Far away, on a distant planet in a different dimension, a fire rages. Not just one building, but four blocks, all burning with horrendous heat. Companies of fireman swarmed outside the wreckage, trying desperately to put it out. But nothing they did worked. Many searched the area surrounding the buildings , bringing out the homeless people who had been sheltering there. None were really close enough to get hurt, but with a fire that big, there was no telling how far it would spread. Then, they joined the rest of the men, attaching more hoses to fire hydrants to try to put out the flames.
Suddenly, they heard a wailing and crying coming from within the fire. It was a babies cry! One of the men went rushing toward the crying, and his arm was grabbed by his partner. "The fires too strong, Mike! We'll never make it!" he shouts over the flames and the smoke. "I'll do it!" Mike says, not willing to leave anyone in there to die.
"I'm coming!" he shouts to the crying in the fire. "I'm going to save you!"
The building is falling apart around him, beams and chunks of the ceiling missing him by inches. He coughs into his hand, and looks around. In the middle of the room, he sees the strangest sight. A little girl with blond curls in a golden dress holding a baby, surrounded by a translucent red orb, energy sparking off it's surface.
The girl is laying on her side, eyes unopened. He walks carefully toward them, making sure not to trip on the debris falling. He reaches out and picks them up together, not even flinching as his hands pass through the bubble and it pops. As he does, the flames stop, and the whole fire goes out. He looks around in astonishment.
He comes out of the building with the girls in his arms. His partner rushes over with the rest of the men. "What happened, Mike?" His partner asks.
Mike, still stunned, just looks at him. "Uh, Mike?" There boss walks over laughing and claps Mike on the shoulder, snapping him out of it. "I'll tell you what happened!" he states proudly.
"Mike saved the lives of two little girls in a hell of a blaze, and the rest of us finally put out that whopper of a fire. Good job, Men!"
They all shout and clap each other on the back. Mike can't help but just look at the two girls asleep in his arms.
Vanessa paces back and forth across the living room. It had been Mikes day off, the first one in weeks, when the call came in. Of course, he had to go, but still. She worried about him. It had been hours and hours, and still she hadn't heard from him. She stopped her pacing and glanced at the clock on the wall. 2:45 am.
"Well, that's it." she thought out loud. "I can't stand it anymore!" She runs over to the couch, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. As an unspoken, self imposed rule, she never watched the news while Mike was on a job. It did no good and usually just worried her more, but she needed to know. She needed to know if he was alright.
Frantic, she searched till she found the news channel. The man on screen was just wrapping up his report on the fire. She sucked in a hard breath as they showed the footage. "My God! Do fires even get that big in the city?!" It was hard to believe, but it had. She didn't relax again until, while the fire chief was being interviewed, she spotted Mike in the background. She sighed and fell back into the couch. "Thank you God! He's safe!" She sat forward and rubbed her temples.
They had met on the day she graduated collage. She had just gotten her degree in botany and to celebrate, she was trying to cook dinner for her family as a surprise. Unfortunately, even though she knew how to tell a Amona Maximum from a Gypsum Glorialice, she had no idea how to cook. And had managed to set the kitchen on fire. Unlike the other firemen, who had razzed her the whole time they took the report, he was kind and understanding.
They had struck up a conversation and became fast friends. Eventually, they fell in love and got married. The wedding was actually just a few months ago. She knew that there would be days like this, there always were. But she was never quite prepared when they came. Having something to do, other then reorganize her flower shop, would have helped. But she didn't really have any hobbies, and she was all alone while Mike was at work. She had tried to get pregnant, because they both wanted a family, but it just wasn't happening.
So, here she sat. Alone. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she tuned back into what the fire chief was saying. "... and he just charged in there and saved those little girls! I tell you, Mat! He's a real hero!"
Tears spilled from her eyes. That was her Mike! She was stilled glued to the TV when the door banged open, announcing he was home. She ran to the door, to see what the bang was and stopped dead. He was standing there, holding a newborn baby in one hand and another little girls hand in the other. She ran over and gently took the baby from his arms so he could take his jacket off.
As he hung it on the coat rack by the door, she peered into the bundle in her arms. She saw a shock of red curly hair sticking up from the babies head. She, for it was a girl, was fast asleep, quietly cooing. Mike picked up the little blonde haired girl, who seemed to be fighting to keep her eyes open, and carried her to the couch. He set her down, and reached over to the TV to turn it off. Vanessa grabbed a blanket off the other chair and draped it over her. She then joined Mike on the sofa, gently rocking the baby in her arms.
"So, who are these little ones?" she asked him softly, continually glancing down at the babe and the girl on the couch. He put his arm around her and sighed. "These are two girls I rescued from the fire today." he said. They're something special." he added, as an afterthought.
"How so?" she asked, wondering.
So he explained, everything that had happened. "And so," he added, "no one knows where they came from, or who's they are. I said we'd take them in. Is that okay?"
"Of course that's okay! Oh, Mike!" Vanessa said happily. "We've always wanted a family, and I can't think of any better way to start. Besides,"
she said, giving a sidelong glance at them again, sleeping peacefully, "They need us."
Mike grinned,"Then we'll start the paperwork tomorrow. I'm sure there won't be a problem."
They sat up together that night, Vanessa resting her head on his chest, both of them watching their two, beautiful, new daughters.
Stella had had a hard day. Her parents had been arguing again, and it had filled the hours from when the first sun rose to when the last star appeared, when they finally went to bed. About what, you may ask? About everything, and nothing. It seemed they never got along these days. So she had stayed in her room, or out in the crystal gardens, or even in the kitchen, everywhere she knew they wouldn't be.
All that had taken it's toll. That's why, after everyone had gone to bed, she had snuck up to the dove tower. Being quiet not to make a noise and rouse the doves, she eased past them and went to the balcony, careful to shut the doors behind her. She waved her hands together in front of her, and from silver moonlight appeared a beautiful telescope her mother had given her. It was etched with constellations from all over the magic dimension.
Her mother had given it to her for her eighth birthday. It was one of her happiest moments. Not because of the gift, but because of her family. They had been a family back then. She leaned on the balcony rail and smiled, remembering how they had stargazed that night, her mother and father carefully pointing out different patterns and constellations in the night sky. Her father was especially good at pointing out the nebula's, while her mother could easily pick out different moons and suns from the starscape for her.
She had smiled then too, eager to learn all she could about the sky. It got cold though, and Mother announced it was time for bed. Stella silently protested, trying to hide the traitor yawn that spread wide across her face. Her Father had laughed, picking her up in his strong arms and carrying her to her bed. As her parents tucked her in, they told her all about the stars, the sun, and the moon. How, deep inside her, was magic that came from the heavens, and if she was a good girl, when she grew up, she would be a strong fairy and be able to protect her people with her special powers. She looked up into their loving eyes, and promised "I'll be really good mommy! I'll be the best fairy ever!" Her father laughed, and they both kissed her goodnight.
A cold breeze stirred Stella from her memories. She glanced up at the stars, and judging by the height of the Moon on the horizon, she didn't have much more then a few hours for her stargazing. Sighing, she bent down and looked through the telescope. She watched as the constellations for the unicorn, the satyr, and the great king appeared.
Suddenly, something to the east caught her eye. An orange flash. Curiously, she turned the telescope in the direction in question. Sure enough, their were more. Hundreds of flashing, pulsating shooting stars arched across the sky, just over a distant planet. She zoomed in, and realized that these were not normal shooting stars, made of ice and space dust, but these were made from gold and liquid fire. Quickly, she plucked the astrolabe from the telescope stand and began measuring the planet's position. She realized with a start, that it was all happening over the dead planet, Sparx.
"This must be the Draco-Nova meteor shower! But... that hasn't happened in nearly 15 years!"
Amazed and intrigued, she watched the meteor shower until the first sun rose, and the lights faded from the sky.
Daphne tosses and turns, restless in her sleep.
A vision pulls her through the dream-vale, and she opens her eyes in a strange and amazing place. She looks all around her, and takes in the view. She's playing in a beautiful garden, filled to the brim with the most amazing plants and flowers. Walls curve up and down like the rise and fall of waves, surrounding the place, broken only by intricate golden gates at each end of the garden. A fountain stands in the middle, a lone sentinel, water arching from it's spouts.
She feels so calm and at peace here. The wind tugs at her, as if inviting her to play. She runs, arms wide and eyes closed, feeling it whip through her hair. Only now does she realize she's barefoot. She looks down at her feet, and is surprised to see she is a child, wearing a golden dress. A nearby butterfly draws her from her thoughts, and she chases it. A woman's voice laughs, and familiarity builds an odd but wonderful sensation in her chest.
She turns to see a smiling woman bent down, hands on her knees looking towards her. She has striking golden eyes, and long red hair spiraling in curls down her back. She's wearing a loose pink no sleeve shirt, with gold trim, and emerald pants with pink knee boots, trimmed with gold as well. Gold armlets delicately circle her biceps, and an intricate crown sits on her head. She calls to Daphne, laughing, and says "There's my big girl! Come give Mommy a hug!"
She runs toward her and leaps into her arms, giggling. Her mother spins her around in her arms, and hugs her close to her chest. They're interrupted by a mans voice. "So, Mariam, I've finally finished my paperwork. Mind if play too? Mariam turns toward the voice, and Daphne get's a good look at the man it came from. He's tall, with wavy chocolate hair, and a kind face. He's wearing a white t shirt and a pair of dark pants with black knee boots.
Mariam turns slightly away with a gleaming look in her eyes. "You're such an old stick in the mud, I doubt you remember how to play, Oritel." Oritel looks toward her in mock disbelief. "That hurts. I do too know how to play." Mariam glances toward him. "Oh, really? Then what game were we playing?" Oritel strokes his chin, "Hmmm... what game? What game?" he muses.
She looks back to Daphne in her arms. "I don't think daddy can guess, do you?" Daphne shakes her head no and giggles. Oritel gives them a mischievous look. "Oh, you mean" and he grabs Daphne from her mother and holds her straight into the air, and starts spinning her around again. "This one?" he finishes, laughing. Daphne laughs too, throwing her arms and legs straight out as he spins her. Mariam stands back as she watches them. At last he pulls her back down, and both parents embrace her. The feeling of this love, this overwhelming love...
The scene fades, and is replaced by another. But this time, she seems to be inside of a strange room. She hears blood curdling screams in the distance, and shouts, followed by the sound of metal on metal. She now feels terror. Looking to the left and right, she searches for a way out she somehow knows isn't there. She sees the woman from before turn toward her, a desperate and panicked look on her face. She starts to speak, but there's no sound as the dream starts to fade, the images melting like candle wax. She wakes up screaming.
She breathes hard, sitting up in bed, while she waits for her heart rate to return to normal. Bloom groans and shifts in her own bed across the room. Daphne looks around, assuring herself it was just a dream. She pulls back the covers and walks over to the window seat. She curls up in it, leaning her back against the side of the wall and her head on the glass pane, so that she can see the moon to the east of the street.
Closing her eyes, she lets a few tears escape. "It didn't feel like a dream. More... like a memory. But it was... it felt so... real! As if it was happening now!" She opens her eyes and looks towards her baby sister's sleeping form, her side slowing rising and falling with her breathing. "Those people," she thought to herself, shaking. "They must have been our birth parents. But what happened? Why did they abandon us?"
She remembered the good part of the dream, when they were all playing together. She remembered how her mother's smile had lit up her face when she saw her, the love she felt when they had both hugged her. And then, she remembered the desperate and panicked look in her mothers face at the end.
She shook her head. "No. I don't believe they gave us up voluntarily. Something happened. But what?"
She leaned back against the wall again and closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep, as the moonlight filtered through the sky and beautiful shooting stars shot across it, so faint that they were nothing more then ghosts.
Bloom wakes up to the sound of birds chirping as they fly past her window. Grinning, she lays in her bed, enjoying the sunshine on her face. Opening her eyes, she glances over at Daphne's side of the room. Her sister is already awake and downstairs, probably. The bed is neatly made, although a number of other things were strewn around the room. Bloom gets up, lazily stretching, and goes to her dresser. She pulls out a blue t-shirt with short yellow sleeves. Finding a matching pair of pants, she pulls them out as well.
She's brushing her red hair in the bathroom mirror when her mom calls her down to breakfast. Sighing, she gives up on the perfect ponytail she had been trying to force her unruly hair into and just let it hang loose. She puts the brush back in the drawer and goes downstairs to join her family.
Mike sits at the table, drinking his coffee and reading the morning paper. Daphne is running around the kitchen, grabbing odds and ends like keys and cellphone as she gets ready for work. Vanessa, laughing and splattered in pancake batter, asks "Why the rush sweetheart?"
Daphne, now 17, gulps down a cup of coffee and tosses back "Klaus had to drop his daughter Roxy off a riding camp, and so he asked me to take the morning shift and open the fruiti music bar." she glanced down a her watch, "OMG I'm gonna be late!" As Bloom comes into the kitchen, Daphne rushes past her fast enough to knock her into the doorway. "Watch it!" Bloom laughs in mock anger. "Sorry Bloom! I'm late!" She makes it out the door and to the car, luckily with no more injuries on the way.
Mike laughs and shakes his head as Bloom walks over to give him a hug. "Good morning, Dad." She pull her chair out and sits down at the table as Vanessa sets a plate of steaming pancakes in front of her. "Morning Mom." she reaches up and hugs her, being careful not to get pancake batter on her own shirt.
"Good morning to you too," she says as she sets her own plate down and joins them at the table. They say prayer, and then begin their meal. Bloom glances from one parent to the other as she reaches for the peanut butter. "Surely they can't have forgotten?"
"So," Vanessa begins casually, "got any plans for today? Well, besides helping me in the shop of course." Bloom looks up in shock. "They did forget!" Vanessa and Mike exchange grins, and Bloom, who had looked down in disappointment, hardly noticed.
Both Mike and Vanessa look over at their helpless daughter, sitting there with her lip trembling, and bust out laughing. Bloom looks at them incredulously. This just makes them laugh harder. Wiping tears from her eyes, Vanessa looks up at Bloom and grins a Cheshire cat smile. "Had you going for a few minutes, didn't we?" Vanessa laughs and gets up from the table. She comes back carrying a huge birthday cake, covered in blue frosting and purple flowers, rendered in exquisite detail. Vanessa must have done the decorating herself.
Mike chuckles, and pulls Bloom in for a side hug. "I bet you thought we forgot your Birthday, didn't you?"
"It was all a joke?" Bloom asks disbelieving. "Not funny, Mom!" Vanessa adds candles to the cake and replies "I thought it was pretty funny. Besides, how else are we supposed to surprise you?"
"And," Vanessa added, "You get the whole day off! No work, no cleaning out the garage, no chores. Just make this mornings deliveries, and you're free!"
Bloom nearly cried. "Thanks Mom, thanks Dad!" She blew the candles out. After they eat some cake, Bloom gives them each a quick kiss on the cheek and heads for the door. "Now," Mike says, stopping Bloom mid-protest, "I know how much you want to run off and have fun, but don't you want your birthday present?"
"Where is it?" she asked, looking around eagerly.
Mike laughed and winked. "It's outside." He and Vanessa followed Bloom as she ran outside. She came to a dead stop in the middle of the yard. At the end, by the gate, glinted a brand new red bike. It was the new one she'd been admiring at Marco's Sports Shoppe. It even had the basket she had wanted to add on for Kiko.
"Mom, Dad! Thank you so much! It's perfect!" she cried, running into their arms. "I'm glad you like it, sweetheart!" Vanessa gushed, pulling her daughter in for a tighter hug. Bloom ran over to the bike, looking it over from handle to tire, thinking of all the things she wanted to do today, and how much faster she could get there.
"You might want to head over to the Frutti Music bar first." Mike said. "Daphne said she had a super special present for you, and she said you'd love it."
Bloom glanced up and said "Awesome! Thanks, I will!" Mike and Vanessa watched as she ran back to the door and called in "Come on, Kiko!" A few minutes later, Kiko came hopping out, and upon seeing the basket on the bike, happily jumped in, nearly squashing the flower deliveries.
With one final wave, she wheeled out of the yard and down the street. She had gone no farther then a block when she was stopped by a girl from school. Mitzi.
"Hey Bloom, nice bike. Your dad find it in a junk yard?" she asked, not so innocently.
Bloom gritted her teeth. Mitzi's dad was Michael Conner, the owner and manager of Gardenia's largest store. It was well know that he was a man who enjoyed his power, and his daughter was very much like him. She, like her father, also looked down on everyone who wasn't as rich as her.
She especially liked to torture Bloom, making fun of her with her friends, teasing her about her Dad being a "lowly fireman. Nothing more then a human fire extinguisher." As well as teasing her about her Mom "the gardinian tree hugger." She and Bloom didn't get along, no two ways about it. Hardly anybody liked Mitzi, but they liked her money and her Dad's position. So they sucked up to her.
Bloom wanted to punch her in the teeth so bad, or at least shoot back an insult, but HER parents had raised her better. That, and Daphne had told her that come-backs just encouraged people like Mitzi to think of her as an easy target, someone they could always pick fun at and easily get a fight.
So she took a deep breath and replied, "Actually, no Mitzi. He found it at Marco's. You know, the sports shoppe? Isn't it awesome."
Mitzie was so shocked she hadn't thrown out a snappy retort that she hardly noticed Bloom leave. "Huh. Maybe Daphne has a point." she thought, heading toward the beach where the Frutti Music Bar was located.
Klaus had opened it about six years ago, and it was the hottest spot in Gardenia for tourists. It was always busy, and he always needed extra help. When Daphne had applied for the job last summer, he had just lost two of his staff that had went off to collage and was only too happy to hire her.
She pulled her bike up to the rack and chained it in place. Mitzi might make fun of it, but the bike was awesome, and she didn't want it to get stolen. She could hear the music from all the way out here. Walking in, she could see why.
"Andy..." she thought glumly, and sat down at her customary table by the door, across from the counter. It had been about two months since she had seen him. She and her friend Selina, who had been Andy's girlfriend at the time, had been hanging out at the mall shopping. It had been a long, fun filled day, and they were exhausted. They decided to get ice cream at the shop down the street.
They had arrived outside of the Ice cream parlor, and Selina had been laughing at one of Bloom's jokes. Bloom asked what flavor she wanted, and Selina, between her laughs, said "Anything but Peca...," and stopped. She looked up at something that had caught her eye, and suddenly, she turned sheet white and ran off back the way they came, sobbing.
Bloom, rather bewildered, looked up to see what had caused her reaction when she saw him, in the ice cream parlor, kissing another girl. He was on a date! She ran to find Selina, and finally caught up with her in the mall, where she was crying at the fountain. Bloom consoled her as best she could, but Selina was broken hearted.
That night Bloom got a call at home. Selina told Bloom that she was moving to the country with her Grandmother. She didn't want to face Andy, and didn't want him to see how much he hurt her. So, they said their goodbyes, promising to stay in touch, and then she left. That was the day Bloom lost her best friend.
A week went by. Then two. Bloom grew lonely, with no one to hang out with, so she started helping her mom in the flower shop. One day, Andy came into the store, asking where Selina had gone. "We had a date planned two weeks ago, and then she disappeared! I've looked everywhere, and I can't find her! Do you know what happened?"
Bloom, after staring at him in shock, mouth agape, for a few minutes, answered.
"Oh, I don't know Andy. It might have something to do with the fact we saw you locking lips with Mitzi at the Ice Cream Parlor. Only two hours before you were supposed to meet Selina for your date. Do you think that's it?" She asked angrily, one hand on her hip, the other leaning on the counter.
Andy suddenly paled. He swallowed a couple of times. "Y-you.. y-you saw that?" He came around the corner of the counter and pleaded to Bloom "You have to know that it wasn't what it looked like! It was just... " He gave up, looking down. "Mitzi had me over a rope. She said that if I didn't go out with her, she'd tell the Principle that I cheated on last weeks math test. I didn't! But like that matters! Everyone takes Mitzi's side!"
He had tears in his eyes. Bloom felt sorry for him. He wasn't the only one that had been manipulated by Mitzi, and he probably wouldn't be the last. But he had still kissed Mitzi, and Selina was still hurt.
"I'm sorry, Andy. But you were wrong. And you hurt Selina, bad." She said.
"I'm sorry too." He replied miserably. "I never wanted to hurt hurt her." He started to walk out, when Bloom stopped him. "I'll tell her." She said, reluctantly. "I don't know what good that'll do, but I'll tell her. But take my word for it," he turned around and faced her as she emphasized her words. "If she lets you back in, don't hurt her. And stay away from Mitzi. She's no good for anyone."
He shook his head and waved a goodbye. It must have been a trick of the light, but she seemed to actually have fire in her eyes.
Shaking off the memories, Bloom put on a cheery face got up, heading to the front counter.
Daphne was having a pretty good day to begin with. Even though it was the first day of winter vacation, their weren't that many customers. Which was just as well, because she only had two other employee's helping her, and they needed a lot more when the place was full.
She whistled while she worked, rubbing the cleaning rag vigorously up and down the length of the counter top. She'd seen that guy again, sitting over at table six as usual. "He's so handsome..." shaking herself out of her thoughts, she went back to work.
"The Guy", she had dubbed him because she was too shy to ask his name, or even talk to him, had been coming in all summer, and now again on winter break. "He must be a college student." She mused. He seemed nice, always laughing and joking with people. And of course, he always smiled at her and was the perfect gentleman when she waited on him. To be honest, he might have been the real reason she was in such a good mood. "If only I had the guts to talk to him..." she thought glumly. Suddenly, the day didn't seem so great.
"Hey'a Daph!" Bloom greeted her sister as she plopped herself down at the stool in front of her. Daphne looked up with a big smile, grabbing Bloom's customary bottle of Apple juice and passing it to her. "Good Morning, Bloom! Sorry I was so rushed this morning."
"Hey, it's okay, I understand." Looking up a Daphne from the corners of her eyes, she asked "So, watcha doing?" Daphne gave her sister a knowing look. After a minute, she replied. "Oh, nothing much. I don't suppose you came to pick up a special present, did you?" She asked, offering a thin rectangular package wrapped in yellow tissue paper with a big pink bow.
No longer able to hold back her excitement, Bloom squealed like a three year old, reaching out her hands in a "gimme gimme" sort of way. Daphne held it out of her reach for a few moments while Bloom chased it, before finally letting her take it. Paper and ribbon went flying as she tore through it. "Memo to me," Daphne thought happily, "Re-sweep floor."
A delighted gasp broke through her thoughts as Bloom finally pulled the last strip of paper away, revealing a book. "Fairy legends of Gal-way! I've been waiting for this one! I didn't even know it came out yet!" She petted the leather binding affectionately, admiring the delicate scroll work imprinted onto the soft cover.
Daphne laughed, "That's because you don't know Peter down at the book store. I introduced him to his girlfriend, Miranda, and he owed me a favor. And technically," she eyed Bloom with a conspiratorial look in her eye, motioning her to come closer. Bloom leaned in, and Daphne finished "Technically, it's not supposed to be out till next week, but I told him it was your birthday and he snagged it for me. His uncle, old man Bowen laughed as he rang me up."
Bloom hugged her older sister. "This is the best birthday present ever!" She squealed.
Bloom's phone alarm rang, "Dang!" she said, grabbing it from her pocket and turning it off. "I promised Mom I'd make a few deliveries before a took the day off, and I've got to get going. Before Daphne knew what was going on, Bloom was already halfway across the room. "See you later!" Bloom called, and Daphne shook her head, then turned back to her work.
A few more hours passed, with more customers coming in. Daphne and the other staff were worked really hard, and when closing drew near, it was a relief. Daphne turned off the last of the lights, locked all the doors, and headed out. Sunset was giving way to dusk, the bright orange, pink, yellow, and purple giving way to more subdued tones of powder blue and peach.
Daphne hummed to herself as she made her way down the sidewalk, passing empty shops as she went. Every now and then, she would shift her gaze from the sky, to the passing cars, and then back to the sidewalk. Everything seemed peaceful. She breathed in deep, inhaling the aroma of sea breeze, roses, and of course, the ever present wild gardenias the city was named for.
Unknown to her, four figures watched her from the rooftops. They kept pace with her easily, moving along the buildings as silent as wraiths. They followed close, awaiting their chance.
Daphne stopped as she felt her cell vibrate. "A text from mom," she thought to herself. She leaned against the side of the building she was nearest to, and started typing, fingers moving methodically.
One of the figures spoke, still unheard by the oblivious Daphne below. Crouching down to get a better look at her, he began "It's her, alright. She's the one radiating the energy." He stood up, looking thoughtful, as another figure spoke. "Then let's get her! We're more then a match for her!" he said eagerly, teeth gleaming in the near dark.
The first figure shook his head in a negative gesture. The second ignored him, and went to make a move, but he was stopped . He looked up at the one who stopped him, who simply said "Wait."
He turned toward the first figure. "Anagan?" Anagan shook his head again, standing. "It's her, but that energy is a different flavor then I've sensed before. We should be cautious with her. She is more then she appears."
The leader, who had asked, scratched his chin in thought. It would not be wise to rush over-confidently into something like this.
"Gantlos," he motioned the last figure forward. Gantlos was his second, and his most trusted leutenent. "What do you think of the situation?" Gantlos grunted, looking down at Daphne. He thought for a few moments, and then spoke. "I think we should test her. I would be honored to choose a volunteer." Ogron nodded, and replied by nodding his head once.
Gantlos scanned the busy street, searching for the right volunteer, one that would unwittingly aid them in their test. He must choose wisely, for the wrong choice and the girl might suspect something. He spotted a punk leaving a local disco. "That's him."
He closed his eyes, placing one hand on the side of his head and aiming the other towards the boy. His eyes flashed purple and circular waves of sound seemed to flow from his hand to the boy's head. The boy closed his eyes, turning away instinctively, but could not resist the spell for long. He opened his eyes once again, and his eyes flashed purple as well.
The group watched as he slowly made his way across the street. Their was no way that the girl could have seen him yet, but she shot up, forgetting whatever she had been texting. She glanced around seemingly frantically.
Anagan cursed. "She sensed the spell! She must have!" he turned to the leader. "Ogron?!" Ogron growled in response, sensing his plan fall apart around him. "Get her now, you fool! We'll lose this chance!" Gantlos only grunted in response, tightening his grip on the punk, making him move faster, no longer caring if he was seen.
Daphne was happily texting Vanessa about her day, when suddenly, she got a strange feeling. This wasn't just de ja vu that you could shake off and ignore. This was a familiar, horrifying feeling, like something terrible is coming. She shot up and looked all around her. The alley ahead of her was clear, with just a dumpster on the opposite side that she could see behind. She looked up the short way she had come, and there seemed to be nothing but passing cars in the fading light.
She closed her eyes, sensing for whatever had disturbed her. The feeling increased, getting stronger. She looked up and saw a punk, who, from the looks of the white suit and the purple Mohawk, was probably part of the disco gang. And he was getting closer.
Stella ran through the palace, leaping over and around objects and servants, not caring that she was still in her nightgown and robe. She had to find her parents! Tell them about that spectacular meteor shower!
She paused just outside the dining hall. Raised voices made their way through the door, rattling it on it's hinges. She hesitantly opened the door, and heard a plate shatter. From the angry look on her mother's face, and the shocked look on her father's, that she had just thrown it at him, missing his head by an inch.
Straightening her shoulders and removing the terrified look on her face, she strode in. "Hey mom, dad! You'll never guess what saw last night!"
Her mother looked over at her, her face softening a little. "I'm sorry sweetheart, can we talk later?" she asked.
"But this is really important!"
Stella's father shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we don't have the time to listen to this. Stella, please leave."
Stella's eyes welled up with tears. She couldn't take it. "You never listen anymore!" she shouted, to the shock of both parents. "Never! Why can't you ever just listen!"
She ran sobbing from the dining room, Radius and Luna calling her name in concern. She had to get out of here! Anywhere.
She ran straight to her room, and straight to the closet, dressing in a hurry. She almost didn't notice the letter on her dressing table. Without even a glance at the return address, she tucked it into the front of her suitcase, followed by the rest of her closet. Good thing she had cast a bottomless pit spell on it, or it would never have held everything. After collecting some more odds and ends, she ran to the balcony, throwing open the doors.
Barely able to see through the tears, she wrenched her ring off her finger. The sword ring of Solaria, an heirloom of her family. She through it up in the air, calling out "Sun Power!" It changed mid air into it's scepter form, and she caught it easily. During her packing, she had figured out exactly where she wanted to go. The one place no one, not even her parents would ever look for her. Earth. She waved her scepter, and whispered to it "Get me out of here." In a flash of sunlight, she was gone.
Of in a distant dimension, three shadowy figures were plotting.
The room is draped in darkness and fog, save but for a single witch light in the center of the group, barely light fit for a candle.
"I've finally tracked it down," the first one said. "The ring belongs to the Princess of Solaria, Stella."
"Good." The second one said, her eye's gleaming Ice Blue. "Now all we have to do is get it."
The third figure growled. "But how? That stupid Princess is back home, surrounded by her daddy's palace guards. We'll never get to her!"
The first one shushed her. "Patience, dear sister. We will have it soon enough."
She waved her hand, creating a viewing portal to Solaria. Stella steps into view, and through a portal she has just created with her scepter. The portal flashes, and they are instead shown Earth. The portal zooms in, giving them a closer look at where she ended up.
"See? She's off moping on the magic less planet. We've got the perfect opportunity. D, is our minion here yet?"
She laughed. "He just got here."
An Ogre wanders into the scene. He looks imposing, if somewhat comical with his rust red overalls and wire rim glasses.
"I'm hear, your wickedness's." He said, looking rather scared for an Ogre. "What do you want?"
The second figure, clearly the leader, speaks. "We've finally tracked down what we're looking for. We want you to retrieve it. It's the scepter she holds, in the form of her ring. Get it, and bring it back."
"And what about the girl?" he asks.
"Don't worry," is the reply. "Let the ghouls take care of her."
Shadowy, blood red ghouls appear from within the darkness. The Ogre disappears in a puff of purple smoke.
"Not long now, sisters." The second figure says with a gleam in her eye. "Not long now."
The three figures laugh maniacally, the laughs echoing into the night.
Chapter 6:
Bloom wheeled her bike down the streets of Gardenia with a cheerful spirit, taking the turns at easy speeds. Though she had made a big deal about having plans, this was all she really wanted. Speeding through the streets, eyes closed and arms stretched out wide, she almost felt like she was flying!
She could just imagine herself with fairy wings. Blue, shimmery, and beautiful, they would carry her far into the distance, high into the sky. She could see mountain tops from up here, sloped by miles and miles of green forest. The trees were fragrant pine, and smelled so sweet. She could hear water flowing close by, maybe a lake. She turned to her right, then her left, then her right again. Though she had her eyes closed, she didn't fear wrecking. She knew every street, every road, and every alley by feel. So, she dreamed on.
That is, until she came to a stop light, and heard a familiar voice call out to her. She had just seen a glimmer of pink in the distance, and had decided to see what it was, when her fathers voice cut through. "Both hands on the bars, young lady." he said teasingly from the front seat of the fire truck in the next lane. His partner laughed, as did the rest of the firemen in the truck. They all knew Bloom's bad habit well.
She snapped out of her dream, and looked up at her father with a guilty smile. "Hi Dad." His partner waved at her, and she waved back. "I thought I told you to be careful." Mike said with a gleam in his eye. Bloom shot him a defensive grin "I was being careful." Mike and the Firemen laughed again, as the light turned green. "See you when you get home, Dad." Bloom called as she turned off, heading towards the park.
She had been so close! But to what? She didn't know. She just had a feeling that something about that daydream was important. Kiko caught her attention again, as she had been lost in thought. She had almost passed the park gate. "Sorry Kiko," she sighed, going in. "I just seem to always have my head in the clouds lately. She tried not to think of the dream, focusing instead on the way the leaves of the trees caught the light.
Wheeling her bike up to the base of an old oak, she leaned it up against the side of the trunk, sitting down on the other side. Kiko went off to play, and she leaned her head back, gazing into the clouds. A soft, warm light filled her mind, and she could almost see a castle in the haze, before it faded to black. She snored softly, snuggling deeper against the tree, imagining a world where anything could happen.
Daphne swallowed, backing away from the man. She started walking down the alley at a swift pace, looking over her shoulder regularly. He held back for a while, just easily keeping her within sight. She started walking faster. So did he.
She darted to the opening, and sped around the corner. He was just behind her, but now he was getting closer. She broke into a full run, up the street and towards the nearest building. Unfortunately, the building she had headed for had an old chain link fence wrapped around the loading dock, and it was padlocked shut.
She swung her head around desperately, looking for any means of escape. To the right, past the old car factory, she saw her only chance. Too bad it was another alley, but the colorful lights at it's end told her it led back to the city proper.
She chanced a glance behind her, and to her horror saw that the punk was a mere ten feet away! He was taking off his tie, bloody red in color, and wrapping the ends around his hands, and pulling it tight.
She couldn't help it. She just couldn't help it. She screamed bloody murder! At the top of her lungs, until it hurt. Throat raw and tears streaming down her cheeks, she made for the alley as fast as she could! She had nearly reached the end when she heard him speak.
"What's a pretty little thing like you doing in such a dirty little place like this?" He asked menacingly. She made the mistake of turning around, and saw the punk just a few feet behind her. She had almost made it to the end, only an old dumpster blocking her way and shadowing the alley from the bright sunset cutting across the sky.
He drew closer, moving to stand in front of her, and, frozen with fear, Daphne started panicking internally. "St...Stay back!" she said "Don't come any closer!" She tried to run, backpedaling down the way she came, but he caught her by the wrist. He laughed. "I know who you are. You're stupid for ever thinking that you could hide. You should have accepted your fate." She jerked away from him. "What do you want from me?" She demanded.
"Simple." He said, or rather, Gantlos said through him. "I want to see what you're made of." He started advancing again, and now he was so close he had backed her up to the other side of the alley. She braced herself against the wall, and readied herself to fight. She never liked to fight, but desperate circumstances required desperate measures. Oddly enough, she felt a strange, warm sensation in her heart just then, as if it was on fire.
He smirked with a sadistic smile, and threw a punch. But then, he was stopped by an invisible barrier. "What the?" he asked, bewildered. He pounded on it, trying to get to her. Daphne stood back, too shocked to do anything. He pounded some more, trying to break through. Daphne heard a voice in her head, a woman's voice. "You are my daughter. You can do this! Just abandon your fear." Shaking, Daphne stood up. The bubble became visible, living flames flashing into view. The shield was made of fire, sparks and flame skipping and dancing across it's surface.
The punk looked up, so surprised that he stopped his attack. He started backing away as Daphne started walking towards him. She shoved her fear to the back of her mind. With growing confidence, she spoke again."I... said... back... off!" with every syllable her magic fire grew, burning the air between them. And with the last word, erupted from her heart in a flash of fire, shaped like a Dragon. It roared with her voice, and blasted the punk against the back wall, knocking him out.
The smoke cleared, and the flames disappeared, as did Daphne's sudden courage. Bent over, leaning hard on her knees, she looked at her hands,"Where did that come from?" What ever it was, she wanted to get out of here. She ran, heading for home. "What is going on?" She wondered.
Stella sat at a park bench after a long day of shopping. She was satisfied with her haul, which sat at her feet in several bags. "Who would have thought a world without magic could create such amazing clothes?" she wondered to herself. She wasn't ready to go home yet, but she didn't want to carry these heavy bags with her everywhere. "Guess I better get this stuff packed up."
She summoned her suitcase with the wave of her hand, and it appeared in a flash of light and glitter. Opening it, she started pulling things out of the bags and dropping them in, eyes and fingers lingering over her favorite purchases. She disposed of the shopping bags in a convenient trash can.
She pulled the suitcase up next to her, and leaned back against the bench again. Now that she was done shopping, her mind was free to think again, which was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Why? Why can't they simply get along?" She wondered. She had tried, for years, to figure that out. But never could. With a sigh, she leaned forward and opened the front pocket of her suitcase. She pulled out the letter from earlier. "May as well see what this is."
Without reading the address, she turned the envelope over in her hands. A pink glimmer caught her eyes, and she stopped short of tearing through an intricate wax seal. Her heart skipped a beat. She turned it back over to read the address, to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her.
Head-Mistress Faragonda
Alfea School for Fairies
East Kings Hwy.
Magix FF4701
"Oh my God! I never thought they'd accept me back! Especially after last year!" She broke the magic seal, and read the letter out loud, to eager to conceal her excitement.
Dear Ms. Stella
You are hereby accepted to the Alfea School for Fairies. Though we know you've had some trouble in the past, we believe you to be an exceptional student with great potential. Pre-registration starts on June 17th , and classes start on the day of the 19th. Please see Ms. Griselda for your class schedule. We trust that you will behave with the utmost responsibility and care during your stay at Alfea.
Sincerely,
Head-Mistress Faragonda
Enclosed with the letter was a note, written in pink paper and carefully folded.
Dear Stella
I know you have problems at home, and that you're trying your best. I realize that you have a passion for magic and a thirst for knowledge that, with the right guidance, can blossom into extraordinary things. So, that said, I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you if you need anything, or just need to talk. But please, if you feel the need to get attention, call me and refrain from blowing up another portion of the school. The Magix council would have my head.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Faragonda
Stella smiled, and remembered last year. She had accidentally blown up the potion lab trying to create a new shade of pink. Guess it was supposed to be three petals Larkas, to 1 bottle of Kiris, and not the other way around. Oh well, no more experiments. Mrs. Faragonda was a great Headmistress, really she was, and very understanding. Stella didn't want to cause her any more trouble. It was amazing enough that she allowed Stella back to Alfea. She had sorely missed it, as it had sort of been her home away from home.
"Well, it's the 16th. Guess I'd better get to Alfea. I don't want to get kicked out... again."
She replaced the letter, waved her hand again, and the suitcase shrunk into the size of a wallet, which she easily fit into her handbag. She had just started to pull her ring off when she sensed something. The wind blew down the path, tossing leaves in it's wake and tumbling them through the air.
"Something is very wrong here. I can feel the negative energy in the air growing." She finished pulling her ring from her finger, throwing it high into the air. "Sun Power!" She caught it without looking up. A flicker of movement caught her eye. She squinted, trying to make out what it was. Several pairs of yellow eyes glinted from the shadows, and a pair of pink eyes.
"Whatever you are, Whoever you are, come out! I'm not scared of you!" she shouted. A large figure stepped out from among the trees, followed by it's smaller minions.
Seeing her stalkers, she bit her lip. "What have I got myself into?"
Bloom had just woken up from the most wonderful dream ever!
She was in a glittering, moonlit courtyard, dancing with the most wonderful boy she had ever met! His face was strangely blurry to her, but that didn't matter. The feeling she got dancing with him, "mmmm... "
she sighed.
Feeling hungry, she sat up and grabbed an apple from her bikes basket. Just as she had taken a bite, she heard an odd sound. Kiko came hopping out of the bushes, screaming and terrified.
"What? Did you see something scary?" she asked him teasingly. He grabbed a hold of her pant-leg, tugging in the direction he had come. She lifted her hands helplessly and stood up, dusting of the back of her pants.
"Alright, I'll come and see."
She followed him about ten or twenty feet before she can hear yelling in the distance. She ran now, sensing someone in trouble. Kiko came to a stop just before a clearing. Bloom took his lead and hid behind the nearest tree, watching eagerly to see what was going on.
A girl about Bloom's age with long blonde hair was fighting with a group of some sort of creatures. But that wasn't the weirdest part.
"She has wings!" Bloom gasped. "So fairies are real! I knew it!
The girl shouts "Get back ghouls!" kicking one and blocking another with her scepter, and then throws a glowing golden orb at the group of creatures, shouting "Rising Sun Burst!"
The blast causes the clearing to erupt in light, throwing the creatures back. The fight continues, Bloom helpless to look away. She turned to Kiko, and asked "We can't both be seeing things, can we?" Kiko replied by promptly fainting. "Well, you're no help." Bloom thought to herself glumly.
"Solar Wind Blast!" the girl shouted, and Bloom's attention was directed back to what was going on. The girl had struck the ground with her scepter, and a wave of light erupted across the clearing, destroying several more "ghouls." The larger creature, which could only be described as a ogre, caught one, crushing it into sparks, and growled.
The girl glared at him and said matter of factly "I am Stella, Princess of the Sun and Moon, and I've got a newsflash for you, Mr. Hideous. The Power of Solaria is SO going to flatten you!"
The creature raised it's arms and roared, before charging her. "You're the one that's gonna get flattened, Princess." He crashes into her before she can react, and she is thrown to the ground. She lets out a small groan as she falls.
"That's... gotta hurt." Bloom thought out loud.
"What is going on? Why are they attacking her?" she wondered, and then she gasped as the ghouls and the Ogre surround her. "Oh no!"
The Ogre laughs maliciously, and stated "You're finished little fairy girl!". He then shouts an order to his minions. "Now Ghouls! Bring me her scepter!"
A few hold Stella down while another pries the scepter from her hands."I'm warning you," Stella said through the ghouls hand that was covering her mouth "You'll never get away with this."
"I think we just did." The Ogre laughs, and rips her scepter out of the ghouls hand. "Your scepter's ours, and you're history."
Bloom couldn't stand it anymore! If she didn't do anything, Stella was going to get killed! Something inside her woke, banishing the fear that had gripped her before.
"Leave her alone! Come get me!" She shouted, stepping out of the forest. "Wait, did I say that?" she asked herself mentally. As he turned to face her, she immediately regretted being so confrontational, rather then using the element of surprise to attack him with a tree branch or something .
"Ghouls, Get her!" the Ogre shouts. The gruesome red creatures head for her, sharp fangs and claws barred.
"Get Back!" She shouts, and instinctively throws her hand out. A fiery shield envelopes her, sparks and embers skating off of it's surface. As soon as the Ghouls touched it, it exploded like a supernova, sending waves of orange energy out across the clearing and destroying the last of the monsters.
Bloom looked down at her hand, shocked. "Did I just do that?"
Her shock was short lived, for as soon as the Ogre had recovered, he charged her, grabbing her around both wrists. "You should learn to mind your own business!" he roars at her. She struggles against his impenitrable grip, but can't break it. Tears escape her eyes, as her arms feel like they're being ripped from their sockets. "I can't give up! I've got to stop him!"
Suddenly, she feels a deep warmth in her chest, energy building, as if something was trying to break free. Instinctively, she releases it. With a loud roar, she shouts "LET GO!"
As she does, a fiery energy surrounds her whole body, and a flame the shape of a dragon shoots from her heart, jetting around the clearing and blasting the Ogre back before disappearing into the sky.
She falls to the ground, energy all but spent. The girl she saved picks her scepter up and walks over to her, where she is kneeling on the ground, breathing hard. "You've got Winx, girl. Major Winx." She says to Bloom with a smile.
"Who, me? What does that mean?" Bloom asked, puzzled.
But before she could react, Bloom felt a tug at her pants leg. Turning to look, it was a Kiko, who was trying to get away from a ghoul she'd a branch off the ground, she clubs it shouting "Hands off!" She hears a rip, as the ghoul had grabbed for Kiko and accidentally caught her pants, tearing a small piece off as he was rocketed across the clearing.
They were interrupted by the Ogre, who had recovered from the blast, slightly toasted. Stella steps in front of Bloom, taking a defensive stance. Bloom, still unsure of what was going on or what she was going to do, mirrors her.
"If I were you, I'd hightail it out of this realm. Right now." Stella warned him. The Ogre seems to realize that the odds are no longer in his favor.
"We'll meet again, Princess Stella." He threatened, clapping his hands and disappearing into a puff of purple smoke.
As soon as he'd disappeared, Stella fell to her knees,before collapsing entirely. Bloom rushes over to her and starts shaking her shoulder. "Stella! Stella! Wake up!" Kiko hops up and sniffs at the fairy's hair, before licking the very tip of her nose. He pulls back to see if it worked. It didn't.
Bloom looks all around, but there's no one near to help her. Frantically, she pulls out her cell, and as she dials, Kiko hops on her lap. "We've got to get her home, Kiko! She need's major Help!
The phone picks up. "Hey Bloom. I'm on my way home", Mike said. "What's up?"
"Dad, I need help. Could you pick me up at Gardenia park?" she asks, biting her lip.
Mikes voice grows concerned "Bloom, What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Dad. I just..." she hesitates, then quickly explains the situation.
"Don't worry sweetheart, I'll be there in five minutes." he responds, then hangs up.
Tiredly, Bloom collapses on her back next to Stella. "What the heck is going on?" She asks out loud, not really caring that no one is there to hear her.
"Well, look who's failed us again. Explain yourself, Nut!"
He looks around terrified. "It wasn't my fault, your wickedness. The scepter was mine! But..."
"But?" The lead figure asked, containing her anger.
"But this Earth girl showed up..."
"Did you say, Earth girl?" she interrupted him.
"Yeah, but this was no ordinary Earth girl! She had magic powers! She beat us singlehandedly!"
"This girl," a second figure begins, "What did she look like."
Nut stutters. "Well, um, I'm, uh, not sure."
The whole scene shakes as if in a desperate earthquake as the leader shouts "Nut! Where are your glasses?!"
He sheepishly pulls them out of his pocket and presents them. "Right here, your wickedness-es."
"Nut! How many times have we told you?!" a third voice speaks, angrily.
"You are never to remove your glasses!" the leader continues
The second figure joins in "Don't you know you're as blind as a naked mole-rat without them, you buffoon?!"
"But I don't like these frames, they're not me. And glasses look ridiculous on an Ogre." he grumbles.
"Nut! We must find this girl!" The leader shouts, the room thundering again.
"I've already thought of that." He bends down, and takes something from one of the ghouls. "One of the ghouls grabbed a piece of the Earth girls clothing. All we have to do is give it to a hunter troll and he can track her down."
A hunter troll appears from the darkness, and takes the cloth. Nut puts his hands behind his back and looks up at his bosses, proud of himself.
"Very well." The leader concedes, "Take the hunter troll, track the girl down, capture her, and bring her back to us with the scepter."