AN: after working on this, I decided to completely remove the story and repost it because I've changed around the chapters, added a prologue and new scenes so it was easier to just start over. Reviews are much appreciated and constructive criticism is always helpful. So thanks to everyone who reviewed before, it did help out a lot.

Full Summary: When Laura’s twin sister Sara is placed in a mental institution just weeks after their high school graduation, muttering strange talk about the imaginary world they created as children, Laura is desperate to find a way to save her. After hearing Sara say the only way to save her is to go to that world, she is desperate enough to try it and ends up in a land beyond all imagination, ruled by an evil king, who is the key to saving Sara. After making a deal with the King to retrieve the crown, the thing that grants its wearer the ultimate power in this land from the Zingo, a mythical magical creature that no one knows what looks like, and bring it to the king, to trade for her sisters freedom. But the King is not the only one who wants to crown and Laura finds herself caught in dangerous game between feuding monarchs.

Rating: T (It could probably pass for a K+, but I'll leave it T just to be sure.)

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure. Though it does have some dramatic elements like political unrest, friendship, family and a dash of romance.

Zingo

Prologue

The day was a very busy one. Of course, every day in the life of a king was a busy one, but this particular day took the cake on all the others. A king's work was never done, someone always wanted something and they always wanted it now, every problem was urgent and of the utmost importance.

Or so it would seem his staff believed, for the trail of never-ending situations that needed to be fixed they brought him. The peasants were rioting, the food he had sent them was rotten. There was some strange sickness infecting the eastern part of the kingdom that could become an epidemic if not treated right away. The trolls were turning against him and the dwarfs were considering joining the trolls. The goblins were attacking his men on sight. The elves were formulating a plan to overthrow him, the revolt led by it's darling prince. Once he had the lovely princess heir on his side, but she had played a dangerous game and was disowned for it. Not to mention her own personal betrayal to him, but that was a matter that was entirely in the past and letting her live had somewhat maintained the peace.

His biggest problem was yet to come though it was steadily approaching and he had no means of stopping it. It was why the news being delivered to him was so very gratifying. It seemed he had a very special guest in the kingdom—an outsider, one who could be used quite nicely in his ploy for power.

“Your majesty, the rioters are refusing to leave. They're demanding that you feed them. There is talk of storming the gate.” a messenger called, pulling the king away from his rather much more exciting news.

King Zarek sent the boy—he hardly remembered his name, not that it mattered in the slightest—an impatient glance. He had no time to deal with things as trivial as starving peasants, there were larger matters at hand here. “If they try to storm the gate, shoot a few of them. It'll discourage the rest.” he ordered with a dismissive wave of the hand.

The silver-haired man beside him let out a soft sigh, though a smile was playing over his face. “Shoot a few them? That hardly seems as though it'll eliminate the problem.” he advised, his gravelly voice free of judgment. He had spent a good many years in the king's service and moral indignation was a luxury as overtaxed as the rioting peasants.

“Fine, don't shoot them just fire off a few rounds into the air, scare them a bit. Threaten them with the beast.” Zarek ordered once more, the boy scurrying out the door. “On to more pressing matters. Tell me about the girl, Lemrin”

“As you ordered, I've been thinning the veil between our worlds, making it easier to glimpse ours. That level of magic is rather hard to maintain, so it's very fortunate it finally worked, it wouldn't have lasted much longer.” Lemrin began, Zarek motioning for him to get on with it.

“Right, right, the girl. I've been keeping watch, I spotted her just an hour ago. She isn't as we would hope, more of a apparition than a person. Something in the crossing must have went terribly wrong.” Lemrin explained.

Zarek let out a hissing sigh, drumming his fingers rhythmically against the arm of his throne. He closed his eyes for a moment, tilting his head down letting the ebony strands obscure his face. All these dilemmas were giving him a serious migraine and there was currently no one save Lemrin to take it out on. Still, there was something of hope left. Lemrin had mentioned one girl, not the pair.

“Which girl is it and where is she now?” he asked evenly, connecting the lines of thought together in his head. He had the beginnings of a plan forming.

“I believe it is the younger born. She's been calling her sister's name. I sent Torin to fetch her when he returned earlier, she is very close. I believe he does have something to tell you, he said it was important.” Lemrin explained farther.

“Torin said it was important?” Zarek repeated, a bit intrigued. Torin never over exaggerated, it was one of the reasons he was his top man. If he was delivering important news, it was truly something.

He hardly had to wait to hear it as the ornate doors of his throne room were thrown open the man in question hurrying in smoothly without breaking stride. His face was the picture of composure, his eyes void of emotion. “Sire, I have something to discuss with you.”

“Where is the girl?” Zarek demanded, casting his eyes around Torin and seeing no one behind him.

“She fainted. I left her just outside with my men. If she is who I think we may have a bigger problem than anticipated.” Torin began, Zarek cutting him off, “Yes, yes, something is wrong, Lemrin told me. What was your news?”

“The goblins have joined forces with Narciso.” Torin informed.

“The goblins have been against me a long time, that is hardly a surprise.” Zarek admonished.

“There is more. My men have received word that Narciso is sending his on a quest for the crown. There is no word on how close they are.” Torin finished.

Of all the possible problems to occur this was the worst. Zarek could not very well have Narciso find the crown before him, all would be lost and drawing the sisters in would be for nothing. It was already bad enough that the wrong sister was to enter in first. She was nowhere as desirable and in her state she was nearly useless to him. Though it could be used to his advantage, while leaving her far more open to outside forces. Forces such as Narciso.

“Make sure that she is somewhere Narciso cannot reach her. Put her in my dungeons. It won't be nearly as pleasant as being locked in a tower, but he cannot touch her there.” Zarek ordered.

“But the beast-” Lemrin began stopping himself and lifting a hand to his chin, “But, of course. She's merely a shadow of herself here, the beast will hardly see her.”

For all his brilliance, Lemrin was a bit slow on the uptake at times. Zarek would never place his best weapon in harms way. She was needed to get her sister to him and it was her he needed. “We have the one sister, soon the other should come looking for her. That is when my plan shall go into action. Until then throw any of Narciso's men that you find in the Bottomless Pit.”

If only Narciso could be thrown in there as well, but his position offered him a unique protection from such. He had ties to very powerful people, people who would hate to see him harmed. His father especially. How he longed for the day he could destroy the lowly king...What was the point of being High King if all his lower kings turned against him?

“May I ask what this plan is?” Torin questioned dryly, halting his thoughts. If it were anyone else, Zarek would have them thrown in the dungeons for their insolence. But Torin was one of his favorite advisors.

“I hold the one sister to get the other to do my bidding. I need that crown to have absolute power. The girls alone could give me such, but their powers are only efficient when used together. So it is a turn of luck that they did not arrive at once. Together they would have the power to defy me, separated they will fall into my hands.” Zarek explained with a smile. It did warm his heart when things went his way.

“Would it not be easier to reunite the sisters? They may be so pleased they do as you ask from sheer gratitude.” Lemrin suggested.

“There is no certainty in that.” Zarek scorned. “Besides, I want that crown and they are the only one's who can fetch it if we are correct.”

Lemrin let out a defeated sigh. “I suppose that means you would like me to keep watch for other girl?”

“At all hours. I want to be alerted the moment you spot her.” Zarek answered.

“As you wish, you are the king.”