Chapter Seven
The next morning dawned bright and clear.
In the student suite loaned to them, the five troll-girls woke up and performed their morning ablutions, then held a meeting.
"We really hit it lucky, ending up where we have," said Ruby.
"Boy I'll say!" said Topaz, "Stella's great to have met and be with!"
"Yeah, Tope, but that's not what I meant, said Ruby, "Being here has really opened my eyes about how big the world is, and what's in it."
"Yeah, who knew?" asked Onyx.
"Who knew what?" asked Topaz, looking at the dark girl.
"Who knew fairies and witches are real? And now we've met some!" was the answer.
"And we've only scratched the surface! I bet there's some really incredible things in Magix we didn't see," said Sapphire.
"And some we did, like that pizza," said Amethyst, "Best I've ever had. And the people we've met! Almost everyone is taller than us, but I haven't felt uncomfortable. Just a bit of a crick in my neck."
"I've felt very welcome," agreed Topaz. "But those witches were scary! Brrr!"
"Yeah, and dangerous," added Onyx.
"That spell we did should hold for years, at least. By the time it wears off, it won't matter," said Sapphire.
"So everyone will be safe! Great!" said Topaz.
"You know, I think we should give them something for helping us," said Amethyst.
"OH! Great idea, Ame!" said Topaz, grinning.
"Oh, definitely!" agreed Sapphire.
"I'd go along with that," said Onyx, nodding.
"Me too," said Ruby, "But what? We don't have much with us."
They were all quiet for a minute, thinking.
"Well, we have until our ride gets here, so let's think about it," said Ruby at last, and they agreed with that.
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The Winx Club met the BFFL and took them to breakfast. The visitors were very impressed with the dining hall that doubled as a ballroom. It was large and airy, with stone columns and a huge window. A raised dais sat to one side where the teachers ate and where the band was located during parties.
Many of the fairies who had introduced themselves yesterday came over and said good morning.
After breakfast Ms. Faragonda came over to the table.
"I've arranged a ride home for you in a ship from the Red Fountain School," she told them, "But it won't be here until this afternoon. It should take about two hours to get there."
"Thank you, ma'am," said Sapphire. "Could I get permission to visit your library?"
"Certainly, dear," answered Faragonda with a smile, "Talk to Miss Barbatea when you get there, she'll get you oriented."
"Miss Barbatea... Okay, thanks!" nodded the freckled troll-girl.
"I'll let you know when the ship gets here," said Faragonda, and took her leave.
"Say, Ruby, couldn't you use those spell beads to transport back home?" asked Musa a minute later.
The troll with the star-shaped hair shook her head. "No. We're still learning magic, and it hasn't been that long since our gems got their glow." She looked at her bead bracelet. "Plus we don't have any portal spells. All mine are either hair care or personal hygiene."
"Stella, what about your scepter?" asked Tecna.
The blond fairy sighed. "I'm still too weak. Darcy's darkness spell really took it out of me. If they could wait a day, then I could do it."
"Sapphire, if you're finished eating, I'll show you the library," offered Tecna, standing up.
"Okay, let's go!" she answered, and they headed for the stairs. As they did, Sapphire reached over and took Tecna's hand. It surprised the fairy, but she smiled and accepted it. The new friends disappeared up the stairs.
"Library. Great. We'll never get Saph out of there," said Onyx, shaking her head.
"Tec's the same way. We'd better have some crowbars with us when we go get them," answered Musa. "And they'll leave kicking and screaming the whole way."
There was laughter and agreement with that.
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As they crossed the quad, Sapphire stopped by her skoot and cleaned her glasses with a cloth taken from a compartment. She noticed the compartment where she kept extra spell beads, and an idea for a present came to her. First she would have to see what the library had, but it did seem to be viable...
"Not that I mind, but why did you take my hand?" asked Tecna, studying the machine.
"Oh, in our culture, it's a gesture of friendship," she answered. She put away the cloth and they headed for the library.
"I see. I'm from the planet Zenith, and we have no such thing," said Tecna, "In fact, I'm finding the fairies and other beings I meet here on Magix to be far more emotional and willing to touch and be touched than I'm used to."
"I didn't mean to offend you," said Sapphire, looking up at Tecna. She looked sad and her face was red.
"You didn't. I enjoy learning about others, so don't change your behavior just for fear of doing so," the magenta-haired fairy said with a smile.
"Thanks. You fairies are the first people I've had a chance to talk to who weren't trying to kill us or enslave us," said the brilliant troll-girl, looking relieved.
"We're hoping to help change that," said Tecna, leading the way toward the library, "We're going to ask if we can go with you and stop this Simon of yours for good."
"Oh, wonderful! Thanks!" she answered, just as they got to the library door. "WOW!" she exclaimed, looking around with even wider eyes once she got inside.
"Miss Barbatea's desk is this way," said Tecna, pointing. She headed in that direction, the troll following and trying to take in everything at once.
Alfea's Head Librarian had brown curly hair and glasses, and just at the moment was making notes on the condition of a book. She looked up as the odd pair approached.
"Hello, Tecna," she said, then got a look at the other girl. "OH! You're one of the trolls I heard was visiting!"
"Yes ma'am," Sapphire nodded. "I'm Sapphire Trollzawa. Nice to meet you."
"You too. I'm Miss Barbatea, the Head Librarian. How can I help?" she asked.
"Trollzawa?" Tecna thought to herself. Then she remembered what Griselda said about troll family names. Interesting...
"Honestly, I'm not really sure! This is my first time away from home, I'm in a new library, and I have so many questions I think I'll explode before I can get them all out!" she said.
Barbatea smiled. "Don't do that! We wouldn't want to ruin the books, would we?"
Sapphire cracked up. "No, we don't. Wouldn't do me much good either."
"Here's the library's layout," said Barbatea, handing her a piece of paper, "Tecna can help you from there. Have fun!"
As they wandered the library, Sapphire flitted from book to book, excited about what she'd found. A door with a gate across it in the back wall caught her attention.
"What's that?" she asked Tecna, pointing.
"The Restricted Section," answered the fairy, "You have to have special permission to access those books."
"Oh. Well, there's plenty out here for me to look at anyway," said Sapphire, turning away from it. She spotted the globe Griselda had used earlier, and looked up where Trollzopolis was compared to Magix.
"Halfway around the planet..." she muttered. She saw where other troll cities were present, like Trollisburg, the oldest troll settlement, and Trolladelphia, one of the newest.
Looking at the paper, she saw where there was a section on troll civilization and magic. She found it to be on the bottom shelf, and from the dust none had been disturbed in a very long time. There were only a half-dozen books in the section, all of them concerned with the troll magic system. They were very old, as well.
"Looks like my gift idea is a good one after all," thought Sapphire.
