On the planet of Azurezin, a new ruler reigned: Aelita. She lived in the region of the Great Trees, was no Faren, and had no special abilities. She had learned to swim by a Faren and was especially proud of that rare trait, but knew no more than that. Aelita ruled over Azurezin during a special time. It was a time that brought happiness and distress. Twenty-three years earlier, a long disagreement sparked between the fish and the dragons of Azurezin, and it brought terrible stress to the Faren. As it turned out, the dragons had stolen an important artifact from the fish: a stone that resembled their water connection. Inside it, the symbol of the fish region was engraved. The stone was protection. Without it, the fish grew weak, turning into gray lumps of living flesh whose eyes reached out with slimy hands of plead and grabbed sympathy from all… except the dragons. Through the whole ordeal, the dragons continually claimed that the fish had stolen the most important stone in the entire galaxy: the incredible Stone of Unity. Without its glow, which can only be kept alight by its location on the planet of Farzee, the residence of all Faren, the two planets would slowly erode into nothingness, decomposing all of their inhabitants as well. The fish, however, had different theories, and they became tall walls of deception, covering the way most people take to discover truth. Though that wall was tall, and growing ever taller by the second, it was not very wide, and Aelita was one of the few to know how to walk around a boulder. The fish’s stories seemed ever changing, and the more they defended themselves from the dragons, the greater Aelita’s dislike for them grew. The Faren were distressed, though they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) reveal why, and the dragons had a very fitting justification for their unhappiness.
Aelita collapsed in the middle of the ring of the Great Trees and stroked the damp soil surrounding her. Directly in front of the Greatest Tree, whose name Aelita knew to be Azure-Yehn, was the Pool of Streams. It was not colossal, yet it was cherished with an intensity that could not be measured. Aelita focused her eyes on the Pool; Natashiata-Laquatana, the Faren who taught Aelita how to swim, would be arriving soon, and to reach this planet, she’d transport from a water source on Farzee to that water source. She scrambled up, not wanting a well respected Faren to see her sprawled on the ground. A minute later, Natashiata-Laquatana rose out of the Pool of Streams.
“Hello, Faren,” Aelita formally greeted her.
“Hi, Leets!” Natashiata exclaimed, rushing out of the Pool. “There’s no need to be official,” she continued, flicking a spare drop of water from her otherwise dry body.
“I must thank you for arriving,” Aelita said as they embraced.
“It’s been so long, Aelita. How could I have declined?”
“You might have visited according to your liking. I would have welcomed you regardless.”
“Yes…. But there is so much chaos on Farzee. The Faren wouldn’t tolerate me excusing myself from the planet unless a formal invitation expressing greater distress on this planet was sent. I imagine I left too eagerly.”
“Yes, well,” Aelita cleared her throat, clearly pleased to have been missed. “Remember, we are here to discuss the problem with your people.”
Natashiata-Laquatana sat beside the Pool of Streams and crossed her legs. “There is something strange in relation to this area,” she said. “Something different…I feel as if there is a certain person or object close by needed to accompany me on the day of my departure…”
“ There will be an abundant amount of time to reinforce your feeling. For now, we must stay focused.”
“Of course…Yes, you are certainly correct, Aelita….Begin.”
Aelita immediately obeyed. She explained the problems Azurezin faced in the twenty-three years since the argument, and inquired whether or not the Faren had any greater difficulties. Natashiata informed Aelita about the terrible conditions some of the Faren were in and stated her speculation that an item of the Faren had been somehow stolen or destroyed. Aelita then explained how she felt the fish were hiding something and how the dragons continually complained about the misplacement of the Stone of Unity. As she neared the end of her exchange, Aelita was silenced by Natashiata.
“Please, discontinue your thought. I must find the cause of that disturbing noise.” She slowly snuck around the Pool of Streams and to the Greatest Tree. Then she motioned for Aelita to follow her. As both leaders crept behind the Greatest Tree, a cry emitted from Natashiata. She shielded her eyes from the bottom of the Tree while Aelita stared at her, dumbstruck.
“Faren, what troubles you?” Aelita asked.
“The source of the noise. It is buried underground. Its light is leaking out of the soil.”
“Yes,” Aelita said as if she understood, “but I can see no such thing.” Natashiata’s mouth formed the shape of an O in surprise.
“You cannot see?” she asked in a murmur.
“No, Faren. I cannot.”
“Take my hand.” As Aelita hesitated to do so, Natashiata gripped it suddenly. The power of the golden light filled Aelita’s eyes without earning, causing her to yelp.
“Why…I can’t believe it,” Aelita whispered. “This is all too great. No one could have planted it between the time you arrived and now…Yet none of us have noticed it before.”
“I doubt any Azurezinee could recognize this power. Bear in mind, I had to touch you for you yourself to gain visual. I cannot tell how long this has been residing here, but I am positive that this item is one belonging to the Faren.”
“But Eeeto,” Aelita suddenly remembered, “he can communicate with Faren. You’ve touched him, so he should be able to see the source.”
“Yes,” Natashiata replied, never taking her eyes from the spot, “That is possible. Even more so, for he has touched the Greatest Tree.”
“He’s been behind the Tree countless numbers of times. Why hasn’t he seen this before?”
“I cannot answer that question. This puzzles me as well. I must dig up the source. Will you escort me to tools?”
After a lengthy silence, Aelita nodded. The two set off to earn the correct tools. They arrived back to the site with their tools as well as Eeeto.
Digging up the source required more labor than originally expected. Aelita and Eeeto could not see the source as Natashiata-Laquatana could not touch them both and expect to work, the Greatest Tree’s roots had to be avoided, and the source turned out to be exceptionally deeper than it first appeared. All three let out a sigh of relief when the source was finally spotted, lifted out of the hole, and wrapped in a soft but sturdy cloth Natashiata remembered to carry. To Aelita and Eeeto, the source appeared to be a plain, soot colored nugget, but judging by the entranced look on Natashiata’s face, that nugget was much, much more.
“Thank you,” she said while cupping both Eeeto’s and Aelita’s hands in hers. “This could be the solution to our distress.” She then walked to the edge of the Pool of Streams, turned and waved to the two she bade goodbye, and walked into the Pool with the source clutched tightly.
Aelita and Eeeto sat in front of the Pool, willing the source to be the answer to the distress. Meanwhile, Natashiata-Laquatana silently slipped into the deep wells of the Forest of the Faren. She approached the heart of the Forest and took four steps to restore goodness: she unwrapped the stone, dug the hole, buried the stone inside the hole, and pumped her triumphant fist in the air. Abruptly, a bright white light like never before covered the whole planet of Farzee. Instantly, the light transported through the Pool of Streams onto Azurezin. All Faren and Azurezinee discontinued what they were doing to stare at the light that passed over them.
No one knew until later that the stone Natashiata planted on Farzee was the Stone of Peace. But signs definitely showed beforehand. The fish and the dragons lived in unity. The little arguments that caused unhappiness were easily settled. And the Faren’s distress evaporated. Even with a stone, some things can never happen unless that stone is properly placed. Peace was not something the whole of Azurezin and Farzee had the privilege of attaining earlier. But the day the Stone of Peace was discovered, peace for all was born.