Skylor looked around as she stepped out on deck.

  "Where are we headed for?" She asked herself.

    "An island in the middle of nowhere where we can stop and have a nice break from sailing." A voice behind her said.

   "Oh!" Startled, Skylor spun around.

   Kai was leaning on the railing, his back to the sea, drinking from a champagne glass and smirking. 

   "I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't notice you there." Skylor stammered.

  "No worries, anyway, ever been on vacation at a beach or anything like that?" Kai asked, pushing himself off the railing and walked nearer with an air of ease.

   "Only to holiday estates which are secluded and we weren't allowed of the palace or manor without an escort of bodyguards," Skylor sighed, "I don't know why we needed escorts, we were in the middle of nowhere!" 

     Kai was silent for a moment.

 "Well, they probably had their reasons? I don't know..." Kai shrugged.

   Skylor studied his face for a moment before she spoke up again, "I... envy, you and the others."

   Kai looked confused. "Why? You have everything and more that people in the towns and villages would kill to have." 

   "Riches don't make people happy. I mean, it would make some happy, but..." Skylor looked out across the sea, "Riches can't buy you everything. They can't buy happiness or love. Sure, you can buy things that can make you happy for a while, but it's not true happiness. I envy you, Lloyd, Cole, Zane, Jay, your crew, because you get to be free. You get to run your lives how you want to, you get to... do things, that royalty and rich people can't do. You don't know how lucky you are." 

     Kai was quiet. 

   "You don't have to have bodyguards and soldiers following you wherever you go to keep an eye on you or anything like that." Skylor added.

   "The way you're saying that, makes me really glad for the life I have." Kai smiled.

  Skylor smiled back, "So you should. And I'm glad I got given the chance to experience freedom. Even though it was unintentionally." 

    Kai laughed.

   "Land ho!"

   Skylor looked about and saw an island.

 "That's where we're going?!" Her jaw dropped. 

     "Yup, nice isn't it?" Kai asked her.

   "It is..." Skylor couldn't take her eyes off the island as the other girls joined her at the railing.

   "Kai! Stop standing there and start helping with lowering the sails!" Lloyd yelled from his spot at the steering wheel.

   "All right, all right! I'm going! Geez, chill..." Kai rolled his eyes, running off.

  Skylor laughed. 

    "I know you like him!" Harumi sang. 

   "Stop!" Skylor looked at her, "And if we're playing like that, then what about you and Lloyd?"

  Harumi blushed while rolling her eyes, "I don't know what you're talking about... We don't see each other like that. And he basically doesn't want another heartbreak, so even if I did like him, it wouldn't work out." And with that, she turned and walked away to get ready.

   "Do not worry, I think she does like him, a lot..." Pixal said.

  "She's not the only one who has a crush..." Skylor said, sneaking a glance at Kai. 

~⚓~

     "Your majesty, there is still no sign of any of them." General Vania said, all the other generals and second-in-commands standing behind her. 

   "We have to keep searching, no giving up." King Ray massaged his forehead as he glanced down at the paperwork in front of him that seemed the least of his worries but he had to do them.

   "Understood, your majesty." 

 Ray frowned at the mountain of paperwork piling up on the side of his desk.

   Someone started massaging his shoulders.

 "Ray, you need to rest. Working long hours and being stressed out isn't going to do you any good..." Maya murmured. 

    "Wish I could, but even if I wanted to, I can't... the girls are still missing, we just restarted the search for the boys again, and I've got all these matters about the kingdom to attend to." Ray sighed, putting down his pen and closing his eyes.

   "I know, but it wouldn't hurt taking a break now and then... I can handle some of these..." Maya persisted, softly.

   Ray hesitated then sighed after taking a glance at the firm look his wife was giving him.

 "Fine, but if there's anything important call me. You know where I am." Ray said, getting up and leaving the room, but not before giving Maya a kiss.

    Maya stared out the window, knowing exactly where he was headed to. 

 In the east wing, Ray slowly opened the door and entered. 

   As always, everything was exactly the same as it was nearly 19 years ago.

 "I know I haven't been here in a long time, but it's been hard. Especially with your birthday coming up soon. I don't know if Maya said anything, but your sister is missing, and nobody knows where she is." Ray slowly walked around the room, brushing his fingers on the furniture. 

   "We've also started looking for you and the others again too. And I promise, we're not stopping this time until we find all of you." Ray sighed.

  "I miss you Kai, and I've missed the years that we haven't been able to spend together. I'm sorry we never told your sister about you, but we didn't want her sneaking out to try and look for you just in case she went missing too. But she missing all the same." Ray stepped out onto the balcony.

   "You would love your sister. She looks like you mother." Ray looked out onto the horizon.

 "We'll find you, that's a promise."

 ⚔⚔⚔⚔⚓⚔⚔⚔⚔

     "What kind of tree house is this?!" Skylor and the other girls stood stunned as they looked up at a gigantic tree fort.

   "One that has our workmanship and name written all over it!" Kai grinned at her, walking backwards.

   The 'tree house' was more of a 'tree palace'. A rope bridge led to the door, and it had at least 3 or 4 floors.

     "The crew get their own, which is bigger than ours since there are more of them," Lloyd said, leading the way up.

   "Getting kidnapped is the best thing ever!" Seliel squealed, charging into the 'tree house'.

  "Still think your off your head..." Lloyd rolled his eyes. 

      "Just to let you know, I think so too," Skylor sighed as she walked past him.

   Kai and Cole were laughing.

     Later, Pixal found herself on one of the balconies. She could hear the birds singing in the trees around her, she could see the ship, the waves on the beach, the sunset on the horizon. She could hear Kai and Lloyd having a playful banter, and probably chasing each other. 

     "I thought I would find you out here," A voice said. 

  Pixal turned to see Zane leaning against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets. He strolled over and joined her, looking at the pink clouds. 

    "This is my favourite place to be. We found this island years ago, when Nadakhan, our father,  was still around. He had this idea to make it into a sort of holiday place for us to go to. He also had the idea to make the biggest and most extravagant tree house imaginable," Zane spoke, "Jay and I helped to design the buildings."

    "Really?" Pixal looked at him.

  Zane nodded. "Here, we can relax, forget about the rest of the world and just, be ourselves."

    "Why exactly did Lloyd allow us to choose if we wanted to stay or not? With how he acted in the beginning, I thought he was just dying to get rid of us," Pixal asked, curious.

    "I am not sure, actually," Zane replied truthfully, "The only reason we took you in the first place was because we were afraid you would tell on us. And Lloyd hates complains and whining, hence the elaborate rooms. He would have thrown you all into the sea with no second thought if he got one whine out of any of you. But it seems, that you have all grown on him."

   "Harumi especially!" Pixal laughed.

  Zane chuckled. "Now that is a pairing I never thought would happen. But then again, both Lloyd and Harumi are equally stubborn and strong-willed."

    "So how long exactly are we staying here?" Pixal asked. 

  "A couple of weeks, give or take," Zane said, " But first of all, we are going on an excursion tomorrow. However, before that, we are having a campfire at the beach tonight."

    "Are you serious?" Pixal's eyes widened with excitement. 

  "Affirmative," Zane nodded, "So, how about you go and get ready while I go and sort out the picnic baskets we are taking down with us?"

    Pixal immediately agreed before dashing off back into the tree house and down the hall to where her room was stationed. 

   Minutes later, and screams were heard and more sounds of running footsteps. 

 Giving it another minute, Zane left the balcony and calmly made his way to the kitchen unperturbed of the fact that Seliel,  Skylor, Nya and Harumi were running around and squealing like five-year-olds. 

   Entering the kitchen, he found that the others were already down there. 

 Jay was rubbing his ears while Kai, Lloyd and Cole were massaging their foreheads. Kai even went as far as putting an ice pack on his head. 

    "Is there something amiss?" Zane asked calmly, getting out three picnic baskets and carefully packing them with food. 

     The others turned to look at him.

  "Sorry Zane, can't hear ya buddy. My eardrums have been ripped to shreds because of four girls screaming at the top of their lungs right in front of me," Cole winced, groaning as he toppled of his stool and onto the ground.

   "Cole, don't be a drama queen," Zane spoke with no feeling at all, not looking up from the list in his hand. 

    Jay burst into laughter and doubled over.

  Kai grinned, "Yeah Cole!" He chuckled.

     "Ugh! My ears are still ringing!" Lloyd scowled, groaning, "Next time we tell them any news like this, you can do it without me."

   "And - me!" Jay managed to get out between wheezes. 

  "Kai, hand me an ice pack will you? I'm getting a headache." Lloyd sighed, making his way to a lounger that was off to the side and flopping down on it.

   Kai handed him an ice pack, looking at him in concern. "You alright buddy?" He asked. 

   Lloyd shot him a withering look. "Do I look okay? I'm getting a headache and my eardrums have been shattered." He placed the ice on his forehead. 

    "Take an aspirin, and here's some coke," Zane had left his baskets and had a glass of coke in one hand and a packet of aspirins in the other.

    "Thanks Zane," Lloyd accepted them gratefully.

  Just then, the five girls waltzed in, wearing beach-worthy clothes. 

     "I have never been this excited before! We're having dinner on a beach round a campfire! Can this get any better?" Nya looked giddy. 

    All the boys turned to look at them. 

     "Oh give me strength!" Kai heaved a sigh. 

  Pixal started helping with the food checking things off the list and adding several more items. 

    Harumi then noticed Cole lying on the ground, Jay doubled over, either in pain or from laughter, and Lloyd lying an a lounger with Kai and Zane standing over him. 

    She rushed to his side.

  "Oh! Are you alright? Can I get you anything? What's wrong?" Harumi bombarded Lloyd with questions. 

     "A headache and sore eardrums," Lloyd replied dryly for what seemed the umpteenth time.

  "Why you poor thing! Here, let's make you comfortable," Harumi exclaimed as she started putting more pillows under Lloyd's head. 

   All the other boys looked at her, stunned. 

 "Now, don't you dare move! We'll get everything ready and then we'll go. Here's a candy," Harumi handed him a peppermint. She seemed to have gone into to a mothering mode.  

   Lloyd just took the candy, not grumbling or scowling. For once, he was stunned speechless. 

 "Pixal! Remember to bring pillows with us. Lloyd can rest again at the beach once we get there," Harumi said, still bustling and fussing over Lloyd. 

   Behind her back, Kai caught Lloyd's attention. 

  Lloyd just shrugged and grinned sheepishly in answer to the question that was obvious in his brother's eyes. 

   "How are you feeling? You don't have a fever or a cold do you? Is your head still sore?" Harumi asked gently. 

    Lloyd could only nod his head to the last question. 

  "Whenever my father got a headache, my mum would massage his head," Harumi said as she started to lightly do just that. 

   "There, how is that?" She asked a few minutes later.

  "Um, better. Thanks," Lloyd said. 

      "Good! Are we ready to go now? I'm starving!" Harumi exclaimed. 

   "Yes, yes I suppose we could go. Just as soon as we've gotten ready," Kai said slowly. 

      Cole still lay on the ground, staring at the girls. He was actually starting to believe that they were crazy. 

⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓

   Here's the next chapter!!! I am so, so, SO sorry for the long wait!!! I feel really bad for making you guys wait!!! I did start writing the chapter, then I scrapped it because I didn't have enough ideas or inspiration for it. So I started this one. This chapter was supposed to be chapter 19, but I decided to move things. Again, I'm so sorry for making you guys wait!!! Since I'm nearly on my Christmas break, I'll have time to write!!! 

   If you notice any typos or anything, don't be afraid or shy to tell me!!!

    Thank you all for reading and I can't wait to see you all in the next chapter!!! And remember, you can comment as much as you like!!! As a writer, I think we all love reading comments!!!  

   Claire xxx⚓