"Shadow, did you make sure you gave the messenger all of the invitations? Because if not, I have more to come around…"
"For the last time Blaze, yes I did send the messenger to give out all of the invitations. Besides, that's enough people to solicit, since some of them despise us and hate my family…"
Every person, big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, worked to the grind today for tomorrow's big event. It was the Prince Shadow and Princess Blaze Engagement Masquerade Ball. The ballroom was decorated with black roses (very rare at these times.) at every corner; the horrid gargoyles at the doors were taken off and replaced with gray stone seraphs. The food, which was a full menu of all sorts of treats and desserts, were cooked simultaneously in the kitchen, spits already occupied with roast pig, duck, chicken, pheasant, rabbit, and turkey. The once sealed curtains were drawn open to shed some bit of moonlight into the evening atmosphere.
And Princess Blaze was in charge of all of it. She commanded what the theme was, who's going to dance first, where the food's going to go, why in the world fire dancers were going to perform, and how the whole ball was going to operate.
Queen Malice did not participate in the plans; she moped around the halls and rooms because her favorite 'red wine bowl' was thrown out to pour in champagne instead. The king was too busy arguing with the gardener about whether or not they should close out the gardens. And amidst the chaos going around, Blaze dragged poor Shadow for her to see if he agrees or not on one thing. Slouching and rolling his eyes at same time, Shadow wanted to get away when he saw what he was going to wear.
"Do you like it? I've got it just for you, you know, since I thought you were so mysterious and charming in the dead of night." Blaze eagerly said.
Shadow just nodded, too occupied by his thoughts. I really don't have time for this. Suddenly, he asked Blaze if he could be alone for a couple of hours. "Okay", Blaze warned, "But make sure that the gardener doesn't close off the garden, okay sweetie-"
But he was already gone.
Finally out, they almost suffocated me in there, relieved Shadow. He thought about his dreams he had five days ago, and wanted some bit of guidance to it. Shadow just knew who he wanted to consult with. He headed to the deep of the forest and disappeared.
Soon, he came upon an ancient shrine, almost decrepit to collapse on itself. Shadow continued inside to find candles around a peach colored echidna. It appeared as though she was meditating, a necklace wrapped around her hands. Her expression peaceful and tranquil, Shadow didn't know if he should interrupt her or not. Out of nowhere, a voice sprang to his ears.
"What do you seek to find, your majesty?"
Shadow turned around, as he was about to leave, and started to state his request, but the young lady finished it for him.
"You came to find an answer to your dreams, is that correct?" she asked.
Shadow nodded. "Yes Tikal. I need to find some answers, since they are confusing me so much."
Tikal, not ceasing her meditation, lifted her head up a bit to be ready to foresee his future.
"All right, come on down with me and maintain the position I'm in." Shadow sat down, crossed his legs and straightened his back. "Now, meet my palms into yours, close your eyes, and try to connect my subconscious into yours." Shadow closed his eyes, placed his palms into hers, and instructed his mind to converse with Tikal's.
"You're not delving deeper enough, your majesty. Go deeper, deeper, to the most hidden and unrevealed part of your mind." Tikal implored.
Shadow went deeper, but the oracle was not getting what she needed. "Prince Shadow, I need to read your dreams, see their meaning, if you don't take my mind to the heart of yours.
Shadow thought harder, and then went to a relaxed appearance. She came in. Finally, she got to the one with the rose and the ring.
"Okay…now open your eyes and let go of my hands." Tikal said serenely.
He opened his eyes, his mind exhausted from all of that dream interpretation. He turned his sights on Tikal, still sitting in the same position. All of a sudden, the candles blew out abruptly as if an unknown wind extinguished them. Tikal snapped open her penetrating eyes, with a frightened look in her face, and looked up to the prince in understanding.
Now Shadow was not the one to be kept waiting, so he hinted to her that he doesn't have time for all this patience by having a stern look on his face. Tikal got the picture and immediately said her analysis:
"In time for your memorable jubilee, a sweet briar rose will pass you by your body, mind, and soul, and lead you into a beauty unknown to your well-being. Your thirst for power and revenge will be substituted for a lust for care and elation. In words you can never describe, the briar rose will be the key to your future, all entwined will just one ring."
Shadow was stumped on what this meant, but now he knew that it will probably happen at some happy event, and the events he anticipated to happen in the future will have to do with a ring…
"Thank you Tikal. Even though I little get the message, I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later."
Tikal nodded, and commenced to her incantations, the candles once again lighting. Shadow left the shrine, trying to figure out her predictions and put them into sense. But there's no time for thinking about this, he might as well get ready for the ball tomorrow. Shadow walked to his home, purposely stepping on a purple butterfly that was on a dead flower.
While then, back in the shrine, Tikal opened her eyes and distressed on what she saw in his dreams. "My goodness", she uttered, "…it's happening. The prophecy is finally happening. May God be with both of them…and luck. The Flora Kingdom and Umbra Kingdom is in both of the youth's hands."
With that, a tear slid down her cheeks, not of sadness, but of an emotion she longed to feel after almost 200 years of oppression. And its name was Salvation.