Valerie and the Legends of Oscavia

Chapter Eleven: Getting the Hang of It.

"Do you listen to your pendant? You must have heard it speak, but have you ever listened to what it says?" Prince Artemas asked after a long while of peaceful silence.

"Listened?" Valerie asked, looking down at the dark blue sapphire that hung over her chest. "It can talk?"

The prince raised an eyebrow at her, "you have not then" he deducted and she nodded.

"Very well, do it now" he said, "just hear what it has to say and meditate. It will help you take everything slowly"

Valerie sat up straighter and squinted, trying to concentrate.

"No, no" the prince chuckled and held her shoulders, squeezing them lightly. "Do not be tense, sit comfortably, relax completely and be silent, it would speak"

Valerie nodded and raised her knees to her chin, resting her head on them. It just felt like the right position.

She sighed as the soft wind caressed her hair, she pushed all her worries away for the meantime and just...relaxed.

Soon, she could hear the whispers soft whispers tickling the back of her mind. It was gibberish at first until she waited for it to clear up, then finally she heard the clear whisper.

Valerie.

She blinked severally and the scene before her changed, she was back in that good painting she made. The one with the hills and the sunlight and the jazillion flowers and the grey bunnies.

She wasn't alarmed though. She was getting used to weird stuff like this happening all the time.

"Valerie" the voice said, it wasn't a whisper this time, it was a girl's voice and it sounded really close to her.

Valerie turned her head to the right and she saw a brown haired girl with dark blue eyes wearing a black tank top and jean shorts. She had greyish wings and was looking at her with a small smile.

"You're me" Valerie said.

"Yeah, no I'm not" The other Valerie said with a short laugh "call me Sapphire, I am the spirit that lives in your pendant, I only took your appearance because you own me"

Valerie nodded slowly "under normal circumstances I would really freak out, so why aren't I? I feel like I can't even freak out if I want to"

"You are in the state of optimum peace of mind, you can't freak until you go back out" Sapphire said.

"Yeah ok" Valerie said, nodding.

"And besides, I can't be you, the real you is hopeless"

"Ouch" Valerie said dryly.

"Yes, ouch is right, I am the one to remind you of the really tiny good part of you and multiply it" Sapphire said. "I am hope, I am joy, I am basically all the good things you lack but are actually in you"

Valerie silently plucked a flower from her side and examined it.

"Like courage for instance" Sapphire continued "you have courage but it's buried under your fear to continue, your laziness and ignorance and...."