“Is someone there?” She whispers.
“No need to be afraid,” A voice whispers back. It’s a boy’s voice. She can tell by the way the person said it.
“There, is lava everywhere, OF COURSE I WILL BE AFRAID!” She shoots back harshly whispering.
“Shhhhhh… keep it down, they might hear ,you, I’m going to take you somewhere more to the standards of a newcomer,” He says.
“Show yourself,”
“We don’t have time for this,”He hisses.
“I will not go if you do not show yourself,” Barbara shoots. She hears him sigh. She comes from the shadow. He’s about her age, medium height, breathtaking green eyes, and unkempt brown hair.
“Okay, lead the way…” She pauses. She never got a name.
“Come,” He grabs her wrist and runs away. Barbara runs after as fast as she can as he half pulls her.
“DO you trust me?” he asks.
“WHAT? I just met you! So no!” Babara yells.
“Well you’re gonna have to,” Barbara sees that they are nearing a cliff.
“Watch the cliff, we will fall!”
“Woah…” She breaths.
“Breathtaking right?” the same voice says. SHe jumps.
“Where… who… how?” She stumbles.
“Oh right, see, you are on my back, and I’m a Thunderbird. Please not kicking, squeezing, shaking, or trying to take control of my steering and flying, all you have to do is hold on tight!” He half laughs.
“Oh, AAAAAAAAAAAA!” The thunderbird dives down making a huge breeze go by Barbara. He then pulls up and flies steadily again.
“A little warning next time!” She calls.
“Warning!” He goes full speed flipping through and between rocks. Barbara holds on like her life depended on it, no her life did depend on it. When he stops she stops gripping.
“Okay, so new rule, don’t grab me like that, I will not let you fall,” he says.
“O-okay, I’ll try, i’ve never been on the back of a thunderbird before, actually, Thunderbirds are only mythological creatures,” Barbara states.
“Oh, well that’s just blarderamy,” He replies, “guess you’ll find out a few things one we get to the center.”
“Center?”
“You’ll see. No spoilers,” He stays silent for a little bit. Then a wonderful sight comes up. It looks like a football field without the goals, lines, numbers and six sides instead of four. There are stadium like structures on each side of the area. There are six totems. One has brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows, creating some bird. A phoenix! I love phoenixes! Barbara gets excited. The next one to it’s left are colors of dark and light blues with some purples, creating another bird. Thunderbird, i’m riding one right now, wow, never thought I’d ever say anything close to that! Next to the Thunderbird totem is a totem with flashes of many different colors all illuminating like rays through the totem. Hum… not sure, i’ll probably find out later though. The next one after that is a tall half made of metal totem. Weird… maybe cyborgs? Then the next one was a blue, black, silver, and white totem making up a pack of wolves. Kinda obvious… Then finally a last totem has many different colors varying, Barbara can make out the distinct wings and body. Dragon! Wow! I’ve seen videos of real dragons, but they all ended up being shams.
“Is this the center?” Barbara asks.
“You’ll see,” He lands down near the big field. Barbara jumps off and in the sae bright light he is back standing on two feet and a “regular” person.
“I never got your name,” She asks.
“Oh, right, Storme, you?” Storme asks.
“Barbara,” The two walk up to a building. It’s huge and white. There are some blue lines going all around it.
“Barbara, welcome to the center,” Storme says as the door open. Barbara widens her eyes. The place is booming. All different people all around doing different work.
“Where do we go?” Storme asks the person at the front desk.
“What do you want, last time you came here, you got into a fight,” The desk person has glasses, white hair, blue eyes and a scowl at Storme.
“Oh, right, but to make it fair he started it,” Storme replies.
“Whatever, what do you want?” He asks. Barbara steps forward.
“He is here to bring me somewhere, I’m new to this place,” She says.
“Oh, I see. Okay, two hallways to the left, make a right at the big sign that says New, then make two rights before making another left. You find the only door at the end of the hallway,” The man says.
“Thank you,” Barbara walks away and passes two hallways before making the left. The hallway has multiple doors leading to different rooms.
“Do you remember all the directions?” Barbara asks.
“Nope! But we’ll find it,” Storme replies. Barbara facepalms, “Wait, did you eye color just change?!”
“What, maybe, don’t know, cause I can’t see my eyes color,” She replies.
“Okay… well it just changed, your eyes were green before, now they’re gold I’m confused…”
“What was the next direction? Make another left, or was it right?” Barbara interjects.
“Um… I think It was right?” Storme replies unsurely.
“Right it is,” They turn right and come to a big white sign that says New. Barbara pauses. There is a fork in the hallway and She doesn’t want to go the wrong way.
“It’s right, right?”
“No left,”
“I swear it was right,”
“Swearing isn’t a very good thing to do,”
“Not that kind of swear,”
“Oh, okay,”
“Let’s just go right,”
“But you aren’t the person who lives around here remember?”
“So! I might be better at directions,”
“I bet you’re not!”
“You don’t know me!”
“Excuse Me, do you two need help?” A voice asks. The two turn and see a woman staring at them.
“Um, yes which direction do we go left or right, cause I’m new and this guy has to bring me,” Barbara replies.
“Oh, make a right and then make two rights before making a left,” The woman says.
“Ha! I was right! No pun intended,” Barbara slams.
“Lead the way, oh great navigator, just don’t forget who brought you here,” Storme replies sarcastically, bowing and letting Barbara past him. She walks to the right and keeps walking. She hears fast paced but very light footsteps come up to her.
“Okay, so you were right,” Storme says, “Guess should've trusted you more, I mean You Did jump off a cliff with me hoping you wouldn’t fall.”
“You half pulled me off the cliff, but I accept your apology,” Barbara replies. Storme makes a laughing noise.
“Okay, so next we make a… left? Wait! No right!” Storme corrects himself.
“Hum… yeah,” They laugh. They make the last turns and find the door of the end of the hall.
“Ready?”
“Have you ever done this before?”
“I’m terrible at the directions here, so… no,”
“Okay, just wanted to know,” Barbara is about to knock on the door,when a voice sounds.
“It’s open,” The voice says. She looks at Storme who shrugs and frowns. She opens the door. It's a small room with a desk in the middle. There is a bookshelf with multiple books like, Alice in Wonderland, Maximum Ride, Wings of Fire and so on. Then there is a chair behind the seat turned away from the door. There are two chairs in front of the desk also.
“Sit down. I've been waiting for you,” it's a woman's voice. Barbara walks up to one of the chairs and sits down, “you too troublemaker.” Barbara holds back a laugh. Storms shuffles over to the chair and sits down. The big chair turn around to reveal a short, fair haired woman with blue eyes.
“Thank you Storme for bringing the new comer here, where did you find her?” The woman asks.
“Um… at the edge of the Dark Realm…” Storme sounds nervous.
“The Dark Realm?” Barbara asks.
“The corrupted part of the lands. It is very dangerous there and I'd like to know why you were there in the first place,” it's more of a command than a question.
“I… I uh, I, I was running,” Storme replies. Barbara looks at him. He doesn't look comfortable and nervous.
“Running from what?”
“Who said I was running from something,”
“Oh please, Storme, I see and know all,” the woman replies.
“Then why are you asking. I think I should be asking the questions,” Barbara interrupts.
“Oh?” The woman raises her eyebrows.
“Where the hell am I!” She asks.
“Swearing isn’t a good thing,” Storme interjects. Barbara shoots him a glare.
“Ah okay. So this is what has happened. You have been transported to the world of magical creatures. Once every four years one person is transported here. Most people are lucky to not be near the Dark Realm but some places are closer to the Dark Realm and you must've come from North Dakota. That state is closer to the border. Luckily Storme found you when he did,” the woman explains.
“Oh, so I've been transported, WAIT WHAT ABOUT MY FAMILY!” Barbara exclaims.
“You have been officially erased from their history,” the woman replies. Barbara looks at her in despair. She thinks about her sisters, her parents, and her best friends.
“You mean I never existed there?” Barbara starts to feel tears fill her eyes. The woman nods in response. This is enough to have Barbara's tears really come out. She feels as if someone just cut her open again and again. No, no, no, no. She thinks. Storme fidgets next to Barbara not knowing what to do.
“I know this must be had for you, and maybe think that there is a way out, but what’s done is done,” The woman’s voice doesn’t sound very sympathetic, it’s emotionless, “Now, if you’re done crying, I have questions about you.”
“Lay off it woman, she just found out she can’t see her family again!” Storme snaps finally deciding what to do.
“And you Mr. Thunderbird, must go outside,” The woman looks at Storme. He opens his mouth to object but then quickly shuts it and leaves the room. Barbara looks at the woman.
“Fire away,” She says miserably.
“How many immediate family members did you have?” She asks.
“Two sisters, and two parents, my grandparents died, and both my parents didn’t have siblings,” Barbara replies, “What is your name?”
“Next question: Where exactly did you live?”
“Reedwood, North Dakota. 515 pinewood ave. I lived about five blocks from Reedwood High school/Middle School,”
“Okay. any boyfriends?”
“No. never. What is your…”
“Did you learn a second language?”
“French and I grew up knowing English and Latin. What…”
“Did you ever move from place to place?”
“No, Wha…”
“Any pets?”
“A dog, wh…”
“Final question: how old are you?”
“14, What is your…”
“Excellent, you can look around the field with guidance if you like,”
“WHAT IS YOUR DAMN NAME!?” She hears Storme make a laughing noise from outside the door.
“That is none of your concern little one, now shoo,” she waves her hand dismissively. Barbara gets up and leaves the room.
“I don’t think anyone's done that EVER,” Storme exclaims.
“What? Yell at her? She was irritating anyway,” Storme looks at her in shock, “What? Is she someone really important?”
“She’s the all mighty, what do you call that where you come from? The one in charge of what says and goes?”
“My country got rid of that kind of person many years ago. It’s called a King or Queen or even better Tyrant,” Barbara jokes. Storme grabs her.
“Well whatever you call it, Queen, King, Tyrant, that was the all mighty,”
“Whoops…” Barbara narrows her eyes, “She probably hates me now.”
“Nah, I don’t think she hates anyone more than me, you know why?”
“Obviously not,”
“She’s my mother,” Barbara stares at him shocked.
“You, what, how…”
“You like to be at a loss for words don’t you,” Storme jokes.
“So she’s a Thunderbird?” Barbara asks.
“No, She’s a Dragon,”
“Wait, then how…”
“My father was a Thunderbird, i’m a cross breed, they are really rare, but it happens. You are either born one or the other, I was born a Thunderbird. My little sister is a Dragon,” Storme explains.
“Then why would she hate you?” Barbara is really confused.
“I’m a lot like my father’s brother who she despised,” Storme replies.
“Despised?”
“Oh, right, he was killed going too close to the Dark Realm, that’s why she acted so suspicious,” The pair start walking again.
“I don’t want to be pushy, but how?” Barbara asks.
“No one knows. He just never came back. Then he was found dead at the very edge,” Storme stops talking. Barbara doesn’t push the subject sensing that it was a sensitive subject for him. They walk out.
“So, when do the meetings usually start?” Barbara asks turning to him.
“Around an hour or so after the person arrives and meets with the head, so that gives you time to check out each of the tribes,” Storme replies.
“How does that work?” She asks.
“Simple, you walk up to each of the totems, touch one, and it will show you what is happening in each tribe,”Storme points to the stadium.
“But if there was a war…”
“It will only work when a new arrival comes, and only for the arrival,”Storme cuts her off, “I should go…”
“Why?”
“My sister is probably wondering where I am, I kinda left her to get something then you appeared,” Storme starts to run.
“What a great brother…” Barbara mumbles.
“I HEARD THAT!” Storme’s voice mocks just as a bright blue light shines and Barbara watches as the Thunderbird flies away at lightspeed. Barbara smiles shaking her head. That sounds like a thing my eldest sister would do, She feels a pain in her chest at the thought. Bridget, Harley, they won’t even know I ever existed. No , I have to be strong, for them, Barbara goes into the opening of the Stadium. It looks much bigger then from in the sky. She walks over to the first closest totem, the Phoenix Totem. SHe touches it and a vision comes to her.
A Phoenix is flying around some sort of school. Then, a person chases it yelling.
“You know you’re not allowed to flying phoenix form in the school without permission!!! YOU DIDN’T GET PERMISSION!!!!!!!” The one girl yells. SHe has reddish orange hair, freckles, and green eyes. She looks a lot like Harley.
“Oh, plager off, Erin!” The phoenix replies. It’s a boy. The Erin girl stops running.
“Meannie! Don't Blame Me If You Get into lots of trouble!” Erin yells.
“Screw you!” He yells back.
The vision fades and Barbara blinks. Okay… SHe walks over to the next one. The Dragon Totem. She walks up to it and touches the totem.
A girl with dirty blonde hair and green eyes appears. SHe is pacing. Then a figure appears. Unkempt brown hair and green eyes matching the girls.
“Storme! Where the helemert have you been!?” The girl yells at the boy.
“Keep your head on Daph, just guiding the new girl,” Storme replies.
“Leaving your sister worried sick doesn’t have any excuses,” “Daph” says sternly, “And what new girl?”
“You know, one every four years…”
“You found her? Why not someone else?”
“Because, I was running from… from… you know who…”
“Ah, right… the nasty one, what did he do this time?”
“You’ll probably find out at the border of school,”
The vision pitters out. Barbara tries to hang on, but it disappears. SHe shakes her head. So that was Storme’s sister, “Daph”. She walks over to the next one. She goes over to the wolf totem next. She touches it.
“SIAN!!!!!!!!! WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME!!!!!!!!!!” a boy with ruffled black hair and green eyes calls after a running girl with silver-blackhair with a blue streak, and a black-purple eye and a bright blue eye.
“Just take this and you’ll be fine!” Sian tosses a mask to the boy. He looks at it then puts it on.
“I hate that you drag me into these crazy schemes,” The boy says.
“You don’t have to come with me you know, Rook,” Sian says.
“Oh please,you always need a wolf who knows the maps of the place by heart,” Rook replies.
“Well, that too,” Sian smirks and puts on a mask, “Close your eyes, in 3, 2, 1!” Sian presses a button and gas comes seeping in a building. A lot of wolves come charging out of the building howling in terror of the gas.
The vision fades away. Woah… Barbara hopes she never has to meet that girl. She clears her head, hoping that all the wolves will get those two for gassing them. She then walks over to the half metal one that might be cyborgs. She touches it.
A tall, mostly metal covered creature. It seems to be standing guard or something. Then a boy runs up to the thing. He has black hair, blue eyes and has an interesting symbol around his eye. He looks flustered and nervous.
“State your business,” The big thing says.
“I, my, farm was just attacked by the Dark Realm monsters. I, I was on my farm caring for it when a big black cloud comes looming over and engulfs my farm. I ran and kept running. I then looked back and saw that my farm had been turned into another part of the volcanic dangerous lands,” The boy takes a breath, “They’re moving and they want to expand. We need to tell the all mighty.” They boy sounds serious.
“You may pass. And you can tell during the ceremony today, another newcomer arrived,” The thing says. The boy nods and goes in.
Barbara still wonders what that creature is. She then shakes the notion to touch it again and find out. SHe then walks over to the next one, the one with illuminating colors. SHe touches it with enthusiasm. As she touches it,a warmth goes through her body unlike all the other ones that she touched.
A girl stands in a circle as if waiting for something. She has blonde hair with some darker highlights and brown eyes. Then an white horse with wings and a horn flies over. An Alicorn.
“Ariana! My girl!” The alicorn turns into a human in a bright white light. He jumps down smoothly. He has about all the same features as the girl. He is holding a package in one hand as he hugs Ariana.
“Dad! How Are You, where've you been?” Ariana asks.
“I was asked for, the prophecy, it’s beholder has arrived. I was also going out getting your birthday present. It came in the mail,” The man holds out the package to Ariana. She gasps and takes it.
“Thank you!” Ariana breathes, “So the one from your prophecy finally here to save us from the dark realm?”
“Yes,”
Barbara blinks in confusion. She was the only one who appeared… She walks to the last totem. The Thunderbird Totem. She wonders what she’ll see this time as she touches the cold surface.
A girl with dark bluish purple hair? Blue eyes and a well built and strong vibes flow from her.
“Darcy, did you really do that again?” She calls to another girl with light blonde hair, blue eyes, and very tall. Darcy walks up to the girl.
“Naomi, you have to learn to stop spying on others, you could get yourself into trouble one day,” Darcy comments.
“I think already am, your parents hated me the moment I came here,” Naomi replied.
“That’s not true. Give one good reason they hate you,”
“Let’s see… there was the time that they yelled at me for standing next to your brother, there was also the time that I walked on the wrong side of the room? Then…”
“Okay,I get it, they’re sketchy about you,”
“That’s an understatement,” Naomi mumbles.
“I heard that,” Darcy says.
“Hear what?” Naomi jumps into the air turning into a thunderbird and then racing off much faster then Storme flew to find his sister.
Barbara thinks for a moment, it’s as if all of these visions are to each other. She starts to hear either wing flaps or feet running. Many bright lights of different colors go off and then many people are in the stands. Barbara Turns in Circles as different species watch her. She tries to see some of the faces she saw. Over at the Thunderbird section there is the really tall girl, Darcy who is there next to Naomi. She keeps looking and recognizes the devious look of Sian, the one who gassed a bunch of wolves. Then the black haired boy who lost his farm appears. On a post a short woman comes on. She holds herself up high. She walks to a mic.
“Everyone, today we have a new arrival. She stands down below you, awaiting her species. It has been 20 years since the Dark Realm rose up once more. We have the prophecy, hoping that someday, the person will come.
When darkness falls
Oh mighty one
One from each tribe will join as one
Cancor evil
Made as one
Paws so sharp they scrape the stone
Magic so bright it finds a way
Strength so powerful it yields the light
Fire so hot it scorches the core
Speed as quick as lightning strike
Powers so great, they blind thebest
In twenty years from the dark
One will come
With all the might
The one who is the chosen one
Who will embark
On a quest to find the source
Cut it off into the mist
Make it pay for what it’s done
One will leave to make it right
The day will shatter the darkness fright
They will live through honor’s light
The sacrifice so great to
Shatter the earth to it’s core
Make the journey far and wide
Go Through Though some shant survive”
The woman recites the prophecy, “Young Barbara. You now will receive your species.” She waves her hands into the air. And then jumps off the platform, transforming with a green light into a magnificent dragon, with dark green scales, some blue under scales, a long curled tail, forest green eyes, light green markings, and dark brown horns. This signaled something, and one from all the other tribes jumps down and transforming in sync with flashes of color. Barbara looks at this amazed. They fly around above her, and the wolf and cyborg thing stay down running circles around the totems.
“Awaken the power! Awaken it within! Show your true self! Bring yourself into the light!” The woman rings above everyone.
“Awaken the power! Awaken it within! Show your true self! Bring yourself into the light!” The chosen species recite this over and over again. Then swirls of color circle Barbara. She turns around with fear. She feels as if something is being brought out of her. She closes her eyes and is lifted into the air. A loud blast sounds and is gently laid down onto the ground. Everyone looks trying to figure out what happened. Barbara opens her eyes. She doesn’t feel any different or look any different. She looks at the woman. The woman is wide eyed. She quickly recovers and regains her post on the ledge.
“Ladies and gentlemen! We have found the one!” Barbara looks at her like she was just hit on the head.