Chapter 26: What to do While Waiting
Stella released a burst of sun energy from the palms of her hand. As she did, her opponent swiftly stepped aside and let the attack hit her spear. As if it was a ball, she threw it back towards Stella, who shouted in terror and canceled it before it struck. The instructor spun her spear before striking the blunt end on the ground. Her long, black hair blew confidently in the breeze.
"Don't be too frustrated, Stella," she said, "Throwing back regular spells are one thing, but an Enchantix level spell is difficult to catch, and even more difficult to fire back." Stella's pout loosened, but her disappointment remained. "This is why you're in this class; to learn new techniques and skills to help polish off your Enchantix. No one said this would be easy."
"Yes, but if she doesn't improve, Cian will remain to have the upper hand," Griselda commented. Stella's pout returned in full.
"Griselda, you shouldn't discourage the students as such. You, who've worked so closely to Faragonda, must know that the fairy eager to learn shall succeed." Griselda pushed her glasses up on her nose before folding her arms across her chest.
"These girls aren't like the ones you've trained, Lolita. They're not made to be warriors."
"Then it's time that they become one." Mom faced all of us and said, "We need as much diversity in our offence as we can have defense. Cian won't expect Alfea fairies fighting as warriors. Should he attack here again, you girls will blow him away with your skills." She rested a hand on Stella's shoulder. "So have faith." Finally, Stella smiled, and for the first time in a defense class looked enthusiastic about learning.
"Your mom is a kick-ass teacher," she whispered, "Way better than Griselda."
"Thank you," I replied, "She isn't the Master Warrior of Aquila for nothing."
Mom continued to demonstrate different forms of fighting, whether it involved magic or not. She encouraged every fairy to use Palladium's weapon-summoning spell and to choose something that best suits them. "Once you've chosen your weapon, do some of yesterday's drills with a classmate. If you feel that your weapon's not working, try a different one. The point is to find your default weapon. No matter what type of situation you're in, your weapon will be your extra power boost against any enemy." She raised her spear and spun it again before pointing the blunt end towards me. "Shall we demonstrate?"
"Gladly!" I summoned my two swords and bowed before standing in my fighting stance. Mom and I exchanged a few blows before the bell rang across the courtyard. Many of the girls groaned.
"That's strange," mom said, looking down at her watch, "I coulda sworn I had more time."
"That's because in Aquila, training time is much longer than Alfea class time," I replied, "There's only so much we can learn." Mom shrugged her shoulders and clicked a button on her spear. The blunt end retreated into the spear, making it no longer than a short umbrella, and mom sheathed it.
"And there're a lot of you to train." She dramatically struck a pose, "Oh, how shall I ever make warriors out of all of you?"
"Excuse me, Ms. Lolita?" Mom turned her head. They were two freshmen from her morning class. "We had a question about the homework assignment."
"Of course," she said with a smile, "What can I do for you?" I took a step back and watched my mom inspire these girls. By explaining their assignment, they seemed more eager to practice.
"She looks happy," I said out loud, knowing one of the girls was listening.
"She certainly does," Flora added, "It must be nice for her to teach again."
"How's your dad adjusting?" Musa asked, "I don't think we've had his new class yet."
"'The Understanding of Realm Cultures'," Tecna recited, "Based on Alfea's blog, girls are raving about his class."
"They're probably more admired by the teacher rather than the topic," Stella replied, shaking off her Enchantix form. "He's quiet easy on the eyes."
"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that," I said, "But thanks. He is a great teacher."
"How's maintaining your Enchantix?" Bloom asked me, "Still buzzed from unlocking it?" I laughed to myself and glance over my shoulder. My wings gently flapped, allowing glitter to fall over me.
"My magic has never felt this good," I admitted, "It's in perfect balance. Nothing feels wrong." I inhaled the sweet, afternoon air. "Actually, I've never felt this good!"
"Then we'll be out of this war in no time," Layla concluded with utter confidence. She bent her arm at a ninety degree angle and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Seven fully blossomed fairies. Our Enchantix will be so polished it'll be like nailing a dance performance." She then busted out into an Enchantix dance. She swayed her hips and clapped her hands; we all couldn't help but join in. Musa shook her wings, creating music to match the moves.
"When we have our 'end of the year' dance, I wanna dance to that," Bloom commented. We all agreed.
A faint ringing came from one of us, and soon we all poofed away our Enchantix. We dipped into our pockets and pulled out our phones. It wasn't me.
"It's me," Flora said with a giddy smile, "I better go. I've got a date with Helia."
"I'm going too," Tecna second, "Timmy mentioned that there was something he wanted to show me. Are you heading to Red Fountain?" Flora shook her head.
"I'm meeting Helia in the forest." Tecna couldn't help but smile.
"I guess that's to be expected."
"Well I'm heading into Magix to try on dresses for my wedding," Stella proclaimed. She snapped her fingers. "Bloom? Be a dear and join me. I'll need you to be my bride's maids dummy." Bloom rolled her eyes.
"Hooray, something I've always wanted." We waved bye to each other as the four went on their way. Musa placed a hand on her hip and pointed to the school.
"My new album should be done downloading. Wanna check it out?" Layla and I looked at one another before saying together,
"Sure!"
[*******]
Fury couldn't believe what she was reading. Cian had hinted at the type of power she had her sisters' had, but she never thought it would be this big. Now she understood why he kept it a secret.
"No one will be our master again," Icy said with complete triumph, "We can rule the entire Magical Dimension as our ancestors before us had wanted."
"Total chaos," Fury whispered, trying to imagine such a world, "A world completely ravaged by fear." Her lips slowly pulled back into a wicked grin; her teeth almost as pearly white at Cian's. "I can almost shout for joy with such a thought." She shivered for a moment, the chilling thought made her heart quiver.
"Try a world of deception," Darcy replied, resting her hands on one of the open books, "With lies we can provide false hope to people across the universe. Every day, we could crush a person's spirit, living in a hellish paradise of people's sufferings." Fury took Darcy's hands into hers and said,
"You have an evil mind, sister."
"Think about all the destruction we can cause," Stormy added, her energy as electrifying as her lighting. Her fists trembled with excitement as she continued, "Homes, lands, forests, rivers, anything that anyone finds joy in, I will destroy!"
"They'll be so much suffering in the world that we'll be entertained for life," Icy finished, "I hope we won't be too bored."
"Please, Icy," Fury said, rolling her eyes at the thought, "I'm certain that we can find a new balance, one that gives people enough hope to try and fight us. Then, we rip and tear that hope away, revealing their biggest fear and granting them nothing but suffering for all eternity." She sighed at the thought. Icy stared at her own hand before closing it into a fist.
"We can send those who try to defy us to the Omega Dimension. I'll make it so frozen that those who try to rescue anyone will sense its breeze from a billion light-years away." They all laughed. How easy it can be to create that kind of universe. Fury placed her hand over one of the books. An image of the four, ancestral witches hid beneath her fingers. She traced over each one before stopping at the one with long, curly hair. Her finger circled around the figure's face until smoke began to rise above it. Slowly, the picture began to burn. The orange ridge spread outward, consuming one face after another.
"Never again," Fury mumbled. The Trix looked at one another before stepping closer to Fury. "Never again shall we be apart." Fury could feel her magic bubble in her chest. She raised a hand and threw all the books off the table.
"What the fuck's your problem?" Darcy snapped.
"It's the Balance," Fury said, her voice clear while her magic roared, "It because of that Balance that I was forced to live on the side of good for too long. Trading a witch for some of the Dragon fire, that's bullshit. But now…" Fury rolled her fingers into the palm of her hand. Her magic stirred into anger, and everything around her began to change into a hue of green.
"Calm down, Fury," Icy said, resting a cold hand on the witch's shoulder. Immediately, her vision returned to normal, "We're not going to repeat the same mistake twice."
"How do I know that?" Fury asked, feeling a bit drained from the magic build-up she had.
"Because we're not as old and simple-minded as the witches before us," Icy answered, "Yes, we're evil, conniving, devilish women who will do anything to achieve power. But, we know we've got things to learn before reaching our ultimate goal."
"For starters, we need to learn from history," Darcy mentioned, picking up a book off the ground, "Clearly trading a witch for some of the dragon fire wasn't the wisest decision they could've made. But that's different now. We know not to trade you for anything."
"Secondly, we actually have to work together," Stormy added, cringing at the words, "work together", "If there's one thing we've learned fighting those fairies, it's that."
"And lastly," Icy announced, picking up another book from the floor, "We're now aware of our true potential. Whether Cian can truly wipe out the Balance or not is no longer a concern for us."
"I dunno," Fury said, "Nothing would give me greater pleasure than watching Scarlet permanently die." She briefly thought back to when she'd thought Icy had finally finished her off. Because of her light magic, she just grew stronger.
"As long as you're with us, our power can take care of her. You were the bit of evil living in the bit of good, right? Well, now the bit of evil is back and we still have the remains of the dragon flame traded those many years ago." Fury took a minute to take in everything her sisters had told her. All of this was happening too fast for her to keep up.
"So then the only reason Cian needs us—"
"—is to secure my victory against the Balance." Fury and her sisters faced Cian in a fighting stance. They hadn't expected him to return to the castle so quickly. He leaned against the doorframe of the library with his arms neatly folded across his chest. The expression on his face told Fury that he wasn't at all surprised by their discovery. "Why else would I leisurely plan out attacks to destroy those fairies. Eventually I'll get what I want and you yours." He smiled as an evil chuckle rumbled in his throat. "It's more fun having your enemy think that they have the upper hand, right?" When the witches didn't respond, Cian nodded his head to the side.
"Come with me. It's time you for you to get intimate with your powers."
[******* ]
Helia doubled check to make sure he had everything he needed. He knew he and Flora would do more poetry today, but he wanted to surprise her with an art lesson. She did mention last time that she wanted to learn how to draw like him. He flipped the cloth cover over his bag, swung it on his shoulder, and headed out the door. A few minutes had passed before he heard someone calling his name.
"Helia, wait!" He turned around. Timmy was running towards him with a frantic arm, waving from side to side.
"What is it?" he asked, trying not to show impatience as Timmy caught his breath.
"I'm meeting Tecna in a bit and I wanted to make sure I looked alright." Helia laughed.
"I think that's more up Brandon's ally. He's dating the number one fashion fairy, after all."
"Well, yeah, but he can be a little harsh sometimes, you know?" He pushed his glasses up his nose and sighed, "I didn't want to go through the embarrassment again."
"Understood. You look fine, Timmy. Tecna's not one to care about appearances."
"I know, but I don't want her thinking that I'm just a computer genius. I want to keep her interested."
"As long as you stay you, I think she'll remain interested. You've been through too much for her to just let you go because you're not handsome enough."
"Fair point. Thanks Helia!" Timmy waved good-bye as he ran back in the direction he came from. Helia shook his head, smiling at Timmy's desire to constantly please Tecna. He remembered a time not long ago when Matt would pay him a visit, making sure he was presentable for Scarlet. It was never as big a deal to him as it was for Timmy, but he wanted that assurance anyway. Helia didn't know Matt's romantic history, but from what he understood, Scarlet was the first to be more than just another girl.
Not my problem, Helia told himself as he boarded his bike. After Matt's break-up, he'd reverted back to his cold, quiet state. Rarely did he speak, and when he did, it was only about fighting or school. It made Helia angry, seeing Matt shut everyone out, but that was his choice. Thus his burden to bear.
Just as it was Scarlet's burden too.
"Helia!" Helia hadn't driven far when he heard his name. He rolled his eyes and stopped the bike, removing his helmet, and turning to the guy who called out to him. His was certainly surprised.
"Jeremy?" The warrior smiled in relief when he finished his run up to Helia.
"Glad I caught you before you left. I could use your help."
"With what?"
"With Scarlet," he answered, a bit of red rising to his cheeks. Helia shook his head.
"Look, I'm sorry, but I don't think there's anything I can do to—"
"Please," Jeremy replied, "She's different than when we met at Inter-Realms. If I want us to work, I need to know who she is now." He pointed back to Red Fountain. "I've asked the guys and they said you're the best to ask about relationships." Helia sighed.
"They're being too generous. Most've them have been with the same girl much longer than me."
"And yet you and Flora have little to fight about." Helia looked down at his watch. He had time to spare, but not much.
"You want to know Scarlet now?" Jeremy nodded. "She wants everyone to be comfortable and happy. She'd rather burden herself with anything negative in order for her friends to be happy. She used to keep everything to herself, not allowing anyone to help her. But now, she's an open book. Just like the other girls." Jeremy slowly nodded, taking in everything Helia had said. Then he smiled.
"I guess, then, she hasn't changed that much." Helia shrugged.
"Her interests might've changed, but her general personality is probably the same." Jeremy let out a laugh.
"Thanks man. That's exactly what I needed." He raised a hand goodbye before returning to Red Fountain.
Helia rode as fast as he could to his and Flora's meeting spot. They discovered it some time ago when they had just started dating. Flora wanted to show Helia her favorite section of the forest; a section where few people have visited. She said the trees had such stories to tell, witnessing humanity from afar and watching them grow and change. Flora always shared with him the wisdom they had to offer.
Unfortunately, Flora had beaten him there, but she didn't seem upset at all. She smiled warmly at him, arms open and ready for him. He felt at ease whenever he saw her. Any worry or frustrations he had just vanished like vapor.
"Sorry I'm late," he said after giving her a greeting kiss, "I got sidetracked by Timmy and Jeremy."
"What did they want?" Flora asked, refusing not to let his hand go. He dismounted his bike and the two began to walk.
"Timmy wanted to look nice for Tecna and Jeremy wanted to know Scarlet a little better." Flora nodded, sealing her lips shut and waiting for Helia to continue. "By now, Timmy should be confident in his relationship with Tecna. After all, they did find each other that time when Tecna got lost in the O-mega Dimension." He huffed out his chest, sharply exhaling through his nose. "Anyway, I don't want to think about them." He smiled. "How were classes today?"
"They were alright. Scarlet's mom's teaching us warrior training now." Helia laughed.
"Really?" Flora nodded.
"She and Griselda are working together with the seniors on improving our combat skills." Flora smiled embarrassingly. "As you know, we fairies aren't one for hands-on fighting."
"I'm glad you're learning it, though. It will be useful," Helia replied, "Plus, it'll be easier learning through her than having all of you coming to Red Fountain." He let her hand go and slipped his hand on her waist. "I would distract you quite a lot…" Flora blushed and looked away.
"Oh, stop," she giggled. Then she sighed and looked back at him. "Can I be very honest about something?"
"Of course."
"I don't think Scarlet's doing the right thing in dating Jeremy." Helia didn't show any reaction, though he wasn't surprised.
"How so?"
"I don't know. That's the problem. Maybe it's because Scarlet and Matt's break-up wasn't that long ago, and already she's starting this new relationship."
"Technically it's not that new," Helia replied. Flora gave Helia a look that told him she wasn't in the mood for his snarky comments. He smiled and kissed her forehead as an apology.
"You know what I mean," she said, wrapping her arm around his waist. "She's doing this because she wants to fill the void that Matt left. I know it's hard to say no, but I don't want her to get hurt again."
"Again? What do you mean?" Helia asked. Flora shrugged her shoulders.
"When she first arrived at Alfea, she'd thought that Jeremy was gone. It took her a bit of time to accept Jeremy's death before she fully welcomed Matt. But now, it's all reversed. She now has to revert back to Jeremy, but get over Matt. I just…" Flora swore in frustration. "I don't think I like Jeremy very much."
"That's very un-Flora of you," Helia responded, "Normally you give people a chance to prove themselves before passing judgment."
"I'm not trying to be judgmental. I'm worried that Scarlet's dating him because she feels obligated to be in a relationship." She crossed her arms. "I probably have Stella to thank for that."
Helia let out a laugh reached for his precious Flora. "I love how you're always worried about someone. If it's not Bloom, it's Scarlet. When it's not Scarlet, it's Musa. And the cycle continues." Flora quietly giggled.
"That's me. The mother-figure of the Winx Club. Someone's gotta look out for us." She kissed Helia on the cheek and gently stroked the side of his face. "I want us to survive this."
"And we will. You'll see." Helia kissed her lips and then reached into his bag. "I brought something special for you today."
"What is it?" Flora asked. She watched him pull out a new, finely printed sketch book and a small, tin case that rattled with what Flora assumed were pencils.
"I thought that maybe you'd like to draw your favorite spot."
[******* ]
"Alright girls!" Layla shouted, "From the top! Musa, if you please?" Musa nodded and point at her speakers. With a splash of magic, the speakers poured out music from her new CD. "Okay, here we go. Five, six, seven, eight!" Layla began with her opening moves, front and center of our imaginary stage. On cue, Musa and I started to dance, remaining stationed in the back while Layla threw her arms in the air and swayed her hips. She briefly turned her head and said, "Here comes your part, Scar. You ready?"
"I think so," I answered. Wind magic gathered in my left hand while Night gathered in my right. They were in their liquid, glittery forms. I kept them small, thin, and pressed against my hands as I continued dancing. With each twirl, I wrapped the faint breeze around my ankles, gathering all the wind power I could. I'd finally gotten Layla's moves down when she shouted,
"Ready? A five, six, seven, eight!"
I crossed my arms and jumped, releasing the breeze beneath my feet. It launched me into the air, arching over Musa and Layla as they continued to dance. As I rose, Musa scooped under me, using her magic to pulsate the ground, causing it to breathe out the song playing in the speakers.
As I soared, I pushed my crossed arms out as far to the sides as I could. Then, I painted the air in front of me, releasing my magic from my palms as I moved them counter-clockwise. Once my hands were outstretched on either sides of me, the music paused. I heard Layla still counting the beats, "One, two, three, four. Two, two, three, four." Once I heard the fourth four, I slammed my hands together, releasing a huge clap in tune with the music. In doing so, the silver and navy circle I painted began to spin towards our imaginary audience, letting loose a rain of glitter.
"Almost there!" Layla shouted, doing something with her morphix magic. As practiced, Musa and I prepared our magic for the final moment. Layla created a platform for her and Musa while I situated myself in the air. Musa expanded the music to leak through the walls, having the whole song surround us like a sphere.
"And pose!" I raised my arms in the air, creating a V-shape while Musa and Layla were back to back, extending their arms outwards and pointing diagonally at the floor. The music slowly subsided and after a few seconds, the next song came on.
"Hmm," Layla thought, "Better. Much better." She turned to me and gave me a thumbs-up. "Certainly better than last time." I felt my cheeks grow warm as I glanced over at Layla's side of the room. I'd leapt too high when she suggested my dance move, and I'd crashed into her closet when I landed. I broke the bottom shelf that had her dance gear and other accessories.
"Sorry," I mumbled.
"It's okay, really," Layla insisted, "Nothing a little magic can't fix." She pointed to the damage and said, "Repairitous maximunious!" With a spiral of magic, the broken closet began to put itself back together and the spilled items returned to their rightful places. Layla crossed her arms when it was done. "See? Not a problem at all."
"Even with Scarlet crashing into the closet, that was awesome," Musa exclaimed, "We really felt the music."
"That was probably because you were making it come out of the walls, the floor, and the ceiling," I replied, "But yes, we were really into it."
"What did I tell you?" Musa said, "This CD is kick-ass awesome!"
"I'll say," Layla seconded, "If only we had a concert to perform in, then we'd have a chance to show everyone our new number."
"I dunno how I'd feel about that," I admitted, feeling a nervous lump rise in my throat, "I wasn't ever one for performing in front of people."
"Says the girl who'll demonstrate anything in front of a class," Musa pointed out, "It's basically the same thing except you're dancing."
"And it's in front of a lot of people rather than just a class of fifteen."
"Well, you won't hafta worry about that," Layla said, a hint of sadness in her voice, "With this war going on, I don't think we'll be having a concert any time soon."
"The last concert was the one I threw at Red Fountain, I think," Musa recalled. Layla giggled.
"Yeah, Stella was such a spaz on stage." The two laughed briefly before slipping into silence. As the seconds flew by, I could sense their desire to host another concert. But having everyone gathered in one spot could be dangerous. What if Cian decided to strike then? Even with Tecna's invention working perfectly, she wouldn't know how strong it could be should Cian bring a whole army to wipe out everyone in Magix.
"You know," I thought aloud, "Should we all come out of this alive, and I believe we will, maybe we could have the concert then?"
"It's a nice thought," Musa replied, "But I dunno if I could have a concert should any of us not make it."
"But what if we held it at the Lake?" I suggested, "With Tecna's improvements in spirit communication, should one of us die, we could be re-summoned…maybe…"
"It's a lovely thought, but I'm with Musa on this one," Layla second, "It's a thought I don't wanna think about." I pinched my lips together and said nothing more about it. I really wanted to do something about it, though.
A faint buzzing sound filled the room and Layla and Musa's eyes fell on me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I swallowed hard at the name on the screen.
"Who is it?" Musa asked. I showed her, and that sly grin slid onto her face. "Well you gotta answer!"
"You said you'd give him a chance," Layla reminded me. I nodded and hit the call button.
"H-Hello?"
"Hey Scar, it's me." I took a shaky breath.
"Hey, Jeremy. How's it going?" He chuckled.
"It's going good. Actually, I'm in a bit of trouble."
"That was quick," I said with a laugh, "Why're you in trouble?"
"Because I haven't properly enrolled myself at Red Fountain and apparently it's bad if I don't."
"Well yeah," I exclaimed, "how else can they divide everyone into their teams? They need to know everyone's strength and weaknesses to create the most stable teams. I'm surprised you'd forgotten such a simple method." I heard Layla snap her fingers and Musa quietly laughing.
"Hey, not everyone's a warrior genius like you," he retorted, "But you're right. They need to assess my skills before putting me on Sky's team."
"Sounds like they've decided for you already."
"They also wanna make sure I'll be a good fit. Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to join me."
"Join you in the assessment?" Musa smacked her forehead while Layla shook hers. I mouthed, "What?" when Jeremy laughed on the other end of the phone.
"I mean join me in getting my school supplies. I still need a weapon."
"Your spear didn't make it with you from Inter-Realms?" I asked, completely surprised.
"Cian confiscated it when he took me as his prisoner. I didn't have time to get it back." He paused for a second before adding, "It's cool though. It gives me a chance to maybe try out something else."
"Oh, well…" Musa and Layla mimed for me to say that I was free. "…I guess I could help you out." They gave me a thumbs-up.
"Great! Wanna meet at Public Square in thirty minutes? I'll make a list so we won't get too side tracked."
"Side tracked from what?" I asked, "It's school supply shopping."
"Rumor has it you tend to get lost in the weapon section." I felt my cheeks flush for a few moments.
"You make that list and I'll see you in thirty." He laughed.
"Perfect. See you soon." And then the line went dead.
[******* ]
"Again!" Cian shouted. Fury felt the building tremble. It didn't loosen her footing, though. "If you truly want to unlock your power, you must push your magic out farther than ever before." She rested her fingers onto her gem and began to circulate her power once more. A green glow slowly kindled. Fury inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, building up all of her magic. It was ravaging. It was horrible. Fury thought her mind would tip over into madness.
Darcy groaned a little, also doing her best to remain sane. Fury couldn't open her eyes to watch her sisters' struggle. But she could feel the chill coming from Icy, and the crashing clashing sounds of thunder and lightning from Stormy. If she had a minute to wonder about their experience, she believed it was as challenging as hers.
"Better," Cian announced, "but it's not enough. Try harder!" The four witches bit their tongues to contain the screams building in their chests. Fury began to taste her own blood, but that didn't stop her. She expanded her magic more and more. Her mind began to stubble over. She could feel it. The thing she fears most.
"Almost there!" Cian cried out, standing taller and watching each witch glow wildly in their mighty power. Blue, purple, green, and raspberry light painted the walls while wild winds roared and temperatures dropped; whimpers of madness echoed around them.
Darcy suddenly burst out laughing, causing Cian to shift his attention. She tugged at her hair and her left eye twitched frequently. Slowly, her dark powers grew, and consumed her in its purple glow. Not long after Stormy was struck by lightning. She let out a painful scream, loud enough to cause Cian discomfort. Plus the smell of her burning skin made his stomach urch.
Icy was encased in a tomb of ice. Her eyes were closed, but her skin was as blue her power, as her clothes, as her hair. Cian sensed her blood freezing in place. He couldn't help but smile. Freezing blood was the best way to preserve it.
His glance fell upon his first witch. She hadn't tipped over yet, but she wasn't far from it. Her hands grabbed her face, shielding her eyes from whatever she was seeing. Her head shook violently back and forth, her hair shaking like a frighten raven. Her nails dug into her skin. Cian slowly inhaled her scent. "Ahhh," he exhaled, enjoying the sensation it left him.
Nothing like the smell of fear to get the blood pumping.
Fury screamed. It wasn't as off-putting as Stormy's, and it certainly wasn't as short. The glass in the windows shook violently before cracks began to appear. "Yes," Cian whispered, watching the green magic drown Fury. Her screamed bubbled out of existence, and then…silence.
In four, crystallized vaults, the Trix's bodies were displayed. Each one exhibiting what destroyed these monstrous women. He looked at them in awe, opening his mouth to speak. As he spoke, his voice was as gentle as the sound of blood trickling out of a creature.
"Never before has such a unity been restored."
As if his words were pebbles, the crystal cases began to crack. Small lines appeared on the perfection displayed. One crack became two, and two became four, and soon Cian couldn't see the Trix clearly. The cracks threw off their image, and the girls looked crooked and broken.
Then, a dark sphere grew from the left side of their chest. It grew larger, eating the girls like a black hole. Once it reached the boarders of the shattered tombs, it stopped. A faint glow began to pulse from the center. At first, Cian didn't think much upon it, but with every passing second, the light grew larger. Cian stood in shock as the Trix's light grew like a beating heart. It soon filled the entire crystal with roaring energy. And then, it stopped.
Suddenly a shard broke off from Icy's crystal. Then off of Fury's. Then Darcy. Then Stormy. Like rain, the pieces fell to the floor, and the dark glow radiating from within poured out like molten liquid.
Stirring within the liquid and now lying unconscious on the floor were the new, and improved Trix.
As if coming out of a horrible nightmare, the four women opened their eyes. They didn't react to anything right away. Instead they looked around the room, acting like newborns seeing the world for the first time. Cian didn't make a sound. Suddenly grabbing their attention could cause total destruction to Aquila, and Cian needed it to lure Scarlet.
Their glances around the room didn't stop until their eyes found one another. The four sisters looked from one to the other, revealing nothing that one would act out against the other. To Cian's surprise, Fury slowly moved her arm, pulling it up to reach her sisters. By the time her hand was outstretched, Icy tried to do the same. Then Stormy. Then Darcy. Black light dimly shone where their hands were, and the girls winced suddenly before it vanished. When they removed their hands, carved in the ancient witch tongue, were the letters of their name.
Feeling the magical tension subside, Cian finally spoke, "Done." The witches' eyes fell upon him. He extended his arms out towards them, creating a mirror. The witches gasped at the sight. Each one wore a grayish blue, strapless swimsuit that had trims to match their signature color. Laces of similar color wrapped around their arms. Each witch examined closely the few things that separated them from one another. Like their gloomix, Stormy and Darcy had their arm wrapped in the blue tinted color. Like their original witch forms, Icy and Fury had their blue and green shawl draped behind them, connected to both their wrists and upper arms. Each witch wore a jeweled band of some kind. Stormy and Darcy's were identical, and so were Icy's and Fury's. The only difference was that Fury and Darcy's crown held their gem from the top while Icy's and Stormy's carried it from the bottom.
"'Witches can't work together.' Hmph!" Cian stated, his chest filling with pride, "Only those who cannot unlock their true potential can't. Only those who dare not push themselves to the limit can't. And of course, only those who're not willing to die by their own power can't." Cian felt his throat fill with laughter. It brought evil smiles to the witches' faces. "But you four pushed yourselves entirely into the darkness. His laugh reached his mouth, and he bellowed it through the halls.
"Now those fairies will die by your hands!" He allowed his laugh to fill the room, encouraging the witches to join in. Their snickers sounded more sinister than before. "After all, for every Enchantix fairy out there, there's a witch who can properly gain her Disenchantix."
[******* ]
"He said to meet here, and yet where is he?" I muttered to myself. The wind blew against my face whispering, "It'll be alright" over and over again. I just couldn't believe it. Here I was standing in Public Square waiting for a guy whom I presumed was dead. And we're dating again. I shook my head to try and calm my nerves.
"Has anyone ever told you how sexy you look with long hair?" I instantly turned around and pressed my arm against the speaker's chest. Magic was already gathering in the palm of my hand and ready to strike the stranger. "Woah there, Scar. Is that any way to treat your date?" I felt my cheeks fluster with embarrassment.
"I'm super sorry," I said, lowering my arm and recalling my magic, "I was not prepared for you to surprise me." His hand caught my arm before it fell back to my side.
"Isn't that the reason surprises are fun? And besides, as long as you don't kill me, I can handle whatever you throw my way. Your punches aren't as hard as you think they are."
"Oh yeah? Says who?" Jeremy crossed his arms and placed a smug look on his face.
"Back in the day of Inter-Realms, some of the guys thought your combat skills weren't as powerful as your other abilities."
"Well I'd love to prove them wrong if I could," I replied. My mind instantly thought of Celia and Lucentia. If I really wanted to, I probably could find those assholes and prove them wrong. But I shouldn't be abusing my powers for such matters. That required too much of my blood.
Jeremy sensed the shift in mood because he pulled out a folded piece of paper and unraveled it. "So I heard I could get these supplies at Red Fountain's store, which isn't far from here. Saladin said that I need the Red Fountain equipment and uniform to be a part of the team." He laughed, "I guess it's a good thing Cian destroyed a lot of my Inter-Realms' stuff." I didn't find his joke funny. It sounded forced, and it certainly appeared to bother him.
"I wish Alfea would allow me to have some of Inter-Realms' customs in class. Like weapon training and magic combat," I said, "But as much as I miss it, it's not Alfea's method of teaching. It wouldn't work with the other fairies." I smiled up at him. "On the other hand, I've learned so much about spells and the different types of magic out in our universe. I don't think that's something we would've learned in Inter-Realms."
"But now that your parents are back, they're teaching those classes," he pointed out, "So you got them eventually."
"Technically, it's the Aquilian style they're teaching. And it's only because they escaped that we have these classes. They weren't planned that way."
"I'm never gonna win this, am I?" Jeremy asked. I shook my head.
"Nope. My point still stands." I pointed to the left. "I believe the store's down here. I led him down the street and into Red Fountain's student store. Like any other school, it was covered with paraphernalia, funky Red Fountain products, and essentials for any Specialist. Immediately I led him to the weapon selection in the back. Lined up perfectly were a variety of swords, bows, arrows, axes, spears, everything. Even I was surprised to find some twin hooks based on an ancient Linpheaian style. Jeremy quickly commented on my weapon obsession before admiring the selection before him.
"Wow," he exhaled, "I don't even know where to begin." I pinched my lips together as my eyes scanned the section. The segment that carried the spears didn't have many left. I randomly picked one and passed it to Jeremy.
"Let's start with this one." When the rod touched Jeremy's hand, the blade appeared. It was long and jagged, kind of like a lightning bolt. He performed some basic moves, and generally it performed well enough. But Jeremy didn't look that pleased.
"I don't think this is it."
"Not a problem," I said, browsing the selection and picking up another one. "Try this one." Just like the first one, the blade popped up with Jeremy grasped the handle. This blade was longer and thinner than the previous one, like a rapier. Jeremy tried out some moves again, but still wasn't satisfied.
"Man, you're worse than Stella," I mentioned when I passed him the third spear.
"How so?" He asked while testing it out.
"She'll walk into every clothing store and will try on everything she likes until she finds the one piece of clothing that's nothing but perfection." A giggle tickled my throat. "In fact, it's usually a clothing series she's hunting for, so it's never just one outfit."
"I'll try to be faster than Stella, then," Jeremy concluded as he placed the spear back on the rack. "As much as I don't want to be too picky about weapon, I do want to pick the best one." I nodded in agreement.
"Nothing's more important to a soldier than the perfect weapon that matches them." I let my magic slip into my hands. Light on the left, dark on the right. They formed my identical swords that I once used separately when my powers were divided. I couldn't help but grin when I demonstrated what I could do wielding them together. "Even now I'm still learning why these swords are my weapon of choice."
"I've never seen you do that before!" Jeremy exclaimed, his dark eyes glued to my movements.
"That's because I couldn't use both types of magic at the same time before. Ever since I unlocked my Enchantix, my magic has been more brilliant than at Inter-Realms. It's like I'm finally reaching my potential." Jeremy tried out another spear.
"You're certainly stronger than when I last saw you." He smiled at me "I guess I'll hafta to train harder to win your favor." I held my breath for the slightest of moments as he examined the spear in his hand. He shook his head and placed it back on the rack. "This might take a while."
"Tell you what. Why don't you tell me what else you need, and I'll gather them up for you? That way, you can focus on choosing a weapon and we can get out of here faster."
"That sounds like a good plan. Then I can take you on a proper date." He gave me a wink. "Don't think that this is what I had in mind when I initially asked you out." I tried to hide my smile.
"What's more romantic than shopping for weapons?" Jeremy thought about it for a minute before sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me closer to him.
"Shopping for weapons with a beautiful fairy might do the trick. Usually I don't look forward to doing stuff like this, but add you into the mix and you got yourself a deal."
"I'll keep that in mind," I nervously said. Looking into his dark, dark eyes made my stomach turn. It was crush 101 all over again. He didn't seem to notice it, or maybe he did and he was just enjoying it. But either way, he held me as if I was the most valued person he could hold. It was something he didn't express when we first started dating.
Maybe our time apart had changed him too.
"If you can't let me go, we'll never get this done," I whispered.
"Oh! Sorry," he said, slowly pulling his hand back, "I got caught up in the moment. Thanks again for giving me this chance."
"Thanks for being patient with me," I replied, "I should get started on your list." Jeremy reached into his pocket and pulled out his list. Neatly typed was the detailed list of Specialist equipment. I was shocked by how many things an Elite Specialist needed in order to attend Red Fountain. It was more than what Inter-Realms demanded, and certainly more than Alfea.
Wow, this really might take a while…
[******* ]
Tecna nodded to herself a job well done. Not only had her force fields successfully passed their check-up test, but with Timmy's help, she managed to upgrade them.
"I certainly feel better about them now," she said while stretching her arms high above her head, "Now we have the option of fighting in Aquila knowing that Magix will be well protected by any future attacks."
"And we can monitor them no matter where we are in the universe," Timmy added, "But I'm guessing maintaining the shields will be the teacher's jobs." Tecna nodded.
"As new battles appear, Faragonda and the other teachers ease away, leaving the fight to us."
"But they'll always come if we're in danger. Or desperately need help," Timmy remarked with a smile. It instantly vanished when he noticed Tecna's thought process changing. "There's something else on your mind." Tecna looked up at Timmy and weakly smiled.
"You know me too well." She sighed, "It's Matt, actually."
"What about him?"
"Because of his anger towards Scarlet, he totally screwed up my formation plan against Cian. Not only are our numbers important, but so is our relationship with one another. Matt just shut Scarlet out, and yet he's continuing to work with us." She gave Timmy a concerned look, her teal eyes catching the light of the afternoon sunlight. "I'm afraid that he'll be the reason we fail."
"Tec, you shouldn't be thinking like that," Timmy assured, resting his hands on her shoulders. "You heard Riven's story about him. This fight is as important to Matt as it is for Scarlet. So what if his focus shifted a little bit."
"It's that little bit that might destroy us all. And he is human. What if he takes out his anger on Scarlet, or Jeremy? What if it causes all of us to break apart as a team?" Timmy wrapped his arms around his beloved fairy and held her tightly.
"He can never do that to us. That I can guarantee. Before he came along, we were already a team. We know how to act without him."
"What about Riven? Matt is his cousin. He could get mad if Matt steps out of line." Timmy sighed and rolled his eyes before kissing Tecna atop her head.
"You really think of everything, don't you?" She blushed slightly.
"Someone has to…"
The shushing of the tech room door opening quietly filled the room. Tecna and Timmy looked up to see Helia and Flora walking in. Flora smiled proudly to herself.
"I knew they'd be here," she said.
"I never doubted you for a moment," Helia replied.
"What're you two doing here?" Timmy asked.
"Yeah, aren't you two supposed to be on a romantic date in the forest?" Tecna asked, raising her brow at Flora.
"We were until someone wanted to color in her pictures," Helia answered honestly. He cast Flora a brief glare before returning to his pleasant smile.
"I didn't think I'd be a quick learner," Flora replied. She then looked over at Tecna. "How goes the thing Timmy was gonna show you?"
"Fantastic!" Tecna replied, "Now the shields in Magix can repel any spell launched at them. It's a simple design that ranges from basic spells to the most advanced and ancient attacks that Magix has ever witnessed and recorded."
"So in theory," Timmy concluded, "No matter what tricks the Trix have up their sleeves," Timmy couldn't help but chuckle at his play on words. "there's a ninety-nine percent chance that this barrier will block it."
"What about the other one percent?" Helia asked.
"Nothing's perfect," Timmy answered, "There's never a one hundred percent guarantee that anything will work because we don't know what kind of attacks these barriers will face. We can only hypothesize."
"We thought of everything we could and will continue to add on upgrades when new ideas pop into our heads," Tecna added, "But for now, I think the barriers will do extremely well." Although Tecna proudly smiled, Flora could tell that something else was bothering her. She was about to ask when Helia cut her off.
"That's a good sign," he said, "It gives us the time we need to perfect our new weapons."
"Perfect?" Tecna repeated, "What do you mean?"
"Huh? Timmy didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?" Tecna asked, glancing over at Timmy. He rubbed the back of his head as his cheeks began to glow red.
"Since you girls are polishing your Enchantix, we figured it's time we improve our own power, starting with our weapons."
"Nabu and Matt are currently testing out some of Red Fountain's weapons with an elemental fusion spell Timmy found," Helia explained, "If the weapons hold up, we'll have another advantage over the Trix."
"And if it works really well," Timmy added, "We might even have enough for everyone at Red Fountain to try it out." Tecna threw her arms around Timmy's neck.
"You really are a genius," She said, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. The rose color grew an even brighter red. Tecna pulled back her arms, the expression on her face changing completely. "But why is Matt helping Nabu? He doesn't have magical powers."
"Apparently Nabu figured out a way around that," Helia clarified, "When Matt had just started going out with Scarlet, he asked Nabu to teach him some spells."
"That's right!" Timmy remembered, "He wanted to have an equal advantage over her whenever they had their duel together." He sighed at the memory. "He was pretty good."
"How did Nabu manage to grant Matt powers?" Tecna asked, "If you all could also have such a power—" Timmy shook his head.
"Tec, do you know how long it would take for all of us to get to the magical level you and Nabu are at?" Tecna thought about it for a minute before shaking her head. "Let's just say Matt's level is one of a six year old."
"Yikes," Tecna mumbled, "That's certainly nothing compared to what we'll be against."
"But he's got enough knowledge to help Nabu," Helia reminded, "And that's what we need him for."
"How's Matt doing, by the way?" Flora asked.
"He's doing fine, all things considered," he answered, "You've been so focused on Scarlet that you've completely forgotten about the other injured soul."
"Matt's you're concern, really," Flora replied, "You see him more than I do."
"Not really. Since the break-up, I haven't seen much of him."
"Probably because he doesn't need any romantic advice anymore," Tecna mentioned. Everyone let out a brief laugh.
"I don't think he'll need any romantic advice for a while," Helia shared, "He's so determined to focus on Cian that he hasn't had any time to think about love."
"I just don't want him to ruin my plan," Tecna said, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest, "If he causes Scarlet or Jeremy to not do their job…"
"I don't think he'd do that," Flora expressed, "It would hurt too much for him to see Scarlet and Jeremy together."
"Plus, I'm sure he wouldn't want to cross paths with Scarlet in general," Timmy responded, "After all, she is a full vampire." Tecna shot him a quick glare before he added, "which isn't a bad thing."
"I have him teamed up with Nabu to focus on the Trix," Tecna reminded them, "He's supposed to help neutralize their gloomix."
"Then that's where we'll keep him," Helia concluded, "It'll assure us that his temper will be in check." Tecna and Flora looked at one another before both mumbling,
"I sure hope so."
[******* ]
"Are you sure it's supposed to be this tight?" Jeremy asked, "The uniforms at Inter-Realms had a little more room." I couldn't help but laugh a little.
"I'm positive. It's supposed to keep Specialists nimble, or something like that." I heard him grumble behind the yellow curtain. "Do you seriously want another size?"
"I think it wouldn't hurt," he replied. I stood up from my chair and took a quick stretch.
"You're seriously worse than Stella. By far. Hands down."
"Do you wanna see how ridiculous I look? 'Cause I'm pretty sure afterwards, you'll be bringing me that extra suit."
"Challenge accepted," I decided, "Let me see." Jeremy pulled the curtain aside slightly, only enough to poke his head through.
"You're gonna hafta come in here. I don't want anyone else to see." I approached the curtain and he gently pulled it to one side. The moment I was in, he let it go and faced me.
I cracked up.
The uniform was a little tight on him. His muscles were begging to rip off the sleeves, and his pecks stuck out as if he was puffing out his chest. His back was tight and straight as the uniform perfectly supported his round, muscular butt. Actually, it made his butt look big and bubbly. Kinda like his front side.
"Alright," I said, "I'll get you another size." I reached for the curtain as he reached for me. He spun me around and pressed himself onto me, softly pushing me into the wall. His deep cologne scent filled my nose, making me slightly dizzy.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered, "Even more so than when we first met." He eyed my figure as his hands carefully flowed down my curves. When his fingertips brushed my thigh, I held my breath. "You're so confident, yet still shy. Powerful, yet delicate." He pressed himself harder. Through the thin layer of Red Fountain's uniform, I could feel him throbbing. "You are exactly the essence of Balance." I looked away from him. The way he was looking at me made me blush. It was that same look he gave me at Inter-Realms. His dark eyes focused on me and only me. It was too much.
"Th-thanks," I stuttered. He chuckled to himself before lifting off of me. He placed a kiss on my cheek.
"Now find me that perfect size so we can get outta here." My lips curled into a smile and I nodded as I slipped out of the changing room.
As I roamed over to the uniform section, flustered and out of breath, I heard a familiar voice call from behind.
"Well look who's here!" I turned around and was completely surprised to see Stella and Bloom. Stella opened her arms wide out, each one with different shopping bags dangling like ornaments. "Perfect timing. I could use an extra pair of arms!"
"No, she doesn't," Bloom argued, "You've bought enough things for you and the Winx."
"But I have to get something for my delicious fiancée. Since he and I are to be united, he's gotta look as gorgeous as me."
"What're you doing here?" Bloom asked me.
"I'm helping Jeremy shop for Red Fountain things," I answered, "It's not a romantic first date, but it's a start." Stella nodded her approval.
"A very good start indeed. Seriously, Scar, I'm so happy that you're giving Jeremy a chance." I instantly blushed at the volume of Stella's voice.
"Stella," Bloom said through her teeth while nudging the sun fairy's arm, "lower your voice. He's not far and could totally hear you."
"Either way, I'm thrilled," she said much quieter, "Now if there was only a party we could go to, I'd feel even better!"
"I hear ya," I second, "Before meeting Jeremy, Musa, Layla, and I created a really cool dance number. It reminded them of some concert that happened a few years ago." Bloom and Stella smiled at one another. Remembering yet another memory I missed.
"Musa held a great concert at Red Fountain our sophomore year. It really put her musical career in motion," Bloom explained.
"But, since year after year we've been in these battles, Musa hasn't had a chance to pursue her career," Stella finished, "It's there, just…on hold."
"They mentioned how awesome it would be if we had another concert. I suggested doing one after we face Cian."
"But if there was a chance of us not getting out of this together," Bloom began, understanding their concern.
"And doing one before the face-off might put innocent people in danger," I added, "There's just seriously no way to do it. And yet, it's possibly something we need." The sound of curtains drew behind me. Ah shit! The suit. I quickly grabbed the size Jeremy needed and brought it over to him.
"I was wondering what took you so long," He commented, his smile slightly charming me.
"Stella's here to buy something for Brandon," I replied, trying my best not to grin too widely. Jeremy briefly looked over at Stella before whispering,
"Doesn't she kinda remind you of Celia?" I paused for a minute and thought about it. She wasn't that much into fashion or shopping, but she certainly had a Stella-ish vibe about her.
"I can't believe it," I muttered, feeling laughter stir in my chest. Jeremy shrugged and took the uniform out of my hands.
"Thanks."
We finished up at the store and took the bus back to school. Stella was debating over her new outfit for Brandon while Bloom inquired after Jeremy's thoughts on Red Fountain. He explained how the uniforms and weapons bothered him, and how the teaching method was going to take some getting used to. But all-in-all, it was new and exciting enough.
The bus pulled into the Red Fountain bus stop, and Stella rose out of her seat. "You girls have got to come with me. If this outfit doesn't work, I'll need an emergency escape from embarrassment."
"I dunno if I wanna go into Red Fountain, Stella," I replied honestly, "I really don't want to bump into Matt." Stella rolled her eyes at me.
"You've got Jeremy, now. It doesn't matter!"
"But he's still on our team," Jeremy pointed out, "We should be considerate about how he feels towards us." He gently grabbed my hand. "He's an ally, and we should treat him as such. He's not an enemy just because he's an ex." I hated how that sounded, but it was true.
Stella let out a long groan. "Fine," she exhaled, "I'll text Brandon to say that we're here and to make sure Matt stays away. Better?" I nodded. As Stella texted and trotted off the bus, I saw two familiar figures at the Red Fountain entrance.
"What're you two doing here?" I asked with a knowing smile.
"We figured that since you were with Jeremy and Flora and Tec were with their men, we'd come by to visit ours," Musa answered. "After all, we should enjoy this peace while it lasts."
"What brings you two here?" Layla asked Stella and Bloom. Stella raised her bag for Brandon in disgust.
"I bought this 'cause I thought it would look great on Brandon, but I've been having second thoughts about it on the ride home. I hafta to know if it'll look good on him before heading back to Alfea."
"And how was your date?" Musa asked me and Jeremy.
"It was alright for one set on school shopping. I thought he'd be quicker and take me out on a proper date, but he took too long." Jeremy wrapped his arms around my neck from behind.
"I'm sorry," he said, rubbing his cheek against mine, "Cordatorta made it clear that I needed these things before continuing my training here."
"I'm surprised you've gone this long without it," Bloom commented as she led us towards the elevators. As we rode up, Jeremy suddenly spoke.
"I know where I've seen you from." He pointed at Musa. "You're the girl who held that concert here at Red Fountain two years ago." Musa blushed, but grinned with delight.
"Yep, that's me. How'd you know?"
"While I was checking out Red Fountain's history, I read about the events held here. According to the readings, your concert was such a success. Not only for the original purpose of entertaining, but for the fact that you single handedly defeated that witch!"
"Oh please, it was nothing," Musa replied, "Really. And it wasn't me alone who defeated Stormy. It was everyone. I just guided the power of everyone's voices at her."
"But still," Jeremy insisted, "You managed to hold a concert and defeat a witch. Imagine your ability now." Musa giggled at the thought as we exited the elevator.
"I'm certainly stronger than I was two years ago. We all are."
"You know, with all that's going on, it would be awesome to have a concert here," Jeremy shared, "It would be a great way for everyone to relax." I felt the atmosphere change as Jeremy's suggestion hung above us. We were heading towards the dorm rooms when he added, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Musa shook her head.
"Nothing you said was bad."
"We're just a little upset that we can't hold a concert this year," Layla explained, "Cian would either attack us, or somewhere where there's no one around."
"It's like all we can do is train," Stella shared, "I know Magix shut down the dance club until Cian's no longer a threat."
"Seriously?" Musa and Layla exclaimed. Bloom nodded.
"Even with the extra security, the owners feel that their dancers wouldn't be safe with their defenses down." She sighed. "We can't even go out for fun anymore."
"Even shopping can get boring," Stella added, "But that hasn't happened yet. Ah, here it is." Stella gently knocked on Brandon's door. "Yoohoo! Brandon? It's me! The star of your life!" A few seconds had passed before Brandon opened the door.
"Wow, what a crowd," He said while greeting us with a wave. "What's up?" We waved back as Stella shoved her present into his arms.
"We're all doing great. Now try this on. I hafta see how it looks." Brandon didn't have any time respond as Stella began to peel off his clothes. He tried to get out a few words, but I only heard, "Hey", "What the", "Stel", and "easy."
"Girls, please look away. I don't want you guys to suddenly fall for my man because of his hunky bod." We all cracked a smile before turning our backs to her.
"But really, the dance club is closed?" Layla asked, disappointment swirling in her voice.
"I'm afraid so," Bloom confirmed.
"Then that's more of a reason to consider holding a concert," Jeremy insisted, "If no one has a place to let off some steam, then no one will be ready for the next attack." He then looked at me. "Scar, you know better than anyone else that the only way for a fighter to succeed is to know when to rest, and when to train. Just training won't get anything done."
"I know, Jeremy, but what can we do? We can't put people's lives in danger just to have fun."
"Well this is a surprise," said a voice that made Bloom's face glow. Sky opened his arms for her to run into. "What brings you here?"
"Stella," Bloom answered, pointing to the couple squirming on Brandon's side of the room. Sky let out a laugh while Brandon told him to shut it. The king of Eraklyon was saying hi to us when Jeremy asked him his thoughts of having a concert.
"That would be fun," he admitted, "And it has been a while since we had one."
"With the shields in place, everyone can be protected," Brandon mentioned as Stella finished up her work.
"Are we seriously the only one thinking about the cons here?" Layla asked, "Cian could strike us then! We wouldn't be prepared if he did that."
"But he might not even show up," Jeremy pointed out, "And even if he did, all of Magix's forces would be together. It'd be all of us against him and some witches."
"And should he decide to fight then," Sky continued, "At least we'll have our chance to finish him. Now that Scarlet's parents are free, taking him down is the last order of business that we need to do. Why keep waiting for a fight when one could come because we expected it to."
"Why don't we do it, then?" Jeremy asked, "If we had a plan of attack should Cian appear, we can end this war then and there. And if he doesn't show, who cares! We'd get a great concert out of it."
"That sounds like great idea," Brandon seconded, "What do you think, Sky?"
"I think it's the remedy we all need after weeks of training. Of course, that's if you girls are okay with it."
"I think we'd have to see what the other Winx has to say," Bloom answered, "As well as Faragonda."
"If we do get the okay, though, we'll totally plan the best concert any of Magix has seen!" Stella replied.
"Then we'll ask Saladin, and have him contact Ms. Griffin as well. This should be a three academy event," Sky suggested.
[******* ]
Fury couldn't get over the new power pulsating throughout her body. It was like lava bursting through the earth's crusts it felt so strong. She examined her hands, particularly the new scar in the palm of her left hand.
"Ease into it, girls," Cian insisted as he approached the Trix, "You may look impressive, but wait until you test out your skills." He waved his hand and some Silent-Takers appeared before the witches. "Icy, why don't you go first?"
Icy immediately jumped at the opportunity. She created an icicle shower with icicles the size of telephone poles. They fell onto the Silent-Takers, killing them all instantly. Icy looked down at her hands before her classic, chilling smile revealed itself on her face. She then created a circle in the air and pushed more of her magic forth. A horrid blizzard filled the room, freezing practically anything that was within its range…and more.
"Let me try!" Stormy shouted. Electricity began to spark around her like excited snakes. Cian waved his arm again, resting the Silent-Takers to their starting positions. Stormy gathered all of her energy between her hands and recklessly threw it at the monsters. Instantly they exploded with her electric shock, causing their insides to splat against the Aquilian Palace walls. Some of it got on the other witches, as well as Cian. He sighed and shook his head.
"You must control your power, Stormy," He calmly explained, "Throwing your spells like that will get you nowhere."
"Oh," she mumbled, looking down at her hands briefly before launching a smaller, yet just as powerful tornado. This time her spell destroyed the monsters without its guts spilling onto her and her sisters. Cian wiped off some guts from his shoes.
"Excellent. Now let's change it up a bit." He called both Darcy and Fury forward.
"You two have something new that you can do together, or on your own," he said, "With darkness and fear, you have the ability to manipulate people. However, when you put those two together, you control the person entirely." He waved his hand for the witches to follow him. "Silent-Takers won't do to show you your skill."
"Then where're you taking us?" Darcy asked.
"Hunting, of course," Cian answered as he pushed open the large, castle doors. The air was still, and has been since Cian had taken over. All wind tunnels ceased. No one could reach him unless they could fly. Luckily for him and his witches, they could just levitate to wherever they needed to be. "Living on this rotton planet would be boring if I'd just murdered everyone instantly. No. What gets the blood pumping is the chase." He deeply inhaled the stale air.
"Alright. Darcy, you first." He landed with the Trix not far behind him. "Try to manipulate the person to make themselves known to us." Darcy closed her eyes and focused on her surroundings. She hadn't sensed anything until she felt the faint presence of someone. It was a boy—no, a man. A young man who'd been hiding since the attack. Darcy placed her hands out in front of her and brought forth her new power. She slipped into his conscious, stumbling over his countless thoughts over what danger lurked behind him. The witch gracefully cloaked his imagination. It numbed him. His breathing slowed down, and reason—without any fear—radiated within his skull.
A confused Aqulian soldier rose from his hiding spot behind the rubble, feeling safe and ready to move on. The look on his face when he saw Cian and the Trix made Fury excited.
"Well done, Darcy. Now imagine what you could do with such an ability." Darcy closed her eyes for a second. She pictured herself manipulating all the boys at Red Fountain to fawn over her before she watches them kill one another for her attention. She giggled at the thought.
"Now Fury," Cian began, "This is your turn." He nodded towards the terrified soldier. He knew that nothing needed to be said. He'd known Fury since he freed her from her prison on Domino. Such a young witch she was back then. Just a child. She had no idea who she was and had no wonder about the power she held. He took her under his wing. Trained and raised her to be his assistant for his hunt for the Balance. In exchange, he'd grant her the greatest power she can behold. And now here she was. Ready to try out the dark power she longed for.
Fury stared at the man, her green eyes capturing all that made him tremble. It didn't take her long to uncover Darcy's cloak and flip through his collection of fears. They all seemed pretty dull until she stumbled on one that caught her interest. She let her magic pour into the palm of her hand. As she pointed at the man, her appearance began to change. Her black hair turned blonde, and her sharp features softened. Suddenly, she looked like someone else. Understanding her role, Fury ran into the man, saying, "Josh! It's me! Clara!" At first he didn't budge, but when Fury expressed her undying love to him, and how she thought she'd lost him, he finally caved.
"Clara," He said, inhaling her scent and stroking her head, "I thought I lost you."
"And I you," she second, holding him tightly. While locked in his embrace, she summoned her dagger into her right hand. The minute it had materialized, she plunged the blade into his back. Blood filled his lungs while also poured out of his chest and onto her. He looked up at Fury, tears running down his cheeks.
"C-Clara…?" Fury smiled at him, still looking like his beloved. She didn't say anything as the man slowly slipped into death's hand. Cian walked towards the dead body and began to suck his blood. Fury's fake image vanished, and she smiled.
"That was satisfying," she said, "Being killed by the person you love." She chuckled at the word, "love". She then turned to face Darcy. "We can control armies with these powers."
"And this is just the beginning," Darcy added, "I feel like there's more than just this."
"I gonna keep exploring!" Stormy decided, throwing out random attacks at the rubble planet. Storms arose and lighting struck anything taller than her. "I feel like my power is endless!"
"Same," Icy second while testing out some other moves.
"Then I'll leave you girls to it," Cian said, scooping up the man's body into his arms. He hoisted it over his shoulder and wiped away some blood in the corner of his mouth. "Discover and practice. Then we can pick a place for you to test your skills before putting them against the Company of Light." He noticed Fury's energy beginning to boil. She didn't show it, but he noticed her fingers roll into her palms. He smiled to himself as he headed back towards the castle.
Fury had certainly grown into a fine witch.
"I can't wait to see the look on Musa's face when I completely rip Riven away from her again," Darcy announced, "I certainly don't want him, but me having Musa all broken heart about it would please me."
"I wanna watch Bloom freeze to death," Icy shared, "Slow and painful. I want her Dragon Fire to slip away slowly as the ice consumes her whole."
"All those sound so cool!" Stormy replied with envy, "I wish I could do something that horrible to someone."
"How about to Layla?" Darcy suggested. She circled her wrists, her fingers outstretched and the palm of her hand facing the ground. Purple waves created an image of Nabu. "After all, you've checked him out before." Stormy examined the Nabu picture and nodded.
"He's definitely appealing," she commented. "What about you, Fury?"
"Yeah, got some Scarlet demises you're thinking of?" Icy asked.
Fury wasn't sure yet. She looked at the barren land that was once Scarlet's home. How could she have destroyed so much, yet still feel that the fairy hasn't suffered enough? "Not yet," she finally answered, releasing some random spells in the open air, "But there's one thing I do know…" An image of Scarlet appeared in front of her. Fury snapped her fingers, and the Scarlet figure was trapped in a green bubble. Nothing was going on in there, because Fury wasn't sure what to do yet. The only thing she did know was the type of suffering she wanted. The Scarlet copy slowly dwindled, falling to her knees and crying while banging against the bubble's wall. Her mouth was open wide as if she was shouting, but Fury couldn't hear a thing. She just watched the fairy picture slowly fall into her deepest despair.
"I want Scarlet to suffer, and not just once." She glanced over her shoulder to smile at her sisters. "I want Scarlet to live her biggest fear for the rest of her life. A fear she'll never escape, and a fear that only death can bring."
"Why don't we steal that information then?" Icy suggested.
"How?" Fury asked, not sure where her sister was going with this.
"Scarlet's unlocked her Enchantix. She's got her parents back. And even when we broke up her relationship with that specialist, she manages to get a new one. She's at the peak of joy right now," Icy explained, "But with these new powers, I'm sure you can slip into her mind through those barriers and see what she fears most." The thought tickled Fury's mind.
"I like that," she said quietly, "I like that a lot."
"Then I say we do a thorough research of our abilities before formulating a plan," Icy commanded, "After all, our boss did say that we could test our skills on some other planets." Fury nodded in agreement.
"In any case," she said, "This dump must be preserved for one vampire fairy."
[******* ]
A sudden chill trickled down my spine. I shivered violently for a second before shaking it off.
"You okay, sweetie?" Flora asked. I blinked in confusion for a few seconds before nodding. "That looked like a bad shiver."
"It was," I admitted, "Oh well. At least I wasn't performing when it happened." My stomach churned at the thought. "Boy, do I not want to do this."
"But you said you wanted to see one of my concerts," Musa reminded me, "And now's your chance!"
"I still can't believe we actually got the okay from all three directors," I said still in disbelief. "I was convinced they'd say no."
"As long as every student does something," Tecna announced, "whether it's helping with the show or helping with potential battle plans, the teachers will allow this concert to happen."
"I really hope Cian doesn't show," I mumbled, "It would be embarrassing if he showed up during my number."
"You shouldn't worry about that," Layla insisted, "If anything, you probably want to worry about not jumping off the stage." She pointed to the tree I flew into when we practiced our number again. I sighed in defeat.
"Maybe I should just do crew."
"No way!" Musa shouted, "You're doing this number. We've worked too hard to not let anyone see it." Silence fell for a moment before Stella decided to break it.
"Really? Am I gonna be the only one to bring it up?" I shrugged my shoulders with the others. "You've got Jeremy's eyes on you the whole time! You don't want to mess up in front of him."
"Stella," Flora hissed, "That shouldn't be a priority for Scarlet to focus on."
"Well Matt isn't gonna be a better option."
"Stella!" I placed my hand on Flora's.
"It's okay. Really. I've gotta get used to it anyway." Flora's face was full of concern, but she nodded.
"As long as you feel it's okay."
"My feelings don't matter. It's just life." I quickly reached the sky, stretching out my body, before reaching the ground. "If anything, I want to be ready for Cian if he strikes. I want to end this once and for all."
"Patience, Scarlet," Tecna said, "Just because we want it to end doesn't mean that he'll let it. We have to think about every possibility as to how he'll attack. It can be just him, or just the Trix."
"Or just one witch," Musa added with a proud smile.
"Exactly. We just don't know how he'll approach this. Every possibility must be accounted for."
"Besides, Scarlet, your parents are leading the students into formulating plans," Bloom pointed out, "With their help, no matter what the outcome, we'll be at an advantage."
"I guess," I mumbled, deciding to let it go. I turned to Musa, who was leaning over Tecna's shoulder to check something out. I walked towards them and asked, "What's going on here?"
"The performing auditions," Musa answered, "So many students want to do something, but I'm not sure we can fit them all."
"At this rate, we're gonna have to make it a day event," Tecna analyzed, "I don't think we'll have that much time."
"And why not?" Said a voice nearby, "Realistically speaking, some students might not make through the next battle, should Cian strike."
"But Ms. Faragonda," Tecna began, "that will take away from preparing ourselves. Those working on the concert can't focus their entire energy when a battle could break out any day."
"We can only be as ready as we can," our headmistress said, "Besides, this concert is bringing much joy to everyone in Magix. With this much positive energy, it should aid us when danger strikes."
"I'm so glad you agree," Stella chimed, "Too much negativity is bad for skin."
"But ignore it all, and you'll be the first one down in a fight," Layla finished with a nod. Stella pouted, but she instantly dropped it.
"So this concert will be an all-day event, then?" She reiterated.
"Yes." Faragonda confirmed, sighing with such satisfaction and looking at each of us. "You girls have come so far. I can't tell you how proud I am." We exchanged glances with smiles.
"Oh, we've heard," Bloom said.
"Then I'll leave you to the line up." As she left, Layla mimicked her and politely added, "As well as the place, day, and potential theme if we're up for it." Laughter filled the air for a moment.
"But this isn't anything worth complaining about," Flora expressed, "We've got so many options. I don't even know where to begin."
"I'd like to start with location," I suggested, "We should start brainstorming good locations that will accommodate all of our safety requirements."
"Safety requirements?" Stella repeated, "Like what?"
"Like are we performing at a school, or downtown? The forest can even be an option because it accommodates everyone."
"But it's wide open for an attack," Tecna countered, "A school would be the better choice."
"You heard Faragonda," Stella reminded us, "Everyone in Magix is looking forward to it. I don't think that many people could fit in one of our schools."
"Then what about performing in Magix," Layla proposed, "It's large enough to hold everyone. Similar to its Day of the Rose parade, we can have TVs everywhere for everyone to see."
"That's a really good idea, Layla," Bloom seconded. "Those who actually live in Magix might not even have to leave their homes if they can see the TVs outside."
"And the protective shield is already up there," Tecna mentioned, "It shouldn't be too difficult for me and Timmy to extend the barrier outside city parameters so as to cover more people."
"The acoustics might work," Musa guessed, "I'm sure I can think of some way to get the full sound to spread." She gently nudged Tecna over and took controls of her keyboard. Tecna glared at her momentarily before focusing her attention on her screen. "A good focal point would be a great start."
I chuckled to myself before saying, "That brainstorming was certainly a lightning round. We're already deciding on where to put the stage." The girls grumbled slightly before laughing at my little joke. "I think Stella's rubbing off on me."
"Hey, Maybe I should do stand-up act for my number," Stella suggested while miming where the mic would be. "Those Trix, what's up with them? I mean, have you seen Stormy's hair? It practically shouts for lightning to strike her."
"That actually wasn't that bad," Flora commented, "But have you submitted anything yet?" Stella dropped her act at the realization that she hadn't.
"But I'm helping plan everything!" She said in her defense, "I should be one of the people required to perform." Musa turned her head and gave me and Layla a victory sign.
"I put us in, by the way."
"Great," I muttered.
"Hey girls, I've had a thought." All ears were focused on Tecna. "With all of these people wanting to perform, I'm not sure we can fit it in a day. At least one that doesn't last all night."
"I could create our all nighter potion to give to the performers," Flora offered, "I'm sure some people will stay for the whole thing if it lasts twenty-four hours."
"That's a very good idea, Flora, but the meaning of the concert will be lost if we did that."
"How so, Musa?" she asked. Musa faced us, her arms folded across her chest.
"I want this concert to be about living in the moment. With everything that's going on, I want my audience to forget themselves for a bit, and be entranced by what they're seeing. If we had it as an ongoing event, it won't seem as precious or intimate." She took a sec to see if we were following her at all. I think I got it.
"We already have the TV's on display for everyone to see," I said, thinking aloud, "It might be best to have a set time for watching it. That way everyone can adjust their schedules to see what they want and when."
"And people will still see other acts," Musa added, "They just might do something else while it's happening."
"I'm not sure I get it," Stella admitted, "But I like the sound of that."
"Then I'll assign TV management to me and Timmy," Tecna finalized, "And Musa, you'll have to help us out in placing those speakers."
"You can count on that," Musa second. "Once I've got the ideal spot for our stage, we can then pick a date! Hopefully sooner than later."
"So then how do we pick the acts for the concert?" Bloom asked, "If we've got a set time, we should start thinking about what kind of show we wanna give."
"I've got an idea," I announced, "Why not pick the performances that have more people in them. That way, everyone has a chance on stage. Plus, the idea of sharing stage time soothes my nerves."
"Let me see…" Tecna replied, shoving Musa over to reclaim her laptop, "There're certainly more duet groups than solo performers, and only a few larger than three. If the duets could join together, there might be a chance to pull this off."
"I dunno if they'll agree to it," Musa admitted, "But it's worth a try."
"Well Winx, we better get to work," Bloom announced, "If we're actually going to pull this off quickly, we need to act now."