Balan Wonderworld: The Blooming Lotus

Chapter Twenty: Princess of The Red Carpet

The dark Ki energy that had been corrupting Shin's heart had finally been blasted away... and Shin decided to give it his all and take on the final challenge. The newfound courage within himself earned him the black belt he totally deserved- making him a karate master.

Red Carpet City was a beautiful sight- it looked like Hollywood, with skyscrapers, movie props, and spotlights dotted about. There were even food vendors, in case one got hungry. "This all looks too good to be true!" Leo said as he took pictures of the beautiful city. "Why, thank you, my adoring fans!" A woman's voice called out.

The team turned and stared at where the voice had come from- high up on a ledge, sat a beautiful woman. Her long dark hair matched perfectly with her latte skin, her pink headband was decorated with crystals, her amber eyes shone like stars, and her orange gossamer evening dress flowed with sparkles. There was no doubt that she was in fact a celebrity of sorts. "My name is Stella Carlson, AKA Princess of The Red Carpet! But you can call me Stella if you feel like it." Stella said, hopping down like a pro.

"Hey, Miss Stella. I'm Leo AKA Streetbeat." He said, shaking hands with the famous movie star. "It's an honor to meet a fan such as you." Stella replied as she shook back. "What brings you here to Wonderworld, Miss Stella?" Emma asked as she posed on a giant Oscars statue. Stella sat next to the gang on the bench, then began her tale as a rising star.

"You see, I'm actually a rising star in the film industry! I recently had gotten hired and given a film reel as a keepsake by my new director, James MacReynold." She replied, showing off her film reel. "Cool." Leo replied as he examined it. "Yes. And not long ago, we were producing the movie that I'm going to be making my debut in! But, thing is, something happened to me after we completed production." Stella finished.

Just then, out of nowhere, Negati appeared, bearing their striking white masks. "That's definitely not CGI!" Mei said in surprise. Just then, Leo caught a glimpse of a Costume Crystal up above. He interacted with it and soon came out looking like a Stealthy Sneaker, a reptilian creature wearing secret agent gear.

"Now this is more like it." He said as he stared at himself. Emma became that of Gilded Superstar, a humanoid Oscars Statue wearing a bright orange dress and had a striking metallic ponytail, and Mei and Rebecca emerged as Starlight Sailors, Humanoid Space Rangers with futuristic motifs in their design. "Lights, Camera, Action!" Stella said as she cheered the gang on.

Emma guided the light from a nearby spotlight to take down the dark creatures, while Leo climbed up a wall and then jumped down on the Negati, crushing them. Mei and Rebecca summoned up UFOs to spirit the Negati away, and before the gang knew it, the Negati were speeding away. "And scene!" Stella replied once the last of the Negati fled. "Thanks, Stella." Mei replied as she dusted off her outfit.

"Well, we're off to finish the movie that is your heart." Leo replied to the actress. He knew she was counting on the gang to make her movie a true success. "Okay, then! Have fun, and begin scene!" Stella replied as the team sped off. They dodged flashing camera obstacles and movie props that seemed to come to life, and made it to the Heart Tree, which was in front of what looked like a replica of the famous Chinese Theatre. The Tims worked their magic, and soon the first half of Stella's heart was restored.

When the gang headed back to Red Carpet City, they saw Stella on a bench. This time, however, she was pretty disappointed, especially since she wasn't smiling. "Stella, did something happen?" Emma said as she comforted the superstar. "Well... the trouble began when after production, I went backstage to clean off my makeup- and that's when it hit me." Stella replied.

"What happened?" Leo asked. "In the days leading up to the premiere, I began to worry on whether my debut movie would be a success or not! I was so worried- that I instantly began to think on wether stardom was the right path for me to embark on... or the wrong path that I can't go back from." Stella finished, staring at her film reel.