i hate but love cliff hangers. i hate and love them because i want to read or watch more. i do feel bad because their home is being burnt.

A/N: Lol well you're lucky that I am still on hehe. Here's the next part hehe.

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The fire spread quickly. The mystical creatures were astonished when the humans started helping. But their efforts were done in vain as the fire surrounded them.
Meanwhile, Pristine and the woodland animals ran as fast as possible to find Pristine’s friends.
“I must hurry. There’s not much time left.” Pristine thought.
She sensed Lance and knew he was near. Most of the time she avoided the fire, but at times she dodged falling, burning debris. Still she got a bit banged up whenever she fell down. She stopped at a wall of fire and knew immediately that Lance and the others were on the other side. She looked at the animals and told them she’ll be back shortly. Taking a deep breath and holding the Stone of Water in her hand, she jumped through the fire. Miraculously, the fire didn’t touch her thanks to the Stone of Water. She saw her friends and others scrambled to try and douse the fire. Pristine felt fear, chaos, and pain. Suddenly, memories of another time flashed into Pristine’s mind and it became too much for her as she screamed in agony. This act caught everyone’s attention as they all turned to see Pristine fell to her knees.
“Pristine!” Lance yelled.
He was about to go up to her, but was halted by Mallian.
“No! I will not allow this!” Pristine shouted before gathering herself.
To all of the mystical creatures’ astonishment, Pristine took out the two stones as they started to glow as well as Pristine.
Holding up the Stone of Water, Pristine commanded, “Please, Stone of Water! Open the sky and let the healing rain wipe out this destruction!”
Suddenly, the sky darkened and rain began to fall, and eliminated the huge fire. Pristine took a deep breath. She needed to stay focus because healing was a consuming and draining ordeal.
Placing the Stone of Water down, she reached for the Stone of Fire and holding it up, she beckoned, “Stone of Fire, renew this enchanted place and bring back life to the forest!” Wind blew through the area as the forest transformed into a lush and green utopia once more. Pristine managed to put the stones away before collapsing. Lance ran over to her and took her in his arms.
“Pristine? Are you all right?” he asked.
Pristine did not respond.
“Pristine? Pristine!! Wake up!! Please!” Lance begged.
Her face was stark white and she felt limp. For one second, Lance thought the worse. Pixie, who recovered from the shock, came up to Lance and placed her ear on Pristine’s chest.
“She’s alive.” Pixie said, causing Lance to sigh in relief.
“Open her mouth please.” Pixie ordered him.
Lances did. Pixie took out a pouch, which was strap around her waist.
“I need some spring water.” she asked to no one in particular.
“Isn’t that hard to find though?” asked Grayson.
“It’s no trouble.” said a golden hair fairy before coming up next to Pixie as she knelt down.
The fairy handed Pixie a bottle of spring water that’s strapped around her waist.
“Thanks, Marigold.” Pixie thanked her before taking some power from her pouch and placed it in the water.
She swirled it around and gave the mixture to Pristine, who slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and the first person she saw was Lance.
She smiled at him and asked, “Hi Lance. Is something wrong?”
Lance just shook his head, embraced Pristine, and whispered into her ear, “Pristine. I swear I don’t know what I am going to do with you.”
Pristine wrapped her arms around him. His embrace and scent began to have a profound effect on her.
Finally, she whispered, “Why do anything? Lance, you got to understand that I had to do it. I couldn’t bare it if anything happened to you or anyone.”
Lance knew she was right, but seeing her like this always left him helpless, and he hated feeling that way. Reluctantly, he loosened his hold on her. Pristine turned to Pixie, who’s baffled by Lance’s compassion. Having excellent hearing, she heard everything that the two said.
Pristine snapped Pixie out of her revelry when Pristine replied, “You. You’re an elf, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. My name is Pixie. You must be Pristine.”
“Indeed I am. How did you know that?”
“I heard lover boy here calling out your name.” Pixie smirked at Pristine, causing her to blush.
Lance just grinned.
“We’re you the one who gave me that remedy?”
“Yes, I was. It helps bring back physical and mental strength. Are you feeling better?” “Yes, I am. Thank-you very much.”
“It is I and the other inhabitants of this forest who should be thankful. You saved our home, and for that we are eternally grateful.”
Pixie and the other creatures bowed causing Pristine to become all modest and turn red. The woodland animals suddenly surrounded Pristine, Lance, and Pixie.
“Wow, it’s rare that these creatures approach anyone. You are gifted to earn their trust so quickly.” replied Pixie.
She turned to Pristine’s friends and replied, “As for the rest of you humans, please accept our apology for being so rude. You have proven to be sincere. Now, if I may ask for your names, please.”
Each of them introduced themselves. Lance helped Pristine get up. He kept a hand on her waist to keep her steady. The mystical creatures went back to their daily business. The only ones left were Pixie, Pristine, and her group.
“Now travelers. If my memory serves me right, you are searching for the unicorn princess right? I am assuming then you want to know where the Stone of Wood is right?” Pixie asked.
“Yes, please.” nodded Pristine.
“Very well. Follow me please.”
Pixie led them through the woods.
“Pixie, we know about the forest dwellers relationship with the unicorns, but have you ever known any yourself?” Kyra asked.
Pixie looked at the human girl and decided that it’s all right to tell her a little bit about her.
“Indeed I did. In fact, one of the duchesses from the princess’s court was my best friend.”
“Really? Did you get the chance to meet the princess then?”
“Yes I did on numerous occasions, and no, I am not going tell you anymore.”
Kyra sighed and wondered why no one would tell them about the princess. But not wanting to press her luck, Kyra remained silent.
“Pixie? We know what the other two stones’ powers are, but what about the Stone of Wood?” asked Ophealia.
“The Stone of Wood has the power of sanctuary. In other words, it protects others from physical, emotional, and mental attacks. And it controls earth elements. All three stones have elemental powers.”
“Um, why isn’t there a Stone of Air by any chance?” asked Grayson.
“Well, Drackor didn’t have enough time to place a fourth Shield up around one more area. Zeather beat him to it. Since he only had three sanctuaries, he could only split the Crystal of Life three ways. So in each stone he placed a little bit of Air’s power.” Mallian replied.
“Do you know where the fourth Shield would have been placed?” asked Kyra.
“Most likely the mountain range near the Unicorn realm. It’s called the Mountains of Eternity.” guessed Pixie.

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A/N: Next will be the final part of Ch. 5. hehe.

i can't wait to see how the story ends.

A/N: Hehe I hope you like the ending too hehe. I cried when I finished this story. It was like saying goodbye to a good friend. Here's the rest of Ch. 5.

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As they walked through the woods, they came across many of nature’s treasures for there were waterfalls and exotic flowers. Soon they came to a clearing and in the center was a huge tree that looked like it’s twisted all around and inside out. Pristine felt the power coming from the tree.
“All right. This is it. Pristine, since you are the only one who can use the stones, you are the only one who can enter the Tree of Spirits. This test isn’t as physically dangerous, but it’s is the most perilous and hardest of the three tests. Inside are the spirits of this world. They were once peaceful, but since the Invasion they have become chaotic. Only one has remained peaceful and she’ll need your help in calming the others down. If you calm all of them down, the stone is yours. Please be careful okay for this is not an easy task. Oh! One more thing, you must leave all your weapons and stones behind.” explained Pixie.
“All right.” Pristine agreed before taking off her weapons.
She took the bag filled with the other two stones and handed it to Lance.
“Please, watch them for me.”
“I will.” Lance answered before placing a hand on her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek.
“Good-luck.” he told her.
Pristine’s face was flushed, but she said, “Thank-you.”
Pristine went through the entrance. As she entered, she sensed the chaos around her, even though she didn’t see anything initially. Pristine noticed a circle in the center, went over to it, and sat inside it. She innately knew what to do. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on trying to contact with the peaceful spirit with her own soul. It seemed like ages, but she finally contacted the one.
“I’ve been waiting for you”, the spirit replied.
She had a willowy figure and had green garments on that shimmer and had light green hair.
“You are the Spirit of Wood aren’t you? Why have you been waiting for me?”, Pristine’s spirit asked.
“Because I have been trying to calm down the other spirits and have had no success. Only you can calm them down and bring balance back between them” the Wood spirit replied.
“But why me though? What sets me apart from everyone else?”
“You must find the answer for yourself. Right now open your soul and let us combine our powers to settle this feud.”
Pristine nodded. The test or tests were just as hard as Pixie said. Pristine’s soul was at risk for she had to use a great deal of mental power to settle down each spirit. Pristine and the Wood spirit managed to settle down the minor elemental spirits first like lightning, ice, and metal, than they went onto the primary elements of wind, fire, and water. The hardest were yet to come though for Pristine began to waver. She stayed strong though for she had to bring peace between the spirits of light and dark. Light was dieing, as well as the Dark. The light was fading for the lack of power and the dark was dieing for it was corrupted with too much of it. Pristine managed to solve this problem by becoming a median between the two. Since both light and dark were intertwined, Pristine got Dark to convert it’s power to Light. It was Pristine’s job to convert the flow though for too much would kill the light. She did it though, but he soul was weaken to it’s limits. Her spirit would have vanished, but because she was able to restore the harmony of the spirits, each gave Pristine a piece of their power to revive her spirit. Before Pristine awoke, she remembered them saying, Be at peace Pristine, for you will soon find your path.
When Pristine opened her eyes, she found herself in a different place where green walls surrounded her. In front of her was an emerald green stone. It had to be the Stone of Wood. Standing up, Pristine walked over to it and picked up the green stone. Green light filled the area. When it died down, Pristine looked around and found herself in a grand ballroom. The lights were out, but moonlight filtered through the large windows. And there dancing in the moonlight was a little girl in a white nightgown. The girl appeared to be five years old and she held a serene look on her face. Pristine recognized her as the princess. The girl suddenly stopped when she heard someone.
“Sweet heart, what are you doing up this late?” said a lady wearing a white shawl and nightgown.
Pristine recognized her as Queen Loreanna.
“I am dancing with the spirits mommy.” replied the child.
“What spirits?” Loreanna asked with a smile on her face.
It was then Pristine saw little lights flying about the room. She guessed that the queen couldn’t see them, which she found odd.
“Oh, wood, water, air, fire, everything.”
“Ah, well why don’t you dance your way up to bed than?”
“Will you dance with me?”
Loreanna couldn’t resist.
“All right, come here.”
The small princess ran over to her mom, and the mother picked her up as they danced through the double doors.
For a moment, Pristine thought, “I remember that. Could it possibly mean . . . No it couldn’t.”
The next thing Pristine realized was that she’s back in the room where she got the stone. “Well done, Pristine.” said a voice.
Pristine turned to see King Elios and Queen Loreanna.
“You have done well, my dear. Now you’re ready to receive your fourth and final sign. You are to go to the edge of the forest where you’ll find a huge tree. The tree has a passage that leads out of the forest and back to the Valley of Mists.” instructed Loreanna. “All right.” Pristine replied.
“Now here’s the hard part. There will be a lake nearby. You are to wait until our two moons come out. When both of their reflections reach the center, a platform and bridge to the shore will appear. You must hurry for a portal on the platform will open up for a few minutes. This magical portal will lead you to what use to be where the unicorns roamed. The first building to your right will be the Temple of Corlana. That is where you need to go for it’s one of the few structures standing.” explained Elios.
“Thank-you for everything. Now how do I get back?”
“Here’s a passageway.” pointed Loreanna.
“Again thank you so much for everything.” Pristine bowed before running through the passage.
After she was gone, Loreanna said, “She’s heading into more danger my love. The portal is just outside the protection barrier.”
“Yes, but she’ll make it. She has friends as well as that young man.”
“He’s good for her. She doesn’t realize how much he loves her.”
“I don’t think he even realizes it himself either. Our daughter doesn’t realize she holds the same feelings deep inside of her or that they are destined for each other.”
“She will soon. Very soon.” Loreanna grinned.
The two vanished.
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Meanwhile, everyone else was waiting for Pristine to return. It actually did take awhile for they had been waiting close to five hours and the sun was beginning to set. “Wow, I didn’t think that the test would take this long.” said Lance as he paced back and forth.
“The test is suppose to be long. It’s so difficult, that Drackor would have trouble with it.” replied Pixie.
“Well, that certainly helps my nerves.” grumbled Lance for he’s beginning to worry. Pixie just grinned. Being the elf she was, she sometimes loved to torment others, especially humans.
“Hey! There she is!” pointed Kyra.
Everyone turned to see Pristine coming out from the tree.
“Hello everyone. Sorry it took so long.” Pristine replied as she came up.
This didn’t stop Lance from embracing her though.
“I am just glad you are okay.” he whispered.
Pristine blushed and said, “Thanks.”
Lance pulled back so everyone else could come up to her.
“Pristine! Did you get it?” asked Kyra.
“Yes, I did. Lance? Do you still have my things?” asked Pristine as she let the others see the stone.
“Yes, I do. They’re right here.” Lance answered before giving Pristine’s supplies to her. Pristine placed the Stone of Wood away before putting on her other gear.
“Pristine? Did you receive the final sign?” asked Kyra.
“Yes. Pixie, I was told to go to a huge tree near the edge of the forest. Do you know where it is?”
“Yes, I do. And oh, I was wondering if I could join you.”
“Oh course you can.”
“Thank-you. Let me get my things and we’ll get on our way.”
It took awhile for not only did Pixie got her things together but they restocked on supplies for up to two months. Pristine said that she had a feeling it would be awhile before they found another place to restock at. Soon all the mystical creatures and woodland animals of the forest gathered around the large tree to see them off. The leaders gave Pixie a hug and wished them the best.
“We will pray for your safe return, Pixie. Please find the princess soon.” said Marigold. The others nodded as well as Pixie.
“I will return.” Pixie said.
They all waved as the group went up to the tree and Pixie pressed a knot on it. A passageway opened up.
“All right! Let’s get going!” Kyra shouted enthusiastically.
“Crystal of Life! Here we come!” shouted Ophealia as they entered.

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A/N: Hehehe, so what did you think of that test? The next chapter is what I call a Transition chapter because it's one of the shorter ones, but it's pretty critical in setting up the chapter after it.

i think the test is good it shows how strong she is. i think you can add more details to how she and the wood spirit settled the minor elements and the primary elements.

A/N: Yes, that is good advice. Here's Ch. 6 or the the first part that is hehe.

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Chapter VI
Reflections of
the Night


It took them awhile to reach the end of the cave.
“Thank goodness! I thought we would never make it.” commented Ophealia.
“My feet hurt. Look! There’s the horses.” pointed Kyra as she went over to hers and literally jumped on it.
“Pixie, you don’t have a horse, do you? Do you want to ride with me?” Pristine asked. “No thanks. I already have it taken care of.” Pixie assured before whistling.
Suddenly, out of the mist appeared two horses. Both were yellow and golden.
“We’ll use one of these for the gear.” Pixie said.
“Dawning Mustangs. I thought they were extinct.” said Drock.
“Nope. My kind found the remaining few and raised them. There are now close to seventy.” explained Pixie as she placed the extra gear on one.
Several others wanted to help, but Pixie said the mustangs really didn’t like strangers.
“If you touch one you can turn to ashes instantly. If they trust you than that won’t happen.” Pixie warned them.
“That’s wonderful how you were able to breed them.” exclaimed Mallian.
Soon everyone mounted their horses. The mustang with the gear was strapped to Pixie’s horse.
“All right guys. Are we ready?” Lance asked.
The others nodded.
“Then where do we go from here?” asked Grayson.
“There’s a nearby lake. Pixie do you know where it is?” Pristine asked.
“As a matter of fact, I do. Follow me.” Pixie replied.
Soon they saw the lake.
“There it is!” shouted Kyra before taking off.
“Wait for me!” replied Ophealia.
Everyone else followed.
As soon as they dismounted, Kyra asked, “Now what?”
“We wait until the two moons’ reflections reach the center. That’s when a bridge and platform appear. A portal will open up, but only for a few minutes.” explained Pristine. “Who told you this, Pristine?” Pixie questioned her.
“A couple deck out in white garments and wearing crowns.”
She did not think telling the others about the king and queen would be a good idea at the moment. Pixie’s eyes shot wide open. Only Mallian, Drock, and Pristine noticed this reaction.
“Um, Mallian? Drock? Can I have a word with you?” she asked.
The other two nodded and the three of them walked off until they couldn’t be seen nor heard.
“Pixie, before you say anything, Drock and I just want to say that we do know Pristine is the princess.” replied Mallian.
“I know it’s her too. Even before I heard her name I knew it was her, so did the other creatures of the forest. Is that why you two joined the quest? To keep an eye on her?” Pixie asked.
“Yes. I don’t think anyone else suspects it though, including Pristine.” answered Drock. “Me too. Do you think the Evil One suspects Pristine?”
“Probably. He couldn’t attack the places we were at because of Drackor’s magic.” Mallian answered.
“But out here, we are vulnerable to an ambush.” added Drock.
“Then we better get back to the others.”
“Maybe it is a good thing that those humans are here.” Pixie admitted.
When they got back, they noticed Pristine was not there.
“Where’s Pristine?” Mallian asked.
“She went on one of her walks again.” said Kyra.
“Much to Lance’s disapproval.” added Ophealia, smirking towards the outlaw.
“Hey! I’m just concerned about her.” Lance replied.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I am going fishing. Anyone want to join me?” Grayson asked as he got his supplies.
“I will!” popped up Kyra.
“Hold on, Miss Kyra. You’re going to need some help.” replied Sir Reginald as he stood up.
He did not want to admit it, but he was really looking forward to doing that.
“You know how to fish, Sir Reginald?”
“Yes, young miss. Before the Invasion, it was one of my favorite activities.” mentioned Sir Reginald as he followed Grayson and Kyra.
“Grayson! I want a big catch when you come back!” shouted Ophealia.
“As you wish, your highness.” saluted Grayson as he looked back.
“Lance, just out of curiosity, how old is Grayson?” Ophealia suddenly asked Lance. Lance was a bit startled, but grinned. So the princess did take an interest in his little brother.
“He’s seventeen years old.” Lance replied.
“And you?”
“I am twenty years old. How old are you?”
“Sixteen. How long have you been an outlaw?”
“Let’s see, for about thirteen years.”
“Did you have to build your way up to become leader?”
“Well, not exactly, but I did have to prove myself. My adoptive father was the former leader, and I was his ‘heir’, but I had to prove myself first. So for one week I had to survive on my own. The day I came back, was the day my adoptive father died.” Lance said showing some sadness.
“Oh, I am sorry.”
When he told her he only been an outlaw for thirteen years, she had a feeling he used to have another family. Ophealia knew how he felt for she lost her mother when she was born. She let the matter slid.
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A/N: Yeah I know this is a short part, but I felt it was a good stoping point.

it depends on the next part of the story.

A/N: Hehe, well I like the next part hehe. Meet a few more new creatures hehe.

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During this time, Pristine was walking along the shoreline and skipping rocks. She sat down, took off her slippers, and put her feet in the cool water. Looking in the water, she saw that same celestial figure. Shaking her head, she saw her own reflection again.
She wondered, “For some strange reason, I feel as if I know her.”
Pristine looked at the stars.
“A little bit longer. The first moon should be out soon.” she thought.
Looking over the lake, Pristine spotted something. A bird. A swan to be exact. It was not just any swan though. It was a midnight swan, Pristine realized. She remembered looking through a mystic creature book that the merchant owned. She remembered it saying they were rare to spot for they constantly traveled and only appeared at night during full moons. Also, it was said they were good omens. Pristine hoped this was a good sign. The creature was the color of midnight blue and had silver feathers. Pristine gazed in awe as a few more joined the one on the lake. Soon there were a dozen of them. They did a dance on the lake. When a few of the swans spotted Pristine, they beckoned her to join them. How could she had resisted? It was like a spell was pulling her on. Not to mention that her instincts told her to go and join them. Smiling and nodding, Pristine took off her cloak and slowly got into the water and swam toward them when it’s deep enough. She completely forgot that she cannot swim. Pristine began to dance in the water as well, using arms and legs, using one or the other to keep her up. She felt as though she’d done this type of dance before. She was feeling at peace when the dance ended. Pristine swam back to shore with the swans following her. Pristine saw that her performance didn’t go unnoticed. A lot of birds were watching her, including a golden falcon, another rare bird. They all chirped and Pristine blushed, but curtsied. They all flew off, with only the swans remaining. As Pristine settled down, the swans shook the water off themselves. Unfortunately, they got Pristine even wetter.
“Hey!” she exclaimed with a laugh.
Feeling guilty, the flock flapped their wings and Pristine was instantly dried. This technique must had been one of their magical ones.
“Thank-you. You-all are very kind.” Pristine replied with a smile.
Pristine saw that one of the moons was out and felt the need to get back to the others. She got up and head back.
Meanwhile, Grayson, Sir Reginald, and Kyra returned with about twenty fish.
“Is this enough your highness?” Grayson asked Ophealia.
“Well, I’m impressed.”
“Place them over here bro.” instructed Lance, indicating to a mat he spread out.
A while ago, he started up a fire. Soon they cooked the fish over it.
“Oh, smells wonderful.” commented Kyra.
“Wait ‘til you taste it.” said Grayson.
“Mallian, Drock, and Pixie. You going to want some?” asked Lance.
“I’ll try some. Never had fish before.” answered Drock.
“Boy have you’ve been missing out.” replied Grayson.
“Pixie and I won’t have anything. Both of our kinds never eat meats anyway. I think we’ll take some of the fruit we got.” replied Mallian.
“Did somebody say fruit?” called someone.
They all turned to see Pristine carrying something in her cloak.
“You won’t believe what I’ve found.” she said as she came up.
Lance and Sir Reginald came over to help with the heavy load.
“Thanks. Go ahead and place it down.”
The two did and the cloak opened up to reveal strange colorful fruit. They looked like pomegranates only they were multicolored.
“They looked edible so I ate one. It’s delicious.” Pristine said before taking one and biting into it.
“Pristine? Do you know what you just found?” Pixie asked.
“No.”
“This is Rainbow Fruit. Very rare to find one of its trees.”
“They are good.” said Ophealia after eating one.
“Well, out of all the fruit I’ve ate, this one is my favorite.” Pristine commented.
Pixie and Mallian glanced at each other and grinned. They also knew that the fruit could only be found by unicorns and that it was the unicorns’ favorite thing to eat. Everyone began to eat. Afterward, Pristine looked up at the sky. The other moon was not out yet and it would still be several hours before the portal opened. Yawns began to brake out. “We should probably get a few hours of sleep.” Lance suggested.
“We should. It will still be awhile.” agreed Mallian.
So they unpacked their blankets and began to settle down. Ophealia and Sir Reginald slept near each other as well as Pristine and Kyra. Lance, Grayson, and the outlaws slept nearby. Mallian, Drock, and Pixie were about to fall asleep when Pixie noticed something interesting. The midnight swans and the golden falcon flew down and surrounded Pristine and Kyra. They would not fall asleep. Pixie woke up Mallian and Drock.
“Hey you two. Look at this.” she whispered.
The two sat up and looked.
“Well, looks like the animals know it’s her as well.” Mallian replied quietly.
“I guess they feel since they weren’t able to protect her before, they could do it this way.” added Drock.
The three then laid down and fell asleep.
Pristine was dreaming when she heard a voice. It sounded similar to hers. In her dreams she saw a creature coming toward her. For a moment she thought it’s a horse or deer, but as it came closer, she realized it’s a unicorn. It spoke to her.
“Beware of the danger for it is near. You must be strong for it’s nearly time. Awake for the Evil One is here.” she said before vanishing.
Pristine woke up instantly. The swans and falcons flew off. Pristine looked at the lake. The moons’ reflections were almost in position. Sensing danger, Pristine took out the Stone of Wood. As she and the stone started to glow, everyone else woke up.
“Pristine? What’s wrong?” asked Kyra.
Just then arrows came flying toward them. Luckily, Pristine put up a magical shield, which reflected the arrows away from them. Suddenly, everyone heard a loud sound. Most of them turned to see the bridge and platform appeared. The portal opened.
Immediately, Pixie yelled, “The portal is open! Let’s go!”
Everyone, except Pristine, got their gear together in a flash. As soon as they mounted their horses, they started to go through the portal. Several of the others got Pristine’s gear together.
“Pristine! Come on!” shouted Lance.
“Go! I am stalling Zeather! I’ll catch up with you.” Pristine ordered.
“Pristine, I am not going without you!”
“Lance! Go please!”
Lance realized he had no choice. The woman was stubborn.
“I’m coming back for you!” responded Lance before reluctantly going through the portal. Soon everyone else made it through.
“Pristine hurry!” warned Mallian.
Seeing everyone safe, Pristine quickly took down the barrier, jumped on her horse, and headed for the portal. But before she got through, a dark beam launched out and grabbed Pristine around the neck. It pulled her off the horse just as it went through the portal. Any other would had died from the action, but Pristine managed to had a shield around herself in time.

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A/N: Yeah I know, another cliff hehe.

do you get a lot of gold from this? can't wait to see what happens next.

A/N: I get at least 20 gold for it. Here's the 3rd part.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back with others, “Where’s Pristine?!” demanded Lance.
“Zeather must have got her.” replied Pixie.
“I’ll be back.”
As Pristine struggled to get away, the Evil One dragged her closer. Pristine looked over her shoulder to see Zeather wearing a mask. It was becoming harder to breathe.
“I commend you for defeating the obstacles I created. You’ve grown more powerful. Too bad you won’t live to see the sunrise.” he laughed sinisterly.
That’s when all the midnight swans, the golden falcon, and other birds attacked Zeather, making him released Pristine, who gasped for air. One of the swans managed to knock Zeather’s mask off before he repelled all the creatures away. Before he got his mask, Pristine blasted him with the Stone of Water. The Evil One screamed as he fell. Weaken, Pristine collapsed. Just then, she felt someone picked her up. She tried to open her eyes, and was barely able to make out that it’s Lance. Lance came through the portal on his stallion just as Zeather fell. After lifting Pristine, he got her stones before mounting his horse. Just when the Evil One recovered, they disappeared through the portal. At the same time, the portal closed and the bridge and platform vanished beneath the lake.
“I will find and destroy you Pristine, if it’s the last thing I do.” Zeather promised himself.
Lance appeared with a still unconscious Pristine just as the portal closed.
“She’ll be all right in the morning.” assured Pixie after examining Pristine after Lance dismounted with her.
Pristine finally came around and looked at Pixie.
“Did we make it?” she barely asked.
“Yes, thanks to you.” Pixie answered.
“Okay, goodnight.” Pristine sighed as she snuggled up to Lance and fell back asleep. “Pristine never ceases to amaze me. She’s had one rough day.” commented Ophealia. “I’ll say, she’s been through more than any of us.” agreed Grayson.
“She deserves some rest.” added Sir Reginald.
“I think we all need to rest.” replied Drock.
They all nodded and dismounted before getting their blankets out once more. Lance still held onto Pristine. In his mind all he thought of was Pristine. Several times he came close to loosing her. Suddenly it hit him, he’s in love. He’s not too happy though cause now he felt vulnerable and he never wanted to feel that way again. He decided to worry about it in the morning. Lance went over to a dead tree and leaned up against it before falling asleep. Kyra and Mallian frowned at the site.
Mallian walked up to them and said, “Let them be.”
They did, and went to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pristine was dreaming again. She was walking in a forest. This one was different from the Mystical Forest. The trees were more wide spread and the feel of it all seemed more elegant. Pristine walked a bit when she heard something. Sounded like galloping. That second, five unicorns galloped past her with elves on their backs. The unicorns were fillies and elves were all young. Pristine ran after them and soon saw them resting. One of the elf children bared a startling resemblance to Pixie, only she looked like a four year old. They all were laughing as well as tired.
“Boy Allora, you and the others are sure fast.” laughed the youngest as she hugged the pale blue unicorn.
Pristine heard the girl and looked at the fillies and figured it was the princess and her court again.
“Thank you Pixie, but Grace is the fastest.” smiled Allora, looking at the gray and white unicorn.
“I was actually holding back today.” replied Grace.
“And why is that?” asked an elf girl with dark green hair and gold eyes.
“Because Elsie, she’s afraid to let go.” laughed Fanesse, a red filly.
“Actually Fanesse, I am not. I just don’t want to leave everyone behind.” replied Grace sternly.
“You want to race to prove it than?”
Grace smirked, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Oh here they go again.” complained Joyce, who’s a green unicorn.
“Come on Fanesse you can win!” shouted one of the boy elves, who’s light brunette with green eyes.
“I doubt it Dickory.” stated another girl who looked to be the oldest of the elves and who looked like Elsie.
“I agree with Mae.” nodded an elf girl with pale pink and yellow hair.
“Canaya, you always agree with Mae.” giggled Pixie.
“All right you five the race is about to begin.” replied Allora.
“How about I race you back to the village and back?” asked Fanesse.
“Fine but are you sure you don’t want to have a head start?” asked Grace.
“Pa! I’ll defeat you fair and square!”
“Such confidence.”
“Cousin why don’t you start off?” Joyce asked the princess.
“All right. On your mark, get set, go!” the princess ordered.
Fanesse took off fast with Grace right behind her. Soon the two were out of sight. About ten minutes later Grace galloped into view and she was going so fast that she was barely visible. She was a bit out of breath when she arrived. Other than that, she was fine. A few minutes later Fanesse came into view and literally collapsed a few feet in front of the others.
“I tried to warn you.” replied Grace.
“Oh! . . . Be . . . Quiet!” gasped Fanesse causing the others to laugh.
Pristine giggled herself before the dream ended and she slept for the rest of the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the sun began to rise, Pristine woke up. She realized that someone was holding her. She smiled and knew it was Lance. It felt so right like this for some reason. As much as she wanted it to stay like this, she calmly moved out of his arms. Standing up, Pristine looked around her. Everyone was still asleep. The surroundings were depressing. Once white trees were scorched and torn and many were destroyed. The sky was gray. The once magnificent unicorn palace laid in ruins as well as many other buildings. The only one left standing was the Temple of Corlana, but it did not looked like the same structure like before.
“Sad, isn’t it?” asked a voice.
Pristine turned to see Pixie. Pristine simply nodded. A tear fell down her cheek. For some reason, she felt a part of this place. Pixie felt her sadness.
“She ought to feel down. This was once her home.” Pixie thought.
“Why did this have to happen?” she heard Pristine said.
“No one knows. Are you going to be okay?” Pixie placed a hand on Pristine’s shoulder causing her to turn to her once again.
“I hope so.”
She quickly wiped her eyes.
“Thanks Pixie.”
“Anytime.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Hehehe yeah, Lance finally got his chance to save Pristine hehe. The next part is the final part of this chapter. I also found the flashback scene here the 2nd funniest scene in my opinion hehe.

yeah for lance. yeah it was funny.

A/N: Well, here's the last part of Ch. 6.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soon everyone else woke up.
“I’m hungry. When’s breakfast?” asked Kyra as she got up.
“Right now, Miss Kyra.” answered Sir Reginald.
After they ate, they got ready to move on.
“I guess this is the Realm of the Unicorns.” replied Ophealia.
“What’s left of it.” added Mallian.
They head toward the Temple of Corlana.
“Looks like there’s writing on the door.”
“It’s ancient writing.” added Pixie as she walked up.
Pristine saw the writing and recognized it immediately for some strange reason.
“Can you read it Pixie?” Kyra asked.
“Yes, I can. It says,
‘Only the Pure of Heart can come through.’
Well Pristine, it looks like only you can enter.”
“Why can only a pure-hearted person go in?” asked Pristine.
“Because this is a sacred place. It was said to be build where our world touches the Heavens. Some even say that the goddess Corlana herself built it when she created our world. That’s why this building is still standing for Evil can’t touch here.”
“All right.” Pristine replied before going through the double doors with the three stones.
The place was all white and made of marble. Miraculously, nothing was damaged. In the center were three marble stands forming a triangle around a center one. There was ancient writing on the three outer stands. Pristine was able to read them clearly. She put each of the stones in their places. When the last stone was in place, three beams of blue, red, and green light stood out of the stones up to the ceiling. The lights combined at the center stand. A white light appeared from the stand and lit up the whole building. Pristine covered her eyes. Feeling the light died down, she opened her eyes and saw the Crystal of Life. For a moment, Pristine just gazed in wonder for she felt the power radiating from the crystal. She slowly walked up to it and placed her fingers around it. Instantly she lit up as well as her surroundings. As soon as the light died down, Pristine looked and saw that she was in a different place again. This time she was floating over a cliff where she saw two adult white unicorns, a small unicorn filly, Drackor, other unicorns, and other creatures.
“Mama, I’m nervous.” said the little one.
“Of course you are dear. Everyone gets nervous for their first flight.” said the mare.
Pristine recognized the voice of Queen Loreanna.
“The princess must be flying for the first time.” Pristine thought.
“Your highness, do you remember how to sprout wings?” Drackor asked.
“Yes, Drackor.”
The foal closed her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, two white wings popped from behind her shoulders. Both parents did the same. In case something went wrong, they wanted to be ready.
“Okay, my little star. I want you to take a deep breath and get a running start. Now you can do it.” said King Elios.
The princess took a deep breath, and started to gallop toward the edge. She leaped off and started flapping her wings. She struggled at first, but soon began to soar.
“Look mommy and daddy! I am flying! I’m really flying!” she shouted with glee.
“We knew you could do it!” said her father.
“You make me proud.” added her mother as she shed a tear with her wing.
“Bravo, your highness!” cheered Drackor.
The crowd began to cheer as well. Pristine herself felt such pride and joy for the little one. Soon though she found herself somewhere else. She was in another white building, but this one was grander and the light in the area felt powerful.
“Where am I?” she asked.
“This is the Temple of Purity inside the Heavens. The Temple of Corlana is the only place where you can reach the Heavens. Only a chosen few from the mortal realm can enter here.” said a voice.
“Then why me?” asked Pristine as she turned to see Drackor.
“You’ll learn soon.”
Pristine sighed in frustration. She was starting to get irritated with these vague answers.
“Now what must I do?” she asked, hiding her feelings.
“Search for the princess. But first, I want you to go and see an old friend of mine. His name is Inion and he lives in the Mountains of Eternity. He will help you on your journey and knows you’re coming. You are to travel north following the sun. When the sun sets, follow the largest star in the sky. The mountains are treacherous. There are blizzards, snow beasts, and the Evil One has a base there. But once you reach Inion’s castle, you will be safe.”
“Thank-you, now how do I get back?”
“Close your eyes Pristine.”
Pristine did.
“Now when you open your eyes, you’ll be back in the Temple of Corlana.”
Pristine vanished right before his eyes.
“Drackor, we appreciate what you are doing.” said the voice of Queen Loreanna.
Drackor turned to see the king and the queen.
He bowed before saying, “I am only keeping a promise I made twenty-eight years ago, your majesty.”
“It’s just like the prophecy, Drackor.” replied King Elios.
“Yes, it’s coming true.”
“These next few months will be her most challenging.” mentioned Queen Loreanna.
“I know. We cannot help her anymore. The only one who can help her now is her own
self and her instincts.” said Drackor.
The three vanished.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
During this time, Pristine came out of the temple with the crystal.
“Whoa, I never thought I’d live to see this.” commented Grayson.
“Pristine, do you remember what that jester said about finding the unicorn?” Kyra asked. “Yes. He said the closer you are to the unicorn, the brighter it shines. I was also told by Drackor to find his friend, Inion. He lives north of here in the Mountains of Eternity.” “Do you realize that that’s Zeather’s territory?” asked Drock.
“Yes, I do, but Drackor said he could help us, and that we’ll be safe there. We are to follow the sun until it sets, then follow the largest star in the sky.”
“Well, Pristine, we’re with you all the way.” replied Lance.
The others nodded.
“Thanks guys.”
So they all mounted their horses.
“Lance, I forgot to thank you for saving me last night.” said Pristine.
“Pristine, I’d do anything for you.” replied Lance before reaching and touching Pristine’s cheek, causing her to blush.
As Lance went ahead, Pixie came up and purred in Pristine‘s ear.
“Pixie!” Pristine pushed her as her blush deepened.
Pixie laughed.
“Now off to the Mountains of Eternity!” shouted Lance as they took off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Hehehe awwwww! I know that "Anything for you" is a bit cliche, but I felt it fit the moment hehe. The next chapter is another long one. We're also midway through the story.

it does fit.

A/N: Thanks. Here's the first part of Ch. 7.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VII.
So Close . . .
Yet So Far . . .


Now that Pristine held the Crystal of Life, she could go and find the lost unicorn. But first, she had to find Inion. It was still morning as the travelers went through another dense forest. Unlike the majority of the land, these trees were alive and towered up to the sky.
“I’ve never seen a forest this alive before or trees this high!” exclaimed Kyra.
“They are called Macory Trees. You know you are near mountain terrain when you see them.” explained Grayson.
“Where did you learn all that?” asked Pixie in astonishment.
“I read a lot.”
“You read?!”
“Yep!”
“Grayson, where did you learn to read anyway?” asked Ophealia.
“Oh, uh . . .” Grayson looked down.
“He was taught by our foster father, but the books he used was from our real father.” Lance said with sadness in his eyes.
“Oh, sorry I asked.” replied Ophealia.
“That’s all right princess.” said Grayson.
“Boy, I’m tired. Can we rest?” asked Kyra.
“Sure thing. We’ll rest here.” agreed Lance.
They all dismounted and rested a bit. Pristine soon sensed something and stood up.
“Is something wrong Pristine?” asked Lance.
“No. I just want to walk a bit.”
“You be careful than.”
“I will.”
As Pristine walked, she said, “Something is here. Something familiar.”
She looked around. The sun was shining through the trees. There was a morning mist and a subtle wind causing the leaves to rustle. Birds were singing. This was a magical place. Pristine felt it. She continued to walk until she reached a glen where a stream ran through it. Kneeling on the mossy ground, Pristine waited. Then, like out of a beautiful dream, she appeared out of the mist. There she stood, the unicorn. Pristine stared in awe as the unicorn went on her hind legs and neighed. Every animal in the forest as well as Mallian, Drock, and Pixie heard her because it only called out to the hearts of those who listened. The three looked at each other before getting up.
“Now where are you three going?” asked Grayson.
“We just feel like walking.” replied Pixie.
They walked off. When they were out of sight, they started to run. They soon stopped and gasped before kneeling to the ground. Pristine did not know they were there for her entire focus was on the pure white unicorn as it came toward her. The unicorn began to communicate with Pristine as she took out the Crystal of Life. The crystal in her hand was glowing brightly.
“I knew you would come.” the unicorn said.
To Pristine’s astonishment, the mare sounded almost like her.
“Are you me, and I’m you?” Pristine asked.
“We are one. I have been searching for you all my life.”
While Pristine was looking into her eyes, memories and visions started flowing back. She outstretched her hand, while the unicorn lowered her horn. The Crystal of Life glowed more and more.
“Yes, yes.” whispered Pixie.
Just when Pristine was about to touch the horn, Kyra showed up besides Mallian and shouted, “The unicorn!”
The unicorn saw Kyra and galloped away and all the animals left as well.
“No! Wait! Come back!” said Kyra as she ran out.
Pristine sat dumbstruck.
Glancing at Kyra, she raised the crystal and murmured, “I wish for her not to remember any of this.”
The crystal glowed and light surrounded Kyra before she collapsed and fell asleep. Pristine put the crystal away before going over and picking her up.
“What did you do to her?” Pixie asked as she and the other two came up.
“I put her to sleep. When she wakes up, she won’t remember a thing. I don’t want any of you to mention this to anyone.” Pristine ordered.
“We won’t. Let me take her Pristine.” suggested Drock.
Pristine handed Kyra to him.
“You look different Pristine.” mentioned Mallian.
“I feel different. As I watched her, I felt as if a huge burden or an emptiness was lifted from my heart. For once, I feel free and happy.” Pristine said with a smile on her face. “You look stronger Pristine. Was there anything else?” asked Pixie.
“Yes, she told me that we are one and that she has been searching for me. The strange thing is I believe her. Do you think that’s possible?”
Her voice sounded more regal as well as confident.
“It is very possible, Pristine.” smiled Mallian.
“Well, we better get back before Lance sends out a search party.” replied Pixie.
“Yes, let’s go.” Pristine agreed.
When they got back, Ophealia asked, “What happened to Kyra.”
“Oh, she’ll be all right.” answered Pristine as Drock placed Kyra on a mat.
“You look different Pristine. Is everything all right?” Lance asked.
“I’m fine Lance. I just feel more at peace with myself. This forest must have an beneficial effect on me.”
Pristine looked up and smiled serenely. Lance thought that most of the sadness was gone from her eyes as well. She looked so lovely that way in the sunlight.
“If only I had the heart to tell her so.” he thought.
He’s snapped out of his thoughts when Grayson commented, “I wonder why this forest is so alive. There must be a lot of good magic in the air to cause it to be that way.”
“It’s the unicorn for only something that powerful could have made this result.” Pristine thought.
Soon Kyra woke up.
“Ah. Boy do I feel relieved. Can we move along now?” she asked as she got up.
“Well, aren’t we in a spirited mood.” commented Ophealia.
Everyone else got up and got ready. Soon they mounted their horses and head out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the next several days they traveled through the forest and the closer they got to the mountains, the more desolate the forest seemed to become. Lance and the outlaws took the opportunity to hunt while they traveled along. Pristine, along with Pixie and Grayson, searched for other food for the few vegetarians in the group. Soon, around midday of the third day of traveling in the forest, they came to a vast valley.
“Well, there’s the Mountains of Eternity.” replied Drock.
The mountains ahead looked rough and forbidden. A cold bitter wind welcomed them. It was so cold that even Mallian shivered.
“We should eat something before we continue and we better put on our extra clothing as well.” suggested Mallian.
“Right, let’s break for lunch.” agreed Lance.
They all dismounted and put on their extra clothing. Even Mallian put some on. Next they ate their midday meal.
“Pristine, do you have any brothers or sisters?” Grayson asked.
“No. I was an only child.”
“Yeah, me too. My mother died soon after I was born.” commented Ophealia.
“I had a little brother but he got sick and died. I was too young to remember it.” said Kyra.
“I have five brothers and two sisters.” added Mallian.
“What about you Pixie?”
“Me? I was the youngest of fifteen. Ten sisters and four brothers. It’s not uncommon for elves to have large families. Unfortunately, they all died in the Invasion.” Pixie said sadly.
“Oh Pixie I am sorry.” apologized Pristine.
“It’s okay.”
Pixie tried to smile.
“We best pack up and get going now.” Lance commented.
After cleaning up and putting their things away, they descended into the valley and began to journey towards the mountains.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Hehe you can now see where I got the name of the Chapter title hehe. From this point on, Pristine will start to become more like her former self. And I honestly can't imagine what it would be like to have that many siblings and watch your whole family get killed. You'll be seeing the unicorn Pristine more throughout the rest of the story hehe.

neither can i she must have been really sad for a while. that's how i would feel. yeah pristine found the unicorn.

A/N: Well time for things to get rough. When I was editing my story, I wanted to make sure people got an idea on how long this journey took because they're traveling all over the world pretty much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The path was not steep at first, but the wind continued to pick up and the sky started getting cloudy. Still the sun shone through as the hours passed by. It was sunset when it began to snow slowly. They finally started to head into the mountains. They decided to eat before they loose all their light for there would soon be a blizzard.
“We must find shelter soon!” Lance commented.
They all agreed and found a cave just before the blizzard hit.
“Man! I didn’t think the weather would be this severe!” exclaimed Kyra.
“Is it always like this?” asked Ophealia.
“Actually, before the Invasion, blizzards were rare here.” commented Pixie.
“It’s like evil affects the weather as well.” added Pristine sadly.
“It’ll all become normal after we find the lost unicorn.” Mallian replied.
“What will the unicorn princess do when we find her?” asked Kyra.
This was a good question for no one responded at first.
“I am sure she’ll set things right. If I was her, I would fight back, but only if I knew I had the power too.” Pristine answered.
“I am sure we all would.” replied Mallian.
They ended up spending the night and half of the day there when the snow let up. Soon they were on the road again. Nearly a month went by with the snow going off and on. A few times they traveled at night cause it snowed all day and it stopped at night. Still the sun or star kept shining through the clouds somehow. They only rested when they found shelter or right before they came to a steep trail. Other than the snow, there was no other barriers in their way until one afternoon.
“Something is near. I can smell it.” said Pixie quietly.
“Me too.” added Mallian with Drock nodding in agreement.
“Okay girls, for once, please obey me and hide. We’ll check this out.” Lance replied.
“All right.” Pristine agreed.
The other girls reluctantly hid. The guys hid their horses before sneaking off. Pixie listened for anything. They suddenly heard a roar in the distance where the guys went off too and soon heard scuffling. Pristine felt a chill up her spine and it’s not from the cold. Instinctively she looked up to see large spiders descending on them.
“RUN!!” she shouted as she led her horse away.
The others listened without question. It was not until they moved to the others see the spiders. Ophealia squealed.
“Don’t make any sudden movements. These are Ivory Spiders. Very deadly. Zeather must have sent them.” informed Pixie.
There were six of them, each over six feet tall.
“How do we take them out?” asked Ophealia as she quietly drew an arrow.
“You can’t kill them with arrows or any other regular weapon.” Pixie explained.
“They are cursed.” Pristine stated suddenly.
“How’d you know that?”
“I talked to them. They said they once were common spiders before Zeather caught them and cursed them. When Zeather sent out his troops to find us they volunteered to come as well to find me. They want me to heal them.” Pristine explained.
“They could be lying Pristine.” Ophealia stated.
“They aren’t. Let me see what I can do.”
Pristine went up to spiders real slowly before standing in front of them. She took out the Crystal of Life and began to glow. As she concentrated, she began to hear a voice in her head and felt the unicorn’s presence. Pristine began to talk to the spiders telepathically, but her voice sounded different in their heads and it’s in an ancient language. Soon the spiders lit up themselves before shrinking to their normal state. Pristine took deep breaths before hearing their thanks. The spiders left. Mentally tired, Pristine fell to her knees.
“Pristine? You going to be okay?” asked Kyra.
Pristine suddenly felt something and suddenly jumped up.
“PIXIE WATCH OUT!” she shouted as she jumped in front of her.
The other girls watched in horror as an arrow pierced through Pristine, right below her left shoulder. Pristine screamed as she fell. The other girls gathered around her but before they could do anything else, twelve of the Evil One’s archers surrounded them.
“Drop your weapons!” one of them ordered.
The girls reluctantly did so. Miraculously, someone shot an arrow through one of the guys’ neck. Mallian suddenly covered Kyra’s eyes as the guys appeared and attack Zeather’s men. Pixie and Ophealia paid more attention Pristine than the battle, which ended quickly. Lance jumped from his horse and rushed over to Pristine. It took all his willpower not to panic, but he cannot hide the fear and concern from his eyes.
“She protected me.” Pixie replied, trying not to get emotional, but did not succeed as several tears escaped her eyes.
“It’s not your fault Pixie.” Ophealia tried to comfort.
“BUT I COULD HAVE HEARD THEM COMING!!” Pixie screamed, showing her vulnerable side.
She felt awful and remembered the Invasion for she couldn‘t do anything there either. Ophealia hugged Pixie. She kept reminding herself that Pixie was still a child in elf terms. The girl had told them her age at one point.
Pristine, who was in excruciating pain, managed to say, “I’ll live Pixie. It didn’t hit my heart.”
“Hush now Pristine. Save your strength.” Lance told her.
Grayson sat next to Lance.
“You are right Pristine. This shot is not fatal. You think you can pull it out Lance?” he asked.
Lance simply nodded.
“Lance, Pristine will have to have part of her shirt remove. Pixie, you are going to have to calm down for I am going to need your help.” Mallian said in a firm tone.
Pristine blushed as well as Lance. Pixie finally calmed down.
“I am sorry.” she said.
“It’s okay.”
“Okay you guys! Go off and go somewhere until we are ready!” ordered Ophealia.
They all nodded in agreement before going off.
“I am sorry about this Pristine, but you’re going to have to have another shirt.” Mallian explained.
“It’s a good thing than we got extra clothing.” Pristine smiled weakly.
“This might hurt. Ophealia, can you help me please?”
Ophealia nodded and helped as they tried to get Pristine’s extra clothing off. They did it carefully, but Pristine couldn’t help but grunt in pain. The cold wind didn’t help either. “Pristine, don’t fade out on us okay?” Ophealia ordered.
Pristine nodded.
“Can I use your knife, princess?” Mallian asked.
Ophealia nodded. Mallian carefully cut Pristine’s shirt away. They really had no choice but to do that for much of the shirt was in ruin. They quickly and carefully covered Pristine with her cloak and extra clothing. They had to leave her shoulders bare but at least her modesty was in tact. Pixie instinctively placed the Crystal of Life in Pristine’s hand.
“It’ll help keep her warm. And don’t worry, it won’t drain her of her energy.” she assured.
“Okay, Pixie, you can go get Lance now.” Mallian told her.
Pixie ran off and before long Lance and the other guys returned.
“Sir Reginald, hold Pristine still okay? Drock, you got that lucadon paste ready?” Lance asked him.
“Yes.” Drock replied.
He knelt down and carefully smudged the medicine on his fingers before placing it around Pristine’s wound.
“This will help stop it from bleeding.” he explained to Pristine.
Sir Reginald knelt behind Pristine and replied, “Pardon me, Miss Pristine”, before placing his hands gently but firmly on her shoulders.
“Drock, can you hold her feet down. I am sorry Pristine, but you must not move an inch after I pull the arrow out.” Lance explained.
Pristine smiled at him in acceptance. Lance grinned back. Her being calm helped him remained calm. Lance got a good hold on the arrow.
“This will hurt Pristine. But it’ll be over soon.” Lance stated.
“I trust you.” Pristine replied before taking a deep breath.
Everyone else did the same. With all his strength, Lance pulled out the arrow as quickly as he could. Pristine tried not to, but let out a cry. Immediately, Grayson took a rag he was holding and gave it to Lance, who placed it on Pristine’s wound to stop the bleeding. Finally, it stopped bleeding. Drock covered the wound with more lucadon as Lance tore a long piece off his cloak off. As Sir Reginald careful lifted Pristine in a sitting position and kept her cloak around her, Lance wrapped the bandage around Pristine’s wound. Pristine only let a few tears fall because of the pain. Lance’s hands only shook a little, but inside his heart was pounding. Finally he was done.
“You girls can redress her now.” Lance replied as he carefully stood up.
He also needed a minute. The guys went off before the girls redressed Pristine before she caught a cold. Ophealia unpacked Pristine’s extra shirt. Soon the girls had her bundled up again. Pristine insisted on standing, but began to sway as they helped her up. Mallian draped Pristine’s arm around her shoulder as Lance and the others came back. He walked over and lifted Pristine up.
“I can walk.” Pristine assured.
“You’re asleep on your feet Pristine. You need to take it easy. And until you are better, you’re riding with me.” he added with a grin.
Pristine frowned and blushed at the same time. Lance laughed. Kyra, Ophealia, and Sir Reginald sighed. At least they were out of danger for now.
It took only a day for Pristine’s wound to heal, but a bit longer for her to regain her full energy for she suffered from a cold and fever which delayed them for several days but soon they were back on the trail again. More weeks past ‘til almost another month past. On the afternoon of another snowy day, they decided to take a break before going into higher elevations.
“I’m cold.” shivered Kyra.
“Come here Kyra.” replied Mallian.
Kyra walked over to her and Mallian wrapped her arms around her.
“It’s a darn shame we couldn’t find any shelter.” commented Lance.
“Your highness, are you cold?” Grayson asked.
“No, I am fine.” assured Ophealia.
She smiled mischievously and picked up a handful of snow.
“Hey Grayson! Catch!” she said as she threw it at Grayson.
Grayson turned just in time when the snowball hit him square in the face. Lance burst out laughing as the rest of the outlaws did as well.
“Oh yeah. Take this!” replied Grayson as he threw snowballs hitting Lance and a few other outlaws.
“Oh boy! Snowball fight!” shouted Kyra as she and Ophealia joined in.
“Come on Sir Reginald and Drock! Join the fun!” shouted Lance.
“Not at my age son.” said Sir Reginald.
“I don’t know.” said Drock.
Finally, several snowballs fortuitously hit Pristine, Mallian, and Pixie. Not only did the three joined in, but the incident caused Sir Reginald and Drock to be their ‘bodyguards’. Lance started to protect Pristine from an onslaught of snowballs.
“Pristine! Look out!” shouted Lance as he grabbed her and the both of them fell and rolled down the hill.
Miraculously, they came to a stop and didn’t hit anything either.
“Pristine! Lance! Are you all right?!” shouted Ophealia.
“Yes, we’re fine!” assured Pristine before looking down at Lance.
She was on top of him and Lance’s arms were around Pristine.
“Well, at least I am all right. How about you Lance?” Pristine asked quietly.
Lance smiled, which caused Pristine’s heart to flip, before replying, “I am now, since you’re here.”
Even though he was happy that they both did not get hurt, he admitted to himself that he loved having Pristine in his arms. She smelled so fresh and looked like a winter angel with her hair all disheveled. He pushed back some of her hair behind her ear as she blushed. Afraid of what might happened next, Pristine got up, although not as graceful as she liked. Lance followed suite.
“That was an interesting experience. Wouldn’t you agree?” Lance asked.
Pristine turned to see Lance was still smiling like the handsome rogue he was.
“I guess.”
It was true, but she did not want to admit how this experience made her blood run hot. “Lance! Pristine! Grab a hold this rope!” ordered Drock.
Lance let Pristine go first before coming up behind her. It took them awhile, but they finally made it back to the others.
“Well did you two have fun?” winked Pixie.
“Yep! We sure did. Right Pristine?” Lance asked as he and the others turned to Pristine, who was still blushing.
“Uh, right.” Pristine’s blush deepened.
“That looked fun. Would you like to do that, princess?” Grayson asked.
“No way! I’d get my hair and clothes all messed up.” replied Ophealia.
“Speaking of all messed up, Pristine and Lance, I hate to say this, but you both definitely need to clean up.” replied Kyra.
“Come with me Pristine. I’ll get you cleaned up.” said Ophealia before taking Pristine’s hand.
Pristine was still too embarrassed to protest.
“I am coming with you.” Pixie answered as she followed the two.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I finally showed a scene where readers are reminded of Pixie's youth. And I thought it be fun to do a snowball fight. And this time it's the guys that save the girls hehe.

the snowball fight was cool. i liked seeing pixies youth because she is still young compared to the others of her kind. way to go for the guys.

A/N: Hehe well here you'll meet the last of the supporting cast who will join the group. And you'll meet my favorite creature I created hehe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soon, the three came upon a frozen stream.
“I should have known that the stream would be frozen.” Ophealia said.
“I’ve got it.” replied Pristine.
She took out the Crystal of Life and held it on the ice, which melted instantly.
“Oh wow! That’s interesting.” responded Ophealia.
“Now let’s get all that dirt out of your hair, Pristine.” said Pixie.
They sat down on some rocks with Pristine’s back to the water.
“Whoa! This water is warm.” exclaimed Ophealia after she tore off some of her cloak and used it as a rag.
The two began to damp Pristine’s hair.
“Pristine, did you know how soft your hair is? Softest I’ve ever touched.” commented Ophealia.
“Thank-you Ophealia. No, I didn’t know that.”
“Her hair is just like a unicorn’s mane.” thought Pixie.
“There now to do something with your hair.” replied Ophealia.
“Yes, let’s do something Lance would like.” Pixie added.
“Pixie!”
The two laughed.
“Oh come now Pristine. Surely you’ve noticed the way he looks at you.” replied Ophealia.
“Yes, and it scares me. What I am feeling that is.” Pristine felt better about finally saying that.
“I think someone is in love.” giggled Pixie.
“But . . .”
“Pristine, I know when someone is in love. My sister, Petunia, acted the same way.”
“All right, I’ll admit it. I love him.”
“Are you going to tell him?” asked Ophealia.
Pristine paused before cocking her head and looking upstream.
“What is it Pristine?”
“Pixie, can you hear that?”
“Yes, I do. Sounds like a cry.” replied Pixie.
“Let’s go see what it is.”
Pristine stood up.
“Lance will get worried.” mentioned Ophealia.
“I know, but something tells me to do this.”
The two finally agreed.
The three headed upstream, following the cry as it got louder. Finally they came up over a ledge and looked to see a big white creature which looked to be four feet tall. It looked to be part Yeti and part wolf and it was in a frozen lake struggling to get out.
“Oh my, I do believe that’s a baby alobine.” said Pixie.
“We got to get it out of there.” replied Pristine, worry in her voice.
“Hey look! Someone else is coming. Hide!” ordered Ophealia before they ducked. That’s when a young lady who looked to be seventeen ran to the frozen lake. She was wearing dirty blue and gray clothes. Her hair was bundle up in a hood so you can’t see it. She rushed toward the alobine.
“MELANIE! I’ll get you out! Your mother is going to kill me!” she said before getting on her tummy and crawled over to the baby.
She soon made it, but couldn’t pull her out.
“Oh no! I can’t hold on!” the teen said.
“That does it! I’m helping.” said Pristine.
She got up and rushed down. Quickly taking off her extra clothing and placing her weapons and bag near the pond, she slid toward the two.
“Huh? Who are you?” asked the teen.
“Never mind that.” said Pristine before jumping into the water.
Ophealia and Pixie were right on Pristine’s heels and watched her stuff. When Pristine got into the water, the two slid up.
“Pristine!” they shouted.
Pristine was struggling to get the baby out, all the while Melanie’s claws were scratching her. Not to mention that the water in the lake was below freezing temperature. Finally the alobine was pushed out. The young lady hugged her as Ophealia and Pixie pulled Pristine out. They carefully made it across the lake onto solid ground. Pristine was shaking from head-to-toe. There was bloody scratches all over her, but mostly on her arms and chest. Her cheeks were red and her lips were blue. She passed out.
“Pristine!” shouted Ophealia.
“She’ll die if we don’t do something quick.” Pixie said as they put her clothes back on.
“I know where we can warm her up. Here, let me help.” offered the lady as she helped with Pristine.
Up close, Pixie and Ophealia saw wisps of dark brown and gray hair and her eyes were brown. Melanie started to howl for help. Soon a twelve foot tall alobine appeared. Melanie ran up to cuddle up to it real quick. The two communicated for a bit before the adult lowered down.
“Thank-you Misty. Come on!” the teen signaled the others as all of them, including Melanie, climbed on.
As they traveled through the mountains, Pixie and Ophealia learned that the girl’s name was Lola and she and her cousin had been living in the mountains for as long as they could remember, protecting the alobine. They also told her a bit about themselves. After awhile, they made it up to a cave in the high elevations. At the entrance was a man with the appearance of nineteen years with dark brown hair with silver highlights and gray eyes. He did not look too happy either.
“Well, Lola. Where have you been? A blizzard is coming!” he shouted.
“Sorry, Xack! I’ll explain later. Right now, this lady needs our help.” said Lola.
“Lady?” asked Xack.
Misty helped the others get down.
“Who are they?”
“Oh, Xack, this Princess Ophealia and Pixie. This here is Pristine.”
Xack picked up Pristine.
“How did she get all wet?”
“Let’s get her inside and warmed up first.”
They went inside and Xack placed Pristine on the couch near a fireplace. Pixie, who had Pristine’s things, placed the Crystal of Life on Pristine. It slowly started to heal her.
“Is that the Crystal of Life?” asked Xack.
“Yes, it is.” replied Pixie.
“Come and sit down and I’ll warm up something hot.” offered Lola as she started to heat up something to drink.
They complied and sat around the table. The home of Lola and Xack was a modest one, but inviting. There were several cushions and a couch near the fireplace. The kitchen and a table was next to it and there’s a hallway leading to several rooms.
“So cousin, what happened?” asked Xack.
“Well, Melanie fell into a frozen lake. As I was trying to get her out, Pristine shows up and gets into the water to push her out. At the same time, these two show up. After we get Melanie and Pristine out, Pristine passes out.”
“We really should see about her wounds than.” Xack suggested.
“Yes we should!” Ophealia began to stand.
“Don’t worry your highness, the crystal will heal her.” assured Pixie.
“Oh! You’re the princess of Grom aren’t you?” asked Lola.
“Yes, I am. How’d you figure that out?”
“I have my ways.”
Xack shook his head and gave Lola a warning look.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you. Why are you here?” asked Lola.
“It’s a long story. We are right now looking for a mage named Inion, but we are on a quest to find the unicorn princess.” explained Pixie.
“Drackor the wizard is helping us. He first appeared to Pristine and a little girl named Kyra. More of us joined up along the way.” added Ophealia.
“Who else is in your group?” asked Lola.
“A lot more. There’s Sir Reginald of Cranston, Lance, his brother Grayson, Lance’s band of outlaws, Mallian the water folk, and Drock, who was raised by dwarves. We should mention that the Evil One is after Pristine.” mentioned Pixie.
“Pristine is pure-hearted than huh? Not surprising if she holds the Crystal of Life.” Xack guessed.
“Not to mention that Zeather wants the crystal.” added Lola.
Pixie and Ophealia both nodded. That’s when Pristine woke up. She moaned as she tried to sit up.
“Pristine, how are you feeling?” asked Pixie as she and the others came over.
“A little light-headed.” replied Pristine, sounding a bit hoarse.
“Here, drink this.” ordered Lola as she handed Pristine a cup.
Pristine drank it. It was soothing and warm. Pristine felt better already.
“Thank-you.”
“No, thank-you. You saved Melanie’s life.”
“How is the little one? Is she all right?”
“She’s just fine.”
“That’s Pristine for you. Always thinking of others.” commented Ophealia.
“You should rest.” said Xack.
“Who are you and where are we?” Pristine asked.
“I’m Xack and this is my cousin, Lola. We’re safe.”
“I wish to see Melanie.”
“Pristine, you need rest.” Ophealia said.
“Oh, I feel better now.”
Pristine stood up and placed the crystal in her bag. When they walked outside, Xack led them to a nearby cave. The wind picked up considerably and the sky was getting darker. Instinctively, Misty and Melanie came out. Instead being shy, the baby came forward as Pristine came up to her.
“Are you okay?”
Melanie started to nuzzle Pristine, and knocked her down before licking her. Pristine laughed.
“This is strange.” commented Lola.
“What is?” asked Ophealia.
“Usually, alobine don’t cuddle up to people so quickly.”
“Unless she’s a unicorn.” thought Pixie.
As Pristine got up, Misty bowed.
“Boy Pristine, they must really like you.” grinned Xack.
“Thanks! Uh-oh! I just got a bad feeling about the others.” said Pristine with fear in her eyes.
“I hope Zeather hasn’t found them.” responded Ophealia.
“I’m sure he has.” answered Pixie.
“We must go at once!” ordered Pristine.
“Now wait a minute you three. There’s a blizzard coming. It would be too risky to go out this afternoon. It’s best that we wait ‘til morning.” mentioned Xack.
“He has a point Pristine.” Ophealia mentioned.
“I don’t care! Now I am going to find them, with or without your help.” shouted Pristine, anger flaring in her eyes.
Everyone actually backed up at her reaction. The two alobine stepped forward and Melanie nudged her.
“Will you help me?”
The two nodded.
“We’ll all help.” replied Lola.
“Do you two know how to fight?” asked Ophealia.
“Of course! We may be nomads, but we aren’t fools.”
The two went back and came back with blades that looked odd for they looked to be made out of silver instead of iron.
“Are those swords?” asked Ophealia.
“Yes they are and are more durable than iron.” replied Xack.
“You sure you want to come?” asked Lola.
“Yes, someone’s got to keep an eye on you four.” grumbled Xack.
Misty lowered and helped Melanie and the others up.
“Let’s hurry.” Pristine insisted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I got the rescue scene from Lady Hawk hehe. So what do you think of Lola and Xack? I love these two characters hehe. And Melanie is just adorable hehe. But as you can see, things are about to get active again.

xack and Lola human or something else?

A/N: Lol, sorry not answering that one. Here's the next part.

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When they got back, they did not find anyone. There was also no sign of a struggle.
“We’re too late.” Pristine said sadly.
It was snowing hard again.
“They must have been ambushed.” commented Xack.
“Now what do we do?” asked Ophealia.
“We find them. They must have been taken to Zeather’s base.” suggested Pristine.
“But where is it?”
“I know where it is. I was hunting and saw it from a distance one day.” answered Xack.
“Then let’s go.” Pristine ordered.
Far off in the distance on a hilltop, watching the others was the unicorn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Surprisingly, it only took them several hours to get to the Evil One’s base. It was located in a valley and anyone barely saw it for it was white, but it also reeked of evil and black magic. When Pristine’s group saw it, they hid near the hill the dipped into the valley. They dismounted Misty and looked over the ledge.
“Now how do we get in?” asked Ophealia.
“It’s not heavily guarded.” mentioned Lola.
“Know why? Cause he’s setting a trap.” added Pixie.
“I believe you are right Pixie. Listen, you four stay here. I’ll distract them.” replied Xack.
While Xack, Lola, Ophealia, and Pixie discussed a plan, Pristine was contacted telepathically.
“Pristine, can you hear me?” said a familiar voice.
Pristine scooted away from the others near the alobine.
“Yes.”
“I must be brief for time is of the essence.”
Pristine realized who it was. It’s the unicorn!
“What can I do?”
“Think. You remember seeing that fortress before.”
“Yes, it was where I stayed during the winter. There was a secret passage that I only knew about.”
“Good. The Evil One does not know where it is. You must hurry for soon your company will soon be seen by the guards. I must go at once.”
When Pristine did not hear her anymore, she looked at the others, who were still talking. Pristine looked at the alobine and read their expressions. They looked concern.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.” Pristine whispered and smiled.
She quietly slipped away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
During this time, the others were held in different cells. In one was Lance, Sir Reginald, and Grayson.
“Grrrr! Man I’d like to give that Zeather a piece of my mind!” growled Lance.
“Save your strength, Lance. You’ll need it.” replied Sir Reginald.
“Well, I am just glad that Pristine and the others weren’t caught.”
“I hate to say this, but those three are our only hope.” added Grayson.
“I wish there was another way out of here. I wonder where the others are?”
They were not too far away, only several cells down.
“It’s cold in here.” shivered Kyra.
Mallian sat next to Kyra on the floor and wrapped her arms around her.
“The Evil One just loves suffering. There aren’t any windows and the walls are too thick. I bet this was not even a dungeon before the Invasion but a storage.” Drock commented. “Let’s just hope the others get here in time.” prayed Mallian.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pristine did her best to sneak around. Soon she saw the shelter for the horses. She remembered the secret entrance being in there. Only it was on the outside. She circled around the back before spotting the things she was looking for. The shelter was made out of stone, but one of the stones was slightly discolored. Pristine looked around before pressing the stone. A small opening in the ground opened up. It was covered in gravel and snow to give a façade. Pristine quickly and quietly slipped into the hole before closing it with a handle on the top. Pristine knew that once inside the castle she had to move fast because of the Evil One. After traveling through a dark and dank tunnel she came to a door. On the other side was a room. It was covered in cobwebs and dust, proof that no one found it.
“This was my secret room.” Pristine thought.
She saw a key on one of the old tables. Not just any key though. It was a rare skeleton key that opened up any lock. Pristine picked it up. It occurred to Pristine the she cannot use the key to release the others. They’d asked too many questions that she was not ready to answer. Pristine remembered a map of the whole castle and its secret tunnels. It must be in one of the drawers. Carefully opening one, she found the map and took it out before seeing something else. A picture, she realized. It was still in good condition as Pristine took it out. Pristine’s eyes opened wide in shock. It was a picture of that angelic figure, a pale blue-haired lady, and Pixie. That’s not what surprised her though. On the bottom, there were names. Of course there was Pixie’s name. The blue-haired lady’s was Allora, which Pristine remembered a flash of memory of playing with her in the ocean. Underneath the angelic figure was her name!
“That’s impossible!” Pristine thought.
Taking the picture, she put it in her pouch. Pristine took the map, in this case maps, and skimmed through the pictures. Pristine figured the others were down in what use to be the storage units for food.
“They are probably freezing down there.” Pristine thought.
She noticed something and smiled. There was another way to the cells. It was risky though. She figured out two ways to get them. One if she got them before her presence was known and one for if she was discovered. She better find their weapons first. Only she had no idea where they could be. Suddenly she remembered a magic mirror she once had. Opening another drawer, she found it. It was a mirror with a silver handle.
“Show me where my friends’ weapons are.” she whispered.
The mirror glowed before showing a bedroom with black everywhere. Pristine felt evil radiating from it. She sensed that was the master bedroom and knew it’s Zeather’s chamber. She was in luck for there was a passageway from this room to that one. Pristine put the map and the mirror away in her pouch before looking around. Pristine soon saw what she was searching for. In one corner was a small cabinet. She carefully moved it out of the way. There was a keyhole in the wall. Taking the skeleton key, she put it through the keyhole and magically opened it revealing a secret door. Pristine grabbed a bag before crawling through it. She slipped into the passageway. Taking the key she placed it through the keyhole from the other side before closing the door and locking it.
Pristine moved through the tunnel with stealth and speed. She came to a dead end or it looked like one. Pristine saw a panel that is at her chest level. Sensing no one, she pushed it open. Pristine put up a barrier around for the evil radiating through the open was strong enough to suffocate her. She climbed through the panel and onto the floor in the next room with the bag in hand. This room was defiantly Zeather’s chamber. Pristine already felt her strength slowly leaving her. She saw the weapons next to the bed and went over to them. She stopped and thought though.
“It’s too easy.” she thought.
Looking behind her, she saw a wardrobe. There was a drawer at the bottom. She went over to that instead and placed the key into the keyhole. Unlocking it, she opened the drawer to find the real weapons. As she placed them into the bag, she sensed someone coming. Thinking quickly, she created her own weapon decoys with the Crystal of Life and locked it back up. Quietly, she slipped back into the passageway and pulled the panel back just in time. She ran quietly back to her secret room. Unfortunately she did not have enough time to cover her scent. Zeather came in seconds after Pristine left and picked up her scent.
“She’s taken the bait. How did she escape though? Guards! Sound the alarm!” he ordered to the ones who came with him.
“Yes, my lord.” said one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Outside, Lola noticed all the guards running about, going in and out of the fortress.
“I wonder what their problem is?”
“Hey you guys, Pristine’s not here.” replied Ophealia.
“She must have gone inside. That’s why those guards are running amok! We better move now.” suggested Xack.
“Right! Let’s move.”
“Melanie, Misty. You two stay here until we need you.” Lola told them.
The alobine nodded. The four started to head down into the valley.
Meanwhile, Lance and the others heard activity from outside their cell.
“Boy, something must have happened.” Grayson commented.
“The others are here then.” added Sir Reginald.
“I hope the Evil One doesn’t get them.”
Lance did not like hearing this. But for once, he decided not to try to worry, but have faith instead.
“Let’s just believe that the others will be okay than.” Lance said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Yeah Pristine starting to get a few hints hehe. One more part and than we're through with this chapter.

cant wait to find out if they are something else. it would be cool if they are.

A/N: Well, be prepared for a chase now hehe. Even when writing this part, I could feel the adreneline pumping hehe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

During this time, Pristine made her way outside again. She was forced to go with her second plan. She sensed Lance and the others. Soon, Pixie and the others found her.
“Pristine! What were you thinking?” demanded Ophealia.
“Shh!” silenced Pixie.
“I got the others’ weapons and now I am locating them.” Pristine whispered.
“Pristine, you know Zeather knows you‘re here.”
“I know, that’s why I am hurrying.”
Pristine suddenly stopped. She placed her ear up to the wall.
“Pristine? What are you doing?” asked Lola.
“Mallian! Are you there?” Pristine shouted into the wall.
Mallian heard her.
“Pristine? Is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me. Stand back now and cover your heads.”
“Right. Drock, Kyra move and duck.”
They complied without question. Pristine took out the Crystal of Life and gathered enough energy to blast a small hole in the wall. She did not need a loud explosion that drew more attention.
“Pristine!” shouted Kyra as she hugged her.
“Now who do we have here?” asked Drock when he saw Lola and Xack.
“Now’s not the time for introductions. We need to release the others.” Pristine said before blasting the door open.
As Pristine stepped through it, one guard charged at her. Pristine held out the crystal and it shocked the guy as well as knocked him out. Pristine saw keys on him and got them as the others came out.
“What happened to him?” asked Xack.
“I put him to sleep.” Pristine went down several cells until she sensed Lance.
“Lance?”
“Pristine?”
Lance came to the door as well as Sir Reginald and Grayson.
“Yes, it’s me Lance. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am just glad you guys made it.”
“Thank-you Lance.”
Pristine unlocked the door.
Before Lance commented about Lola and Xack, Pristine said, “Quickly, let’s set the others free before Zeather finds us.”
They all agreed and hurried to set the other outlaws free.
“Hey! There they are!” shouted another guard.
“Uh-oh! Now we’re in for it.” said Grayson.
“Hurry!” ordered Lance as they head back outside.
Lance, Drock, Xack, and the outlaws fought off the guards as the others went and get their horses.
“Darn, they took our supplies!” grumbled Ophealia.
“Let’s not worry about that now.” Pristine said as they got on the horses.
Lola stole two extra horses for Xack and herself.
“Lance! Let’s go!” shouted Grayson.
Lance and the others wasted no time in mounting their horses. Zeather’s men continued to attack them as they tried to make their escape.
“What about the alobine?” asked Ophealia.
“Not a bad idea princess.” said Lola before whistling.
Unexpectedly, a myriad of alobine came running down the hill. Leading the way was Misty, with Melanie on her back.
“Whoa! Looks like Misty called for reinforcements.” Xack commented.
“Who’s Misty?” asked Kyra.
“The one in the front. She’s our friend.” answered Lola.
When the Evil One’s men saw the alobine, they retreated.
“Cowards!” replied Zeather from atop of the fortress.
He began to shoot at all the alobine.
“I don’t think so.” replied Pristine.
She took out the Crystal of Life and held it up in the air. As she and the crystal glowed, light shot up into the night sky and broke through the blizzard and clouds.
“Stars in the night, protect the alobine!” commanded Pristine.
The stars shone down causing the Evil One to scream for the light was blinding him. “Now’s our chance! Come on!” said Pristine as she shouted to the others.
By then the alobine were with them and began to follow them.
“I can see the star we’re suppose to follow!” shouted Ophealia.
“Pristine must have blasted the clouds good enough to reveal it.” added Mallian.
They all followed it and ended up in a gorge. That’s when they heard a heinous laugh.
“You fools! Did you really think you could escape from me?!” laughed Zeather’s voice. They all heard a rumble.
“I know that sound anywhere. RUN!! IT’S AN AVALANCHE!” shouted Lola.
The alobine quickly picked them up and put them on their backs before taking off. The horses were startled at first, but soon calmed down.
“AHH! Here it comes!” screamed Kyra as she looked behind her.
Melanie scooted to Pristine and shivered in fear.
“Shh, I’m here.” Pristine comforted her.
“Melanie really likes you, Pristine.” commented Lola.
“I know this is a bad time, but who are you guys?” asked Kyra.
“I’m Xack and this is my cousin Lola.”
“Oh! Well, I am Kyra. On that alobine is Lance, his brother Grayson, and Sir Reginald of Cranston. On that one is Mallian and Drock. I am assuming you know Ophealia and Pixie. The others are apart of Lance’s band of outlaws.”
Lola and Xack nodded.
“Pristine! There’s a blockade coming up!” warned Grayson.
“Not if I can help it!” Pristine replied.
Using her crystal once again, she continuously blasted at the blockade. She began to loose her strength, but her will was stronger and it helped sustained her. Pristine kept on blasting through until she noticed that the star began to drift to the left.
“We have to turn left! Get ready!” she warned.
Pristine blasted the icy wall to her left and at the same time ordered, “Turn now!”
Misty led the way. They soon made it out of the gorge when Pristine shouted, “Get ready for a jump!”
“We’ll never make it!” replied Grayson.
“Yes we will!”
She knew they’d make it, somehow, but her power was nearly gone. Just as the alobine jumped off the edge, Pristine closed her eyes and lifted up the Crystal of Life. Next thing they realized, they were all floating on clouds.
“Hey this is neat! You did it Pristine! Pristine?” Kyra asked as she looked at Pristine.
Pristine was unconscious. With the last bit of her strength, Pristine created the clouds to float to the ground.
“Oh no! We’re floating away from the star!” exclaimed Ophealia.
Suddenly the clouds began to float toward the star again.
“Something else is moving us.” Pixie said.
“Is it Zeather?” asked Kyra.
“No, this force does not feel heinous. Wonder who it could be?”
As they drifted on down, they vanished. They settled to the ground and the alobine placed them down. Lance immediately rushed over to catch Pristine before she fell off her horse.
“Hey! Wasn’t it snowing a minute ago?” commented Ophealia.
“Welcome friends. I’ve been expecting you.” said someone.
Everyone turned to see an old man with no hair wearing silver and blue robes.
“Who are you?” asked Kyra.
“Why, I’m the mage Inion. And this is my sanctuary.” he said before waving his hand and a fortess appeared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: That's it for Ch. 7. The next chapter is my favorite and you'll soon see why hehe.

i am so glad that they made. it was scary there for a second. looking forward to the next chapter.

A/N: Hehe glad I was able to make you nervous hehe. Here's the first part of Ch. 8 hehe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VIII.
A Clue From
The Past


“So you’re Inion.” said Lance as he dismounted with a still unconscious Pristine. The others dismounted as well.
“Yes, I am.”
“We’re you the one who directed us here too?” asked Kyra.
“Yes, since you-all were close enough, I was able to use my magic to help.”
“Thank-you, Inion.” bowed Ophealia.
“Oh, it isn’t me you shouldn’t be thanking. It’s Pristine here you should thank.”
Inion approached Lance and placed a hand on Pristine’s forehead.
“How did you know her name?” asked Kyra.
“Oh, I know about all of you for Drackor told me. Now, you-all must be cold and hungry. Follow me.”
“What about Pristine?” asked Lola.
“She’ll be fine. Besides, I have something that can help her. She’ll be back to normal sooner than you think.”
Inion winked as he led them inside through the double doors. The main entry way was huge with a large stairway near the back. Two other stairs connected to it from both sides. There were separate hallways to their left and right.
“Now, you put your excess clothing here.” Inion instructed them as a table is rolled in magically.
“Can someone help me with Pristine?” asked Lance.
Xack helped him by taking Pristine so Lance could take off his extra clothing. Lance thanked him before taking Pristine again and Xack helped him take off her extra clothing.
“Now follow me. I have something that will revitalize Pristine in no time.” Inion said before leading them down the right hallway.
They came to a pair of double doors.
“This is my study.”
Inion opened the door. Everyone gasped at what they saw. The room was large for a study. There was a cupboard filled with books on one wall next to a desk before the room opened up into a circular area. There were artifacts and gallery art. But what made the others gasped was a ball of gray energy in the center of the room. It’s held in a glass container on a small pillar of marble.
“What is that? Is that what I think it is?” asked Pixie.
“Indeed, you-all know that there were originally three stones? Well, Drackor didn’t have time to create a fourth shield or stone cause of the Evil One. That there is the power of Air and Wind. True each of the stones has a little bit of Wind in it, but most of it was placed here. Drackor only had enough time to place a barrier here and gave the energy to me. I’ve never seen it so active.”
“Must be because of the Crystal of Life for it’s right here.” commented Mallian.
“Well, one reason why Drackor wanted you to see me was so I could give you guys the Wind energy. This will help Pristine.”
Inion carefully took the Wind energy out of it’s container and went over to them.
“Pixie, place the crystal over Pristine please. Lance brace yourself.”
They did as he instructed. Inion relinquished the ball of energy and it floated to the crystal as it began to glow more brightly. Pristine slowly glowed as well. Finally the crystal absorbed the Wind power and light shined throughout the room causing everyone to cover or close their eyes. As soon as it settled Pristine began to stir. She opened her eyes and saw Lance.
“Did we make it?” she asked.
“Yes, we did. Thanks to you. How are you feeling?” Lance asked with relief and tenderness in his voice.
“I feel, one hundred percent better.” Pristine said before standing.
“How did I recover so quickly?”
“Inion gave you the Power of Wind.” explained Mallian.
Pristine turned to see the mage bow.
“It’s an honor to meet you Pristine.”
“No, the honor is mine. Thank-you.” Pristine bowed.
“Well, now that you are better, I shall give you another gift. Come.”
“Oh boy! What is it?” asked Kyra eagerly.
They went back into the main entry way before heading upstairs.
“This is a lovely place you have here, Inion.” commented Ophealia.
“Why thank-you, your highness.”
They took the left-sided flight of stairs. Finally, they came to separate hallways.
“Ladies? Will you stay here for a moment? Gentlemen, follow me.”
Inion led them down one hallway before opening a pair of double doors.
“Oh my goodness.” exclaimed Grayson.
It was a large suite with furnishings most of the men had never seen before.
“This room was designed by a dragon. He had an eclectic taste. In fact, this citadel was the dragons’ stronghold.” explained Inion.
He went to a set of doors before sliding them open to reveal a closet filled with men’s clothes and accessories.
“When Drackor told me you were coming, he made all these outfits for you. Drock and Sir Reginald, I have custom made outfits for you.”
Inion took out two outfits from the closet.
“Drock, yours is in dwarfish style and Sir Reginald, this one what a knight of your standard use to wear before the Invasion.”
Inion handed the outfits to them.
“Gee, thanks.” Drock said, a bit surprised.
“Thank-you sir.” bowed Sir Reginald.
“Now my servants will help you change. If any of you need to shave, the servants will help you with that too. Dinner will be ready in awhile. After you’re done, head back to the main parlor.” Inion said.
“Uh, Inion, where are the servants?” asked Grayson.
“Oh, they are really magic and are invisible. Don’t worry, they are here. Have fun.”
Inion went back to the ladies.
“Now if you six will just follow me.” he replied as he led them down the other hallway. He opened another pair of doors and led them into a room similar to what the guys were shown, only more feminine. Pristine felt as if she’d been here before. Inion slid opened the doors to the closet. Unlike the men’s closet, this one only had five dresses in it, but it did had plenty of shoes and accessories.
“Drackor had these gowns made for you.”
Inion took a sapphire blue and silver gown down first.
“This one is yours Lola.” he said before whispering something into her ear as he handed it to her.
Lola smiled and shed a tear.
“Thank-you.” she said.
The next gown Inion took down was a brilliant crimson red with gold trimmings on it. “Next is Princess Ophealia.”
“OH!! My favorite colors!” Ophealia exclaimed in excitement.
Inion took down a small lavender dress.
“That’s mine right?!” asked Kyra giddily.
Inion chuckled and handed it to her. Next was Mallian’s gown. It was different from the first three in many ways. The teal dress was made out of fine sequences and it shimmered and was slim.
“This dress here Mallian was made from the tropical clophean. If I remember right, it’s the most expensive and rarest type of clothing material from Oceanica.”
“Oh it is. I’ve never seen anything like this in ages.” Mallian replied in awe.
Inion got one more gown from the closet and it’s pale green with tiny flowers and seeds on it. The sleeves were translucent.
“As you can see Pixie, this one is for you.”
“It’s lovely. What about Pristine?” Pixie asked.
“Oh yes, I was just about to get to her. I have a special one in store for you my dear. Now the rest of you get dressed. My servants will help you. I‘ll be with you shortly.” Inion said before leading Pristine to another door into master bedroom.
After closing the door behind them, Inion went over to a wardrobe and opened it up. Pristine gasped. Inside was the most gorgeous gown she’s ever seen. It was garnished in silk and satin with puffed sleeves. There was gossamer over it. The front waist area looked a bit like a corset for the bottom pools out a bit. The puffy sleeves were cut to the top so only Pristine’s shoulders would be bare.
“Oh, Inion. It’s so . . . Oh, I don’t know what to say.” Pristine managed to say.
“Then don’t say anything. My servants will help you put it on for it’s quite complicated.” His magical servants took it down. It looked like it’s floating.
“I shall return.”
Inion knocked on the door connecting to where the other girls were.
“Ladies? Can I come in?”
“Yes, you may.” replied Lola.
As Inion walked in, he noticed that a few of them were twirling around.
“You like?”
“Like it? I love it!” shouted Kyra.
“Thank-you Inion.” replied Pixie.
“You’re quite welcome. Now let’s do something with your hair. This way.” motioned Inion as he opened a second door that led to a bathroom with a long mirror and chairs in front of it.
Inion motioned for the girls to sit down. When they did, Inion’s servants began to do their hair.
“Now when you are through, in the closet are cabinets with jewelry and shoes. You than can go ahead and go down to the main parlor.”
Inion went back to where Pristine was and knocked on her door.
“Pristine? Are you finished?”
“Yes, I am.”
As he walked in, he saw Pristine looking at herself in the mirror.
When she turned around, Inion remarked, “Pristine, you look like a princess.”
“I feel like one.”
Pristine blushed. She remembered wearing this gown from another time.
“Now let’s fix your hair. I know just how to do it.”
Inion went across the room and opened a door to the restroom. When they entered, Inion helped with Pristine’s dress as she sat in a chair facing a mirror. Inion personally did Pristine’s hair himself.

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A/N: When editing this story, I did wonder why I didn't do all 4 elements so this was my answer hehe. I sure hope you like the next part hehe.

i wish i was pristine. i want to dress like and be treated like a princess. i cant wait to read the next part.