Chapter 10
Hi, everyone! Two chapters in such a short time, I know right?! :) Onwards with the story - QueenNothingness
I recommend you listen to:
Adam Levine feat R City - Locked Away
Exit Eden - Incomplete
Reol - RE
It had been a tough night for Clarissa, Ember could tell. The girl's hair was in a messy bun atop her head, eyes red from crying and not enough sleep, and she seemed to zone out more than anything else.
When they were walking towards their class with Professor Daphne, Ember saw a distraught Bloom walking by. "Bloom? Are you allright?" she asked, stopping the girl in her tracks. Bloom shook her head, sighing. "Why don't we talk after our classes? In the greenhouse?" Ember asked, seeing the girl clearly needed to blow off steam. Bloom hesitated for a moment and than nodded. "I'll see you after class than." Ember said, smiling encouragingly. "What was all that about?" Mirta whispered, as to not make Clarissa feel worse, who finally had managed to calm down a little. "I don't know. Something to do with Linphea I think." Ember whispered back, taking place in the auditorium when Daphne came walking in. The room quietened down. "I have an announcement to make. In a few days, I'll be going with the Winx and their class to the Golden Auditorium. My classes will be suspended that day, but ofcourse I'll leave you with enough work to do...in the capable hands of Griselda." Several girls groaned, having hoped they would have a free hour. Ember grinned. "Ember, Professor Paladium asked me not to assign you any work. You'll be instead having an extra lesson with him." Ember nodded, grinning again. "You escaped that nicely, Ember." Emma winked, opening her textbook.
After a long day of classes, Ember walked towards the greenhouse, greeting Lisna along the way. "Hello, Lisna. I was wondering where you had gone. I didn't see you for awhile." Ember smiled, hugging her pixie. Lisna sniffed, eyes dribbling with tears. "The pixies in pixievillage have disappeared! The village is empty!" Lisna cried, Ember swallowing. "What the hell is even happening? People being petrified, the pixies disappearing... I don't like this." Ember groaned, hugging Lisna. "And the other pixies? Lockette and the others, did you ask them if they know more?" Lisna shook her head. "They're just as shocked as me." she sighed. "We'll find them, Lisna. In the meantime, you can stay with me here at Alfea. You can make yourself at home in my room." Lisna nodded. "Me and Toffee will go ahead and get some of our stuff. We'll temporarily move into your dorm." Ember nodded. "You do that. I'll help the Winx with finding the pixies, that I promise."
Ember walked into the greenhouse, seeing Flora watering the plants. "Hello Flora. How are you doing?" Ember asked, waving at Flora. Flora smiled tiredly. "I've been better." Ember raised an eyebrow, coming closer and squeezing Flora's shoulders. "Has it do with Linphea?" Ember asked, worried gaze locked on Bloom who was sitting further away. "Something happened and we lost our powers... Bloom gave us a part of her Dragonflame, but we need to perform good acts worthy of a fairy to be able to access that power. It seems difficult. Not to forget Miele is stuck at Linphea College with those monsters." Ember patted her arm, going towards Bloom. "If I can do anything to help, you just need to let me know."
Bloom looked up, a frown on her usual cheerful face. "How are you doing, Bloom?" Ember asked. "Not great. I'm really weak, I feel as if it's my fault the Winx lost their powers and than all that stuff with those monsters. It's just too much." Ember nodded. "Don't doubt yourself. You and the Winx will find a way to defeat whatever you get thrown on your way. You gave them a part of the Dragonflame, I think you're helping them much more than you realise." Ember added thoughtfully. "How is the search going for a cure against the petrifying rays?" Ember asked, Bloom smiling tiredly. "Well, not so great. I think the power of the Dragonflame will help but...first we need to be able to get our transformation ofcourse." Ember nodded again. "I think you will find a solution. You and the Winx have a tendency to underestimate yourselves while you've always found a way to resolve your problems. I'm certain you'll do the same this time." Ember stood up, getting a message from Mirta asking to meet her at the library. "I need to go. And Bloom, when you're going looking for the missing pixies, please allow me to help. I promised Lisna I'd do what I could." Ember smiled softly, nodding her head and walking away. "Okay. Thank you Ember." Bloom called after her, feeling her resolve returning.
The next few days flew by like nothing, but Clarissa still had no news about her boyfriend. The Winx were busy training and searching for a solution, so it's not as if Ember could go ask if they had any news. "Hey, where is Professor Daphne?" someone asked when they came walking in. "They are only going to the golden auditorium in a few days, or did the date change?" Mirta hummed, shaking her head. "We didn't get that information. She would have told us if it had changed, don't you think?" "Professor Daphne has gone with the Winx to stop the Treants and save Linphea College. We'll have a defensive class today. I want to see what you remember from last year. Come on, let's go outside." Griselda almost singsonged, most of their classmates sighing or groaning. Emma sweatdropped, following Mirta outside.
Once they all stood outside, Griselda explained the form of training they were going to do. "This is how it will go. You will be fighting in pairs of two, two fairies will attack and the others will block the attacks using any kind of defensive magic you want. It will be a good refresh from last year's course." Mirta groaned. "I'm not good at defensive spells." Ember shook her head. "Me neither... But than it's better to train, no ?" Emma nodded, Clarissa still zoning out. "Ember and Clarissa you'll first try attacking and Mirta and Emma will defend themselves. Go on, transform." Griselda shooed at them, foot impatiently tapping on the ground.
"Clarissa, we need to transform." Ember whispered, said girl blinking as if waking up. "Okay, yes. Let's go. Transform!" Clarissa called out, a bright orange and red light engulfing her. Ember still thought the fairy of Autumn's transformation was awesome.
Clarissa's midlong brown hair loosened into two pigtails. A brownish red top and short formed itself around her body, a chain with a leaf fastened on her short. Burgundy sandals formed itself on her feet, eventually clear wings growing out of her back. "Clarissa, fairy of autumn." Clarissa said, finalising her transformation. Ember grinned, "Now it's my turn. Transform!"
Ember had missed the familiar feeling, after a while feeling the familiar burn of her wings. "Ember, fairy of air." she grinned. Mirta tsked, transforming herself. Emma followed soon after. The fairy of chance's long curly hair stayed lose in her transformation, a hairclasp in the form of a clover forming on her head. She had a dark green long dress, green heels forming around her feet. She had a white belt on her dress with a clover on it, green wings growing from her back.
They were soon all transformed, flying up and taking stances against each other. Ember attacked without giving them time to breathe, throwing a gust of wind at her friends. Mirta barely managed to make a barrier. "Autumnal morning!" Clarissa called out, orange balls of light forming around her and shooting several attacks at Emma. "Illusion barrier." Mirta answered, the gust of wind Ember had thrown at her rebounding and causing Ember to fall back. "Aargh, Mirta!" Ember groaned. She thrust her hands in the air, air starting to swirl around her hands. "Clarissa, you as well. Attack, come on." Ember whispered, Clarissa nodding. Said girl had two giant balls in orange and red hues forming around her hands. Ember could barely hold the air in her hands. She thrust her hands forwards, throwing her attack at Emma. "Windsong!" she cried out, Emma's eyes widening. "Clovershield." Emma said, barely dodging the attack. Clarissa threw the two balls of orange and red power at Mirta, who managed to dodge it easily. "You can do much better, Clarissa. That's not even one of your stronger attacks." Griselda admonished, but her eyes softened when Clarissa still looked beaten down. "You're done for the day, Clarissa. You may go."
Clarissa sighed and started walking away, transforming back towards her normal self. Emma shook her head. "I see you still use those defensive spells well. You did good, girls. You are excused." Griselda said, Mirta grinning at Ember.
They walked in companionable silence across the schoolgrounds, hearing a cry ahead of them. One of the red ships of the specialists had landed, the Winx and their boyfriends walking out. Clarissa came running towards the ship, throwing herself into the arms of one of the other specialists that followed them out of the ship. He had long auburn hair, his hair tied back into a bun on the top of his head. A smile came on his face as they saw Clarissa blubbering against her boyfriend, the girl seeming relieved for the first time in days. "It seems the Winx found a way." Mirta smiled, Ember nodding. They saw Clarissa turning around, waving at them to come closer. Emma grinned, walking ahead of them. She said something to Clarissa's boyfriend which caused him to laugh. "This is Mirta and that is Ember." Clarissa pointed at them. Ember and Mirta smiled and nodded. "Nice to meet you. I'm Rev, Clarissa's boyfriend." "How are you feeling? It must have been awful to be petrified." Ember offered, locking a worried gaze on Rev. "I wonder what kind of thing can even do that. Or what has that kind of power." Mirta said. Tecna sighed. "I don't know. It were dragons with petrifying rays. I do not know who has the power to summon those beasts, but I'm scared we'll have to face a new enemy soon." Tecna said, Musa sighing. "How are you doing, Ember?" Flora asked, finally turning away from Helia. "I'm doing okay. Getting back into the schoolryhthm I guess." Ember smiled, Flora nodding.
"And how are your classes going?" a familiar voice asked, Ember blushing. She turned around and saw none else than Elion staring at her, cold expression on his face. "They are going great. And you, how are classes at Red Fountain?" Ember asked, trying to calm her beating heart. Elion seemed taken aback by the question, having grown used to Ember stuttering and closing up. "They are going good. I went to Linphea with Sky and the rest." he answered.
A bit further away, Mirta stood next to Bloom, satisfied smile on her face. They saw Ember asking several questions, Elion answering them and growing more relaxed. "It seems she took your advice to heart, Bloom." Mirta grinned, Bloom nodding happily. "Ember seems more confident, I'm happy for her. Elion is, even though cold, a really nice guy. You should go talk to Lorn as well. He has been asking about you lately." Mirta raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Rev nodded. "Yes, apparently he is a bit worried you haven't talked to him after summerbreak, even though he hides it well." Mirta sighed. "I'll go talk to him. Lorn!" Mirta waved, going towards the bluehaired boy. A smirk grew on his face as Mirta greeted him.
"You are trying to get them together, aren't you?" Sky said, looking at his girlfriend. Bloom grabbed his hand and smiled. "That would be awesome, no?" she said, smile still on her face as they walked on.
That night, Ember could not sleep. She was too jittery. Elion had asked her out on a date! Well sort of... Mirta, Lorn and Flora and Helia would be coming, but it was a start! Ember grinned to herself, hugging her pillow. She soon fell asleep, a smile on her face.