In a world filled with the brave, The bold, The new, It is easy to feel left out. It is easy to feel insignificant, Like you are a tiny gray pixel on a screen of vibrant colors.

But all the legends, All the heroes, All the people who bring life and hope to this world, They all started somewhere.

They started in a quiet room, Wondering if they belonged. They started in an empty world, Wondering if they were enough. They started with a lonely heart, Wondering if they could ever be anything.

They started like you, dear reader. They all started exactly like you.

So this is to you. A legend, a hero, a light, a flame Just waiting to show the world what you can do. This is to you, And to the future you’ll bring.

The group of five carefully picked their way down the side of the mountain with Iam going before Savvy in case she fell. The five main leaders of each of the towns eagerly greeted them at the bottom.

"So, how was the trip?" One asked.

"Did it go alright?" Another wondered.

Tin glanced at the other four. They all looked back with large smiles. Tin looked toward the leaders.

"It is done. Everything went fine." Tin told them solemnly.

As they all cheered, Savvy and Iam gripped their hands together tightly and looked over at Tin. He glanced back then at the ground to sigh. Tin determinedly put a foot forward and the leaders turned to him.

"Is there a problem?" One questioned.

Tin breathed out another sigh before speaking. "Savvy, Iam, and I have talked about it, and we've decided to...leave and live elsewhere."

Lobo and Scar widened their eyes at each other. "You what?!"

Tin turned away from the leaders and towards them instead. "I'm sorry you two."

"No, no, it's not that..." Lobo whispered. "How could you have talked about that without us?"

Tin eyed him with curiosity. "You mean you want to go to?"

"Of course!" Lobo exclaimed.

Scar confidently stepped up beside him. Tin looked him over. Scar had changed a ton since the beginning of their journey. His original slouched posture and quiet personality were now straight and confident.

"Are you two sure?" Tin asked.

Lobo smiles and Scar tries to do the same, but the little purple spot prevented him from doing so.

Tin smiles back and turns to the leaders again. "All of us would like to go and live somewhere else."

Each of the leaders looked at their people before saluting them.

"If that is what you feel you need to do, then go and do it." The leader in front said.

Tin and the others saluted back to them. Savvy and Iam turn away and begin creeping back up the side of the mountain. Tin looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. Rain began to fall on his face.

A sharp, "Tin!" snapped him from his thoughts and Savvy motioned to him to come quickly. Tin rushed toward them and easily scaled the small part they were on. The leaders watched as the other four laughed and quickly followed him down the other side.

Hand in hand, Iam and Savvy sprinted the rest of the way to the village. Tin, Lobo, and Scar stayed behind.

"Those two are a handful." Tin laughed.

"Definitely. I couldn't get Iam off my back when this journey first started! Savvy sure kicked some sense into his ass." Lobo replied.

Scar stayed silent, but by the look on his face, Tin knew he was ecstatic to be back in Stormville. Tin looked away from him and at the entrance gate. Savvy and Iam were greeted excitedly by the guards there. They hugged the heroes before opening the gate wide. Tin sighed at the sight. It was good to be back here. Lobo and Scar made like cheetahs and ran to the gate.

Tin slowly walked toward it. He was dreading meeting his father again. Fortunately...a young woman suddenly appeared by the guards looking frantic. One of them glanced at Tin and shook their head to the woman. The woman noticed the guard's glance, and looked the same way. She gasped and Tin stopped where he was. She started crying and Tin held his arms out. She quickly runs toward him, tears stream from her face. Eventually, she makes it to him and sobs into his shoulder.

"I've missed you, love." She whispered.

Tin kissed her head softly and hugged her back. "You too, dear."

And lastly, here's something that happened before they started the journey back home...

Tin wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead and swiped again at the giant's leg. It bellowed in pain. Lobo and his wolf rushed forward right as its foot swung forward. It flew through the air and went right into the wolf. The wolf yelped as it was thrown into the air and landed a few feet away. Lobo screamed and ran away toward his wolf. Savvy and Iam hoisted themselves up the giant's back until they reached the head. Once they did, Savvy unsheathed her sword and dug it deep into the back of its head. It yelled and reached its hand up. Savvy tried to dodge, but it grabbed her.

"Put her the fuck down, dammit!" Iam screamed.

The giant brought her around to face him and tossed her away like the wolf. Her sword came with her and fell right under her body. When she came down, the sword burst through her chest and blood gushed from the wound. She gasped, then fell silent.

"You motherfucking asshole!" Iam shouted as she fell. He unsheathed his sword and brought it down hard into the giant's head, almost splitting it in half. The giant gave a last groan before its eyelids fluttered and it toppled down. Iam emerged from the dust around the head and sprinted toward Savvy. Tin stepped into his path and tried to stop him.

"Iam! You're not going to like it!" He shouted.

Iam pushed him away. "Get out of my way, dammit! I have to get to her." He starts for her again.

Some magical medics from the town, Stormville, rushed toward Savvy and one nodded toward Tin. She mouthed, 'Keep him away'.

Tin grabbed Iam's wrist and pulled him away so he couldn't see her. Iam tried to get past him again, but Tin wouldn't budge.

"Please...let me see her. It's my fault this happened." Iam cried.

Tin glanced into his eyes. Seeing the disparity there made him almost let Iam go, but he resisted the feeling.

"I'm sorry, Iam. Not yet." Tin whispered.

Iam beat his fist against Tin's chest and began sobbing.

Behind them, the medics performed their ritual. And it was soon over. Tin glanced over his shoulder. The same medic nodded again at him and mouthed, 'He can come now'.

Tin pulled Iam away from his chest to look into his eyes. Iam instantly brightened and sprinted out from behind Tin to go to Savvy.

Tin turned with him and stared at Iam as he hugged the healed Savvy tightly.

"Sweet, beautiful love." Tin sighed.

The medic woman dusted her hands off and walked toward Tin.

"What were you saying, dear?" She asked.

Tin pulled her in close and smiled. "Just saying how cute Savvy and Iam are."

"Are you saying we aren't cute?" The woman gasps.

Tin sighed. "Would I ever?"

"I was just teasing Tin. Why so serious?" The woman laughed.

Tin glanced down at her, and she stopped laughing.

"Right, of course. How could I forget your father..." She trailed off and looked to the grass.

"You two talkin about me?" A scruffy voice says.

Tin and the woman turn around. A man, about in his sixties, stands there. A strand of wheat is coming from his mouth. Tin's mouth drops open a bit.

"Whats it, son?" He shifts the wheat to the other side of his mouth.

Tin closes his mouth and shakes his head. "You expect me to believe that you're my father?"

"And you think I'm not? Son, it's truly me. I'm standin right 'ere." He holds his arms out.

Tin stays where he is. The woman looks up at him. His dad slowly starts putting his arms down. At the last second, Tin ran forward and hugged his dad. Tears dripped from his eyes.

"Why did you leave me, dad?" Tin pushed away from him. His eyes were furious now.

His dad sighed. "It was the only way..."

"The only way to what?" Tin asked irritably.

"The only way to make you a true man. To get you prepared for the hard life out there." His dad put his hands on his shoulders.

Tin sighed. "Understandable."

His dad glanced over his shoulder at the woman. "Dang," He said around the wheat. "With a woman as sexy as that, I better have grandkids soon."

Tin laughed once before pushing his father away. "Say that again, and I'll kill you myself."

The woman shifted uncomfortably behind them at Tin's father's words.

His father understood quickly. "I'm sorry, son. Words just slip out sometimes, ya know?"

Cora and Misha both sat across from each other in the dim conference room, papers upon papers piled in front of them. Cora rolled her eyes at the mess, annoyed. “My father was able to create a new system of government, yet he wasn’t able to keep these records straight,” Cora mumbled in annoyance. Misha nodded his head lightly, agreeing. “Tell me about it,” he mumbled in his thick, Russian accent. “A man so smart cannot keep record straight.” Glancing around the stack of unorganized papers, a single, yellowish tinted paper caught the Russian’s eye. Gingerly picking up the tough paper, Misha brought it close to his face.

Prisoner number: 8b Location: Floor 16a Name: confidential Status: diplomat

   Misha tilted his head slightly with a puzzled look on his face. An unknown diplomat? he thought. 
   “Read this,” Misha demanded, handing Cora the slip of paper. Hesitatanlty, Cora nervously grabbed the paper. Reading it carefully, her eyes widened. 
   “Unknown prisoner?,” Cora inquired. Misha nodded, still in amazement. Sighing, Cora gently left the paper on the table then stood up. 
   “Well, atleast now we have an excuse for not going through this messy paper work,” she murmured. “Let’s go find that prisoner.” 

• • • • •

   It took the pair around twenty minutes to find cell 8b on floor 16a. A thick, titanium door blocked the floor and cell from unwanted trespassers. Cora nervously glanced at Misha as they stood in front of the gate like structure. 
   “Well?,” Cora asked in equal nervousness and annoyance. “Aren’t you gonna open the door?” Misha’s  eyes widened in bewilderment and pointed at himself.
   “Me?,” he questioned. “No. Me no open door. You open door.” Cora rolled her eyes. 
   “It’s just a damn door Misha!,” grumbled Cora. Misha shook his head.
   “You open door,” he insisted. “You get killed before me.” Cora sighed, grabbing the large door handle. 
   “Fine,” she mumbled. “Let me be the man.” Misha tilted his head in confusion. Cora hesitated for a split second. “That didn’t sound right.” Misha nodded in agreement. 
   Finally, Cora pushed open up the strong, metallic door. Inside, was a small room with no furniture what so ever and one small lamp that radiated little light.
  In the center, a boy, no older than 18 sat, legs crossed. His brown hair was a little longer than a buzz cut, but still very short.  He was wearing a white jumpsuit. Blood splatters, scars, and cuts were painted across the boy’s face. The boy’s brown eyes were unfocused and lost. He had the eyes of a man who had lost everything. Like he had nothing to live for.
  When Cora and Misha entered the room, his spine straightened up and his pupils contracted. 
  “Your 5 days late,” he stated in a formal British accent. Misha glanced at Cora with concern. 
  “What you mean ‘days late’?,” Misha questioned. The boy cringed at the sound of Misha’s voice. 
   “I don’t like you Russians,” the prisoner growled. Misha’s eyes squinted at the vocal prisoner, trying to come towards the boy, but Cora put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. 
  “Who are you?,” Cora asked. The prisoner assumed a puzzled look. 
  “You’re my guard,” he challenged. “Your bring me food. You know who I am.”  
  “We not guards,” Misha cried. “I am Misha Dmitriev, new American President. This is Cora Samsara, my friend.” Cora glared at Misha. 
  “Your friend?,” she asked in an annoyed tone. “That’s low Dmitriev.” Misha rolled his eyes and shook his head. 
   “Who are you?,” Misha demanded, glaring at the prisoner. The captive squinted. 
   “New president?,” he asked. “What happened to the old president, uhh, Samsara?” Cora swallowed, hard. Thinking of her father didn’t bring back the most pleasant of memories.  
    “He’s a prisoner,” Cora replied quickly. “We’re living in a democracy again.” The stranger chuckled in an unsettling and evil like tone. 
   “It’s about time,” he murmured with a smile. “But seriously, where is my food.” Misha rolled his eyes. He already didn’t like this prisoner, but his persistence and overall annoyance made Misha want to bitch slap him. 
   “You no get food!,” Misha snapped. “Now tell us who you are!” The boy scoffed, rolling his eyes as he stood up. He wasn’t very tall for someone his age, around 5’5. And now that he was standing up, it was apparent how scrawny he was, almost to the point where his rib cage stuck out. 
    “If I tell you who I am, will I receive food?,” the prisoner ventured. 
    “Sure,” Cora grumbled, obviously not liking this new captive. “Now, a name would be nice.” 
    “Food first.” 
    “No. Name. Now. Or all bets are off.” The prisoner rolled his eyes, then muttered something unrecognizable to himself. 
    “Fine, if it will save me from dreaded starvation,” he mumbled. Pausing for a second, the boy sighed. 
     “My name is Prince Elias of England, heir to the English throne.”

I stared at the black piano. I wanted to smash it, I wanted to end its life. Everyone always said music created an escape, a new life. For me it had only brought pain. My mother loved hearing my Dad play. And then after he died she had wanted me to play. Yesterday was the last time I’d ever play. At Mom’s funeral, it felt wrong to keep playing. Who would I play for? Myself, Emily? I shook my head, no I didn’t want to play. I didn’t need to. I walked up to the piano, shutting the lid slowly covering the keys. For a while this was my escape, my second life. But that life had died with Dad and then with Mom. There was a loud knock at the front door. I stayed at the piano, I didn’t t need to answer. Who ever it was they’d understand. “Ty,” it was Emily she was crying. “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, “I ruined our friendship, and I never even loved Mason.” She paused letting out a small humorless laugh, “But I know that doesn’t mean much to you. Why would it?. . I mean I killed your hope and when you needed it most.. . I’m a terrible friend.” I shook my head, for a second I thought Emily was in the room. She wasn’t a terrible friend, she was just learning. We both were. “I just wanted to say that-” She sighed as I walked quietly over to the door, leaning my ear against it. “Oh, Ty,” she cried, “You know what I’m going to say. And it’s not even something you need to hear. . .you loved me too soon and I loved you too late. We’ll just keeping playing chase won’t we?” I don’t want to play chase. I never was. It was more like hide and seek. I was searching for Emily and she was hiding. And now I’ve almost found her, I can hear her laughter and I’m about to open up the closet door she’s hiding behind. “You know what,” she said her voice loud, “I’m going to say it. Not for you-for me.” She took a quick breath, “I love you. I love you Ty.” I lifted my ear off the door. There she was, now all I had to do was open the door. Find her, save her. I unlocked the door, slowly opening it. Emily was still in her black dress from the funeral. Her face was stained with endless tears. She let out a small happy laugh when she saw me. I knew what she was thinking, this just became like the movies. “It’s true,” she said, as I stepped out. I gave her a small smile, “It better be.” She laughed as I clasped her face between my hands, kissing her as the winter snow fell around us. It was freezing but the cold had never bothered me. I had been waiting eight years to hear those words come out of her mouth. And I would have waited more. I would have waited all my life, because all I needed was this.

In the first part of", the story comes to a close as Aurora returns to the real world and brings back with her new knowledge and experience from the mirror world. At the end of the novel, Aurora realizes that the journey she has undertaken is only the beginning. She senses there are other realities to be explored, other realms to conquer, and that she has only just scratched the surface of what the mirror world has to offer.

The first part of "The Mirror Maiden" ends on a bittersweet note. It is a moment of self-reflection for Aurora as she realizes that even though she has returned to the real world, everything she's experienced has changed her forever. She knows that her next journey is just around the corner, and that there is still much more to discover in the mirror world. This ending leaves the reader with a sense of wonder and excitement, but also a feeling of uncertainty, as the journey feels incomplete.

In the second part of "The Mirror Maiden", the story picks up where the first left off, with Aurora embarking on a new journey into the mirror world. The second part of the novel delves deeper into the complexities of the mirror world, exploring its various realities, and introducing new characters who challenge Aurora in ways she never thought possible.

As the story progresses, Aurora's journey takes her deeper into the mirror world, and she is forced to confront the dark forces that threaten to consume it. are higher, the danger is greater, and the world is more surreal and wondrous than ever before.

The second part of "The Mirror Maiden" ends with an epic final battle, where Aurora and her companions face off against the forces of darkness in a show of power and courage. At the end of it all, Aurora emerges as the true champion, having proven herself as a powerful figure who embodies all the best aspects of human nature.

The final scene brings both a sense of closure and anticipation. Aurora returns to the real world, but this time with a new sense of purpose and self-discovery. She knows that the mirror world will always be a part of her, that it holds secrets and mysteries that she will never fully comprehend. But she remains determined to continue exploring it, knowing that her journey of self-discovery is far from over.

In conclusion, "The Mirror Maiden" is a book that celebrates the power of imagination, resilience, and the human spirit. It promises a journey that is both surreal and grounded, full of wonder and mystery, and leaves the reader with a sense of excitement and adventure. With two distinct endings, the novel creates a compelling narrative that will leave readers wanting more - the perfect foundation for a two-part masterpiece.

The second part of "The Mirror Maiden" picks up where the first left off, with Aurora on a new journey of self-discovery through the mirror world. This time, however, the obstacles she faces are greater, the stakes are higher, and the darkness she must confront is even more formidable.

Throughout the second part of the novel, Aurora must navigate through the endless mazes of reality within the mirror word in order to find and defeat the shadow that threatens to consume it. She is joined by new companions who are at first hesitant to follow such a daunting task, but Aurora's unshakable determination and ins win them over, and they form a team greater than any she has known before.

As they near the conclusion of their journey, Aurora and her companions face the most dangerous adversary they have ever encountered - a nefarious entity whose power threatens to unravel the mirror world and everything in it.

The final battle is a sight to behold, full of heartbreaking moments and magical triumphs. In the midst of chaos, Aurora uses her unique abilities to rise above her limitations and become the champion that the mirror world needs. Yet, there are losses too as her companions make hard choices that remind us that stakes are high in such an adventure.

In the end, Aurora stands victorious amidst the debris of the battlefields, her spirit and soul embodying everything that the mirror world has to offer. She stares out over the horizon, wind whipping her hair and cloak, knowing her mission was successfully accomplished. She is the Mirror Maiden, and she has single-handedly saved the mirror world.

As she looks out into the vastness of the mirror world, she realizes that there is still much to explore, to discover, to love, and to exist for. The mirror world will always hold secrets and stories that she will never fully comprehend, but she will continue to explore them in wonder and excitement.

In conclusion part of "The Mirror Maiden" is a fitting conclusion to the journey that the first part. It is a powerful narrative that captures the imagination of readers, celebrating the resilience of the human spirit and our innate longing for self-discovery. The Mirror Maiden's journey has rightfully become a two-part masterpiece, leaving the reader filled with a mix of sadness and anticipation for future adventures.

Brady woke up early the next morning and realized that for the first time maybe in his life, he felt no tension, no anxiety. He turned his head and watched Mimi sleeping next to him, her face so serene and so beautiful. He couldn’t believe how much time the two of them had wasted in trying to stay away from each other, when all the stars had always been aligned to force them together. He rolled over and snuggled up next to her, and she stretched then looked over at him.

“You’re awake.” She smiled at him and then kissed him on the nose. “I love you, Brady.”

“I adore you, Mimi. I was just thinking how much your dad and my Aunt Mattie would love the fact that we figured out what they had known all along.”

“What’s that?”

“That no matter where we wandered, no matter how far afield we went, we would always find our way back to each other. I feel like I am really, truly home, Mimi.”

White as freshly laid snow the sky kissed the ice with a thin blue line. Silver pipelines carrying water snaked above the ice. Scarred orange hovertrains carrying workers and elements crisscrossed the pipes. On Harleys, Security Chief TwoAxes and Detective Hatchett waited at The Piper Junction entrance. “You good Axe?” “Why, we’ve worked with the Bureau on kidnappings among the triads. Is there something you know about the Buchanans, Benji, that you’re not telling me?” “Babe I’m an open book. I was talking about the ride. There’s no artificial sky at the mining colony. No fluffy clouds no twinkly stars, the lack of natural cues can make humans kinda … screwy. You could assign Journey or one of the other Androids” She soothed his worries with a swift kiss. Myrtle kickstarted her bike and roared into the white. Alpha Colony disappeared behind them as the Badlands crested in over the horizon.