Chapter Four
Ms. Faragonda smiled at the visitors. "So if I understood correctly, that gremlin Simon sent you here, and you need to get back home?"
"Yes, ma'am," nodded Ruby.
"I'm pretty sure we can help you. Let me make some calls," answered Faragonda.
The relief was very evident on the troll-girls' faces. "We appreciate it, ma'am."
"But I'll warn you now, I probably won't be able to get you home before tomorrow," she added.
"That's fine. If we're halfway around the world, our parents will understand. They've been very understanding about our having to deal with Simon," said Amethyst.
"I'm very sorry to hear he's free," said Faragonda. "If you're fighting him, that must mean you're using the Magic of the Five?"
"That's right!" said Sapphire, "How did you know?"
"There isn't much about magic she doesn't know," answered Musa.
"I didn't know them very well, but how are the Ancients?" asked Griselda.
"They- they're doing fine!" said Amethyst, utterly shocked.
"Who is tutoring who?" asked Faragonda.
"Obsidian is my Ancient," said Ruby.
"Mr. Trollheimer is our science teacher at school, and my Ancient," said Sapphire.
"Zirconia for me," giggled Topaz,
"My grandma is mine," put in Amethyst.
"Which leaves Spinel, Zirconia's husband, for me," said Onyx.
"Very good," nodded Faragonda. "It's lunchtime. Have you eaten yet?"
"No ma'am," said Ruby.
"We were going into Magix for pizza and shopping," said Bloom.
Five sets of eyes three feet from the ground turned and looked at her.
"PIZZA!"
"SHOPPING!"
Faragonda laughed. "I'd say that takes care of that. Bloom, would you and your friends take charge of our visitors while I make some calls?"
"We'd be happy to, ma'am," said Bloom with a grin.
"If you would, park your vehicles over by the Wishing Well," said Griselda, pointing, "They'll be safe here."
The BFFL did so, leaving their helmets as well.
Just then the troll-girls found themselves surrounded by student fairies who came over and introduced themselves. Even though the girls making up the crowd around them were several feet taller than them, they found they weren't nervous about it. The fairies were friendly and eager to meet them and learn about them.
They also met Professor Wizgiz, the only person so far shorter than them. He had never met any trolls, either. He seemed to be studying them closely.
Finally they had to beg off from meeting more people; they were getting hungry. Following the Winx girls they went back to the bus stop and waited a few minutes for the next hoverbus arrival.
wc/bffl wc/bffl wc/bffl
"Last stop, City of Magix!" came the announcement, and the five fairies and five trolls got off the bus.
"Wow, this is great!" said Sapphire, looking around.
"Let's stick close to our new friends," said Onyx, "I'd hate to get lost here."
A minute's walk brought them to the pizzeria, where they put in orders and sat down. To their surprise, the place accepted the troll-girl's trollars as payment.
"Yeah, it surprised me too when they accepted money from earth when I first got here," said Bloom.
Stella and Topaz had found kindred spirits with each other when they discovered a mutual passion for fashion. Tecna and Sapphire did the same, but with science as a subject. Amethyst and Flora were talking gardening, Musa and Onyx about the latest music releases, and that left Bloom and Ruby sitting and watching the others.
Ruby smiled. "Looks like fairies and trolls are compatible."
Bloom laughed. "Yeah, it does. Now I'm glad we missed the earlier bus. So, tell me about yourself."
The redheaded troll-girl shrugged. "Not much to tell. I'm fourteen and a freshman at Trollzopolis High School. I've got a cat. What about you?"
"I'm sixteen, and just started at Alfea. I'm from a planet called Earth. I've got a bunny named Kiko," the redheaded fairy answered.
Just then the pizza arrived, and further work at forming the bonds of friendship had to wait for more important things.
That being the case, none of the group noticed the cold pair of ice-blue eyes watching them through the front window.
wc/bffl wc/bffl wc/bffl
Icy moved on and met her coven sisters Stormy and Darcy at the Hex Cafe. As she sat down a waiter appeared with a drink Darcy had ordered for her.
"Thanks, cutie!" she said, and handed him a couple of bills. "Keep the change."
"What took you so long?" asked Stormy.
"I came across Princess Stella and her little pixie friends at that place that makes the round meat pies," she answered, "And they had some children with them."
"Children?" asked Darcy.
"Yeah... I think they were, anyway. They were pretty short. And you should have seen all the hair they had!" she added.
"Hmm..." said Darcy, thinking, "Maybe we will. This might be the chance we need to get her ring!"
"How do you figure that?" asked Stormy, taking a drink of something that was dark red.
"If we attack them now, they'll have to protect those kids, so it should be a simple matter to beat them and get the ring," she said.
"Oooh, I like that!" said Stormy.
"Me too!" said Icy with a grin. She stirred her drink and took a sip. "We'll have to be careful, though. Hurting kids isn't a good idea, at least until we get the Dragonfire."
"Yeah, don't want the Magix Police after us if we can't defend ourselves from them," agreed Darcy.
Stormy looked annoyed, but nodded. "Yeah, I guess. I'll use my ball lightning spell and isolate them. We can use them as hostages without doing any harm."
"NOW you're talking!" said Darcy, "I see hanging around me is helping you think better!"
"As if!" said Stormy, sitting up. She held up a hand and lightning flashed between her fingers. "Want to know what else I'm thinking about?"
"Chill, you two. We need to finish making the plan," said Icy.
"So you have one?" asked Darcy, ignoring Stormy's threat.
"Of course. First we need to find out where they're going. Then we can pick out a good place to attack," said Icy.
Darcy waved her hand, and a circle of darkness a foot across formed over the empty seat. The substance swirled for a bit, then an image of Stella appeared. She was talking to someone not visible in the picture.
"You're gonna love the shopping district!" said Stella, "They get the newest things in from all over the Magical Universe, and have a great system for trying them on."
Darcy made a gesture like opening her fingers, and the picture-cloud expanded a bit to include the person Stella was talking to. It was one of the children, with amber eyes and blond hair. Lots of blond hair.
"Wow, you were right!" said Stormy, "I've never seen so much hair!"
"I wonder how she keeps it up like that?" said Darcy.
"Either lots of hair spray, or a spell," declared Stormy.
"Shh..." said Icy.
"It's a walk of a few blocks to Macchio's," said Stella.
"Well, I'm finished eating, so what are we waiting for?" asked Topaz.
Stella grinned. "If you're waiting for me, you're backing up!"
Topaz giggled.
She and Stella stood up, and presumably the rest of their party did as well.
"That's what we needed to hear!" exclaimed Icy, and Darcy let the view spell dissipate. "Let's go! We can ambush them at Stray Cat Alley."
The Trix stood up and vanished from the cafe.
The waiter came over to bus the table. "Typical of those three," he thought, "Leave a mess and don't leave a tip."
