The truth

Can people who aren't blood be a family and if people are blood does that necessarily make them a family?

Those questions had been swimming inside Jewel's head for years whenever she thought about her parents.

She wondered who they are.

She wondered how they live knowing she wasn't with them.

She wondered if she'd ever meet them.

Those questions were back to haunt her now as she headed down for breakfast.

When she got the banquet hall the girls weren't there so she picked up an apple and went to their room.

The girls were talking about the stuffs they miss about Earth when jewel came in.

"Knock knock" she offered a weak smile.

"Hi jewel" they chorused except from Hailey.

I think something is wrong with her.

She's been in a foul mood since yesterday. She made a mental note to herself to ask what was wrong.

"I wanna tell you guys something"

"Sure go ahead" they all sat around her and she sat on the edge of a bed.

She recounted all her dreams from when she was on Earth up to the one she had yesterday.

"Wow that's really a lot" D.F said when she was done.

"Yeah but I think it's all related like the dreams are giving me clues for something if I can just find out what"

"I know how you can find out" Cally said almost screaming it out of excitement they all shushed her and she said "oops sorry but I do know how you can find out"

"How?"

"So I've been reading on lucemians culture and history and I learnt that there's a stone buried somewhere in the ruins of the last war if it can somehow be found it will grant the Finder any request he wishes" she was really happy about this.

"What if this is just some urban legend?" Jewel ask skeptically.

"The lucemians are advanced species do you think they'd record something that they weren't sure is true" Cally retorted.

"Well it wouldn't hurt to try" rebby said softly.

Jewel thought about it for a minute before answering "I guess we're going on a road trip today"

Cally squealed in excitement.

"pack your bags we leave in an hour"

+++++++++++++

Jewel's POV,

The girls including mokini were already waiting for me outside in their matching colorful jumpsuits and backpacks.

I was also wearing my black jumpsuit and black backpack.

And we seemed ready to go.

"Okay let's go" I said taking the lead as always.

"What do you mean let's go" Cally said crossing her arms.

"I mean let's go to the ruins" I said irritated. Why aren't they moving they were the ones who suggested we go there.

"What you expect us to walk there" Cally asked again "the ruins are on the other side of lucem we need a vehicle"

Shoot, I hadn't thought of that.

"Did somebody say vehicle?" Zack said driving in on a Jeep .

"Woah zack where did you find a Jeep" Hailey finally said something. I was starting to get worried about her.

"Oh I love collecting Earth vehicles but Sally here is my favorite" he beamed proudly.

"You named your car Sally" D.F said trying to suppress a laugh.

Before he could reply I interjected "not important hey Zack can we borrow Sally for the day? I promise to bring her back in one piece"

"No way I'm coming with you I have to keep an eye on Cally and sally” he said before smiling “I didn’t even realize those names rhyme”

"Nope never mind we'll just walk there"

"What do you mean we'll walk there" rebby said "I'm not trekking all the way to the other side of this freaking planet"

"Fine then don't come" I said and started walking.

"Jewel you're not gonna trek all the way to the other side of the planet on your own" Cally yelled after me.

"Watch me" I retorted

"Why don't you want him to come with us" D.F asked as she ran to catch up to me.

"Because it's our secret okay? I'm only trusting you guys with this and nobody else"

"Okay then I guess I'm trekking with you then"

I smiled at this.

Just the the Jeep pulled up slowly next to us "Zack I told you already..."

I looked up but Zack wasn't in the car it was Cally driving.

"I convinced Zack not to go with us so just get in" she said.

I smirked and climbed into the front seat while D.F sat at the back.

I looked back and saw that Zack was still looking at us.

He really likes this car so I'll try to bring it back in one piece.

"Okay Zack said he installed a turbo function so we can get their in half the time"

She pushed a red button and the car zoomed off in twice the speed a car should move.

"Woah now that's cool" Cally said.

Rebby was getting a little motion sick and I really hoped she wouldn't throw up before we get there while Hailey still remained silent.

D.F was obviously preoccupied by something on her flash watch she seemed to be paying no attention to us.

Cally was searching for a good channel on the radio when she tuned in to a channel playing Hailey's favorite song 'lean on me'

We all glanced at her and she smiled as she sang along to the lyrics of the song.

And I was glad she was acting a little normal and soon we all joined her in singing

So just call on me brother if you need a hand

We all need somebody to lean on

Lean on me when you're not strong

I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on...

----------------

By the time we reached the ruins D.F and rebby were fast asleep.

"Okay we're here" Cally announced "I don't even know how those two fell asleep because we were only on the road for about an hour"

"Easy for you to say turbo" rebby said groggily.

"Okay let's just go" I said.

The ruin is actually very creepy.

It looked just like the town we are staying in lucem it even has its own castle tower right in the middle. Only difference, this place is deserted. Some of the buildings have parts taken off, There's still some dried blood on some buildings and the castle tower was painted black and had a flag of tenebras on it.

I can vividly picture the war which went down here and it sure isn't pretty.

"Cally where'd you say the stone is

Hidden" Hailey asked.

There was something about the way she had been looking at this place as if she recognized it.

And I know I'm not mistaken because I know Hailey very well.

"According to the history books the stone should be hidden in a temple around here" she was looking through her flash watch.

"But there's no temple back in the town and this place seems like the exact replica" D.F added "but with a dash of creepy”

"Maybe they didn't move everything when they relocated the town" rebby said.

"Let's look around" I said quietly.

We all started towards the center of the ruins where the castle tower was located.

The ruins were giving me a very bad vibe. It seemed like the last populace left in a hurry. There were clothes scattered around, children's toys left on the ground, house curtains blowing in the airy wind and that just added to the haunted feeling in the air.

"Okay if I'm reading this ancient map correctly their should be a temple right here" Cally said, but their was no temple their just an old tea shop.

"Well there's no temple here" rebby said stating the obvious.

"Or is there" D.F said implying something that no one got.

"No there isn't. I just said that" rebby said throwing her hands up.

D.F rolled her deep blue eyes before answering "look you guys the tea shop" she was pointing at the dusty old sign in front of the shop which had faded with time.

"Well what am I looking at?" rebby asked.

"I see it now" under the coat of dust and age on the rusty old sign there was a writing in black paint which had partially faded with time.

I walked up to the sign and was about to wipe it when D.F shouted "STOP!"

I stopped in my tracks and snapped my head in her direction "what?!"

"Here" she handed me one of the many handkerchiefs she carries around and I rolled my eyes.

D.F can be a little extra sometimes when it comes to germs which is weird cause she loves animals and the outdoors.

I took the handkerchief from her and used it to wipe the sign and beneath the age old dust was the inscription 'the temple tea shop'

"That's the temple?" Cally said in a questioning tone.

"Seems like it" I answered "let's check inside"

We all walked cautiously into the old building and the floorboards creaked under our weight.

"It's dark in here" Hailey stated.

And Cally opened her backpack to reveal five flashlights.

"Really?" D.F asked.

"We must always be prepared" she handed us each a flashlight and when the room was finally illuminated I could make out tables and chairs which probably once housed customers.

"Look around the stone should be around here somewhere" Cally said quietly as if careful not to offend some ancient tea spirit.

I was checking the back room when I came across a book shelf. If movies have thought me anything it's that when you are looking for something it's always in a secret room behind a book shelf.

The books where tatered and covered in dust but I knew one of them had to open the door.

And that was when I saw it. A book called history of magical stones, I pulled it out and just as I had thought a secret passage opened leading to an underground chamber.

"Guys I've got something"

The girls came in and all said there oohs and aahs before we decended into the dark passage.

A cold breeze blew which caused a shiver to run down my spine.

"maybe we shouldn't go down there" Hailey said quietly

"Why? Are you scared or something? " Cally asked with a smirk.

"It's not that, I just have a bad feeling about this place and my instincts are never wrong"

"Oh calm down hailey it's fine" I said.

I tried to convince myself that she was just paranoid but I suddenly couldn't get rid of the uncomfortable tightness in my throat.

At the bottom of the stairs waited a breathtaking sight.

It hard to believe that beneath these ugly ruins is a place so beautiful.

The walls were lined with gold and when we stepped down from the stairs the torches on the walls lit themselves further adding to the already beautiful walls showing off the diamonds pressed into the gold.

Whatever uncomfortable feeling I felt before was gone now and was replaced by a feeling of awe for the beautiful sight.

At the end of the passage waited a beautiful silver door and I'm guessing that's where we'll find the stone.

It seemed too easy.

As I took a step forward I heard a click sound and that was when I realized that I'd stepped on a booby trap.

"Stop!" And the girls promptly obeyed "this placed is rigged with booby traps and it seems I just stepped in one"

"Oh no what do we do now?" D.F asked.

"Only thing we can do ...RUN!!!"

The girls and I started running for the silver door as darts, flames and axes whizzed past us.

When we reached the other side I was surprised that everyone was still in one piece.

"Never do that again" Rebby said still struggling to catch her breath.

"Yeah yeah let's just find the stone and leave okay?"

"Yeah whatever" she answered.

This door was all that stood in the way of me and finding answers that I'd been for searching for for years.

But I shouldn't have thought it would be easy.