Chapter 43: Up to Their Old Trix
Auradon
It all felt weird for Ben being back home for the first time in ages after battling against Tezzeret, the Grimm horde and the Trix, Ben could finally return home. His parents were so happy to see him again and felt like his mother would not let him go any time, could hardly blame her for that. Now that he was home, there was a matter of the coronation to prepare and catch up for all he's missed and turned 17, which gave him a lot of thought to make his plans when he becomes king.
Decided for the spare time before he makes his return to school, although Taren said to show up some time, but not sure about Mal as she might not be so interested with many reasons unless he has some ideas to help. Getting up in his training clothes and put some gloves on before walking to the open garden, security be all around the palace so that gives him more time to train without interruptions.
Pulling out his digivice to call out his partner. "Time to come out." Appearing before him was a maroon-eyed yellow-skinned lizard in a bluish-white pelt with navy blue markings and purple claws. A yellow horn protrudes at the top of its head and its belly is blue with unusual pink markings. The Digimon before him was the Rookie level form of Tsunomon, Gabumon. He looked almost a cross between a reptile and a wolf, or bear but hard to tell.
"Ready when you are, Ben." Gabumon says with confidence and brought up his claws.
Wanting to stay in shape and more time to study with no Grimm or monsters to fight for the time being, the prince got into a stance with his Beast Within summoned to his hand. "Alright, just come at me and try not to hold back."
Without holding back, Gabumon rushed in to make the first strike with his Claw Attack, Ben went into his defence to block the attacks with his keyblade and the horn that came close. He jumped back and struck forward but Gabumon jumped back and pulls back his head.
"Blue Blaster!" Spits out a stream of blue ice-like flames towards the prince who quickly threw himself to the left to dodge the coming attack and kept a safe distance from his attacks, anticipating another but used a Barrier spell to take the hit. Gabumon launched forward with his horn out first, this time Ben brought to occasional use the punch, kick, or his keyblade without using some of the magic commands too much to balance the skills as he remembered from his training. Maybe can as Phil for advice on hero training or something if he visits Olympia.
Rather than go all out, Ben wants to avoid making any damage to the backyard to avoid getting grounded fore making such a mess. He dodges another of Gabumon's Blue Blaster, but what he didn't know was when it hit something in the trees.
"WHOA! Oof!" He heard a loud thump when something big fell to the ground, allowing Ben know what it was. Lying in the ground and groaning was a tall strong built teen with brunette hair, wearing a green shirt and khaki shorts and brown shoes.
"Herry? What are you doing here?"
Barely hurt by the fall and looked up to see Ben when he jumped up on his feet and held his arms out. "Ben! Oh, man, I thought it was you." Grabbing the nervous prince who knows him for his… incredible strength. Lifted him from the ground and having a hard time breathing.
"Yeah… uh, Herry… hard to…"
"Oh, sorry, bud. Guess I kinda take after my dad. t's just been so long since I thought to check if you were back or not." Herry puts him back down and noticed the curious creature with the fur coat. "Uh, Ben…"
"Yeah, a long story. This is my new partner Gabumon. We were doing some training when he… evolved." Or the phrase for the Digimon to say 'Digivolved' when his transformation almost surprised him and others who witnessed. "Maybe this should explain it, he was a gift from Ansem the Wise."
"Nice to meet ya." Gabumon spoke when Ben pulls out his Digivice and displayed an image of his partner
Gabumon
Rookie Level
Type: Data/Vaccine/Virus
Special Attacks: Blue Blaster, Horn Attack, and Little Horn
Herry was awed and knelt down to see the Digimon. "Cool, so he's like some summon or something."
"Yeah, only he can come out of this anytime for a fight or not. That's why I thought to know what other abilities, Gabumon might have." Ben explains to him and put his digivice away.
"Awesome. What about Taren? Anything from him?" Herry asks him, thinking if he heard of anything or know what happened to the redhead.
Ben knew many will be amaze and shocked to find out what happened to them on the adventures they went on."Oh, yeah, and wait til' you hear the story I got for some of you."
"Ben? What's going out here?" They see his mother, Belle, walk out and find out in the garden.
"Sorry, mom, it was just Herry who came by." Ben told her as Herry smiled sheepishly of his stunt.
"Yeah, my bad. Too many people so I climbed over." Herry apologies to the queen, but Belle didn't seem to mad and smiles to see them.
"Well, guess we can't blame you since we've been getting nothing but reporters." Belle would need to deal with them to get the media off their backs for a while. "Seeing as you're here, maybe you two can catch up on things while I get something for you to eat. And Ben, don't forget to be ready for the reopening of Red Fountain if your going to pay a visit."
"Sure, mom and no worries, I got plenty of time." Ben could take the chance to speak with a familiar face while he has time to be ready after hearing the announcement from his friends of the reopening.
Not familiar with the name, Herry glances at Ben to ask. "Red Fountain?"
"It's a sort of school for people to be trained as heroes, think you would like it." Ben says.
"Man, you sure have been through a lot. And you sure look a little grown." Herry smiles as he noticed the firm build frame on Ben's arms, looks physically stronger than he was.
"You think? Didn't notice much to be honest." It would be cause of the training he took over the months from Red Fountain and the first time being a Keyblader. "Just glad to see you are alright after the attack."
"Yeah, those monsters packed a punch, luckily being the son of Hercules, I was able to hold them off before Riku arrived to help my dad. But what happened to them anyway?" Herry asked him after what has happened in the previous months while he was away.
"That is a long story to tell you, bud." Ben would have a story to say, but also wondered how anyone would think of him after being away? While kept up his studies to not fall behind, he was told it would take some time to adjust to being a wielder of the keyblade and not just a prince.
There was another matter that worried him from the discussion with the Keyblade Masters.
Flashback
Mal was nervous of meeting Sora, the arch foe of her mother since the previous conflict and believed to have been responsible for her defeat after Mal's birth. But what came next surprised her and others when they were invited to Yen Sid's tower to discuss something important.
"You… you know who I am?" Mal stuttered before the spikey haired keyblade master.
Sora gave a good look at her and nods his head as a response to her question. "Yes. It was when we came back from the Magic Dimension, we found Maleficent's whereabouts after it was revealed she had something to do with forming an alliance with the Ancestral Witches."
"Indeed, however, the Ancestral Witches were known by many for their hunger for power and sheer arrogance to underestimate their foes. She only send a brief force of Heartless into the Magic Dimension but was short lived when Tezzeret was freed by the witches." Yen Sid brings up the events of the conflict back in the Magic Dimension.
"People said she was defeated but not many seem to know how and thought it was you who did it." Taren never did ask how it was possible but many seem to believe his parents and the other Keyblade wielders were the cause.
Riku shook his head. "No, that's not how it happened. She was in a battle who we believed to had been Tezzeret who betrayed her, or someone who could have been more powerful to defeat her."
No one liked to think there could have been a far more dangerous foe strong enough to defeat Maleficent, but still find it odd how nobody had ever found out since then. Even though Mal barely knew her mother, she wanted to know what happened that day. "Does… anyone else know about me?"
"No, when we found you as a baby which surprised us all, only me, Mickey, Riku, Kairi, and Master Yen Sid only know since we felt you deserved a better life then be seen as the villain's daughter."
Mal was silent when taking in the information and was fortunate that they gave her a chance long ago. "Well… at least… thanks, uh…" Tries to figure a way to say it but could not think of anything. "Sorry, it's hard to think of what to say and-"
"Don't worry, we know what you wanted to say." Riku assured the purple haired teen. "And after what you did, I think we made the right choice."
"But now there is another matter to discuss, this prophecy the Fates have spoken is troubling." The sorcerer felt concerned when he learned of the possible future that could happen. A possible new threat that could rise and may be more dangerous than Tezzeret, but still troubled by this information
"You think it could be the Trix? I mean, they're behind bars now." Sora thought if it were when they were defeated.
Yen Sid did not seem so as he stroked his beard to think. "Hmm, most uncertain. We will need to be more alert and prepare, it is uncertain the Fates will say anything that may changed the future."
"So does that mean its not over?" Asking a question everyone had on their minds, this worried Taren of what could be the beginning.
"Hmm, it is too soon to tell. So we must be ready." Yen Sid turned to Taren, Ben, and Mal. "There are many trials ahead for you to face, I shall inform the Company of Light and King Mickey."
"That might be a good idea, maybe this time we be more prepared than last time." Ben hoped to avoid another attack like the Grimm.
End Flashback
"Are you alright?" Ben snapped from his train of thoughts to hear Gabumon ask him when Herry looked at him in wonder.
"Yeah, bro, you look like you were in another place." Herry said when he saw him spacing out.
Ben shook his head. "Sorry about that, I guess I was thinking of something. And some ideas I've been thinking for my first act as King."
"Oh, yeah, your coronation. Must be nervous for the big day soon." Herry said after he heard about it. "Wonder how Taren is doing, can't wait to see him.
"Compared to what I fought, this would be like a walk in the park for me." Ben would leave out the details about Taren for a surprise. And something he thought about which he needed to discuss with for his plans as future elect king.
"So you'll make it for the reopening of Red Fountain?" Talking from the phone was Sky's voice speaking to Taren when he heard about Alfea's reopening for the new school year but unable to make it when he wanted to spend time with his family and do some catching up, but told the girls he would come for Red Fountain's reopening ceremony or before.
Taren was in the underground ruins with his father to find anything to know more of their family and ancestral heritage. It was fortunate they didn't draw much attention with his mother's help to say they found something by luck and wanted to be certain before keeping part of the island. Taren could still hardly believe it was this big and how the ancient settlers covered it all up after all this time. Some he found were strange and almost alien, not only artefacts but some technologies unknown to anyone, but found some books with some translations to work with.
"You bet. I know I wanted to come today, but Bloom and Flora thought I should spend some time with my folks at home after not seeing them for a long time." Taren told him. "By the way, how did it look when you got there?"
"The school looks all good when it was opened and Headmistress Faragonda congratulated the Winx Club for what they done for their part." Sky explains. "Bloom's probably thinking of her birth parents and how to bring them back."
Taren remembered that day when he found out the fate of her family when they risked their lives for her to avoid falling into the hands of the Ancestral Witches and Tezzeret. He promised to help her in anyway to restore Domino. "Yeah, she really took it hard after what happened but least she has us to help. I'll contact you guys when I get there and we'll bring in the new gears for you."
"Look forward to it, let's hope this year be without trouble or evil villains." Sky could agree with him more and certainly look forward to it. "Gotta go, bud, tell Ben and Mal we said 'hi' to them."
"Will do." Hangs up the phone and checks his stuff. "Man, things are going to be hard to adjust. Just have to do one of those chats to see how they're doing or make a visit during the weekend like Flora said." Not to mention the schoolwork to do. "Wonder if they'll like Ghostbusters or see the Hobbit Movies?"
"Hey, Taren, come and give me a hand here."
His father calls out to him, finding the brunette pulled out some trunk, it was fortunate for them was well preserved like everything else inside from gathering dust or decay over time. "Think I found something we could try open and find out." Sora found a lock on it, but nothing to worry the Keyblade Master, took a step back and summoned his Kingdom Key to unlock it.
They opened it up, and inside were a pile of books, items and armor. Taren took one of them and noticed the written notes and sketches. "This looks journals, they must have written many things in them."
"Maybe we can know more about them and find something import-" Sora paused when he looked stared at the book in his hands, looking as if he seen a ghost which caught Taren's attention to seeing him like this.
"Dad? What's the matter?" He came over to see something on the page, then he saw the photo of a family with a child that he recognised was his father but as a child. "Wait… this is-"
"My dad's journal." Sora spoke. "That's me when I was a kid, and my mother… this man." Pointing his finger to the images of a young beautiful brunette woman and a man that Taren saw looked tall and smiling man holding his father in his arms. "Is your grandfather. Valgard Strife."
Taren recognised him from his visions a while ago and never knew who he was. "Dad… I think I know him before, he was in my visions one time, but I never knew him."
This surprised Sora to hear about his son meeting his late grandfather. "Wait, you saw him?" Asking Taren of what he knew.
"I remember seeing him when I was… uh, bashed up a little. He came to me and spoke some words to get back on my feet." Taren explains to his father. "I had no idea who he was until now. So he really was my grandfather?"
If Sora remembered correctly, the current user of the Dragon's Flame could gain access to their predecessors' memories and the spirits before them. So could it be possible his father was a vessel of the Flame? Sora nods his head to answer his question. "Yes, he was. You see I never got to know what happened to him when I was only 6 years od, only to hear about him going on adventures and telling me stories." Let out a soft chuckle of the fond memories and remembering himself so excite and hearing about them. "Guess it was what made me inspired to do that when I was your age."
"Sounds like he was a fun guy." Taren commented and could ask a lot about him. But somehow he had a feeling it was not what he might like to hear. "But… what happened?"
His father sighs and took a moment before he can respond. "I don't know what happened. All I know he died when I was very young to remember. Your grandmother took it hard when she was told about it. He was buried later on and I made a vow to protect the ones I love."
This started to make sense for his father making such hard choices to protect everyone, especially his mother twice when he almost risked becoming a Heartless or ended up someplace where he could never go back. Thinking of knowing more about him, and maybe try to get a connection to his late grandfather somehow with his powers one day.
Suddenly his phone rang when snapped out of his thoughts and caused the two to wonder who it could be. Taren picks it up and finds Bloom's name on it when he answers it. "Bloom? What's up?"
"Hey, sorry if its sudden but could you perhaps come around to Alfea? Just something happened an could use some help some time."
Not sure what was going on but something from the way she spoke sounded surprise or alarmed. "Wait, hold up, just slow down and explain everything."
"Sorry, you see, four days ago, a girl came out of the woods, she was so exhausted we brought her to the infirmary. Then we found something you see for yourselves when you get here, but here's what she had on her belt." Taren was unsure what was going on but then received an image from her phone and opened it up. That's when he realised what she was talking about and could not believe it. "Dad. I think we need to go to Magix a little early."
"What is it? Is it Grimm?" Sora asked, his son shows him the image of his phone and surprised what he was seeing. "Hold on that looks like-"
"I know and I don't think Bloom would make a stunt like this." Taren was certain and unable to believe it. "Hey, I'm coming over as soon as I can and just try not to worry too much as long as she's okay."
"I'll try, but see you soon." She hangs up on her phone and leaves the two to make their leave.
Sora calls for Kairi to let her know what was going on. "Hey, Kairi, think we're making a little early schedule for a trip to Magix. I'll explain when we get home."
Radiant Garden
Since finding out about the secret of Destiny Island, Kairi and Sora wanted to keep it hidden as possible without drawing too much attention from the public, they had help from Ansem and his team to collect the data to research into and find out more about the ancient Drocarhen people before their downfall. From what they know so far, the knowledge of the previous wielders of the Dragon Flame have been archived, all members the Strife family and also the first known user, Chandra. They had to find out anything to help, journals, portraits, arts, anything that have preserved knowledge of the peoples' forgotten culture and the wielders to understand the Flame's powers.
Cid was going through the data when he finished some experiments on the latest project he was working for the Specialists. But now working on something new they found that was interesting.
"Now if only this had some way to hack into this antique, I could maybe know how to get it working." Cid muttered and stroked his beard while trying to know of this technology.
One of the computer screens was signalling a coming call, he opens it up to see Squall online. "Hey, Cid, Squall here. Sorry for the interruptions but thought to ask if you got those gears ready to deliver to Red Fountain. Figured we could bring them for the reopening of their school after it was wrecked in the war."
"Yeah, they're ready, a little late due to unexpected problems. But think I got some working to be a late gift." He heard about the kids having summons called Titans that helped them fight off the Grimm, even heard that the new Keybladers have partners called Digimon from a world the scientists discovered and already received news of their hatching and achieved new levels. "I'll get them packed up for transport, but need permission to land there since I'm not magic."
Squall nods his head and respond to Cid's statement. "I'll contact Lea on the other side to be noted. How goes the research, Cid?"
Cid let out a tired groan and rubbed his eyes. "Exhausting, Some of this I don't get but the translation is taking slow to analyse it. Give it a few days and maybe get some results, but luckily that new ship we got built from those blueprints should be ready to take off when it's ready. Wonder how those kids are doing after their first adventure?"
"Hard to say, but least they get a chance of a moment of peace to spend time with their friends and families." Squall believed it would be awhile after the action and battles they went through, least they agree that they didn't vanish or forget about the kids like what happened to Sora one time.
He receives a call from Sora, which was a surprise and pulled it up for a private call. "Hang on, I got a call from Sora. Yeah? You want to go Magix? I thought that was for another few-Wait all for a girl? Let me guess, one of the brat's girlfriends asked for a date? It's not?" Then his confusion turned to a shock and almost thought he misunderstood. "You're not pulling my leg, are you, Sora? Okay, I'll get a call for the others if they can meet you here. Just gimme a chance to get some stuff done." Disconnects the call and sighs with Squall confused of the conversation.
Cid turns to the screen and decided to tell him anyway. "You're not gonna believe what I heard and better get a call from those lab guys, they wanna hear about this."
Just when he thought things couldn't get any weirder, it just did. But thankfully no villains or witches on the loose to cause trouble for them.
Magix, Fortress of Light
In the mountainous regions, unknown to anyone of every finding its location, a temple that rest upon a huge rocky mountain, immersed in the clouds and populated by the Templars, knights and monks that serve to protect the temple and learn the ancient martial arts to become highly trained and qualified warriors to guard and help guide prisoners who have committed serious crimes to a path of redemption, rather then punishing them for what they've done like most prisons would.
Unaware of a certain visitor had other ideas upon finding this place unlike those who had tried and failed to search for the monastery.
"Ah, so this must be where they put those three witches. So calm, peaceful... and boring! What insane fool would choose over tranquillity over chaos and destruction?! Complete madness I should say!" The intruder proclaimed. "They're probably torturing any respecting villain that comes here with their happy faces and dreadful everyday music! But… I guess that's what they get for… LETTING THE HEROES WIN!"
Thinking of how the Trix were defeated after underestimating their foes, when they had the power of the Dragon's Flame to summon the imprisoned army with the cyborg warlock and former keyblade master, Tezzert to assist them with the Grimm under their control.
They almost succeeded, but failed to realise how strong willed the Winx were, especially their allies and the new keyblade wielders. Their pride and underestimating their foe became their downfall.
"But it won't be long, my dearies. Things are going to be a whole lot of fun with mischief and discord to bring back the good ol' days. those brats will stop a former god of magic."
Alfea
A new year had started and Alfea was restored to its natural state after the war, with their break over it was a chance to start a new year of learning magic to become future fairies. Especially with a new course for students to learn called the Winx after the one of the groups of heroes who saved Magix.
While the Winx had plenty of time to rest up after excitd to be back from their vacations, some did not get all the sleep with an unexpected moment that happened, especially with a certain Bloom struggling to stay awake in Wizgiz' class and only been the fourth day since the school started.
"I know what you're thinking. Wouldn't it be nice if all the things in the universe were good?" The Leprechaun professor asks the class for those that were thinking of some idea when they remembered what happened in the last school year. "Well, that's not the case. Furthermore, that's not possible." Sits on his desk as he continues the lecture. "Because in the universe, there is no light without darkness. When a form of energy is created, it produces an opposite force. Equally strong. Observe." Reached out his hand and shown nothing in it to confuse the class. "What do you see?"
"Professor, you're showing us nothing. Wizgiz disables the light" One of the students, Amaryl gave a statement, when many could not help but laugh if it was meant to be one of his jokes.
The professor lets them laugh while he smiles of the humor and demonstrates by flickering his fingers to turn the lights in the room off, surprising the students and projecting light from his hand. "See? What I did was, I captured some of the light that was in the room. But it only shows its power in the darkness, its polar opposite."
Finishes his demonstration and turned the lights back on. "As I mentioned at the beginning of this introductory class, the existence of good energy results in the creation of an equal amount of evil energy. Normally, these forces are balanced. But sometimes, balancing needs a little bit of help." Gestures to the black board with the drawing of the Yin-Yang symbol.
Stella noticed how Bloom was half awake and could barely stay focus for long as Wizgiz continues talking.
"A dynamic energy between the dominant force and the recessive one. BLOOOOMM!
Bloom woke up when she heard her name and stuttered. "Huh? Yes, professor?"
"I am well aware that this is a review, but you will need to know this for your new classes." He reminded her with a statement to be awake for the new courses to study.
Feeling embarrassed of falling asleep in class, which never happened to her before. But made certain to remember what he told her. "Yes, I'm sorry."
"Can you tell me what is missing from my diagram?" He asks her for an answer if she can understand the symbol.
Bloom took a careful look at it and easily recognise it from one of the many symbols of Earth, but unable to understand the question. "I think Stella's got earrings that look like that." Points to Stella wearing the earrings she had on which the blonde smiles and the class laughed of her response.
Wizgiz decided to give an answer to explain. "In theory, there is a third and even greater energy which manifests itself in special situations."
Bloom mentally groaned and drops her head to the book, thinking of how stupid that answer she gave was when she could have paid attention in class.
Within the Alfea Infirmary, Musa and Flora were tending to a young girl who was in bed, she has dark-skinned girl with a medium brown complexion and long, curly mahogany brown hair. Flora was beside her, gently placing the wet towel over her head to ease the head when she noticed the girl's eyes were opening.
"Hey, she's waking up." Flora called out to Musa, but spoke in a low tone from waking her up too sudden.
Musa spent most of the time wondering about in the room until she heard Flora and came over to check on the guest. They watched her shot up from her sleep, looking confused and scared when she found herself in an unfamiliar environment.
"Oh, my! Four days. It's been four days?" Got up on her feet and looked around for something, becoming increasingly alarmed. "Piff! Where's Piff?" She asked both of them who only looked confused and unsure who she was talking about, exhausted once more and collapses on the bed.
Both the girls went silent to find out more about the mysterious girl. Musa thought of how she was able to know the number of days without being told. "She's nuts. She looks at the palm of her hands to find out which day this is."
"Yep. And she got it right, too." Bloom came in with Stella when they found out their guest was briefly awake to know a little.
Stella agreed with a smile on her face. "Make sense. Wrinkles show the unstoppable flow of time. Except for me, of course. " She concluded by her belief, walking over to see her and had some questions to find out. "I wonder what her name is."
"We don't know yet." Flora says to her when they know nothing about the girl.
"Is she okay?" Bloom asked them.
"She doesn't look so good." Musa believed while staring at the unconscious girl.
A nurse walked into the room to find them gathering around her patient and came to assure them of their worries. "Don't worry, young ladies. Your friend is just a little pale around the gills."
Flora noticed her eyes fluttering once more, possibly a sign of regaining conscious. "Look, she's waking up again."
She sits up once more and reached her head. "Wa… where am I?" She spoke softly and asked for where she was."
"You're safe in Alfea School." Musa told her.
"You had a dream, you were looking for Piff." Flora pondered if this Piff meant something to her, only to see an expression of surprise on her face when she mentioned the name.
"You know Piff?" She reached out to gently grab Flora by the shoulder and looked concerned. "Where is she? Tell me, is she alright? Please tell me?"
Flora gave a warm caring smile to her and held her hand to calm her down. "Don't worry, everything will be okay."
Sensing she could trust them and sighs in relief before resting her head back on the pillow once more. Bloom was curious as she remembered something from when they found her with a small magical creature she recognised as a Pixie.
"Piff is your bonded Pixie, isn't she?" Bloom remembered from her studies of the nature of magical creatures and relations between some races such as the Fairies and Pixies that are tiny and most of them were female by their appearance. "Fairies and Pixies can bond like sisters, right? She was the first thing on your mind as soon as you woke up."
"And here she is." Stella said, gesturing to a small Pixie that was no more than a baby with a pink puffy nightcap. Sound asleep on a pillow, she came over and relieved to see her unharmed. "Piff. Thank goodness. I dreamt about you, baby. But in my dream, you suddenly left me all alone."
There was something else the Winx wanted to ask her when she suddenly reached her hand to her stomach that was making the gurgling sound, meaning she needed food after being unconscious for days.
"Lunchtime!" Stella proclaimed when she held a sandwich to the surprised guest but spoke a little too loud.
"Stella, don't shout." Flora told her with a low voice to avoid waking the infant pixie, but it was too late and Piff was fully awake and looking upset before burst into tears.
Stella felt bad for waking her and tried to calm Piff down. "No, no! Come on! Oh, please, don't cry!" Not knowing that she held the sandwich and some of it was sliping out of the bread, catching Bloom's attention and tries to warn her.
"Um, Stella. You're losing control of your sandwich."
Stella was confused of what she meant, but the cries of Piff became louder to startle her enough to toss the sandwich over her head and made an unfortunate accident on the unnamed girl's hair. However, it did seem to calm Piff down to fall back to sleep.
Musa held back the urge from chuckling and spoke out. "Hey, welcome to Alfea." This led to a series of giggles and laughs. But then something came into the girl's mind of something when she found her clothes changed. "Wha.. where's um, you haven't seen a device that was strapped to my belt?" Becoming a little worried and feared something happened.
"You mean this?" Bloom held out to what they recognised was a Digivice, but unlike the others they know of, her's was bluish grey.
"Hey, isn't that a Digivice?" Stella asked when she was surprise to find out, Musa and Tecna never had a close look at them when they first heard about Taren, Ben, and Mal have new partners. Looking at one in person was a first for them.
This surprised the girl when Bloom knew of it. "You know what it is?"
"We do, but never expected to find another one like yours." Flora explained when they handed it over to her and watch as she pressed a button and a beam of light sprang out to the floor to take shape. A white, furry sea lion with no nose and long ears, purple markings, an orange-red mane, large claws, a short tail like a Sea otter, and a W-shaped smile with two pointed teeth popping out.
IT looked a little tired out before waking up to reveal its green eyes and turend to the girl with a smile. "Layla, you're alright!"
"Gomamon! Oh, thank goodness your safe!" The girl now named Layla smiled and embraced the Digimon in her arms. "And your all better now."
"Hey, why is there a sandwich on your head? Funny way to eat it." Gomamon asked when he was curious.
"Uh, sorry about that." Stella smiles and waved to them. "But maybe you like to explain everything of how you got a Digimon and everything else."
They helped clean her hair and clothes from the mess and fixed up her lunch while Gomamon munched down on some food he was given to get some energy back.
Layla felt much better now her partner and Pixie were safe and decided to ask the girls a few questions on her mind. "So this is your school, am I correct?"
"Yes. I'm Musa."
"And I'm Flora."
"My name's Bloom."
"I'm Stella."
"My name is Layla, but already know that, and this is Gomamon." Gesturing her hand to the Digimon who waves his right flipper after being introduced. "But how did you know he was a Digimon or what he is for that matter?"
"One of our friends will be arriving soon, they have Digimon partners as well." Bloom answered her question.
Gomamon heard what the redhead said and was surprised to find out there are others like him. "So there are others? I can't wait to meet them."
Layla was interested and wanted to ask more, but there were more important matters at had. "It would be nice. If only I could have saved the Pixies."
"The Pixies?" The girls asked at once when she mentioned about them.
Musa could not help but come curious about them and asked her. "How many are there?"
"Oh, just a village full of them." Gomamon told her, and saw them surprised to know about it.
"A village? And you live with them?" The curious Bloom asks her to know.
Layla shook her head. "Well, not exactly, we're friends with them."
"And how did Gomamon fit into all this?" Musa asks her to find out but Flora stopped her before they continue on.
"Hey! Girls, quiet. We shouldn't bother her. If she wants, she can tell us everything when she feels better." Much as she wanted to know, but wanted to give Lyala time to recover and answer all the questions they have when she's ready. Gave a small wet towel to put on her forehead.
Layla was relieved and appreciated Flora's aide. "Thanks, Flora."
"I'm sure Faragonda will want to hear your story" Bloom says to Layla, and no doubt Taren when he arrives after she shown him Layla's digivice. "And also curious about Gomamon and how you became his partner."
"Hey, me, too! This is gossip." Stella was eager to find out about them, taking a bite of a tomato slice.
Offering to help Layla would be appreciated, but she felt uncertain if they know how dangerous this was and felt uncertain about it. "But… it would be dangerous for you to get involved."
But Bloom smiles and was not afraid of danger after what the girls fought alongside with their friends. Gave a supporting smile to Layla. "Whatever's going on, maybe we can help."
"Here." Layla turns to see a small cup in Flora's hands. "Drink this. It'll help you get your strength back.
Thanks." Accepting her offer and drinks it, feeling her strength slowly recover as she takes most of it down slowly. Then, once she felt better, Lyala began her story to explain to the girls. "It all started a little while back. My family and the Pixies have always been close. Every year, we'd go to their village to visit them. But this time the village was empty. The Pixies were off to the Dark Woods for a nature ceremony, and only Lockette and Blinky made it back with the news that the others had been kidnapped by terrible shadow creatures. The Pixies tried to protect themselves with magic but it didn't work. And so by following the trail of tar the creatures had left behind, we discovered where the Pixies had been taken." Layla stops for a moment as something else that troubled her more before she continued. "The trail led us through dark tunnels until we came upon a huge underground castle. And then we met something with superhuman power, the master of all these evil creatures we'd encountered. "
They listen to her story, but uncertain if these shadow creatures she spoke about may be the Grimm they fought, but it was uncertain when no reports of their activities or sightings since the defeat of Tezzeret and his army. They all hope she was referring to something else and the Grimm were truly gone.
"And? What did it look like?" Bloom asks Layla to know about this character she mentioned.
Layla tries to remember what it was and gave a description of her encounter. "It was a huge bird, a sort of phoenix, monstrous and evil-looking. And then it transformed itself. I saw it turn into something like a man. An armored knight with ultra-sharp claws."
Flora gasped of the dreaded thought of this monster from her description, memories of Tezzeret and the Grimm flooded back to her mind of the battles she fought them. "Oh, no! Did he hurt you?"
"He caught us in no time. Then he drained all my strength away." Layla quivered of the memories of the creature that attacked her. "He took Lockette and Blinky and threw them into magic cells with all the other Pixies from the village. Gomamon tried to fight back but he overpowered my partner."
Gomamon nodded to confirm her story. "Yeah, I never fought anyone like him before but couldn't let him hurt Layla."
"Are the Pixies still alive?" Flora asked her in hopes noting tragic happened to them, the same for the others who were thinking the same thing.
Layla was uncertain but hopes nothing happened to them while they were prisoners. "The Pixies… there are only a few left." Her eyes started to tear up and unable to prevent herself from crying. "I was able to free them, but then I… I tried to bring them with me, but I couldn't! I should never have left them!"
"Come here." Musa offered to comfort the crying girl with her arms around her.
Unable to let her bare the weight of the burden on her shoulders, Bloom decided to help her. "We'll help you, Layla. We'll free the Pixies together."
"You can count on us." Musa assured her.
Deep within the underground caverns were there is hardly any light at all, nothing but darkness and a waterfall was a fortress carved from above, making any attempts to invade the fortress impossible by foot. Within the large throne room was a skeletal being, clad in dark red armor, lacking any flesh or muscles but capable of moving. Torn and worn out fabric with signs of decay glowed in red from the back to serve as a cap or cloak. The ancient skeletal being was known as Darkar, the rule of the fortress and one who has captured the pixies for his plans.
They almost escaped with the help of a fairy but dealt with her and her pet, now needed to focus on his plans without interference and to find out more what he needed. "Kerbog!"
Calls out a name, and receives a sound of screeches, a black faceless creature with six limbs flew towards him and wrapped its tendrils around his arm like a bat. "Have you retrieved the information?" Darkar was able to understand his creature and looked suprirse with the information he received. "What? The Codex is in four parts? Are you sure?"
Not liking the answer he received and grew frustrated. "You fool! I know the Pixies are hiding one of the quadrants. But where are the other three?" The creature, Kerbog answers another this time he was interested. "Magix, of course! The schools."
Kerbog flews away as Darkar begins his plans to find the pieces of the artefact called the Codex
Fortress of Light
The monks continued their patrols and mediate to guard the monastery from trespassers, standing guard to the entrance. Armed only but their staffs as their preferred weapon of choice for combat against their foes if they somehow able to pass through the barriers that protect the sanctuary.
Little do they know of a powerful dark force would test their skills as a large avian beast rose from the clouds, catching them off guard and let out a screech.
"Holy Lightrock!"
"Where did it come from? The clouds are a dimensional wall!" The monks could not understand how such a creature was able to penetrate the clouds, but hardly mattered now when the beast flew over.
"My, my. Things have just become more interesting!"
The guards heard a cheerful male voice, tried to find the source of that voice and found a strange man in odd colourful clothing. He had green eyes, long blond hair tied into a ponytail, worn with a feathered headdress. The most notable features of this intruder was his face is painted white with red around his eyes and his lips are variably bright red or purple, given the impression if he were a clown or a jester. Wears a large, ruffled collar that is primarily yellow with red stripes.
The guards pointed their staffs towards this mysterious intruder. "Who are you? Are you the one who sent that creature?"
The mysterious intruder gave an amused grin and waved his right hand to his chest. "Who me? How rude to accuse someone who didn't but wanted to! I was just passing by, doing some sight seeing… and cause a little mischief!" Not letting the guards the chance to respond to his statement, his hands had a ball of purple lightening and threw them at the guards, sending them hurtling to the walls and only bruised them. "Much as I like to have fun, but I'm on a schedule."
Strolls inside without a care in the world and witnessed the flying creature wrecking havoc. "Now sure what's going on… but I like it! And it feels somewhat familiar to me." His lips grew into a sinister grin, wide as his lips could reach from ear to ear. "This just got a little more fun."
The guards that witness his intrusion focused on him to intercept, but the mad cloud villain was more powerful then he proved using strong magic to blast them away or create a barrier to remain unharmed. He was interested in the phoenix and followed it inside. The ground erupted in a wave of explosion from a wave of his hand to catch both the knights and guardians unprepared of his power.
Within was used by the infamous Trix who were sentence to be rehabilitated by their former headmistress after she decided to give the witches another chance to hopefully redeem themselves, being forced to endure the humiliation of walking through the artificial background to project a park with sunshine, joyful music, numerous microphones to talk them into being good, and seeing many happy faces.
Despite the Disciples' attempts, the Trix have made no signs of redemption with their hate and anger only fuelled their desire for vengeance on those who ruined everything they had planned. Memories of how the Trix were defeated after underestimating their foes, when they had the power of the Dragon's Flame to summon the imprisoned army with the cyborg warlock and former keyblade master, Tezzert to assist them with the Grimm under their control.
Only to let it slip from their fingers.
They almost succeeded, but failed to realise how strong willed the Winx were, especially their allies and the new keyblade wielders. Their pride and underestimating their foe became their downfall.
Icy slumps on the hammock, trying to ignore the music and focus on Bloom, the girl was nothing but a brat who knew nothing of magic was in fact the princess of the fallen kingdom and keeper of the most powerful magic known to the dimension. Everything she had fought for was taken away and all thanks to Bloom. But for the time being while stuck in this fortress and figure a way out. Muttering the words she remembered while her fellow Trix weren't so lucky to find any means of escape with the headbands on them from using their magic.
'Nothing has changed. I will take back my world even if I take the path of darkness.'
"In the shadow of the beech trees, quiet cradles me through the morning breeze." Muttered the phrases from her lips.
Storm sat by a tree and was in a grumpy mood with her legs crossed and gave a growl as the petals fell on her hair. "A petal has come off. It's floating in the air."
Darcy who rested on a ball of hay watches a holographic couple gazing into each other's eyes as though she was completely bored. However, she seems very eager to get out of the place if they do some progress. "Girls, if we don't show some enthusiasm, they'll never let us out on good behaviour." For a brief moment, Darcy noticed the holograms flicker and vanish, something that caught her attention and wondered what was going on.
"No way! That's beneath my dignity." Icy refused to take accept it but noticed the artificial skies that were normally bright and sunny, suddenly became dark and red. "What's happening?"
"I don't know, but I like it." Stormy found the sight of a storm much better than a sunny day. It felt refreshing and sinister to the witches.
Icy grins and feels the wind growing stronger. "Yes! Something wicked is in the air."
Appearing before them in the simulation was a glowing skeleton clad in armor that, each step he took left a burned footprint on the 'grass'.
Icy liked what she was and curious as to what or who this visitor was.
"Who are you?" Darcy asked if the creature understood them.
"No questions. You are now serving the forces of evil." Darkar responded with interest of recruiting the Trix for his plans.
"Am I ever pleased to hear that." Icy thought it be nice to meet another villain and wondered if this guy was like Tezzeret, only lacking the artificial limbs and implants. But if he came to bust them out of the monastery, that was good enough to know he was an ally to work with.
The Trix wasted no time and accepted his offer to escape, Darkar lifts his arms and casts his torn cloak around them to make their leave, reappearing outside the chambers they were trapped in.
"I can't believe it, we're free!" Stormy couldn't believe they were finally out of the cell.
"That light was unbearable." Darcy agreed with her and could not take another day of it.
"So are these silly clothes." Icy muttered with the outfits they were forced to wear after being brought to the fortress. Darker decided to do something about it, using his powers to restore their original clothes before their defeat.
The Trix found themselves back in their and enjoyed the moment of freedom before the Templars came running to them with one of the guards from earlier. They spotted the Trix attempting to escape and called out to others.
"This way!"
The Templars followed and armed with their weapons to stop them.
"Oh no, the Templars!" Stormy decided to repay them for putting her through the 'torture' since their arrival with her access to magic restored. Creating a ball of lightning to do the trick. "Take this!" The attack hardly had any effect on them and still charging at them.
Icy decided to lend a hand to stall them with a wall of ice and hoping to freeze them. At first it looks as though it worked, only to be easily shattered by the Templars.
Darcy realised their attack spells would not work on them. "They're immune to magic."
Darkar anticipated this and decided to give them a gift. "They're immune to you'remagic."
Reached out his hand and used his powers to amplify the Trix's powers to a new level, Stormy and Darcy wore a bracelet with a jewel on the base of their hands while Icy's took the form of a necklace, glowing with a respective color of their powers.
Stormy studied her new gift and smiles of how much power is flowing within her. "I feel much stronger."
"These are the Gloomix. They will multiply your power." Darkar explains to them of the abilities he gave them. "Prove your worth to me."
Icy didn't need to be told twice and ready for action. "Alright, girls. Let's get them."
Darcy went first and tried out her new power. "Obtical Darkness!" The spell she cast caused the Templars to stagger and cease their charge when they found themselves blinded by her spell.
"She's blinded us."
One of them had an idea and closed his eyes. "Use your ears. Remember your training." They did so and used the other senses to continue the assault.
"Did they resist Darcy's spell?" Stormy thought if it were possible.
Icy didn't think so and knew it worked given how strong willed the Templars are through years of discipline and training. "No, they just don't know when to quite." Unleashes a hail of snow and wind at them while they cannot see, giving the Trix the advantage, combining their powers together to create a hurricane and blizzard, freezing the guards where they stood.
Icy felt more confident with the Gloomix and might be the key to regain what she wanted. "With these Gloomix, it'll be easy to get the Dragon's Fire."
"FOOLS!" Darker roared of how single minded their goals were. "There is much greater power than the Dragon's Fire!"
"Greater than the Drgaon?!" Darcy thought she heard him right, something far more powerful than the Fire itself was unheard of. Sure there was Kingdom Hearts but that was in another dimension and that was beyond their reach.
"Yes! And it will be mine, just as you three are mind!" Darkar proclaims to the Trix who could no doubt imagine the taste of this new power be like. Decided it was time to leave with more important things to do before they draw too much attention. "This place drives me mad!"
Making their leave for the fortress, but found it already in a state of mess, the Trix assumed it was his doing but he took no notice and transformed into the dark firey phoenix. The Trix took the air and fly off with him to their new lair.
When they were gone, the clown costumed intruder casts away the illusion and watched the whole thing with a growing grin of madness on his face when he heard everything from their conversation. "This just got more interesting than I imagined! And what would this greater power he spoke of?" Taps his chin when taking a thinking pose until a moment later jumps with glee. "Oh, I'm just so excited of the chaos and destruction this could inflict upon so many worlds! "
Lets out a excitable laugh as he vanished into a bright light, leaving the wounded to recover and perhaps warn the dimension of their escape. But not before he let out a echoing voice to leave a message.
"Look out worlds! Kefka's back in town!"
Taren's eyes shot open and gasped, uncertain why but had this bad dream… or a nightmare of something bad was gonna happen.
"Are you alright?" Finds himself in a chair and turned to see Riku on the controls, they were in a new ship built from Radiant Garden's engineering team with the help of the scientists to build new space-worthy vessels like the old Gummi ships.
Taren let out a soft sigh and slumps back to the chair. "I dunno. But just this… dream or something, maybe just overslept."
Riku thought so but from the look of it, the young teen possibly had a bad one from the look of it. "Well we should be at Magix soon, so maybe you were just a ltitle worried. Anyway, this ship will surprise them when we land it."
Taren could imagine so and could not wait to show it to his friends, Timmy and Tecna would spend days inside to look inside. But still he was worried something was going to happen and not like the feel of it. "I just got a bad feeling about this." He mumbled under his breath and rested, but smiles at the sight of the large planet in sight and could not wait to see the girls.
I hope you all enjoyed it and as well for the intro of the new characters, I had some ideas in mind and introduce the son of Hercules and Meg, Herry. The character is in fact based on one of the main protagonists of Class of the Titans and thought of some ideas for it. But also will introduce other OCs in mind too as the next generation but won't say who. And now a new Digimon is introduced and many will wonder how Layla becamd partnered with Gomamon.
And I hope you like the choice of another villain I made, wanted to leave out some idea for who you think it could be. Some say it was the Joker, others thought Piedmon, but introducing a Mega-level I thought was too soon. I thought a while ago, why not add something from Final Fantasy and did some research on his character and personality which I hope I got it right.
For the new ship, I made some idea of what could be than the Owl, something they need for style and use for travelling to other worlds to explore. You'll see which one it is in the next chapter.