Chapter 13
"Are we almost there?" Charisma asked for the tenth time.
"Almost," Devlin replied for the tenth time.
They were walking down a long corridor on their way to Charisma's parents.
"This is taking forever!" she exclaimed. "They had better be okay, because it they aren't, I'll . . . I'll—"
"What?" Devlin asked smiling. "What can you do now that you don't have any power? You're just a dragon, not a unicorn." He laughed. (Them be fightin' words, mistah)
Charisma was getting angrier and angrier by the minute. If Spyro doesn't beat up Devlin first, I will.
They were nearing the place where the dragons were kept. Charisma could hear some of them moaning.
"What did you do to them?!" Charisma yelled. They were only in the first cell, and she could see that their colors were fading. "Why are their colors disappearing?!"
Devlin shrugged. "We don't know. It started with the blues and now its just going down the rainbow."
Going down the rainbow? Charisma thought. Does that mean I might be next? And what about Spyro?
"I'll leave you alone to talk to your parents. They're further down the row." Devlin turned and left.
I got to find my parents, she thought. Maybe they can tell me what's causing this.
She walked further down the hallway, cringing at the sight of all her people. She soon reached the cell where her parents were.
"Mom! Dad!" she cried.
"Charisma?" they said weakly.
They reached out and held her paws. "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" she asked them. "I thought they had scattered you everywhere across the world!"
"Well they didn't," Azurite told his daughter. "I guess it was just a rouse."
"We were so worried about you, dear," Diamond told her. "Any luck in finding help?"
"Yes. Spyro's here."
They looked at her in shock. "Here?" Azurite said doubtfully. "How could he get here? There's no way he could here unless there was a por-" he stopped and looked at her. "You made a portal? To the Artisan World?"
Charisma smiled. "Surprised, aren't ya?"
Diamond beamed at her. "I told you she could do it!" she told Azurite.
Charisma looked sad. "But Spyro got caught. Actually he surrendered."
They looked at her.
"He didn't have a choice!" she cried. "This big dragon — actually Melvelle — picked me up. I was so terrified!"
"Were you okay? And where was Spyro when this happened?" Azurite asked.
"Let me start at the beginning."
"Wise idea, dear," Diamond said.
"Well, we were at the party Devlin held and Spyro had sneaked in in disguise." She smiled. "He ran into a door on his way there and the clay shattered. Luckily there were other purple dragons. Anyway, he asked me to dance and led me to a door that lead to another field. A little later we went by the lake and rested." She paused.
"Anything romantic happen?" her mother asked curiously.
"Mom!"
"Ah-ha!" Diamond exclaimed. "Something did happen! Tell us."
"Well…he…uh…he uh…well he did kiss me…" She turned her head away blushing. (I think back…once again…how? O.o)
They were in shock. "Well, well, well," Azurite said stunned. "Our little girl is growing up."
"Can I continue now?" Charisma asked impatiently.
"Go ahead."
"Anyway, Devlin and his minions came up behind us holding Sparx — you know, the dragonfly — and he was struggling to get free. I did the most loyal thing to do. I told them I would go with them. They dropped Sparx and Spyro hit Devlin hard because Devlin called him a baby."
"Then they did a merry chase," she continued. "I stood by cheering Spyro on when Melvelle came up behind me as a dragon and grabbed me. I was screaming! Spyro saw what was going on and did the toughest thing he had to do. He surrendered and now he's in the dungeon." Tears were brimming her eyes.
"Don't cry, dear," Azurite told her. "I'm sure Spyro's fine."
"How long though?" she cried. "I saw the others losing their colors! Why?"
Diamond hung her head sadly. "It's the Darkness of Evil," she said gravely. "Do you know what it is, Charisma?"
Charisma nodded her head. "Spyro told me."
"Then you know where it came from. When the Black Dragons and Unicorns captured us, the evil was passed through them to us. Since we have strong, good spirits, they are fading until there is nothing left. We could be gone forever."
"What about me?"
"Since you are destined to be Devlin's wife — since they had arrived, that is — you will survive."
"And Spyro?"
"He will fade away like us as long as he stays in that dungeon," Azurite told her gravely.
"But, if he does indeed escape, he might have a chance," Diamond said to hopefully.
"But, Mom!" she wailed. "I don't know what to do!"
"Shh. You will know what is in your heart."
"And with Spyro helping you," Azurite added thoughtfully, "you have a very good chance at succeeding. When you find your secret power, the victory will be in the bag."
"What's my secret power?"
"No one knows," Diamond told her. "The only dragon that does know is you. Your spirit has it ready when you find the key."
"Charisma!" Devlin called.
"You'd better leave, honey," Azurite said. "We know you can win."
Charisma kissed them good-bye and thought about the conversation as she left.
I nave a secret power? she thought. Why didn't they tell me about it sooner? And why didn't Darion tell me anything about. Maybe they wanted to make sure I understood about it. She reached where Devlin was waiting.
"Nice visit?" he asked.
"Yeah. But it would have been better if I was with them."
They walked a little ways down when they heard a voice behind them.
"Well, Devlin, when do I arrive?"
They turned around to see Melvelle in her catlike form. "Well?"
"We'll discuss that later," Devlin said hurriedly as nodded his head toward Charisma.
"Oops. We'll talk later then." She disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"What was that about?" Charisma asked suspiciously.
"Oh, nothing," he said innocently.
"Humph."
They soon reached Charisma's room. Devlin opened her door, as usual, and Charisma slammed the door in his face, as usual. I'm sure she's starting to like me, he thought. (Boy he's really hopeful ain't he? .)