Author's Note: Can't believe I managed to write this out for you guys. I was starting to think that I couldn't live up to my promises. I also have some bad news and that is that I am travelling for a few days for a holiday and won't be able to update. I should be back in a week or so though. That's why I tried my best to update and this most likely will be my last update for a while.
Since this is my last chapter written in 2014, I would like to give my best wishes to anyone who reads and supports my stories for the upcoming New Year. And if you have not already, I have posted the promised Christmas one shot titled 'A Warm White Christmas' so please read it and tell me what you think in a review.
Here is chapter twenty-eight! Hope ya'll like it.
"Where's mummy?" Pixie asked Marla for the thousandths time.
Marla sighed as she looked at the young princess. It had been just over two weeks since the royal family had made their departure and there were no signs of them arriving anytime soon. In fact, the fairies didn't even know if they were in trouble or hurt and the wait for some kind of news was agonizing. Marla and her fellow housekeepers tried their best to keep the youngest of the children distracted and happy for the most of the absence of their parents. The older children such as Sam and Alice were such dears in helping the housekeepers in playing and watching over the children and hiding their sadness. Baby George always cried, and even though he couldn't yet speak, everyone knew he was crying for one thing; his mother. During breakfast, George would always look around the table in hopes of finding his parents and the one who always fed him, his aunt Clarion. It broke everyone's heart when they witnessed the young children calling for their parents or looking for them. But they couldn't do anything, nobody could.
Marla sighed as she carried George on her hip. "You know where your mummy is…she's gone on a trip." To prevent further questions from the young ones, the housekeepers thought it was best to tell them that their parents went on a trip to get to know each other better since they found out about them all being related to one another.
Pixie sighed and blew her dark hair from her face in frustration. "I know that Marla, but when are they coming back?"
"Soon Pixie, soon." Was all Marla could say to the young royal. Pixie sighed again but nodded her head in understanding.
With big eyes Pixie quietly said. "I really miss mummy and daddy and my aunts and uncles." Marla gave her a weak smile and pulled her into a hug with her free arm as the other held the baby prince.
"Don't you worry. Your parents will be back soon along with the rest of your family." Marla said soothingly. Pixie nodded against Marla's hip. George soon grew restless on the housekeeper's arms and started to whimper. Marla pulled away from her hug with Pixie and bounced him gently to try and sooth his cries but it failed. Through his tears, George reached out to his sisters with both his arms as he tried to smile through his tears. Marla watched the baby closely and soon her heart melted. "I think your baby brother wants to spend sometime with his big sister."
Pixie smiled as she gazed her brother. Marla guided her over to George's baby swing and placed him inside and strapped him in and let Pixie play with him to get her mind off things.
On the other side of the room, Daisy happily played with her twin cousins Mathew and Harry. The trio caused a good amount of trouble but everyone didn't mind as long as they were all happy. The three were jumping on the sofa in the large living room and were laughing triumphantly. That was until Mathew took a rather large fluffy pillow and threw it at Daisy. She laughed.
"I'm going to get you for that." She smiled as she threw a pillow back at him and it hit him square in the face. Harry took a pillow and also hit his twin and soon it was a pillow fight between Daisy and Harry against Mathew. The three were having a great time with one another and bonding so well.
Alice rolled her eyes at the three troublemakers before asking her cousin Sam."Do you have any five's?"
Sam grinned. "Go fish." Alice playfully groaned as she picked up yet another card. Sam had already six pairs while Alice had only three. "Do you have any eight's?" Sam winced as he waited for an answer.
"Ha, go fish!" Alice smiled. It was now Sam's turn to groan as he took a card and added to the few in his hand. As he looked at his cards, Alice asked. "Do you think they are alright?"
Sam's gaze was still fixed on his cards. "Who?"
"Our parents and aunts and uncles." Alice explained quietly. Sam dropped his cards on the table faced down so Alice couldn't see them and looked at her.
"I'm sure they are. My parents and my newfound relatives are the strongest people I know." Sam explained. "I have no doubt in my mind that they are having trouble or are not alright." Alice nodded but still looked uneasy. "Do you think something has gone wrong for them?"
"No it's just…" Alice trailed off as she gazed at her cousins. "They have been gone for over two weeks. Shouldn't they be back by now? I miss the family time we shared."
Sam nodded. "I don't think there is a certain time for them to return, Alice. These type of things take time and we are the one's that need to be patient." Alice nodded as she gazed at her young cousins playing.
"Don't you wish you were their age?" Alice asked as she nodded over to her cousins and Sam looked over as she spoke. "To not have any worries and be free from knowing that things can go wrong and the absence of others."
Sam looked back at her. "Sometimes I do but others I don't if you know what I mean." Alice nodded. She knew what he meant because she felt the same but yet again the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
In another room in the Pixie Dust tree, the ministers were currently arguing with one another, yet again.
"I told you, your season is falling behind!" Snowflake yelled to Hyacinth.
The minister of Spring shook his head. "According to my records we are right on track. I think it's those winter fairies of yours that are behind."
"My fairies are right on track! If your season is late in delivering my winter fairies have to make more preparations to cover you!" Snowflake yelled. Hyacinth was just about to counter back until Redleaf interfered.
"Stop it both of you. Both your seasons are on track." The two ministers nodded and stopped their arguing. "We can't be fighting against each other, we are responsible for the well being of the fairies now that Queen Clarion and Lord Milori are away."
Sunflower sighed when she heard Redleaf say this. "Oh I wish they were back. I can't imagine Pixie Hollow without them."
"They will be back as long as we stay positive." Redleaf assured them although he wasn't sure himself and it was obvious to everyone.
"What if they don't return? What will happen to Pixie Hollow and us?" Sunflower asked. Everyone looked sadly at the ground.
Redleaf shook his head. "We will cross that bridge once and if we get there." The minister explained. "For now we continue ruling over our individual seasons."
Hyacinth looked at Redleaf. "What if we've already crossed that bridge and we don't even know it." Everyone sighed and tried their best to push the thought out of their heads. Nobody wanted to accept the possible inevitable.
Outside the Diamond Castle stood a nervous and anxious group of monarchs.
All four were pacing in their own area in order to calm themselves down. Elizabeth paced in a circle as she prayed her husband would return safely. She couldn't imagine living without him and raising their three children by herself. The life she had with Robert was an amazing one and she couldn't bear losing it.
David sat in the grass and rested his elbow in his knew as he watched the butterflies dance in the field. He sighed, as he thought about Dania and their life together. He couldn't be separated from his love and he wouldn't allow it. Only a few days ago Dania had a meltdown as the guilt of leaving their baby boy began to eat her alive and him and Clarion had to console her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath praying with all his heart the situation would work it's self out.
Louise paced by a river as she gazed at the ripples in the water. She watched the fish swim around and the frogs jump from lily pad to lily pad happily. James was such a joy in her life and she knew it with all her heart. The thought of losing him and their children losing their father pained her. But she knew James would find a way for them to be together as a family. This thought brought her hope and a smile.
Milori sat in front of the castle entrance that closed after the entrance of the siblings. He couldn't find the courage to leave the place where he sent Clarion off. His gazed was fixed on the large majestic doors. He knew that the others had family on the line but to Milori, Clarion was bigger loss. His life revolved around her and will forever revolve around her. She was his life, his world his entire purpose of living. The life Clarion had given him was a blessed life that he would never get back. Milori knew that Clarion's siblings were quietly seething about the absence of their children. His eyes stayed on the door as the other three spouses came and sat next to him.
No words needed to be exchanged as their eyes penetrated through the door, waiting.
The four siblings walked quietly through the Diamond castle that hopefully contained the parents, which would fix everything. Clarion and Dania trailed behind their brothers. Every now and then they would exchange a worried glance then smile to wear of the tension between them. As they continued walking through the never-ending hallway, they looked at every passing statue. Some were knights, monarchs and famous fairies. Clarion was mentally counting how many there were until she tripped and fell. The sound of Clarion's impact to the ground and Dania's gasp caused the kings to turn around and rush to help Dania with their sister.
"Are you hurt?" Robert asked Clarion once she was stood.
Clarion shook her head but Robert, being a typical protective older brother, patted her down for any possible injuries. Once he was satisfied, he looked into her baby blue eyes and sighed when he saw the worry gazing back at him. He gave his youngest sister a warm smile and kissed the side of her head before wrapping an arm around shoulders and continuing to walk. Dania and James followed closely behind.
They seemed to walk for hours until they reached some doors leading off to some rooms. James quietly opened one and they all walked in slowly. Once they all had entered, they realized that they were in a bedroom. Their parent's bedroom. Clarion broke free from Robert's protective grip to pick up a photograph that stood on the nightstand. She smiled when she recognized the two people in the wedding reception. Her mother was dressed in a satin white wedding gown and her father looking smart in a suite. They were gazing in each other's eyes and beaming brightly. Clarion looked at her mother and couldn't believe the resemblance she shared with her and James with her father.
"What are you looking at?" Dania asked as she made her way over to Clarion. "Oh." She smiled when she saw the photo of their parents. Robert and James looked to before Robert sighed.
"They're here." He muttered. "Come on, we need to keep moving." He said louder. The siblings knew that Robert was determined to not allow this quest to break up his family. They all nodded and left the room and continued their search.
"I feel like I'm invading their privacy." Clarion said as they now looked in a living room. She gazed at more photos on the mantle piece that were mostly photos of them.
"We're not. We are their children after all." James assured her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Clarion smiled at him.
The siblings continued to go from room to room but wee not having much luck.
"They can't possible find them! They can't!" A voice boomed in the forbidden cave, the cave where the golden butterfly was found. The ghost like creature that sent them on their quest in the first place sat annoyed at her desk.
Her dark eyes were fixed on the screen that showed the four monarchs in the Diamond Castle. Her brows furrowed as she watched them interact with one another and concentrate at the task on hand. It frustrated her to no end.
"Victoria, you know what I tell you about spying." A deep feminine voice was heard but she ignored it.
When the four monarchs arrived at her forbidden cave to retrieve the golden butterfly gem, Victoria was adamant about making sure they never got their hands on it. Sending you Clarion to go and fetch it was her first plan, as Clarion always seemed like the weakest of the four. She had no children, no family and to Victoria Clarion didn't have much on the line, which would cause her strive to get the gems lower than her siblings. But she thought wrong. When she witnessed Clarion walk towards the first bridge she used her powers to make it crumble under feet and for her to be scared, hoping he would give up. Clarion didn't though and Victoria continued to crumble the bridges that she stepped foot on. She was unsuccessful though as Clarion safely got the gem and all eight of the royals were out of the cave. Victoria's last attempt was to close the portal door on them but again she failed.
The voice cut into her thoughts once again. "Victoria!"
"What?" Vitoria turned around to see the good half of her, Valeria. The ghost had halved herself into her good half and bad half and given them two different identities so she would be powerful in the good world and evil world.
Valeria sighed. "You shouldn't be spying on those poor people. You've sent them on a suicide mission and now that they are this close you are playing with them."
"Look you, their parents are only a few rooms down and are oblivious to the fact that their four missing children are wandering around. I don't want them to cross paths!" Victoria boomed at her good half. Valeria covered her ears from the sound and smoothed out her white gown.
"They have survived so much, Victoria. Now let them have their victory."
"I am named Victoria because I am always the victor!" The evil one said and continued to watch the screens.
Valeria placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let all this anger go. We can be one person again, you just need to let go." Valeria pleaded. Victoria shifted on her chair. "I can see you want to go back to the way things were. If you try and make Neverland a bad place and I continue to make it a good place, this will become a stalemate."
"But-"
"Let it go and lets go back to the way things were." Valeria persisted. "Let the royals find their parents and leave them be, forever."
Victoria sighed.
"I don't know what's the issue with this."
"There isn't." And with those words said by Victoria, she paused the three-day time limit she had set at twenty seconds, which shut down all the traps she set up if they exceeded the limit. Valeria smiled at her half. She didn't push for them to become one person again as it already took a lot for Victoria to come off her high horse. Instead she smiled at her and offered them to go grab a bite to eat. Although the evilness in Victoria was still there, Valeria had no doubt that she would go back to her old ways. She hoped.
The royals were searching now a couple rooms down from the living area and were beginning to get tired. They knew they didn't have much time left thanks to the three-day limit and they didn't even know if they exceeded it. They were now in a grand meeting room, with two desks and a long table t hold meetings for most likely a council. Clarion and Dania would always look for photographs of their past and got the impression that their parents were lovers of photography. Robert and James would do most of the searching until they decided to move on to the next room. The Diamond Castle was huge and they had no idea how long it would take to cover it, assuming their parents were even there.
Suddenly two voices could be heard.
The siblings gasped quietly as the voices became louder and louder as the people were approaching closer towards them. Clarion and Dania put down the photo they were holding and their brothers came by their side. James wrapped an arm around Clarion and Robert did the same with Dania. They waited.
"I told you Roland, we need to find a way to send a message to-" A beautiful women walked into the room with a tall man by her side. She had honey brown hair like Clarion and Robert and shining sapphire eyes like Dania and Clarion. The man, who stood by her side with an arm around her waist, had blonde hair like Dania and James and striking green eyes like Robert and James.
The six people stood motionless.
Author's Note: I know I left you at a cliffhanger but I couldn't find another way to end the chapter without giving so much away. As you know I will be a way for a few days but should be back a maximum, a week. This chapter mainly revolved around how the children were getting along with the absence of their parents; about Victoria and Valeria and about how the souses are feeling. I couldn't make it all about the siblings because I felt that it would be too boring to read about them going from room to room. I think this story will probably end at chapter thirty but again I'm not sure. I do have a sequel in mind but I'm not sure when I would have planned it enough to post it.
Again best wishes from me for 2015. And thank you to everyone who supported me this year with my writing. Your reviews honestly make my day and I never thought that this story would be any good of a story to exceed over one hundred reviews. I receive the sweetest PM's from writers and reviews from guests and I'm so grateful for it. Please continue with your reviews.
Sorry for the inconvenience about me going away for a couple of days. See you all in 2015!