"Where are we going?" asked Xena. The new friend she met, Aqua, smiled brightly.
"To the heart of Arkenhill," Aqua answered, and the mischievousness in her eyes were prominent. They walked and chatted for half an hour. Xena realized Aqua was the first Arken she made friends with, sadly enough. She was like a chatterbox, always finding new topics to add to the conversation, and it made Xena feel better.
"So like I said, my job is pretty fun you know." Aqua let out a carefree giggle. She had been rambling on about how exciting every day was and the adrenaline she feels in her job, but she never dismissed 'what' her job really was. Xena looked at the path in front and brooded.
A job that requires high energy, adrenaline rush, quick thinking, and speed. Xena tried to think of many possibilities, but the vagueness of those descriptions made her give up. She let out a sigh and turned to Aqua.
'So… what 'is' your job anyway," she finally found the nerve to ask. As they both continued to walk, the warm light from the sun shined on half of their faces. Aqua's lips turned into a grin as she gazed at Xena.
"My job?" she reiterated, "pick-pocketing…" Aqua smirked and turned her face forward. The large and beautiful town below them reflected in Aqua's eyes. Meanwhile, Xena continued to wonder what the hell pick-pocketing was. A sport? She wondered.
"Look…" a nudge from Aqua was all Xena needed to see the beauty of the city just below them. It was so magnificent that her lips opened wide at the sight. This wasn't the Arkenhill city that showed on television—it was far different and beautiful. There were tall skyscrapers that stood high and mighty, grass and greeneries were everywhere in the town, and the cars racing across the street hovered instead of its wheels touching the ground. Neon was prominent in each of the buildings as if it was the signature look. Small trees surrounded the streets too, and it gave the town a pretty look. Even the birds flying above the town looked like they were enjoying the view below.
When Xena looked to the right, there were a few houses that looked worlds apart from the ones in Mirefield. Each house had a rooftop with beautiful greeneries. Behind each of them were large backyards that had pools and the usual sky blue neon aligned its edges.
Xena looked at Aqua, bewildered. "Th-this is Arkenhill?" she asked as she refused to believe this was the same city that her town was a part of. Aqua let out a sigh and a bitter chuckle.
"Yeah," she replied, "actually, no, this is the Arkenhill the government didn't want us to see."
So it was all a just a lie, and smart propaganda the government forced into every Arken's brains. They forced them to believe the destruction of the city was all their fault and blamed them for every disaster that transpired in the city.
"Look…" Aqua pointed at the very tall gates half the height of the skyscrapers that surrounded the entire area, "unless you're a resident of this town you can't enter through the gates," she said.
"So how will we enter?" Xena couldn't help but ask. With the confident look on Aqua's face, she knew she didn't have to worry about it. Xena continued to look at the city below them… It was breathtaking, but a sense of bitterness rose in her. Unlike her town, which had broken establishments and buildings, this town had none of that. It looked perfect. And that hurt her. She used to imagine living in these towns when she saw it on television, and she never thought it was real. But here she is, staring at one of them.
"Xena… Don't freak out when I say this, okay?" Aqua advised, yet Xena didn't know what she was talking about.
"To get down there, you have to jump…" She smiled nervously. Xena thought, Jump? She's expecting ME to jump from this cliff that looked about 20 meters high? Not only was it ridiculous—yes, but it could also end a person's life!
Aqua detected that panic in Xena's. She looked at her firmly. "You asked to come with me, did you not? I told you… it's dangerous."
Xena shook her head in disapproval, "N-no. I can do it. I know I can." But can she really? She remembered what she promised herself; that she'll find her mother and save her no matter what.
Aqua smiled reassuringly, "I know this sounds ridiculous, but trust me on this." She took Xena's hand and enveloped it in hers. A warmth that Xena had felt for the first time reassured her. She nodded her head and trusted Aqua, whom she had only met an hour ago. If the old Xena saw this happening, she'd definitely get mad at the current Xena. But the old Xena was no more…
Xena closed her eyes and gulped down her fear. 'Don't look down, don't look below,' she repeated. Just as she was about to jump, Xena felt Aqua's hand on her shoulder.
"Oops. I forgot one thing." They both looked at each other. "Your hair. We can't just let it out like that. People will think it's weird and will report you." Said Aqua. Xena's brows furrowed.
"They'd do that?"
Aqua nodded her head and let out a sigh. "This town is very wary of us Arkens."
"Here." She took off her black jacket, and it revealed her semi-muscular figure. Aqua's arms looked toned. The warm yellow light of the sun gave her tanned skin a radiant glow. Xena smiled appreciatively and wore the jacket. It was a little big for her, but it sufficed. She and Aqua shared eye contact as if her eyes were telling Aqua she was ready to jump. Both nodded while Xena braced herself.
"You jump on the count of three," Aqua said with her eyebrows furrowed in determination. And as the countdown began…
"1… 2…"
"3.. Jump!"
Xena shut her eyes. Her legs sprung down and pushed itself up as she jumped. Gravity did its job by pulling her as fast as it could to the ground. Her stomach felt like it was turning, the sensation of falling was something she had never experienced before. Her white hair moved up as the lively air ran against the direction she was falling.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw the flat grass surface. If she were to fall flat on the ground, death would be the one waiting for her.
"AHHHH!" screamed Xena. Just before she could land on the ground, as if on cue, hundreds upon hundreds of water droplets came out of the green fields. The droplets were plenty, and it soon formed a giant squishy ball of water. Xena's eyes widened as she could feel herself coming down too quickly.
Her bottom reached the surface of the giant ball of water. It bounced her back up gently unto the grass field. Her eyes rounded in bewilderment. She felt excitement, fun and happiness for the first time in a while. A laugh escaped her mouth because it felt incredible—so incredible that she felt as if it was a wild dream. Xena looked at Aqua from below. Her jump was glorious, and she looked experienced. Just like her, Aqua landed on the bouncy ball of water with a smile on her face. Instead of falling gently on the ground, she sprung back up into a standing position.
Aqua clapped her hands in satisfaction. The two of them laughed joyfully. It was Aqua's first time having this much fun in a long time, and so was Xena.
"Come on," she gesticulated and helped Xena up.
"But you said only residents could enter the gates?" worried, Xena asked. A chuckle escaped Aqua's mouth as she reached for something in her pocket.
"I've been doing this for three years. You think I'm not prepared?" she giggled while raising an identification card with her face on it.
"For 30 arans you can forge an ID," a mischievous smile formed on Aqua's lips. For 30 arans Xena could buy a week's worth of food. Just how expensive is everything in this town?
The two walked towards the tall gates. Its large height took Xena's breath away. She underestimated the size of these gigantic gates from above. As they got near the gray walls slowly opened a small window which revealed a man in an officer's suit. On the glass window were hovering words that said, 'Show your ID here.'
Aqua did as the instructions said with a pleasant smile. The officer turned to the girl with the black jacket. Xena's heartbeat increased.
"Oh, this is my cousin. She's visiting from Lindwell," convinced Aqua. Xena remembered that Lindwell was another town in Arkenhill. Possibly a rich town. And if it was, Xena wished she lived there, but she doesn't. So there's that. The officer felt convinced and nodded his head.
"Enjoy your stay, little girl." Xena heard. She looked to the side, and faked a gentle smile, though the hoodie blocked her view.
Half of the gate opened. The entrance was small if compared to the actual size of the wall, but it was big enough for the two of them to enter with no problems. Xena didn't know what she was about to see. The view from above did not do the town justice. It looked far better. Beyond them was a large town full of beautiful sights to see.
The tall trees that looked small from above were thrice the size of Aqua and Xena's height combined. The streets were clean and pleasant to look at. The hovering cars sounded, unlike the ones she was used to hearing. It was quiet and didn't disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the surroundings. The houses she saw were much bigger in person. It was another word—a utopian fantasy. On the tall skyscraper that stood just a kilometre apart was a sign that said, 'Welcome to Grand Valley: Heart of Arkenhill'
Xena felt excited, yet bitter. Little did she know the adventures she's about to experience. Grand Valley welcomed her dearly, not knowing the dark side behind the fake pleasant image it purposely puts up.