"You are awake!! I'm so glad that you girls are all ok. I'd ask how you all slept, but the looks on your faces tell me that you weren't able to catch a lot of z's last night. I wonder, why is that? Did you lose your faith last night that your testimonies today wouldn't do the best, so you prayed all night to your God that He might return the faith that you lost?"
"We never lost our faith, we just…. misplaced it!! Say hi, Adelheid!!!!"
"Hi Sparro."
"Nice…..uh…nice to see you in good health, Princess."
"Why thank you. I'm glad to see you in good health as well."
"Oh, Sparro!!"
"Yes Star?"
"Make sure that you are able to secure a seat with a view. Would hate for you to miss the day's entertainment. After all, it's only getting started!!!"
"Girls, they are ready for you in five!"
"King, let me take you to your seat."
"Get off me, Timmy!!
I can walk myself back!"
"Hello Timmy."
"Please say that you found her."
"No thanks to you!!"
"Did any of the villagers see you dragons?"
"That's what you are so worried about? There is no hi Adelheid? There is no thank you for saving my girl. There is no embracing of hugs? No nothing!! You care more for the safety of this kingdom instead of the life of the one girl that you love the most. Shame shall befall thee!
Needless to say, to answer your question, it's a yes. We were spotted."
"Did they panic?"
"They lost their minds!!"
"How many of you did they see?"
".......ALL OF US!!!!!!!!
And....it....was….worth it!!!!"
"Adalyn, you're limping. Wait, why are you walking towards me and putting your hand on my shoulder? What did you do? How'd it happen?"
"Adalyn, let's go!! We're on."
"...I did what had to be done!!"
"Done? Is it really done? They think that I was in partnership with the evil king and purposefully led Adelheid to that spot. I took her so that Shadow could have an easy get in, drop off and collect his rewards. They don't trust me anymore. They believe I don't care for them. Now I have to prove to them that I am still loyal, but what is there for me to prove?"
"Here is your seat, my king. This is the best spot in the audience to see both the stage and also all the exit points, like you asked."
"Perfect. The king is sitting down and is distracted by the girls. I know how to pledge my loyalty once more."
"Hey!! What are you doing back here, kid? No one is allowed back here without the king's consent. I'm going to have to ask you to leave!!"
"Who are you to tell me what to do?"
"Put him down!! Please, I don't know who you are, but just release your hold on him and put him down."
"Oh, I'll put him down all right. I'll put him down so hard that he personally meets the devil.... alive!!!"
"No!! No!! Nooo!!!"
"CHOKE!!!"
"Okay!! I'm going. I'm going. Just don't hurt me. I'll say I saw nothing."
"Did I say you could leave? SPEAR!!!
Right through the heart!! Man, I'm good.
Now, if I were a stone, where would I hide!!"
"Hide!!! Who said we were hiding? We weren't hiding, we just weren't unhiding either."
"You could say that we grew up under loving parents who wanted nothing but the best for us. Although that is true, and we did learn a lot about God that way; we were still stuck in darkness."
"We thought that our love for God was strong, but when I first met the real enemy…..I ran and hid."
"It's true. When I saw Dragon's eye in the window and saw him kill my parents; instead of fighting back for my one true Love….I ran."
"Same. When the king's sorcerers came to take my family, I watched as they killed them, but being too weak to fight back…. I also ran."
"Thankfully, there was one who was found alive. For me, it was my mother."
"My father!!"
"My brother!!"
"I was mad!!"
"I was mad!!"
"I was mad!!"
"And knew I needed to prove that I was still loyal to my Father in love. Here, my mother raised me and taught me how to not only keep the love burning within me, but also help others keep theirs. That's when I first became a Hopegiver."
"Growing up in a house where the Dragon literally waged war inside my mother, you would think that would turn her evil? Na. It did the opposite. She showed me that no matter how dark you are or how dark the world around you is, you got to keep fighting. The moment darkness wins…is when you let up. That is when I first started to become a Lovechild."
"People, please; listen to their words and what they have to say. Use me as an example. When you don't listen to your parents and have no one to guide you in who your first Love was, you turn vengeful. Once you become vengeful, you start to hate anything and anyone that is happy, because you can't be. So, you kill all of them, which in turn gives them a reason to see you as the enemy. Thankfully, out of my own safety, I killed all of them…. even my mother. I pray, don't you ever get to that point. Don't give them a reason to hate you. Be like Adalyn here. The only reason people should hate you is because of the love you show; not the hate you give."
"At the end of the day though, your parents can only teach you so much."
"When God returns, He is not going to ask, 'Did your parents teach you well? If so, then come sit at the table. If not, then I know you not either.' No. He is going to say, "What did you do here to spread my name, because do you not remember what I preached? In order to follow me, you must put your family and everyone else down in order to pick up your cross.' Living your whole life inside the safety and comfort of your home, is not picking up your cross, people!!"
"I left to seek the truth!!"
"Me too."
"Me too."
"Me too!!"
"WHO LEFT WITH YOU? SURELY GOD DID NOT INTEND FOR HIS CHILDREN TO GO INTO THE BATTLEFIELD ALONE. When no one else believed in you, who took your hand?"
"My sister!!"
"My sister!!"
"My brother!!"
"Although we did fight a lot back and forth, I could always count on them."
"WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE THAT WE MAY CONGRATULATE THEM ON RAISING SUCH FINE GIRLS? WE SAW WHAT YOU DID LAST NIGHT. BRING THEM TO US."
"It cannot be done."
"God used them to help raise us up, but their time…. was done!! She died before my eyes!!"
"She died before my eyes!!"
"He died protecting what he knew to be true."
"These guardians did not let darkness define who we were. They gave their lifes in hopes that one day, we the Lights, would shine forth."
"WAS IT WORTH IT?"
"Was what worth it?"
"Was it worth giving up everything and everyone you loved, only to turn around and see them all die in your arms?"
"THE LORD GAVE!!!!!!"
"...AND THE LORD TAKETH AWAY!!!
"WERE YOU NOT AFRAID LAST NIGHT WHEN YOU TOOK ON SHADOW?"
".....WE WERE!!!"
"See!! People, these girls are not the bright shining stars that Adelheid has been telling us about. Just look at them. Most are limping. Others are weary. Some are tired. They have aches and pains, and above all…. they fear!!! I thought God told you that you should be a people of no fear. Cast all your worries on the Lord for I shall give you rest. Is that not what the Bible says? Why should we follow people that are always living in fear? I thought to be brave, you have to show no fear."
"Bravery does not mean showing no fear. In fact, God wants us to fear. He says there is a healthy fear and an unhealthy fear. An unhealthy fear is when you completely let go and darkness seeps in. Healthy fear on the other hand is when you are so afraid that the only person you look too to help you out, is Him. Then fear makes you run to Him so He may help you. God uses fear to make us run to Him, while Darkness uses fear to keep us rooted."
"I CAN SAFELY TESTIFY THAT LAST NIGHT, NONE OF YOU WERE ROOTED. IN FACT, YOU WERE MORE AND WILD THEN EVEN MY PIGS ARE OUTSIDE."
"Yes. I don't know how to respond to being called pigs, but I'll take it. Do you think if we indeed were in fear of Darkness, we would not be showing...strength?"
"Okay, you girls have shown that God does indeed care for community and family, but what about individuals? I'm sure these people would like to hear about How God touched you all personally, and how the you of back then has shaped you into the you of today, well..the past!! Star, since you are the oldest, I'll let you start."
"Thank you, sir. I shall try and make this brief so that all of you don't fall asleep on me."
"Haaaaa!!!"
"My story begins with a single glass of water."
"Here you go ma'am. It's not much but my mom packed me a water bottle and a small cup to pour it in. You can use it as your demonstration if you want, to help us get more of a visual."
"Thank you, young steward. You know, you kind of remind me of my brother in your looks. You sure I don't know you from somewhere?"
"No ma'am. But would you like…*croak…too?
Sorry. I feel like I have a frog in my throat."
"I know the feeling."
"Keep my seat warm. I have somewhere I need to be."
"But, my king. The girls have gotten their introductions and questions out of the way. They are about to start giving their individual testimonies. Do you not want to stay for that?"
"Let them give their testimonies...…for this will be the last time that they do!!!"