Moon Raiders.

The light.

How will she be able to get out of here? She thought. Suddenly, the light that glared from her hand grew to all parts of her body leaving her head and her eyes turned to black. She didn't realize when she screamed at the top of her voice and just like she came, the force pushed the dark powers and also pushed her backwards back to her dwelling place and she opened her eyes trying to catch her breath. It was all a dream.

She rubbed her face feeling safe that it was all a dream not noticing her hand that was still glowing, dim slowly. Looking around, she didn't find the old man again. With fear, she walked out of the cave only to see three wolves on the floor dead.

"They tried attacking, they have a great sense to perceive the appearance of strangers." She looked up hearing this only to see the old man. She remained speechless and he turned to her.

"They are more closer than you think. You wouldn't have survived." he added.

She stared at him shocked, he knew about her dream.

"Why don't I ever go behind the light?" she asked.

"Because they know you will then have access to what they want." he said and immediately clicked his middle finger and thumb together. Rain suddenly started falling only at that spot making Aurelia's mouth fall open.

"You thirsty?" he asked and without a response she rushed to drink from it. Feeling satisfied, she took a deep breath and the rain stopped.

"How do I get behind the light?" he paused as he heard her ask.

"You have to resist the dark powers before you get to the light."he responded.

"But why do I have to resist it, if the light is superior."

"Because you haven't identified as light. The darkness is there and it can become greater if care is not taken. You will understand some time in the future." he said and she exhaled deeply.

Suddenly, he paused staring up as though he had heard something.

"I'm afraid you have to leave now, your journey must be completed no matter what." he spoke.

"But..." Before she could say anything, he clicked his fingers again and she saw herself in the forest. She stared around the forest as fear gripped her.

Mason sat close to the waterfall holding a scarf as he sobbed silently.

"I'm afraid I can't be a better Princess Mason, I can only depend on you. Promise me you'll always be there to help me out." Aurelia's voice spoke in his head as tears continued rolling down his cheeks.

"I wasn't there to help you out this time. I'm sorry Aurelia." he spoke in tears. Hearing footsteps, he immediately wiped his tears and Paisley sat beside him.

"You don't have to pretend you know, we know how much it hurts everyone of us." She said and he sniffed.

"I just feel helpless. No one knows what to think about the whole situation. Is she dead or has she been captured? I can't get those questions out of my head. I keep pondering on this but it still gets more frustrating." he answered.

"You're not only the one who feels that way, everyone feels responsible for her disappearance but it doesn't change anything."

"Do you think the Socerer can help figure out everything?" Mason asked and she paused staring at him.

"He could but we've never met him in such circumstances." Paisley replied.

"But this is different, I mean it's Aurelia, the Princess of Anastatia, he has to do something." Mason persisted.

"We need the Kings permission to do that."

"Just do what you have to do. If Aurelia is somehow alive and out there, she needs us." Mason said and Paisley nodded mutely

Aurelia walked barefooted in the forest. She appeared very haggard and weak. What she couldn't understand was where she was headed, certainly she didn't expect her life to come to this extent. She gasped for air, losing her breath by every minute that passed. She walked for a very long time not until she stepped on a thorn. She groaned relaxing on a tree and she slid to the ground. Taking her legs on her thigh, she removed the thorn. At that moment she couldn't tell how she should react. She felt in pains but the greater pain was ever having to leave her family and her kingdom. She always wanted to be free from the responsibilities as a Princess because she thought she couldn't handle it all, but now here she was, all alone with the instincts to fight for herself, to live. Suddenly, she heard some rattles in the bushes. Already alert, she stood up trying to scurry away but the wound on her leg prevented her from running perfectly. Before she knew it, the animal came out from the bush standing before her and snarling with terror. Obviously, she was found to be a stranger in their territory. Staring at the aggressive animal, she couldn't decipher which animal it was. It had a hairy face and it was also shaped in form of a leopard, it had a tiny waist like a lion with sharp claws and teeth. It's speed was compared to that of a Cheetah and also the spots all over his body. It's eyes were blood thirsty towards it's prey. Aurelia swallowed hard seeing this, she couldn't run away or it will only take a second for it to catch up with her. Just as it came closer, she moved backwards fearfully. It seemed as if it was observing it's prey just before feasting on it.

Still moving backwards, she didn't know when she hit a stump of a tree and she fell down. With this, the animal immediately dived on her as though it had anticipated that to happen.

it's sharp teeth dug into her arm as blood rushed out. She screamed in pains, she definitely didn't want to end like this. Seeing a sharp stick laying beside her, she hurriedly took it and stabbed it into its head. Shrinking in pain, the animal immediately retreated and took off from her. Breathing fast, she tried surging in the pain but it wasn't going. She felt expressionless. Not knowing if she will shout or cry or be happy but she was alive at least. It felt like her heart had hardened to the suffering. She had suddenly grown the instincts to survive. Of course she didn't want to die like a nobody in the middle of nowhere. Still struggling with the pain, her eyes caught a plant by her side.

"What is that?"

"Raymond sustained some injuries, this a herb to stop the bleeding."

She remembered her conversation with Audrey in the palace. Audrey had used the plant on Raymond after he had come back from war with so many cuts.

With this, she hurriedly cut out some leaves from the plant and squeezed it into the bite. She groaned in pains and relaxed on the tree behind her. She could now get a glimpse of the loneliness surrounding her and just hoped it won't last for too long.

The Queen laid on her bed still sober while the five Princesses surrounded her silent, until one of the Princesses spoke.

"Is Aurelia really never going to be found?" The third princess asked and the fourth Princess immediately nudged her.

"Aurelia is fine. She has to be fine." Queen Mona spoke. They fell quiet for a while feeling the desperation in her voice.

"I heard father had given permission for Audrey and Paisley to see the Sorcerer. He might know a way out." The first Princess added.

"This is the first mystery in the history of Anastasia, how can anyone explain this." The last added.

"Enough!! " The Queen exclaimed and sat up already feeling tired of how insensitive they could be.

"Alaska, prepare yourself. Tomorrow you will be going back to Albrizec kingdom."

"Mother! I don't want to go back there." The first Princess named Alaska spoke.

"Well, you don't always get what you want. You have been engaged and there is no turning back on that." Mona answered and Alaska walked out of the room angrily.

"It's all my fault." Mona added and sniffed as she watched Alaska leave.

"I thought you all will certainly get matured. I kept convincing myself that you will all get to be great Princesses to your kingdom." She sniffed swallowing back the tears that was about to drop.

"How would I have thought that? how would I have thought things will get better."

"You're only hurting yourself mother." The third Princess named Ziana spoke.

"We're all Princesses, and we care about Aurelia as much as you do but maybe we just have to accept the truth." Ziana added and Mona stared at her with wide eyes.

"What truth?" Mona asked.

"Aurelia is dead! Can't you all see? How can they continue seeking for what can't be found? " Ziana questioned. Mona stared at the empty space indifferent.

"You can all leave." She suddenly said as a grave expression plastered on her face.

"Mother? " The last Princess named Delvina called.

"I said leave!" Mona exclaimed and they all bowed walking out one after the other. Tears rolled down Mona's eyes. She didn't want to believe Ziana was right, the thought scared her.

In the night,

Aurelia opened her eyes weakly, she didnt realize when she had slept off. Staring around, she felt cold shrills move down her spine in the gross darkness of the forest. There was certainly no way she could continue her journey and she couldn't also think of shutting her eyes for a second to sleep again.

Suddenly, still sitting under the tree, shivering in the fear of the gross darkness, she started hearing sounds ring in her ears. She looked around with great fear but couldnt see anything neither did it stop. It increased and became so intense that she suddenly started feeling tormented. She closed her ears, shivering.

"It is a cross you have to bear. "

"Do you think you can be able to do this? End your life already. "

"Those fit, died millions of years ago. What makes you think you can make that difference now? "

So many faces of the dark, appeared on her head as she closed her eyes. Their voices were tormenting her greatly, and she tried to stop them from speaking.

"Come to the darkness.... "

"That's where you belong. " At this point, she started seeing the faces of beasts who were trying to break out of the b*****e, to get to her.

"Remember, they seek your light. They come as the devil incarnates, the beast, the dark world."

Aurelia started breathing fast as tears rolled down her eyes.

"Stop... "Aurelia mumbled out in torment.

"You are an incompetent Princess, don't you see you were rejected by your own kingdom! "

"Please stop. " She pleaded.

"Let us in, let us take that burden, so you can feel at peace."

The torment continued for a long time that it felt like a very long night.

"STOP!! " She exclaimed after a while breathing fast as the voices immediately went silent. She hugged her knee tightly sobbing.

"I don't want to do this anymore." She cried.

"You have to resist the dark powers before you get to the light." Another voice suddenly spoke. Immediately her vision turned into a mist as a deafening sound rang widely in her ears. She fell to the ground falling unconscious. She felt her soul leave her and was back to the empty room that remained grossly dark.

"Who is there? " She questioned moving forward fearfully. Her footsteps echoed as she tried finding a way out when a light suddenly appeared before her.

"BEHIND THE LIGHT" The voice spoke and her eyes turned white. Hypnotized, she felt her feet move towards the light but then she felt the force come back again. It was trying to drag her back to the darkness but she strengthened her feet on the ground. Moving forward slowly she heard the voice speak again.

"You have to resist the darkness. You are that light, it chose you, it needs you."

With this, she struggled to resist the force. Her hands immediately started glowing white, it became brighter and brighter until the light enveloped her and she shut her eyes.

As she opened her eyes, she found herself before a throne. It glared with so much power, it possessed the light. Just as she took a step to walk to it, a voice spoke.

"That's your fate." She turned, only to see a lady who walked to her.

"Who are you? " Aurelia asked and the lady turned facing the throne that possessed a glory that was caged to it.

"My identity doesn't matter. I'm only here to reveal your path." She answered. "That is your throne." She added and Aurelia stared back at the throne.

"How? "

"You are one of those destined to walk in the path of greatness. You can now decide to write your own future."

"What do you mean? "

"You are a great light... the leader of the great lights, Mercury."

"All I want is to go back to my kingdom. I can't be able to handle all the responsibilities. I couldn't be a better Princess, so what makes you think I will be a great leader?" Aurelia questioned.

"That's the path you are meant to take."

"What gives you the right to decide my path?" Aurelia questioned in tears. "I don't want any of this!"

"If you chose to run away from that path, you will only watch your loved ones die all because of your actions. "

"Why? I don't even know what's going on."

"The moon raiders has armed themselves, they are now taking the forms of humans. They are desperate to convert all the souls of the ten kingdoms into their dark world. You have to stop that from happening."

"How? "

"You are no longer the Princess of Anastasia, but Mercury, the leader of the great lights. This is your beginning, the dark forces are already after you. In order to defeat the repeat of time, you have to be brave." She spoke and Aurelia's hands immediately started glaring and she stared at it terrified.

"Go... " She persuaded and Aurelia moved slowly towards the throne. Getting to it, she sat on it. The glory surrounding the throne immediately entered her as though it had been waiting to be used. Aurelia froze as her veins popped up on her face. She struggled to breathe with her mouth wide open, it was obvious she was struggling with the strong force entering inside her. As it got into her, her eyes turned gold.

"I need you Aiden... " Her mouth suddenly mumbled out words that were strange to her and she fell on the throne unconscious.

In the morning,

Aurelia gasped opening her eyes. She took a deep breath as though she had been released from a b*****e. Staring around the forest, it seemed as if the mist that was surrounding it had faded away, creating a passage to a nearby village. A glimpse of hope immediately appeared on her face as she stood up weakly. Leaping, she hurried into the village only to discover it was deserted. There was no living soul in it. She stared around wondering what might have happened to them, when she sighted water logged in a particular place which was almost dried up. She hurriedly rushed to it and used her palm to drink from the ground. Satisfied, she sat helplessly on the floor only to start feeling strange. She felt her heart beat turn slow as she struggled to breathe. She immediately vomited blood as her whole face turned red. Crawling on the floor, she felt a pain in her stomach surge in. Wondering what was going on, she found dead bodies lyeing in a corner. Their bodies had turned totally white and stiff. It was then she realized what was going on.

"The water was poisoned? " She muttered. That would have killed so many persons in the village, she thought. Now she had also become a victim.

No, she couldn't just die like this after her hope has been restored, she thought as she crawled on the floor to find a way out.

"Help... Somebody help... please. " She begged as blood dripped down her mouth. "Please... Aiden. " She paused as she heard herself say the name again, she couldn't place who was Aiden and why she kept calling out to him but she wanted to live desperately.

In her state of subconsciousness, she rolled down the sloppy ground and laid there unable to move a limb. Suddenly, she heard neighs and she could only guess someone was riding towards her.

With that desperation to survive, she stood up weakly and she saw a carriage riding towards her. Staggering closer, she waved before it, for the person to come to a stop but as it got closer, it became evident that it wasn't stopping. Before the horses could trample on her, she dived out of the way falling down a slope. As she rolled down, she caught a glimpse of the lady sitting in the carriage and staring forward, indifferent. Falling down to the ground, she found herself before a cave. With her last strength, she crawled into the cave and laid on the floor groaning and trying to gather all the strength possible only to suddenly hear a roar. Opening her eyes, she saw two lions at the entrance of the cave. Her eyelashes flickered as tears rolled down her cheeks. She accepted her fate this time with open arms knowing she couldn't fight her way out of it this time. She laughed mockingly as she wondered how she was going to be that great light when she was destined to die in the middle of nowhere. She cursed the stupid prophecies as she watched the lion surround her revealing it's sharp teeth. The picture of everybody in Anastasia appeared in her mind as she already felt her self losing breath.

"Please forgive me mother, I could not be so brave this one time. I failed you." She muttered closing her eyes and the lions immediately dived on her.