Here is chapter two. All characters belong to their respective owners.
~*~
Chapter Two: The Outset
"What do what you to do?" asked Serena. At age five she and the other children who lived in the orphanage; ten boys and ten girls in total; were the youngest people who lived in the village of Crysta.
"I don't know." said Molly. "What do you want to do?"
"Don't start that again." said Amy.
"Yeah, otherwise we'll never find anything to do." said Raye.
"Well, someone better think of something or we'll be bored all day." said Lita.
"I'd be just as happy watching the Crystal Blue all day long." said Mina. They all were looking at the bubbles of Crystal Blue float through the air as they laid back in the meadow.
"The grownups say they it makes you blind or sick but it never happened to us." said Hotaru.
"Well grownups say a lot of things, like that boys and girls shouldn't bathe together but when we all did it in the pond behind the mill we just found out that human boys and girls were different in the same way cat boys and girls are." said Amara.
"Yeah it seems all grownups really want to do is keep us from having fun." said Michelle. "'Don't play in the mill' or 'eat your vegetables' I don't like them."
"They're almost as bad as boys." said Trista.
Then they all said "Boys are icky!"
"No girls are icky!" said the boys from orphanage as they came up.
The girls stood up and faced the boys. "What do you want?" said Serena.
"Just looking for something to do." said Darien.
"We thought we could play ball here." said Melvin.
"But not if you girls are here to ruin It." said Greg.
"Yeah why don't you go play with dolls or something?" said Chad.
"Girls like stupid stuff like that." said Ken.
"Yeah go play with your dollies" said Jamie.
"Or have a tea party." said Miguel.
"Yeah, leave us alone." said Walter.
"Just stay away from us." said Anthony.
"Go cry somewhere." said Gary.
The boys and girls were staring each other down. They may have seemed to hate each other on the outside but on the inside they liked them as friends and each one even had a secret crush on one of them. As for grownups they didn't hate them that much.
Just then Darien saw a young man with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. "Hey there goes Ark!"
"Alright, Ark always is up to something fun!" said Serena.
They all rushed after him and caught up with him at the edge of the chicken pen. "Hey Ark what are you doing?"
"I'm going to give those chickens a good scare." Ark said. "Care to join me?"
"Yes!" they all said excitedly. They snuck in and startled a number of chickens. It seemed funny until one of the chickens flew into the weaver's, the sound of torn fabric was heard.
"Uh, gotta go! Ark said before he ran off.
"Ark wait!" Serena said when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her ear.
"And just what are you all doing?" It was Mrs. Finch the orphanage head. The other orphans stopped right were they were they knew that if they tired to run Mrs. Finch would just make it harder for them.
"What happened?" a girl with purple hair down to her shoulders and blue eyes came out of the Weaver's.
"Hello Elle, these little munchkins were scaring chickens."
"Yes, some of our weavings were ruined."
"You know who's responsible, Ark."
"Sure he maybe egotistical, arrogant and can be a troublemaker but he doesn't mean any harm."
"I don't care if you have feelings for him or not, he's a bad influence on the children."
"He loves kids; they should have a little fun while they're young, so what if they break a few things."
"You will hold him responsible will you?"
"I'll take it up with the Elder."
"Good." Mrs. Finch let go of Serena's ear. "Come along children. We're going to have a talk."
~*~
"I'm disappointed in all of you." said Mrs. Finch. "You go out when Crystal Blue is flying, you then help cause a ruckus, you should all know better!"
"We're sorry." They said.
"Even though you're wrong about Crystal Blue." said Darien.
"I don't make the rules in this village." said Mrs. Finch. "The Elder does and we have to obey those rules along with everyone else."
"But it doesn't hurt us." said Serena.
"Sometimes it doesn't but sometimes it does. These rules are here to protect you and if you break them then I have to punish you. I'll have to give each of you a spanking and no dinner tonight."
"Someone's in trouble!" said a black kitten and a white kitten from around a corner.
"Luna, Artemis you can join them."
"But we stayed inside all day!" whined Luna.
"Yeah, we didn't do anything!" whined Artemis.
"I do happen to make the rules in this orphanage and one of them is that if you make fun of someone being punished you get to share that punishment with them. It's time for spankings so who's first?"
That night they all had to sleep on their empty stomachs instead of their sore rears.
~*~
The Crystal Blue was flying the next day as well, but they left the Orphanage to do some chores at the Elder's house. The rules there were mostly the same except for one. There was a strange blue door in his house and he warned the villagers never to open it. As they were scrubbing the floors Serena heard a mysterious voice. "Help me..."
She assumed it was one of the other children. "You all have to do your own scrubbing."
"We didn't ask you to do it for us." said Lita.
"I thought I heard one of you asking for my help."
The other children shook their heads no. "You must have imagined it." said Chad.
"I knew I heard something."
"Help me..." the voice said again.
"There it is again."
"I heard it too." said Darien.
"So did I." said Raye.
"I think we all heard it that time." said Greg.
"Help me..."
Mina started to look around. "It's coming from...over there." she was pointing to the blue door.
"Well we can't help him." said Jamie.
"And why not?" said Ken.
"That's the 'forbidden door'." said Amara. "No one's allowed to open it."
"I thought you like getting into trouble." said Michelle.
"Getting into trouble with Mrs. Finch is one thing but getting into trouble with the Elder..." Miguel couldn't finish.
"Even the grownups are afraid of him." said Walter.
"But we just can't leave someone in there if they're in trouble." said Trista.
"Someone's gotta ask the Elder." said Gary.
They then turned their eyes on Serena. "Me?!"
"You were the first one to hear It." said Darien.
"So it makes sense that you go ask him." said Amy.
"OK, I'll go." She went into the Elder's room and saw him sitting on a cushion. He was balding old man with white hair and a wooden staff. "Um, excuse me Mr. Elder sir?"
"Serena?" the elder responded.
"I want to ask you something."
"Well that's what I'm here for."
"Well what if someone was in trouble but you have to break a rule to help him, should you?"
"It depends on what kind of trouble and the rule in question. What's going on?"
"I heard a voice from behind the blue door can I open it?"
"No, but let me assure you that no one is behind that door, your friends are probably playing a trick on you."
"But..."
"No buts. That door should remain closed for a reason."
"What reason?"
"I can't tell you but believe me it is for your own good."
Serena left and went back to her friends. "He said that there's no one in there."
"Well there's gotta be somebody in there." said Darien.
"We tried pushing and pulling it but it won't budge." said Anthony.
"I'm not sure if we can open It." said Hotaru.
"What are you up to?" said Ark as he came in.
"We're trying to open the blue door." said Serena.
"Looking for treasure?"
"No we heard someone on the other side of the door."
"Well maybe you were hearing things, best to leave it alone."
"I thought you liked to do stuff like this."
"I did, until it made Elle sad yesterday."
The kids forgot about the door for a moment and started chanting. "Ark and Elle sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage!"
"We actually did kiss today."
"Yuck, kissing is so gross!" they all said.
"You may grow to like it."
"Never!"
"Well I'm going to take a nap you go find some other game to play."
"Wait a minute." said Molly.
"Yeah I think the door's moving!" said Melvin.
Ark heard a scream turned around and saw the kids being pulled toward the door while it stayed closed after a bright flash of light they were gone. "No!" he picked up a jar and threw it in anger at the door. The door cracked. Seeing what happened he picked up another jar and threw it at the door which then collapsed. "I'm coming after you!"
~*~
He went down the stairs into a cave and saw the children who appeared to be covered in ice and frozen in place. He went over to Darien. "Are you ok?" He didn't answer. But when Ark touched him he noticed that he was covered in crystal instead of ice.
"What happened to you?"
"Help me..." he heard.
He turned around and saw a strange ornate box floating in midair. He reached for it but found that his hand was repelled. "You can't touch it without a calm mind." The voice said. "Clear your mind and touch the box..."
He calmed his mind and touched the box, after a flash of light he saw a strange creature. It was purple, round and had beady eyes, bat wings and rabbit ears. "Finally, I'm free!"
"Who or what are you?" asked Ark.
"I am known as Yomi, the Elder locked me down here because he feared that the villagers wound enter the world in inside the box."
"Hey where is the box anyway?"
"You're holding it." Ark looked and saw the box in his hand. "Whoever is able to touch the box becomes its owner. What to take a look inside?"
Ark was curious and leapt into the box. Inside was a room unlike anything he had ever seen before. "This is incredible!"
"There is something else that was sealed in here with me that I think you should own." said Yomi. He produced a beautiful crystal spear.
"What is this?" asked Ark.
"It is a weapon. It can give its holder great power to harm or to protect."
"Weapon?" Ark had never heard of anything like it before; Crysta was always so peaceful no one had anything like it.
"Ark?" they heard from outside the box.
"Better get back." said Ark. He leapt out of the box and found Elle in the cave with the kittens following right behind her. "Elle?"
"Ark what's going on?" she said.
"What happened to Darien and Serena?" asked Luna.
"And Mina and the others?" asked Artemis.
But before Ark could answer Elle and the kittens their bodies started to crystallize. "Ark, what's happening to me?"
Soon they were just like the children. "Yomi what did you do to them?!" Ark yelled.
"Nothing, I was in the box the whole time remember?"
"The Elder, maybe he knows what we can do."
He went back up to the Elder's house and found him waiting where the door was. "Ark you fool!"
"Elder, the kids they..."
"I know you; you put them up to it."
"Actually I did." said Yomi. "But I didn't expect this!"
"It been a long time Yomi." The Elder said.
"You know him?!" asked Ark.
"Yes, I was the one who sealed the door to begin with."
"Why?"
"To prevent something like this from happening!"
"How did you know what happened to Elle and the kids?"
"Because it happened to the entire village."
"What?!"
"Pandora's Box and the crystal spear now belong to you so it's now your responsibility to undo this."
"Then what do I do? Make a new seal?"
"I'm not getting sealed back in there!" said Yomi.
"No, the seal just prevented people from getting to Pandora's box." said the Elder
"Then what must I do?!"
"The box comes from the Overworld."
"Overworld?"
"The planet's external face, we live on the planet's internal face or Underworld. When you touched Pandora's Box it created an imbalance in this village. You have to correct it."
"How do I do that?"
"Outside the village there are five towers containing the souls of living things, you have to go to each tower and awaken those souls."
"Outside the village, but there is no outside."
"There is, I hidden the way outside to keep the villagers from getting to the towers."
"Why?"
"Monsters live in those towers; they would kill you unless you had a weapon to fight them off with."
"The crystal spear."
"Yes are you willing to risk your life to do this?"
"Ark fears nothing!" he said referring himself in the third person.
"Very well, in each tower there is special room, in those rooms you be able to awaken the souls in each tower. For each tower more villagers will return to their natural state."
"Then point me to the exit."
"You'll see it once you leave this house. I have extreme confidence that you will be a great warrior who can defeat the monsters in the towers. Good luck."
~*~
Ark went outside of the village and saw the beautiful crystal landscape and seas of magma that met at the ends like the inside of a ring and above him the core of the earth and the sun of the underworld that the Elder called the Gaia stone. On the day he entered the first tower the continent of Eurasia was resurrected, on the day he entered the second tower the continent of South America was resurrected, on the day he entered the third tower the continent of Africa was resurrected and on the day he entered the fourth tower he some crystal thread and the continent of North America was resurrected. With each tower he fought through more of the people of Crysta were restored to life. However when he tried to enter the fifth tower the guardian just threw an orb of light to send him back out. Seeking the Elders advice he returned to Crysta.
"Ark!" the Orphans rushed him as soon as he came back.
"You're alright!" Ark said.
"Ark we missed you!" said Serena.
"The Elder told us everything!" said Darien.
"I'll never break any rules again!" said Amy.
"Me neither!" said Greg.
"We'll behave from now on!" said Raye.
"It's good to see you again!" said Chad.
"The Elder said you saved us!" said Lita.
"He said that you had to fight monsters!" said Ken.
"Was it scary?" asked Molly.
"Did they hurt you?" asked Melvin.
"What did the towers look like?" asked Amara.
"Where they anything like the houses in the village?" asked Miguel.
"What's it like outside the Village?" asked Michelle.
"Does Crystal Blue fly out there?" asked Walter.
"You are so brave!" said Hotaru.
"You're the bravest!" said Anthony.
"I want to be just like you when I grow up!" said Trista.
"Me too!" said Gary.
"Children, Children! Give him some room!" said Mrs. Finch. "Thank you for saving us."
"My task isn't done yet." said Ark.
"We know." said Serena. "Luna and Artemis haven't returned to normal yet. Neither have any of the animals or people who were outside when it happened."
"Elle?"
"She woke up before any of us. She really wants to see you; she's with the Elder now."
"I was going to see him now."
In the Elder's house Ark talked with the Elder and Elle. "Crystal has been known to repel magic." said the Elder. "Maybe if we had something to reflect it."
"Like this thread I found?"
"I could weave it into cape for you." said Elle.
"How long?" said the Elder.
"It should be ready by tomorrow."
"Very well. Ark you should get some sleep and then depart when Elle finishes the cape."
~*~
That night Serena had dream. In it she was in a big city, she was grown up and was very beautiful, but she saw Ark killed by this a man in black robes. "Ark!"
"What is it?" asked Darien.
"I had a dream; I was grown up and in a different place."
"A lot of people who were frozen had dreams like that."
"Not like mine, in it Ark was... I think something bad is going to happen to him."
"You think so?"
"I'm going to sneak out of the village tomorrow, make sure that Ark will be ok."
"I can't let you go."
"You must and can't tell anyone, not Mrs. Finch, not the Elder, not even the others."
"Ok but I'm going with you."
"You don't have to."
"I'm just as worried about Ark as you are, and I'm...worried about you. I don't want you to get hurt."
"You really feel that way about me?"
"Yes."
"I don't want you to get hurt either."
"Then we'll keep each other safe too."
"Ok."
~*~
Ark left the next morning with Elle's cape. He remembered the promise he made to Elle the night before that he wouldn't be gone for too long. He entered the fifth tower again and the guardian's orb was reflected of the crystal cape. He didn't notice that Darien and Serena had followed him into the tower. "Something's not right." he thought to himself. "This tower isn't as complex as the others and there aren't as many monsters."
He entered dimly lighted hallway and saw the doors to the room where he could revive the last continent. "That guardian must been the only real defense in this tower." Then from out of nowhere a portal opened and out came a giant scorpion. "That's the biggest monster yet!"
"Ark!" Serena cried.
"Serena? Darien? What are you doing here?!"
The monster was the next to speak. "I am the Ssssshadowkeeper, all trespasserssssss must die!"
"Stay behind me!"
"But..." Darien objected
"Just do it!"
Ark took his spear and thrusted it at the shadowkeeper. The shadowkeeper used its claws and tail to try to kill Ark and the kids.
"Take this insect!" Ark thrusted his spear at its head and it was killed in an explosion.
"You two shouldn't have followed me!"
"But we were worried about you." said Serena.
"It doesn't matter now; I have a job to finish."
Ark entered the spherical room, inside a map of the constellations that could be seen from Earth rotated around him. Above him a globe lowered as if to acknowledge his presence. In his mind he could see a new land mass rise from a red sea and in the middle of it a large red rock. And so on that day the continent of Australia was resurrected.
~*~
They all returned to Crysta, everyone had returned to their natural states. "Luna, Artemis!" said Serena.
"What happened?" asked Luna.
"It's a long story."
"Oh by the way." said Artemis. "The Elder wants to see you Ark. And he wants me, Luna and the other Orphans to come with you."
"I'll go see Elle first."
When he tried to go into her room he found the door locked. "I can't see you now." said Elle. "The Elder told me that you had to go away for long time. I don't want you to see me like this; I want you to remember me happy. You have to go now." Ark left with an ache in his heart.
Ark went to the Elder. "You have done well but I never expected that you would also resurrect the continents of the Overworld. Perhaps you are the one who can revive it."
"What do mean Elder?"
"A long time ago the Overworld was once abundant with life; many different living things could have been found up there. But now it is barren and empty. Ark, if you can revive the land then maybe you can also revive life; you're the only one I can count on for this."
"I suppose there's no way I can get out of this." said Ark.
"Come with me."
The Elder brought them outside the village to a large hole. "This is the way to the Overworld, Ark you will have to go there in order revive life."
"Looks pretty deep."
"Keep in mind that if go you probably won't come back for a very long time."
"Well, I guess I'm as ready I'll ever be..." Ark then leapt down the hole and vanished.
"Why did you bring us here?" asked Serena.
"Because one day that will be your world, it is your destiny to lead it and your friends' destiny to help you do it. That is the reason I brought you to Crysta. I will teach you about what you need know for that day when you will all ascend and take your rightful places."
As they left Serena turned back to the hole and thought. "I know you can do it Ark."
~*~
What awaits Ark on the surface? And when will the young scouts and knights finally go back up? Stay tuned.
~*~
Chapter Two: The Outset
"What do what you to do?" asked Serena. At age five she and the other children who lived in the orphanage; ten boys and ten girls in total; were the youngest people who lived in the village of Crysta.
"I don't know." said Molly. "What do you want to do?"
"Don't start that again." said Amy.
"Yeah, otherwise we'll never find anything to do." said Raye.
"Well, someone better think of something or we'll be bored all day." said Lita.
"I'd be just as happy watching the Crystal Blue all day long." said Mina. They all were looking at the bubbles of Crystal Blue float through the air as they laid back in the meadow.
"The grownups say they it makes you blind or sick but it never happened to us." said Hotaru.
"Well grownups say a lot of things, like that boys and girls shouldn't bathe together but when we all did it in the pond behind the mill we just found out that human boys and girls were different in the same way cat boys and girls are." said Amara.
"Yeah it seems all grownups really want to do is keep us from having fun." said Michelle. "'Don't play in the mill' or 'eat your vegetables' I don't like them."
"They're almost as bad as boys." said Trista.
Then they all said "Boys are icky!"
"No girls are icky!" said the boys from orphanage as they came up.
The girls stood up and faced the boys. "What do you want?" said Serena.
"Just looking for something to do." said Darien.
"We thought we could play ball here." said Melvin.
"But not if you girls are here to ruin It." said Greg.
"Yeah why don't you go play with dolls or something?" said Chad.
"Girls like stupid stuff like that." said Ken.
"Yeah go play with your dollies" said Jamie.
"Or have a tea party." said Miguel.
"Yeah, leave us alone." said Walter.
"Just stay away from us." said Anthony.
"Go cry somewhere." said Gary.
The boys and girls were staring each other down. They may have seemed to hate each other on the outside but on the inside they liked them as friends and each one even had a secret crush on one of them. As for grownups they didn't hate them that much.
Just then Darien saw a young man with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. "Hey there goes Ark!"
"Alright, Ark always is up to something fun!" said Serena.
They all rushed after him and caught up with him at the edge of the chicken pen. "Hey Ark what are you doing?"
"I'm going to give those chickens a good scare." Ark said. "Care to join me?"
"Yes!" they all said excitedly. They snuck in and startled a number of chickens. It seemed funny until one of the chickens flew into the weaver's, the sound of torn fabric was heard.
"Uh, gotta go! Ark said before he ran off.
"Ark wait!" Serena said when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her ear.
"And just what are you all doing?" It was Mrs. Finch the orphanage head. The other orphans stopped right were they were they knew that if they tired to run Mrs. Finch would just make it harder for them.
"What happened?" a girl with purple hair down to her shoulders and blue eyes came out of the Weaver's.
"Hello Elle, these little munchkins were scaring chickens."
"Yes, some of our weavings were ruined."
"You know who's responsible, Ark."
"Sure he maybe egotistical, arrogant and can be a troublemaker but he doesn't mean any harm."
"I don't care if you have feelings for him or not, he's a bad influence on the children."
"He loves kids; they should have a little fun while they're young, so what if they break a few things."
"You will hold him responsible will you?"
"I'll take it up with the Elder."
"Good." Mrs. Finch let go of Serena's ear. "Come along children. We're going to have a talk."
~*~
"I'm disappointed in all of you." said Mrs. Finch. "You go out when Crystal Blue is flying, you then help cause a ruckus, you should all know better!"
"We're sorry." They said.
"Even though you're wrong about Crystal Blue." said Darien.
"I don't make the rules in this village." said Mrs. Finch. "The Elder does and we have to obey those rules along with everyone else."
"But it doesn't hurt us." said Serena.
"Sometimes it doesn't but sometimes it does. These rules are here to protect you and if you break them then I have to punish you. I'll have to give each of you a spanking and no dinner tonight."
"Someone's in trouble!" said a black kitten and a white kitten from around a corner.
"Luna, Artemis you can join them."
"But we stayed inside all day!" whined Luna.
"Yeah, we didn't do anything!" whined Artemis.
"I do happen to make the rules in this orphanage and one of them is that if you make fun of someone being punished you get to share that punishment with them. It's time for spankings so who's first?"
That night they all had to sleep on their empty stomachs instead of their sore rears.
~*~
The Crystal Blue was flying the next day as well, but they left the Orphanage to do some chores at the Elder's house. The rules there were mostly the same except for one. There was a strange blue door in his house and he warned the villagers never to open it. As they were scrubbing the floors Serena heard a mysterious voice. "Help me..."
She assumed it was one of the other children. "You all have to do your own scrubbing."
"We didn't ask you to do it for us." said Lita.
"I thought I heard one of you asking for my help."
The other children shook their heads no. "You must have imagined it." said Chad.
"I knew I heard something."
"Help me..." the voice said again.
"There it is again."
"I heard it too." said Darien.
"So did I." said Raye.
"I think we all heard it that time." said Greg.
"Help me..."
Mina started to look around. "It's coming from...over there." she was pointing to the blue door.
"Well we can't help him." said Jamie.
"And why not?" said Ken.
"That's the 'forbidden door'." said Amara. "No one's allowed to open it."
"I thought you like getting into trouble." said Michelle.
"Getting into trouble with Mrs. Finch is one thing but getting into trouble with the Elder..." Miguel couldn't finish.
"Even the grownups are afraid of him." said Walter.
"But we just can't leave someone in there if they're in trouble." said Trista.
"Someone's gotta ask the Elder." said Gary.
They then turned their eyes on Serena. "Me?!"
"You were the first one to hear It." said Darien.
"So it makes sense that you go ask him." said Amy.
"OK, I'll go." She went into the Elder's room and saw him sitting on a cushion. He was balding old man with white hair and a wooden staff. "Um, excuse me Mr. Elder sir?"
"Serena?" the elder responded.
"I want to ask you something."
"Well that's what I'm here for."
"Well what if someone was in trouble but you have to break a rule to help him, should you?"
"It depends on what kind of trouble and the rule in question. What's going on?"
"I heard a voice from behind the blue door can I open it?"
"No, but let me assure you that no one is behind that door, your friends are probably playing a trick on you."
"But..."
"No buts. That door should remain closed for a reason."
"What reason?"
"I can't tell you but believe me it is for your own good."
Serena left and went back to her friends. "He said that there's no one in there."
"Well there's gotta be somebody in there." said Darien.
"We tried pushing and pulling it but it won't budge." said Anthony.
"I'm not sure if we can open It." said Hotaru.
"What are you up to?" said Ark as he came in.
"We're trying to open the blue door." said Serena.
"Looking for treasure?"
"No we heard someone on the other side of the door."
"Well maybe you were hearing things, best to leave it alone."
"I thought you liked to do stuff like this."
"I did, until it made Elle sad yesterday."
The kids forgot about the door for a moment and started chanting. "Ark and Elle sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage!"
"We actually did kiss today."
"Yuck, kissing is so gross!" they all said.
"You may grow to like it."
"Never!"
"Well I'm going to take a nap you go find some other game to play."
"Wait a minute." said Molly.
"Yeah I think the door's moving!" said Melvin.
Ark heard a scream turned around and saw the kids being pulled toward the door while it stayed closed after a bright flash of light they were gone. "No!" he picked up a jar and threw it in anger at the door. The door cracked. Seeing what happened he picked up another jar and threw it at the door which then collapsed. "I'm coming after you!"
~*~
He went down the stairs into a cave and saw the children who appeared to be covered in ice and frozen in place. He went over to Darien. "Are you ok?" He didn't answer. But when Ark touched him he noticed that he was covered in crystal instead of ice.
"What happened to you?"
"Help me..." he heard.
He turned around and saw a strange ornate box floating in midair. He reached for it but found that his hand was repelled. "You can't touch it without a calm mind." The voice said. "Clear your mind and touch the box..."
He calmed his mind and touched the box, after a flash of light he saw a strange creature. It was purple, round and had beady eyes, bat wings and rabbit ears. "Finally, I'm free!"
"Who or what are you?" asked Ark.
"I am known as Yomi, the Elder locked me down here because he feared that the villagers wound enter the world in inside the box."
"Hey where is the box anyway?"
"You're holding it." Ark looked and saw the box in his hand. "Whoever is able to touch the box becomes its owner. What to take a look inside?"
Ark was curious and leapt into the box. Inside was a room unlike anything he had ever seen before. "This is incredible!"
"There is something else that was sealed in here with me that I think you should own." said Yomi. He produced a beautiful crystal spear.
"What is this?" asked Ark.
"It is a weapon. It can give its holder great power to harm or to protect."
"Weapon?" Ark had never heard of anything like it before; Crysta was always so peaceful no one had anything like it.
"Ark?" they heard from outside the box.
"Better get back." said Ark. He leapt out of the box and found Elle in the cave with the kittens following right behind her. "Elle?"
"Ark what's going on?" she said.
"What happened to Darien and Serena?" asked Luna.
"And Mina and the others?" asked Artemis.
But before Ark could answer Elle and the kittens their bodies started to crystallize. "Ark, what's happening to me?"
Soon they were just like the children. "Yomi what did you do to them?!" Ark yelled.
"Nothing, I was in the box the whole time remember?"
"The Elder, maybe he knows what we can do."
He went back up to the Elder's house and found him waiting where the door was. "Ark you fool!"
"Elder, the kids they..."
"I know you; you put them up to it."
"Actually I did." said Yomi. "But I didn't expect this!"
"It been a long time Yomi." The Elder said.
"You know him?!" asked Ark.
"Yes, I was the one who sealed the door to begin with."
"Why?"
"To prevent something like this from happening!"
"How did you know what happened to Elle and the kids?"
"Because it happened to the entire village."
"What?!"
"Pandora's Box and the crystal spear now belong to you so it's now your responsibility to undo this."
"Then what do I do? Make a new seal?"
"I'm not getting sealed back in there!" said Yomi.
"No, the seal just prevented people from getting to Pandora's box." said the Elder
"Then what must I do?!"
"The box comes from the Overworld."
"Overworld?"
"The planet's external face, we live on the planet's internal face or Underworld. When you touched Pandora's Box it created an imbalance in this village. You have to correct it."
"How do I do that?"
"Outside the village there are five towers containing the souls of living things, you have to go to each tower and awaken those souls."
"Outside the village, but there is no outside."
"There is, I hidden the way outside to keep the villagers from getting to the towers."
"Why?"
"Monsters live in those towers; they would kill you unless you had a weapon to fight them off with."
"The crystal spear."
"Yes are you willing to risk your life to do this?"
"Ark fears nothing!" he said referring himself in the third person.
"Very well, in each tower there is special room, in those rooms you be able to awaken the souls in each tower. For each tower more villagers will return to their natural state."
"Then point me to the exit."
"You'll see it once you leave this house. I have extreme confidence that you will be a great warrior who can defeat the monsters in the towers. Good luck."
~*~
Ark went outside of the village and saw the beautiful crystal landscape and seas of magma that met at the ends like the inside of a ring and above him the core of the earth and the sun of the underworld that the Elder called the Gaia stone. On the day he entered the first tower the continent of Eurasia was resurrected, on the day he entered the second tower the continent of South America was resurrected, on the day he entered the third tower the continent of Africa was resurrected and on the day he entered the fourth tower he some crystal thread and the continent of North America was resurrected. With each tower he fought through more of the people of Crysta were restored to life. However when he tried to enter the fifth tower the guardian just threw an orb of light to send him back out. Seeking the Elders advice he returned to Crysta.
"Ark!" the Orphans rushed him as soon as he came back.
"You're alright!" Ark said.
"Ark we missed you!" said Serena.
"The Elder told us everything!" said Darien.
"I'll never break any rules again!" said Amy.
"Me neither!" said Greg.
"We'll behave from now on!" said Raye.
"It's good to see you again!" said Chad.
"The Elder said you saved us!" said Lita.
"He said that you had to fight monsters!" said Ken.
"Was it scary?" asked Molly.
"Did they hurt you?" asked Melvin.
"What did the towers look like?" asked Amara.
"Where they anything like the houses in the village?" asked Miguel.
"What's it like outside the Village?" asked Michelle.
"Does Crystal Blue fly out there?" asked Walter.
"You are so brave!" said Hotaru.
"You're the bravest!" said Anthony.
"I want to be just like you when I grow up!" said Trista.
"Me too!" said Gary.
"Children, Children! Give him some room!" said Mrs. Finch. "Thank you for saving us."
"My task isn't done yet." said Ark.
"We know." said Serena. "Luna and Artemis haven't returned to normal yet. Neither have any of the animals or people who were outside when it happened."
"Elle?"
"She woke up before any of us. She really wants to see you; she's with the Elder now."
"I was going to see him now."
In the Elder's house Ark talked with the Elder and Elle. "Crystal has been known to repel magic." said the Elder. "Maybe if we had something to reflect it."
"Like this thread I found?"
"I could weave it into cape for you." said Elle.
"How long?" said the Elder.
"It should be ready by tomorrow."
"Very well. Ark you should get some sleep and then depart when Elle finishes the cape."
~*~
That night Serena had dream. In it she was in a big city, she was grown up and was very beautiful, but she saw Ark killed by this a man in black robes. "Ark!"
"What is it?" asked Darien.
"I had a dream; I was grown up and in a different place."
"A lot of people who were frozen had dreams like that."
"Not like mine, in it Ark was... I think something bad is going to happen to him."
"You think so?"
"I'm going to sneak out of the village tomorrow, make sure that Ark will be ok."
"I can't let you go."
"You must and can't tell anyone, not Mrs. Finch, not the Elder, not even the others."
"Ok but I'm going with you."
"You don't have to."
"I'm just as worried about Ark as you are, and I'm...worried about you. I don't want you to get hurt."
"You really feel that way about me?"
"Yes."
"I don't want you to get hurt either."
"Then we'll keep each other safe too."
"Ok."
~*~
Ark left the next morning with Elle's cape. He remembered the promise he made to Elle the night before that he wouldn't be gone for too long. He entered the fifth tower again and the guardian's orb was reflected of the crystal cape. He didn't notice that Darien and Serena had followed him into the tower. "Something's not right." he thought to himself. "This tower isn't as complex as the others and there aren't as many monsters."
He entered dimly lighted hallway and saw the doors to the room where he could revive the last continent. "That guardian must been the only real defense in this tower." Then from out of nowhere a portal opened and out came a giant scorpion. "That's the biggest monster yet!"
"Ark!" Serena cried.
"Serena? Darien? What are you doing here?!"
The monster was the next to speak. "I am the Ssssshadowkeeper, all trespasserssssss must die!"
"Stay behind me!"
"But..." Darien objected
"Just do it!"
Ark took his spear and thrusted it at the shadowkeeper. The shadowkeeper used its claws and tail to try to kill Ark and the kids.
"Take this insect!" Ark thrusted his spear at its head and it was killed in an explosion.
"You two shouldn't have followed me!"
"But we were worried about you." said Serena.
"It doesn't matter now; I have a job to finish."
Ark entered the spherical room, inside a map of the constellations that could be seen from Earth rotated around him. Above him a globe lowered as if to acknowledge his presence. In his mind he could see a new land mass rise from a red sea and in the middle of it a large red rock. And so on that day the continent of Australia was resurrected.
~*~
They all returned to Crysta, everyone had returned to their natural states. "Luna, Artemis!" said Serena.
"What happened?" asked Luna.
"It's a long story."
"Oh by the way." said Artemis. "The Elder wants to see you Ark. And he wants me, Luna and the other Orphans to come with you."
"I'll go see Elle first."
When he tried to go into her room he found the door locked. "I can't see you now." said Elle. "The Elder told me that you had to go away for long time. I don't want you to see me like this; I want you to remember me happy. You have to go now." Ark left with an ache in his heart.
Ark went to the Elder. "You have done well but I never expected that you would also resurrect the continents of the Overworld. Perhaps you are the one who can revive it."
"What do mean Elder?"
"A long time ago the Overworld was once abundant with life; many different living things could have been found up there. But now it is barren and empty. Ark, if you can revive the land then maybe you can also revive life; you're the only one I can count on for this."
"I suppose there's no way I can get out of this." said Ark.
"Come with me."
The Elder brought them outside the village to a large hole. "This is the way to the Overworld, Ark you will have to go there in order revive life."
"Looks pretty deep."
"Keep in mind that if go you probably won't come back for a very long time."
"Well, I guess I'm as ready I'll ever be..." Ark then leapt down the hole and vanished.
"Why did you bring us here?" asked Serena.
"Because one day that will be your world, it is your destiny to lead it and your friends' destiny to help you do it. That is the reason I brought you to Crysta. I will teach you about what you need know for that day when you will all ascend and take your rightful places."
As they left Serena turned back to the hole and thought. "I know you can do it Ark."
~*~
What awaits Ark on the surface? And when will the young scouts and knights finally go back up? Stay tuned.