Warlord here. I'm glad that I am on summer vacation, and that I have a job. The thing I'm not glad about however is the fact that I hardly have any time to write.

I am able to write this thankfully since I caught a break in the form of a day off and am at the library.

However, you're waiting for the story to get on, and some people really want to read this chapter, so here we go.

Please review when you're done, I rather enjoy the critique…

Chapter 20: Ceremony

Drake

Drake paced the room like a caged animal, huffing and puffing with his nervous sighs.

The day had finally come, and now, all dressed in decorated armor, he couldn't help but worry.

His usual rounded-plate jumpsuit armor had been decorated with a few trappings, meant to make it look nice. He had a silk shoulder/neck wrap that hid his neck and ran over his shoulders, hiding the bottom of his face.

In addition to that, he now had a waistcoat, a cape of sorts draped around his legs from the back, leaving the front of his legs open.

Both cloth items were red, bright colored to match the Flame-Flecks in his hair.

Then there was the new location of his sword. Held to his back by a green-cloth sash, was the sheath containing his sword, Chastix.

All on top of newly-polished armor, shined, buffed, and cleaned by Sky yesterday.

None of it all made any difference. He was still extremely nervous about the ordeal, his Paladin Ceremony happening in only three hours away.

"Someone's really nervous" a voice laughed from the left.

Drake spun around.

There, at the door to his room, was Sky.

"How long have you been there?" Drake yelled with a start.

"Only a moment" Sky answered "I see you're incredibly nervous right there."

"Can you tell me something I don't know?" Drake replied "I can't believe it's happening so soon."

With that, he took a seat on his bed, lower end of Chastix sinking deep into the mattress as he sat down.

"Just relax" Sky replied "It's really simple. You know exactly what to say, and you'll be fine."

"Alright" Drake sighed, breathing in "Just relax."

"In two hours," Sky replied "You'll be wowing them in the tent they set up outside. This is your ceremony, the time you have the spotlight."

"Thanks" Drake sighed "I can't wait to see how it's set up inside."

He looked out the window, out onto the tent they had set up last night.

Bloom

She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. It was amazing how the last one that the store had was so perfect.

And the fact that she could make full use of her royalty made it even more perfect.

Ever since she'd found out that she was princess of Sparks, and that it was a dead world, she wondered what the point was.

If she was the last one left, then it kind of took away the purpose.

When Drake showed up at the lake her third year at Alfea, she was amazed at how she finally had someone left from Sparks also.

The fact that he willingly took her orders made somewhat of a difference to the dead world deal.

The problem came with how he knew how to act in front of royalty, address and all. The thing that made it difficult was how she didn't really know how to behave like royalty.

Thankfully, she was able to brush up thanks to Stella's lessons, and this ceremony would be a test of her skills she'd learned.

"Someone looks regal" a male voice announced from behind.

Glancing in the mirror, Tecna's father, Brice, was standing at the doorway.

"Thanks" she sighed "I can't imagine what we would have done if this dress wasn't perfect."

"I actually have something for you" Brice replied, reaching out from the door, obviously to the stand that had been set up outside of the doorway. He withdrew a box that had a lock on it, in addition to the royal seal of Sparks?

"What's that?" she asked, confused.

"Take a look inside" Brice instructed, opening the box, to reveal the shimmering and lustrous contents within.

"It's something for you to wear to complete the look." Brice sighed, "Especially since we're ready for the ceremony to begin."

Tent

Set up outside the Galvin Manor, it was amazing at what it contained inside.

For starters, there were tiles set in to make the hardened floor, set up on top of a tarp, with the opaque walls of the draping tent-sides bordering.

A pedestal had been set up at the far end, with a tree at the left side, and a window on the right, magicked to reveal a scene from the glory days of Sparks.

There were pews set up along the rest of the way, numbering about 7 rows, with an aisle in the center.

The tree looked like it was growing into the place, and the whole space was thrown into darkness, with only the light from the torches and candles in the inside.

Then, there were the cameras set up in the back, by the entrance. There were two of them. Each wired to film the ceremony and send the signal to be broadcast from the control booth outside.

All of this being atmosphere-readied by speakers playing choirs singing. All fine to the occupants in the pews, the manor service staff, the remaining specialists and Winx. They all sat there, waiting.

Everything was perfect for a ceremony. A piece of Sparks away from Sparks.

Tecna

In the control booth, she couldn't believe how everything was. It was like a dream come true, a tricaster, audio-board, and headsets with mikes so she could tell Timmy and Brandon what to film.

And it would be live too. There was no room for error on this. Not unless she wanted to mess things up for everyone.

As the minutes counted down, she couldn't help but anticipate everything.

Just as her father walked in, she did another sound check.

"Everything's ready" she announced.

"Bloom is waiting for the cue to enter" her father replied "And we are now hooking up for the pirate broadcast. Let's run the footage."

"Right away" she replied, flipping the proper switches.

"That's a good three minutes of time for everything to happen." Her father sighed "Now it's up to those directly involved."

Bloom

As she stood outside of the tent, wearing the relic that Brice had.

She heard the chorus music from inside, and knew to enter.

As she walked inside, she couldn't help but notice how everything was. The only thing that would have helped matters a bit is the fact that she had to keep a sword at her waist in the dress, and walk with the mage staff.

She could see the cameras follow her as she walked down the aisle up onto the pedestal.

Drake

Standing in the foyer to the manor, he sighed. He went over himself one more time, before exiting through the door.

The cloth extras to his armor were unusual to walk in, and the fact that he didn't have his helmet and Chastix was on his back didn't help as much.

As he stood outside the tent, he could see through a translucent opening in the tent folds that Bloom was walking up the aisle still. All he needed to enter was her command.

"You may enter, Drake Flaragon" Bloom's voice commanded from inside the tent.

With that, he threw open the flaps, and was surprised. Everyone who wasn't doing something else was in there.

Yet as much as he wanted, he couldn't help but notice Bloom's new outfit.

She wore a green and purple dress, one that had long sleeves, showed a small amount of cleavage, and ran down all the way to her ankles.

Along the end of her sleeves, the hemline of her dress, and the ruffles along it, were purple lace.

In addition, she wore a purple sash at her waist, with a thin longsword hanging inside.

And to top all of this off, she wore what seemed to be the Lesser Crown Jewels of Sparks?

Indeed, upon her head, was a tiara with a Star-Sapphire in the center, and Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds around the Platinum frame.

Drake was confused as to how she'd gotten a hold of them, yet it only added to her royal status.

He also caught notice of the mage staff she had in her left hand, Teak with a Topaz gem magicked in the end.

When he reached the end of the aisle, he paused a moment, before bowing, head forward over waist.

"Now Kneel" Bloom commanded.

Drake did so, falling to one knee, straight from his bowed position.

"I kneel before you your Majesty, understanding what the title I am about to receive means." He announced, calmly and cooly, slow to enunciate.

"Do you fully accept the responsibilities in protecting the kingdom?" Bloom asked.

"That I do" he replied, still kneeling, only looking at her shoes, a pair of black flats.

"I make thee Paladin of Sparks" Bloom replied.

Bloom

Upon saying those words, she reached to her left, and drew the sword from her waist.

It was rather strange, holding a sword, and the end of it was incredibly heavy.

She tried to appear calm as she brought the sword down to Drake's left shoulder, careful not to let the blade touch him.

She went, slowly, left, right, and left again, raising the blade and bringing it down, just like she'd seen of people getting knighted.

She then lowered the sword down, still holding it in her right hand, before proceeding to use the mage staff in her left hand.

She raised the staff, taking a moment to charge a small amount of generic magic into the end.

This made the Topaz gem in the staff glow, before a small green magic aura appeared around the end.

She held her breath, and proceeded to strike Drake upon the head, just the smallest amount of force she put into the strike, letting the fall do most of the work.

Drake

He felt a slight knock on the top of his head, obviously from the mage staff Bloom was using.

It was obviously nothing new, he'd been hit on his head before, yet for some reason it wasn't quite what he expected.

"You may rise Paladin Flaragon" Bloom commanded, voice echoing through the tent.

With that, he stood up once more, and proceeded to bow once again, head below waist.

"You shall go and bring honor to the Kingdom, and defend it with whatever you have." Bloom commanded.

Drake took this cue to heart, and after doing a military turn 180, proceeded to walk out of the tent, spotting the admiration of the attendees, and seeing the cameras, operated by Timmy and Brandon, follow him out.

Tecna

She was amazed at how everything was, having made certain that the event was filmed correctly, yet still able to witness what seemed to be a rare thing.

She was so mesmerized that she completely forgot to end the broadcast, and for a moment, there was still a shot going on.

"That's a wrap you know" Her father chided from behind.

"Sorry dad" she managed, and proceeded to stop rolling the cameras, and end the broadcast.

"What did you think?" she asked, turning around in her chair.

"I thought it was truly spectacular," her father replied "And your handling of the entire event's filming was very professional, up until the end. However, we're certain that enough people saw it."

Darkmoor Castle/Valtor

Watching on the TV, he was completely outraged. He thought that they'd be hiding, and that there would be a chance to get them to stay low.

Having just seen the one ritual that he would never want to have happen, he couldn't help but scream, louder than a howler monkey.

The castle shook with the force of his magic-imbued yell, echoing throughout the dark spaces.

Icy

She was currently cataloguing Valtor's spells in the library room with her sisters when she heard the scream. It definitely sounded like Valtor.

"What the hell was that?" Stormy asked "If Valtor lost his Amulet of Destruction again, I'm going to knock him out"

"I bet it's something to do with that TV we got him." Darcy sighed "He's been watching it nonstop."

"I bet it has something to do with Firehead and Sword-boy" Icy replied "it would only make sense"

With that, the three got up, made their way down the spiral stairs, and into Valtor's section of the dungeon.

In the spot where the TV once was, there was only a smoking pile of ash.

"What just happened my lord?" Icy asked.

"That girl and that boy" Valtor growled "They just did the worst thing that they could ever do"

"They mashed pissers?" Stormy asked.

"The girl made him a Paladin" Valtor corrected "The Ceremony was just broadcast a moment ago. Out of rage, I seem to have destroyed the TV"

"We'll take care of this at once" Icy replied "We'll destroy them both"

"If only it were that simple" Valtor sighed "However, I have a feeling that they will try to bring Sparks back. The way to do that would be to free the souls of those on Sparks from the Obsidian Dimension. The entrance to that of course, is at the top of Mt Exeilder, and no one's been able to get to the summit of that mountain and survive."

"So we'll let them destroy themselves?" Icy explained "a bit of a lousy idea"

"Don't you realize that they'll more than likely make it inside, and use the Obsidian Dimension to our advantage." Valtor replied "If we can get them inside, we can truly destroy them."

"Until then, what are you going to do about that ceremony?" Darcy asked "Sword-boy is bound to be more powerful now that he's a Paladin"

"I'll take care of him myself" Valtor replied "I'll do what Gratnic could never do."