Finna (continues)

Prince Flame went into the hallway and the stairs while Bubbles turned to the prince on the floor. “Finally, we meet. The ghost should be here as I expected it.”

“Leave the Prince Flame alone. He has nothing to do with the ring.”

“What if he liked the girls? I would have--”

“You would be less powerful than him. You would not rule the Lava Valley. Not even with the obsidian rock.”

“You hurt the rock’s feelings.”

“It has no feelings. The rock cannot move. Only you can feed it with jewelry.”

The prince stood by the wall. “I dislike your presence. I want to devour you. I would have become invisible and do my own goals.”

Bubbles vanished before the prince snatched him. “Cobalt!”

The vulture came through the doorway and landed on his shoulder. “Find his pet and try to befriend it.”

“That would be hard, prince.”

“Try to be easy with him. I want to see if he knows Prince Flame liked girls.”

Cobalt flew away and found Scruffy met Prince Flame outside of the castle. He watched them embrace, and his heart ached for friendship. “I will make the obsidian prince proud by doing his orders!”

When Prince Flame was in the bedroom, Scruffy slept on the cushion. Bubbles said to surprise him, “Do not meet the obsidian prince again.”

“He controlled me with his loud voice. It is irresistible if I was attached to him by magic.”

“Do not meet again. Promise me?”

“I was looking for you while Cobalt attacked Scruffy in the same spot you were there yesterday. I was told to heal him.”

“Thank you for finding me.”

“Also, I talked to Cupcake about you missing. I needed to talk to her again.”

Prince Flame entered the bathroom to write on the mirror with the pen. He wrote the details similarly and talked to Bubbles earlier.

She did not reply. Then, he thought, “Probably, sleeping again?”

Meanwhile, Cupcake was in the office typing news onto the Rock Community website. She wanted to put her ideas into place about the evidence of the ghost and the obsidian prince. The incident was so elaborate in one section of the article online. Someone messaged her privately, “The ghost does not do that.”

Cupcake wrote passively, “The ghost appeared in the article. Cherry noticed it and came to me to help him to avoid danger.”

“Do you believe in spirits?”

“It is a yes.”

“How do you meet the ghost?”

“Read the article that I posted.”

“Camera and your computer. How is that possible? Are you tricking us with your editing skills?”

Cupcake did not reply for hours. She took a break and found her notebook. She wrote, “Bubbles was safe for now. From Prince Flame.”

She was relieved and took a coffee break. She wrote in the notebook with the pen, “Good.”

“You did not reply hours ago!”

“I was dealing with someone online who does not believe in spirits or stuff like that. I put the evidence out there. Someone just does not believe the story.”

“I do not have answers for that. We do not use technology like that. But we use notes as real evidence to remember. I think you need to add the visuals.”

She smirked, “See about that, online person!”

She took her notebook and cup to the elevator. Cherry came by to say hello to her. They met and talked about the story. Cherry said, “That user is annoying. Let it out.”

“I will go home to screenshot the evidence.”

“To prove that was real. Oh, come on! Roger knew pictures and stories were real. He will believe the story!”

“Not everyone learns the same things in school.”

Cupcake was at her house and turned on the computer to screenshot the source and the evidence. She posted them with captions underneath the pictures to the story online. Then, she was relieved.

The same user messaged her, “I do not believe the pictures. You photoshopped them!”

“What? No, I screenshot them.”

“You are so dirty!”

Cupcake talked to Cherry on the phone. Cherry came to her house and said, “Really? That user is not friendly. If it were my daughter, she would have believed me. The same goes for Roger. We have been there.”

There was silence in the house. Cupcake broke the silence. “If that member is part of the Rock Community, that member must leave.”

“If not, someone has to meet him in person, so he traps it. He can kill that person without empathy.”

“Sorry, it was my handsome brother, who typed his emotions out on you. He was mentally ill and does not believe in such spirits. He was losing his mind. From his sister, Anne.”

Cupcake read that aloud while Cherry bent over to see the computer. “It was Anne’s brother?”

“It was her brother, and he was not a member of the Rock Community.”

“How handsome is he?”

Cupcake shrugged.

When Cherry takes care of Roger in her house, Cupcake writes back to Prince Flame. “It was a male, a brother to sister Anne. He was mentally ill and does not believe in spirits.”

Silence.

She waited for a response.

Bubbles read the handwriting on the mirror. He told Prince Flame about the writing. Prince Flame took out his pen and entered the bathroom. He wrote, “Okay.”

“Are you okay?” she asked, wanting to stay longer with him.

“I am okay.”

“How is Bubbles?”

“Safe.”

“I want to meet you soon.”

“About the obsidian prince, he wants me to surrender and to take my crown for the obsidian rock. He wants it to get stronger. The rock weighs twice. You imagine that would be bigger than a small table.”

“The rock grows?”

“He threw the silver ring to it. It might belong to--”

“It was Finna’s ring, which belonged to Cherry. Did he throw away that ring to the rock?”

“Yes.”

“Do I tell Cherry about the missing ring?”

“You decide.”

“I picture that she would cry over it. So no…”

“Prince Flame!”

He paused and turned to Princess Ruby. He rushed to wipe off the mirror with his sleeves. She asked, “You wrote stuff on the mirror. I have never seen a pen can do that. You used it to write on the mirror.”

After he cleaned the mirror, he was in front of her. “Princess Ruby, do not tell this, any of this.”

“Our dinner is ready.”

He left the room, and she followed him. They were at the dining table to sit down and enjoy the meals. Scruffy was drinking the liquid soup while Cobalt was eating chicken. She allowed him to stay for dinner.

That made Prince Flame uneasy. He stood and said, “I am not eating with that vulture.”

Princess Ruby looked up. “Relax, Prince Flame. He is here for dinner.”

“That makes a problem for Scruffy.”

“Our younger brother is not here. He is in his castle.”

“Doing what?”

“Thinking quietly or sleeping soundly.”

He looked at Scruffy, who drank the soup. He grabbed him and walked out to his room. Cobalt noticed it and flew after them. Prince Flame opened the door, so the vulture smashed into it. Bubbles heard it so he came out to find Cobalt was on the floor and looked dazed.

Prince Flame said, “Cobalt has to go.”

Bubbles helped him to close the door. The vulture moved and turned to the door. He said, “Sorry, Scruffy.”

Prince Flame slept as Bubbles noticed the door open. It was Cobalt. He began to creep in to meet Scruffy on the cushion beside the table. Cobalt said, “Do you want to meet me tonight?”

Scruffy cawed. Cobalt covered him with his wings. “Be quiet. I want to say sorry.”

“Sorry, for whom?”

“Can we talk outside without bothering your owner?”

“What for?”

“Just follow my lead.”

Two birds tiptoed to the opened door. Scruffy turned to Bubbles, and he closed the door. Two birds made it outside without making a sound on the floor. Cobalt perched on the tall pedestal while Scruffy sat on the floor. Cobalt said, “Sat next to me.”

“I will be hurt when I get closer to you. I stay on the floor, where I am safe.”

“I want to apologize first.”

“That you surprise attack. What is that for?”

“A distraction, that is all.”

“So why are we here?”

“Have you noticed your owner liked anyone in the castle?”

Scruffy thought hard. He remembered Cupcake met Prince Flame in the cave. They bathed in hot water. They kissed and made out. He intervenes to attack Cupcake to protect his owner from her. He thought she was a stranger.

He wanted all the attention from his owner. Plus, he slept on the cushion on the floor to be safe. He heard the sounds of kissing, and he scratched her face. He timed out in the lava flows. He was cold and hungry for one day.

“Hello?” Cobalt asked.

“I remembered something that he liked a girl, whose name was Cupcake. I always butted in to protect my owner from her. She was a stranger to me.”

“I saw Finna, who lost her ring in Lava Valley. She was looking straight into my eyes. Calling Cupcake.”

“Probably, it was her friend.”

“Have you seen Cupcake?”

“I did, but now she is not here. I have no idea where she is.”

Cobalt landed next to him to peck his belly. Scruffy said, “Do not attack me.”

“I am not attacking you. I am touching you.”

“I do not feel the touch like this.” Tears went down from his eyes.

“Did I make you cry?”

“No, I was,” Scruffy turned his head. “Cupcake has touched me.”

“That hurts?”

“Yes, I do not want to be touched by her clean hands. I want to be touched by my owner. He was warm, and she was too sweet for my taste.”

“What do you think of her sweetness?”

Scruffy looked at him. “She is too sweet than his sister Ruby. I do not want to be around her. She is a stranger. She is not my liking.”

“Is Ruby nice to you?”

“She is better than Cupcake.”

“She lets me in today to eat chicken. I was hungry.”

“I saw you, but I do not want to bother you.”

“You can bother me all you want.”

“I am getting sleepy.”

“I can take care of you.” Cobalt realized to care for Scruffy while his owner was sleeping. He wanted to sleep with the firebird for the first time. And no, he does not want him.

“I liked to sleep on the cushion.”

“I can steal it for you.”

“I am going there.”

“Just let me do it for you!”

Scruffy entered the castle by himself. Cobalt ran after, but the door closed. Cobalt sighed deeply. “I would never go inside after this.”

Cobalt flew away to the Obsidian Castle while Scruffy opened the door and slept on the cushion. Bubbles asked a question, “Where did you go?”

Scruffy opened one eye. “Outside of the castle, we are talking.”

“About?”

“He asked too many questions. I do not remember much. I want to sleep.”

Bubbles wanted to ask more, but Scruffy slept. He grunted.

Cobalt perched on the balcony of the prince’s room. The prince was sleeping with the blanket over his belly. Cobalt touched his feathered wings and turned for a bed. He perched on his stomach. “Touch is not bad for the obsidian prince.”