Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club, only Ziarre, the royal family and the rest of Neonis.
Princess Imara strode through the castle hallway, on her way to the palace stables. Her dark brown boots thudded rhythmically on the carpeted floor as her long, black hair trailed behind her, tied into a low braid. The 17 year-old adjusted her matching fingerless gloves and zipped up the collar of her stormy blue jacket.
She was glad to be free of her royal duties. Her mother, Queen Erela, gave both Imara and her sister Amaryl the first day of each month off to enjoy themselves, "at least within the bounds of reason."
Imara's teal green eyes sparkled as she thought of her mother. Queen Erela was rather tall and slender in build, with long, sleek black hair and vivid lilac eyes that always had a knowing look in them. Wise and discerning, she was an excellent ruler-one of the best Neonis had ever known.
Amaryl had taken after the Queen in looks. while Imara more closely resembled their father, the late King Cephas. She possessed his muscular build, teal green eyes and great boldness.
"'Mara! 'Mara, wait up!"
Imara turned to see Amaryl hurrying down the hallway, her honey blonde hair flowing freely beind her. She wore civilian clothing: a light green tee and faded jeans. The elder princess paused and allowed the younger to catch up.
"What? What's the matter?" Imara asked her 12 year-old sister.
"Nothing, I just wanted to come with you," Amaryl replied matter-of-factly. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to ride Io for a while-ALONE." Imara answered, placing heavy emphasis on the last word. She turned on her heel and continued on her way to the stables.
"Can't I please come with you? I won't have anything to do!" Amaryl begged. "Kierra is on a trip with her dad and Gale has summer school." Her lilac eyes widened and her lips pouted slightly, giving her a very pitiful look.
Imara didn't fall for it.
"No, 'Ryl. I only get one day a month to myself and I want to enjoy it."
They reached the palace courtyard. The mid-morning sun shone brightly as servants and stablehands bustled about, tending to various duties. Their attire was very modern: both the men and women wore pants and boots, along with either a blue, gray, lilac or pale yellow jacket or vest with the royal seal emblazoned on the back.
"Pleease, 'Mara?" Amaryl tried again.
Imara's patience grew thin.
"Amaryl, for the last time, you are NOT coming with me! That's final!"
And with that Imara marched into the stable where her dragon Io was kept, leaving her little sister standing in the middle of the courtyard.
A small tear ran down Amaryl's cheek.
The wind blew through Imara's hair as she soared through the clear Neonean skies atop Io. Io was a quadrapedal dragon, rather sturdy in build, who had been at Imara's side seemingly since birth and bonded to the princess for just as long. He was quite impressive, standing 7 feet tall and 18 feet long with a 27-foot wingspan. His scales were metallic navy blue, with brilliant gray and white markings. Black spines ran down his back in two pairs, ending with two very sharp spikes jutting from either side of his tail.
Imara inhaled the crisp, fresh air and admired her surroundings. The sky was clear as usual, and she could see for miles up here. Looking around in the distance, she could make out the sandy white shores of the Corentian Ocean, the great Palinouros mountain range with its jagged peaks and numerous cliffside cities, the castle she called home...
...The castle.
A pang of guilt went through Imara as she remembered the look of disappointment on her little sister's face, the way she had left her standing there. The black haired teen sighed and shook her head. Amaryl had probably already gotten over the conversation they'd had that morning.
"So why do I feel so bad?" she asked herself aloud.
Io heard Imara and gave a questioning grunt, glancing upwards at his rider with wondering golden eyes. Sensing her guilt, he motioned his head in the direction of the castle and grunted again. Imara nodded.
"Yeah, boy, let's go back."
Io roared gently in response and changed course. A few moments later the dragon's entire body tensed up and he growled, his eyes gleaming with anger. Imara felt the sudden jolt and was nearly thrown off.
"What? What's the matter?"
Io growled again and narrowed his eyes at the castle in the distance.
"Seriously, Io, if this is another Sky Guard patrol you're mad at-"
Io roared in frustration and gave a powerful flap of his wings. Ignoring Imara's suprised shouts, the dragon sped up and made a beeline for the castle.
"Io! Slow down SLOW DOWN SLOW DOWN!"
It was all Imara could do to hold onto the spines on Io's back. Rapidly approaching, they were now only a few miles away from the great floating castle, located just to the east of Neonis' largest floating city, Aethyr (A/N: Pronounced AY-theer.) The princess narrowed her eyes and squinted at the castle, not an easy task considering they were going over 50 miles per hour.
Imara's heart dropped.
She saw smoke. Thick, black smoke billowing from one of the castle towers.