Chapter 4: Encounters
Grey clouds blocked out the sun, as lukewarm rainwater splashed the city of Gardenia, providing relief to its many plants.
With the sloshing sound of displaced puddles of water, the train arrived at Gardenia Station, letting people on and off.
Ogron stepped out on the platform, followed by Dumon, who was carrying their luggage.
The mohawked man yawned, before complaining: "I hate public transport. Food sucks and those seats are like concrete blocks."
"Then shift your back into something that isn't sore," Ogron said, as they entered the main station building, seeking refuge from the rain. They found a bench in a quiet corner and sat down, as the redhead pulled a map from his inner pockets. "Our first priority must be to secure lodgings in the area. Unlike previous visits, we have no guarantee that this operation will be short."
Dumon studied the map. "What is it about Gardenia and attracting this kind of attention? Does everyone and their granny want to be here? The place's got nothing."
"Well, this town and Florana," the redhead mused. "The site itself has never had any notable mystical significance. It might merely be a coincidence." He stroked his goatee. "Although in this business, it's not healthy to assume that something is merely coincidence."
"Perhaps. Still, if it had been one of those smaller towns, might have been easier to go through," Dumon said, as he eyed the map. "That fairy's going to be tough to find here."
Ogron's normally stoic expression momentarily scrunched, as if he was reminded of a bad memory. "No thank you. I have no desire to unravel the insular, sometimes near incestuous ties of the petty bourgeois of xenophobic small town hamlets again."
"But we will have to do that again eventually, boss," his second in command noted.
Ogron did not respond.
"So, we find lodging. Then what's your game plan, boss?"
"I'll contact the police chief. He will know if anything out of the ordinary has happened recently. But I doubt he will just be able to hand over our mystery fairy. So after that, we will start searching the city. You will scout it from the shadows while I'll ask around, engaging the citizenry."
"Should we visit the Petersons?" Dumon inquired. "They've been involved every time we've gotten called out here in recent years."
"Contacting them openly wouldn't work. They obviously do not trust us and will attempt to shield the fairy from us if they have information, no matter how dangerous this magician may be. Far better be it for you to spy on them and see if anything is out of the ordinary." He packed the map away. "For now, let us go see if we can rent a room. There's a small and fairly cheap hotel nearby."
"Which usually means crappy beds, dysfunctional plumbing and hostile room service," complained Dumon. "Gods, I hope we can find this fairy quickly." He paused for a second. "Well, before we go outside and get soaked, I'm going to grab a bite to eat. You want anything, boss?"
Ogron considered it for a moment. "A bit of food would actually be nice. The food in the train was, as you indicated, sub-par. Just a simple hotdog for me, though."
"You got it, boss," Dumon said, as he walked off.
Ogron remained on the bench, passively observing the falling rain as his ever-busy mind calculated possible scenarios and outcomes. He had long ago learned that it wasn't realistic to try to imagine all the things that could possibly happen, but he found that having some ideas thought out helped keeping things flexible, avoiding adhering too rigidly to expectations. Especially with a case as weird as this. Magic was weird in general and often broke established patterns, which was why being able to both be prepared and improvise was essential. Had it been but a child who was born with magic, as happened occasionally, it would have been pretty standard tracing down the family and convincing the parents to let them seal the child's power away. Most people were both unable to cope and unable to deal with a child that was suddenly causing floods or leading armies of ants against neighbourhood bullies. But if it wasn't a kid, then who was it? Who could have slipped through the net that the Black Circle had spent centuries weaving throughout the globe?
He was shaken out of his considerations by Dumon's return with hotdogs for both of them. They finished their dinner in silence and exited into the rainy streets of Gardenia.
...
Bloom stretched and yawned as she exited the room she and Stella shared. She took one look out the window and observed the downpour. "Dreary weather we got."
"You said it, Firetop," Techna said, sitting by a computer in the corner.
It was one of the things the girls had prioritized getting along with a semi-decent internet connection, as not only was it nice to have, but Techna's job demanded it as an online tech consultant. The rest of the apartment was still somewhat bare. The fresh layer of paint had helped, but there was still a lot of room for furniture.
"So, how goes the job?" the redhead asked and walked over to the scarred girl. "Any problems so far?"
"Eh, not really. A lot of people whom I'm surprised even figured out what and where the start button was." She pressed buttons on her keyboard, guiding a little figure around in an online game. "Also a lot who seem to confuse me with a prostitute." She smirked. "As if I haven't been called worse in my time."
"Why would they insult you when they themselves contacted you for help?" Bloom asked, looking rather confused.
"Ever been in the service industry?"
"No. Why?"
"Well, here's the thing. Most problems exist because people fuck up. But no one likes to be told that they fucked up. So what they're actually doing is calling me so I can soothe their egos by telling them that of course their computer hates them and of course the hard drive is failing because somebody named Bill Gates is related to some dude named Satan. You know, instead of it failing because they browsed porn and got their computer filled with a thousand different pieces of malware ready to mail their bank account to every single dude with an internet connection across the globe." She paused to take a drink from her bottle of cola. "By the by, who the fuck are Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Satan? They get conflated a lot."
"The first two were big shots in the whole development of computer technology business," Bloom said. "Don't ask for specifics, I'm really not into that. You've got Wikipedia if you're really curious. As for Satan, he's the devil and the enemy of God."
"Neat. Explains nothing, but neat." Techna took another sip of cola, as her character on-screen got hit with a divine ray of light. "Bam! Level up, here I come."
"You're adjusting rather quickly," the Dominian princess noted.
"Look, it's computers, networking and data. I may not be as good a programmer as Databoy, but you can bet your red hairdo that I know my way around technology," Techna replied. "And really, it's not so different from what I am used to. You got many of the same things. Games, porn, video clips of cute animals. The addresses are just different and you all think that a troll merely exists to insult people, rather than engage in violent ripping of limbs."
"Someday, I wonder if we will end up combining the internets of Earth and the worlds beyond," Bloom speculated loudly.
"Could lead to some rather funny situations. Especially considering how many of these people online are soaking their underwear at the thought of pouring chocolate sauce over an elf's body and licking it off. Seriously, it's crazy how many elves you people are crushing on." She paused. "By the way, doesn't Palladium look a bit like that there Letgolass fella?"
"Huh? Now that just creates some weird images in my head," Bloom replied while raising an eyebrow, images of Palladium running screaming across a battlefield with a pair of orcs coming after him playing in her mind. "Wonder if Faragonda would make a good Gandalf?" Suddenly, her phone rang and she checked the number. "Speak of the devil."
Techna raised an eyebrow. "The fuck does Satan have to do with this? Did he just call you?"
"No, it's a... I'll explain it later," the Dominian princess said and took the call. "Hello, Emanuela."
"Hello, Bloom. It is good to hear from you again," Faragonda said. "I'm not disturbing, am I?"
"Not at all. Just relaxing in the apartment we've got set up," Bloom replied. "It's not as big as the one we had on Alfea, but it is pretty nice. Though only me and the other girls live here. The boys still stay with my parents."
"Right. And how goes the search for the fairy?"
"Haven't found anything yet. We've been trying to be vigilant, but between our new apartment, searching for jobs and so on, well..." She paused and shrugged, even though there was no way Faragonda could see that. "It's just not been easy. On the other hand, no sign of the Black Circle so far either."
"Maybe they've already picked him or her up and are now sitting somewhere, guffawing over how they cheated us," Techna suggested.
"God, I hope not," Bloom sighed. "But anyway, how's everything going on your end?"
"Avalon has talked about staging an intervention to stop me from drinking so much tea," Faragonda replied and took a sip of something Bloom was convinced was tea. "And the journalists are still a problem." She was silent for a moment. "And that does mean there is a significant risk that your respective families will soon find out what you've all done, Bloom. The students have already noticed your disappearance. I've refrained from commenting on it so far, but if your parents call, well, I'd have no choice but to answer honestly."
"Look. We're all adults and we all chose to do this of our own free will," the Dominian princess argued.
"I know, Bloom," Emanuela sighed. "And I can't help but admire that. But not all will see it that way and that... Well, let us just say that things can yet get more complicated."
"God forbid it."
"Agreed. But I won't take more of your time. Say hello to the others for me."
"Will do. Bye." Then Bloom ended the call.
"You know, there's a serious risk that my Mom will tear apart the fabric of the universe and invade Earth in order to drag me back," Techna said, still playing her game. "Just saying."
...
The rain continued pelting the city long into the night. The falling water pounded on windows all over Gardenia like drums, lulling its inhabitants to sleep.
But one girl's sleep was less that peaceful.
Roxy lay in her bed, twisting and turning. She groaned, as her dreamscape warped and wavered.
She felt weird, floating through the fuzzy colours of the dreams. She knew she was dreaming. That was the only explanation. And she was well aware of the phenomenon known as lucid dreaming. And yet still, something felt off. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something about it all, something in the atmosphere, something that made her uncomfortable, as if she had a light fever. Even though technically speaking, her dream didn't really have an atmosphere.
Suddenly, the dream began wavering. And through the fuzzy colours rang a clear, mature and feminine voice, though one that frequently faded to a faint whisper, as if the dream's reception had gone bad. "Rox... Ca...He...?"
"What? Who are you?" Roxy asked. "What are you?"
"I'm... Ana... Of the... Circle... I am... Xana..."
"I can barely hear you. Who did you say you were?"
"I... En of th... Bewa... Circle... After... You are... on Earth... You... Find the last... Bring... Nan Og... Only... Can..." The voice got fainter and fainter.
Suddenly, Roxy found herself laying in her bed. She groaned as she forced herself to sit up. "What did I eat to cause that? Sheesh." She slowly untangled her long hair, which had gotten wrapped around her. "Pretty intense though. It felt almost real."
She heard whimpering from the side of her bed. Artu placed his head on her mattress, looking at her with concern.
She smiled and scratched him behind the ears. "Don't worry, I'm okay. It was just a bad dream." She paused, then quietly giggled. "Maybe I just got haunted by Jacob Marley. But as Ebenezer said, there was more gravy than grave over that."
Artu whimpered again.
"Not a Christmas Carol fan, huh?" She scratched his ears again, then glanced at the digital clock by her bed. "Four thirty PM. Ugh, what a time to wake up. 'Night Artu." Then she turned over and fell asleep again, this time without being disturbed by strange voices in her dreams.
...
The next day, the rain clouds were gone again and the sun shone upon Gardenia once more. This did little to comfort Mirta and Aisha, who were both sitting inside the Gardenia Dance Hall. The former was busy constantly shifting around, tapping her feet and drumming her fingers, completely unable to relax. The latter was the exact opposite, still and calm as a marble pillar, though her rigid posture betrayed that this was something she was forcing herself to do, both out of decorum and because it gave her some amount of comfort to slip into a familiar routine.
"Do you think we did well?" Mirta finally asked. "I mean, we answered all the questions honestly. But that meant admitting we have no experience. Do you think that will make them consider us unsuited for the job?"
"I have no idea," Aisha stiffly replied.
"I mean, it's not like I've never worked before in some capacity. I've helped make food and, you know, set a table before, but nothing this big. Should I have mentioned that? Would that have been relevant?"
"I have no idea."
"What if we really are unqualified? What if we just mess everything up? Will that get Bloom and Musa into trouble? They're the ones that recommended us after all."
"I have no idea."
"Oh, how long are they going to make us sit here? How long can it take? What did we say that would require that much speculation?"
"I have no idea."
Mirta paused her nervous tirade. "You okay there, Aisha?"
The princess of Tides slowly turned her head, her face stiff as a totem pole, as she with an obviously enforced calmness answered: "I am just fine, thank you."
"Well, 'least I'm not the only one."
Suddenly, Jason walked up to them. "Alright, dolls, me and the owner have talked. Are you ready for the verdict?"
"Th-the verdict? Is it that bad? Did we say something wrong? Should I have mentioned..." Mirta began, nervously babbling about everything she could think of, while Aisha moved less and less, forcing herself to sit even more still as Mirta's ramblings caused her own nervousness to peak.
Jason mentally chastised himself for finding the situation hilarious, as he interrupted the breakdown with a: "Wow, slow down, babe. It's okay. You both got the jobs."
"And the... Uh, what? We did?" Mirta blinked a couple of times, before her face lit up in a smile. "Yes. I knew we could do it."
Aisha, meanwhile, breathed out, sinking into the seat as if all the air was being let out of her.
"Anyway, you start Monday at eight in the morning. Bring smiles and a good attitude. And if you need any help, me and the crew will probably be there." He paused. "Well, some of the time. Boy howdy, do I look forward to the summer break."
"School tiring you out?" Mirta questioned.
"Ugh, yeah. Wouldn't mind, except I doubt I'm really ever going to need trigonometry in the future. But oh well." He shrugged. "Can only stay away so much before trouble stirs. Anyway, I gotta get on with my own things. Tootles." Then he sauntered off.
"Bye," Mirta called, before taking a deep breath. "Wow. For a moment there, I actually though we wouldn't get it. Now we can help the others with the money we bring in."
"Indeed. Bloom did mention we should get some more furniture," Aisha said speculatively. "Also television."
"Some drapes for the windows would probably also be a good thing. I must admit, I do sometimes feel a bit exposed, especially at night," the redhead admitted. She paused. "Ehm, I just thought of something."
"What?"
"How much do we actually earn on this job?"
Aisha paused for a moment, a blank look on her face. "I have no idea."
...
With a click, the doors of Vanessa's shop unlocked and the brunette pushed the glass doors open. "Here we are, girls."
"It is a very nice shop you have managed to set up," Flora praised, as she entered. "Now, what exactly do you want us to do?"
"Hopefully we're not starting with anything too hard," Bloom commented, before yawning. "I'm still not entirely awake."
Vanessa shook her head. "If it wasn't for the rest of us, would you ever get out of bed, you sleepyhead?" She chuckled as Bloom pouted. "Taking care of flowers is easy. I'll man the desk and then the two of you can go around, give them some water and remove anything that has withered. Other than that, the shop will have to be cleaned every now and then. It will be good to get some help with that. Blair's in a wheelchair, so there's a limit to what she can do."
"Understandable," Flora said. "Come on, Bloom, let us take a walk around the shop."
A couple hours passed by, with nothing special happening. People would occasionally come by for something, but it was far from busy. Around midday, Blair arrived. She was a plumb woman confined to a wheelchair, due to a back injury sustained during her pregnancy. Along with her, she brought her twin kids, two almost five year old girls named Blake and Clover, due to not being able to afford a babysitter. Having those two in the shop did provide a bit more entertainment, even if the rambunctious youngsters also required constant vigilance.
Towards the end of their work shift, where Bloom found herself more and more watching the clock, eagerly anticipating hanging out with Selina later that day, she was surprised by the person who suddenly entered the shop.
He had black, spiky hair and he wore a sleeveless white jacket over his red shirt and jeans. "Hey, Bloom."
"Andy," Bloom said surprised. "It's been a while. How's it going?"
"Just fine, Bloom. Heard from Mitzi that you were in town again. You've been gone for a long time. We've missed you around here."
The Dominian princess adjusted the collar of her shirt. "Yeah. Everyone really likes to remind me of that." She cleared her throat. "So, just here to see me or did you want a flower?"
"Bloom, your mother would like..." Flora said, as she exited out of the back rooms. "Oh, am I interrupting?"
"Not at all," the redhead said. "Let me introduce you to Andy. Another of my school friends." She paused, looking unsure for a moment.
"It's okay, Bloom. I don't mind," Andy said. He turned to Flora and explained that: "I'm also her ex-boyfriend. We parted as friends, but it's still a bit awkward to talk about."
"Not entirely unexpected," Flora said. "The emotions that spring from such situations do tend towards that."
"Anyway, I actually came because of something else. You remember that band thing me, Mark, Rio and Thomas talked about?"
"Yeah. Wasn't Thomas the only one who really got anywhere with his music career when he became DJ at the Dance Club?" Bloom asked.
Andy winced visibly. "True, we didn't start out that great. But now we actually have managed to assemble a band. We're mostly still doing covers and only work locally, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere." He cleared his throat. "That's why I'm here, in fact. Me and the guys are playing down at the Frutti Music Bar tonight. Entrance is free, so I thought I'd like to invite you and whatever friends you want to bring along."
"That sounds fun," the redhead replied. "What about you, Flora?"
"Some fun and relaxation would not go unwelcome. We should ask the others if they would like to join us too," Flora said speculatively.
"Great. It's at eight tonight. Looking forward to seeing you there," Andy said. "Anyway, I have to go now. We're still busy setting things up down there, so I have to give a hand with that. See ya." Then he turned around and left.
"He seemed like a nice guy," Flora commented.
"He is. I missed him too." She sighed. "We just didn't work as a couple."
"Not all people do. That is just how it is," Flora offered with a shrug. "But back to what I originally came out here for. You mother wants our help unloading some plants that just arrived."
"Let's get that out of the way. We can call the others afterwards."
...
Ogron sat in a dark corner of the Gardenia Dance Club, deep in thought. So far, they had found nothing. The police chief had been cooperative as always, but had to admit that he hadn't heard anything that pointed towards magic. People didn't talk about anything out of the ordinary and what few leads they had scrounged up so far had all turned out to be dead ends. Either the entire population of Gardenia was conspiring against them, a thought that Ogron quite frankly felt was borderline paranoid, or the fairy was so subtle with his or her magic that nobody noticed. But now, Dumon had suddenly called and asked to set up a meeting. They had chosen the dance club, both because the loud music and darkness helped obscure things and because they didn't stand out among the crowd.
"There you are, boss," the mohawked man said, as he sat down by the table. "The situation might just have gotten worse."
Ogron raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"So I flew by the Petersons' house, like we talked about. Just checking them out to see if anything was out of the ordinary. And guess who's shown up there. Bloom."
Ogron folded his hands as the wheels of his mind began rapidly spinning. "Really? Is she arrogantly presuming that we have forgotten her?"
"Doubt it. She's brought a small army along," Dumon replied. "I saw Prince Sky of Eraklyon, his squire, Princess Stella Guildenstern of Solaria and Flora Canto, a well-known noble of Limphea. And if I had to judge from the living room, there are probably more." Dumon looked around for a second, making sure nobody was watching or listening. "Boss, I've read about these people on my little trips to the other worlds. This group, they're real famous, you know. They've taken on some seriously big threats."
Ogron steepled his fingers. "So, they've sent out the big guns, so to speak. Why would they..." He paused, realization setting in. "Of course. They know of the fairy too. They must be trying to locate the magician as well, if they haven't already found and sequestered the person away."
"Dunno, boss. But as I said, if they're here, it means the realms have taken an interest in Earth." Dumon shrugged. "We might just have to call in the others."
Ogron tapped his fingers on the table as he considered his options. "No. Not yet. If we escalate the situation unnecessarily, we risk losing control." He paused. "They have run from us every other time, indicating that they understand that we are not to be trifled with. We might still be able to force them home on that alone."
"I must admit, I'm not so sure, boss. Seems like they're packing heat this time." He took a moment to scratch his head. "I mean, they brought some pretty powerful non-mages with them. They're not exactly boy scouts, you know. They're here expecting a fight."
"If that is how it must be. Earth has been under our jurisdiction for the last couple of centuries. I am not giving that up for some newly crowned princess and her delusions of authority." Ogron stroked his goatee contemplatively. "I do have to wonder why now? Is it just a demonstration of power? Or..." He paused. "Could this fairy be a member of the White Circle? Is that why they are so interested in him or her?"
"I thought we got rid of those pesky fairies ages ago. How could one of them possibly evade all our security measures?" Dumon asked.
"There are ways, if you are skilled and patient enough. If that is the case, however, then we stand with more questions than answers. But we'll have to deal with that later. For now, we must ensure that this princess and her entourage leave Earth as soon as possible."
"How? Can't exactly just kick the doors down and hurl them out. They'll probably have set up protection," Dumon said. "Kinda need to confront them where they won't have as much of an advantage." He turned his head. "Ah, there are our... Holy shit." He went quiet, immediately erasing all traces of shock from his face. Ogron had no idea why, but followed suit, assuming a relaxed and jovial position.
"Here are your drinks," Aisha said and handed them two glasses. "Sorry that took a while. Me and my friend are still kinda new here."
"Oh? Just moved to town?" the redhead inquired in a friendly manner.
Aisha paused, as if considering her answers. "Yes. We needed the money, so we got an interview set up."
"That sounds great," Dumon added, before taking a sip of his drink.
"Yo, Aisha," Thomas said, as he walked over to them. "Mirta just got a call from your friends. They've talked about going to see the concert at the Frutti Music Bar tonight at eight. You interested?"
The princess of Tides looked contemplative. "I dunno. Work has been kinda hard."
"Did you hear that? A concert," the mohawked man said to his companion. "Maybe we should see if we have the time for that."
"Well, an evening of jovial fun would be nice," Ogron replied.
"These guys got the right idea. Give yourself an opportunity to have some fun," Thomas said. "You've earned it. And hey, I'm gonna help with the sound mixing, so you know it has to be awesome."
"I suppose you're right. Tell her that I'll come along," Aisha said, smiling. "Oh, I gotta get going. Still more customers." Then she hurried off with her tray.
Ogron turned to Dumon, waiting for an explanation.
"That was princess Aisha Hadith of Tides," Dumon said. "Another part of that group I talked about. Kinda weird seeing her here as a serving girl."
"They're going undercover. The job gives them a reason to be here, while simultaneously exposing them to a lot of different people," Ogron commented. "Seems like they too are preparing for a bigger operation, setting up network and such." He took a sip of his drink. "But now we know where they'll be."
...
Helia sat in the park, slowly recreating the skyline on his canvas. A small parasol he had brought with him provided him shade and refuge from the sun's rays. He was about to start working on adding another tree, when he noticed Sky. The Eraklian prince's civilian gear consisted of a blue and yellow shirt, combined with khaki pants.
"Hey, Helia," the blond greeted him. "Enjoying yourself?"
"Very much. Today I am just painting for my own sake," the artist replied. "So what have you been up to? Found any jobs yet?"
"No. And until we do, we can't expect Bloom's parents to chip in for another apartment." Sky smirked. "But I may have managed to help get us a bit more cash for when we finally do get some income."
"Oh?" Helia asked.
"Yeah. I found this place called a pawn shop. Sold off some jewellery for a load of cash," the blond bragged.
"And you're sure you got a lot of cash?" Helia questioned.
"Yep. I even made sure to ask Bloom to teach me how Earth money works." The Eraklian prince looked exceedingly pleased with himself.
"Well, that is good to hear. With what I've brought in and now you, we should have a nice little pool of money." Helia paused. "Wait, you wear jewellery?"
"Not if I can avoid it. But, you know, royalty." The blond shrugged again. "You know how it is. Have to bling myself up for the dignitaries, press and the like. Honestly, we got golden rings and such to spare."
"If Riven was here, he would probably mock you for complaining about having to wear expensive jewellery," the artist noted.
"Well, he isn't. And you're too nice to do that."
"True."
Sky's phone suddenly rang. "Hello?"
"Hey. It's Brandon," came the squire's voice. "Bloom called us to talk about going to the Frutti Music Bar tonight. They're hosting a concert."
"The fruity bar? That's a funky name," Sky noted. "Sounds like something Techna would visit if you ask me."
"Well, it sounds like almost everybody else have said yes so far," Brandon continued. "What do you think?"
"I think it sounds cool. Hold on, Helia's here. I'll just ask him." Sky returned his attention to the artist. "There's a concert at a fruity bar somewhere tonight and everyone is going. Do you want to come along?"
"Sure," he replied.
"Alright, we're both in, Brandon," Sky said.
"Cool. See you later today." Then the call ended.
...
The colourful room of the Frutti Music Bar was filled with people from all over Gardenia, all of them eagerly awaiting the band as they enjoyed their drinks.
"You know," Stella began, as she sat at the large table the group had managed to secure. "I, like, thought your ex's band was supposed to be small and unknown. But the place is totally packed."
Bloom winced a bit at the reminder of her past relationship. "Yeah. But he said they were getting pretty popular here in Gardenia."
"Probably helps that they got Thomas," Musa said. "Means every Suit who can will attend. And they in turn bring a lot of regulars from the Music Hall."
"The discount on drinks probably also helps," Brandon added. "Owner's making a killing with this arrangement."
"Helps that they're awesome drinks," Techna happily added. "Not quite as punchy as what I usually guzzle down, but good."
There was a sudden screech as the microphone on the bar's stage was turned on. "Hello, everyone," said the man on stage, a middle-aged guy with brown hair and a tanned complexion. "I am Klaus Whitley, owner of the Frutti Music Bar. I'd like to welcome you all and thank you for buying my blended fruit."
Laughter spread through the crowd, as Klaus held an artistic pause.
"Besides that, I promised you all music and I better follow up on that if I ever expect to see you all again. So here they are, the hidden musical gem of Gardenia, Taking Back November." Klaus dramatically waved his hand, as Andy and his three band members took the stage.
"November?" Riven asked, turning to Bloom.
"It's an Earth month," the redhead responded.
"And why exactly is he taking it back?" Timmy inquired.
"I honestly have no idea. They could have come up with it by juggling fridge magnets for all I know."
"I once tried that. Ended up with a bug zapper that my juggling skills insisted was a multifunctional crime dislocator device," Techna said.
"It certainly dislocated the power supply," Musa commented. "For four seconds, there was enough energy in that thing that I wouldn't have been surprised if it could kill dragons."
"But then it deep fried the wires going through the entire school. My room smelled of burnt plastic and ozone for days," Mirta remarked.
On stage, the band began playing, filling the bar with the sounds of guitars, drums and bass.
"She's not the only one making wacky gadgets. Three months ago, Timmy built a new navigation device. Except due to a misplaced something, it mixed up all cities by directing us to the next on the list alphabetically," Sky said.
"Hey, at least the ship's own navigation equipment worked properly," Brandon noted. "Otherwise we would have gone to the wrong side of the planet."
"I think a change of subject would be good right about now," Timmy mentioned, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Oh, I'm out," Stella noted, as she finished sipping the content of her drink. "Well, I definitely need some more of this. Anyone else need some? No. Alright then." The Solarian blonde elegantly slithered through the crowd and made her way to the bar. "Hey, I'd like another one of those smoothies."
"Okay," Roxy, who stood behind the desk, replied. "What would you like in it then?"
Stella rubbed her chin. "Well, like, I heard kiwi and blueberry is tots good for my hair, so that's what I'd like."
The pink-haired girl tried not to roll her eyes too obviously. "Just pour her a glass and get her to pay before she starts talking about shoes and make-up," Roxy quietly said to herself as she mixed the drink, her comment drowning in the music. "Alright, here's you drink. That'll be three dollars." She took the money from the blonde, gave her some money back and wished her a continued good day with a perfect smile, just as her dad had taught her to. She breathed a sigh of relief the moment Stella had turned around. Then she paused, a strange feeling setting in. "Dad, I think I'll go check out back on Artu. I think he might be getting hungry right about now."
"You do that. I'll make sure nobody steals the desk while you're gone," Klaus responded.
...
Later that evening, after Bloom had finished saying goodbye to Andy, the group exited the bar. Dark clouds had started to gather far above, obscuring the night sky.
"Techna dearest, how much cider did you drink?" a flabbergasted Timmy asked his girlfriend, whom he had to give a hand so she could walk properly.
"Enough," came the chirpy answer.
"Wish we had the day off tomorrow," Musa remarked. "I didn't even drink anything alcoholic and I feel thoroughly drained."
"Least we, like, stopped seeing those auras," Stella remarked. "Though it would probably have made the dance floor look funkier."
Bloom yawned loudly. "Well, let's get home. Follow me, it's quicker if we cut through the parking lot over here." They followed a dirt road through a small section of trees, entering the lot the redhead had spoken off. Then, they paused.
At the other end of the lot, illuminated by a streetlamp, stood Ogron with Dumon by his side. His face was neutral as ever, as he greeted them with a: "Hello, Bloom."
"Am I seeing things or is that weirdo over there the guy who snuck into Bloom's bedroom the other day?" Techna asked.
"It is," Musa replied, as she subtly shifted into combat position.
Bloom gritted her teeth. "You're members of the Black Circle, aren't you?"
"Well, I suppose denial at this point serves little purpose," Ogron responded.
Tension gripped the group, as everyone slowly shifted into position in case hostilities broke out.
"Oh no. I met them in the club earlier today," Aisha said with a shocked expression. "They heard about us going to the bar. I thought they were just ordinary patrons."
"To be fair, they do look the part," Timmy commented.
"Be careful," Brandon quietly said to the others. "Remember, we haven't brought any weapons and the girls are low on magic. We aren't fully equipped to deal with this."
"Sucks. But I doubt they are here just to give us a 'Welcome to Gardenia' brochure," Riven snarked in a hushed voice.
"What do you want?" Flora questioned Ogron.
"It's quite simple. I want you all to pack up your gear and remove yourself from Earth," the redhead demanded.
"And let you get your hands on the last fairy? Never," Bloom angrily responded.
"Ah, so you do know about that. That confirms that much, at least."
The Dominian princess winced.
"Be careful. Don't let him provoke you into giving him information," Aisha insisted. "Don't assume he's as well informed as he'll probably like to appear."
"Allow me to make this very clear. Planet Earth does not fall under Domino's jurisdiction. You have no right to come here and you have no authority," Ogron continued.
"But the Black Circle does?" Stella questioned. "Like, since when?"
"I am not here to answer your questions, Princess Stella. I am not here to converse with you nor negotiate. You are to leave planet Earth as soon as possible." Ogron paused. "Though if it is necessary, I am quite willing to give you a twenty-four-hour deadline to pack up and say your goodbyes."
Bloom felt herself seethe, as anger began boiling. After everything that had happened, Ogron showing up and demanding she just pack up and leave Gardenia hammered a sore spot quite fiercely. She could feel her breathing getting heavier as her flame began sputtering to life.
"If I may inquire. What exactly are you going to do if we refuse?" Nabu questioned. "After all, your demands hold little weight if you cannot enforce them, yes?"
"If you have yet to understand the threat the Black Circle can pose, then it is not my job to inform you," the redhead responded.
"He's good," the dark-skinned sorcerer informed Aisha. "Not so much as a crack so far. Don't think we can smooth talk any info out of this guy."
"And if we leave, then what? You'd go on to rip the magic out of the fairy, wouldn't you?" Sky asked. "That's what you guys do, after all, isn't it?"
Ogron's mask of indifference shifted slightly towards annoyance. "If it is deemed necessary, then yes, the fairy's magic will be sealed or confiscated depending on circumstances."
"As if we'd let you do that," Musa angrily informed them. "You're sick, you know that? Ripping the magic out of people is wrong."
Ogron sighed and shook his head. "You people always behave as if magic was some God given right. That a child born with the ability to cause earthquakes or conjure snowstorms should just be allowed to have that power. Mages are dangerous if not controlled and governed. Their powers bend the fundamental laws of nature, causing havoc if not properly monitored. It is a privilege and a heavy responsibility, not a toy for some toddler to run around with." He adjusted his coat. "Your schools teach you that you are gifted with this power. That you have a right to it. But that is irresponsible. You don't have to prove yourself worthy of this great power, instead you're allowed to flaunt it however you please. How many incidents could have been prevented if the gift of magic was only granted to those who have proven themselves worthy of it?"
"And let me guess. You guys are worthy enough to decide who should and shouldn't have magic?" Brandon asked.
"We are a centuries old institution, well versed and experienced in controlling and handling people with magical abilities. So yes, I'd say we have proven ourselves capable of shouldering this task." Ogron dismissively waved his arm. "Unlike your school, which allowed this neophyte magician girl to run around with the powers to turn armies to ash, resulting in the Halloween disaster two years ago."
Bringing up that unpleasant evening was the last straw for Bloom. Threatened with eviction, having her beloved school dismissed and now being used as if she was the ultimate justification for the Black Circle's existence caused something in her to snap. The flame within her blazed to life and with an angry yell, she fired a blazing lance of searing heat at Ogron.
The redhead barely moved, calmly raising a hand to block the incoming flame. It hit him, the fire and heat being seemingly absorbed into his hand, leaving not as much as a scorch mark on him. "As I said, we are equipped to deal with you and your ilk."
"Doesn't seem like this'll end peacefully, boss," Dumon noted.
"Very well. I will not tolerate your kind or the danger you represent," Ogron said. "If you will not leave, then we will have to deal with you."
"Alright, you're going down," Sky said, as he and Riven broke into a charge.
The redhead just lifted his other hand. Suddenly, the searing lance he had absorbed shot out from it. The two soldiers leapt to the side as it smashed into the asphalt, reducing it to a bubbling pit.
"What the fuck was that?" Musa asked flabbergasted.
"Well, either he has the exact same powers as Bloom or he's capable of absorbing and reusing spells," Brandon noted. "Either way, not good."
Sky rubbed his head as he tried to get up. Then he suddenly saw a rhino charging straight at him, knocking cars to the side. He gave a yell of shock and dove to the ground, narrowly avoiding being crushed between a Mercedes and a Honda.
The rhino broke its charge and turned, fluidly shifting into being a giant crab, which immediately tried to seize the blond in its massive claws.
Flora charged forward to stop the giant enemy crab. She placed her hands on the ground, channelling as much magic as she could muster. Great roots burst from the earth, wrapping around its legs.
Ogron leapt over one of the cars and grabbed one of the roots. Immediately, the spell faded and the crab wrenched itself free. Then the redhead touched the ground.
Another giant root smashed out of the asphalt and collided with Flora's chest, sending her flying across the parking lot.
"Right. So that confirms that," Brandon mumbled, as Mirta and Helia charged over to ensure the brunette was okay. "That's a problem."
The giant crab became an elephant, as it seized a car and hurled it at the group.
Stella leapt to the side and began firing blasts of searing sunlight. But every scorching hit she made on the pachyderm faded as its flesh rippled and mended. "Solaris burn him, he's like Valtor all over again," the blonde swore.
Above, the skies flashed with lightning, as heavy rain began falling.
Aisha gathered as many projectiles from the water as she could, firing them at the constantly transforming Dumon, while Musa and Brandon charged Ogron.
Despite being unarmed, they were both trained in close quarters combat.
So was Ogron it turned out.
He swept a jab from Musa to the side and grabbed a punch from Brandon, twisting his arm around and delivering a swift kick to the black-haired musician's chest, forcing her back. Then he grabbed the unbalanced squire and flung him at one of the nearby cars, breaking its wind shield. This left him temporarily of balance, however, which Musa used to deliver a quick punch to his face.
Bloom fired another stream of fire at Dumon, who had now become a gorilla trying to smash Riven into a pancake. She could feel her reserves of energy running out and she was the one with the most to spare. She fired another lance, but this one came out less as a fearsome ray of deadly fire and more like a slightly hot laser pointer. She suddenly felt dizzy and supported herself against a nearby car. "Guys," she began. "I'm... I'm seriously running out of magic."
The gorilla roared and prepared to punch Riven's face out through the back of his skull, only to be hit by a car, sending him tumbling to the ground.
"Booyah, tell me how the asphalt tastes!" Techna called.
Ogron, who had just kicked Musa into a bush, leapt over the hood of another car and touched the one Techna was controlling. Suddenly it speeded straight back towards her.
"Oh balls," she muttered. She hurled herself against the car, allowing herself to roll over the roof. She landed hard on the ground afterwards, as the car continued into a tree.
The gorilla shifted back into the form of Dumon, his mohawk resisting the pull of the drenching waters. "Boss, I hear cop cars incoming. We better vacate the premise."
"Very well then," Ogron said and adjusted his clothes. He turned to the group. "You have twenty-four hours to leave the planet. Failure to comply will result in whatever measures we deem necessary. Including harvesting your magical powers." He closed his eyes and focused. With a flash of magic, the two members of the Black Circle were gone.
"Fuck," Musa swore, as she helped Brandon out of the car. "We better leave now. There's no way we will be able to explain this without coming of as complete lunatics."
"You're right. Come on, guys, move out," Brandon ordered.
The group quickly hurried away from the scene, making their way to the other side of a nearby park. From there, they made an effort to look normal as they made their way into the girls' apartment.
"Fuck man, that was intense," Techna said, as she got her wet jacket off. "Those guys are not messing around."
"What do we do now?" Mirta asked.
"Now we definitely know the Black Circle is after the last fairy," Bloom said. "We have to find and protect him or her before they get their claws on them."
"How exactly are we supposed to do that? Carry our weapons with us all the time?" Riven asked.
"That would probably just make us even more suspicious," Flora noted. "But for now, we at the very least have one day to come up with something."
"You sure he's gonna honour that deal?" Musa asked.
"Maybe not. Especially not if he discovers that we are doing nothing to indicate we are packing up. But we do have an advantage."
"Really? What?" Timmy asked.
"It seems clear to me that the Black Circle values subterfuge and subtlety over direct force. They prefer to go unnoticed. All out combat, like today, is clearly not their favoured strategy."
"I agree," Nabu said. "They were obviously trying to intimidate us into leaving. Not saying they couldn't back it up and such, but they would have preferred to cow us into running away."
"So as long as we make sure the Circle can't isolate us like that, they might be inclined to refrain from attacking us," Brandon said. "Of course, if we actually start making progress towards finding the last fairy, they might decide to escalate, but that's a risk we'll have to take."
"Yeah," Bloom quietly said, as she looked out the window at the pouring rain. "And next time, we'll be ready for them."