The Dragon Flower: Part Three

      “Amina? What are you thinking about?” Mrs. Skye asked the perplexed Xweetok.

      “Huh... oh, nothing,” Amina responded with a noticeable change in her voice.

      “Really? Are you sure? You look like something is troubling you.”

      “No, not at all. I’m just concerned about Lopina getting into more trouble, when we both know that is what she is going to do.”

      “Perhaps, but I am not concerned with Lopina. I am concerned about you. I do hope that you are all right with Mr. Coco’s offer. I had no intention of deceiving you about your meeting with him. I wanted to allow you a chance to meet him without forming an opinion first.”

      “I am glad that you did not tell us before, and you are right, we would have formed opinions about him. I am just a little wary about him, that is all.”

      “Hey, Amina! Do you think we will have the same room or different rooms? Do you think there will be stairs? I love stairs! I hope there is garden or forest nearby so we can go exploring! Hey look! A symol!!!” Lopina said and darted off without a response from her sister.

      “Lopina! Do not wander off; it is getting late!” Mrs. Skye called to the green Xweetok who was bounding off after the petpet.

      “And leave that poor symol alone!” Amina added.

      “I got it!” Lopina exclaimed in a loud voice.

      Mrs. Skye and Amina looked at each other and wondered if she meant she found something or was responding to their orders. Lopina was hanging upside-down from a low tree branch reaching for something. She grabbed the object just as a CRRRRACK resounded through the forest. She and the branch went crashing down. Mrs. Skye frantically flew over to Lopina.

     “Are you hurt? Are you all right? Say something!” Mrs. Skye asked urgently. Amina calmly walked over and briefly looked at Lopina.

     “She’s fine,” Amina stated.

     Lopina jumped up from under the fallen branch, shook herself and held something shiny aloft.

      “Look, look! I found this near the tree!” Lopina said.

      The object Lopina was carrying was a small pendant with an extra long chain. The chain itself was made of silver and was interwoven with blue silk. The pendant was a solid purple diamond with writing on the back. From the appearance the pendant had been hanging on the tree for quite a while. Moss and dirt were covering most of the diamond and twigs were sticking out of the chain.

      “What does it say, Mrs. Skye?” Lopina asked with a great deal of excitement.

      “’The answer lies within the shapes.’ How very odd?” Mrs. Skye said with a puzzled tone.

      “Mrs. Skye, what kind of writing is that?” Amina asked.

      “Well, it is an ancient hieroglyphics that was used in Shenkuu. Lopina, where exactly did you find this pendant?” Mrs. Skye asked.

      “I found it on the ground next to this tree.” Lopina rested her paw on the tree and then pointed to the ground where the pendant was lying. “Can we stay and keep looking for more? Please?”

      “I am afraid not. It is getting late and we need to hurry home. Come along, girls,” Mrs. Skye said and held out her arm to lead the way. “Lopina, you may keep the pendant for safe keeping.”

      “Awesome! Thank you, Mrs. Skye,” Lopina gushed, at last remembering her manners.

     ~~~~~~~

      Lopina was totally fascinated with the mysterious pendant that she was swinging back and forth while lying in bed.

      As she played with the pendant, Amina noticed blood dripping down from Lopina’s upper arm.

      “Lopina, why is your arm bleeding?”

      “Bleeding!? I don’t know. It’s probably from falling out of that tree. It doesn’t hurt. I didn’t even notice it on the way home. I can’t see it; where is it coming from?”

      “Will you cool it for just a second?! And it’s coming from your upper left arm,” Amina stated with a sigh. “You really need to be more careful, you know that. Will you stop swinging that thing and hold still?”

      The girls touched hands and a blue-green glow surrounded them. When the glow ceased the wound had completely healed over.

      “That trick really comes in useful every once in a while,” Lopina said. “I don’t think we should use it inside, though.”

      “Why not?”

      “What if someone sees us use our power? Who knows what would happen then!”

      “You have a good point!” Amina said. “All right, then let us promise not to use our power inside, only for outside on nature.”

      “Agreed.”

      The girls lay back down and Lopina went back to swinging the pendant.

      “Lopina, who do you think that pendant belongs to?” Amina asked as she watched the pendant go in-between the light and darkness.

      “I don’t know. But it’s mine now!”

      “What if we find the owner? Don’t you think that they would want it back?”

      “Well... I guess,” Lopina answered with a sigh. “Um... let’s talk about something else.”

      “All right. What?”

      “Um... what did you think about Mr. Coco? I think he has the most hilarious name in the whole wide world!”

      “That’s because you can’t pronounce it!”

      “That’s not true!”

      “Is to!”

      “Is not!”

      “Is to, infinity!”

      “Is NOT, infinity cubed!”

      “GIRLS!” Ms. Forest said as she came into the room. “It is late! No more talking or else! Am I clear?”

      “Yes, ma’am,” the twins replied.

      Amina rolled onto her side facing the window as Ms. Forest walked out of the room and closed the door.

     After a few moments of silence, Amina asked, “Lopina?”

      “Yeah?”

     “Do you think that Mr. Coco really knew Mama? I just don’t remember having an uncle.”

      “I don’t know, Amina. All I know is that we have to give him a try. I mean, what if he is telling us the truth and he really is our uncle?”

      “Yeah, you’re right. As usual! You know one of these days you are going to get into a lot of trouble because of your care free attitude and I’m NOT going to rescue you!”

      “Oh yeah! Well, you’re too... too... too... bossy!”

      “Is that all you got!”

      “Well, I’m tired, and I can’t think anymore!”

      “Well, go to sleep then!”

      “I would if someone would stop talking!”

      They looked at each other and giggled quietly.

      “Good night, Lopina!”

      “Good night, Amina!”

     ~~~~~~~

      The next morning Ms. Forest walked into the room and said,”Come on you two, out of bed! The sun is shining and you need to get ready to go!”

      “Just five more minutes,” Lopina mumbled from underneath the covers.

      “I know you two are tired, but that is what you get for staying up late and talking!” Ms. Forest said with a ‘serves you right’ tone in her voice.

      Both girls shot up and Amina asked (with great worry), “Did you hear every word?”

      “Amina, we didn’t talk about anything bad, so why are YOU worried? You worrywart!”

      “Don’t call me that!”

      “Well, that was for last night, when you said I’m too carefree!”

      “Why you...”

      “That’s ENOUGH! This is a joyous day for everyone, and you two are bickering before you’re even out of bed yet!”

      “Sorry, Ms. Forest,” replied Lopina and crawled out of bed.

      “I’m sorry too, Ms. Forest,” Amina said and began to cry.

      “Amina, did you have that dream again?” Lopina asked.

      “No. It’s just that this is the last day we have with Ms. Forest! I’m really going to miss you!” Amina said and hugged her teacher.

      Ms. Forest hugged both the girls and said, “I am going to miss the both of you very, very much!”

      “May I come in?”

      “Of course, Mrs. Skye!” Lopina exclaimed.

      “I just wanted to see how things were coming along and if you needed any help,” Mrs. Skye said with curiosity.

      “We still have to pack,” Amina said.

      “Don’t have to! I already packed your stuff and it is waiting by the front door!” Ms. Forest replied.

      “When did you do this, Ms. Forest?” Amina asked.

      “While you two were sleeping in, after your late night!”

      “Then I guess we can leave now! Yah!!” Lopina jumped up and down with excitement.

      “Then let us go say good-bye to everyone before Mr. Coco arrives,” Mrs. Skye suggested.

      The good-byes lasted nearly twenty minutes. The girls hugged and cried with all their friends and teachers, and took especially long with Ms. Forest and Mrs. Skye. Mr. Coco arrived in the midst of the good-byes and had the girls belongings loaded on the flying ship.

      “Girls, it is time to go,” Mr. Coco finally called them on board the ship.

      “Good-bye, we will miss all of you!” Lopina called.

      Amina waved and pushed tears away from her eyes and finally called with her sister, “Good-bye!”

To be continued...