(Binary Galaxy)
The sky of the digital planet had turned a luminescent fire-red color. Not a good thing by most; but considering Bloom's circumstances at the moment, it was quite fitting… Seeing that in her hawk form she matched that color perfectly. The only thing on her that really differentiated from the sky; was the fact that her tail feathers were all tipped with a fire that flowed behind her like a gushing stream; as she flew. No one really noticed though; being too caught up in celebrations and all.
Bloom's piercing blue bird eyes searched relentlessly for the single shade of red that was different then the blood soaked ground. She could have sworn that she had searched for hours, but truly it was only half of one. Even for her that was a little long though, seeing what kind of magic she possessed. If she were to come up with excuses she could say that the only reason it did take so long was because the fields were vast and wide like the ocean, and every last inch strewn with bodies.
Finally, a half an hour after she had started, she came across her dead friend. Quite by accident actually. You see, she had been flying quite low to the ground when a spear whistled by, millimeters from her head.
Oh great! Just when I find her, this! The bird-Bloom thought to herself.
The Queen (Bloom) had been but mere inches from her friend and was now rather ticked that she had been interrupted.
Ach! This guy is probably looking to make a supper out of me! And if you could laugh in your mind, that was what she did.
Hawk-Bloom then flew in a tight circle; so that she could get a look at her opponent. Seeing who it was, she smirked outwardly. Her hard beak twisting upward at the sides as if it were human lips. Blithering fool! She screamed in her mind.
Sky's captain, Dosian, was standing there, with a: what-in-the-world look on his face. For he had never seen such a beautiful bird, or one that could smile like this one could, before.
He had been looking for a meal, since food was now scarce in the Binary Galaxy. That's when he happened upon this little beauty, thinking that it would taste good basted in mango sauce he threw his spear at it, missing narrowly.
Then the bird turned and flew towards him, as it got closer he could see the sapphire eyes that it had. Very unusual... He had thought to himself, I've never seen a bird with eyes any other color then pure black before.
That was when the bird smirked at him and he suddenly knew that there was something special about this hawk. Because for one; it had fire coming off of it. For two; no ordinary bird could do that smile thing. So he went on to ponder the circumstances for a second.
Now either this is just some trick of the eye. Or this 'thing' is the smartest bird to ever roam the realms. It looks as if it is not exactly a bird either. This hawk might be an enemy of our king's… Transformed. He put that aside as balderdash. No one has been able to transform in hundreds of years. 'Cept for the royal family of Sparx, but then again they're all dead, and queen Bloom wouldn't dare interfere. Smiling at his own genius, the captain held out an arm for the bird to land on; and also so he could take it to the king for use as a pet.
Bloom had other plans though, she smiled at the captain again and then flew over to land on the corpse of the fallen princess, her friend Musa.
As soon as the bird's feet touched the princess's body it went up in a puff of fire and was suddenly gone. All that remained of it was a single, purple colored, wild flower growing in the ground.
The hawk then grinned at the astonished captain and walked over to him on its short red colored legs that, just happened to match the color of its feathers. After that it jumped and fluttered its wings for a second and landed on the captain's shoulder.
Ah! This fool doesn't realize what I actually am, ha! Her mind formed a plot as she sat on the now ram-rod strait Dosian. Then for effect, and to gain the captain's trust she squawked in a beautiful sing song tone and rubbed her head gently against his cheek. Eww! She thought as she did it. He smells like he hasn't taken a bath in weeks! Why did I have to choose the one imbecile that doesn't know what the concept of a bath is?
"Ah my pretty fire hawk," the captain muttered in-between breaths. "You shall make a perfect present for the king." With that he started walking to the royal tent...
As he got to the flap that entered into it he stopped, and Bloom, being unprepared and
un-used to bird legs tumbled off of his shoulder but saved herself with a graceful swan dive; by swooping up into the air to perch on the tip of the flag pole that was on the top of the tent.
"Nice one," the captain said to the bird, half expecting it to understand what he said. Not knowing that it really could.
Knowing her place, Bloom cocked her head to the left and gave him a questioning gaze.
Dosian then smiled himself and called out to the king, getting his answer back as a simple, "Come in." He whistled for the bird to follow.
The, unknown, Queen rolled her eyes heavenward and swooped down, flying like a stroke of lightning; into the tent.
Sky, not expecting this visitor ducked as it flew over his head and circled round to land on his shoulder.
"Dosian! What is this?" The king called just as the man-at-arms walked in.
"Found it circling the battle field like a vulture, Your Highness. Thought it'd make a nice gift. It's got some sort of powers or something, it's smart as a whip and I swear on my rank that it smiles like a demon."
"Is that so," the king questioned.
Bloom then got down off of her perch on his shoulder and bolted to land on the table before him. Like a princess coming down from a flight of stairs for inspection by an awaiting crowd. It was then that she smiled like the captain had said and won the hypnotized king over.
"Good job Dosian, I like her."
"Her? I thought it was a he sir." Said Dosian.
"Then you're not a very good judge of character are you?" Sky replied and ran a hand up and down Bloom's back of soft feathers.
Bloom couldn't help but flinch to that, but inside, her mind sighed as she felt the touch that she no longer wanted but did want at the same time. Being that she did think that he was some sort of evil war-lord.
She quickly snapped back to her present self and scolded her mind for bringing back such memories of the past.
"Leave me with my new pet captain." Sky said and continued to stroke her back.
Bloom couldn't help but let out a half human sigh that was mixed with a half sort of chirpish-squawk.
"I'm certain that you'll be a perfect friend for a lonely king such as myself." Sky said, his hypnotized part still oblivious to who and what this creature really was. And also what she was up to.
But deep down inside of him, the real Sky was screaming with all of his might. Bloom! You came! And also. No! I couldn't stand to do to you like Musa, and I; as well as anyone know that I can't control this! No! You aren't safe here if my mother or anyone else figures out who you are!
But for then, the hypnotized king went on stroking the Bloom bird. Oblivious to everything...
(Vitalion)
"How can I just sit here and let Bloom do this on her own?" Julian asked the man-at-arms, Seamus.
"I rightly don't know sir." He replied.
With that Julian grunted and started, relentlessly, asking the guard more questions.
"Tell me, Seamus." He started. "If the Queen were your one love, what would you do?"
"If I may be so bold sire, know that I don't wish to anger you in any way. But..." The guard trailed off for a second.
"What?" The prince said impatiently, then got up to start pacing the room.
"But," Seamus continued. "If I were you I would have gone with her. You can't just let her go alone. What if something happens to her, Your Majesty?"
"That's what I'm worried about!" Julian snapped and started pacing faster.
"Sire?" Seamus said.
"WHAT!" Julian snapped again.
"You're going to make a rut in the floor if you keep that pacing up..."
"Darn it already! I can't do anything right this week! First I let my girlfriend go off on her own and now I can't even pace right!" The prince yelled, and if you had seen him at that moment you would have sworn that he had steam coming out his ears.
"Sire, please calm down." Seamus said with a lost effort.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN?" Julian said and started backing the guard into a corner.
"Don't hurt me..." The man-at-arms said in a mock kid tone.
With that Julian let out the breath he hadn't even known that he'd been holding in.
"Sorry Seamus, but I just can't help but feel that I should go to her."
"Then why don't you, Your Majesty?" The man replied.
"Because I feel like it wouldn't be my place. Plus I don't even know where she is!"
"Then why not destroy her enemy?" Seamus suggested.
"How can I? I don't know where Sky is either!" His mind was unconsciously running through all of the possible places that Sky could be.
"But you do know what is most important to him." The guard replied.
"What?" Julian said suspiciously.
"Eraklyon." Seamus told him and then went on before the prince could say anything, or more to the point; object. "If you destroy Eraklyon, you're destroying the army's source of supplies. And you also destroy the unused weapons. Plus the plans that have already been made for the next planets…. If the king didn't take them with him to his station on the unknown planet of something."
With that Julian stopped dead in his tracks and turned round to face the guard with a 'you are a genius' look on his face.
"I like the way you think Seamus..." The prince paused to think. "Go gather supplies for me and me alone, I suddenly know how to carry out this plan of yours."
"Yes sire!" Seamus said, got up, and then bolted out the door.
(One hour later)
Julian had just arrived at the teleportation station and had put one foot through the portal, when his parents, and Seamus came rushing up to him.
"Oh dear!" His mother called.
"Son you can't do this!" His father said, agreeing with his wife.
With that Seamus walked over to Julian and handed him the bag of supplies he had requested.
"Take care, My Lord." He said and then let the king and queen pass by him for their goodbyes.
"My son, you mustn't go!" The queen said in one last pitiful attempt to keep him from leaving.
"I agree with your Mother, take pity on her nerves, my boy." The king said.
"I must go." Julian said. "I have to help Bloom in any way I can." A picture of Bloom's face flicked across his inner vision as he turned away from his parents.
The king grabbed his shoulder and turned him around to face them again. "Dear, she holds the Dragon Fire, I'm beyond being sure that she can take care of herself." His father told him.
Julian sighed, "I know, but if it were Mother out there you would do the exact same thing for her." The prince said, eased his shoulder from his father's grasp, and then stepped through the portal.
The queen then collapsed onto her husband's shoulder in heart wrenching sobs and they walked off.
"I hope the boy knows what he's doing." Seamus said to himself; and started walking, following the royal couple so he wouldn't be blamed if they got lost wandering the streets of Vitalion…
LadyNightSky, thanks for reviewing, I'm pretty sure you were the only one for the last chapter. But keep it up, I love to hear from you, all of you!
Please read and review each of my chapters, so I may know that I'm doing a good job!
I'm going on vacation as of tomorrow, Tuesday. I will be gone until the twenty first of July, so don't get you're hopes up for another chapter until then... Sorry, but if I can find a computer in a nursing home, good luck with that, I'll update, but I doubt it, so until then, just review!
-Crystal Hauntress