Onward "Blooming Story" [Ian Lightfoot x Raylee Anderson]

Chapter Five: Smoke and Fire

Song for chapter:
Sabrina Carpenter Smoke and Fire

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"Quick! Someone help me! These griffin nuggets were so posed to go out ages ago!" The Manticore burst out of the kitchen holding multiple plates leaving her with one. The waitress came and took them off from her paws more so say.

"Are you sure we're in the right place? I mean, this is a modern restaurant." Raylee shrugged.

The Manticore went over and rang the bell multiple times to get more surface.

Barley nods and walked over, "Oh great and powerful Manticore-" He kneeled on one knee.

"Woah sir! Your right in the hot zone." She said kindly as another employee walked in.

Raylee stumbled closer to Ian. The little guy seemed to be toad-like. He spoke his own language which the Manticore could understand. He said he was late because of traffic and had to use his mom's car and such.

Raylee snorted, "Still having to use his mom's car?" She whispered in Ian's ear.

He looks at the creature strangely and nods adjusting his hand which was holding the staff. "I know if anything I am at least learning how to drive. Hey, when I have my license I will teach you." The teenaged blue elf elbowed her.

Her cheeks flushed to bright pink. Raylee tucked her hair strains behind her right ear. She looked away and held both of her elbows. "Y- Yeah! Sounds like a plan!" She chuckled and glancing back over to him.

Ian glanced at her strangely at her odd sudden action. Though he decided to brush it off and shook his head.

"Oh! Well, you came to the right Tavern. I have the thing you most desire right here!" Corey gave her plate to a waitress and went over to a counter grabbing a menu. "Behold!" She held up a kid's menu that is titled Fine the Phoenix gem!

"That's a children's menu." Ian chuckled glancing at it.

Raylee sighed rolling her eyes and grabbed hold of her bag straps. She yawned, "Yeah no, we mean the real one."

"A free Manticore sends you on an adventure with crayons!" She tosses them.

Ian stumbled trying to catch it as it slips out of his hands. Raylee caught them and did not look amused at all. She looks at her hand and snorts. Barley looks at both of them then back at Cory. He then spots the case which held the real map.

"That one! We need that one!" Barley raced over to the case.

"Last time I held crayons was when I was what... five, eight?" She looked over at Ian.

"Eight." He grinned answering, "I remember precisely."

They shared a smile. If Ian gazed closely in Raylee's dark lavender eyes he could look past them and see that she is empty inside. Ever so lonely and yet emissionless. Sure she has feelings like, joy, sadness, fear, desgust and anger. Though at times she feels none of the above. When she is with Ian she feels loved and warm. The top emotion she feels is joy, sometimes fear and sadness.

The fear of losing Ian. The fear of telling him the truth which she burries deep inside. She loves him so deeply but cherishes their friendship more than anything. The sadness she feels when she thinks she would eventually lose him due to telling the truth.

"No! I don't let anyone take that out of display. I am also done sending people on quests. My time is over." Corey explained.

On the stage nearby these teenage girls started to complain that the karaoke machine didn't work anymore. Corey went over and tried her best to fix it. Who seemed to be the leader looked bossy and demanding as she looked down at her phone.

Raylee rolled her eyes being annoyed at them. Barley then explains the person who Cory used to be. He tells her, "Don't you want to go back to the old days? Where you were breathing fire?" Barley asked. He was doing his best to convince her. Then an employee came out in a costume.

Corey then realized after his moving words. She took the head off the costume and burned it. She is a Manticore. This is what she is obviously meant to do. Customers around gasped as she got their attention.
She then started to go out of control lighting everything up on fire.

While Raylee watched in shock the boys tried to snatch the map. She held her bag straps and thought about what she could do. It is like she is useless to the brothers. Just useless. She held them tightly as it seemed like her whole world is crashing down in front of her.

"Raylee!" Ian called out her name.

She startled and gasped, "Ah! T- Thanks!"

"No time let's go! The real map got burned up!" He explained.

She nodded as the three of them started to head for the exit. The supporting beam is lit on fire and falling down ever so slightly. Raylee coughed into her elbow and shook her head. They managed to get their dad under the beam first since he is most important. Well, his lower half.

"Come on! What are you doing there?" Ian asked as Raylee is just standing there.

She is counting up and held her knees bending over. The support beam fell. Ian had to use the staff and cast a spell to left it up. Raylee looked all around her and dropped to the ground coughing up. She is not doing so well. Ian grabbed her hand and held her with his arms. Bridal style. Along with dragging his dad out of there. as the three and a half raced out. Barley took the wheel and shut the door.

"You think she's going to be okay?" Ian looked over worried.

Barley frowned, "We could hand her over to the ambulance?"

"We need to go now! We don't have that much time to bring back dad! Only 22 hours left!" Ian cried.

In a crisis like this, he panics. He does not know how to deal with it. He does not know the right thing to do. Barley sighed and stepped on the peddle.

"Look, Ian, it's either dad or your girlfriend so we can quickly put her in a local hospital and do the rest of the quest by ourselves." Barley got serious and looked dead at the road.

Ian's cheeks flushed all of the light shades of pink. He shook his head. He wanted to see dad more than anything. Ian knows that she could hold on for him. Just a little longer. The teenaged blue elf looked down at the girl that is on his lap. So delicate. Ian gently removed her bag and set it aside. His fingers gently reached to touch her chest to see if she was still breathing. Luckily she is. He let go and shook his head.

"She is not my girlfriend and dad." He huffed.

Barley chuckled, "Whatever you say dear, brother."