• A warning was told, of a curse a witch had cast on the bright, peaceful kingdom of Dosheel. A curse that would make the kingdom fall to ruins if the littlest princess where to leave the kingdom and enter a new land. The King and Queen shooed the begger away, not listening to his warning. They were unaware that there was a plot against them, that required the capture of the littlest princess. Dosheel's army was skillful and strong, protecting their home; but didn't think to protect the key of keeping their home in one piece. As the kingdom crumbled, the last person standing watched the shadows carry away the littlest princess, far across the borders of Dosheel.
    Eleven years had passed and no one spoke of that day. A young teenage girl stands beside her best friend and stares at the lonely kingdom with sorrow. The two of them had traveled so far to see the kingdom of Dosheel, facing the wilderness and monsters, and this was what they found. A place of ruins that was once the girl's home. She hadn't seen the kingdom since she was five-years-old.
    "Alyssa?" Her friend leaned forward slightly to see her face. "Are you okay?"
    "Yeah. I'm fine Apeku." Alyssa answered quickly. "I'm just... disappointed." She looked up to see his face. Apeku had been her best friend since she was little. They did everything together for years. Apeku was eager to accompany her on this journey she started. Of all the years they had known each other, there was never a secret between them that was untold... well there was only one thing Alyssa never told him. Alyssa was the princess of this kingdom. Taken away from her home when she was very young, she barely remembered watching the kingdom collapse, just like the begger said it would. Alyssa wanted to return to her childhood home, wanting to show it to Apeku, hoping someone had fixed it, but all she could show him was her home in ruins.
    "Well, what do we do now?" Apeku asked looking back at the kingdom. Alyssa stared across the land at the half destroyed castle.
    "Sight-seeing." She said and raced across the broken villages and leaping over parts of homes. Apeku summoned a little magic and his cloak turned to wings and he flew above the ruins to catch up to Alyssa.
    When Alyssa reached the castle gates she just stared. Still, she couldn't believe that her home looked like it did. She wanted to cry but would rather die before she let Apeku watch her cry. Apeku landed beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.
    "Alyssa I can't help but believe that you're hiding something from me." Apeku said and stood in front of her, gently raising he chin with a pale finger so her eyes could meet his. "Why the sudden sorrow? It's just an old castle." Alyssa shook her head and looked away.
    "It's hard to explain, you wouldn't understand anyway." She mumbled. Apeku bent over and looked up to see her hidden face.
    "Help me understand then. You know I hate to see you like this Alyssa." Apeku looked back at the castle, trying to make sense of the mysterious connection between this old kingdom and Alyssa. Alyssa suddenly tensed, sensing a foul dark energy nearby. Apeku sensed it too. "What is Damien doing here?" Apeku asked.
    "What anyone like me would be here for... to claim the land. The more land I have, the more land my army has to train and grow. You two pups can do nothing about it." BOOM! The whole castle began to shake violently. Damien was going to turn the whole place to dust. Alyssa stumbled backwards and fell back.
    "DON'T!" Alyssa screamed as the kingdom she missed so much began to crumble all over again.
    "Not a chance princess! You should have gotten here a heck of a lot sooner." Damien cried from above the castle. He was sitting on a cloud of black magic.
    "A princess?" Apeku stared at Alyssa. He never knew. Alyssa suddenly darted to an opening that led underground. Apeku quickly followed before he got smashed under a large chunk of the castle.
    In the darkness Apeku bumped into Alyssa by accident.
    "Apeku I'm sorry." Alyssa blurted. Apeku hugged her, she shook as she sobbed. Apeku hugged her tighter. "I should have told you a long time ago but I was afraid you wouldn't believe me."
    "I probably wouldn't but you could've told me." Apeku told her without letting her go. "How did this happen?" Alyssa calmed down enought to tell the story... what little about it she knew. "So...? How do we restore it?"
    "Mom used to tell me that there was a key that was always close at hand that was used in case of an emergency. For instance my kingdom being destroyed. She said that when the key was placed on the moonlit table, located in the core of the kingdom... then everything would be alright." She said. "I never understood it..." A bright light shown from the locket Alyssa always wore.
    "The key that's always close at hand!" Apeku thought out loud. It was the only thing he could think of.
    "Oh my God, you're right." Alyssa grabbed Apeku's hand and took off through the tunnel. They reached a large room with a small sliver of light that was just bright enough to light the room. There was nothing there but a passage way on the other side. "That has to lead to the core." Alyssa said and took off. Apeku followed but suddenly stopped. Alyssa turned around, curious. "What's wrong?"
    "This is something you need to do." He said. "I'll be waiting for you in here." Alyssa didn't understand. There wasn't any booby traps anywhere, so it was safe for him to follow her. Alyssa nodded and took off through the passage way, knowing something wasn't right at all. Apeku felt evil energy behind him. He spun around and was staring at the dark king himself, Damien.
    "Looks like your princess is gone." He chuckled. "It's a shame she used you like that." Apeku knew Alyssa wouldn't do him that way. "Don't you realize that when Alyssa claims the throne... she's going to leave you in the rain." Damien told him while unsheathing his sword. Damien was bored, and bloodshed always entertained him. Apeku unsheathed his sword too, maybe picking a fight will get him to calm down. "You disagree? It's so common, once someone is famous or enters a high-class society, those who helped get thrown out."
    "Shut-up!" Apeku gripped the handle of his sword till his knuckles turned white. Damien knew this was going to be an easy battle. A battle fought with out an unfocused mind leads to death, especially a battle fought with rage.
    "Are you sure you want to fight me? Because if I win, you know Alyssa will die. Then everything will turn to my favor." Damien snickered. Apeku was stuck, it was either fight and get killed, or don't fight and die anyway. Damien summoned a black ball of energy and threw it at Apeku. Apeku ducked and the ball hit the wall next to the passage way. The battle was on.
    Alyssa runs through the narrow passage as fast as her legs could manage to go. Knowing that Apeku was fighting Damien, the man who stops at nothing to get what he wants. She knew that once she placed the locket she always wore on the moonlit table up ahead, whatever she wanted the kingdom to be would be the kingdom that is created. Apeku was having difficulty keeping Damien out of the passage way. It was all he could do, with Damien so quick with his attacks, Apeku couldn't find an opening to strike back. Damien verbally degraded Apeku, filling his head with feelings of doubt and worthlessness.
    "Alyssa only asked you to come along so you could be her slave when she becomes Queen of this wretched mess she calls home." Damien said as their swords locked together.
    "You're wrong! Alyssa would never do that to me!" Apeku hissed as he pushed Damien back. Damien stumbled back a little then lunged forward quickly and all Apeku could feel was pain. Thud! Apeku found himself staring up at the hole that let in the light. The sky turned black as the rain began to pour, falling in through the whole and drenching Apeku's wounded body. Damien grinned as he took off through the passage to find Alyssa. He could sense her fear and knew he was getting closer the stronger it got. Damien darted into a large room and saw Alyssa standing beside the mooonlit table, where the clouds parted for the moon to shine only in that spot.
    "You lost Damien. This kingdom is mine! Once I put the locket on the table it will release holy energy and it will destroy you." Alyssa warned. Damien chuckled thinking it was only a bluff. All it would take was one good stab and he could win this battle.
    "You're a pathetic little girl. You think you can scare me?" Damien lunged for her. Alyssa slammed the locket down on the table and ducked. The table exploded in holy magic, nailing Damien head on. Alyssa looked up just in time to watch him dissolve in the light till there was nothing left. The magic flowed all around the room, changing it, rushed through the passage, fixing it, and gushed outside and rebuilt and covered the whole land with light. Apeku sat up, surprised, his wound healed, and just in time too. He stood up and backed up out of the rain as is slowly began to stop.
    "She did it." He smiled and looked down the passage way as he chose a wall to lean against and rest before Alyssa walked out.
    Alyssa stood beside the moonlit table, everything had happened so fast. Damien was destroyed and everything was bright and peaceful. She began to walk back out and saw Apeku leaning against the wall, watching her.
    "You look so cute like that." She said. Apeku blushed and chuckled slightly.
    "You ready to face your kingdom?" He smiled and offered his hand to her. Alyssa smiled and nodded as she took his hand. The two walked together out of the tunnel, leaving the horrors of the day and the whole past behind them. Ready to start the begining to a whole new adventure... the rest of their lives.