Chapter 29 : Aftershock
Everyone is silent for a long while with thoughts rushing through their heads.
"Thank the Goddess!" thinks Flora gratefully to herself. "She's not the Goddess after all but how did Kimira's image become linked to Her?"
"This is so sad!" thinks Stormy as the petite woman-child struggles to hold back tears.
"What the heck!" thinks Shego, not knowing what to make of this. "I wonder how Kimmy is doing?" her thoughts suddenly shifted towards the redheaded cheerleader she left on Terra. "I never thought that I would miss her."
"So," thinks Icy coldly. "We've dodged one bullet but this is still an explosive situation which could lead to some potentially dangerous repercussions for all on Alfea."
"Owe!" thinks Bloom, cradling her head in her hands. "I'm in really bad need of some aspirin."
"We need to analyze this with great care and in depth," thinks Tecna.
"Alfea?" asks Bloom. "Does that mean that there is another planet called Alfea?"
"We have known of this planet for thousands of years," says Tecna, "but it was almost barren and far too radioactive to resettle until just recently. Still we knew of this planet only as Alfea."
"The original Alfea could have been destroyed in the fighting or maybe its sun went nova," suggests Flora.
"That's a possibility," says Tecna, "or the original planet was so taken over by this enemy that nothing of the former inhabitants remains."
"Does Kimira actually use the word 'Alfea'?" asks Shego.
"Yes," replies Tecna, "and we have found that it breaks down as 'Al-fe-a' which syllable for syllable means 'Our-native-home'. And the word 'Alfean', which was originally 'Al-fe-yan' means 'Our-native-tongue'."
"I am disturbed by Kimira's use of the word 'enemy'," says Icy. "Isn't that the same word in High Alfean that is often used to mean 'Witch'?"
"I think that you are well aware, Icy," says Tecna, "that a translation can sometimes be deceptive and it is dangerous to make off-the-top interpretations. In this case, the actual word Kimira uses does not even come close in sound or form to the High Alfean word. Without further research, we cannot assume that they were fighting against Witches."
"Well, it certainly sounds like Witches. It's just like Witches to bury people alive," says Flora and Icy snarls at her as if ready to spring into a have-at-her.
"Flora!" snaps Bloom in her most authoritarian and in-command voice. "That was out of line and uncalled for. Shame on you!"
"I'm sorry," apologizes Flora with her head bent. "I guess I wasn't thinking," then spreads her wings to fan a soothing scent into the air.
"She's on the verge of a breakdown," thinks Bloom deeply worried for her comrade. "I need to get her out of here and back to her plants and her duties at Alfea College."
"I think we are all a bit touchy at this moment," says Shego who is the only one who seems to be keeping her cool. "I think we should all split up and allow ourselves time to absorb this latest information. Let's meet again later today after we've had time to calm down."
"Good idea," replies Bloom. "We can meet in our boardroom. You know where that is? Good. See you there in five hours," and all the Faeries and Witches nod in agreement.
"I would like to stay here and work on this translation and see if I can refine it any and see if I can find a more precise translation for this word 'enemy' that Kimira is using," says Tecna.
"May I stay with Tecna?" asks Stormy, looking to Icy who looks to Shego and nods when she sees that Shego is also nodding.
"I'm sorry, Bloom," apologizes Flora when they have left the helm. "I guess I really did speak out of turn."
"You look exhausted, Flora. Maybe too exhausted to think clearly," says Bloom. "As your leader, I'm ordering you back to Alfea College. I'm sure that your plants are in need of attention by now."
"Yes," says Flora, "and perhaps you should come back with me. Miss Faragonda and Miss Griselda are probably starting to get anxious about our absence. And I need to be away from Icy and Shego."
"I sense that there is something in the air between those two now, too," says Bloom, frowning. "Have you noticed the way Icy keeps looking to Shego every time there is some decision to be made?"
"They've been fighting a lot," nods Flora, "and Stormy is afraid to be near them. That's why I think she wants to be with Tecna all the time."
Five hours later, all are assembled in what the Faeries have named their boardroom.
"How is everyone feeling?" asks Shego, who has been elected chairperson.
"Better, now that we clearly know that Kimira is not The Goddess," replies Flora and Icy and Stormy nod in agreement.
"We still have to be extremely careful with this," says Icy. "There are too many that believe in this particular image of The Goddess. Many may accuse us of heresy. It could split the whole population of Alfea into factions and trigger an all-out jihad. It could destroy the planet and send reverberations throughout the known universe because there are many other planets with inhabitants who believe in The Cult of The Goddess."
"Nations on Terra have gone to war with each other for even less," says Bloom and Icy flashes her a tell-me-about-it look and nods.
"I am still for burying this and not breathing a word to anyone," says Shego.
"It is already too late for that, I fear," says Icy. "By now, the Alfean authorities have probably detected the signals of our illegal transporti. They will train their spotter satellites or their spell masters here and detect unusual activity. They're not fools and will probably send out a patrol to investigate. In any case, we are running against the clock and stand to be the losers if we haven't got our act together by then."
"What of the message, Tecna?" asks Shego. "Anything new to report?"
"Well, the word for 'enemy' is generic," says Tecna. "There is nothing I have found to link this word to Witches or to Faeries for that matter so The Goddess only knows who these people were fighting."
"Do we at least know if they were either Faeries or Witches?" enquires Shego.
"Unfortunately, Shego, you contaminated the only specimen we could have used to determine that," replies Tecna. "We need to find a body that has been undisturbed to collect samples."
"What bothers me," puts in Stormy, "is how is it that Kimira does look so much like The Goddess and like Bloom as well? And didn't Bloom once tell us that 'Domino' means 'our home'?"
"A nice try, My Precious Little One," says Icy, "but there are too many other planets with names that translate into Witchspeak or Alfean as 'our home', 'our planet', 'the peoples' place' and suchlike. And that does not even account for those that no longer exist."
"Well, it is illogical that any civilization could vanish without any trace whatsoever," says Tecna. "Maybe we should look through our own histories and mythologies to see if there is any mention of them."
"I could try a séance with Daphne to find out if she knows anything," says Bloom, "and I'm sure I could convince Miss Barbataya at the Alfea College Library that I have developed a sudden interest in mythology and lost civilizations so she may give me some helpful leads."
"I really need a rest," says Flora, "but I could search for what is available at Lymphia, I guess," and Bloom nods.
"I have access to the entire Cloud Tower library including the restricted vaults," says Icy. "I'll start there."
"I'll consult the Great Database," says Tecna. "If I do it while on a visit to Binos, then there is little chance of anyone getting suspicious."
"Sounds like a plan," says Shego. "Stormy and I can hold the fort for a time and I'm sure that I can convince any snoops who may show up to get lost in a hurry," and lights up a fist with green plasma. "I say that this meeting is adjourned until next week at this time."
