Anna- Thanks for understanding and support. I hope you continue to love the chapters to come.
Guest- Thank you so much! No way am I stopping now, but as for the silver dragon… we'll just have to wait and see, but I can tell you now that it's gonna be great!
Solarian Ball
Sola's Pov
Nyemaane has been quiet ever since mother and her friends left. When she suddenly halted in the tunnels, I knew she had a vision. Normally, she tells me her vision right away since it always has to do with Glacial. But not this time.
This time, she kept quiet. Even refusing to tell me through the telepathic bond we share. It has been making me nervous.
Once mother was gone for sure and there was no way for her to overhear, Nyemaane came to me.
"Sola…" Her voice was thick. "They're not going to make it in time…"
I was taken back. "So, Solaria will die?"
She nodded her head. "Not just Solaria. All of them. All of our siblings will die."
Bloom's Pov
"Kill me now." I muttered as Stella tore through her room, finding anything that just might be needed for the ball. Most of the items she was really panicking about weren't necessary for a ball though. She just about cried when she couldn't find some bandana that she might need.
And of course, as her best friend, I had to somehow bring her back from the brink of insanity. Didn't think that would end up with me getting buried alive by bags clothes.
"Bloom? Where'd you go?" Stella asked.
"Help." I cried as I struggled to be free of the pile.
"Oh, there you are! Why are you playing hide and seek now when we need to be packing? The ball starts in a few hours!" Stella pulled me free.
"I'm ready, Stell, and so are the others. We're all waiting on you."
"Oh, I just need to find this one dress that I just made! It will be perfect for the ball."
"Then what are the seven other dresses for?" I groaned, rubbing my temples.
'For you and the girls! I even have a dress for Daphne." She squeaked with excitement.
"You better leave two behind then. I represent the Dragon rulers now, so I am wearing a dress they gave to me. And Daphne already has a dress made for this ball."
Stella visibly deflated. "But… But the dresses you have are so bland and formal! There isn't anything interesting about them. The fabric is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but the designs aren't anything special."
"Not really. None of them are sparkly or have complex patterns, but they're still amazing." Stella has been complaining about how I didn't wear one of her dresses during my coronation, but I'm not going to back down. I have so much to thank the dragons for, and I feel like one way to that is by using the things they gave me.
Stella went back to searching, but she was less enthusiastic than before. I felt a bit bad, but I'm not giving in, no matter what.
She eventually found what she was looking for and we headed out. The guys were waiting for us in the court yard of Alfea. We boarded the Owl and took off. It didn't take long to reach the Solarian Palace, and it was obvious before we landed that everyone was preparing for a celebration.
Banners and streamers decorated the streets and everyone was dressed up.
"Wow, Stella, how important is this ball?" Brandon asked.
Of course Solaria had a ball coming up when we were planning to search for the Dragon orb. She refuses to tell us what the ball is about.
"You'll see!" She sang, grinning from ear to ear.
Even though I couldn't see anyone's face, I knew all of us rolled our eyes. "I'm excited for the ball, but how are we going to find the guardian dragon?"
"Simple!" Stella said. "We are gonna have a great time at the ball while our chief sorcerer magically scans the Sandstone desert for the temple. When he finds it, we can head over to the temple as soon as the party is over."
"Since when does Solaria have a chief sorcerer?" Brandon asked.
Stella gasped and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. "Nothing!" She tried to cover herself. "Nothing at all!"
Raising an eyebrow, I gave her a confused look, but decided not to ask. I could feel something at the very edge of my senses. Focusing on it, I began to feel a familiar pull.
Using my magic, I sent out my dragon to follow the feeling. At the back of my mind, everyone gasped in surprise and began calling out to me. Ignoring them, I followed the feeling.
You won't be able to reach her.
The voice broke my concentration and my dragon dissipated in the air. I easily recognized the voice. It was the same voice that came to me when my vision was restored.
Why not? I called out. I can sense a magical presence from anywhere in the universe, but I haven't felt the pull of that woman since I first faced her. I want to meet her, even though I know in my gut that it wouldn't go well.
The voice didn't return.
"Bloom?" I hadn't noticed, but Sky had knelt down next to my chair and began to try and shake me out of it.
"Sorry," My voice was shaky from the surprise. "I'm sorry Stella, but we might not to stay for the entire ball."
"What?! Why not?" She cried.
"Because I can sense that woman."
The ship went quiet. I had already explained everything about her in as much detail as I could remember, so they all knew what that meant for me. Also, her presence off of Eraklyon was a bit disturbing.
"So, what do you want to do?" Aisha asked finally.
"Right now, she feels very far away. We could probably stay for the main event, but I really don't like the fact that I can just now sense her." I sighed, looking out the window.
I stayed quiet the rest of the way. There was just too many things weighing on my mind to join the conversation. When we landed, I was still in my own thoughts as Stella led us to our individual rooms for the day. My room was obviously the closest to Stella's, so I just quietly followed her, nodded my head every once in a while as she continued to chatter excitedly about something.
Absentmindedly, I looked through a window and my jaw just about hit the floor. I gasped and pointed out the window at the familiar girl strutting into the castle.
Stella followed my finger and froze.
"WHAT IS CHIMERA DOING HERE?!" She roared.
My arm was just about yanked out of its socket when she grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the window. Having no other choice, I followed Stella down the hall and to her father's quarters. We found King Radius speaking to an older man and Lady Luna.
"Daddy!" Stella was still fuming. "What is that no good Chimera doing here?!"
"Now, Stella, I know you have had bad experiences with Chimera before, but she is trying to make amends for her mother's and her own mistakes. I know what she and her mother tried to do, but she is not her mother. She does not deserve to take all of the blame for a plan her mother orchestrated." Radius put his hands out, trying to calm Stella down.
"Make amends for mistakes?!" Stella was outraged. "She tried to steal my title!"
"Please, Stella," Luna placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Please understand that none of us want her to be here, but it is the duty of a ruler to be forgiving and give a second chance to everyone who might deserve it."
"Might? But she…" Stella trailed off as the old man quietly stepped forwards.
"Stella, my dear, remember the story about the butterfly and the cricket?" The old man asked.
She didn't respond. I gave him a curious look.
"Once, there was a cricket and a caterpillar. The cricket had gathered a pile of leaves for the day so it could eat throughout the night without leaving its hiding place. The cricket left to gather a few more leaves and returned to find a caterpillar eating its leaves. Angry, the cricket immediately chased the caterpillar away. Months later, the cricket was trying to collect some leaves from a tall tree, but could not reach the best leaves at the top. Then, the cricket saw a beautiful butterfly sitting at the top of a tree. He called to the butterfly, asking for help getting leaves, and the butterfly flew down to him. Why it's you again, the butterfly said, I am so sorry that I stole your leaves so long ago. I didn't know they were yours. I won't bother you anymore. And the butterfly flew off."
"What a nice story." I smiled.
"Stella, can you tell us the moral of the story?" He turned to Stella.
"That you shouldn't jump to conclusions and give others a second chance when they are wrong." She sighed.
"That's my smart, little princess." The man wrapped her in a hug and Stella melted in his embrace.
"Ahem, Inferno Bloom, allow me to introduce my father, Sorcerer Appollo." Radius bowed to me, and I bowed back.
"It is an honor to meet you," I began as Appollo stepped away from Stella.
"The honor is mine." The old man laughed. "The real honor is meeting you. The bearer of the Dragonfire and Inferno of the dragons."
"Bloom, the ball today is for my Grandfather," Stella explained. "He is finally a master sorcerer, and will be named the first chief sorcerer of Solaria in half a century. He's also going to help us find Solaria's temple in the desert."
"I can't thank you enough for your help. The faster we find the temple, the better." I replied.
"Is there something wrong, Inferno Bloom? I was unaware there was a time crunch." Appollo tilted his head, confused.
"There might be another going after the temple and the dragon orb. I just want to get it before anything like that could happen." I can still sense that other woman in the back of my mind. It's making me uncomfortable, but as long as she stays away, I'm sure we will have plenty of time to find the temple and the dragon orb.
Throughout the day, the girls and I prepared for the ball. Appollo disappeared for a while to search for the temple, but he returned just as the ball began.
Even with the special guest, the ball went on just like any other. As I walked into the room, my name and title was announced and stayed close to the girls and specialists until the main event. It was a bit odd though. Many people came up to me and asked about the dragons. I answered their questions as best I could, but some just wanted to start trouble.
"What is it like to rule savage animals?" Some smug, old man asked me.
"The same as always. I am still a princess of Domino, and I find little difference between dragons and some humans." I shot back.
I know that wasn't very becoming of me, but his sour face was worth a dirty glare or two.
During this time, Stella disappeared into the crowd. For a while, I thought she went to stand with her family, but finally, I spotted her heading straight for Chimera.
Unable to get out of a conversation with a particularly chatty governor, I elbowed Shy hard in the ribs.
"Ouch!" He said, but once he followed my gaze, he got the others attention and they began to run walk to intercept Stella.
Once they walked away, my stomach turned and the feeling in the back of my head grew stronger. Suddenly, everything around me disappeared.
Stella's Pov
How no one saw what Chimera just did was beyond me. Since the night began, I've been keeping an eye on her. Poor Bloom was basically swarmed by people asking about the dragons, and the others were just not paying attention. I have no clue what she just put into the punch bowl, but that little bottle in her hand just reeks of bad things.
Just as I was about to confront her, Brandon grabbed my arm out of the blue and pulled me away.
"Brandon wait!" I cried.
"Stella, what are you thinking?! This ball is special, right? Why don't you just stay away from her?" He asked. Just now, I noticed that the other girls and guys, excluding Bloom, were with him.
"Chimera slipped something into the punch bowl!" I whisper shouted at him, pointing to the bottle in her hand that she was in no way trying to hide.
That made them change their tune. With me leading the way, we marched over to her as a group and confronted the little witch.
"Whatch ya got there?" I asked, giving her a big smile.
Smug as ever, she returned my smile. "Just a little something to spice up the evening."
Tecna pulled out her scanner and scanned the punch. "She put some kind of sleeping agent in the punch!"
"Spice up? Seems like it would be more of a snooze fest to me." I retorted, grabbing the bottle out of her hand. Surprisingly, she just let me.
Something wasn't right. She was way too easy going if this was something serious.
"Guys!" I whipped around at Bloom's shout. She was running towards us with a wild look in her eyes. Sky ran towards her and caught her as she tripped on her dress.
"Bloom, what's wrong?" Sky asked.
"It's her!" She gasped. "She's here, on Solaria! She found the temple!"
