Chaos. The island of Crecklington was in chaos. Children screamed and clung to their mothers and all Keelia could do was stand there. Plydis? That name sounds so familiar and the dragon looks so familiar! But I can’t place him! Her brain thought and thought but nothing ever happened. Counselor Jian and Laurelin were still sobbing and comforting one another, yet another mystery that needed to be solved. The guardians of Nivara were flying and dumping water onto the castle, or what was left of the castle anyway. Keelia caught a glimpse of Princess Johanna leaning against a boy the Princess’s age. All the people of Crecklington gathered around. The musictons all carried an instrument and many began to play a swift but magical song. Jian began to play and Keelia sprinted with all her might to the Mickinsons’ house to grab any instrument she could get. Eliza, Cligan and Helbry were sitting at the table.

                “Keelia! You’re covered in soot! What is going on?” Eliza asked, grasping Keelia’s hand. Keelia ran around the room and grabbed a violin out of its case.

                “Plydis! He burned the palace down,” she spun around as Helbry asked if everybody was OK. She said, “Helbry… the King and Queen are gone,” and ran out of the room. Cligan, surprisingly, ran out behind her with a flute. When they got to the palace, it was raining. All the Weathertons had formed a storm covering all of Crecklington to prevent Plydis from spreading anymore flames. Surprisingly, the city calmed down once the music began. She began to play the tune and was shocked to find that even she knew how to play the song. 

                She sunk into the melody and she heard Cligan start beside her. She wished that he could forgive her for lying to him, but perhaps that was too much to ask. She felt a hand beside her and stopped playing. She turned around to see Everie, and he was crying. “This, Keelia, is why I’m terrified of being a Flareon. That dragon was said to be a legend. That dragon was the one who gave us Flareon powers,” he whispered hoarsely. She wasn’t surprised to hear that the dragon gave the Flareons their power, but she was one step closer to learning Everie’s backstory. She wasn’t going to ask more. Everie hated his talent, and Keelia felt sad for him. Never being able to feel free with something you can’t control isn’t fun. Keelia remembered how it was like living with Mabel. Her sister begged her to stop playing music all the time; she said it was annoying that Keelia got to be so talented. Everie hung his head in shame because of his talent.

                “Everie, I don’t believe that you will ever become evil! You are the kindest person, other than Alvis that I’ve ever met. You’re a great friend so don’t let Plydis get into your mind! You are so loved in this world! I’d probably still be stuck inside the void if it weren’t for you!” Keelia encouraged. Plydis was definitely a strange and unexpected enemy, but she wasn’t going to let that bring Everie to disaster. Plydis was evil, Everie was not. They both gazed over to where the palace was. The flames hadn’t spread any farther, but the fire still hadn’t gone out, despite the rain that poured over the two friends. “Wait, Everie, if you can control fire, can’t you lead it somewhere else?” Keelia asked. Everie nodded hesitantly.

                “I think so, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up too much, Keelia,” Everie sprinted toward the palace, but a hand reached out and pulled him to the side.

                “My boy! Wherever are you doing?” Master Brinald’s voice was hushed as he strangled Everie in a hug, “I have been so worried about you!” Master Brinald is his dad?! That makes absolutely no sense! But I guess it kind of does, Master Brinald’s must have adopted him? Keelia pondered. Everie sank into the hug and Keelia cleared her throat.

                “Dad! I might be able to lead the fire away,” Everie explained.

                “But, Everie, you are talentless! How will you do this?” Master Brinalds asked. Oh dear! Please tell me that Everie hasn’t been hiding his talent! Keelia mentally smacked herself and pulled Everie away.

                “You have a lot of explaining to do, mister,” she said as they stood in front of the burning palace. Everie’s hand shook as he held it out to the fire. He didn’t wince as the flames caught his hand. He moved his hand and the flames followed. “Everie! You’re doing it!” Keelia cried with joy. The people gasped as Everie continued. Instead of moving the flames, he was sucking them into his palm. Clearly, it wasn’t fun. Sweat dripped off him as the flames went into his body.

                “Everie! What are you doing!?” Jililian ran up to her brother. She whipped around to Keelia. “Why are you letting him consume this much? It’s going to kill him if he does this much longer!” Everie’s body was already beginning to shake as more fire went in.

                “Come on, Everie! Just a little bit more! You can do this, you have to,” Keelia whispered. Keelia looked relieved as he fought to consume more. Suddenly, all the flames were gone and Everie collapsed. Master Brinald made his way over as fast as his short legs could carry him.

                “My boy!” he cried and bent to his knees, picking Everie up. He moaned and Keelia ran up to him, Brinely and Delisa also made their way over. Brinely put his hand on Everie’s forehead.

                “He has a really hot head! You should bring him to the hospital,” Brinely told Master Brinald. The old man nodded but his eyes were wide with shock still. Jililian pulled Keelia back and they walked together. The two friends walked on together and left the crowd behind them, not wanting to see the palace until there was a new king and queen on the throne.

                The next few weeks were a blur. All of Nivara was getting over the death of their beloved rulers, and they were also getting ready for the crowning and wedding of Princess Johanna.

                “Johanna’s getting married?” Keelia asked. Johanna was only sixteen!

                “Yes, the government states that a princess or prince must be married before they can ascend to the throne. And usually this doesn’t happen until years in the future,” explained Eliza.

                “Who is she marrying?” Keelia asked.

                “I believe that it is Duke Biginston’s son,” Helbry said as he trudged into the room. Duke Biginston was an advisor to Frederick and Sellona, so Keelia guessed that it made sense. At least she wasn’t marrying her cousin or something, like people in the Medieval and Ancient Ages did. Keelia cringed as she thought about it. I would NEVER marry a relative, no matter what, Keelia assured herself. The wedding was taking place the following night, at the newly-built palace. Keelia was still surprised about the power that all the Sustainers in Crecklington could accomplish when they worked together. The Palace was almost identical to the last, but it had one more spiral placed in the center. Keelia thought that it must be where the former King and Queen would be honored, but she hardly ever had those kinds of things straight in her head. She told herself that it would be good if she, Delisa, and Jililian went and visited Everie and Alvis. Her two friends still hadn’t recovered from the episodes that occurred a few weeks ago. Alvis was still silent and always freaked out when she, Jian Alie or Laurelin Alie were there, but maybe this time would be different. Everie was going to be released the next day. The doctors reported that he had consumed more fire than his brain to know what to do with, and Master Brinald, aka Everie’s dad, barely ever left Everie’s side. Keelia picked up Delisa from the Howells’ house on her way over to the hospital. Delisa was dressed in a sparkly green dress with embroidered flowers on it and wore her hair up in a complicated braid.

                “What’s the big occasion?” Keelia couldn’t help asking. Delisa grinned.

                “It’s the last day of school! Don’t you remember the announcement? Oh, wait… you weren’t there! You were with Rachel in Berebandue! You’ve studied, right?” Delisa asked.

                “Studied? NO!!! Do we have finals?” Keelia asked, her heart beating ten times faster than it had been.

                “Yes…” Delisa whispered.

                “Well, guess that’ll go great! Master Brinald will understand though, won’t he?” Keelia asked desperately.

                “I wish I could say yes, but you’d better go and study while you can!” Delisa stated, but Keelia shook her head.

                “No, I’m going to visit Alvis and Everie. There are more important things than getting good grades,” Keelia firmly walked on and Delisa smiled smugly. While walking to the hospital Keelia asked which month it was. She was surprised that she didn’t know, because there wasn’t really any reason to know.

                “It’s the beginning of July, why?” Delisa asked. The beginning of JULY???? How could that much time pass?! Samuel’s birthday was in April and I missed it. Well, I didn’t expect to see him anyway, but still.

                “Nothing, I was just wondering. Why do we have school till July?” Keelia asked.

                “We didn’t start until March. We go so fast because of the outrageous school hours, and don’t forget all the homework! It’s terrible how late I stay up!” Delisa whined pathetically, and Keelia laughed for the first time in days. The hospital wasn’t as full as it had been the last time Keelia, Jililian, and Delisa had visited. To the group’s surprise, Everie’s bed was moved next to Alvis’s bed. As usual Alvis freaked out when he saw, but Keelia sat down next to his bed anyway. “Alvis, you’re perfectly healthy. Princess Johanna’s wedding is tomorrow, and I hope that you come. What happened, and why are you always freaking out when you see me?” Keelia pleaded for him to tell her the truth, but all he did was clutch his scarred arm. Keelia stood up and went over to Everie’s bed.

                “Are you okay?” she heard Everie ask.

                “No, but it’s not like I can make him talk to me. What do you think happened?” she asked. Everie thought for a long few minutes.

                “The doctor said that he saw Plydis,” Everie muttered under his breath.

                “How? There wasn’t a dragon in the cave we were in, Everie,” Keelia sighed hopelessly. 

                “But that doesn’t mean that he saw something that triggered a memory that he’s forgotten over the years. Doctors know these things, Keelia, trust them,” Everie responded. Keelia knew that she should, but what memory would Alvis have seen? Alvis didn’t talk for the rest of the time and Keelia was beginning to think that he’d never talk to her.

                The next morning was one of the mornings that Keelia slept in late because she didn’t bother setting an alarm. Literally all she had to do that bright sunny Friday was dress for the wedding. When she awoke she practiced her music. She hadn’t played outside school. The piano and violin felt calming to her hands and soul. She felt as though she could rest when she played. Rest from school, from friends and family, from the thoughts about Plydis and the Shen Drar (Ashen Clad). She felt as free as a bird when she played. She didn’t know what song she was playing by that point. It stretched on and on, an endless tune that kept on coming, never leaving her fingers. She would sketch it out on paper one of these days, she thought. When the song finally ended, she went back upstairs. She sat on her bed in the small, tidy room. Some days, she had an indescribable longing for her old home. Tennessee was a place where a dragon didn’t burn things up, or kill innocent people. A place where she wouldn’t ever belong anymore, but still a place she wanted to go to again. She wondered how tall Mabel was, and how her parent’s jobs were going. Was Samuel in college yet? Her brain stopped thinking for a moment. Of course he would be in college. He was two years older than her, not much, but enough to make her think. This year, she’d be turning seventeen. I will never feel like I’m seventeen. I can’t believe that it’s already July! It has only felt like a month since I arrived. I wonder if Mabel or Samuel miss me. Keelia looked at her clock and sighed. She should start getting ready for the night. Poor Johanna. Her parents die, and then she has to get married when she’s sixteen, and probably to a person that she barely knew. Keelia opened her small wardrobe up and selected a very simple pale purple dress and put her hair up into a simple braid. She walked downstairs, but sadly Eliza shooed her back upstairs and this time, sent her over to the Howell’s house. When Delisa opened the door, she looked like an actual princess going to a princess’s wedding.

                “Please don’t make me too fancy. I can only handle so much-” but before she could say anything, Delisa had pulled her upstairs and was making her put on a dark green dress. Much to Keelia’s relief, it was simple compared to the other gowns she’d seen. Then, of course, Delisa wanted to play with Keelia’s hair. Keelia regrettably let her. Delisa told Keelia that Alvis agreed to go to the wedding, and Keelia couldn’t help getting her hopes up that he would legit talk to her.

                Keelia looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t look like herself. She for once looked like an almost seventeen-year-old girl. Her hair was in a beautiful complex dutch crown braid that was complete with  intricate pins and real flowers. Delisa had made her look royal. “Is Princess Johanna going to be even fancier than this?” Keelia asked as she slipped her feet into heels that were sure to give her major blisters.

                “Probably. But I’ve never been to a royal wedding before, so I can’t be sure,” Delsia responded. Delisa was wearing a pale pink dress with thin wisps of fabric flowing out in various places, she looked like a fairy.

                “If my parents could see me, they probably wouldn’t recognize me, would they?” Keelia asked.

                “Parents recognize their kids no matter where they are, Keelia. Do you miss them much?” Delisa replied. Keelia nodded, tears flooding her eyes. She turned away toward Delisa’s large window so that she wouldn’t see her tears. She heard the door shut behind her, signaling that Delisa had left the room. Keelia allowed the tears slip from her face. She missed her family so much. She looked out at Crecklington. Nivara was quiet, but in some ways, Tennessee was more peaceful. Her heart longed to see her brother and her sister. But part of her heart was full of anger. If her real parents hadn’t abandoned her, then maybe she wouldn’t have to be going to this wedding feeling guilty for the deaths of the King and Queen. Or maybe, the King and Queen would still be alive.