Vulpa and then suddenly my brother disappear from my sight as the huge image of Miss Griffin's face dissolves into mist and also vanishes.
"What has she done to my brother and Vulpa!" I cry to M'Trika in panic.
"Take it easy, Mansha!" replies M'Trika taking my hand. "They have been transported to the professors' section. Look up there."
I look up to a raised platform jutting from the wall above my head where there are presently five figures. Two are my brother and Vulpa and one is Miss Griffin. The other two Lupa identifies as Ediltrude and Zarathustra who are senior professors at Cloud Tower. Others begin to appear with the group. First is Matchka, taken from her window ledge. Then Icy appears in a pink outfit not looking any the worse for her ordeal from earlier this morning. Icy catches sight of Matchka and an instant shouting and shoving match breaks out between them. Matchka appears to be using restraint allowing Icy to push her but then Ediltrude points a finger at Matchka and a cocoon of light envelops her protecting her from Icy's aggression but rendering her at the same time unable to instigate any aggression of her own. The Cat-Witch's expression through the transparent cocoon is murderous. She no doubt wants more than ever to wipe the smug expression from Icy's face and hack her into mince with her scythe-like claws into the bargain. Next to appear on the platform are Darcy and Stormy. Darcy, however, dressed only in a negligee, has her arms about her and is shivering.
"Is it another hot time making out with Riven, Darcy dear?" mocks Lupa quietly while gyrating her hips, swishing her tail and taking great delight in Darcy's embarrassment and discomfort.
"I heard something about a Hero named Riven and a Faerie named Musa," I tell Lupa. "There was something about Darcy having stolen him away from Musa but then dumping him."
"Yes," confirms Lupa, "these are the same Darcy, Riven and Musa but you have the story somewhat twisted. Darcy never did dump Riven. Darcy has been and still is crazy in love with Riven since the day they both met. Had the Race for the Roses not given Darcy a way to capture him, she would have found another way. Darcy would never willingly break up with Riven and, for a time, Icy was okay with them being together but, when it came time for the attack on Red Fountain and Alfea College, Icy forced Darcy to break up with Riven because she was afraid that careless pillow talk between those two would give away her battle plans. Now that this is no longer an issue, he and Darcy are back together again and Icy just lets it be.
"So, they are meeting in secret?" I ask Lupa.
"Secret?" snorts Lupa. "If that's a secret, then it is only the worst kept secret in Cloud Tower and on the whole Planet of Alfea. No, Musa and everyone else knows about it mostly because Darcy can't keep from rubbing Musa's nose in it every chance she gets. Darcy thinks she's the better woman because she has captured Riven but I say dream on, Darcy dear, for whose image and mannerisms are you using to delude that poor hapless Riven into courting you? Musa's that's whose. So, who is the better woman, I ask you? Musa may be a faerie but she's no one's fool. She is just being tolerant of Riven and your little escapades with him because she knows how you are holding him. One day, push will come to shove and it won't be just a little catfight. Musa's going to want back what's hers and she won't be alone when she makes her claim. So, if you don't fear Musa, dear Darcy, you had better fear her five friends - especially the one who is the Guardian of the Dragon Fire."
"Darcy's going to drag us into another Witches against Faeries war," breaks in M'Trika, "and I don't want to be here when it happens."
"I hear you, Sister," replies Lupa to M'Trika, "and I don't want to be here either."
"What? I thought you admired The Trix," I gasp astonished.
"Please tell me you're joking," yips Lupa, her ears briefly flat against her skull. "Those three embody every bad thing ever said about Witches. Sure, they have their admirers and followers but to most of us they are renegades and the worst kind of trouble to plague us in centuries. The three of them are royal pains where you never had an ache and most of us can't wait for their complete and absolute downfall."
"I'm shocked," I say, "why then are they here and why are you putting up with them if that's the way you feel about them?"
"It is because they are still our sisters in the Sisterhood of Witches," says M'Trika solemnly, "and we do not turn our backs on our sisters despite them being renegades and trouble. We would rather see them reformed and making restitution and contributing to the good of the Sisterhood than destroyed. And where else would you rather them? Here where we can keep tabs on them or somewhere where The Tree knows what trouble they could be brewing?"
Lupa points to the elevated platform to draw our attention to a new flurry of activity. The Witches plus my brother have moved into a formation. Miss Griffin, the Headmistress of Cloud Tower, heads the formation with Ediltrude and Zarathustra on either side and just behind her. Vulpa, looking terrified and near wit's end, is standing in front of but with her back to Miss Griffin who has one hand placed on each of Vulpa's furry cheeks. Then in a circle starting from Miss Griffin are Matchka, Icy, Gareth, Darcy, who is now wearing a cape over her shoulders, and finally Stormy. Miss Griffin starts into a long drawn out chant while keeping her hands against Vulpa's cheeks and a blueish-red hue forms around the whole configuration.
"What's going on?" I ask M'Trika and Lupa.
"Miss Griffin is using Vulpa's ability to read aurae to see where the new power links lie among those five," explains M'Trika.
As Lupa, M'Trika and I look on and Miss Griffin continues to chant, collars and links start to form around individuals in the circle joining them together. First, a gold link forms between Gareth and Icy. A blue mist forms and throbs around Icy. When the mist lifts, a strange woman is standing next to Gareth but the gold link still joins them together. The stranger is the same size and shape as Icy and she is wearing Icy's pink outfit and has her hair up in Icy's high ponytail but her hair is raven black, her eyes are dark chocolate brown and her skin is olive toned.
"Ishandra? Ishandra!" gasps someone in the crowd and the stranger turns her head in recognition.
"By The Tree! That strange redheaded Witch's brother was right! Icy was Ishandra," cries another voice.
More links form as we look on. A silver link forms between Gareth and Matchka and Lupa and the others nod as in agreement with this. But next a gold link forms between Ishandra and Stormy. M'Trika, Lupa and also Mieze and Rusulka who have come over to join us look at each other in bewilderment.
"What's going on?" I ask M'Trika again.
"A gold link usually forms only between a woman and a man," whispers M'Trika. "A gold link between two women is almost unprecedented."
Finally, a silver link is made between Ishandra and Darcy.
The ritual concludes, the mist disappears and the links become invisible. Vulpa appears back among us and Lupa has to move quickly to catch the petite Fox-morph Witch as she crumples in a faint before us. The remaining people on the platform begin to regroup. Ishandra glues herself to Gareth's side looking like a woman who has finally admitted to the love for him bursting within her heart. Matchka stands behind Ishandra and Gareth no longer looking like one in a private war with the woman who once was Icy but as protector of the new couple.
"King Arthur, Queen Guenevere and Sir Lancelot," I whisper to Lupa who looks back at me quizzically.
Darcy is now standing in front of Ishandra looking like she couldn't care less whether she was Ishandra or Icy. Stormy, however, is livid with rage directed at Ishandra and is shouting at her and beating her fists against her hips for emphasis. Ishandra stands before her looking calm and occasionally speaking but Stormy appears unhappy with what she is hearing and continues to rage. Seeing that she is getting nowhere with Ishandra, Stormy next turns her anger towards Gareth. If she thought she got nowhere with Ishandra then she totally fails to impress the tall, broad-faced, redheaded bear of a man looking down at her with bright blue eyes filled with ultimate gentleness and sympathy who is my brother Gareth. Stormy is raising her hands as if to cast some mischief on Gareth when Ishandra spins her around, snakes her arms around her waist and kisses her. Ishandra's kiss is not one of a woman greeting another but one of a lover filled with passion and emotion so raw that it radiates even to the crowd standing below the platform. Stormy gradually surrenders to the passion of Ishandra's kiss and wrapping her arms around Ishandra's neck kisses her back with equal passion as the anger seems to drain out of her. When they release each other from their embrace, Stormy looks up at Ishandra without anger but still with an expression of deep sadness and hurt. Ishandra engages in a quiet conversation with Stormy then turns a very contrite Stormy to face Gareth who speaks to him with her eyes downcast. Gareth bends down, picks up the petite Witch and gives her a bear hug that is still gentle and very aware of Stormy's delicate frame. When Stormy is set back on her feet, Gareth caresses her cheek with his bear-sized hand while Stormy looks up to him blushing and smiling almost serenely.
One by one everyone vanishes from the platform. Ishandra and Gareth vanish first but not to reappear anywhere in the crowd below.
"Probably sent to Gareth's chamber," whispers Lupa with a wink.
Next Matchka reappears on the wide window ledge curled up asleep and contented as a cat dreaming of fish, cream and catnip. Then it's Darcy and Stormy's turn. Finally, after a short conversation, Ediltrude and Zarathustra vanish. Miss Griffin stands alone briefly observing us below looking tired, worn out and very old. Then she too disappears.