Kingdoms Unknown: The Kingdom of Life

Chapter 7: Princessnapped

Night fell, and everyone was busy with something. Ash chose to go back to the chamber, and I'm pretty sure Terra followed him. Melody was out hunting, and Trevor followed her in secret. So, that left me and Jace to practice sword fighting with wooden swords. Except, I wasn't all into it. "Hey, what's wrong?" Jace asked.
I looked up. "I'm sorry, I just had so much on my mind since the attack."
"So I noticed, but you shouldn't worry. They're all gone, now."
"But, that's exactly what's worrying me."
Jace puts our swords away, and takes my hand. "Come on."

"Where are you taking me?" I ask.
"We'll be there in a minute." He answers.

He takes me in to a room filled with light green furniture. Letting go of my hand, he walks over to fountain within. "Come sit."
"Should we be here?" I ask
"Don't worry about it, I asked Terra if there was a room that we could relax in. She said this one."
I smiled, walked over, and sat next to him.

Ash was reading a book on the ancient history of the world. Terra was peeking from behind the door. He looked over, but she hid. "Okay, Terra, just be confident, and act normal. Remember, you and him become a couple. I'm pretty sure he likes you, but somethings you just can't predict." Terra whispered to herself.
"What are you doing?" Ash was at the door, and opened it.
Terra was frozen. "I...um...was...trying to-"
"You want to check this book out with me?" Ash interrupted.
Terra turns. "Y-Yes."
They walked to a couch together. "Oh, and Terra." Ash said.
"Yes?"
"I heard your conversation." He laughed.
Terra blushed, then laughs with him.

"So, you were really inside Shinera for your whole life?" Terra asked.
"Well, up until a couple years back." He answered. "I never would have imaging the world outside to be so wonderful, however."
"What's so wonderful about it?"
Ash turned to her. "Well, many things, the adventure, the excitement, the different kingdoms and people, but the thing that caught my eye most was you."
Terra blushed. "Really?"
"Yeah, I had a strange feeling from the first time I saw you. Now, that I know we are going to be a couple, that makes me happy." He smiles.
Terra returns.
They lean against each other to kiss. Terra pushes away. "Oh, no, we've spent too much time here. We must find Melody and Trevor."
Without question, Ash teleported them away.

Melody was aiming at a deer a little ways away. Just before she let go, Trevor surprised her, and she missed letting the deer run away. "Look what you made me do!" She shouted in anger.
"Just where were you going to put it?" He teased.
Melody walked deeper into the woods.
"Hey!" Trevor made a hole in the earth to catch up. "Are you still mad about that 'made you fall into a hole' thing."
She wasn't paying him attention.
He pulled his hand down, and trapped Melody in a hole that came up to her chest, and her hand stuck out.

"Why did you trap me in another hole?!" She said angrily.
"I said I was sorry about the first one!" Trevor is building anger.
"So you trap me in another!"
"You know, I have no idea why I'm trying so hard to be with you!" He turns away.
"Well, no one told you to...fall in love with me in the first place!"
Trevor turns back. "In never told you that."
Melody blushes, and turns away.
Trevor smiles. "So, you do like me, don't you?"
"Pfft, I would rather die than like you."
"Oh?"

He read her expression. "You like me, but there's a reason you don't want to be with me, isn't there?"
"Well..."
"Is something about me? Did I do something? What?"
"The first one. You see, I don't like dragons all that much."
Trevor made stone stump, and sat on it. "Tell."
"A dragon killed my father, and broke my best friend's heart."
"Mentally or physically?"
Melody stared at him. "What do you think?!"
"Oh, right." He chuckled. "But, Melody, you can't let that one dragon represent all dragons."
"I know, but their presence makes me uncomfortable."
Trevor stood up, brought Melody out of the hole, and touched her shoulder. "You have my word that I will never hurt you, person or dragon."
Melody looks at him.
He nods.
She smiles. "You're sweet."
Trevor tried to kiss her, but she pushed him into a tree. "We aren't that close!" She walks off. "Come on, or I'll leave you!"
Trevor follows with a proud smile.

Terra and Ash appeared before them. "What's wrong?" Melody asked.
"No time, we must get to Merlinda quickly." Terra said.
Ash teleports all of them away.

Jace went off to get a drink of water for me, but he hasn't been back since. So, I went looking for him. "Jace!" I called. It was when I went into the main hall that I saw Jace walking into the garden. "Wait up!" I shouted, running towards him. When I caught up, he was at the edge, looking at the stars. "Hey, what happened to you? I was worried."
"Sorry, I guess I just got lost." The voice wasn't Jace's.
"Who are you, really?"
"Why, Merlinda," the imposter turned around. "I'm Jace, your kidnapper." He laughed.

I tried to run, but the imposter came in front of as if he formed in midair. He grabbed my arm, and took me into the air. "Let go of me." I ordered.
"Afraid I can't." He pulled me up, and wrapped around me.
I couldn't break free.

Ash, Melody, and the others came into the garden. Jace wasn't with them though. "Merlinda!" Melody yelled. She readied an arrow.
"I wouldn't." The imposter said, as he squeezed me tighter.
Melody put her arrow down.
The imposter smiled. "We'll be leaving, now. Merlinda, say goodbye to your friends forever."
I exchanged looks with Melody, and she knew.
"Okay, bye." The imposter disappeared into air, with me along with him.