Moon and Star - Part One

A Prison - Part One

~Chapter Two~

Xiala and Mira spent at least ten minutes staring at the fire that was currently burning down their home. "Come on." Mira said, pulling her sister to the window. "Xiala? Xiala, are you listening to me?" She asked softly, shaking her sister. "W-what? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Xiala smashed the window and they climbed out. "MOM!" Moonmira yelled. "Mom?" Xiala asked. "But - who set the fire?" Moonmira asked. Xiala glanced around. Suddenly she saw a place where the flames were smaller. "Never mind that - let's find a place to run!" "Don't you think this is a little strange? The whole palace is on fire and no one comes to put it out? Where's Aunt Olivia? And grand-aunt Evera? And Tsuki and Aunt Moonlight? Why have they all just disappeared?" "There," Xiala said grimly, nodding to a circle of flames. Moonmira followed her point and her jaw dropped. "What are they doing?! Is Evera setting the place on fire? Why in the name of Eve would she do that!?" "No, that's illog -" Xiala stopped abruptly. Her jaw worked in silence and for a moment, she was still. "Sink water sink lake sink water lake pond," Moonmira muttered. "Xiala, you go to the lakes and I'm taking the pond. If you can put out the fire with the lake water and still have the concentration to use the kitchen sinks, do that." She ordered. Xiala smiled dryly. "Spoken like a true leader." Before disappearing. Moonmira turned to her family. Evera was setting the fire. Olivia was blowing on the fire. And Moonlight and Moonlily . . . were locked in a metal cell? "AUNT OLIVIA! YOU HAVE TO STOP THIS!" Moonmira cried. Olivia didn't look up, blowing harder. Grunting in disgust, Mira ran to the ponds. "Sorry ducks," She said, not sounding very sorry, and lifted the water with ease and put out a quarter of the fire. Running to the next pond, She repeated. When she put out the fire on the castle, she backed up and yelped when a huge tidal wave rose up and doused Evera and Olivia. Evera was too wet to make a fire, Olivia too exhausted, and Tsuki and Moonheal were nowhere to be found. "Your majesty!" A guard said. "I found a youngling near the lakes! The empty lakes!" Olivia and Evera followed him, as did Mira. Sure enough, Xiala was leaning against a tree, looking faint. Her usually tanned skin was ghostly white and there were dark circles under her eyes. Whoops. I always forget her water gift isn't as strong as mine. Moonmira thought, and watched in horror as the guard banged her over the head. Ouch. A cold, iron grip clamped around her wrist. Moonmira turned and found herself face to face with the general of the Air Kingdom army. There was a handcuff around her wrist and the general pulled her down to the ground. "Let me go!" Mira cried, trying to yank her wrist away. "Don't do this!" She yanked harder, only hurting her wrist more. "Iskan, we used to be friends!" "And I have a queen." Iskan said without emotion. Then everything went black.