Click, lock!

Princess Amy locked her room, just to make sure that nobody would barge in. She checked anything that would be locked, secured, or gotten rid of if anyone tried to come in her room.

"Okay, everything's all set," she concluded.

As she got her shoes on, she tied her bed sheets together to make a rope down her balcony. Tonight is the night she anticipated so much, and she would be very careful not to spoil it by being discovered. She thought a masquerade party would be perfect to hide her identity, so that she could conduct her investigation without worry.

Clutching her costume in one arm, she ran to the middle of the forest, until she came to a peculiar ring of mushrooms in the ground. Remembering what Tails said:

'If you need to have something to transport you to the ball, I'm not the person to talk to. Only the queen of the forest can do it quicker than me…Where is she you ask? She is located in where you come up to an enormous ring of mushrooms in the middle of the forest.'

Amy knew that she came to the right place.

"I made it. Tails told me there would be a fairy ring here, so I guess I should call her", Amy concluded.

She spoke a weird name, but no one answered. Amy was getting a bit spooked by the quietness and the stalking moon's meaningful stare towards the ground. She was about to turn around when the moonbeam's direction gyrated to the fairy ring.

Lights appeared out of nowhere, plants sprouted taller than before, and flowers bloomed in full view. Amy, now having second thoughts about this, saw bits of what seemed to be sparkles falling from the sky. All of a sudden, a bright light came full blown into Amy's eyes and almost blinded her. The pink hedgehog shielded her eyes from the blinding glow, not knowing if she can still see after that.

As soon as it was okay to look, she saw a good looking, young plant like girl, with a green dress shimmering about the brightness. When Amy saw that she had a rose like staff, she quickly knew what she had to be.

"Are-are you the queen of the Floran Forest?"

To her surprise, the beautiful queen nodded. "Yes, I'm Cosmo, the sovereign of this forest. And I can conclude that you are Princess Amy, yes?"

Amy nodded also. Without knowing it, she bowed down to Queen Cosmo, not realizing that she despises doing this.

Queen Cosmo giggled at this. "It's okay. I've known and watched you since you were born, little rose. You have a quiet, modest, joyous spirit about you; also you have an undying love and acceptance for every living thing around you. For that, I actually admire you."

Amy blushed at this, stood up and looked at Cosmo in her eyes. A good character was rotating her pupils, seeing that she was a gentle creature and never was a selfish person. Amy found to trust the Queen completely, since both of them are heirs to their own kingdoms.

"Queen Cosmo…you are so young…you must be very old to have lived this long!" Amy exclaimed, amazed at the queen's perseverance of youthfulness.

"Oh, these old looks? I've kept them because it pays to not stress over silly things. It causes you to tire your facial muscles - kill the attractiveness of a smile."

Such wisdom, Amy thought, I hope to look that pretty in later years. But she had to concentrate on why she came.

"Queen Cosmo, I came for you to grant me the necessary things to get me to a destination I need to get to. Can you do it in time for me to get there?"

Cosmo thought about it, and then nodded in agreement. "I'll do my best to equip you on your journey. I would need to know where you are going, in order for me to give you the proper things you need…A ball, you say? A masquerade ball? You're in luck, because I know just what to give you now that you mentioned her staff, Cosmo asked Amy to stand back.

Twirling it around 5 times and with one tap to the bed of violets, pumpkin, crickets, and rats, out sprang a violet enameled carriage, shining with glory, and a coachman with dark green attire also elegant. Footmen in light green and pink liveries attend to the door, holding it for Amy. What once were 12 little rats scurrying around were now comely horses, all bridled to the coach, eager for the ride ahead of them.

Amy was stunned at this and repeatedly thanked Cosmo for doing this. Cosmo nodded a 'you're welcome' and stood back to look at Amy. Amy had a clutter of golden and sky blue butterflies around her. Cosmo knew that would be the perfect setting for Amy's costume, so she waved her staff around Amy.

Amy was not aware of what she did – she figured it was something for good luck. She hurriedly went inside the carriage, with the door closing behind her, and the coach went on its way. Amy looked out the window and blew kisses of gratitude at the plant queen. Cosmo bowed down in appreciation, and disappeared into the air.

Now Amy couldn't contain herself while she rode to the only neighboring kingdom there was: the Umbra Kingdom.

Okay, now I'm ready. Black prince, here I come!