Chapter 2.

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"What? That's too much risk to take Yulan. I won't support you, your mother will punish you severely when she finds out about this" Sakura said facing the other direction. I was not afraid why was she?

"No, she won't. I will be back before time" I promised. Of course, I was going to come back on time, mother will not forgive me if she knows that I went up there without her permission. But what was I going to do? It wasn't my fault. They won't allow me to go out.

"Are you sure?" She turned to look if I was not making funny faces behind her.

"Yes, I am" I reassured her. Sakura was worried about me and the punishment I might face if I am caught but that wasn't the case with me. I was worried about her and I prayed we get through this.

"Okay, let's go quickly before the storm stops. I'm sure the Queen won't notice you disappeared."

"She won't because I piled up my bed with many pillows and clothes making it seem like I am asleep," I said. Queen Ying had people checking on me every time and if I don't do that she might suspect that I was missing.

"Smart moves girl," she said as we clapped hands in the air "let's go then, are we going to inform Umeko?"

"No, I will see her later for now let's focus on getting me out of the Sea," I told her. Getting Umeko involved would be a big mess. She feared a lot and we might get caught because of her.

"Sure my princess" she gave me a wink. Funny girl! I thought. We swam from Sakura's house to the Sea gate, it took us about forty- five minutes to get. The sea creatures were out of sight. If not for the mother's doing, the sea would have been calm.

We were exhausted when we got to the gate but I was not going to give up now, that I was close to my dream of seeing the dry land again.

The gate was guarded by seven dangerous and powerful creatures. None were mermaids. The jellyfish man was the wicked amongst all. I remember the last time, he was the one who reported me to my mother and I hated him for this. (No kid likes anyone that keeps reporting to his or her parents,).

The gate was made up of giant Irons. They were very strong and hard to bend. No one could break through without Mother's help because only she had the magic password to let it open.

When I was sixteen, she taught me how to open the gate using my magic. Since then, I became the defaulter of the rules made by the Queen. Whenever she says "don't open the gate, Yulan. I would open it, I just hated this sea. The earth was my world and not these waters.

"What are we going to do?" Sakura whispered to me when we got closer. I looked around for a place to hide and I saw a huge rock- a perfect spot.

"Let's go and hide there Sakura" I suggested. She didn't object.

We swam to the rock and hid there. I thought of what to do to distract these guards but my head was blank. I looked at Sakura, she was shaking to the earth. Fear gripped me and I felt like using magic.

Of course, I did. With my left hand, I made a V and C sign, saying the magic words slowly in my mind. It must be perfect or we might end up in trouble. A thin air blew and stopped. Sakura looked at me with a frown on her face. I was the one with magic and I was a disappointment.

"If you can't do it. Let's look for an alternative before is too late, Yulan" she said, with no hope at all. Sakura didn't believe in my magic because I was still young and practicing. Today, I have to show her that a student can also do it.

"Let me try again" I refused defeat. Closing my eyes, I said the words slowly and the thin air blew again and this time, the guards were distracted. "You see Sakura. I told you, I can do it. Try and believe in me next time".

"Stop bragging over a lost victory, Princess. The guards are coming our way" she said, looking in the direction of the gate. We were doomed. If we get caught, my mother was going to kill my friend and me? My punishment was yet to be stated. But, there was no doubt that it was going to be painful.

Wait! What did I just do? Two of the guards were swimming towards the rock. I only made matters worst for us. "Let's run Sakura," I said to her. She didn't move, rather she tried to cover my lips with her palm. Was I talking too much?

"We will be caught. You better use that magic of yours to save our necks. No, my neck, you won't be killed."

What was I going to do? I have tried this magic two times and it's failed. Trying for the third time won't change anything. I closed my eyes and I summoned all my ancestors to save us from this trouble one more time.

****

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