"Yes... And you are?"
The other Vulcan grinned. Tepuran cocked an eyebrow.
"And I thought I was the only Vulcan with any emotions."
The other Vulcans grin seemed to fade, and she spoke defensively. "You're probably right. My name is Amaer, I am most certainly not a Vulcan."
Amaer. That name seemed so familiar to Tepuran. "So you are not a Vulcan. Then are you a Romulan? What would you be doing here? I would..."
Amaer laughed really loudly. "No! I am not Romulan!"
Tepuran suddenly remembered where she had heard the name Amaer. "My mother... her name was Amaer. I never thought that sounded like a Vulcan name."
"That's because it isn't. It's an Elven name. I am an Elf."
Tepuran looked shocked. "An Elf! That is ridiculous! Elves are mythological creatures! You couldn't possibly..."
Amaer put her hand over Tepuran's mouth. "Not so loud! I can prove it to you." Amaer smiled.
Tepuran looked at her inquisitively. "Prove it? But why? Why did you even come to me?"
Amaer looked disappointed. "And I thought you were smart. Why do you think your mother would have an Elven name?"
Tepuran seemed confused. "Well..."
Amaer continued, "Did you ever consider the possibility that your mother was an Elf?"
"What! But that would make me..."
"Half-elf. Yes, and that's exactly what it is... Tepuran... I am your mother, and I have come to show you who you really are."
"What! But you're too young! And they found my mother's body when she died!"
Amaer shook her head. "I can explain both of your points, but I believe we should go somewhere more private.
"Okay, fine."
Amaer and Tepuran walked until they came to a hole in the ground. Amaer stopped. Tepuran stared at the hole.
"This is someplace more private, but..."
"Oh now, don't complain! Haven't you ever read 'Alice in Wonderland'?"
Tepuran turned sheepishly. "Actually..."
"Oh, right. You've never heard of it. Well, in the beginning of the story, Alice is chasing a white rabbit, and follows it down into a hole. When she tumbles out of the hole, she finds herself in Wonderland."
Tepuran stared at her. "So what are you trying to say? That if I fall down that hole I'll end up in... Wonderland?"
Amaer nodded. "That's almost it. But there is one catch. It's not exactly Wonderland down there, but the Netherland. The home of the Elves. Of course Elves seem mythological, the don't exist on the surface. But anyone with Elvish blood in the can go down that hole, and end up in our world."
And without another word, Amaer jumped down the hole.
Tepuran stood there. "Amaer? I don't know if I want to go down there... What about Hiro?"
Tepuran looked around, wondering if this had all been a dream. She stared around at the trees in the park, hoping an answer would come to her. What if she could never come out of the hole? What would happen to Hiro? She had already lost both her parents... Tepuran wasn't about to let her lose her sister. If Hiro couldn't come, then Tepuran wouldn't go. It had to all be a dream.
A few moments later, Hiro ran up to her.
"Tepuran! I was so worried! You didn't follow me! I thought something had happened to you!"
Tepuran shook her head in disbelief. "Something strange did happen, Hiro... Wait! The freshman orientation starts in a few minutes! We have to go!"
Hiro and Tepuran ran up to the hall. The orientation went smoothly, and they awaited the dorm assignments.
"Dorm 11-5C... Hiroyuki Sasaki and... T'Plan Sasaki."
Hiro looked at Tepuran gleefully. "I am so happy! We get to room together!!!"
"Yes... Let's go."
As they arrive in their room, Hiro begins to wonder aloud. "Tepuran... What was so strange?"
"What are you talking about, Hiro?"
"When I found you at the park, you told me that something strange did happen. What was it?"
Tepuran sighed. "Well Hiro... I don't know if I can tell you..."
Hiro sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "You can tell me. You know I can keep a secret."
Tepuran's head sank. "Yes, Hiro, I know that, but it's just... It's so unbelievable."
Hiro grinned. "You know I will listen, no matter how unbelievable it seems."
"Oh, allright." Tepuran went on and recounted in detail wait had happened, from when she had met Amaer until Hiro had met her in the park.
Hiro looked at her wide-eyed. "Well then, let's go back to the park."
"What!" Tepuran was shocked.
"Well," Hiro began, "The only way to find out for sure if Amaer was telling the truth if for you to jump down that hole."
"But Hiro..." Tepuran whined, "What if I never come back? What will you do?"
"Tepuran. If you can get down to the Netherland, then you will come back. If Amaer could, so could you."
Tepuran hadn't thought of that before. "Allright. We'll go back to the park."
Hiro seemed especially eager to arrive at the hole, and was running several metres in front of Tepuran. They were both out of breath when they arrived.
"So, " Hiro said slowly, "This is the hole?"
"Yes, it is."
"Well, Tepuran, this is it. It's time for your spritual awakening. Jump in the hole."
"But Hiro..."
"Just jump in the hole."
Tepuran stared at the hole for the longest time, then finally just jumped down, suddenly knowing what Alice felt like.
It was most certainly not Wonderland, but it was very different from the Earth's surface. The grass seemed greener, the sky bluer. There were no tall buildings polluting the landscape, only pristine flora. No dwellings anywhere to be seen, but they could be farther off. She could hear the sound of footseteps behind her as someone approached. She spun around to find what must of been another Elf.
"You must be T'Plan. Amaer told me you would be coming soon, so I was waiting here for you. Welcome to the Netherland." The Elf smiled. "I am so very happy to see you."
Tepuran looked confused. "How did Amaer know that I would be definitely coming here? I almost didn't."
The Elf chuckled. "Oh! Simple. You are half Vulcan, after all, and one thing Vulcans have is immense curiousity. Your curiousity was piqued by the thought of falling down a hole and ending up in another world."
Tepuran stood thinking for a moment. She was right. One thing she had always been was inquisitive. She didn't know any other Vulcans, so she could only assume that the Elf was right.
"Okay, that explains that. But... who are you anyway?"
"My name is AinŽ. I'm a friend of your mother's."
That made sense. It seemed logical that Amaer would not greet Tepuran when she arrived, perhaps to leave an element of suprise and mystery to the situation.
"AinŽ, there are so many things I would like to know, for example-"
AinŽ interrupted her. "T'Plan. We do not have time. Your mother is waiting. You may ask me one question, but that's it."
Tepuran stood thinking for a moment, then finally decided on a question.
"If we are under the Earth's surface, why can we see the sky?"
AinŽ stood looking pensively for a moment. "Well... I can't answer that directly, but I can tell you that it's just an illusion."
"An illusion?"
"Oh! You already used your one question. Let's go." AinŽ grabbed Tepuran's hand and dragged her up to a mountainous area.
When they finally reached the top, Tepuran was out of breath. She looked down, and noticed the dwellings that had been out of the picture earlier.
"So," she asked, "which one is my mother's?"
AinŽ pointed to a fairly small dwelling.
"Since she lives alone, she has no need for a large dwelling. She lives there." AinŽ began to walk towards that dewlling, and Tepuran struggled to keep up. She had never been much of an athlete, she was always way too absorbed in her schoolwork, almost the opposite of Hiro.
They arrived at the dwelling, and AinŽ opened the door.
To be continued in chapter 2.
The other Vulcan grinned. Tepuran cocked an eyebrow.
"And I thought I was the only Vulcan with any emotions."
The other Vulcans grin seemed to fade, and she spoke defensively. "You're probably right. My name is Amaer, I am most certainly not a Vulcan."
Amaer. That name seemed so familiar to Tepuran. "So you are not a Vulcan. Then are you a Romulan? What would you be doing here? I would..."
Amaer laughed really loudly. "No! I am not Romulan!"
Tepuran suddenly remembered where she had heard the name Amaer. "My mother... her name was Amaer. I never thought that sounded like a Vulcan name."
"That's because it isn't. It's an Elven name. I am an Elf."
Tepuran looked shocked. "An Elf! That is ridiculous! Elves are mythological creatures! You couldn't possibly..."
Amaer put her hand over Tepuran's mouth. "Not so loud! I can prove it to you." Amaer smiled.
Tepuran looked at her inquisitively. "Prove it? But why? Why did you even come to me?"
Amaer looked disappointed. "And I thought you were smart. Why do you think your mother would have an Elven name?"
Tepuran seemed confused. "Well..."
Amaer continued, "Did you ever consider the possibility that your mother was an Elf?"
"What! But that would make me..."
"Half-elf. Yes, and that's exactly what it is... Tepuran... I am your mother, and I have come to show you who you really are."
"What! But you're too young! And they found my mother's body when she died!"
Amaer shook her head. "I can explain both of your points, but I believe we should go somewhere more private.
"Okay, fine."
Amaer and Tepuran walked until they came to a hole in the ground. Amaer stopped. Tepuran stared at the hole.
"This is someplace more private, but..."
"Oh now, don't complain! Haven't you ever read 'Alice in Wonderland'?"
Tepuran turned sheepishly. "Actually..."
"Oh, right. You've never heard of it. Well, in the beginning of the story, Alice is chasing a white rabbit, and follows it down into a hole. When she tumbles out of the hole, she finds herself in Wonderland."
Tepuran stared at her. "So what are you trying to say? That if I fall down that hole I'll end up in... Wonderland?"
Amaer nodded. "That's almost it. But there is one catch. It's not exactly Wonderland down there, but the Netherland. The home of the Elves. Of course Elves seem mythological, the don't exist on the surface. But anyone with Elvish blood in the can go down that hole, and end up in our world."
And without another word, Amaer jumped down the hole.
Tepuran stood there. "Amaer? I don't know if I want to go down there... What about Hiro?"
Tepuran looked around, wondering if this had all been a dream. She stared around at the trees in the park, hoping an answer would come to her. What if she could never come out of the hole? What would happen to Hiro? She had already lost both her parents... Tepuran wasn't about to let her lose her sister. If Hiro couldn't come, then Tepuran wouldn't go. It had to all be a dream.
A few moments later, Hiro ran up to her.
"Tepuran! I was so worried! You didn't follow me! I thought something had happened to you!"
Tepuran shook her head in disbelief. "Something strange did happen, Hiro... Wait! The freshman orientation starts in a few minutes! We have to go!"
Hiro and Tepuran ran up to the hall. The orientation went smoothly, and they awaited the dorm assignments.
"Dorm 11-5C... Hiroyuki Sasaki and... T'Plan Sasaki."
Hiro looked at Tepuran gleefully. "I am so happy! We get to room together!!!"
"Yes... Let's go."
As they arrive in their room, Hiro begins to wonder aloud. "Tepuran... What was so strange?"
"What are you talking about, Hiro?"
"When I found you at the park, you told me that something strange did happen. What was it?"
Tepuran sighed. "Well Hiro... I don't know if I can tell you..."
Hiro sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "You can tell me. You know I can keep a secret."
Tepuran's head sank. "Yes, Hiro, I know that, but it's just... It's so unbelievable."
Hiro grinned. "You know I will listen, no matter how unbelievable it seems."
"Oh, allright." Tepuran went on and recounted in detail wait had happened, from when she had met Amaer until Hiro had met her in the park.
Hiro looked at her wide-eyed. "Well then, let's go back to the park."
"What!" Tepuran was shocked.
"Well," Hiro began, "The only way to find out for sure if Amaer was telling the truth if for you to jump down that hole."
"But Hiro..." Tepuran whined, "What if I never come back? What will you do?"
"Tepuran. If you can get down to the Netherland, then you will come back. If Amaer could, so could you."
Tepuran hadn't thought of that before. "Allright. We'll go back to the park."
Hiro seemed especially eager to arrive at the hole, and was running several metres in front of Tepuran. They were both out of breath when they arrived.
"So, " Hiro said slowly, "This is the hole?"
"Yes, it is."
"Well, Tepuran, this is it. It's time for your spritual awakening. Jump in the hole."
"But Hiro..."
"Just jump in the hole."
Tepuran stared at the hole for the longest time, then finally just jumped down, suddenly knowing what Alice felt like.
It was most certainly not Wonderland, but it was very different from the Earth's surface. The grass seemed greener, the sky bluer. There were no tall buildings polluting the landscape, only pristine flora. No dwellings anywhere to be seen, but they could be farther off. She could hear the sound of footseteps behind her as someone approached. She spun around to find what must of been another Elf.
"You must be T'Plan. Amaer told me you would be coming soon, so I was waiting here for you. Welcome to the Netherland." The Elf smiled. "I am so very happy to see you."
Tepuran looked confused. "How did Amaer know that I would be definitely coming here? I almost didn't."
The Elf chuckled. "Oh! Simple. You are half Vulcan, after all, and one thing Vulcans have is immense curiousity. Your curiousity was piqued by the thought of falling down a hole and ending up in another world."
Tepuran stood thinking for a moment. She was right. One thing she had always been was inquisitive. She didn't know any other Vulcans, so she could only assume that the Elf was right.
"Okay, that explains that. But... who are you anyway?"
"My name is AinŽ. I'm a friend of your mother's."
That made sense. It seemed logical that Amaer would not greet Tepuran when she arrived, perhaps to leave an element of suprise and mystery to the situation.
"AinŽ, there are so many things I would like to know, for example-"
AinŽ interrupted her. "T'Plan. We do not have time. Your mother is waiting. You may ask me one question, but that's it."
Tepuran stood thinking for a moment, then finally decided on a question.
"If we are under the Earth's surface, why can we see the sky?"
AinŽ stood looking pensively for a moment. "Well... I can't answer that directly, but I can tell you that it's just an illusion."
"An illusion?"
"Oh! You already used your one question. Let's go." AinŽ grabbed Tepuran's hand and dragged her up to a mountainous area.
When they finally reached the top, Tepuran was out of breath. She looked down, and noticed the dwellings that had been out of the picture earlier.
"So," she asked, "which one is my mother's?"
AinŽ pointed to a fairly small dwelling.
"Since she lives alone, she has no need for a large dwelling. She lives there." AinŽ began to walk towards that dewlling, and Tepuran struggled to keep up. She had never been much of an athlete, she was always way too absorbed in her schoolwork, almost the opposite of Hiro.
They arrived at the dwelling, and AinŽ opened the door.
To be continued in chapter 2.
