It's so nice out today, where I live – it's very warm. I'm really looking forward to getting out. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!
CHAPTER 26: THE FLAME WITHIN
Timmy sat in Physics class, his eyes half-closed. He had barely slept last night, the previous night, or all of the past fortnight. The fight he'd gotten into with Tecna still lingered in his head, never to go.
"I can't believe this," he said. "I... I thought you were different from the others, Tecna! I thought you loved me!"
"I... do," Tecna whispered.
"Then say it," Timmy said harshly. "Say it, so I know where I stand."
Tecna closed her eyes. Timmy thought he could see the pain in her eyes, the pity she'd probably felt towards him, the sadness and fear she'd always carried. For a foolish, hopeless second, he thought she'd be strong enough to surmount it, that she would rise above.
But then she bowed her head.
At that motion, Timmy felt his heart breaking into a million pieces. He stood up, gazing at her sadly. "I was a fool, then. I'm sorry I ever wasted your time."
The engine of his hoverbike rammed loudly as he sped off campus, a disguise for his pain. Only when he was in the forest did he let his tears fall.
The bell rang, bringing Timmy out of his thoughts. All of the students stood up, putting their
"Homework – five diagrams on quantum physics," Professor Rodrigo called. "Make sure you're done by tomorrow."
The words barely passed over Timmy's head; he hadn't done homework in two weeks. Nobody had asked him to turn anything in, though he knew it was only a matter of time. A few of his classmates shot him awkward glances as he walked down the steps.
He was glad Sky, Brandon, or Riven weren't in this class with him. None of them cared for math or physics, which, in Timmy's opinion, was a mistake. He'd taken all of the math and physics classes offered at Red Fountain, few though there were – they had taught him much that had aided him in his battles. He turned towards the dorms, passing by the Aviation deck.
He froze as he saw Mirta climbing down the Aviation deck, gazing at him. Oh, right – today's her class. Mirta had Introductory Aviation on Tuesdays. "Timmy," she said, looking awkward.
"Hi," Timmy responded, gazing down. He wanted nothing more than to punch something and let out all of his anger. He couldn't believe he had been such a fool. He'd been so insensitive to Tecna's needs, letting his selfishness cripple him.
I broke up with her when she needed me most. And now, she was gone, disappeared off the surface of Melody. He clenched his fist
"I'm headed to the forest, back to Alfea," she said, "My classes are all done for the day." She gazed at him. "Want to come?"
Timmy didn't want to go anywhere. But he knew that if he stayed on campus, he'd be bugged by countless people, all of whom would try to lift his spirits. "Sure," he finally said, following her towards the elevator.
He had never said so much in words, but he'd found that, over the past weeks, he'd appreciated Mirta's companionship. Mirta, who never tried to insist that things were all okay. Mirta, who never tried to force him from his sadness. Mirta, who never tried to pretend as if Tecna had never existed. He let out a sigh, gazing at the trees before them.
Now he didn't feel like hitting things anymore. No matter what he did, it wouldn't change the fact that she was gone. He sank to the ground, letting out a sob.
"She's – gone" – he choked out. Mirta sat next to him, her expression sad as she gazed into his eyes.
"It's horrible, isn't it?" she whispered. "When everyone tries to insist that things will be okay, when they're not?"
"Yes!" Timmy gazed up at Mirta. "I just hate this. Hate how everyone's acting so helpless! I hate that she's gone!"
"Timmy," Mirta whispered, "this isn't your fault. I know you feel horrible about this, but you can't blame yourself for what's happened."
Timmy couldn't answer. No one knew about how he'd broken up with her, or what he'd done. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, for he didn't want anyone to hate him as he hated himself. Tears fell onto his glasses, clouding his vision.
"I know there's nothing I can say or do to make it better," Mirta said, "but I'm here, with you. Cry as much as you need to cry. It's okay."
It's not okay, Timmy thought. Nothing will absolve me of my sins. But he couldn't say any of this to Mirta. He bent over, his shoulders shuddering as he collapsed on the ground.
"I am so sorry," Bloom breathed, staring in alarm at the ruins around her. But no one was paying attention. The villagers glared at her, fury in their soot-covered faces and death in their eyes.
"Look at what she's done!" Keket snarled, pointing straight at Bloom. "Our lives were peaceful until this… pyromaniac came here!" Bloom backed up a few steps, terrified.
"Turn her out!" Jabari yelled.
"Send her to the forest!" Nawa shouted.
"Let her face the dragons' wrath!"
On and on they shouted. Bloom wanted to run, to hide, to break down into tears and tell them how sorry she was. But she couldn't do any of that. She stood rooted to the ground, terrified.
I can't believe I did this. She closed her eyes. I practically destroyed their village. The children stood behind their parents, staring up at Bloom with frightened eyes.
"Enough!" shouted a voice. Bloom didn't even have to turn around to know it was Horus. The man walked in front of her, standing before his tribespeople. "On behalf of the Sekhmet Tribe, you are hereby banished from our village. If we see you ever again, we will treat you like an enemy and chase you off. You are to leave and never come back."
Bloom stared at him in shock. I'll die there! But that didn't seem to matter at all to the Sekhmet people. Jabari raised his spear.
"Get out!" he shouted.
Blindly, Bloom turned around and ran, the shouts of the tribespeople echoing after here. She ran for what seemed like hours, not letting herself stop for anything. Only when she'd reached the desolation of the forest did she slink down to the ground and cry.
Tecna awoke. Grimacing, she sat up, gazing at the ice-roof above her head. What happened? Then she saw the boy sleeping next to her, and remembered.
We're stuck in a crevasse, she realized, and we need food. She shook the boy awake. His eyelids fluttered, and he stirred awake.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"We need to get out of here," she said. "I'm going to check if it's safe."
She walked towards the ice-formation. The dragon's not here… hopefully… Concentrating her scanners, she closed her eyes.
ACTIVATING KILOMETER RADIUS SCAN FOR DRAGON, the scanner read. After a few moments, it responded: DRAGON PRESENCE NEGATIVE.
Tecna breathed a sigh of relief. She turned towards the boy, who was staring at her in surprise.
"We're safe," she said. "Let's go."
"How'd you know that?" the boy asked in surprise.
"I'm a cyborg," she answered, gruffly, "and I have scanners. Come on, let's get out of here." She blasted the crystals apart and jumped down from the crevasse.
"What's a cyborg?" the boy asked, confused.
Tecna turned around, staring at him. "Are you serious?" How does he not know what I am?
"Yeah," the boy said, looking confused. "What does 'cyborg' mean?"
"It means I have a computerized brain," she said flatly. Seeing that he still looked confused, she let out a sigh. "My brain is able to scan the environment around us."
"Wait, so you mean like some kind of advanced tracking-spell?" the boy asked, looking excited. "Master Ying was gonna teach me, but maybe you can teach me on our way back home! Your power is awesome!"
"Yeah, well, you're the only one who thinks so," said Tecna, a wave of bitterness rising in her throat. No one on Zenith would accept me for who I was… but this boy is a different species all together… She gazed at him. The boy was dancing around, looking happy at being awake.
"Come on," she said. "We need to find food."
"Oh, food?" The boy stopped dancing, and stared at her in surprise. "I know where to get some! There's a river under this cavern, filled with fish."
"You mean there's something that isn't frozen around here?" Tecna asked in surprise.
"Yeah," the boy grinned. "Master Ying and the others found a place where the ice-dragons can't go, 'cause it's too warm. We're supposed to stay down there, but I come up here every now and then."
"Maybe you should've stayed down there," Tecna muttered. "I don't know why anyone in his right mind would want to be up here." She let out a sigh.
"All right," she said. "Lead the way."
It was a full moon on Pyros that night. The moon was bloodred, a shade of garnet that sent chills down Bloom's spine. She sighed as she lay down on the forest-floor, exhausted after a long day's trek.
She was amazed no dragons had caught up with her. All day, she'd been wandering the forest, and had eaten absolutely nothing. All she had was a bottle of water, but that was diminishing rapidly. Hunger rumbled in her stomach as she stared down at the grass.
She couldn't call Griselda and tell her to get her. She couldn't bear the knowledge that she'd failed, or the knowledge that she'd failed. I told them I'd either come back strong enough to beat Valtor, or not at all. And she would stick to that vow, even if it meant the end.
Suddenly, something brilliant shined in the sky. Bloom's eyes widened as she stared upwards, at what streaked the sky. A comet… She stared at the dazzlingly red flame as it shot across the sky, illuminating the forest with orange. Standing up, she felt a sudden urge to follow in the direction of the comet, awed by the brightness it held.
"I'm coming!" she shouted, pulling herself to her feet. Pack forgotten, she ran down the forest, suddenly hot with energy. The comet disappeared into the sky, and Bloom drew to a stop, growling in frustration. What was I even running for? She drew to a halt and gazed to her left, in the direction of the moon. It was then that she froze.
A stone edifice stood in front of her, with columns and arches at its front. Steps led up to its entrance, flanked with statues of gods and goddesses on the way. At the top of the edifice was a statue of Rafada, the father god of Pyros, entwined with the Great Dragon of the universe. The moon shone down on the temple, illuminating it with red light.
"The stone temple," Bloom breathed, her eyes wide.
She took a step forward, walking into the temple. Although it was clearly very old, probably as old as the ancient Dominian settlers themselves, it had the same mystical value as the more modern temples she'd seen in Magix. She walked in, staring around.
Compared to the outside, the inside was very bare and primitive. It merely consisted of four walls, a ceiling, and an altar in the middle. In place of windows, there were torches on the side of the room. Bloom stepped into the chamber, taking it all in at once.
Immediately, the door shut, descending the temple into darkness. She gasped in alarm and tried to open it, but the door would not budge. I'm trapped… Panic overtook her, and she remained rooted to the spot.
I left my water in the forest! Anger overtook her as she stared at the ground. What kind of an idiot am I? She stared around at the chamber before her, although she could not see a single thing. Not a single speck of light crept in through the door.
Then I guess I'll have to create my own. She walked up to the altar and sat cross-legged, placing her palms together. She transformed into her Charmix. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the meditation-exercises Maia had taught her, learning how to wield fire in her hands…
Breathe, she told herself. Focus on the fire within. Feel it warming your heart with its splendor. She felt it warm her body, the spark of the Dragon's Flame heating in her palms. Lifting her hands, she placed the fire in the altar, offering it to whichever gods there were above.
Immediately, the torches all around her lit up in flames. Light and shadows both bounced off the walls, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. "What?" she gasped, staring with amazement at the flames that burned near her. There're so many of them… Red, orange, yellow, blue, and white flames all lit in an arc around her, filling the room with strength. Smoke wafted through the fire, making her cough.
But Dragon Fire doesn't emit smoke! Nonetheless, there it was, burning her throat and lungs. She realized, with dismay, that someone must've put herbs in the torches, herbs that would create this kind of incense.
Her head became light, and she found she could no longer breathe. Her eyes closing, she collapsed to the ground.
"Aha," she said vaguely, and then fainted.
She came to slowly, lifting her head into the smoke. It burned around her, but unlike before, it had no detrimental effects on her health. She stared around, bewildered and confused.
Something was changing in the smoke itself. Although it was still burning, it had changed into a different property, one that was not of ashes and destruction, but of goodwill and light. I need to combine my powers with it… She placed her hands on the altar, focusing her energy into the temple. The smoke simmered, growing darker and darker with each touch.
And then it spiraled around her and burst into light.
Bloom stared with disbelief as she gazed into the light of the fire, at the reds and yellows and greens and blues that swirled around her. Her feet lifted off the ground as she stared at every color imaginable that was in that fire, the fire of creation and life.
She saw exactly what she'd been meant to see all along.
When the Great Dragon had spread his roots to the world, creating the five original planets of Summa, Linphea, Earth, Andros, and Domino, his power had been not of destruction and chaos. His power had been one of benevolence, creating the universe as it was, which included the dragons of Pyros. Without his energy, there would be no life as it was today. His power had been entrusted to her ancestors, the people of Domino.
But with great power came great responsibility, and it was her job to make sure the power would always be for the greater good. It was her responsibility to burn according to the will of her people before. She stared into the flames, peace overtaking her.
And then she heard Maia's voice: "You must find peace within yourself if you ever wish to bring peace to the world."
I'm going to let it go. I'm going to let it all go into the flames. She closed her eyes, the brilliance of the fire still in her eyes. Taking in a deep breath, she let it all out.
She released her fury with Flora, her anger that she hadn't told her about Valtor. She released her anger about Tecna's death, accepting Fate's path over her destiny. She even released her hatred of Valtor, abandoning personal resentment about what he'd done. I will destroy him, but not because of hatred and anger – because I need to keep balance in the natural world. She closed her eyes.
The flames evanesced into the altar, dimming completely. She stood up, feeling strength and fire course through her. But I still haven't gotten my Enchantix – my mission still isn't complete. She felt sadness course through her, disappointed that she'd never find her light.
Then a cold voice filled the air outside the temple. She froze, leaning quietly against the door.
"They're not holding Bloom in that pathetic thing they call a village," a loud voice complained. "Seriously, where could she be?"
"Quit your witching," another voice answered. "I iced them into a deep freeze which they won't wake up from until the next Age. They'll talk soon, trust me."
The Trix! Bloom realized in horror. Stormy and Icy were somewhere in the forest, and were talking about her. They froze over the village? She gasped in horror.
"And in the meantime, we're wandering in this stupid forest?" Darcy complained. "Where is Bloom?"
The door slammed open. Bloom stood on the steps of the temple, fury in her eyes as she glared at the witches.
"I'm right here."
They found a pond with minnows. Tecna stared, perplexed, while the boy stared around.
"I don't get it," he said. "There's an entire river here! What happened to it?"
Tecna scanned the area, frowning. "Well, I don't see any rivers here," she said. "If you want, I can scan this place." She activated her sensors, staring around.
ONE-KILOMETER RADIUS, the scanner read. ONE BODY OF FRESHWATER, LOCATED 1 METER NORTH, 3.48 METERS EAST…
"Yeah, thanks," Tecna muttered. She turned towards the boy, who was frowning. "There's nothing here for another kilometer. This is all there is."
"I don't get it," the boy said in surprise. "There's supposed to be a river here. I used to get fish all the time" –
"Well, there isn't." Tecna gazed into the pond, which was filled with minnows. "These minnows are better than nothing at all. We'd better eat."
She caught some and killed them with an electric blast. The boy rubbed two sticks together and, with Tecna's help, started a fire. Once the fish had cooked, the two settled down to eat, the warm glow of the fire on their faces.
"So, what's your name?" Tecna asked as they heated the fish. "I can't believe I didn't even ask you before."
"Name's Cyros," the boy said cheerfully, biting into the fish. "This is delicious!"
"Anything will taste good after we've been hungry for so long," Tecna agreed, biting into hers. The boy's name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place a finger on it. "My name's Tecna."
"Ooh, Tecna!" the boy said excitedly. "Cool name! Does it have, like, anything to do with technology?"
Is this kid daft, or what? "It's not my real name," she answered. "It's just a nickname I go by."
"If it's not your real name, why do you use it?" he asked in confusion. "What's your real" –
"No." Tecna drew the conversation to a halt. "I'm not using that name. I don't want to be reminded of Zenith. Ever." She stared bitterly at the ground.
She couldn't allow herself to think of Zenith. The moment she thought of her home-planet, or of Magix, her wiring ached with a sadness she'd never felt before. They're gone… She stared vacantly at the ground.
"Oh," Cyros said, his face drooping. "Well, wish I knew more about Zenith. I was born there, but I don't know anything about my homeland."
Tecna stared at him in surprise. I knew he looked Zenithian… "You were born on Zenith?"
"Yeah!" Cyros grinned. "So are some of my friends down here. Master Ying was born on Melody, though. Ooh, I have an idea! How about we bring some fish to Master Ying? It might make him less mad I disappeared into the ice!"
"Um… okay," Tecna said awkwardly. The boy jumped up in delight.
"Yippee!" he shouted. "I can't wait for you to meet him!"
He immediately raced down the cavern. Tecna stood up as fast as she could, calling after him. "Cyros! Wait up!"
She flew after him. The boy ran excitedly, holding the fish in his hands. "I can't wait for him to see what I've gotten him!"
"Cyros! Stop!" Tecna scolded him. The boy skidded to a halt. "We don't know what's down here! You've got to be careful!"
"There's nothing here," Cyros giggled. "This is Master Ying's village, home to the Gatekeepers of Omega. It's totally safe here! We're fine!"
"Doesn't look like much of a village to me," Tecna muttered. In the dim light, she couldn't make out any buildings or homes. In fact, there were no lights at all to be seen.
"They sometimes turn off the lights," Cyros said with a shrug. "But I'm sure there's a lot of people here" –
"There's a lot of loot to be found here, that's for sure!" a voice in the distance called.
Tecna froze. That voice didn't sound friendly at all… She grabbed Cyros and put her hand to his mouth.
"Let's hide!" she hissed.
The two hid behind a boulder. They saw a man holding a lantern, with a group of people behind him. Cyros stared at the lantern light in disbelief. He gasped at what it illuminated, what was behind the man.
"That's Master Ying's house!" he gasped.
"Shh!" Tecna said anxiously as one of the men looked suspiciously around.
"That's strange," he said. "I thought I heard voices."
"That's just your imagination, as usual," the other man snorted. "No one's here; this place was cleaned out centuries ago."
"What's he talking about?" Cyros gasped. "Master Ying! He's in that" –
Tecna shoved a rock in Cyros's mouth. "Shut up," she hissed. Frowning, she focused her attention on the man with the lantern and his gang.
"Remind me again why we're here, if this place was cleaned out centuries ago?" one of his men complained.
"This place is of magical importance," the head man answered. "The Gatekeepers of Omega used to live here, after all. If we can find some spells in here, we can bust outta this place and find a life for ourselves."
"We haven't found anything yet," a third man complained.
The head man responded by slamming him on the head with his lantern. The man let out a yell.
"Shut up!" he shouted. "Do you have any idea how hard our ancestors labored? As soldiers of the Fifth Dimensional War, Whisperia's finest generals, they fought fiercely, only to be shoved into this rat-hole. And we're not going to let their legacy ruin us! No, we're gonna get outta here and make a real life for ourselves!"
They're the descendants of war-criminals! Tecna realized. But the ice in Omega is supposed to kill its prisoners! How did these war-criminals have children? How did Cyros survive, for that matter?
"Go and scout, like a proper man," the lead man hissed. "All of you, go. I'm not going to let our legacy be destroyed!"
The men disappeared. When they were out of sight, Tecna finally pulled the rock out of Cyros's mouth, gazing down at the boy. His eyes were wide, and he stared at the ground.
"I don't get it," he said, looking utterly confused. "My people – what happened to them? What happened to Master Ying and his family and all those people he took in? Papa sent me here so they would protect me! He didn't want me to get hurt by the chaos on Zenith!"
"Cyros," Tecna said, a bad feeling settling in her gut. "How long were you in that ice, exactly?"
"I don't know," Cyros said, not sounding too interested. "A day, maybe?"
"More like a thousand years!" Tecna gasped. "What year do you think it is, for that matter?"
"16024," Cyros answered with certainty.
Tecna gasped. 16024, she knew with absolute certainty, did not exist. In the year 16012, Whisperia was defeated in the Fifth Dimensional War. It had also been the last year of the Age of Blood; Year 16013, more commonly known as Year 1 of the Age of Unity, was when the United Realms was formed. From Years 1 to 12, there had been widespread turmoil in Zenith, so strong that Zenith had refused to acknowledge the new Age. It had only done so in the Year 12, when, after assassinating the last king of Zenith, the realm had joined the UR.
"You were trapped in that ice for one-thousand years," she said with wonder. The boy stared at her in shock. "It's 1012 now, of a new Age. That's why the river's gone, and why you don't recognize this place! It's all changed!"
"But… why?" Cyros asked, and Tecna saw his eyes mist up. "How can I not see Master Ying anymore? Mistress Yuie, Chen, Jin, Dmitri… are they all… gone?"
"Seems like it," Tecna said, gently. For a moment, she felt his profound sadness leak into her, his pain at being separated from his family. He's just a boy… he didn't deserve this, even if he was stupid enough to get in the way of those ice-dragons… She put her arm around Cyros.
And jumped back as soon as she felt a spear touch her head.
Tecna stared up. A man was staring down at her, his expression grim. He called out to the men behind him.
"I was right!" he shouted. "There's someone hiding here!"
"RUN!" yelled Tecna, leaping out of the boulder. The men let out a laugh, and ran towards them, their spears high.
"Is that a temple?" Stormy asked, staring at the edifice which Bloom stood under. "Eww, she was meditating!"
"Bloom, meditate on this," Icy declared, "you're about to get your sad booty kicked!" She shot a spear of ice at Bloom.
But the Dominian fairy was ready. Creating a ball of fire in her hands, she shot it straight at the ice. It burned immediately on impact.
"Sorry, no tourists allowed on Pyros," she snarled. Turning around, she flew straight towards the village, to the people whom Icy had attacked.
"Get her!" Icy shouted, flying forward.
She flew in a zigzag pattern, effortlessly dodging the Trix's attacks. I've got to get to the village… She stared down, looking in disbelief at what Icy had done.
The entire village was frozen. People were stuck in ice-statues, a frozen expression on their faces. She could tell that the village would be very difficult to defrost. That's ice from Glacia, the realm of winter… She turned around and glared at the Trix.
She was a second too late. Icy shot her with a blast of ice, shooting her straight to the ground. She let out a scream as she fell, her entire body encased with ice.
"Loser," Icy smirked, turning around and walking off. She turned around, smirking at her sisters in delight.
Bloom focused her powers, feeling heat rise up in her body. Fire warmed the crystal around her, and the ice-shards exploded. Darcy stared at her in alarm. "She's gotten much stronger!"
"The stronger she thinks she is, the easier it'll be to finish her off!" Icy grinned, lifting her hands with ice.
But Bloom was ready. She shot a burst of fire at them, sending the three of them to the ground. Towering over them, she glared down.
"You're not finishing anyone off," she declared. "Turn the village back!"
"Not in the mood," Icy smirked. "Hey, what's that?" She turned her eyes upward.
Bloom gasped. The same dragon she'd fought twice in the past week was towering over them, fury in its eyes. It spewed out a ball of flame, straight at Icy's head.
But the witch easily froze it, sending ice into the dragon's mouth. Bloom watched in horror as the dragon's mouth froze up, and it cried in pain.
"No!" A fire-dragon flew out of Bloom's heart and towards the beast. Thawing the mouth of the animal, the dragon opened its mouth, ready to roar again. It turned its eyes towards Bloom, searching.
Bloom bowed her head as she stared into his eyes, golden and luminous and fierce. No longer hiding her fear, she submitted freely to his authority, allowing him to judge her as she was. She felt herself connect into his heart, her fire connecting with his.
And then he nodded. Flying towards her, he turned towards his back, motioning to it.
"You want me to ride you?" Bloom asked in disbelief. She had never heard of a dragon willingly letting a human ride atop his back. But the dragon seemed intent. He nodded to her, asking her to join him in the fight.
So be it. She sat atop the scales, marveling at how thick and warm they were. Letting out a giant roar, the dragon charged straight towards the Trix, fire in his eyes. Bloom smirked gleefully at the Trix's terrified eyes.
"Take that!" she roared. Her fire-dragon shot straight towards the Trix, encircling them with its power. She burned her fire through, ready to knock them out.
But the three sisters converged their powers together, destroying the fire-dragon. "Storm of the Ancestresses!" they shouted. Sending a wave of ice, dark, and electrical energy, they shot it straight at Bloom's heart.
Bloom gasped as she fell to the ground. Staring up, she saw that the Trix had trapped her dragon in a sphere. They cackled, flying down towards Bloom.
She gasped as a net of ice, darkness, and electricity formed around her. Oh no… She lay weakly on the ground, the Trix cackling as they flew down to deliver their wrath.
Instantly, Tecna grabbed Cyros, pulling him alongside her. "I'm not gonna let you get captured," she whispered fiercely. Carrying him in her arms, she pulled him along with her, grimacing at his weight.
"Stop!" yelled a voice, and Tecna darted to the side. A blast of dark energy zoomed past her and ahead. "Your fairy wings are no match for our skill!"
They're wizards, Tecna realized with horror. We've got to get out of here! She concentrated her energy on her wings.
"Tecna!" Cyros cried out. "I don't want to die – AHH!" A spell narrowly missed him, shooting into the walls of the cavern.
"I'm trying," Tecna said through gritted teeth. I've got to do something… wings, come on…
She focused on her fairy wings. As an Enchantix fairy, she had the power to zoom forward at high speeds, though she'd never done it before. Please, please let this work… She grimaced and concentrated hard.
Something hit her hard in the back. She let out a yell, dropping Cyros as she fell.
She hit the ground hard, grimacing. And then she stared up. Six warriors were standing around her, their spears pointed towards them.
"Oh no," she whispered.
The man with the lantern moved forward, his eyes menacing and dark.
"Give us your spells," he demanded. "The spells of your people, so we can get out of here."
"We don't have any spells!" Tecna gasped. "We're not affiliated with the Gatekeepers!"
"Liar!" the man crowed. "We want your spells! Now go ahead, give them to us!"
Tecna struggled as the man grabbed her. How do we get out of this… She wasn't going to be able to convince them that she had no spells. We're completely dead…
Then suddenly, Cyros jumped up, dancing in front of the men.
"Yoo-hoo!" he shouted. "Magic spell-keeper right here!"
"Cyros, what are you doing?" Tecna hissed, but Cyros had darted out of the way, laughing. "Betcha can't catch me!"
The men's eyes narrowed. Shouting, they abandoned Tecna and chased him, letting out grunts of anger. They let out a multitude of attack-spells.
But Cyros simply avoided their blasts, laughing as he curved and twisted around. The men, being larger and bulkier, were unable to turn as quickly as him, and were getting tired and impatient.
I like it, thought Tecna. Using their inertia against them. She frowned. How's this going to help us?
"Enough of this," the lead wizard snapped. "Get into a circle. We're going to surround him."
The men formed into a circle around Cyros. Growling, they ran towards Cyros, their spears poised, attack spells ready. Tecna watched in fascinated horror as Cyros simply stood there, letting them run closer and closer, until they were almost there…
Then quite suddenly, he leapt into the air. There were six shouts, a collective "Uhh!", and then there was silence.
When the dust had cleared, Tecna stared at the men. They'd all collided into one another, and were now completely knocked out. Clever, indeed… She began to laugh.
"All right." Cyros landed on the ground and grinned at Tecna. "Whaddya say we get outta here?"
"I like the sound of that." Casting a transporting spell, she and Cyros disappeared, the wizards far behind.
"Just so you know," Icy said, her eyes dancing, "you're coming with us straight back to Valtor."
Valtor… A fire seemed to burn in Bloom's heart. She thought of all he had done, how many people he had hurt. What he had almost done to Melody, what he had done to Tecna, and what he was doing to the world now. Fire raged in her heart.
I will defeat him. But not with the fire of bitterness and resentment that he wields. I will defeat him with the fire of justice and truth, because I know I can!
Suddenly, a healing energy shot over her. What's going on? She stared around, confused at what had suddenly happened.
She was in a red cocoon. Red fire-dragons swarmed around her, containing both the essence of Pyros and Domino. They brought her heat and truth and light, warming her to her very core with their ancient wisdom.
The fire-dragons wrapped around her body, vanishing into her. A blue ruffled dress appeared over her body, and a dragon-shaped blue barrette shined in her hair. Fire-snakes climbed up her legs, creating blue barefoot sandals. A choker formed around her neck, heating with the strength of the dragons.
Then her wings unfurled. Blue and brilliant, they were as luminous as the fire she'd seen in the temple. She stared, astonished, at the magic she'd suddenly acquired.
My Enchantix! she thought, joyfully. Through the power of my will and courage, I received my Enchantix! She gasped in amazement, staring forward.
And as the cocoon vanished and the witches attacked, Bloom created a shield around her, deflecting their attacks. Red dragons flew out of her aura, undoing the spell on her dragon. He let out a bellow and sent flames everywhere, melting the ice over the village.
And as dawn broke over the horizon, the village of Sekhmet woke up, staring with amazement at what Bloom had done.
Icy's eyes were furious. "This isn't over, pixie," she snarled. Gathering her sisters, they flew away, far from the scene of their loss.
Sitting atop her dragon, Bloom flew down towards the village, jubilation in her eyes. She saw the stunned look on Horus's face, the dumbfounded stare in Keket, Jabari, and Nawa's features, and the serene expression in Maia's eyes. She stood forward, smiling at Bloom.
"Princess of Domino," she said, "you have come a long way from when you first arrived. When you started here, you were hawkish, angry, and confused about your place in the world. But now you have taken an important step in finding yourself, in discovering who you are. You found your inner dragon and freed your Enchantix, your final form. What you found here was greater than any magical-power you could ever have: understanding. Understanding yourself, your world, and the people around you is the greatest path to success." She placed her hand on Bloom's forehead.
"You will always be welcome on Pyros," Horus added, stepping forward. "Thank you for saving us from those evil witches and bringing freedom to us. We wish you nothing but success in your quest."
Bloom smiled, gazing at the villagers. Their eyes were filled with not anger, but respect – something she hadn't felt in a long time. The dragon touched her shoulder, and she smiled up at him.
"Thank you," she said, bowing.
The dragon breathed once, letting fire heat over Bloom's head – a soothing fire that made her smile. Then he turned and flew, towards the forest. Maia walked over to Bloom, transformed into her Enchantix. "Now how about we clean up this village?"
The fire-dragons soared back towards Bloom, and the villagers gasped in awe as they encircled them, filled with warmth and heat and light. Maia suspended her pouch in the air, sending red, jasmine-scented dust everywhere.
And unlike last time, Bloom let it happen. She let the fairy-dust encase itself into her dragons, filling them with more warmth than she'd ever seen before. They soared around the village, erasing the soot-marks and restoring it to its former glory. The people of Sekhmet cheered, for they knew their home was restored.
Bloom smiled, taking in the beauty of the dragons, flying over the lush jungle and volcanic mountains. I'm an Enchantix fairy now. She knew she would always savor this moment, this moment of respect and triumph.
"I can't believe my friends are gone," Cyros murmured.
They were at the pond. After setting up all the necessary illusion and protection spells, they'd settled down for more fishing and a new campfire. We'll have to leave here soon, though, or else all the fish will be gone.
"I mean, a week ago – I mean, a thousand-and-twelve years ago – there was an attack," Cyros continued. "Some newly-arrived convicts found their way to our part of Omega and attacked us. But we survived past it. How in the world did Master Ying let our village get destroyed?"
"I don't know," Tecna said. "I'm sorry."
I've lost my friends, too… Grief stabbed her heart as she thought of how she'd fought with Timmy, how gone he was now. He's 0.19 light years away… She remembered Stella's cheerfulness, Bloom's determination, Musa's energy, and Layla's strength. And most of all… Flora. Sweet, caring Flora, who'd never given up on her, even when the others had. Letting out a sigh, she put her arm around Cyros and the two sat quietly together, near the campfire.
"Look," she said, "we've both lost our loved ones. We're probably stuck here for good – by the looks of it, we'll never have them back. But I won't let go of you, Cyros. From now on, you and I are family."
A hint of a smile appeared on Cyros's face, and he closed his eyes. "Goodnight, Tecna."
He fell asleep. Tecna laid the sleeping boy on her lap, gazing at the fire. Along with so many other things, it represented determination, courage, and strength. Even though they were in a realm filled with ice, it still burned, not letting go.
I won't put this flame out… She closed her own eyes, thinking briefly of her best friend, Flora. She remembered the spark between the two of them, how they'd always supported each other through everything, how they'd cared for each other through all that time.
That flame was forever gone, but in its place, a new fire had come. Somehow, Tecna knew that Flora would want her to do this, to care for Cyros like a brother of her own. For Fate had paired them together, and they were to live forever in Omega.
With that, she thought she felt something in her heart warm. As if… she'd done something right. She gazed down at herself and smiled.
Maybe I do have intuition after all.
So, what did you think? Were you surprised about Cyros? Well, I guess it makes sense, because his name does mean "ice" in Greek. Bloom got her Enchantix pretty much the same way she did in the series, but I wanted to make the civilization of Pyros important as well, so that it wasn't just a deserted island and her job wasn't just to beat up dragons.
The chapter's name also has a double-meaning. It's not just about Bloom finding her flame within, but Tecna finding her own flame as well. Even though she's stranded in a cold place, she still finds something to live for.
Next chapter:
- Flora returns back to Alfea.
- Eris takes her bullying to another level.
- Valtor attacks the Museum of Magix.