Ch.26

                                    

                                          
The Potatoes walked through the gates of the Tunnel of Sunrise, extremely confused as to what made Ushas let them through without even checking their blood.  Nevertheless, they gratefully accepted the hospitality of the goddess and walked through the gates, watching them close after everyone went through.  The tunnel itself was a giant hall.  The tunnel had murals painted on every inch, showing moving pictures of the Sun Lord driving his chariot across the sky.  Some pictures even showed him laughing with two beautiful women, his wives, by his side.
                          
	The Potatoes came out the other side of the Tunnel, suspiciously unharmed.  Aiden was on edge...nothing came to them this easily.  There had to be a catch.  Suddenly, Aiden had a bad feeling.  Something had happened to Aru...his instincts told him so.  He didn't even know if Aru was okay.  He pushed down some of the horrid thoughts that came into his mind, and expertly guided the rest of the Potatoes to where he thought Lord Surya would be: The Throne Room.
                          
	The tunnel itself led into the palace garden.  They found unearthly flowers, bugs, and creatures that seemed so surreal.  As Aiden guided them through the path of the garden, Rudy and Mini decided to, very stealthily, intertwine their hands.  Luckily, no one noticed, so they were safe...for now.
                          
	Aiden took the Potatoes into the palace.  Let's just say that Chandra's palace couldn't even compare to the beauty and brightness of the Sun Lord's palace.  The walls were adorned with milky white pearls and diamonds.  Gold lined the ceilings and walls.  Crystal chandeliers that reached all the way to their heads were attached to the ceiling expertly.  Painting of the gods furnished the ceiling with extremely alluring colors and scenes.  The Potatoes stood there, awestruck as the paintings moved around, like something from Harry Potter.  
                          
	"Welcome, to my humble home, Pandavas.  Potatoes?  I don't know, but you are one in the same,"  The sun god bellowed and laughed at what he thought was funny, but he heard were cricket chirps as the Pandavas stood there, very awkwardly.
                          
	He was wearing something similar to what Aiden was wearing.  It was a gold kurta, silver crown adorned with gems and metals, and sunlight seemed to woven into his pants and shoes.  He had a blinding smile and chocolate colored skin that made his yellow eyes stand out tremendously.  He cleared his throat, "Children, let's cut to the chase.  I need to head out in my chariot soon, and my wife Chaya does not really take kindly to visitors who wake her up in the middle of the night.  Saranya cannot calm down her cranky shadow."
                          
	This confused them even more, "How many wives do you have," Aiden asked, intrigued.
                          
	Surya cracked a grin, "I have two.  Saranya and her shadow, Chaya."
                          
	Aiden's eyes widened, "You married your wife's shadow, too?"
                          
	Surya shook his head, "Well, actually, I-"
                          
	"WHAT IS GOING ON!  I WAKE UP TO SO MUCH NOISE AND I SEE MY HUSBAND TALKING TO CHILDREN!  I need a peaceful sleep if I am to see to it, that the mortals' shadows don't overthrow their masters.  They've been talking a lot about that recently.  Something about being dragged on the floor all the time," a woman shrugged, standing on the steps that probably led to the other rooms of the palace.
                          
	"Lady Chaya," Mini blurted out, her eyes fixated on the woman as if in a trance.
                          
	"Yamini...my step-granddaughter, yes?" The woman asked, a hint of amusement in her voice and on her face.
                          
	Mini just nodded, and the goddess snapped her finger, releasing Mini from her trance, "Yes, yes.  I know of you Potatoes.  My son is Shani...I heard you had a run in with him," Chaya said, putting a finger on her chin, thoughtfully.
                          
	Brynne shook her head, "I'm sorry...maybe I missed orientation...who are you again?"
                          
	Chaya laughed, it was a cold sinister thing, "I am the Lady of the Shadows.  Goddess Chaya.  Born from the shadow of Saranya, Surya's other wife," she said, playing with Brynne's shadow.  She turned it into a horse, then a pig, and then, Brynne's worst nightmare, a deflated souffle.
                          
	Brynne gasped as her shadow turned back to normal, muttering something about how deflated souffles would be the death of her, as Chaya  just laughed at everyone else's appalled faces.  Surya took his wife away from Brynne's shadow with a nervous smile, "Chaya...why don't you wake up Saranya.  We need you both here if you want entertainment."
                          
	Aiden growled, "Entertainment?"
                          
	Surya nodded fervently, pushing his wife to get his other...wife, watching her leave, "Not really entertainment, Pandavas.  It's a price you must pay for the location of Dwaraka."
                          
	Rudy visibly gulped, making all eyes turn on him, then his hand, which was still holding Mini's hand.  They both let go of each other and grinned sheepishly as Suya just sent them a childish grin.  The others were just extremely confused.
                          
	Another voice was heard on the steps, different from the toxic voice of Chaya, "You wanted to see me..."
                          
	Surya nodded, "Yes.  Saranya, these are the Pandavas.  They are missing Arjuna, but they want to find Arjuna.  So... You know what we have to do right?" 
                          
	Saranya nodded solemnly, her expression grim. Suddenly she glanced at Chaya, who nodded fervently. She quickly nodded in acknowledgement, " Are you sure Pandavas?? This is your last chance to back out. Plus we'd be breaking a promise although, if you willingly accept, then we can't do much." 
                          
	The potatoes looked around as Mini gulped loudly, "O-Okay, we'll do it! I want my best friend back, but who did you promise to? Who cares enough about some puny kids on a random mission?" She said, her voice raising at every word. 
                          
	" Shakuni, Subala, or Boo. Take your pick. He really cares, you know, and even threatened some of us, saying that if we don't leave you alone, then we'll actually see our deaths at the hands of a 10 year old," Lord Surya replied, while shivering. "Why else do you think everything is going easy for you?" 
                          
	Mini retreated, tears pooling in her eyes as she truly realized how much Boo cared for them. 
                          
	" Boo- He- Threatens??" Brynne said, trying to form a sentence, touched by how much they meant to Boo. 
                          
	"So, are you willing to take the risk? And possibly the wrath of that tiger in a 10 year old's body?" Surya asked again, being comforted by his wives. 
                          
	"Yeah. Right guys??" Aiden asked uncertainty Grace-ing (THE PUNZ THO-  Trips) his features. 
                          
	The rest of them nodded, unable to form proper sentences due to shock. 
                          
	" Okay then..." Lord Surya sighed, flames dancing behind him, as they raced to surround the Potatoes.
                          
	" The location of Dwaraka is..."