Planets[?]

[Arielle]

AKA the UN story. It takes forever to navigate, so have a thread. Be happy. XD

I suck at titles, this was one I gave it ages ago and I couldn't think of anything better.

Ka-razy! says:
Sammi + Toge + MSN Convo = Disaster
Remind me to quote that later. XD

---

Estellans: The Basics

Estelli is a planet in the 3rd Arm of the Milky Way. The planet is a medium-sized planet, compared to other in the galaxy. The only species on the planet are Estellans. There are two branches: Mageasi and Endei. The two branches of the species are no different, except for representation in the government. Only Mageasi can be monarchs, while Endei can only be on Council.

The government consists of the Council and the monarchy. The two branches work together to pass laws and to keep the planet at its best. No actions can be taken without consent from both branches.

Reproduction depends on the second full moon. That is the only time that children can be born. ._.;


Magic: Elements, Strengths and Weaknesses
Estellans have six branches of magic, also known (inaccurately at times) as elements (That means I really should get a better name for it, but I’m waaaayyyy too lazy to do that ;D). They are fire, water, ice, lightning, earth and plant.

Strengths and Weaknesses in battle only:
Fire: Overpowers plant. When mixed with ice, makes water. Weak against water. Neutral against earth and lightning.
Water: Overpowers fire. In battle, can defeat earth and plant if water is used in excess. Weak against ice. Neutral against lightning.
Ice: Overpowers plant, water and earth. Mixed with fire makes water. Weak against fire. Neutral against lightning.
Lightning: Overpowers no element. Neutral against earth and fire.
Earth: Overpowers no element. Weak against plant and ice. Neutral against fire and lightning.
Plant: Overpowers earth. Weak against fire and ice. Neutral against lightning and water (unless excess is used).

Clothing and Colors:

All Estellan clothing is white, with a color around their sleeves, collar and the bottom of their outfit. The color depends on the person and their overall personality or strength.
Note that some colors can have various meanings (like “Powerful”).

*Colorless (plain white clothes): Shameful. The person has shamed themselves, and lose their color. Unlike the other colors, this color can be passed directly onto any children, regardless of their personality. However, the only exception to this rule is orange.
Brown: Quiet
Yellow: Energetic
*Blue: Bravery
Green: Powerful
Pink: Wise
Red: Anger
Orange: Blessed (also can be a step above Green)
Purple: I don’t know yet. oO;;; Can I get back to you on that? XD

* Can be earned after colors are initially given.

---

Chapter One
Matifi, Kingdom of Arardi
12/26/1617 AN

Queen Andi Quitoli walked into the silent courtroom. The only thing in the room was the judge’s desk. It was a tall desk, and it gave the judge a feeling of superiority over whomever he was investigating. The white-haired man started sternly at the queen. Slowly she looked at her feet, keeping the silence in the room. She was extremely embarrassed, and she knew she could not afford to anger the judge.

Andi was not concerned about her status in society. She had lost her color a long time ago. The woman had tripped, poisoned and accidentally killed to her lowly status. The only reason she was even queen was because there was no one else alive in the Quitoli family. No, there was much more that she was concerned about. Council had pulled her into court because of her newborn daughter. Everyone had reason to believe that the father was the infamous criminal Nerrad. The people had heard about how she wanted to stop him. She was stupid enough to try to do it herself, and instead of catching him, she ended up reproducing with him. It sounded like something that a colorless person would do. So, after finding Andi, Council had brought her to the judge for questioning and punishment.

“Where were you three nights ago?” the judge asked, staring at the woman.

She looked at her feet. One side of her wanted to lie. Maybe the judge would believe her, and her child would be spared from death. The other side of her told her to be a good colorless Mageasi and tell the truth. Even though it would get her child killed, it would be the right thing to do. She took a middle ground and stayed silent.

“Answer me!” the judge yelled, quickly losing his patience. “Where were you?”

The woman then lied, but not very convincingly. Lying was not her strong point, since she was supposed to tell the truth, no matter what.

“I…I was in my room, reading a book. When I fell asleep, I left the door unlocked. When I woke up and saw her, I ran… I didn’t want to face the consequences,” she mumbled.

The judge snorted. He found the story very amusing.

“Do you know what Mr. Indishan said in front of Council?” he asked. Andi shook her head. “He said he saw you leave the servant’s quarters around six, without telling anyone. Now tell me the truth, or we will only make the punishment worse!”

Andi was caught. There was no lying out of what Mr. Indishan had said. She sobbed as she told him the truth.

“I went to a hotel. I wanted to lure Nerrad into a trap but… I got drugged, and I didn’t lock the door to my hotel room… and…” She sobbed for a moment before continuing. “Please, sir, don’t kill her! She doesn’t deserve to die!”

“All shameful ones deserve to die! I would consider killing you if you weren’t the queen!” he yelled. That only made the woman sob more. “However, we cannot kill her now. We have to make sure that the girl is not orange. You have four days before we present your daughter to the color-assigner. Once we find out that she inherited your status, we cut off her head! Now leave!”

Andi kept sobbing as she left the room. The infant did not do anything except exist. If anyone deserved death, it was Andi. She was the irresponsible one that let her exist. She prayed for a miracle to happen… the child needed it.

*~*~*

The forth day arrived. Andi dressed her daughter in plain clothing and walked to the color-assigner’s building. It was a happy little place in the heart of the city. A line went from the door to two streets back. Since children were only born on the second full moon, the lines were long for two days. Unluckily for Andi, she was able to skip ahead in line. Council wanted to kill the child as soon as they could.

Inside, in the white room, there was a table. Candles of all the colors surrounded the edges. Once the child was placed on the table, the candle of their color would burn. It was a fast process, so that many children could be assigned a color in a day. Some of the higher-ranked Council members surrounded the table. The leader held a large butcher’s knife in his dominant hand, and had a large grin on his face. He hated Andi with a passion, so he enjoyed seeing her upset.

The man doing the ceremony looked at Andi, and then the Council members. He had never been around so many government members.

“Put the child on the table, shameful one,” he said, pointing to it. Crying, she did as instructed, and then closed her eyes. She heard Council gasp in surprise.

“Send it to another town. If the result is the same in ten towns, bring it back. If not, cut its head off,” the Council leader said, giving one of the members the knife. Then, hen turned to Andi. “Alas, you shall be spared the trauma of seeing your child die. But we’ll make sure to show you her lifeless head!”

An hour passed. Andi kept sobbing uncontrollably, while Council kept tapping their feet. They were hoping that the results would not be the same. Andi needed to be punished. There was no better way to punish her than to kill her only child. She loved the child immensely.

The Council member came back, the child still alive in his arms.

“It’s the same everywhere. I went to all of the various states, and it all came out the same! She couldn’t have rigged the results everywhere!” he complained.

The Council leader cussed. He sighed, and then took the knife back.

“You’re extremely lucky that she’s orange,” he said. He then turned to the others. “I guess we’ll have to punish her a different way. Throw Andi in the cells for a week without food and water, once she names the brat.”

Andi stopped sobbing. She was in shock. For once in her life, she had been lucky. She then smiled at the child.

“Anya.”

Once she did, the Council leader grabbed her, and took her to the cells. It was a punishment she was willing to take. All that mattered was that Anya was alive.

---

Hopefully the code won't freak out on me D:

[Arielle]

Since I hate double-posting, I'll try two to a post? XD It's not like they're pages and pages long --;; Which sucks. XD

---

Chapter Two

1/12/1624 AN (a little over 6 years later)

The day was a special day. Anya was to be announced as heir, in front of the nobility. The day was set up so nothing could go wrong. Andi had several advisors pointing out where she should go, during both the announcement and the party afterward. Note cards had been made for her speech, so she would not forget what to say. The queen answered every possible question she could be asked. She was not going to ruin the meeting with the nobility. If she looked bad, they might think that Anya would turn out just as bad. The woman could not bear affecting her daughter’s future in such a bad way.

The initial announcement was to be held outside the palace walls, on a platform for everyone to see. After that, the nobles would be led inside to the grand courtyard. From there, they would talk with the queen and the princess.

Anya stood next to her mother. To the girl, the whole affair was a big play date. It was fun to Anya, since everyone was so kind to her.

“It’s going to be fun!” she said in a happy tone. “Fun fun fun!”

Andi sighed. Before she gained her shameful status, she had fun at parties. Everyone paid attention to her, and they were nice. The nobles would flock to her, and talk about far away places and exciting events. Once she became shameful, they kept their distance. The only things the nobles would talk about to her were politics, and only if they needed her. She was not at the parties to have fun anymore. It was purely politics, which bored and saddened her.

“I wish I could feel the same,” Andi replied softly. She then moved Anya along to the palace gates. The girl waved at the two guards as she passed them. They smiled and waved back at Anya, and made no notice of Andi.

Soon, they were both on the platform. All of the nobility stood in the front, while other citizens of Matifi stood in the back. Anya waved at everyone, while Andi looked at her feet. A shameful one could not make eye contact with the others. The woman could feel their stares. It was very unpleasant.

The royal announcers called for silence. They followed promptly. Andi then pushed Anya forward, and announced her as the next heir. Everyone adored her. She was nice, young, adorable, and so blessed that she was an orange instead of colorless. They could not ask for more out of a future leader. Andi was extremely glad they approved of her. Her daughter would have an easy reign if she was so popular. If she was a good enough leader, the nobility may forget all about shameful Andi in a few generations.

After they were done with the announcement, the noble families followed Andi and Anya inside. They gathered in a corner of the grounds, where refreshments were set up. Soon, the talk was about whom Anya would marry. In order to keep the family alive, she needed to marry and have children. The girl was confused by their talk.

After walking around, Anya walked up to a smaller noble family. It consisted of a woman, her husband, and their two sons. The father was a green Mageasi, the mother was yellow, and the kids were blue and pink. They were away from the main party. The family did not usually come to parties, and they did not like the attention. They were talking about Anya’s situation.

“I don’t care who she marries, but I’m not marrying her, that’s for sure,” the younger of the sons said. “She’s way too young. From the sounds of it, they’re planning to marry her off before she’s even one-hundred! Besides, I’m too old for her. It would be better off for her to marry someone her age.”

“I’m not either. I already have plans,” the older said.

The father shrugged. “Well, I’m glad you don’t, because I personally wouldn’t have approved of it.”

Anya then walked up towards the father. She smiled.

“Hi!” she said cutely. “What’s your name?”

The father smiled. “You can call me Mr. Tamen. So, are you having fun?”

The girl shook her head. “No. The people are boring!”

The family laughed. The girl was so adorable. She was still so young and naive. When they thought about how there were already talks about Anya marrying, it seemed wrong. She was still too young to understand the politics behind her possible marriage.

Mr. Tamen went into his pocket. He pulled out a green bag. Then, he went into the bag and pulled out a piece of round white candy. The girl squealed. She loved the minty candy. Mr. Tamen then gave it to her. She put it in her mouth, absorbing the sweetness.

“She needs to be taught more safety,” the younger son whispered to Mr. Tamen. “For all she knows, that could be poison.”

“She has ten years to learn it,” Mr. Tamen replied. “It isn’t poison. I checked.”

The son sighed in relief. The last thing the family needed was to accidentally kill off the next heir.

“So, why is she orange? Her mother is shameful,” the son commented.

“It could be a number of reasons. She could have a strong divine power. Maybe she will be an excellent and gifted leader. Or, if she is lucky, she could be an Andishana…” the man then trailed off.

Anya’s eyes clouded over. She stood still for a moment. Mr. Tamen looked at her with fear. The candy should not have affected her in that way. Something was going wrong. Then, he watched as Anya started walking softly. She mumbled foreign words as she walked. The sudden turn of events frightened the nobles, who in turn ran away from her. Many believed the girl was possessed. Mr. Tamen was not one to judge so soon. Quickly he pulled out a pen from his robe pocket, and wrote down what she was mumbling.

By the time Andi noticed the problems and ran to Anya, the girl was deep into her trance. Yelling at her to stop was not working. Desperately Andi shook the girl.

“Anya! Wake up! Don’t ruin your life like this!” she pleaded, shaking her as hard as she could.

After a few shakes, the girl was back to her senses. She looked at her mother, and blinked innocently. She seemed dizzy from being shacked.

“It was so pretty…”

Sobbing, the mother then cuddled her daughter. She had just reduced her chances of having a happy life with a nice husband. The rumors would spread, and the kingdom would not like her as much as before. They did not know what could happen with a possessed ruler. The nobles would flee, just like they had with Andi. Anya would be a sad little girl now, and her life would be just as miserable as her mother’s.

“Oh Anya…” she whispered.

Mr. Tamen then turned around. There was nothing they could do at the moment. One incident could not tell him the ailment, and Andi needed a moment alone with her daughter. The family left. They would not say anything about what they had seen to anyone else. They did not want Anya to suffer. However, Mr. Tamen made a mental note to keep an ear out on her condition. With time, they could find the ailment and cure it to the best of their ability.

*~*~*

Scholars and scientists came often after that. Each one was completely stunned by the symptoms. She only had visions when something magical was involved, like spells. Her visions were always the same place – an unknown cliff facing the sea. She was not a Seer, since the same thing tripped the visions. She was not possessed either. A ghost would show the girl his or her death over and over. There was no dying on the cliff. Since it was not those two possibilities, the scientists and scholars were idealess.

---

Chapter Three

Matifi
1/15/1637 AN (12 years later)

“Anya! You better be getting dressed in there!” a woman’s voice yelled.

The girl hurriedly put on her shoes. They did not go in easily, for they were an older pair.

“I am, don’t worry!” she insisted.

Anya had grown to be a lovely Estellan girl. Her skin was always smooth and clean. She took great care of her long orange hair, although no one else could appreciate it. She had beautiful gray eyes. They always showed that she seemed to be somewhere else other than where she was. Her clothes were always the best, and were always neat and tidy. Almost everyone loved her, but not only because she looked good. She was a kind girl, who could reason and who was fair with everyone.

The princess flipped her hair before putting it in its matifitz. She sighed, but then went outside. The girl had business to do, although she was not sure what the woman wanted her to do.

Outside of her room, her nanny Shianti was waiting for her. She was a quiet yet bossy brown Mageasi. Anya found her to be a prime example of a mother – she was always nice and loving, just like her own mother was. She also did many things to help Anya throughout life. Yet again, she was here to help her, which was shocking to Anya. Ever since her sixteenth birthday, she had backed off a bit – Anya did need to learn how to do things on her own.

“You do remember your meeting in the throne room, do you?” Shianti asked, pointing at the clock in the corner. It was a few minutes before ten in the morning.

Anya hit her head. She had forgotten the meeting had been moved back. Then, she dashed towards the throne room. She could not afford to be late. She was going to be tested by Council to see if she was a competent leader. Under normal circumstances, they would not have tested her; she was not an adult. However, with Andi being a colorless Mageasi, everyone agreed that Anya should take over as soon as queen as the law would allow. Everyone believed that the sooner the shameful one was gone, the better. Anya knew it was needed, although she hated to see Andi leave power. Andi was untrained, while she was. The queen had good intentions, which Anya thought was good, but she was always clueless about some things. Even Anya knew better most of the time. The kingdom would be better off with her.

She dashed into the throne room. It was a large room, to contain a large line of subjects. The walls were cheerfully colored with red cloth, but the ninety-nine Endei against the walls were not as cheerful. All the way at the end of the room, on an elevated section, were the two thrones. Andi was sitting in front of the queen’s throne, looking down at the floor as always. On the right was Eynadil, while on the left was Dian. Eynadil was as red as he could be. He had red eyes, red hair, and red clothes. The only other color he wore was his green Council robe. Dian looked more like royalty, with a gold robe adorned with medals. The green Mageasi was always around, and Anya trusted him very much. His advice always worked, and he treated her well. Both of them looked neutral.

Slowly Anya looked at the grandfather clock in the corner. She was five seconds late. Eynadil smiled, which made her smile. He was in a good mood.

“Right on time, as usual,” he commented with a hint of approval.

“Really?” Anya replied hopefully.

Eynadil switched his smile for an evil grin. She cringed; he had tricked her into feeling secure.

“Not! I sure hope you don’t have so many time issues… otherwise we might have to fail you after all,” he said, still grinning. Anya apologized, and then kept silent. She could not afford to anger the red Endei. He influenced the entire Council. If he did not want something done, he would make sure it never happened. He then continued.

“Well then, it’s time for the test,” he said with a hint of disappointment. “We’ll start with basic questions. Name three things you cannot do as queen.”

Anya smiled weakly. It was something she knew.

“You can’t kill anyone; you can’t try to overrule, bribe or influence Council—“She stopped to let Council cheer, and then continued. “You cannot be caught with commoners without permission; you cannot leave without permission—“

Eynadil nodded, and Anya stopped. “I said three, not four. However, I guess you know what you’re doing, so I can only forgive you… Fine, three things you must do?”

“Uphold the law the best you can; guide the people to peace and prosperity; preserve the throne…” Anya knew the rules very well. She had studied them since she could read.

“Enough!” Eynadil yelled, irritated at her success. “Are you permitted to use magic?” Anya stared at him strangely. He sighed. “I know you can’t use it, but answer the question!”

The girl frowned, but answered. She had no other choice.

“You can use it only to help the people and defend yourself. You cannot use it to convince anyone about anything, nor can you use it on people that have not provoked you.”

The Endei glared, still displeased with her knowledge. Then, he went to situations. Anya sighed; they were her least favorite part of the test. She knew quite a bit, but there was still so much to learn. Her answers could prevent her from taking the throne. She could not afford to answer them incorrectly. Everyone would be disappointed (Council excluded) if she had failed. It would mean one-hundred years until she could take the test again. Although it would be better off for Anya, the subjects hated Andi. It all came down to what they wanted, and Anya knew that was what really mattered.

Thirty minutes later, they were done. Glaring, Eynadil made Anya leave. The girl left nervously, hoping that she had passed. Within a few minutes, she was re-summoned to the room. The Endei had neutral looks. Her heart beat quickly. The result could go either way.

“Fine,” the man said angrily. “You pass. The crowning ceremony shall be tonight. By sunset, you shall be queen,” he announced quite unhappily. “You are dismissed.”

The girl sprinted out of the throne room once again. Eynadil was angry. Once she knew they could not hear, she cheered. Finally, the day had come. Once the night came, she would be queen, and the people would be happy. Only one-hundred and one people were unhappy: the members of Council… and the Andishana. To them, she was only an obstacle.

*~*~*

The room was almost pitch-black. In the center of the room was a faintly-glowing crystal ball, and behind it was a man. He was completely garbed in black, and the hood of his robe hid his face to the man reflected in the sphere. The man sat in a large chair, glaring at the reflection.

“What do you want?” the reflection snapped.

“You know what we want,” the man replied. His voice was very mystic and strange. It sounded like two different voices speaking at once.

The reflection recognized the voice, or rather, the type of voice it was.

“You’re… an Andishana?” he asked.

“Stop drifting from the point, Eynadil!” the man replied, not wanting to answer the question directly. “We all want Andi and Anya gone. We are sure we all can work out a solution that will benefit all sides.”

“Are you crazy?” Eynadil said, shocked. “I may want them out of the government, be we won’t kill them. Everyone on Council values our lives. The last thing we need is to be beheaded by nobles. Killing them will be seen as treason to them!”

“They do not matter. We can take care of them.” There was a pause. “What do you want? We can give you almost anything you like after we have some time to get it—“

“Nothing! You are insane! I would rather die than kill the royal family!” Eynadil yelled, still shocked.

The man gave him a cruel smile. He pulled out a small stick from his pocket; he was done negotiating with him.

“That… can easily be arranged.”

Quickly and angrily the man said a few well-chosen words. Instantly Eynadil was dead. His body disappeared from view, and the man laughed. It was one less person to get in his way.
---

[Arielle]

Another post to catch this up, lalala~ Almost wish I could attach the .doc. XD

---
Chapter Four
The same day, five minutes later.

Anya wanted to go to the park. It would be her last opportunity to have free time until her time as queen was served. Her mother and Shianti were going, and she wanted Dian to go as well. He was very nice to them, and it would be lonely without him. Anya was not as close to him as Andi or Shianti, but she was still close.

His room was on the first floor, where most of the lowly workers lived. It was not very large, but he had never complained. He seemed to be a humble man when it came to living conditions. Eagerly she knocked on the door. After a minute, the man appeared, robe-less and rushed. He started to sweat. He was an ice element, so he could not stand the heat long. His robe was enchanted to keep him cool, so he was hot without it.

“We’re going to Brianda Park!” Anya said cheerfully. “Please come with us!” she said with a cute grin.

The look in his eyes suggested he wanted to stay in the palace. However, he knew better than to decline a polite request from a monarch.

“Let me get my things,” he grumbled, slamming the door behind him.

Five minutes later, Dian was outside with the others. Andi looked down at the ground, noting some large holes. Some desperate workers had been digging for rumored hidden treasure. Shianti looked at Anya, and then looked away. Dian glanced towards the stables, tapping his foot. They had to be patient. Anya had given little warning to the stable workers. It would take some time to prepare a carriage and groom the horses.

Suddenly, a woman dashed towards them. She looked extremely upset. Tears ran down her face. Everyone looked at her, concerned. Andi then looked at Shianti. The woman understood what Andi wanted to ask.

“What is wrong?” Shianti asked slowly.

“Eynadil is dead!” the woman screamed. Then, she began sobbing.

Everyone in the area gasped. He had been alive and healthy just an hour ago. There could be no way he had died in an hour of natural causes. Someone had to have murdered him.

“I was knitting when someone contacted us via sphere. It was some man. I couldn’t tell, it was too dark. He wanted Eynadil, so I called him, and he went in the other room. I heard every word they said. The man killed him too! I heard him do it! And you won’t believe who the man was!” she explained, still sobbing.

“Who?” everyone asked, the suspense building up.

“The Andishana!” she gasped.

Again, everyone gasped. The adults then went into questioning. They wanted to know everything she knew about the man. Anya asked nothing. She did not know much about Andishanas. All she knew was they were the strongest magical people in a species. Any more explanation, and she went into visions. Even speaking about it was sending her into them. The girl could not tell if she was on the cobble street, or on the green cliff. She shook her head and walked around, hoping to grasp her surroundings. As she struggled, she fell down one of the holes. She screamed, and then hit her head. Instantly her world turned black.

Suddenly, she knew she was on the beautiful green cliff. It was close to an ocean; she could smell the salt in the air. The plant that surrounded her was green. There were also bright, silky flowers that gave off a sweet scent. Puffy white clouds were slowly moving in the sky. Everything about the cliff made her calm and relaxed. Slowly the girl sat down, and hummed a happy song. She forgot her troubles, until someone came.

A woman came, holding a mirror. It reflected a green, blue and white planet. She started at it curiously.

“What… is it?” Anya asked.

“Earth,” the woman replied. “It is your new home.”

Anya shook her head. It could not be true. She was going to be queen on Estelli, not going off to another planet.

“It can’t be… I’m supposed to—“

The woman cut Anya off. “It is time to face your destiny. You will be leaving very soon.”

“But…I can’t leave! Estelli needs me!” Anya pleaded.

In response, she shook her head. “I know it is hard to believe, but it is not true. There is another group that needs you even more. They have broken apart, and you are the only thing that can bring them together again. Besides, you will like it there more… Now do not tell anyone of this.” Then, she put her hand on Anya’s head, and she woke up.

They were inside the dark carriage. Everyone was staring at her nervously. They had feared she was seriously injured. Andi held a cold pack to Anya’s head. It was bleeding.

“I don’t understand why these things happen to you,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t see it coming earlier, otherwise I would have made sure this wouldn’t have happened.”

Anya fidgeted. She disliked the cold pack on her head. It hurt her.

“It’s cold!” she yelled, pushing the pack away.

“Keep it on your head,” Dian commanded. “It will heal you.”

Sure enough, after a few moments, the wounds on her head healed. Once she sat up, she looked at Dian. He was sitting across from her. The man knew much about the galaxy. He was interested about the people and the resources of the planets, so he had studied it. Whenever she had a question about the galaxy, she asked him.

“Dian, where’s Earth?” Anya asked.

The man blinked. He was not expecting such a question. Estelli had no connections with the planet, and Anya had not studied the system it was in.

“In the Suni system, about two arms away. It’s a savage place. Why?” he asked seriously.

“I heard the name somewhere, and I was just curious,” Anya insisted. The man stared at her, but questioned her no further. Anya sighed quietly. She was glad he did not question her; she had been told not to tell, after all. Then, she looked out the window.

Matifi was as beautiful as ever. The cobble-paved streets were clean, and the people walked on the dirt path next to it. All bowed as the carriage went by. They respected Anya, and the ideals she stood for. Anya waved back, big grin on her face. She did not think about her dream. It was only a dream, after all. It may have been like a vision, but her visions were never true. She could not be going to Earth… Estelli needed a leader. They need her, and no one else.

Andi stayed between Anya and Shianti, so she could not be seen. So much had just been added to her burden. There was preparing the party, getting clothes ready, requesting the crown, practicing her lines, and then there were Anya’s constant visions, the appearance of the Andishana, and on top of it all, the normal pressures of being a shameful one. It was all too much for the woman to bear. She could not wait to hide away in the servant’s quarters again, but she did not want to give Anya all the pressures of ruling, especially if the Andishana was around. No one could save her if the Andishana decided that she should die. She could not even defend herself – she could not practice magic because of her visions. Anya was an easy target…

Eventually, the carriage stopped. They were at the park. The group walked on the brick path to the lake. A few waterfowl shaped boats were paddling in the clear water, the paddlers laughing all the while. Anya sighed. She wished she could be on one, but there was no time.

They found a spot near tall, shiny brown trees. Golden leaves shaded the group from the starlight, to their relief. It was a hot day. Dian gave Anya a blindfold, which she put on. He was going to set everything up via magic, and she did not need to go into visions yet again. When she took it off, the whole picnic was set up. There was a plate of cold meat and fruit for Andi, and everyone else had a better cut of meat, fruit and bread. Slowly Andi grabbed her plate and went somewhere else to eat. It was rude to her to eat in front of else. Anya wished she could eat with them, but it was social tradition she could not break.

Time flew faster than Anya wanted it to. When they were done, they started the journey back to the palace, to prepare to the evening celebrations.

---

Chapter Five

Sometime later.

The Andishana was in his pitch-black room, thinking things over. Eynadil’s wife hearing their conversation had ruined his plans. Soon, the news would be around everywhere. Hearing the news would strike fear in their hearts. Some people believed that the Andishana was going to be no good. Thinking about their fear made him smile. Indeed, he was to be feared. He was the strongest and the smartest of them all.

However, he knew that his plan had been ruined. Andi would be forced to tell Council of his arrival. Anyone suspicious would be barred from the ceremony, and he was sure that he would be one of them. He was powerful, and had come into power suddenly. The crowing ceremony would have been the perfect place to take over and tell everyone of his plans for Estelli. But Eynadil’s wife had destroyed it, and it angered him.

Suddenly, the sphere glowed again. It was a brown-haired man, sitting in the living room. He was an Endei of the Council. He looked scared.

“Uh… hi, mister Andishana sir…” he said nervously. “May I speak with you?”

“No. Go away. We need to think,” the Andishana replied. “Since the party is out of the question, we need to form a new plan.”

“But, you may not have that chance, sir. If you are who I think you are, you are going to be investigated tomorrow. When they find it, they’re calling the Tamen family to do the ceremony reversal. Sir, you need to hide if you wish to keep yourself together!”

The Andishana laughed long and hard. “We’ll kill every last Councilman and the entire Tamen family before they lay a finger on us, before tomorrow even! They are no threat to us. All we have to do is find them--”

There was an unexpected knock on the door. Quickly the Andishana covered the globe with a cloth, and then lied down on his bed. After a couple more knocks, a woman opened the door. Nervously she put a letter on the table and left. Once she was gone, the Andishana got up and read the letter. He nodded… there was a chance he could still work out a plan. Andi had given him a little too much information in her apology letter. He then made the globe go dark again, despite the Endei’s complaints. He had a party to prepare for.

*~*~*

Meanwhile, Andi was putting on Anya’s best dress. The dress was a beautifully made one, made of the best silk and in the latest fashion. It was a tad tight on her, but she was used to it. The woman buttoned the back, and then turned Anya around. She looked beautiful in it. Then, she handed Anya her best golden robe. Slowly she put it on.

Anya looked out the window. As the moment came closer, the girl became more nervous. She was going to be given the entire planet to watch. She did not quite feel she was ready for such a burden. The girl was still so young. There were many things she had not learned about, and they could mean a difference in her decision-making.

Again, time went by quickly. Soon, it was time for the two to go.

The two walked to the carriage. Shianti was waiting for them in front of it. This carriage was different from the one they had taken to the park. It was painted gold instead of being the color of the wood. The horses were the best, and were a lovely mahogany color. Kindly the driver held the door open for Anya and Shianti, and then made Andi open it herself. As soon as he knew they were in, the driver took them to the courtyard.

The velvet lined seats were wonderful. They were much more comfortable than Anya was used to. She could not keep her eyes open as Shianti and Andi talked about current affairs. It was boring, the seats were too soft, and she was tired… She closed her eyes, and opened them on the cliff.

This time, there was a ghost on the cliff. She was golden, and opaque. She looked lovely to Anya. The ghost was average-sized, with long hair, lovely eyes, and a small nose. Anya would have liked to look like her; she looked better in her opinion. But then, she slowly backed away. She was a ghost, and Anya was afraid of them. Ever since she was little, she had heard terrible rumors of being possessed and never returning to normal. It was something she did not want to experience, ever.

“Hello Anya,” she said kindly. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Anya gulped. Already the ghost was making her extremely nervous.

“Waiting for me? Why?” Anya asked quietly.

“I need you, otherwise… well, I’m rather useless,” she admitted.

The girl knew what that meant. The ghost wanted to possess her. There was not anything else she could want. Anya could not be possessed at such a crucial time. She then screamed, and started running inland. It seemed like the logical way to get away from the ghost. She cut her off.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of!” the ghost insisted. “It won’t harm you at all! You won’t regret it!”

“But I don’t want to be possessed! I just want to be me, on Estelli!” Anya cried. Then, she looked to the cliff. There was still another way.

“No! You don’t understand!” the ghost said. “Don’t go!”

It was too late. Anya had dashed to the cliff, and jumped off. She felt herself fall towards the sea, the air blowing past her…

Anya woke up in her mother’s arms. She was struggling and trying to jump out of the carriage window. As soon as she realized what she was doing, Anya stopped. Andi then let go.

“That was worse than usual,” she whispered. “You nearly jumped out the window. I was so scared…” Then, she looked at Anya, who appeared extremely scared. The girl sniffled, and then clung onto her mother.

“I don’t want to be possessed!” she cried. Andi tried her best to comfort her, but did not succeed. She did not know what the girl had seen in her dream. It was a time where she could not be comforted, no matter what Andi said.

The carriage was at the courtyard. Nobles sat at tables. All of them were arranged in a circle. The nobles wore their finest clothing, and their biggest smiles. They were glad that there was to be a decent monarch in control. Andi could not counter the selfish plans of the Endei, so they welcomed a change in power. They cheered as Anya came out of the carriage. She smiled and waved back. The girl felt a little better about becoming queen. She did have the support of the people.

A buffet had been set up for the occasion. The cooks figured that Anya would pass, so they had made it in advance. There were ten kinds of meat prepared in various ways, and colorful vegetables made in any way imaginable. After that were the fruits, and then breads. Finally was dessert – a large five-layered cake made in celebration of the ceremony. A golden edible crown was at the top. The cake was to be eaten after the ceremony.

Andi sneaked off to a corner to eat, leaving Anya alone at the head table. She could not help but be bored by the noble’s conversation. Most of them talked about politics, something that Anya did not want to deal with. However, she smiled and talked back. It would be rude to change the subject. Her favorite part was talking to the families she knew well. And, surprisingly, the Tamens were there. Anya was shocked, just like everyone else. They were known for only attending the most important functions.

Mr. Tamen came by the table. He handed Anya a bag of minty candy. She could not help but squeal; it was her favorite candy. The man laughed at her.

“So, how are your visions?” he asked, concerned.

The girl frowned. “Very… scary,” she whispered. Mr. Tamen. He questioned her no further, since he did not want to stress her. Besides, others wished to talk to her. Slowly he left, and let the next noble talk to her.

Eventually, Andi came back. She smiled, and Anya nervously smiled back. The closer she got to the ceremony, the more nervous she became. She then explained the next event.

“Well, it’s always been tradition for there to be a magic show,” she whispered. “We’ll blindfold you so you don’t into visions.”

Anya nodded. At least the nobles would enjoy it. It was important to keep them pleased. She waited with everyone else for the magician to come. After a few minutes, a black-cloaked man appeared, holding a straight brown staff. Everyone looked at each other. He was very odd, and slightly creepy. Andi gasped.

“This isn’t who I hired,” she whispered. Anya gasped, and then sat close to her mother. If he were to attack, Andi would be her only means of defense. Scared, she grasped onto her mother’s hand.

The Council started whispering to themselves. They knew it had gone wrong; they had seen the magician beforehand. The whispering continued until the man coughed.

“Your security is awfully weak, considering that you’re so afraid of us,” he said. “You don’t understand how easy it was to switch places with that magician.”

Mr. Tamen and his sons looked extremely scared. Everyone else shrugged it off. They did not hear the rumors of the Andishana, nor did they know how to recognize one. Council was there – they would stop the man before he could cause any damage.

”But it wouldn’t be a magic show without some magic! Andi, be a good girl and come here,” the Andishana demanded, pointing to the ground next to him.

Andi sobbed. If she was not a shameful one, she would have run for her life. Unfortunately for her, she was a shameful one, and she had no choice but to follow the man’s orders. Slowly she stood up, and let go of Anya’s hand. She patted it in reassurance.

“Don’t be afraid. In the end, it will be fine,” she reassured her.

The girl watched in shock as her mother walked to the spot the man had indicated. She looked down, but defiantly. While she did, the Tamen sons were whispering to the other Endei, and some nobles overheard. The nervous look spread all around.

The Andishana said his few well-chosen words. A white light surrounded the woman, followed by a brief flash of gold. Quickly the woman fell to the ground. Her eyes were closed. The man then laughed.

“Finally! After years of trying, we did it! We finally killed her!” he said joyfully. He then turned to Anya. “As for you…”

Council went into action. Each Endei launched various attacks at him. The Andishana simply made a shield, and the attacks were absorbed. Shocked, the others stopped attacking. They had never encountered a shield so strong.

“Do you honestly believe you could defeat the Andishana? Really, could you?” he asked. Council stayed silent. He did have a good point. “Now where were we?” He remembered. He turned to Mr. Tamen, who was chanting a strong lightning spell. The Andishana then dragged him over his table, and he landed in the middle. The man groaned, back in pain from being dragged. Next was Anya. To everyone’s shock, she was still conscious. She did nothing as the Andishana grabbed her and dragged her to the circle. Once she saw her mother, she kneeled next to her and sobbed freely. Cruelly he pulled her away from her mother.

“You two are the only ones that can cause me damage. Guards, take them to the cells,” he said to two guards near him. Afraid for their lives, the two started binding them for transport. Anya kept sobbing – she was not expecting the turn of events. Mr. Tamen turned to his family, unable to say anything. They looked back at him sadly. Then, the Andishana continued.

“We rule Estelli now, and if anyone would like to dispute it, they will die,” he announced, pulling off his hood. Everyone gasped. Nobody had expected Dian to be so mean, let alone be the Andishana.

---

Screw the WYSIWYG editor~

[Arielle]

This used to be one chapter! XD

---
Chapter Six
Later in the night.

The cells were in the palace, in the basement. They were cold, slightly damp, completely dark, and had an unpleasant smell. Anya and Mr. Tamen were dragged to the worst cells in the lowest part. They fell into the cell, and the guards closed the door behind them.

Immediately Anya started sobbing, and did not stop for minutes. She could not believe what Dian had just done to them. He had always been so kind to Andi and Anya. It seemed impossible for him to kill someone he treated nicely.

“I wish this was all a sick, twisted dream…” she sobbed to herself.

“Well, it’s not. Too bad for you.”

Shocked, the two turned to the door. There was a faint light. Dian was peering at them though the bars on the door. Anya stopped sobbing and looked at him.

“I… don’t believe it,” she said firmly, wiping tears from her face.

“People do lie. Now, I have an offer for you,” Dian said sternly. “We imagine you do not want to stay down here forever. So… you can be banished to wherever you wish, unless you want to stay here. Just make up your mind by tomorrow.” Then, he left without another word.

Mr. Tamen sighed. Anya looked at him guiltily. She did not care where she went, but she was sure Mr. Tamen did.

“So… what do you want?” she asked.

“I’d rather be banished. You see, I have excellent contacts on some planets. If we go to the right ones, we can easily get protection. Then, they can contact my family, and… we can all live there,” he said. “Since you have no other family, we can take you in. It will be a little hard at first, but it shall be for the best. We will not have to worry about Dian, although I do feel guilty about just leaving the planet.”

“But we have no choice, in the end…” Anya mumbled. “What planets did you have in mind?”

The man chuckled. Then, he began his list: Vantel, Mastal, Zindeli… the list seemed to go on and on. Anya raised her eyebrows. She had never heard of an Estellan having so many connections to other planets. It was an isolated place.

“You know many people,” Anya commented.

“I know. It’s my job. I’ll explain later,” he said. “I really don’t care which planet we go to, as long as it’s one I listed.” He paused. “We should get some rest. It has been one long day…”

Anya fumbled around the room. She eventually found a straw mattress. It smelled terrible, but she still lied down on it. She closed her eyes, and thought about it. Out of the planets he had listed, she liked Vantel the most. It was a vacation planet. It was extremely beautiful, with lovely beaches, stunning rivers, tall forests, and some of the nicest people around… There, she could start a new life with the Tamens. It sounded fine to her.

However, her dreams showed a different story.

Anya was in a grand hotel in the capital. It was completely golden. It made her feel very royal just walking though it. Impressed, she followed the silver aliens to a room fancier than the rest. Another silver alien sat in a large armchair. She wore a grand sliver silk dress, and a golden band on her head. She smiled at Mr. Tamen, and he bowed. Anya, confused, followed suit.

“Ah, Temolas, you’ve come back to visit,” she said calmly. “May we be of any service?”

The man looked at her embarrassingly. “Well, yes. We have been exiled from our Andishana. Is there any chance we can stay here, and that you can contact my family?”

The woman grinned. “Sure!” she said happily. Then, she pointed to the door. She wanted them to wait in the hallway. Temolas turned around. Suddenly, the woman pulled out a metal device with a trigger. Once she pulled it, it made a bang, and Temolas fell down. Silvery blood came out of his back. She had killed him.

“We’re sorry, but we must,” she insisted to him. “We cannot possibly shelter you from Dian. It’s best for us to kill you both now than lie and get killed. He is a harsh man, and we have people to protect. We’re sure you understand.” Quickly she turned to Anya and pulled the trigger again. That sent her out of the dream, or so she thought.

Anya found herself on the cliff with the ghost. She stared at Anya with sympathy.

“I know you don’t want to. I didn’t either. I had family and friends that I did not want to leave behind. But, we need to face our destiny. Only then can we all be happy.” She then drifted over, and sat next to Anya. She backed away. The girl was still afraid of it. The last thing she wanted was to be possessed by a strange ghost in a strange land. When the ghost tried to get closer, Anya stood up and screamed.

“I just want to be me!” she screamed, backing away again. “I don’t want to be possessed by you! I don’t even know you!”

The ghost sighed. She was done trying to convince Anya. Slowly she drifted away from the girl. Suddenly, she could not help but feel sorry for the ghost. She had no body of her own, and for some reason, she could not depart to the afterlife. That was all she wanted… Anya was used to putting others happiness before hers, and she knew she would not want to be like her. Then, there was the fact that everyone kept claiming it was her destiny. If it was, then she had to deal with it.

“But… maybe we can work something out?” Anya said slowly, still unsure about it.

The ghost turned around and smiled. She looked very happy that Anya had changed her mind.

“I think you just need an explanation. Go to Earth. I’m sure Temolas will be happy to explain…”

As suddenly as she had fallen into the dream, she was out of it. She was now in the yard outside. Temolas was next to her, holding a large sack. Dian was poking her with the end of his staff. Tiredly she stood up and stared at him sadly. She was still not ready to think about what had happened.

“Your time is up. What shall you do? Stay in the cells, or be exiled?” he asked, tapping his foot.

“Exile… please,” Anya said politely. The man nodded.

“Where to?” he asked, preparing his staff for transport.

The girl then thought for a moment. She was not sure if she should listen to a dream – it was only a dream, after all. But if the dreams were right, her only option was to go to Earth. Anya had nothing to lose; she had lost it all yesterday with Dian taking the throne and the death of her mother. Slowly she turned to Temolas. Secretly she hoped the dreams were true, for his sake. Unlike her, he had everything to lose if she was wrong.

“Earth.”

Temolas gasped. Earth was not a planet he had listed to her. They were helpless there, since he had no contacts from the planet. Dian then proceeded laughing. Soon, he pointed his finger at her.

“Anya, you’re just like your mother sometimes. Good thing you’re being banished,” he said seriously. “We’re sure she would pick an Andishana-less planet as well. There, you will have a hard time just surviving. They may have a magic group, but we have yet to find them. But in the end, it’s better for us. Now, we don’t have to hire someone to kill you. Goodbye…”

Anya said nothing. She stared at him. Temolas sighed, and tried to look on the bright side. He could not find any. Dian was right. It was an Andishana-less planet, with rumors of a magical group and a non-magical group. There was no evidence of one. They could be going to a planet with unfriendly foreigners. At that rate, it would be better to stay on Estelli.

Dian chanted a few words, and then pointed to the group. Magically they felt lighter, and felt no need to breathe. They felt themselves float away from the planet, slowly at first, and then extremely quickly. In a few seconds, they could not see the planet, and with a few more seconds, the entire system was gone. They sighed; they would miss home. Stars, planets and systems sped by at amazing speeds. They were there one second, and gone the next. Soon, Anya gave up trying to focus on them. They were all too blurry.

Despite their speed, it seemed to take forever to get to Earth. It looked the same as Anya had seen in her dreams. It made her optimistic. Quickly they fell, until they landed on an island…
---

Chapter Seven

The two landed on a cliff… the cliff. It looked just like it did in Anya’s dreams, except there were very few clouds this time. Everything was there: the soft green plants, the flowers, the birds, and the sounds and smell of the sea. The girl looked up to the sky. It was so realistic, she was not sure what to think.

“Mr. Tamen, am I having visions again?” she asked quietly.

The man looked at her eyes, and then checked her pulse. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Your eyes aren’t clouded over. You’re fully alert. Besides, I don’t think I’m having visions. Why?” he asked.

“This is the place of my visions,” she replied.

Temolas thought for a moment, and then nodded. Her choice made slightly more sense. “So, your visions told you to go here?”

Anya shrugged. “Well, kind of. There was this golden ghost that told me to come here. I… felt sorry for her, since she’s a ghost and all.”

For some reason, Temolas grinned. He then went into the bag. There was not much inside, just enough food for two days and a spellbook. The man frowned, and then flipped though the book. It was a basic spellbook, for beginners. Suddenly, he said a quick spell. Lightning shot out of his fingers and shocked her. The girl jumped; the shock was painful to her. Then, she rubbed her arm. She seemed as responsive as ever. Temolas nodded.

“I’m sorry, that was a test. And, it’s what I thought,” he said.

The girl looked at him strangely. At first, she did not realize what kind of test it was. Then, it dawned on her. He had just used magic, and she had not gone into any visions. She gasped.

“Why haven’t I gone into visions?” she asked.

“The visions were calling you here. Now that you are, they will not occur. Why would they need to?” Temolas asked.

“I don’t know… but now what? Do I just wait for the ghost to possess me?” Anya asked.

“It doesn’t quite work like that…” He then looked to the side. There was a path down to the beach. “Would you like to join me down at the beach?”

Anya nodded. Carefully Temolas re-packed the bag, and then slung it over his shoulder. He made sure that Anya was following, and then went to the path. They started their decent, and were there in a few minutes.

Temolas searched for a stick. He soon found one near the edge of the cliff. He took it, and started drawing. The man was not a great artist, but it got his point across. On the top were two pairs of two men. On the bottom were two different men. One looked like the man on the right with an odd aura. The other looked like the man on the left. Anya was curious. She had never seen anything like it.

The man pointed to the first diagram. “This is possession. Possession needs two things: a body and a soul. You might refer to the soul as a ghost or a spirit. The outside soul is stronger than the soul of the body, so it enters and takes control of the body. Almost anyone can be possessed, as long as the ghost or spirit is stronger than the other person. Usually Estellans get possessed at the ages of ten to eighty. However… ghosts can travel between planets and can possess a person whenever they wish. Therefore, the soul you have been seeing can’t be classified as a ghost, really. If she were, she would have already taken control of your body, and you wouldn’t be admitting you’ve been having these visions.”

Anya nodded. It was a relief to know that the soul was not a ghost. However, it only raised more questions.

“If she’s not a ghost, then what is she?”

“I’m getting there,” Temolas replied. Then, he pointed to the other diagram, the one with the man that looked like the spirit. “I don’t know how much you know about Andishanas, so this might not be news to you… but Andishanas, you can say, are somewhat possessed as well. It involves the same two things, but it works quite differently and uses different names. We call the soul the arandia this time. Now, an arandia cannot posses like a ghost can. It needs a certain person called an undia. You see… for this possession to work, the two have to be almost exactly the same personality and background wise. Two people can never be exactly the same, but in this case, the two have to be as close as possible.”

“How close?” Anya asked, not sure what to think about it.

“From what I understand, they are extremely close. It’s like having a best friend or an identical twin living inside your body. I heard it’s rather great to have,” Temolas said. Then, he continued. “Anyway, undias have certain characteristics that set them apart, and make them stick out. Some, like yourself, have various degree of visions. Others may have markings. Some might not show much signs at all, except for being unusually powerful. However, once they are sure they are indeed an undia, they turn to one of the ceremony families. A ceremony is needed to bond the two souls together. The body turns into the appearance and species of the arandia. A special bond is created, so after some adjusting, they can think as one instead of two. Only then can they truly be considered an Andishana.” He then looked at her seriously. “It is a great thing, but you must remember one thing: Once the ceremony is done, it cannot be reversed. You also need to be willing to do it, otherwise the soul will not enter and the ceremony will kill you. It is not something to rush into. It requires much thought and pre-adjustment.”

Anya shook her head. It did not sound like a fun thing at all. She did not mind being possessed – at least she would not remember it, and the soul did not seem like a bad person. However, being an Andishana sounded like a different situation altogether. Anya liked being Estellan. She did not want to change her species to become a strong member of another. Then, there was the soul itself. Temolas said they were close, but she did not know if she wanted that. The girl had never had close friends before. She never wanted them. Friends always seemed to give away secrets and talk bad behind their friends’ backs. She did not want someone who knew all of her secrets, and then would give them away to anyone who would listen.

“I don’t need any more thought. I don’t want to do it,” she said.

“Are you sure about that?” Temolas said. “This is an extremely rare chance you’ve been handed. There are too many beings in the galaxy to count. To be an undia is a rarity. You need to give it some thought before giving me a yes or a no. If you say no, then you may lose your ability to become one. You cannot wait forever. After time, your body cannot take the ceremony, and with time, another will become an undia in your stead.”

Anya frowned. She did not want to give it any more thought. There were too many down sides. When she told him what she thought, Temolas sighed.

“Many have told me that, and said no. They have regretted it since. But, it is your choice, not mine.” Then, he looked at the ground. The tide was coming in. He stood up, and started walking to the cliff again. Anya followed suit. With a little bit of time, the drawings were gone.

---

[Arielle]

Last one! XD

---

Chapter Eight
That night

The day was uneventful after their talk on the beach. Temolas said nothing more of being an Andishana. Instead, he let Anya look at the magic book. Neither of them were sure why it was in there, but it was useful. It had non-elemental spells for Anya to memorize, in case she would ever get a staff to use them. The girl did not go into visions. She found them interesting. For the first time in her life, she could study magic. It was a fascinating concept.

Temolas made a basic dinner. None of the food required cooking. It was a good thing. Temolas was not a fire element, and he had no tools to create fire. However, after dinner, it became cold. Anya wrapped her robe around her. It was not helping her. She shivered, and moved close to Temolas.

“We’re going to die here, aren’t we?” she said, feeling guilty.

“If we don’t find anyone here,” Temolas replied. “If we find any people, we can at least get some sort of assistance. I just hope we find the magical species here. There has to be, if you’re being called here.”

The girl sobbed. Shocked, Temolas turned to her, and brought her closer.

“It’s all my fault! I’m the one that listened to my dreams!” she cried. “I never should have.”

Temolas frowned. “Don’t think like that. You should have. There’s a good reason why you should be here.”

“But it doesn’t matter if I don’t want to be an Andishana, does it?” Anya retorted.

The man sighed. Then, he dropped the subject. He pointed to the stars. Both of them found them beautiful. They sparkled in the sky, some more than others. Then, the two went into discussion about them. Temolas had not learned much about them, so they made shapes instead. It was more interesting that hearing what Temolas had to say about the few he knew. Anya liked the game. It was fun to connect them.

Soon, Anya yawned. It was getting late. Slowly she lied down on the grass.

“May I sleep?” she asked.

“Yes. I’ll stay up,” Temolas assured her. “Tomorrow, we’ll search for civilization. Good night.”

The girl drifted off. She did not go anywhere. Anya was still on the cliff, watching herself sleep. Temolas was sitting next to her, making sure she was sleeping soundly. Then, she turned around, and started walking. There were bushes and trees in front of her. One tree stood out to her; it was smaller, and it bent to the right. After she pushed the bushes away, she noticed a small dirt path. Curious, she followed it. After a few minutes of walking downward, she was at another cliff. This time, there was a hole in the ground. It looked like a wooden door with a shell knocker. She knocked on it three times. It opened on its own. Finally, she heard a voice.

“If you don’t want to try… the least I can do is direct you to shelter. Good luck then.”

It was morning. Temolas looked extremely tired. She looked at him excitedly.

“I think I know where they are!” she said, getting up. She dragged the man to his feet. Tiredly he grabbed the bag, and followed her. She took the path that she had seen in her dreams. Sure enough, it did lead to a wooden door. Temolas looked relieved – it was a sign of a civilization. Anya knocked on the door as instructed, and indeed, it opened. However, there was a person on the other side.

It was a teenager. He was a humanoid, with peach-colored skin and dark brown hair. He wore a pair of brown pants and a white shirt, and a brown Estellan-style robe over it. It all looked ragged and poor.

The teen then looked at them curiously. At first, he said something in an unusual language. However, he soon realized the two strangers could not understand. He frowned in turn. Quickly he turned around, and yelled down the hallway. The two gulped. They were not sure what he said. They hoped that it was good, and not bad.

A man walked into the doorway. The two looked very similar. He wore the same brown robe as the teenager, but wore blue pants instead of brown. The clothes were also just as old.

“Foreigners?” he asked in Universal.

“Um, yes,” Temolas replied. “We’ve been banished from our home planet, and are in need of food and shelter. We are unarmed, and will not cause you any sort of trouble.” He then opened the bag to prove it. It was only food and the spellbook.

He nodded. Then, he let the two in. Gratefully they walked inside.

It was a dugout colony. The walls were set with bricks, but the floor was set with wood. The ceilings had not been lined. Instead, it was made of dirt, and roots were visible from them. There were no windows; instead, orbs lit the hallways and rooms. The main hallway branched off in several places, but they kept on going straight.

At the end of the hallway was the leader’s room. It was a grand office. The walls were bookshelves, and all were stuffed full of books of various sizes. One corner of the room had various large scrolls, most likely maps. On one side of the room was a long, wooden desk. On it were many books, some opened, some closed. Behind the desk was a large cushioned chair, and behind that was a large map of the planet. In front of the desk were five smaller chairs. The man led them to two of them, and then left the room.

After a few minutes, the leader came into the room. He was a tall man, with blond hair. He was also peach-skinned, like the two people before him. However, his clothes were different. His outfit was well-kept, and made of finer cloth. His robe was yellow, with white edging. The man carried a staff similar to the Estellans. It was about his size, with a glittering blue sphere on the top of it. The man walked to his seat, and sat down.

“Welcome to Castranon, one of the twelve Nestlan colonies,” he said. “I am Gregin, and I am the leader here.”

Temolas gasped. Anya looked at him curiously. She had never heard of Nestlans before. Apparently, he did.

“So… this is the Nestlan colony planet?” he asked, excited.

“Why, yes it is,” Gregin replied, shocked at his ignorance. “It’s the only colony planet we have, and it has been for many years now.”

“I see… I know there have been many expeditions to find it,” Temolas explained. “It looks like you’ve picked a fine planet.”

“It’s not the best planet to choose, with the non-magic natives. They attempt to kill us if we reveal ourselves, especially if we look out-of-place. It’s hard trying to find a place to make a large colony and keep it hidden,” Gregin said. “In fact, there’s a native village ten minutes away. I’m surprised we haven’t been discovered yet.”

“The path was well-hidden from where we landed,” Temolas replied, hoping to ease his feelings. “You shouldn’t have too many issues.”

“I hope not.” The man then looked at the wall. “Anyway, we have gone quite off-track. What do you need from us?”

“Just shelter, really. We were banished, you see. We just want to be able to live somewhere in peace. It sounds like we’ve picked a great planet.”

“Indeed you have. The system is barren except for this planet, so we don’t have neighbors. Our closest magical ones are too far away for constant communication. All of the galaxy should know this place as a non-magical planet. Your race shouldn’t find us anytime soon, if what you say is true.” Gregin then looked at the two of them. “Is your race elemental?”

Temolas then went into an explanation of how Estellan magic worked. Anya paid close attention to it. Some of it was new to her. Gregin nodded when he was done.

“Just like our system. Anyway, it’s mainly water and earth elements here. You’d be better off at one of the mixed colonies, or at the Lightning one. As for the girl… I don’t know. All I can say is she’s not welcome at Nastar. They’re having water shortages there, so they can’t carry anyone but fire elements right now,” Gregin said. “So, we’ll get you some food and some clothes. Once you rest, we can go talk about other colonies.”

*~*~*

The day went by quickly. First, it was breakfast, in the large dining area. It consisted of ten large wooden tables, with the food in the middle of each of them. Anya liked the food. It was quite similar to Estellan food. In fact, everything seemed similar to Estelli. Everyone wore robes, they had the exact same magic system, and some of the customs were the same. The major differences were skin color, and there was no color system (or matifitzes, to Anya’s delight). Even without them, it was still very similar. Anya liked it. It was like being home, yet not.

After breakfast, Temolas went to a bedroom to sleep. Anya was taken to the library. It was not very large; it was only slightly larger than Gregin’s office. The walls were bookshelves, and in the middle were small tables with four chairs each. However, it had enough books to keep Anya occupied. There were magic books in Universal to read. The incantations were the same. Anya recognized some of them. It only wanted Anya to get a staff more than before. She could not wait to practice.

At about noon, her guide gave her lunch. It was a sandwich. Anya was not used to white bread, nor the meat she was given, but she liked it all the same. As she ate, she looked around at the bookshelf next to her. It was all in Universal. One book caught her eye. It was about Andishanas. Then, she looked away.

“I’m not doing it,” she thought to herself. After a moment, her curiosity won, and she grabbed the book. There was no harm about reading some more about it.

“Oh, interested about Andishanas?” the woman asked. Anya nodded, and opened it up. “I am too. I took a class about them when I was at university,” she explained.

“Really?” Anya asked. “It sounds like fun.”

“It was,” she replied. Then, she looked to the corner. “We don’t have one, you know. There’s six elements, but we still don’t have an Andishana for even one of them.”

Anya blinked. It was something she did not know. She soon found it in the book. The number of Andishanas a race had depended on how many branches of magic it had. Since Nestlan magic had six elements, it would eventually have six Andishanas. Anya sighed.

“That’s… too bad,” Anya mumbled.

“Yeah. We really could use one,” the woman said. “We haven’t had a good leader since we landed here, and that was quite a while back. She died a few months after we set up colonies. Ever since then, we haven’t had decent connections with each other. Most colonies are close to one other one, and that’s it. There’s no general leadership at all. No one stands out. But… if there was an Andishana or two, they could at least get some decent government, you know? Everyone knows who they are, and they’re respected.”

The girl frowned. Her guide was only making her feel worse by the minute.

“I understand,” Anya said slowly and quietly.

“Is it like that where you lived?” the guide asked.

“No. We have a good government. There’s a monarchy and a council, and they work together to work for the people,” Anya explained to her. “It’s also our home planet, so it’s made of smaller towns and a few large cities.”

“I wish it were like that here,” she said with longing. Then, she dropped the subject. She walked to the bookshelf, and grabbed a book.

Anya could no longer read. What the guide had said was too much for her to ignore. Her visions were right; they were in much more need than Estelli was. At least Estelli had a government and strong connections. The Nestlans had neither. Soon, she sighed, and began to think about the ceremony. She had a good reason to consider it.

---

Chapter Nine
The next day

AN thing of doom: Sorry if it seems not as great, or something like that. I’m doing this part as I go. Usually I have it written down, but I changed the story… AGAIN *roll eyes* You don't know how often I do that. XD So yeah, this is the first time it’s going down instead of second, so it might not be as great.

After breakfast, Gregin summoned the two to his office once again. Instead of the map being on the wall, it was now on the desk. Temolas and Anya looked at it curiously. There were twelve black dots on it. One was in the middle of the ocean; they assumed it was Castranon. The other eleven were on various landmasses. One was in the far north, near the right-hand side of the map. Another one was below a large black line, what Anya assumed was the middle of the planet. It appeared to be a desert area. It had to be the Nastar colony. The rest were quite a ways north of it, in moderate climates. Most were on the plains, with one in a forested area.

Gregin pointed to five of them.

“Three of these colonies are all-elementals, for mixed families. One is strictly lightning, while one is lightning and plant. Do you know what element your daughter will be?” Gregin asked.

Anya blushed. “I’m not his daughter, and no.”

Temolas blinked for a second, and then moved on.

“How about we stay here until we know?” Temolas asked.

“It would be dangerous if Anya was a fire element. Most can’t stay here for two hours before being overwhelmed by the ocean,” Gregin countered. Then, he pointed to a dot. It was on the largest landmass, in the middle of the top half of the map. “Here’s a nice colony called Esander. It’s not very large, but it’s a nice place to stay. It can handle all of the elements. There’s a river nearby, but not large enough to disturb fire elements. It rains, but they can water-proof their robes. There’s enough vegetation and ground for plant and earth elements, and lighting elements have no problems there at all. The winters there are cold enough for ice elements, and they have a robe shop to keep them alive during the summer. The guards keep the natives away, but the guard duty is the only downfall of it. I don’t think you’ll regret it. Also, we have connections there, so we can get you a nice house and some money to live off of until you get a job.”

Temolas nodded. It sounded like a nice place to live. Anya also agreed to live there. With their approval, Gregin then prepared a letter ahead.

”We should have clearance for you within the next two weeks,” he said.

The two thanked him, and then left to their bedrooms.

Anya looked at her new clothing. They were plain, and mostly dark blue. It did not look as bad with her orange hair. She picked up a hairbrush and brushed her hair. Anya liked the fact she could expose it. The Nestlans were not as strict as the Estellans were. It was a very welcome change. She also enjoyed not being under so much pressure. No longer was she a monarch; she was just an average person.

“For now, anyway,” she thought, looking at the mirror. Despite what she had said, she had given the Andishana ceremony a tad bit of thought. It still sounded dangerous, but she liked the Nestlans. They were not too different from the Estellans, so changing races would not be so bad. They needed organization, which Anya could somewhat help to bring. However, there was also the issue with the other soul. It turned her away from it the most. She was still unsure about having another soul with her own.

“Maybe I should talk with Mr. Tamen some more about it,” she thought.

*~*~*

An hour later, the library

The two met up at the library. It was empty; everyone was outside, while the natives were away. Since it was a rarity, everyone else was gone. However, neither Anya nor Temolas were in the mood to go to the outdoors and explore. It was a good time to talk in private.

Anya looked at the spellbook they had been given. While she did so, she thought about what to say.

“Mr. Tamen…” she mumbled. “I was thinking about the ceremony.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Really. I thought you weren’t going to even think about it.”

“After some thought, I changed my mind,” Anya explained. “I mean, I can easily adjust to living here, and changing races wouldn’t be too bad. Besides, it sounds like they need me. But I still don’t like the idea of another soul.”

“No one does, really,” Temolas said, looking at the bookshelf. “People crave relationships, but nothing that violates their privacy so. They both can pry into each other’s minds, which can be unnerving. An arandia and an undia can keep some thoughts and memories secret, but not all of them. They soon find that delicate balance. Also, you must remember the two are quite similar. It will only be as bad as you would do.”

Anya nodded. It did sound a little better. If she did not like prying into other’s minds, then it sounded like the arandia would not either.

“How long will it be until I can’t do the ceremony?” Anya asked.

“For someone so young… I would say about one-hundred years or so. If you are showing signs so early, then you are getting close to when it’s about right,” Temolas said. “So, if you need more time, you do have it. Besides, it really is in your best interests to take your time. You are not an adult yet, and child Andishanas are much frowned upon.”

“So… I would have until my hundredth birthday?” Anya asked, rather relived by how much time she had.

“Yes, about then, maybe even fifty years more,” Temolas said. “But one-hundred sounds about right for you. How about this: I’ll remind you when the time comes, and only then. It should give you plenty of time to adjust to Nestlan life, to gain your element, study magic, and even get some education and possible job training.”

Anya nodded. “That sounds about fine to me.” She then looked up at the ceiling. She wondered about her future. Since she was a monarch, she had only gotten basic education. She had no specialties as of yet.

“What do you think I should do?” she asked.

“Depends on how serious you are about becoming an Andishana, really. If you are, take culture studies. If you’re not, find a trade that you would possibly like,” Temolas explained. “If we’re here, you need to make yourself useful, one way or another.”

“What are you going to do then?” Anya asked curiously. “I don’t imagine you could make money doing the Andishana ceremony here, if I’m the only one.”

“I don’t either,” Temolas replied. “To be honest, I’ve always wanted to go into the staff-making business. I heard it’s rather fun, and you’re never out of a job. Besides… if I ever get home, or if I ever get back to doing Andishana ceremonies, I could make the Andishana staffs myself. It’s rather hard to find one these days.”

Anya nodded. It did sound like a good job to take. Then, she went to the bookshelf. There was plenty of books to read. She picked up another book, and continued.

---

jkt65422222222225555555555555555555555555555555555 555555555555555555555555555555555555555550-3’
]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]aN

Awww, look what the kitties wrote! ♥

[Scary Fan Girl]

. . . W00t! I finished reading it all~ :D

'Kay, the plot seems weird, but cool, I mean, I like it. . . anyhoo, what happened to Andi? .___.;; She like, dissappeared. . . .__.;

[Arielle]

*gives candy* :3
I specalize in very weird plots. ;3 If I ever get the beginning done, I should show you my other series. XD

She's, erm, kinda dead. Dian said so, in whatever chapter it was. :x Is it unclear? I'm sorry if it is. ^^;;

I'll update whenever. I have chapters completed (I think I'm up to thirteen?), but I'm not quite satisfied with it as of now. It seems... odd. Very odd. I don't want to post until I have it 100% sorted out. And I'm not in the mood to go read it and fix it at the moment. XD