Chapter 12.
It was 11am Saturday morning and Cerys was still asleep. The sun had peeped in through the curtain and Cerys' bed was bathed in orange light. There was another light nearby. Nia was hovering over Cerys, a tiny pail of clear, cold water in her arms. She slowly tipped the pail forwards and watched as it hit Cerys' warm cheek. Nia watched as the shock woke Cerys, who squealed with indignation. Cerys sat up suddenly and looked around for the source of water. Spotting Nia, she put her face in her hands and moaned angrily. "What was that for? Its too early to be arguing or whatever." Cerys lay back onto her pillows and covered her head in the duvet. "Cerys, get up. This is a very important day for you. Wake UP!" Nia tugged hard at the pillow Cerys had her head on. Cerys scrunched up her eyes. "All right! All right! What's so im-important about today?" Cerys stifled a yawn as she spoke. She sat up and stretched, trying and failing to straighten her rumpled nightie. "I'll wait 'til you're ready and downstairs before I tell you." Nia laughed and disappeared. Cerys yawned after her and made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
*
Cerys ran down the stairs, tying up her hair as she went. She had already imagined a bowl of Coco Pops waiting for her when she got to the kitchen, and sure enough, it was there. "Now I have woken up, what were you gonna tell me Nia?" Cerys smiled as she sat down to breakfast. She picked up her spoon and poised it by her mouth. "Well?" Cerys took a mouthful. Nia sighed and licked her lips nervously. "Ok, today, you have an occasion which we usually call an Initiation Ceremony. Basically, you get to go to Aranosia to be Initiated into our world. Seeing as you are not fully a whole part, of course. Anyway, it is totally your choice, but the perks are you get to have a huge party and meet the top dogs of Aranosia. Like I said, you don't have to, but it is ideal and you can see your mum." Cerys stopped eating with her fork halfway up to her mouth. She slowly lowered her spoon and looked up at Nia. "OF COURSE I WANNA GO!!!!" Cerys jumped up laughing and whooping. She began doing a dance and chanting to the beat. "I'm gonna see my mother, I can't wait to see her, I'm gonna see my - Wait a minute, why wasn't I told about this before?" Nia sat down. "That is actually something I don't know. I'm not quite sure why you weren't told. I mean, I was only told this morning as well. Which is why I woke you so early. Anyway, better get going. Come on, move it!" Cerys straightened up. "Ok, so explain to me, how do we get there?" Cerys reached for her jacket. Nia giggled her soft little giggle and shook her head again. "Now Cerys, which of us has the power of the Amulet? Which of us has the power huh?" Cerys stuck out her tongue. Pulling on her jacket, she put her hand over the Amulet. Imagining herself being transported to the beautiful waterfall that stood in the Great Halls of Aranosia. An almighty golden light burst out of the Amulet and through her clenched fingers, encasing her in a shell- like enclosure. She felt her feet pull away from the ground and the next thing she knew, she was blinded by the very same light she saw when she met her mother. "Woah." She said, rubbing her forehead. "Head rush. Remind me not to do that again in a hurry. Ok, so where do we go from here?" She rubbed her hands together and looked around expectantly. All she could see were fairies gathered in clusters around the hall, chattering in their high-pitched voices. She couldn't see the crystal steps anymore, in their place was a high jewel encrusted chair with her name embroidered in fancy lettering across the top. Cerys could see far into the hall. High tapestries that reached from ceiling to floor were against the walls, a long silver carpet led from a strong oak door right to the foot of the chair. "Cerys, I'm so glad you came." A soft voice said behind her. Cerys whipped around and hugged her mother. Elaina held Cerys at arms length and looked at her up and down. She looked confused for a minute and Cerys looked down to see what was wrong. "Why are you looking at me so weirdly," she asked her mother. "Well, I just thought you would have dressed up, that's all. Never mind. I can fix it. Nia, take Cerys to the side room there." She pointed to the wall and a small opaline door with a bronze diamond handle. Nia flew over to the door and pushed it open, Cerys followed swiftly through.
It was 11am Saturday morning and Cerys was still asleep. The sun had peeped in through the curtain and Cerys' bed was bathed in orange light. There was another light nearby. Nia was hovering over Cerys, a tiny pail of clear, cold water in her arms. She slowly tipped the pail forwards and watched as it hit Cerys' warm cheek. Nia watched as the shock woke Cerys, who squealed with indignation. Cerys sat up suddenly and looked around for the source of water. Spotting Nia, she put her face in her hands and moaned angrily. "What was that for? Its too early to be arguing or whatever." Cerys lay back onto her pillows and covered her head in the duvet. "Cerys, get up. This is a very important day for you. Wake UP!" Nia tugged hard at the pillow Cerys had her head on. Cerys scrunched up her eyes. "All right! All right! What's so im-important about today?" Cerys stifled a yawn as she spoke. She sat up and stretched, trying and failing to straighten her rumpled nightie. "I'll wait 'til you're ready and downstairs before I tell you." Nia laughed and disappeared. Cerys yawned after her and made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
*
Cerys ran down the stairs, tying up her hair as she went. She had already imagined a bowl of Coco Pops waiting for her when she got to the kitchen, and sure enough, it was there. "Now I have woken up, what were you gonna tell me Nia?" Cerys smiled as she sat down to breakfast. She picked up her spoon and poised it by her mouth. "Well?" Cerys took a mouthful. Nia sighed and licked her lips nervously. "Ok, today, you have an occasion which we usually call an Initiation Ceremony. Basically, you get to go to Aranosia to be Initiated into our world. Seeing as you are not fully a whole part, of course. Anyway, it is totally your choice, but the perks are you get to have a huge party and meet the top dogs of Aranosia. Like I said, you don't have to, but it is ideal and you can see your mum." Cerys stopped eating with her fork halfway up to her mouth. She slowly lowered her spoon and looked up at Nia. "OF COURSE I WANNA GO!!!!" Cerys jumped up laughing and whooping. She began doing a dance and chanting to the beat. "I'm gonna see my mother, I can't wait to see her, I'm gonna see my - Wait a minute, why wasn't I told about this before?" Nia sat down. "That is actually something I don't know. I'm not quite sure why you weren't told. I mean, I was only told this morning as well. Which is why I woke you so early. Anyway, better get going. Come on, move it!" Cerys straightened up. "Ok, so explain to me, how do we get there?" Cerys reached for her jacket. Nia giggled her soft little giggle and shook her head again. "Now Cerys, which of us has the power of the Amulet? Which of us has the power huh?" Cerys stuck out her tongue. Pulling on her jacket, she put her hand over the Amulet. Imagining herself being transported to the beautiful waterfall that stood in the Great Halls of Aranosia. An almighty golden light burst out of the Amulet and through her clenched fingers, encasing her in a shell- like enclosure. She felt her feet pull away from the ground and the next thing she knew, she was blinded by the very same light she saw when she met her mother. "Woah." She said, rubbing her forehead. "Head rush. Remind me not to do that again in a hurry. Ok, so where do we go from here?" She rubbed her hands together and looked around expectantly. All she could see were fairies gathered in clusters around the hall, chattering in their high-pitched voices. She couldn't see the crystal steps anymore, in their place was a high jewel encrusted chair with her name embroidered in fancy lettering across the top. Cerys could see far into the hall. High tapestries that reached from ceiling to floor were against the walls, a long silver carpet led from a strong oak door right to the foot of the chair. "Cerys, I'm so glad you came." A soft voice said behind her. Cerys whipped around and hugged her mother. Elaina held Cerys at arms length and looked at her up and down. She looked confused for a minute and Cerys looked down to see what was wrong. "Why are you looking at me so weirdly," she asked her mother. "Well, I just thought you would have dressed up, that's all. Never mind. I can fix it. Nia, take Cerys to the side room there." She pointed to the wall and a small opaline door with a bronze diamond handle. Nia flew over to the door and pushed it open, Cerys followed swiftly through.