"Achea, come forward," Serible said, her head leaning against her palm, lazily.
"Yes Mistress?" Her spikes glistening in the low firelight.
"Prepare your army, you will leave in 3 days. You will accomplish what Vievmor did not," Serible said. She grabs one of her minion's spikes and pull it out without any remorse. Achea cried out in pain
"Do not fail me," she hissed. Aches shuffle out of the room, whimpering in pain.
"Blaise, you truly tire my patiences."
Bloom pulls out a soft cream color chiffon short dress, tan color belt and matching knee-high boots. Wincing in pain as she slips them them on, she carefully ties her hair in a loose ponytail, avoiding the bandage wrap around her head. Edana was sleeping soundly on the bed. Grabbing the brown bag that was sitting on the chair, she quickly put in a map, snacks, a bottle of water, and a first aid kit. She can't use her powers now since she's using it to heal her body, but it's taking longer than before. Picking the bag up, she gave Edana a tender kiss on the cheek. The baby stirs but went back to sleep. Bloom's head whip up, sensing dark energy.
"I'll be back soon, I promise," she said, to no one in particular. Opening up a portal, she steps on to beach with palm trees swaying back and forth. Pulling the map out of her bag, she set forth to her destination.
Sky was on his way back to his room when he spotted Sheila crouch on the floor, her small head burying in hands.
"Sheila?" Sky knelt down to her level. "What's the matter?"
"I s-saw something and-and she's m-made m-me promise t-to watch Ed-Edana," she cried.
"Who made you promise? What it your mom?" Sky asked, wiping her tears away.
"N-No. B-Bloom made m-me promise. She pr-promise she'll b-be back."
That took Sky by surprise.
"Where did she go?"
"I-I don't know. I saw her with a map, coming out o-of a room."
"What room, Sheila? The library? The Archives? That's the only place she would have gotten a map besides the study, but I was there so I would have noticed her."
"It's a different room. I can show you." By that point, the little girl calm down, sniffling here and there.
"Show me," Sky took her hand, allowing her to lead him down many hallways pass many rooms until they reach an empty hallway.
There's no guards here...strange.
"There's nothing here except two large paintings," Sky said, looking at the wall. Sheila let go of his hand and pointed to the space inbetween the paintings of Erakylon.
"It's there," she persisted, "I saw her coming out." She began to touch the wall, looking for anything to show she was telling the truth. Sky took a look at it when he notice something. It's very thin but there seems to be a glow.
"I think I see what I think is the outline of the door," he said, tracing the line all the way round.
"Can you open it?"
"One way to find out," he placed his hands on where he believes the door edges are and gave it a hard tug. A couple more times later, Sky was sent flying to the other side. What the hell was that?!
"Are you okay," the little girl peered at him.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he rubbed his back. "Someone doesn't want us to open it.
"She said it was in the archives when she first went into it. The second time she went back to the archives, the door was gone. Said, 'it appear here'," the girl's face scrunch up in concentration as she told him. Sky was amaze at how much she could remember at such a young age.
"How about I give you a lift and we'll get the others to come and see. Maybe they'll have better luck than we did," Sky chuckled as Sheila wrap her arms around his neck in enthusiasm.
Daphne was the last to arrive. Quickly scanning the area, she notice her sister was not there and that Thoren was sporting a bruise cheek.
"What happen to you?" She touched his cheek gingerly.
"Intruder," Thoren winced a little.
"Intruder?" Daphne quirked an eyebrow up.
"I'll explain later. Should have seen Sky earlier, he was piss," Thoren chuckled nervously.
"I see, so what's the issue here?" Daphne asked, turning her attention on the Crown Prince.
"There's a door here that leads to a different room," Sky answered.
"I'm detecting an unusual large amount of energy right here," Tecna said, pointing at the wall while not taking her eyes off her data pad screen. "But I can't get a good reading on what's behind it except the shape of the door."
"I tried opening it, I was hoping you girls would be able to open it," Sky sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair.
"We can try a Converenge Spell," Aisha suggested.
"It's worth a shot," Musa said.
"Too bad, Bloom is still injure," Stella sighed.
Daphne took notice of Sky's glance at Miele who was holding a sleeping Edana.
"Let's get started then," Aisha said, cracking her knuckles.
Holding each other hand, they began to chant a spell. Feeling their powers building up in their veins, they release a spell, revealing the door.
"It's not opening," Nex said.
"We're doing the best we can!" Musa retorted, her face scrunching up in concentration.
"I don't think I can hold on much longer," Stella said.
"Just hang in there a little more, Stel," Flora pleaded weakly, her legs giving out but her grip still remains.
"Girls, that's enough!" Sky commanded, just as Stella collapse.
"Stella!" Brandon rushed over to her.
"I'm okay," she said weakly.
"So did we get the door open?" Roy asked. Sky walk over to the door; his hands tracing over the symbols around the door knob. He gave a tug and a push, but to no avail. Then, he felt his hand burning on the knob. Pulling his hand away with a hiss, everyone watches as the knob sizzle before returning back to its brass color.
"There's your answer," Nex pointed his chin at the door.
"This is the door," Sheila said, staring at it in awe. "It's pretty."
The door was heavily oriented with symbols, much like the ones in the Map of the Stars. In stone timber, the symbols carve around a bigger symbol in the color red. It was so intricate, that it was hard to tell where it starts and where it ends. There were smaller, similar ones all over the door in tan-gold colors.
"This is the door," Miele agreed with her daughter.
"I never seen this type of magic before where it's stronger than all of ours' combine," Daphne felt a spark zap her finger when she touch it.
"Well, we know it can pack a punch," Riven said sarcastically.
"I'm not in the mood right now," Sky glared at his friend.
"So what's behind it? A secret room?" Thoren asked, peering at it.
"You can say that," Miele answered, once again glancing at Sky. Edana stir, a small whimper escaping her small mouth. That's it.
"Ok, I have enough! I waited silently for you to tell us what is the meaning of that door," Daphne said, placing her hands on her hips.
"Daphne, calm down," Flora tried to soothe the Nymph of Sirenix to no avail.
"Calm down?! I'll calm down when my sister is back! I don't even know where she is!" Daphne channel her power into her fist and punch the door. The sound vibrating through the walls.
"That's enough!" Sky yelled, breathing in deeply. "Only Bloom has access to that door; and before you start, I don't know where she is either. Sheila saw her earlier in the day coming out of that door, holding a scroll. It could be anything."
"Sky, the door!" Helia pointed at the door. Everyone watch as the door was shimmering. Edana let out a high pitch wail.
Bloom leans against a wall, her powers diminishing greatly. She barely has any to give her some light. The darkness swirl around her like a thick fog, suffocating her.
"Come on, I can do this," she encouraged herself. She look back at the map when she felt a tug in her heart. What the-?
A slow, warm feeling went through her body. Feeling the energy, she felt her strength coming back. Looking up, flames erupted around her, going down a tunnel. Looking down, the dirt was replaced with yellowy sands. Rolling her map up, she sprinted down the new path. I can feel it vibrating.
Jumping over a small boulder, the path open up to an underground cave. The flames lighting it up, casting eerily shadows. I bet the Trix would love this. In the center, a rock was floating in midair.
"Incredible," she whistled. Reaching a hand to touch it, the rock exploded. Bloom duck down at the last second; dust and pieces of rock flying everywhere. Something clatter to the ground. Looking up once the dust settle down, she saw a small object glowing. Crawling over to it, she brush the dirt off of it, revealing a gem.
"I found it," picking it up, Bloom felt the power within that gem resonating with the Dragon Flame.
It was short live.
Chuncks of the ceiling was starting to fall. Pocketing the gem, Bloom created a portal, her mind fixated on the location she wants to go. Jumping in, the portal close just as the whole cave collapse.
Sky felt drawn to the door.
"Dude, you're going to get yourself hurt," Brandon said. Stella was covering her ears since Edana wouldn't stop crying.
"Make it stop!" She complained, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Here," Musa conjured up a pair of headphones and gave it to her. Stella quickly put it on, sighing in relief.
"Sky, look!" Miele said. Sky turn around to see Edana's eyes softly glowing and the same face patterns as Bloom's.
"Do you think-?" Sky asked.
"It's possible," Miele answered, handing the baby over to him.
"Would you guys stop talking in riddles!" Riven threw his hands up into the air.
"Bloom's calling me, us, to open the door for her. She's on the other side, waiting," Sky said, coolly. Edana let out a soft baby giggle. Sky place his free hand over the large symbol, watching it glow a sapphire color. A sapphire, the size of his fist grew out of it. Turning it counterclockwise three times, and rearranging the smaller symbols into their correct positions, the door made a clicking sound.
"Warrior of Light, you still impress me."
The door open, revealing Bloom in the same state as Edana was a few seconds ago. But it wasn't Bloom. She was wearing a green loose tunic, topaz color leggings, her forearms and wrists cover in jewelry. Her hair was loose, creating an illusion of a fiery halo. In her left hand, she held a wooden staff a few inches shorter than her. Ivory decorations swirl around it and at the top of the staff, lay a sphere shape fiery gem.
"May the Gods protect you all and grant your next battle as little bloodshed as possible."
Goddess Blaise merges into the swirling vortex of the portal, revealing a dirt cover Bloom. Swaying a bit, she leans into Sky, heavily.
"I got you," Sky-with some help from Roy-pull Bloom out. The door close shut with a snap; the symbols, moving back to their original positions from the beginning.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Miele asked.
"Look," reaching into her pocket, the gem glitter in her hands.
Edana stares at it with a new fascination.
"You disappear for a pretty jewelry and you didn't invite me?!" Stella pouted.
"Stella!" Everyone gave the Fairy of the Shining Sun a look.
"What?" Stella looked around in confusion, as the hallway erupted in sighs and chuckles.