The Upside-down (Norminah)

It's Time

(Listen while you read: "Have You Got It In You-Instrumental" by Imogen Heap)

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"Nala what's happening to me? Something doesn't feel right."

I awoke from my sleep with a hard pounding in my chest. I had no idea what was happening to me. I was fine all day today and I was able to get to sleep peacefully like I always did. But out of no where, I shot up from my sleep with so much pain as well as pressure. Nala had been making a habit of sleeping in my room with me the past few months, her reasoning being that the time for me to enter the Upside-down was getting dangerously close. When I woke up, Nala wasted no time sprinting to my bed side to make sure I was okay.

"Do you feel some type of pain anywhere?"  She asked with much worry in her eyes.

"There's a lot of pressure in my chest," I explain to her. "It feels like someone's been using it as a punching bag or somethi- UGH!" The sudden return of the pressure in my chest interrupted me, this time stronger and more painful then before. I had no idea what was happening to me, but something told me that Nala knew.

"Nala what's going on? Why do I feel like this?"

Before she could answer, my crystal necklace began glowing, but unlike the many other times it did, its light was almost blinding. It seemed that the brighter it glowed, the more painful my chest pain became. Somehow the two actions were correlated. I just didn't understand why. Unless...

"Oh my gosh!" Nala exclaimed, interrupting my thoughts. "It's time...IT'S TIME! We have to get to the jungle NOW!"

"Why do we have to go to th- UGGGGHHH!" My chest pain was getting more excruciating by the minute and I couldn't take it anymore. Before I could continue asking questions, Nala used her nose to gently but quickly pull me on to her back before she bolted out of our home and flew to the jungle with the speed of lightening.

"I'll explain when we get to the door, Dinah. Right now we have to hurry."

I sharply exhaled in response as I clutched my chest along with my crystal necklace, praying for the pain to go away. If Nala was taking me to the door in the cave I found her in, that could only mean one thing...

Meanwhile, in Bordeaux...

Normally, I'm able to sleep with little to no problems whatsoever. But something was different tonight. As I was preparing for bed, I had the strangest feeling that something was gonna happen. I couldn't determine if it was a good or bad feeling, I just knew that I wasn't able to shake it. I noticed that before I laid myself onto my bed, I got a slight headache. At first I thought nothing of it seeing as though I had been out and about all day with my father. But the more I lay in my bed, the more painful the headache became. It was a constant pounding that seemed like it wouldn't end no matter what position I took. After a while, I found myself shutting my eyes harshly and whimpering due to the fact that I couldn't take the pain any longer.

Sensing my discomfort, Lealia awoke from her slumber and scampered to me, burying her face in my cheek as an attempt to comfort me. I sank into her, feeling myself begin to cry from the pounding in my head.

"What's troubling you m'dame?" Lealia asked looking up at me.

"My head hurts really bad and I have no idea why," I replied through sniffles. " I don't know where it came from, and I certainly don't know why it continues to get worse."

I slowly opened my eyes to look at Lealia. As she looked back at me, I saw something click in her, like she realized what was happening just by looking in my eyes. The way she was staring kind of scared me.

"Lealia what's wrong?" I asked her warily.

"Your time has come my love..."

Before I could ask what she meant, she swiftly assisted me onto her back and ran into our garden. At first I didn't know what was happening, nor did I understand her random change in actions. But once we got to the lake and began descending into the small cave I found her in, everything started to make sense.

My eyes grew wide when we approached the door to the place I've been training so hard for. As I stood in front of it, my headache grew immensely, causing the door to glow brighter than it ever has. I looked down to Lealia worriedly as she came closer to me.

"That's right m'dame. Your time has finally come to enter the dark void. Everything we've been training for, has led up to this moment..." 

Back in Nuku'alofa...

As I predicted, Nala took me to the door that led to the Upside-down. Its carvings were glowing just as bright as my necklace. The closer I got to it, the harder the pain in my chest became. I grimaced at the feeling, but at the same time I felt an immense sense of strength. It was so conflicting to feel things that were core opposites of each other within me. Sensing my hesitation, Nala came up next to me.

"It's okay to be a little scared ya know? I know I am. But the way I see it, you and I have been training nonstop for this moment. There's no going back for us. Just remember that I'll be right here beside you through it all."

I know I should be scared out of my mind right now. Here I am, about to enter another world, leaving my family and my people behind, to fulfill a destiny I have yet to figure out. But looking at Nala, I felt surprisingly at peace with what was to come as soon as I were to leave this world. Whatever purpose I had in the Upside-down, I was determined to fulfill it anyway I could.

"You ready to do this?" Nala asked me, flaring her beautiful wings.

"Are you ready to start this journey?" Lealia asked me, wagging her majestic tails as if she was going into battle.

"Let's do this," I said, hopping on Nala's back as her wings spread even more.

"I'm ready," I replied with determination, as I swiftly climbed on Lealia's back.

She then blew on the door, causing its carvings to emanate blinding light. The door opened, and there was nothing but darkness. Nala let out a mighty roar as my heart grew with courage...

She gently blew on the door in front of us, and it opened with a mighty rumble. As Lealia snarled, I felt determination rise in me as I instructed her to charge through with the pat of my foot...

"Let's go!" 

"Allons-y!"

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