I Am Where You Are | Mystical Flowers#1 (Ongoing)

Chapter Ten

I woke up to Viva snoring and smiled. She's a magical creature. Does that mean I had just done magic? I wondered what all of this meant. I got out of bed, not sleepy anymore. Viva stirred but didn't awake. I walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind me. I looked at the fairy that I'd felt a connection to, and wondered if I could make her come alive too. "I hope you're not about to bring some other magical creature to life." I turned around and looked at him. "I was only thinking about it. Anyway, shouldn't you be happy that I'm setting these creatures free? Would you rather they stayed statues, bound forever in this place?", I retorted, reminding him of how stubborn I could be. He shrugged. "There are rules for this sort of thing. You can't just go around touching stone carvings and bringing them to life. It usually only stirs trouble."

"Some rule-follower you are", I said, and started walking towards the living room. He raised both eyebrows at me. "What's that supposed to mean?"
I looked over at him. "It means that, according to the rules, you're supposed to be telling me what the hell I'm doing here. You haven't explained any of this to me yet. As a guardian, I think you should know that."
He ran a hand through his sleep rumpled hair. "I was just waiting for the right time. Truth is, I don't know if I should be telling you this, because I might not be the person you want to hear it from."

I nodded. "Yeah, I get it, but I think I have the right to know what's going on. At least the general part of it. All of this...stuff...magic, dragons, I'm not used to any of it..
I need your help to understand. Right now, only you can help me", I said, pleading.

After a moment, he nodded. "Very well, I guess we'll start with who you actually are."

* * *
"You already know the story of Esmeralda, the lost princess. She was loved by all but that wasn't what made her stand out from the crowd. She was the brightest little child you would ever find. She connected the human world to the mystical world so that there would be no chaos or destruction on either side. Her disappearance was the greatest disaster that could've happened and it sent a shock wave across all three worlds, including the Underworld. The king and queen went into despair knowing that their precious daughter would never come back to them.

But that's not the worst part. Some say that they saw Esmeralda being taken away from the edge of the cliff where she was battling the dragon. They saw an old woman dressed in a black dress taking her away. When they ran toward them to help the child, the old woman lifted her veil and revealed the most hideous and ugliest face anyone could ever have. They were too scared to help her then, and ran for their lives. Esmeralda and the old woman flew beyond the horizon towards the gates that lead to the human world.
No one saw them enter the doors because it was only Esmeralda who could get through the mist. The old woman could pass through only because she held Esmeralda in her arms. The child's strength was enough to get both of them through."

He looked at me intently, his eyes glowing in the firelight, coming to life just as the story had. "Legends are not just tales, Lisa. They hold truth in them. The more you try to convince yourself that they're not real, the more it pushes past your barriers to reveal its truth to you.

"I don't understand. What does Esmeralda have to do with who I truly am?", I asked, confused. He smiled at me. "It's okay that you don't understand. Esmeralda is a huge part of you, Lisa. She lives within you. Just think of what you felt when you saw her carving. Focus on the feeling", he said.
I nodded and closed my eyes, thinking about the carving that had glowed when I'd touched it. I traced it in my mind, exploring each part of it. I searched my mind, feeling only the connection that I had felt while looking at her. I thought about the strong emotion that had awakened inside me while looking at that little girl. I remembered how I had seen Esmeralda in my face when I looked in the bathroom mirror. I delved deep into my mind, trying to feel something. Anything.
A few seconds later, I felt something flitting about in my mind. A memory. I watched it play in my mind, speechless.

"But mom, why can't I touch it? I love how it looks..I just want to feel it once, please!" I realised that the kid was me. Me and mom were standing at a park, looking at all the different statues that were lined in front of the fountain.

"I'm sorry, dear, but you can't. Now, be a good girl, and come back home with me. Daddy's got a little surprise for you", she said, and I immediately stopped whining.

"A surprise? Wow, I love surprises! Let's go, mommy, come on!", I said, the statues forgotten in an instant. Mom smiled at me and ruffled my hair. I ruffled her hair back, and the scarf that she was wearing around her hair fell away. That's when I saw it. Her hair was black just like mine. She got a terrified look on her face and quickly put the scarf back around her hair. Her blue eyes gleamed with tears as she looked at the statues one last time. Then, she held my hand tightly and took me away from there. The memory started to fade away, but not before I caught a glimpse of a statue that was kept a little away from the rest. It was the fairy.