told me how you brought Agnes to life, so I ask; would you really watch one rise as you see the other fall?”

“How do I know you will give us Adel?”

“It’s okay girls. He promised it to me.”

“Yes. Yes, I did. A life for a life!!! If you want her then you need to sacrifice.”

“You sound just like your dad.”

“My dad? How do you know my dad? My dad is dead. I was there. There was an explosion and then an invasion and then a kaboom. You know nothing of who I am.”

“Xavier, we know everything. We have met you, your mother, and your father.”

“YOU KNOW NOTHING!! THEY’RE ALL DEAD!!”

“No! Not all of them. We were there when you had your ideas for Dreamworld. You wanted to make the world perfect with no more sorrows and suffering. Must you have to kill her to keep the peace? You already have a demon as a father. Don’t kill the angel.”

“So, she is an angel!!

That doesn’t change matters. You will give me what I ask or else.”

“Don’t give them any….SHUT UP!!”

“Noooo!!”

“Next time, I’ll whack her with the hard end. Now quite stalling. Where is the stone?”

“We don’t have it.”

“You lie!!”

“We speak the truth. Adalyn dropped it during our last warp.”

“Then who has it?”

“You have it!!!”

“Then teleport back and get it.”

“We can’t. The only reason we could teleport back is because a Dragon was there. Summer can only teleport to a place a Dragon is, not where they aren’t.”

“Where’s the Dragon?”

“We uh…..we…um….killed her.”

“Of course, you did. You killed her but then dropped the stone which means I could potentially revive her back to life.”

“Not likely.”

“And why not?”

“We took her heart.”

“And you say I’m the bad guy. I advocate for peace and only trouble, if first troubled upon. I’m not some bounty hunter going around to collect people’s hearts as some sort of trophy you think you deserve. Summer’s kid is also a Dragon. Whose to stop her from killing him and taking his heart? She may have killed him, but his heart still beats in his trapped state. Adalyn, you and I both know how dangerous the Dragon can be. They appear as nice innocent mothers but once they turn, nobody can stop their wrath from killing all their kids and loved ones. She’s already started. Give him to me so that I may protect him from the day that his mother eventually does go dark. You know what is right?”

“Summer, we won’t let him have him.”

“You have to.”

“Glad we could come to terms!!”

“Summer, what are you saying? We can’t just give your kid to your enemy who is another king. Your kid is already the future king and the previous one had him killed because of it. The fact that he was a dragon just furthered his fire.”

“Do it and do it quickly. Adalyn, go with Shadow.”

“No! I will not have any more bloodshed. Shadow can kill any of us, but he can’t kill me.

SHADOW, RELEASE OUR ANGEL and you shall receive your stone?”

“Where? I don’t see a stone. All I see is a star.”

“Exactly!!! I…am…..the stone!!!

BRIGHTEST STAR

“Will you keep your word?”

“I’m not the bad guy here. Take her!!

Now keep yours!!!!”

“Don’t worry, girls. I’ll take care of your kid as if he were my own brother.”

“Please don’t care for him like that.”

“Hey!! You watch your…”

“Girls! Girls!! Do you want to trade or not?”

“I’ll keep your boy safe.”

“You better, cause I don’t care if you’re a Dragon or not.”

“Come on Star, we don’t want to be late.”

“Thank you. Thank you. You don’t know what this means to me.”

“Let’s go; before I change my mind and regret my decision.”

“Adelheid, has Shadow treated you well?”

“It was more of me treating him.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was scared and loyal to NightMaster that I kid you not, he knew nothing of the underside of Nowhere. I had to watch over him.”

“Well, at least we know he keeps his promises so much so that even if you told him to sneak around, he wouldn’t do it.”

“I hate to ask, but are you sure this is the same nemesis of your future that turns evil?”

“Wait, maybe we have been looking at this all wrong. Once you die, Nowhere takes the nicest of us and then forces us dark so that it is the only way to escape.”

“Are you saying that I’ve been training up for nothing?”

“No. It’s good we kill Dragons. They are the true enemy. Shadow is just a misguided boy who is uncertain which side of the line he belongs on.”

“What do you propose we do, Adalyn, queen of love and everything good?”

“The plan doesn’t change. Shadow is taking your child. We tried to show love, but nothing beats the love of a child. This will help him show the love of a father to your son. A love that he himself never received.”

“But his dad is right there.”

“Does he know that? As far as he knows, his parents kicked them out and even if they were still here; none have walked beside him and helped him out. I mean, look. NightMaster is just taking a backseat in the shadows as he watches his son take over his kingdom and do whatever the hell he wants with it. Letting your kids do whatever they want because you want them to feel independent….is not love!!”

“Who in the entirety of all the galaxies has Shadow ever loved besides his father?”

“I can only think of one girl.”

“Let me guess. Shadow has her walking to the future king?”

“She is the only one he would’ve given up everything to be with her and couldn’t kill her no matter how hard he tried.”

“Would he call her Princess!!!”

“No! He would call her Queen.”

“I’ve heard that you have roamed these parts! Is that true?”

“Many memories were made here. Night may rule the surface, but Hopegivers rule the darkness.”

“Must be lonely down here being the only one.”

“I am not alone. There are three other ‘Givers’ that help me.”

“Wrong!! Right now, there is only one. You are the second.”

“Star, wassup, wassup!! How has life been treating you, my friend.”

“Willow, it’s been a while, but don’t you mean, ’how has death been kind to you?”

“What are…do you two know each other?”

“It’s an inside joke. The only way you would get it is if you were dead.”

“You’re dead, milady? How’d you die?”

“Twas love that killed the Hope.”

“Someone loved you so much that they thought you dead better than alive would suffice? Who could’ve killed a beauty such as yourself?”

“I’m looking right at him.”

“I killed you? Why?”

“You loved me so much that you couldn’t bear to see me face Dragon. That is why you killed me fast instead of slow.”

“I…I…I’m sorry to have done that to you.”

“It’s all good. Through death, you have helped me light my true passion. Now instead of being a hope for a few, I am a hope for all the world. So, thank you.”

“How can you be happy in death? You receive no rest?”

“The day to me is all I need. Sacrificing sleep for another’s wake is only little compared to the joy I give.”

“Do you consider it a joy what we are about to do?”

“Kidnap a dragon and raise it as our own? Nah. It’s just another day, another lifesaving.”

“Summer doesn’t like you or me.”

“I’ve felt that vibe.”

“So, what say you and I become king and queen with having a Dragon as our kin? We could live on Dreamworld for all eternity.”

“I’ve already seen Dreamworld. Willow, can you guide us to the kid?”

“Have….uhh.,, Did you like it?”

“Let’s just say that if I were queen then we would be changing a few things for the future of our world?”

“Is it that bad?”

“You have good values and philosophy, it’s just that the very people that provide those philosophies…..you kill.”

“Somebody has to make a sacrifice and since you were there, you should know that the only sacrifices Night’s beasts accept are pure bloods and hearts. Nobodies purer than them. You understand.”

“We could kill his beasts?”

“How? They are not mortal. You would need someone that wasn’t born with clay and dirt but paper and tongues.”

“Lucky for us, we have one.”

“Dragons will yes kill them, but since Night birthed Dragon out of the text using love, then love binds them. Night would never kill a Dragon and Dragons would never kill Night nor any of his offspring.”

“NightMaster doesn’t own the beasts though. He only found them and trapped them from hurting others. To kill them we need to force their master, the one who created them, to uncreate them. Can the beasts not be killed alone?”

“They can, and we have.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“We let Eelon get away.”

“What? How? Why? Did you invoke this? He can create more beasts at his disposal that way. Who sanctioned it?”

“It was Adalyn. I tried stopping her, but you can’t stop love.”

“No, my darling. You cannot stop love. Love makes us do weird things and then regret them later.”

“But what if love binded things?”

“Star, what are you doing? Do you know what you’re saying? You can’t love the enemy.”

“The thing is, is he the enemy?”

“Adelheid, what’s wrong? Do you have a headache?”

“I cant…..I can’t…”

“What is it? Where does it hurt?”

“......We have made a grave mistake.”

“I knew it. I shouldn’t have given my son up. There is another way.”

“No! That is not the mistake. What you did was wise. What wasn’t wise however is who we sent to retrieve him.”

“Star?”

“Adelheid, couldn’t you see this coming? Can you not see what is, what was, and what will be?”

“Star cannot be seen. Since she is of the dead, her conciseness and soul are gone. The reason I can see what is unseen is because the living have memories, thoughts, and brains that show me what is to be. The dead block that all out.”

“That still doesn’t answer the question why she would turn. I mean love is a powerful tool, but it can’t be that powerful, can it?”

“It wasn’t out of love that she turned. It was hope.”

“What’s there to hope for? It’s as you said, the future is already dark.”

“Hope always shines bright and mixed with love, it is unstoppable. If there is hope, love, and darkness all in one place; what more is there? She was born to be a giver. She was first to her community, then to the heartless, and now she wants to go to the world. Who is to stop her?”

“WE ARE!!!!!!

Creature of Dust

“How much farther is it to the child?”

“It’s not that far. Follow me and stay together. I don’t want to lose any of you.”

“How many people have been lost down here, Willow?”

“Rumour has it that there is a whole civilization living beneath the waves.”

“Living? How? How is living under the water way better than living above?”

“Because above is where the creatures live.”

“We know. Mists are everywhere.”

“I am not talking of the Mists. I am talking of a group more meniscal than them. Someone has to lure travelers to the water so that the Mists underneath can pull them in.”

“Travelers? Don’t you mean sacrifices?”

“No. She means travelers. There is a portal here that is a gateway to the outside, but also a gateway in.”

“How..How do you two know more about my kingdom than I do?”

“Probably because this half is not your kingdom!!!”

“Great. This is just my look. Two undead girls walking me around my kingdom because I don’t know how to do it myself.”

“It’s okay little king, we’ll make sure both you kings make it out alive.”

“This is how it ends? My life is in the hands of two girls who fear no death? Great. How are you two supposed to value my life if you can’t even fathom yours?”

“We can still feel life. Oh, speaking of life, Star, while you were away, I’ve been doing my best to help out the one ‘Giver’ that is down here. Sadly, since I am not a Pure nor a Hopegiver, I can only do so much.”

“Willow, it’s ok. I’m sure that whatever you did was way more than enough, and I thank you. Speaking of the other Hopegiver, where is she?”

“You mean he!!”

“He?”

“Umm, what was that that just flew by us? Did you girls not see that?”

“I didn’t see anything.”

“Me neither. Stop making up…”

“There! There!! Look! I didn’t know Mists could move that fast. It seemed like it was running and not floating like an undead.”

“That’s because it wasn’t an undead. Shadow, stay close.”

“What’s out there? You will protect me, right?”

“Don’t worry. As long you’re with me, no one will…”

“Ohh!! They’re trying to grab me. Why are they reaching? I thought they only attack if you are alone.”

“But you are alone!!!”

“Willow, tell me more about this Hopegiver and how it’s a guy and not a girl.”

“That’s an easy one. His life may not have shown like other Pures, but it is not the outside that makes us Pure. It is the inside. His love was vast, his reach wide, and henchmen followed him wherever he went.”

“This Hopegiver sounds divine. Why have we not seen him?”

“He doesn’t like to go this far back where the Creatures live. Just like you, Shadow, he knows his limits and which side to stay on.”

“Then what happens to the people who cross in here unattended? Shouldn’t hope be a cry for all people?”

“There are spots that even Jesus Himself wouldn’t go.”

“How do we get out of here? Turn us around this instant.”

“I can’t. We must go forward. The king is in there and if he is alive then the Doom has him.”

“The Doom? Who would want to steal the dead?”

“It’s not the dark that scares us but what is in the dark that comes out!!!”

“Think of this, all the kings are born above the surface, but if they can bor this king below, then he can lead them all above.”

“An army of undead!!! Who is this Doom and how do we defeat him?”

“I can tell you who he is, but as far as defeating him, none have accomplished.”

“Aren’t Hopegivers above the Mists? Why can’t he just come here and defeat him?”

“The doom is no Mist!! His soul may rest down here, but his body still lives above.”

“How is that possible? There is a split divide between darkness and light.”

“What if there isn’t? Dark and light is only what we perceive it is, just like good and bad.”

“You’re scaring me, Willow. What are we to fight?”

“It’s not what we are to fight, but who.”

“Look. I see him. They have him trapped in some sort of forcefield. Hurry before they see us.”

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?”

“Who said that? Everybody back-to-back. There is more than one.”

“More than one what? What’s out there?”

“JOIN US!! BECOME A CREATURE OF DUST AND EXPERIENCE WHAT TRUE ETERNITY IS!!!”

“What are they talking about? Aren’t they dead?”

“No Dust is dead. They all have trapped souls down here while living bodies up there. The only way to kill them is to kill their soul down here and their body up there.”

“The perfect vessel!! They can be in two places at once, heck, even unlimited. They are looking to raise a king in every providence.”

“Let me guess. The forcefield clones them and then the Creatures send them out.”

“Everybody they send out; they bring two back to take their place.”

“Are they evil?”

“Only if you make them!!”

“You still didn’t answer my question. Who…is….Doomed?”

“Ha!! Ha!! Haa!! YOU ARE!!”

“Aagh! The light, it’s blinding. I can hardly see. Girls, what is it?”

“Shadow, you can uncover your eyes. It’s just a chair with a stupid ventriloquist dummy laying on it. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Ummm, guys!! That is no dummy lying there.”

“Hello, Shadow!! It’s so nice to finally meet the body behind our soulless leader. I see you’ve brought some friends along with you. It’s been quite some time when last I had the pleasure of welcoming such a host. The last time I had a group this big was back when I was alive living in a crappy old attic. Oh, who am I kidding. I was never alive to begin with. Ha!! Ha!! Haa!!!”

“It’s great to see you in good health, Gizmo!!

INTO THE SHADOWS

“If you’re the Doom then this will be too easy.”

“Ha!! Willow, you haven’t told him? Do I look like a creature of nightmares?”

“You definitely fit my top ten!!”

“You’re a jokester! That’s rich you know that. You know something. Dreams and nightmares are nothing more than just fantasies and recollections of your past memories all in one. Dreams are when you fantasize about something you want good to happen while nightmares are fantasizes of what you would like to happen if the opposite of good happened to you. It’s your ‘what if’ scenario and helps motivate you to do two things. One, it prepares you for ‘what if’ actually does happen, but it also scares you into motivation so much so that it makes you want to run the opposite way. Now what if there were a way to make a perfect dream and a perfect nightmare? You would never know what is real nor what wasn’t.”

“So, your dream is to make people relive their own nightmares?”

“No! It’s your dream for people to ‘be’ their own nightmares!!”

“What was that? Did you feel that? It felt like a giant?”

“Shadow, I would like to introduce you to your Doom!!!”

“Ha! Ha! Haa!! Puny mortal. Did you send me an appetizer? He won’t even wet my tongue.”

“Whose freaky looking nightmare is this?”

“....He’s yours!!!”

“That’s impossible. I’ve never been cloned.”

“Are you one hundred percent certain of that? The first thing you remember is waking up on earth after you were kicked out. Do you ever wonder why you were kicked out or why it took your parents so long to bring you home?”

“There was a war…I…we..”

“THEY DIDN’T LOVE YOU!!”

“You’re wrong. He does love me!! Whenever I have a tough decision to make, I always run to him, and he helps me find the way.”

“Must be nice watching a rebellious son rule.”

“Shut up!! Just shut up!!!”

“Son of a Demon and a Dragon. No, sorry, my bad. You’re the son of a Dragon and a General. Nowhere is just his massive legion; and we, just overseers.”

“Shadow, he’s lying.”

“Am I? Night can never stray far from his legion. He has no choice but to serve it. Luce’s eye always watches, and he is not courageous enough to disobey. That’s why some that die, he transforms into Hopegivers while others stay Mists. In order not to raise suspicion from Luce, he always keeps the Hopegivers at a minimum. Still wanting to spread his wings and his message, he created this place. After he buried his creations far into his Legion, he needed people to always guard it and keep it rolling. Thus, we were created.

Wanting someone to clone to see if his idea worked, he decided upon you. He could create his own army without having to rely on the deaths of others. His army could go stronger, live longer, and be….more then everything. He started the process by extracting all your fears; should’ve started with joys in my opinion. Your mother got wind of what was going on, came down here, and rescued you. Night was only able to clone your fears and not your body. When he found you, he brought you back home to finish the process. The king you saw die was indeed a king, he just wasn’t your king.”

“Mother saved me? Why? From all the stories I’ve heard from my girls, they all say that their fathers saved them from their mothers; not the other way around.”

“It matters not the stories you’ve been told but the ones you now live. With your mother gone, thank you Star, we would resume the process, but now we have a way better king to clone!!”

“If God wanted us cloned, then He would’ve made known His ways. Seeing He hasn’t, makes me wonder why!!!

Star, grab the kid. I’ll hold them back.”

“What about me?”

“I’ll deal with you later, Willow.”

“But Shadow, I’m on your side.”

“That’s not helping right now since I’m clearly on both sides.”

“Duck!!!”

“Star, why are you helping me? Is it out of love?”

“Must there be another reason?”

“The forcefield won’t open. I keep punching is but nothing’s happening.”

“WAAAAAAAAA!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

“Willow, you’re just a Mist that Nightmaster graced never to turn evil because of the sacrifice you did.”

“There has to be something.”

“Wait…..aaagh!! Get your spiny tentacles off of me. You’re not my type.

What about the Hopegiver?”

“What about him? He never ventures here.”

“Make him. If Night made ‘Givers’ to be the healing undetected bugs, then it wouldn’t be a surprise if they could fix anything that Night did. Just get him. He’s the only Hopegiver.”

“No, he’s not!!!!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I SAID, GET OFF ME!!!!”

“Willow, go help Shadow. I’ll deal with the field. Where are the weaknesses again?”

“Bottom left!! That’s where the hole for the emotions to release are, and the others to enter. Give it a few punches and it should fall like the walls of Jericho.”

“No! No!! Nooooo!!!! Creatures, stop her!! She cannot reach the field.”

“WAAAAAAA!!!”

“I hear your cries and I’m coming. It’ll be alright.”

“Oh, no it won’t!!”

“Get off me, you little freakazoid!!!”

“REMEMBER MEEEEEEEEeeeeeee!!!!”

“TIME FREEZE!!”

“Sorry little giver. You didn’t expect Night to give you all the power, did you?”

“Little king, stand back. I’m about to beat you out of here. *POW*

“HIT IT AGAIN!!!”

*BAM*

“Ouch, my knuckles! They bleed and aren’t stopping.”

“Just hit it one more time. Hurry. I can’t hold out much…..”

“Don’t you dare hit that field one more time if you know what’s good for you.”

“SHADOW!!!!!”

“I’m sorry, my love. I guess……fear is powerful after all!!”

“Fear is only powerful if you let it control you. Resist!”

“Step off that podium, Missy or else the only ball I’ll let you punch is his head rolling towards you!!”

“Willow, it’s okay.

WE’RE COMING DOWN. Just remove your knife from his neck….please!”

“I’ll remove my knife if you drop your sword; both of you!!! That’s it. Nice and slow! Slow! Slower!! Good. Now kick them towards me.”

“Doom, we did what you asked. If you really are Shadow, then you’ll keep your word. Drop the knife!!!”

“Here’s the thing ladies, the Shadow you know is gone!!”

“Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!”

“You monster!!”

“Huuu!!!!”

“That’s for everything pure and noble in this world.

And that’s to show you how much love I have for you. I love you to death, but not mine. Yours!!!!!!”

“Shadow, wake up! You can’t die like this. Nobody even touched you.”

“Snake, step back. The girls must’ve killed him. He’s dissapearing.”

“I won’t let you go out like this. GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME. I need to talk to him. I NEED TO TALK TO HIM!!! JUST LET ME SEE HIM ONE LAST TIME!!”

“Keep him back, seal the door!! We don’t know which one of us could be next or how far the reach goes.”

LOVE THAT BREAKS THE DARKNESS( By the Spark)

“Hiyaa!!

Hiyaa!!

Aaaaaaaghhhh!!!!!

“Star, it’s okay.”

“Just take the kid and go.”

“There is nothing you can do for him. He sacrificed himself by holding them off so that you could retrieve the king.”

“You’re right. I did retrieve a king. It just…..wasn’t my king.”

“Star, he’s dead. We need to go before we end up like him also.”

“No! I can heal him. I’ve done it before, and I can do it again. Get out here before Gizmo sends in another team to finish the job.”

“If you stay, I stay. I’m not letting you leave again.”

“I wasn’t asking.”

“Neither was I!!!”

“Fine!! Prop his head up then.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Whatever I got to.”

“Guys, we can’t leave him. Just have faith.”

“Whatever you’re going to do, hurry up. I can hear footsteps on the horizon.”

“Shadow, stay with me. Healing hands, do your magic.

Wake up, Shadow!!”

“WAKE UP!!!!”

“Star, stop it. You heard what Gizmo said. Night may have granted power to Hopegivers outside of this area, but not within.”

“There has to be a way. He wouldn’t have given up on me so I’m not going to give up on him.”

“They’re closer. I can see their torches!!”

“Just have faith.”

“And maybe a lil bit of love.”

“Love!! That’s it. Love is what breaks through any darkness. Love breaks down barriers and builds up foundations where otherwise would be non existent”

“Don’t do it. I know what you’re going to do. This is not a fairytale, kid. Don’t kiss his…..ewww. That’s cold.”

“THERE THEY ARE!! SURROUND THEM. Don’t let any of them leave.”

“How do we get out of this, Star? You can’t kiss your way out of this one.”

“Huuu!!! What did you do to me?”

“I kissed you silly. Now come here and give me a hug.”

“Lovebirds, you didn’t answer my question. What if we never make it out of here. What do we do?”

“......We praise!!!”

“How can you praise at a time like this. This could be the end. We need to find a….”

“WOOOOOO!!! WOO OH OOH OH OOOHHHH!!!”

“Woooooo!! Woo oh ah oh oh!!!!!”

“What are you doing?”

“TRAP THEM!!”

“’There is a love, that breaks the darkness. A love that’s boundless, on the Cross is was displayed.”

“There is a flood…..flood of forgiveness.”

“His scars are witness of His overwhelming grace.”

“Guys, stop singing. This is serious.”

“There is a fire… that burns within us. The flame of Jesus burnin’ bright for all to see.”

“I’ve been redeemed, and I don’t deserve it. My Savior earned it on the Cross at Calvary!!!”

“Ohhhh. Ooo a ooo ha hoooo. You never let go of me.”

“You never let go, never let go of me!!!”

“Oh no, You never let go, never let go of me!!”

“Chains break at the sound of your name….setting captives free!!”

“Oh no, You never let go, never let go of me.”

“Ohhhh!! Oooo aooo ha hooo. Oooh, A hooooo!!”

“Willow, come on. Sing the next verse with us.”

“Stop singing. Singing is not going to help us. Can you not see what’s happening all around us. Darkness is closing. Fear is on our doorstep.”

“Willow, fear grabs hold, only if we let it. What do those torches look like?”

“.....There is a fire…..that burns within us. The flame of Jesus brunin’ bright for all to see.”

“Willow, sing louder. Jesus may have a still soft voice, but He tells us to break the darkness by using a loud chanting of praise and shouts.”

“I’ve bee redeemed, and I don’t deserve it. My Savior earned it…on the cross at Calvary.”

“Push forward men. What’s stopping you?”

“It’s working. All together now!!”

“Ohhhh!! Ooooh ahh a oooo!! You never let go, never let go of me!! Oh no, you never let go, never let go of me!!

Chains break at the sound of Your name…..setting captvies free!!

Oh no, You never let go, never let go of me. Yeeaaeaaeeeaaaa!!!”

“Nightmaster, what’s happening. The grounds shaking.”

“Genie, I don’t know, but look. The darkness!! It’s…it’s….”

“It’s disappearing!!!! Mists are rising up to the surface on there own and reconnecting. What’s happening?”

“And what can separate us now?”

“Your love is never gonna let me down!!”

“And…WHAT CAN…SEP…ER….ATE…US NOW!!!”

“YOUR LOVE IS NEVER GONNA LET ME DOWN!!!”

“WHAT…CAN…SEP…ER…ATE…US NOW!!!”

“Your love is never gonna let me down!!”

“AND WHAT CAN SEP..ER..A.TE…US NOW!!!”

“Your love is never gonna let me down!!”

“Nightmaster, the hole!! It’s….It’s widening.”

“Who’s letting them go?”

“WHO THE SON SETS FREE IS FREE INDEED!!!”

“Cause Jesus already won my victory!!!”

“WHO THE SON SETS FREE IS FREE INDEED!!!”

“DEATH NO LONGER HAS A HOLD ON ME!!!”

“WHO THE SON SETS FREE IS FREE INDEED!!!”

“JESUS ALREADY WON MY VICTORY!!”

“WHO THE SON SETS FREE OH, IS FREE INDEED!!”

“DEATH NO LONGER HAS A HOLD ON ME. YEAH, LET’S GO.”

“SIN NO LONGER HAS A HOLD ON ME!! OOOH….OOOAA.. OO…OHHH!! JESUS IS MY VICTORY!!!”

“Genie, get down. She’s gonna blow!!!”

*BOOM*

“AACHOO!! AACHOO!! Genie, can you see anything? All this smoke is blurring my vision. I can barely make out…… SIXTH STAR!!! Is that you?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, fine sir.”

“I see you brought an army. Last time you rose an army from my legion, they all died. What are you plans this time?”

“Last time…..I didn’t have him.”

“Who is that? I can’t…..is that….MY SON!!!”

“Hello dad. Here, stretch out your hand and I’ll help you up.”

“What about the words you said about sneaking around and all that?”

“What about them? They’re just words. Words can be changed and rearranged eons in the future. People have been doing it for years. Love, though, can never be changed.”

“Come here son and give me a hug. I don’t think I’ve ever told you this……but I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks for everything you’ve done for me.”

DO NOT BE AFRAID

“You know, once word reaches Luce that you destroyed one of his legions and freed them all; he will come hunting for you. He won’t stop until your head and your heart are his forever.”

LET HIM TRY!!!!”

“Night, what do we do now? Who knows if our families down there are still alive. Nowhere was our home! Is there anywhere to go from here?”

“I have a place for you!!!”

“Son, what are you talking about? You said yours was for the future?”

“Is this not the future!

YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAVE A PLACE FOR ALL YOU ALL, and with room to spare. LET US COMBINE OUR WORLDS AS ONE. WE HAVE TRIED IN VAIN TO SEPERATE LIGHT FROM DARKNESS, BUT IT CANNOT BE SEPERATED. WHEN GOD MADE THE SUN AND MOON, HE MADE ONE TOO LIGHT THE DAY AND THE OTHER TO LIGHT THE NIGHT!!!! COME, PLEASE PARTAKE!!

BREAK DOWN THE BARRIER!!!!!

MY HOME…….IS YOUR HOME!!!!”

“Star, what about….”

“What? Oh! Oh yes. I almost forgot them. EH….EH…EMMM!!! LISTEN TO ME BROTHERS AND SISTERS!!!! THE HOME SHADOW PROMISED YOU WILL NOT BE IF WE DON’T DEFEND IT!!! MY GIRLS ARE ON THERE WAY HERE….”

“To kill me?”

“They’re not here for you, Shadow.”

“What about me?”

“It is not your blood that needs to be shed, Nightmaster.”

“Then who?”

“ALL OF US!!! THEY WILL LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED FROM WRECKING THIS PLACE. THEY MAY HAVE AN ARMY, BUT SO DO WE. THEY MAY HAVE A DRAGON, BUT SO DO WE. THEY MAY HAVE LOVE AND FAITH……….BUT THEY HAVE NOT HOPE!!! I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE SHOWN YOU ARE WILLING TO DIE FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, BUT I ASK YOU…..ARE YOU WILLING TO LIVE FOR IT?”

“YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

“I SAID, ARE YOU WILLING TO LIVE FOR IT?”

“YEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!”

“I CAN’T HEAR YOU?”

“YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Then brace yourselves!!”

“What are we bracing for?”

“Adalyn, the future is unseen so we must prepare for what is, not what is to come.”

“What do you see?”

“It’s not what I see but what is no longer there.”

“What did Star do this time?”

“She destroyed one of Luce’s regiments and the Nightmaster’s legion. The result of this monstrosity is that all of the captured are now free.”

“How is that a bad thing? You know what, maybe I can see my family now.”

“You may, but it won’t change anything. Once you go back to the future, they’re still going to be dead.”

“What if we stay here in the now?”

“They’ll still die. They might not die in the ways they previously have but if they already were dead and you went back in time to stop it, you couldn’t. Freaky aint it?”

“Yea, just like the angel that’s helping us?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“If you’re an angel, shouldn’t you be here stopping us or at the very least telling us there is another way? Why are you helping us kill if indeed you do know the future?”

“I don’t know the future. I just know as much as God tells me or of what has happened already.”

“So, all you angels are are just people who are making educated guesses on our life based on past experiences you have gone through?”

“Adalyn, what are you doing? Just have faith. Stop questioning her.”

“Why shouldn’t I? You told us to have faith, but if you knew the future I’m certain you would not have had us go through all of these trials and errors. You would have told us the safest way across. Seeing you haven’t and the revelation of you making educated guesses has come to me, it makes me question…..your very existence. Why are you even here?”

“I’m just trying to help. It’s not everyday that an angel gets the honor of taking over a human body and coming down to the beautiful creation God has made.”

“You say we’re beautiful?”

“Uhh, my mistake. I don’t even get why God made such a helpless creature such as yourselves. You get annoyed over the stupidest of things sometimes.”

“Excuse me? God made us to have our own free will. That is what He says in the Bible. Must be nice being an angel. You know exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, without even needing food, water, rest, or the strength to rise from the sun.”

“Hey, girls stop it!! If you don’t break it up right now then I’ll send you both burning to hell!!!”

“I’VE ALREADY BEEN THERE.”

“ME TOO. IT’S A REAL LOVELY PLACE.”

“Don’t mock me.”

“Then why are you judging me? Tell me, what makes angels so cool even though they act just like a lost human? You know what, better yet, if you’re an angel; then show me your form!!!”

“You’d cower and tremble underneath my image alone. I wouldn’t even have to say anything and your ‘NIGHTMARES’ would be haunted by nightmares.”

“I am scared of no human.”

“Who said I was one of you!!! You said it yourself, angels take on human form when they want to come visit, but their heavenly……..is far scarier.”

“Tell me why I should cower? I know all the angels.”

“Do you? You did a pretty decent job describing what they do, but not what they are. Let me appease your mind.”

“I’ll go find the next Dragon on my own. You two can fight it out, but I will have no part. See ya!!”

“There are four types of angels, but there are ten plus occupations that angels keep in Heaven. The first are the Malakh. These are the messenger angels below the archangels. Archangels can give you messages that God told them to give, but Malakhs are the more well known angels that frequently come down in human form to help walk beside and strengthen people. I am one of them. My form is that of something of a human but not complete. Two heads govern my body and wings cover it from view. The next are the Cherubim. These animal-human hybrids have four heads. One is that of a man while the other three are all animals. They have the hands and feet of a man but again are not complete like you. Four wings govern their body and they are the guardians. Places where Jesus tells people not to go, He places them to hold it. They yes, have flaming swords that stretch their body and are known to keep stuff that needs to be kept in and keep stuff out that needs to be kept out. Nightmaster is one of these. Moving on, we have the Seraphim. These also have four heads, but no sword. They do sport six wings however and are the ones who caretake God’s throne, attend to Him whenever He needs, and sing praises to Him whenever deemed fitting. Luce is one of these.”

“Question. So would triplets connected by chord all having their heads joined together would be the best representation of you?”

“You could say that. Just pop another head on there and then give them wings. Walaa, you now have your visual of us.”

“Those things are freaky. I heard stories of those people and they never end well.”

“THOSE….PEOPLE….ARE GOD’S CREATION AND YOU WILL SHOW RESPECT.”

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!! It’s just hard to visualize when you think of the scariest thing being an angel. What’s the last one?”

“The last one….is the freakiest of all. All the angels can talk and move for themselves, except this one. They are called the Orphanim or the WHEEL ANGELS!! Three huge circles are intertwined together and eyes dot every inch of gold ring they can. They cannot move themselves and have to have a Cherubim stand in the middle of them and control them. These are the Holiest, and sometimes when a Cherubim is called to leave Heaven, God tells an Orphanim to go with them so that they can see farther and wider than even their six eyes could ever see alone. The wheels cannot move until their spirit moves. Now you asked why I am here, and to that I will tell you why, as well as why other angels do what they do.”

“Sit over here, Star, and let me tell you a story.”

“Our first upkeep of angels is known as Thrones. These are the ones who stand by God while the Seraphim’s are singing. They often share their concern about God’s justice and act upon it by helping people such as yourself right your wrongs. The overseers that supervise all the other angels and make sure that they are outworking their God given duties, are called Dominions. They also are the ones who open your eyes everytime God shows His mercy to you so that no one can later say they didn’t see it, since the Dominions opened their eyes to look. Next we have the position of the Virtues. These are the angels who help encourage people to keep their faith up. They also come down to earth and perform miracles that you asked to be answered in your prayers. Three left, we have Principalities. These angels help encourage people to pray and continue to practice their spiritual disciplines by teaching them and educating them in the arts and sciences according to God. When they are not doing this, they help give people ideas of what they should be doing while they are waiting for their prayers to be answered. Moving on, we have Archangels. Most of their day is spent watching over relics in Heaven, but every once in a while God tells them to deliver messages of great news to people like you. Then lastly, there are the Angels. These are the ones that deliver messages to people, true, but also they spend most of their day investing in your time by praying guidance for you, guiding you best they can, protecting you best they can, and they are the most active angels that physically spend more time walking and talking beside people on earth. Jesus says that people like me are so well hidden from people like you that whenever you hear a stranger knocking on your door, you should let them in because who knows. They might be an angel wanting to give you a message!!

WOLF

“How are the measures be taken?”

“We’ve men stationed outside the realm guarding the parameters as we speak.”

“How many?”

“As many as can fight!!! The rest are in safe corders underneath the Dream.”

“Night, are we really going to start another war? The future cannot be rewritten. If only we can just talk to them. Maybe their hearts will be changed.”

“She’s no different from the Christians that pursued her. Their objective was to instill love within her but once they found out how powerful she was, their plans changed just as fast as her spirit inside her did. I do not want this war, same as you, but in order to open one’s eyes, they must first suffer so that God can show them anew. To teach Adalyn a lesson we must first give her what she wants, but then once she realizes that there is more; she will stop. To kiss the face of the sky, you must first kneel to the ground.”

“Adalyn, stop kneeling before me. You know that I am an angel and not God. We are not going to…”

“Oh! Oh! Oh!! Sorry. I wasn’t kneeling for you, dear me. Your words were enlightening and inspired me greatly, but you weren’t even in angelic form. I know now not to question the actions of an angel, but at last, I was only tying my shoe. If you seek my affection, then you’re going to have try way harder than that, young one. As I see it, you bow to me. We are the creatures of His inheritance and not you.”

“You wanna go, twinkle toes!!!”

“Hey! Hey!! We are not going to do this again. The fight is not here. The fight is out there. Now both you girls, calm down and let’s move. I ventured to seek out the Dragon, but at last I found none. I found only his carcass. Since the Dragon is already dead, we must move on to greener pastures.”

“Adalyn, it is good to question and even fight once and a while with an angel. It is not, however, right to think of oneself higher than us. You will do well to remember that. As to why we are here, we are not here for the Dragon. We are here for something, or might I say, ‘someone’ that is more important than they.”

“What is more important than a Dragon, a Shadow, and a king?”

“What about a king’s son and Shadow’s brother?”

“Shadow has no brothers. He would’ve told me. Star, would’ve told us.”

“Sit over here and let me tell you why this war must be waged. Let me tell you the story of the Shadow…..and the Wolf!!!!”

“Shadowwolf!!! I heard the legend, but that’s what I thought it was. Just a legend.”

“Hey! Open up this door!!”

“Stop knocking and go away!!!!”

“We know about the books, and that you wrote them.”

“There are none here!”

“We know. Please, open up. We just want to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Fine. Then just listen. It is true that Shadow burned all the books as well as your whole team, but that’s not why we are here. We were wondering if you knew of his brother’s whereabouts? Wolf may be adopted, but that doesn’t make him less of a man.

Thank you, Perigen, or should I say…..Rumour!!!!!”

“Shadow was born of me and Dragon. We tried our hardest to have him walk in our shoes, but I could see his mother was not feeling it. He…..I, made it look like he was my own and not ‘ours’. His mother wanted him to grow up as normal as possible, but I knew his true potential.

One night as I was training with Shadow, his mother walked in carrying a boy….a baby more or less. She said she found him helpless and couldn’t resist taking him. The more I grew attached to Shadow, the more Wolf grew up and attached to his mother. The battle between brothers began. Who would become heir to the throne? Although his mother loved Wolf, she loves both just as much. It was I…..who turned. She just wanted them to find love, but I knew otherwise. I…huuph!! I’m sorry. I…hupph!! They could’ve been so much more. If only she could see their potential. They were created for war and not emotions. I…heeuu!! I built the Emotionless because all the stuff my wife was teaching my sons….MY SONS….was just that. Stuff!! It was just stuff that got in the way of their potential. So, if I could somehow take them away, then….”

“Your boys would be left with just their raw instincts of fighting.”

“Yes. They’d be powerful. No…..they’d be more powerful with no emotions holding them back. They could be anything. His mother, sadly, got word of what I was up to and….”

“Pushed Shadow out of Dreamworld all the way down to Earth!”

“No. That’s not what happened. She pushed ‘both’ of them off the side. To help them be able to live a normal life, she erased their memories and separated them.

Seeing the grief on my wife’s face, I couldn’t take it anymore. Knowing not where to look, I set out. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. Hope left me and home called, but that was when I found him. The family that took him in, they gave him the name Xavier, but I knew the truth. He was my son!! Wait, why are you smiling?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“No. Please, tell me.”

“You want the honest truth?”

“That’s the only thing I seek.”

“Okay. It’s just that all these years you spent searching for your sons, I bet you already had one in your sights. So, when you found him, since you didn’t want to lose him again, you thought it better to stay with him then walk countless years, maybe never finding your other….SON!!!!! That is, if you never even tried to find Wolf.”

“I….I….searched just as hard for…”

“Night, you told me to be honest to you. Now be honest with me. Since Shadow was your favorite, was there ever hope for Wolf? You spent more time looking for him than the adopted. It makes me wonder; did you even want Wolf found? I mean, he’s not even a fullblood, nor a halfbreed. He has no deservance of the throne. Did….any of you bother to search for him?”

“......................His brother did. Even after I helped recollect his memories, at the first mention of his younger brother, he was hyped. Shoulda never mentioned him. I had Shadow this close…literally within my fingertips. Shadow wanted to know why they were separated and since I wasn’t able to give a suitable enough answer to him, he left to go search for Wolf on his own. At least……that’s what I thought. In fact, he came down to do far worse. Just like most, love for his brother was what motivated him most, but thoughts of his inheritance quickly clouded over any past thoughts. He knew what he had to do.

To guarantee that he would get the inheritance, he had to kill his brother. Why? He couldn’t risk Wolf coming back and saying that the throne was rightfully his. It was the hardest decision Shadow ever had to make, he told me. He said he regretted making every minute of it.”

“So where is he now? Couldn’t Shadow, do it?”

“No! Given, he was already plotting against Wolf, but once he saw that Wolf was searching for Truth elsewhere and had built up quite an army of people who helped each other reach for the light, his anger boiled that much more. Not fully knowing what this ‘Truth’ was, he came to kill Wolf and everyone he loved who believed. He successfully did just that. He killed them all. Only me and Wolf survived. And that’s what we’ve been doing ever since. SURVIVING!!!!

Now you tell us he’s back!! No way am I letting you take Wolf. He wasn’t even able to stop Shadow the first time. How will this time be any different?”

“Just have faith!”

“I tried that once. Faith!!! Look where it’s gotten me.”

“What about him?”

“He distanced himself. After the war, Shadow never saw him again.”

“What about you?”

“Star, last I saw him, he was a boy. Now he’s a man. Sadly, since it has been so long, I can’t guarantee you that I’d be able to recognize him from amidst a crowd. Shadow though has told me that Wolf is no longer alone and now has a girl in his life. I hope with everything in me that she can give him the love I never did.”

“Poof!! Poof..Poof!! Huu!!! Poof!! Poof..Poof!! Boo!! Boo!! Boom!!!”

“He does that every day. Just him and his punching bag.”

“How many bags does this make?”

“This is his fourth.”

“I bet!! Look at the muscles on him!”

“That’s his fourth…….this month!!!! The other three are over there in the corner.”

“Where’s the sand?”

“He punched it out of all of them, then collected the sand and stored it away. He’s getting stronger, and the world these past few years has not helped with his anger. He punches anger out and keeps love in. The rest of the bags are kept in a safe protected by lock and key.”

“Why does he keep them all?”

“He visualizes everything, making every one of his dozen plus punching bags tell each their very own story.”

“Has he…..”

“No!! He doesn’t kill people unless he has exhausted all other options. His mother told him once, ‘Whenever you get in an argument, your fists are the last thing they should see, not the first. Anybody can fight an army; few can lead it.’”

“Upp!! There goes the sand. That bag is toast.”

“Look, he’s picking up another and hanging it up. That makes five.”

“You girls need to leave. I’ll calm him down.”

“Let me.”

“Adalyn, no. He only listens to me.”

“What about his mother? I may not be her, but I do have her heart, and as such, possess some of her traits.”

“Let me talk to him first

WOLF, THERE ARE SOME GIRLS HERE TO SEE YOU!!!!”

“I’m not in the mood right now.”

“What does he mean by that?”

“Wolf, they’re not here for that, but just want to talk.”

“I don’t want to listen.”

“Maybe we should go. We’ll return once he’s calmed down.”

“No. Please stay.”

“Stay? Didn’t you say…”

“Please!! He doesn’t have much for visitors. Once people hear of his anger, and that his closest friend is a punching bag, they run the other way as fast they can. Even when I tell them how nice he is and that he wouldn’t hurt anybody, they do not believe. I try to show him friends, but they do not stay. He scares them away by turning into his wolf ultimata. Go….speak to him for me. He needs to hear a voice other than my own.”

“WE’RE HERE TO TALK OF YOUR BROTHER!!”

“Adalyn, watch your words. His punches are increasing. They started when you said the word ‘brothers’.”

“I have many brothers both physical and in Christ. Which one do you talk of?”

“Adalyn, remember what I said. Just…..”

“IS SHADOW NOT YOUR BROTHER!!!!!”

“Or you can hit him where it hurts. What could possibly go wrong?”

“Adalyn, I told you. He’s now starting to make holes in the bag.”

“His business has no dealing with me. Now say that name no more.”

“You can’t turn your back on him. Shadow would never turn his back on you. In your time of despair, Shadow loved you so much that he stepped down from the comforts of his home to seek you out. Can you not do the same now?”

“I told you never to say his name ever again. NOW YOU SHALL PAY FOR DISOBEYING MY WISHES.”

“Wolf, stop!! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m…..huuuuu!!!!”

“DROP HER THIS INSTANT!!!”

“She disobeyed me and now she deserves to pay!!”

“Wolf, let me go. I can’t breathe. I can’t….”

“Quit clawing and holding my arms. It’s pathetic.”

“Wolf, it’s me.”

“Mother!!!!”

“Son, remember. ’Whenever you get in an argument, your fists are the last thing they should see, not the first. Anybody can fight an enemy; few can lead it.”

“Huuu!!! Summer, keep talking. It’s working.”

“Wolf, the reason I didn’t raise you to be a fighter like your brother is because there’s more to a person than just two hands. The day that I found you, I promised you I would always be there and protect you. I am here now.

That’s it. Just let her down slowly. Remember what you promised me?”

“‘My hands were meant for building. Words were meant for destroying, and my feet were meant for leading. With everything in me, I won’t forget.’ I’m sorry mom. I just wish you had stayed. Why’d you leave us?”

“It’s okay. I’m here now. I’m here now. That’s it. Ohh!! Just don’t hug me too tight. My heartfire might escape me.”

“Phruuuph!! I’m so sorry. I hid when I should have moved. I resorted to violence against my brother instead of love. Can you ever forgive me?”

“I told you he’s…..oof!!!

There, there Adalyn. Just like Summer told Wolf; don’t hug me too tight and dry your tears. You’re safe now.

We all are.”

THE BROTHERHOOD

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Strength of the Pack 219

Emotionless 225

Uncovered 235

Night Terror 243

Brotherly love 253

STRENGTH OF THE PACK

“You almost killed me, big man.”

“You disobeyed my wishes. I regret not what I did.”

“Adalyn, he’s just like you. He loves, he’s strong, he’s fast, and he only attacks if first betrayed.”

“I didn’t betray him. I just….in his mind he thinks I did. Wait, where is he going?”

“He said we should follow him.”

“I didn’t hear any words.”

“Exactly!!”

“Ehmhmm!! So, Wolf, is it? I like the name. Might I ask who gave it to you? Was it Mother Dragon, or was it your bio?”

“Hurrmm!!”

“Oo..kay. We’ll circle back to that question later. Mr. Punching bag on your shoulder; you’re holding him awfully tight don’t you think. Give him room to breathe from time to time. Have you named him yet?”

“Aarghh!!”

“Rumour, do you see that? Why is one minute, Wolf looks all happy as a bug, then the next he pounces like a tiger?”

“When you go alone for so long, your social skills tend to drop……a lot.”

“That doesn’t explain his lashing out fits though.”

“Our bodies weren’t born with emotions. They were born with reactions. We were the ones that taught our bodies to know what emotions feel like, which are good for you, which aren’t, how to spot them, and how to dim them when needed dimmed. Without them, we are left with two primal instincts.”

“FIGHT OR FLIGHT!!!!!”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

“You know something, Wolf. I too had….have…a mask where I channel my negative emotions onto so that the world only sees my good. Course, I can’t punch a punching bag as hard as you. Come on. Just like at my flimsy strings compared to your beef. No. Instead, I play with dolls. See, that’s the smile I’m looking for, Wolf. The world needs to see more of that. Hey, don’t judge me with it though. My version of ‘play’ was and is very different from other peoples’ form of ‘play’.”

“I bet.”

“It’s a miracle!! The beast does talk. Tell you what. If you let me see some of your ol punching bags, then I’ll let you play with my dolls. That is, the ones who are left, at least.”

“Rumour, the wars over. You won. So, why are you still hiding?”

“Summer, can I tell you something?”

“Anything!! What is it?”

“Nobody ever wins a war. The two sides just sign a cease fire so that they can build up their wealth and damages again until one of them breaks that void of silence. Then round two begins. The only way a war is truly won is if one side cripples the other so much so that they’re unable to get up again.”

“Wolf, I heard you had a pretty stellar team back in the days. They could transform into purely amazon creatures. How is it that you still lost, when your team was so good?”

“That’s because they weren’t my team, nor were they my allies. They were…..are….my friends; and I grew up with many of them. We played together, ate together, cried together, and lived life together, but sadly we weren’t able to die together. I was cursed with speed, and God killed me because of it.”

“Maybe He saved you because He is not done with you yet. You said you haven’t had a family reunion yet. Maybe He’s waiting for you to experience that. In any case, I’m sure if your friends were here now, how do you think their reaction would be seeing you like this?”

“OOf!! Why’d you punch my side?”

“Race you!!!!!”

“Wait, I didn’t even tell you where we are going.”

“I know, and I don’t care!!!”

“Hey, wait for me!! No one outruns a wolf!!!”

“Adelheid, what do you see up ahead?”

“It’s kinda hard to picture, but they’re running. I’ll go catch them.”

“Nooooo!!!! You can’t chase a light. We have to think smarter, not harder.

Summer, can you give us a lift?”

“I think I can manage. Hop on. Up!! Upp!! And away we go.”

“Do you see them anywhere?”

“They’re too fast. I can’t see with all these trees obscuring my view.”

“Summer, bring us in closer.”

“You got it, girls.”

“Rumour, they’re too fast. Tell me again how Shadow was able to beat you two?’

“He didn’t!! Shadow played both sides. Wolf and I actually survived three wars. The first two, Shadow acted as if he was on our side, but then changed to show his true colors. The third time, he was actually hunting me down. He had no dealings with Wolf. That is, until Wolf took it upon himself to make his brother his business. It was actually Hawk, Shadows henchmen, that ultimately bested us. It was down to us two and I convinced Wolf that we should get out there and just run. He started running circles around Hawk as fast he could until a dust cloud formed and shielded us from the hawk’s eye. Or so we thought!! A hawk is a hawk is a hawk!! Since he was able to see in slow motion, we were easily spotted, and he stopped us in our tracks. Thankfully, the Lord was with us and gave us the victory, but Wolf didn’t see it that way. He would have rather died with his friends than not have any anymore.”

“He still has his family…all three of them.”

“Ha!! You believe that. Mother Dragon stole him from his parents. She so wanted a kid of her own that she didn’t care how she was going to get it. Mesmerized by Wolf, she killed his family and stole the kid. When he landed back on earth, no family took him in. He scared them all away when they found out he could transform. Since Shadow can’t transform; more families were willing to accept him. Thankfully though, Wolf didn’t let that anger drive him. Even though he felt that he had no family, he made it his mission that others keep theirs. He turned into the legendary masked superhero with a cape you could say. It worked very well at first, but once his brother found out that the masked man was in fact his brother….let’s just say, that encounter didn’t go as love would have planned it.”

“Having no friends, when he found me, he stuck to me like glue and would never let me go. It’s thanks to him that some of the books have still stayed alive, and we were able to share our story with others.”

“I had no idea.”

“The more you know!!! Don’t worry. I know where he’s taking your girl. Let’s meet them there.”

“Shadow, do you ever wonder what your brother has been up to ever since you left?”

“No. After our last squabble, I went back to the family….and he stayed with none.”

“You said, ‘Squabble’. How many of them did you have?”

“We had three. He always gets in the way of my plans of expansion.”

“What that tells me is that you still love him and can’t stay away. There is a popular saying, ‘It takes three tries to make it right; don’t make it four.’ Would you really go to war against him even though he has shown no signs whatsoever of taking your throne? Is it worth it?”

“I heard you talk to my father. He said this war must commence so that Dreamworld can be no more. We had our bout, now it’s over. But I know what he meant. He means that my reign is over, and now he wants Wolf to assume the throne and take over. Why? Since you girls have come back to dethrone me then that means I must’ve had a very bad reign. So, why not give Wolf a turn and see if events play out differently.”

“Shadow, your father only knows killing; not love. He wouldn’t even search for his son; unlike you. You have a bigger heart than he ever could. Please, don’t break it. We came back to instill love in you, but if you can help us reach Wolf and reunite your family….then we can instill love in all of you. What do you say? Do you know where he is?”

“Do I know where he is!!! Haa!! I’ve always known where he is.”

“Then do what your father never could. Go show Wolf the love he never received. Where is he? You have eyes on him?”

“You kidding!! I never took my eyes off of him.”

“Should we get your dad? I’m sure he would be overjoyed to reconnect with his son.”

“As far as he’s concerned, he has no second son. I’ve tried time and time again saying, ’Father, just come with me. I’m sure he would be thrilled to see you.”

“How did he respond?”

“He never once turned his head to look at me. I think it’s best if we go alone. Neither of them are ready for a reunion any time soon.”

“What are we waiting for then? Let’s go. I can’t wait to see him in person. If he’s anything like you, I know I’ll be impressed.”

“Oh, he’s in a class all to himself, Milady.”

“Adalyn, stop!!!! We’re here.”

“Here? Where is here exactly? All I see is…..aaaghh!!!”

“I got you, Adalyn. I won’t let go.”

“You’re hugging me tightly, Wolf.”

“I don’t want you to fall in the hole, that’s all. Would hate to lose one of my closest friends.”

EMOTIONLESS

“What took you guys so long? Did you get lost?”

“I didn’t see you there, Adelheid.”

“That’s because while you two may have feet that beat the ground, two of us have wings that slice the air. We’ve been watching and waiting……without a sound.”

“Seriously. Rumour, who you just met a few hours ago has been given the opportunity to see you in angelic form, but not me, Adelheid. What gives?”

“The right moment has never presented itself with you, but don’t worry. Your time will come.”

“You have proven you can master the sky, but can you master the fall? There should be a rock with rope around here somewhere. I just got to brush away a few….FOUND IT!! The rope is a little old and worn, but it should hold. If we go down one at a time, we can make it.”

“A little old? This thing looks like it could snap at any minute. What? Do you suggest we climb down?”

“Oh yes. My home is not for all people.”

“Umm….Uh….I can’t breathe.”

“Rumour, what is it? Talk to me.”

“You four go down, I’ll stay up here. Who knows who might sneak up on us.”

“Rumour, no one followed us here, as far as we know. Now what’s really going on. Your face is as if you have seen a ghost.”

“It’s just memories. The fresh air should help blow them aside.”

“Come on girls. Let her catch her breath. I’ll go down first to see if it’s still standing, and then one by one you follow me.”

“Standing? My memory may be a little faulty, so refresh me what happened here?”

“I’ll tell you once we make it down.”

“How deep is the hole?”

“Ask Rumour. See you soon.”

“Did he just…he didn’t even use the rope. It’s as if he had no emotions nor consequences.”

“Just wait until you’ll see what’s down there. Then you’ll understand. Adelheid, you’re next. Here’s the rope.”

“I don’t need it. I can teleport.”

“Then there were two!!! Adelheid, you want to go first?”

“Ummm….age before beauty is what I always say.”

“Suit yourself. Hope to see you down there.”

“Now Summer, there are footholds, but they are slim. For the most part you will have to transition down by touch and sound. I’m sure Wolf will be giving you directions as well, but the hole is so wide you will barely hear him. Trust me.”

“Is there anything else?”

“Try not to singe the rope with your breath. Adalyn still needs to get down with it.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“HAVE YOU REACHED THE BOTTOM!!!”

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?”

“I said, ’HAVE YOU TOUCHED GROUND? ARE YOU OK?”

“I’M OKAY. IT’S A BIT DARK DOWN HERE THOU…OHH. THANKS. NEVERMIND. WOLF OPENED THE DOOR. I WAS STANDING ON HIS PORCH!!”

“Welp, Adalyn, ready to take a swing?”

“Okay. It’s just like walking down an up escalator but backwards.”

“You have some weird things in the future!!!”

“That may be so, but please tell me that you at least have made Safety harnesses?”

“We have, but did I have one on when I climbed up?”

“Judging from your expression, I would…….”

“NOOOO!!!! That’s what you were going to say. Now here. Times a ticking.”

“What if I fall?”

“The ground ’ll break you!!!!

I’m just messing with ya. Wolf will catch you. Just don’t look down. Ready?”

“Baley!!!!”

“Baley on!!!”

“CLIMBING!!!!”

“Climb on!!”

“There they are. Let’s go.”

“Waaaaaaghhh!!!!!........I got you.”

“Rumour wasn’t kidding when she said you’d catch me. My foot slipped causing me to flail my arms. That resulted in…..”

“Shh!! Their is no need to explain. As a member of my pack, I’ll always protect you.”

“WOLF!! WHAT UH…WHAT’S THIS Bedsheet covering in the back room?”

“You weren’t supposed to….”

“It’s an EMOTIONLESS!!!!! But why is it here? I thought your dad built the only machine.”

“See that.”

“Care to explain? You dad was a demon, that’s why he could build it. You’re just a man.”

“The Emotionless…..is just a machine. Anybody can build a machine. It’s more about who the machine is built for.

Adalyn!!”

“What? I’m sorry. I didn’t….oh. Oh yes!! That’s my que.

Demons are extremely powerful. As such, they all pretty much have the same characteristics to go around. No, I am not talking about physical, but more of how they function. You can ask any Demon literally to make you become whoever you want both in the laws of physics and outside of. Once you ask for something though, Demons then only demand three things in return. One: they ask you to forsake Jesus and only believe and worship them. Two: they ask that you build something in honor of them. For Jesus, He used to ask people to build an altar to Him before He could bless them. In this case, the Emotionless is the structure that the Demon has requested be built whenever someone asks upon him. Third: They ask of you to make a sacrifice. In Jesus’ case, it was usually to spill the blood of a dead animal until it ran over the side. Speaking of now; this demon asks you to step through the ‘altar’ and sacrifice yourself. You’ll be stronger, faster, and all around better, but also will be a living walking dead for the rest of your life. The choice is yours.”

“Thank you, Adalyn.”

“All she did was explain how easily it can be made. She didn’t, however, explain why you have it.”

“You want to know the truth?”

“You preach it.”

“Adalyn can testify. It can be hard sometimes to show emotions, but it can be even harder to not not show emotions. You try your hardest not to show certain emotions just so that the others can shine through. It is not easy by any standards.”

“Easier to make a basket then miss a basket on purpose just so others can have their spotlight. I get that. What I don’t get though is that since it takes a way stronger talent to miss on purpose, why then give up your natural talent all together just so that you can now have a…way better shooting average. Is it worth it?”

“You all act as if I just created the most horrifying device known to man, and I haven’t once considered the consequences. You know what…just drop it.”

“We can’t. Only a ‘pure’ such as a Christian, Exor, or Hopegiver can. In this case, a Hopegiver is the only one who can destroy this heartless and cruel device that you made.”

“That’s it!! I came to you girls to find love, and all I find is more strife and hate towards me like I am the bad guy. You’re no different than my brother Shadow. You say I have no heart? He…..has no heart. Maybe it would be better if I didn’t as well.”

“Wolf, what are you doing? Don’t turn that machine on. I’m warning you. Don’t you…”

“Who are you to stop me? If you indeed do love me, then show it now. If you love me, you won’t stop me. You know you can’t anyways. Is this not what you want, anyways.”

“Wolf, we don’t want….”

“You want me to destroy my brother, my father, and all of Dreamworld; but I can’t do that if I am still grieving and sad. It would be better if I was a mindless tyrant so that I would have no feelings when I obey your orders.”

“WE don’t think of you as a Tyrant. Remember, you said we were a pack.”

“Yes!! We ‘WERE’, NOT ARE!!! Wolves are so adaptable that whenever one decides to leave the pack, unlike a human who struggles to find someplace to go; wolves can survive just as well alone then with others.”

“You may be happier, but then what’s the point of love if you are the only one?”

“I don’t need love. I was never shown it and it doesn’t run through me. Survival does.”

“THAT’S NOT TRUE!! YOUR FAMILY MAY NOT HAVE LOVED YOU….BUT I DO!!”

“I know that voice.”

“Turn off that machine and step away from the podium. If God wanted us cloned, then He would’ve made known His ways. Seeing He hasn’t…makes me wonder why.

YOU TOLD ME THAT…REMEMBER? AND I STILL WENT AHEAD WITH IT ANYWAYS. Please don’t make the mistake I did. I had to kill myself in order to regain the years I lost.”

“Wolf, here, Take my hand. We’ll help you down.”

“Girls, step away!! This decision has to be his and his alone. He’s already taking the first step inside. You couldn’t stop him even if you wanted to. The demon has grabbed hold and is pulling him in. The only person that can stop him is Star.”

“Star, please.”

“Wait!!!”

“But he’s….”

“I said wait. Trust me.

STAR, WILL NOT COME AND HELP YOU WOLF, UNLESS YOU FIRST SHOW THAT YOU CAN HELP YOURSELF!!!”

“My foot’s stuck!!! I can’t move it.”

“YES YOU CAN. YOUR MIND IS PLAYING TRICKS ON YOU THINKING IT IS PARALYZED BUT IT IS NOT.

THIS IS WHERE YOU PROVE MIND OVER MATTER. DOES THIS DEMON CONTROL YOUR MIND…..OR DO YOU? See, for me, although I made the choice myself to be cloned, I wasn’t ready for what truly happened. When I took my first step, I had no free will to let go. Father pushed me in when he saw that I tried to struggle. If you really wanted to be cloned, then you would have done it in secret. Don’t be like a thief who steals in the night because he is too afraid to do his deeds during the day. God sees both deeds and says what is done in the dark will be brought to the light. Nothing goes unseen. You may not love me, but you do talk a lot about your God? If you love Him, then you’ll know what’s right.

That’s it. Take it slow now. Walk down gently. I knew you could do it. You have grown up since last I seen you little brother. Got yourself quite a team this time as well.”

“Wolf, are you ok? Everything will be fine.”

“Let’s see here. You got an ambitious feisty author, a young angel who dreams of one day living amongst the people creation that God has made. Tell me, how you liking it, little girl?”

“Get your hands off me.”

“Don’t bite me now. Wolf, she’s definitely one of you. That brings me to the next biter. We have the lovely Summer. The Last Dragon. Then last but certainly not least, we have Mrs. nosey little prick who knows way more about angels and demons than she’s letting on; I give you Adalyn. For the future, little girl; get your peeping eyes out of other people’s privacy.”

“I’ll take my eyes off of you if you promise that God will take His peeping eyes off of us. I didn’t think so.”

“You got yourself quite the team, Wolf. You are stepping up in the world. Your first two bouts, you only picked people you knew and had a deep connection with. That was your problem. You put too much trust in your friends and wasn’t ready to see who else was out there. Look, what you get when you open your eyes and just….view!!! You got yourself quite a crew. Really, I’m impressed. Mom would be proud.”

“Don’t say that name.”

“Oooo….the only person who ever loved you was killed. Now you don’t know what to do. News flash, I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

“You have a funny way of showing it. Every time we meet, we fight. If it be your goal to train me to be as tough as you; that’ll never happen. Why? I’m already the toughest I can be, so thank you. Truly.”

“I never want you to be like me, I never wanted it.”

“You know you can’t beat me. You lost too many times to show it. I have proven I’m just as good as you.”

“And I want you to be better!!!!!

Star, go break the machine. I don’t want to fight you brother, but together I can help you reconnect with the family. We can save this world….not destroy it. In order to do that, I have to cut off all your exits. See ya around, tiger.”

“Heeyaa!!!

Aaaaghh!!

Adalyn, can you help me with these last few hits?”

“But I’m just a Pure. I’m not a Hopegiver.”

“You don’t need to be dead in order to inspire hope. Come here.”

“Star, why are you on Shadows’ side? Love has blinded you!!”

“Heeyaa!!”

“It’s not love that blinds you, but hope.”

“Heeyaa!!”

“You can’t hope for what is unseen, Star.”

“I thought we came back here to instill love in Shadow, not hate. You are no better than the Christians who pursued you. Once you found out that Shadow is in his prime, then that means he is just as powerful as ever. That means he’s dangerous. Deep down inside, you want this war. I’m trying to stop it. Who’s the villain now?”

“STAR, YOU COMING?”

“COMING, SHADOW!!!”

UNCOVERED

“What was that back there?”

“It was nothing.”

“I saw you talking to Adalyn behind the machine. That wasn’t nothing.”

“Oh that. Just made her question if she truly knew where she stood. I took the target off your back and instead of chasing the puppet…they are now chasing the puppeteer!!!”

“Who’s the Puppeteer?”

“Why didn’t you strike?”

“I had no reason to. He didn’t attack, which is weird when I delve into it. Usually he strikes.”

“Wolf, he’s changed. Can’t you accept that?”

“Maybe the reason he didn’t strike was because father didn’t tell him, like he did all those other times. Or maybe it was the girl he was with. She might’ve made him grow soft.”

“Or maybe….he’s changed because now that he has found out the truth about his father, he is trying to escape by using you as his method to do so. Will you not help him?”

“He has a stone for a heart. You can’t shape a stone. You have to melt it and then change its makeup.”

“Star, I asked; who’s the Puppeteer?”

“Wolf, your brother may have hurt you in the past, but don’t harbor that with you in the now. Do you not see the strings pulling the puppet? Shadow does not want this war. Star does not want this war. Adalyn does not want this war. Summer…..well, she likes to kill, so I’ll exclude her. The only person who wants this war is Nightmaster so that he can see how strong his son really is. If he can kill you then Nightmaster will keep Shadow on the throne longer. If you kill him, then he’ll act as if he has always loved you and will give you the throne. Either way, since Night has his son on the throne, all the attention is on him and his wolves, not Night and his army. Night wins no matter what. No one would dare fight him.”

“Shadows telling me to love father, and you tell me to kill father. This is turning into a battle between the angels. Do I look like an angel?”

“No. That’s why your mother chose you though. She picked you from outside the angels in order to go in and infiltrate.”

“Come. Let me show why I brought you here.”

“Where are we going?”

“To the one place where I remember.”

“Umm…Wolf, the only thing in this room is a stand with a Bible sitting on it.”

“Wait. Is that?”

“Yes. Yes, it is!!! This is the very Bible that Nightmaster used to Summon Dragon out of and turn into his wife.”

“Then why not bring her back? You can do it. Be a family again.”

“It’s not that easy. Anybody can call whatever out, but without the Tongue, they cannot control it; let alone change its makeup. Night took the Dragon, replaced her evil; turned it to love; and then made her love and human so that she can be his. I don’t have that kind of power. I can’t even speak the tongue. Do you know of any who can?”

“I know two; but one is not even alive yet, while who knows where Aaron is on his journey. He may not even have a Bible to use.”

“That’s okay. We can heal people another way. Now just let me flip to the page.

‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’ Romans 8:28.

Nope, that’s not the verse.

‘Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.’ Acts 4:10-12.

Dad, I so want to heal you and show you the love you have been missing, but that has to wait for now. In order to heal others, you must first be healed yourself.”

“Wolf, what verse are you looking for?”

“’Now a great sign appeared in Heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet. She wore a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in Heaven. An enormous red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on its head rose from the depths. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who ‘will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.’ Then her child was snatched up to God and His throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.’

That’s a cool verse, but not prevalent. You know, people think the Bible is in order and that all the verses, chapters, books, and pages are in chronological order. That is the furthest thing from the truth. If you follow the timeline of history and timeline where all the people were born, you will find that most of the Old Testament needs to be shifted around in places. It should be read like a story, so if you read a book that doesn’t seem to make sense during the time period you just finished, that’s because the book is in the wrong spot. The Bible is put together almost as if someone was in front of their desk with a stack of papers of the Bible trying to figure out where they go. Then a couple guards started banging on their door yelling to open up, so the person just scooped up all the papers randomly and said ‘THERE’ He stapled them, copied all the papers, and fled out the window into the night. Thus, the Bible was born. It seemed in order, so it must be genuine. ‘I didn’t have time to sort them!!’”

“You are one of us!!!”

“Maybe I am. Oh, here we go. This is what my mother wanted me to make my cry every day.

’I love you, Lord my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock in whom I take refuge. You are my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me, and the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me, and the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord. I cried to my God for help. From His temple he heard my voice. My cry came before Him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook. They trembled because He was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire from his nostrils, and burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the Heavens and came down while dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the Cherubim and flew. He soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him-the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence, clouds advanced with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The Lord thundered from Heaven, and the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy. With great bolts of lightning, He routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed, and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me. He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place, and rescued me because He loved me. Psalm 18:1-20

“Wolf, that word says delighted and not loved. Why did….woo… What’s happening? The wall is opening up.”

“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands He has rewarded me.”

“What……are you?”

“I’m one of you. If Night had his way, the Pures would be at a minimum just like the Hopegivers. Although I cannot control who he turns into a Hopegiver, I can control who turns into Pures.”

“Is that?”

“Night made a Healer but stored it away because again he was too afraid to bring it out. So, my mother gave me this car, a cross, and her Bible. Course I didn’t know any of this but when I turned fourteen and was searching through this hideout one day, I found this room and flipped open the Bible. Then it was as if my mother was talking to me. She told me where to go, what to say, and what words to replace. After doing that, I found all of this. The map and other drawings on the wall are here to remind me of my memories and show the plan of what my mother truly wanted to do. Nightmaster never thought Dreamworld was ready to be received by others, but my mother envisioned healer cars on every block, and Pures protecting all tribes. Since my mother wasn’t here, I made it my life goal to make her dreams come true. Why? Dreams are just fantasies of what you want, and I wanted to make that fantasy what others could physically touch. She brought the idea, ``I am just helping it come to life.”

“So, you…..make Pures?”

“Not exactly. Come on, I gotta close up. Night is upon us, and we need some shut eye.”

“Then why did you say?”

“I don’t make the Pures nor does Night even though he thinks he does. Besides him though, I actively do my best to make as many as I can.”

“Well, right now, Snake has them all trapped, and I wouldn’t be surprised if only half maybe none are still alive. I think it best if you should focus more on building the cars then training the people. Once people find out how to build these…..”

“DON’T TOUCH THE CAR!! You’ll make a scratch!!

“And how great they are, then they will most eagerly want to spread the word.”

“This is the only car. There are none like it.”

“That’s not true. In the future, Night has built an arsenal.”

“Let me guess. He keeps them hidden away on Dreamworld because he believes the world will never be ready for them.”

“We could…um….convince him!!”

“I’d like to see you try. God has given him the power to heal and as such, since he can’t give his power to people; he can transfer it. The cross pendant and these cars are just relics infused with a little bit of his powers. Without him, they are just nothing. Without him….I can’t build. Nobody can build. All I can do is use the few resources my mother gave me to do my best to train as many people as possible up in hopes that they turn into a Pure to help others. Even then, I don’t think I’ve done enough.”

“Wolf, don’t say that.”

“Why not? All the Pures I have helped build up…you said in the future, will just be taken out by Snake.”

“That’s true, but you can train again.”

“My mother’s vision of healer cars scattered across the universe is nothing more than a fantasy since father won’t even take them out of his garage down to our blocks. I’ve failed Mother. There is nothing more to dream.”

“Don’t say that. All you have to do is dream again. Not all dreams can be entered twice but there are things called recurring dreams. You just have to dream again and….”

“Don’t say it. Don’t say that word.”

“Just have faith and ‘believe’.

Oh!!! That’s why you didn’t want me to say the word believe. That’s the activation code that closes the door. No worries. All we have to do is say the word ‘Love’ and then they’ll open again, right?”

“In order to open these doors, they have to be fully closed, and in order to close them, you have to wait until they are fully open. The thing is, if you get trapped in here, there is no way out. You can only open them on the other side.”

“Let me guess. Your mother did this for a reason?”

“It’s hard to believe when you are in despair. Luckily, she designed the doors to close slowly so that you can escape. Whether she purposely made it that way….or they are just that old, I don’t care. I see the light and am running towards it. I advise you to do the same.”

NIGHT TERROR

“Shadow, where were you?”

“He was…”

“I ASKED SHADOW. Not you.”

“Father please, come with me just once and see your son. He has changed so much. His image is so much like mothers.”

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?”

“Stop sending me out to destroy him when I see nothing wrong. He has won mothers approval…..and mine. Why can’t he have yours?”

“He’s making you soft, my son. Don’t forget who made you and who can also unmake you. I GAVE YOU THE THRONE!!!!! If you disobey me again, and go out behind my back, then I will take it away.”

“Father, where are you going? Don’t be upset. I’m sorry. Please, what has angered you? Where do you go?”

“To take care of it myself!!!”

“Night, Rumour, Summer, Adalyn, and Wolf.”

“Goodnght, Adalyn, Summer, Adelheid, and Rumour.”

“Goodnight, Rumour, Adalyn, Sumer, and Wolf.”

“Goodnight, Summer Wolf, Rumour….”

“Okay!!! On the count of three we will say ‘goodnight all’. Ready? One, two…..”

“GOODNIGHT ALL!!!!

“I will see you all in the…wait….wait. Let’s count eyes. Why are there twelve?”

“What about feet?”

“SOMEONES IN BED….WITH US!!!!”

“NOT ANYMORE.”

“GET BACK HERE.”

“Aaggh!! Aaagh. It’s biting me. It’s got my shoulder.”

“I got you, Summer. Hold tight.”

“I’m holding as tight as I can. Aaaaaaghhh!! It’s tearing out my bones.”

“PULL HER AWAY. PULL HER….”

“Phew. Heuww!! Hueww!! Huuu…whoo!!”

“What was that thing?”

“I couldn’t tell, but whatever it was is struggling with the sheets over its head. Here. Let me heal that shoulder, Summer.”

“That thing….looked like Adelheid.”

“If it is, then we need to wake her. Something has taken hold and won’t let go.”

“No!! You don’t wake a Terror? That only makes matters worse and hurts the person more than helps.”

“What do you suggest we do then?”

“Raaallllll!!!! I NEED BLOOD!!!!”

“For now…..run!!!”

“Get back here.”

“Aaagh, it’s on me. It’s…”

“Fresh blood!!”

“Aaagh!! It’s biting me. Get it off.”

“NOBODY CAN HOLD ME DOWN.”

“She’s scratching me. WE need to calm her down.”

“How?”

“Adelheid, it’s me. It’s Adalyn. Whoever is controlling you…you are stronger than they. Come towards my voice. Please. Reach out for the light and grab hold.”

“Watch out!! She’s throwing stuff.”

“NO ONE WILL EVER REACH THE LIGHT AGAIN!! YOU WANT TO COME BACK TO CHANGE TIME? WHY DON’T I FREEZE YOU IN IT!!!”

“She shoots ice.”

“Wolf, help. I can’t. I can’t. She has me surrounded. She….aaagh!!”

“Rumour, nooooo!!”

“Wolf, stop. We can’t save her. If we stand here and keep running around with our head chopped off as Adelheid wrecks your place, then we will all become living fossils frozen in ice.”

“I can…”

“Get down. You can’t let her see us. This house I can replace…you girls, I cannot.”

“If Nightmaster is controlling her and he is ice, then why not I go out there and face him with fire.”

“That’s too deadly. We can’t risk the possibility of you accidentally scorching Adelheid.”

“I KNOW YOU’RE HERE SOMEWHERE!! COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE!!!”

“I HAVE TO TRY.”

“Summer. No. Keep your head…..”

“Aaaaaggggg…hhh!!”

“She’s frozen. Wolf, it’s just you and me. If you hold her then maybe we can take her to the Healer car and lock her inside.”

“Is that the best idea you got?”

“Do you have another one? We can’t keep running. Soon, there will be no house to run in.”

“Fine then. Distract her so that I can sneak up from behind. One…two….three!!”

“HEY NIGHT TERROR. YEAH YOU. OVER HERE YOU POSSEDED SYCOPATH. I LIKE THE NAME. IT SOUNDS A TON BETTER THAN NIGHT MASTER BUT WHY DO YOU HAVE TO POSSESS SUCH A SWEET INNOCENT GIRL TO TAKE IT.”

“YOU!!! I’ll have your head!!!”

“Adalyn, run!!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

“Stop…moving!!!!”

“Whoo, that was a close one. HEY, YOU ALMOS CUT MY HEAD OFF WITH THAT TV YOU THREW. DIDN’T YOUR MOTHER TEACH YOU NOT TO THROW THINGS IN THE HOUSE!!!”

“Raaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!!!!”

“Ha! Ha! That’s it. You will never…oof!!”

“GOT YOU!!!”

“Adelheid, stop. You’re stronger than this.”

“I NEED YOUR EYES. LET ME SEE!!!”

“Adelheid…I……WOLF. I COULD USE YOUR HELP OVER HERE. Her hands are getting way too close, and her fingers are on my neck. I can’t hold her back forever you know. The human body wasn’t built like a tank.”

“I’m coming as fast as I can.”

“Adelheid….please. Huuuu!!!”

“I CAN TASTE IT….SWEET NECTAR ON MY LIPS. I CAN SEE IT. I WANT IT…I NEED IT…..I DESERVE IT!!!”

“Wolf, Wolf…..aaaaaghh!!! She’s got my neck.I can’t breathe.”

“I got her. She’s not going anywhere.”

’GET….OFFF!!”

“Wolf!!!!!”

“I’m okay. Man, it’s true what they say. She is strong, but it’s going to take way more than that to keep this puppy down.”

“Adelheid…stop. *shieeeeessttt!!*”

“Noooo!! You’ll pay for that, father.”

“Uck…Uck…uck…”

“You’re not bucking me off this time. Adalyn…wake up!! Wake up!!!!”

“LOOK AT HER. I KILLED YOUR WHOLE TEAM, WOLF. DO YOU NOT SEE ADALYN WRITHERING IN HER OWN POOL OF BLOOD IN FRONT OF YOU, AND YOU CANNOT SAVE HER. YOU CANNOT SAVE ANY OF THEM!!!!”

“Wolf…huuuh!! Wolf….huuuuuuuuh!! Huuh!!! Huuh!! You know what to do.”

“Nooooo!!!”

“IT IS FINISHED. I WIN!!!”

“WOLF, TAKE OVER!!!

Aaaaagh!! Arshhh!! Arshh!! Arshh!! Arshh!!”

“STOP BITING ME YOU LITTLE MUTT!! You can never defeat me. Remember your place!!!”

“Then you must also remember.”

“WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME!! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME!!!!!!”

“I’ll drag you there if I have to. Their is no clawing your way out of this one.”

“Arsh!!”

“Come on. We are almost there. Just let me flip to the page.”

“NEVER!!!

NEVER!!!

“BLAAAAGH!!”

“Eeew, you sick creepo. Those were Adalyn’s lungs, vagus, and God knows what else.”

“BLAAGH!!!”

“‘FATHER, YOU REACH DOWN FROM ON HIGH AND TAKE HOLD OF ME.’

Ouch!!! Watch the claws, momma, Stop scratching. It itches.

‘YOU DRAW ME OUT OF THE WATERS. YOU RESCUED ME FROM MY POWERFUL ENEMY.’

Oh no, you don’t. Get back here. You’re not squirming out of this one.

’YOU RESCUED ME FROM MY ENEMY, WHO WERE TOO STRONG FOR ME. THEY CONFRONTED ME IN MY TIME OF DISATSER, BUT THE LORD WAS MY SUPPORT.

’Stop squirming, or I am going to break your legs!!!

’YOU BROUGHT ME INTO A SPACIOUS PLACE, AND RESCUED ME BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME.”

“Nooooo!!!!! Noooooo!!!”

“Come on. Those doors won’t stay open forever. Now move it!!”

“Raaaarghhh!!!”

“Now where’s the key? Where is my cross pendant? Don’t you move now. I’ll find it. OUCH!!!! I said…NOOO!! Bad girl!! Bad, bad, bad, girl!! You don’t bite.

Aha, here it is. Get in there.”

“LET ME OUT. LET ME OUT.”

“Healer, lock all doors.”

“Yes sir.”

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME. YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME!!!”

“Adelheid, you want to know something. I’m talking to you too, dad. I ‘believed’ in you two and you both let me down. Maybe I am better off on my own.

You’re gonna stay in here tonight and I’ll clean everything up in the morning. Don’t try escaping anytime soon.”

BROTHERLY LOVE

“Morning, Sunshine. How did you sleep?”

“It’s morning already?”

“Yes!! Come on. I saw my dad sneaking around last night and I think I know why. Wolf is in trouble, and we need to go help him.”

“What time is it?”

“It’s five thirty in the morning. Rise and shine, Star.”

“What do you think your father did? Maybe he just had a little chat with your brother?”

“I know my brother, but I also know my dad better and he’s more of the hurt first, ask for forgiveness later kind.”

“Where’s the kid? We can’t leave him alone this time in the presence of your dad. I am worried for him.”

“Don’t worry. I have hired an excellent babysitter. You know her well. Her name is Willow.”

“Awwwwwwwaghhh!! What a dream I had last night. It more ended like a nightmare. Glad the sunlight is peeking through the window to remind me that darkness never lasts forever. Isn’t that right, Adalyn?

Adalyn?”

“Adalyn”

“Rumour? Summer?...............Adelheid!!!!!!

I remember everything.”

*DING DONG*

“Oh no. I need to clean up.”

“Wolf, it’s me, Shadow, your brother. Let me in. I know father was here last night and left you a not so thoughtful present. I came to see if you’re ok. Can we come in?”

“WE? Oh no..no….no..no…nooooo!!!!!

IS STAR WITH YOU?”

“She’s right here. We came to see if you’re all ok. How is everyone?”

“THEY’RE DEAD!!!!!”

“Are you sure?”

“I…I…I… didn’t mean to say…..”

“WE’RE COMING IN. Please greet us.”

“Wait. DON’T MOVE. I’LL BE THERE IN A FLASH.”

“Hello brother. Long night?”

“You have no idea. Please, come in. Watch your step though. The floor is still wet.”

“Why didn’t you put up ‘slippery when wet’ signs all over so that you know where not to step.”

“I was too tired to bother.”

“Haa!! There’s the brother I know. A smile worth a thousand words.”

“Well, I may be able to speak but our first victim can’t utter a single one. Adelheid trapped her in a corner and froze her in time. In actuality, all of this started in the bedroom.”

“Doesn’t everything start in the bedroom!!!!”

“Well, I don’t mind if I get soft bites on my shoulder of affection from my girl; but when my girl full on bites my fat, ripping it off, that’s where I draw the line. Rumour never stood a chance. As you can see, the dining room is not that far from my bedroom. There is still a blood trail that leads back to my room. Adelheid cornered her and too weak to fight back, Night claimed his first victim.”

“Wolf, father is nothing but water and ice. Why not just let Summer torch him to death?”

“That thought had crossed our mind, but Adalyn and I did our best to convince her not to. We couldn’t risk her scorching Adelheid in the process. This upturned table that Adelheid flipped over is where we hid and plotted our next move. Believing fire indeed does trump water, Summer poked her head up despite our yelling her to stay down. She never stood a chance. As you can see, her mouth is ajar and she was about to spit fire, but Adelheid beat her to it.”

“I’m so sorry, Wolf; truly. I wish we were here to help.”

“It’s okay. You’re here now.”

“Wait, there were five of you and Adelheid took out two of you so far. You are not harmed, and she was not harmed, so where is Adalyn? Where’s my girl?”

“She…..she…..”

“What? Speak it.”

“She….didn’t freeze. NightMaster must have had a vendetta for her because her end was more gruesome than others. If you will please follow me into the kitchen, I shall show you. Just know that once you see her, you cannot unsee her.”

“Wolf, Adalyn and I have been through it all. We have traversed worlds, galaxies, blocks, neighborhoods, and dominions together. There is nothing that can……oh!! Oh my!!!”

“She ripped her chords out like they were spaghetti. Left holes and scars all over her body and then left her to die….squirming in her own pool of blood until there was no more blood to spill.”

“YOU KILLED HER!!!! YOU KILLED HER. ALL YOU DID WAS STAND BY AND WATCH HER DIE!!!!”

“Star, stop hitting me. I’m sorry. I was stopping Adelheid from further implicting harm by jumping on her back and holding her. It was either protect your girl by laying atop her, which would result in both of us getting killed; or I could focus on Adelheid and save my own skin thus helping secure the lives of many others as well.”

“Speaking of Adelheid; where is she?”

“She’s safe under lock and key. If you would follow me, please, Shadow. The rooms this way.”

“Are you coming, Star?”

“Just give me a minute……maybe an hour.”

“Star, if it calms your heart any….. Adalyn will now become a Hopegiver. Is that not a good thing? Father needs more of those.”

“Not if there is no Legion that needs saving!!!”

“Come on, Wolf. This spot is nothing new for her.”

“I just wish I could’ve done more. Maybe if I was more on my game, I would have been more prepared for this and could’ve defended my pack more.”

“Wolf, don’t do that to yourself. You know how that road goes. The past is the past. You can’t change it. The future is what matters. Right now, we just have to honor and do what they would have wanted us to do.”

“The only thing they wanted to do……was kill you. Kill Dreamworld. Everyone!!!”

“Wolf, it pains me to say this, but…..We need to make the light shine forth.”

“Shadow, before you give up everything you believe, just wait until I show you Adelheid, and the room. Maybe that can help explain what I cannot.”

“Wait, why are we in an empty room with just a Bible on a pew? Is that?”

“Yes, yes it is. It’s the very one, brother. And we’re only getting started. Flip the page to Psalm 18. I want to show you something that I wish I could’ve shown you a long time ago. Repeat after me.”

“What do we say?”

“Father, you reach down from on high and take hold of me. You draw me out of the waters.”

“You rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.”

“They confronted me in my time of disaster.”

“But the Lord was my support.”

“He brought me out into a spacious place and rescued me because he believed me.

Umm, brother. Nothing happened.”

“That’s because you have to say ‘Love’.”

“Why lo…woo. What’s happening?”

“This part always shocks people. Come on. The car’s this way.”

“Car!! What car? Last I saw you; you didn’t have a….HEALER CAR!!! How?”

“LET ME OUT!!! LET ME OUT!!!!”

“When Night was young, Mother and his dream were the exact same. He built this car, but then someway somehow; his dream started fluttering away. He locked the car away and kept living his life.”

“Then mother took it out and gave it to you. Man, that woman. What doesn’t she steal?

“She’s ummm…doing the wrong things for the right reason.

I’ll hold open the door, and you secure Adelheid tight. We don’t know if Night is still in her. Ready? One…two……”

“LET ME GO!!! LET ME GO!!!”

“Ouch!! She still bites. I think he’s active.”

“Brother, she always bites.”

“Squirmy slithering little thing. Are you sure she is not your biological sister?”

“Funny. You can let her go now.”

“Wait a second. What are these posters on the wall? That one is a picture of me and you playing leapfrog. Look, there is another where we are running a race. I could never outrun you. I don’t think anybody could.”

“Adalyn came close. We ran to get here, but then she tripped on a branch as we were finishing so I touched the hole first. She was fleeing so fast and couldn’t stop herself that she almost went headfirst into the hole.”

“She’s fast!!”

“Truth be told. Between you and me, I couldn’t keep up.”

“That’s because she ran all her life….outside!! What have you been doing these past few years? Oh yeah, sneaking in the shadows and working your upper body but not your lower. I can see why she beat you. Hold a minute. What is this a map of? Are those little Healer car stickers and red strings crisscrossing all the major cities?”

“This is the original dream that mom….and dad…..both had. They thought that if they were going to rebel, they were going to go big or go home. Sadly, since Nightmaster gave up, no one else could build the cars so the dream turned back into a fantasy. I’ve been trying to rebuild their dream, but I am only one man.”

“Father didn’t help by sending me to deter your progress. I had no idea.”

“It’s okay. You’ve only helped me grow stronger and more determined.”

“What are you going to do now? Night has again killed your friends, making you writher in despair alone.”

“Brother, you are mistaken. I am not alone. I have you, which makes me wonder. Why did you come back? Did father send you to clean up the mess and dispose of the bodies?”

“I came to dispose of no one. I tossed and turned all night until Star saw my restlessness and convinced me to confront what was wrong. So……tadaa!! We’ve come to see if you are all ok.”

“Thanks for worrying, but you are too late. The mess has already been done.”

“There has to be something we can do. What are you holding in your hand?”

“Oh this? It’s just a…….wait a second. You’re a Pure?”

“No, I’m not. I am the exact opposite of a Pure. Where did you even get the notion of that?”

“Adalyn and I were talking in the woods, and she said that when she went back in time to kill mother, you stumbled upon a cross.”

“So, it fell out of her pocket as she was……”

“Flying away. As she flew away, it fell out and you took it.”

“So, I became a Pure by mistake. That’s impossible.”

“True, but what if it wasn’t a mistake.”

“What are you saying?”

“Since you obtained it in the past, then that means it is here with you now. Check your pockets.”

“What the? How’d that get in there? I swear, I never felt that before.”

“Maybe it wasn’t a mistake that she dropped it.”

“Are you saying she dropped it to me, intentionally?”

“All I’m saying is that the cross is just a necklace, but she must’ve seen something in you that convinced her to believe you were ready.”

“Ready? Ready for what?”

“To take your place. Nightmaster gave it to her to give to the next Pure, right?”

I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I guess so. Then why give it to me. As far as I know, I am the enemy of their story; not the hero.”

“Are you saying that Adalyn made the wrong choice and died for nothing?”

“I…I…no!”

“Out of all the people here, Nightmaster used Adelheid to kill her as brutally as possible making it impossible for her to come back to life. Night gave her the cross and in his clear mind of wanting to help, he gave the cross to Adalyn hoping that she would give it to you.”

“But it would have meant so much more if he gave it to me himself.”

“Yes, but…”

“He was afraid. He’s always afraid. He was afraid back then and disguised himself as a cop, because when he got laughed at; he just gave up. It wasn’t until I came into my power that he was willing to show his.”

“Exactly. Once the girls left him that night, he went back to being mean ol jealous master of shade. Wanting to still give you the cross, Adalyn knew this wasn’t the timeline for it. You would’ve said you didn’t need it. So, she had to give it to you in a different timeline; hence…this one.”

“Why this timeline? Father and I are at our Primes of building dreamworld and will have no outside influence. This demands our utmost focus.”

“Right again my fellow brother. This timeline wasn’t going to work, so Adalyn had to figure out another path. She decided she had to go further into your past when you were just coming to get your memories back. That’s when she gave it to you. Course, you wouldn’t know what it was, but that was back when Night was a good guy. He would’ve told you what it symbolized and for you to chase it.”

“What if I didn’t stay? What if I found it and then just….destroyed it?”

“That’s where faith comes in. Now that you know what she sacrificed; I pray you don’t crush her dreams just like we did mothers.”

“You know something.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re very convincing. It’s just that, I can see that your brother knew you so well that he knew where you lived. Sadly though, you never took the chance to know him.”

“Shadow what are you……huuu!!!”

“Surprise!!!”

“Father?

Why?”

“BELIEVE!!!!!”

“Noooooo. STAR!!! STAR!!! HELP!!! HELP!!!”

“I love you so much Adalyn, please remember that. As it delights me that you will now become a Hopegiver like me, it also pains me that you must die to become it. I…I……wait. Do you hear that?

“HElllppp!!!!!”

“It’s faint, but it sounds like……..WOLF!!!”

“Father, I came to say I’m sorry about last night. I wasn’t obeying your wishes and I take full responsibility for my………father? Where are you? Oh no. Wolf!!”

“I’M HERE!! I’M HERE. WHERE ARE YOU?”

“IN HERE. FOLOW MY VOICE BUT BE CAREFUL. Shadow is not Shadow. Nightmaster shapeshifted and took his likeness. He stabbed me pretty good close to my heart but got away before I could strike back.”

“THE DOORS ARE CLOSING. Can you walk on your own?”

“I’m losing too much blood. It is pouring out in gushes. Please hurry.”

“WHAT DO I SAY? HOW DO I KEEP THE DOORS OPEN?”

“USE THE BIBLE SITTING THERE ON THE STAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME!!!!”

“WHAT BIBLE? THERE IS NOTHING HERE. NIGHTMASTER MUST’VE TAKEN IT. DON’T WORRY. I’LL THINK OF SOMETHING. WHAT ARE THE WORDS?”

“THE WORDS WILL DO YOU NO GOOD. YOU HAVE TO USE THE BIBLE TO HELP.”

“THEN I’LL FIND ANOTHER.”

“NO!! YOU CAN’T. IT HAS TO BE THAT BIBLE AND THAT BIBLE ALONE. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nightmaster put charges around my whole base. GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE IT BLOWS. SAVE YOURSELF. GET MY BROTHER AND KILL NIGHTMASTER FOR ME.”

“Noooo!!!! YOU’LL GET HIM YOURSELF.”

“I can’t. The blood won’t stop coming.”

“I CAN….UH….I CAN…DON’T WORRY. I’LL GET HELP.”

“Did someone request my help?”

“Summer, how…how…..how’d you get out?”

“You seriously think a little bit of ice is going to keep this bird caged? What do you need?”

“The doors are closing, and Wolf is trapped inside. He has lost a lot of blood and can’t move. You get him out and I’ll hold the doors open.”

“How? They’ll crush you to death if you try to stand in the middle.”

“Summer, I’m dead. How much more dead can I be? Now hurry.”

“WOLF, I’M COMING.”

“SUMMER. IS THAT YOU?”

“I already lost one of my packs. I don’t aim to lose another.”

“Go! Go! Go!! I’m holding the door but can’t stay stretched forever.”

“I only need a few minutes. WOLF, WHERE ARE YOU?”

“MOTHER!!!

MOTHER!!!!

MOTHER!!!!

“I got you. Hop on my back. We are about to break the sound barrier by how fast we are about to go.”

“Summer, hurry!!! It’s crushing me.”

“REACH OUT YOUR HAND AND GRAB MINE.

I GOT YOU!!!”

*Boom*

“Welp, there goes my home.”

“Shut up Wolf and stop moving, I need you still in order to heal your wounds.”

“Wait. Where’s Adelheid!!”

*Vroom*

“Hey girls. Mind if I share the sky with you? It would’ve looked pretty weird you flying around with a dragon and me having nothing to fly on. So, I took this car and…….can you believe it flies? I had no idea.”

“Hold steady and open the doors. We are coming inside.”

“Woo!! What happened to Wolf? Last I saw before I ran out the doors was him talking to his brother Shadow. Did Shadow do this?”

“I can assure you he had nothing to do with this. Shadow is probably lying- in bed right now waiting for me to wake up beside him and give him a kiss good morning. What you see before you is the work of shapeshifting Nightmaster. The first time he sees his son…….and he kills him.”

“Wolf, hey buddy. Are you feeling better?”

“Where….where are we? What happened?”

“We saved you. Star held the door open like a boss and I flew you out. Jesus may have asked the question can a camel fit through the eye of a needle, but I answered it by saying yes. We narrowly escaped before they closed, your place blew, and then Adelheid drove out of the destruction saving us all!! What about my brother? Where is he?”

“Brother? Wolf, do you not remember? Your brother was never there, but your father was and he seeked vengeance.”

“If he truly was your brother, then he would’ve cared.”

“I do care!!!”

“Shadow, what are you doing here? Why aren’t you back home sleeping?”

“How can I sleep at a time like this when the cries and bleats of sheep are in my ear? I rode Autumn down here and then when I was close enough, I teleported inside and sent her home. Brother, I’m sorry. I had no idea he would’ve come. If I did I ....”

“Shadow, it’s ok. Your love and trust in him blinded you from preventing.”

“Love? My Love for him died when Adalyn did.”

FATHER OF LIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Broken Fuse 270

Heartstrings 278

Motherless 286

Temptation 294

This is not the end 303

BROKEN FUSE

“What do we do now?”

“.......We honor Adalyn.”

“There are so few of us though? We came with seven and only remain with five.”

“LOOK OUT!!!”

“We are being attacked on all sides. They’re rocking our car back and forth. Hold on!!!”

“Summer, I thought you left the dragon’s back on our last planet. Why are they attacking us now?”

“Night may have offered them a larger house to live in if they do as he says. Can you blame them?”

“No, but our offer was less…brutal than his and dealt with healing people, not killing them. Nightmaster has a funny way of saying thank you for us saving his life. Summer, can you go out there and get them off our backs? It would be much appreciated in the whirlwind we are experiencing.

Wolf, how much damage can this car take?”

“This car is basically impenetrable since it can heal itself. That doesn’t mean however that we are.”

“Star, even though I was their leader, Nightmaster has them under his spell. They will never give.”

“We at least have to try?”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Adelheid, just keep driving. Wolf, can you fly?”

“Look at me. Does it look like I can fly?”

“Fine. Shadow, if you teleport me out there, I’ll use the dragons as leverage to stay up. Just don’t stop teleporting or else you will fall. I can’t die, but you can. Summer, take us out. Adelheid, when I say there is an opening, you open the doors then shut them as fast you can. Got it?”

“I’m all ears.”

“Ouch!!!! They’re knocking us all over. I don’t see an opening amidst all their fire.”

“They can’t smoke forever. Their lighter has to end at some point.”

“NOW!!!

They’re catching their breath.”

“SWORDS OF THE SPIRIT!!!”

“Go! Go! Go!!”

“Yaagghhhhhhhh”

“Huuu!!!”

“I got you Star.”

“Fling me!!!”

“Roarrrrrrrrr!!!!”

“Wolf, what are you still doing in my car? Why aren’t you out there taking names just like the ‘S’ crew? Is it because since your name doesn’t begin with the letter S, you feel you would stick out like a sore thumb and wouldn’t belong? News flash, big guy. My name also doesn’t begin with the letter ‘S’, but the reason I am not out there fluttering my wings is because I have to control this bird’s wings.”

“I can’t fly?”

“Neither can Star, but do you see that stopping her? She’s cutting through them like paper.”

“That’s because she is dead, Summer is a Dragon, and my brother fears nothing.”

“Wolf, I can’t focus on two babies’ at once you know. It’s hard steering a baby, but also trying to drive while listening to the whines of another, is extremely difficult. It still shocks me that your earthly mothers are able to handle both. I…on the other hand cannot.”

“I just…..it doesn’t feel right. ‘Remember son, the fists are the last thing someone should see.’”

“You’re afraid of killing, is that it? Christians don’t kill others?” Wolf, if people didn’t kill, then they wouldn’t have survived. Imagine everytime the Israelites went to war but this time since Jesus taught to love thy neighbor no matter how bad they were, the Israelites bowed down and said I won’t fight you. They would have died not even living two months in the Promised Land!!!

Also, if you believe that God never commanded His prophets to kill, then you are dead wrong. If God told them to kill, they never hesitated and did it. They killed animals…and people for their punishments. Let me name a few. Moses, Samuel, Esau, Eli…the list goes on. God told them to lead His people and then whenever they disobeyed, God always told them to kill a few of the tribe in order to remind them of who the true King is. Now of course, if God says not to kill another, and you do; then you are in big trouble. How much more trouble do you think people were and would be in when God said to kill someone, and you said I will follow all You say to me, but I will not follow that? God wouldn’t even have to punish you. You’d be dead by the other.”

“God also says not to cast the first stone.”

“True, but we didn’t cast it. Night did and then his dragons followed. We are just defending. There is no sin in that.”

“I….foof…..I……”

“Tell me. Would an angel lie to you?” If you won’t defend and draw blood, then at least draw us safely to the ground.”

“Fine. Scooch over, little fairy!!!”

“I trust you with the wheels and I promise to get everyone back here as safe as I can.”

“YOU BETTER!!!!”

“Summer, wait for me. Don’t kill them all or else there will be none left for me!!!!”

“Wondering what took you so long. Where’s the big man?”

“Watch out!!!!”

“I left him in the car. After years of not fighting ever since his last fight with his brother, I am sure it is a challenge of mind whether or not killing is right or not. He needs to figure it out on his own with no pressure.”

“There is no safer place to think than inside a Healer with no one able to get in from the outside. OOF!!!”

“SUMMER!!!! I’M COMING.”

“Shadow, it looks like it’s just you and me again.”

“Watch your back.”

“Ooo!! That was a close one.”

“GUYS!!! THEY’RE FLEEING. GET BACK IN HERE BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO TURN AROUND!!!”

“Nice driving, Wolf. You drive like you stole it.”

“Where’s Adelheid and Summer?”

“One of the dragons knocked Summer out of the sky, soaring to the ground. Adelheid swooped down to catch her but wasn’t fast enough. They crash landed somewhere off the coast. Don’t worry. Those two will be able to take care of each other.”

“Nightmaster knows we are close, so he’s splitting us up making it impossible to bounce plans off of each other.”

“What do we do?”

“Just have faith!!”

“Wolf, where are you taking us? Slow this car down right now.”

“There is no way we can beat Night on our own, but together we may stand a chance.”

“Star, how did you defeat him last time?”

“I know what you’re talking about, but it was Night’s deranged friend, Eelon, that we beat. Our aim was not to kill him, but in order to stop him we had to fuse. That was the only way we would make him fall. Once it was all said and done……Adalyn let him walk vowing never to return.”

“Wolf, you think that in a matter of days we can sync as one and then will be able to fuse just like that? We are polar opposites of each other and would do more harm than good if we merged.”

“I know that. You and I are not going to merge. Star is going to be the one merging with one of us. Since she is a Hopegiver, once she goes in somebody, she will not turn evil but will further increase the strength of the other. The best part……we don’t have to die to obtain strength.

Star, we are both Pures, but can you help us become more than that? Please.”

“My dear Brothers and Sisters, take note of this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

“I am slow to speak. Brother, let me teach you the ways of mother.”

“Shh!! She is not done.”

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent; and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to live by, but big brother here won’t let me study.”

“Wolf, shut up.”

“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror. After looking at himself, he goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard but doing it. They will be blessed in what they do.”

“Can you train us now?”

“Wolf, you interrupt one more time and I’ll throw you out of this car.”

“Who’s the passenger and who’s the driver? That’s what I thought?”

“Hey, keep the car straight and stop rocking it.”

“I can’t focus when you’re trying to distract me with one hand.”

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:19-27.”

“Let me drive!!”

“I’m the oldest!!!”

“Mom gave me the car and not you!!!”

“Mom would want us to share. Doesn’t your Bible teach that?”

“I am sharing my car with you. I’m letting you sit in it.”

“BOYS!!! Do I need to speak other verses in order to get through your heads?”

*TWONG*

“Oh no. Was that?”

“Looks like we don’t need the steering wheel anymore. WE’RE GOING DOWN. HOLD ONTO SOMETHING!!!”

HEARTSTRINGS

“Shh!! Shh!! It’s okay. Mommas got you, Keegan.”

“Waaaaaaa!!!”

“Shhh!! Shh!! Shh!! Here’s your baby bottle.”

*Knock, knock, knock!!!*

“Come in.”

“May I come in?”

“Yes. I did say you can…..Nightmaster!!! What….uh…what do I owe the pleasure of your acquaintance?”

“You name him?”

“Maybe.”

“What did you call it?”

“It’s not an It. He’s a boy and his name is Keegan.”

“Keegan? That’s not a very…..powerful, I can crush all people at the sheer mention of my name.”

“His name means son of fire, and he is not to kill. I will raise him to love all.”

“Would Summer approve?”

“I’ll have to ask her.”

“Hold it!!”

“Night, why is your hand blocking my escape?”

“I didn’t say you can escape.”

“Waaaaaaa!!!”

“Ohhh…shh!! Shhh!! It’ll be alright. There is no need to cry.

May I hold him?”

“Star told me to look after him and keep him away from everybody until they come back. Especially you.”

“Star said that?”

“No. Your son did!!!”

“He’ll never find out. I just want to feel him in my arms. You can stand by and watch the whole time. That way I can’t do anything ‘bad’ to him.”

“I don’t know. He’s not mine to give.”

“Is he yours to keep?”

“Okay. You can hold him for just a little bit but if I feel any tension between you two then I will take him back.”

“No problem. No tension!! No tension!!

Hi, little guy. You have your mothers’ eyes; did you know that?”

“Aheey!! Aheey!!

“Tickle, tickle, tickle.”

“Ah!! Hey!! Hey!!”

“Don’t cry!! Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.

Willow, what did I do wrong?”

“Keegan wants to feel loved, not held. Hold him close to you and cradle him in your arms like this. There you go. See, he’s not crying anymore.”

“Thank you.”

“Night, you act as if you’ve never held two babies before. Surely you would remember.”

“What’s there to remember? My wife did all the holding, and I did all of the training. Given, my love for them still stood; it’s just that…..hers stood brighter.”

“What was life like raising two heirs?

That is…….is you indeed raised two and not one.”

“Shadow was just a young Mute, but I already had big plans for him. I showed him the chair that would be his. I showed him the army he would lead, and the vision I had. Once we were done, I told him that there is no stronger bond than family. Later that week though, my words were choked upon when Wolf arrived during one of my trainings with Shadow. So detailed and methodical was my vision, that Wolf’s very existence threatened to break the balance. I only had enough to order one custom Chair!!!!”

“I get that. You start writing your Will out for one because it has been years and there is no other. Then one day….poof!!! Out pops another one. What do you do? You can only raise them once.”

“Or not at all in your case. I heard your story. You think all the Mists that enter my Legion are unaccounted? I knew them all. Once they enter, they never leave my mind. Tell me, what was it like seeing your son that you never raised but intended to?”

“I was pregnant with the one, and my life was similar to Summers, except I was way way way younger. It wasn’t supposed to happen. Luckily, I gave birth on my own terms and with family all around. Unluckily, since I was too young and too small, the energy left me the moment I gave birth.

When Star brought me to, it was too late. Shadow had already killed him. The only one left was my grandson, but he never survived the night. I got to see them for one day, and then in a blink of an eye……..they were gone.”

“I….I…I’m sorry. Wish you could’ve spent more time with them.”

“I do too. If I were to raise them, I would’ve raised them differently.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Shadow said that they got what they deserved……and he was right. None of them had a name for themselves. They used my name and my story to invoke sad tears for them. And people gave them everything out of the abundance of their hearts because of it. They used me. They used my sob story to do as they pleased.”

“How did they use you? Maybe……maybe their testimonies had you in it because God used you to tug on their heartstrings. Nothing wrong with that.

Waaaaaa!!!!”

“Shh!! Shh!! Mommies about to tell you a bedtime story.”

“Ha!! This aint no bedtime story for kids. This is real and happening as we speak. How do I know? I saw my boys do it and work it to their full extent until it became their full-time job. It was their main source of income, you could say.

God tugs on other people’s heartstrings in order to entice a response, so why can’t we tug on others to also get what we want? Jesus tells us to tithe to the Church and so test His love. If you tithe, then He will reward you. Only thing is, whenever He speaks of the ‘Church’, He is not referring to any specific building. He always refers to His ‘body’, the Believers in Christ. They are the ‘Church’. When God says, tithe, He means to help out the person along the street who has nothing by offering them money. Whenever you see someone giving their time to God, say thank you by giving them money. In that, My word will spread and so will you tenfold. Problem is, people don’t want just tenfold. They want twenty, thirty, forty, heck even fifty tenfold. How do we make that happen? Welp, it’s actually way easier than you think. The sadder the story, the bigger the paycheck.

God tells us to help the needy, give to the poor, strengthen the Church, and yadaa, yadaa, yadaa!!! The thing is, Jesus also tells us to give out of the willingness of our hearts because of the love we have for Him. He tells us to do everything because we love Him; not some stranger’s sad sob story making us feel inclined to give. Those stories always end with, ‘But God saved me from all of that, and look at me now.’ So, if God saved you then He must have big things in store for you. Here, let me give you sixty to help you on your journey.”

“Willow, aren’t you being a little harsh. I’m sure your boys weren’t that bad.”

“The worst thing God invented were emotions. Why? Emotions can be drawn to the surface so easily and we can’t do anything about it. It’s our bodies natural response to laugh, cry, smile….anything. We are the ones who dumb down our emotions, but you always have people who have the gift to inlict any emotion they need from someone. In this case, people want you to feel sad, sorry, and heartbroken for them. Once you’re heartbroken, you feel guilty. ’This person has been through so much, and yet they praise. They truly could use my paycheck I worked so hard to earn, more than me. Here, take it. Just take it all. The ‘Performer’ takes the cash, says it is going for a good cause, walks away, dries their tears, then moves onto their next set of victims without a second thought.

‘But Willow, you don’t understand. Their story moved me and tugged at me. I felt empowered like I could do anything. They have the gift, I’m telling you. God will use them mightily. I know I usually only tithe ten percent because that is what God says, but I felt inclined and obligated, that I now give thirty upwards of forty percent. You just got to listen to their story. You will never walk away again.’”

“Willow, stop it. You’re waking the baby. Do you hear its cries?”

“I don’t care how ‘pasazed’ their story may be. What I do care about is what is He doing in your life now? These people never talk about that, or if they do, they wait for the last ten minutes to say He has saved me and look what we’re doing because of it. They move from convention to convention seeing how many people they can make cry so that the person will feel guilty enough to give more than what they already give. Then a portion of it, they use for useful repairs like mission trips, training and stuff. Another ten percent, they distribute amongst themselves and that leaves eighty percent left to be used on themselves. Eighty percent is way more than twenty percent so they can buy a buttload of toys and gizmos used to ‘advertise’ how big and cool they and their church are. God calls those people swindlers. Actually, he calls them no better than the Gentiles I came to save. That is His favorite phrase He used whenever he mocks, scolds, or insults someone from wrong behavior.

Don’t be like Annanias and Sapphira. Give everything. Don’t hold back because you need the extra to do whatever the hell it is you want to do. It was obvious. Entering my son’s church was like entering a small palace. Candles lit the altar room. Fine jewelry, decorations, and glittery uselessness lined the halls. Long flowy white robes fluttered down effortlessly from them…and yet…….I still loved them.”

“I heard crying in here, what’s going on?” Wait, I thought you said…..”

“Sophia, take the baby from us. We need to talk.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“That was a very powerful, point taken story, my dear.”

“You find offense?”

“If I do, it is because it is the truth. I saw the way you were looking at that boy.”

“It matters not. He wasn’t mine.”

“That doesn’t matter. Since you are the only one who has seen what your children become when fully grown, you out of all of us want the best for us. Is that right?”

“I never raised them though, unlike you.”

“True, but you now know how not to raise them. Tell me, the girls came back here, meaning that I had to have failed them poorly as a father, so they are punishing me for it. If that be the case, are any of us experienced enough to raise one so that they don’t become like your sons? Is Summer?”

“She ran her whole life and has never been able to stay in one spot for more than a night.”

“What about the rest?”

“They wouldn’t know what to do with it.”

“What about me? You can be honest.”

“Even you……have failed. Aaagh!! I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Get your knife from me.”

“My……oh!! Sorry.

War is already amongst us, and my brothers have chosen their side. Is it too late to raise them, or have I failed?”

“It’s never too late.”

“Then teach us. Show us the ways you never were able to show others. Let us learn from your son’s mistakes, and not commit them. Please.”

Motherless

“Adelheid, where are we?”

“I have no idea. The only thing that surrounds us are trees.”

“Oh great; another forest.”

“You don’t plan on collapsing on me like you did to your sister, because I am not carrying you the whole way.”

“Don’t worry. Those days are long past, and I’ve improved much since then.”

“I hope so.”

“Get down!! We’re not the only ones out here.”

“Hunters?”

“Their scent is strong.”

“How many?”

“.......Just one!!!”

“Pop your head up. Can you see them?”

“Whatever it is, they’re moving too fast. All I see are leaves blowing by where they last were.”

“Sit down with me under this tree then. These leaves off of this Willow will shelter us from anyone out there.”

“What about the ones in here?”

“Summer, did you say something?”

“No? Why? What did you think I……aaagh!! The willows!! I can’t break free from their hold.”

“Neither can I. Summer, burn them.”

“Raaaaarrrr!!! THAT HURTS!!!!!”

“Did the tree just speak?”

“I speak…..and move; but you don’t!!!!”

“They’ve binded my arms and legs. I thought trees weren’t…..”

“Real?

Is that what you were going to say?”

“Look, there is a spirit coming out, but I can’t tell who they are.”

“Trees are alive, yes; but none are real. That is……none other than me!!!”

“Let us go!! Let us go!!!”

“WILLOW!!! TIGHTEN YOUR HOLD!!!”

“Huuuuuu!!!!

You’ll never bury us within your leaves!!!”

“Bury you!! Haa! If I wanted you dead then I would’ve killed you already. Na, I’m not into killing. It gets all messy and degrades life. Ewe!! I’m part of a tree meaning I like to build life….not take it. Kinda funny if you think about it.”

“Look, little girl. I don’t know who you are or what you want but let us go or else.”

“IT’S RUDE TO INTERRUPT WHEN SOMEONE IS TALKING.”

“Huuuuuu!!!”

“As I was saying, my name is Willow, and even though Willows are known to droop and take life…I am different. I…….give it, and help things grow from it.

Recently, it has come to my attention that there is a motherless dragon here. Which one is that?

“Don’t tell her……”

“Si mi wer ir wux sweekmon!!!!”

“Ah!! Language of the dragons. I cannot believe I am standing within such a host. Please, excuse my kindness. It’s just that their are so few of you left.”

“I have others.”

“Agreed, and it would’ve been better if they never left their planet at all. See, you were never your own. You were descendants of the great Mother, and as such; the moment you dragons showed your face……he already had you wrapped around his little finger. You could never disobey his wishes even if you tried. Once his wife died, you now became the new mother of all the dragons, whether you liked it or not. The other ‘Dragons’ you could say, were just that. They couldn’t transform into humans, unlike you.”

“I didn’t ask to be mother of all.”

“You don’t get asked; you just are. I’m sure if every young mother were given the choice to be a mother now…or wait until all terms were lined up for them; you get where I am going with this. Funny thing is, you did this to yourself when you killed the Mother and stole her heart. What, thought that even though the other dragons were now orphans, they could defend themselves. You’re dumber than I thought.”

“Stop mocking her!!! I know your story. At least Night and Summer are trying. I’m helping as much as I can, but since neither you nor I had experience raising, then that means we don’t have the right to speak our minds.”

“Helper, is it!!! You did a pretty good job in that field. I think the only thing you ‘helped’ Summer with is when you made the wise choice to have Summer give her child to Shadow to give to Nightmaster. Why? She, and all the other girls knew that Dragons were known to kill all their kids. Guess what you did, Summer?

Your kids started talking back to you, attacking your car and thinking they were in charge. Wake up call, that’s what kids do. Once they get into their teens, they think they know what’s best and then basically ‘fight’ you, the parent over head of household. Now a good parent instead of fighting back would instead ‘listen’ to their child, then do everything in their power to calm the child down or let the kid be a parent for a day because they know the kid will fail and will wake up the next day saying I’m sorry. In NONE OF THOSE SCENARIOS did I say that the parents EAGERLY are the first to jump out of the car and start killing as many of their kids as they can.”

“THEY WERE ATTACKING US!! WE COULD’VE DIED. I was protecting my family.”

“They’re not your family?”

Willow, I have you mock my friend no more.”

“OUCH!!!

“How do you like it? You attack our soul, we attack yours.”

“My soul may be connected to the tree, but you will never kill me. Only creatures of the Bible can kill a Mist.”

“Then it’s your lucky day…….cause we are!!!!!”

“Noooooooooo!!!!!! My poor leaves. You burned them all. Every single pedal and branch……blowing away effortlessly in the wind.

I’LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE!!!

Nightmaster had one last fit of goodwill, and with his back against the wall and no army to support him anymore, he looked past himself and at you. He knew that you people would probably kill him, so before he sunk back into the shadows, he told me to parent all of you so that when you kill him and grow up later, you’ll hopefully not make the same mistake he didn’t know exactly what he did but knew he shouldn’t have done.”

“Sounds like all we are good at is letting people down. News flash!!

NOBODIES PERFECT!!!”

“It’s true that Jesus says nobody is perfect, but He also says to give your all and try to get as close you can.”

“OUCH!!!!”

“Sorry, did I clip your wing!!! It must hurt bad.”

“Summer, we are getting our names thrown through the dirt. She’s just one girl. Surely, we can defeat her.”

“Adelheid, I should’ve listened to you more. I didn’t have the faith you wanted of me.”

“That’s ok. I also should have been a better help. To help one is not to simply add another hand to whatever they’re doing. To help means to show better direction if you feel that person needs it. Then you help them get onto that new path.”

“Awww!! You two are so sweet…..really. You are finally getting along. I mean, it took a while but hey, ’Since I have never stepped in your shoes nor had experience raising, then that means I don’t have the right to speak my mind!!!!”

“Nor do you have the right to walk. You forgot that heroes always win.

Raaaaaaa!!!!!”

“BURN!!!!!”

“Huuuuuuuu!!!”

“Shield of faith!!”

“OUCH!! My wing; it’s torn from the blow into the tree. Summer, it’s all you.”

“HAAA!!! I don’t know what’s funnier: the fact that the villains always have won…….or the fact that you think you’re the heroes!!!”

“BURN!!!!!!

OUCH!! My head!!”

“Stay down, young mother!! I don’t want to kill you and thus make your kids orphans, but if you don’t give up then neither will I.”

“Father, send your Holy Spirit through my hands and raise up a cloud. I touch your earth and ask nothing in return.

GET DOWN!!!”

“You think a little storm of brush and trees will knock me down. My roots grow deep into the earth. It’s only your loss.”

“Summer, here’s an axe. Since she’s rooted then she can’t move. Let’s take advantage before the storm clears and she moves again.”

“STOP!! STOP!! OUCH!! THIS IS NOT FAIR!!! I’M INOCCENT!!! I’M UNARMED!! I’M UNARMED!!!”

“Summer, hit harder!! I can see blood.”

“I’M HITTING AS HARD AS I CAN.”

“THAT’S…………ENOUGH!!!

RAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!”

“Adelheid, stop chopping. Look, she’s growing. I think we need a bigger axe to chop her down.”

“Summer.”

“Yes.”

“They don’t make an axe big enough to chop that down.”

“NOW…..I’LL MAKE YOU PAY!!! Ruuu!!! Boom!!!”

“Summer move. She almost stepped on you.”

“WILLOWS, LOTUS, DEKUS, AND WISPS. COME ALIVE AND MARCH WITH ME!!!!”

“ADELHEID!!! RUN!!!!!” She’s right on your tail.”

“I’m running as fast as I can. Why don’t we just fly out of here?”

“WHAT?”

’I SAID, ’WHY DON’T WE JUST FLY OUT OF HERE? YOU BURN THEM FROM ABOVE AND I’LL ATTACK FROM BELOW.”

“ARE YOU STUPID? IF WE FLY THEN WE’LL BE REACHING THEIR EYE LEVEL. IT’S BETTER TO STAY SMALL AND ON FOOT. THEY CAN’T SEE US NOR NEAR US.”

“WHERE ARE YOU, MY LITTLE……..FRIENDS!!!! *Boom*

I JUST WANT TO TALK. THAT’S WHAT ALL OUR TREES WANT IS TO TALK. OH, THERE YOU ARE. STAND STILL AND LET ME GRAB YOU!!

“SWORD OF THE SPIRIT!!!”

“OUCH!!!”

“Adelheid, get out of here. Stabbing them with small needles will do no good. As long as there is rain falling and a sun standing, they will just continue to grow back limbs. There is nothing we can do. We have to….AAAAAGH!!!!”

“GOT YOU!!!!”

“LET ME GO!!! LET ME GO!!!!”

“Summer, nooooooooo!!!! I’m coming.”

“NOOO!! ADLEHIED, STAY HIDDEN WHERE YOU ARE. IF YOU FLY UP THEN THEY’LL SPOT YOU.”

“IF I STAND HERE THEN YOU WILL DIE.”

ADELEID?”

“WHAT?”

“....................JUST HAVE FAITH!!!!!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!”

*CRUNCH*

*HERE!!! LET ME BAPTIZE THE GROUND WITH HER BLOOD!!!

TEMPTATION

“Wolf!!! Shadow!!! Where are you?”

“Shadow!! Star!!!!”

“Wolf!!! Star!!!”

OVER HERE!!! I’m caught in a tree.”

“Help!!! My foot’s stuck.”

“I’m coming. I’m only one man. Here, grab my hand. On three, I’ll pull you out.”

“Wait, wait….”

“One!!! Two.”

“I’m not ready. I’m not…….Owwwwwwww!!!!!”

“Their, you’re out. Help Wolf get down and I’ll find the car.”

“I got a better idea. Why not you help your brother, and I’ll go find the car. Or what’s left of it at least.”

“Wait no!!! I want Star to help me. I want Star to help me!!!”

“Too late. I’ll try not to pull as hard.”

“You better or else I’ll……OWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!”

“Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp.”

“Glad my brother never pulled me that hard. Now, if I were a car, where would I hide?

HERE Healie, Healie, Healie!!! Come here boy. HERE Healie, Healie, Healie. I don’t like Hide and Seek especially since we haven’t laid out any boundaries. Oh, there you are. That was a good hiding spot, but green leaves covering your bright sleek black body…..is not a very good hideout.

“Now, I’m going to open my passenger side door slowly. Please don’t scare me with any more…….surprises!!!!!”

“Hello Sixth Star. Fancy seeing you here.”

“Likewise goes to you, Nightmaster. What uh…..what are you doing here? How’d you find us?”

“Please…..sit. I had your seat pre-heated so if you’d like to get in, then make haste. I don’t want the warm air to heat the outside. Oh, you’re hesitant, I see. Go on. Call for my sons to come save you. I’m certain that Shadow would be here faster than you could finish the call. I know how much he likes you and how much you like him. He has spent more time with you than me so please, if you are wanting to spend the rest of your lives together; then let me give you some pointers as to how that could work. Here, let me get the door for you. My hand can’t reach all the way across the dash, but I hope the door is open enough so that you can crawl in.”

“Thank you. You’re too kind.”

“No, my dear. You……are the one that’s kind.”

“STAR!!!!”

“STAR!!!”

“Where are you, Star?”

“You’ve been gone longer than we thought so we came out to find you. Holler if you can hear us.”

“Shh!!!”

“Nightmaster, what button are you pressing?”

“I’m turning this car invisible. Can’t have two young kids interrupting as we have ‘THE TALK’. You do understand, don’t you?”

“Oh!! I absolutely understand. What do you want to talk about?”

“As I said, you have shown an interest in my son and have broken his hard interior.”

“Mr. Night, if I have crossed boundaries in any way then I am here to say……”

“You don’t have to say anything. In fact, I’m glad that he has found someone who loves him for him. It’s true that I have been hard on him growing up, but now you are opening his eyes at a new side of life. One he never before experienced. You are invoking an emotion in him that he never knew he needed let alone was there. I saw you two sleeping together last night. You so want to take it farther but since you have no way of….then you don’t want to break his heart for it. I’m here to offer you a way that can make your future brighter.”

“Keep talking.”

“You have stripped me bare over and over again of my legion, but each time; you never took one person. Your brother. I have found him for I have never laid eyes off of him. Just say the word and I’ll retrieve him for you so that you can be reunited with your physical body. That is….after I burn him and peel your body from his.”

“What’s the catch?”

“There is only one. Since I give you a second chance at life; I hope that you will also give me a second chance.”

“No way. You’re a villain. You destroy worlds without a second thought.”

“Does not my son do the same?”

“He’s different.”

“Why? Because you ‘LOVE’ him? Where’s my love? Or do you have none left to give?”

“Shadow….he’s…..he’s…….different. He wasn’t born evil. He was trained his whole entire life not knowing any other way. I want to show him one.”

“Take it, forgive and forget doesn’t run in your blood? It did run in Adalyn’s though.”

“Say that name one more time and I’m out of this car.”

“No, no. Wait. I meant nothing by it. Just that I saw your pure heart and made you a Hopegiver. No matter how evil a Mist is; you have always found it in your heart to forgive them and give them a second chance at life.”

“That’s because they were put in a cage, and you were the cage holder.”

“You don’t think I’ve been put in a cage?”

“I….I…..I don’t know.”

“Ha!! The funny thing is, I created you to help others, but then when I come to you and ask you to return the favor……..you can’t even do it. Just get out of the car. You people have taken everything from me. You’ve taken my wife, my sons, my armies, my world, my name, my healers, and even my friends. Your future is going to be changed whether I die or not since everything else is changed. Why must I die other than to have you people gloat your power? I LITERRALLY have nothing left to keep…..but with my last breaths……I have everything to give. Why won’t you take that?

The world’s changing……you……are changing it. Why not change with it? What more do you have to offer?

“More? You made me a Hopegiver. There are more lives down there that need me?”

“They are all loyal to a fault. None of them would dare do what I did and make their own Hopegivers to help sneak out their caged. Good luck finding any who are left. Only angels God gave the power to heal, can use their energy to make a Hopegiver…and everything I have made. Angels only heal people when someone asks God for healing. Then God gives His healing power to an angel and the angel goes down and heals. There are only so few healer angels like me that don’t need God to give us the power to heal. We can heal whoever, whomever, wherever, and however we please on people. Once others find out that you are the only Hopegiver left; most will want you to infiltrate their Legions as well so that you can help their caged escape. You did it to yourself. After you released everybody from my Legion, they all returned to their physical body except you and Willow.”

“Then that means my work is not done. There are more to save.”

“You’ve done enough. Your mother raised you to help others and be the light. Be the small ray of hope that people see. You have served well in life…..and you have served well in death. Thing is, that’s all you know how to do. Why not let yourself lay back, take care of your own needs and start a family. It must be tiring helping people reconnect with their own, but you will never have one to rest with. Nobody will judge you. They will congratulate you on all the people that you have saved, but there will always be more. None of them will feel guilty for your service.”

“With every breath in me I will praise His holy name. Even to my dying breath.”

“You may have saved more people in death than in life, but nobody will ever see your sacrifice. Instead of leaving your mark on others…..start making your own.”

“Others may not see me, but God does. That is who I do it for.”

“This God you serve; would He not forgive and forget all? Seems I gave my healing to the wrong person. Now that I think of it, Adalyn is also a ’Giver. Why not just let the demons fight over her? They don’t need you anymore. There is a young, agile, loving, ready to serve girl already. She would’ve wanted this for you.”

“You act as if I have no choice.”

“Look, if you don’t think I give you a choice then here. I’ll give you the keys. If you want to reach over and turn the car on, disabling the invisibility cloak, then I won’t stop you, but you have to make up your mind. You can’t have both.”

“STAR!!!!”

“Oh, look who stands not even inches away from your window!! If you really love him then open the doors and go to him. You do that and your body will be waiting for you by the tree you first came down in.

Do you need help opening the door, my dear? I see your hand on the handle pressing it down but not all the way. Did I forget to unlock the holds?”

“No! No. I can open the doors just fine.”

STAR!!!”

“Shadow, we need to go back. If we stay out here any longer then we will get lost. Star can take care of herself. Come on.”

“What if she can’t? She needs me……..just as much as I need her. Without her beside me, my fire will come back and both of you will lose me. She helps make me different. No her means I’m no different than father. You go back. I don’t want to hurt you if I turn. I’ll stay out here all night looking for her if I have to.”

“Then I’ll stay with you. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine.”

“Awwwww!! Look at my sons. Can you see them? They will give everything to find you, even the clothes on their back. Instead of hoping that they last the night, why not just open your door, and greet them yourself?

Oh no, I feel a slight chill coming on. The cold front is here. Can you see the trees praising the Lord? I wonder how far they can last now.”

“You’re right brother. We can’t stay out in this climate. The weather is getting choppy and if we don’t hunker down someplace fast, there will be no us.”

“BOYS, NO? MY SONS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? You can’t just leave your damsel in distress. GET BACK HERE!!”

“Nightmaster, they can’t hear you.”

“I know. Without you, there is no hope.”

“What did you say?”

“I said, ’Without you, there is no hope. Why? Wait, stop removing your hand from the door. Just open it.”

“I am the Hope. I am the light in the dark place.”

“Star, stop it.”

“I am the Star that breaks forth. Without me, their is no hope.”

“Are you sure about this? I am not going to give you another chance. Once I step out of this car, darkness will come back to take me and there will be no more Mr. Nice guy.”

“Love cannot exist without Hope and Hope without Love.”

“There they go; walking away, never to turn their backs again.

I’m proud of you, Sixth Star. You have shown that I have made the right decision when I picked you. I’m about to leave so I can’t guarantee nor promise you that I’ll get your body back for my heart will turn back cold but know this. You will do great things. I can feel it.”

“Nightmaster, wait. If there is any chance, then I would’ve…….he’s gone.”

“Wolf, wait. Do you hear something?”

“It’s just the wind. Her voice is in your head.”

*Tick, tick, tick……vroooom!!!!!”

“What was that? It sounded like a car just started.”

“BOYS, I’M OVER HERE!!!!!!”

THIS IS NOT THE END

“Where were you? We were worried sick.”

“I got……lost!!!”

“Are you found?”

“Yes.

Quick, get inside.”

“How long were you ‘lost’? This car is heated to the bone as if no scratch occurred.”

“........That’s why it’s called a Healer!!!”

“Just turn the lights on and get us out of here.”

“Ooookaa…..aghhhhhhhhh!!!!! It’s Adelheid.”

“OPEN THE DOORS!!! OPEN THE DOORS!!!”

“What is she trying to say? I don’t read…..”

“OPEN…….THE……DOOR!!!”

“Shadow, open the door.”

“Thank you. NOW DRIVE!!!!”

“Adelheid, what’s wrong? Where’s Summer? Are you hurt?”

“Just step on it. I’ll explain while you drive.”

“I’ll just fly. It’ll be faster.”

“NOOO!!! The more we can stay on the ground, the better.”

“Adelheid, where is Summer? Who killed her?”

“.........The Trees!!!”

“Trees? Trees aren’t…….”

“Mruuaaaaaaahh!!! *Boom*”

“There’s too many of them. They are on all sides. Wait, is that….”

“DRIVE!!!! DRIVE!!!! DRIVE!!!!!”

“Willow?”

*Vrooom*

“Watch the feet!!!”

“Hard right!!”

*Vroom.”

“I’m more worried about their hands that are reaching. They could pick up our car like it’s a toy.

So, what happened, Adelheid? How did Willow……become Willow?”

“GO FASTER!!!”

“Listen, I didn’t ask for the backseat driver’s advice. You know what, make yourself useful.”

“Star, it will do no good. I already tried cutting them up. They just grow back. You will never be able to kill them entirely.”

“Then this is the perfect job for Wolf.

Wolf, you up for it? It’s not called killing if they can’t die. It’s just defending. Get them off our back.”

“Yes ma’am. Shadow, you’re with me.”

“Now, Adelheid. Tell me what exactly happened.”

“It is kinda hard to explain. I think Night had his last spur of goodwill and sent Willow to help ‘parent’ us. The thing is Willow scolded us on how bad we acted, before she was able to tell us now what we should do about our circumstances. I didn’t let her get that far and she snapped when I started speaking back. From there she went on strike and her resentment of us only grew physically and otherwise. It was my fault she died.”

“Adelheid, don’t say that. That’s not true.”

“It is true. She was running ahead of me and every once in a while, she had to look back to make sure I was keeping up. She turned around at me one last time not looking where she was going and……snatch!! They took her.

I tried to….”

*VROOM*

“Slow down on the clutch, their, Speedy.

As I was saying, I tried to help her, but she told me not too. She told me if I flew up to free her, I would be spotted.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I watched her blood drip down between his fingertips……and did nothing.”

“Where are they going?”

“Huh?”

“I asked, ’Where are they going? Willow told them to march!! She didn’t tell them to attack you. She just said march with me. Why?”

“I don’t know. I was more focused on the now and not the later.”

“If we can figure out where they are going then we can gauge how to help?”

“Help?

Help?

Willow’s friends just killed Summer like she was a Squishy. All our hard work….gone in a snap. What help is there to give?”

“Uhhhhh…..where? Where? Where’s the baby? I gave her to Willow to hold onto. If Night wanted her to parent us, then where did she put the baby? I told her not to give it to anyone up there, so where? Surely, whoever she gave it to, she gave it to them intending for them to give it back. With Nightmaster slowly sinking back into his dark ways, he’s not going to welcome any of us like he used to. Now, if we want something…….we’re gonna have to take it. Since no one has given her the chance to parent, and you didn’t help when you didn’t even let her give her advice…..she now believes she can be a better parent than anybody.”

“She’s taking her army and is using them to get her son back!!!”

“WOLF!!!!!

SHADOW!!!!!

STOP FIGHTING AND GET IN HERE. I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING, BUT I DON’T THINK THEY DO!!”

“What do you mean? They weren’t dying. We tried everything we could. Nothing helped stop their advance.”

“I told you we couldn’t……never mind. They’re trying to reach Dreamworld, but since Willow has lived most of her life underneath the Dream, I don’t think they know where they are truly going. They aim to free Summer’s son, and we need to help.”

“Help destroy Dreamworld and everyone in it? Star, I told you. My killing days are over.”

“If it comes down to it and we have to kill the whole world in order to get to him………we won’t.”

“But what if they attack us?”

“Then we defend, but only defend.”

“What about Nightmaster? What if he attacks us?”

“.....I said no one’s going to die, and I mean it.”

“Welcome home sir. How was your trip downwards? Did everything go smoothly?”

“Where’s the baby, Sofia?”

“Ouch!!! You pushed me.”

“SOFIA, WHERE’S KEEGAN?

They’re coming for him, and no one is going to stand in their way of accomplishing just that. I want this place on lockdown A.S.A.P!!!! Call everyone to their posts?”

“My king, who do I call? Must I call the villagers?”

“CALL MY LEGION!!!”

“There is no Legion. As you left, so did they. Why must you protect a dying world?”

“If we truly are dying, then what are you doing dying with it? Your other sisters followed Shadow. Do you not love your brother?”

“I do, honestly, but why can’t I love both?”

“Maybe you can, Sofia. Maybe you can.”

“Sire, we have returned.”

“Why so few of you?”

“They stopped our advance and attacked. Summer was bearing most of the force. I’ve seen them on the horizon. Your sons are leading the charge. The very car you built for healing; they are driving for destruction. Behind them follow Willow and her trees. They’re here for the kid.”

“I know.”

“What should we do? I can scrounge up the remaining survivors, and we can build a wall.”

“There is no need. I promised you all a seat among my stars, but I fear there will be no world left for you to populate. Instead of fighting for a promise that may never happen; go back to the mansion. The girls already promised you that……..and they never break a promise.”

“With all due respect sir, there is no earthly reward that will satisfy us. We already await our Mansion in Heaven.”

“Is that all?”

“Well.”

“Out with it.”

“You did destroy our world in your efforts to keep up with times, so we have no world to go back to.”

“That’s not true. You do have a world.”

“Not a safe one. Your Emotionless minions have desecrated our fields.”

“My minions!!! Bring them here.”

“They won’t make it in time.”

“Then leave.”

“Sir.”

“I said leave. There is no use building your home on rocky soil.”

Look who approaches!!! They are my sisters!!!!”

“What are they doing down? Without them……Nightmaster has no one.”

“Wait, where’s Sofia?”

“She stayed behind.”

“Loyal to a fault. She always was.”

“And she always will be.”

“May we catch a ride?”

“The plan doesn’t change.”

“Sir, our sensors are picking them up just outside our barriers.

They’ve crossed!!!!! What do we do now?”

“Let them come.”

“HALT!!! You’re not allowed beyond this point. I said HALT!!! No one is allowed behind this……aaaaaghhhh!!!!”

“ATTACK!!!!!”

“DEFEND THIS KEEP!!! Nobody gets past this keep……alive!!!”

“Wolf, take the car around back. The rest of us will fight.”

“Those that can fly, do so. Summer, Abby, help your brother.

Genie, find a weakness in their structure so we can get in. Adelheid and I will attack from above. Willow, take your army and go around back. Shadow and the others, charge forward. There may be more of them, but they can’t defend all sides. BREAK!!!”

“Sir, they’re trying to block us in.”

“Ruaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!! Booom!!!!”

“HOLD THE LINE. NOBODY GETS PAST HERE.”

“Summer would’ve been great just about now. She would not hesitate in burning them.”

“Roaaarrr!!”

“Take that as you don’t care?”

“FIRE SPEARS!!!! SHOOT THEIR LEAVES. AIM HIGH, MISS LOW.”

“Willow, protect your…..

It’s ok. They can’t hurt us.”

’They’re still advancing. Our attacks are of no use. Their trunks are what are getting water. Without them, they can’t heal.”

“.....You heard the man. Shoot there….aaagh!!”

“SPEARS OF PRAYER, READY?

FIRE!!!!!”

“I’ll cut them off.”

“Wolf, come in. How is that portal coming?”

“I can’t find the door anywhere. I’ve looked up and down the structure but nothing.”

“Brother, not all portals look like an average door.”

“I know that.”

“Do you? Look for a loose pebble or different colored rock. It won’t be obvious, but I promise that it is there. Keep searching. I’m coming over to help.”

“Ouch!!! Stupid arrow got me. I’m going in.”

“Star, stay behind the blockade. You can’t go in on your own.”

“Who’s to stop me

SHIELD OF FAITH!!!!”

“She’s going into Deadmans zone. What do we do?”

“Sire, look.”

“Hold your fire? Shoot the girl!!!”

“Come on. She’s distracting them for us.”

“Look out!!!!”

“Nooooo!! Oak!! Oak!! You can’t fall. If I had any water to give, then I would.”

“GET DOWN!!! AAAGH!!!”

“Nightmaster, they are breaching. The trees are picking up boulders and throwing them at the wall knocking the men down.”

“The wall will stand. It has to.”

“Sir, it’s a distraction. They’re concentrating our manpower focused on them while they look for a backdoor. We need to get you out of here.”

“Where is there to go? Do you not see the fires ranging from heaven? Judgement day is here and I’m the one on trial.”

“There he is. I can see Nightmaster.”

“I got this.”

“Adelheid, wait!!”

“I’m the Helper, remember. Let me help.”

“You can’t face him alone.”

“I wasn’t asking.”

“Nightmaster, we need to go. Our army is weakening and Adelheid is flying up here.”

“Go!!”

“Nightmaster, you may not care about your world anymore, but I do.”

“Shadow, who is that flying towards Adelheid to challenge her? She looks like a wolf, but it is hard to tell from this position.”

“It’s Sofia. She would die for father.”

“Out of my way…..wolf!! This is not your fight.”

“I can’t let you proceed, Adelheid.”

“If you won’t move, then I’ll make you move!!!

WINGS OF SPEARS……..ATTACK!!!”

“Shadow, isn’t that Sofia fighting Adelheid? Should we go up and…..”

“No. You couldn’t stop her even if you wanted to.”

“Wolfpack, come in. Wolfpack, come in.”

“What is it, Wolf?”

“I think I found the portal in. It’s on the east side and not the west like Shadow had first said. You’re gonna have to hurry though.”

“Why? It’s not like doors move.”

“That is exactly what they do.”

“We’re on our way!!!”

“What about Sofia, Shadow? We can’t just leave her to die at the hands of Adelheid. Look at her. She’s no match. Adelheid is eating her alive. Her loyalty is too a lost cause.”

“I told you, you can’t save her even if you wanted to. God was the only one that gave her wings and not any of you. Now come on.”

“There has to be a way. Their just has to.”

“I told you. She cannot be…….”

“I’ll do it!!!”

“Star, you can’t fly, either.”

“I’ll find a way. Take the girls to the portal and meet me there.”

“But.”

“No buts. Just go.”

“Come on girls. You heard her.”

“Willow, can you fling me up there?”

“Who do you want to hit?”

“Can you shoot me straight between the two? I’ll grab Sofia and end this.”

“Climb on, but hurry. Adelheid has taken out her fire sword and is attacking. The chances of you getting stabbed by her sword are too great.”

“It’s ok.”

“Star, you don’t understand. If she stabs you……then I’ll never see you again.”

“I know.”

“No!! No you don’t. You’ll die, but who knows which Legion you’ll end up in. I can’t do it.”

“Willow, I was put on this earth to be a Hopegiver. These past few days I’ve been failing, but if I can do this one thing then Nightmaster will see that I’ve changed. He will see that we are not here to end him.”

“OUCH!!!”

“I said, out of my way!!!”

“Please.

The others need me, and I need them. I’ve been away too long. It’s time to go back.

Thank you.

Don’t squish me too tight.”

“Just say when.”

“ADELHEID, STOP. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I was just being loyal. ADELHEID, NOOOOOO!!!!”

“NOW!!!!”

*PHOOOM!!!!*

“I’m coming for you Sofia!!!!”

“Shadow, stop. Look up. What is she doing?”

“She’s bringing hope.”

“She’s not going to make it. She’s not going to make it.”

“Nightmaster, wait. Turn around. What is Star doing?”

“.........She’s saving the world.”

“Star, what are you doing here?”

“Sofia, I got you.”

“Watch out.”

“Aaaaaaghhhhh!!!”

“Star, why are you getting between us? My sword wasn’t meant for…oh no. What have I done?”

“HURRY, THE DOORS CLOSING. SHADOW, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?”

“Girls, get inside. I have to….”

“I SEE HER!!!”

“She’s dropping too fast!!!”

“None of us can fly. What do we do? Wait, Wolf, where are you going?”

“SHE’S MY SISTER TOO.

SOFIA, I’M COMING.”

*VROOM*

“Come on car. Show me how fast you can go.”

“Aaaaaaaaghhhhhhhh!!!!!!”

“I can’t watch. I can’t.”

“Wait, he’s getting out of the car.”

“Sofia, you’re going to have to fly towards me.”

“I can’t. Adelheid broke both my wings.”

“You have to try. This car doesn’t go any faster.”

“I’m dropping too fast.”

“Uhh….I….uh….I’ll come for you.”

“Wolf, you can’t fly, and the car can’t fly itself.”

“Neither can you.”

“What’s happening now?”

“......He jumped.”

“I got you, Sofia. Hang onto me tight. Whatever you do, just look into my eyes. It’s going to be ok, little sister.”

“I’m scared.”

“It’s ok to be scared. You want to know a secret? Even I’m scared.”

*BOOM*

“BROTHER!!! BROTHER!!! WHERE ARE YOU?”

“ACHH!! ACHH!!!”

“Here, grab my hand.”

“I can’t reach.”

“You’re going to have to jump out of the hole. I’ll catch you.”

“I’m here. I’m here. Where’s my brother? Where’s Wolf?”

“I got you. One…two…heave.”

“Sofia, where is my brother?”

“.....He……he…..he softened my fall.”

“Don’t cry, Sofia. It’s ok. You’re safe now. You’re safe.”

“Out of the way. Let me see him for myself.”

“There is not much to identify him.”

“Phiinph!! Wolf, open your eyes. Please. Show me that you’re alive.”

“What’s his status?”

“Phiinph!!!”

“I asked, ’What’s his status? Is he breathing?”

“........He’s dead!!!”

“Noo!! Noo!! Noo!!! He can’t be dead. He just can’t be. We never even got the chance to know him.”

“Shadow!!!”

“What’s he doing?”

“Brother, Adalyn is who brought us together. She loved us when no one else would, but she has made a mistake. This cross doesn’t belong to me. It never has. *Buirp.

Here, I think she meant to give this cross to you.”

“You coming Shadow? The door’s closing.”

“I’m coming. Help me up.”

“I got you.”

“Where did Adelheid go?”

“She went to find Nightmaster.”

“COME ON. I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER THE DOOR WILL STAY OPEN. WHERE IS WOLF?”

“WE’RE COMING. I’LL TELL YOU INSIDE.”

*Zroom*

“WELCOME TO DREAMWORLD, FOLKS. Hope you like your stay.”

NEW BEGINNINGS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Avella’s Dream 324

Blood Dawn 334

Fade 343

The Fall 354

Rise 365

AVELLA’S DREAM

“IF YOU OPEN THAT DOOR, THEN SO HELP ME, I’LL WIPE THE GROUND WITH YOUR BLOOD…….AND THEN WILL LET YOUR BEASTS LICK UP EVERY DROP!!!!!”

*click*

“Their, Adelheid. My hand……is away from the latch.”

“I don’t want to leave your kids without a father, but you’ve already done that. Now turn towards me slowly.”

“My children were never without a father. They just left to go find themselves, but don’t worry. As you can see, no matter how dark the parents are, their children always come back. Why? Nothing is stronger than family.”

“.........They don’t all come back!!

Wolf is dead!!!!!!”

“Dead? No, no, no, noo!!! I told Sofia to stay by my side. Let her siblings come to me so that we can reconcile. What did she do? She believed we couldn’t reconcile, so she rather lay down her life for me, then wait.”

“It’s called loyalty. She had faith that you were still good and was about to die to prove it.”

“She was just a little girl wanting others to see how good her daddy was. THEN YOU HAD TO CHALLENGE HER. WHY? She was just PROTECTING ME. It was you who killed Wolf, then ripped the heart out of Shadow, by taking his girl.

HUURAAAGHHHH!!!!!”

“WINGS, SURROUND ME.”

“I guess it wasn’t good enough for you to settle with taking my boys from me. You had to go deeper. You had to take away their hope as well. They split from me to go find themselves, and you took that away.”

“Grr!! Roowl!! Rowl!!! Arcg!!! Arcg!!!”

“Be free my doggies. Free at last.”

“FATHER, GIVE ME FIRE…….AAAaaghhhh!!!!”

“You know what Adelheid? How bout I wipe the ground with your blood and let my dog’s drink!!!!!”

“You….won’t……get away with this.”

“JUST LIKE YOU TORE THE WINGS OFF MY LITTLE ANGEL, SO WILL I TEAR YOUR WINGS!!!!!!”

“CLOAK ME, FATHER!!”

“Your wings will not protect your features forever. Give it time and my Beasts will have their toy. In the meantime, I advise you to hold that position. There is business elsewhere that needs my attention utmost. Toodaloo!!!”

“Did you hear that?”

“What? I didn’t hear anything, Shadow?”

“Their it is again. Tell me I’m not just hearing anything. It may be dead of night….but everything happens at night.

*OOF*

“You’re home. You’re home. FAMILY, I FOUND HIM. HE’S HOME. WAIT….THEY’RE ALL HOME. THEY’VE COME BACK.”

“Hello Ambrielle. Now you have to stay quiet. My father is on the prowl and won’t like our appearance. How is he?”

“He’s in one of his moods, I’m afraid. I did as you asked. Whenever he is in his mood, you always tell me to go to all the villagers and have them lock down their houses and stay inside.”

’You did well. Tell me, where is your sister Avella?”

“She’s home and can’t wait to meet Wolf. We have dreamt of this day our entire lives. The day the Family reconciles and becomes whole. Why……why are you crying? You said you would bring Wolf here.”

“I did. I brought him here but couldn’t bring him inside.

He’s dead.”

“You finally did it. After all the unsuccessful attempts your father made you go on, this time you finally did it.”

“Hey!! Both of you stop fighting. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be standing here now before you.”

“Come. We must give the news to my siblings and my parents.”

“You still live together? Why haven’t you left when it got bad?”

“Ambrielle, we don’t have time to grieve or to reconcile. Father made his choice, and now we have to make ours.”

“Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says, ’Their is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the Heavens. ’Their is a time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to uproot. A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them. A time to embrace, and a time to throw away. A time to tear, and a time to mend. A time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate. Finally, their is a time for war, and a time for peace.”

“We didn’t come here to make peace with Father. Their is nothing he can do to change the actions that he did.”

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1st John 1:9.

Look, we are here.”

*Knock, knock….knock, knock knock…..knock…knock.”

“Come in.”

“Secret knock?”

“We never know if the person knocking is friend or foe. Better to be safe than sorry.”

“Ambrielle, Shadow, Autumn, Abby, Sofia, and Genie. Welcome to my humble abode.”

“Thanks for the hug, Mrs.…..”

“Iver. It’s Mrs. Iver.”

“You must have really missed us. Your hugs felt like I hadn’t received one in a long time.”

“That’s because you haven’t. Say, who is this lovely lady?”

“Hello. Thank you for welcoming me into your beautiful home. My name is Willow, and I knew Star well.”

“Star!! Is she here? Shadow, where’s that girl of yours?”

*She’s dead, Sabrina. She died saving Sofia.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. If there is anything we can…..”

*OOF*

“Hello little munchkin. How is my princess Avella doing today?”

“Where’s your brother? You said you’d come back with him.”

“Avella, come here.”

“Hello Vincent. Didn’t see you there.”

“If Wolf was here then he would’ve smelt me out long before the door was reached. He always won at hide and seek. Last I saw him, he was a boy. Has he come back a man?”

“Honey, it’s okay.”

“Wait, where is he? Don’t tell me your father finally forced you to do the unthinkable.”

“He didn’t……I assure you. His death was not at my hands.”

“Then how did he die?”

“He died saving me. I owe my life to him.”

“Shadow, where were you when all this went down?”

“I….I….watched on….”

“Since he couldn’t fly; he was busy preparing a soft landing for us when Wolf fell.”

“Sofia, what are you…”

“I see. I knew you wouldn’t just sit by and watch him fall. Their is still good in you. I believe it now.”

“I hope so.”

“YOU’RE WRONG!!!!”

“Avella!!”

“He’s not dead. I just know it. He is alive, and you have to go back for him.”

“Avella, I saw him die with my own eyes. I saw his skin.”

“Was it cold or warm?”

“What? That has nothing to….”

“Was it cold or warm?”

“It was warm, but that is just because he had just now died. His body hadn’t….”

“Then he’s alive!!!! I believe it. All the stories you told me after you came back made Wolf out to be a superhero who could never die. Story after story, you always spoke of how strong he was. He will be back to take his place on the throne.”

“Avella, he’s dead.”

“No, he’s not. Come with me!!! I show you proof.”

“Uhh…welll. You girls stay in here, and the Ivery’s will keep you company. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Ambrielle, where is your younger sister taking him?”

“She’s taking him to her vision board. She proclaims that she can see the future and always draws from it. Thing is, none of what she has drawn has ever come true, but she still holds out hope that one day it will.”

“Can we?”

“No. She only lets a few people back there. If she wanted you girls back there then she would’ve grabbed your hands and led you just like she is Shadow. The only reason why we found out it was there is because after one night of tucking her in, there is a drape over a wall she always keeps hidden. This night though, she forgot to cover the drape back on, and we saw it.”

“You’re her parents. Do you remember what it was? Did you take a picture? Why have you never seen it before?”

“Willow, it’s called privacy, and we respect each other’s. Their is a word called ‘trust’, and you can’t have a relationship without it. Sometimes, you have to let them hold onto their own secrets in order to make them feel whole.”

“Avella, what is it? What do you want to show me?”

“It’s a surprise. Cover your eyes, and don’t open them until I say.”

“Can I open them yet?”

“Nope. Not yet.”

“What about now?”

“You’re so impatient. I have to reach it first.”

“What are you going to…….wooo. Don’t fall. I got you.”

“I accidentally slipped there a second reaching for it. You can open your eyes.

“Here you go. I’ll let you touch ground now.”

“Thank you.”

“So, what was it you wanted to……WOOOOOO!!!! You drew all of this?”

“You look at it as if you have seen it before? Have you seen one of the drawings somewhere?”

“Yes. May I touch it?”

“Why of course.”

“This looks just like the vision map Wolf had in his hideout, except yours is way further detailed. You have people drawn inside the healers whereas mothers had no one. In the front seat of every car, you drew…….is that blue?”

“Yes. It’s a blue hoodie. Why? You’ve seen him before?”

“The only person I know that wore a blue hoodie so much was my brother…..”

“Wolf!!!!”

“This….this….can’t be. Wolf drove the last healer car into the air and then jumped out of it, sacrificing the car over Sofia. There are none left. Even if this was the future, the girls said Nightmaster only kept his cars up here. He never let any go and was hesitant just to give Adalyn a few crosses.”

“Where are those crosses now?”

“She took one, gave the other to her sister, and then with the last one, she gave it to me. Wolf already had one that mother gave to him.”

“Do you have yours on you?”

“No. I gave it to Wolf?”

“How’d you give it to him?”

“I……I….I kissed it and then placed it on his heart. Why?”

“What if his heart received it, and now he has two crosses in his stream?”

“Look at the other drawings.”

“There he is sitting on the throne, but where are we? Where is his family?”

“He has none.”

“Look at this. You drew Dreamworld rebuilt, and other variations of Healers circling ahead, but Nightmaster hasn’t even finished building the cars; so, who is building these?

That I do not know. As you can see, I was about to write your name, but then crossed it out in red. I’m so sorry.”

“There is no need to be sorry. If we are not the ones standing beside Wolf, then who is?”

“....His new family.”

BLOOD DAWN

“Avella, are you ready to come out?”

“I’m here mom. I was just showing Shadow my…..”

*BOOM!! *BOOM!! *BOOM!!*

“Who could that be knocking on our door at this hour?”

“Are their any other secret door knocks I don’t know about?”

“Maybe it’s Wolf.”

*BOOM!!! *BOOM!! *BOOM!!*

OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW, IN THE NAME OF THE KING.”

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

“How did he know where we were? He doesn’t even know about you guys.”

“Wait a second………..

That’s not the king. Do you hear that?”

“I SAID OPEN UP. THE KNG’S NOT GOING TO ASK AGAIN. IF WE FIND YOU HELPING THE KIDS IN ANY WAY, THEN THE PUNISHMENT IS DEATH.”

“Aaaaaghhh.”

“No,,nooo…..you can’t take her. She’s heard nothing. I swear it.”

*BANG*

“Aaaaaaaghhhh!!!”

“LASH HIM GOOD. ONE OF THESE VILLAGERS IS BOUND TO TALK.”

“He’s searching all the houses.”

“That means he doesn’t know you are here. Quick, go in the backroom. Ambrielle, show them the way.”

“Why are you helping us? The king has never helped you.”

“I know, but you have. You have given us hope that their can be a future like your mother foretold. When you left, we never gave up hope. Even after you came back with only half, we still held, and will hold forevermore. You’ve helped us our whole lives, let us return the favor. Now go.”

“WE’RE COMING IN!!!!!”

*BOOF*

“WHERE ARE THEY? I KNOW THEY WERE HERE. WHERE ARE YOU HIDING THEM?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We have never…..owww!!! Let me go. Let me go!!!!!”

“Don’t hurt my mother. I’ll make you pay for what you did.”

“Avella, come on.”

*Huuupshhh!! Too*

“You’re a strong little girl, aren’t you? May I see the drawing you are holding in your hands?

Please.”

“Avella, it’s ok. You can show them.”

“But mommy. They won’t under……got it.”

“Hey, give that back!!! It’s not yours!!!!”

“I just want to take a look, little girl. I promise not to destroy it in any way shape or form.”

“Oh, lookie what we got here? Who’s that sitting on the throne with Healers flying all around, and a hoard of people lined up to wait their turn?”

“Avella, don’t tell him….aaaaaghh!!!”

“MOMMY!!!!”

“Now if you don’t tell me who’s sitting on the throne, then I’ll slice your beautiful mommy’s neck. How about it? WHO…..IS SITTING……ON THE THRONE?”

“........It’s Wolf!!”

“HA!! HAA!! HAAA!! HAAAAAA!!!!!! That’s a good one, little miss sunshine. You have quite the imagination and a skill for drawing, but haven’t you got the news? WOLF IS DEAD!!!!!!! He aint coming back to fulfill your dreams and fantasies.”

“YOU’RE WRONG. HE IS COMING BACK AND WILL TAKE HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE. JUST WAIT AND SEE.”

“Huuh? Talking back, are we? Tell me, how is he going to walk up out of the grave and take us all out? With the king’s Legion gone, who knows where Wolf ended up. There is no way he can make it back here.”

’I believe it.”

“You believe it. Haaa!! Little girl believing the dead can walk. You got quite the imagination, young one.”

“It’s not imagination I have, but faith.”

“Faith, you said? Where is this ‘Faith’ of yours now? Oh yea, she’s all the way up there hiding in her wings while slowly being eaten alive by Nightmasters beasts. Is that where your faith is? Faith is unseen, but let me show you something that’s real and you can believe it.”

“Noooooooo!!!!!!”

*SLIT*

“MOMMA!!! How could it come to this?”

“Avella, don’t cry. Let me wipe your tears. It’ll be alright. Just have faith.”

“BAG THE GIRL AND FEED HER TO THE BEASTS. I’LL HANDLE THE REST.

YOU THERE!! SEARCH THE PLACE.”

“Hey, if you want to go back there then you’ll have to go through me!!!”

“Why are you standing in my way, Peasant? If you block me then that means you have something to hide.”

“And it’ll stay hidden.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Haaagh!!”

“YOU FOLLOW THE HOPE OF AN UNFORSEEN MOTHER. OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE THE VISION OF THE KING. SEE THE VISION THAT HAS BEEN PLAYED OUT FOR YOU!!!”

“HER VISION WILL COME TO PAST, AND THE KING….WILLL…..BE……REPLACED!!!!!!!”

“He may be replaced, but you’ll never live long enough to receive it, Old man.”

“NOOO!! NOO!!”

*Kurrkkch!!!*

“SEARCH THE WHOLE HOUSE. I WANT NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED. THEY COULDN’T HAVE GONE FAR.”

“Hurry!! Come on.”

“What about your sister?” They’ll kill her for sure.”

“I’ll go back.”

“No. We can’t lose anymore.”

“Then send us. We can handle this.”

’No. I will not send anyone.

Shadow!!!”

“Wait, Shadow, why are you nodding at Genie? Genie, why are you forming a ball with your hands?”

“Just say when. Once a clear shot opens up, I’m game.”

“Wait, what are you doing?”

“LET ME GO!!! LET ME GO!!!!”

“Hold her together. WE can’t have….owww. You bit me, little brat.”

“HELP!!! HELP!!!!”

“Not yet!! Not yet!!!!”

“GET BACK HERE. YOU WILL SHOW US OR WE WILL KILL YOU.”

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME.”

“AIM!!!!

Steady!!! Steady!!!!”

“I can’t move. I can’t move.”

“Feisty little girl with her feet, are we?

This will teach you not to yell.

GET HER IN THE TRUCK!!!!”

“NOW!!!!!!!!”

*PHOOM*”

“ROOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!”

“Aaaaghh!! She’s one of them. She’s a wolf!!!!

Ouch!!!”

“Get off me. Get off…aaaawww!!!!!”

“Genie, what did you just do?”

“Abby, you know what to do.

Go in and use your healing powers to transform her back before she gets too wild.”

“Hey, I asked you a question. How and why did you transform my little sister into one of you?”

“GOT HER. SHE’S SECURE.”

“I have the power to transfer myself onto others and turn them into wolves. Most of the time, only Nightmaster regulates when I can and can’t use my powers on, but I always have the last say. He thinks he can control me, but nobody can.”

“Errrrrrrrrr!!!!”

“Avella, it’s ok. It’s just me, Abby. I’m going to walk up on you nice and slow. I’m a friend.

Drop their bones out of your mouth and step away. You’ve done enough damage.”

“Every time I turn someone into a wolf, I always have to send my sister Abby in to calm the person down because I am still getting used to my powers. Most of the time, I can transform someone, and they’re fine, but other times they get too wild and are so out of control, they never bother to turn back to humans. Since Abby is a Healer just like dad, she is the only one I trust to go in and calm the situation down.”

“Can I go to her now?”

“Not yet. We have to wait for Abby to give us the clear.”

“Avella, it’s ok. They won’t hurt you anymore so let’s not hurt them. If you do, then you’re no different from an animal as they are. Nightmaster has his animals, and so do we. His are bloodthirsty and controlled. Ours are not. Here, do you see this drawing of Wolf you drew? I believe in you. If Wolf were here, he would not like to see you like this. Please, just let me touch you.”

“Grrrr!!! GRRRRRrrrrrr!!!!”

“That’s it. Calm!! Calm!!”

“I’m going in.”

“AMBRIELLE, NOOOO!!!!”

“GRRRRRRR!!!!!!!”

“Stay back, she is out of control.”

“Avella, it’s me, Ambrielle.”

“Ambrielle, I said stay back. She doesn’t know the difference between friend or foe. All she sees is meat and needs blood to satisfy her hunger.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“You should be.

Stop walking closer. What are you doing?”

“You’re a Healer, are you not? If I get injured, then you will heal me.”

“I’m not ready to test how far my power can go, and neither should you.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Okay, Okay!!! Ummm…draw her attention towards you so that I can sneak up from behind and lay hold.”

“Got it.

HEY AVELLA, WANNA PLAY HIDE AND SEEK? You have to catch meee!!!!!!!”

“Ruff, ruff!!! Ruff, ruff!!!”

“GOT YOU.”

“Owwrl!! Owwrll!!!”

“AVELLA, IT’S TIME TO TRANSFROM BACK INTO THE FORM YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE.”

“IS IT DONE!!!! IS SHE BACK?”

“YES. YOU CAN COME OUT NOW, AMBRIELLE!!”

“What…..what happened to me? Eww!!! Did I do that?”

“It doesn’t matter now, little sister. I got you…… I got you!!!”

FADE

“We need to get out of here before more come.”

“Others must have seen you guys taking us in. Why haven’t any come forth? They could stop this massacre.”

“They rather die for the hope in your brother, then give you over.”

“Where do we go to now?”

“I don’t know. Every home we seek shelter in will be searched and the people’s lives put into danger.’

“I may know of a place.”

“No. We burdened you girls long enough to the point that you lost everything. We couldn’t possibly ask more of you.”

“It’s not a burden. Shadow and I go way back. You girls weren’t around before they fell, but that’s ok.”

“Ambrielle, I know you want to help, but this may be too far. After everything I’ve done for you, and you’re still living like this; you can’t……it wouldn’t…….”

“Shadow, it’s ok. You can pay us back another time. Until then, all we ask is that you keep the faith. Now come on.”

“Why are you handing me a hoodie?”

“Just put it on, please. The place we are going is not…..”

“Shadow friendly?”

“Exactly. They yearn for the day of your brother, and until then, despise the actions of you…….and your father. They say you are one of the same.”

“What do you think?”

“Just put it on.”

“Yes Ma’am. I am thankful that you have my safety in mind.”

“The mask is not to protect you. It’s to protect the others. Now put it on. We’re here.”

“Ambrielle, it’s so good to see you again. Have you come to finally introduce us?”

“Dante, I told you I knew the royal family but none of you believed me.

Avella, would you like to introduce them to make sure that these are indeed the royals and not clones of Nightmasters mastery?”

“I’d love to, sister. Starting with, this strong handsome devil here is the master of all things strong. You think it, she can lift it. Give it up for….wooo!!

AUTUMN!!!!!!!

You can put me down now!!”

Oh. Oh. Sorry. My bad. Still getting used to my strength.”

“Second, you all know the powerful and insanely good-looking healer. Here she is. She’s none other than the one….the only……ABBY!!!”

“Huuuuu!!! Is that Abby? It’s so nice to see you again. I served with your mother…..wooooo!! What did you do? I CAN WALK AGAIN. It’s a miracle. Let me go over there and give you girls a hug. You may not remember, but when you all were just little tiny things, you used to come to my house and play all day.”

“Granny, it’s o….oof*

Thanks for the hug, but sadly I remember you not.”

“I don’t blame you. When you girls were young, all the grannies passed you around. You were the cutest things with your puffy cheeks and pursed smiles.”

“I’m sure we were. I’m sure we….psst, Genie, I could use some help over here. Turn me into a wolf so I can pinch her off me.”

“You got it.”

“Ooi. I felt a pinch on my back.”

“I’m sure it was just a spider, Granny.”

“Maybe you’re right. I’ve been feeling strange these past few years. Recently, I felt a draw in my…..”

“OKAY!!! Okay!!! Let’s move on; their are children present.

My favorite girl……..one of my favorite girls…….is Genie. Now this girl can make anybody turn into a wolf faster than you can howl to the moon. She is also good with any tech and can crack anything you place in front of her.”

“Abby, go kill Gregory. He’s one of Nightmasters’ wolves trying to relay info to him whenever he can.”

“Affirmative.”

“Wait…wait…..aaaaghhh!!!!”

“Oh, and she can also detect when a wolf is present.”

“Sofia, go bring her back. He’s suffered enough.”

“And that’s Sofia. She may be the youngest and smallest, but that doesn’t mean she is the weakest. With her gift of flight and heightened speed, no foe is a match for her.

Questions?”

“I got one. Where’s Shadow?”

“Shadow? Uhhhh.yeaaa….Shadow!! Who knows? Nightmaster is tracking him down as we speak so he could be running all the way to the pits as far as we know.”

“YEAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!”

“THAT’S WHERE THAT HALF-BREED BELONGS. LET THE BEASTS EAT HIM!!!!”

“You don’t really mean that do you? Shadow is your king……..well, future king that is.”

“NIGHTMASTER IS NOT OUR KING, AND SHADOW WILL NEVER BE. OUR KING IS WOLF!!!!”

“WOLF!!!”

“WOLF!!!!”

“WOLF!!!!”

“WOLF!!!!”

“WOLF!!!!”

“ENOUGH!!!!

Have any of you ever seen Wolf after he fell?

That’s what I thought!! Who knows if he has changed from young hood to adulthood? What if when he died, he was a different boy than you first thought?”

“That’s not true…..is it, Sofia?”

“Say, Wolf does come back to life. How is he supposed to defeat a demon, let alone his father? Last we saw him; he was on the balance whether or not killing was satisfactory to do.”

“I’m glad he is that way because he won’t even have to lay a finger on his father. His dad will kill himself.”

“Ha!!! That’ll be the day. He’s not just going to give over the throne, not even to Shadow. Shadow may be the physical image sitting in the chair, but you can’t convince me that Nightmaster is behind the scenes pulling the strings and whispering in his ear.”

“Oh, but he is. Nightmaster is a Healer, just like Sofia, correct?”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Well, where does he get his healing from? Surely it can’t last forever.”

“I’m listening.”

“Angels, unlike Jesus, can lose power. That is why they have to keep going back to Him to ‘fuel’ up. The Bible has shown that Angels can become weak, frail, sick, and yes……even be killed by mortals. In Night’s case, the same power Jesus has given him, is also the same power that will kill him. Let’s say every time he uses his power to heal, he loses a percentage. We’ll start with one hundred percent. His first major healing was turning the dragon into a beautiful girl that he later turned into the mother of good by adding his healing powers in her. There goes a good twenty plus percent of his powers. His second was adding a little bit of energy to the Emotionless to make certain that once the dead come out, they don’t turn on him or any of his family. There goes another ten percent, probably more counting how many he has made. The next four biggest drainages are when he started turning people into Hopegivers. Anybody turns into a Mist when they die, but He controls who turns into a Hopegiver; which in turn needs enough healing power to not only heal the dead but bring them back to life. Staying on the surface, he has started making vessels to trap his healing power. The first replica was the ‘pure crosses’ that allowed mortals to be able to give each other healing powers. Next, we have his cars, and then finally, there is each of you when he passed off a small trinquit of his genes onto. You all possess a part of him. The reason he allows Shadow to step into the light more on the throne, is because he doesn’t want to show people how sick he truly is. Staying out of sight and out of mind helps him recover, but it won’t heal him.

Once he dies, you, Sofia, will be the strongest and most powerful person on this Isle.”

“Me?”

“Yes, but with Wolf by your side, you will achieve greatness far beyond anything Nightmaster could ever dream. The inventions you create would make his healer car look like a kindergarten toy. Your sacrifice would help countless others live.”

“NO!!! Get your hands off of me.”

“Sofia, it will be an honor. Give up your healing so that others can grow. The biggest sacrifice one can make is giving up their life for another.”

“I will not do it. The only reason you want me alive…….is that I can die. I could create worlds and people just like my father did; but make them better. There has to be more for me.”

“Sofia, it’s your destiny. It’s what you were put on this world to…..oww!! Hey!! Get your hand off my arm.”

“MY SISTER, SAID…….NOOOOo!!!!!!!”

“Sss…sh….ss…SHADOW!!!! What….how….who let you in? Oww…ow…oww.. You’re bending my arm. You’re hurting me. You’re hurting me.”

“When my girl says no; she means NO!!!! Your vision may come true, but if my sisters want to support, then they’ll do it out of their own free will; not forced.”

“I’m sorry. I just thought she would want to.”

“You thought wrong.”

“Shadow, you really wouldn’t fight us in front of your sisters. You need to be their role model. What do you think they will feel when they see you spraying blood?

“Huuuuu!!!! Boooom!!!!”

“Aaaaaaghh!!!!! Pstch!!!”

“SOME BIG BROTHER, YOU ARE. *TOO* You only know violence and are happy to give it whenever deemed necessary.

WELL DON’T JUST STAND THERE. GET EM!!!!!!!!!!”

“Now this is a party I always love getting invited to. Here, Willow, take my shirt and step back as you watch the show.”

“Yes sir.”

“Hiraaaaaa!!!!!!”

“Uppercut!!! Uppercut!!! JAB!! Body slam!!!

“Roooarrrr….heuuuuuuu!!!”

“Right through the skull. Man, I’m good. Be right back.”

“Girls, will you stand there and not do nothing? How can you live with a brother like that? Just look at him. My men can’t keep up with his teleporting. He’s slicing through them all as if they were candy. Is that the brother you want?

Owww…oww…owww. Put me down, Autumn. Put me down. I can’t breathe!!!!!”

“His name is Shadow, and he’s more of a brother then one will ever be. He’s always been there for us, defended us, protected us, guided us, and whenever we were alone…..he was there.

What, you expected as us being princesses of a Demon and a Dragon that we would be all cute and cuddly? GET IN LINE.”

“Nooo!!! Put me down!!!”

“Okay.”

“Aaaaaaghhhhh!!!!!!!! Not the face!!! Not the face!!!!!”

*SQUASH*

“Girls, help your brother.”

“Yes, Autumn.”

“LOTUS, MAPLE, OAK, PINE.”

“Yes, Willow.”

“Go outside and…wait….where’s Pine?”

“Oak and Pine burned. We’re sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for. You two go outside and stop the guards from punishing innocents. The real culprits are in here.

DISMISSED.”

“Willow, what do we do now? I’m sorry I brought them here. I thought they would act……”

“Different?”

“Yes.”

“Willow, as I said to my men, there is nothing to be sorry for. If you poke a bear in a zoo, why would you think it wouldn’t roar since it is now ’tamed? Now imagine poking a family of bears. Do you want to go in there and calm them down, Ambrielle?”

“No, but Avella certainly does. All of this havoc is invoking her inner wolf.”

Grrr!!! Rowl!!! Raa!!!Aachh!!! Raacch!!!

ROARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!”

“What did you expect? Genie made her part of their pack!!”

“Have you seen this side of Shadow before?”

“This scene is nothing new. I’ve watched him let loose before. Let’s wait till they get down to half and then we’ll end their punishment.”

“Willow, it’s under!!!”

“Not yet. They still seek to fight………okay. I think that’s enough. They’ve learned their lesson.

ABBY!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“YES, WILLOW?”

“FIRST, GET THAT BLOODY BON OUT OF AVELLAS MOUTH AND THEN GET AHOLD OF HER AND YOUR SISTERS!!”

“What about Shadow?”

’Don’t worry about him. The granny he is fighting is taking care of his healing.”

“Oww!! That hurts. Stop hitting me with your purse granny. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I was just protecting my sisters.”

“That’ll teach you, Sunny!!!”

“Pst, maybe she’s an earthling superhero!!”

“I wouldn’t be surprised. Come on. Let’s go help.”

“Hey, wait!! I’m not done. I’m not done.”

“Avella, I transform you back into the form you know to be true. SISTERS, ENOUGH!!!!!! DROP THEM!!

“Should we help Granny?”

“Don’t you think, help Shadow.”

“I said, stop it. Ok!!!”

WHAT DID YOU SAY? YOU HAVE TO SPEAK UP!!!”

“I SAID….you know what? Nevermind.”

“SHADOW!!!! DROP THAT GRANNY THIS INSTANT.

DON’T MAKE ME COME OVER AND KICK YOU WHERE YOUR SHADOWS ARE!!!

THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT. Now come on. We’re out of here.”

THE FALL

“Sir, they’re running amok.”

“Good!!!!!”

“Should we chase them further?”

“There is no need. They’ll come to us. All we have to do is wait.”

“How long?”

“As long as it takes. Please, sit down here with me and let’s talk.”

“Uhh…we really should be out there searching.”

“Acch!! Acchh!!

Would you really deny the request of a king?”

No, but you’re not my king.”

“Please…..I insist. Here, I’ll pull out a chair for you. Come. Sit down for a while.”

“I could spare a few, I guess. What’s for dinner?”

“Sir, I couldn’t stop them. They’re……..”

“YOU!!!!!!!!!!”

“Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

Children, I would like you to meet my other half. He goes by many names. Some call him Nightwind. Others call him Shade. Some call him dust. Aaae, whatever. I like to call him Snake!!!!!!!!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I’ve heard so much about you. Here, let me bow to you. You are after all, royals.”

“Guards, you can leave us. If they turn, none of you would be able to stop them even if you tried. Now begone.”

Shadow, what do we do?”

“Where were we? Oh yes.

Let us toast to my children’s safe return home. We may have lost one, but how can he be lost if we never knew he was found?

Cheers!!!!!”

“Cheers!!!!”

“Ahhh, that goes down so smoothly. It hits the tongue and then the back of the throat, before sliding graciously down to the pits. Beauty of my life!!!

“I’m sure you all have heard that I am dying. Yes, it is true that this healing God gave me, is making me sick. It is also true that my years….sorry…days….are numbered. I have not long now, so that is why Snake here will soon fulfill the dream that I always wanted from youth. He will make a new Dreamworld down on Earth. You should be proud of me.

We’re finally expanding. Just dream of all the miracles we could bring to people. Imagine all the lives we could touch and save because of the inventions we built. There would be no longer disunity in churches but unity. Churches would no longer be the center of a town. They would be…..the town. We just need to build it.``

“Ephesians 2:8. For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. This is not from yourselves but is the gift of God.”

“Little Abby….Little Abby. If God is the only one who can save and heal, then why did He make us Healers?

I tell you now, the future…will…be….changed, and all that is wrong with the world will be made right. Our friendship will only blossom from there. Fights will no longer need to ensue. War won’t have to be waged anymore. Genie, do you not see?”

“James 4. ‘What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.’

I, Shadow, have had lots and lots of friends throughout my time; and they have shown me much. They have softened me love, showed me patience, helped me find Truth….and stopped my bad ways. Judge not lest you be judged. The world is full of bleakness, but instead of emitting the black, they have shown me that a small light no matter how faint, can brighten a room like it was day.

’Do you think Scripture says without reason that He jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? No. He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’”

“’Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Drive, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

“’Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister, or judges them, speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge; the one who is able to save and destroy. But you…..who are you to judge your neighbor?”

“BRAVO!!!!!

BRAVO!!!! Those girls have truly changed you all into something I know not anymore. You all know scriptures. I’m impressed. You still kill but are open to other forms of ‘Truth’. I congratulate you. Honestly, I salute you. Let me hug you all.”

“Wait, where’d…oof!!

Father, you’re drunk with wine.”

“No. I am drunk with joy. You all have shown that life can exist…..just not in my world.”

“What are you doing? Let us go!! Let us go!!!!”

“Don’t worry. Just like when Jesus acknowledged that His world wasn’t perfect, but certain ones in it were; He wasn’t afraid to wash everything and start anew. This world may burn; but you, my dear, can start anew.”

“Heww!! Heww!! The fire’s not going out. It’s just spreading.”

“I can see great things in the future. With my last act of grace, I am not afraid to admit I was wrong. It’s time to start anew and help this fire spread.”

“NIGHTMASTER……….NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!”

*BOOF*

“I LOVE YOU. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU.”

“Shadow, come on. We need to get out of these chains and save as many people we can before this fire overtakes us all.”

“I’m on it. Heeurrrrrr!!!!! Aaagh. I’m free.”

“Good, now help us out.”

Shadow, can’t you teleport out?”

“No. These chains are preventing my cells from cooperating”

“No worries, I got you, brother.”

“Hurry. The fire’s getting bigger. It’s escaping out the vents into the city.”

“Don’t pressure me. You know how I get under stressful situations.”

“Come on. Pull!!!!

One…two…three…..Pull!!!”

“They’re too strong. I can’t.”

“Yes you can. I believe in you. We all do. We’ll try to help the best we can by loosening them, but it’s all you girl.”

“I…..I…….*tink*

I DID IT. Phewphhh.. I can’t believe I did.”

“I knew you could, Autumn. I just knew it.”

“Guys, this warm embrace of celebration is great and all, but why don’t we celebrate after we save everyone!!!”

“Oh yea. How do you suggest we……..”

*BOOM*

“That works.”

“HELLO UP THERE, TREEBEARS!!!”

“Sofia, don’t fly up there. You know what Adelheid said.”

“Don’t be afraid. They won’t hurt me.”

“Come on. There is a town needing saved.

OAK, TAKE US UP!!!!”

“Bye, bye, castle.”

“It’s okay, Abby. A new one will be constructed in Wolf’s honor. Until then, we need to save as many as can or else Wolf will have no one to lead.”

“It’s too late. We’ll never make it in time. The villages are already burning.”

“It’s never too late. Hold onto me girls and I’ll teleport us down there.”

“Don’t worry. We’re right behind you.”

Here we go.”

“Wait, where are we going to relo…..aaaaghhhhh!!!!”

“KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSED. YOU’RE BOUT TO GO LIGHTSPEED.”

“Is everyone here? Are you girls, ok?”

“I’m here.”

“I’m here.”

“I’m here.”

“I’m……..”

“HELP!!!!! HELP!!!! HELP!!!!!!!”

“Autumn, go that way. Genie, take Sofia and go that way. Abby and I will head this way.

MOVE PEOPLE. THEIR LIVES ARE ON OUR HANDS. The village has never liked us much before; but that doesn’t mean they should die for it.”

“SHE’S UNDER HERE. HER FOOT IS TRAPPED. I CAN’T LIFT IT.”

“Step out of the way, ma’am. I got this. *Huuuewww!!! PULL HER OUT. PULL HER OUT!!!”

“I got her.”

“Follow me this way. Hurry!!!”

*BOOM*

“I’M UNDER HERE. HELP!!! PULL ME OUT!!!!!”

“Sofia!!!”

“I got this.

Grab my hand tight, and I’ll pull. Ready?”

“Ready.”

“One…two…..”

“Aaaaaghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Wait, wait, wait. Go slower. A piece is sticking out my side.”

“Ready?”

“Ready!!”

“One….two…….”

“Aaaaggghhhhhhh!!!!”

“Genie, here. Help me bandage this side. Keep your hand on his wound.”

“We need to get him to Abby.”

“Their is no time. Help me pull him this way.”

“Aaaaaaghhh!!! What do we do? What do we do? I’m scared.”

“Come here my children. It’s ok. This house may burn with us in it but look to the light that is to come. Soon, we will be in a mansion that will never burn.”

“What the!!! Someone’s breaking in?”

“NOBODYS DYING TODAY AS LONG AS I SEE YOU.”

“It’s Abby. You’ve come to save us.”

“Sorry. Grr!! Grr!!”

“Shadow!!!”

“It’s okay. Don’t be scared. Abby didn’t want to come any……she’s preparing our escape. Now, can you all hold onto me please?”

“Aaaghhh!! The roof is caving in.”

“Come on. I’m your only way out of here. Trust is a two-way streak. Trust me now, please.”

“Jewel, where are you going? Stay with the fam.”

“Shadow, I believe you can save us. Please, help my fam.”

“Come here, little one. Hold onto me tight.”

“Shadow, stay away. I said stay back. Stay aw….aaaaghhh!!!!”

“SHADOW!!! WHERE ARE YOU? ARE THEY OUT?

SHADOW!!!!!!” SHADOW!!!! SHADOW!!!!!”

“THEY’RE SAFE….unwillingly, BUT SAFE. WE’RE ON THE LEFT HILL.”

“I’M COMING. I THOUGHT THE HOUSE FLATTENED YOU.”

“SISTER, YOU SERIOUSLY THINK that a little bit of fire is going to stop me?”

“They’re still squirming.”

“They’re trying to get away. I am holding them for you.”

“ABBY!!!”

“My baby!!! Where’s Troy?

TROY!!!! TROY!!! WHERE ARE YOU, TROY?

You have to go back. He’s still in there.”

“Waaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!

Waaaaaaa!!!!”

Shadow, you stay with the fam. I’ll go and find him.”

“YOU GO ABBY!!!! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!”

“Troy!!! Where are you? Can you cry for me?”

“Waaaaaaaa!!!!!”

“There you are. I got you. You’re safe now.”

“YEAAAAAAH!!!! They’re saved. I can see them. Mommy, look!!! Look!!! I told you she was a superhero.”

“You ready?”

“Get ’em out of here. I’ll go back for more.

All of you, listen to Shadow. I know he sounds and looks like an evil assassin, but I promise you that there is a warm cozy teddy bear inside all that fur. There is no one I trust more.”

“BE SAFE!!!”

“THE BIBLE DOESN’T TELL US TO BE SAFE. IT TELLS US TO BE DANGEROUS.”

“THEN BE DANGEROUS. SHOW THEM HOW POWERFUL YOU ARE!!!”

Rise

“EVERYBODY, FOLLOW ME. THE WAY OUT IS THIS WAY.”

“Here, take my son. One by one I’ll pull them up for you to grab, but you have to lay low and stretch. I can’t reach.”

“I got you. Come one. A little more. A little more. A little….I got you.

SEND THE NEXT.”

“Here you are.”

“Now you. Take hold of my hand.”

“I can’t. My foot’s stuck. Take care of them for me.”

“MOM!!!!! MOM!!!!!”

“Oh no, the house is about to fall!!!

Kids, get behind me.”

“MOMMY!!!! MOMMY!!!!”

*Crash*

“Shield your eyes kids and follow Autumn. She will direct you to the boats.”

“What about our parents?”

“I….they’re…….”

“Looking down on you from the stars above. Now grab my hand. I’ll take you up.”

“Thank you, Autumn.”

“No problem, Sis. Are there anymore?”

“Uhhh….I don’t……see anyone anywhere. I think we got them…..wait. I see people trapped on a roof. You take them. I’ll be right back.”

“You promise.”

“.....I promise. Now go.”

“Come on kids. It’s just up this hill and then down to freedom. We’re almost there. You’re doing good. One foot in front of the next. That’s it.”

“I can’t breathe. We need to go back. We need to….huuuu!!!”

“She needs her inhaler. She can’t breathe without it.”

“Here, grab my hand. I may not be as powerful as Abby, but….”

“I CAN BREATHE!!! Huuu!!! Aaahhh!!!!”

“I do have some I can give. Just keep squeezing my hand and you’ll be fine.”

“Thank you.”

“Anything. I’m glad I could help. Look, the boat is just up ahead. We’re almost……”

“HALT!!!!!”

“Kids, get behind me.

WHO ARE YOU? SHOW YOURSELF!!!”

“Earrrrrrrrrr!!!! Creesh!!!!!”

“Willow!!! Wake up. Who pushed you over? Willow!!!!”

“Huuuuuuu!!!!!

“RUN!!!

RUN!!!”

“Willow, I got you. Come on.”

“It’s too late. He’s already here.”

“Who’s here? Who’s already here? Who is killing you?”

*BOOM*

“Hello, Autumn.”

“Snake!!!!!!

Should’ve known it was you sneaking around and preventing our escape. Why? Their families are already on the other side of the lake. Let them join.”

“I can’t. Some have to die on this side of the isle, or else our once great civilization will be lost. When people come to search for us……their will be nothing to search for. We’ll just…..poof!!! Float away on the evening wind.”

“Here, take your sister and hold her up. I have to clear some stumps blocking our path.”

“Come on little girl. Show me what you’re made of.”

“YOU ASKED FOR IT.

Haaaaaaaghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Huuuuuu!!!!”

“Autumn, come on. Don’t let him win. We’re rooting for you.”

“Yes. You are ‘rooting’ for her.”

“Aaaaaaghhhhh!!!!”

“Ha!! Ha!! Ha!!! Haaa!!!!!!”

“You monster!! They were just kids. They didn’t deserve to die.”

“Maybe not…….but you do.”

“Huuuuuuurrrph!!!!!”

“YOUR SOUL…..IS MINE!!!!!!!!!!”

“Abby, don’t take the east route, but the west.”

“Huh? Who said that? Why?”

“Snake has already killed the rest of your siblings and is waiting atop the hill for you. He’s a Soultaker, and is in search of your soul to complete him.”

“HELP US!!!!”

“I got you. Hang onto me.

SHIELD!!!!”

“Wait, where are we going? The rest of the village fled into the hills.”

“We’re not going to the hills. There is another way off this world, you just have to trust me. Do you?”

“...........WE DO!!!!!”

“Then run like your lives depended on it. The shield I’ve made will block all shots of fire, but I can’t hold it forever.”

“HEY!!! GET BACK HERE. YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM ME THAT EASILY.”

“Hurry. RUN FASTER!!!!”

“I SAID STOP. YOU CAN’T ESCAPE ME THAT….Aaaaaghhhh!!!

HELP!!! HELP!!! HELP!!!! The fire’s surrounding me.”

“Abby, where are you going? Step back into the field with us.”

“What’s your name, sir.”

“Uh…Mr. Jones. Samuel Jones.”

“Samuel. Take your family to the valley’s edge and don’t stop running until you get there. You’ll see a little invention I’ve created once you arrive. Grab it and it’ll fly you towards the others. Now go.”

“Abby, what are you going to do? Surely, you’re not to help him. Who knows what he did? He’s chasing us.”

“I know exactly what he did. He killed my siblings as they were coming back to get more villagers. Now, if I just stand here then the flames of fire will kill him too.”

“Then let them. He deserves it.

ABBY!!!!! ABBY!!!!

ABBY!!!!”

“I SAID GO. DON’T LOOK BACK. NEVER LOOK BACK.”

“HELP!!!! The flames are climbing all over me. Aaaagghhhhhh!!!!”

“HERE, GRAB MY HAND, AND I’LL PULL YOU OUT.”

“WHY SHOULD I TRUST…..”

“JUST GRAB IT. I CAN’T REACH ANY FARTHER.”

“I GOT IT.”

“ONE…TWO….AAaaaaghhhh!!!”

“You saved me, but why? Do you not know who I am?”

“I know exactly what you are and who you are.”

“Then why do you not flee?”

“Where would I go?”

“Are you going to kill me?”

“Snake, if I wanted to kill you then I would’ve done so. There have been enough deaths and bleating of cries in my ears, that I wish not to hear another one.”

“You’re letting me go? Why? I killed your family.”

“They weren’t mine to begin with, but the Lords.

Now, I’m going to give you two choices.”

“Daddy, stop.”

“Jim, Abby said.”

“I know but look. She has saved him.”

“What are my two choices?”

“You can either flee and inflict no harm upon another or else I will not show mercy again. Go…find yourself a new family. Settle down. Enjoy life….not take it.”

“What’s the other option?”

“You know my father better than any of us and if you indeed are his clone, then you know what has worked and what hasn’t. Stay with us and help Wolf rise. Help us rebuild Dreamworld into what mother would’ve wanted.

The choice is yours. Take my hand and I’ll help you up….or you can walk away.

That’s what I thought. Come on, big boy.”

“Samuel, why is she showing compassion to him. After all he did to…”

“ABBY, LOOK OUT. HE’S GOT A KNIFE!!!!”

“Mom, she can’t hear us.”

“You are safe now, Snake.”

“But you’re not!!!!! *STITCH*

“Huuu!!!!”

“What the? Why are you not dying?”

“Huuu!!! *Sliiii…..iiiittttttt*”

“Where’s the blood?”

“I had high hopes for you, Snake. I really did. Welp, I guess, not all can be saved.”

“Wait…wait……Aaaaaghhhhh!!!!!”

“I’ll see you in Hell.”

“Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!”

“Did she just….”

“She did.”

“Dropped him down the hole like he was nothing.”

“OH HERE!!! YOU FORGOT YOUR KNIFE. LET ME SEND IT DOWN WITH YOU.”

“Come on. Let’s get out here before she spots us disobeying.”

“Wait, where is she going? She’s walking over to the burnt remains of the castle.”

“My castle!!! My castle!!! Too long have you stayed in the ground. Rise up from your rubble and be made anew.”

“Huuuuuu!!!!!”

“Shhh!!”

“Look. The castles formed back up brick by brick like nothing happened.”

“The grass is even coming back to life.”

“It’s time to reign how I want to reign!!!!!”

“Come on. We need to warn the others.”

………………………………………………………………………………….

“Ach, ach!! Huuuuu!!!”

*Boom*

*Kiiirch!!!

*Boom*

*Kiiirch!!!

“Nooo!! This can’t be. As the walls of fire burn before my eyes, it is too late. They’re all gone. All of them. I vow that I will make Dreamworld a better place for everyone.

‘My hands were meant for building. Words were meant for destroying, and my feet were meant for leading. With everything in me, Mother, I won’t forget.’”

ABOUT

Welcome to my channel. My name is Taylor Valk and here on this Tv we leave the worries of this world behind us and experience a new world. This world is called the Bible but is told through new eyes. I call myself a W.O.L.F; (writer of the lost faith) but I have tons of other touching stories too. Growing up, writing was in my blood. Just like for some it’s baking or to others to be a leader mine was writing. You want to be transported from this world into a world of imagination; encouragement and triumph then I can do that too. I’m here just to transport you and make you see everything in a new light. I write wherever I go; church, school, home. Bedtime, and even parties. You name it I probably wrote there. Yes, even the bathroom. My childhood dream was to be a writer and still is. Why? Everything is based off of stories. New inventions, apps, games, ideas! They all had to come from somewhere. No one thinks of an idea all on their own without the mind first taking that idea from an original someplace. That original place can be something as small as a book that no one has heard of but if I can get someone to smile and transport them into a state of imagination to get more courage then I’m all for it. Imagination is how things were built and came to be. The mind is a muscle and like all muscles it needs to be trained and exercised. How do we exercise our minds? Our minds grow with information that is fed into it from imagination to facts and everything else. The mind then sorts through all the interesting information it has received and executes either a command or memory into all the other muscles of the body to do. Then the rest of the muscles try to make the thing the brain wants them to. In laymans terms; muscles need imagination too to help motivate them throughout the day so they don’t get tired. Remember: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I’m a hugger not a fighter so if you’re ready to transport into a whole new world with a new set of eyes then you can have mine. Don’t worry, I have two! :)