At last, the long awaited finale! Mirta and Hecate versus the Trix. They have magic items of command... what could possibly go wrong?
36
It was the Day of Speaking Flowers, a holiday of friendship and romance that Mirta had ignored so far. They'd been on a trip this time last year, and Keith hadn't known about the holiday.
This year he'd sent Mirta a bouquet of flowers that meant 'warmest thoughts' and 'sorry about what happened' all stuck in a big spiky amethyst crystal. Mirta had felt a burst of happiness when she saw it on her desk in the morning, then wasn't sure she should be feeling that way. Appropriate or not, it brightened her spirits on a day she expected to spend trying to work out how the Trix planned to finish filling the Cask of Ghosts with negative energy.
Which was a challenge.
Mirta had her notes, charts of all upcoming unlucky days, eclipses, and dire configurations of the stars, maps of all the powerful locations around the city, and everywhere the Ancestors had previously appeared. Somewhere in here there had to be a clue to where the Trix would attack. Only Mirta had been looking it over for hours and come up with nothing.
She pulled one of the creamy-pale flowers from the vase and sniffed it. Warmest thoughts. Was Keith just being polite or was her really thinking about her?
Selene had sent pictures of the flowers Sterling had sent her, deep red roses that proclaimed 'you and me forever' according to the little book of flower meanings. Lucy had so many bouquets from admirers that she'd joked about drying them for spell ingredients later. Lolina had gotten some 'I'm interested in you' flowers from a customer, and Priscilla said she was wearing 'looking for a date- if you're cool enough' as a flower crown.
Mirta's attention was pulled back to her notes when Hexen walked over them. "Cat!"
She reshuffled her papers and looked over the list again. There was a bad-omened day next week, and an eclipse in two months. Mirta and Lucy had tried some fortune-telling to try to find a clue, with no luck.
Mirta's phone beeped. Orion had sent a message: "If you're brooding and want to get out, come help me clear out the museum garden." Well, raking old leaves would probably be more productive, and at least she'd have someone to talk to.
On her way to the front door Mirta heard a nervous voice ahead of her. She ducked back around a corner, then peeked.
"Um, Professor..." A girl was offering Professor Palladium flowers. 'Admiration' and 'I like you.'
The teacher's voice said, "I'm very flattered, but I can't accept. There's a lady waiting for me in the elven realms." Mirta felt a ripple of magic as he transformed the flowers, probably into one of the kinds that meant 'single and looking.'
Mirta stayed far enough away that the student wouldn't see her and be embarrassed, then came forward. "Does that happen every year Professor?"
Palladium grinned. "Fewer since Avalon started working here; I think he's getting some of them."
"But Paladins don't date."
"They certainly don't date their students, and most elves don't date humans. That's why we can work here." the professor said dryly. "You won't remember who that was, will you?"
"Already forgot." Mirta said, though Anjita's long braid was very recognizable.
"Going out?"
"Orion requested free labor."
"Well have fun."
Orion met her at the bus stop. As Mirta stepped off the bus a couple nearby were exchanging flowers—different flowers. The girl flounced off, insulted, with her boyfriend protesting after her.
Orion looked after them. "I'm not sure this holiday was well thought out."
"The little book says it was a pixie holiday that humans adopted..." Mirta trailed off and the two of them looked at each other, realizing that they were in fact a boy and a girl and it was a day for confessing feelings.
"I suppose we have to... on three?"
Mirta thought really fast, counted, and conjured a flower. They turned around—both holding the fluffy white blossom that meant 'nothing will ever get in the way of our friendship.' Mirta laughed a little in relief and stuck her flower in her hair while Orion tucked his in his buttonhole. They smiled at each other and headed for the museum, in perfect harmony with each other.
The museum of magical history had extensive grounds, neatly manicured and containing some rare trees. It was very beautiful—in summer. Now, with winter just giving up its grip, the trees were bare and their leaves littered the ground. It was a chilly day with clouds massing in the sky but not actually raining.
"I thought you were an archaeologist, not a gardener."
"The museum's paying extra!" Orion said cheerfully, passing over a rake. They set to work, with rakes and shovels and magic. "So what were you doing that was more boring than yard work?"
Mirta sighed. "Only trying to stop the greatest current threat to Magix. With no luck."
"The Trix."
"Mmhm. They need another source of negative energy, if they get it we're all in trouble. I'm supposed to stop them but I have no idea what they're going to do next. And I can't call Bloom because she's busy protecting the magical future of an entire realm." Mirta paused, leaning on her rake and wondering what Earth would be like with magic restored. She'd seen that fairy...
Orion pointed up into a tree and cast a quick spell. A dead branch snapped off and came down. "Why don't them just... I don't know, blow something up or ice over the city?"
"Negative energy isn't just sadness, it's... spite and bitterness and misery. Ordinary sadness because something sad happens wouldn't do it."
"Huh." Orion stopped rearranging the bark under the marlfruit tree, braced his rake and leaned his chin on the handle."You know, today. I wonder how much bitterness this holiday is causing. What if we hadn't felt the same?"
How many broken hearts in the city today? Enough? Maybe. "Tonight. Everyone will be going on dates."
Hecate whispered, Central point in the city. And Mirta saw a glimmer of silver in her pile of leaves. She reached down and pulled out a circle of metal with a glittery purple stone.
"Whoa."
Mirta didn't wait to actually scrub the tiara, just used magic to whisk the dirt and bits of leaves off of it. Like all the jewels it was simple, primitive but with a sense of power.
"Put it on." Orion suggested.
"Ok." Mirta looked around to make sure they were alone, but on a holiday in gloomy weather nobody was outside. She lowered the tiara onto her head and the other jewels appeared on their own. The necklace fluffed out into a cape, which billowed weightless and Mirta actually lifted off her feet. The metal was cold against her skin but power crackled around her. She had to concentrate to get back to the ground. "Whoa. They're a lot stronger together."
Orion flinched. "Your voice is different. And your eyes are purple now. You all right?"
"What? Yeah. Fine." Hecate hadn't mentioned that. She squished her eyes closed and banished the jewels, which felt like hiding her wings but took a lot more effort. Then called them back, banished them again, called them back. "Are my eyes still purple?"
"Yep. Looks like a permanent side effect."
Well that was mildly weird, but Mirta didn't have time to think too hard about it. She changed back to normal and opened her phone, "Selene. The Trix might try something today—tonight maybe. If they were going to try to steal energy from everyone in the city, what's a good place to do it from?"
Selene's hologram frowned thoughtfully, while behind her the business of the police station could be faintly heard. "I'd say the square around town hall. There's no reason for anyone to be there after it closes but the shops and restaurants all around, they'll be packed, everyone's taking their sweeties out tonight. Which means I'll be on duty breaking up lovers' quarrels. Oh! That's what you think the Trix are after, right? Lots of bad vibes."
"Right. I guess I'll go to town hall tonight then just in case." Mirta said a bit unsteadily. Hecate whispered, You're ready.
"Ok. I can trade patrols to be close by just in case. You better tell Miss Faragonda too."
"I will. They probably won't even show up..."
"They might. Tell Miss F!" Selene said and closed the call.
Now caught between fear of being wrong and fear of being right, Mirta called Miss Faragonda then passed the word to Loli and Priscilla.
"I'm coming too."
"You can't! You... sorry. I don't want you to get hurt."
Orion shrugged one shoulder. "I don't want to get hurt either, I'll hide like a sensible person if the Trix do show up. And I've got a sword. And I'm coming anyway."
They waited in the shadow of the columns holding up the facade of town hall, sitting against the stone. The faint spring warmth of the day had faded and it was freezing. They could hear talking from the streets nearby as people went to dinner or into the shops nearby, and the endless coming and going from the port on the other side of town hall, but as Selene had said the square was deserted.
"Want to go out for dinner after?" Orion asked, startling Mirta out of her worry into a laugh.
"Sure. Somewhere warm. I don't really think..."
And the Trix stepped out of a portal into the air above the middle of the square. Hecate's magic flared and Mirta stuffed it back. "Wait a minute!" she hissed.
Darcy hugged herself happily. "You were right Icy, this energy is delicious. So many disappointed fairies! And some happy ones too, ugh."
"Quit tasting the energy, let's just steal it and get out of here!"
"Hush." Icy summoned the Cask of Ghosts. The crystal sphere was full of dark, swirling clouds.
Mirta glanced at Orion who silently mouthed, 'Break it?' Mirta shook her head. That much negative energy would definitely explode and probably take out town hall and half the city. Orion drew his sword and phone, the second more likely to be useful.
Mirta shrugged and summoned the regalia. This was what it was for after all, she had to try. She stepped out into the light. "Icy!"
"The wimp!" Stormy said.
"Well. It's Mirta. I hope you enjoyed our last encounter because you can't stop us now. When the Ancestors return they will give us the power to rule this realm!"
"No they won't." Mirta said, using magic to make her voice louder so the Trix, floating above the square, could hear. "The Ancestors aren't going to give you any power! They're using you! Once they're back in the world they'll forget all about you!" She let her fear fill the air with images of everything she knew about the Ancestors, their change into monsters, every realm they'd attacked, everything Hecate had shown her.
The Trix looked around, watching, and Mirta had a moment of hope that they might listen. Then Darcy waved the illusions away. "Nice try, you can make pictures of anything."
"No, it's real!" It wasn't going to work. They wouldn't listen to her. Icy was speaking the spell to gather energy. Wisps of magic began fluttering in from all directions. Icy laughed.
Mirta reached through the jewels and cast her spell of command. "Give up your plan to summon the Ancestors."
Mirta saw them flinch. Then Stormy turned on her, throwing lightning, and Mirta had to dive out of the way. Annoyed she yelled, "Stop that!" The words threw Stormy back against a building. Icy and Darcy turned to look as their sister picked herself up and leaped back into the air.
"How did a loser like you do that?"
"I'm not a first-year student anymore! I know who the ancestors are, they're monsters! If you bring them back into the world they'll destroy everything they can get their hands on—even you!"
Icy looked down, "Sisters, the little goody-goody is worried about us."
Stormy snorted. "Loser."
Darcy looked like she might actually be thinking, but she said, "Sorry freak, you can't stop us." She threw out a bolt of magic-
And Mirta, angry, caught it in her hands. "Listen to me! You can't do this!"
Darcy shrieked as the words hit her. "Help me, Sisters!"
Icy shouted and sent blasts of snowy air down, icing over the ground. Mirta felt frost trying to cover her feet and stamped it off. Darcy had flung a curse but it sputtered out without doing any damage.
"Stop that!"
Stormy fell from the sky, her lightning fizzling out.
Mirta felt Hecate's power join hers, and the ghost's fierce joy as Darcy too sank to the ground.
"Give up summoning the Ancestors."
"No!" Icy snarled.
"Give up!"
Icy was fighting back, her magic beating down like a blizzard. But Mirta pushed back, it took all her power but with Hecate's help she could do it! She could win!
Stormy and Darcy were holding their heads in pain. Icy sank down next to them. She actually looked scared now. It felt great. It felt amazing to be stronger than the witches she'd been so afraid of, and Mirta wanted to hurt them more, to squash them down until they couldn't scare anybody else ever again.
Darcy looked like she'd fainted and Stormy whimpered, but Icy snarled, "We'll never give up..."
Mirta went cold. All her power was flowing out through the jewels, all focused on her enemies. She wasn't in control anymore. And if the Trix didn't surrender—
Bring them down! Hecate commanded.
The ghost was the one in charge now, using Mirta's magic and her own. She wasn't going to stop. And Icy wouldn't give in.
Hecate's voice rang out, "For the destruction you have wrought, you yourselves shall..."
No.
"No!" Mirta yanked her magic back, breaking the spell. Thwarted energy burst around her and the jewels shattered.
Hecate turned in rage, lashed out—
The world went gray.
Mirta staggered back and Orion grabbed her before she could fall. Something was horribly wrong. It felt like there was a hole in her chest, but her hands scrabbling at her shirt couldn't feel anything.
Orion was saying things like, "Are you all right?" and "Don't faint on me!" and holding his sword in his free hand, for all the good a sword was going to do. The Trix were helping each other up, shaking off the effects of the fight. Darcy said, "Please say we've collected enough energy and we can get out of here?"
They rose into the air.
Mirta realized what was wrong. "There's no magic. Anywhere."
Orion yelled, "What did you do?"
"Us? Nothing."
"We could flatten the wimp once and for all."
"Don't bother. Her magic's gone, she's not even a witch anymore. What could we do that'd be worse?" Icy chuckled, but there had been an odd edge in her voice.
Stormy started to say she'd think of something, but her sisters were already flying away so she followed.
Mirta noticed this with the tiny part of her awareness that wasn't busy just trying to get the world to make sense. Everything was faded, even the voices didn't sound quite normal. Icy had sounded almost pitying, which couldn't have been right. And there was no magic. Anywhere. It hurt like there was a hole through her chest.
Orion had gotten to, "Say something or I'll drop you."
Mirta managed to shake her head and get her feet under her. "You wouldn't."
"Yeah, I wouldn't. Oh good, here comes rescue. Selene! Can we have some fairy dust over here!"
Selene didn't ask, just poured fairy dust over both of them before she'd even landed. Mirta knew what it was supposed to feel like and it didn't. It didn't feel like anything. She looked at her hands and watched the sparkles on them fade out.
Selene said, "Weird. What happened? Wait a minute, everyone else is right behind me." She raised her hand and released a flare of bright blue energy. 'Everyone else' turned out to be a ship from Alfea and Miss F and all the teachers and Mirta stirred herself to get on board under her own power after Orion and Professor Palladium threatened to carry her. She slumped in a seat as Orion explained what had happened and the teachers all talked. Mirta tuned it out until hands came down on her shoulders and warm healing energy seeped into her bones. She tipped her head back, "You have got to teach me that spell."
"Sorry, paladins only." Professor Avalon said, "Did it work?"
The world was still oddly empty but Mirta realized she was thinking in complete sentences. "I... failed."
The teachers were kind enough to look skeptical. Professor Wizgiz said, "Inconceivable! What did happen?"
"The Trix appeared to harvest energy, because of people getting broken hearts today you know I used Hecate's magic to make them stop trying to summon the Ancestors—but they wouldn't! Icy wouldn't stop and it was hurting them and Hecate wouldn't let them go and I... I killed the spell. I let them go. And Hecate did something and Icy said I'm not a witch and they can summon the Ancestors now and it's my fault."
That pretty much covered it. Mirta waited for judgment.
There was silence for a minute and Mirta realized everyone was looking at her magically, which she should have been able to feel.
Professor Avalon whistled under his breath. "That is odd."
"Is my magic really gone?"
"Not gone, sealed away." Miss Faragonda said kindly. "Don't despair yet! There are... six magic-restoring spells I can think of just off the top of my head, plus whatever the teachers and your friends can come up with."
"We'll hardly leave our assistant in the lurch!" Professor Wizgiz piped up.
Mirta managed a smile. "Thank you. I guess... I can still grade papers and stuff. But what about the Trix?"
Miss Faragonda asked, "Why did you let them go?"
"I thought they might die. I don't know if Hecate really would've... but she was hurting them and even super-creeps like the Trix shouldn't die. Do you think they would've?"
"More likely their minds would have broken, they'd have to be taken care of for the rest of their lives."
Mirta shuddered.
Professor Palladium, sitting in the driving seat, turned suddenly. "Wonder if Hecate was planning on that."
"What? You mean she could've taken over one of their bodies?" Mirta's mouth hung open. She hadn't thought of that.
"She could have. I don't know if she was planning to, but maybe when the time came..."
Mirta felt sick. She'd hated Icy—been afraid of her. Still was. But even Icy didn't deserve to have everything taken away from her like that. So she'd done the only thing she could have. And maybe...
The beginnings of hope went out again as she had another thought. "Can someone else tell Bloom what happened?"