Too young, too horny

I'm 28 years old and there are kids half my age having kids. There are girls who are on their third child and I don't have any. I don't understand women really. Yes I am one two,but sometimes I feel like I'm not normal. I met a few girls who lived through similar situations as I did and they have kids with two baby daddy's. My mom never gave me the talk and I didn't attend the class about safety sex. All I knew was that in the eyes of our lord it was frowned upon if it was not with your life partner. That is what kept me from doing naughty things all through high school. Actually what scared me the most id seeing a pregnant girl at school with her large belly, trying to graduate. I told myself, I won't be that lady. I asked why did you decide to have a baby. A lot of them thought it was the best thing to do because they didn't believe in abortion and some said they couldn't pay the cost of an abortion. When I really think about it. It was the fact that I knew when someone was looking at me inappropriate. It made me feel violated in a way I found thoughts of that repulsing. The time that I decided to go through with going all the way was with a boyfriend who kept insisting. It took a long time, but I finally said yes because my adviser at the time told that you might as well get it done because everyone else will keep trying to take it. So what advice can I say to all these young girls and their parents. I believe the talk is important, but I also think that parents should share their experience with their daughters and sons. Because when you parents tell you I wish I could have waited a little longer to give you a better future, it really changes the equation. My next thought on this, is don't allow them to date at an early stage. It should be until college graduation. Okay, realistically college. Even if your daughter or son don't have sex before college, by that time they will be a little more mature. In addition to encouraging education, tell them that they are smart and they will do something great. I remember my teachers always telling me, you are smart and you will do great things. It really made me special and no one was going to take it away. But don't wait until your child is a teenager, you should start the prep talk at a young age. I keep telling my six year old nephew that no girlfriends until college. That he is very handsome and smart. One day he will be an important man and he will have a better life than all of us put together, but he has to go to college first. No girlfriends or auntie is going to have to marry him early. It scares him a little, but he already knows he wants to go to college. I'm just being sarcastic about the marriage part, just so he thinks its very serious.

Meeting Someone New

Meeting people isn't about just walking up to them ans introducing yourself. Actually yes it is. We live in a society where we feel there is a bubble around us no one should cross unless it is okay with the other person. But how do you become friends if that bubble wasn't crossed in the first place? The thing about meeting people is that we all have something in common with every one and we don't always see it. We choose who we want to share our likes with and our dislikes. Some one once told me that we had to be strangers to be friends. What does that mean really? Well my interpretation is, we are strangers to each other and we become friends when we respect that. I love each and every one of my friends. Yet I also try not to cross boundaries. I don't want to loose their friendship over something so simple. It may not be a big deal to me, but it might be a big deal to them. I don't know if you follow me. See we know how we are personally, yet we also know what we are not. The same concept goes for our friends. We know how our friends are and how they are not. There will always be a time when we connect and disconnect.
When I met one of my friends I felt they were quite and anti- social. I poked them on purpose. He could have gotten annoyed and moved away as soon as it happened. I know it was childish, but I did it again. This time  he looked at me confused and a little annoyed. That's when I tried my best impression of the joker from the dark knight, "why so serious?" And that made both of us laugh.
I don't recommend you poke at a random stranger, but I do recommend asking a question to break the ice. If you genially want to get to know this person, then why not?
It can also be stressful when you have the media saying all the negative things going on in the world. The truth is, that we will never get to know a person completely 100% because they are always giving us a percentage of themselves. I know you think your friends will always try to give you their 100%, but how can they when they are trying to figure out who they are their whole life? even people who think they know themselves pretty well also find out something knew about themselves every once in a while. So when you consider talking to that burista, just ask them a question. Let the conversation flow and then you will see if you would like to stay in contact.

Trying to stay focus

There are times I get lost and I need to find my way back to the main road. It's so frustrating how plenty of obstacles come your way and then it makes you feel like you are not going to get were you want to go so why keep trying anyway. I get so frustrated sometimes I think that what if I just stick to what I am good now and then I might have time later, but the truth is that later is not guaranteed and now is only temporary because it will soon be past. I have to take a deep breath and say, the end result is my goal and even if I don't reach it I will die trying. I'm also tired of people giving me a hard time thinking it will help me move faster. They see everything travel faster than the speed of light in their minds. Light has to travel many miles in order for us to receive it which is why we have the measurement of light years. In our minds, we can travel to the past and future in a matter of seconds. The past is a sure thing and the future is a prediction defined by our current situation. Because the future is not set in stone, it helps us continue to be motivated or it destroys us. Things will always happen which we clearly don't understand yet. When I sit and think of all the possibilities my life will end up doing, the one that makes me the most happiest is were I originally wanted to be in before all my doubts. It is there were my heart feel a thrill and a warm feeling. Just thinking of my possible future makes me happy and I stop doubting myself. I go back to the drawing board and continue going as I did before, patient and focused. Rome wasn't build in three days and even god took seven days to create the earth. Why should I feel like my situation should be any different. Just because everyone else thinks I should already be were I need to be doesn't mean I should. It is time that has made me humble and mature, so with time I will achieve to be the greatest I can be. People who are thought of being great took a long time to get were they needed to get. Nothing goes as quickly as we see it in our minds. Nothing goes as smoothly as we hope. If you look at the roads we drive on, really look closely, no I mean closer. You can see that the road is imperfect. That the road is not a straight line. There are particles of dust in the way. Pieces of rocks in the gaps and the weather is never the same all year round. So when the next person tries to ask you why aren't you moving fast enough, tell them that your actually in constant motion and because they are moving relative to you, it looks like you are standing still.

Relationship advice that will change everything for women

I’m tired of men coming out with relationship advice for woman. Everything is the same in their writing. They tell us men will not respect a woman if she doesn’t demand respect and men will follow a woman's standards. Now I agree a woman should demand respect and a woman should set her standards, however, a man should respect a woman regardless. Since when is it okay to disrespect a woman and treat her as if she is the one who caused it? Ladies do not be blinded by this. It is another way that men are placing the responsibility on women. We are led to believe that because of our actions or the actions of other women, men are not treating us the same. Its our own fault is what they are saying. We should be reminding ourselves that women are there reason men still exist. Without us how will they reproduce or find refuge when they need it. It is because of our maternal instinct men seek comfort in our arms. We have always had the power to create.

I remember all the men my older sister dated as I was growing up. I kept asking myself, why are they so medieval and why can’t she find herself a good man? It wasn’t that she didn’t demand respect, its how she demanded it and who she was asking it from. She would raise her voice plenty of times and tossed things around. Her boyfriend at the time would roll his eyes and throw things back as well. First of all, she was not using proper techniques. Second, the boyfriend did not care about her unhappiness. At that point, why stay together right? Its because we are lead to believe people will change if we change. We cannot change a person. The person must want to change themselves so that they can evolve into something else.

As I grew older and wiser, learning from my sisters failed relationships I realized that even when she attempted to be courteous and thoughtful, her efforts seemed to go unnoticed. It was because every now and then she retracted and was loose cannon when she went unappreciated. My next observation was that the name changed, but the character remained. This made me want to seek a reason why he was like that. It made me ask questions like; does he have a good relationship with his mother? does care to make her happy? does he attempt to do the right thing? does he respect women? how does he view himself? Of all the questions I asked myself to why a man would treat a woman indifferent. I came up with two answers. The relationship between both his parents matter and how he views himself. But that wasn’t the end of my search.

I also had some failed relationships, but I was the kind that was not going to waste years of my life only to realize he doesn’t make me happy. The max dates I had were six, the max months I gave the relationship was six. Although 90 days seems reasonable for some people, I don’t see it as enough time because you haven’t gone through anything yet, the first few months are still at honeymoon stage. I want to know if the next few years of my time will be well spent. Even if you're not looking to get married at the time you should not invest your time in someone who is not worthy of your time. A relationship is an investment towards your happiness. Try to remember that when you're thinking of dating someone, he should add to your happiness, not take away.

When it came to trying to find a good man I went back to the first two answers. does he have a good relationship with his parents and how does he view himself. I recall reading some male advice before and it said, if he treats his mother like a queen then he will treat you like a princess or if he sees himself as the provider, he will be able to take care of you emotionally as well. Guess what happened, I dated men who had these qualities and it turned out to be fail. I thought to myself, well where did I go wrong? Aha! there it is, where did I go wrong? You see how I thought about that. What happened here was that I thought if I act a certain way I would get a good man. Nope, that wasn’t the case here. I always thanked them, gave them compliments and tried to please them by being a good woman; however, that wasn’t enough for them to be a good man. What was missing from my puzzle? I tried to think, I let them know what I was looking for from the beginning and set my standards. I asked them what their plans were if they had any. I showed them respect and I also tended to their needs if they felt sick. If you're asking yourself right now “did you give up the cookie?” That question is irrelevant because studies show about 80 percent of women think it reduces their chances of a relationship, where 65 percent of men just don’t care, but to ease your mind,I don’t believe in a man putting his hands on me without my permission.

I looked at all the qualities of these type of men. The question of how they viewed themselves stood out. They saw themselves as a provider, but also as an alpha. Their whole mind set was that they knew they were a good catch for most woman. Not an ounce of humbleness was shown. Phrases like, “I’m selective, I am generous, I’m good man and I treat women like queens.” Even though they are all good things to hear, they are exactly what to watch out for. A gentleman doesn't have to say he is one because he shows it through his actions. And if he sees himself larger than life, he will not see you as an equal or place you on a pedestal.

My next thought was how did they express their thoughts on women. When I would ask randomly, “what do you think about her or what do think about women that love to hit up bars.”

If they were negative about women wearing skimpy clothes or celebrated their bodies half naked gave me the idea of their views on women. Both thoughts told me that women are objectified and that they must fit a category. Either opinion doesn't respect women, here’s why. If he says “she shouldn't create that kind of attention”; its saying, you're at fault and you get what you deserve. If he said, “great, she should flash those things; Its saying I don’t care because all she is to me is a sex object.” Now you're thinking, that makes no sense because either way he responds is wrong.  What he did was voice his judgment on women, when he could have said “I rather not judge her or I rather not talk about this.” Why do you think this separates him from other men? Because he chooses to respect her even if he doesn't know her by not speaking about her. After all she still a women.

I still have many more thoughts, but I found these to be important in my search for a good man. Ladies, don’t ask for a man to be gentleman because he should always be one. One very important thought is remind yourself how great you are and how much you can offer. A woman who values herself will always get respect from any man. You have to be strong and independent. What you put out in the world is what you receive. Never let someone sell you the idea that you are responsible to why men disrespect you. Men disrespect you because they disrespect women.

I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t made different decisions because I have evolved. I decided that my success in life was going to be because I want it. A man will not disrespect me ever and I will not make excuses for him. I also demand the same amount of respect I give out and I don’t place myself in situations which could lead to my destruction. In my eyes, I have evolved in a positive direction. My life lesson is always try to be a better version of you and good things will always follow.

Dragons in the city

   Tony lived in San Francisco with his mother and two older brothers, Carlos and John. He was a very quiet kid who enjoy spending most of the time by himself. His best friend was wiggles, his dog. Wiggles always waited for Tony by the door every day at the same time and they would walk to the park after school. His older brothers were about twelve years apart from him and two years apart from each other. They spent most of their time together and left Tony behind.

  One night, Carlos and John had a pizza night with a couple other friends. They had invited a few girls to the gathering and wanted to impress them. Tony was in his room when John barged in and told him to go for a long walk with wiggles. It was getting really late and their mother was working. Normally she had a sitter for Tony, but the two boys convinced her it wasn't necessary. Tony knew he'd be in trouble and refused not to leave. Then John tossed a flashlight and a leash at him, "you're in high school now, do what regular freshman do, explore." Tony looked at the leash and flashlight, then got up from his bed. Wiggles was laying on his bed and got up as soon as he saw the leash. They both walked out and began to go to the golden gate park which was not far.
   When he reached the park he saw a few kids playing around by the Stow Lake. The place was already close, but no security had passed by to kick them out of the site yet. Then one of the boys recognized Tony as a freshman and yelled "Freshman!" All four of them ran to grabbed him. Tony ran away and then into the bushes. He had turned off his flashlight just before he hid so the light wouldn't give him away. Then he heard run passed him. One of them was complaining about the other's speed, "he got  away because y'all are too slow!" "You weren't the fastest either," yelled out the other. Then the third who called him out in the first place yelled,"come on freshman, were not going to hurt, just maybe shove you a little. hahahaha"
   Minutes had passed and Tony still hid with wiggles in the bushes. Then he decided to try to find his way back with the flashlight off and through the bushes. He kept bumping over a few barks and tripping over stones. Wiggles began to start whining a little because he was hungry. As Tony looked down to shh him, he bumped into a huge boulder. Then he turned on his light to see how big it was. It was was enormous, about the size off a truck laying in the ground with no wheels. He began to go to his left when something blue caught his eye. He shined the flashlight at it and couldn't see it. Then he turned of the light and the blue thing tinkled again. He couldn't see it any more, but when the sky cleared from clouds it lighted it up again. The moon gave away its location. He climbed on top of the boulder and crawled to the middle. Finally he spotted it. It was covered in dirt mostly, but then he cleaned it off with his shirt. He had found a blue stone stuck in the middle of the bolder. He looked for something to remove it, like a stick or something sharp. He then thought of adding water to clean the cracks from dirt so he could then try to scoop it out.
   He ran to the lake and opened his flashlight, took out the batteries and placed them in his pocket. He then ran back with wiggles and poured the water on the stone. The water made the stone shine even more. Tony was so amazed by the color that he felt he had to touch it. He touched it with his fingers and then had the urge to place his palm over it. Once he placed his palm over it he sense that there was heat coming from it. His heart rate began to raise and as it raised his heart pulse became stronger. Then the unexpected happened. As his heart gave a large beat one more time, it sent out a strong pulse from his heart, to his arm and then right to his palm. That pulse sent a bit if electricity into the stone that it shocked Tony back. He went "Ouch," and looked at his palm. Wiggles started to bark at the stone when Tony jumped up. Tony then noticed that the Blue stone was no longer a blue color, it was now a fire red. As Tony moved in closer to look at it he noticed that it did have small flames inside. Wiggles was barking the whole time and Tony shouted at him, "Wiggles calm down, you're going to get us in trouble."
      Tony jumped off the bolder and grabbed wiggles by the snout. Wiggles stopped barking and began to whimper. Tony began to apologize to him, "I'm sorry wiggles, I didn't mean to hurt you." Just as he was saying it he then heard cracks coming from the bolder. He took out the batteries from his pocket and shook out the rest of the water from the flashlight. Then he tried to quickly put the flashlight together again. He heard more and more cracks coming from the bolder. When he finally turned on the flashlight he pointed it to the stone. The cracks started from the stone and moved all around the boulder. Then one final crack sounded and the stone broke into small pieces and dropped like sand. Beneath, was a large dragon that was sleeping. It began to breath and move a little. With its eyes still closed it started to raise up. Tony had only seen the bolder shaped like a truck, but it turned out to be only its head. The rest of the dragons body was hidden away beneath a hill. The dirt just came off like it was recently placed there.
   Wiggles hid behind Tony's feet as the dragon awoke and stood up. It's face had a smooth surface and its horns were combed back. It's claws where a ivory color and the scales all over the body changed colors as the moon shined it's light on the dragon. The wings spread out and it scared wiggles even more. The dragon looked at Tony and sniffed both of them. "Who are you child?" said the dragon in a deep voice. Tony held his flashlight close to his chest and said, "Tony." The dragon looked up and then flew away, with in a minute he returned. "What year is this? Are you a sorcerer?" asked the dragon. "Its, its its... 2000... and no."
   Security began to approach with their flashlights. Tony then turned his flashlight off and picked up wiggles to be quite. The dragon looked at the security and a green light shined from his stone located on his forehead. The light surrounded the three of them. Security passed by without noticing any of them or the dragon. Tony took a deep gulp and asked, " Are you going to eat us?" The dragon looked at him and opened his mouth. Tony closed his eyes right away, but opened them once he heard the dragon laugh. "No boy, I only require the sun and plants to keep me alive. Why would you think that?" Tony smirked a little and put wiggles down. "because all of the stories I read about dragons say you eat meat," said tony as his voice thinned. "That is a story we made up to keep sorcerers from trying to stealing our stones and scales. We don't die, we simply become one with the earth and rest. If our gem or one of our scales is removed before we completely turn, we are reborn." responded the dragon. "What are your stones good for?" asked Tony. "For value!" yelled out the dragon. Tony jumped a little and fell on his back. "but only few can harvest the magic inside, sorcerers or sentries"
   Tony got up and looked at his watch. His mother was about to be home within the hour. He grabbed wiggles leash and looked at the dragon. Not knowing what to say to him, he stood there for a few more minutes. Then the dragon said, "you have to leave, I understand. This world is new to me and I have many questions still. I shall go with you." "but you're too large to go through the back door," said Tony. Then the dragons stone gave out a white light and the scales on his body turn varies colors. Soon they began to take a different shape and the dragon had shrunk to a small lizard size. He could fit in Tony's palm. Tony placed him into his sweater pouch and walked home.
   When Tony got home his brothers began to interrogate him. They wanted to plan out what story they would all give to their mother. Tony just agreed to go along with them. Once their mother arrived Carlos and John began to tell their story. Tony just decided to go up to his room along with wiggles and let them figure it out.
   In his room he placed the dragon on the table and locked the door behind him. The dragon flew around the room a few times like a race car then he landed back on the table. The dragon sat down and faced Tony.
"I am Draco and I am thousands years old. My kind have been here since the Triassic era. Our mother gave us birth before she gave birth to the continents and seas. I have scouted your room to look for clues of what the world has become. Many things have changed I see. Tell me, what have you heard from our kind?" Tony turned on his computer and logged on to the internet. Draco walked closer to the screen and said, "I see you found a new way to replace crystal balls." Tony looked at Draco and pointed at the monitor,"This is a computer, It is connected to the internet and the internet is what we use to look for information or videos." "this internet, is he a dangerous sorcerer?" asked Draco. "No, Its something created by many smart people. I  think its connected to supercomputers that receive and distribute information. They really don't teach us how it's created in school. Its more how to use it," explained Tony. "Hmmm, I see. Let me try something," said Draco as he got closer to the computer. His tail reshaped to a plug and connected to computer. Then his stone gave out a small purple light and it traveled through his body and through the computer. Draco closed his eyes, the computer began to change screens quickly.
   After a few minutes, Draco finished going through every page and disconnected from the computer. He laid down as if he was hurt. His eyes began to tear and he said slowly, "so much destruction around the world, it's a wonder how some of us still sleep through this. Our mother is probably keeping us dormant until balance is restored." Draco then sat up and looked up. He then began to exhale fire which changes color like Christmas lights. Then he bowed his head and sat quietly. Tony then worked up the courage to ask him questions. "What was that? and how come your stome changes colors every time? how were you able to get so small? where does your magic come from." "My, you have are a curious boy?" replied Draco. He flew to the window and signaled Tony to come see. When Tony walked over he only saw the trees, bushes and flowers his mother had planted. Not knowing to say, he simply took a deep breath. Draco tapped his hand with his tail and small lights crawled from his hand to his eyes. Tony blinked and looked again. This time he saw tiny little specs of lights going through every plant and tree. He looked at Draco and then looked back, but this time he saw it ordinary again. Tony frowned a little and ask, "How do I know you're only making me see what you want me to see?" chuckles came from Draco, "I gave you what mother wanted you to see. She  granted you with the vision of seeing where the magic comes from. How do you think flowers get their color? why do trees grow so high? and why do you think certain people are known to have a 'green thumb?' It's because mother has the magic to turn a green leaf to brown, to grant magic to caring people to grow their crops and to cause a storm by moving her oceans around. You know her as mother earth, others as planet earth. The truth is the she inherited what her sisters couldn't, to give life," said Draco proudly. "I can change to any form I please with my scales. They are made of the same magic as my stone. The color changes depending on the spell I am using or my emotions." Draco looked outside the window. "you mentioned 'us' how many dragons are there?" asked Tony. "We are hundreds. Many are dormant and I notice a few of us like their picture be taken. You know her, she is known as Nessie. She always did enjoy pranking humans." Tony looked at the screen and the picture of Nessie was up.
   It was passed Tony's bed time and he started to yawn. He changed into his pajamas and got on the bed. Draco was still looking outside the window when Tony fell asleep.Tony woke up the next day and looked at the window to see Draco still sitting. It wasn't a dream he thought and got up to brush his teeth. Then he changed and sat down next to Draco.
  They both looked outside the window for a few minutes. Then Tony asked, "what's is going to happen? are you going to go back to sleep?" "No, but the world is not ready to see me. I must stay incognito for sometime. There are still sorcerers looking for stones such as mine and will go through great deals to find my brothers and sisters. I must protect them for the good of your kind." Tony dropped his mouth and quickly asked, "There are still sorcerers? But where?" "Do you think that large earthquakes are just caused by the earth shifting? They are the consequence of using a great deal of power by a sorcerer." Then Tony remembered learning about the San Francisco earthquake in 1989 and asked Draco if that was a sorcerer. Draco took his tail  and tapped Tony's forehead.
    Tony then saw himself in on top of a roof. He looked around and saw the city, then he saw a dragon fly past him fast. It flew up to the sky and was whipping its tail at a ball in the air. When Tony focused his eyes, he then notice that the ball actually had a man inside and it was some kind of force field. The dragon kept trying to penetrate the force field and finally it cracked a little. The earth began to shake and Tony grabbed on to the chimminy. He heard Draco's voice, "don't be afraid. This is only a of a memory of my dear brother before he went into sleep." The sphere began to crack even more as the Dragon flew away and dove down with force. The man didn't seem worried at all, he kept chanting and giving out this dark smoke from his hand. The houses around the area began to crack and crumble, streets and bridges were cracking. Then as it looked like the man was almost done, the dragon finally broke the sphere protecting him and grabbed the guy with his claws and tossed him on the ground. Once the man hit the ground the black smoke that was surrounding him in the air went back inside him. The dragon dove down and lifted him back into the air wrapping him with his tail. He opened his mouth and let a white flame out. It covered the man completely, but the black smoke protected the man. The Dragon kept giving out the flame and once it got passed the smoke the ground began to shake even more. The man was crystallized after a few minutes and the dragon was done. Then the earth opened up and the dragon dropped the man in the crack. Then white smoke came back up and the crack closed up again. Draco and Tony followed the Dragon to the San Francisco mountains, known as the San Francisco Peaks, it was there where the Dragon landed and laid down and green light from its stone surrounded the entire dragon. Within minutes the dragon turned into stone and trees grew to cover him.
   Tony looked at Draco, before he could ask, Draco said, "His name is Igneous. He gave all his energy and magic to stop the sorcerer trying to slave all of the living creatures from the world. It is a battle no human can see unless they are blessed with magic. Humans are born with magic but very few retain it. They are brainwashed to disbelieve in it. Those blessed by mother are chosen to be magical sentries. If its not for them, dragons would be dormant while the world is in crisis." It was then when Tony looked at his hands and realized that Draco was also referring to him. He looked at his hands and he then focused on his palms, then an inner glow began to shine. Draco continued to talk, "Every time a human worthy of becoming a sentry a  meteoroid shower happens. It won't be long until a sorcerer finds you, they will try to recruit you or destroy you." Tony gasp and asked, "how will I protect myself and my family? what do I do as a magical sentry?" "As a magical sentry you are gifted with sight and magical powers transmitted by our mother. When you set foot on land, touch a tree or plant, they allow her to charge you up with powers. You can protect your family with her powers and with my help. Only a sentry can locate a dragon and can connect with mother to use her  powers. Sorcerers have tried to power up by using mother, but are unsuccessful because nothing grows with their negative energy. Plants die before a sorcerer can make a connection with mother, which is why they will come after you." After a long pause of silence Tony asked, "has any magical sentry ever joined forces with a sorcerer?" Draco looked down and closed his eyes, "Yes, it was the reason the earth went dry and it caused the largest  heat wave. Thousands died and mother was hurt. Her energy was drained for a few hours and it cause part of her to give up. It was the awaking of all the dragons and the joining of the remaining magical sentries which kept our world safe. If a sorcerer takes over mother, it means her sisters in other realms are not safe. They are all connected, together they hold unimaginable strength and power." "But why do sorcerers want all the power of the world?" interrupted Tony. Draco looked up at the sky, "There are many worlds out there, all connected to us, we only see as far as mother lets us, but make no mistake that there is more. There will always be more. Sorcerers do it for vanity and greed. They want to be the center of the universe, but it is too large to control simply on mothers powers. Their greed never ends; it is a bottomless pit. There is one sorcerer that uses his apprentices as lab rats. He is known as the shadow puppeteer, you saw one of his apprentices in action nearly succeeded against the battle with Igneous. I feel he is getting closer to his goal, but we have searched and searched for him with no hint of where he is. That is why he is the shadow puppeteer."
     The first day of training began the next day. Tony wasn't sure how he would be able to sneak out and practice at the same time. He met with Draco in the park and looked at his watch. "Are you concern about not being home?" asked Draco right away. Tony nodded and then Draco blew a green fire at him. Tony flinched and covered his face. Then when he realized he wasn't burning he opened his eyes and took a look at what happen. He was in his room and in front of him he was sitting in his bed reading. "We are in your mind, you are actually doing the things you need to do to not show any difference. Magic is not physical, its in your mind. You actually never left. You only believed you did, but I only helped you reach your auto mode. We are in a place you created when you first access your sentry form. Take a look and see, anything familiar?" Tony looked around and he was back in the park. It was as he saw it the night he met Draco. Then he asked Draco, "well if I created it, then I can control it right?" Draco nodded. Then Tony said to the water to rise up, but it didn't move. "You have to believe it will move because you command it," said Draco. Then Tony closed his eyes and began to speak to himself, "okay, I met a dragon not to long, it just blew fire at me and I didn't burn, so water I do believe you will rise for me because I have the magic in me, so rise!" and as he said it a little louder the water began to rise. Draco asked "what next?" Tony looked at him and the water dropped all over Tony. Draco managed to get away right before it hit Tony. Then from above he yelled at Tony, "concentrate."
    Day and night they would practice moving the different properties. Tony was able to move trees, dirt, water, sand, anything naturally made. Draco thought it was time to remove themselves from the mental phase and apply it to the physical world. They flew far and into the woods. They found a quite place and began to practice. Tony moved boulders and trees out of his way. He began to reshape the area in which he was working. Then Draco said, "Stop! now place them back as you found them." Tony looked at him confused, how was he going to remember everything he did step by step? He began to move back the last thing he moved which was a tree, but the tree moved back to the wrong spot. Tony looked at Draco, " I said place it back, that tree was seven inches away from its original spot." Tony yelled, "Are you serious?" and Draco laid down on a boulder to watch him. Tony began again, but the tree was still repeatedly moving back to the wrong spot. "Concentrate," said Draco. Tony closed his eyes and thought," this is insane, I can't go back in time to look at the original lay out of the forest. If only these trees can talk. That's it! maybe they can". Tony sat down and he place his hands on the ground. "Can you hear me? Respond yes if you can." Then a thousand voices said "Yes." Tony open his eyes, he then said, "Move to your original form." The ground began to shake and trees began to crash into each other. Tony was knocked over and when he touch the ground again and yelled "stop! One at a time, from the last one to the first one I moved." Then tree by tree and rock by rock they moved. When everything stopped moving Tony got up and searched for Draco. Draco was still on the same boulder, but in a different place. He then said, "Well done! you have discovered your true power. The power to speak to your surroundings. One day you will learn to speak to them without having to connect to them." Tony asked, "What do you mean true power? don't all sentries have the same power?" They got back home and Tony asked again about true power. "I didn't respond right away because you will soon know what that means. For now, your lesson is over."
    Tony was done with school and he was free to practice even more on his sentry powers. He got home and noticed that everyone was in the living room. His mother crying and his brothers trying to console her. He asked, "what's going on? is there something wrong?" The news was on and they were talking about a great natural disaster in Hawaii. It was such a small state he thought to himself. Then he remember how his mother's friend that would visit often talked about going to Hawaii for a trip. He was suppose to go about this same time. He looked at his mom and brothers shocked. His mother looked at him and said, "He was on the phone with me when it hit, I didn't have time to tell him how much I appreciated him." Tony felt as if something had just ripped out his lungs and he couldn't breath. He then sat next to his mother. After a few more minutes, his mother got up and took a deep breath. "There's no more point in crying about it, I need to be strong for my children. I just needed to vent and release my agony. I love you all for trying to cheer me up, but its time for you guys to continue as you were." Tony's mother stumbled a little, but picked up her pace and went to her room.
     Tony jumped on his bed as soon as he got to his room. He was thinking about the disaster in Hawaii. "It has begun, his next apprentice is ready. We must go," said Draco. Tony jumped out of his bed and looked at Draco. "You mean that the disaster was from the Shadow puppeteer's apprentice?" "Yes, last night while in your sleep I saw rays of lights in the sky. They appear to be meteoroid showers, but it is the power of the apprentice traveling. He is searching for something, I fear he has found it or has gotten very close to it."
    They set of and headed toward Hawaii. When they arrived the place looked very quite. The trees were ripped apart, water flooded the houses and a search rescue was going on. Tony closed his eyes and began to concentrate on the trees still in tacked. "Please, one at a time. Which way did this start from?" He asked them. Faint voices responded, "it was so fast, it came that way, that way, from the other side of the island." Draco moved faster and landed on the beach. "why would it be from this side when the water came from over there? wouldn't it be in the water where it started?" Tony asked Draco. "do you remember when you commanded the water to rise for the first time?" replied Draco as he looked around. Tony looked back and forth to try to pin point the source of the power. He then closed his eyes and asked his surroundings, "where is the sleeping dragon of this area?" At first he didn't hear anything and then he heard snores. He then began to follow the noise. It was leading into the water and so Tony commanded the water to rise. He heard the snores louder and louder as he walked in, but they began to fade again. He went back to where he heard them the loudest. He realized he was probably on top of the dragon and that's when something attacked him. The water began to dropped quickly, but Tony was able to command it to stop. He knew he would cause a tidal wave again. Again something attacked him, this time it shocked him with electricity. Draco grabbed Tony and lifted him up to the sky, as Tony commanded the water to set down slowly. As they reached sea level lightning hit Draco and they were knocked into different directions. "Draco!" yelled Tony and he looked up at were the lightning came from. There it was, floating on air. The sorcerer was cloaked in black clothes with a hood and a scarf covering the face. The sorcerer then stroke Draco again as he tried to get up, but a huge wave protected Draco. The man looked over at Tony and directed lightning to him, but another wave shielded Tony. Draco and Tony then began to go under water. The water was moving out of their way and down to sea surface. Tony then ran toward Draco as the water moved out of his way. Draco was unconscious. Tony then thought of dragging him to safety. Just before he said it the sand shielded him and carried him away. He had reached his true power he thought, everything I think my surroundings will do.
     A few seconds later he then saw the man under water. The water did not move for him but it seemed as if he didn't need to breath. Then the man moved toward him fast like a torpedo. Tony place his hands and thought of an under water tornado and it took form right before his eyes. It took the man away for a few seconds before he returned again. Then this time he thought of the tornado and freezing him. Once the man was frozen, he began to melt the ice with his body heat. Tony took a step back and said to himself, "this is no regular man. Is there a way to stop him?" Then Tony thought of more layers of Ice would buy him some time to think of something else. The man started to laugh as his temperature raised. Tony ran in the direction of the snores. Once he got their he placed one hand down and said, "awaken! we need you." Sand began to accumulate and then he saw it, the stone appearing. He looked back to see if the man was done unfreezing himself, but water was to shallow to tell. Then he asked his surroundings to let him know when he would be done. The mountain of sand began to take the shape of a dragon. Just when the stone gave out a light he hear the underwater plants call out, "he's coming!" He turned around and saw him moving toward him, this time dodging his underwater tornado. Tony then thought, there has to be rocks down here. Right after rocks started shooting at the man like bullets. It slowed him down a little and one got him in the eye, but he kept moving toward him. Right before he was about to strike him with a dark lightning bolt an invisible shield stopped it. The man stopped and Tony looked behind him. It was the sea dragon fully awake. She was larger than Draco, much more scary looking. She then attacked the man right away and both his tail and bolts clashed. The sea dragon then gave out a white light from her stone and three of them appeared. Just as big and scary looking at the first. The man gave out multiple bolts as the dragons fought in unison. Then one by one he was able to make the duplicates disappear. There was only one left, which was the original. It was then, when Draco appeared and fought along side with the sea dragon. Tony then thought he too should join. This time when he thought of a ice bullets, they appeared and every hit froze a portion of the man body. Only this time he was unable to melt it and that's when he shot out from under water and retreated.
     Tony couldn't understand why this time his powers were stronger and much more faster, but he was grateful. They gathered by the beach and dried themselves. The Dragons just blew fire from their mouths and flew right into it fast. Tony concentrated on the water leaving his clothes and back to the beach. Both dragons landed beside Tony. "Thank you Tony, the bolt was strong. One more and I would have been asleep for a very long time or drained for my energy. Great thinking in waking up Adalena." Tony looked at the other dragon and nodded. Adalena approached him and looked at Tony straight into his eyes. Her eyes were blue, but then a small fire appeared in her pupils. The fire was blue at first and then it turned white. Adalena then looked at Draco. Draco nodded  and a light came from his stone. It covered all of them and took them into Tony's world. "Why are we here?" asked Tony. "Do you know why the enemy came for me first?" asked Adalena. Tony looked at her and then multiple dragons appeared. All replicates of Adalena and they spoke at the same time. "I have the power of replicating up to a 100 times, but my power is divided 100 times as well. A sentry that has access to my power can multiply 100 times without having to divide their powers 100 times as well." "Do you mean, the man who attacked us was a sentry?" asked Tony right away. Adalena closed her eyes and looked down. She took a deep breath and then continued.

 " After the last attacked from a sentry turned, we took precautions. Mother blesses the sentry and during her blessing she also places a lock spell. This spell activates when your body and mind are tainted with dark magic. It only prevents the sentry from using mothers power, but not ours. That sentry has been tainted with dark magic and was searching for me to drain my energy and use my power. The reason he couldn't find my actual layer is because I had used my power to set false locations of where I was. Only a sentry with a pure heart can find me. I can see your pure heart, but he tainted you a little. It must have been during the battle when you were caught off guard, but don't worry I have already burned that darkness inside you. It would have grown if undetected. If the darkness inside is too strong then mother chooses a replacement sentry and you would have to be destroyed"

   Tony placed his hand over his heart quickly once he heard he could have been tainted. He thought when did that man get to him. Then it came to him, it must have been when he felt something attack him for the first time. Then he remembered his question, "Why were my powers stronger?" he asked Adalena. "You accessed the dark energy that was within you. In time it would have gotten stronger," responded Draco. "Your true power is your strongest source of power. You used it without having to say it, "added Adalena. "Is that why everything I thought of happened before I could say it?" said Tony. "Yes, it is very useful.  Your surroundings did as you thought because you can communicate with them. It allows you to know exactly what happens around the world because every vibration, movement and change in the earth can be reported back to you. It takes great concentration to accomplish that. Every sentry has a different connection to mother, but  yours is also connected to all her children." replied Draco.
    Tony didn't even notice when Adalena left, but when she came back she found a crystal. It was in the shape of a snowflake. She handed it to Tony. At first the snowflake was 12 inches and then it reduced to two inches. The crystal changed colors before it finally stayed in white. "This is your medallion, it allows you access a dragons power. When using a dragons power it unites with our stones and we disappear. We only return to our shape until you command it to release us. The medallion can only be found here, in the world you created. Sometimes you stumble upon it right away or a dragon can help you find it. Put it on, you may need it someday."
    They returned to the beach and noticed the sky turning grey again. They looked at each other and had the same thought, another disaster was going to happen. "Adalena, we must go in search of Nagendra. I believe she is the next target." They flew off right away. Tony noticed how Draco arrived minutes before Adalena, that must be his power, speed. Draco sent out a light from his light and it circled the lake then it returned. "No sign of Nagendra, did she get taken?" said Draco worried. "Not a chance!," said Nagendra as she appeared from behind a little rock. She was the size of a lady bug. Tony wanted to pick her up, but before he could bend over she grew large and into the same size as Draco. "I put up a good fight and took a chance on tricking him, which worked! what a fool! to think, I had to give up a scale for the first time. Just look at my back! one missing. Man, that's going to take a century to grow back. I used my shell to create a stone shield of me. Then I quickly shrunk into this size before he blew my stone figure. I hid behind rocks until he was convinced he had destroyed me. What a dumb ass! Hi by the way, I'm Nagendra, but you may now me as Nessi, you can call me Nessi. I know Nagendra is weird." She shook Tony's hand with her tail.
    "Nagendra can shift into stone, fire and wind. It is a strong offense and defense power. Both equally effective," said Aladena. "Oh hello, Aladena, great to see you with the awake. How long have you been up? And please, use Nessi, much more catchier," said Nagendra with a smile. "I was awaken a few hours ago. Just in time too,' replied Aladena.
   After a few more minutes of briefing Nessi on what was going on they set off to awaken the next most powerful dragon they know, Igneous. Igneous was the dragon that defeated the previous apprentice. when they arrive the sorcerer was already in the same location. This time he had located Igneous using his amulate. It was in the shape of a spider and black. It hit the mountain and a shadow of the dragon was imprinted. Then the stone shined light and healed the mountain. Draco rushed over to cover the stone before the man got it. Tony thought of a rock slide and Nessi turned into a fire dragon. Just as the duplicates of Adalena appeared a second sorcerer appeared and attacked her. Nessi joined Adalena in the fight against the second sorcerer while Tony and Draco tried to stop the first sorcerer. Draco was dodging bolts until a third sorcerer appeared and hit Tony. Draco managed to catch Tony  before he fell down and placed him behind a tree. The three dragons were fighting a sorcerer each. Tony was recovering when he heard, " Three more are coming." Tony got up and ran to awaken Igneous. He reached the stone of Igneous and placed his palm over it to awaken him. The ground suddenly began to move and Igneous body began to take shape. The other three sorcerers arrived and attacked Igneous right away. Tony created a stone wall to stop the bolts. Igneous was not done transforming when one bolt got trough the wall. It hit him on the chest and it slowed down his transformation processes. The wall broke and one of the sorcerers shot at Tony, but the bolt stopped half way and reflected back. Then all three shot together and this time one did hit Tony out of the way. They each took out an amulate the shape of a black spider and shot out spears. Igneous was done transforming, but too late. They began to drain his power. Igneous began to fade right before Tony's eyes. Then Tony remembered his crystal and pulled it out. Please Igneous, allow me to access your energy. Igneous was then pulled into the crystal. The sorcerers looked at Tony in surprise. Then as they turned over to him, Tony called upon the other dragons who were fighting. Then they too allowed themselves to be pulled into the crystal.
    It was now six against one. The sorcerers surrounded Tony right away. Tony closed his eyes to focus on talking to the dragons in his crystal. He heard Adalena say, "Allow yourself to be cleansed in order to use our full power. When Tony opened his eyes there was small white flames in his pupils.
   The sorcerers began to shoot bolts at him, but none of them hit Tony, he was too fast. Then Tony multiplied into six of him; Two were in the form of stone, two were in the form of wind and two were in the form of fire. They began to fight, Tony hit them quickly as hard as he could but they were strong. He kept going and one of them managed to hit him back. That one hit was like a metal punch to Tony's face. That's when he realized Igneous power must be strength, probably the power of stone or metal, but metal and stone weaken with heat. He then turned himself into fire and surrounded the sorcerers into one area creating a tornado of fire while they were inside. Each one began to slow down and one by one fell onto the ground. When the last one dropped Tony stopped. He notice each one had a letter on their amulet. It was in the center of the spider. W, A, O, S,H, D were the six letters.  What did they mean he asked himself. Then it came to him, it spelled Shadow. Then before Tony could remove one of the amulets, they turned into smoke and disappeared with the bodies.
   Minutes later he pulled out his crystal and released the dragons. They appeared, but Igneous was still very weak. He looked like a ghost laying down on the ground. Tony fell to his knees because he felt like a failure. "Don't, he was ambushed. But there is still away to recover him. It's risky because he will be vulnerable to attacks and if he is, his stone will detach from him. When it does, we can no longer bring him back." Tony got up and asked how. Nessi said, "You  must speak to mother's children and ask them to connect with mother to allow her energy flow." Tony closed his eyes and asked them to save their brother. Then roots from trees began to reach out to Igneous. He began to appear and disappear. Tony looked at the rest, "Whats happening?" "He is stabilizing, it will take a week before he is completely recovered. I will stay with him to keep him company and protected him from those sorcerers," said Nessy. Tony then asked the trees to give her a signal before sorcerers arrive so that they can have time to escape.
     Draco, Adalena and Tony set off to find other sentries and dragons. They witness that the sorcerers discovered a way to drain a dragon completely. They need to find as many sentries to join in order to cover more ground.
    The next sentry found was in India, his name was Raj and his companion turns into lightning. Raj is much older than Tony, He is 20 years old. He was activated when he almost drowned in the river. He thought he was done for it when he felt his strength leave him. Then when he tried to grab onto a branch, he missed it and instead held onto a boulder. That's when a shot of lightning generated from the stone and went into the sky. Soon after, Naga appeared and saved Raj from drowning. Raj and Naga told them how they went in search for two other dragons and failed to save them. They were attacked by three sorcerers at once. Raj had a scar the shape of a star in his chest. Naga could not stop them from taking the dragons, but was able to escape with Raj. Then once they reached safety Naga used his lightning to travel into his body and purify his heart again. Naga was also able to recover the stones from the dragon so they would not be used.
   The next sentry was in Africa, Ade, She was hiking and got lost. Ade got injured from her leg and took refuge in a cave. That night she was suffering from a laceration caused by a sharp rock she slipped off as she was tumbling down the hill. As her fever grew, she heard someone calling her. It was a woman who sounded very much like her mother, she knew her mother was miles away. As she moved deeper into the cave, her laceration hurt a little more. She then looked up and noticed crystals giving off light. She reached over, but they disappeared. Ade laughed because she knew that now she was hallucinating. Then she stumbled on something soft. She couldn't see very well and was out of battery from her flashlight. All she could do was feel her way back and also figure out what that soft thing was. As she tried to feel what it was, a warm feeling from her chest traveled through her body and on to the soft thing. That's when it lighted up and gave off this bright green color. It is then that the dragon, Orphicus, appeared. He was really bright and silver. Orphicus blew a blue fire at Ade's laceration and it healed. Ade's thought she was still hallucinating for weeks, until she used her power on physical land. They too have been attacked by the sorcerers, but they put up a good fight. Ade had a scar on her palm and down her wrist. It looked like a serpent. Orphicus wanted to heal it, but Ade liked it and it served as a reminder of what the enemy would do.
     After hearing Ade's story of her serpent scar, Raj also showed his chest with a star scar. They both admired each others scar. Tony looked at his hands  and at his chest. Draco then whispered to him, "It's not about the wounds you receive in battle, but the accomplishment." Tony nodded.
    They set off to Indonesia to find the next Dragon and possibly a sentry. When they arrived the wind was blowing and it was raining. They felt the darkness coming. The dragons set the sentries down and shined their  light at them. Armor appeared on the sentry, It looked made out of scales. Ade raised her hand up and from her palms a light source came out. She had created a floating island from out of no where. Raj flew into the air and then he lifted the sentries into the air with his mind. Tony thought, Raj's true power is mind control and levitation. Ade's true power is creation, how cool.
   When they set off into the ocean it was not long before they saw three sorcerers. They were so close to the beach. They were fighting twin dragons, Viper and Vipress. The sentries quickly pulled out their crystals and the dragons joined with them. Tony recieved Adalena's and Draco's power. Orphicus went with Ade and Naga went with Raj.
   The sorcerers gathered together and paired up. Then they shot out some kind of goo which Tony, Raj and Ade moved out the way. The goo landed on the island and it began to burn. Two of them shot out a liquid which quickly turned into spears. Again the sentries dodged them and when one hit a tree it turned black, then into smoke. Raj shot out lightning at them and one almost fell. That is when Tony quickly knocked him out from the group to separate him from the rest. Looking at the sorcerer he noticed a strand of hair coming out of from the hood. Tony looked into the eyes of the sorcerer with the letter A. They looked blank. as if in auto mode. The sorcerer shot liquid at him,but Tony was too fast. Then he duplicated himself into four and surrounded  the sorcerer. Tony thought, they must be stronger united because the shots were slower. The sorcerer tried to reunite with the group and Tony got in the way. Then he wanted to see if they had a pure heart beneath the darkness. Tony's eyes began to light up like Adalena's and the fire in his pupils began to turn black. "no, there is no pure heart beneath, oh wait." Suddenly the color began to turn red and the center showed a hint of white. Tony was caught by surprise when Raj yelled, "watch out." Just in time Tony moved out the way from the goo shot right to him. The sorcerer who carried the Letter S had noticed what Tony was doing. Then he hit a black bolt at the sorcerer with the letter A. A woman's scream came out from the sorcerer with the letter A. She was in pain and when she looked at Tony. Her eyes were no longer blank. A black shadow covered her body and right before it covered her face she managed to say, "heal us." Her black spider was releasing the shadow and once her eyes went back to blank it stopped. Raj hit all of the sorcerer with a strong lightning. They all united and dark smoke came from their amulets. It covered them and turned them into one big dragon with a large amulet that spelled SHADOW.
   Tony, Raj and Ade looked at it and at each other. They knew that this was going to be a tough battle and it wasn't going to be easy. They began to throw everything at this larger dragon. Tony concentrated on Raj, "Raj if you can here me, please hear my plea. We must not destroy them, only weaken them so we can heal them. They need to be healed. I saw her, she is under his control. It is those amulets. They are keeping them on auto mode. Tell Ade not to destroy them." Raj responded, "I heard your plea, I will let her know too." Minutes after two more sentries showed with four dragons. They had caught on to the signs as well and were in battle armor. One turned into a dragon after using her crystal and the other girl dived under water. Now it was four sentries and one dragon against the larger dragon. The black dragon shot out bolts at all of them. It hit Raj and Ade. Then it shot out ice at the two newer sentries. They managed to dodge it, but didn't mange to dodge his bolts. Tony caught all of them as they fell and had the beach take them to safety. Then he went back to face the shadow dragon. 'Right before he got back, he saw the sentry who turned into a dragon get hit multiple times with a bolts. It was then tossed to the side like a rag doll. The shadow dragon laughed and said, "look at your friends, they are gone. What can you possibly do? They are mine and under my control if you think you can heal them."" He's not alone!" shouted Nessy. It was her and Igneous flying into battle. Igneous look regenerated. Tony smirked and joined them side by side. The Shadow dragon shot the liquid at them, But tony was able to use the invisible shield from Adalene. Then without having to ask Nessy allowed herself be pulled into the crystal. Tony through fire at the shadow dragon as Igneous turned into steal and began to fight him. Then Tony remembered fire and steal are probably not a good mix. He then created a stone sword and went for the amulet. As he was going for it, the tail of the shadow dragon hit him, but he was able to shield himself. Then he proceeded. Tony broke the word shadow and the dragon turned into smoke. The sorcerers fell unconscious straight into the water. Tony caught them one by one and set them on the beach. Igneous landed next to him. "They must be awake for you to look into their pure heart or you must posses the healing power of Orphicus." Tony got excited because he knew who possessed it at the moment. Before he could ask the beach to bring back his friends a deep black hole appeared from beneath the unconscious sorcerers. They were sucked into the black hole and a voice came from within. "You have discovered me, but next time I will not make it so easy to defeat my ponds." Then the hole closed as fast as it came. Tony tried to reach for the hand of one, but only caught sand in his hands.
    When the rest awaken, looked at Ade straight into her eyes and burned out the darkness growing in her. Then she released Orphicus and Vipress. Orphicus casted a white light on all of the sentries. They all looked back to themselves again. The two new sentries introduced themselves as Olivia and Noah. They met half way to the battle. They have been training and where also attacked days before the battle. It seemed as though the sorcerers where not only trying to use the dragon energy, but to also destroy the sentry with them. Tony was relieved to meet more people, but it made Draco and the rest of the dragons feel unease. They knew something that the sentries don't know, but they did not want to share. Still they celebrated their most fierce fight. Igneous spoke over them as they tried to exchange stories, "We must search for the last sentry. The longer we wait, the more time we give our enemy to get stronger again. This last sentry has not  been activated and he will not be easily found. We must travel together and incognito." They set off into the sky and went on to their next journey. Tony couldn't help but wonder, why is there only six sentries and why don't the dragons want to say anything. He looked at Draco who shrunk to smaller size and was on his shoulder. Draco knew Tony had questions and said, "It will all make sense soon, the answers you seek will soon appear." They went into the night and disappeared into the clouds like a plane does when its too far.

Diamonds

Diana had invited her friends over for the first time. Her friends were all sitting in the living room awaiting for their snacks. Her mother Iris called her "little diamond, what do your friends like to eat and drink?" Diana answered, " juice and pizza!" Then Diana turned to look at her friends to see if they agreed. They all nodded and smiled. Diana got up to pull out her collection of DVDs and board games. She sat down with all her stuff and asked them, "which movie do you girls want to see? I have more that my mom can bring out and here are some board games we can play after the movie. Then one of her friends asked "Diana, why do they call you little diamond?" She smiled and looked over to her mother who was just entering the room with everyones drinks. Iris placed the drinks down and began to hand them out. Then she sat down with them, "Well, I already called for the pizza. Do you all want to hear how Diana got her nick name little diamond?" and they all nodded.

   It all started when she was born, I was in labor and she had some trouble coming out. She was not ready, but something happened that forced her come early. It was a tough, very though night for her and I. Wow, was she a little stubborn child. After labor I held her in my arms for only a few minutes because she was in a very weak. She had trouble breathing and needed help from the doctor. Then she was kept to another room. A private room were they keep all the babies that need special care. I was so scared because she was a little baby. Her father and I were anxious to take Diana home, but we had to be patient. Then the doctors told us that she was not going to be able to walk because her spine was weak and underdeveloped. That meant she didn't have the strength to walk. Her father and I were sad and happy at the same time, but we loved our little one. She was a gift, a blessing. She began to learn to talk and ask questions. The first time she said a complete sentence it was to ask why she couldn't walk. It broke my heart to hear her ask that because I knew it was going to be asked more than once. I told her what the doctors said and she looked down. She didn't cry, instead she smiled and said, just like me birth it will take time. And every morning she asked me to help her get up and move her feet. I took her swimming and hiking and to the park and any place that required us to walk. She then was strong enough to use crutches and move without me. I didn't know that every night she practiced on her own to walk. It was to our amazement that on her seventh birthday she wished out loud to be able to walk. I said to her, "honey, your supposed to make a wish and keep it to yourself so it comes true" and she said, "but momy, It already has". That's when she stood up in front of all our family. I cried of happiness and held her in my arms so tight. It was that moment when I called her my little diamond, because they are made in the darkest, deepest part of the earth. Under so much pressure and so much heat. It is those combinations which allow diamonds to be made. Diana is definitely a diamond because of the pressure she felt to walk just like the others, the fire that burn inside her to keep going and her desire to keep practicing even in the dark. She is truly my little diamond.

   

Akmos and Pharaoh's Dagger

   It was a cold and windy night; in the palace were cries of a newborn, Akmos. Surrounding him was his father, mother and older brother, Kamos. Akmos and Kamos were sons of the king of Thebes. Kamos was ten years older than Akmos and was excited to have a new baby brother. The night was still young, but a darkness was upon them. Egypt was invaded with foreigners who threatened to take over all of Egypt. Their northern enemy was Hyksos and their southern enemy was Nubia.  
   The next day the king began to prepare for a war to keep his family safe. He was tired of how low his kingdom had fallen. He was in his room putting on his armor when his wife walked in with their newborn. She rocked Akmos back and forth in her arms. "Dear what are you doing?" she asked him while looking at Akmos. The king signaled his servants to stop and turned to face his wife, "I am preparing to defend my kingdom. My sons will not be raised in a kingdom that is invaded by these intruders." His wife sat down and took a deep breath. "Can't you send someone else?" she asked. The king signaled his servants to come back. "And where is the honor in that? A war without its king is for cowards," yelled the king with a straight face. Just after, Kamos walked in with a wooden dagger. "What's this boy?" asked the king as he took the wooden dagger away. "I am going with you, into battle," replied Kamos as he tried to take back his dagger. The king pulled out a real dagger from his waist and handed it to Kamos. " I need you to fight a different battle, one that is most important. Kamos, your mission is to stay behind and protect your mother and brother." The king hugged his sons and wife right before he left.
   A week later the royal guards returned and from far away Kamos noticed the chariot  He was running back from the fields to greet his father home. With his father's dagger held tight in his hands he rushed back, but was stopped by his mother's cries. She was kneeling on the ground while one of her servants was trying to help her back up. He slowly walk toward his mother and the guards. "Where is father?" asked Kamos. "Your father was murdered," replied a guard. Kamos dropped the dagger. He looked down to pick it up. As he lifted his father's dagger, his last words came to mind. He walk over to his mother and placed his hand on her shoulder.
   That same night they began the burial ceremony. Kamos stayed in his room silently until he was notified that his father was going to be taken to his tomb. Kamos had not shed a tear since he heard of his fathers death. He walked over to his father's casket with the dagger in his hands. He stood next to it and finally his eyes began to water. He looked at the dagger and said, "with this dagger I will do what was done to my father, my king, my pharaoh." From that point on he demanded training in battle. Every morning he began his fitness training and then went on to battle training. In the evenings he would study military tactics. As years went by, Akmos began to walk and run. Akmos watched his brother, Kamos during his intense training. Akmos tried to play with him a few times, but he was always rejected. Kamos would repeat the same thing, "we are at a war and its up to us to finish it."
   Kamos was 20 years old by the time he felt ready to avenge his father. He consulted his military chief and every time he was in a meeting he held his father's dagger as a reminder. The time came when Kamos felt he was ready to take on his father's work to restore Egypt to its glory once more. Suddenly two guards returned from their nightly watch. They had capture a messenger running to Nubia from Hyksos. They planned to take over all of Egypt together. Kamos sent out word to his army to prepare for battle that same night. Just like his father before him, he stood in his chambers getting ready for war. Akmos walked in with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Kamos looked at his brother and approached him as he pulled out their father's dagger. Akmos dropped his sword and took the dagger. Kamos then repeated his father's words, "I need you to fight a different battle, one that is most important. Akmos your mission is to protect our mother and our kingdom. I will capture our enemy and bring him to justice within egyptian walls." Then Kamos set off into to the darkness to fight, leaving his brother behind. Kamos stood watch until his brother was just a small dot in the open field and then he was gone.
    Akmos began to train for war the next morning and like his brother he kept the dagger with him at all times. He trained day and night until his body couldn't move any more. Every morning he would send a guard to hear if there was word from his brother Kamos. A few months later he finally got a message from his brother. His first battle was a success and he was going to move on to the capitol. Kamos told Akmos in a letter how he was victorious.

   "Brother, it was as the gods had told me in my dream. We captured a spy and learned of the locations of our enemies. It was as if the gods had sent them to be placed under my mercy. We had the advantage over the battle. During the fight the gods blessed me with their godly power and made me invisible  I was the fiercest warrior that gobbled up any enemy standing in my way. I moved forward and with the slightest movement I won the battle. We are preparing to move on to the capital to finally show Egypt's true strength. I will write to you once more with my next victory. The gods are with us and victory is ours brother."

   Akmos was proud of his brother's victory and celebrated. He walked into his mothers chambers and let her know of their victory. His mother was a very quiet person since her husband was murdered, but she always had wise words to say when she did speak. "son, this is only the beginning, true victory is when our enemies are kissing the very ground they once took for granted." She took Kamos wooden dagger he held once when he was a boy and showed it to Akmos. "This has been replaced with real weapons, I will celebrate when it is restored." Akmos just stared at it for a few minutes and then excused himself.
   A few months later he was in the sun training and he heard chariots ride by. Expecting to see a messenger with good news he ran to greet them. To his surprise it was his brothers chariot and a few soldiers. He searched for his brother among them and did not see him. His heart rate began to rise and he began to sweat. A sense of fear suddenly hit him. He looked at the chariot and saw his brothers body wrapped in bloody sheets. Before any of the men spoke he raised his hand to stop them and signaled them to go. They walked away and left him alone tearing by his brothers body. Then he took the dagger which his brother passed on to him and cut a piece of the cloth which covered his brothers body. Akmos then tied it to the dagger and walked away.
    Years passed and Akmos was determine to complete his father's and brother's legacy. He took no part in ceremonies or feasts. He studied his lands and had his army scout the enemy nightly. Every night he developed a new plan and every morning he destroyed it because he thought it was not good enough. He always took time to enjoy the smallest pleasures in life like the river. He admired the land and bathe freely. It was here where he found the idea how to win his war and were he also met his love.
   She was retrieving water for a bath. As she was walking back to the palace he bumped into her. She apologized right away and bowed. It was the first time he laid eyes on a lady because he spent most of his time studying. She was tanned with long black hair. Her eyes were an almond shape with dark eyelashes. Her lower lip was slightly thicker than the upper lip. Akmos stared at her for a few minutes and then walked away without saying anything. He returned to his study area and wrote down his grand idea to defeat his enemy.
   Akmos knew he needed a larger army. He recruited and drafted every eligible man or young adult. He gave them time to train them for battle. He pushed his military chief to train them from sunrise to midnight. The army was beginning to look unified and were properly prepared after a few months. He planned out a root and then finally gave the order to depart. As he was getting ready he notice the girl walk passed the door of his chambers. He then ran after her until he caught up to her. She turned around shocked and confused. She bowed and ask, "how may I be of service my king?" He stood quiet for a moment, then he said,"you may answer three questions for me. The first, are you married?" She looked up at him for a second and then quickly looked down again. "I am not, I have just reached the proper age." Then Akmos asked his second question, "Is your heart loyal to a man?" She answered, "No, It is not loyal to any man yet." He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. With his other hand he lifted her chin and asked his final question, "will you wait for me?" She took a deep breath. He could feel her heart pulse vibrating throughout her body and through her hands. Then she said "Yes," and he kissed her. He then excused himself and walked away.
   Akmos made camp every night and planned a new route so the spies would not be able to guess where they were headed. It was expected that he would attack from a frontal position, but Akmos took the least path taken and went through a very narrow entrance. It was this that caused them to surprise their enemy. They had snuck in between the cracks of his enemy's walls unnoticed. With all his army finally through the wall, he charged into the city. He took out everyone in his path and kept moving forward. His army was like a sandstorm devouring anything in its path. Akmos had reached the palace walls and found the king. He charged at him with such great force. With every blow he remembered his father and brother. He could see their faces in his mind. Flashbacks of his brother's body brought a few tears while he fought the king. Finally he disarmed the king and had him on the ground. Akmos guards then entered and lifted the fallen king up. Akmar looked at the king and pulled out the dagger he kept close. "You shall not die an honorable death here, instead you will died in my kingdom like a slave."
   Akmos returned to Egypt with his prisoner and presented him as the fallen king. He then publicly marked the fallen king with the same dagger his father once carried. He gave him the mark of a slave and had him thrown into prison without treatment. The fallen king only lived for three more day because his wounds became infected. Egypt was united once more and Akmos was now free to take a bride. He finally married the girl he met by the river and also pronounce himself as pharaoh.
   A year later his wife had their first newborn and we was an excited father. Akmos rocked his son back and forth in his arms for the first time. Then he handed him back to his wife and pulled out a dagger. This dagger was no longer the one he carried for years, it was the wooden dagger his mother showed him a few years ago. Akmos mother watched as he presented the wooden dagger to his baby. Akmos mother smiled and walked away slowly into the darkness. Her wish to restore the wooden dagger to its original purpose had been fulfilled. Akmos was known as the warrior prince and the great pharaoh. The palace once again was surrounded by the cries of a newborn, the new prince of Egypt.