Turning back time a bit.
…
“I told you, it’s this way!” Flora explained for the third time.
“But isn’t this faster?” Barbie tried to persuade her friend. The former groaned.
“No! We gonna have to jump all over the puddles, which are HUGE, by the way. Instead of getting dirty, let’s go this way!”
The two were locked in the middle of the street. Both girls were nearly reaching the shop, and in fact, were there in about few more steps. But, of course, the fundamental difference of opinion and character could not help but drive a wedge between them.
“Alright,” said Barbie in the end, “I guess we should do it like you want.”
“Don’t say it like that!” Flora protested.
“Hmm?” Barbie’s expression showed honest surprise.
“Look,” Flora said, sighing and groaning to herself. She needed to keep herself straighten up. She placed palms together, and after an exhale, said, “We need to get to the monster, before it could do any damage. Our job, before we merge with our spirits, is to help, right?” 
Barbie, slowly and tentatively, nodded. 
“So let’s go to them in way where we won’t end up completely wet, with broken ankles, or ruined mood. Agreed?”
Barbie nodded again, but her eyes were up in the air. She wanted time to agree with the idea, which Flora understood.
“And by the way, speaking of spirits, is it me, or I don’t feel them anywhere near?” She looked at Barbie again, whose gaze was still away from her. “Barbie…Do you feel Zamarad, or?”
Barbie pointed to the side. “There!”
Flora spun her head, while the former ran forward. To her surprise, it wasn’t Zamarad, but rather a young goose boy. He also happened to be somewhat familiar to her.
“Wait, is that-“
“Hi Matthew!” Barbie waved. Flora grapped it out of the air.
“We don’t have time!”
“Oh, true!” Barbie looked to goose’s direction, only to spin back to Flora. “Uh-oh, he is walking to us. What do we say?”
Flora turned around and before long, the goose was within arm’s reach. 
“Hello, miladies.” The goose did a quick bow. Then it clicked for Flora.
“Hi,” said Barbie.
“Bye,” said Flora. She grabbed Barbie by her arm, and led her out. Unfortunately, the goose stepped in front of her. At that moment, Flora wanted to turn into her spirit and fly away very, very much.
“Oh, do pardon me, Milady Flora, I do hope you have not fell for a mistaken believe, that I am trying to woo you…again,” Matthew extrapolated, chuckling through his nose. Flora’s face was buried in her hands. “But, and do believe me when I say this, I have some other matter to attend. Of course, I could present with another gift, like an especially made replica of one well-known philosopher, Blaise Pascal…”
Flota audibly groaned in her hands.
“But that sadly, has to wait. For you see, I am here for a very important…subject, something I wish to explore upon.” Matthew looked down gloomily. He faced Barbie, something that both of the girls did not expect. “Milady Varvara, if you would, I would like to prod you about my friend…Tom.”
Both girls exchanged glances.
“You see,” Matthew took a quick breath, and continued, “it has been weight on my mind. Me and him had been quite a pair of good friends, ever since we both entered the public school system. Furthermore, he’s been…and indispensable to me, within my toughest times. I never, ever, met anyone so unique and…tolerant,” he sighed while hanging his head, “as him in all my life. He even widened my circle of friends significantly, when I felt that no one could ever choose to befriend me. Me, him and others were inseparable, and had spent countless days and nights to make the most entertaining times in our very young lives. Because of this, however, I also feel as if I owe Tom, as I would a friend. And do not, that I treasure my friendship dearly, despite what my particular vernacular and sense of ego would tell you. So I wanted to ask, could you please tell me, what happened to him, Varvara?”
Flora glanced to Barbie. The lizard was standing still, very confused and somewhat hesitant. She kept on looking back to Flora, only to realize that the deer wasn’t exactly in better position herself.
“Nothing happened…I think?” Barbie said unsurely, her eyes darting around. “Isn’t he part of the robot fighting-“
“I am well aware of that” Matthew cut her off. “I am talking of his odd behavior as of late. You know, this thing that he is playing with you… some sort of…Defenders of Valiant, I believe?”
“Oh, yeah, we all are,” Barbie replied with a smile.
Flora bit her lip. On the one hand, having everyone being open about their secret just rubbed her the wrong way. On the other, she felt like she should’ve spoke out more.
“Varvara,” Matthew said and gave out a sigh through his nose. It was like a sad trumpet sound. “I have highest of hopes on you, because I know you can elucidate this better than anyone in this town could. Know that, if he has found better friends, or found that he just, has no more interest in me as an acquaintance of his, then you can tell me without a problem. I am very open-minded on that. It hasn’t been the first time. I just,” he took her hand with both of his, “I simply beg of you, tell it frankly to my face. Now, the truth, what is going on?”
“Umm…we are fighting monster?” Barbie was looking around again. Flora could tell, there was a spark of panic in her.
Matthew let out a miniature honk. He adjusted his glasses, and said, “Good day to you.” He then spun on his heels and walked away. 
Barbie gazed at Flora, who wasn’t doing anything. For the deer, who’s to say they could do anything at this point? His mind was locked, and if her experience with his constant hounding that she dealt with in her first few years at school taught her, he is one of those people you could never change. This was a bigger problem that she wasn’t gonna be able to deal with. Especially since she had something more important to do.
Sorry Tom. 
“Wait!” Barbie yelled and grabbed his wing. She managed to reach him in less then a second in over five feet distance. “You are not unfriending Tom, are you?”
“I’d rather not waste time being made a fool, unfortunately,” Matthe stated, “Now let-“ he grunted, “-go of my-“ he pulled on it some more, which she did in kind, “-of my arm! How the heck are you this strong!”
“Flora!” Barbie called.
Flora’s lip was still held. No matter how much she checked on Matthew, he felt completely out of her reach. And yet, once her eyes locked on Barbie’s pleading ones, she couldn’t help but groan.
Why was it so frustrating?
“Do you wanna see what we do, then?”
…
“And that’s why the goose is here.” 
Flora pointed with her head to Matthew, who was apparently busy wrestling his phone with Barbie. They were all outside, with Flora and Fotia coming out to check the commotion.
“You will not force me, Varvara!”
“Just answer the phone, please!” Barbie said, pulling the device into different directions. 
The had been stuck since they arrived, something that Flora found pretty ridiculous. Still, she hadn’t considered that too out of the realm of expectations. So, she thought about waiting until one of them gives up, or something else happens. And then something else did happen.
“Oops-NO!” Barbie tried to catch the phone, which fell straight into the nearby puddle. She dove right after it and pulled the freezing wet device from its killer. Unfortunately, the blackened screen proved to her that she was too late.
“Fantastic!” Matthew said, while Barbie turned to give it back to him. Her face had the most visible portrayal of guilt on it. “Oh how glad I am that it is waterproof, for I would not know what to do,” he said, and grabbed it. 
Then his hand spazzed, making him drop it. 
“Ooof, so cold!”
A small piece splintered once it hit the pavement.
Flora covered her eyes. This was too much. 
“Well then,” Matthew bent down to pick up the pieces, “I believe I’ll be heading home.”
“Wait!” Barbie stopped him.
Matthew made another honking noise, this one more drawn out. 
“Milady Varvara, let us cease with this. I understand you wanted me to talk to him, but unless he comes to my house personally, I will not speak with him until then! If you can tell him that, I will be more than happy.” 
“I am trying to…” Barbie frantically looked around, until her eyes landed on Fotia. “You can’t go home yet!”
She dashed to Fotia and pulled him closer. With two birds closer, she said, “You asked for an explanation behind Tom’s sudden change. Here it is! This isn’t a trick, or a pretend either! Fotia!”
“Hmm?” the other bird looked to her.
“Tell him about yourself! Tell him that you are a spirit, from looong time ago, who is now possessing the body of Pierre!”
Matthew were shifting between her and Fotia. His demeanor had changed from tired, to unsettled. 
Fotia clicked his beak. “Why of course.”
He turned to Matthew, and folded his arms, puffing his chest and straightening his back. He was a foot shorter than the goose. 
“That is very true!” Fotia began. “I am in fact Fotia, the crimson bird of the Faoohna tribe! Back in my home, my strength was equated with that of a mountain, and in my lifetime, I managed to take down ten dragons. Although, just to not let my ego run amok, let us say these feats were made thanks to the efforts of many. That said, my tribe is, or more appropriately to say was, on of the most extraordinary-”
Flora turned around and was ready to head to the store. She sympathized with Barbie, she really did. In fact, she just wanted to take him herself and show the guy inside the store. But she felt like this wasn’t the main problem here. Even if she did, something told her, he was likely to say that the monster was fake. Then again, aside from several arms sticking from it, the Torque was rather ordinary looking. 
No, the problem was much deeper than that. And Barbie wasn’t likely to change anything by herself.
Then as she reached for the door, it opened to reveal two kids. 
“Excuse us!” said the young bat.”
“You guys are leaving?” Flora asked.
“Yeah, we’re kinda busy, sorry,” the young bat said, leading the young mole to come out with his limp.
“Oh, okay,” Flora said and let them through.
“We left the letter inside!” announced the mole. “You can read it! And the tank you letter! I wrote them all myself!”
“He wrote a bit while waiting,” said the bat. “He was really happy that you liked them.”
Flora raised her eyebrows, to show how impressed she was. The kids then went away from the house. From what she heard, they were heading back to Miss Elefantus.
“Has something happened here?”
Flora turned around, and sighed in relief.
“Rose, you’re back, finally!” she said to her spirit friend.
Barbie, Fotia and Matthew, who has now assumed a look of a very disturbed young boy, turned to her.
“Rose!” Barbie exclaimed, and ran off.
“Your Highness, there you are!” said Fotia, his arms out and welcoming.
The three kids huddled together around the spirit. Matthew looked at each one of them with bewilderment, as they all talked to open air.
“Oh my gosh, where were you this whole time!?” asked Flora huffily. She was more than happy to see her back. “We have a monster here, you know? Like, not a ‘monster’ monster, but like…you tell her, Fotia!”
“Actually!” Fotia noted. “Your Highness, has the search been fruitful?”
Flora and Barbie looked at the spirits, and then to each other.
“Search?” Flora asked.
“Pray, we have,” answered Rose. She turned to Flora, “My deepest apologies for such an abrupt behavior on our part, but it did felt important enough. It all required all of us in the end, though, and we’ve felt that Fotia would scout for any danger, if necessary.”
Flora’s eyes were locked on Rose, enough that she didn’t notice Matthew tiptoeing away from them. All she saw instead was darkness, and within it, a symbol of a hexagonal star.
“What did you find?” she asked.
Rose replied, “We have located their lair.”
…