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The trees in the garden drooped with the weight of so much fruit, sagging with ripe jewels that glistened deep red, orange, yellow and purple. Fragrant plants with large purple and green leaves covered the base of each tree, and were speckled about the garden for decoration.  A beautiful smokey glass dome curbed the affects of the sun, and walls painted with brightly colored murals created a wind tunnel that kept this space well ventilated and relatively cool. The paths were made of blue, orange, and yellow stones that were organized to create a surprisingly lifelike body of a serpent. Small birds with bright  yellow and green feathers whistled and chirped, aloud to fly about freely and pluck at the abundant fruit. Large, pink, violet, and indigo birds with long, spindly legs, strolled over shallow narrow streams, lazily pecking the insects and frogs out of the water. Several even smaller, narrower streams, narrow enough to walk over, trickled over smooth stones, and would eventually flow into a very wide, very shallow river, a mile or so away.  

Aynira wandered in the garden, her sandals clapping with each step, hoping not to run into her fourth eldest sister, Nayima, who spent a lot of time alone in the garden and grew cross whenever she was disrupted. Nayima would surely tell their mother if she saw Aynira in the garden instead of with her tutor. Aynira was done with trouble, in fact, she was about to turn around and go back inside right now.

"This way," said a familiar voice.

She froze. The colorful balls of lights danced around her for a moment, touching her with a frigid light, then suddenly flew away, deeper into the garden. Aynira kicked off her sandals and ran after them as fast as she could. 

"Where are we going?" she asked as they turned away from the path and through a patch of purple leaves that were larger than Aynira's entire body. 

They were silent as they continued to guide her through the garden, down the slopes, over the streams, around a large, and very old tree. The lights cut to the right suddenly. Aynira attempted to follow, but slid a bit, smashing her body into a thorn bush and cutting her skin and clothes. She pushed herself off of it angrily and ran full speed until she'd caught back up with the lights

"Slow down!" she yelled, now frustrated.

"There's no time!" the lights responded.

This time, they flew directly through a thorn bush, and Aynira dropped to the ground and slid through a small opening underneath, wincing in pain as the thorns ripped ripped through her flesh. She made it through the bush, but soon found herself sliding, then somersaulting down a staircase against her will. She clutched at the air, trying to find some way to stop her vulnerable body from pounding against the hard, pointed surface until finally falling several feet and slapping the hard ground with her back. The wind was knocked out of her chest, and she felt as if all the oxygen was being sucked out of her lungs. 

The sound of her impact was still echoing around the room. She laid there, curled up, gasping for breath that she couldn't get, fighting for air, listening to every pathetic sound she made repeat itself back to her, taunting her. 

She slapped the ground in frustration, causing a weak Plack! sound to echo around the room.

When she was finally able to stand, she looked around for the balls of light that had guided her here. They were gone. She was alone  surrounded by cracked concrete and the persistent weeds and vines that grew through it and over it. The only light that came in were thin rays from above the stair case and behind the bush. The staircase ended about ten feet above the ground, too high for her to reach. She couldn't get out that way. She chose to walk the concrete tunnel,  which was dark, seemingly endless and quiet. Usually the garden was full of life, the sound of birds chirping, insects buzzing, frogs croaking … she wasn't even sure she was still in the garden. Or if she knew the way back even if she did somehow climb the stair case and crawl back under the bush.

The air was thick and moist, and only became thicker and more moist the farther she walked.

"This way Aynira..." whispered an echoing voice, from darkness.

"Who's there?" Aynira asked.

"It's us." the lights said, coming out of the walls. "Come quick Aynira, please. There's no time."

"Why did you leave me?" she hissed as she worked her way into a light trot.

There was no answer except her own voice echoing back at her and the sound of her barefeet against the pavement.

"Who are you? Why should I follow you?"

There was silence.

"I said, who are you and why should I follow you!" she repeated, louder this time.

The air became heavy and unwelcoming.

"The child, the ruler, the thief, the healer, the wife, the husband, the spiritual leader."

She paused, immediately recognizing the phrase.

"Don't Stop!"

Aynira heard a blood curdling shriek behind her, and ran. Glowing gray figures, the shapes of human limbs, began to grow out of the cracks in the concrete as she passed. She leapt as a hand clawed at her feet.

"Left!" said the lights.

She went left, running blind in the blackness, full speed. Her knee knocked against something sharp and she hollered in pain.  The wailing persisted, and was getting closer.

"You're almost there" the light said.

The wailing was close, not a full six feet away.

Two double doors swung open in front of her, letting a blinding light in, and she gladly went through and slammed the doors behind her. The noise ceased entirely.

Aynira backed away from the door, hands shaking, adrenaline still pumping through her veins. Her feet were treading through soft soil now. A soft breeze caused the grass to sway, brushing gently against her knees. The building way gray and ugly with vines growing up and down the whole of it. Everywhere she looked she could see grass, trees, something rusted and partially eroded, but nothing familiar. In the distance, she could hear the river. 

She had gotten pretty far away from home, much farther than she was permitted to go without Ohaike. If she didn't get back to Mother Hougui immediately her mother would be furious. The princess gulped. Ohaike had probably already noticed she was gone, it was too late for her.

A firm hand gripped hers and pulled her gently.

"You're safe now. Come," said a woman made entirely of green light, "We're still not there yet."

The green light was dressed in the ancient garb of a common woman and emanated a glow that was cool to the touch. The other light's came in all ages, sizes, genders, and classes and they all stood, welcoming Aynira to this space where dandelions grew freely and the birds were round and average in every way. All stood except he orange light, which was sitting in the grass, with his arms around his knees.

She allowed the green woman to guide her by the hand to an old Cyprus tree.

"Now you're here." said the woman.

Aynira glowered at the sight of the underwhelming tree. It wasn't large, it wasn't pretty, or even ugly. It was just a plain tree.

"Did you all bring me here and put me through that just so I could see a tree?" she asked, slightly cross.

"No," said the blue light, a fat old mad wearing a jumpsuit. "If you can find it, it's yours. Hurry before it dies."

Aynira didn't know what she was looking for, and at this point she didn't care. She just knew she wanted to make this trip worthwhile, she was not going home empty handed after this.

Aynira examined the tree. It's branches were heavy with gray, stringy moss, and dying because of it. There was an opening at the base of the trunk that she could just barely see because of the tall grass. She moved the grass  to see a pile of large, head-sized rocks inside the hollow tree. The princess instantly moved each rock out of the way until she touched something, hard and lumpy as a rock, but round and somehow brimming with life. Except, it was cold, much too cold. She took it and stuffed it under her shirt to give it her warmth.

"Congratulations" they whispered, and disappeared.