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Chapter Thirteen: Revenant Reveny
The protectors of the Magical dimension had finally received some much deserved rest. For the first time in days, they could afford to take a breather, and avoid fighting. The boys: Lucius, Polimist, Cyrus and Aleron had all left to go and train. They refused to let any of the fairies tag along on the charge that the hidden world of martial fighting was the last refuge of men, and that the last thing they needed was women taking that away from them too.
This left the women in question feeling rather miffed. Alfea, Wadena, Kalina and Lask all sulked in the castle foyer, sitting in a few chairs around a round tea-table.
"I just can't believe the absolute nerve!" Lask complained, as she stood and began to circle around the room. "I mean really? I bet I could beat any of them in a fist fight!" She let the air in front of her taste the wrath of her best one-two-uppercut punch volley. In a fit of clumsiness, she knocked over what appeared to be an expensive vase, and she scrambled to keep it from falling to the ground.
"Martial fighting," Kalina said disdainfully. "And they brought Lucius with them for that? He probably relies more on spells that I do!" She yanked out the decorative death-petal flower she kept in her hair and twirled it around in her fingers. "I bet if any one of them touched this, they'd cut their damn fingers off."
"And I..." Wadena began, before she paused. "Actually, I'd probably lose in a fight against a blind, three-limbed chimp."
"I'd bet Reveny could teach them all a thing about martial fighting," Alfea remarked offhandedly. "And possibly break all of their bones in the process."
"What now?" Lask squeaked, as she steadied the vase on its stand. "Who's Reveny?"
"Oh, Reveny is Ohm's Guardian Fair– Well, I suppose she's a Guardian Witch now," Alfea said. "She was the twentieth student of the great Spectral Enchantress."
Kalina's eyebrow raised in interest. "The Spectral Enchantress was your teacher, right?"
"Yeah, Reveny was the twentieth student, and I was the twenty-first. I guess you could say she's like my predecessor. She was a really good fighter. She could beat guys up faster than they could feel her hitting them. Although she was the instigator of a lot of those fights. That's probably not such a good thing..."
"What happened to her?" Wadena asked. "Sounds like she'd be useful to have around now."
"I haven't seen her since, well... Since she stopped being a fairy. Almost 5 years ago. " The other girls stared intently at Alfea, mutely begging her to continue.
Alfea could remember that day well. It had only been a few weeks since she had earned her Enchantix, and she had finally taken her place as Magix's Guardian Fairy. The Spectral Enchantress had seemed quite proud that two of her students had managed to become guardians in succession. Reveny came to celebrate Alfea's inauguration, offering the same kind of support one would expect from an older sibling.
The celebration was idyllic, with many of the bigwigs in Magix coming to offer their congratulations. Reveny wasn't one to hog the spotlight; she waited for the festivities to end before she would make her own announcement.
That was when things went south. When it was just three of them left, the Spectral Enchantress, Reveny, and Alfea.
The image of the two women staring each other down was burned into Alfea's memory. The enchantress was an elderly woman, grey hair, shrunken with age, very much versed in old ways. Reveny appeared to be very much in her prime, brunette, tall, exuding the cockiness of youth. The clash of their personalities was monolithic by Alfea's – admittedly inexperienced – standards.
"Granny, I've found a better way, and I plan on taking it." Reveny's words held an arrogance the likes of which she hadn't yet earned the right to possess. "Maybe I should teach it to Alfea, and she can stop wasting time with an old crone like you."
"And what would that way be, you ungrateful excuse of a student?" The enchantress was hurt. She adored all of her pupils and she'd always considered Reveny as her finest.
"I've found that spectral magic is more capable when you're willing to tap into darker forces. The kind of magic that can never be found by a fairy."
"Foolish girl! You would not!" The enchantress' strict adherence to old customs often led her to a black and white outlook on the word. "To think that a student of mine would trade her wings to study witchcraft!"
"If it's better, it's better. I see no merit in perfecting a flawed craft, when I can work towards perfecting a flawless one instead." Reveny turned to the young Alfea, and lifted her hand. It was lit with the dark glow of a black wisp. "Alfea, are you interested?"
The young fairy was reluctant to speak.
"You have sold your soul to the Phoenix!" The enchantress stepped between Alfea and Reveny, blocking their view of each other. "I will not let you corrupt my student with your dark magics! If you will follow a path to damnation then follow it, but do not attempt to drag others down with you!"
"If you are so blinded by your archaic ways, do not attempt to block others from seeing the truth!"
"Begone from my sight!" The enchantress was brought to tears. "Never show your face to me ever again, and let me live with the memory of a beloved student I have lost."
"Hmph. Fine then." Reveny walked past the old woman, but stopped to look upon Alfea. "If you ever find yourself tired of lifting the chains, I will help you break them." And she continued to walk.
"And I haven't seen her since." Alfea said, as she finished her story. The room was quiet, her fellow fairies still thinking about the tale. "I still wonder what Reveny's up to at times..."
"Did you ever... consider taking her up on her offer?" Kalina asked hesitantly. "You know... to break the chains? Embrace the dark magic?"
Alfea equally hesitant to answer. "Yes."
"You did?" Lask seemed genuinely surprised. "You've always struck me as the poster child of fairy innocence."
"You were around when I said I thought fairies and witches could accomplish more if they work together. And at times I thought that if I became a witch, that maybe I could have been the one to create that link between fairies and witches."
"Is that the only reason?"
More pausing. "No... So often they seem stronger than us, and I – There were times I wanted to know what that was like. But you always hear stories of witches who couldn't control it, and they went insane, or became slaves to their darker nature. And I wonder, if would that would have happened to me." It wasn't a possibility she wanted to entertain. "I guess if it did, I'd be fighting against all of you right now." She shuddered at the thought.
"Maybe it's for the best you stayed a Fairy," Wadena said. "I mean who knows? Maybe we've got something waiting for us beyond Enchantix!"
"Are you for real?" Lask asked. She stared at Wadena, as if trying to shame her.
Wadena reddened. "It could happen..." The lack of support from her peers made her slump in her chair. Minutes of silence and reflection passed by, before it was shattered by a fit of tittering.
"What a coincidence!" Chica chirped as she walked down the foyer stairs. "You were talking about Reveny, and I just got done talking to her! She and I go way back to before you kids showed up."
"Bah, you're not much older than us," Lask said with a dismissive hand-wave. "How long were you eavesdropping? And how did you talk to her?"
"I wasn't! Really!" Chica responded. "Okay, I listened to the story. It's not my fault! I hear everything, and I can't control it! And I had a psychic conversation with Reveny. I could teach you all about how it works, but it's kinda... Hard? I guess? But faster than talkin' with words."
"Coincidence? I bet this conversation only happened because you listened in, didn't it?" Kalina accused.
"Uh... no?"
"You're a terrible liar," Lask remarked. "You should take some lessons from Solaria's monarchy."
"Well it's not exactly a lie. She contacted me, and it's like she knew about what you said already."
"Maybe she's spying on us."
"Maybe she's spying on one of us," Kalina suggested. She fixed her gaze upon Alfea, who opened her mouth as if to speak, but quickly changed her mind.
Conversations at the speed of thought are rather bewildering. light-years apart and yet nothing is ever missed. I haven't seen Reveny in person even longer than Alfea–"
"What did you talk about?" Lask asked. She hadn't felt the slightest shame in interrupting.
Chica huffed. These younger fairies always want to just skip to the point, she thought. "We talked about all of the terrible things happening over the Magical Universe! Monsters, natural disasters, politics, all of it! It's like the end of days or something."
"End of days," Kalina repeated, as she rolled her eyes. "If I had a brick for every time someone said that we're living in the end of days, I could build a castle... No offence meant, but I'm surprised Reveny chose to speak with you,"
"Gee, thanks. I'll have you know her exact words were, if she had the choice, she wouldn't not rather speak with Alfea instead." She placed her hands on her hips and smiled smugly, but that smile gradually faded. Her eyes bugged out. "Wait a minute... That's an insult, isn't it?" The horrifying realization only now dawned upon her. Kalina and Lask each stifled a mocking laugh. "But that's not important! She told me that she wanted Alfea to come to Ohm!"
"What for?" Alfea asked.
Chica shrugged. "She didn't tell me. She just said that you should visit. The sooner the better."
"But there's so much that needs to be done here. I can't just leave, I'm Guardian Fairy of Magix."
"Go," Kalina said. She placed a supportive hand on Alfea's shoulder and winked. "We'll be able to handle the place for a day."
"Thank you. I guess I can visit her tomorrow. Want to come with me Lask?"
"Why not?" Lask replied. "I've always wanted to visit Ohm."
Ohm was a picturesque realm, the kind of place one would think of when the word tranquillity came to mind. Water was in healthy abundance, and verdant fields stretched out beyond the limits of the horizon. The skies were clear and blue, sunshine gently fell upon the surface of the world.
Alfea and Laskaurin both made their way through the capital city, down the walkways running parallel to flowing streams. A refreshing mist filled the air, and cooled their skin. They were pleased to see that the people had not been suffering the hardships that had become commonplace in other realms of the magical universe.
"This place is like paradise, huh Lask?" Alfea said, as she twirled down the street.
"You're embarrassing me," Lask said, as she let her shoulders droop. "I guess it's okay though. Espero's nicer. Just don't tell Chica I said that." The two continued their walk until they reached the end of the line, where a large structure stood. A gaudy purple tower, surrounded by trees and flowers.
"Seems kinda bright for a witch, doesn't it?" Lask remarked. The two girls shared a glance before entering the building.
The inside was nothing like the exterior. The lobby was a dismal space. Light was sparse, coming from but a few candles. Black cloth was draped over nearly every surface. In corners of the room there stood disturbing effigies of various demons, made of bones. Each skull smiled grimly at the visitors, and seemed to follow their movements.
"Now this is what I expected," Lask said, adding a nervous laugh at the end. She yelped when she felt something touch her shoulder. A spider had fallen from the skeletal chandelier, and landed on her. With great haste she flicked it off, trying to avoid directly touching it.
"Welcome." A raven-haired young woman bowed before the two Guardian Fairies. Her skin was white like ivory. "Miss Reveny has been awaiting your arrival. Please follow me." Lask and Alfea followed the girl through the crypt-like passageways, and she held an arm out when the passage opened out into a large banquet hall. The girl bowed once more, before she vanished.
"A ghost..." Lask stammered. "Eerie."
"Oh come on, this can't be the first time you've seen a ghost." Alfea said.
Lask wore a deadpan expression on her face. "Oh yes it can be."
"I can make them appear too. Like that hand on your shoulder."
Lask slowly moved her head to look at her shoulder, and she shrieked when her eyes made contact with a translucent gloved hand – just resting there – before it abruptly vanished.
"See?" Alfea smiled at the Solarian, but Lask shot daggers in return. "There's an ethereal aura to this place, but it's peaceful. I guess Reveny's been working."
"You're right," a voice interjected. "I've been quite busy, Alfea."
"Reveny! Where are you?"
"Here of course," the voice replied. A large window suddenly opened, and light filled the room. Sitting at the end of the grand dining table was a woman, wearing a black ball gown. Her brown hair gently fell around her shoulders, curling at the tips.
"It's nice to see you again," Alfea said. "And before I forget, This is Laskaurin of Solaria." Alfea gestured to the blonde-haired girl standing beside her.
"Hi," Lask said casually. She waved slightly.
"Hello Laskaurin, it's wonderful to meet a friend of Alfea." Reveny smiled at the two, but it wasn't warm or friendly. Rather, it seemed somehow disingenuous. "Thank you for finally taking the time to visit me. Would you care to stay for the opera? It will be quite entertaining."
"Reveny, I came because you asked me to." Alfea replied. "Chica told us you already had a conversation, and you should know that Magix is in a state of war. We don't have time to waste! I was hoping you would be willing to help us."
"I'll take that as a no then." The two fairies were on edge. "I've heard of your little war. Fairies pretending to be soldiers. The only thing you've proven to be proficient at so far is dying. It hasn't been a full week yet, and you've lost what, four Guardian Fairies so far?"
"Their deaths were not in vain." Alfea's voice trembled, teetering on the edge of calmness, ready to fall into anger any moment now. "Are you going to help us or not?!"
"You're hopeless." Reveny stood, and folded her arms. "Fairies can't hope to fight on equal terms with the Phoenix. A witch perhaps, but not a fairy."
"Is that why you called me? You want me to take you up on your offer to become a witch?"
"Partially. But even then, you would still be fighting a losing battle."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that the Phoenix is going to win this war, and that you should be on the winning side."
"Author's" Note:
The next few chapters will be dealing with this story arc, so to say. There are going to be a few flashbacks to deal with though.
Not much else to add here. I just want to get a bit of levity in the story for a bit. Much line break. So scene transition. Such dialogue.
I am so sorry.