Chapter 14

Waking Up in Another World

"Edmund?" Aria felt his lips gently press against hers. She smiled as she opened her eyes only to see that the person hovering over her was not Edmund.

"Derek! What are you doing here?"

"It's alright, Aria. I can explain…"

Aria didn't give him a chance to go on. "What is going on here? Is this your idea of a joke?"

"No! Of coarse not! Its just…"

"Then why am I in some place I have never seen before wearing some fancy dress, and where is Edmund?"

"Just forget about Edmund and let me finish." Derek was getting pretty sick of hearing that name.

"Did you do something to him? What were your planning on doing with me?"

"I swear I was just saving you, that's it. I had to kiss you to wake you up. I'd really like to do something to Edmund, something painful," Derek said darkly.

"Where is Edmund?" Aria demanded furiously.

"I have no idea and I really don't care."

"Whatever," Aria walked towards the door. "I don't know what kind of sick prank you think your playing but I'm out of here."

Derek quickly jumped up and grabbed Aria's arm. "Wait, you can't leave!"

"Why not?" Aria demanded.

"Because there's a dragon outside," Derek replied weekly.

Aria just starred at him in disbelief and then continued on to the door.

Derek pleaded on, "If you don't believe me then just look out the window."

"Fine." Aria pulled the curtains to find that Derek was indeed telling the truth. There it sat, waiting for them to leave with its metallic scales shimmering in the sunlight.

"This can't be happening." Aria felt as though she could faint all over again.

"Don't worry, Aria. It's going to be okay. You see. This is kind of like a fairy tale world and your Sleeping Beauty and according to your neighbor, and she says I'm the one who is suppose to save you."

Aria just stood there in silence, no believing a single word Derek said. This was all just too bizarre.

Derek, growing more excited, went on, "This will be great! Look! This wizard made me a magic sword from a pipe. All we have to do now is get out of here and I'll slay the dragon and then I'll be kind of like the hero who rescues the princess in this world and… um, Aria, why are you going back to bed?"

Aria pulled up the covers and stated, "This is obviously just some crazy messed up dream I'm having. I'm going back to sleep and when I wake up, I will be in my house, in my own bed, and probably grounded for sneaking off with Edmund and disobeying my parents."

"Aria," Derek walked over to her and knelt beside the bed. "Look, I know you just woke up in this place and this all seems really strange but you got to believe me, its real."

Aria had before had dreams that seemed as though they were really happening but they never felt like this. Her senses were quite alive. Derek's touch, the air she breathed, and everything around her all felt too real to be a dream. Aria did not know what else to do but take Derek's hand and follow him out of the castle.

As the two of them headed towards the exit, Aria asked fearfully, "Derek, what are we going to do about that dragon out there?"

"Well, the wizard gave me this sword," Derek said though he still appeared pretty nervous. "I guess I'm supposed to slay the dragon with it. The only thing is that for some reason, the sword glowed when the wizard and Adora held it, but not for me or Vanessa."

"Vanessa's here?"

"Yeah, she was the one who wanted to go out looking for you in the first place."

"And she thought she would try a different universe?"

Derek laughed. "Actually, it was your neighbor. I think she's actually from here."

"You mean Ms. Fleming?"

"Yeah, well, she told us to call her Adora."

Aria wanted to ask where Edmund was and if he was apart of this world as well, but she had a feeling that would only upset Derek. After all, it was Derek that came to her rescue, not Edmund. Aria felt a throbbing pain in her heart. Was Edmund the one that put her here in the first place? After all, he was the last person she saw before she fainted. Edmund wouldn't lock her in a dragon-guarded tower, would he?

"Hey, are you alright?" Derek noticed Aria's upset expression.

"Yeah, its just that…"

"Don't worry. I think the dragon is on the other side of the castle. If we're quick, maybe we can escape to where Adora and Vanessa are without the dragon noticing us."

Derek then grabbed Aria hand and asked, "Are you ready?"

Putting her thoughts of Edmund to the back of her mind, Aria nodded, "Let's go."

Derek and Aria moved quickly but quietly towards the gates. Unfortunately, the dragon was still able to spot them. It let out a fiery flame right in their direction.

"Get down!" Derek threw himself over Aria, shielding her, as they fell to the ground.

Aria could feel her entire body shaking with fear. Never in her life had she been this terrified of anything. She would much rather be giving an impromptu speech in front of the whole school right now, her old greatest fear before this.

"Aria," Derek instructed as he helped her up. "Run to gates as fast as you can. Adora and Vanessa are there waiting. I'll stay and try to slay the dragon."

This is insane. Aria knew there was no way she could just leave Derek here to fight this beast alone. Unfortunately, she had no idea what she could do to help.

Derek seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Go, Aria! Trust me. It would be better if you left."

Aria started to move towards the gates. When she looked back over her shoulder, she was horrified to see that the dragon's fire had knocked Derek completely over. The sword fell from his hand in her direction.

Aria ran to pick up the sword. The moment her hand touched it, the sword began to glow a shining silver light. Startled, Aria dropped it. But when she saw the dragon open its mouth to let out more fire, Aria once again grabbed the magic sword and thrust it at the dragon, piercing its heart. The dragon, slain, fell to the ground letting out its last breath of smoke.

Aria then rushed over to where Derek had fallen. "Derek! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it just burnt my arm a little. No big deal," Derek replied sitting up. Then he looked over at the dragon's lifeless body. "Wow, Aria, you did it! You slew the dragon!"

"I guess it was a lucky shot," Aria replied as she helped Derek up.

She even surprised herself. Normally in gym, her aim sucked. Maybe the sword's glowing had something to do with it.

"We should probably get that before we go." Derek pointed to the sword still in the dragon, blood oozing out.

"I don't want to go near it. Blood freaks me out," Aria said as she backed away.

"Seriously? You just killed a dragon and now your afraid of a little blood?"

Aria just nodded not quite sure how to defend her logic.

"Girls," Derek muttered as he rolled his eyes and went to get the sword.

Aria noticed that now when Derek held the sword, it appeared normal. "Why does that sword sometimes glow?"

"I don't know. It glowed when Adora and that wizard guy held it, but not for Vanessa and me. Maybe you have to be born in this world for it to work."

"But I wasn't born here." Aria still had a difficult time accepting all this. "I couldn't have been."

"According to the fairy lady, you were."

"Ms. Fleming, I mean Adora?" Aria then remembered something, her original theory. "Did she say anything about being my real mother?"

Derek looked at her curiously as they walked to the gates and replied, "No, I don't think so. She said your parents are the king and queen of this place. I guess that makes you a Princess."

"So I suppose I really am Sleeping Beauty."

"Apparently so. Though, things really aren't happening exactly like in the story. That witch that wants to kills you is probably still out there unfortunately. Hopefully, your fairy neighbor will know how to deal her."

As Derek and Aria approached the gates, they found Adora unconscious. Above her, was a note nailed the gate.

"Where's Vanessa?" Aria exclaimed. "You said she was here too!"

"Aria, you might want to take a look at this." Derek tore the note off the gate and passed it to Aria.

Princess Aria,

I have your friend. If you want to see her again, come to my tower, alone.

Myrtle

Ps. you might remember me as Ms. Malone.