The group eventually stopped staring at the dragon and calmed the twins down, because they were practically jumping in place.

"Well, we wanna know three things," Jordan spoke up. She was incredibly nervous, but wouldn't let that show.

Dhamue motioned for her to continue with her head.

"Um, 1: Where is Sapience? 2: Where's the Empress? 3: Why does there have to be a sacrifice? We lost a teammate because of some stupid thing related to the Kashgar Family! We deserve to know why." Jordan said, eventually getting angry at the last few sentences. She was right of course. They did deserve to know.

Dhamue sighed. "I can answer all of those questions. Step into the center, where the light is. You will find out." She instructed.

(For reference

This is the room)

The group sighed and cautiously went into the light and immediately the scenery around them change.

•

They were still in the Original Narbest, but it was inhabited to the brim and the fog was all gone. The sun shone down on the inhabitants of this kingdom. It looked breathtaking.

Then they realized that they were on a balcony. They all looked around and noticed that they were still in the castle. Then a little girl came out of nowhere, running through the group, laughing all the while.

The girl ducked behind a wall, still visible to the group.

The group then realized that the girl ran through them and put together the fact that they were looking at memories.

They then decided to get a better look at the girl and deemed that she must've been around eleven or twelve.

Then a slightly younger Ikaria walked out from where the other girl appeared.

"Your Highness." She said with a sing-song voice. "The Emperor is looking for you. You don't want to be grounded do you?"

The Girl sighed and got up. "Come on Ikaria! I just wanted to play hide and seek. Why do I have to go down and listen to my father and everyone else discuss politics?" She asked with a grumpy face and crossed her arms.

"Because you're the next in line. Remember? You have to get a grip. You're not eight anymore. You're twelve and you have to start taking these issues seriously. We're in the middle of a war as well. It's beneficial that you learn at this time. After all, we don't know what might happen." Ikaria scolded the younger girl. After all, Ikaria was two years older than The Girl. So she felt like an older sister. Even though The Girl is the oldest of three children.

The Girl just raised an eyebrow.

Ikaria sighed. "Your siblings and cousins have to be there as well. You don't have an excuse."

The Girl finally gave up and went around Ikaria, back from where she appeared.

• °•°
These are their outfits btw:

Just thought I'd share. Now back to the story

•°•°

The group then was transported to the throne room, now inhabited by actual people instead of The Miscreation and its minions.

The memory was focused on The Girl again. Said girl was standing next to the throne playing with her hair, not paying attention to the man -who was her father -sitting on the throne.

Everything was okay for a while. Just the royal family discussing politics and waiting patiently for some people they were expecting.

Suddenly a sound of an explosion and a bright light engulfed the room.

Suddenly they were able to see again and the memory was back on The Girl again.

Said girl was on the floor right in front of a pillar. Her head was bleeding, so the group assumed she hit her head hard on the pillar. Scratches were all over her, her outfit ripped in places. (Not inappropriate places sickos).

The Girl groaned and slowly got up from her lying position and rubbed her head, slowly opening her eyes all the while. The Girl then gasped, screamed, and fell to the ground sobbing.

Behind them, Ikaria slammed the throne room doors open and ran to The Girl. She tried to calm her down before looking at the room herself. Ikaria then gasped in horror.

The group turned to look at the room before Dhamue's voice started ringing in their heads.

"I am blanking this out. No one should see that sort of sight."

•

The memory came back and focused on The Girl again. The girl was kneeling in front of an empty throne, while someone behind her was chanting in an old language.

The group looked around the throne room and noticed what looked like the entire kingdom was in it. All in fancy clothes.

Then a crown was placed on The Girl's head and the person behind her stopped chanting and went down the steps.

The Girl slowly got up and turned around, facing the audience. She looked dead inside like the life was sucked from her.

Ikaria then went halfway up the steps. "All hail the Empress!" She shouted and the kingdom joined in.

The Girl looked down at the floor and turned around to face the throne. The newly crowned Empress approached it and shakily sat herself down.

The group didn't know how to feel. After all, they knew what had happened for this twelve-year-old girl to be crowned.

•

The memory suddenly focused back on The Empress, who was looking at a map, in what looked like a war room in the castle.

No longer was the crown on the girl's head, just a normal circlet. Wearing a battle outfit.

Suddenly Ikaria appeared again, wearing the outfit Ghost Ikaria wears.

The group froze. Are they going to have to watch Ikaria die?

"Your Majesty, the army isn't moving. Their Emperor has asked to speak with you." Ikaria said, obviously taking over her role as War General.

The Empress sighed softly. "Take me to him." She instructed.

•

Suddenly the group was in a courtyard, which was filled to the brim with soliders.

Then the memory focused on the Empress again, who was preparing for a duel.

"You don't have to." Ikaria cautioned the thirteen-year-old. (Yes, a year passed don't come at me.)

The Empress just looked at the teenager who she trusted with her life. "I'll be fine. I can beat you after all." She reassured her, holding an arm out and a sword appeared in her grip.

The memory then focused on this boy, who looked the same age as the Empress. He was adorned in his war outfit, holding his sword.

Then Ikaria went into the middle of the cleared-out area the soldiers were surrounding. She cleared her throat and raised her arm.

"May the battle between the Emperor of Xapaetia and the Empress of Narbest, begin!" She shouted and quickly leaped away from the center.

The two kids quickly faced each other and raised their swords. They bowed to the other and then began fighting.

Suddenly the memory focused directly on the rulers, who were talking to each other the entire time.

"Why are you here? Most rulers wouldn't fight one another. After all, our fathers didn't and they started this entire thing." The Emperor asked the Empress.

"We're not our fathers, are we?" She asked him in return, a bit annoyed.

"No. I just thought you might've been more like yours. After all, you were closer. I killed mine." He said with a shrug.

"Well, your father was a dick. And just because I was closer to my father, doesn't mean I'm like him." She said getting a bit more annoyed.

"True. I shouldn't have been so close-minded about you." He said blankly.

The Empress then disarmed him and knocked him so that he was kneeling before her. She put her sword at his throat. "Yes. You shouldn't have."

The Emperor looked up at him calmly. "You would kill me for your kingdom?" He asked her.

"I would kill anyone for my kingdom." She answered with a shrug.

The Emperor smiled. "Good. How about we sign a treaty?" He asked her

•

The memory then went ahead two weeks. The war was over and the Empress and Ikaria were discussing something in the Empress's room.

"You successfully ended a ten-year war during the first year of your reign! You should go back down and celebrate!" Ikaria insisted.

The group then heard the sounds of a party going on in the castle.

The Empress shrugged. "I'm not in the mood. After all, anyone down there could've killed my family." She said angrily.

Ikaria sighed. "You don't know that. It could've been someone from Xapaetia!" She insisted.

The Empress scoffed. "Please, we both interviewed everyone from there. It's someone from Narbest."

"Why would anyone from Narbest sneak into the throne room and put a bomb behind the stairs in the throne room?!" Ikaria asked, exasperated.

The Empress froze and threw a blue shard at Ikaria.

"I knew it!" She shouted.

Ikaria just sighed and summoned her own powers.

The two then started going at it; blue clashed against purple.

They ran out of magic and summoned their swords.

(Ikaria's sword)

The two then went up a staircase in the bedroom, fighting all the while. The Empress yelled and demanded to know why.

"Cause I wanted that damn throne! Your family is so high up and I wanted to replace yours with mine! I wanted the riches! Why should I have been born poor while you were living the dream? Why should I have watched as my mother fell ill and died, WHILE YOUR FAMILY WAS LIVING IN LUXURY!" Ikaria shouted as she threw her sword down the stairs.

The Empress gave a shout of anger and did the same with her sword. By then the two girls were on the walkway on the roof of the tower.

The Empress then tackled Ikaria and the two started rolling around, landing blows and kicks here and there.

"I TRUSTED YOU!" The Empress yelled before being pinned by Ikaria.

"Well, that was a mistake on your part! Now I can finally take the throne. I'll just say you jumped." Ikaria said with a laugh before gasping for air.

The Empress had kicked the older teenager in the gut and smiled grimly. Then the Empress used her legs to fling Ikaria into the air and off the roof.

Ikaria screamed all the way down and then silence.

The Empress got up and looked down at the ground. She then spits some blood from her mouth and turned around to go back down the stairs.

The group stood shocked. They were still trying to process the situation before they moved to the next memory.

•

A year had passed and the fourteen-year-old Empress became a recluse. But her subjects didn't blame her. The girl had gone through a great tragedy.

The memory focused on the Empress, lying in her bed, sleeping. The Empress then gasped and shakily got up. She then quickly opened her nightstand and sighed in relief. Sapience was safe inside.

Suddenly voices surrounded the room, drowning out any sound.

"Not again." The Empress chanted, clutching her head. This was a regular occurrence now. She then looked down at the ground. Cracks. All over the floor.

She gasped and grabbed Sapience. She then ran down to the Kashgar Dynasty Hall and looked at the statues. All had cracks and the voices grew louder.

"No, no, no, no!" The Empress started panicking. Suddenly shadows emerged from the cracks and surrounded the Empress (who was kneeling on the ground).

She was chanting in an old language and begging for forgiveness. She had failed.

"ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜰᴀɪʟᴇᴅ! ᴛʜᴇ ᴋᴀꜱʜɢᴀʀ ᴅʏɴᴀꜱᴛʏ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴡ ʀᴜɪɴᴇᴅ! ɪᴛ ᴅᴇᴍᴀɴᴅꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴀᴄʀɪꜰɪᴄᴇ!"

The Empress was confused. "What sacrifice?!" She yelled desperately.

The shadows reached for Sapience.

The Empress felt she understood and snatched the scepter. She then snapped it in half.

All hell broke loose.

This isn't the sacrifice that was wanted.

They wanted blood.

The Empress ruined the ancient artifact.

The curses were now summoned.

•

Dhamue summoned the group back. "Ikaria is watching over your friend's body. I recommend you get there before she does something." Dhamue said calmly.

The group ran back to Kashgar Dynasty Hall.

Ikaria better not touch Rylie's body.

After all, no one knows what might happen if you disrupt the sacrifice.

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Woo! This was a long chapter! Hope y'all liked it. Tell me if I should change anything. -Potter