The music at the end of this song is so touching for the end of the this chapter. I myself almost cried.
-----------------------------------------------------The sound of men shouting and metal clanging against metal filled Saphira's ears as she burst through the door at the top of the stairs. The sight that she behold was absolute horror and chaos. Knights and Vomika fought one another. Men on both sides lay scattered over the deck, dead.

Saphira felt hot tears against her cheeks. Her whole life has just been turned upside down. She wanted to run away and hide, escape from the realm and all its problems. She wished she was a little child again able to be wrapped up in her Mothers arms and told that everything was going to be okay... but it wasn't. Her Mother! Did she know about this? Obviously, she knew that Saphira was adopted, but did she know of her dreadful past? Did she believe that Snyder was suppose to kill her one day?

Saphira was jolted from her thinking as a man with Vomika armor came running towards her with a double headed axe raised to strike her. Her eyes widened in terror as she shrieked loudly. She raised the hem on her ripped dress as she took off running. Not a moment later, the Vomika fell to the ground dead behind her.

Saphira looked up in fear at the Knight who had just saved her. "Sir Dunling!" she cried out gratefully. "You saved my life!"

Sir Dunling knelt down besides his Princess. "You need to get off this ship, my lady." His eyes stared into hers. "There's someone that needs you badly at the castle."

Saphira went limp. He wasn't talking about Snyder, was he? She quickly glanced around trying to find Mike and a way off this ship, she just prayed he wasn't among those bodies on the ground. After a couple minutes of searching faces, she finally spotted him staring off into space while sitting on the decks floor with his left hand clenching his right upper arm. She dashed over to him.

"Micah!" She threw her arms around him thankful that he was safe. "We've got to get off this ship," she told him. "Where's Briar and Priella?" She glanced around some more until she caught the top of light brown hair sticking up from over the edge of a boat. "Come on!" She pulled Mike to his feet and dragged him along. "We've got to save Snyder!"

The two teens made it to the boat which held the servant girl and unconscious Dark Being. Saphira shoved Mike into the boat and climbed inside, just before a knife cut threw the rope and sent their boat dropping straight down to the water depths. A splash of water showered every single one of them in the boat awaken Priella with a start and bringing Mike back to the present.

"What's going on?" Priella asked.

"Saphira, are you alright?" Mike questioned right after her.

"There's no time!" Saphira responded, trying to stay calm while grabbing an oar. "Come on! Someone else give me a hand." She rowed a few times by herself before Brair finally grabbed the other oar and helped her row to shore.

"What are we doing?" Priella asked again. "How long was I out?"

"An hour, no more," Briar replied. "I stayed in the boat with you to keep you safe from the attack."

"Attack?" Priella nearly shouted shocked. "What exactly happened while I was asleep?"

"Nothing really happened," Mike informed her, the spark in his eyes never returning. "The Knights attacked the Vomika, and we escaped."

Briar stopped rowing for a moment to look at Mike. He raised his glance to meet her stare. She knew. He could lie to the others about what he had done, but she knew. How long would he allow himself to be a slave for what he has done before facing it? Would he ever tell the others?

Saphira's arms slowly stopped rowing as she began to think of everything that Malak had told her. Her parents have been lying to her for years! Were they ever going to tell her the truth? Or was her father just going to murder Snyder without Saphira ever knowing so that the prophesy could never have taken place? And what about Snyder? She didn't even know if he was okay, let alone if he was still alive. But her twin? Snyder, the Prince of the Dark Kingdom was her brother. It would explain why Snyder never did anything drastic like she would expect a Dark Being to do, but did that also mean that she herself also had darkness inside of her? Was she capable of doing something so vial that she could be classified as half dark?

It all hit her like a brick wall. She wanted to cry. She wanted to weep. But she wouldn't. She would keep it in until the time was right.

Priella extended a hand towards her. "Let me," she said softly.

Saphira turned her head towards Priella and away from the dark waters that she had been staring into. "What?" she asked, not fully understand what Priella was meaning.

"Let me row for a bit," the Dark Being said more clearly.

Saphira hadn't even realized that she had stopped rowing. She graciously handed the oar over to the girl willing to lighten Saphira's load for a few moments.

They all rode in silence until their boat hit shore.

Saphira, Briar, and Mike were the first ones out of the boat. It took Priella a minute to find the courage and remember that the ground would not hurt her- even though it was different then at home.

"Lets go bring Snyder back," Saphira told her friends before rushing into the forest headed for her kingdom. At the rate of having no horses and running on foot, the time set to arrive at the castle appeared to be so many miles away.

The crack of Arie's light painted the morning sky. It hit Priella so hard that it stung all over, but she pressed on. She would find Snyder and she would bring him home safely.

The castle finally came into view over the hill that they rapidly raced up. Saphira's heart pounded at the thought of getting close to Snyder, but still being so far away. She just wanted to know that he was okay. That her father had not done anything harmful to him.

As they approached the castle gates, Saphira began to quicken her pace. The others had begun to slow down after a few minutes of running as their legs grew weary, but Saphira never stopped for more than a minute. She was determined to save her brother.

Priella came to a slow halt as the others raced inside the castle gates. Mike slowed down when he realized she was not with them. He turned around to see her standing at the edge of the village.

"Priella, what are you doing? Come on!" He called to her and gestured for her to follow.

She smiled and slowly shook her head. "This is as far as I go, my friend."

Mike looked perplexed. "What do you mean?" He swiftly strode up beside her. "You want to save Snyder don't you?"

Priella sighed and lowered her head. "Of course I do! More than anything!" She paused. "But I cannot enter your village. If someone sees me, I will be taken. What good will I be if you have to rescue both of us?"

Mike lowered his gaze down to the ground. "No. Surely there is some way you can come into the castle without getting spotted."

Priella shook her head. "Your people will begin to awaken soon. Who knows what they'll do if they find their enemy in their kingdom?"

"You are not our enemy!" Mike tried to fix.

Priella closed her eyes. "You know what I meant." With a heavy heart, she placed a hand on Mike's shoulder. "Just bring him back to me."

But Mike still refused. "No!" He gripped her hand and pulled her inside the village. He sprinted through the village practically dragging Priella behind. He noticed a cloak lying outside on someones porch drying. He quickly snatched it up and placed it around Priella's shoulders.

"Mike, what are you doing?" Priella shouted in a whisper.

"If were all going to save Snyder," Mike began. "Then you're going to be right beside us."

"But you can't just steal someones cloak!" she argued. Mike didn't respond. They both sprinted into the castle without being spotted.

"We need to find Saphira and Briar," Mike whispered to her. "We'll start in the court chamber. That's usually where the King and Queen spend their day."

Saphira ran through the open doors of the court chamber to see her Mother sitting in the Queens chair- it looked exactly like the Kings wooden chair, only smaller. Saphira was alone. She had told Briar to start searching the castle for Snyder.

"Mother," Saphira could barely say.

Aithusa leaped from her seat. "Saphira?" She covered her hand with her mouth and sprinted towards her baby. Her and her daughter embraced each other with warm arms. "I was so worried!" her Mother whispered in her ear. "I thought you were..." She couldn't finish the sentence.

Saphira pulled away from her Mother, tears glistening in her Mothers eyes. She finally had the chance to ask the question that had been eating at her soul. "Did you know?"

Aithusa narrowed her brow in confusion. "Well, that depends, Saphira. I know a lot of things."

Saphira swallowed a lump in her throat. "Did you know about my past before you adopted me?"

Aithusa's face froze. "What on earth are you talking about, Dear? I don't know where you got that idea, but you are not-"

"Father told me," Saphira interrupted. And those three words was enough to make Aithusa's heart drop.

"He-he told you?" she asked in unbelief. "Why would he do that?"

"Well, yes and no," her daughter replied. "Malak, the Vomika who kidnapped me, he told me."

Aithusa stood up straight in a Queen position. "What he said was wrong. He lied to you!" She threw her hands up in frustration. "You are my daughter! You were never adopted! Whatever this Malak guy told you, he said to confuse you."

Saphira backed away. "But, Father said-"

"Your Father lied to you as well," Aithusa tried to reason with her. "What did the Vomika say to you that you believed to be true?"

Saphira lowered her head to the ground for a quick second before raising it again. "He told me that Prince Snyder of the Dark Kingdom was my twin brother."

Aithusa gasped. "And you actually believed him?" She shook her head. "That is absurd! You are my daughter! I gave birth to you sixteen years ago!"

Saphira didn't know how to feel. Afraid that her Father would lie to her, or ashamed that her Mother would? "No, Mother," Saphira said tenderly. "You are the one that os lying."

Her Mother caught her tongue. "What'd you say?"

Saphira sighed deeply. "You were never really good at lying, Mother. It's not in you blood."

Aithusa suddenly went limp. She stepped back over to her chair and fell into it. "When did you find out?" her Mother finally admitted.

A tear escaped from Saphira's eyes. Half of her wished that Aithusa had been telling the truth. "A couple hours ago." She stepped a little closer to her Mother. "Why did you lie about it?"

Aithusa looked up into her daughters eyes. "Oh, Sweetie, I'm so sorry!" She couldn't help but feel guilty. "I just wanted you to have a normal life. Growing up and going through life believing that your Father and I were your biological parents."

Saphira couldn't help but feel anger towards her Mother. "Why?" she asked sternly. "Why did you allow Father to murder my parents?"

Aithusa sighed and shook her head. "Oh, Honey, you got it all wrong." She stood to her feet and began stepping back up towards Saphira, who only backed away some more. "I never wanted Edwin to kill your parents." She paused. "Your Mother, Freya, was my sister."

Saphira's eyes grew wide. Aithusa continued, "I, too, was once in love with a Dark Being. But for the sake of my kingdom, I learned to let him go. Freya, however, did not."

Saphira was becoming even more confused by the minute. "So, you are my Aunt?"

Aithusa nodded. "That I am." Saphira didn't know how to respond. "But I still love you very much! As if I did give birth to you. And your Father loves you too!"

Saphira narrowed her eyes in anger. "No, you don't. How can you?" This took her Mother by surprise. "If you truly loved me you would have let me be! You would have never taken me from my real Mother. Your sister, mine and Snyder's Mother, would still be alive!"

"I know you're upset," Aithusa said. "I miss my little sister with each passing day. I do not hate you Father for what he did, but nor do I praise him for it. But it was my sisters own fault for marrying a Dark Being in the first place."

Saphira tried her best to keep her mouth closed. Fury coursed through her body like a stream of gushing water. "Where is he, Mother?"

Aithusa's face showed no expression. "He is in the dungeon." Saphira turned to run out of the chamber, but Aithusa spoke once more. "I wouldn't be surprised if you find him dead, Dear!"

Saphira stopped in her track. "Is Snyder or I the first born?"

Aithusa folded her hands in front of her. "Snyder is, Darling. You are the youngest out of the two of you."

Saphira wiped a tear from her eye before running out. She had to get to him, she just had to.

She ran into Mike and Priella in the hall way as she sprinted towards the dungeon. She almost knocked Mike over as she brushed up against him.

"Did you find him?" Mike asked. Priella prayed that she did.

Saphira shook her head. "No, but I have a pretty good idea." Priella and Mike exchanged glances before running down the halls after the Princess.

They met up with Briar right beside the steps that led down to the dark dungeon.

"Well?" Saphira asked Briar. When Briar didn't seem to understand her, she continued speaking. "Is he down there?"

"Oh!" Briar exclaimed, finally understand. "I'm not sure. I haven't gone down yet."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Priella asked. She threw off the cloak that had been wrapped around her clothing and marched down the steps. It didn't take too long before the others followed her.

The dungeon was split up into two sections. A left corridor and a right corridor.

"You and Briar take the right," Saphira told Priella, pointing towards the right corridor. "Mike and I will take left. We'll find him faster that way."

Priella nodded her head once in agreement before heading off down the right corridor with Briar behind her. They tag teamed searching in the cells.

"Lets go find him," Mike said with a grin. Saphira grinned back slightly before rushing down the left corridor. They did the same as Priella and Briar and tag teamed the cells.

After Saphira's fourth cell, she finally noticed a body lying on the cobble ground at the back of the cell. They didn't move and inch. Saphira smiled at the thought of it being him. She didn't know if he was alive or well, but it had to be him.

"He's over here!" she screamed. "He's over here!" Tears began to thicken her tone and she could no longer cry out.

Within seconds, every one was standing beside her at the cell door.

"Open it!" Briar told her anxiously.

"I can't," Saphira replied. She tugged on the bars. "It's locked. I couldn't open it even if I wanted to."

"How will we get in?" Mike asked.

"Perhaps with these!"

All the teens turned to their left to notice Queen Aithusa standing there with a pair of keys dangling from her grasp.

Saphira snatched the keys from her hand and thrust them in the lock. It turned easily and the cell door swung open. Saphira was the first one inside followed by Priella, Briar, and then Mike.

Saphira knelt down beside the body and knew it was him as she turned him over on to his back, his head resting in her lap. Tears poured from her eyes and down her cheeks. The same as Priella when she sat down across from Saphira on Snyder's right.

Saphira caressed his cold cheek tenderly. "It's going to be okay," she whispered to him.

Snyder never moved, he never made a sound, his skin was ice to the touch, his eyes were closed to appear like they would never open again, a dark bruise formed around his neck where a great force had squeezed him tightly.

"Who did this?" Saphira asked her Mother, the tears making her voice almost inaudible.

Queen Aithusa could hardly hold back her own tears. "You Father did. I tried to get him to stop. Snyder was barely alive with he was thrown in here."

"We must save him!" Priella shouted in a whisper. "He cannot die. He cannot!"

Saphira bent down and placed her forehead on her brothers. "Wake up," she whispered in his ear. "I'm going to need you to wake up. Please!" She sniffed back a sob. "Priella needs you, Snyder." Another sniff. "I need you." A single tear fell from her nose and on to his cheek. "Come on, big brother! Please don't leave me!"

Saphira pushed her arm underneath his back to pull him into a hug. She didn't want to let him go. She never wanted to release him. She loved him like a brother before, and now, she really could.

Snyder suddenly took in a deep breath of air before hacking and coughing. Every ones eyes lit up.

Saphira pushed him a little ways from her so he could breathe clearly. She patted him on the back lightly. "That's it! That's it! Just take it slow," she encouraged him.

Once Snyder had nothing left inside to cough, Priella threw her arms around his neck. "I thought I'd lost you," she whispered to him.

He smiled. "You're not getting away from me that easily." His voice came out raw and hoarse.

"Shh," Priella shushed him. "Don't speak."

When she pulled away, he turned his gaze to the one who rested his head on her lap. Saphira's bright blue eyes peered down at him with a smile showing her radiant teeth.

Snyder chuckled. "Never thought I'd see that smile of yours again." At that comment, her smile grew wider. He reached up and softly touched her cheek.

Briar, herself, gave Snyder a quick hug, but Mike was too manly to be giving hugs to other men.

Snyder looked over at him. "I saw you wiping those eyes," Snyder joked.

Mike couldn't help but smile and chuckle. "Good to see you back with the living, my friend." He reached out and shook Snyder's frail, weak hand. All Snyder did was nod his head.

Saphira lifted Snyder's head up to her shoulder so she could give him a real hug. As she cried into his shoulder, she wished nothing more then to see her brother fully healed, and with a little help from Peter, maybe everything could go back to being great once more. But she would never separate herself from her brother ever again.