2 CHAPTER 2 - New World

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In a different world.

A magical and mystical world.

A fantastical majestic world that is known as Mirroreia.

There are two large continents, separated from each other but still united from the cross-bridge - called the Sierrean Cross - that connected the four different nations in the middle of the sea, which is called the Miriam Sea.

On the left side continent, there are the northern 'Northia' and western 'Westria' nations divided with one border...while on the right side continent, its the same with the eastern 'Eastrea' and southern 'Southirea' nations, one border dividing them.

The ocean that surrounds the two continents is known as the Vaskrian Ocean.

The south and east nations are comprised of wildlife grassy plains, exotic forest greenery, and jungle regions. The west nation is that of vast deserts and sandy regions. And the Northern nation is that of snowy and ice-cold mountainous regions.

In the south nation, the people are that of an eastern-Asian kind. In the east lived people of the native and wild Indian kind. In the west lived people of the African and Arabian kind. And finally in the northern nation, there lived people of the medieval-European and western-American kind.

In the east nation, deep within the vast forests and jungles and hidden from the humans, there also lived magical creatures and beings like elves, dwarves, centaurs, beast-people and the like.

There are also magical creatures and beings living in the northern nation, but those magical kinds live in peace and harmony with the humans of the northern and western nations, and they were kept safe and hidden from the other nations.

Though to delve in and explore more of this fantastic mythical and magical world, this journey has to start with an event that is now happening.

An event that might change the world of Mirroreia forever.

And so, the story begins...in this new world.

*****

As the full moon glows brightly in the night.

Right above the lone silent medieval castle on the snowy-cold mountains at the very heart and center of Crystal Capital of Northia nation.

A magical swirling bright light appears and shines brightly from the starry skies, right next to the full moon.

Then...7 small glowing balls of light came out from the mystical light and it went falling in a straight line down and towards the grand palace.

The swirling light disappears as the 7 lights fall onto Northia, swiftly going through like a misty trail. They swiftly zoomed and flitted around, almost like a trail of flying fireflies, until they finally reached the castle.

They swirled around and flitted about as if searching for something or someone.

Then they stopped still as if they suddenly sensed something.

Then they went in a fast blur towards a room where inside 7 people are lying asleep each on their beds.

Slowly and one-by-one, the 7 balls of glowing light inserted themselves into the slightly open mouths of the 7 people.

Then as the lights faded away inside their bodies, all that was left was the 7 people sleeping peacefully with soft breathing.

It took for a few minutes for some kind of invisible hand nudging them awake as if coaxing them back into the land of the living.

The first person to wake up is Sage and she groaned and put a hand to her aching head, as she looked around the surroundings of the unfamiliar room she's in.

She was very confused and puzzled about not knowing where she is and how she's even alive from the accident before while inspecting herself - but that was when she remembered her friends.

She quickly turned and sighed with relief on seeing them safe and look well as they also wake up from their beds and look around the unfamiliar place they're in too.

"Are you guys okay?" Sage asked as she gets off the bed and went over to them so that she would inspect and check on her friends one-by-one fussily.

Rose groaned as she brushed off her concern. "I'm fine...though my whole body's aching...but I'm fine."

"Huh...weird..." Dahlia said as she patted her hands all around her body, looking over herself. "I don't seem to look - or feel - any different and yet...why do I feel like that I do?"

Violet paused at the words she heard from her and examine herself and her friends more closely as if noticing that something's amiss, instantly in her Detective mode.

Even though she can see that they're still in the clothes they were wearing before and even from the accident, Violet knew that there's something strange about all of this.

The others didn't notice but Sage did when she saw Violet contemplating them like that.

"Violet? What's wrong?" Sage finally asked when she didn't say anything and kept on staring at them like that, which slightly unnerved her.

She blinked as if surprised at being caught on what she was doing and blushed slightly with embarrassment before she said. "Don't you feel strange or anything? Dahlia mentioned something that seemed to be out of place."

The others blinked and looked at each other and then themselves and that was when they figured it out on what Violet's pointing out about.

"You're right," Sage said with her eyes narrowed a bit with suspicion as she scrutinized closer. "We're still wearing the same clothes we've been wearing before and...we don't look or appear to have any injuries on ourselves from the accident we were in."

"Okay...this is getting a little creepy," Rose said in a disturbed tone as if she finally noticed something weird on her own body that's making a heavy feeling in her gut.

Jasmine of course, as a doctor, couldn't help herself from taking a check-up on herself and the others more closely when this was said.

But before she could, Violet smelled something with her special sharp senses that immediately alarmed her. "Guys! Do you smell that?!" she said suddenly.

They were confused at her outburst before Dahlia noticed it too.

"It smells like...almonds?" she commented with a blink.

Iris gasped, her eyes widening in horrified realization. "Poisonous cyanide gas!"

"Ahh crap!" Rose cursed. "Get down!"

"Forget that! We need to get out! Now!" Jasmine exclaimed.

"My thoughts exactly!" Sage cried as she instantly took the lead and run like the hell-hounds were behind her.

The 7 girls quickly ran to get out of the room they're in with the deadly gas but they found that they couldn't when Sage slammed against the main doors and tried to open them.

"Damn it! The doors locked!" she cursed, banging her fists against the wood.

"The windows!" Lily gasped with a hand covering her nose and mouth to prevent herself from breathing the poison and pointed out towards the closed windows on the side.

Rose grabbed one of the tall lamp-stands and used it as a club to break through the windows with a powerful swing and they shattered to pieces by her great strength. Even though Rose felt something different from herself when she made that swing, she ignored it on account that she and her friends needed to get out.

One-by-one, they quickly climbed out through the windows and went off in a dash to keep a far distance from the gas-poisoned room and into a place where it was safe and breathable for them.

They finally stopped running upon sensing that it's safe as they are now in an empty clearing with some flower bushes and a small water pond, and then they all collapsed down, sitting and lying on the grassy ground to take a breather.

"Whoa...I never felt that tired ever since I almost exhausted myself to death from my back-packing travels." Lily said, panting heavily.

"You're telling me!" Dahlia said between gasps, lying on her back. "It's like back when I was practicing my magic 'escape-artist' stunts - the one on the locked tank filled with water and the piranha-cage thing."

Iris blinked upon recognizing what she's talking about and looked at her in shock. "You mean like from the movie? Are you crazy!?"

"What? It looked cool!" Dahlia protested defending herself. "I thought it would be great on making me more famous if I did the real thing!"

Rose muttered frowning. "And it figures that you'd also be a death-defying thrill-seeker."

Sage chuckled a little and then sighed. "Well, at least we're out of there..."

"Still, who would do such a horrible thing?!" Jasmine exclaimed angrily. "It was worse than what we went through from our near-death drowning - that someone would have the gall to put us in a room filled with deadly gas!"

Sage frowned at this, her lips pursing a bit. "We'll have to look into it later, right now we just need to find a safe place for all of us to hole-up and think and...and..."

The others noticed that Sage trailed off and she sounded as if she witnessed something and was stunned silent from it. They turned to look at her and saw that she's staring with shock and wonder from behind them.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Guys...look at where we are!"

They blinked confused and all turned to what she's looking at and they also became stunned shocked at the very sight of the scenery before them.

The extraordinary view that is on their sights...was the silver medieval castle and its vast garden splendor that stretched on beyond their reach of what they can see. There's also not to mention the magical and mystical sights they have observed surrounding the place, all on the structures and the landscapes.

They saw what seemed to be trailing wisps of magic flowing through and around on the land and blinking lights coming from fireflies or fairies flitting about.

Despite that it was night-time and it's dark, the beautiful astonishing scene they're all looking at was enough to render them mute for good if it was ever possible.

They all kept staring at this astounding and incredible view of the mystical and magical-like landscape and palace before them.

"Ohh, guys...I think we're not in Kansas anymore!" Dahlia joked while still dumbstruck stunned.

Her words were enough to quickly get Rose and Sage snap out of their stupor.

"Guys - we need to get to a place somewhere right now. We're in a vulnerable position out here." Rose said seriously.

Sage nodded with her. "Let's focus on getting ourselves safe first and assess the situation later."

The others finally snapped out of it and they all had their breaths back as they stood and moved to find a secluded place for them.

It was only a short trek for them, but it was puzzling that they were easily tired out from walking.

Violet spotted a place that looked safe and secure and she points it out. They follow her direction and went to it, which is another room like before only this is more luxurious like it's for the rich and noble-society people.

They all went inside and Sage locked the door behind them, just in case. Rose and Violet moved first to check around inside, making sure that there was nobody or anything else there.

The two returned and reported that it's all clear and secure, making the others instantly feel relieved and relaxed visibly.

Sage looked around, inspecting the room's surroundings. "This looked to be some kind of dressing-room of sorts." She said when she noticed one or two objects that show that.

"I'll see if there's a first-aid kit or something," Jasmine said. "I have to treat your cuts and wounds when we were climbing out of that window back then from the room."

They didn't notice that they had injuries until Jasmine pointed it out and the adrenaline they had from earlier seemed to have faded instantly and they can feel the dull and slight pain they had from their hurts.

"Guys, go with them...yes, you go as well Rose," Sage ordered, still taking the lead for them. "You and Violet check out if there's anything useful or any information you can find about where we are and figure out how we got here."

Even though the room they're in doesn't look like much but a normal dressing-room like she said before...Sage thinks that it's no surprise that one or two people would use such a conspicuous room such as this one to hide some secrets they don't want others to see.

She had her fair share of seeing such things while working as an elite government advisor.

The others left and only Sage stayed behind to look around more. Sage looked around the room to familiarize herself and study for a few minutes - and that was when she suddenly heard screams and yells from her friends.

"Guys?!" she exclaimed and ran to where the others are. "What happened!? What's wrong?"

Sage found them and just saw them staring shocked and horrified at something. She looked around and see that it was nothing and it confused her.

She approached Rose and asked her. "What is it? Why did you guys scream? And - guys, will you stop and calm down and just tell me what's going on?!"

Dahlia, Lily, and Jasmine looked to be freaking out and were yelling or screaming like they've become crazy as they didn't hear Sage.

Rose seemed to understand why they're like this as she answered her. "You won't believe what we just saw...we don't look like the way we are before! We look different!"

Sage blinked registering what she just said and became completely confused.

"What are you talking about? We still look the same."

Dahlia stopped yelling like a mad-woman and turned to look at her as if she's an idiot. "Have you looked in a mirror?" she said in a sarcastic tone.

She blinked more puzzled at her words but then Rose grabbed Sage by the arm and turned her swiftly to look at the tall large oval-shaped mirror that was standing by their side.

Sage's eyes widened in surprise and shock upon seeing her reflection.

Instead of seeing her face and body that was all American-foreign kind before...she sees a little black-haired Asian 11-year-old girl right before her very eyes. Though her eyes still had the same color as her former looks...Sage was stunned on seeing that she looked completely different.

"What...the...HELL!?"

Exactly the thoughts that ran into every one of the 7 girls.

For it wasn't just Sage. The others also looked different when they looked into the mirror. All of them have long black hair and Asian-looks and features. However, their eyes still had the same colors they had before from their former ones. And also...all of them are children, little girls ranging in the toddler ages.

"Please tell me this is all a dream..." Iris said in dumbstruck fascination as she moved her hand up, seeing the 9-year-old girl doing the same in the mirror.

"This can't be happening...this is not possible!" Jasmine cried unbelievably as she stared at the 6-year-old girl staring back at her.

"I can think up and deduce so many theories and possibilities...but so far, I've got nothing." Violet murmured aloud, staring wide-eyed at the body of a 7-year-old little kid.

"I know that I'm the youngest...but I didn't want to look like it literally!" Lily cried as she stared at her small body in the mirror which is a little 5-year-old girl.

"This is beyond freaky... on so many levels!" Dahlia exclaimed, patting her hands all over and staring at the mirror as the 8-year-old girl did the same as she's doing now.

"Well, gee - you think?" Rose said, who was the only one with a calm reaction, despite that she did give out a surprised yell upon looking at her different 10-year-old self in the mirror.

She turned to snap Sage out of it as she said. "This would explain everything on why we felt different and how we easily got tired from our running and walking. We're somehow kids again."

Sage didn't say anything as she was rendered speechless on looking at her different self in the mirror.

But the other girls kept on yelling and screaming, making Sage and Iris flinch at the loud noises.

"Seriously!? Guys! Will you stop screaming already?!" Rose snapped, instantly annoyed.

"Well, we have every right to scream." Jasmine snapped back at her.

"Yeah! I mean - how are you not freaking out at the fact that we're in different bodies!" Dahlia exclaimed incredulously. "And not to mention that we're kids again!"

"It's so weird that we can see our real faces when we look at each other, but in the mirror..." Lily said, looking at the others and the mirror back and forth.

"...We see that we all wholly look different!" Violet finished Lily's sentence.

Sage became calm and serious again. "Different or not - let's just all calm down and cool it and think clearly. There won't be any answers or explanations for us if we start acting like all crazy."

Iris and Rose nodded with agreement, Jasmine slowly calms down and Dahlia and Lily still looked freaked out over this.

Sage took a deep breath and did a quick assessment of the situation right now so that things wouldn't break out into chaos any further. But before she could say a word of her first thoughts in her head, she suddenly heard a familiar sound of a door unlocking itself and her eyes widened in realization upon where it was coming from.

Violet noticed this as well and looked instantly worried. "Sage...are you sure you locked the door?"

Upon hearing the doorknob turning, the 7 girls all reacted into action as if there's an intruder or monster coming in and they grab various objects to defend themselves, even though they're now in new forms of little children.

Sage, Iris, Rose, and Dahlia had sharp and blunt weapons at the ready to fight. While Jasmine, Violet, and Lily had shields ready to defend themselves.

The door opened and a woman stranger came in, looking around as if searching for someone, but then her eyes brightened upon catching sight of them, and she's a bit surprised on seeing them baring weapons and shields of the like from this room.

She bowed her head and curtsied to them as if they're the masters and said. "Little misses, I'm so glad to see that you're all here and safe and sound. You had your father worried and he had the knights and servants looking all over the palace for you!"

The 7 girls blinked as if they were not expecting this and slowly they lowered the objects they were going to use as a defense.

They stared at the woman strangely because she was speaking in a foreign language that somehow they could understand, and that she looked and dressed to be some kind of servant.

"Who are you?" Sage asked calmly and took the risk of asking the stranger, and she didn't notice that she spoke the same foreign language just like her.

The woman who came in wasn't offended at the kind of tone she used as she bowed again. "Begging your pardon, little miss. I am one of the newly-hired servants working here to be one of your caretakers. It is an honor to be at your service, little miladies."

"Uhh...what did she just call us?!" Dahlia exclaimed incredulously, pointing at the unfamiliar stranger as she understood what she's saying as well.

Iris whispered to her. "I think from what I can understand...she's calling us in the terms of 'mistress' or 'my lady'."

Rose looked at her confused. "How do you know?"

"She's treating us as if we're some rich nobility or something."

"Guys, I don't think...that she can understand us," Violet said as she noticed that the person looked confused when they were speaking.

She was right, the woman looked at them as if she couldn't understand what they were saying. There was another thing that they noticed and it was when Sage spoke to her and realized that she used the same language the woman was speaking.

It made sense to Iris as she deduced it quickly and faster than Violet's, thanks to her own 'genius' mind. "Of course! We have our language that only the 7 of us can understand, but somehow we can communicate and understand their foreign language too!" she said in conclusion.

The servant blinked more confused, looking at them as they talk. "Misses, why are you speaking in such strange language?"

"How can you tell?" Rose asked Iris.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Violet pointed it out calmly, knowing where Iris is going with this. "When we communicate to her, it's her language - but when we speak to each other, it's our English language."

The servant was even more distressed on why the little girls were speaking in such strange language that she turned to Sage who spoke to her the same and asked her. "Little Miss Lady, what are your sisters talking about?"

Sage calmly decided to go with the flow, as she always does, played along and replied. "Don't worry, it's nothing. My sisters and I invented this new language so that we can talk to one another in secret. We only learned it recently and were just practicing."

The servant still wanted to ask more but she knew her place and nodded with a bow to her. The servant figured that they're just playing just as the children they are and then suddenly remembered her duty.

"Oh by the Trinity Goddesses! Your father's still searching for you!" The servant woman exclaimed and ushered them in gestures. "Quick, follow me - I must bring you all to him so that he'll see that you're all fine."

Sage didn't want to go as well as let her friends go, but it seems that they have to, seeing the urgency on the servant.

She nodded and told the others that they're going with her, and despite some protests they trusted Sage and went along with her, following behind the servant woman leading them.

It didn't take long for them to get tired again so easily as the servant lead them straight on what appeared to be the royal chambers of the grand castle. And the 7 girls were in awe and wonder about looking around them at the incredible and astounding design and structure of the medieval palace.

Then they stopped when the servant woman stopped as well in front of big golden doors and the servant knocked loud on them.

A weak but strong and firm foreign voice sounded from the doors. "Come in!"

The two guards that were there on duty opened the doors for the servant and 7 girls and they bowed upon seeing the children.

"Little princesses...your father is waiting inside for all of you." One of the guards said in foreign as they stand straight again from their bowing.

The 7 girls exchanged surprised and uncertain looks but Sage took the lead and nodded and they all went inside, leaving the servant and two guards behind.

Once they were in, the two guards shut the doors and they stayed outside to stand guard.

They didn't know why they were called 'princesses' from the guards...it became more of a big shock for them than the other shocks they went through before, when they found the answer to the question they had when they see who their 'father' really is.

Their father is the King of the unknown magical mystical land they're in.

Though the man who is their 'father' is lying down on his grand large double bed, looking sickly and tired. They can tell that he's the King because of the royal golden crown they saw placed and encased in a glass stand by his bedside.

So it stands to reason why they were called princesses. The 7 modern women were somehow in the new bodies of little royal children, daughters of the monarch King.

Sage took the first approach into coming close to the elderly man on the bed, as well as Jasmine who went beside her for the doctor in her won out upon seeing his ill condition.

The two girls came to his side on the bed closely with the other 5 standing behind and watching them silently. Then the old man slowly turned his head and opened his weary eyes and smiled warmly upon seeing the girls. He wasn't aware that Jasmine started checking him out in her doctor mode.

"My precious treasures...where have you been? You made me worried when one of my knights reported to me that you were all missing," he said softly with love in his gaze.

"We're fine, father," Sage said, feeling weird on saying this but she knew she had to play along. "We got a little lost here in the castle and didn't know that it was so late at night and it's our bedtime already. We're sorry for worrying you."

Fortunately, the royal elder didn't notice something amiss as he nodded weakly and then pointed towards another set of doors that's right next to his bed.

"Well, since I see now that you're all safe and well, you can go on to bed my little flowers. We'll talk more in the morning alright, my dear princess Sage?" the old father said.

She nodded, happy to hear at least that she still got her name in this new life of sorts.

"Okay, father...good night."

The King nodded dimly and went to sleep fast, his breathing soft and deep as if whatever illness he had really tired him out and put him to slumber quickly.

Sage and the other girls exchanged looks before they went through the doors the old king directed and entered another royal bedroom which is grander and luxurious than the King's room.

They figured that the King loved his daughters so much that he connected their bedrooms so that they won't be far apart.

They decided to rest for the night as the exhaustion of what they've gone through has finally tired them out and they went to each of their 7 beds that are in the room.

But just as they went into their beds and under their blankets, the 6 girls turned to Sage as if expecting on what her thoughts and ideas are.

Sage just sighed and said. "Let's all sleep guys and assess and plan on our situation tomorrow. It's late and I guess it's better if we all sleep it off so that we'll be more alert and active."

They looked as if they wanted to talk this out now but agreed that Sage has a point, and so one-by-one the girls lay down and closed their eyes, letting slumber take over them as they all fall asleep.

The only ones left awake were just Rose and Sage as they watched them and then they looked at each other with silent knowing gazes.

"So...what now?" Rose asked softly.

"Now...we learn, adapt, and grow. That's what we're going to do." Sage said.

"Living our childhoods all over again, in new bodies and as royal princesses...story of our lives!" Rose said with a sigh.

*****