Chapter Eight – Destiny

"How do we get them out?" Bloom was panicking. She had wanted to jump into the Lake immediately after she had found out the three headmasters were imprisoned there, but Phoenix had stopped her.

Phoenix was just about to answer when he felt something approaching. "Do you feel that?" Bloom focused again, and she felt it too. A formidable power approached, but it didn't feel like Chaos.

She started when Phoenix' eyes began emitting yellow light and the green-haired boy ignited a fireball in his hand. The power came closer still, and Phoenix got ready to throw the fireball at it.

Suddenly a space rider speeded out of the woods, followed by three more, and they rode towards Phoenix and Bloom. Just as Phoenix was about to throw the fireball, a familiar fairy flew over his head and landed right behind him, and she was followed bythree other fairies.

Prince Sky took off his helmet, and the rest of his unit did the same. Phoenix extinguished the fireball and looked at Flora. "What are you doing here?" Flora walked over to Phoenix while Stella, Musa and Techna hugged Bloom.

"I woke up, and Bloom wasn't there. Something told me you had something to do with it, so I woke them and we got to the arena just in time to see you two blast off," Flora told Phoenix.

"You have to go back! I already told you that this isn't your battle. All of you are way out of your league," Phoenix lectured. "Well, what do you know? It almost sounds as if you care about us, bud," Riven teased.

Phoenix had his retort ready and was about to spout it, when he realized that the purple-haired boy was right. Somehow, he had ended up caring for these people. Suddenly it dawned on him that they were all watching him.

"I don't care about you, my host does. He is a sentimental fool," he said, hoping they wouldn't notice how red his face was. And they didn't, because they were all too shocked by his last sentence.

"Your host?" Phoenix nodded, realizing that now he owed them an explanation. "I guess that you deserve to know who I am. What Bloom just figured out and few people theorize about, is that the Dragon wasn't the only being of Light that was born in the darkness that was the beginning. I was born then too, and before the Dragon I might add."

All of the new arrivals looked at Bloom in shock, and she nodded. "Unlike me, the Dragon immediately saw it as his goal to drive away the darkness and he succeeded at first. The darkness feared him, and his Light, because it did not understand him. Nor did it understand me for that matter, but it feared me less since I was more passive. That's why it attacked the Dragon first. It's intent was to extinguish the dreaded Light."

"But it didn't succeed," Flora said. "It didn't, because I helped the Dragon. We joined powers and fought the darkness, the shadow, and we succeeded in capturing and caging it. A fierce battle that was, and much was lost on all sides, so we decidedto guard the shadow at all times. We had no interest in fighting it again, and losing more."

Phoenix' breath hitched and the look on his face told the others that he was having a hard time remembering all of it. Bloom, who had already heard and seen the history before, suddenly felt a sharp sting in her head. As the images flashed before her eyes once again, a throbbing pain grew stronger in her head.

"Phoenix offered to take the first turn guarding it. The Dragon felt…the Dragon felt lonely, and that's why he forged the magic dimension. He…he had planned on sharing good times with the people before going back to Phoenix to relieve him of his duty. He thought that Phoenix might be feeling as lonely as he did, and while he had been resting he had imagined the look on Phoenix' face at the sight of the magic dimension. He felt… indebted to Phoenix, since he had saved the Dragon's life," Bloom said, not knowing how she knew this, until the pain in her head became too much and she collapsed.

Everyone but Phoenix rushed towards her. The green-haired boy slowly made his way to the fallen fairy, seeming to process all she had said. When he reached her, he put on hand on her head and took one of hands in the other.

Bloom opened her eyes and looked at him. "My head…," she started, but he cut her off. "I know, I figured. You were…you were going through the Dragon's memories. That's not easy; it takes a lot of power to do it." Phoenix started emitting yellow light, and within seconds Bloom was on her feet again.

After everyone had convinced themselves that Bloom was alright, Techna spoke up. "What happened next?" Phoenix looked at her and sighed. "It tricked me. It forged the ancestors of the Trix and hid them from me, and then diverted my attention as they attacked the Dragon. I didn't know until it was too late, until I couldn't help the Dragon anymore…"

"It isn't your fault. The Dragon didn't blame you for it," Bloom said, and Phoenix' head snapped up. "I…I saw it…just now, in his memories. He didn't blame you for anything." Phoenix shook his head. "But I blame myself. I guess that's why I was so unpleasant to all of you, since it is easier to beangry at everyone but yourself."

Flora took the green-haired boy's hand and he looked at her. "It's okay. Don't beat yourself up about it. It's fine, really," she said softly, and he smiled at her. "But if it was caged, then why is it here now? How did it break out?"

Phoenix focused again, and answered Techna's question. "The Collectors, the vials the Trix used to steal Bloom's powers. It needed extra power to break the cage, and the Collectors provided just that. With the power in them, it broke the cage and now it's ready to take its revenge."

Phoenix took a breath before he continued. "That's why I'm here. We have to stop it. Like Bloom wields the Dragon Flame, I chose a host to inhabit during the battle that must ensue. He has amazing capabilities of his own, but I chose him because he is pure-spirited. He is Prince Faunus of Thereia, located in the sixth ring of the magic dimension."

Flora gasped. "That's why you were able to break the spell of insanity on the dragon and pet him! You used Prince Faunus' powers," the fairy squaled. "Is there anything we don't know about this Faunus?"

Flora turned to her friends. "Thereia has the most beautiful woods in all of the magic dimension, and is inhabited by millions of wild animals. But what it is known for is the inhabitants bond with those wild animals. The people are supposed to even be able to talk to animals, understand exactly what the animals are saying to them. I always wanted to go there someday!"

Suddenly, Bloom gasped as she heard the mysterious voicecalling out to her again and sheremembered why they were at Roccalucci Lake. "Phoenix, the headmasters!" Phoenix gasped as well and he flew up. "I think I know a way to get them out. But I'll need all of you t help," he said.

T.B.C.