It was Wednesday afternoon and Ashley had just thought of the greatest place on earth that she and Wendy could visit next. Excited about the idea, she immediately runs over too Wendy’s house wanting to let her know about it straight away. “Wendy!” Ashley yelled. She ran up to the front door and knocked on it loudly. “Wendy! Open up I have something important to tell you!” she cried out anxiously. Wendy came through and opened the door, shocked to see Ashley so animated and out of breath. “What’s the matter, Ashley? What you come all this way for?” Wendy asked puzzled. “Let’s go inside first and I’ll tell you.” replied Ashley.
They ran up the stairs to Wendy’s room and shut the door behind them. Not wanting to wait any longer Wendy finally asked, “so what’s all this about?” Ashley then began to explain the new place that they could visit next. “I just thought of the most wonderful place that we could visit next! It happened today during study period at school, it’s called Nervana.” She could see that Wendy did not quite grasp the concept as quickly as she thought she would so, she continued to explain further. “See it has all these incredible animals that are all found in a place called the forest of Lazarith and we can drink water from a lake made out of pure gold.” “Wow, now that does sounds like a fantastic idea!” exclaimed Wendy. “What more could they possibly be?” she asked excitedly. “Well, try eating candy flavoured fruit and vegetables made by the fairies in the fairy garden or even swimming in the Golden Lake itself.” answered Ashley happily. “Let’s go now!” suggested Wendy, jumping up and down eagerly. “We can’t go now.” said Ashley. “Well why not?” asked Wendy, disappointed. “We can’t go now because it’s still the middle of the week and we’ll have more fun if we were to go during the weekend”. “Oh, yeah...I guess your right Ashley. We’ll just stick to our usual plan and go on Saturday morning, but let’s get an early start, so we can stay in Nervana longer.” said Wendy. Ashley agreed but had to rush off back home soon after.
Now let me tell you a little secret about Ashley’s imagination. Sometimes things go wrong and not everything goes as planned. With Ashley’s imagination it has a strange habit of spiralling out of control and starts to be in charge of itself. It may even get to a point where it’s hard to get it back to normal. Ashley doesn’t even realise this until she sees it for herself. Some things stay the same and some things don’t but most of the time she’s not so lucky.

It was Saturday morning and Ashley was busy getting ready to go to Wend’s house for the big trip to Nervana. At 9:15am she finished her breakfast and rushed right over. “Wendy!” she shouted from the front door of Wendy’s house. Moments later she could hear footsteps coming toward the door. The door opened and there stood Wendy dressed and ready to go. “You ready to go to the most exciting place on earth?” Ashley asked enthusiastically. “Offcourse I am, I’ve been thinking about it since the day you told me! Replied Wendy gleefully. “Right then, what are we waiting for?” they both ran hurriedly upstairs towards Wendy’s room and shut the door behind them.
“So how do we get to Nervana?” asked Wendy anxiously. “First we hold hands and close our eyes. Then we think real hard about the place we want to go to.” She explained. They both closed their eyes and whispered simultaneously “Nervana.”
Seconds later they opened their eyes and found themselves in the most magical place they’ve ever been in thus far. Nervana was like a vast country side except the only difference was that you could tell that you had just stepped into something extraordinary. They could see the Forest of Lazarith on their right and could not wait to go inside and see what lies within. The grass was bright green covered with dozens and dozens of red and purple flowers. Behind them at a distance they could see the fairy garden. The sky was blue, the sun was intense and everything felt right with the world.
”Wow, It’s beautiful!” said Wendy in astonishment. “Where do you want to go first?” asked Ashley. “Ooh lets go into the forest of Lazarith!” Ashley suggested. “Or how bout we go into the fairy garden, first? I’m starving, didn’t eat breakfast. Was too excited about coming here that I forgot to eat.” said Wendy. Ashley agreed and the two of them then ventured off into the fairy garden.
They arrived at the fairy garden moments later and they were simply startled at how much food there was. Knowing that all this food was made out of candy they immediately started to grab and eat as much food as they possibly can. There were apples, pears, carrots, broccoli and much, much more. Every flavour matched the colour of the owner and boy was the taste simply flawless. Every single one of them tasted like heaven, melting in your mouth. Even the smell was so superior that it could attract someone at least a meter away from the garden itself. At long last Wendy and Ashley both agreed that they couldn’t possibly eat anymore and just decided to carry some of it with them for their spectacular voyage through the wonderful world of Nervana. They soon journeyed onwards towards the forest of Lazarith.

The forest of Lazarith was a somewhat unusual and unpredictable place, where the longer you stayed the more things had a tendency to...unfold and reveal themselves for who they really are. It was filled with creatures who are friendly and some who are not, but the thing is you would never be able to tell which was which. The only way you would know for sure is if they decided to tell you themselves. So you could only imagine what kind of trouble someone could get themselves into, in a place like this.
The further Ashley and Wendy walked into the forest of Lazarith, the darker and more eerie it got. As they walked they actually ended up meeting one of the creatures along the way. Now this creature was one of the evil ones. Its special power was to lie, mimic and distract who ever crossed its path. It had the body of a cat, a long thick black tail and the head of an elf. This creature was called a Ming. Unfortunately Wendy and Ashley were lost and not knowing what he was or what he was cable of they ended up asking it for directions.
Facing the creature Ashley said in a kind but slightly shaky voice, “Hello there, um...if u don’t mind me asking, who are you and do perhaps, by any chance.... know where we are?” the creature then replied by saying, “they call me Ming and to this forest I will always bring, misery too those who come my way and forever they shall stay, lost and confused, unable to get back to the place they once knew”.
“Umm, okay, thank you for your time then. We will just be on our way.” said Wendy in a scared and worried voice. They turned around and started whispering frantically to each other wondering what they should do next. When they finally stopped their argument and agreed on where to go, just as they were about to leave they noticed that the same creature that was there before, was in front of them yet again. So then they ended up understanding what the Ming had meant when he had said, “forever shall you stay, lost and confused unable to get back to the place they once knew”.
“Okay then, I see how it is. So what do we have to do to get through to you?” asked Asley. “Well I guess the only way would be to answer one of my riddles”. replied Ming. “Right, give us riddle then and we will try our best to solve it”. agreed Ashley. “Wait a sec, what happens if we get the riddle wrong?” asked Wendy. “Then forever you will stay, here with me in the forest of Lazarith, until the day you die but you are allowed three chances to answer my riddle but if you lose all three chances then all hope is lost I’m afraid.” He replied.
Ashley and Wendy decided to discuss about this first. In the end they agreed to take on the riddle, seeing as it was the only way to get out of the situation they were in as fast as possible. And so, after that the Ming began to speak yet again. “My neck is long and so are my strings, when plucked a sound I will bring. Some may like it and some may not but no matter what the outcome maybe it all depends on how you play me. What am I?” the riddle ended and Wendy looked towards Ashley, with a look of bewilderment on her face. They sat down and decided to think about what they had just heard.
“So what do you think he is talking about?” asked Wendy. “Hmmm.....let’s resite the riddle again.” Suggest Ashley. “My neck is long and so are my strings” she said a loud. “When plucked a sound I bring.” Continued Wendy. “So then it could be a musical instrument, of some sort. Said Ashley. “Yes it could.....how about we ask it to give us a clue?” suggested Wendy. “Okay but I don’t think it will work.” Said Ashley. “Umm, excuse me? Would it be alright if you gave us a clue?” asked Wendy. “No clues are given I’m afraid, only three tries to solve my riddle or meet your end.” He replied. “Oh goodness I was frightened of that.” said Ashley, in a disappointed voice. What felt like hours went by and Ashley and Wendy were really struggling to solve the Ming’s riddle.
“My neck is long and so are my strings...but no matter what the outcome maybe be it all depends on how you play me! Ashley I think I’ve got it!” said Wendy happily. “Really? What do you suppose it is?” asked Ashley. “Well then it is obviously a musical instrument because then what else makes a sound other than that right? So then I figured what musical instrument has a long neck and strings to match? Ashley looked perplexed at Wendy’s sudden excitement over the riddle but then she answered back by saying.... “So then it’s probably got to be a guitar, right?” “Exactly! said Wendy with a thrilled look on her face”. “Let’s ask it then.” said Ashley. Wendy turned over and asked the Ming weather it was a guitar that fit the description in his riddle and then the Ming said, “Sorry, but that answer is incorrect. Two more tries left dear children.”
“Darn it! I was for sure it was a guitar.” Said Wendy frustrated. “Some may like it and some may not but no matter what the outcome maybe it all depends on how you play me.....”Whispered Ashley. “It could be a violin...” she continued. “No...Its neck is too short”. said Wendy. “Or it could be a cello.” said Ashley. “We have 2 more tries left, let’s ask it, maybe we’ve got it right this time.” It was Ashley’s turn to ask the Ming what he was. “Excuse me? But are you a cello?
“That answer is correct, well done, you have managed to solve my riddle, now you are allowed to go further into the forest of Lazarith but remember if you cross my path again the same outcome will occur.”
“Umm...okay, thank you for time then. We will just be going now”. Ashley said in a rather passive voice. After that Wendy and Ashley continued to walk further into this strange and mysterious forest. Wondering what more this adventure has in store for them.

Ashley and Wendy continued to walk further and further into the forest for what felt like hours and as they were both running out of the food they got from the fairy garden, things were starting to look rather bleak and uncertain. The more they stayed the more panic, anxiety and confusion slowly started to affect Ashley and Wendy. They didn’t know what to do and they didn’t know who to trust and so they just kept walking, hoping that something extraordinary would happen to them soon.
“So where do you think we should go now?” asked Ashley. “I don’t know, can’t exactly see anything at the moment.” replied Wendy. Eventually, they stopped walking and to their surprise, they saw a road that split into two. In the middle there was an arrow pointing left and another pointing right. On the left side of the arrow there was a word written in bright red letters that said, The Golden Lake and on the right it said The Kings Cottage. “So I guess we have two options really, to go to either the golden lake or the King’s Cottage”. Said Ashley observantly. She then asked, “Where do you think we should go?” Wendy replied back by saying, “Hmmm....I would love to visit the lake but lets visit the king instead, maybe he has something for us to eat, I’m starving!” Ashley agreed and walked with Wendy to see the king.
When they arrived at the king’s cottage, they found it to be a very decorative place, with colourful flowers surrounding the perimeter of a small but what seemed to be a rather cosy home to live. They assumed that whoever lived here must be an extremely cheerful person. So seeing as the house looked so inviting, Ashley almost immediately, stepped onto the welcome mat and knocked on the golden, brown wooden door three times.
There was silence for only a moment and then soon enough, they could hear footsteps thumping loudly towards the door. Seconds later out came a plump, rosy cheeked man with a wide friendly smile across his face. He had very little hair upon his head and a small messy moustache. He was wearing red and white striped baggy pants, topped with black suspenders and a baby blue shirt. He possessed a sort of grandfather like figure and he seemed to more than happy to introduce himself.
“Why hello there girls!” the old man cried with excitement. “What can I do for you, beautiful young ladies?” he asked, with a chuckle and a twinkle in his eyes. “Umm...hello, my name is Ashley and this is my friends Wendy.” Ashley said in a timid voice. She continued on to say, “we were lost and where wondering if you knew how we could get back, home.” “We were also starting to get really hungry and thirsty.” Wendy added.” “Well then we need to fix that, now don’t we?” said the old man]. “Come in! Come in! Let’s get of the cold and into the warmth shall we?” he said in a kind and welcoming voice. They all went into the small but peaceful cottage and the old man then, closed the door behind them

When they walked in, Wendy and Ashley looked around and saw a warm, crackling fire in front of them, a coffee table, a long three seated maroon coach, companied with two matching arm chairs, a square grey shag rug and pictures hanging on the walls. As they looked around further they could see several doors behind them, three at the most, each with a brass door knob in the shape of what looked like a lion’s head. There was also a peculiar pattern on each of the doors that looked like long green vines sprouting from the floor. It was indeed quite a stress-free environment. Anyone who was there would feel like they were at last at home for the first time in a long time. There was silence for a while until the old man finally said “Right then, I think introductions are in order. My name is King Henry Dawson.”
“I didn’t know there was a King in Nervana!” Wendy exclaimed. “Yes, yes and there is a simply wonderful story about how I became King.” He said. I shall tell you all about it after i get us something to eat.”
King Henry then disappeared through the first door behind them and seconds later Wendy and Ashley could hear him bussing himself in what they assumed must be the kitchen. “Well he looks like a pretty decent man”. said Ashley. “Yes... but there is something about him that seems rather strange if you ask me.” inquired Wendy. “Really? He seems pretty normal to me though.” Said Ashley. “Well either way i think we best keep an eye on him, just in case you know”. Suggested Wendy. “Alright then, if you say so.” conceded Ashley.
Moments later Henry came back with a heavy plate full of sandwiches and a large picture of what looked like icy cold fresh homemade lemonade. “Eat up girls! Go on and eat till your heart’s content.” said King Henry enthusiastically. He sat down and watched them eat for a while. He then said, “I believe you two wanted to hear the story of how I became King, Is that correct?” “Yes we would love to hear that story.” Said Ashley in a mouth stuffed with one of the sandwiches Henry had bought for them. King Henry cleared his throat and began to tell the thrilling tale of his life and how he became king.
“I grew up in this very house, with several other siblings of mine. I had an older sister and 3 older brothers and I was the youngest in the family. My brother Nicolas was the eldest, my sister Dominic was second, my brother Justin was third, and my brother Jasper was forth. My mother Shannon Dawson was a very kind and loving women. She cared for all of us equally. She had long shiny black hair, big brown beautiful eyes and a wide heart warming smile. She was a very tall but petite women and she always knew what to do when something went wrong”.
“My father Daniel Dawson was a somewhat strict man, who always wanted things to be done in a certain way. He had very little hair upon his head, just like me. He had a very loud voice and spoke his mind when needed. He was a reasonably short man that did carry quite a lot of weight”.
“My brother Nicolas was a very head strong character, who took pride in everything that he did. He was very handsome, with flowing locks of blond hair, a dazzling smile and he liked to boast about it too. He carried a somewhat cocky attitude to certain people but at times he did have a tendency to show that more to the opposite sex and to people who didn’t think he was all that great. Jasper was a bit a shy young fellow, who didn’t exactly know how to stick up for himself.”
“Although we all thought that he was very attractive, he didn’t seem to think so. He had low self esteem and for some reason he always liked to play it safe. He did have one extraordinary talent, which was singing and playing the guitar. Everyone in Nervana loved to hear him play. Performing for dozens of people was the only thing which made him happy and kept him sane.”
“Dominic was a very pretty girl, who took most of her personality after my mother. Almost all the boys wanted to be with her, until eventually she got married to the love of her life, John Anthony Rosafelt. My brother Justin was always the dreamer. He imagined himself travelling around the world and going on these superb adventures that no man had ever experienced. He was a very confident man who loved to talk about himself immensely and he also liked to talk about what he hoped to accomplish in the near future. He was quite the charmer as well. He could get any girl he wanted and also managed to convince anyone, anything.”
“My family was one of the most widely known families in Nervana. Eventually it was up to me to live up to the Dawson family name and make my parents proud. All my siblings had accomplished something in their lives and i had to think of something that was greater than any of them put together. Things were hard back in the day and it took time for me to think about what I really wanted to be in life”. Until one day, the heavenly Gods smiled down upon me and showed me the right path that would help me accomplish all my hopes and dreams.”
The room was still and quite for only a moment, as Wendy and Ashley listened intensely to the Kings splendid story.
“See, one day, there was a sign put up on the notice board in town that said that Nervana was in dire need of a king. And whoever was so wiling, courageous and loyal enough to handle the pressure and responsibilities of being King was to meet at Futcher fields next to mount Rolling Mars. If you just look outside the window you can actually see this monstrous mountain just peaking over the forest of Lazarith.”
Wendy and Ashley quickly looked over their shoulders to see the greatest mountain they had ever seen in their entire lives. Seconds later, Henry then continued the story and the more he told it the more electrifying it got.
“Now where was I? Oh yes the quest. There were thousands and dozens of men that showed up the day the event was held. When we got there we could see the bulky golden gleaming crown, seated upon a stump mere feet away from the mountain. And yet no one knew what they had to do to become King and ware that glorious crown upon their heads. Once all the men had showed up, the instructor then arrived and we all went silent to hear what the quest was.”
“He rolled down a long piece of parchment and it out allowed. The quest was that all men who believed they could become king was to step forward and push the mountain at least 30 cm, to the right. Those who were able to do so would have proved not only their strength but their masculinity, courage and dedication to not only themselves but the entire world of Nervana.”
“Millions of men attempted to push the mountain but so far none could do so and things were not looking so good for me. I was nervous, stressful and sweating like a pig. But i did my best to not allow myself to let my nerves get the best of me. As time went by more and more men did their best to do as they were instructed in order to become king. And then finally I was left to accomplish what no man was able to do so in such a long time”.
“As I faced that mountain so many different questions were going on in my mind. Was I going to make it? Would I fail and make my parents disappointed in their son? Would my reputation shatter and crumble if I do not win this noble quest? Or will I be forever haunted by the fact that I was not able to live up to my parents expectations? Then, after all that I decided to erase all the negativity that was going on through my mind and that I could hear from the crowd and just pushed that mountain as hard as I possibly could.”
“And to my amazement I was able to accomplish what no man was able to accomplish. I became king of Nervana and they all watched in astonishment as the instructor put the crown upon my head. I was stunned, dazed and astounded that I was able to what thousands of men couldn’t. That I was able to outdo all my siblings put together. That I was the one who had made my parents proud that day and I would no longer have to worry about gaining approval from anyone because I was king and nothing else but my family mattered more to me than becoming what I’m today.”
As the story ended there was a wide, blissful smile on Henry’s face. Recounting that magnificent event was one of Henry’s most favourite things to do. As Ashley and Wendy looked into the eyes of the extraordinary man sitting before them, they knew that telling this story made him extremely happy and hearing this story was one of the most content moments that they had ever felt in such a long time.
After some time they decided that it was getting late and took the last of the sandwiches Henry had made for them. After hearing the king’s tale, they completely forgot that they were lost and had not reminded Henry to give them directions on how to get back. But if they could pick the one thing that they had learned from visiting the king was that, anything was possible, if you just believed in yourself and not worried about what others thought about you because you’ll never know what you are capable of if you are just fixated on the negative side of the world. Never realising that you’re thoughts, your dreams, your ambitions and your loved ones are the only important things that really truly, matter in this world and you cannot live without them, no matter what.

“You see! I told you he was alright!” exclaimed Ashley as they both were walking away from the king’s cottage. “Yeah I guess you where right after all Ashley.” admitted Wendy. “Ha-ha! Right where to now, boss?” asked Ashley curiously. “I don’t know, let’s just walk around for a bit and see what happens.” said Wendy.
They walked for a long time, wondering what they were going to find next in this mysterious place. After some time Wendy could suddenly hear a blood curdling scream from some meters away. She looked around frantically for a bit and with a rush of horror and despair that flowed through her, she finally had no choice but to accept the fact that Ashley, was no longer with her.
“Ashley! Wendy called. “Ashley where are you?!” she called again, this time raising her voice even louder than she did before. Moments later she could hear Ashley calling back and saying, “I’m over here! Come save me Wendy! I think I fell into some quick sand!”
Turning back Wendy did her best to try and follow the sound of Ashley’s petrifying cries and screams for help. Various images of Ashley in mortal parole, was haunting her mind as she ran as fast she could to try and find and then, save her best friend. Hopefully by the time she got there she would not be too late. As she ran through the forest the trees got thicker and the branches were scratching her face. The heavy amount of roots that lay on the floor did their best at attempting to trip her But the thought of saving Ashley was the only thing that kept her going.
Eventually after much struggle she managed to find a clearing and followed the light that led her to Ashley, who was already half way through the quick sand. She stared at her in panic and confusion thinking about the best way possible to get her out of it.
She first thought of grabbing a long and sturdy stick and then using it to help pull Ashley out of the quick sand. But unfortunately the stick turned out not to be so strong after all and snapped sharply in half as Ashley tried to pull onto it. Things were looking pretty steep at this moment. Even trying to grab another stick and do the same thing that they did in the beginning again, didn’t turn out as well as they planned. Wendy actually then slipped and fell into the quick sand whilst attempting another go at their first plan.
Things were looking pretty bleak, dreary and uncertain at the moment. Not knowing what to do now and thinking that this was the end of the road, they looked at one another and hugged each other tightly. They then told each other that their friendship is strong enough to overcome anything and even if they die today, their friendship will stay alive forever and always.
They closed their and hoped for nothing but the best. However, seconds later they felt something grab onto their shirts and lift them up into the air, away from the quicksand and possibly, away from death itself. To scared to see who or what had saved their lives, they kept their eyes shut and continued to hold on to each other. Hoping that whoever had saved them was nothing more than a friend.

Hours later Wendy and Ashley awoke to find themselves, lying on a shaggy maroon carpet, in what seemed to be a dark, damp cave, topped with a warm fire, crackling merrily in front of them. They looked around in confusion, wondering what had happened to them since being saved from that deadly quick sand. Then to their surprise, they heard a voice coming from the darkest part of the cave. Someone was with them.
“Well it’s about time you two woke up!” said the mysterious disembodied voice. They turned their heads sharply to see who had arrived but still for some reason, he remained in the dark. “I’m sorry sir but we still can’t see you.” said Wendy in a timid sort of voice. “Oh...where are my manners? Let me introduce myself.” He stepped out of the shadow and into the light. Then to their revelation...the person who had revealed himself didn’t look quite human. Although he was standing on his two hind legs, his features resembled considerably, like a mole.
He held out his short, pudgy, sharp nailed hand and said “My name is Sir Edward Sting Moleheart the 3rd. A pleasure to meet you...?” he was waiting, patiently for them to shake his hand and introduce themselves as well. Realising this Ashley said “oh uhm...my name is Ashley White and this is my friend Wendy Jones”. “Very good, pleasure to meet you both.” said Edward happily and then shaking their hands with much enthusiasm.
“You two ought to be more careful, there are quicksands everywhere here in Nervana, you know”. Said Edward. “So are you the one who saved us?” asked Ashley. “yes indeed and I would have never been able to find you if it hadn’t been for one of the rats that live here, saying that two girls had fallen into quicksand and needed help at once.” He explained. “Excuse me but did you say that a rat told you that we needed help? Asked Wendy confused. “yes, a good friend of mine called Jason Songbird, who is always running through the forest, saw this one (indicating to Ashley) fall into the quicksand and knew that it would be difficult to escape. So he then rushed over to where I was fishing nearby in the golden lake and told me about the situation. Naturally I could not just ignore the fact that two young girls were in trouble and needed help so I then got up and called over my enormous, purple, trusty old bird called Phineas and came too your aid at once”. He finished the story with a proud look on his face.
“So um, if you don’t mind me asking, where is Phineas?” said Ashley. “Oh he’s right outside the cave playing with the other smaller birds that like to fly about here sometimes. See we are high up in one of the largest caves in Nervana. I like it here because it’s very peaceful and I do not like to be disturbed very often, by loud noises and such.” He replied.

“Well then, first of all I would like to say thank you for saving our lives.” Said Ashley. “Oh, you’re very welcome.” Replied Edward. “So is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all, just name it” he offered. “I guess you could help us with something, if you’re sure it’s not too much trouble.” Started Wendy. “Yes, yes, just name it girls, like I said before just name it and I’ll be happy to do it for you” Edward said enthusiastically. “Then in that case Ashley and I are a bit lost and were wondering how best to get back home and since you know the area a lot better than we do, we were hoping maybe you could help.” “Is that all?” asked Edward.
“Yes sir.” Said Ashley. “Well if you’re sure that’s all then I will be happy to assist you in finding your way back home! But first before you go, let’s have some tea and crumpets, you two look simply famished.” He then got up and hurried off and disappeared through a wide opening behind them. Ashley and Wendy assumed it to be the kitchen.
He came back about half an hour later and in his hands where three large cups of hot tea and several honey roasted cinnamon buns. “Do you take milk or sugar with your tea?” he asked curiously. “Both” said Wendy and Ashley together. “Very well,” established Edward. He then helped them finish making the tea by adding in the milk and sugar. Wendy and Ashley found him to be very hospitable. “so tell me, how did you end up in here in Nervana?” asked Edward. “Hmm.....where to start?” Ashley thought aloud. “Well I guess first of all it started when Ashley told me about this wonderful place called Nervana.” Started Wendy. “And then she told me that to get there all we had to do was to close our eyes and think real hard about the place we want to get to.” She finished. “After that we arrived here in Nervana and ran into so many different things.” Said Ashley. “And what were those things that you ran into?” asked Edward. “Well there was the Ming, in the forest of Lazarith, who made us do a riddle in order to be able to pass through him.” Explained Wendy.
“And then after managing to do the riddle, we were able to continue our journey and later on we arrived at a sign that could either lead us to the kings cottage or the golden lake, so we ended up visiting the king”. Said Ashley.
“What about the fairy garden? Didn’t you pass through there first before meeting the Ming and visiting the king?” asked Edward curiously. “Oh yeah! We did, didn’t we Wendy?” “Hold on how did you know that we went to the fairy garden in the first place?” asked Wendy suspiciously, with a serious look on her face. “For all you know we could have just skipped the fairy garden and gone straight to the king’s cottage instead.” Said Wendy.
Then at that point, Edward replied with a long, meaningful sigh and said.... “Well girls, the reason why I know is because I’ve been following you two ever since you got here.” “So all that stuff about your friend the rat telling you that we needed help was a lie?” asked Wendy in a troubled voice. “Yes, I’m afraid so. Well not all of it, anyways. Just bits of it.” he admitted. “Now girls, before you go and start judging me, let me explain exactly what is going on”.
“See a long time ago a story was told, stating that the creators of Nervana would soon visit us again and those creators were two girls, who were born with the most inconceivable gift of imagination that anyone could ever dream of possessing and this was how they were able to build the most magical world of all time we all know as Nervana”. “And during that visit, the two girls would change and fix whatever has been broken and make everything better than it was before”. Wendy and Ashley looked at each other with astonishment. Edward continued on to say..... “Now the story was told by the wisest and oldest person living in Nervana. Her name was Mamma Antwanet Carrie. She was very kind and very loving and knew everything there was to know about how Nervana was born. We don’t know how she knew but she did. Unfortunately she died a few days after she told us this story. Some of us believed her and some of us didn’t but those who did, hoped and dreamed that it would one day come true and that they would meet the creators of this wonderful place we call home. Since then it looked like the story would soon become reality because after some time there was a dramatic change here in Nervana and we couldn’t help but think that maybe it was because of the work of the two girls from the story itself.” There was a very long silence until Wendy finally said.... “But if Nervana was created ages ago then maybe we’re not the girls from the story after all”. “Well you see the reason why there’s a strong possibility that you two are the girls from the story is because Nervana was created about the same time you two were born”.
-“November 27 1995” Ashley and Wendy said at the same time. “We share a birthday.” Said Ashley. “And we were born at about the same time two and at the same place.” Remembered Wendy. “Both our parents were best friends for as long as they could remember, we’ve been together since birth.” Recalled Ashley. “What date is it today Ashley?” asked Wendy. “November 24”. She replied.
“At the end of the story it said that the creators would then kill the current king of Nervana on their 16th birthday”. said Edward. “Wait, kill? Why would we have to kill the king of Nervana?” asked Wendy in surprise. “Because the king soon turned out to be a very evil man and he was the reason why Nervana later on went from being the happiest place on earth to being one of the most deadly and saddest place that anyone could ever imagine”. Explained Edward. “But it still doesn’t make any sense. He seemed alright when we met him.” Said Ashley. “well you see, when king Dawson heard about the prophecy years later after he became king and ruined Nervana, he knew that the only way he was going to be able to stay king, was to convince the creators of Nervana that he was a very superior, powerful, kind and generous man and therefore not give you any reason to kill him in the end”. “I can now see that his plan worked out successfully.” Wendy and Ashley didn’t know what to say at this point. The way king Dawson had portrayed himself was so explicit and so convincing that they had no idea that he was in fact the most manipulating deceiving, sinful and the most malicious man that they had ever encountered in their entire lives. They were hurt and felt so naive that they had actually believed that he was indeed a genuine man. If only they had seen it all before, if only they had known, then they probably would have stopped him when they had the chance. But sadly they didn’t and now they wanted nothing more than to find out exactly what he had done and how to destroy him at last before he did anymore damage to this soulful, loving and miraculous place that they had initially hoped would stay happy forever.
“What exactly has he done so far?” asked Wendy. “Well since becoming king he has chosen some of the creatures and made them into a somewhat similar version of himself, the Ming for example. Back in the day the Ming used to use his powers for good instead of evil. Believe it or not he actually helped those who were lost, instead of forcing them to answer riddles and such. After changing some of the creatures he then proceeded onto the golden lake and emptied the entire thing and ended up killing all the sea creatures that lived within.
After that he moved onto the fairy garden and forced all the fairies to become his slaves. They can now be seen doing his bidding instead of working in their garden like they used to do in the past. Some offcourse are still there maintaining what is left of their once lavish field of candied flavoured fruit and vegetables. He has also cut down nearly half of the forest and used the trees to build the home he now lives in. He even banished his own family and sent them to live in one of the swamps here in Nervana. Said they were distracting him from his job and that they did not believe he would ever make it as king. Got rid of them the moment he had the chance.” Edward ended his story with a rather depressing look on his face.
The girls sat there in silence. Thinking to themselves why anyone would want to do such a thing. Why would anyone want to destroy their own home? Why would anyone want to even become king in the first place if all they wanted to do was to hurt people and treat them like nothing? This was something that they could not comprehend. Something that they thought was not possible. It was unthinkable. It was absurd. It was cunning. It was appalling, unpleasant, obnoxious and most of all dishonest and that was the one thing Wendy and Ashley hated most. The fact that he had promised these people that he would look after their home and make everything better and then suddenly changes his mind and makes everything horrible instead, was the worst thing that could have ever happened in the history of unfortunate events.
“I honestly don’t know what to say”. Said Ashley in a small, sad voice. “It’s just a lot to take in I expect....but you two are the only ones who are able to stop him. If it’s not you then it’s not over, I’m afraid. If King Dawson cannot be destroyed then there will be no future for Nervana, everyone and everything will be dead.”
There was silence yet again but this time the silence lingered on. It felt cold, still and eerie, for no one knew what to say. As darkness fell, the silence was suddenly filled with the sound of rain falling from the sky. Wendy and Ashley had now learnt that they were destined to do more, than just explore their own imagination but also to save it from the most evil man that ever lived, King Dawson.

“Okay so what’s the plan?’ asked Wendy enthusiastically. “Well first of all, you will need special weapons that will enable you to defeat him.” He got up and walked into another room next to the kitchen. He came back moments later, carrying a heavy bundle covered in a thick woollen blanket in his arms. He sat down and placed the bundle on top of the table. He opened it very slowly and inside there was what looked like 2 highly decorated swords made out of pure gold. A small shiny, silver glass bottle, 2 suits of bronze mettle armour complete with helmets, hard black lever gloves and two pairs of boots decorated with sharp silver spokes on the side, with matching shields as well.
“Wow, are we going to be using all this?” asked Wendy in surprise. “Yes you will need all this if you are going to be able to defeat that wicked old man.” Said Edward. He then began to explain what each weapon is used for..... “This silver bottle will help you freeze anything to solid ice, no matter how powerful it may be but only to be used when necessary. These golden swords will help you pierce the heart of all that is evil. Last but not least these bronze mettle shields will help protect you from any weapon that he may throw at you”.
“For king Dawson is a very powerful man indeed and it’s going to take a lot of effort to defeat him. Are you two up for the challenge?” he asked. “Yes we are.” They agreed. “Right let the training begin!” said Edward loudly and cheerfully. “Training?” asked Wendy and Ashley together. “Yes, we will need to prepare you for battle.” Said Edward. “You will be taught how to use each weapon properly. Except for the silver bottle, that you will use when you see fit.” He explained. “So whose going to train us?” asked Wendy curiously. “I will be training you.” said Edward proudly. “Brilliant! So how long do you think the training is going to take?” asked Wendy. “Well we have 3 days until judgment day. So we will have to work extra hard if you are ever going to be able to destroy the bastard once and for all.” He said this with such enthusiasm that it made both Wendy and Ashley smile with joy at the thought of king Dawson dead and gone at last. Nervana will once again be blissful and peaceful. No longer will evil come and destroy the innocence, beauty and thrilling nature of Nervana but it shall forever stay locked away, never to return ever again.
The girls then got up and followed Edward outside the cave. Together with the weapons that they needed to use in battle, they began their training. It took hard vigorous effort and Edward wasn’t cutting them any slack. They only had three days to become experts at fighting in this long awaited battle.
They did not know exactly what king Dawson was capable off. All they knew for sure was that the only way Nervana was ever going to be theirs again was if King Dawson was finally dead. That was the only thing motivating them to keep going and work harder than they ever did in their entire lives. That was what encouraged them to never give up and just hope and pray that everything was going to be alright in the end.
They did a large number of different activities during their training. They learnt how to sword fight and use their shields for protection. They also jogged for miles and miles at a time, to improve their stability. They did various obstacle courses to help with their agility and velocity. It was a difficult challenge but they succeeded with flying colours, none the less. On the night before the battle, Edward and the girls set out a well designed plan to ambush King Dawson. After resisting countless times on where to go, what to do and what not to do, they went back into the cave to get some much needed rest. As darkness fell, the wind began to howl.
There was a soft echo of owls hotting in the distance and the night time sky filled itself with stars. Soon enough Wendy and Ashley gradually closed their eyes to the sound of Nervana finally falling asleep.

It was midnight and Ashley was struggling to get some sleep. Not knowing what to do, she turns over to Wendy hoping to get some advice. “Wendy?” she whispered. There was no sound of movement, so Ashley tries again. “Wendy! Wake up!” she called more loudly this time. She could here Wendy stirring moments later and waited for her to wake up. “What’s wrong?” asked Wendy in surprise. “I can’t sleep.” said Ashley. “Well why not?” asked Wendy. “I don’t know.” She replied. “Oh come on, there’s got to be some reason why you can’t sleep.” said Wendy. “Well I guess I’m just a bit worried about tomorrow. I mean, what if something happens? What if something goes wrong and we don’t defeat King Dawson? What if we do defeat King Dawson but we can’t find our way back home? What if---”

“Hey, hey, hey.... Ashley relax! Don’t worry so much. It’s all going to be alright in the end. We will defeat King Dawson and still be able to find our way back home afterwards. Nothing is going to happen to us. Edward has taught us well. Well enough, to fight against the most deadly and evil being known to man. Just stay strong and calm down. If you worry too much then something is bound to go wrong. Just stay positive and stay confident that it is all going to be alright in the end, do you understand?” “Yes, I do thanks Wendy.” “Now come on, hold my hand and let’s say a silent prayer together that everything is going to turn out just fine, we are going to need a little bit more help, okay?” “okay.” Agreed Ashley.
They held hands and both said a silent prayer. They prayed hard and long that night. Hoping beyond hope, that they were going to make it out alive.

It was daybreak and the girls were inside the cave getting ready to travel back to the king’s cottage. Edward on the other hand was outside helping them pack for the big trip. It was a long way back and they needed to get an early start. They were too nervous to talk and too nervous to eat. They just continued to change into their armour in total silence.
When they were finally ready, they walked outside to find a giant bright red slay sitting in front of them, with Edward standing beside it. Complete with all their equipment needed for the battle, hidden in the back seat. The slay was decorated with two red elongated handle bars in the front and long silver slanting writing on the side. The writing looked like it was written in a different language. The words they could see were Fata, Animi, Amor and Amicitia.
“morning Edward”. Said Ashley. “morning girls.” Replied Edward. “Edward? What do those words written on the side of the slay mean?” asked Wendy. “It means destiny, courage, love and friendship in Latin. said Edward in a soft, soothing voice. Ashley and Wendy smiled at each other and felt a bit more content with the whole situation. “So are you ready girls?” he asked. “Just, about.” Said Wendy.
“Right well before you go, I would like to give you some words of encouragement, if that’s alright?” asked Edward “Yes please, that would be nice.” Said Wendy. “Very well..... now see here girls, you’re dealing with a very dangerous man. You have no idea what he is capable off. I’ve taught you all I can and now you’re on your own. It is important that you stay focused and remember everything that I have taught you. If anything should go wrong, call me and I’ll be there. I don’t want you two to worry too much, just be careful and stay strong. When you two finally beat King Dawson, it will all be over and everything will be alright again. There’s one big thing that you have to remember and that is to believe in yourself, never give up and never be afraid to do what you know must be done.” He ended his speech, with a smile on his face and a kind, warm loving look in his eyes.
“Thank you Edward.” Said Ashley. “Yeah, thanks.” Said Wendy. They stood there for a moment taking in the wise words of Sir Edward sting Moleheart. After a while, they got into the slay, wondering how on earth they were going to make it move. Then, to their surprise they saw Edward moving around the slay, waving his hand in a circular manner and whispering some unknown words that they could only hear just barely.
Then without warning the slay jerked and started to fidget roughly and uncontrollably. They could see smoke coming out of the engine and knew at once that Edward had done something to make it travel by itself, for they were not taught how to drive it on their own. They could feel the slay moving faster and faster and before they could even say

After travelling for nearly 6-7 hours, Wendy and Ashley finally arrived at the king’s cottage. Before making their attack, they lagged behind a bit to think about a proper strategy in order to get into his home, yet again. Unfortunately while looking for a nearby hiding place, they could hear footsteps thumping vociferously behind them.
They stopped in their tracks thinking to themselves “please God don’t let it be King Dawson.” Then to their surprise a large shadow overtook them and as they turned around they saw the man they were hoping not to see, standing right in front of them. He had a sort of unusual, daunting grin on his face. His brow was sweating and his teeth were clenched. His eyes were wide and menacing and to make matters worse his breathing was horse and rapid.
Wendy and Ashley both looked at each other with fear in their eyes. They were both unsure of what to do or what to say. They just stood there tense, petrified and most of all traumatized. After a while Wendy was brave enough to speak first but only loud enough for Ashley to hear.
“Ashley?” whispered Wendy. “Yes Wendy?” “I think we better, slowly go back to the slay and grab what we can.” Wendy suggested. “But if we go back to the slay slowly then wont that give King Dawson a chance to fight us?” “You’re probably right.....okay let’s wing it and see how it goes. If it’s not working then we will think of a proper strategy.” “right.” agreed Ashley. “On the count of three then?” said Wendy. “– one, two...three!” The girls said this together and sure enough, they were on their way.
They both ran as fast as they could towards the slay and somehow managed to grab the swords and the shields. Soon after, they continued to run away from their once beloved king as fast as they could. As they ran, they could see a nearby bush. Hoping that they could use this to hide away for a bit and finally managed to think of a plan, they ran towards it and ducked behind it. They both looked rather flushed and they were both tired and out of breath but even so, this could not stop them from accomplishing what they set out to accomplish.
“Right so, what on earth do we do now?!” Wendy asked Ashley, finally starting to panic. “i don’t know, i thought you were the boss!” shouted Ashley, finally starting to panic herself. “No I’m not! We both are!” Wendy shouted back. “Um, okay maybe we could-” started Ashley. But she was cut off by the sudden load roar, coming from beyond the bush. They stood up slowly and their astonishment they could see a monstrous creature standing in the same exact spot, King Dawson was.
He now had the head of a rhino and the body of a dragon. He was a dark shade of green and his eyes were smaller and more menacing than before. “Ashley?” said Wendy. “Yes Wendy?” “I think these were the powers that Edward was talking about, earlier.” “Yeah, it think so.” Agreed Ashley and with that, the battle began....Wendy and Ashley vs. King Dawson.
They did their best to use the swords to slow him down but not much damage had been done. The situation was that, he was just too massive and dominant for Wendy and Ashley to handle but even so they continued to fight for hours and hours on end. Then after a while Ashley was hit with a sudden stroke of inspiration, an idea that might just save them both and finally put an end to King Dawson once and for all.
“Wendy!” shouted Ashley. “Yes?” Wendy called back. “I think I know how to finally put an end to all this, nonsense!” she shouted. “What?” asked Wendy. “Remember that little silver bottle Edward gave us and he said that it could freeze anything no matter how big or powerful it was?” “Yeah, I remember why?” “Well if I can just get it from the slay I think I can use it to finally defeat King Dawson!” explained Ashley. “Oh, okay, how bout I hold him off and you go and get the bottle from the slay?” she Wendy suggested. “Right, you do that.” And with that Ashley dropped her sword and ran back towards the slay in order to get the little silver bottle that they had left behind.
She ran as fast as she could but as she got nearer towards the slay, she tripped and fell, nearly breaking her leg. Not allowing it to stop her, she almost instantly got back up and continued to run. Knowing that time was slowly running out, she immediately began her search for the bottle the moment she got to the slay. Ashley was lagging and Wendy was running out of steam. With a stroke of luck, Ashley finally managed to find the bottle and started to run yet again. When Ashley arrived at the battle, she frantically started to open the lid. Managing to do so after some time, a vast cloud of silver smoke materialized from the bottle, thus overpowering King Dawson. It froze him completely, creating an immense silver statue. Taking the sword from where it was thrown earlier, Ashley uses to break apart the enormous block of ice. It was all over.

King Dawson was finally dead and soon enough, Nervana slowly started to turn back to its original state. The sun came out and the sky was blue once again. The birds started to sing and the flowers began to bloom. Everyone living in Nervana had seen what had happened and came out from behind the trees, to thank their heroes. Nervana was saved and so was their home. Wendy and Ashley had done it and now, it was time to go back to where they truly belong.