CHAPTER 3

"Sure I'll help you," Bloom agreed when Flora and Chatta explained to her what they wanted. The red head closed the book she was reading and swung her legs off her bed . "Let's go now." She looked at her Pixie. "C'mon Lockette."

"I'm coming," the pink haired pixie said, hovering around Bloom's head.

When the four were ready they headed to the library.

"Thanks for agreeing to help," Flora said as they walked down the hall.

"No big," Bloom said closing her eyes and smiling. "That's what friends are for, right? To help out each other."

"Yeah," Flora said smiling slightly. She real real grateful for this and relieved that her friend was willing to help her. She hadn't wanted to look for those books by herself. "I just hope we find something."

"I'm sure we will," the red head said reassuringly, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "The library has almost everything. We're bound to find something."

"I hope so."

By then the two girls and their pixies had reached the door to the library. "Remember," Bloom said opening the door and putting a finger to her lips. "We have to be quiet."

"That means you, Chatta," Flora giggled, looking over at her pixie.

"Hey, I can be quiet when I want to," the blond pixie said, putting her hands on her hips.

The girls laughed but immediately quieted down when they stepped into Alphea's library. Once inside, Bloom walked up to the check out desk and addressed the librarian, a blond woman waring glasses named Barbatea, in a hushed voice. "Excuse me," she said in a voice close to a whisper. "Where can I find books on Elemental Spheres?"

Barbatea looked up at Bloom and pointed toward a row of shelves near the back of the room. "Over there," she said.

"Okay, thank you."

"Just remember to keep your voices down," the librarian reminded them primly. "There are other people reading in here besides you."

"We'll remember," Bloom promised. When she turned away and returned to her friends, she was giggling. "Barbatea showed me where they are." She pointed in the same direction. "Over there."

"Okay."

The two girls and their pixies headed toward the area that Barbatea had pointed out. It didn't take them very long to find what they wanted. They found four books on Elemental Spheres. Grabbing the books the girls and their pixies found an empty table and sat down to read.

"Here we are," Bloom said finding something in her book after paging through it for a moment. "It says here that Elemental Spheres are spheres that represent eight different elements."

"Eight?" Flora asked looking up from her book in surprise. "I thought there were only four. Water, Fire, Earth, and Air."

"I guess there are more," the red head said shrugging.

The nature fairy leaned closer for a better look. "What ones do they mention in the book?" she questioned.

"Some of what you mentioned but four others. Ice, Fire, Plants also called Nature, Earth/Rocks, Wind/Air, Water, Light, and Darkness," Bloom replied turning the page. "It says all eight Elemental Spheres were guarded by eight special Guardians. These Guardians were given the duties of keeping the world's elements in balance..." she turned the page. "Uh oh!"

"What?" Flora asked.

"It says here that over a thousand years ago the dark element Guardian named Zackwell wanted more power and in an attempt to get it tried to steal the Elemental Spheres."

The girl had never heard of this before. "What happened?"

"The other seven guardians overpowered him and took his power away," the red head read. "They sealed him within the chambers of the Abyss and gave his power and Sphere to another Guardian named Damen. After that the elements resumed their proper order."

"Hmmm," Flora mused, going over this information in her head. "This is interesting. I have never heard anything like that before."

"Maybe it's just a legend," the princess of Domino suggested. "You know; like Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster."

"It could be," Flora agreed, picking up her own book and pushing back her chair. "Thank you for helping me out, Bloom."

"Like I said before; no big," Bloom said smiling. "You know me; I'm always here to help."

Flora thanked the girl again and left the library. As she walked back to her room to read over the book she'd taken out she thought about what she'd just found out. So those Spheres in my dream did represent elements, she thought. So who was that black thing in my dream? Could it have been Zackwell? She folded her arms and looked out the windows in the hall as she passed by them. Why do I get the feeling I've missed something somewhere?


"I don't believe this. We haven't spoken in a long time and now you have the nerve to just break through my barrier and contact me! I don't have time to worry about that right now. I have other things I need to do."

"The only other thing on your mind is the Cotex," Leviathan retorted giving the Lord of Fire a withering look. he folded his arms and passed in front of him. "You realize if he comes after you next your element and magic will be no match for his! He'll absorb it! He'll absorb it just as easily as he absorbed Shiva's!"

"That kind of thing won't happen to me," the other shot back. "I'm not a pathetic weakling like Shiva."

Leviathan looked over at him. "What about your Sphere?"

"What about it?"

"Where is your Sphere?"

"Not here if that's what you're worried about," he stated, folding his arms and looking away, a clear sign the conversation was boring him "I have it somewhere far from my realm where he won't find it. Besides, I wouldn't keep something like that around here collecting dust."

"Darkar!" Leviathan said raising his voice in agitation.

"He won't come here," Lord Darkar said, staring into the communication sphere confidently. "And if he does I know I can take him."

"Are you stupid!?" the Lord of Water demanded, clenching hist fists. "Your element is weaker than mine whether you want to admit it or not. I know I can't take him so you can't either!"

Darkar scowled, not liking to be reminded of that little piece of information. "You underestimate me," he retorted. "All of you have! You don't realize my power also holds part of his element as well."

"Don't flaunt your power," Leviathan said frowning. "Shadow fire is still fire."

"And a fool is still a fool!" the Lord of Fire shot back.

"He's not how we remember him!" the water Guardian insisted. "He's going after us element by element! You are fire whether you like it or not. That means you'll be next and then when your power is gone he'll come after me!"

"Wonderful," Darkar said unfolding his arms then letting them hang at his sides. He gave the Lord of Water a bored look. "Now don't bother me anymore!"

"Darkar-!"

The Lord of the Under Realm cut off the communication with a swing of his hand then left the room. He didn't want to talk to that stupid Water Lord anymore. He knew they were just being overly cautious.

Nobody was going to steal Lord Darkar's power! Especially not that smart aleck from the past with the big ego. What kind of idiot did they take the Lord of the Shadow Fire for?
I don't have to worry about it, he told himself, smirking. He won't be able to steal his powers from me.

He walked over to a balcony like area and looked down into the lower parts of his Realm. "Girls!" he called.

Recently he'd acquired three witch sisters to work for him. Theirs names were Icy, Darcy, and Stormy. They'd tried to take over the world before but thanks to Bloom's Dragon Fire power they had lost. They now worked for him. He'd given them some of his own power to use as they liked.

He waited for the three to come but nobody did. "Girls?" he said looking around, annoyed. "Girls? GET OVER HERE!"

Still nothing.

"Where are those witches?" he asked himself out loud. "I'd better go look for them..."

He walked back into his castle. He found them a few minutes later in the area that looked like a throne room. They lay sprawled out all over the floor, unconscious. It looked as if something had gotten to them.

What? he walked over to them and knelt down to examine Darcy, who was closest to him. That's when he discovered their magic had been drained. What's going on? The Under Realm isn't supposed to drain their magic! Who is responsible for this!?

He heard a noise outside of the castle and hurried to the bridge area. Once there he spotted something on one of his towers and his eyes sparked with surprise and rage.

A black shadow, as dark as midnight, was forming out of the tower wall.

A/N

Well... All I can say is in my dream Darkar was the Lord of Fire though I'm not exactly sure if that is true. Is his power Shadow Fire? All well, whether it is or isn't he's going to be in the story. Anyway. I don't have much else to say about this. Hehehehe. Shadow Haunt Lord man will be drained as well. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I am so weird. I hope you liked the chapter anyway.