User blog:Poisonshark/Custom Champion: Rin, the Pink Channeler

Rin, the Pink Channeler is a custom champion.

Rin is a pink-haired siren with no arms, instead having fluffy wings with light-pink feathers. She wears an ornate shirt tied up at the sides by shiny yellow laces and a short, pink pair of trousers. Rin doesn't bring any weapons — she has no hands, she can't hold any. Behind her (usually) is Pearl, who is even smaller than Rin. She's a little pixie with shoulder-length hot pink hair and eyes, and wears an old-fashioned dark pink dress top with an old overly-large skirt with pale pink frills. Her wings are a transparent pink and go through the backless part of her dress.

In gameplay, Rin is a healing-zoning support, who uses her healing, Pearl's protection, and her own wind magic in combination to protect her allies from dying.

Gameplay
Rin is a healing-based support with a tinge of mobility help. The basis of Rin's kit is that Rin herself is relatively weak, and Pearl does a lot of the work of protecting. Rin has to manage Pearl at all times, caring about her position and health, as Pearl dying causes Rin to be a sitting duck for a duration.

Abilities

 * Rin's passive highlights her status as a healer.
 * The first part gives Rin a passive heal. The cooldown is very long, and the effect scales on so it is ineffective early on. Later on, Rin's healing becomes a lot more effective, but late-game, 11.5 seconds is still a very long time.
 * Pixie Princess Pearl highlights Rin's non-offensive status, as she doesn't do her own basic attacks herself. Instead, Pearl does the attacks for her. Additionally, Pearl protects allied champions by taking hits. However, since she's less big than Teemo, intercepting skillshots requires precision. The fact that she is targetable means using her as defense might also give the enemy ways to neutralize Rin for a short period, as all her abilities need Pearl to be alive.
 * Wonderful Updraft is a supportive skill, with the directed knockaway and speedup/slowdown can give Rina lot of control of initiative and movement. The cooldown is very long, but the potential impact of the skill outside of its damage is the thing to maximize.
 * Glimmershield is a pure protection skill. Pearl is nearly guaranteed to die, considering she can only take a few hits and taunts the enemy champions.
 * Rin's song skill, Love Song, also has Pearl sing with her. It's otherwise a simple area-of-effect heal. Unlike the other Channelers' Song skills, hers is a ground targeted ability, as she has to choose Pearl's position. The skill has some versatility due to the range at which Pearl can be summoned, though the enemies can deny the healing by shooting away at Pearl.
 * Lotus Dream is another healing skill, though this one's main catch is rescuing allies from long range. It gives allies a semi-global teleport and/or stays as a semi-global heal. It's also the only skill that allows Pearl to exist at a range away from Rin — in fact, as the channel ends, she is instantly unsummoned if too far from Rin, which it should be considering this skill's heals don't stack.

Lore

 * -|Rin=


 * -|Pearl=

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Unlike most of her world, Rin was born in the arms of another, and thus had a mother for a large portion of her life. Rin spent most of her early life with her friends Hana and Chiharu. In fact, their encounter with the spirit Foxie would change her life forever. Foxie's manipulations resulted in them making a new friend of their senior Mima, a monster hunter, and finding an adversary to Mima, the foreign spirit hunter Eina. Despite her crush on Eina, she heeded her words and remained prudent, staying with Mima to avoid breaking her bonds. However, in about a week, Mima disappeared after being swallowed alive by a monstrous worm spirit. Rin remained prudent while Hana tried to follow in her footsteps. In the following week, Momo, another monster hunter, came into town looking to take Mima's spot. Rin looked helpless as Hana's journey and her clashes with Momo lead her on a path of self-destruction in which she even turned away Rin's own attempts to help. By the end of it, Rin heard Hana had murdered humans. In disbelief, she rushed out and tried to meet her, only to not find her at her home and finding out she was late to finding things out when meeting with Momo and Eina, the former of which carried Hana's lifeless body. Horrified, Rin ran away. The very next day, at school, she met a new face, Yuriko. As she too seemed depressed, Rin approached her. However, when she tried to meet her outside of school, Rin saw her in the vicinity of a hostile spirit that looked like a giant version of Foxie. To protect Yuriko and buy her time to escape, she put her to sleep and charged at the spirit, alone. As she was defeated, she only hoped that Yuriko at least was safe. In her unconscious daze, she felt another presence within her. As she woke up, she was by Momo's side, both apparently defeated by Mima and Yuriko. Realizing she had been possessed, she looked at herself, and where she only had a few feathers at the wrists before, now she had full wings. Yuriko told them of a plan to defeat the giant fox spirit in front of them: Yuriko would go to the Fountain and wish Foxie away from existence, and the other three stalled the spirit from being a hindrance to her. However, as they fought, Foxie focused her attention on Rin, with the spirit inside her made itself known as Pearl and demanded she hand over her body, assisted by Foxie's spiritual interference. As Mima and Momo saw from the lights a battle at the Fountain, they sent Rin to deal with her, breaking Foxie's attempt at mind control. As she made her way to the Fountain of Life, she saw, right beside it, Eina and Yuriko fighting each other. Rin pleaded for the fight to stop, to no avail. However, she did interfere with Eina's attempts to kill Yuriko even though Eina summoned the golem Dougal to neutralize Yuriko. However, Rin refused to let Eina kill her, and stopped her for long enough that Eina relented. After Yuriko woke back up, Eina took her to the battle with Foxie, leaving Rin behind to rest away the injuries she'd dealt. Rin, however, refused, and as she returned, she saw the others, all opposed to a possessed Yuriko as well as the giant Foxie. Unnoticed, she turned back and made her way to the Fountain. There was only one way to defeat such a being, and she needed the means to do so. As she headed for the Fountain, she thought long for her wish, coming to choose one thing: giving the Fountain itself her soul, hoping its godlike power would wish away the demon...
 * -|Lore=

Extra
Hide=

(By default, only Rin talks. When Pearl talks, her name will be written.) (Funny references and trivia behind the quotes are marked with a .) Upon selection Upon starting a game Banned Attacking Attacking while low on life Moving Using  Interrupting  Taunt Rin appears to charge and power herself up, but is revealed to be daydreaming about it when the dream bubble appears Taunting an enemy  Taunting an enemy  Reacting to a taunt Joke Rin dances until she twirls and falls over after two spins. Joke near  Joke near and  Reacting to a joke When Pearl returns to Rin When Pearl dies Using Wonderful Updraft Using Love Song When Pearl is picked up during Glimmershield Using Lotus Dream
 * -|Quotes=
 * "I don't wanna fight." Pearl: "Then, let us dance."
 * "Feels weird being on the scene at 5 — I'm used to 8..."
 * "Rin on the stage — everybody watch me!"
 * "Even after ten years, even after ten worlds, I hope I'll always be doing this."
 * "Aww..." Pearl: "Maybe next time."
 * "Buried by this life? Wake up."
 * "I've caught snakes with my bare feet, y'know."
 * "I beat everyone at video games with my feet. The physical part isn't the hard one!"
 * "I don't like fighting, but I accept it."
 * "Life is a ray of sunshine — if you don't hide."
 * "I don't exactly want to grab attention, but I gotta do stuff."
 * "I'd rather settle this all with a hug. You sure you don't want a last last chance?"
 * "Let me kick in the right gear."
 * "Pearl! Please!" Pearl: "You still don't want to hurt them, huh?"
 * "I'm not supposed to kick that high!" Pearl: "I'll work my magic."
 * Pearl: "Pearls are hard things, y'know?"
 * Pearl: "Love always prevails. Even if you have to beat it into people."
 * Pearl: "Do I really enjoy this violence? I'll answer with a hearty 'No!'"
 * Pearl: "Everyone's come at me."
 * Pearl: "You want a battle? Have at you."
 * "I'm not done yet!"
 * "No time to get braces!"
 * "Taking painkillers is for when I'm back."
 * "I don't have my singing voice on right now, do I..?"
 * Pearl: "Last dance? This is only the beginning."
 * "I'll show you a little charm."
 * "Sparkling and trendy, even here."
 * "Time to make magic happen."
 * "Every girl's her own princess, but she is the real deal."
 * "Your attacks may be charged with hatred, but I'll match them with mine, charged with happiness!"
 * "The way your heart beats tells all about you."
 * "Smile! It's not like I'm going to hurt you or anything."
 * "Talk about a 'symphony of blades', it's just clanging noises..."
 * "Make sure to catch your heart and know why you fight."
 * "I sure will feel fresh once we're done with that."
 * "I'm in the mood for a dance."
 * "I'm not short — you all are just abnormally tall."
 * "They're all saying I'm too young — hey, I'm even a few months older than Hana and Chii!"
 * "We have a bunch of stage names, but the list's too long."
 * "We weren't here then, we may not be here forever, but we're here now!"
 * "One close friend is enough, but I have eight!"
 * "I'm good at all the nonsense."
 * "At least I'm not posing on a box."
 * "Those wings are not the best for flying, so I run."
 * "I'd definitely draw this scape."
 * Pearl: "This place alone is more than I've seen in my life."
 * Pearl: "A princess must be strong to take the best decisions for her people!"
 * Pearl: "A princess must be kind, for she must inspire happiness!"
 * Pearl: "A princess must be as pretty as a beautiful heart."
 * Pearl: "I remember the days I sneaked out the palace — even though it looked nothing like this..."
 * "Sorry, gotta leave. I'm hungry."
 * "Time out! Burger break!" Pearl: "I'm not sure it's a good time for this."
 * "Sorry, need to head back for... um... a chocolate bunny. Yes."
 * "Nevermind."
 * "Finally, I think I can wait."
 * Pearl: "No. If you keep eating, you'll get fat."
 * "Okay, I'll have to take you seriously! — Aw, that'd be so awesoome!"
 * "You want to fight for real? Sure! — ... is what I'd say."
 * "Congrats for forcing me to my final form!" Pearl: "Rin? Earth to Rin!"
 * "Check this out! Haaaa!" Pearl: "A-hem." Rin: "Wha-?"
 * "I'll match your blade with my energy itself! — aw, I'd never say that for real..."
 * "This cold, I'll melt it with the heat of my heart!" Pearl: "'What's up with her?', right?"
 * "Orichalcite, bless me!" Pearl: "She's really pumped up for some reason."
 * "The girl or the bird? I am both! — Aw, that'd own her for sure..."
 * "Well that's not a nice thing to say."
 * "Even across the worlds, there's always someone like this."
 * "How about you be a little more nice to me? That hurts, y'know."
 * "I'm the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen — Ow!"
 * "Like Fiona and Ariel! One, two, three— Uhh. I tripped again..."
 * "I'm the cute face of the group, but I can dance like a — like a newbie."
 * "Strongly, kindly, beautifully— owie..." Pearl: "I don't think a princess should take dance classes."
 * "Ice? I'll skate on it, sure — uh, maybe I won't..."
 * "Don't make war, make love instead!"
 * Rin tries hard to contain laughter
 * "I... I can't hold it anymore..." Pearl: "Uh?" Rin laughs.
 * Rin laughs. "I'm sorry."
 * "Welcome home."
 * Pearl: "I'm back! Missed me?"
 * Pearl: "Fluffy wings!"
 * Pearl: "Carry me, please!"
 * "Oh, no!"
 * Pearl: "I concede."
 * Pearl: "Ow! That actually hurt!"
 * Pearl: "Ugh, that's rough..."
 * "Get ready to fly!"
 * "Up you go!"
 * "Everybody, jump!"
 * Pearl: "Woohoo!"
 * "Get in the swing!"
 * "You can dance, you can jive!"
 * "Peace and love, everyone!"
 * "Pearl, Heal!" Pearl: "You're healing too."
 * Pearl: "Eenie, meenie, minie— ah, why don't I protect all of them?"
 * Pearl: "Hey, Peach! Watch this!"
 * Pearl: "Hey, enemies. I know where you are."
 * Pearl: "I'm the princess and the guardian."
 * "Here's a little piece of my heart!"
 * "A flower, a sign of kindness."
 * "Good action of the day!"
 * Pearl: "C'mere."


 * -|Potential Skins=
 * Envoy Rin
 * A skin that depicts Rin as a fairy with sparkly butterfly wings.
 * Spirit Kingdom Rin
 * A skin that depicts Rin turned bad. She's depressed and wears gray rather than pink. Pearl also looks eldritch, with her hair stringy and going down all over her face.

(By default, only Rin talks. When Pearl talks, her name will be written)
 * -|Spirit Kingdom Rin Quotes=

Upon starting a game Attacking Movement Death Taunt Pearl manifests and Rin goes down on all fours while an eerie-fied scape flickers around Rin. Joke (if Pearl is not summoned) Rin kneels down, then Pearl stands on her back and spreads her arms, emanating some light. (if Pearl is summoned) Rin kneels down and falls asleep before waking up Reacting to a taunt Reacting to a joke When Pearl returns to Rin When Pearl dies Using Wonderful Updraft Using Love Song When Pearl is picked up during Glimmershield Using Lotus Dream
 * "This world is full of misery... and I'll end it!"
 * "This place needs to be deserted... But for that to happen, I'll need to neuter their will to fight."
 * Pearl: "Time to empty this place of ill will."
 * Pearl: "This place is one of many hells... but not for long."
 * "Welcome my - your new world!"
 * "Play with me!" Both at once: " Play with me! "
 * "They always fight..."
 * "Make it stop... Make it stop!"
 * "It can't be as it was before..."
 * "Get out of my head, get out of my head, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
 * "In the end, there is no hope..."
 * "None can truly bear the weight of life..."
 * "Each smile is a dagger in my heart..."
 * "Don't try to kill me. Just. Kill me."
 * Pearl: "Don't worry, you'll live."
 * Pearl: "No fighting in my presence!"
 * Pearl: "Hoping is not enough. I'll carve out my world onto this one!"
 * Pearl: "Your will to hurt others... is a sin."
 * Pearl: "You partly made this world. But you will work to undo this, and you will like it!"
 * Pearl: "I will fulfill your hopes."
 * Pearl: "How woefully unfit you are."
 * Pearl: "If you won't surrender, you won't exist."
 * Pearl: "Why don't you trust me when I tell you it'll all be fine...?"
 * Pearl: "You shouldn't be scared..."
 * "Am I... being called away... to heaven?"
 * "Am I a good girl..? Wait... Why does it matter..?"
 * "Why... Why do I have to be here...?" cries Pearl: "Don't worry. You'll get there."
 * "This sick world will collapse under its own karma."
 * "Don't talk to me!"
 * "Friends... I had some of those... But now, I am alone... Forever."
 * "What good are those wings, when I can't escape this hell?"
 * "If only I were blind... I would see none of this..."
 * "I am but a slave..."
 * "Yes, princess..."
 * "Where is the paradise you promised..." *mumbles* Pearl: "Why now... Let me make it."
 * Pearl: "I don't see. She does. A perfect example of true teamwork, right?" *(Rin mumbles.)*
 * Pearl: "I don't need feet. In fact, I don't need gravity."
 * Pearl: "Someday, sometime, nobody will hurt."
 * Pearl: "Going into the light is death. Into my shadow, endless life."
 * Pearl: "Nothing's promised, I regret."
 * Pearl: "I'm the fairy of the tales, the purest of the pure, and the best of the good."
 * Pearl: "This all is unneeded."
 * Pearl: "Being a messiah is hard work."
 * Pearl: "Move! There is an evil to stop!"
 * Pearl: "Everything shall transpire according to my designs. Only then will we have true peace."
 * "Finally... I can be happy."
 * "Did I... stop moving..?"
 * Pearl: "You dare... reject paradise..?"
 * Pearl: "Why... you... stupid host!... Ngh..."
 * "Who cares about the means..? Only the end matters..."
 * "This may not be pretty, but salvation looks like this..."
 * Pearl: "Forget this world, and come to my heaven!"
 * Pearl: "Once sin is gone, paradise will settle."
 * "Help... me..." Pearl: "See? Easy. I'm great, so join me."
 * "Mistress, bring the light..." Pearl: "Light? I'm my own light!"
 * Pearl: "Don't worry, I save everyone and everything... Wait, how do you save in this game?"
 * Pearl: "I'm the light that guides everyone... and I can light the way literally too."
 * "So, um..." *snore* "Um... I forgot my lines."
 * "This is the story of a girl so drunk she..." *snore* "Wait, where was I again..?"
 * "What's the difference between me and..." *snore* "Shoot, the answer came first."
 * "A man, a woman, and a Yordle walk into..." *snore* "Uh? Ugh, my jokes are so bad I fall asleep while telling them..."
 * "In my perfect world, you're not going to need this... "
 * "It takes a miserable ego to brag."
 * Pearl: "Hm. You have my attention."
 * Pearl: "Don't worry, I won't punish you for this. Well, maybe a little."
 * "I remember... when this used to mean something..."
 * "Hmm? Did I hear something?"
 * Pearl: "Making light of the world is how you turned it dark."
 * Pearl: "This break is for after I fix the world."
 * Pearl: "I return."
 * Pearl: "Feels right home."
 * Pearl: "Good servant."
 * Pearl: "Say 'welcome back'."
 * "Hm... This won't last anyway..."
 * Pearl: "You dare?"
 * Pearl: "I'll be back, you jerks!"
 * Pearl: "Urgh!"
 * "It's all better from up there..."
 * "Go. Away!"
 * Pearl: "Peace!"
 * Pearl: "Be blown by the winds of change!"
 * "Loooove..."
 * Pearl: "Understand the concept of love!"
 * Pearl: "Oh, have mercy!"
 * Pearl: "No more fighting!"
 * Pearl: "You're welcome."
 * Pearl: "So. Feeling the senselessness of hatred yet?"
 * Pearl: "Protect, and you'll be protected."
 * Pearl: "Accept my gifts."
 * "Drop your burdens..."
 * Pearl: "Don't turn away!"
 * Pearl: "I'm here to help!"
 * Pearl: "Come and be saved!"

Spirits' Lore: Ancient Times, chapters 4 to 6
(A meeting between Peach and Belle) My name is Peach Millenia, now Archmage of the Haven kingdom. During the last month, I've done nothing but focus on my goal of killing Yadia Haven. To do so, I've read scriptures, honed my powers, and watched over society. The forgotten scriptures have lead me to the Fountain of Life, the source of the world. With but a basic sip and a wish, I became powerful enough to take over the Mages' Caste in a duel with my old superior. Sadly, this brought attention to me, as the Queen wasn't too happy with her old Archmage being murdered, but I assured her this was but an accident — were I able, I would have killed her too right then and there, but the floor was a shining grey with the silver armor of knights. The one thing that interests me is the fever that's recently taken the town as the Queen announced: a new nobility title is to be given to a commoner. Baroness Belle Cavalier, that's her name. I make my way to the castle to meet her. Maybe she's just what I need to get my desire to happen. At the entrance, I am immediately asked about the reason for my presence. I wave them off with the not-quite-true excuse of paying respects to our new Baroness. I look around the castle for her quarters, being absolutely unguided, but I find a door with her name written on a golden nameplate affixed to it. I knock twice and enter without awaiting her answer. "Greetings, Baroness.", I say as I see her sitting at her desk. For what would be expected of her title, she's of small stature. She must at best go up to my nose. "Who do I owe this... indiscreet visit to? - Archmage Peach. As for the reason of my presence, I heard about the latest addition to the court. I simply had to pay you a visit." Her brow furrows — she dislikes the attention. "I see you had a fair share of admirers. I understand that you would want the court's parade to cease. However..." I pause. She seems to refrain from showing a reaction. I myself try to avoid showing excitement. I must pursue, as she doesn't seem to be responding. "I can help you rise a little bit higher in this place." She briefly raises an eyebrow. It seems she isn't keen on being mentored, before a smirk creeps upon her face. "But I am already on top of the world, my dear. This seat, right here, is the single center of true power in this place." "Resourceful, isn't she?", I sneer at myself for assuming a meeker person in the treasury as she continues. "They all have proposed something. The Knight's force, the Queen's birthrights, the Princess's niceties... but I am interested in what your hocus-pocus can do." She stands up. "You seem interesting.", she says as she passes me by. "I have not done my initial assessment of the coin, and thus the power, that the royal treasury has. As such, I will resume my work. I expect you do have something to do yourself." I nod to her excuse to dismiss me and leave. (Scenes for Florence, one with Flamme before jailing Belle, and one with Belle herself in a cell) "Trapped in this castle, I'm weighed down by these golden chains...", I slowly say as I write those words on a letter. I'm interrupted during my writing by the door opening to a messenger. "Ma'am, the head ministress awaits you." I sigh. Given I interact with the Queen herself every other day, it's rare that I get called by the rest of the administration. As I that remark to myself, I notice the messenger's gaze squarely on me. "You can take your leave. Inform her that I'm coming immediately once I get ready." The guards leave and frustration takes me over for a second as my hands meet the table. My due letter to the departed will have to wait. "Only your memory keeps me going.", I write down before making haste. What can she possibly be awake for at this hour? After getting ready as fast as I could, I knock and open the door to Flamme's room. I assume it's urgent and the last thing I want to hear is the voice of an angry ministress. As I open, I see her downing a glass of water, whole, like it was nothing. She seems extremely tense. I was right. I crawl over to the seat in front of her desk. It seems pretty comfortable, or at least it would be were I not me and did the entire meeting feel less of an urgency. "What did you call me for?", I inquire despite myself. "I'll be simple.", Flamme said in an absolutely serious tone. "Our new Baroness has been caught thieving on the royal treasury." I am stunned. This cannot possibly be. It makes no sense. So soon after her induction. "The Queen spent the last two days hearing out and addressing complaints from servants about reduced pay. So I conducted my investigation — it turns out Belle cut the servants' pay to add to her own.", she motioned to the pieces of paper on the table. "This was her sheet where she calculated what she'd extorted from every single person in the castle. She tore it into pieces as I caught her." Her voice, that had erred to a more human feeling of discontentment and anger, suddenly turns back to an ordering, almost mechanical tone. "You are to apprehend her tonight. In her quarters. I want to see her jailed by the end of the night." I cringe for a while, lost in conflicting thoughts. "I thought I made myself clear. You have orders." How impudent. "Yes, ma'am.", I say as I stand up. My voice now was just as angry at her, and after a long, hissing breath, I make my way out with haste.
 * -|Hide=
 * -|Chapter 4: Belle=
 * -|Chapter 5: Golden Chains=

"Out with you.", I tell the guards. "But... - Do not make me repeat myself.", I repeat with a more scathing tone. I look around with great dissatisfaction. "Get out of here! All of you!", I yell at the guards. They obey, faster than the previous one as I scoff. This authority is the most false, yet the most useful power I have; as proven by the leave of that cell guard. "Belle Cavalier?", I ask, head leaned against the door of her cell. "I want to have some words with you. - The date of my execution?", I hear her voice from the cell. She's confrontational, yet I feel the tinge of sadness in her voice. "None of the sort.", I try to put on my most honest voice. This mask of dignity I've put on for years is hard to crack. "Because the Queen will leave me alive? She won, so she sends her head crony to --" I interrupt her with a strong hit on the cell door. Insinuating I'm a crony of that giant despot always irks me. "I never wanted it to turn out like this. I wanted to believe that even someone of non-royal blood could make it there without being a trophy for the Queen... unlike myself." "How touching.", she remarks sarcastically. I am irked by this disregard for her situation and punch the door to send a message. "Mock me. Once more. And your head will join the Queen's desk sooner.", I coldly tell her before trying to regain a more composed posture. "I trust you've seen that collection. - I have. - Those are the heads of the traitors to the Queen. The only ones to know are the Queen, the Minister, some of those who now make up the collection, and the one who now is in charge of the executions — that is, myself." I take a breath. "You probably are not getting out of this predicament unless something drastic happens. So, if you want a chance you can take, tell me. What did you try to achieve? - A dream." Her voice is kind of vacant to the point I have difficulty hearing her. "Those born in settlements outside the city, like I am, are poor. All for a Queen who does nothing but hoard coin that we need." Oh, golly. The Queen's sins do not end here. "My tribe died out because they could not bring valuable that would trade positively for coin. I was sold for slavery. But with a few smart tricks, I was, for one moment, a queen on my own level. I'm sure the reason the Queen got me here was to try and control the trading system that I created." She paused. "I tried to take advantage of the situation. To use my physical closeness to the Queen to change the world. But I guess big plans were for nothing... unless something drastic happens." She insists on the last words as to show she is echoing me. "You know, I was born in a tribe as well.", I confess. "Yadia Haven had all but myself killed for refusing to disclose secrets to the throne. I'm only alive because she's still trying to get them out of me." If it were anything else, they would probably shout blasphemy at the top of their lungs for referring to the Queen with her name. "She's trying to crush me under the weight of a duty that I never wanted. But the secrets I hold, I'll take with me to the grave if I need to." I take a breath, concentrating before saying something that I think could tick her off. "In the event that you die, I expect that this other kingdom you built, just like my secrets, will die with you. Your reputation and the sudden turnaround will also create more enemies to the Queen. In the current situation, you will be a hero." She huffs. "What good is a victory if I'm not alive to see it? - Materialist to the fault, aren't you? - That's how you get by in this world. Moral victory does nothing to keep one fed." She may be worth keeping alive. I have no care for frivolities like the coin she craves. "Then I suggest that you keep your eyes open on the day you are out. One hint could be your chance. Not taking it, your end.", I say as I turn away. As I walk away, I decide to give her a bit more information. "You have six days to think." My name is Pearl Haven. I am the princess of the Haven Kingdom. I don't know what it means, except I do whatever I want when Mother isn't around, and everybody loves me. I love everybody too — I wouldn't dare say I love them more than they love me, but I'm trying really hard. The sky is dark as I head back home after getting to talk with a lot of the townspeople. "It's already late for you to be awake, Princess. I really hope you're ready to call it a day." I'm immediately called by Flamme. She's my caretaker — as long as Mother doesn't take care of me, she does. Unless I go and sneak out to talk to people like I usually do. Flamme apparently allows me to do this, but I got carried away today and dined with those who invited me over today. "This was a good day.", I smile at her. Her expression softens as I follow her to my room. Once I'm laid to bed and she closes the door, I hear wonder aloud. "I wonder if she's not doing this just to be rebellious..." Suddenly, I hear a voice call out to her: "M'lady, it's an alert! - What?" Flamme seems unusually firm and tense. "It's the Archmage Peach and a few other mages! They're attacking the palace! - What are our knights doing!? - Many of them are down! They've been burned by magic! We can't do anything to them! - Where's Peach? - She's in the throne room, M'lady.", I hear the servant answer. I hear the hurried steps of Flamme running out of hearing reach. "What can Peach want!?" I try to discreetly follow her, flying silently behind her. When we arrive, the hall is wrecked. The trail of devastation leads to... "The throne room!", Flamme exclaims as she runs even faster. I can't keep up with her and stay quiet. Flamme slams the door open as I hear the noise. She's immediately called by a mocking voice. "Good to see you, Head Ministress. - That's a revolt... How dare you? - It's not any difficult... I came to claim what belongs to me... The royal throne!", I hear the voice make a slight effort and a cry of pain from a recognizable voice. "Mother? No... that can't be..?" I think as I freeze dead in my tracks. "The throne is not yours!", the cracked and pained voice I can definitely identify as Mother's now calls out. I need to get closer without being noticed... "Oh yes, it is.", the felon's voice continues. "I found the Fountain. - The Fountain of Life? - But it is only a legend!" Flamme retorts. "It is not. How else do you think I rose through the final ranks of your pathetic caste system so quickly?" She continues after a collective gasp. "You understand now. You, Flamme, who knows the Fountain from your sorcerous bloodline... and you, Yadia Haven, who have undeservingly seen those secrets from your throne! - You wield the powers of life?", Flamme asks. "That's right. The Fountain has granted me power beyond your imagination. Burn this memory into your eyes!" I see my mother, on her knees. Flamme, powerless to do anything about it because of the runes surrounding Mother and the one holding her captive by the hair, and a figure in red robes that I can only deduct is the Archmage, Peach. One second later, the entire throne room is taken by an explosive burst of flame. After the light wears off, I see the Archmage holding the giant skull of what was, just five seconds ago, my mother. I cry out, horrified by the sight of torched bone, fire and ash. Flamme turns around and notices me. "Princess!", she yells before running to me and escaping with me in her hands. It seems we weren't run after. "The Mages have invaded the palace. We need to leave. Now." Flamme's voice is strict, yet alarmed. I can't talk. This is surreal. This is not the castle as I knew it. As if everything was a farce the whole time. I'll wake up. This is but a nightmare. It has to be. "Let me take over.", in the hall across where we're running is our Head Knightess, the mermaid Florence. "Princess Pearl... I know another way of escape." Her voice is cold. "And we need to speak. Why are you running away? Peach has murdered the Queen. - She knows that.", Flamme protects me from her the best she can. "She saw it. And why did you let this happen? - I did my best, but the mages singled me and my knights out for a reason. Anyway, now is not a correct time to talk about this. As long as royalty is alive, Peach will never take over the city. We need to leave, and you all are running into a trap. I know a true path of escape. But to truly help the situation, I need something that you two know... where is the Fountain of Life? - So that's your plan? Planning to kill Pearl if I don't tell you? - I don't want to kill her! Why do you think I tried to take Yadia down all these times?", they both are getting angry at each other. "I don't know the Fountain's location anyway! - Don't take me for a fool! You know where it is!" Flamme ignores Florence's yells and leans close to my ear. "Princess...", she whispers to me. Something about the Fountain of Life. Where it is. "You'll need to run and find it whenever you can...", she says tenderly to encourage me. "I cannot let you know where it is!", she tells Florence off. "Yet you've just told her. I know it when I see it. You know where it is, so you need to follow me and escape! - I will never follow a traitor covering her tracks! You think I'll trust you? - She's coming! Run with me!", the knightess yells as she slithers away from whence she came. Flamme ignores her and runs the other way. However, I feel my heart hurting as a voice we heard not so long ago calls us as soon as we get outside. "Going somewhere, Miss Incense?" It's the archmage again. "You didn't think I'd let you escape the palace grounds, did you? There's no point in resisting. Admit your defeat, and I'll keep you two around. - Never!" Flamme confronted Peach. Darkness intensified around Peach, and a few seconds later, we were blasted down to the floor. Me on her. I'm weighing her down, crying on her shoulder. I'd never been in pain before... "Don't waste my time, and don't make me kill you..." I hear Flamme growl. "You just want those who know the Fountain's location on your side..." before she takes off and tackles the archmage to the stone floor. "Pearl, run!", she yells at me. "Don't worry about me, and don't tell anything to anyone! Run for it!" I cry, but I obey and fly away alone to the lows of the town. The charitable ones who took me in today, before the sky went in the dark of the night and in the dark of the smoke rising from the royal palace... maybe they can help me for tonight...
 * -|Chapter 6: The Turn of the Millenium=