The Bejeweled Key

One rainy spring day, Felina was taking a walk around the downtown with her fairy wings tucked up inside her jacket. Her ferret, Ferentina, was hiding in her hood. She had just gotten back to Swanfeather a week ago. When she had gotten out of the car, she had rushed in and given a hug to all the mentors, then immediately rushed upstairs to her dormitory to place her belongings on her bed to claim it before her stepsister Nivea got up there. 

Ok, now you're probably wondering why someone would be walking around in the rain. The answer is that Felina had to go to the backside of the school to a private spot where she could spread her wings and fly to the top of the building to the rooftop garden. She went into the greenhouse to check on the glowing mushrooms. Ah, she loved it up here, but, wait what was that between the mushrooms? Why it was a key! She recognized the key from the Urban Renewal painting in Ms. Swans’ studio. Hmm, she wondered, what's this doing here? Eh, who knows, I’ll bring it back to Ms. Swan; maybe she knows. So she tended to the plants in the greenhouse then she flew back down and went into the school. 

She went to find Ms. Swan but on the way she bumped into Faith. “Oh hi, Faith!” she said, “Do you know where Ms. Swan is?” 

“Yes, the last time I saw her, she was in her studio.” 

“Thanks,” Felina said. She then went to her dorm to drop off Ferrentina before heading off to Ms. Swans’ studio. When she got to Ms. Swans’ studio, she saw the Jewel of Fallen Warriors in a display case. Then the key she was holding started to glow faintly and get slightly warmer. “Huh,” Felina said. Then she noticed the jewel glowing faintly as well. So she moved closer. The key got warmer and glowed more. Closer, closer, and closer she got. Warmer, warmer, and warmer it got. Finally, she realized something. She needed that jewel to put in the key in the little hole that looked just the right size to fit the jewel. She needed to find Ms. Swan. 

“Ms. Swan… there… you… are,” said Felina panting slightly because she had run all over the school looking for her. “I… need… the… key… to… the… case… holding… the… jewel… in… your… studio… very… important.” 

“Sure,” Ms. Swan said after some contemplation and handed over the key. 

“Thanks,” Felina said, then turned around and started to run back to Ms. Swans’ studio. When she got back, she set the key down and went to unlock the case and retrieved the jewel. Next, she walked over to the key and placed it in the hole. Instantly, they both began to glow intensely and when the glowing stopped enough for Felina to see, she noticed the key and the jewel had merged creating a bejeweled key. Then she noticed something else: arrows on the floor pointing out of the studio and into the hallway. She wondered if she should follow them and then she decided she needed a friend, so she ran upstairs and found Nivea sitting on her bed playing on her phone. 

“Nivea, NIVEA!” Felina had to yell her name before Nivea looked up from her phone and said “what do you want?” in a tone so cold you could freeze the milk you had for breakfast while it was in your stomach. Felina just stared at her step-sister speechless. “I said what do you want. If you're going to mess up my game and waste my time, then don't talk to me” Nivea said.

“Ok, sorry,” Felina said. 

“Just kidding. You didn't mess me up, I was just practicing my acting skills for the upcoming Austin play I'm trying out for,” laughed Nivea. “So what's up Felina? What's the news? What's happening?” 

“Well…” said Felina then she told the story of the key, the arrows, and finished her story with “...so will you help me?” 

“TOTALLY!” shouted Nivea “let's go!” So they went downstairs and when they got down to the place where the arrows began, Felina said: “There they are, right there!” “Huh,” said Nivea. 

“There!”

“I don't see anything,” said Nivea. 

“Ok try this,” Felina said handing Nivea the key. 

“Woah,” gasped Nivea suddenly seeing what Felina was talking about. 

“Huh,” said Felina, “Now I can't see the arrows. Ok, let’s just get going, hand me the key. I’ll guide us.” Nivea handed Felina the key and they were off! When they got to the place where the arrows came to a stop Felina was staring right at a door. “I'm going in!” declared Felina. 

“Not without me,” stated Nivea, “But uh, Felina, where are we going into? You're staring at a wall.” 

“I am? Oh, OH!” gasped Felina. “Here Nivea, you hold the key. I bet that's the problem,” she said while handing over the key to Nivea.

“Oooooooh! That's what you were looking at,” gushed Nivea, when she got the key.

“Ok, I'm going in!” Felina said taking back the key. Then she put the key in the keyhole, opened the door, and walked into the darkness.  

                  “Oh boy, it's dark in here” Felina muttered to herself and she spread her wings (which glow by the way) and started down, what appeared to be a long tunnel. When she got to the end of the really long tunnel, she found a chest, so she used the key to open the chest, and inside she found a phoenix egg. “OMGOODNESS!” she squealed picking up the egg, “Just what I wanted! I have to bring this back to show Ms. Swan, eeeee!” Then with the egg under her arm and the key in her hand she was so excited, she flew down the tunnel and out the door, past her stunned looking stepsister, all the way to Ms. Swans’ studio. Ms. Swan was sitting in her chair talking to her goldfish. “Ms. Swan!” She exclaimed. 

“Yes Felina?” she said, raising her eyebrow at the egg under Felina’s arm.

“I have something to tell you,” Felina said, and sitting down she told the whole story to Ms. Swan. 

When she was done, Ms. Swan said, “Yes, I guess you may keep the bird. As for the key, I would like to have that to keep it safe.” 

“Ok,” Felina said while handing over the key. 

“You might as well go show everyone your soon-to-be bird, Felina.” 

“Ok, Ms. Swan, you got it!” and Felina stood up and went up to her dorm to show everyone her magnificent soon-to-be bird. 

When the bird hatched a couple of weeks later, Felina named her new phoenix Ash. She loved Ash with all her heart. And of course, so did everyone else!