Book 1: Gemaris Island

Chapter 11: The Dividing Mirror

Ora had changed her outfit for the last time that day. She wanted to get all dressed up for the theater performance that night. Although, Amien had mixed feelings about Ora using potential costumes as outfits for herself. "What if you get them dirty?" he would warn her, but she just rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to roll around in the mud with a fancy evening dress, she told Amien.

Fancy was an understatement.

Ora's dress looked like something out of a story. If there was a story called "Queen of the Golden Eagles," Ora would be the main character in her dress. It was very gold. It made Ora look like the inside of a treasure chest. But the skirt was made out of dark gold feathers, huge like an eagle's. It trailed behind her on the ground and made her glow in the dim light of the street lanterns. Ora let her curly blonde hair dance in the wind like a cascading waterfall of golden feathers. Pinned on the side of her head was a beautiful decoration of pale gold leaves and pearls. Pearls, the gem of Gemaris island. Ora also wore a pair of dangly earrings that had come with the costume. They resembled chandeliers, the kind that seemed like shimmering rain pouring down from the heavens. And finally, to shield herself from the cold night breeze, she had a floor-length shawl that sparkled in the moonlight like a web covered in dew. And of course, this web had many golden feathers stuck to it.

"Do you have to wear such a flashy dress?" Amien complained, rolling his eyes at her.

"Do you have to dress like a pirate?" she shot back at him, still mad at him.

"It's comfortable," he objected.

"So is this," Ora shrugged, her hands on her feathered hips.

"There is no way that is comfortable. You look like you got attacked by a flock of giant goldfinch birds!" Amien said, his jaw hanging open in disbelief.

"It's comfortable, alright?" Ora whined, leaning forward.

"You know we still have to walk there, right?" Amien told her, pointing to the long road ahead of them.

"I can walk in this!" Ora shouted.

"We'll see," Amien mumbled.

Of course, Ora had to lift her dress to walk without tripping over it. However, she held the skirt up elegantly, like a queen, and Amien failed to find any fault in her step.

The sun had finally made contact with the trees in the west, but it was still setting too slowly for Amien. He wanted to get this theater performance over with so that they could talk to Cosmos, their only other ally. Ora, on the other hand, wanted to enjoy every second of their leisurely stroll. She loved Gemaris Island. Part of her wanted to stay there forever, living with Marietta, performing theater stories every week, and going to Gemaris Cathedral and the cafe every afternoon. Unfortunately, all of Ora's daydreaming and sightseeing was interrupted by her anger towards Amien. He was by far the most irritating person she had ever met. Besides the king of course, but then again, she didn't really know the king as well as she knew Amien.

And that troubled her.

Ora was trying to overthrow a king whom she knew less about than a man she had only known for a few hours. Was she doing the right thing?

I mean, I know a lot of the things the king has done. I know...I know...

Her mind went blank. The cold night breeze nipped through her thin sleeves, making her shrink into herself.

I may not know him as a person, but he's not a good king. He needs to be stopped. He needs to be.

Ora's anger had quickly melted into worry and even regret. She wrapped her giant shawl tighter around herself, furrowing her eyebrows.

Amien sensed that something was wrong with her, and he silently debated whether he should say something or not. But as soon as he worked up his courage and opened his mouth, they came across a row of houses.

They immediately recognized them. The little white and blue houses were identical to the ones in Amien and Marietta's neighborhood. There was even a stone clearing, exactly like the one on the other side of the river. Ora looked up to see if there was a clock tower, too, and there was. And in every yard was a small pink blossom tree.

"Are we...back home?" Amien whispered so quietly that Ora almost didn't hear him.

He began glancing around for his house, but didn't see it.

"We didn't cross any bridge...we're still on the other side of the river," Ora told him, looking around with uncertainty. She didn't know why she called it the "other side" of the river. Perhaps it was because she had felt so at home on the side with Marietta's Studio and Gemaris Cathedral.

"It's identical," Amien remarked, barely speaking. "Identical to my neighborhood."

"I know," Ora said in disbelief, still gazing up at the clocktower, which read half past seven.

After gaping in silence for a bit, Ora suddenly began questioning Amien, her jarring voice startling him.

"Amien! How did you not know about this?"

"...What?" he replied, confused.

"This side of the island, I mean! Have you really never been here?" Ora asked accusingly, furrowing her eyebrows.

Why was she so angry at him?

"I've only ever crossed the bridge to visit Park Sway!" Amien told her, crossing his arms tightly. "And that was a long time ago, when I was a child. I've stayed in my little neighborhood for as long as I can remember, and I only visit the city."

Ora listened intently as Amien gave her the smallest glimpse into his past. Why did he stop coming to Park Sway and why did he never explore the other side of Unity Bridge? Was it because of the "great divide" that the keeper of the Gem Shop had mentioned? But Amien had never known about that.

"Wait," Ora suddenly said.

Amien didn't say anything, but his face said, "What do you want now?"

"Why have you never explored any of the other islands, using your own Mirror Gates that you invented?" Ora asked, pointing at Amien.

He stared at the ground and kicked a pebble in response, then mumbled, "I did use the Mirror Gate when I had to attend the big theater contest for the crown of course."

But then, Ora added, "And why wouldn't you let me tell the shopkeeper that you invented the Mirror Gates? Don't you want people to know the truth? Everyone's giving credit to Lindo Que for the gates, when you're the one who made them! And you have no problem with being ignored in this unjust way?"

Amien's head shot up and his blue eyes completely silenced Ora. She thought that he was going to start yelling at her to stop talking about it. But he didn't.

He looked back down at the pebble he had kicked and said, "Because when Lindo Que took all the credit for them, I just grew...resentful. I disowned my creation. No big deal."

This was bewildering to Ora, but the more she thought about it, the less it made sense to her.

"You...disowned your creation?" she repeated, making it sound ridiculous.

"I didn't want to have anything to do with it anymore," Amien murmured, his hands in his pockets.

"You disowned your creation...why? It's not like it betrayed you! This is Lindo Que's fault, not yours and not your creation's fault!"

"I didn't say it was my fault!" Amien said, raising his voice. "But who was going to believe a nobody like me over the head advisor of the Twelve Islands? Obviously Lindo Que was going to get the credit whether I did anything or not! Except this way, I don't look like a fool trying to steal credit from a noble!"

"But you wouldn't be stealing the credit!" Ora exclaimed.

"But nobody would believe me!" Amien was shouting now. "Everyone would think that I'm the thief, not Lindo! I just explained it to you! Are you even listening to what I'm saying or are you too focused on winning the argument to even care about what actually matters, Ora?"

Ora knew what a stubborn person she was. Yet, despite her constant desire to be right and never swayed, she always seemed to find it difficult to hold grudges against people she cared about.

But did she care about Amien? Of course not. He obviously didn't care about her. All he cared about was finding stupid Diamond the Willow Wanderer. His silly crystal ball told him that Ora would help find Diamond. So he was using her. That's all he was doing. He didn't care.

The girl felt her hands clenching up. If she didn't control herself, Ora knew she was going to lose it right then and there. But Amien was her only ally, for Ora didn't trust Cosmos. She had no other choice, and that infuriated her. All she wanted in that moment was to be rid of Amien. Who cared about dethroning the king? Maybe he wasn't even that bad after all. Maybe Diamond had made him paranoid, and this really was all her fault. Maybe Cosmos was right. Either way, Ora didn't care about the king for a short second, only about running away from the heartless pirate who towered before.

Feeling her face heating up, Ora quickly whipped around and buried her face in her hands, feeling the warm tears escaping her eyes.

I won't be weak in front of him, she thought, removing her hands from her face and breathing heavily.

Amien couldn't see that Ora was crying, but he was still regretting what he had just said. Clearly, Ora was just trying to help, but even when she was trying to help, she had to make an argument out of everything.

Unbearable, he thought.

That's when Ora noticed that she was facing the river...the river that was supposedly named after Unity, and yet was dividing. The river that seemed to be a mirror between the two sides of the island. Both sides had identical neighborhoods. Both sides loved theater stories, although everyone in the Twelve Islands loved theater stories. One side had a Divination House where people could find out what their most prominent character trait was. The other side had a fountain where people could discover what their strongest virtue was. People on both halves of the island loved riding rowboats on the river, but not at the same time.

How can a mirror be so dividing? Ora wondered.

And yet, so many times in life, Ora had looked in a mirror herself, and had felt so far from what was on the side of it.

The quiet, miserable wizard, who had turned his back to Ora to collect his thoughts, stuck his hand in his pockets, sighing.

Then he noticed how empty his pockets were.

Amien immediately began searching every pocket in his trench coat, and then every pocket in his pants. Then the pirate tore off his jacket and began shaking it, and patting down every piece of his clothing violently.

Ora noticed his desperate movements and also realized that she had never seen him without his dark, brutish jacket. Amien was wearing a black vest and under it, a nice white shirt that made him look slightly more like a gentleman. Simply taking off his jacket made him much more likely to fit in at an evening theater performance at the elegant Opera House. Ora decided that she would make him attend the performance in that shirt and vest, since she didn't want either of them to get a reputation.

Finally, Ora asked the desperate pirate what he was doing.

"I can't find the wanted poster of Diamond," he quietly said.

Wow, Ora thought. He really was obsessed with her.

"Do we really need it?" Ora asked, trying to sound calm. "We know what she looks like, don't we?"

"That's not the point. If someone saw it fall out of my pocket, they'll...they'll know."

Now Amien started to panic, and Ora realized the gravity of the situation.

"I mean...maybe they'll think you just wanted the poster...just to know what she looks like, in case you see her!" Ora said, struggling to make a sensible excuse.

Amien finally threw his jacket on the ground.

"I can't find it. It's not here. And there are no holes in my pockets. Someone must have stolen it," Amien said, hanging his head back.

"You mean a pickpocket?"

"There are no pickpockets on Gemaris. Well, at least not on my side of the river, I guess," Amien rubbed the back of his neck, pacing frantically.

"Well, if it wasn't a pickpocket, then who was it?" Ora asked, holding her hands up.

"Someone who suspected us," Amien muttered. "Someone who's onto us."

"Sir Grenton!" Ora immediately exclaimed.

"But he didn't have a chance to grab it after I crossed the river. We weren't in any crowds and we only encountered about two people? Plus those kids."

"Are you sure you had it before you crossed the river?" Ora asked.

"Yes. And after. It was either one of the kids at Park Sway, the man at Wayward Fountain, or the guy at the Gem Shop. It couldn't have been anyone else," Amien said, stopping and looking around anxiously.

"It probably wasn't one of the kids," Ora shook her head. "They didn't seem like the mischievous type."

Amien pursed his lips and exhaled.

"Look, we'll just explain to whomever finds it that we wanted the poster to remember what Diamond looks like. So that if we saw her, we could report her and have her arrested," Ora said, shrugging.

"I mean...that's the only thing we can do," he said, putting his fist to his forehead.

They stood in silence for a while, trying to remain calm. Then Ora remembered Amien's outfit and the theater performance and she began beaming.

"Amien! I have an idea! You need a disguise!" she whispered, excitedly. "If someone is really after us, then you need to blend in with the crowd! Your style is too noticeable. I mean, your the only person I've seen who dresses like a pirate."

Master Amien opened his mouth to object, but he reminded himself that Ora was just trying to help. And she was right. On the innocent island of Gemaris, where people wore white in the bright light of day, he definitely stood out in his black, gloomy pirate outfit.

"If you want to fit in at the theater performance tonight at the Opera House, you're going to have to wear something...elegant. And...sophisticated," Ora said, still smiling with glee.

"PiratesAREsophisticatedthankyouverymuch," Amien rambled, picking up his jacket from the stony ground.

"Right, I just meant, something that the Opera House would find sophisticated," Ora assured him, trying not to offend.

"I know. I know. You're right," he muttered, hating to admit it.

"Well, then my work here is done, because all I was trying to do was prove that I'm right," Ora immediately shot back, placing her hands on her hips.

Master Amien glared at her, but then he slowly smiled.

"You know. I'm not sure we can blend in with that eye-catching dress of yours," he mentioned, still grinning.

"It doesn't matter. I look so different from how I did before, that no pickpocket or palace guard will recognize me!" she smiled, holding her arms out at her sides like a dancer.

Amien scratched his face, looking away from her.

"So am I going to wear one of the millions of costumes you bought?" he asked, bending down to open his bag of infinite space.

"Yes. I have the perfect suit for you," she smiled, hurrying over to kneel in front of the bag.

Except, she realized that she had never retrieved anything from Amien's magic bag, only from her own suitcase.

"How do you find things in here?" she asked, looking up from the confusing magic bag.

Amien pursed his lips, seeming to hold back a smile. Suddenly, he pulled the bag up and over Ora's head, causing her to shriek in surprise.

She threw her hands over her mouth, and opened her eyes to find herself...in the bag.

It was huge. It was as if Ora was in a gigantic tent made out of the same material as Amien's black bag. And in this "tent" was all of Ora's costumes as well as Amien's belongings: his crystal ball, some food, even a bed. He really had packed his whole house.

"Amien! This is amazing!" she shouted, not knowing if he could hear Ora or not.

But she heard his muffled voice cry out, "Yes, I know! Just hurry up! We don't have all night!"

Ora bit her lip in excitement and hurried over to a pile of costumes on the floor of the bag.

We need a closet or something to organize these, she thought. Amien just threw them all over the floor. Or...in the bag, I guess.

After a bit of searching, Ora found the outfit she was looking for: it was a simple midnight blue tuxedo with a white shirt and a white silk bow tie. The vest it came with was also milky white, and there was a golden pocket watch which had its chain hanging out of one of the pockets. It was simply stunning. Although Ora had noticed that the people of Gemaris seemed to love wearing light colors, this dark blue suit was perfect for a night at the theater.

Ora Ember hugged the suit in her arms, then looked around in confusion.

"Amien? How do I get out of here?" she called out.

"Find the opening where you came from! It's on the ground! Then grab the handles and pull them over your head!" he replied.

She did just that and found herself back on the streets of Gemaris, with a bag hanging over her head and the suit resting over her shoulder.

"That was so cool!" she whispered.

"I know," he said, knowingly. He grabbed the suit from her and observed it with an unsure face.

"How do you get your bed into that small bag though?" Ora asked, pointing.

"I can make the opening as big as I want. It's a very useful spell that I learned, isn't it?" he said, proudly.

"And it makes a great hiding place! Nobody would ever think to find us in a bag!"

Amien's happy expression quickly turned to worry.

"You know. If it comes to that," Ora muttered, shrugging.

"I hope it won't," Amien said sternly. "I don't want to run or hide."

Ora didn't know what to say, but finally asked, "Even before we find Diamond?"

"Especially before we find Diamond. We have to keep moving if we want to find her, and hiding or running away won't help anything," Amien said, his eyes turning dark and serious again.

Ora just nodded silently before amien disappeared into the bag to change out of his suit.

The next few minutes consisted of Amien complaining about his new outfit and asking if he really had to wear it, even though he knew he needed a "disguise." It's not like my face will be covered, he thought. Every time Amien criticized the suit, Ora just yelled back something witty and sometimes offensive. "That suit can make even you look distinguished, you pirate!" she muffled her giggles with her hand as Amien threw an even worse insult right back at her.

"You know I don't wear my pirate outfit to stand out, right? People who are desperate for attention are people who put on giant gold dresses with eagle feathers all over them!" he yelled.

At one point, he poked his head out of the bag on the ground, making Ora scream in horror. And that sent Amien into a fit of snickers.

After a break from the insults, Ora grew impatient.

"Amien! What's taking you so long?" she yelled down at the bag. "Have you worn your pirate outfit for so long that you don't know how to navigate your way through any other piece of clothing?"

"I can't find the opening of the bag! Oh! Here it is!" his muffle voice replied.

Ora couldn't help but chuckle again.

When Amien emerged from the bag, Ora gasped, surprised by his transformation. He looked like a completely different person. And the neat suit made him look so slim compared to his billowing trench coat that danced in the wind as he walked. Amien actually looked like a gentleman. He had even taken off his rings and little black earrings.

Ora smiled, pointed with her hands and exclaimed, "You look so-"

"Can you people stop your shouting?" a loud voice came from one of the small houses. A middle-aged man in a black suit was standing in a doorway, the yellow light from his house shining behind him.

"Sorry!" Amien and Ora shouted, laughing.

"What are you even doing anyway?" the man asked, seeing that the young man and woman seemed to be dressed for a ball.

Amien looked at Ora, expecting her to come up with an excuse.

"We're just laughing!" she responded, shrugging at the stranger.

Amien facepalmed, realizing he should have covered for them. His reaction, though, caused Ora to spit out another laugh into her arm. And now Amien wanted to start laughing again. He had never felt so immature as an adult.

"What are you laughing about?"

This time, it was a tall girl asking. She appeared from behind the man in the doorway in a sparkly lavender dress.

Amien stopped snickering completely and turned serious.

"Nothing," he said, straightening up. "We're just getting ready to go to the theater performance at the Opera House. You two look like you will be attending. Is that correct?"

Amien's really getting into his part, Ora thought. He was even speaking somewhat eloquently.

"Yes," the ebony-haired girl replied, showing her small white teeth. "My father and I have front row seats."

"Really?" Amien asked, raising his eyebrows.

Ora looked at him, her narrowed eyes showing confusion. He was holding one hand behind his back while the other waved around as he spoke.

"May I ask why?" he said, with a curious face. "Besides the fact that a lovely lady like yourself deserves a front row seat!"

What? Ora thought. Is Amien really trying to be charming on top of everything else?

The girl's jaw dropped, but then she let out a quiet laugh. Her father didn't seem to react at Amien's comment at all

"Is this your date?" she suddenly asked, pointing to Ora.

"What, Eleanor? No! She's just my sister!" Amien laughed, throwing his arm around Ora's shoulder in a very brotherly way.

Your sister?! Ora screamed in her head. Alright, then. Nobody is going to fall for that. Although, I suppose we do fight like siblings.

"We're going to the performance together, because she didn't have anyone to go with!" Amien exclaimed, beaming as he waved his hand around some more.

"Oh, how kind of you!" the girl replied. "You know, I'm sure we can find room in the front row for you two, if you don't have any seats!"

"No, thank you!" Ora immediately called to her, turning to leave.

"Nonsense!" Amien pulled her back with one arm. "Eleanor and I would love to join you in the front! After all, who could refuse front row seats, especially next to you, my lady?"

The girl giggled again and eagerly asked her father if they could join them in the front. The stern-looking man, who had a large forehead, a thin mouth, and striking green eyes, just nodded.

"Thank you, Father!" she replied, hugging his arm. After her father murmured something to her, she abruptly glided down the front steps to Amien.

Ora quietly sighed, picking up Amien's bag and her own suitcase. He was obviously going to escort the girl, so his hands were full.

"How did you get such good seats?" Amien asked the lady, who had taken his arm in hers.

"My father is a very good friend of Advisor Hurt. You know, the head advisor of Gemaris Island? He meets with the king often, and so we will be sitting by him during the performance!" the lady smiled, her emerald eyes shimmering under her dark, wavy hair.

"That's...amazing," Amien replied, his smile shrinking, but still existent.

"My name's Jida by the way. And you are?"

Amien opened his mouth, struggling to think of a fake name.

"Doob! His name's Doob," Ora quickly replied. Now it was her turn to smile. "Doob" was a much more embarrassing name than "Eleanor." And Amien knew it, as he shot a menacing glare straight at Ora.

But Jida just smiled, without laughing at all.

"Doob it is!" Jida said, nodding.

Her flowy purple dress really contrasted with Ora's bright sunny yellow one. It shimmered like a lagoon in the moonlight. Even though the golden glimmer from the streetlamps brought Ora's dress to life, she suddenly felt invisible in the presence of the new gentleman whom she herself had created.

"So, has your father ever met the king?" Amien asked Jida, remembering what his actual mission was.

"Oh no!" she laughed. "Nobody ever meets the king except his advisors and guards, really."

"I see," Amien said, facing the path in front of him as they strolled along towards the theater.

Now that the last drop of daylight had been soaked up by the night sky, the stars were opening their eyes. The moon hit the cherry blossom trees with a cold blue light, turning them purple, just like Jida's dress. Ora noticed that Jida's father was following them, keeping his distance. He seemed sour, as if he was trying to mask exhaustion, but perhaps his face was just cursed to look like that. His black suit was very simple, but he walked as if his power and wealth made up for everything.

Ora decided to make herself useful and approach the unapproachable father.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm...Eleanor," she said, remembering her fake name.

She held out her hand to shake his.

After glancing sideways at her with his dark green eyes, he finally took her hand and even smiled.

"Pleasure. My name is Professor Herrick," he said, nodding.

"You're a professor?" Ora asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes. I teach at the Unicorn Statue almost everyday," the man called Herrick said, sounding proud but looking unphased.

"The Unicorn Statue?"

Was there such a thing?

"Oh, you've never heard of it? You two must not be from Gemaris. People go worship and learn at the Unicorn Statue all the time," the professor observed, narrowing his green eyes.

"We're from the other side of the river," Ora quickly explained, pointing to the dark, glassy river which was now filled with stars and moonlight.

Professor Herrick raised his dark grey eyebrows.

"I see..." he muttered, his eyes filled with either suspicion or intrigue. Ora couldn't tell.

"We just found out today about the 'great divide' between the two halves of the island," she quickly went on, confidently. "It's a shame, really. The two sides are so similar from what I've seen so far."

Professor Herrick looked surprised, which didn't surprise Ora at all.

"Really? How so?" he asked.

"You mean, besides the fact that your neighborhood is identical to a neighborhood on the other side?" Ora asked, shrugging with her hands folded behind her back.

"Wait. Really?" Professor Herrick gasped.

Ora had hoped for Jida to perk up her ears and listen, but she was too entranced by whatever Amien was pretending to say to her.

"Haven't you ever been to the other side? I think you'd like it. There's a fantastic costume shop over there that's just as marvelous as the Gem Shop on this side," Ora pointed out. "In fact, I didn't think the two sides could be more similar until you pointed out that there's this Unicorn Statue over here that people visit to worship and learn. That's exactly what people do at Gemaris Cathedral across the river!"

Ora tried not to sound too excited, rather casual and relaxed, like it was no big deal.

"But they don't worship anything! I mean, they worship innocence, which is just a concept! At least we worship something we can see and touch!" Professor Herrick objected.

The girl called Eleanor sighed, and didn't say anything else, except:

"I think you two should come together more often, despite your differences."

She hoped the conversation would end there, but it didn't.

"It's the river that divides us. And the inconveniently-placed bridge," Herrick mumbled.

"There are rowboats!" Ora blurted out, her polite smile vanishing completely. "The bridge is not the problem! It's obviously the people! And how come I didn't hear anything about a divide on the side of the river? Is that because they, too, are unaware that you hate them so much?"

Professor Herrick stopped walking. Even Amien and Jida stopped to see why Ora's tone had become so aggressive.

"I don't hate anyone," Professor Herrick remarked sternly, keeping his voice down.

"Everyone hates someone," Ora clenched her fists to resist pointing at him. Pointing was rude.

"Well, I don't," the professor said seriously, his hand holding the hem of his suit coat. "I just disagree with some of the practices and traditions of the other side of Gemaris. That's all."

"You can still be friendly towards people you disagree with," Ora said, lowering her voice as she lectured the professor like a mother.

"No kidding, Ora!" Amien called to her.

He had immediately seen the hypocrisy in Ora's point. She was never friendly during an argument, at least not with Amien. But suddenly, the wizard met the troubled icy blue eyes of the girl who was supposed to be called Eleanor, not Ora.

"OR! UH! What I meant to say was...you can still be friendly towards people you disagree with, OR, Uh, you could just ignore them!" Amien said, smirking as he was pleased with his smooth save.

Eleanor refrained from hiding her face in her sweaty palms.

"Exactly!" Sir Herrick smiled, pointing at Amien. "You're a smart fellow. Clearly smarter than your sister here!"

At that point, Ora was through with Jida, Herrick and Doob the gentleman.

She began hurrying towards the Opera House again, this time picking up her pace, struggling to hold her suitcase, Amien's bag and her dress off the ground. After some effort, Ora managed to get ahead of the group. But just before she was out of earshot, she turned around and yelled back at Herrick:

"You see what I'm doing! I'm ignoring people I disagree with! We'll solve a lot of problems this way!"

And she continued huffing and trudging towards the Opera House, until it finally loomed into sight, taking Ora's breath away.