It's me; back again from the dead. And guess what? Sequel time! So if you haven't read the original, entitled Blaze and the Principality of Alba, or otherwise you won't get any of the stuff that's going on in this story! Of course I'll try to put in a little explanation through the story, just for those who either can't be bothered to read the original or have forgotten, but apart from that, enjoy, and drop me a review, will ya? Smiley face.

Blaze and the Airborne Castle

Chapter 1: Friction

It had been three long years since the defeat of Gustav, the evil tyrant king of Zanskar. The scars he left on the world thanks to his power and money hungry ways had started to heal up and vanish, and things were getting to look better than they had ever been. Stock had been increasing, riots decreasing; it all seemed to be working rather well under Zanskar's new reigning monarchs, King Tinder and Queen Elaine. On one sunny morning, yet another peaceful shroud was to descend upon the land...

"I can't believe you, Silver!"

"Blaze, I have to do my duty!"

Or maybe not.

For up in the princess's quarters, things were less than peaceful. Silver and Blaze had found themselves in a heated argument. It wasn't their first.

"Duty this, duty that, you've been giving me that load of..." she yelled, stamping back and forth in anger.

"Hey, don't you swear now!" Silver suddenly cut across, dressed in his armour, as if he were going out to fight.

"...I've been having it for months now, nearly since we got together" Blaze complained in a calmer mood, her nostrils still flaring. "Every time I plan for us to go out somewhere, you come up to me at the last minute and tell me you have to do guard duty! It's not fair!" she shouted.

Silver approached her, in an attempt to be reasonable and nice.

"Aw, come on now, it's got to be done, y'know..." Silver said quietly, trying to reach and arm out for Blaze. But she whipped it away from her like a fly and stepped back.

"Stop trying to schmooze me, you...you..." Blaze uttered. Sparks were flying from her hands in anger, she was almost about to explode into a raging fireball and singe Silver into a crisp. Silver was annoyed too, the fact that Blaze would disregard a duty so important made him feel a little bitter inside.

"Listen, I do not like your attitude problem here" Silver confronted.

"Yeah, well I don't like your FACE problem!" Blaze retorted. Silver contemplated the strange insult before continuing.

"Whatever my 'face problem' is, it's not important" Silver explained.

"You're always doing this to me Silver...why can't you just organize yourself or something?" Blaze whimpered. Her anger had died slightly and had been replaced with sadness.

"But...you're the one who plans the dates, and the guard duty times are placed clear as day on the board outside the barracks. Surely you should..."

"I knew that!" Blaze screamed back at him. Silver just sighed and turned around at that point. Blaze's teary eyes opened slightly wider.

"W-wait...wh-where are you going? I'm not finished!" she said quietly.

"I've had enough of your voice for today..." Silver said quietly. "...I'm going on guard duty. See ya"

And before she could retaliate, Silver slammed the door behind him. She stood there, trying to process what Silver had just said. Images of the future flushed into her head, further arguments, confrontation, throwing furniture and vases, screaming...break up.

She sat down on her bed, unable to cry. Her head was swirling with so many thoughts it nearly paralyzed her. She didn't even notice her parents walking into the room and sitting by her sides. She finally snapped out at her father's voice.

"Blaze" Tinder said. "Let's have a talk"

She sighed, looking at her parents, who decided to grab stools and sit facing her.

"I don't think I've ever heard you so angry Blaze...and Silver walking out? Have you two been arguing or something?" Elaine asked, looking down towards Blaze. Over the past three years, Blaze was growing to become more of a woman...and a bit tantrummy (is that even a word?) in the process. Her fire skills had improved tenfold as well, so it was harder to keep it under control when she lost her temper with the little annoyances in life.

"...Yeah, we have" Blaze conceded. She knew she wasn't going to get anywhere with her parents.

"What were you arguing about?" Tinder asked, taking his cloak off, revealing his leather armour and rough fur. Blaze looked up to the ceiling.

"...I organized for me and him to have a day out today...but he has guard duty...again" she explained.

"Again?" Elaine asked. "This has happened before?"

Blaze could only nod. What were all these arguments hinting at? The end? She didn't want to believe it, but the possibility was growing.

"So you had an argument because there was a commitment clash, correct?" Tinder assured, to which Blaze nodded again. Tinder then sighed to himself and sat down next to Blaze, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder. He was bigger than she, even if she was growing a little, and his large muscled arm was almost like a pillow.

"Listen Blaze...I know you only have good intentions for Silver...but guard duty is an important thing" Tinder explained. "Just because I'm king doesn't mean I've made everything perfect. There are still brigands out there, and they could easily attack. That's why guard duty is so important. Just imagine if some of your most favourite possessions were to be stolen...all your lovely clothes, jazz records, things like that. How would it feel to lose it all one night?" Tinder asked. Blaze was tearing up and couldn't manage a full answer.

"...A-awful..." she uttered. Elaine then sat closer and took Blaze's hand.

"And those brigands don't just steal. Some of them kill. Without guards, you could easily be killed. Me and your father could both die, you know" she explained. Blaze then started to fully cry, her mind ridden with the awful pictures of the deaths of loved ones. She dug herself into her father's arm, blotting her tears in his leather sleeve.

"Don't cry now, Blaze" Tinder said comfortingly. "It isn't right for a growing woman like you to cry. Silver helps protect you and everything dear to you. You should appreciate that"

"And don't doubt Silver's commitments to you. He's still as madly in love with you as the first day he met you, Blaze" Elaine explained. "It's his job to place duty above everything else, but when duty isn't being called for; he does his best to devote to you. He even gave up his position as a Field Commander to devote more time to you"

"A position I've had to fill until someone new steps up to give it a shot" Tinder explained.

"But we've been arguing so much over the past months...isn't that supposed to be hinting at a break up or something?" Blaze asked. Tinder started laughing, and so did Elaine.

"Don't be silly!" Elaine said. "Me and your father argue all the time, don't we dear?"

"True that" Tinder responded. "I mean yesterday, we had an argument about why you mother always has the shinier, cleaner throne! Silly it may sound, but we argued for five hours!" Tinder explained.

"I won eventually" Elaine added, smirking at his envious husband. "...but the point is that couples who deeply love each other always have friction between them on something or another. It's healthy for a relationship, you know" she explained.

Blaze lifted her face from her father's arm and rested the side of her head against it.

"...I don't know..." she said quietly. "I'm still so confused about what to do next...I'm nervous..."

"Maybe you two should have a little time off each other...I can guarantee that after a couple of days being away from each other, you'll just want to get back in each other's arms. Absence makes the heart grow fonder" Tinder explained. Elaine stood up from her stool.

"I hope our little chat has opened your eyes and ears to what you didn't know before" Elaine explained. "I'll talk to Silver for you, you don't have to worry"

"And as for yourself, it's time for your swordplay lesson" Tinder added, picking Blaze up to her feet, standing himself. "We worked on vertical and horizontal slashes yesterday, now today's blocking day!"