－𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬；𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐚
－𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋：𝗁𝗒𝗉𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗂𝖼 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀

BEATRIX MORE THAN RIVEN, was snooping around headmaster Farah's office.

"Miss Dowling takes 30 minutes for lunch. Her assistant, Callum, gets 15." Riven informed the girl who continuously wandered around the office.

"Somebody's done this before."

"Well, that's why you came to me, right? A proper delinquent."

"Don't forget the fact that I was there as well." Chione said, entering the room.

"So, I see you've decided to join us, excellent." Beatrix remarked, with a growing smirk.

"While you're looking around the office, if you spot a vape anywhere, Dowling took mine last year."

"A vape?" Beatrix questioned with a blank stare, making Chione chuckle at the look upon her face.

"Every time you seem cool, you say something that ruins it."

"Poor Rivy." Chione joked.

"It's still weed." He defended.

"Then smoke a joint."

"So smoke a joint." Both Chione and Beatrix said at the same time.

Wanting to move on from the no longer viable subject, Riven started to question Beatrix.

"What are you after, anyway? Test answers?"

"Please." Beatrix started off saying.

"Do either of us look like we need test answers?" Chione genuinely asked, as she slightly tilted her head.

"Plus, the test they give now might as well be written in crayon. I'm looking for the shit they don't teach. The secrets." Beatrix expressed, as she used her powers to trace any leads.

"Good girl. Finally someone who uses their powers for real needs." The ice fairy complemented.

Beatrix gave the fairy a look before continuing on with her search.

"The history of this place is a lot darker than Dowling and the rest of the faculty want us to know."

"Well, I already knew that seeing as I'm not from Solaria, plus I'm still close with my own headmistress back in the north."

"Do tell."

"I just know that there are things that people around here have a habit of keeping secrets, even if they think it's for the greater good. At least that's what Aurora let me know." Chione explained, having two different meanings behind the statement.

"Hmm, well I want that truth. Don't you?"

"So wait, you both are like some... hot fucked–up... history nerds?"

"Why? Is that a confusing archetype for you?"

"Or is it too difficult for you to accept that women can be both hot and smart?" Chione and Beatrix asked as they advanced towards the specialist.

Moving his feet off the desk, Beatrix went in between Riven's legs while Chione walked over to his side.

"Not one bit."

Chione watched as Beatrix met Riven with a kiss. And when the air fairy finished she turned to the honey blonde and they made intense eye contact until Chione softly grabbed the back of Beatrix's neck and brought her slowly into a searing, breathtaking kiss.

While Riven watched in excitement.

❄︎

It was the next day in Alfea, and Chione was up earlier than ever walking beside Aisha while she explained Bloom's current situation with her and Musa.

"How late were they out there?"

"I was asleep, so... late. I don't like what Stella's teaching her."

"Jealous much? Why is a friendship with Bloom so important to you?"

"Aren't roommates supposed to be friends?" Aisha asked, more so putting the question as a statement.

"Um, I'm not the one to comment on that." Musa configured.

"Alright then, how about your input on the situation, Chione? And also what's up with you this morning you've barely said a word?"

"To answer your first questions, not all roommates have to be friends. Some people actually ignore them, and others just make acquaintances with them. And to answer your second question, I'm not a morning person."

Musa snickered at the second part of Chione's statement, which lightened up Chione's morning a little more.

"Of course, of course. So, uh, Musa. How goes the hunt for Mr.Green Jacket?" Aisha asked, as she eyed Chione's expression.

And like she was a fortune teller, Aisha saw Chione's face change to a curious expression.

Musa eyed Chione for a split second before she spoke.

"It's so weird. I can feel him around the corner, but when I turn around, he's never there." She explained.

Listening to the description, Chione had an inkling on who Musa was talking about.

Sensing him again, Musa's eyes turned a dull magenta.

"Here he is again, behind me."

Chione smirked knowing exactly who was about to walk through the school walls.

"There's no one behind..." Aisha trailed off, once she saw the boy bore through the brick wall.

"Mystery solved. An earth fairy."

Chuckling at the girl's realization, Chione watched her – friend – stuff things in his book bag.

"I'm not superficial, uh, but is he cute?" Musa asked.

Chione slightly turned her face up at the question, but didn't say anything.

Aisha on the other hand slightly looked over to Chione, but kept a straight face.

"Hey. What's your name?"

"Aisha, what are you doing? Do not–"

"I'm surprised Chione here didn't tell you. Want to keep me all to yourself?" He joked.

"Now why would I want to do that, Bolder?" She joked back.

He lightly laughed at their banter.

"Uh... my name's Sam, by the way. What's up?"

"I'm Aisha, and this is Musa." the water fairy introduced.

"I hate you. I hate your children. I hate your children's children."

"Musa's been stalking you."

"Wow, looks like you've got an admirer."

"Dead." Musa muttered towards Aisha, before she turned to face Sam.

"Lucky me!"

"Yeah, lucky you." Chione whispered to herself.

"Hi Musa." Sam greeted.

"Bye Musa." Aisha announced, before she grabbed Chione's hand.

Before the two could leave Musa called out again.

"Hey wait, Chione. Would you wanna I don't know join us?"

There was a moment of silence.

"You know, since you've known Sam longer than I have obviously." She added.

Chione thought about it for a second, but ultimately realized she should get to meet Sam on her own.

"No, that's okay, you two can get to know each other in peace." She deflected, with a sad smile.

❄︎

"Homophobic gay–bashing by gif. Truly, you've reached your peak clever" Chione heard Beatrix say, before she entered the room.

"Wow Riven you truly have reached a new low."

"Look, one, I don't think he's full–guy. Probably mostly, but two, I don't care. Just cause he's gay, it doesn't mean he has to be lame."

"Who are we talking about, again?"

"Dane, Terra's new friend or whatever."

"Not too much on Terra, she's my suite mate and way too nice for this world." Chione defended.

Wanting to smooth over the sudden shift in the atmosphere, Beatrix asked another question.

"So you're gonna help him by making him feel bad about himself. A well–intentioned bully."

"That's the plan."

"Your form of reverse psychology is hurting my brain." Chione voiced.

"Why? Is that a confusing archetype for you two?"

"Hmm, funny." she remarked, as they all chuckled.

Just then, Sky entered the room.

"Hello."

"Oh, shit, sorry." Beatrix said, as she tried to pass him the vape.

"No, thank you."

"But I'll take that, thank you." Chione stated, plucking the small machine from her hands.

"Daytime? Not smart, Riv. If Silva catches them up here–"

"Beatrix. Not "her", Beatrix and that's Chione."

"No need to state my name love, he already knows it."

"And, uh, Silva left. I kinda snooped to make sure. Something about meeting up with a military detachment from Solaria. Ask your girlfriend."

"Which one?" Chione joked, knowing Sky would get the hint.

"You'er dating the princess?" Beatrix asked, with a laugh.

"Shit!"

"Is it weird having sex with someone who looks just like you, or is that kind of the point?"

"Oh shit, they could be twins. Fraternal maybe but still." Chione added.

Ignoring the two girls, Sky focused attention more towards Riven.

"If the Solarians are coming.."

"Then the rumors must be true. They've captured a burned. The Solarian prison is no joke I guess they're gonna transfer it. You see the upshot is ...we've got nowhere to be."

"Speak for yourself. I'm gonna head to the library."

"And I have to go meetup with the girls." Chione said, flashing her phone in front of them before exiting the room.

❄︎

After dropping her book bag off in her room, Chione raced to the fields – well speed walked to the fields because she had heels on. Though it surprisingly didn't stop her as she had made it to them in record time.

"Good you're here. So what's the plan, Army Barbie?" Aisha asked, as soon as he saw Chione catch up beside her.

"Ooo, that's a good one." Chione praised, high–fiving Aisha.

"Bloom, I'm curious. Did you ask for either Aisha or Chione to come? And if you didn't ask for either of them to come, and I didn't ask for either of them to come... It's official. No one asked for either of you to come."

"Luckily we didn't need your permission to come, so let's just get this over with, because I really don't want to ruin my shoes."

❄︎

Finally reaching the place everyone was supposed to meet up, the bickering between Aisha and Stella still hadn't stopped.

"You don't have to be here, Aisha."

"This is idiotic. You need me. What are you gonna do, Stella? Dazzle it with light while Bloom struggles to light a fire?"

"I'm right here!"

Chione really couldn't contain herself this time, she just started laughing to the point where she didn't know if she would ever stop.

"I fixed her."

"Negative emotions are unreliable. They have limits. Your method won't help her in the long run."

"Neither of you are helping right now, and Chione could you please stop laughing."

Catching her breathe the ice fairy nodded solemnly.

"I'm just gonna say this once, and you'll probably never hear me say it again, but she doesn't need to be fixed, she just needs help. Everyone does every once in a while, especially when she didn't know she had them in the first place. Besides I'd like to see you in her shoes, I bet you'd be going through the same thing."

While there had been a beat of silence, Bloom faced the girl.

"Thank you, Chione." She said, with a smile trying to tease her for finally not joking, and standing up for her – just this once.

"Yeah, yeah. You're welcome Bloom." Brushing off the teasing.

"Now can we please just do this." The fire fairy asked, facing the woods.

"Oh good, everyone's calm and collected." Musa sarcastically stated.

"Finally!"

"Sorry. I just needed a bit of help with the Zanbaq. We're all good now though." Terra shared.

"Do we know where the barn is?" Stella asked.

"Um, yes. North. There's this little stump that looks like an old–"

"Show. Don't tell." Stella instructed.

"She's not a dog Stella, just kindly ask her." Chione conjected, walking further into the woods.

It was a good 5–8 minute walk before they made it to the barn.

Bloom, Aisha and Stella headed towards the barn while Chione and Terra saw that Musa headed in a different direction.

"What's going on, Musa?" Chione genuinely asked.

Trailing behind her, both Terra and Chione tried to figure out what was going on.

Musa, are you ok?" Terra asked.

"I don't know. I feel something."

"What is it?" She asked herself.

Then all of a sudden, Chione watched as Musa cried out in pain.

"It hurts!"

Musa then looked to her right, as the other two fairies followed her eyesight.

"Guys, we've got a problem." Terra called out.

"The Burned one."

"It's still here somewhere."

While the others looked at the destruction in their wake, Chione was about to console Musa. When she felt it.

It was like she went into a hypnotic state.

And not that she had noticed, but her eyes shined a bright sterling silver, before she followed the feeling without a second thought. In that moment, it was like she didn't have a mind of her own.

All the while the other fairies hadn't noticed two girls missing from their group, until Aisha pointed it out.

"Wait. Where's Bloom?"

"And where is Chione?" Musa asked.

"Chione! Bloom!" Aisha called out before she ran to go find them.

❄︎

Traipsing further into the silent forest, Chione followed the same hypnotic feeling. She had no direction or guidance but ultimately it was like she already knew where she was going.

Coming up towards a pit in the woods Chione saw a creature running full speed towards something.

Next thing she knew, a trail of blazing fire was thrown.

Without thinking her body acted without a thought making her eyes flash the same silver as different pieces of her hair turned white.

Pushing the palm of her hand out, she fired a snow blast towards the creature, while making a large ice dagger with the other and threw it.

Shocking Bloom, as saw the creature fly back and get impaled with a tree branch, dying instantly.

Coming out of her hypnotic state, she finally realized what was in front of her.

"Are you both ok?" Aisha asked, rushing to the scene.

Bloom looked back at the dead burned one and Chione.

"Yeah."

Aisha then looked to Chione for her answer.

"Just fine." She answered, but Chione wasn't fine at all. In fact, she was more frightened at whatever took over her mind.

But now was not the time to focus on that.

Advancing towards the dead burned one, they all observed it.

"Is it–"

"Yeah, I think so. Chione hit it pretty hard, and if that wasn't enough she stabbed it with an ice dagger."

"And I'll admit, you had more control than I thought you would."

"Is that a compliment? You complimenting me right now?"

"Let's just get Stella's ring. Where is it?"

"I think it's right there, I think it stuck it inside itself. What the..."

Chione looked at the thing waiting for Bloom to grab it.

Looking to her right, Bloom gave her a questioning look.

"So you're gonna–"

Chione raised her eyebrows at the insinuation.

"Not a chance. I already did what I needed to do. Did you forget the ice blast? This part is for you, Red."

"No. I thought it was so impressive, maybe you'd wanna finish the job."

"I'm good over here." Chione concluded.

"Didn't you... Who was it? Who lost Stella's ring again? I forgot." Aisha stated.

Bloom sighed, but readied herself.

Digging the ring out the burned one, Bloom gagged in disgust.

"Got it, let's go."

❄︎

Arriving back at her dorm room, Chione only had one thing on her mind.

What happened today in the forest?

Sure sometimes she had intuitions about things but nothing this great.

The only other time she didn't feel like herself was when she froze her mother, but nothing ever happened since then.

So why now.

What connected her to Bloom and the burned one?

LOVE SPEAKS :

hmmm, I wonder why Chione is connected to Bloom, I guess you'll have to keep reading to see.