3 The Defenders Test Part 1

Mana and Lucien stare at all four of them in shock. Inuy starts counting with his fingers. He points to Mana after reaching one.

"You... Y-You can't b-be serious?!" Mana angrily yells.

Lucien blinks. He points all over the place after Rose giggles. She stops after noticing Lucien glares. Flare sighs at the same time Inuy and Snow chuckle.

"Of course, it's real. Haven't you learn anything yet?" Inuy states while rolling his eyes. "This book is magical. We are magical boys and girl. Everything that has happened so far involves magic."

He grins while Mana sits down on the floor. She pushes her hair back in frustration and glances at Lucien. Lucien jumps up and down with joy. His eyes shine with joy and a very tiny spark. Rose's eyes expanded as Lucien grins.

"I want to be a Fairytale Defender! How do I become on?!" Lucien tilts his head a bit with puppy eyes.

Snow grins while Flare and Inuy glance at Rose with worry. Rose giggles softly. Inuy and the twins' glance at each other with a shared look of "she has a plan." 

 "All of us had to pass a test, so prove that we were worthy. Let us plan a test for both of you. If you pass, then you are allowed to become a Fairytale Defender. If not, then you shall forget about the book and everything so far. Does that sound fair?" Rose says.

 Lucien and Mana nod at the same time Flare shakes his head. He had hoped it was just going to be the four of them. Flare didn't want anyone else to join their small group. However, he knew that they needed more Fairytale Defenders now before things got worse. Flare gulps when Lucien nods while Mana slowly boops her head in agreement. 

 "Perfect. We shall see you in two days. Now, not to be rude... But get out of our house." Inuy grins. 

He watches while Lucien drags Mana out. Inuy sighs with relief after they exit the room. Flare glares at Inuy and Rose.

 "What are you two thinking?! Those two are not ready to take any tests yet. Plus, they just learned about magic!!" Flare yells in anger. 

Snow takes him a few feet away. He whispers something in his right ear after Rose tilts her head a bit. Flare takes several deep calming breaths while Snow smiles. He takes out a piece of paper and hands it to Rose.

 "I think the idea of those two joining us. We need more help anyways. You two can see it, don't you?" Snow smiled softly

. Inuy and Rose nod after Rose takes the paper. Snow chuckles as Inuy stare at the paper. A small blush forms on Inuys' cheeks while Rose glances at him then at Snow. She notices a tiny hint of love in their eyes as she grins evilly.

 "Right..." Rose said while the boys stare at her with confusion. "I have the perfect plan that could work, but I need some volunteers," 

 She takes a pencil out of her jean pocket and quickly writes something down. All of the boys surround Rose in confusion. She quickly hides the paper from them and grins. Flare notices a distinct look in Roses's eyes as she whistles. 

"I don't trust that look in your eyes... But, you are the best planner for tests. We are going to trust you on this." Inuy admits. Rose grins. 

"Great. That means you three are going to volunteer for me. Meet me back here in two days. I'll have everything planned out." Her grin grows as she skips away. 

Flare glances at her. He looks at Snow and Inuy with worry in his eyes. All three of them had the same confusion and fear expressions. 

 A few days later, Lucien jumps up and down in excitement at the same time Mana rubs her right arm. Rose glances at both of them before taking a deep breath. Rose clears her throat.

 "Today is an important day for the two of you. Both of you shall create a happy ending of your choice in the chosen fairytale." She says. 

A small grin grows on her face when a green book floats toward Lucien and Mana. Both of them blink while reading the spine of the book. The Frog Prince was written in pure gold cursive writing surrounded by matching gold lilypads

. "The Frog Prince?" Lucien and Mana said at the same time. 

 A small spark of curiosity starts to shine in Mana's eyes. Lucien tips his head to the left in confusion. A tiny spark of interest shines in his eyes. Rose grins as she nods.

 "That is correct. You are going into that fairytale. The test shall start once you enter. However, there are rules." Rose touches the book spine. "You must only communicate with me, each other, and the main characters. Both of you will have your own travel-size book. You are allowed to use it to guide you to the next part of the fairytale or communicate with me. There is only one shot at a happy ending. Make sure it is the happy ending that you want it to be. If you wish to quit, the words Let the story end. You will be transported out of the book. Any questions?"

 Mana and Lucien stare at her. They glance at each other before bitting their bottom lips. 

"Ummm, s-so is anything that-s w-we a-aren't allowed to-o do?" Mana questions. 

Rose nods with a small smile. Lucien opens then closes his mouth. He didn't like the look in Rose's eyes, but he didn't care at the moment. He really wanted to enter the book so badly. Lucien glances at the book then open it. Mana yelps after she transports into the book with Lucien. 

 Rose giggled as she grabs the book in her right hand. She clutches it tight. Her eyes soften after light reflects off the book. 

 "Those two are in for a surprise. We had to make a lot of changes in this test... And a certain ending that I hope happens." Rose says while flopping into a beanbag chair. "...I had to do a lot of rewriting for everyone to have a part. I wonder if Mana and Lucien will find their roles and give it all they got."

 Laughter fills the empty room while several books glow dimly. Rose scrambles to her feet into a battle position. Her bass guitar forms in her hands.

 "You are planning something, aren't you, dragon princess? I know that you are gaining more allies to help you break the curse." An elderly voice thunders. 

Rose glances around while gripping her guitar tightly. "I have no idea what you are talking about. I was just making sure that those two are worthy of becoming Fairytale Defenders." 

 She strums a single note before covering her ears. Sound waves spread out the room. The glowing books stop glowing while Rose uncovers her ears. She shakes a bit before flopping into the beanbag chair while her base guitar disappears. 

 Meanwhile, Mana yelps after she lands on a small pile of moss. She groans while getting moss out of her hair.

 "Ow! H-How do I e-end up bei-ing transp-ported into fair-rytales twice?" She mutters while dusting herself off. 

 Mana looks around in fear after realizing she was on the edge of a swamp. Her right eye twitches while glaring at the marsh. Her eye stops twitching after something lands on her head. The object quickly disappears with a single hop. Mana growls softly before letting out a high-pitched scream. 

 Nearby creatures scatter away from the sound of her scream. Mana takes a deep breath and sits on a log. She needed to calm down before continuing. 

"Of course, it's a swamp..." Mana whispers. "Why am I the one that has been dragged into a book twice..." She sighs while someone chuckles. 

Mana turns around in shock after a male figure walks toward her. She tilts her head in confusion when he pushes back some of his long red hair covering the right side of his ugly silver mask. 

 "I see that Little Dragon has decided to have another test here. You are a friend of hers, yes?" A harsh voice says. 

 Mana opens then closes her mouth as she nods. She gulps after the man exams her from top to bottom. The man grins while staring into her eyes. His pupils narrow slightly after noticing a tiny spark in her eyes. 

"It is interesting that she chose to send you here and not that boy." the man exclaims. "Just a small spark of magic... She must have a reason for sending you here." 

 "L-Listen, I don't k-know why R-Rose sent me h-here, bu-ut this is-s a mistake. I d-didn't want to b-be a pa-art of this at-t all. I-I was d-dragged into this-s tes-st because of L-Lucien. I-I won't le-et my curiosity get-t the bet-tter of me like-e him." Mana turns around with a puff and walks away.

 Suddenly, a hand grabs Mana by the wrist. She glares at the man. Her eyes widen at the same time the man presses his nose against her own. A spark of magic shines both of their eyes while the man backs away. 

 "You have the spark. A very faint spark of defender magic... Come with me. I need your help." the man says. 

 Mana stares at him in confusion. There was no way that she could trust him. A stranger wanted her to follow him deeper into the swamp. Why should she be following him when she did not want to be here? 

"Give me one reason why I should follow you." She said.

 The man grins. "A part of your test is with me until your friends come. If you wish not to get eaten by wild animals, I suggest you come with me." His grin grows as he walks more in-depth into the swamp. 

Mana blinks. She thinks a minute before sighing and following the man into the depths of the swamp. 

 In a large garden, Lucien lands on several branches of an apple tree before slamming into the ground. He groans while rubbing the back of his head. 

 "Ow! That hurt!!" Lucien said. 

 Someone chuckles while holding out a white-gloved hand. Lucien looks up then blinks.

 "Looks like you are helping me. I was wondering if Rose was going to send you." a soft voice says. 

 Lucien stares at Snow wearing a navy blue prince suit with gold accents and a crown covered in flame-shaped rubies and snowflake-shaped sapphires. Snow looks away with a bright blush on his face. He didn't know why Rose made him dress like this. It was a bit much for him, even though he did like the crown.

 "Ummm Snow, why are you dressed like a prince?" Lucien said, tips his head a bit. "This is Rose's own version of the fairytale. She wanted a version that has familiar faces and some unknown for you and Mana... Rose also wanted me to be one of the princes for some reason..." Snow stated. 

 Lucien tilts his head a bit in confusion. He notices Snow's eyes shifting a bit. Lucien didn't say anything as Snow hands him a white book about the size of his palm. He had never seen such a perfect white book before. It was something rare to come across since most of the older book covers were simple dull colors like green or brown. 

 "Here. This is your fairytale book. Keep it close to you at all times. It is your only link to R." Snow says. "If you lose it, there are going to be consequences." 

Lucien nods before taking it. His eyes widen in shock after the cover changes into a pale blue ombre with gold lining on the spine. A very tiny spark shines in Lucien's eyes while Snow blinks. Snow could not believe what he was seeing. 

 'That spark... It was the same spark that Mana had, but why is it so small? Is he not meant to be a Fairytale Defender?' Snow shakes his head. 'No. That can't be it. Maybe it's just starting to form now, because of this test... It seems possible, but it is still too early to be sure.' 

Snow sighs very softly. Lucien glazes up at him before smiling. His smile starts to fade while Snow looks away. Lucien knew that Snow was thinking about something, but he didn't know what. He figured it was a good idea that he didn't say anything at the moment. Lucien knew that Snow will eventually tell him. Right? 

He smiles while a small frog with small black dots on his back follows them. His yellow-amber eyes glance at Lucien then at Snow. The frog stops hopping. It quickly looks around before hiding in a nearby bush. 

 Sometime that night in a small hut, the masked man stirs a bubbling purple and pastel pink mixture in a massive black pot. Mana watches him before sighing. 

 "I-I don't mean t-to be rud-de or anythi-ing, but wh-hen are we go-oing to do som-mething fun?" She sighs with a small huff. 

The man glances at her then smiles. He mutters something in an old language. Purple and pastel pink gas start to full the hut. Mana stands up in shock while the man grabs her by the wrist. She blinked while feeling a gentle warmth fills her body. 

The man said, looking into her eyes. "Do not be afraid. Everything is alright. We are just entering a dream. The little dragon wanted me to show you this." 

 Mana stares at him in confusion. She knew that the man was still a stranger, but for some reason, she felt like trusting him. The man lets go of her as they stand in nothing but the gas. Mana blinks before the man takes several steps forward. 

 Suddenly, millions of lights float around them. The masked man chuckles while several lights fly through him. Mana stares in awe. She reaches out for one then blinks when it goes through her hand. 

 "Woah... How are you doing this?" She said, lowering her hand, "Something like this is impossible." 

 She glared at the masked man. Mana blinked after soft chuckles fill the air. The masked man glances at Mana then at his mask before taking it off. 

"Nothing is impossible. Any dream is possible to come true." a familiar voice said.

 Manas' eyes widen in shock as the mask falls in the fog. She stares at a gloved hand. Several lights surround the hand while someone chuckles. 

 "All of these dreams trust me. Do you have the same trust as the dreams?" the familiar voice with the glove says.

 Mana slowly reaches out for the gloved hand. Her hand stops as a glass wall forms at her fingertips. This couldn't be happening! Why was a glass wall built in front of her?! Her eyes widen in shock while dark chuckles fill the air. 

 "It seems that this one has a lot of learning before she can cross the line." a dark voice whispers.

 The gloved hand reaches out for Mana as darkness starts to sweep over them. Suddenly, Mana lets out a silent scream. She could feel the darkness enter her from the inside out. It felt like it was trying to take over her whole body.

 A single spot glows from her chest and spreads out through her body. Mana sits up with a jolt. She looks around in fear then sighs with relief after realizing she was in the hut. That dream or whatever it was couldn't be real, right? 

 Someone groans a bit after Mana jumps. Mana relaxes a bit before realizing that a dim light shows a limp of black. She shakes a bit after the limp starts moving. Bright ruby-red stare into her eyes. The ruby-red eyes change to sea-green color while silver-white hair covers his left eye. 

"F... Flare? Y-You're the mas-sked man... Why?" Mana questions. 

 Flare stares at her before sighing. Mana takes a step back while Flare sits up. He takes out a white book about the size of his palm. Mana stares at it before staring back at Flare. 

 "It's because I wanted to make sure that Rose was right. She isn't always right, and I just... I don't know what I was thinking. There... This book belongs to you." He toses the book at her.

 Mana quickly catches it and blinks when it becomes a pastel purple with a black question mark in the center. She stares at the book then back at Flare. 

 "I... I-I don't understand. W-Why are you givi-ing this t-to me now?" she whispers.

 Flare stares at Mana then place her right hand on the book. Mana tips her head with wonder. The book glows dimly while she stares at it. Flare chuckles. He knew that he should somewhat explain it. Rose didn't give him all of the details for some reason. 

 "Rose wanted me to give the book when the test started. But, I just had to make sure..." Flare looks away. "I have a hard time trusting new people, especially if Rose chose them herself. It makes things more complicated than it already is."

 His cheeks turn red while Mana blinks. She had no idea what Flare was talking about. What did he mean that she was going to make things more com... Her eyes widen a bit before staring into Flare's eyes.

 "I see... I-Is it because y-you are in l-love R-Rose and don't wan-nt to ru-uin your friendship?" Mana states, with a soft smile. 

Flare glares at her while the blush on his cheeks spread down to his neck. Mana giggles softly. It seems that she was right. However, she did not wholly forgive him for some of his actions from before. She just needed to understand his actions a bit.

She removes Flare's hand and holds the book close after Flare glances at her. She tilts her head a bit in confusion. Mana thought she saw the question mark changed for a split second, but didn't think about it so much when Flare said something as the sun started to rise. 

 At the castle, Snow watches the sunrise. He smiles as the sky fills with different shades of red, yellow, and orange. Sunlight changes his hair into a fiery red while his eyes become a bright forest green.

  "Today is the start of a new day. I wonder what kind of adventures we are going to have today." Snow whispers. 

 He glances behind him at the same time Lucien yawns. Lucien tips his head a bit. Snow grins while humming softly. He faces the rising sun after Lucien sits beside him. 

 "What song are you humming? It sounds familiar..." Lucien says. 

 Snow smiles softly. "It's a particular song that a lot of people know once they hear it... Extraordinary people used to sing it to all of us... It's the song of our hearts." 

 Lucien's eyes show confusion. He watches Snow take a deep breath while wet flops fill the silent room. Lucien glances to his right. Someone clears their throat after Lucien tugs Snow's sleeve. 

"Excuse me, but are you, Prince Snow?" A soft voice says. 

 Snow turns around at stares at a small frog with black spots on its back. He smiles before kneeling on one knee. The frog hops into his stretched out hand with joy in its eyes. Lucien stares at him in confusion. He didn't know what Snow was doing, but he had to stay calm for a bit. Snow says. 

"I'm guessing that your prince wants me. Tell him that I will be there in two days." The small frog nods after Snow sits it back on the floor. 

Lucien follows Snow toward another door connected to the room. He didn't know what was happening. However, he knew that things were about to become a bit weird. 

 "Snow, I have a question. Why are we waiting to meet the prince in two days? People have been telling me that it only takes half a day to get to the frog kingdom." Lucien says.

 "Oh, I know. Flare and I have some exceptional training for you and Mana." Snow says, with a faint grey light surrounds him.

 Lucien stares at him with wide eyes. He follows Snow without saying a single word. Snow glances at Lucien. Something was wrong. It was like someone drained all of his joy. This wasn't the Lucien that he knew. However, Snow didn't have time to think about that. He had to teach Lucien the first lesson that he was ever taught. 

 Snow grins as they enter a room with a waterfall, fireflies, and a small field. Lucien stares in awe after Snow jumps on a tall rock. He chuckles softly when Lucien reaches for a firefly.

 "What... What is this place?" Lucien says. "It's so beautiful here." 

 "This is an extraordinary room. It allows anyone to meditate and reflect on their inner selves." Snow whispers softly. 

 He closes his eyes while fireflies swirl around him. Lucien stares in awe. Snow smiles as small silver light come out of his chest. A silver saxophone forms in midair before Snow caught it. Lucien blinks then smiles big. 

 "Lucien, today you are learning the first step about any kind of magic... Expect for the forbidden magic, of course, " Snow says, with a grin. 

 Snow starts playing a scale with his eyes closed. 

Gray lights begin to float out and swirl around Lucien. Lucien laughs while the lights lift him off the ground. Each light slowly disappears after Lucien barely touches them with his hand. 

Suddenly, Lucien's eyes widen as one light starts to form into something else. A large spark of wonder shines in his eyes. Lucien slowly reaches out for it but stops after Snow stops playing. Snow chuckles when Lucien's feet touch the ground. Lucien glances at him then blinks. He didn't know if he should tell Snow about what he just saw. However, Lucien didn't have enough time to say anything when Snow clears his throat. 

 "The first step of magic is having a balance between yourself and the magical side. In the fairytale world, you can not have one without the other." Snow states, while playing a single note. "Magic is a wonderful and powerful thing. It can take control of you if you are not careful. Most magical users find it easier to control magic if they knew which right choices to make." 

"What do you mean the right choices?" Lucien questions.

 Snow opens his mouth while someone chuckles. He turns around in a bit of shock when Flare stares at him. Flare grins as Mana peek out from behind him. Lucien tips his head in confusion after Snow covers his mouth. 

 "It just usually means using your magic for good instead of evil," Flare says while rolling his eyes. 

 Lucien raises an eyebrow while Mana stands beside Lucien. Both of them glance at each other. Neither of them didn't know what to say or think. However, there was one thought that ran through both of their minds. Why are they teaching them about magic now? Both of them knew that something was wrong. 

Suddenly, Flare chuckles. He glances at Snow when he grins. Both of them nod in unison. Snow whistles to regain Lucien and Mana's attention. 

 "Alright. We want to show you how our magic can be used for good." Flare says.

 A small red light comes out of his chest. It forms into a ruby red keyboard guitar with a silver snowflake, orange dog paw, and a white dragon egg sticker on the lower right corner. Flare grabs it in midair and starts playing a scale. Red dots begin to form around everyone. Mana stares in awe after a large white spark starts to form in her eyes. Snow starts playing along. The dots and lights start swirling around Lucien and Mana. Both of them stare in wonder as the scale starts to become a melody. 

 Manas' heart starts pounding after the dots and lights turned into a galaxy. Lucien blinks after the spark disappears in his eyes. He stared at Mana. Her eyes shine with mixed emotions while Lucien backs away.

 Luciens' eyes widen in shock after noticing a small blinking purple orb in the center of her chest. At that moment, time seemed to slow down for Lucien. He knew that he wasn't meant to be a part of the Fairytale Defenders or learn about magic. Lucien had seen the thing that Rose saw in both of them in his book. But why was he chosen? It didn't make much sense to him. 

Flare and Snow stop playing after someone chuckles. Both of them turn around in shock as their instruments disappeared. 

Snow says. "As you can see, good magic can bring a smile to people. But that is only if we have a balance between magic and reality..." He stops talking after noticing a small gold leaf floating in the air. 

Flare glances behind him. He sighs after someone softly chuckles. 

 "It seems that one of them is going to be a future defender, and the other has a gift. I wonder if they realized where they belong." a voice that sounds like a king full of compassion.

Lucien and Mana tilt their heads in confusion as a man walks toward them. He had short, pixie cut ruby red hair. His clothes were a long pastel green dress that reaches to his ankles, tan sandals with green beads on the stripe, and gold leaves and vines wrapped around his neck and wrists. On the top of his head was a gold crown with matching thin strands covered in tiny diamonds. His emerald green eyes glance at Mana and Lucien. 

 The man grins and chuckles softly. Flare sighs and places a hand on the mans' shoulder. Snow glances at him before nodding. He takes a deep breath while forming a fake smile. Lucien and Mana glance at each other with worry. 

 "Lucien, Mana, this is Maho. He is a very good friend of ours. Maho, meet..." Snow says. 

"The girl that is possibly going to be the next Fairytale Defender and the boy who appears to be more than what he seems to be." Maho states. "Both of them have the spark that Rose saw in the boys... I wonder which one is going to become the next Fairytale Defender." 

 He chuckles at the same time Mana raises an eyebrow. She didn't know what to think about this man. Mana didn't trust him because of the look in his eyes. Her pupils narrow a bit after noticing a chuck of red hair turning silver on his right side for a second. Mana sighs softly after Maho grins. Flare and Snow glance at each other with worry.

 Lucien stares at everyone before taking several steps back. He had a feeling of what Maho was and why he was here. However, Lucien did not know until later when Maho was alone. 

 "Flare, Snow, I want you to train Mana a bit. She needs a bit more help to find her balance than Lucien." Maho says with a grin. "I want to train Lucien for a bit." 

 Mana stares at Maho in shock. Snow nods before leading Mana away. Flares' eyes harden after walking past Lucien.

 Lucien gulps after Maho chuckles. Maho stares into Lucien's eyes. Fear started to show in their eyes while listening to the sound of the waterfall. Both of them said nothing. Maho snaps his fingers as a sparkling force field surrounds them.

 "No one can hear us now. Tell me, what do you think I am." Maho says.

 Lucien whispers softly. "A spirit or a fairy... R sent you to keep an eye on us." 

 Maho hums before his grin turns into a soft smile. Lucien starts at him in shock. He stares at torn peach wings flip a bit. Maho chuckles after his eye color changes dark forest green. 

 "You were right about the fairy part. However, you are wrong about the rest." Maho states. "I came on my own will after feeling a disturbance in the magical force... Lucien, I think that you are not meant to be a Fairytale Defender. You have a different destiny." 

 Luciens' eyes widen before tipping his head a bit. He did not know what to say. Maho couldn't be right. Lucien thought he was going to be one ever since Rose told them. There was no way that Maho was right.

 "I can see that you don't believe me... Take a look at Mana. Watch how she interacts with Snow." Maho says. 

 Lucien blinks. He slowly looks at Mana after Maho turns his head in her direction. Maho grins as Mana watches Snow summons a guitar for her. Mana tries to play a chord. She pouts after nothing comes out. Snow talks to her before helping her finger the strings. Mana tries again before smiling as a small spark comes out. A massive smile starts to form, while Snow shows how to place her fingers correctly.

 "No way... It's not possible...." Lucien whispers.

 "But it is. Mana has the spark of the Defender." Maho says. "You are meant to be something else. I have no idea what it is. You must discover it for yourself after learning the balance between magic and reality.... I must take my leave now." 

 Maho snaps his fingers and walks away. Lucien stares at him in shock. His hands start shaking after Flare stands beside him. Either of them said a word while Snow continues to teach Mana different instruments. 

 Somewhere else, someone chuckles after pinning a figure with dark orange to the ground. A gold crown rolls off the head toward a crowd of scared frogs. Each one of them was shaking in fear. A gloved hand picks up the crown after dark laughter fills the air. 

 "Tonight, your prince has fallen. I shall be the ruler. This kingdom is now under the control of my master. His word is our law." A deep voice says. 

 The figure on the ground mutters something while the frogs become still. A fire burns in their eyes. The person raises his hands with a neon orange glow surrounding them. Everything stops moving as a burst of orange energy flies into the air. A neon orange blossom forms around a curled-up figure while someone chuckles. 

 "You can try and protect yourself all you want. But I will come after all of you. My master will have all of your powers." the deep voice says. 

Suddenly, Rose, Flare, and Snows' eyes widen in shock after feeling chills running down their spine. All of their faces pale as they stop moving. Mana stares at Snow when he stops moving. He glances at Flare after nodding.

 "Lucien, Mana, change of plans. The test is over." Snow says.

 "W... What?! You can't be serious!!" Mana yells. 

 Her eyes expanded after Rose appears beside Flare with sparkles disappearing. Lucien stares at everyone before his hands start shaking. He didn't like the look of things now that Rose was here. Something was very wrong. His smile wavers while Rose blinks. 

Rose says, the tone of annoyance. "It looks like I made it in time for the explaining... Care to help me, boys?" 

 Flare and Snow shake their heads. Mana raises an eyebrow before sighing. She had an idea about what it was about. Flare had told her that Inuy was one of the princes. Her face shows worry after realizing that Rose came because something happened to Inuy. 

 "Inuy was a part of this fairytale. However, an alley of our enemy attacked him and taken over the kingdom he was assigned. This fairytale is in danger now that Inuy is possibly captured by him." Rose says. "The three of us are going after him. We are going to send you two..." 

 She blinks when Lucien and Mana shake their heads at the same time. Rose stares at them in confusion. Snow and Flare glance at each other with worry. None of them were suspecting that Mana and Lucien refusing to go home. 

 "We refuse to leave. Inuy is our friend, and we want to save him." Lucien says. "You are going to need all the help that you can get to rescue him." 

 Mana nods with determination in her eyes. Rose hums while tapping her right foot. She had to make the right decision not only for the group but for the whole fairytale. It was something that needed to be thought through before they head out.

 'This is going to be hard. I want both of them to go. It would be an excellent example to use magic for good instead of evil. However, it would be difficult for me and the twins to battle at maximum...' Rose thought. 'I do trust Lucien and Mana. However, they need to go home. This is not the time or place. It is best for everyone.' Rose nods then slowly open her mouth. 

She stops mid-way before blinking. Mana tips her head a bit after a sparkling purple hand was placed on the top of her head. A female figure smiles at Rose before disappearing. Rose sighs with a bit of worry in her eyes. 

 "Alright. You two can come. However, you must be careful. This rescue mission isn't going to be easy." Rose states. "We don't want anyone to get hurt." 

 She turns away and walks away. Everyone blinks before Mana sighs with relief. She knew that she didn't want them to come along, but something changed her mind. Mana nods while following the others. 

Somewhere deep in the swamp, Rose moves several vines out of the way. Flare barely dodges them before holding them back for the others. It had been several hours since they left. Everyone expects Snow and Rose were becoming worn out. Flare says. 

"R, we have to stop. It's clear that most of us are getting tired." "No. We must keep going. Inuy needs our help." Rose growls. 

 She takes another step forward before tripping over a root. Snow and Flare quickly help her up after landing in mud. Flare wipes the mud off her face while Snow quickly checks her for any injuries. Both of them knew that they needed to speak their minds before anyone else got hurt. 

"We have to stop. One of us is going to get hurt." Snow states. "R, Inuy will be fine. He is strong, just like the rest of us." 

 Rose glances behind her. Her eyesight stop at Mana and Lucien. Their faces show signs of tiredness from walking for several hours. Something clicked in her mind, Rose nods slowly while Flare sighs with relief. He helps her to a nearby root on dry land as Snow helps Mana and Lucien to another nearby tree root.

 "I-I'm so h-happy that w-we're taking a b-break..." Mana questions. "H-Hey, I have-e a question. W-Why are you-u guys s-so worried about In-nuy?" 

The twins glanced at each other then at Rose. Both of them know that Mana asked a question about a somewhat sensitive topic. Rose could be protective of everyone close to her, especially if it were someone in her adopted family.

 "Inuy is strong like the rest of us, but he lacks in magic," Flare said. "He can hold off non-magical creatures without a problem. However, most of our enemies have magical powers. Inuy can barely fight them. The only type of magic he can do is summon his instrument and send out magical signals."

 "But-t that makes no sens-se... H-How is that e-even pos-sible?" Mana states. 

 Snow answered. "We don't know exactly... He could have gained some knowledge from his mother. She did teach him magic before disappearing."

  Mana and Lucien's eyes show confusion after Rose glares at him. Her eyes harden at the same time Flare facepalms. Snow chuckles nervously. 

 Something started to click within Mana's mind. She began to understand why Rose was so worried. But why was she that worried? Was there something that she wasn't telling about Inuy? Her brain started to create more questions than answers. 

 Rose sighs then snap her fingers. Lucien blinks after a fire magically forms in front of them. It was terrific that Rose was to create something so simple with little effort. He smiles while a huge spark shines in his eyes.

 Flare glances at Lucien before glancing at Rose. He was worried about her and Inuy. It was a natural thing for Inuy and Rose to be protective of each other. But, the way that Rose is acting is different than usual. It was like she was trying to protect him from something. Flares' face barely scrunches up with his eyes showing anger and worry. 

"I will be back in a bit. You four look hungry. There has to be food around here." Rose remarked

. She quickly stands up and walks toward the West. Flare shakes his head. Snow pats his back while poking the fire. Both of them said nothing. Mana glances up at them before staring into the fire. Lucien clears her throat.

 "I hate to ruin the peaceful mood, but why is Rose so protective? She doesn't seem like the protective type." Lucien questions.

 Flare stared at the ground and didn't know what to say. Lucien and Mana were becoming curious about Rose. There were a lot of things that he could say about her. Most of them were positive since he was a childhood friend of hers. However, all of her current personality was connected to Rose's past. The past that no one but Rose and very few adults knew about.

 "We can't accurately answer that." Snow stated. "Rose has always been protective of her family since we were little. It had to do with some of her past. Both of us, Inuy, and Hibiki don't know about her history. Only Crystal, Soul, and Rose know about it. The rest of us are in the dark as you." 

 Mana frowns after more questions pop in her head. There was something that weird about all of this. Why would Rose keep her history a secret? Was there something that she was trying to hide? Mana didn't know what to think anymore. She is going to do some detective work after all of this and bubble bath. 

Suddenly, everyone jumps after a figure slams into a tree behind Mana and Lucien. Lucien and Mana slowly turn to face. Their faces pale after watching Rose slide down. She slowly stands up on her feet with her legs shaking. 

"They know... They know that we're coming!" Rose yells. "Get Mana and Lucien out of here!!"

 Snow and Flare grab Lucien and Mana by the wrist before running. Rose breaths in sharply. She had to buy them some time. Lucien and Mana were the aces in the hole. 

 A shadow of an unknown figure starts to cover while Rose glances up. She smirks as a white scaled tail with a feathered end, and white bat-like wings begin to form. The shadow stops after Roses' smirk starts to grow.

 "You want to battle. Then let's battle!" Rose yells. "Are you brave enough to face the dragon?!"

 She slowly breaths out. Rose could feel it slowly rising up her throat. A massive roar spreads out through the silence. The boom causes the ground to start shaking while Rose leaps forward with eyes like a warrior. 

Flare and Snow quickly cover Mana and Lucien while feeling the ground shaking under them. Lucien whines as he caught glimpses of the earth, splitting open five feet away from them. Mana screams after trees begin to fall. Flare and Snow glance at each other, being covered with dust and dirt. 

Suddenly, the shaking stops. Everyone coughs as the dust begin to clear. Flare slowly stands up and glances around. His eyes widen in shock after examining the damage around them. Flare knew that roar was from a dragon, but that roar was not from any typical dragon. 

His bangs cover his eyes after Snow glances at him. Mana covers her mouth as she stands up. Snow and Lucien just stare in shock. All of them had nothing to say after seeing the damage. However, each of them had the same thought in their minds. How did that roar have so much power? 

 "Wow... That was unbelievable..." Lucien questions. 

 "I... I know... That roar was powerful... Extremely powerful." Flares whispers. 

Snow glances at everyone before his eyes soften. None of them knew that the roar came from Rosie in her half-dragon form. He had only seen it once when they were little and training under Crystal Heart. It was one of the most potent ways Rose could transform into. Snow had figured out quickly that their enemy must be mighty for her to take that form. 

 He nods then glances to his right after hearing something snap. Lucien raises an eyebrow then wides his eyes in fear as a fireball flies toward him. Flare shoves Lucien away from it before barely dodging it himself. Mana's eyes expand after Snow gets off of her. Both of them start running with Flare, and Lucien follows in suit. 

 "You can't get away from me, little fairies. Just surrender to me already." a voice says. 

 Flare growls before taking a deep breath. A small wave of calmness covered his whole body before summoning dozens of sparkling red piano keys in front of him. Lucien watches in awe as Flare starts playing after letting go of his hand. Different sizes of red dots start to form under everyone's feet while Flare plays some danger-filled music. 

Lucien laughs as all of them float in the air. Mana looks around at the same time Snow chuckles. Flare lets out a small sigh of relief after he starts playing softly. He knew it was right to use his magic to help them escape from danger. Everyone was going to be safe for a while while they come up with a plan. He hums along while all of them continue to float away.

 A person stops after rainbow ribbons of light wraps around their waist. The person turns around in anger as Rose pulls the fabrics toward her. She smiles with a fire burning in her eyes and giggling. 

"Oh no, you don't!" Rose yells. "You're fighting with me!!" 

 The person chuckles after breaking the ribbons. Rose's smile grows when the man growls deeply. Both of them let out a battle cry as they run toward each other. 

 Somewhere else, Flare stops playing the piano keys after noticing an open flower field. All of them land in the flower field. Mana sighs with relief at the same time Lucien kisses the ground. Flare glances at both of them and Snow and smiles very softly.

 'I am glad that I got all of you here safely.' Flare thought, swaying from side to side. 

 He falls to his hands and knees. Snow quickly rushes to his side. Mana and Lucien watch while Flare takes deep breaths. He grins after Snow helps him to sit position. 

 "I'm alright... It just took a lot of energy." Flare says. 

 Snow mutters something under his breath before getting a stick off of Flare's back. He starts drawing in a bright patch of ground. Mana and Lucien glance at each other before joining the twins.

 "No... That won't do... Chanson would expect us to do that." Snow mutters. "He wants us, so this fairytale can belong to Drossmelyer.." 

 Mana stares at a poorly drawn swamp area with a castle in the center. She tips her head a bit. Her brain was trying to figure out the best plan. Mana knew that they are going to need some more help. Suddenly, Mana's face lights up with a smile on her face. 

 "What if we use the subjects to help us? They would want their prince to be free just as much as Rose. Maybe all of them can help us." Mana says. 

 Flare answered. "That could work... But are they willing to help us? We know that some creatures are not willing to help us at all." 

 Mana frowns at the same time her face starts to show sadness. Lucien stared at her before standing up. His mouth opens a bit then closes it. He smiles after different animal cries fill the air. Flare blinks at the same time Snow and Mana look around them. 

 All of their eyes widen as thousands of frogs, toads, and reptiles surround them. Mana squeaks at the same time the twins blinks. Lucien takes several steps forward before kneeling in front of a toad. Everyone watches him as he smiles. 

 "We want to help. Will you help us?" Lucien whispers. 

The toad nods at the same time every frog, toad, and reptile let their animal cry. Flare lets his jaw drop. He didn't know what to say. It was nearly impossible for someone like Lucien to communicate with animals. He had seen Fuwari communicate with animals, but this was different. Was there something more than what he was seeing? 

 He slowly gets on his feet when Snow grins. Mana blinks while a frog starts talking to them. She didn't know how Lucien did that, but things were about to get strange or disgusting. 

Hours later, Mana tries to gag while crawling through a sewer system. Flare chuckles as he makes a right. A toad leads the way at the same time Mana whines.

 "Mana, I need you to stop with the groaning and moaning. We are almost near the throne room." Flare says. 

 Mana answers. "Well, I can't correctly do that! It's the sewers! No one but the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would like something like this!!"

 Flare sighs and keeps crawling until stopping a single ray of light. He grins as he stands up. Mana watches after he lifts a lid off. Both of them quietly climb out. Their eyes widen as they stare at a room covered in moss and vines. Flare quickly grabs two moss covers. He drapes one over Mana before leading out of the room. 

 "Keep quiet and stay close to me." Flare whispers. 

 Mana opens her mouth, then closes it before nodding. She wanted to say that he didn't have to protect her. But, it was best to keep her mouth shut for now. Flare knew what he was doing. It was not the first time he had done something like this. Mana sighs and follows Flare out of the room. 

 Somewhere else, a pair of dark orange eyes flutter open. The eyes widen in shock as a single hand reaches forward. It touches an orange petal. Their eyes expanded in shock after realizing what's going on. 

 'Someone... help me...' a voice thought. 

 The hand lowers before the vision becomes blurry. The dark orange eyes start to close. Pale pink lips mouth something as everything becomes black.

 Somewhere in the castle, Mana stops walking. She looks around with a frown on her face. Her brain was telling her that something wasn't right. It felt like someone was trying to communicate with her. Mana's eyes widen in fear as her head starts pounding. She starts curling up while clutching her head.

 Flare quickly turns around after realizing that Mana stopped following him. He rushes to her side. Mana stares at him with tears running down her face. Flare knew what that look was. He quickly glances around before dragging Mana into the shadows. Mana opens her mouth to say something but blushes red after Flare holds her close. 

 "It's alright... I'm here." Flare whispers. "Just relax. It is just a simple magic trick."

 He holds her as tight while Mana closes her eyes. Her mind becomes clear. An image of Inuy forms in her head. He says sing before disappearing. 

"Why..." Mana whispers. "Why-y is I-Inuy telling me-e to si-ing. I don't understand." Flare answered. "I am not fully sure. Magic spells for the brain are a bit tricky to understand... It could be that Inuy was trying to tell us a way to save everything." 

 "B-But why me? I d-don't understand w-why he-e wants me t-to do it." Mana says.

 Flare bites his bottom lip. He wanted to tell Mana that Inuy usually works in mysterious ways. Inuy can see things that the rest of them can't. It was a gift that he, Rose, and their little brother received from their mother. Flare answers back softly. 

"It is hard to explain... But let's just say that Inuy has a gift that was passed down to him and his brother. Mana, all you need to know is that Inuy wants you to do it because he has a plan. You have to trust him and listen to what he has to say." 

 Mana slowly nods and closes her eyes. Her whole body relaxes after Flare lets go of her. Flare lays her on the ground.

 'It is time for you to rest, little one. You are going to need it... You and Lucien are about to start a long journey to become a Fairytale Defender. Each of you will journey to find what your magical spark is and how to use it... I know that both of you are ready for it when the time comes.' Flare thought while watching for moving shadows on the wall. 

 Mana swirls around in awe while watching hundreds of lights float down like snowflakes. She reaches out for several. Her eyes show joy and a hint of questioning as they slide through her hands.

 "Someone... Help... Someone, please.... Help me..." A tiny voice says. 

 The lights float in the air as Mana hears the voice. She takes a step to her left while barely tipping her head to the side. Mana takes several more steps forward. Suddenly, her feet start moving on their own. Mana starts sprinting as the voice began to get louder and louder. 

The voice stops after something caught Manas' right eye. A tiny orange crystal dog vibrates in the air. It stays for a second after noticing Mana blinks and reaches out for it. It slowly backs away. Mana didn't know what to do, but she had to do something.

 Mana says. "It is alright. I am not going to hurt you. There is no way I can harm something so gorgeous like a crystal dog."

 The crystal dog stops vibrating. It floated into her hand. Mana's eyes show mixed emotions while glazing at each curve. A faint spark shines in the center, causing some of the reflections to become show hints of a rainbow. 

"I never have seen a crystal be this color of orange before. It is nearly impossible unless..." Mana whispers. 

A gentle voice says, "Unless it is magic. You're correct on that, little miss." 

Mana blinks at the same time, a pale orange crystal sword floats to her. It glows brightly before changing into a woman in her late thirties. Her bright neon orange eyes stare deeply into Mana's eyes while her wavy pale orange hair covers her right eye. The woman smiles as her armor shines from the floating lights. The lights start to move again. Mana slowly opens her mouth, then closes it. She noticed a familiar spark in her eyes. It was a similar spark that Inuy has while performing a song. 

"W-Who are you? W-Why do you have-e the s-same spark-k like I-Inuy?" Mana questions. 

She blinks after the woman's eyes soften. The woman could see the interest in her eyes. It was the same interest Rose has when she was learning something interesting. 

The woman says. "V... V Wolf. I am a former Fairytale Defender and the spiritual guardian for Inuy. Inuy sent me to help you find your courage." 

Mana stares at her in confusion. V sighs and places a hand on top of her head. The floating lights zoom away while Mana blinks and tips her head a bit. Mana stares in shock after images of Inuy form around them. Each one was something showing each act of courage throughout the years. Mana stares at most of them while V giggles.

 "What... W-What is all of this?" Mana whispers. "I-I never seen-n something-g like this before."

 V explains. "All of them are examples of Inuy having amounts of courage running through him. He had to summon something deep inside of him to find his courage and pride." 

V waves her hand, causing the images to move. She selects a picture of the kid version of Inuy protecting someone from a wolf. Mana watches Inuy defend himself with a thick stick. It stops after noticing a small orange spark in his heart. 

"What is that? I never have seen that spark before." Mana says.

"That is the core of his magic and courage... This was the first time that he learned how to use it properly. He was protecting N from a wolf until Rose got back with their mother. N is one of the reasons that Inuy had to be brave and fight." V said. 

Mana tilts her head before staring at the image. Her vision mostly focuses on the bright neon eyes. Bright neon eyes shine brightly while the wolf runs away. A vast spark shines in her eyes. Mana felt those eyes stare into her soul. It was almost like he was trying to let his light shine through everything allowing them to be covered by a sunlight. V smiles before carefully placing a tiny light in Mana's hair.

 'It is good that she is starting to learn about all of this. I know that she is going to play a big part in breaking Rose's curse.' V thought, with her eyes soften.

 Mana blinks as everything becomes starts to become white. She glances back at V. V's smile grows while waving goodbye. Mana starts to open but stops after a light covers her.

 Flare mutters under his breath while Mana slowly sits up. She rubs her eyes at the same time, realizing that everything she shows was a dream. Mana sighs and taps Flare on the shoulder. 

"Not now, Mana..." Flare says. 

He quickly turns around then blinks. Mana blushes after Flare chuckles and pats her head. A gentle wave of warmth runs throughout her body. Mana blinks and stares at Flare in confusion. 

"F-Flare, I hav-ve a question... Why-y a-am I feeling t-this wave of gentle w-warmth e-every time y-you touch me?" Mana asks. "I-It feels s-so strange and yet..." 

"The gentle warmth you are feeling is called gentle love. Crystal once told us that when someone feels this gentle warmth, it means that they know they have someone who is there for you. She said that very few people can feel this." Flare explains.

 Mana nods while her eyes glance to the left. Flare smiles softly at the same time his eyes soften. He can tell that Mana wanted to hear more, but he lacked the information that she wante

Flare whispers. "Let's get going. We have somewhere to be... If you don't feel safe, just hold my hand." H

her of them said anything until they reach massive doors with small detailed lily pads, reptiles, and vines on the doorframe. Mana stares at the doorframe before taking Flare's hand. Flare glances at her then barely squeeze her hand. 

"On the count of three, we open the door," Flare says, grabbing the spiral doorhandle. "One.."

 "Two," Mana said, grips the other handle. 

Both said, turning the handles and pushing them forward. "Three!" 

They stare in shock after noticing the room covered in growing vines. Flare's face pales with his pupils narrow. His eyes show vines wrapping around a neon orange blossom.

 "No..." Flare whispers. "Inuy, what have you done?" 

His breathing becomes irregular as someone chuckles. Vines wrap around both of them. Mana screams after being lifted high in the air in the tight grip of the vine. Flare struggles to break free as a figure starts coming out of the shadows. 

"I told you that you couldn't escape from me, little fairies." A low, deep voice says. "No one can escape from me." 

A man in his late thirties grins after stepping into the light. He pushes back his dark forest green hair that fades into light forest green around the ankles. Pink eye shine with anger, thoughtfulness, and sadness after the light reveals a skinny man around 5 feet tall. He glances at Flare before tipping Flare's head up with two fingers. 

"Chason, you have to stop this. This is not you at all." Flare stated. 

"Little fairy, you can't stop me. Have you not learned your lesson yet?" Chanson says. 

Flare grunts as the vine grip tighten. He glances at Mana with worry in his eyes. Chanson notices Flares' glance and stares at Mana. Mana bites her bottom lip after Chanson gets close to her face. His pupil expanded as a massive glowing spark shine in Mana's eyes. "

She has the spark..." Chanson whispers, backing away from Mana. 

A giant smile grows on his face. Chanson snaps his fingers. Mana gasp as Rose and Snow struggle to break free from a cage made out of vines. Rose roars at the same time Snow covers his mouth. 

Snow yells. "Don't make any deal that he is going to make! It's a..." 

He grabbed his throat when he said nothing. Rose glares at Chanson. She wanted to harm him for taking away Snow's voice and trapping all of them. A blur catches the corner of Rose's eye. She blinks after noticing Lucien, trying to get close to Chanson. 

'How is that possible? Lucien should be captured like the rest of us... Is it possible that this is part of a plan?' Rose thought.

 She glances at Snow. He stares at Chanson before shifting his eyes at Lucien. Lucien nods as he continues making his way toward Chanson. Rose blinks then tries to break free. She had to keep up with the act until Lucien did what he had to do.

"Now, you have two choices. You give yourself up and I spare the girl... Or she dies along with your friends." Chanson says. 

Everything stops moving after Flare lets his jaw drop. It was impossible to choose between his own life and the only people he knows and cares about. He glances at the ground while Mana looks away.

Chanson chuckles while the vine slowly starts to cover Mana. Fear showed in her eyes after the vine moves across her mouth. Rose growls and snarls. Chanson grins with a gleam in his eyes.

 'No! This can't end like this... I don't want to go like this...' Mana thought as her world becomes black.

 "Mana, what are you fighting for?" A familiar male voice says. 

Mana's eyes flutter open as she notices small orange and purple lights floating around her. Her gaze turns to Inuy after he smiles at her. Neither of them said a word. Mana didn't know what to say or do. But she knew a tiny part of the answer to his question.

 Inuy states, taking the light that V placed in her hair. "You know what to do. All you have to do is to have the courage and let it out." 

He places the light into her hands. Inuy takes a step back at the same time Mana blinks. She knew what Inuy was saying, but she didn't know what she wanted to fight for. Mana was unlike him or the others.

'What am I fighting for? I never thought about it until now.' Mana thinks. 'Each of them has some idea about what they are fighting for. How will I know when I find what I am looking for? I don't have any dreams...' 

Suddenly, her thinking stops after realizing something. A smile starts to form on her face. Inuy nods as he notices the smile that Mana was making. 

"I am fighting to find my dream. The dream that will shine just as brightly as everyone else." Mana says. 

Inuy sighs before grinning after everything is covered in vines. Mana blinks then start struggling. She gives up after a few minutes. There was no escape from the vines unless she had something to wedge herself out. Mana glances around before sighing. Her hand slowly uncurl as the small light shines between the opening. A single gleam reflects off of it after Mana smiles. 

Mana tenderly whispers. "Little light, please shine bright and give me the power to save my friends." 

The light starts to grow after a massive wave of energy shook Mana's core. Mana smiles softly. Her eyes closed as the growing light covers her. 

Rose stops moving after feeling a massive wave of energy. Snow glances at her before nodding at Lucien. Lucien grins and jumps on Chanson. Chanson yelps while trying to get Lucien off. 

A blinding light breaks apart before revealing Mana. She glances at her pastel violet ruffled dress, tan sandals, match violet elbow gloves, deep violet beaded bracelets, and deep violet choker with a pastel violet seashell charm. Her eyes shine with joy and happiness. Mana squeals after everyone blinks.

 "I can't believe this! This outfit is so cute!!" Mana exclaims in delight. 

Suddenly, a microphone made out of violet crystal appears in front of her. Mana stares at it for a bit before grabbing it. Her eyes widen while music starts playing from out of nowhere. 

'This song... It couldn't be..' Mana thought. 

Mana says, posing with her hands in the shape of a heart on her left. "FAIRYTALE VOICE, LIVE START!"

 Chanson gasp and tries to cover his ears. Lucien quickly holds his hands back. He lets out a breath of relief after Mana's singing breaks the vines tripping Flare. Flare rapidly blinks. He rushes over to the cage.

 "Hang on, you two. I'm coming!" Flare yells, after summoning piano keys.

 Flare starts playing a face pace melody. Dozens of sharp light forms form before slicing the cage into dozens of pieces. Rose leaps out at the same time, Snow smiles big. He rushes toward Flare and hugs him tightly. Flare hugs back with a sigh of relief. 

Rose states, pinning down Chanson with the help of Lucien. "Nice try. But you also understatement our teamwork. Will you never learn?" 

Chanson smiles as he starts to fade away. Lucien stares in shock. The twins glanced at Chanson and quickly pull Lucien back. Mana tips her head after the music stops. Chanson chuckles with only his head left.

 "You forget one thing, little dragon. I always find a way to escape from your grasp." Chanson exclaims. "No one can capture me." 

Rose lets her bangs cover her face after Chason's head disappears. Mana watches in awe when the vines vanish entirely. The neon orange blossom opens to reveal Inuy sleeping in the center. 

"Inuy!!" The twins yelled, racing toward him.

 Inuy slowly sits up, then yelps after Snow and Flare hug tackles him. Snow blushes red while hearing Inuy chuckle and hugging both of them back. Flare sighs with relief after feeling two waves of gentle warmth through him. 

Inuy says. "I missed you too. But, I got to talk to several people." 

The twins let go of Inuy before walking toward Lucien, Rose, and Mana. Lucien and Mana glance at each other. None of them said anything until Inuy helps Rose to her feet. Inuy pats the top of Rose's head and sighs. 

"Thank you, both of you... I know that you two did your part and more after all of this." Inuy said. "Mana, Lucien, I believe that both of you have passed the test." 

Lucien and Mana smile and nod before Inuy snaps his fingers. 

Timeskip to two days later 

Rose sips on a tall glass of lemonade while Lucien gulps down a milkshake. Mana sighs before closing a book. Her face showed a bit of anger. Rose glances at her face then sigh while moving her lemonade away. 

"You two must be wondering about why I ask you to visit me at this cafe... Well, I have come to tell you that both of you have to pass the test. Even though it was different from what we planned, all of us have decided that you passed after showing your courage and knowledge in the face of danger." Rose states. 

Mana opens her mouth, then closes it. Lucien squeals in delight and grins. He jumps out of his seat and hugs Rose before running away. Mana and Rose stare at each other, then raise an eyebrow. 

Lucien looks around before hiding in a nearby alleyway. He takes a deep breath then takes out two Pritickets. Tears start to form on the edge of his eyes while staring at the image of Rose wearing a snowflake dress while the other was Mana in a simple dress with a star-pattern.

 "I am glad that you made your mind about that... I don't know if I was worthy enough to be a Fairytale Defender. Especially after what Maho said to me... I wonder if I am really meant to be one. I guess we will find out." Lucien says. 

He walks out of the alleyway after dropping the Pritickets. A sudden breeze causes the Pritickets to fly to the top of a tall building with a greenhouse garden. The tickets lands beside a single white rose. A gloved hand picks them up along with the rose then giggles softly.

 "It seems that my own little girl has some drama coming her way. I wonder how she will handle it." A gentle mature voice says. 

The mature voice chuckles softly while placing the tickets in his breast pocket. Someone smells the white rose slowly starts to change into pastel rainbow colors.

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