Yep, here's the other filler chapter. It's gonna be much, much longer than usual, cause I really want to work on character developments and the pairings in the story. Which is there are maybe 5 or 6 in this story (Which isn't a lot but it's not overwhelming either.). Still, this took a lot less than last chapter! Freaking chapter took 2 months to get out last time *grumbles*

Dynamis: So... I take it romance isn't a major thing in this story?

I didn't say that. I want to bring romance into the story, but the problem is I'm not very good at writing romance. Alongside battle scenes, romance is something I just lack in writing experience.

Dynamis: *Snickers*

Shut up! At least I'm getting better with writing battle scenes. Watching RWBY has really helped me get some insight in team battles (Cause the teams are groups of four in that anime as well) Anyways, let's just get into this chapter before I start getting annoyed and stick a pichu on your head. I will do it, and you know that.

Dynamis: Yes, I know that...

Okay, and in response to TheAzureFlygon's review, looking back in that chapter, those seeds do seem a little OP (I'm guessing by seeds you mean the aquafrost ones), so I do agree with you on that. I might have to power down those seeds a bit in the future, especially with what's to come. As to Felipe losing, he will get his chance to fight again, just wait until chapter's 19 and 20. *giggles evilly*

Dynamis: I don't like the sound of that giggle.

Anyways, let's get to the story. I don't own MFB, and all OCs belong to their respective owners. Also, Special thanks to my good friend Queen for not only beta reading this chapter, but writing the Lucas/Amethysia scene in this. It's awesome! :D

Chapter 17 Celebrations and Stories

"Welcome my guests to the celebration or heroes! On this night we not only recognize the finalists of the team tournament, but remember the warriors who fought to protect Trinity for many decades in the past. Whether it was from assisting in finding a cure to all the plagues that ravaged the earth, or the wars that scar our history, we honor those who have passed on, but also those who still live to protect Trinity from threats now."

Yukina nodded as she watched King Zane give his speech, the people in the ballroom listening to the male's words. The king of Prism was known for his speeches, having used them to boost the moral of his knights and those in doubt. And tonight was no exception, saying what was needed to set the mood for a celebration like this. But this time, the celebration was for Dynamis' team, Lucas, Wales, Sophie, and last of all, herself.

And to be honest, the attention towards her just made her grow more shy.

"My, don't you look lovely this evening, my dear Princess of Stratos."

Yukina turned to see who had spoken, revealing Chao Xin approaching her. The russet haired male was wearing a deep maroon tuxedo with silver accents to the collar, with matching pants and a golden colored tie. "I see you're wearing your crown jewel milady. It compliments your dress wonderfully." The guard of light stated, kissing the young woman's hand gently.

"O-Oh. Why thank you Chao Xin. But you don't have to bring up formalities. I'm fine with Just being called Yukina." The paladin of wind explained, and the male gave a grin.

"Yukina it is then. I must say you and your team are the underdogs in this tournament. But after seeing you in combat, I can see why. You may be a gentle young woman on the outside, but inside is a confident fighter ready to stand by her friends."

"W-Well, thank you very much for the compliments. I-I'm very honored you think so."

"It's not just Chao Xin who thinks so." Ruka pointed out as she approached the duo, "Your team has been the talk of the kingdom lately. They've been so used to seeing your sister battle in former competitions in the past that they were surprised by your own techniques as well."

"Oh, I see." Yukina stated as she looked a little saddened.

Chao Xin noticed this and put her hand on the crown princess of Stratos' shoulder. "Is something wrong milady?" he asked.

"Well. I always feel that I'm compared a lot to my older sister, that I always feel like I'm in her shadow when it comes to fighting. But I'm a lot different in fighting compared to her."

"But it's good that you different in your fighting. It allows a hidden beauty to shine from underneath you shyness." There was a pause as Yukina blushed, and Chao Xin noticed the princess play with her crown jewel, "That's a tanzan aura quartz, am I correct?"

"Yes, the crown jewel of Stratos. Each crown jewel is different from what I've been told. Seraphinite is Vivia's crown jewel, Morganite for Amour's, the Rainbow Aura Quartz for Eterna."

"Ah, my paladin's crown jewel. It's because she loves the crystal that she fused a piece into her scythe's metal. But Stratos' crown jewel always was a stone of beauty. You own crystal revealed the beauty that you are. Not just the one physically shown, but the one hidden inside of you as well."

Yukina's blush deepened, her cheeks red with embarrassment. "T-T-Thank you, Chao Xin, that's nice of you to compliment me." The young princess stuttered.

"Aw, don't be embarrassed Milady!"

From across the room, there was a burning fire in Nozomi's eyes as she watched the scene played out from the shadows. She hated the fact that her sister was getting all the attention at the moment, playing what the world thought was a more innocent act. But as much as she wanted to snuff that fire out, she had orders to obey, and she wouldn't let her anger cloud the mission.

Soon though... Nozomi thought as she sipped her drink, I'll make sure I put you back into your place, dear sister.

"You know, I'd really wish you would let us put your hair in a ponytail instead of doing it yourself Ranmaru. It looks messy."

Ranmaru snorted with amusement as Arc pulled him around the room, hoping to spot people they knew. He wasn't one for parties often, but he didn't want to disappoint the woman he loved, so he allowed himself to be dragged along for the ride, with Titania and Ryutaro following close behind. The two were stuck like glue when they were around each other.

A hand appeared in Ranmaru's eyesight, and he immediately whipped around to swat said hand away from his hair. The prince of Serene snorted with amusement as his brother gave a slight pout, a hairbrush in his other hand. "You know better." Ranmaru pointed out.

Ryutaro put his hands up in mock surrender, before teleporting the hairbrush back to wherever it came from. "And you know it irks me when your hair looks like a tornado hit it."

"It does not look like that."

'No you're right, it doesn't. It looks more like you got hit by cousin Dynamis' Grand Lightning attack."

An eyebrow twitched, and Ranmaru silently cursed the fact that they had to leave their weapons in their rooms for the evening as his brother and Titania laughed. "Ran, you have really got to lighten up a bit. I get the feeling your tie is on you too tightly." The silver haired princess pointed out as Ryutaro moved to chat with some of the other rulers and their heirs.

"It's not that Titania, I'm just not one for parties with this many people around me. I'm a person who rather sit against the wall observing the others in the room, making sure they're not a threat to Ryu's safety." Ranmaru admitted.

"Ran, you are a bit overprotective of him at time, you know that?"

"You know that Titania. I'm always my our father's side every time there's news of my brother. I heard of the assassination attempts on mother and Ryu."

Titania frowned nodding in understanding. "I was there a few times when it happened. We caught a few of them, but there's been one who's been close and still is at large. We call him the Serpent, cause he's silent and struck like a snake. It's his magic though that worries me. It had an unusual feel to it and Ryutaro ended up really sick from it." Ranmaru's eyes widened, and Titania immediately moved to grab her boyfriend's brother by the arm, "Oh no you don't. He may be at large but I doubt the serpent's stupid enough to try when there's a party going on and I'm around."

"I'm just grabbing my swords as a precaution." Ranmaru stated, before noting the smirk on Titania's face as she turned towards both his brother and Arc, "Crown Princess Titania Aurica Triton, don't you dare-!"

"Arc, come drag your boyfriend around a bit! He's being too on edge and needs to unwind a bit! I think his tie is too tight!"

Ranmaru could just see the look of triumph on Titania's face as Arc walked over, grabbing his arm as she dragged him away from the silver haired princess. "I'm guessing she got you worked up again?" The alchemist asked as the older half of the blue haired brothers pouted slightly, and she took that as a yes.

"I worry about Ryutaro's choice of being in love with her. Granted she is a mature person, but she can get a bit on the reckless side. I'm always afraid she's gonna get him hurt one day." Ranmaru admitted.

"Reckless she can be, but she's just as protective to your brother as you are. When the Serpent struck and poisoned your brother, she not only fought him off and forced his retreat, she ran to Vivia to get the antidote to that poison with very little sleep. Just relax a bit and let her help you make sure Ryutaro's safe, okay?" Ranmaru frowned, but nodded as Arc kissed him on the cheek, before pulling away with a smirk, "I know what'll cheer you up. I made your favorite snacks with the cooks today."

"Mochi?"

"I know you like Mochi and anything with chocolate. Or have you forgotten who I was born to?" Arc asked as she grabbed an orange one off the table and waved it teasingly in her boyfriend's face. Ranmaru rolled his eyes, but was trying to hide a smile as he snatched the snack out of the other's hand and stuffed it in his mouth. There was still a slight pout on his face as he ate it, and Arc grinned as he swallowed it and reached for another. "There's that smile I'm looking for."

"Yeah, and you used my favorite food to do it. That's cheating and you know that."

"Well when a girl's got the resources, she uses them."

A few feet away, Titania beamed with pride as Ryutaro stood next to her. "Why do you always gotta get him worked up like that? He goes into a panic mode when he finds out about stuff like this." The younger half of the blue haired brothers pointed out.

"What can I say, he's fun to get worked up."

"So, tell me again why you wanted me around?"

"You seemed bored, so I brought you along with me so that you could meet the two of them."

"Right..."

Kyoya snorted with amusement as he allowed Nile to lead him across the room, the two of them ignoring the conversations around the room. The green hair guard had noticed that his friend seemed that determined to talk with the guard of water and her paladin, and seemed determined to make sure the other had someone to talk to. And while Nile seemed to deny it, he knew the other had a slight infatuation with the blue haired woman, and he found it slightly amusing that the other was trying his best to hide it.

"Nile, over here!"

Speak of the woman herself. Kyoya thought as he spotted Atlantia, her Paladin not far from her. Aurora was wearing a black, silk, off-the-shoulder A-line gown with swirls of silver forming the corseted back, the back of it trailing behind in its wake. The skirt held a light dusting of black and silver glitter, being more so concentrated at the waist and decreasing as it went down towards the hemline. The sweetheart neckline as well as the waist were lined with small sparkling crystals, a jeweled rose in the center at her chest while a pair of glittering silver strappy stilettos rests on her feet. As for her hair style, the sides of her hair were combed back and braided before twisting together into a singular braided rose bun while the rest of her hair were curled into semi-loose, voluminous curls.

The Paladin's jewelry were eye catching as well. A glistening, black diamond floral rose hair comb is tucked into the top base of her hair bun, and her tanzanite pendant he had noticed on her before had been switched out for a black diamond rose pendant. An elegant pair of earrings depicting small black roses on silver, thorny vines hangs from her ears.

"My, you two are quite elegant this evening." Nile pointed out, Kyoya snorting in amusement as Atlantia smoothed out her multilayered blue dress before giving a blush.

"And you look very elegant in your magician's robes as well. May I ask who your friend is though?" The blue haired guard asked.

"Oh yeah, of course! Kyoya, this Crown Princess Atlantia Lycoris. Atlantia, Kyoya Tategami, the guard of stone."

"Ah, Koji's guard then. I feel bad that you have to put up with his recklessness on occasion."

The green haired male felt a smirk of amusement as he nodded. "Having grown up with him in the castle, I understand just how chaotic he can be." The wind elemented guard admitted before turning to Aurora, "And you're the Paladin that she's watching over, aren't you?"

"T-That right. Aurora Evangeline Midnight, the Paladin of Water." Aurora declared, a little nervous as she looked at him. Kyoya eyed the other with a hint of fascination. She was calmer, quiet, and there seemed to be a tranquil to her aura. A complete opposite of himself, and yet he was intrigued by the other's personality.

After a few minutes though, he couldn't help but make a statement about something that was about her. "I'm surprised someone of your quietness made it to the semi finals with a team that uses the opposite elements as yours" Kyoya pointed out.

And for once in a blue moon, Aurora's cheeks puffed up slightly. "That may be true about the elements, but it does little to harm when you got proper teamwork. Something that your team lacked when you lost in the first round." The paladin of water retorted.

Nile choked on the water he was drinking, and Atlantia had to cover her mouth in laughter as Kyoya was taken aback by the other's boldness. He definitely wasn't expecting that from the shorter fighter. But somehow in the back of his mind, he found himself grinning. The other had a hidden spunk to her that not many would've thought she had, and he admired that about her. And it made him want to see that side of her again.

"Well if your that bold to talk back to me, how bold are to dance with me?" Kyoya asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

This time it was Aurora's turn to be surprised, and her cheeks dusted pink for a brief few seconds. "Is that an invitation to dance?"

"If that's alright with you. Since we're gonna be teammates for a while, we might as well get a chance to know each other."

Aurora thought for a second as she looked over at Atlantia, before back to Kyoya. "Alright then. I'll accept that invitation." The paladin stated, and Kyoya had a hidden smile as he led the way to where some of the others were dancing.

Both guards watched as Aurora and Kyoya go, before Atlantia turned to Nile, both of them watching the scene with humor in their eyes. "And he says I'm infatuated with something. Way to contradict your own words." Nile pointed out.

"...You know, I'm terribly disappointed in your brother, Wales," Sophie stated, staring across the room.

"Hm? What for?" Wales looked over from where he had been studying his father... Ever since Amethysia's reveal as her being the princess of Obscure, Wales had been keeping an eye on Caspian, trying to figure out if there was anything that could be used against him. He'd also tried to pick at Luke's genius brain, but his brother had shut down the minute Wales started asking questions, much to Wales and Eirlys' annoyance.

"It's obvious... Amethysia has a thing for Luke, and he has yet to pick up on it," Sophie explained, swirling her glass of her chosen drink in her hand with a delicate roll of her wrist.

Wales blinked, "... Huh?"

Sophie shot him a look, "Wales McKandless… you mean to tell me you haven't seen it either?"

"Um... no?" Wales said, confused, "But even if I- or Luke- did pick up on it... Do you have any idea how hard it would be for Luke to trust someone enough to love them? After..."

"Yes, yes, after your father," Sophie sipped her drink. "He trusts Yukina though. And you. And his familiar."

"He's only begun to trust Yukina," Wales shook his head. "Me? … Please, I may be his brother but there's a rift there, Sophie. Even I can see it. And Eirlys- he kinda has to."

Sophie frowned, before a slow smirk curved her lips.

Wales felt his throat close up, "Whatever you're planning, don't you dare-"

"I'm going to ask your brother for a dance," Sophie stood up. "You ask Amethysia for a dance. You interrupt my dance with Luke, and we leave them together on the dance floor. Fool proof!"

Wales sweatdropped, "I have a feeling this is going to go horribly wrong, but if you insist..."

"Luke, bro, do you mind if I cut in?"

Luke looked over his shoulder when Wales tapped on it. A look of relief crossed the younger McKandless' face, "Yes. Yes you can. Sophie's too tall for me."

Sophie laughed, softly, "Well, I believe that Wales' current dance partner might be more your height."

Luke blinked, and glanced over to see Amethysia frowning at his brother's back, "... Well, I guess if she's alright with it."

"Carry on!" Sophie trilled, and she and Wales waltzed away.

Something occurred to Luke as he took Amethysia into his arms, "... Oh for goodness sake,"

"We just got played, didn't we." Amethyst sighed, sullenly.

"More like, I think my brother's girlfriend is trying to play matchmaker," Luke deadpanned. He spun the woman around, before pulling her back close, and they swayed to the music. "I hope she realizes I'm not interested in a relationship..."

Amethysia laughed, quietly, "Kiddo, why not? It's not like you haven't got your run of the litter- That suit seems to be a lady magnet tonight."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Really, I hadn't noticed." He looked troubled, "No... It's just... everything my dad put me through before I managed to get out of the castle... I don't trust easily. I'm not sure I could commit to a relationship... Not without knowing the other person wouldn't stab me in the back."

Amethysia frowned, taking in Luke's words carefully, "... What happened to you Lucas? I've heard rumors and such, but... Some of it seems pretty far fetched."

"... You'd be surprised to know those rumors aren't lies," Luke said, grimly.

The music ended, and Luke stepped away like he'd been scalded. He cleared his throat, "Thanks for the dance, Amethysia... But I'm going to step out for a bit."

Amethysia's eyes followed Luke as he weaved in and out of the crowd, quickly disappearing from the ballroom. From where they danced a few feet away, Wales turned his head towards Sophie, "Like I warned you... total fail,"

Sophie sighed.

"So you see, the kingdom of Tempora is known for it's mines and metal production. It often allies with Diamante when it comes to economical situations, and the two kingdoms have some of the best relations in terms of trading. After all, Both kingdoms are known for their large jewelry production."

"I see! What else?"

Ninel giggled as she watched Dashan educate Platina on the culture of their kingdom, a look of fascination in the youngest paladin's eyes. To her it seemed like the pink haired princess had a love of culture and history like her older sister, and she was eager to learn more about it as soon as she could. Perhaps it was that eagerness and a sense of curiosity that made her a great choice for the Paladin of Fairy magic, and it made the Paladin of Metal wonder just how much Platina had to grow to be able to stand at equal footing as them so quickly.

It's no wonder she's been considered one of the liked princesses of Trinity. Her optimistic personality is infectious. The steel paladin thought, noting how those around them seemed to be more happy.

"My, aren't you quite the beautiful one tonight, Lady Ninel."

Ninel shuddered as she spotted a young man walking towards her, and she recognized him by his appearance. "Lord Hiram. What a... surprise to see you here." The woman admitted.

"Indeed it is. And I must say, that is a unique dress you're wearing, milady." Hiram pointed out, gesturing to the dress Ninel wore. The paladin of metal was wearing a gorgeous and elegant seafoam green and royal blue ombre and Grecian-styled, floor length chiffon gown with one shoulder and a simple A-line skirt. The dress itself also had a gold metal waist belt that brought out a sophisticated look in the woman. There was a medium slit on the skirt of the dress that reveals a portion of her right leg, and Ninel also wore a pair of gold dress sandals on with three and a half inch heels on her feet.

"Oh, well thank you." Ninel stated, shifting uncomfortably as her familiar appeared on her shoulder, Victor eyeing the other slightly

"What business do you have here Lord Hiram?" the black and gold eagle asked, and Hiram gave a slightly confused look.

"I just thought to say hi. After all, it's been a while since we've all seen each other, haven't we?" The fire user asked.

Victor glared, but before anyone could say anything, Dashan's voice rang out. "Hey Ninel, Platina was wondering if the two of us wanted to join her for dancing. Something about her watching some of the others dance." The guard of metal suggested as he appeared alongside the paladin, before slightly glaring at Hiram.

Ninel felt the uneasiness leave as she noticed the other male, and gave a slight nod and smile.

"S-Sure, I'd love to." The paladin admitted, before looking back to Hiram, "It was nice seeing you again."

"Likewise, Milady. I am glad you are doing well, Ninel."

Hiram watched the duo leave, a spring in Ninel's step as she moved around, and Vexa shifted as she appeared on his shoulder.

"Patience, dear Hiram. You are doing good. Love is a very patient thing, it can't be rushed." The familiar pointed out.

"I know Vexa. And sooner or later Ninel will be mine. And Dashan won't be able to do anything about it.

It was late into the festivities when Rosalina walked around the halls of the Prism, a glass of Ambrosia in her hands. Dynamis had vanished from her sights more than an hour ago, and she had a feeling that she knew where he was. He was like his cousins in a sense, not one for attention but respectable of their family's wishes. But with every celebration that she had been to in Prism, it always ended for the two of them in one single area.

"I had a feeling you might've known where I went."

Rosalina gave a slight, bittersweet smile as she found Dynamis standing in the hall of rulers. It was Prism's most famous hall in the palace, a painting of each ruler of Prism adorning a spot in the hall. Most of them had lavender hair, as most Dynamis' bloodline had it. However, there was always one painting that Dynamis looked at the most, a woman with long, curled lavender hair with a silver, diamond-like marking adorning the bottom corners of her storm blue eyes.

"I think father's a little bittersweet over the fact that the finals of the tournament are gonna be on mother's anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years." Dynamis admitted as Rosalina handed him the glass of ambrosia, and the male savored the taste of honey and several other fruits in the mix. It was his favorite drink to have been created in Vivia, a mixture of honey, yggdrasil nectar, a golden grape vine, and cinnamon. But when he found out it was his mother's favorite as well, he made it a little bit of a tradition to drink it once a year by his mother's portrait. He was a person who honored his mother's legacy, having done lots as a paladin centuries before.

Rosalina put a hand on Dynamis shoulder. "They haven't declared her dead yet Dynamis. If Lady Tenshi is out there, there's still hope that she's alive. We just need to keep searching." The red haired princess pointed out as her friend gave a slight smile.

"I know but... I can't help but feel unnerved as to what caused her disappearance. She vanished without a trace, Rosalina, without even a clue as to whether she's alive or not. If mother's alive, I want to know where, but if she's dead... I feel that I need to know how it happened."

"That's what they call closure Dynamis. You feel the need of something to help your feelings of uncertainty vanish. In this case, you need to know what happened to Lady Tenshi." Dynamis nodded as he looked back up at the painting, and Rosalina noticed the clouded emotions in the lavender haired prince's eyes. She knew the other wanted to move past this and go on with his life, but at the same time, he felt uneasy knowing there was no answer to what happened to his mother, the Queen of Prism.

"Dynamis, we'll get through this. I'm here to help you find what happened to your mother, and I know Ranmaru, Ryutaro, Titania, and Kana are gonna try their hardest as well. After all, Kana, Ran, and Ryutaro are your family, and Titania admired your mother's persistence as a Paladin. The world can't keep her hidden forever." Rosalina pointed out.

Dynamis gave a slight smile and nod as he turned to her. "Thanks Rosalina."

"You're welcome. Now, should we go back in there and have a dance? I know your father's probably looking for you."

"Alright, one dance though. I'm still not very good at dancing."

"It'll be fine."

"My goodness, he's so handsome!"

"I wonder which kingdom he's from."

"Do you think if I asked him to dance, would he say yes?"

From where he was in the room, Chaos watched with a bored look as some of the women at the party watched him from afar. He had been ordered by Caspian to observe the Paladins and guards around the ballroom, in order to find a weakness to some of them. For the most part it seemed all he had learned about them was useless information for a battle, but occasionally his eyes wandered to the paladin of water talking to the guard of stone, one of those times why he kept looking over at Aurora.

A glance to his right revealed two of the leaders of the rogues of Chaos, Chrona and Pluto watching the party from another side of the room. The green haired woman noticed him as well, and she gave a slight smile as she waved for him to join them. The was a collective sigh of disappointment from the women around him as he walked over to the two twins' side. "Well aren't you just Mr. Popular this evening, Harbinger," Chrona teased slightly as she called him by his nickname, the taller male just crossing his arms as she continued, "Aw, you are such a party pooper. You should learn to lighten up a bit like some of the others."

"I am following my majesty's orders to observe our enemies, and I won't stop until I get what I want," Chaos stated.

"Alright, fine, you can do that. Me and Pluto already initiated our part of the operation. Come tomorrow afternoon, the peaceful kingdom Prism is will be shattered and covered in blood as an declaration of war. And the way we do it will make Prism think twice about letting its guard down." Chrona watched as Chaos walked away, and she smirked as she looked over at her brother. "The kingdom doesn't even know what's coming for them."

"Of course not. A complete victory is achieved by hiding with. And we'll have our way, whether they like it or not." Pluto retorted lightly as he sipped his beverage, before raising the glass up, "A toast, dear sister. To the hell that we will bring to these poor unfortunate souls."

"I'll toast to that."

There was a pause as Chrona noticed Shiro a little while away, and she smiled as she waved to him. The white haired male smiled as he walked towards them, and Pluto gave a look of destain as he looked at his sister. "Again, I think you are manipulating him."

"Oh but dear brother, when both of us love each other there is no need to manipulate. Shiro is very loyal to me without my influence." Chrona whispered, before brightening up as Shiro reached them, "Oh Shiro, isn't it exciting that we'll finally start to move forward with our plans come tomorrow?"

"Yeah, of course it is, these poor fools have no idea what's coming. Though I have to ask, should

me, Noir, and Aria reveal our true colors along with it?" Shiro asked,

"I was thinking on that, and I feel it would be better to hide your true colors for a while still. We can't have anyone suspect you, my dear prince of the sky. We can take care of the situation as is."

"Wait, doesn't that mean-"

"Yes indeed! But not to worry Shiro, I will be perfectly fine through whatever happens. After all, I am the puppet master that controls the situation from the shadows, while my puppets do all the work. Everything will be according to plan tomorrow."

"Well... Alright. Still you can't blame me for being worried about you."

"Aw, Shiro..."

Chrona blushed slightly as Shiro gave a bow to dismiss himself, and Pluto watched with slight suspicion as the white haired guard left. "I have a feeling he's hiding something." The midnight haired male pointed out.

"It's probably something about his past, given his cousin's a paladin. But it won't matter. Shiro's loyal to those who are close to his heart. And that is me." Chrona declared boldly.

"You spoil him like you spoil your familiar Persephone."

"You'll understand once you fall in love, dear brother. Although from what I saw today you're starting to understand that."

Pluto said nothing as he watched a familiar red haired princess dancing with the prince of Prism.

You'd be surprised to know those rumors aren't lies...

Lucas' words played over and over in Amethysia's mind as she sat in the kingdom's gardens, the cool spring winds hitting her face. She had abandoned the party after her dance with the paladin of ice, concerned more with what the male had said. And the more she reflected on those words, the more she had a sickening feeling that she knew what Lucas Mckandless was saying. But at the same time, she knew she didn't have proof on the matter.

"What kind of person does that to their own flesh and blood?" Amethysia questioned, her familiar appearing on her lap.

"The kind who hold a strong grudge over them, Milady." Kamui pointed out, purring at his master's touch, "There are people who are sadistic like that, Noir."

"I know Kamui. Some of the people we had to hunt down in the kingdoms of Aethera and other that we spied on here in Trinity prove that. But to shatter your own family like that... Why?"

"Act of Jealousy?" Both master and familiar looked over as Shiro joined them, his hair pulled out of it's hair tie for once. "I see you have a lot on your mind as well."

"Yeah, no kidding. Still, an act of jealousy you say? What would Caspian have against his own son, that would cause him to be cruel?" Amethysia asked, and Shiro sighed.

"Honestly, That is something that is sometimes better not said. Perhaps Lucas will say it, maybe when he is able to. But for now, It's better to just set aside your curiosity."

"I know. Still, I would like to get to know him better. He seems like a person who has a strong heart, even if it doesn't seem like it."

"I understand what you mean. My little cousin is like that as well. Perhaps that's why Lucas is able to open up to her as well.

Amethysia opened her mouth to say something, but then paused before raising an eyebrow at the other's words. It just seemed so unlike Shiro to say that. "Since when did you get all philosophical?"

"Oh, you know what they say, curiosity kills the cat." Shiro smirked.

The ravenette's lips twitched, and finally she couldn't help but burst into laughter, Kamui hissing at Shiro's remark.

Yes I know, I used this chapter as filler. But I wanted a good formal scene in this arc to explain some of the info on the kingdoms and to help the characters bond with each other. I only have 2, possibly 3 areas where a formal party scene can be used (One of which is gonna be in arc 3, and another in arc 4.) Also keep in mind Shiro is still somewhat evil because of his crush on Chrona, but whether he is evil or good to you is your opinion. I do have to say I like writing him like this though.

So there was talk of Stones in this chapter when Yukina was talking to Chao Xin and Dashan was explaining relations between Diamante and Tempora to Platina (There ya go Luster Cross, I promised ya a bit on Tempora), which I'm going to explain. Each kingdom has a royal stone. It's something that became a tradition to each royal family, and the crystal was a tradition used to show who the crown prince and/or princess of each kingdom was. When a crown prince or princess is 16, they journey around the kingdoms to find their own crystal, which is hidden within a kingdom in order to test the resolve and knowledge of each prince or princess.

For Yukina of Stratos (as explained before in this chapter) it is a Tanzan Aura Quartz (Also known as either a celestial or indigo aura quartz), and as mentioned by Yukina in this chapter, Vivia's a Seraphinite, Amour's a morganite, and Eterna's an Rainbow Aura Quartz (Also known as a Titanium aura quartz; I chose this stone for the sake of humor). I'll be bringing up the stones again in the future, but I'll tell you guys which stone is the royal stone of each kingdom.

Tanzan Aura Quartz (Stratos), Seraphinite (Vivia), Ruby (Pyra), Aqua Aura Quartz (Cryos), Midnight Blue Goldstone (Tarot), Angel Aura Quartz (Serene), Imperial aka Golden Topaz (Prism), Diamond (Diamante), Amethyst (Obscure, as Amethysia/Noir has one on her crown jewel), Morganite (Amour) Rainbow Aura Quartz (Eterna), Onyx (Nocturne before it's sealing), Aqua Aura Quartz (Aquos), and Smoky aka Champagne Aura Quartz (Tempora).

Dynamis: What exactly are Aura Quartz, and why use them for the kingdoms? I mean they sound like a fake crystal.

Actually Dynamis, you're partially right on that. Aura Quartz are quartz crystals bonded with rare elements, such as gold, silver, iridium, noibium, nickel, cobalt, silicon, iron, titanium, and platinum, which creates a sort of metallic skin on the crystal. There are many different types that I know of, some of which I used for the royal crystals for some of the kingdoms. As for why I used them, well I figured for a pretty stone, they'd have to be very rare. Goldstone and Opalite stones are also manmade crystals, but they're easier to make, unlike aura quartz and bismuth.

Some of the aura quartz crystals are as followed: Ruby Aura (red), rose aura (Pink and one of my favorites), Aqua aura (Blue), Angel aura (Also called opal aura; white), Rainbow Aura (Also called Titanium aura; rainbow), Tanzan Aura (Also called celestial aura and another one of my favorites; purple/dark blue), moss aura (Light green), apple aura (Normal green), sunset aura (Dark orange), Sunshine/tangerine aura (Light orange), champange aura (Goldish/yellow), and flame aura (dark blue). There are a few others that I have yet to learn about.

Dynamis: Where do you even find random info like that?!

FYI Dynamis, I do have other hobbies outside of writing you know! One is making necklaces, and three of those I've made are with aura quartz crystals. Not to mention I even sell my necklaces at flea markets in my town. Also, if I have to be honest, between chapters 12 and 13, I went to a geology convention in our county's fairgrounds, and one of the vendors had tumbled tanzan aura quartz stones for 8 bucks.

Dynamis: Sounds like a lot to pay for one crystal.

Well when it's bonded with precious metals, you have to expect that. Anyways, let's wrap this up here, this author's note is gonna be very long if I don't wrap it up soon.

For my questions of the chapter, I got 3. #1: Who do you think is gonna win the final round next chapter? I already have the answer to it, but I still want to hear your opinion. Especially with Arc 2 coming to a close within 3 or so chapters.

#2: What do you think Chrona's got planned? Again, similar situation with question 1. I can't say much, but if you didn't hate her before, there is a very strong chance that you'll hate her after this arc is over.

#3: Favorite Pairing so far? I highlighted most of them for the most part, but if you need to know which ones, here's a list of he one's the I know of so far: Rosalina/Dynamis, Shiro/Chrona, Chao Xin/Yukina, Lucas/Amethysia, Sophie/Wales (Slightly), Dashan/Ninel, Ryutaro/Titania, Ranmaru/Arc, and I believe Kyoya/Aurora. If I missed any let me know. Also points to you if you can point out the 3 one sided ships in there (here's a hint, if you read back some of the filler chapters in this arc of the story, it makes finding it easier!

That's it for this chapter. Next chapter we get back into the fighting action, and we'll see what happens from there. Until next chapter though, this is Warrior signing out.