Disclaimer: I don't own the story, I just fell in love with it.
Author's Note: Oh, my gosh! These kinds of fanfics are so hard to find! So I decided to write one for myself so everyone else could enjoy them.
It was a cool, calm day in the Mulee Forest. Auroria was sitting on the top of a tree branch, aiming her arrow at two children: a small boy about eight years old with dark, silky curls and merry blue eyes; and a girl about the same age as the boy, who had radiant golden curls with blue ribbons intertwined with the locks, matching her deep eyes.
One, two, three. Come on, Rory. You can do this.
Auroria let the arrow slip out of the bow. She raised a slender white hand to her forehead and swept away dark, glorious wisps of chestnut brown hair. The arrow whizzed through the air and landed straight in the little girl's heart. Auroria wanted to close her eyes and stay up in the tree. She hated doing her duties. But she had to pull away from her wishes and jumped off of the tree branch.
The little girl was lying on the ground, writhing in pain. The little boy was holding her hand firmly, his blue eyes shining with pain for the injured girl. Then he spotted Auroria.
"Rory! Why did you do that?" he cried. Sapphire met emerald as brother glared at sister.
"Move out of the way," Auroria commanded her brother Ember. The little boy would not move. "Em! It's a specter! Can't you see?" Ember looked doubtfully at his sister, but moved out of the way. The little girl started cackling. Her soft, youthful face was not full of pain any longer, but cruel, every sign of evil was etched in her eyes. Her figure started to disappear.
"Stop!" Auroria ordered. "Stop! I command you!" The specter stopped vanishing. She took a deep breath as Ember watched in amazement. "Creature, when will my mother return from the lair of the dragon Jafe?"
The specter's shriek of laughter rang throughout the forest. "The question is not when, it is will she. And the answer is when sphinxes roam the land once more, and phoenixes begin to sing again." Then it disappeared.
There was a silence between Auroria and Ember. "How did you know it was a specter?" Ember finally asked his sister.
"I was watching over you, on father's orders," Auroria replied. "Then I saw the creature heading toward you, and walking with you. I watched it for a little while, instead of you, and found out that it wasn't making any footprints. That's how you tell if it's a specter or not, Em. Remember that." The eight-year-old nodded.
The two siblings headed home on horseback. Auroria rode her gallant steed Firefoot, who was as stubborn and strong-minded as his mistress. Ember mounted his timid horse Sunstar, who was loyal and obedient, but not anywhere near as mighty as Firefoot.
They lived in the castle of Bamarre with their mother Queen Adelina, preferred to be called Addie, and their sorcerer father Rhys. Since they were the children of the royalties, they were Princess Auroria and Prince Ember. But they might as well as switch their titles, for Ember was as shy and adorable as a girl, and Auroria was the boldest and most brazen girl anyone in Bamarre had heard of. While Ember spent his time working hard and studying, rarely ever straying outdoors, let alone the Mulee Forest, Auroria ferociously battled creatures that dared to approach her and dueled with many knights at Bamarre Castle.
The two had many differences in appearances, too. Ember was a timid-looking eight-year-old with jet-black curls, merry blue eyes, and a shy smile. He was rather small, and you could see from his soft, smooth fingers that he never did work besides his studies. Auroria, however, was a tall, lanky girl of thirteen. Her smooth, tame chestnut brown hair, bright green eyes like jewels, and radiant smiles gave her the air of a princess, but the smiles only came when the Princess of Bamarre was out hunting, battling, or doing wild, unladylike things.
But if you casted away all the differences and saw the two siblings, they would be exactly the same. They both had kind hearts, and were always willing to help in any way they could. Auroria and Ember were both eager to learn, though different things, and were brave, in their little ways. And both had inherited some magic from their sorcerer father. It came in handy at times.
As they neared the entrance, Auroria glanced many boys watching her enviously. She grinned. Firefoot was the best of the best, handpicked by King Rhys to suit his daughter. Auroria wasn't spoiled, no, but her thirst for adventure was so like present-day Queen Addie's that he couldn't help himself. That was how Firefoot came into the possession of Princess Auroria.
"Rory! Ember!" a familiar voice called from the doors. There was King Rhys, dressed in many bright, cheerful garments, a friendly smile plastered on his shining face.
"Father!" Ember called, obviously happy to be safe with his father again.
The three of them had a lunch, and Auroria told her father about the encounter with the specter. Though he looked serious at the specter's answer, Rhys couldn't help chuckling at the mention of Ember being fooled.
"Ah, history repeats itself," he said, smiling. When Auroria and Ember looked at him quizzically, Rhys told the story of Addie, Meryl, and the young boy specter.
"But then," Ember said after the tale was finished. "Where's Aunt Meryl now?"
Rhys's smile faded slightly. "Meryl had the Gray Death. Your mother doesn't want to speak of this much."
"Is it because…" Auroria murmured. "She died?"
Rhys shook his head. "No. Meryl was given the choice of becoming a fairy, or dying. She chose to become a fairy. However, Meryl didn't stay with your mother, as Addie wished, but went away to have more adventures. Adventures that she couldn't have in life."
"Did she ever come back?" Ember inquired. "You know, to visit or something?"
Rhys grinned again. "She's coming here next Wednesday. To see you," he answered happily.
"What about Mother?" Auroria said, remembering the Queen.
"I'm sure she'll be here in time," Rhys replied. But there was worry in his eyes.