Chapter 2 : Getting Through Customs
Shego, seeing Stormy's expression, backs away suddenly and Icy turns to see the scowl painted on Stormy's face.
"Stormy! Be polite!" snaps Icy at Stormy. "Shego is a newcomer to Alfea and may not know any of our customs so cut her some slack and be polite until we orient her to our ways," and Stormy turns her scowl of anger into one of just sulking bitchiness.
"What did I do wrong?" asks Shego, perplexed.
"You lingered too long while kissing me," explains Icy. "The kisses of agreement and acceptance are to be quick pecks on each temple. To linger any longer than that implies something more intimate and is seen as an intrusion by any who are bonded to the one being kissed."
Shego looks at Icy baffled and confused. "A trix is any group of three Witches who work together as a team," Icy continues. "Darcy, Stormy and I are called 'The Trix' simply because we are the most powerful – at least among the human Witches. We could have just as easily been called Icy's Trix or The D.I.S.-Trix. There are other trix who reside at Cloud Tower. There is, for example, a trix of three Margay Cat-Witches who refer to themselves as The Margay Trix. There is The Rusulka Trix which is a trix of Water-Witches whose leader is Rusulka. M'Trika's Trix is made up of M'Trika, a Panther-Morph Witch and two Cat-Witches called Mieze and Matchka. They are the heads of the Cat-Witch guards who maintain order and discipline at Cloud Tower and who are not to be messed around with if you value your life. And the oldest trix at Cloud Tower is Griffin's Trix whose members are Miss Griffin, the headmistress of Cloud Tower, and her associates Professor Edeltrude and Professor Zarathustra."
"And so?" asks Shego, not picking up upon where Icy is heading with all this.
"When a trix is established," Icy continues to explain to Shego, "a kind of bonding is said to occur that allows the trix to work more cohesively as a single unit. Some say that bits of each one's aura are exchanged for bits of the aurae of the other two members which further cements the relationship. Still others say that when the bond between members reaches a certain pinnacle the three are able to physically merge to form a single new and more powerful entity. Darcy," she says while wrapping a sisterly arm about the brunette's neck who smiles back at her, "Stormy, my Precious Little One," putting a protective arm about the tiniest member who puts her arms around Icy's waist giving Shego the impression that they are mother and daughter rather than sisters, "and I are joined by such a bond."
"I think I understand now," replies Shego and, then, turning to Stormy says to her, "I'm sorry I have upset you."
Stormy hesitates until Icy gives her a stern look and then says, "Oh, I guess it's all right," but her expression reads, "Mummy really put you in your place – so there! Ney-ah!"
Shego finds herself wanting to smack this little brat but the thought is suddenly halted in its tracks when she sees a bolt of lightning flash before her eyes and a deafening thunderclap resounds in her head during which she swears she sees Stormy making a face at her and sticking out her tongue. But then, in the next instant, she is looking at Stormy's face again which has become the most serene picture of angelic, blue-eyed innocence.
