Helia lies awake in his little makeshift bed close to Brandon, having sneaked into their room an hour before undetected. He had discovered new found comfort in being around the first year boys and found himself sneaking into their room after dark to sleep or hanging around when nobody was there. For the others, it had started out as extremely creepy and cut their lifespans down by five years, but Helia just started showing up so often, nobody really bat an eye anymore. Which was exactly what the junior wanted.

Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be sleeping tonight. That night, the sounds of owls and crickets and the creaking of the night wind distracts him from resting his eyes and drifting off to sleep; he already has issues sleeping in the first place, this just made it worse.

It doesn't bother him too much, however. He's had issues like this before, being plagued with nightmares with a connection to the same thing over and over again, always causing him to snap awake in the middle of the night and throw up. It got so bad that Saladin had to buy him dreamless sleep pills for him to take until the dreams began to subside and soon fade. Fortunately, this isn't the case. Nature around him, as much as he loves creatures, is annoying him. So now he can't sleep.

He rolls onto his stomach and smashes his face onto his pillow, groaning quietly. He turns his head a little to stare at the origami creatures lying on the floor close to his head, being blocked by some of his hair. He begrudgingly extracts the hair from his face, mentally noting to cut it someday.

Keyword being someday.

He has only two options: lie here and hope for the best or go out and risk getting kidnapped so he can play with his paper animals. He decides on the latter.

He pulls himself up, grabbing one of his hoodies and pulling it over his head, slinking out of the dorm room without any detection.

Red Fountain, big and boisterous and smelly as it was, is pretty easy to navigate. Helia takes a left down the stairs, takes a right, stalks across the cafeteria, walks out onto the courtyard, squeezes through the gate, and finally makes it outside school grounds, nearing Gloomywood Forest. He takes out his pets, beginning to spell them...when he hears something.

It's small, but Helia's sharp senses alert him to it anyway. It comes from inside the forest, and there's something about it that tells him that it's not an animal. It has to be a person.

He sneaks into the forest, keeping himself hidden by the nature that surrounds him and taking advantage of his small stature. He keeps an eye out for any suspicious movement when he catches sight of familiar, spiked, magenta hair that makes him stop short.

Riven Bronzetaker stands close by, dressed in a black cloak, standing with another person wearing the same, but their hood covers their face. Helia moves discreetly to the nearest tree. He knows it's wrong to eavesdrop, but it's in his nature to analyze and observe everyone he meets, so he can beat himself up about it later.

"...believes it's the Dragon Fire, but here's what I don't get," says a female voice. Kinda sultry. "If Peters really does have the Dragon Fire, how? According to Icy and her research, Peters is an Earthling girl, and the Dragon Fire is purely magical. It would make more sense for her to have normal fire magic, but the fact that it's the Dragon Fire raises so many more questions. Like, for starters, why does she have this power, who gave it to her, and does it mean the Phoenix Fire is out there, too?"

"Bloom's just as confused as you guys," says Riven. "She told Brandon that when the incident in the simulator happened, she barely recalled what happened, and Faragonda wouldn't tell her a thing."

"Wait… The old fairy master's being secretive?" asks the woman. Helia's heard this woman before, but where…?

"Yes. And it's out-of-character for her since Lady F is supposed to be the most wise and sensible woman in centuries."

The woman thinks for a moment. "That means she knows something. I have half a mind to go up to Peters herself and try to strike a bargain with her in order to find out the truth about her powers, but she doesn't trust me. Nor me, Icy, or Stormy. And it's smart not to. She might be a novice, but she's intelligent. We might need to do some more investigating… Keep an eye on Peters. Keep an eye on Prince Brandon, too. They talk a lot. She might tell him something important."

Riven nods in understanding, and Helia suddenly remembers who the woman is. He prepares to run off to tell Sky or Brandon, but then a twig snaps underneath his foot, and he holds his breath in fear when he realizes the talking stopped abruptly.

"What was that?" asks Riven, unsheathing his sword.

"Someone's near…" Newfound identity Darcy Dirgeforce stands still for a moment with her eyes closed. A dark purple aura surrounds her body, but then it stops suddenly. Helia doesn't know whether to stay put or run, but it's too late. From the ground, Darcy rises, staring at him interestedly. "Oh, hello."

Helia's brain finally works correctly, and he attempts to run, but Darcy grabs his arm before he can do anything. "Uh uh. Where do you think you're going?"

Riven comes into the clearing, groaning when he sees who it is. "Oh, it's you. You can't mind your own business do you? You always have to be not far behind. Learn how to be okay with being alone, okay?"

Helia wiggles in her grip, wishing he brought his staff with him. The only spells he knows definitely wouldn't help in a situation like this.

"How much did he see?" Riven asks Darcy, hands on his hips.

"Enough. But don't worry. He won't say anything. I know he won't."

Helia never speaks more than a few words at a time, but if he truly wrote down what he thought on a daily basis, it'd look like a seven page essay that Codatorta usually makes some of the students write. But he's speechless. Truly speechless.

"How can you be so sure? This boy, he's unpredictable. And he has a close connection to Saladin. If he tells, we'll both be in trouble."

"I know. But he won't tell. Trust me, Riven."

"What? You're gonna wipe his memory or something?"

Helia panics a bit, trying to get away, but Darcy's long nails dig into his skin, and he bites his lip to stop from crying out in pain.

"No. I have a different idea." She spells him, keeping him frozen in place. She leans a bit, staring at his throat, and Helia wonders if she'll kill him. He hoped to the gods she wasn't.

Darcy taps the very middle of his throat, and a strange, black thorn appears, wrapping itself around his neck, but Helia can't feel it. What did she just…

She undoes the binding spell, and he goes falling to the ground, rubbing his scratched arm and bringing a hand to his neck.

"There. He won't tell a soul. He'll be unable to."

"What did you just do?" asks Riven, just as confused as Helia.

"You ask too many questions. He'll be fine. ...as long as he doesn't attempt to tell anyone what he saw."

Helia can't feel anything wrong. But something must have happened… Pure fear reaches his heart, and he wraps his arms around himself, slowly panicking.

Darcy reaches into the sleeve of her cloak, pulling out a long pocket watch. "It's the witching hour. I have classes, and I need to maintain my perfect attendance. Take care of the child." Riven moves towards Helia as Darcy moves away from them, but she stops and turns her head towards them. "Riven, don't hurt the child. He's already gotten punished enough. Take him back to the Red Fountain. He won't do anything." And in a cloud of black smoke, she disappears.

Riven turns his head at the sound of sniffling. Helia rocks back and forth in his fragile position, trying to stop from crying. It only makes Riven angrier. "Quit it. This is your fault. If you only minded your own damn business, none of this would've happened." He grabs onto Helia's arm roughly, dragging him back into the school.

They're greeted by Brandon, sword at the ready, at the entrance to the apartment. He had been awoken by approaching feet at the dorm and is surprised to see the two of them. But he's even more surprised to see the state of Helia.

"Teach him to mind his own business," Riven states simply, dropping him onto the floor and heading into his room without another word. Helia erupts in tears, trembling from head to toe. Brandon attempts to console him, but the boy runs off into the bathroom and doesn't come out of there until three days later.

Remember what happened during the week of my exams? You know, the thing that happened in the last chapter? Yeah, that? Well, it's been a few days, and now I find myself in a stuffy room in Magix City Hall, dressed nicely (courtesy of Fogsky and Stella), with a cup of tea, sitting with Evenshade. Fogsky stands close to the door, since apparently, he doesn't trust her alone with me.

The day after the little simulator accident, I scheduled an appointment with her so we could talk, and Fogsky looked at me like I was crazy.

"Really? But she's terrible! She'll fill your head with politics and backhanded compliments and the whole package! This is murky water you're treading in, Miss Peters."

"I know, but I'm not gonna let your opinion influence what I think of her. I dunno. She could be nice. ...even though you've known her longer."

Fogsky stares at me blankly.

"Don't give me that look!" I cry. "Okay, okay, maybe it won't be a good idea to go talk to her, but it's not a terrible one! Besides, she's the mayor of Magix. How many people get to talk to the mayor of a major city?"

"...not many people, but Miss Peters—"

"See! If I hate her, I hate her. At least I'll have met someone important!"

So that's how, a few days later, we ended up in a limo heading over to Magix Square.

I've been sitting in the room for a while now, while Evenshade talks about her childhood with Fogsky.

"...parents wanted us to marry, and I guess their hopes and dreams were passed onto me," she says. "We dated briefly in highschool. We were the perfect couple. I was a cheerleader, he was a journalist— Yes, I know, you were probably thinking I was about to say that Nato was a mudsurfer or something, but he wasn't. Nonetheless, we were envied. We were even voted Arcadian king and queen. I had full intention of marrying him when we entered college. Unfortunately, he ended up meeting Ming."

"Ming? Who's Ming?" I ask.

"Mingam Flintfury. His future husband. We broke it off during sophomore year, and what do you know? The two eloped and only three years later did they return to Magix. To say that I was heartbroken would be an understatement. I was not only completely depressed, but I was angry. Angry that he would leave me for someone else. I thought I was all he needed, but I guess I was wrong."

I kinda feel bad for her. I mean, the only person I've broken up with is Andy, and that was because A) Mitzi was ruining things and B) I kinda felt better with us just being friends. I wonder if Brandon would do something like that….

"I'm sorry that happened," I say.

"No need to be sorry," she replies, smiling. "I've just discovered that I work better on my own. And look at me now! One of the most famous people in the Magic Dimension. It's like a dream. Maybe one day you can be like me. That is, if you decide to stay in the Magic Dimension after Alfea."

"Well, yeah, of course! I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Earth and all, but… Well, I know the ways of that world. I know how everything works. The Magic Dimension's a whole new world for me. I don't wanna give that up. There's so much for me to learn—about this world and myself. Especially now."

Evenshade raises an eyebrow. "Now? Why now?"

I sigh. "People seem to know more about me than I do myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like— A couple days ago, I was taking an exam, and something happened. I dunno what. I kinda...exploded? I don't know the details. But something like that happened before, when I was fighting off some witches. It might just sound like I was having an emotional magic reaction, and yeah, I think so, too, but I think it was something...a bit more than that. There's something about my magic… Something about me that I just don't understand. And Faragonda's not helping at all."

Evenshade leans back in her chair, intertwining her fingers. "Oh, really?"

"Right. And she was the one who welcomed me into this world. She knows something, but she won't say what it is. She knows so much. She knows why I have these powers. She knows what these powers are. She knows why Daphne's Connected to me—"

"Daphne?" Evenshade interrupts. "As in… Last princess of Domino Daphne?"

"Right. And she's been dead for as long as I've been alive. It just doesn't make sense. I mean, we're not related or anything. I've never even met her, obviously."

Evenshade thinks for a moment. "Is there anyone who knew her personally? Anyone you know?"

I nod. "Everyone just knows of her. And from the research I've done, the only way a person would be Connected to a person who's no longer living is if they were related, but that'd be impossible."

Evenshade nods in understanding. "Miss Peters, I am a very influential person. If you would like, I could help you in your search for answers."

My eyes light up. "Really? Honest?"

"Yes. I know a couple people. They can investigate for me. I promise you, if things go well, you'll get all the answers you're looking for."

A smile comes across my face. Finally! Someone who genuinely wants to help me! This is great! "Thank you so much, Miss Evenshade."

"Please, call me Thoseth." Miss Even—Thoseth—stands up, and I do the same. She holds out a hand for me to shake. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Miss Peters, but I really must get back to my work. Being the mayor means I barely have any freetime."

"That's no problem," I reply. "I'm sorry if I messed up your schedule."

"No, no. I much prefer talking to you over talking to some fat ambassador from a realm halfway across the Magic Dimension."

I grab my things resting around me, preparing to go towards Fogsky, who has a deep frown on his face. "Thoseth."

She looks up, hearing him call her name.

"Can I talk to you?" He glances at me. "In private?"

She nods, and they walk into the other room. I stand awkwardly, not sure what to do. Kiko feels the same way, jumping onto my shoulder and looking confused.

As I turn to roam around the room, I hear talking coming from next door. Looks like they're not good at keeping things private.

"...to her. I know exactly what you're trying to do, and I'm not gonna let you do it. Peters is a friend of mine, and I don't like my friends getting hurt," Fogsky whisper-yells. I've never heard him this angry before. It scares me.

"Oh, really? And were you thinking of that when you broke my heart?" Thoseth's voice hisses.

It's silent for a moment. "Don't you dare bring that up; it's been four or five years since then. Move on. I dunno why you thought your whole perfect couple dream was gonna work out. There were too many differences between us, and we were falling out. I found solace in Ming." I hear Thoseth open her mouth to respond, but Fogsky cuts her off. Harshly. "And if you dare say anything against him, I'll make you regret it."

Thoseth sighs. "Nato, when did things become so hostile between us? Even when we weren't romantically involved, we used to be good friends."

"Yeah, well that was before you showed your true colors. Your newfound fame has changed you. You don't care about anyone anymore. You only care about yourself and what you can gain. And now you're going to hurt a teenage girl who just wants to find more about herself. You are an awful person, Thoseth."

"I have no intention of hurting Miss Peters. I meant what I said. I am going to help her. Do you want to risk the chance of her getting answers all because of your unwarranted hatred towards me?"

"It's not unwarranted, you—"

"I think you need to take a couple deep breaths, Nato. You're getting outta control."

This is kinda weird to me. It sounds manipulative in a way, as if she's controlling him. Mocking him even. I dunno how I feel about her now.

Fogsky sounds much calmer when he talks again. "Fine. I'll let you help her. But if I find out that you did this for your own, personal gain, you'll wish you never f*cked around with me." He storms out of the room, closing his eyes for a moment and calming himself. He smiles at me. "You ready to go, Miss Peters?"

I nod. "Yeah."

We walk out of the Hall, heading to the limo. Fogsky's quiet for most of the trip, seemingly lost in thought.

I dunno what I just intruded on, but it sounds like there's more than what meets the eye when it comes to Thoseth Evenshade.

I didn't even get five minutes of peace when I walked into the dorm. All I could hear was loud talking and then a dull explosion coming from Stella's room.

I put my stuff down, walking into the room.

Black smoke is everywhere. I cough and fan my way through it, trying to find the source. Stella and Flora are at the corner of the room, a long, white table set up with potion supplies and plants scattered around. They wear protective goggles—but Stella's are bedazzled.

"That's it!" Stella cries. "I'm done! My clothes are getting ruined! Flora, I'm going to need you to pack your plant party and get out."

Flora crosses her arms. "Stella, that was just a mistake on my part. I added Tsuga alatamaha instead of Disanthus armeniacum. I can try that again. It'll be successful this time, I swear."

"Flora, no offense, but I couldn't give less of a crap about your Suga Mahooga or your Fanna Majana. One more explosion could end up with my room looking like the Potions Lab. You're gonna have to find somewhere else to work. Somewhere like—I dunno—your own room?"

"I told you already, Stella, me and Bloom's room isn't big enough to accommodate my experiments. Neither is Techna and Musa's. Yours is the only one compatible."

"Well, you should've thought of that before you wrecked my room!" Stella turns around, then nearly jumps a foot in the air when she sees me. "AAH! Bloom! When did you get here?"

"Ten minutes ago," I explain. "What's happening?"

"Flora here wanted to study and experiment with some spells for the Elementals exam," Stella says. "I agreed to help, but I didn't think my agreement would cause my room to suffer so!"

"I didn't think it'd happen like this." Flora sighs. "I guess I need more practice."

"Yeah, you do. And you're gonna get that practice elsewhere!" Stella points to the door.

"Stella, don't be so mean," I say. "She's just trying to study. Like you should be doing."

"My exams are next week. I still have time. But now the time where I could be studying will be replaced with me cleaning this place up!" Stella pushes Flora and I out of the room, closing the door.

Flora looks down at her things. "I'm sorry."

I raise an eyebrow. "Why are you sorry? Stella's just being overdramatic."

"No, no, she has a right to be mad. I messed up her room. And I'm also sorry for welcoming you back like this. Everything's a little stressful since the exam got changed. I'm trying to prepare all my potions, but I guess I'm off my game." We start walking across the foyer. "How was your meeting with Mayor Evenshade?"

"Oh, it was fine. She's...interesting. But things got weird at the end."

Flora looks at me interestingly. "Weird? How?"

I sigh. "I'll tell you later."

"Oh!" Flora seems to realize something. "I need to check on my Incarvillea hyssopifolium!"

I blink. "Your what?" But she walks off into Musa and Techna's room.

Musa sits on her bed, headphones on, but one ear is still open to hear things. Her sparkly notebook rests beneath her, and she lipsynches to a song, then writes things down in it.

"Musa?" Flora asks, looking around. "Where's Techna? I asked her to keep an eye on some plants for me."

Musa takes off her headphones and rests them around her neck. She shrugs. "I haven't seen her since five hours ago. Who knows what she could be doing?"

Flora bites her lip. "This type of plant can't be left alone! What was I thinking? Techna has no idea about how plants work." She begins walking over onto Techna's side, but I call out to her before she can make it.

"Wait! You know Techna! If you cross the invisible line, you're gonna get shot!"

"Yeah," says Musa. "One time, I walked over there 'cause she said I could have a pencil, and that stupid robot—" She points towards the inconspicuous, white robot sitting in the corner in Techna's side of the room "—shot me in my foot! It still hasn't healed!"

Flora didn't look too bothered. "Techna told me she turned off her defense. I should be fine." I hold my breath, watching as she walks over. I half-expect to see the robot come down and shoot at Flora, but it doesn't, and she makes her way over to Techna's closet.

"The Incarvillea hyssopifolium likes dark spaces. Techna's closet is perfect for it. It's even nice and damp, too." She opens her closet, and is met with a very interesting sight.

Techna hangs upside down, looking very annoyed, the plants having wrapped themselves around her arms and legs.

"T-T-Techna?" Flora asks, horrified.

Techna makes an indignant noise.

Flora cringes, using a spell to let the plants go, and causing Techna to go crashing to the floor. Musa snickers behind me. "Aah!" Flora cries. "Techna, are you alright?"

Techna wipes herself off. "Flora…" She rubs her temples. "What did I just allow to live in my closet?"

"Um… Incarvillea hyssopifolium?"

"Uh-huh. Flora, I assume you are aware of my ineptitude at understanding anything nature related. Could you tell me what they do, exactly?"

Flora taps her fingers together. "Th-they like damp, dark spaces… And they can't be unsupervised."

"And why can they not be unsupervised?"

"B-because, if they escape, they'll grab the first human they see and attempt to suck the life force out of them."

Techna seems to let this sink in. "So… Those plants were attempting to kill me?"

Flora looks around nervously. "Not...really?"

Techna sighs, walking off and grabbing a screwdriver, she heads into the bathroom as Flora cries, "I'm so sorry, Techna!"

"So that explains the cries for help!" Musa suddenly realizes. "Damn." She shrugs. "It's too late now."

Techna comes out, sitting on her bed and grabbing her triangular shaped comb, using it on her hair.

"I am so sorry, Techna. I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

Techna doesn't respond.

Flora looks like she's going to cry, but she sighs instead. "My experiments seem to have too many unwanted consequences for everyone. I'll find somewhere else to work. I'm so sorry, everyone." And with that, Flora begins to walk away.

"Wait, wait, wait, where are you going?" I ask.

Flora looks at me wistfully. "The Blackmud Swamp. It's the best place I can name." She closes the door behind her.

I chew on my lip. "Eeeeeee, I feel so bad. Flora does so much for us, and we should be doing the same for her in return."

Stella walks in, looking confused. "Why did Flora just walk out looking like a kicked puppy?"

"She's going to Blackmud Swamp to do her work," I explain. "She can't just go out there by herself. We have to go after her."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, we?" Musa asks incredulously. "If she wants to go out there, she can. It has enough room and all the resources she needs to study."

"But we've been out there! You know how many dangers are out there? We can't risk her getting hurt, right?"

The other girls avoid eye contact. Stella shrugs. "She's strong. She should be able to handle herself."

I glare at her, walking off in Flora's direction, hoping to catch her before she made it there.

And a few minutes later, the other girls decide to follow.

"Are you sure?" Flora asks, gripping my shoulders.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you absolutely, positively sure?"

"Yes! Flora, yes! We want to help. You shouldn't be out here by yourself."

"Yeah, and I wish I got a heads up before we came out here," Stella whines, looking at her muddied shoes. "I'm going to take a hot shower after this."

"See, kids," Musa quips, "this is why you don't dress like a model everywhere you go."

"You're the one dressed like you just rolled out of bed," Stella retorts.

"Because I technically did." Musa shrugs.

Flora giggles. "Well, I'm glad you care, but you really didn't have to." She shows off her stand, with a cauldron and various bottles with spells in them. "Besides, I've gathered all the potions I could possibly need except for one. That was what I was trying to create in Stella's room, but I had the wrong ingredient. I need the Cheerful Gladiolus."

"The Cheerful what now?" I ask.

"The Cheerful Gladiolus. It's a small, pink flower that can make a copy of anything. It's found in swamps and underwater trenches, but they're so rare! I tried to find alternate ways to create the spell, but none of them work. Thanks to Techna, I've tracked it down, but there's only one, so I have to be very careful. In fact, it's so rare, you can't even find it out in the open. You have to ask the nymphs for one."

"Nymphs? As in the little people that live in the water, but aren't mermaids?" Stella asks, sitting down on a rock to fix her shoe.

"Correct. And I know some live here, because I saw some the first time we were out here. It's easy to negotiate with nymphs, but you have to be nice to them. They're one of the most stubborn creatures in the world."

"Second only to Bloom, eh?" Musa nudges me on the shoulder, and I flick on the forehead, causing her to cry out in indignation.

"Behave, please," Flora pleads, sounding more and more like a mom everyday. "The nymphs don't like rowdy people. If you're calm, they're calm."

"There are some detected near the arch over there." Techna points to the rock arch in the distance. "They seem to be in an approachable mood."

"Well, come on, then." Flora takes the lead trudging through the mud and swamp expertly.

"...and then, there are over a thousand different species of bugs because of the environment. The entire planet is just pure trees, the purest there ever was. That's why it was so weird being here for the first time. There was so much technology and so much open space; it was so different from what I'm used to, despite growing up in the palace. Magix is a whole new world for a lot of students. It's not a bad change, but certainly an interesting one. And—"

"AIEEEEE!"

We turn our heads. Stella's face first in mud, having fallen over. Musa's dying, Flora looks like a disappointed parent, and I stand there with the blankest face, trying not to burst out laughing.

"That's it!" Stella declares. "I've had enough of this swampy hell! I'll see y'all back at—"

"Sshhhhh!" Flora hisses, bringing a finger to her lips. "Look."

Small creatures gracefully swim in the pond close by, saying something in a warbly language. They look strange: large eyes, body all one variation of a color, prominent black circles around their eyes, a fuse between legs and a tail. Flora kneels down, smiling warmly at them. "They're babies." She clears her throat. "Excuse me?"

The nymphs stop abruptly, staring at Flora with pure terror in their eyes. They look like they're about to make a run for it. Thankfully, Flora can read anyone like a book. It's part of her motherly nature. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I just have a small question for you."

The nymphs still look a bit unsure, but they don't run. They then warble something incoherent to me, but Flora seems to understand. Luckily, I'm not the only one who didn't understand them. Everybody else stands around awkwardly, not sure what either of them had said.

Flora warbles back to them, sounding like a whale, but not like a whale. The nymphs understand what she says, switching back to English.

"What did you say?" asks Musa.

"They were wondering if I understood them, and I told them I did, but it'd be better if we spoke in a common language, because you guys don't understand them. Nymphs are the second-most common people in Linphea, so I had to learn their language. Don't worry; I'll translate for you." Flora smiles warmly. She turns back to the nymphs. "We need to speak to your queen. It's important."

The nymphs exchange glances, and one of them dives into the water. The remaining nymph stares at us suspiciously. I feel almost intimidated.

...but that intimidation quickly goes away when I hear its voice. "What business do you have with the queen?"

Stella snorts, and Flora gives her a look that could kill her. Stella straightens up, but she struggles to keep her giggles in. Her laughter is contagious, so I find myself holding it in, too. It's so squeaky, but it looks so menacing.

"I need a special plant from her. I need it for school."

"Alfea fairies?" the nymph asks.

Flora nods.

The nymph examines us, just as the other one reappears. "The queen has agreed to see you. Follow us." It dives back into the water, but stays visible for us to follow it. We walk by the edge, stepping through more patches of mud and suspicious looking plants, and I'm so glad I decided to wear sneakers today.

After a bit, we arrive at a small waterfall, with nymphs dressed like soldiers lining the left and right sides of the water. They lead the way to a large lily, two soldiers on either side, and smack in the middle is a regal-looking nymph.

"Are you the ones who wish to talk to me?" the queen asks (I assume it's the queen). Her voice is deeper than the other nymphs.

"Yes. My name is Flora. I'm a first year at Alfea. I need a special plant from you."

"And that plant is…?"

"The Cheerful Gladiolus. I need it for a potion."

The queen seems surprised by this. "The Cheerful Gladiolus? Do you know how rare that plant is?"

"I do, but I really need it. I will do anything you ask."

The queen never takes her eyes off us, and she whispers something to the soldier to her left, who seems to understand whatever she said and dives into the water. "Please," says the queen, "tell me who the rest of you are."

"I'm Bloom," I explained.

"Stella."

"Musa."

"Techna."

"Are you all doing a potion?" asks the queen.

"No. Just me," Flora explains. "They're just here to make sure I'm alright. The Blackmud Swamp is perilous for someone like me."

"It is. I'm almost surprised to see someone like you out here, but you're Linphean, and it's in your nature to be around...well, nature."

"Wait, how could you tell she's…" Musa asks suspiciously.

"I can tell by the look of her. And her aura." The queen folds her hands. "Alright. I'll consider giving you the flower. But you'll have to do something for me."

"Sure. Anything," says Flora.

The queen sighs. "You see, we've been living here for about five years. This place is nearly perfect. It provides everything we need for a good living space and fresh food. But the issue is, we're tormented by a great beast that lives very near here. Every night, it shifts from one place to the other, shaking our homes and disturbing people from their slumber. It was bearable at first, but now people can't seem to take it. And the beast grows closer and closer to our home every night, and we fear that he might destroy us all."

"Wait, wait, wait, if he's doing all this, why don't you move?" I ask.

"We would if we could," the queen explains. "But this is the only place that perfectly accommodates our needs. It'd be foolish to move anywhere else."

"So you want us to get rid of the beast thing?" Stella asks.

"Yes. And also!" The queen seems to realize something. "Find Xilith."

"Xilith? Who's that?" Musa asks.

"She's a nymph who tried to deal with the beast, but… She never returned. We don't want to think the worst, but… At least look for her! and if she really is dead, please let us know."

Flora nods in understanding. "Understood. You can count on us."

"Wait, I didn't—" Stella protests, but Flora clamps a hand over her mouth.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." The queen smiles. "You have my gratitude."

"Alright, come on, then." Flora steps away from us. "We have a beast to get rid of and a nymph to find." She transforms, then flies away.

We've been flying all around the swamp, and yet, we've found nothing. No trace of this beast. No ripple in the waters, no growling or loud noises. Stella says what I'm thinking.

"Hey, maybe it's not a beast like we think of. Those guys are tiny, so everything's gonna obviously be a beast to them. It could just be a cat or something."

"Yes, but they asked for us to take care of it, and we will. I don't care if it's an ant, or an eight foot chimera," Flora replies automatically. She's so firm about it. You can't help but admire that about her. Once she agrees to something, she'll do it, no matter what.

"Well, I care," says Musa. "Eight foot chimeras are terrifying. Have any of y'all seen that one horror movie with that man-eating chimera? Scarred me for life."

"Do not worry, Musa," Techna explains. "Chimeras can only grow up to seven feet."

"That's basically a giant compared to me."

"Well, at least it is not eight feet." We fly over Lake Roccaluche, still with no sign of the so-called beast. Suddenly, Techna stops. "There is something near."

"What is?" Flora asks.

"It is...large…" Techna looks around absent-mindedly. "Wide. Seems like a testudine."

"A what?" Stella cries.

"A testudine! A tur—"

Suddenly, something shoots out of the water, scattering us in multiple different directions. When the water has passed and everything's still, Musa's gone.

"Um…!" Stella flies back over, shaking the water off herself. "What just happened?"

"That is what I was talking about. I believe we've found our beast. It just took Musa!"

I gasp. "Did it eat her?"

"Negative. The beast doesn't have teeth."

"Oh, thank dragons." Flora looks around. "We need to keep an eye out. It might come back for the rest of us. We need to stick together."

We fly into the center, looking around. Nothing's moved since Musa went missing. Then, right underneath Stella, the water begins to ripple, and she shoots a beam of powerful light at whatever's coming up.

...turns out it was a small fish.

"Oops."

Flora looks a bit frantic. "We need to find Musa! She can't stay down there forever!"

"But how? None of y'all know how to manipulate water, right?" I ask.

"We will have to use an air spell. Recall the one from Palladium's class?" Techna says.

"Oh, right. Come on, then." I think about the formula for the spell, wrapping a bubble around myself and diving into the lake. The girls follow after me, flying [swimming?] through the crystal waters deeper and deeper.

"Did any of you even see that thing?" Stella asks.

"I did," Techna explains. "It resembles a large turtle. You shall know it when you see it."

It gets darker as we keep going, and I start to wonder if we'll make it before the bubble power runs out. Mine's already beginning to crack.

Suddenly, a purple glow catches my attention. I'm the only one who seems to notice it, for the other girls continue on. I turn my head, seeing it coming from a large cave. I don't have time to figure out what it is right now, however. Even if it knows my name and sounds suspiciously like Daphne. Stella's words from weeks back rings in my head. It always is about Daphne. Daphne this, Daphne that. I'll put her on hold until I get some real answers. Maybe later I'll figure out what's happening. Right now, our friend needs us, and I'm not gonna abandon her.

The large turtle is found sleeping at the bottom, with its mouth hanging open slightly. It's huge from what I can see, and Musa's barely seen in the center of his mouth, unmoving, but alive, from the way small bubbles escape her mouth.

"If we make a wrong move, it'll wake up, swallow Musa, and then go for all of us," Flora hisses. "I'll use the plants to keep it asleep. There's some sedative plants around. I saw them. The rest of you, when I grab Musa, all of you prepare to fly out in case the turtle wakes up."

We nod in agreement.

"But, Flora," Techna chimes in. "There is a high chance of you getting stuck in there."

"I'll be alright," Flora assures her. "I know how to teleport. You got it?"

Techna looks unsure but allows Flora to do her work.

Flora flexes her fingers, throwing her arms out to perform some magic. Pink mist appears from behind me and fills the water. The turtle isn't bothered. In fact, it relaxes even more. Flora uses this as the perfect opportunity and squeezes into the turtle's mouth...just as it closes its mouth. I'm prepared to panic until Flora reappears with Musa, looking groggy and confused outside of the turtle. It shifts a bit but doesn't do anything. We swim [fly?] out of the water and onto some land nearby. Flora puts Musa down onto the dirt, kneeling next to her. "Are you alright, Musa?"

"Am I alive?" she mumbles. "I think I'm alive… Just in case, check my pulse."

Flora laughs lightly, but does it anyway. "There's still a pulse. You're still alive."

"Oh, thank dragons. That would've been a hassle." Musa flips onto her feet. She looks around. "Um… Where are we?"

"I dunno," I say. "We just saw land and went over here."

"This area is not found on my mental, nor virtual map. Where exactly did we land?"

Flora glances at the trees and grass on the sides. We're standing on the dirt. "It doesn't matter. We can just fly off if it's dangerous. We still have enough fairy dust, right?"

We all nod.

"Good. Come on along, then. Beasts aren't gonna rid themselves."

We walk down the path, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity, but the only suspicious thing I'm finding is the silence. There is no sound whatsoever. No birds, no rustling of animals. Hell, I can't even see any ants, and they're everywhere. It's making me nervous.

And then, as we walk further and further, the air starts smelling weird. Almost...sweet? It clouds my head, giving me a headache and causing dizziness.

Stella's the first to comment on it. "Who's wearing perfume?" She slows down. "Flora, is it you?"

"No. My perfume doesn't smell like this." She winces. "It has to be from somebody else."

"Are you sure it's not your own, Stella?" Musa asks. "You have pretty strong perfume. Remember that one day in Wizgiz's class when you put on all those perfumes at once?"

"I thought we said we'd never speak of it!" Stella sputters. She goes down onto her knees. "Oh, jeez, okay. I'm tired. Flora, can we just...take a break…?"

"Yeah… I-I think that might be best." Flora sat down, feeling woozy. I had half the mind to do that, too, but a part of me knew that something was wrong.

Techna's the only one not effected. "There has got to be something contaminating the air…" She presses a button on the side of her helmet, bringing down a green, translucent screen, covering her eyes. Looking around carefully, she brings her cover back up, turning to us. "Definitely not perfume. Everyone, do not sleep! The air is extremely toxic!"

Nobody listened to her, though. Stella and Flora struggled to keep their eyes open, Musa was already asleep, and I'm on the verge of it. Things are getting hazy. Whooooooo…

"Oh, great!" she cries. She looks outwards. She looks back at us, then back out, seeming to get an idea. It's nearly impossible for me to keep my eyes open, attempting to hold my breath. It's too much.

The last thing I see before falling asleep is Techna running off.

I awake abruptly, along with everyone else in what feels like no time. Flora, Stella, and Musa are pulling themselves up, confused.

"Man, I just had the longest power nap ever," says Musa.

"What even happened?" asks Flora.

"I don't really care. I'm going back to sleep. It's hot today." Stella attempts to close her eyes, but a ladybug appears on her arm, scaring her. She screams, running around. "Oh, God! Were bugs using me as a nest or something while I was sleeping? Oh dragons, oh dragons, oh dragons, oh dragons—hey, Techna—oh dragons, oh dragons, I—AAH! Techna! Where'd you come from?"

"I found the source of the toxin. I placed it into artificial sleep, but it shall not last for long. And I have also discovered where the beast is."

Flora's eyes widened. "Really? Where?"

"Why, we are standing on top of it," Techna explains simply. We stare at her incredulously. And then I suddenly realize we're moving.

"Um…"

"Remember the creature that attempted to eat Musa?" asks Techna.

"Almost succeeded, too," Musa adds. "My clothes now smell like the inside of somebody's mouth."

"'Twas the beast that the nymphs were talking about. It sleepwalks; that is why it bothers them at night. Because of the tree at the very front of its body, it goes into a sleep and is not aware of its actions. I froze the tree, and now it attempts to find a new home. To ensure it does not bother the nymphs again, we must get rid of the tree."

Flora thought for a moment. "I know exactly what to do. Show me the way." Techna uses her paraglider to fly off, us following behind her.

It doesn't take long for us to realize what she means. A large tree sits isolated, devoid of color, and the branches are drooped and sad.

"It shall go back to normal soon. This is definitely a job for you, Flora."

Flora cracked her knuckles. "This comes at a perfect time. There's a spell I've been practicing. One very important thing. It's one that involves the roots of a plant. If I could just…"

She closes her eyes, crossing her arms and releasing a flowery aura around her. Rumbling sounds from underground, shaking the area a bit, but the beast seems undisturbed. Flora clenches her fists, making the air even sharper. And then a loud crack, and the tree explodes into a cloud of sparkles, finishing the job.

There's noise again. I can hear birds and the rustling of animals, including a rabbit (reminds me of Kiko), a squirrel, and a bunch of budding flowers, even in the cold of the wintertime.

"So is it done?" Musa asks. "Will the beast leave them alone?"

Flora smiled. "That's right. The nymphs can live peacefully, and I can get my flower.

We got the flower. Yay. And a formal thank you from the nymph queen.

"I do not know how else I can thank you," she says. "I don't think the flower is enough."

"No, really, your highness," says Flora. "The flower was well enough. I'm just glad you can live peacefully now, especially in this cold season."

The queen beams. "Thank you very much, ma'am. And thank you all. You will forever be in our debts."

As we head back to the school, I peer into the water, close to the spot where I saw the glow. It's still there, calling to me, and there's obviously a presence there. But it can wait. For one, I have one more week before school ends. And I also have someone who (might) be on my side. If everything goes well, I'll know why all points lead to Daphne.