Chapter 14: The Last Planet
Bloom's POV:
Holy mother of God! I might have died a million times in the last week and a half. That's how long it had been since I had heard that Magix was under attack and soon started this hell called training. Tsar Vlad came during my middle three days later to help me out, and dear lord, he was the demon spawn from hell.
With minimalistic breaks and huge amounts of concentration and will power I had finally finished training. I had not hheard any further news about the attack on Magic or heard anything about my friends, given I didn't have time to talk about anything under Tsar Vlad's watchful gaze.
I was finally heading over to Anna's home planet for some final training apparently along with Tsar Vlad and Tasia, his right in command and his wife. She was fierce and the second best female fighter I have seen, after Anna that is. They were, obviously, dressed in red cloaks while I wore a blue crop top and jeans with my red hair tied up.
I was eager to meet everyone again and finally defend my home. Training was grueling and beyond anything I have experienced before, but I came out stronger than ever before. I felt invincible. I could take on those slayers now without freezing in place due to fear. I had learned so much more about my powers than I had ever imagined was possible before. But I knew I was nothing compared to the level seven warriors let alone the zero level fighters. They can only be compared to gods.
Talking about gods I met one of them during my training, the fire king. With his fiery spirit and the power of origin wafting of him with every breath coming out. It was much worse than meeting the slayers. I still have nightmares about the one encounter I had with him. I had never in my life imagined such power to exist. We were all puny insects compared to him, the power to burn Alfea down in single movement of his eyes. Truly terrifying. I was beyond ecstatic people like him weren't trying to destroy our home.
"We have reached." Tsar Vlad announces as the doors of the ship opens.
I wondered what kind of house Anna lived in. She did say she was part of the council so she much be quite a high ranking officer. Plus I could not wait to meet everyone.
We got of the red ship and I looked around to see what I had walked into, and I was left breathless. The sky was azure and cloudless, while we stood in front of the palace that towered over us. The palace was ginormous, bigger than anything I had ever seen and it was clearly submerged into crystal water and the end, or what I'm assuming is the end. The calm serene ocean that surrounded the castle reflected the palace like a mirror.
I knew for a fact Layla would love this place.
"My lord and lady of fire, can you please follow me." I heard a gruff voice behind us.
I turned to see a man in blue battle armor with a light blue sleek sword hanging from his left waist belt.
"Lead the way soldier." Tsar replied.
We followed the rigid, armor bound man into the castle and walked through the halls and long corridors for a while, taking lefts and rights occasionally. The palace was beautifully decorated and very well maintained, maids scurried about doing their work, guards were stationed every 50 meters or so. Not even Tsar's palace had so many soldiers stationed around.
"Why is there so much security here?" I asked Lady Tasia who was walking a little ahead of me.
"This is the palace that currently holds all of the Paladins secrets. The princess of water is going to be the next king of kings, so the secrets are under her protection till the next generation. We are all under her command, she is the absolute law."
"Then she must be powerful."
An odd look crossed over Lady Tasia's, a look that made me feel a little stupid. The look without question was how are you so stupid?
"She is. She is hardworking, skilled, proficient, and the best leader any one can ask for. Everyone readily accepts her as our law." The passion burned in her eyes.
The princess must really be powerful beyond my comprehensiveness.
We soon reached two huge double doors with engravings on them, it looked important. I could feel myself getting nervous and I followed Tasia past the doors, and I kept my eyes down on the ground. It was like the room itself dared me to look up and I couldn't. The power that could have burned me alive before I acquired my new powers filled the room.
I concentrated on Tasia's red cloak and nothing else, so when her cloak stopped moving. I stopped as well. Tasia bowed gracefully and I kneeled down, I didn't even dare look at Tsar Vlad.
"My, my, what formalities. All of you just stand." A very familiar voice tells us.
I look up to see Anna grinning down at us, her white teeth sparkling with a mischievous glint in her deep blue eyes. Her hair was left down, the blue in it striking against her caramel skin. Her blue cloak shimmered with power, like it was restraining a tsunami from taking over.
I looked around to see her sitting on a crustal blue throne, that looked like it was made of ice and diamond. Guards stood around in regular intervals, they wore masks with different faces.
Tsar Vlad and Anna started talking about something in their language, both walked past me. Lady Tasia followed and pulled me along with her.
"I really thought you knew who she was because she was training you guys. It was blatantly obvious." Tasia whispered.
I could just shake my head, no words leaving my throat.
A group of guards stalked behind us, following Anna like a shadow. I had no idea what was going on.
While we were walking down another set of corridors, I saw the guards that were stationed here bow down. This had not happened before and I could not help being dumbstruck. If they were doing it now, Anna was without a doubt the princess. That could not be possible, I felt power from her but not the overwhelming power that I felt from others during our training.
We soon reached what I suppose was the garden, because beautiful flowers were growing around us in all directions with little streams running through them. The creepers climbed the walls of the side of the palace and looked amazing. Flora would have loved this place.
"…. So that's what had happened." I heard Stella announce really loudly.
"Go to them." Anna tells me barely turning to see me.
I was going to them anyways, why did she think I needed her permission? I ran to the source of her voice around the bushes and saw all of them sitting on stone benches set in a circular station. Stella was standing and talking energetically about something while Brandon hel her hand. Layla, Nabu, Musa and Riven sat on one of the stone benches. The next one consisted of Timmy, Tecna and Helia, while the third one had Sky sitting on it.
"Everybody." I exclaim and go to them.
"Bloom." I hear all the girls scream as they run up to me and give me a hug.
" Bloom, I missed you." Sky tells me as he gets off the bench and comes over to give me a hug.
"Oh Sky, I missed you too! I missed everyone so much!" I reply looking at each of them, while Sky still had his arm around me.
I was overjoyed to see the,. Having them with me somehow calmed me down and made me feel ecstatic. I had really missed all of them since we had been apart for a while.
"Where is Flora?" I asked. She was the only one not here yet.
"Flora is inside with the rest of the council. We shall head over there now." Anna told us appearing from nowhere.
She turns and starts walking away with Tsar Vlad and Tasia in tow.
"Follow me" She commanded as she continued walking not even turning around to see if we listened.
There was something much different about her here. She was more distant and commanding, not the annoying carefree person she was before. She was rigid, she stood tall and made the ones around her respect her with just a look.
We all followed her out of the garden and back into the palace again. This time we took another route, with more corridors and guards, artworks and paintings hung all around. We admired them as we walked by, they were painted with vibrant colors.
"I'm so happy I can hold you again like this." Sky whispers in my ear.
"I am too." I did my best not to giggle.
"Is this Flora?" I hear Layla ask.
I look back to see that the rest of my friends had all stopped at a painting. Sky and I walked up to it to see what was going on.
The painting was of four children, all of them had their arms linked together. The child to the left was the oldest of the four, with her blue eyes and black wavy hair, it was without a question, Anna. Next to her was a smaller girl with emerald eyes and wavy brown hair, she looked like Flora.
"That is Flora." Anna answers my thoughts quietly.
I turn to look at her to see sadness in her eyes.
The painting had two boys next to Flora. The one on the right was Uhira-sama, he was shorter than all of them and he had his dazzling smile. It was very easy to identify him. He looked adorable. In between him and Flora was another boy. He had light brown hair and muddy brown eyes. Something about him was very familiar so I took a closer look. I was sure I had seen him somewhere before.
"Is he not the Slayer we met in Magix?" Tecna questions.
On a closer inspection I could see that this was him, he was in Magix. He was one of them, our enemy. But in this painting he didn't look like the cold hearted person we met. They were all happy and smiling, they looked so cute and innocent. But he was definitely the Slayer from Magix.
"That is Jake, yes he is one of the Slayers you met." Anna replies solemnly.
I've heard that name before.
"What is he doing in this painting if he is your enemy?" Timmy asks.
"He was one of us, once, long ago. He was a Paladin. He was their best friend. Now let's hurry, do you not want to save Magix and the rest of your dimensions and universe from him? All of them." Anna tells us with no sign of affection in either her voice or her face.
She turned and walked off. We all looked at the painting one more time before we followed her.
Jake was once a Paladin? Then why is he a Slayer now? More importantly who is he? And how is Flora connected to all of this? Is Magix safe? Can we defend our home dimension? I have so many questions going through my head as we followed Anna.
