I do not own any of the characters. Please enjoy and review.
Jeanne: There is more to Lexi then meets the eye, I suppose.
Ren: Your story is taking forever, Soul.
Me: Well, excuse me! To make a good story you have to keep people up to date with good details!
Yoh: The story isn't bad so it's fine.
The others except Ren nodded.
Chapter 9
What is wrong with her? Rei thought. It had been a few days since they had left Scarlet Town with Marika. Lexi had paled when Daichi said that they were going to the Cheki region. Ever since then, she had not been herself and Rei was wondering why. When Daichi said that they were going to Dream Kingdom, Lexi fainted there on the spot. Rei had caught her and was now carrying her in his arms. To his surprise, she was really light, but then, he had train his muscles to be strong. He look down at her sleeping figure. Why is she so upset about Dream Kingdom? Hold on, wasn't her last name Dream? I wonder if this could be connected. He frowns as he tried figuring it out but after a while, he gave up.
"Rei?" He turns his attention to Lexi who had just woken up. Her eyes were half open and she gave him a small smile.
"I'm sorry." she said softly so only he could hear. He gave a small smile back and nods.
"Hey! You guys! Look at that!" Daichi pointed. Rei look up and was surprise to see that they had arrive at the city where the Dream castle was. The town's people were all gathering in the town's square. Something was going to happen. They all rush over to the crowd. Rei set Lexi down.
Daichi tap a man's shoulder. "Excuse me, what is going on?"
The man smiled, but Daichi could see that his eyes were sad. "Our queen is coming to visit us today. She always visits us every day. Her daughter, the princess, always comes with her but a few weeks back, she had disappeared. So now, the queen only visits us once a week due to her sadness."
For some reason, when the man had turn around, Lexi hid behind Rei. She shifted uncomfortably when the man told Daichi what was going on. Rei looks at her and frowns.
The crowd started to cheer when a beautiful pale pink carriage pull by two strong white horses that had golden beads braided into their mares. The carriage stop right in front of the crowd and the rider jump from his seat in the reins and held open the carriage door. A beautiful woman steps out from the carriage. She wore a beautiful soft silk pink dress that was in layers down near the bottom. Her blonde hair flow down to her waist with a golden crown resting on her head. Her soft blue eyes and sweet smile made her very charming. She wave to the crowd.
Rei felt Lexi's grip on his jacket tighten. She peeks out from behind him. He quickly grabs her hand and pulls her out in front of him. She tried to get back behind him but he held her stubbornly and made her face the queen. Lexi tried to hide her face for whatever reason that Rei didn't know.
The queen's eyes look over the crowd and were surprise to see the kids alone. She peer closely at the girl who was trying to hide her face to which the boy behind her made her face the queen. The queen gasps when she saw the girl. "Lexi? Is that you?" the queen yell in shock as she grab her long dress and made her way through the crowd. They parted and let her through. The gang except Lexi, was surprise that the queen knew their friend. The queen stops in front of Lexi.
Lexi slowly turn to look at the queen in the eye. "Hello, mother." she said softly. The others stared at her in shock. The queen was her MOTHER? That would make Lexi the missing PRINCESS! The queen gave a happy cry and hugged Lexi tightly. The crowd cheer for their princess has return.
"Lexi. Lexi. I'm so glad you're back! Where are earth did you go?" the queen ask tearfully. Lexi look at the ground. "Well, you must be tired. Let's get back to the castle and have you and your friends all rest up."
The Dream Castle was very grandeur. It had three beautiful white towers all with creamy colored flags attach to the end. The one in the middle was the tallest of the three and had a large window near the top. The castle was a creamy pink colored and blooming flowers blossom all around in the castle's gardens. Bushes were neatly trim as they stood at each side of the road leading to the castle. There was a giant flowing fountain in the middle as the road circled around it. They could see healthy, growing fishes of all kinds in the fountain's fresh clear blue waters. There were palace guards that were patrolling the castle guards. As they got near the drawbridge, they saw two palace guards that wore different uniforms then the ones they had seen earlier that stood at each end of the drawbridge. They began to lower the drawbridge and the carriage rode in. Once there were inside the castle, the kids except Lexi could see how beautiful it was on the inside too. They were in a massive room that had two long staircases going up to who knows where. A golden chandelier with sparkling diamonds hangs on the white ceiling. There were several doorways and priceless items that were place neatly in glass cases.
Many maids came through the doorway and greeted the queen warmly. They were surprise at the site of their lost princess that they had not seen for about a month or two now. They all cried and hug their princess lovingly. The rest of the gang watches for they couldn't understand why Lexi would want to leave and upset her kingdom. The queen had the maids to go and get the kids ready for their meeting with her and her husband. They were all rush in different directions.
Daichi smirk when he saw Rei enter the room where the king and queen was in. Rei had a scowl on his face for he had to wear a red tunic with golden lining as well as dark red shoes with white socks. He had black pants as well.
Daichi himself was wearing an orange tunic with black lining with dark orange shoes with white socks as well as black pants. They tried to get him to remove his headphones and bear talons necklace, but he had refuse. The headphones and necklace was a gift from his parents and grandparents. He never takes off the necklace ever since he got it for it was the only thing that Yoh had left from the first spirit he fuses with. The spirit was in the Asakura family for many generations but after that battle when Yoh and Anna was ten years old and Yoh had to use the spirit's powers to defeat the demon that Anna had created because of her hatred for the people who had abandoned her when she was a baby, it took all of the spirit's powers so he had been return to the King of Spirits. The bear talons necklace was the only thing the Asakuras had left of him besides their memories of him.
Akira came in and he didn't look so happy either. He was wearing a blue tunic with light-blue lining with dark-blue shoes and white socks and black pants. He still had on his headband around his head through.
Yuki came in with him as well as Charlie. They were wearing the same thing except that Yuki's was green with yellow lining and had dark green shoes and Charlie's was yellow with orange lining and had on dark yellow shoes.
The boys bow to the king and queen and they all waited for the four girls to come.
"Girls tend to take longer with their clothes. I'm glad you have so much patience for boys." the queen said, her voice was like music to their ears. "The boys in my days were very rash." The king scowls. He was wearing a creamy white robe with red lining. A golden crown rested in his black bangs and his brown eyes narrow at his wife.
She doesn't know the real us, the boys all thought.
After a while, the girls finally arrived. The boys' eyes widen at the site.
Annie was wearing a long soft pink dress that hung in two layers. The dress had pink and white flowers and was strapless. The top was a darker pink color with white lining. Annie's hair was sprinkle with a white and pink flower that had a pink ribbon attach to it that flow down her blonde hair and her braided was undone as was her bandana. She wore a ruby ring on her finger and had a golden necklace around her neck. Daichi smiled at her. Amidamaru nudge him a bit with a smile on his face.
Serena was wearing a long soft blue dress with white lining. The top of the dress was a darker blue and had white swirls. The dress had small snowflakes all over the bottom and each snowflake was different. Serena's hair was wavy near the ends and her headband was removed only to be replaced by a white snowflake that rested neatly in her bangs. She wore a blue ring and had a golden necklace. Yuki smile at her warmly and she return the smile. Chloe look between the two and gave a peaceful smile.
Marika came in wearing a long soft red dress that had many layers. The dress was had little cherries all around the bottom and the top was a darker red with simple yellow lining that was wavily around the top. Her now wavy flaming red hair flow down her back and she wore a golden necklace with a matching golden ring. Her golden circle still rested on her head. Akira grins. Corey floated beside him holding her lily pad above her small head and giggled.
Lexi came in last with a worried expression on her face. She had on a flowing purple dress and sunshine yellow lining. Hers too was strapless as was the top was a darker purple that glitter. The dress glitter all around and it had a moonlight purple slash in the middle. Lexi's hair was flowing down her back and a golden tiara rested on top of her head. She wore a diamond necklace with a matching ring around her finger. Rei frowns at her worried expression. Bason and Shamash wonder what Rei was going to do with that look on his face that show he was going to find out about something.
The girls all curtsey to the king and queen. The king stood up. "Welcome to my kingdom!" the king's voice boom out into the room. "My name is King Leo. This is my wife, Queen Amanda. I thank you for bringing my daughter back safe and sound."
"Aren't you all shamans?" Amanda asked. They nodded except for Lexi who was staring at the carpet ground. The queen smiled. A snow white owl appeared above her. "This is my guardian ghost, Melo."
"Both kingdoms are all shamans. We use our powers to fight." Leo said. A ghost wolf appeared next to him. "This is my guardian ghost. His name is Nerlf."
"You have come at a good time. We are having a war between our rival kingdom, the Nightmares." Leo's eyes darken when he mention the name. The others except Marika suddenly remember what Lexi had said about two kingdoms fighting.
"I'm so glad you're back, dear. I was afraid that one of the Nightmares had captured you." Amanda exclaim happily clapping her hands.
"I'm fine, mother. I'm not a little girl anymore." Lexi said stubbornly.
"Now, now. Don't be like that. We just fear for your safety." Amanda chirp.
Lexi gave a scowl. "Well? Are you going to tell them?"
"I have a feeling that you did not tell your friends about yourself very much. Why don't you do that first?" Leo said.
Lexi rolls her eyes and sighs. She turns around to face the others but for some reason, she wouldn't look at Rei in the eye. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you who I really was from the beginning. My full name is Alexis Aurora Dream and I am the princess of the Kingdom Dream who is at war with the Kingdom Nightmare." Lexi faces her parents. "There, I said it. Now, it's your turn."
"Very well." Leo said. "It began centuries ago. Back then, the two kingdoms were at peace with each other. It was like how light and dark could not live without the other. Everything was peaceful between the two kingdoms until a day came when the Nightmares stole our Hikari Orb. Hikari means light and since we are the Dream Kingdom, the light suits us. When these two kingdoms were first born, their ancestors create two orbs that were the Hikari Orb and Kurai Orb. Kurai means darkness so it suits the Nightmares. The orbs were held in a secret chamber hidden in each castle. Only the royal family of the castle knows where it is located."
"We didn't how, but one day after a huge raging storm, our ancestors went to check on the orb only to discover that it was missing! They had the whole kingdom search and found a piece of fabric that was worn only by the Nightmares. In rage, the Dream Kingdom started attacking the Nightmare Kingdom. They sent many armies and the Nightmares had to defend themselves, so they began to attack. The Nightmares said that they didn't take it and that the Dreams had taken their Kurai Orb away from them and wanted a war between the two kingdoms. Ever since then, our two kingdoms have been at war, each blaming the other for stealing their orb."
"Did you ever found the orbs?" Rei asked.
"No, both orbs were never found to this day." Amanda said sadly. "When Lexi had disappeared, I thought the Nightmares have kidnapped her! I'm just glad she wasn't kidnapped and I am glad that Akane was with her. My sweet Lexi couldn't have handled the real world by herself. I'm so grateful that you all helped her. Lexi, dear, you have made quite the friends!"
Rei look over at Lexi. There was a mixture of hurt, sadness and anger. Her hands were in fists and she was scowling.
"Mother. Father. I would like to go to my room, please." Lexi said sharply. The king and queen nodded slowly and Lexi flew out of the room. Rei followed her after a nod from her mother.
As soon as they were out of the room, Lexi grab her skirts and ran down the halls. Rei follow her silently. She ran up the stairs and into her room. She slams the door shut as fast as she could, but Rei stop it and went into the room. Lexi kick off her shoes and buried herself in her soft purple pillow. Rei look around. Lexi's room was very neat. The wallpaper was an elegant purple with rays of moonlight yellow and the creamy carpet was very soft. She had a giant bed with purple bedsheets and pillows as well as a purple blanket with a moon design. There were posers of the Dream Kingdom on her walls and she had a massive amount of books lying on top of her wooden desk with a black laptop and a lava lamp that had a moon design. She had a large T.V. and a purple desktop. A diamond chandelier hangs on the ceiling along with moon models. There was a grand closet in one corner and a shoe shelf in the other.
Rei walk over to Lexi who was lying face down on her bed. He sighs. "Oi! Are you going to sleep or what?"
"Leave me alone, Rei!" came Lexi's muffled voice. Rei sat down on the bed. He tugs off Lexi's crown. "Hey!" Lexi sat up and grab the crown away from him. He smirk and she glare.
"So you weren't asleep."
"Of course I wasn't knucklehead!" Lexi smack his head. She places the crown back on her head and cross her arms together. "Well?"
"Well, what?" Rei asked innocently. Lexi growl and flop herself back on her pillow.
"If you're here to annoy me, then get lost."
Rei chuckled. "Really? Is that how you treat your guest at your castle? I thought princesses were supposed to be polite."
She gave him a glare. "I never ask to be a princess! I was born that way!"
Rei raise an eyebrow. "So what? You were born this way so you should take responsibility for your actions. You are the heir to the Dream Kingdom so you should make sure your kingdom is safe. Besides, I'm a heir to the Taos. It's really annoying dealing with everything."
"I guess. You do come from a long bloodline of Chinese shamans after all. Your family is famous." Lexi shrug. "Doesn't Daichi come from a famous long bloodline of Japanese shamans and right now he is the heir to the Asakuras?"
Rei nodded. "Daichi and I have to train the hardest."
"Do you remember what I said about me wanting to stop the fight between the two kingdoms?" Lexi sat up again and look at him. Rei nodded. "I didn't run away for all of that, I guess."
"Don't you like it here?"
Lexi shook her head sadly. "My parents are really over protected. They make a big fuss over every little thing. I was never allow out of the castle other than visiting towns and cities with my mother. Every day, I would always do my studies to be a proper princess. I always watch the other kids play outside in the sunshine while I was stuck inside with nothing to do." Lexi gave a small laugh. "You would think that I would have gotten use to it by now, but I haven't. I always read books about what it was like outside of the kingdom and imagine what it would be like. Akane was my only friend even if she was a ghost."
Rei reach up, took out the crown and ruffled her hair. Her violet eyes looked into his golden ones. He smirks. "Are you really the girl who I saved from those thugs and who said that she didn't need my help even though she did? Or the same girl who argue with me countless times? The Lexi I know would never be so weak over a little thing like this."
Lexi's eyes widen but then she gave out a laugh. "Fine, maybe I'm not the type of girl you think I am but are you really the Rei I know?" Lexi smirk and she tug a lock of his hair playfully to which brought an annoyed look on his face. "The boy I knew who jump into my business and was an arrogant jerk about how he saved me when I could have taken care of those thugs myself. I didn't think you would take the trouble to comfort someone namely the girl who disagrees with you countless times."
Rei rolls his eyes and Lexi laugh again. "Hey, you were the one who would laugh at Charlie's jokes!"
"Oh well, you win some, you lose some." Lexi shrug and beam.
Rei suddenly got up and walk up to the door. Lexi watch him, suddenly worried that he was going to leave her now. Rei open the door and step out of the way as the rest of the gang fell in. The ghosts flew in and Akane gave a smile at Lexi. Lexi's eyes widen and Rei's narrow.
"You guys were eavesdropping on us!" Lexi gave out a gasp as the gang untangled themselves and sat on the floor. Rei close the door and went back to sit on Lexi's bed.
Daichi rub his head sheepishly. "Well, we want to find out what was going on and it was hard to miss a chance when Rei comforts someone." Daichi smirk at Rei so did the other boys. Rei rolls his eyes.
"Daichi, I think we can solve this problem by finding the two orbs." Amidamaru said. Daichi nodded and turn towards the others.
"Well? Should we stay?" he grins. They all nodded.
"Actually, I got a lot of research on it." Lexi got off the bed and walk over to her desk. She rummages through the books until she held up a dusky old book and a purple journal from the pile. She went back on the bed and opens the old brown book. She flips through the pages until she found the one she was looking for. She quickly turns the book so everybody else could see it. The two pages show a picture of two beautiful orbs. The one on the right was a creamy pink and white colored while the one on the left was a dark blue and black colored. The Dream orb was perfectly rounded while the Nightmare looked like a big gemstone with sharp edges and they were both about the same size.
"Some ancient texts that I read say that the two orbs went missing on the same day." Lexi told them. "They both disappeared on the day after that big storm."
"Or during the storm." Rei suddenly said. The others whirl to look at him.
"What makes you say that?" Marika ask.
"Those orbs both disappeared and Lexi's parents said that the two families checked on the orbs after the huge storm. Lexi, what kind of storm was it?" Rei ask.
Lexi quickly open her journal and flipped through some pages. "Here it is! A storm was fill with lightning, thunder and a tornado!"
"If there was a tornado, which would mean that the kingdoms had to go underground to survive!" Daichi snap his fingers as he saw where Rei was going at.
"So that means that someone didn't seek shelter underground like the others, but headed into the rooms where the orbs were located!" Yuki said. Rei nodded.
"That's incredible, Master! You were able to figure it out in an instant!" Bason exclaim while Shamash continue reading its book.
Akira slams his fists together. "But how would we know who stole the orbs?"
"That's right. We can't talk to those people from back then." Charlie said.
Annie stood up. The others watch as she began to untie her beads. She held them up and the others could see that it was very long. "You people seem to forget my power." Annie smirks. "My specially is summoning. I can bring back the souls of the ancestors of the two kingdoms."
Daichi grin. "That's right. You can bring them back to tell us about that fateful day." Annie nodded.
She turns towards Lexi. "What were the names of the king and queen of both kingdoms?"
Lexi flip through more pages before she look back up again. "King Morty and Queen Jasmine of Dream Kingdom. King Nevel and Queen Seshu of Nightmare Kingdom."
Annie started to chant. "One I place for my father. Two I place for my mother. Three I place for my sisters back home." The others could feel her mana rising. Her beads turn snow white as she created a rhythm with them along with her chant. "Hear my call in the realms of heaven and hell. I ask for King Morty and Queen Jasmine of Dream Kingdom as well as King Nevel and Queen Seshu of Nightmare Kingdom!" Annie's eyes started to glow as her beads began to form a portal. There was a bright flash and when the gang opens their eyes, they found themselves looking at the kings and queens of Dream and Nightmare back at the time when the two orbs have gone missing.
King Morty and Queen Jasmine was wearing traditional clothing that were creamy white with red on Morty's and pink for Jasmine. Morty's blonde hair was pull back by his crown as was Jasmine's long brown hair. The queen had a soft smile on her lips while the king was staring at them peacefully, his sharp features looking through them like a hawk. Both look like they were at around their forties.
King Nevel and Queen Seshu were also wearing traditional clothing but theirs were dark purple and pitch black. Seshu's straight long raven hair flow down her black with a crown resting on her head and there was a small beautiful yet sly smile on her naturally pale face. Nevel's long midnight blue hair was tied into a long ponytail and his bangs were pulling back by his crown. He had a scowl on his face while his eyes narrow which meant that he didn't want to be here right now. They look about the same age as the other two.
"You're my ancestors?" Lexi exclaim looking at King Morty and Queen Jasmine. They gave a small nod. Jasmine smile and floated towards Lexi. Jasmine gave her a warm hug.
"There is a lot of tension in all of you." Morty said, his voice was sharp.
"Um, sorry to ask, but why are all of you so young?" Akira shouted.
They look at him in surprise. "Didn't you know, you silly boy? A ghost appears at the age when they died." Seshu's voice was like a silky being coming at you in all different directions.
"Didn't you know about that? This is why Corey and all of us never aged." Bason said. Akira thought about it and Marika smack his head.
"That's right." Jasmine agreed, her voice was like a warming melody that rippled out into the room. She turns towards Annie who was sitting next to Daichi. "I believe you are the itako who summon us." When Annie nodded, Jasmine continues. "What do you need us for?"
"Well, you guys were the kings and queens of the two kingdoms at the time when the two orbs were taken." Serena said. Their eyes darken.
"We don't know what happen to the orbs. We went to check on them the day after that storm and they weren't in their usual place. We both did jumped into the conclusion that the other kingdom had stolen it but after we all died and went to heaven together, we all talk about it in peace and found out that no one knows what happen to the orbs. They just disappeared but we didn't know who had stolen it." Nevel finally spoke. His voice was rough and husky.
"Since we could not go back down to earth after already leaving it for heaven, we could not return to search for something we could have missed." Jasmine said sadly. Once a ghost has left earth and they were either sent to heaven or hell, they cannot be return unless a shaman summons them or lets them go.
"Tell me; was there a tornado in that storm?" Rei ask. They nodded. "And did both of your kingdoms go underground to escape it?" They nodded again. "Then I was right. Somebody did steal the orbs while you guys were underground."
"We figure that as well." Morty said.
"Did you know anybody who would want the orbs?" Daichi asked. The two couple thought carefully, trying to gain their memory from centuries ago.
"Hey, do you guys remember Thiazzi?" Jasmine asked. The three nodded.
"How could we forget that scum?" Nevel scowl. Seshu rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Excuse me, but who is Thiazzi?" Serena asked.
"You all don't like this Thiazzi very much, do you?" Akane asked. They shook their heads.
"Thiazzi was a rotten troublemaker." Morty said closing his eyes. "He causes a lot of trouble everywhere he went in both kingdoms."
"Why would he do that? You guys were living in peace." Marika said raising an eyebrow.
They shrug. "We always asked him when he landed in prison but he wouldn't say a word." Jasmine explained.
"No matter how many times we threaten him, that scoundrel wouldn't say anything that could led us on." Seshu said. "After a while, we just stop."
"He must have a motive." Rei mutter. Lexi heard him and gave a small smile. Always trying to know huh, Rei?
"Do you think he could be the one who stole the orb?" Annie asked.
"We don't know. He was always greedy but I didn't think he would go that far." Jasmine wondered.
"You should never underestimate on who you are dealing with." Amidamaru said.
"If you did, you would be dead if this was a powerful foe." Daichi said.
"Remember, Jasmine. We don't know that much about him." Morty said, his eyes were still close as if he was concentrating on something. She nodded.
"You know, when the orbs were made, they were made at the center of the two kingdoms." Seshu said.
"Are you saying that we could find a clue there?" Lexi asked. Seshu nodded. Lexi bit her lip. "That might be hard through. The Nightmares and the Dream have soldiers all along that border where the two kingdoms' land meet. I don't know if we can get to it."
"We have to try, don't we?" Daichi grin. "We finally have a leading trail so we can't give up on it now can we?"
"That's right, Daichi." Amidamaru said.
"Yes, you're finally not lazy about things this time. If the soldiers attack, we could always throw you in. You're not that useful anyways." Rei smirk as he cross his arms together.
"Gee, thanks Rei." Daichi replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Annie gave a small smile and Lexi giggled.
"Actually, a forest had began to grow at the center for years now." Lexi said. "It's called Mirminda forest. There is a legend of that forest. 'Those who seek the wisdom, courage, power shall enter the light and dark', is how it gos. People believe that the shrine in the center of the forest has something to do with the legend, but most don't believe it is even true."
"Do you think light and dark means the Dream and Nightmare?" Annie asked.
"It could, it could not. But I think that is our best option for now." Daichi said.
"Alright then, let's get going!" Akira exclaim jumping up. The others got up too. They walk out of the room with their guardian ghosts as well as the spirits of the two kings and queens.
They were all in shock at the site in front of them as they exited the room. Maids, soldiers, and generals were rushing all over the place. They were all in a hurry. Boom! The gang and the ghosts look at a nearby large glass window to see a massive explosion out far in the Dream's land. The Nightmares were attacking!
Jeanne: My grandson's girl is a PRINCESS?!
Ren: Calm down, Jeanne. They haven't gotten together yet.
Me: Rei and Lexi will get together soon enough.
Lyserg: So, Yuki and Serena are together?
HoroHoro: I'm glad my granddaughter is going to be with Lyserg's grandkid.
Pilika: She looks like me, you know.