Author's note: Wow. This is unbelievable. I actually finished something longer.
Big thanks for everyone, who read this from the start to the very end! Even for every silent reader. :) I hope to see you with my other works in future! (There's information about my upcoming stories in my profile, go check it out!)
Also, a little shout-out in the end, I hope it's recognizable.
"You had your chances to defeat us, Darkar." Saladin's voice held hatred and danger that many hadn't heard from him. "Plenty of them, may I say. And yet you never took advantage. Now it's too late."
"It's never too late, old man. You learn it after few centuries."
"And he's calling Saladin old?" Stella's comment made Darkar growl faintly.
"Stay out of this, little girl."
Faragonda clenched her fists. "Enough talking, I'd say."
"Indeed." Darkar sent a blast towards the headmasters, causing them to fall over on their backs.
Faragonda groaned faintly and stood up. "I've had enough of this." She frowned and gathered a green orb between her hands.
"Talk about hypocrisy!" Griffin staggered up and stood in front of Faragonda, whose orb disappeared in a flash. "Who said, that we should save our powers?"
"I did, but—!"
"But you can do what ever you want?"
"This isn't time to hold back!"
"Who are you to tell anyone when it is, or is not, the right time for anything!"
A bright flash interrupted their argument when a red shelter blocked an attack right in front of them.
"Well I could say that it's not time for you to argue!" Saladin shouted and glared both of the headmistresses, who hardly hid their shame.
"Okay, girls, I think we're needed here!" Bloom flew next to Griffin and Faragonda and rest of the Winx followed.
"You all will be only sent to oblivion!" Darkar crossed his arms in front of his inhuman-looking face. Within red light, he formed himself into a giant, stunning phoenix. The form sure didn't leave any doubt of it being the epitome of all that is dark and evil.
Darkar fired a beam of blood red energy from his mouth with a fierce growl.
"Morphix Shield!" Layla yelled and created a pink plate, which survived the hit just barely. She huffed and just when another attack was coming towards her, Brandon's sword blocked its way.
"That's exactly what you need to do." Faragonda lowered her voice enough that Darkar didn't hear her over his own howls. "You just have to shield us until we're ready."
She gasped faintly when a blast passed her only slightly. "And Bloom." She put her hand on the redhead's shoulder. "You absolutely must not attack. Only a little piece of your power might be enough to activate the Codex."
"Understood, Miss Faragonda." Bloom's bright blue eyes suddenly widened and she shouted, "Flame Shield!" The fire fairy joined the line her friends had formed in front of the three headmasters.
Faragonda turned to her colleagues. "You remember the spell?"
"Better than my own mother's name."
Faragonda frowned. "Very funny, Griffy." She inhaled deeply and took both Saladin and Griffin's hands. They too linked their hands, so they now formed a circle.
"No, I won't allow that!" Darkar spread his large, metallic wings and flew over the teenagers. Flora's vines didn't even slow down his speed, let alone stop him. The phoenix floated close to the headmasters and shot a flaming flow of energy.
Faragonda returned the assault with her green magic. Darkar didn't seem to get exhausted, despite that his attack hit Faragonda's relentlessly. The fairy herself pressed her eyes tightly shut as few sweat drops grew on her forehead.
"This isn't leading to anything!" Griffin cried out and gripped Faragonda's arm. "Just let it go!"
"Are you insane?"
"One..."
"Griffin, you can't be serious!"
"You girls and young men probably would like to move a little! Two..."
"Griff—!"
"Three!" With that, Griffin pulled Faragonda in full force, causing the fairy to gasp and almost trip. The dark energy missed her just barely and instead caused a crack on the floor.
Faragonda took heavy breaths and glared the witch with furious, widened eyes. "I could have—!"
"And yet you didn't, did you? Don't you trust me?"
Saladin stepped between them, his hands keeping the two women in safe distance of each other. "Don't you start again."
Faragonda snorted, but calmed down when she faced her students. "Girls, change of plan. You must distract him for a couple of minutes, by any cost and in every way."
"Yes, ma'am!" the students said in unison and rushed to form a new line.
Griffin blinked rapidly. "What are you planning?"
Faragonda grinned innocently. "Don't you trust me?"
"I think I know what you're in for," Saladin breathed. "But the spell…"
"Forget the spell, Saladin, we just have to use all our power and force the summoning to speed up."
"But that will drain us completely!" Griffin exclaimed.
"I have faith in these students, I know they will do what is needed in that situation," Faragonda explained calmly and held the witch and wizard's hands. "Are you with me in this?"
"Very well." Griffin sighed.
She took Saladin's hand and closed her eyes in concentration. Spheres of magic escaped her body, forming a bigger orb in the middle of their circle. Soon orbs from the fairy and the headmaster joined it, and the light grew stronger while they felt themselves weakening.
The sphere separated in four smaller bits. As the gleam turned less bright, the four unique pieces of jewellery. Red with little horns, a golden flower with blue stone, orange stone surrounded by silver curls and a plain purple with silver in its ends. They spun swiftly in their own, smaller circle.
"And now we just—!"
"Yes, Griffy, now we just… Let it go."
At the moment their hands parted, Faragonda felt a paining pressure squeezing in her chest. She fell on her knees and fought the urge to just collapse on the ground and rest.
The new Codex dashed towards its counterpart that rested in the box. The jewels stuck each one in their own pieces of original Codex. The confluence cause rays of light, that were warm and almost blinding.
"No!" Darkar yelled and rushed to the box. "No, this can't end this way, not after all I've done!" He let out an agonized cry when light rays, one after another, pierced his wings and overly long neck.
The teenagers saw this as an opportunity. Helia gave support to his swaying grandfather, while Griffin denied any help.
"Miss Faragonda," Layla breathed as she helped the headmistress to stand up. "Are you okay?"
"That's not important now." Faragonda watched cracks appearing on the walls and stones dropping outside the fortress. "We must get out before this place wrecks completely."
"Timmy," Tecna called to her gadget. "Timmy, can you hear me? We need you to pick us up, now!"
"I'll be there in a second, just come to the place the navigator points out!" was the answer.
"Everybody, follow me!" Tecna shouted, gesturing everyone to the door.
Before leaving, Faragonda gave one last glance to Darkar, who had returned to his normal form and desperately tried to control the Codex. She shuddered at the sight of his skeleton-like body, which mouldered as more and more rays of light cut him. Without sacrificing any more of their precious time to him, she left the fortress, hoping that she wouldn't have to ever come back.
The mood in the ship was same as several hours earlier, cheerful. Stella was practically acting out the whole battle for Timmy, who amusedly watched.
Saladin, who had recovered earlier than his colleagues, eagerly spoke to Helia. But the young man didn't seem to focus. He constantly stole glances of a certain brunette. What if..? Faragonda thought and hid a chuckle in her hand.
"What's so funny?" Griffin, who sat next to the fairy, asked in a fatigued tone.
"Never mind. May I ask then, why you look so grim?"
"I just wonder what kind of mess is waiting for me in Cloud Tower. I was, after all, away for a day."
"Don't you trust your teachers?"
Griffin smirked. "They just don't have the same status in the eyes of students, if you understand."
"I sure understand." The fairy headmistress chuckled. "Poor Griselda. She has been through so many pranks."
"Miss Faragonda." A hesitant voice interrupted them. Layla walked in front of her.
"Yes, dear?"
"I just have this feeling… I mean… Is Darkar gone, for good?"
Faragonda gazed her feet thoughtfully. She saw the image of crashing fortress and rapidly streaming waterfalls clearly in her mind. Darkar's pain-filled screams still echoed in her ears, giving her cold shivers. Everything was logically leading to one conclusion; Darkar was defeated. And yet, the memory of his gleaming eyes fought all that.
"We can't be sure, child," she said without raising her head. "Phoenixes are known to rise from their ashes. And I'm afraid that he's no different."
