One Song To Unite Us All

Title: One Song to Unite Us All

Form: Short Story

Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade Fantasy

Setting: Geneva Woesetika Beast Sanctuary

Page Count: 9

Logline: While on her quest to become the queen of the Wonderland Circus, sixteen-year old Minabelle voyages to the Geneva Woesetika Beast Sanctuary to test out one of her long lost royal powers, the ability to connect with all living things around her through song.

One Song to Unite Us All

I walked out of the portal, jaw dropping as I watched the avatar on my navigator shift closer towards a red triangle.

This must be the place.

Glancing up, I froze, eyes widening as I scanned the tall trees and ancient stone ruins around me.

Thick tree trunks blocked the sun while parrots and small birds swerved around them, colors spiraling as they glided through the air. Vines and ropes of ivy wrapped around tree branches while leaves and moss covered boulders littered the ground. The sound of elephants trumpeting rang in the distance, striking my ears while a chorus of bird chirps echoed after it.

I spun around, gasping and relaxing my shoulders. Wow.

A flock of macaws flew overhead, squawking and screeching while they dashed down a beaten path.

Shade flooded the area around me as a shiver crawled down my spine.

My head tilted. Where am I supposed to go?

I took a few steps forward, folding my arms while the sunlight faded from view.

Silence filled the air and my chest tightened.

My knees trembled as dark shadows loomed over the path behind me.

Mommy's voice rang in my head. Just remember to follow the light. If you follow the light, you'll surely find your way.

A golden glow caught my eye.

Turning to face it, I paused, spotting five massive stones marked with familiar symbols. Embedded in one of them was a golden dragon feather, plume glistening with blue and white lowlights.

I jogged closer to them, watching ivy hang from the stone's summits while a clear green lake hovered in front of them.

Leaves danced across the water's surface, gliding towards its edges as I watched the lake gleam under a beam of sunlight.

Goosebumps crawled on my skin as I approached its edge, feeling a breeze drift past me while energy coursed through my limbs.

This is it.

I took my first step, the cold surface of the water touching my feet with every step I took.

My lips let out a gasp as I reached the center of the lake, watching the stone's symbols emit a soft blue glow.

Spinning around, I paused.

The soft cold breeze slipped through my hair and whistled a familiar tune.

A loud baritone buzz followed, ringing beneath the lake while making the trees around it shiver.

My fingers tingled while I looked at the stones behind me, watching the gleam of the symbols flicker while the stones let out a collection of melodic hums.

I listened to the harmony around me while watching a group of birds flock to the nearest trees.

Sitting on tree branches, the birds stared at me, tilting their heads as bands of squirrels and rabbits began to approach the lake.

What could possibly be going--

A warmth blossomed in my chest, swallowing my heart whole as the sun shifted its beamed onto me.

My eyes fell shut as I let out a note.

I took a breath, easing my shoulders while fingers dangled at my sides.

My head tipped back while I sang, hearing the vibrations shift melodies and harmonize to my voice.

The warmth in my chest grew as the sounds grew louder, bouncing off the stones and into the depths of the woods.

I stepped forward, hearing a chime ring beneath me while I stretched out my arms.

A calming energy coursed through my legs as I leaned my head to the side.

Raising my hands above my head, I embraced the melody around me and stood in place, feeling my hair float off my shoulders.

I glanced upwards, watching the sun breach through the canopies.

My gaze shifted towards the stones, eyes locked on their glistening symbols while their shadows loomed over me.

An iridescent glow smothered my hands.

Extending my arms, I stood on my toes, floating above the water while a small red finch perched on my hand.

I drew my hands to my chest, feeling a pair of feet land on my head.

I looked up, beaming as I spotted a black and orange oriole sitting on my head.

Spinning in a circle, I watched the fish in the lake spiral around me.

A flock of macaws glided above the lake, blocking the sun with their feathers and circling above me.

Fish leaped out of the water as I projected my voice, scales shimmering.

The skirt of my dress flared as the glow consumed my entire body, reflecting off the lake's surface.

Butterflies fluttered around my body as I kept singing, landing on my arms while I backed towards the center of the lake.

A smile dawned on my face as I looked around, watching ripples form on the lake's surface while the water lifted me into the air on a water spout.

My eyes lit up as more birds flew around me, voices harmonizing with mine while waves circled the bottom of the spout.

Monkeys swung across the canopies and placed flowers at the edge of the lake, watching me from below.

Elephants approached and kneeled before me, lions and tigers following behind them.

I felt my cheeks redden, stomach curving inward while more spouts rose from the lake.

Shutting my eyes, I reached out my hands.

The breeze swept by me.

I blinked, noticing collections of golden strings going through the bodies of all the animals.

This must've been what Mommy was talking about. All of nature's energy flows through strings.

Gawking at my body, I gasped, watching the strings of energy flow through my arms and legs.

I belted a high note, spinning on my heels as I heard it being echoed behind me.

My eyes widened as I tried again, the echo amplifying as it rang in my ears.

A longer and higher note escaped my lips.

I clenched my fists, feeling myself being lifted higher.

The water shot me up into the canopies, stopping at its peak while my voice reverberated across the forest.

I froze, spotting a boy my age standing in between a pair of elephants.

His eyes locked with mine as he scratched the back of his head.

The water spouts lowered to the ground and placed me back on the lake's surface.

A much softer note snuck out of my lips.

The vibrations softened while the animals scurried away, running back into the forest while I stared deep into the boy's eyes.

My shoulders tensed as I got out of the lake, face heating up while I noticed his uniform.

"Sorry," I said, words slurring. "I didn't mean to summon the entire forest. Something just took over me and I just couldn't--"

"No, it's totally fine," the boy said. "I didn't mean to scare you. How did you learn to sing like that?"

I shrugged. "Mostly practice. But my Mom taught me the melody when I was little."

"Do you always control animals like this when you sing?" he asked.

"A lot of the time, it's more like they tempt me to sing," I said. "My singing teacher would always get upset whenever I'd be distracted by them."

He smiled. "So I take it you like singing then?"

I let out a breath and nodded. "But what are you doing out in the middle of the woods?"

"I'm actually a volunteer here," he said. "I work at the animal sanctuary in the Bestiary Department."

"Oh, so you watch over this place?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." the boy scratched the back of his neck. "What about you?"

"Well," I bit my lip, mind scrambling for an excuse.

No use in fibbing now.

"I wanted to see the Harmonic Runes," I said. "They're a big part of my family's history and I just wanted to see if Universal Harmony still worked."

"Wait a minute, family?" His eyes widened. "Do you happen to know about The Wonderland Circus?"

A giggle erupted from my lips.

"Yeah, I was raised in it," I said.

He stared at me, jaw hanging. "So wait, are you--"

I nodded, cheeks heating up while he pulled himself together.

"Oh my gosh," he got on one knee and bowed. "I am so sorry. I didn't even realize--"

"No, don't be sorry. People often don't think of me as royalty these days. Heck, most people just see me as one of the girls."

"Yeah, I can see that," He got back on his feet and scratched the back of his neck. "But what happened to the circus?"

"It got ravaged by the Order," I said. "I was only six when it happened, but they destroyed everything."

"Oh, sorry. It's just that I've been a fan since I was a little kid."

A red tint dusted my cheeks.

"I think I may have even met your Dad once," he said. "He told me to keep pursuing my dreams."

I looked back at him. "What is your dream?"

He paused, then sighed. "I don't know if I should tell you."

"Aw come on," I said. "You can tell me. I promise I won't judge."

He gazed at the ground and sighed. "I wanted to be a ringmaster."

I paused, eyes widening as he hung his head.

"I know it sounds stupid," he said. "But I always loved how your parents would bring the circus to life--"

"No, no," I stammered.

My hand latched onto my lips.

"I think it's beautiful," I said. "I never knew we impacted people that much."

A disheartened smile crossed his face.

"Yeah, of course it's too bad the circus is gone now," he said.

I tilted my head. "Who said it was?"

He glanced back at me.

"My mom said it's my responsibility to keep the legacy going. And so, that's what I intend to do."

A curious glint lit up his eyes.

"My friend and I are trying to find the five relics and their new knights," I said. "We've been having a little trouble finding some of them, but we could always use a helping hand."

He looked at me. "Oh, I can't do that--"

"Yeah, you can," I smiled.

"I don't know anything about your family and its history," he put his hands up. "I barely even know anything about knights or magic."

A chuckle escaped my lips.

"You don't have to. We'd just need to get the relics back so we can have the power to bring it back."

"So then what would you need me for?"

I pursed my lips. "Well, if you want, you can help us recover the relics. That and you can help us defeat the Order."

He scratched his head. "I don't know. Seems kind of risky."

"You don't have to," I said. "I mean I know it's a bit of a gamble, but I just thought you would--"

"But, I'll put anything on the line to take down the Order," he finished.

I froze. "What?"

"They ruined my life and took me away from my family. So therefore, it'd be an honor to be one of the few who destroys them."

"Oh, well okay then." I pulled out a pen and my notepad, scribbling down my phone number. "Here's my number."

I handed him the piece of paper, watching his face light up into a smile as I drew a portal behind me.

My cheeks reddened. There's just something about that smile.

I choked on my words. "We should meet up to talk about plans and stuff."

"Right," he said. "So, I'll text you then."

"Works for me," I chimed. "It was nice meeting you--"

"Oh, Ryan! My name is Ryan. Sorry, I didn't say it earlier," he paused. "It was nice meeting you, Minabelle!"

"You can just call me Mina if you want," I beamed and took a step into a portal.

Ryan took a few steps back. "That's a pretty name. Well, I guess I'll see you later."

"See ya," I climbed to the other side and shut the portal behind me.

My cheeks burned red as Ryan's bright smile flashed in my mind.

I felt my smile curl into a silly grin.

Well, that was...unexpected.