Hey, people! I'm sooooo sorry I vanished so suddenly and haven't updated for ages! Please, don't be mad on me!
Well, I have to say that this year I'll be way busier with my school and other stuff, so I'll have less free time for writing. I still promise, though, to keep up with my stories, although I'll probably be updating less often. The new chapter of "Ghost of a rose" still isn't ready, but I definitely will take it up some time.
In the meantime, I'll be working on this crossover project, which is going to be a long story, and also my non-fanfiction novel, which I'm not planning to post in the Internet yet.
That's quite all I wanted to tell you. So, going back to the story, how will little Bubble the poring do at Irma's? Enjoy reading!
Chapter 4
It was Sunday morning. Irma, her parents and little brother Christopher were sitting in the kitchen having breakfast. The Water guardian was rather calm about Bubble, who was now living in her house. Before going away from her room and leaving the poring alone she closed the window and after exiting she locked the door so that she was now absolutely sure the little creature wouldn't get out and somehow catch her parents' eye. During the night everything also had gone well (at least Irma thought so) and Irma had no doubts Bubble would stay with her right until Mrs. Lin figures out what to do with him. And why only Hay Lin and Will had so many problems with that kawaii jelly ball?
The breakfast was going along in utter silence and Chris didn't like it. He wanted to entertain the family somehow and said loudly, «And you know what I saw tonight? »
His mother looked at him with attention and father tore himself away from the paper he had a habit to read every morning. Irma wasn't really interested, but Chris didn't care much about her. He was glad he managed to intrigue his parents and they were now listening to him like an adult. «Can you imagine that, I woke up at night and went downstairs to drink some water…» he went on with his narration and took a big bite of his sandwich «So, I came inside the kitchen and, you know what, a little pink jelly bubble was sitting on the table! It was so cute! »
When Irma heard the words "little pink jelly bubble" she choked over her tea but nobody noticed that. Of course, how stupid she was! She had forgotten to lock the door at night and the poring must have been wandering around the house! That was a catastrophe! The only hope was that mom and dad wouldn't believe Chris for sure.
«Yes, it was sitting on the table and eating apples! » the pleased boy went on with excitement swaying on his chair. «And when I was drinking water it said something to me! But I don't remember what. Apparently, it was "Poring!" – I don't know what it means, but it must have been greeting me! And then I went back to my room and it remained here on the table eating apples! »
«Chris, you're talking rubbish! » Irma nearly yelled but then bethought herself quickly and spoke in a more calm tone in order not to show her nervousness. «That's utter nonsense, pink jelly bubbles don't exist! Mom, dad! » she turned to her surprised parents «Don't listen to him, he's a child, he made everything up! »
«How did you say, honey? Little pink jelly bubble? » Mrs. Lair asked her son with astonishment paying no attention to Irma's words. «Guys, you will never believe this, but I also saw it! »
The Water guardian's jaw fell down.
«Yes, at first I thought it was just a dream but now, when Chris told us this story, I start to doubt it. What a strange coincidence! » Mrs. Lair continued. «I also got thirsty that night and I went down to the kitchen. And when I entered I saw the very same pink jelly bubble sitting in the sink and drinking tap water! I remember that clearly! Then I didn't pay much attention to this incident, I thought it was only a dream! But now… That's so weird! »
«Wait a second, guys, what did you say about the jelly bubble? » Mr. Lair entered the conversation. «That might sound crazy, but I also saw the very same creature tonight! »
Poor Irma was once and for all killed by those words.
Mrs. Lair and Chris looked at the police officer in surprise. «Yes, yes, I didn't make it up! » Mr. Lair confessed to his wife and son «I woke up this night and went to the bathroom and, you will never believe, saw that round jelly guy in the tub! He had somehow managed to turn on the water and was having a shower! I thought I never had a weirder dream, but if you two have also seen him… » he rubbed his chin «Are you sure we all saw the same jelly bubble? Pink and round and with large black eyes? »
Mrs. Lair and Chris nodded with astonishment – that was the exact description of the mysterious creature. «Mysticism…» Mrs. Lair whispered.
Then all three of them turned to Irma, who had been silent during the whole conversation and was in some kind of horrified trance. «Irma, daughter, haven't you seen anything strange tonight? » her father asked carefully.
«No-no-no, I was sleeping and didn't see anything at all, there was absolutely nothing strange! » the Water guardian replied hastily. «And you either haven't seen anything – it was just a dream, a very queer dream! All three of you just dreamt about the same thing! That's just a coincidence, a really amazing coincidence, that's all! » But it was already too late to try to settle down the situation – the peering looks of her parents and even her silly little brother concentrated upon her. The only true way was an honest try to make off. «Oh, I've just remembered – the girls are waiting for me! I promised them to come over this morning and I completely forgot! » she started to make up «I… I just need to take… uh, some stuff in my room and I'll go. It was nice to talk to you, guys, see you later! » she leapt up from the table and dashed upstairs with the speed of a bullet.
Mr. and Mrs. Lair and even Chris all exchanged surprised glances and shrugged.
Irma was running up the stairs to her room in utter shock. Now she understood why Hay Lin and Will had to return Bubble back to Mrs. Lin. They had had problems with him and now she had those problems too, but hers were even worse. Oh, why in the universe did she forget to lock the door before going to bed? Why did poring go out of the room? Why couldn't all the members of her family just keep still, why did all of them had an urge to leave their rooms at night? Everything was against her that day! Well, nothing could be done about that now, Bubble couldn't stay at her house any longer. She had to take him back to the girls and the quicker she did it the better it would be.
The Water guardian rushed into her room and instantly closed the door behind her. Bubble was peacefully bouncing on her bed. «Poring! » he squealed joyfully when he saw Irma – he had got bored of sitting alone in the room and was glad that she was back.
«Bubble, what have you done?! » the Water guardian immediately went for the poring «Why did you go out of the room at night? Now my parents and Chris have seen you and we're having biiiig problems! »
«Poring? » the little monster raised his big black puppy eyes and looked up at Irma. Why was he shouted at again? Was he guilty of something? He just couldn't sleep at night and it was too boring to sit in the room and do nothing while Irma was sleeping. So in order not to disturb her he decided to have a little excursion around the house on his own. And he so much liked that little boy he met in the kitchen!
The Water guardian looked at Bubble and gave up. He was too cute to be cross with him and she couldn't resist. «Alright, Pori, I'm not mad on you» she said in a friendly way and patted the poring on the head. «After all, it wasn't actually your fault – just the circumstances weren't the best » she added.
«Po-ring! » Bubble was glad Irma wasn't angry with him anymore.
«Don't worry, we'll think something up! » the Water guardian smiled (she was an optimist at least!), took her cell phone and dialed a number.
«Will? Yes, it's me! » she jabbered when the leader of the guardians took the phone. «What? … Oh, that's exactly why I'm calling! It's Bubble, we're having problems… Don't ask me now, it's a long story. The fact is that he can't stay at my house any longer… Yeah, you got it, I'm taking him back. Hope somebody else of the girls agrees to take him. … Right, I'll be at "Silver Dragon" in 10 minutes, call the girls! … Okey-dokey, see ya! » and she hung up.
«You see, it's gonna be alright! » she said cheerfully to the poring, who was still bouncing on her bed. She grabbed a big old bag and opened it. «But we have to do it quickly before mom and dad suspect something else! Now jump! » she commanded.
«Poring! Poring! » Bubble cried with glee and jumped into the bag – there was a new exciting adventure waiting for him and he liked it!
Irma quickly closed the bag and ran out of the room. Leafy, her tortoise, watched the girl leave and sighed heavily – she (honestly, I don't know exactly if Leafy was a she or a he) had already got so accustomed to Bubble's pleasant neighbourhood!
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Soon the whole company gathered at the "Silver dragon's" basement again – it had become a ritual since the little poring joined them. The guardians were in their full complement, only Blunk was absent – he was with Caleb in Meridian at the moment.
«…So that's how it happened» Irma finished her narration «The fact of the matter is that I can't keep Bubble any longer. Cornelia, Taranee, » she looked at the two girls «which one of you will take him for a while? »
«Poring? » Bubble looked at the girls hopefully.
The Earth and Fire guardians exchanged awkward glances.
«Sorry, I can't because of the little disaster - Lilian» Cornelia said swiftly «Taranee will take him! »
«Wait a minute! » Taranee put her hands on her hips with indignation «I also have a brother, remember? Doesn't the name Peter Cook tell you anything? »
«But your brother won't dress Bubble in his dolls' clothes and then show him to Chris and everybody else in the world in addition just to boast, and Lil is very likely to do so! » the blonde put forward an argument.
There was a moment of silence.
«She has a point» Will eventually said.
«Alright, alright, I'll take him! » Taranee finally nodded «At any rate somebody has to do it. Furthermore, we get along well with Bubble, he's a wonderful little thing! »
«PORING! » Bubble yelled with glee and jumped on Taranee's hands – he was so excited about getting a new home!
The girl smiled and hugged the creature.
That time Mrs. Lin descended to the basement to find out how the things were going on. She was carrying a small oblong bottle with a wooden cork in her hand. «What's up, girls? » she asked optimistically while going down the stairs. «How's our little young man going? »
«It's fine, Mrs. Lin» Cornelia replied «Irma's parents have discovered Bubble so he she can't shelter him any longer, but he'll be staying at Taranee's for a while»
«That's good» the old lady nodded. «Nobody must see him so you're doing good that you pass him over to each other when problems turn up»
«Mrs. Lin, I have a question» Will said «Have you been to the Council of Kandrakar today? Have you already found out where the poring is from? »
«Oh, Will, I've been there » Mrs. Lin answered «But this matter is even more serious than we thought. The members of the Council and I spent a lot of time trying to indicate Bubble's homeland but without success so far. Even the Oracle doesn't know where the creature came from. It must be some kind of very remote other world with which neither Meridian nor Kandrakar have any links. »
«Is there really no other way to find it out? » Hay Lin asked sadly.
«No, dear, there is and we'll continue our efforts until we achieve the results» her grandmother said confidently «Now I need to take a specimen of Bubble's aura»
«Specimen of what? » the girls re-asked in surprise.
«You'll see» the old lady grinned and approached Taranee on whose lap was sitting Bubble. «Poring? » he looked at her inquiringly. Mrs. Lin stretched her arm and placed her open palm right above the poring's head. She started to mutter some weird words which sounded like a magic spell and as she was doing that, some kind of thick pale-pink (just a little darker than Bubble) cloud of mist started to appear gradually around Bubble. When Mrs. Lin finished her spell the cloud was thick enough and she simply collected some mist in her vial and corked it up. Then she snapped her fingers and the cloud disappeared.
«Wow! » the five guardians exclaimed, impressed.
«Wow, grandma! Will you teach me that trick? » Hay Lin was full of enthusiasm.
«You bet! » Yan Lin smiled «So I'll take this bottle to the Council tomorrow and we'll try to search for worlds where creatures with similar aura live. It is bound to help»
«But Mrs. Lin, tomorrow is Monday and we'll have to go to school» Taranee reminded «Where will Bubble stay while we have classes? It's not safe to leave him at home and I certainly can't take him to school! »
«Don't worry about it» the resourceful old lady said in response «I've already cared about this matter. Halinor agreed to babysit Bubble while you're at school – she has no grandchildren and the poring will be a good substitution»
«He surely will! » Irma grinned.
«Oh, I hope it won't take too long to indicate where Bubble came from» Taranee sighed. «So, little one, » she looked down at the poring sitting on her lap and smiled «You're going to move house again. You will have a new home, hope you'll like it! »
«Po-ring! » Bubble smiled in the most adorable way. He was definitely going to like this new adventure!
Ah! A misfortune again! It seems that it's not that easy to live under one roof with the kawaii monster) So, what happens next? Promise to update as soon as I get enough reviews, so please, don't be lazy to tell me what you think, I really need to know your opinion! Hope you liked it!
Hugs and kisses!
Chelsea Fleur Wellhord and my co-author Infanta