The Center Of It All

Nature's first green is gold

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

            ~Robert Frost

Once upon a time...that's how most fairy tales start, isn't it? Well, this isn't your typical fairy tale, and Isabella isn't your typical princess. This story doesn't start in a castle, or even a small hut in the middle of nowhere living with three fairies. This story starts in the most unexpected place: the center of the earth.

The sound of a baby's first cry broke the silence in the small, stone room. Everyone released the breath they had been holding, as Elizabeth cradled her newborn babe. Her husband, Peter, walked over to Elizabeth and gently hugged his wife and baby girl. As Peter pulled away from Elizabeth, a single word bounced off the walls.

"Isabella" Elizabeth said wearily looking down at her child.

When Peter gave his wife a confused look, Elizabeth clarified what she meant.

"Her name." Elizabeth said, gesturing to the small, sleeping child, "I'm naming her Isabella."

But in this world, as soon as joy was found, it was crushed. As the words left Elizabeth's lips, the solid wood door was smashed into splinters. The king's army walked in the hot room, lead by a tough looking woman. Her right side was metal with many dents and cracks in the outer covering, showing wires and circuit boards. Her left side was flesh and bone, but had many scars, some brand new and years old. She wore the clothing of King Flame's generals, and had the blue fire etched into her skin. Her army behind her were all robot humans...otherwise known as cyborgs.various limbs were metal, and some were completely metal except for their head.

The general stepped forward towards Elizabeth, demanding the child, but using no words. Elizabeth refused and the look in her eyes was determined. She would not hand over her precious Isabella to this monster of a woman. The general motioned her army to surround Elizabeth and get the child at any cost. Peter tried to protect

Elizabeth, but he was thrown against the blazing hot wall. Elizabeth held onto her child for dear life, but quickly was taken down, and Isabella was in the hands of a cyborg. Elizabeth tried to grab her child back, but was thrown to the ground, unmoving. Peter screamed her name, but to no avail. He crawled over to her, and sobbed as the general, carrying the baby, walked out of the room, leaving the weeping mess.

Isabella never knew who her parents were. She had been stuck in a dimly lit room for most of her life. But when she did go out, she was honored and bowed to. Now, most people would love this kind of attention, but Isabella was the only human she had ever seen. There was nobody else like her. They all had some sort of metal limb, organ, or machinery in them. Even the ones that looked normal were not. She longed for another being like her. But her luck was about to change, big time.

Her mother, General Blaze, walked into the dark room with more cuts than ever before. Old scars were opened and new scars soon to be formed. But what was in her hands caught Isabella's immediate attention and excited her. A young boy lay sleeping in General Blaze's arms, not a baby, but not yet able to talk. As the young boy woke up, his chubby cheeks formed a slight smile, and he started to laugh. Isabella found herself smiling like there was no tomorrow at the sight of the boy. He was exactly like she had been thinking about: no metal appendages or clockwork inside of him. A rough voice cut through all her thoughts and actions, and forced her to stop and stare.

"His name is Peter" General Blaze said, her first words ever to Isabella.

Isabella gasped in surprise as General Blaze said that, because General Blaze had never spoken to anyone! Peter started to squirm in her arms, so General Blaze set him down. Peter stumbled over to Isabella at the same time that a uniformed soldier burst into the room.

"We're under attack! Come quick! Your army needs you!" the soldier shouted. With that, he sprinted out of the room towards the battlefield.

General Fire grabbed her flamethrower and left the room without a word. Isabella could hear screams of agony and the wails of those who lost their family or friends. Isabella's thoughts raced as she thought about finally getting out.

"Why does Peter's name sound so familiar? Nevermind that, I can finally escape! But do I leave Peter or do I take him? Why are we even under attack? Too many questions going through my head!" Isabella debated within herself.

Isabella grabbed Peter and ran to the window and jumped. She landed in a pile of leaves so the fall wasn't that bad, but it still hurt. Isabella heard howls of anger behind her as she quickly got up and ran, hearing screams and smelling charred earth as she headed straight into the heart of the battle.