Honolulu, USA HI HAST UTC-8:00

"You got two choices YES OR YES!!"

They both jumped and pull their hands away as if on fire when the phone rang.

Cursing inside Luna grimaced apologetically to Bill before turning her back to him. She rolled her eyes as soon as she saw the name on the burner phone. She activate the scrambler and lift up the phone. "Hello?"

"Yea Luna, could you send me the temperature data please?"

"Yes. Ryuzan, I believe I sent you the data yesterday morning?" She sat down on the stool.

The teenager at the other line answered. "Yeah, it just, could you map and print the more sensitive reading, like about half or one degree Celsius?"

She sighed. " I sent the data that has very sensitive reading you know. One degree is sensitive enough when AQUA satellite have to read something as bleak as antarctica. You have to know that."

"No, Antarctica is not as bleak and homogen as you thought. Especially Erebus!" Said Ryuzan.

"Why is this so important all of the sudden!" Luna exasperated. "What difference it make one or two degree?"

"I can't say it too soon. But it is important to know. Very important."

A thought passed her mind and her face saddened.

"I think I know what's on your mind. What has passed, let it pass Ryuzan."

For a while her friend at the other side silent. "It is not about it," He said after a while.

"Then what? What is this obsession about temperature?" She stood and walk around in frustration.

"I can't say it yet, but it is very important. Trust me."

Luna sighed. Her hand unconsciously playing with her braid.

"Hacking NASA is very risky mister. Let alone hacking their satellite. I made so many attempt to hide my IP and that is still super risky."

His friend at the other side took a deep breath.

"Maybe. It just"

Another sigh.

"Okay, this is not save talking over the phone like this, but have you consider what happened if someone like Magma and Lavablood rule over Antarctica? The temperature will raise rapidly! They are there, on my land, raising lava building all over my country." Ryuzan stopped with a ragged breath.

Luna folded her arms. "I see. It's the sentimental loss then. I am sad for you Ryuzan but you can't do anything about it. It is time to let go!"

"Goodness. So you think that I am simply a melancholy man?" Ryuzan gritted his teeth in anger. "A simple one or two degree change in the temperature of Antarctica will have a huge impact all over the world. You know that? Have you ever think what happened with the Ice Sheet and the balance of salinity of this earth? Or even the safety of this earth itself? It's not about what happened with my kingdom, or even with my father, or even a silly thing like a feeling of loss. It's something bigger." He paused before continuing.

"There are many baby seals, baby polar bears, lemmings, caribou, arctic hares,walruses, foxes, that all betting their lives on the availability of ice shelf! And then the salinity, it is a very fragile system that regulate the entire world's stock of plankton, the currents... a hell lot of things. And you thought that I only think for myself?!"

Luna's heart raced, her stomach punched by the question that hit her square. Luna bit her lips and fell silent.

"Please, Luna." The note was pleading, and she can picture his pale face filled with frustration.

Luna sighed and started to walk around and picking some leaves randomly. "Fine" She begrudgingly said. "Pay me handsomely, then I will do your bidding."

"Consider its done. It just I wonder what would you want with all those money? You engaged with the Lava prince. He own this world." He said, with a tone Luna couldn't guess.

Luna snorted. "Old news, old news. I freed myself from that agreement"

A bit silence then a chuckle. "Very brave, girl. How your old man reacted?"

Luna laughed. "I don't know, because I wasn't there"

"Oh. I see."

"Yes, I need the money to keep moving untraceable."

"You made quite a fortune I guess, by joining Po1sonM1nd? I don't even know that you are their member until they connect me up with you the other day."

Luna chukled. "At first, I love the thrill of hacking, but then yeah, I use that to do a living. It's freeing, you know."

"Wouldn't you afraid with the backlash? Their country foreign affair is rigid and sometimes hostile."

Luna took a deep breath. "The responsibility again huh? I hated it. I have so many responsibility from my birth. Won't I get a chance to live my life?"

A long sigh rustled from the other end. "I understand your feeling."

Oh you do huh? Really. You wouldn't understand the feeling of a lamb waiting to be butchered.

"Well, I am over it. After I lost everything, I know that it is my calling, not only responsibility....... Hello Luna? ...You there?"

Startled, the girl came back abruptly from her thought. "How about this, please wait for a few hours and I will try to get the data to you."

"Thanks" Ryuzan sound relieved. "I owe you so much"

"Don't call me back, I'll have to burn the phone after this."

"Understood"

====

A year ago, Lightblood Floating Island.

It was a beautiful day. Sun was setting over the cloud's end and bathed every chattris, every minarets and every arcs in the citadel in gold. Luna was tinkering with her laptop when her Mother knocked the open door.

"Do you have a minute?" She smiled, her eyes trailing on Luna's body.

"Yes Mother" Luna clicked something at the laptop and smiled back, while her mother took seat.

"Why are you wearing that?"

Luna looked down to her golden pants. "What? This Harem pants? Cos it's cozy"

"No, the .." The Queen pointed to her blouse.

"Oh, this crop top? Why?" Luna lifted her brow.

"You should always wear long sleeves clothes, cover your body and Saree, everywhere. You are a Princess."

The Queen seated on the plush in front of the round table.

The young girl grinned. "I hang out at my room all day. No one will notice." She went back to her laptop and clicked several things before she went to the plush in front of the table an sat down.

"Aah" The Queen finger traced her daughter's jaw. "You have panda eyes."

"Oh," The young girl shrugged. "I just need to sleep a bit, and I will be okay." She smiled back.

"And your skin, darling. It is so dry!" Her mother traced her cheek.

Luna stopped her mother's hand and put it away.

"It's okay mom, don't worry."

The fifty years old woman sighed. "Dear. Don't you know that looks is very important for us?"

The teen sighed and looked at her. "Yes, you told me five million times already" She tried hard not to roll her eyes. "But Mom, wouldn't it be cool when someone size you, judge you, not because of your look, but because of what you do? I mean like, how cool is that, when someone say 'whoa you create that robot? That is awesome'" She smiled sheepishly.

Her mother chuckled. "I get that. You, young girl, are being brainwashed by the modern idea. By the normal human idea. Which could get you in the wrong place." She raised her brow, smiling widely.

"Aw mom, how wrong is that?"

Her mom took a deep breath. "I get that. You don't want people to judge you by your looks, am I correct?"

Luna nodded vigorously.

"You can do many thing for the family, you know, be the best mom by learning Psychology, be the best wife by learning dancing, gymnastic, yoga?" Her mother continued.

"But that didn't explain how it can get me in the wrong place" Luna said.

"I am not finished yet. For woman, the most important thing in the world is her family. A girl is created to be a nurturing mother and a loving wife. Ideally, woman should master every possible skill and knowledge for raising her child and to be the best wife. So acquiring something apart from family related knowledge, is a waste of time. Cos she will not use it in the end, if she used it, it will eventually dragging her away from her family, and that is preposterous. We have our responsibility. And the noble family is the highest responsibility for us all. "

Luna watched her sullenly. "Okay let say you are right Mom, that a girl should never be anything beside a wife and a mother. Let say that right. But, our culture demand that every girl and woman should only go to a woman physician. Because, our culture prohibited us to see, meet or touch man that is not our husband. If all women prohibited to do anything beside a wife and a mother, who will take care of us?"

Her mom folded her hand, and Luna grew bolder.

"Who will gonna take care of the laboring woman then? Who will took them out for a ride? Who will teach then? Eventually if every women is a mother that confined to her home like our ideals, the one who will took women for a ride, the one who will teach, even the one who has to touch her private part of her body when she went to labor, is men. So, seeing, meeting and touching a men would be unevitable when YOUR Ideal happen." She said, passionately.

Her mother sighed. "I see that you are angry because we caught your best friend."

"It is not about that, but yes, I am. It is silly to have someone locked up behind bars just because of holding my hand!" Luna exasperated.

They both silent for a minute.

"I think you have heard that the Lavablood kingdom superseding Iceblood in military?" Her mother changed topic.

"I guess so..." Luna shrugged.

"I remember you didn't really happy betrothed to the Prince of Ice? Good news, it's over now" Her mother smile blandly.

"Great? That's good news, I guess?" She said, unsure. "So, am I free now?"

Her mother rolled her eyes. "Our country has decided that you should marry the prince of Lava, to secure our relationship with them."

For a few second, Luna froze.

"Which one?"

"Well the older one which has right to the throne is Prince Saburo" Her mother smiled.

Frowning, Luna went to the desk, opened her laptop and furiously typing. Several seconds later the result was popping on the screen.

"Mom, come here" Her face frozen.

The Queen walked to her desk "What.. what happened?"

Scrolling the mouse on her daughter hand and skimmed all the file she sighed. Her hand straightened out some crease on her salem and pink Saree. "Dear, I know Saburo reputation is bad among the media. They are unjust to him, that's why." She turned to the desktop and back to the table.

Luna swished to her mother, tilting her head. "This is not only media Mom, I hacked this from NYPD, POLRI, and some other police squad around the world. This is real"

Her mother shook her head, sat down and took her arm. "Don't feed me that lie darling. I do know your ability and the education of our nation wont allow you to learn computer. How far would you fare educating yourself? And besides, it's only a bunch of files, you could conjure it yourself!"

"What?" Luna hissed, her face ashen with anger. "I ... I... "

"My lovely daughter, please think of this. I don't know how long should we wait until our protector the Ice kingdom, fallen to their arm. Lava versus Light power? What could we do? Nothing! Anything melt by Lava, everything! You need to be able to sacrifice your small dream for the sake of our nation!" The Queen walked to the door. "Dont be selfish!" She closed the door and locked it.

That night, the Princess was nowhere to be found.

=====

The Light Kingdom, present time.

The queen sighed as she remembered how they scourge the world for her, and in the end, they have to give up. But now, as they give pardon to her best friend and free him from the jail, they had some good lead. They was not that stupid to let that famous Lightdancer go without someone to shadow him, and last week, gave her the place of the princess whereabout. She put the phone down and walked to the room beside it.

The room was very beautifully ornate. The array of arch threw abundant light on the room, that wall and lacy carvings at the arched windows almost golden without paint. Her shoes tread silk carpet over pandan weaving that was strewn across the floor, passing weaved brass stalks, as high as a man holding a big bowl of water, with a pair of glowing goldfish swimming inside.

Her silk sari brushed on the stairs to a raised floor, that covered with red mattress with more layer of purple and red kashmir over it. Her husband was there, on top of the throne on the blue purple seating, his back on the peacock tail made from gold.

His brown frowned as he wrote something at the golden desk. On the celing over him, a suspended ball of light give a calm glow. It was his Ashoura, that like many of the light king Ashoura, has no ability that is useful in fight.

The ball was surrounded by a flower ribbon from wide transparent silk that hung over the room. The rest of it draped around the mattress, forming some kind of open room.

"Darling, Luna are still there, unaware that we know her whereabout." The Queen said as she entered the throne.

Her husband is about fifty or more, very dark skin with greyish curly hair under his eagle shape crown made from woven gold, adorned with a diamond gear bindi hanging on the front of it.

"If only she didn't have to run." The queen whispered, as if apologizing.

The king sighed, and looked out from the window, where a few flying scooters with dragonfly wings flew over the golden city. A flying train passed nearby, over several minarets and under beautiful chattriss.

"I know." The king said. "I dislike to use force. But it's either her, or this country. And we all have to make sacrifices for greater good."

She run her hand over the King's white military uniform, unnecessarily dust his golden stripes of rank over his shoulder and tidying several military stars studded over it. "It's okay" She whispered.

A sound of shuffled feet ensuing from the door across the throne, and as it stop, an unseen voice heard above the room. "Your majesty, the Lava Kingdom's representative will land in a few minutes"

The king straightened his golden sarong over his white pants, and make it skewed artistically to the side. "Open the Citadel, let the airplane in."

The gear across him moved with a soft clink and hiss, opening the door in ease, and he went out.

 Oregon, 16:00

It was the day of the exam and Rey had her result on her hand. She opened the locker and took her aggressive inline skate out. Sighing, she sat on the floor, ready to wear the skates, when someone snatched the paper. "HEY!" She yelled.

"Amazing, great ZERO MARK!" The reddish-headed boy laughed.

Rey put on her inline skate, her face grim. "Shut the f up"

"This is news for the whole school!" He ran to the intercom direction.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEY!" Rey put on the skates in such a hurry that she stumbled twice before she was able to get up.

"WATCH OUT!"

A girl yelled as Rey sped past her.

REY!"

A boy screamed.

"Sorry!!!"

Rey saluted apologetically but then sped up as she saw Ara running to the broadcasting room.

"WOAH!"

Yelping, Ara ran and shook the door handle as he saw Rey's menacing face a few meters behind him.

"Come on!"

Unable to open the locked door, he jumped through a window nearby, jumped to the nearby wall and parkour ran to the gate.

"That monkey!"

Muttering many swears under her breath she ran down stairs, and sped to the ramp.

As she jump, her body flies over the gate, and land with a slight thud. Seeing Ara speeding with the skateboard just ahead she pushed her speed with her shoura.

"GOTCHA!"

She said as she snatched the paper.

Ara laughed hard.

"STUDY MORE REY"

He said as he sped to reach her and messed up her hair.

"HEY!"

Rey yelled.

But he already kicked his skateboard, saluted goodbye, left her and disappeared at the next turn.

She ran to chase him.

As she found nobody at the next turn she shrugged "I knew it." She said, noticed a spark playing at the trottoir, stamp it, and sped to the opposite direction, but stopped as she heard a thud.

"Ara?"

She rolled her aggressive inline skate, and start a pace, then jumped to the railing of the stairs nearby and jumped to the top of the wall border. It was rather hard but the girl made it. She looked around but found nothing, so she carefully skate on the wall and went to the roof.

"Where is he"

Skating carefully she turned to the other side of the roof and heard a big bump. She saw Ara on the road under her, on the ground, rubbing his hand. Looking around she spotted a railing so she jumped down and slide down the railing to him.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Ara nodded. "Yea I think so" He rubbed his head and sighed.

Rey squatted and examine his face. "Are you tired?"

Ara rubbed his head and nodded. "Yea I think so. I never fail jumping from roof to roof before" He squirmed. "Ouch! What did you touch!" He turned around and saw Rey's index finger on his knee.

"You have blood here"

"Yea its okay"

"No its not, lets go to my home"

"Nah, you shouldn't"

"Yes, I should and its nearby, come on, get up!"

Ara slowly get up and grimaced.

"Wait wait" He said to Rey which pulled him. He took his ankle and twisted it. It emitted a crack sound and Rey shouted.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!" Her hand slapped his head.

He looked up in shock "Fixing my ankle, and that is hurt you stupid!"

"That is dangerous stupid!"

She dragged him inside and dump him at the living room.

"You! Stay there!"

Ara chuckled "Yes maam?"

"Wait, I'll get you meds"

As he rested his head to the huge pillow, tiredness overcame him.

Holding iodine on her hand, Rey walked to the weary teenager that sprawled on her sofa.

Strange. Didn't he take a holiday just now? I mean he spent the weekend to go to bahama or something.

But she shrugged.

Oh well.

 Oregon, 20:00

It was dark outside when Ara awoken. His mind still blank when he looked up and realized that he was on another room, without any memory of how he got there. It was the guest room. Then he noticed something glowing on the top of the bookcase, just above the stack of old tankoubon.

Is that?

Standing up he went to the bookcase and frowned. It was a very beautiful pyramid, with the height of two mugs stacked together. It has five side base made of bluish crystal with the shape of ice crystal. The shape was very familiar that he has the urge to turned the pyramid around. But when his hand went around the blue transparent thing, the crystal emitted bluish vapour, cold smoke that wisped cold breeze around his finger. In disgust, he pulled away his face crunched.

Everlasting ice. This is Iceblood temple miniature.

Chewing his lips, he felt the urge to destroy it, as his mind filled with so many dismay and prospective omens. The horrible story of Iceblood race told to him so many times that he almost always avoid anyone with platinum hair and overly blue eyes.

I wonder. Ron's hair is brown as long as I can remember.

He sat on the bed, thinking about all the thing that he used to hear about them.

Old saying said, Iceblood hearts is cold, because they always eat frozen things. They don't have feelings because of their cold heart, they tend to be violent. They tend to be criminal because of their cold heart, and willingly slice and eat their children's meat, if they don't obey them.

Ara pulling his lips and then laid down, his mind busy thinking about all he heard and see all these year. He knew Rey for almost four years now, and they being close.

I couldn't imagine that Ron would ever slice Rey's hand to punish her, in fact, he spoiled her that she never grow up and I know that he loved his deceased wife too much.

Confusion clouded his mind.

They seemed nice and good so far, and as far as I know Ron or Rey never inclined to do any crime. Or is this just a fake? Or maybe this mini temple just a thing that been given, who know?

Ron knocked the door and open it. "Awake? Dinner is ready."

Ara silently nodded and followed Ron to the dining room. They chatted and laughed over the dinner and Ara feel warmth enveloped his heart.

It felt real. And Ron really is a nice person. Ara took the milk and gulped it. After washing all the dishes, Ara felt that it was time to go. He grinned toward Ron and waved. "See you later Ron, thanks for the meal"

"Sleep here, its late." Ron nudged his head. "That room is yours."

Ara nodded. Maybe I can learn more about them. This family of Iceblood is not exactly fit with what my people used to tell me about them.

As he went back to the room, Ara coughed and as he saw blood on his hand, he startled.

I need to go to Guru as soon as possible.