Chapter 2- City of Light

So Opal, Marshmallow, Lapis, Sthy, Flair, and Sento rested there and then they all proceeded to the Ancient City of Light.  When they got there, the streets were crowded with all sorts of people and animals.  None of the people looked older than 19, and the best thing was they were all Children of Light.  Lining the streets were thousand of shops, restaurants, and houses.  Even though this was an ancient city, the ones who made it could see into the future and then they took this from it. 

“Sthy, why don’t you and Flair show Sento around,” said Opal. 

“Okay, so where are you going?  You know, in case I need to find you,” said Sthy. 

“Probably in one of the stores.  After all, I’m going to be leaving again in a couple days and I could use some of their magical items,” said Opal as she and Marshmallow and Lapis left. 

“So her name is Opal?”  said Sento to Sthy. 

“Yeah.  She’s pretty,” said Sthy. 

“Maybe we should follow her to make sure that nothing happens to her,” said Sento. 

“Okay,” said Sthy. 

Flair just went along.  He didn’t mind.  After all, he wanted to see Marshmallow again. 

Opal and the others had gone to a lake that was off in the forest not too far from there.  The lake looked like there were diamonds on the top.  In the bottom of the lake, there were all sorts of gold and silver items with all different kinds of gems in them. 

Opal again waved her hand in front of her and again her clothes changed into the silk blue dress, but this time she also had a long silver silk scarf.  She stepped in the water again and waved her hand over the water and again the house appeared and Ruby was sitting down on the bench.  “Sorry I had to leave so quickly before.  So any news?” asked Opal. 

“None so far,” said Ruby. 

Just then Sento, Sthy and Flair appeared but Opal and the others didn’t notice them, so they quickly hid in the bushes and watched. 

“Okay.  Well, just so you know, we are going to be here for some days,” said Opal and then she quickly added, “Who’s that in the house?” 

“Huh?” said Ruby as he turned around and looked at the house.  “I don’t know.”

Just then, Opal recognized him.  “He’s an Experimenter.  Quick!  You must leave the house.  Come here,” said Opal to Ruby, Lazuli, and Chocolate. 

“Okay.  It should take us two hours or less to get there,” said Ruby as he started to leave.  He got on Lazuli’s back and then she flew up and Chocolate followed them.  They started to fly for the City of Light. 

The man looked up and noticed that they left.  He pulled out a cell phone and called someone.  He said, “They got away.  Do you have any other leads?......... Okay, I’ll be there in three hours… Bye,” said the man.  Then he got into a black car and left.  He went towards the SOD Residents. 

“Hope they will be okay,” said Opal, as she waved her hand over the water and caused the picture to disappear again. 

Right under the water where the picture had just been, there was a sword with a sheath on it.  Opal reached under and pulled it up.  It had a silver handle and blade.  Where the handle met the blade, there was an Opal that was about an inch big on both sides.  When she pulled the blade out of the sheath, it had engraved on it:

After nine thousand years of war, by the light of a full moon, a gem will be born.  She will have power that only she can control and she will bring peace and hope back into the world.  Many will be hurt, but in the end there will be peace and hope will return to Thiethittis.  But beware, she will have to do what no other has ever done.  She will have to…

The rest of it had faded away. 

“Wow, that sounds cool,” said Marshmallow. 

“I wonder who she is?” asked Opal as she sheathed the sword, then tied it around her waist. 

“If you ask me, it’s you and I’m not just saying that,” said Lapis. 

“Why do you say that?” asked Opal. 

“Well, because it says a Stone and you are the next heir to the Stone clan, the stone on the handle is an opal and your name is Opal, and you were born on the night of a full moon and you know how rare that is,” said Lapis. 

“Yeah, a full moon takes three years to appear,” confirmed Marshmallow. 

“Yeah, and it has been nine thousand years of war… well, it will be in six more months,” finished Lapis. 

Opal looked at the two and then she said, “Okay, why don’t you two go and get some things.  I want to get some answers.”

“Okay.  See you in about an hour back here,” said Marshmallow and left with Lapis. 

Opal looked at the sword.  She untied it and put it down on the ground.  Then she went over to the water and walked across the water.  She stood still for a short while listening; then she started dancing gracefully and quietly across the water.  The way she danced was as though she was thinking about a thousand things and at the same time completely at peace. 

“Wow,” was all Sento could say. 

“You said it!  She’s amazing,” agreed Sthy. 

“Yeah, not to mention off limits,” came a voice. 

“Who was that?” asked Sento. 

“What does he mean, ‘off limits’?” asked Sthy. 

Suddenly Opal stopped and said something that Sthy and Sento couldn’t make out.  After that, there was a blinding flash of bright, light-blue light.  Opal stood still and after a while fell to her knees with her head down as if she was exhausted.  Then she looked up as if she had just remembered something and said aloud, “This is no time to be thinking about myself.”  She quickly got up, but fell to her knees again.  She closed her eyes and flicked her right hand and a pure silver flute appeared in her hand.  It was just like the moon.  She raised it swiftly but gently to her lips.  Then she started to play.  When she did, it sounded like the most heavenly sound ever.  Sento and Sthy were both speechless. 

Suddenly Lapis and Marshmallow came.  “What’s wrong?” asked Marshmallow. 

“Ruby, Lazuli, and Chocolate are in trouble.  Quickly!  We must save them,” said Opal. 

Lapis knelt down and Opal got on.  Marshmallow got the sword and brought it to Opal, then rested on Opal’s shoulders.   Lapis flew up quickly and they were off. 

“I wonder where they are going,” asked Sthy. 

“I don’t know, but something tells me she will be back,” said Sento.

“Good, I want to get to know her better,” said Sthy.  Sento just looked up at where Opal had disappeared.  Off in the bushes, a person looked at the same place that Sento was looking at.  Then that person quietly slipped away. 

So Sthy, Flair, and Sento all waited for Opal to get back.  While they did, they decided not to waste time so they did some shopping for a few magical items they could use. 

“So where are we going?” asked Lapis. 

“Just a little further " there,” said Opal, as she pointed to a dragon flying in the sky. 

Suddenly from out of nowhere, spears and arrows shot up.  Luckily the dragon, who was Lazuli, dodged them and then returned a few fire blasts back at the ground.  Lapis quickly flew over so that they could all help with the fight. 

“What are you guys doing here?” asked Chocolate, as he and Marshmallow flew over to each other but were split up by a spear. 

“Well, we found out that you guys were in trouble so we came running,” said Marshmallow. 

“Thank you, guys,” said Ruby.  Now he had on " instead of a suit " black jeans, a blue shirt, black jacket, white socks, and dark blue sneakers. 

“Well, thank us later after we win,” said Opal.  

Opal looked at Marshmallow.  Then Marshmallow came over and changed into a flute.  Opal started to play and suddenly, from out of the ground, trees shot up.  The trees caught the Experimenters who were shooting at them.  As the Experimenters tried to get down from the trees, Opal played some more and suddenly the Experimenters were wrapped in vines. 

“That should keep them,” said Lapis.

“Yeah, let’s go,” said Lazuli.  So they went back to the City of Light. 

When they got there, they saw Sento and Sthy talking to a girl.  She had long red and purple hair, and blue eyes.  She had on a long silver dress with long sleeves, but it was still easy to move around in because the bottom of it was short.  Under that, she had on black pants.  She wore quick-slip-on shoes.  She had a small pack and, in that, she had a small leather book and a mirror the same size. 

“Oh, Opal,” said Sthy happily.  Then he went over to them; he was followed by Sento, Flair, and the girl. 

Opal looked at the girl.  The girl said happily, “Oh, hi, my name is Sheeshy.”

“Hi.  My name is Opal and this is Marshmallow and Lapis,” said Opal with no expression on her face. 

“Hi, and I’m Ruby and this is Chocolate and Lazuli,” said Ruby with the same expression on his face. 

“Look, Sento, Sthy, we are going to go shopping.  If you want, you can come along,” said Opal as she turned to Sthy and Sento.  So they all went shopping.  

Opal got a few things.  First she got:  a pack that could hold any and every shape and size, but only fifteen things in it although it looked like a normal waist pack; and a bow that, when you pulled the string back, arrows would appear and it could turn into a plain silver ring with a single indented crescent moon.  She put the ring on her middle finger on her left hand so whenever she touched the crescent moon the bow would appear.  Next she got:  a silver staff that when you tap it one time it would create fire, if you tapped it two times it would create air, three times water, and four times earth or plants, and it could change into a ring (that she put in the pack as a staff); and a black velvet bag that held an endless supply of money and that too she put in the pack.  The last thing she got was a long silvery gold chain with silver stars along it; at the beginning were small opals in the form of stars.  The chain was long enough that Opal could put it around her waist three times and it would be loose, but she decided to put it in her pack. 

Ruby got only two things.  The first was a pair of two long daggers.  They changed into two rings, one silver with a gold sun on it and the other gold with a silver moon on it.  He put one on each middle finger, and all he had to do was touch the moon or sun to change them back.  The second thing he got was a watch that didn’t tell the time, but would show you any place in this world and time, or any other. 

Sthy and Sento didn’t get anything.  Sheeshy got a pack that could have any kind of food or drink in it. 

“So where are you guys going?” asked Sthy to Opal and Ruby. 

They looked at each other.  Then Opal said, “We are going to our home.  First, we have to get a few things for our adventure.” 

“Oh, well, do you mind if we come?” asked Sheeshy. 

Opal and Ruby looked at each other, then at Sheeshy, Sento, Sthy, and Flair, then back at each other.  “I guess it’s okay, but just so you know, it will be dangerous,” said Ruby.

“No problem.  Thanks!” said Sthy. 

“Why don’t we get some rest and leave after breakfast,” suggested Marshmallow. 

“Okay,” agreed everyone.  So they all got some rest.  They all slept in one room, but Opal couldn’t sleep. 

She couldn’t get over what she found out earlier that day.

 “If thou continues with thy quest, then thou and all who accompany thee will suffer.  That is all I see, the rest shall depend on the choices thou all shall make.” 

“But what is written on the sword?  What does it mean?” 

“It means that you are destined to bring Peace and Hope back into your twisted world.” 

“I understand that, but what does the end of it say?  What must I do to save my world?” 

“It prophesizes that you will have to do WHAT no other has ever done.  You will suffer, lose friends, and reunite light and dark.  It is up to you whether you make that choice or not.  However, in the end only you can make your destiny, but that is what we foresee.” 

“To save your world you must find the Dragon of Light and Dark.  Right now in your world light and dark are thought to be separated, but if there was no light then there couldn’t be dark, and if there was no dark then there could be no light.  So you must free the world from this illusion and then defeat the thing that has created this illusion.” 

“Have you ever been wrong?”

 “No, none of our predictions have ever been false.  Why?  does something we have said trouble you?” 

“It’s just…” 

“Daughter of the Stones, you have nothing to fear.  Your brother, friends, and traveling companions will all be safe ", that is all except Flair and Sthy.  The others will have you with them.  Now you must go.  Your brother is in trouble.  You will find him over the forest of shadows.  Fly swiftly and safely, and don’t forget:  if you ever need us, we are right here, always.”

“I thank all of you.”

“You will do fine… but we caution you, a dark shadow of misfortune and deception lingers over your path, for with light comes dark.  You are the light, and she is the dark.  So live your life and in the end remember that there is no end, so even when all hope is lost remember that you are hope.”

“She?”