Bonding Over Apples to Apples
Present-day:
"I have a great idea," Bloom said when the group all met back at the espresso shop.
"What's that, Sweetie?" Flora asked.
"Well, I got a game called Apples to Apples in the dorm room," Bloom said. "It's about the coolest game ever."
"How do you play?" Musa asked.
Bloom smiled as they all began back towards Alfea as she explained the rules of the game. "The only problem is that a lot of the people, places, and events won't make sense to any of you."
"Logically, only you should know those," Tecna said. "But, I have just the solution. We can cast a spell so that all the cards that will only make sense to you will change to cards we can all work with."
"What a great idea!" Bloom said enthusiastically. "Let's go!"
So, after adjusting the game, the seven girls got to playing. The adjective was 'sensual' and Flora was the judge. Each of the other six chose a card and threw it in. Flora picked up the six red cards and looked at them, fairly shocked.
Vaticana (planet of the monks), Spella McCartney, Alfea, my bathroom, Under Realm, or Ms. Griffin. Flora couldn't decide which was the worst, not to mention the best. "Not this one," she said putting down Spella McCartney. "Sorry Stella. Okay, not my bathroom, definitely not Ms. Griffin. Not the Under Realm." That left her with her school or a place for monks. "I think I'm going to lose all possibility of a good after life, but, congratulations to who ever put down Vaticana."
"What!" five shocked fairies shrieked while Musa did a happy dance and took the green card.
"Well, at least Vaticana is beautiful," Flora said. "Have you seen the gardens there?"
"Well, I think Musa's more likely to have the bad afterlife just putting down Vaticana for the word 'sensual'," Layla said. "I was in a close second with Alfea, right?"
"Okay," Musa said flipping the next green card then leaning back. "The word is 'rough'."
"I wish Riven was a choice," Bloom said.
"Oh, be quiet," Musa stuck her tongue out at Bloom. "Let your cards do the speaking for you."
After a few minutes, all six other girls had placed their choices down. Musa picked them up and immediately began laughing. "What are you all smoking and where can I get some?"
"What are the choices?" Flora asked.
"Well, last time I checked, Pixies are not rough," Musa said. The six pixies in the air all looked at each other, then laughed. "Nor is slime, though that is gross. Soda pop? That's like the opposite of rough." Musa twisted her mouth as she thought. "Not the second sun of Solaria, not playing an instrument…"
"Maybe not for you," Tecna said.
"So, the winner is whip," Musa said laying down the last card.
"Woo-hoo!" Bloom cheered. "I win!"
"Wow, this game brings out a new side of everyone," Angel said with a smile.
"Okay, the next word is 'brilliant'." Bloom said turning over a new card. Seconds later, each of the girls had thrown down a card. Bloom turned them over for everyone to see. Sparks, The Royal Family of Eraklyon, my hair, my love life, high tech processing chips, and the Flower of Life. "Oh, wow… this is going to be difficult." Bloom thought the choices over. "Sorry, Tech, but high tech processing chips are too literal. And, considering Sparks is a frozen wasteland still, that's out too." Angel's face dropped slightly. "And, just because I'm dating Prince Sky doesn't mean the whole family is brilliant."
"Oh, pooey," Stella sighed.
"I'd rather not talk about the number of split ends in my hair," Bloom dismissed another card.
"So says the girl with perfect, shining red hair," Musa said.
"I thought that I could win with that card," Flora sighed.
"No way, I have this in the bag," Layla said.
"Hate to break it to you, Layla," Bloom said flipping over the Flower of Life card, "but as much as I love the pixies and making sure they stay healthy, I think my love life is it the most brilliant thing in all the realms."
"Oh yeah," Musa jumped up to celebrate. "I win again."
"You seem to win every time you're not judging," Stella said judging by the fact that Musa's pile of wins just about equaled everyone else's put together.
"I think I found my true calling," Musa said.
"Oh, Riven will be so upset that he's now third in your life after music and Apples to Apples," Flora joked.
"Just as long as I don't have to be the one to tell him," Bloom said.
"I vote new game," Stella said.
"And what's that?" Layla asked.
"Truth or Dare," Stella said. "Duh!"
"That's only fun if there are guys to play with," Angel argued.
"Whatever," Stella said. "I think the total opposite. If there are guys, there are a lot less things I'd do or say than without them."
"So, who'll go first?" Flora asked.
"How about Angel," Musa said. "Truth or dare?"
"Um, truth," Angel said. "I feel a little too tired to do a dare."
"Okay then, tell us all about this boyfriend you mentioned on our way to the music store," Musa said with a smirk.
Angel sighed and smiled. "Well he's got dirty blonde hair and it's always messy. His eyes are light brown and he's in his last year of hero training."
"Get to the good stuff," Stella said.
Angel smiled thinking about her boyfriend. "Okay, he's got a resting heartbeat of 50 beats per minute, can tango like no other, and his lips are the perfect dark pink and full, and there's usually a slight hint of citrus in his kisses."
"Wow, that's specific," Flora said.
"What's his name?" Tecna asked.
"Brandon," Angel said.
"Whoa, what?" Stella yelled and jumped to her feet.
"Calm down, Stella," Bloom said. "It's probably just a coincidence. I mean, your Brandon couldn't be the only Brandon in the whole universe."
"Plus, her Brandon has messy blonde hair," Flora said. "I don't think I've ever seen your Brandon with messy hair, not to mention, his hair is brown."
"He had better not be my shnookums," Stella said.
Musa had a small smirk on her face that only Layla noticed.
"Hey, Musa, can I talk to you?" Layla asked as the girls began out for dinner.
"Sure," Musa said slowing her pace so that Layla and her had some privacy.
"Did you ask Angel about her boyfriend just to get Stella riled up?" Layla asked.
"Why would I want my friend to get angry?" Musa asked.
"Well, it seemed to me that you wanted Stella to get mad at Angel," Layla said. "I don't know why you don't like her so much."
"Tell you the truth, I don't know either," Musa said. "It's just that I can sense she's been lying about something and I want her to come out with the truth."
"Maybe she needs some time," Layla said. "Anyway, I don't think she's about to hurt any of us, considering she's a bit younger, not to mention we're all at Enchantix level."
"But why go searching specifically for Bloom, not to mention on Earth?" Musa asked.
"I don't know," Layla said. "Maybe she really wants help with that Krannert warlock and considering Bloom's power…"
"As Tecna would say, Bloom's the logical choice to go to for help?" Musa asked.
"Exactly," Layla nodded.
25 years in the future:
"King Radius," one of the Solarian Royal Guards said entering the war room where he was meeting with the kings of Tides, Eraklyon, and as well as a few smaller planets. "This just arrived. It's regarding your grandchildren."
"What is it?" King Radius demanded to know.
"They've been captured by Krannert," the solider said. "And Krannert is threatening them to the same fate as your daughter if you don't surrender Solaria."
The king of Eraklyon placed his hand on King Radius's shoulder. "We'll understand if you'd like to withdraw your forces and surrender to save your grandchildren."
King Radius stood straight and shook his head. "I feel this is a sacrifice I must make. It won't be long before Krannert has the whole universe under his control so this is our time to stop him."
A second solider came running in, a worried expression on his face. "One of Krannert's warships has just landed just inside the front gate, your majesty."
"We're all by you, Radius," another of the kings announced grabbing his phantoblade.
"Let's go," Radius nodded and led the men outside to do battle with Krannert's forces. They approached the ship just as the latch opened. Instead of Krannert's men, five teenagers walked out.
"Oh, Brandon, Celeste," King Radius cried dropping his phantoblade and taking his grandchildren in his arms. "You've escaped."
"Not without the help of Mech, Daisy, and Violet," Celeste said motioning to the other three.
"Where is Angel?" the king of Eraklyon asked.
"We don't know," Brandon said looking down. "Musa pushed her into a portal but we don't know where it leads to."
"There is a way to find her," King Radius said. "Come, to the Hall of the Universe. We will see where Musa sent her and then send a rescue ship to her. As for you five… Celeste, I want you to take them all to Alfea right this moment and explain to Headmistress Griselda why you're late for the school year."
"Yes, Grandfather," Celeste said looking down. "Come on you four. Griselda is going to put us in a never ending detention."
"If we're lucky," Violet said mumbled and rolled her eyes.
The kings of Solaria, Eraklyon, and Tides made their way to the Hall of the Universe. Radius stepped forward and spoke. "Please, show us where Musa sent the princess of Eraklyon and Sparks, Princess Angel."
The three kings suddenly saw the princess land in a yard, and was suddenly greeted by a man. It then fast-forwarded to the arrival of Bloom and Stella.
"How can it be?" Radius asked when the vision stopped. "Stella."
"Musa didn't just send her through an inter-dimensional portal, but a time portal," the king of Tides said.
"Please, show us our children," the king of Eraklyon said. Once again a vision appeared, but this time of five women and five men while one of the men was tossing pebbles at the magical barrier between him and freedom. The environment was of much darkness, like a roomy, underground cave.
"Where is that awful place?" Radius asked.