Chapter 45

Betrayed

Faragonda was starting to consider the idea of retiring. It was seven years now that definitely uncommon events verified, eight if you counted the explosion of the laboratory caused by Stella. And in a magic school the concept of "uncommon" is rather flexible. She was too old for this sort of things, and it was proven by the fact that she admitted that she was old. Not out loud, of course.

She didn't have the energy to confront emergencies like she would once anymore, she had started understanding that when Mandragora had attacked the school. She was relegated in the role of the bureaucrat who makes everything fall in line, everything at its place, she, the one who had always been in the front row. That work wasn't easy either anyway, especially when it came to her three new students, who seemed to amplify the effect of the magnet for trouble known as Winx Club. It's not like this surprised her, given the previous years.

She had just heard the report of their latest odyssey together with the holograms of Saladin and Griffin: it had been a surprising success. She wasn't expecting a failure, but she didn't expect it to take some turns either. The participation of the first-year witch, to begin with, but that was Griffin's problem. The fundamental role Darcy had did surprise her, and she noted mentally to tell Palladium to insert a few high level exams to test the witches' spirit of collaboration. Then, there was Cassandra, who apparently developed a quite rare magic bipolarism: it happened often that a witch became a fairy like herself or vice versa, and there was who was never one thing nor the other, that is neutrals, but there was who was both things too.

- It's normal that you can't transform into a fairy, - she was explaining in that moment to the girl, - your powers must stabilize after the shock of the transformation. In a few days they'll go back to normal and with adequate training you'll be able to use both positive and negative magic. -

Cassandra nodded, color coming back on her pale cheeks.

- I imagine you need a good night of sleep, so you're free to go. You are authorized to miss tomorrow's classes, yes, the three of you as well. - said Faragonda.

- You did a great job. - added headmistress Griffin, whose eyes never stopped dashing from Darcy to Stormy and from Stormy to Icy, to then start again.

The three of them seemed to have a certain urge to leave, but since dawn was near it was understandable.

While the others silently walked out of the headmistress' office, Giunia and Ioanna remained back. Faragonda raised an eyebrow. Her instinct signaled more problems coming.

§§

In reality the three witches had good reasons to leave quickly the headmistress' office, and it didn't have much to do with sleep. Stormy couldn't wait to get under covers, it's true, but because with adrenaline gone the thought of Donnie came back buzzing in her mind and she wanted to sleep on it. Icy, of course, wanted nothing more than get in the safety of the apartment and go on Earth to Lzzy because no, she still didn't know anything. Instead, Darcy managed to stay at a distance from the others on the stairs with Walter.

- I guess you're about to say that we need to talk. - he whispered, surprising Darcy.

- More or less... -

- Should I come here this afternoon? -

- Woah, straight to the point uh? It's better tomorrow anyway, I think we'll be busy today. -

- We have to be fast and discreet, right? Why would we be whispering otherwise? -

- In order to be discreet, you should be using less "s". - Darcy mocked him.

- My bad. Would you like something at the White Horse? -

- Too many people. I'm a Trix, half the clients know me. -

- True. I'll come up with something else and it will be a surprise. - concluded Walter winking at her and walking away.

They reached the entrance, his teammates were going down the stairs and Bloom and Sky were a few steps further kissing goodbye. They were definitely done with arguing.

- You have something to tell me. But you'll do it tomorrow, I'm sleepy now. - said a malicious voice behind Darcy.

- Today is tomorrow Stella. - replied Darcy, resigned to her destiny.

A few minutes later they were in their apartment.

- I'm going to Lzzy. Before you protest, I can't wait one more minute. - announced Icy.

Before Musa could list the multiple reasons why she should have waited, Tecna said:

- Ok, but I'm coming with you. -

Icy nodded without thinking. She was just in a hurry.

§§

Lzzy woke up when she heard someone calling her. It was a familiar voice, but it wasn't the boys and she was fairly sure it wasn't Detroit either… She opened an eye although she wasn't really conscious yet, more so half asleep, and she saw two figures lightened up by a small, vaguely annoying blue light in the darkness of the bus. She recognized the figure calling her.

- Icy! OUCH! -

She got up suddenly, or better, she tried and hit her head on the bunk's roof. The noise woke up Joe, in the bunk above.

- Turn off the light Lz, it's early. - he muttered while Lzzy rolled with more or less dignity out of the bed.

Arejay woke up too, and more than Joe for sure because he got up too and said hello to Tecna and Icy. Then they led them downstairs, where they began talking quietly in order to not disturb the others.

- Sorry about the time, I couldn't wait. - Icy said.

- You did well, don't worry. I'm happy it all went well. - replied Lzzy.

- Mae, what happened here? -

The Hale siblings looked at each other, then Arejay said:

- Valtor had cast a spell on the bus' door that made me lose my memories. - Then, seeing that Icy didn't take it well at all: - It's alright now, chill. Xavier's student broke the spell. -

- We stayed there until late, they didn't want us to come back alone without news of your mission. - intervened Lzzy, - Andrea also came with us and checked that Valtor's spell wasn't active anymore. -

Icy barely heard her. Arejay risked a lot, really a lot, and if it wasn't for her it would have never happened. She put in danger that sweet, cheerful, smart guy, she was the responsible of what happened.

- Arejay, I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry, it's all my fault... -

He rolled his eyes.

- Oh no, don't you start taking responsibility for the world's evils. I already had to persuade my older sister that it's only fault of that wizard and his messy brain cells, I don't feel like explaining it to the little sister too! -

The two "sisters" and Tecna laughed.

- It isn't your fault at all Icy, that man is disloyal and a psycho. You do everything you can to protect us. - said Lzzy putting a hand on the witch's shoulder.

- It isn't enough. - she replied.

- You can't foresee each and every spell he could throw at us. Besides, it was me who forgot the magic stone, maybe that spell had been there for weeks and it was just a coincidence that it happened together with your transformation. Speaking of which, do you know how that happened? -

- We have no idea. - said Tecna.

- Xavier told us it that it's a potion that triggers the transformation. - said Lzzy.

- We all transformed at breakfast, I barely had the time to take a sip of… oh! - exclaimed Icy, who finally found a piece of the puzzle.

Tecna saw that too.

- He managed to put the potion in the tea! - she said, shook.

They absolutely needed to find a spell that prevented curses from entering the school, it was the second time it happened and the third time could be fatal.

Lzzy wanted to dig deeper into that, but she was so happy to finally be with Icy again... She pulled Arejay and the witch close to her, hugging them. Icy tried to complain but she could hardly breathe so it wasn't understandable.

- Shut up and let me enjoy the fact that you both are here safe and sound. - Lzzy told her, loosening her grip.

Icy gave up on her pride and hugged them back. She even closed her eyes, finally feeling safe.

§§

Icy and Tecna were, of course, the ones with bigger dark circles under the eyes the following morning at breakfast. They managed to get up before midday even though they remained on Earth for a good hour, going back to Magix at dawn.

In the empty dining hall, there was a tense atmosphere and there was an unnatural silence on the side where Rebecca and the others were sitting.

- Is something wrong? - asked Tecna sitting between Aisha and Cassandra.

- Giunia and Ioanna are moving to Tir'Nan'Og. - Rebecca sharply announced.

- Why? - asked Flora.

- We don't feel like risking so much for someone else's battle. - Ioanna hatefully replied.

- You could have noticed before. - Rebecca answered back.

- And the battle is also yours. - added Cassandra.

- Only because we followed you at the beginning? We aren't the ones he wants to kill. - Giunia replied.

- Sure, because after getting his revenge you think he'll stay quiet in his hideout? The truth is you don't want to assume your responsibilities. - said Cassandra.

- We have no responsibility... -

- Yeah, we're guardians of the magical universe only to play pretend. - Rebecca interrupted her.

- Well, Cassandra isn't anymore, since she's a witch now. -

Cassandra glared at Ioanna.

- You heard the principal, I'm still a fairy. And this doesn't change the fact that I feel like I have to do something instead of hiding on an inaccessible island. -

- Giunia, am I wrong or we didn't hear all this polemic when Adelaide left? - asked Ioanna, in what wanted to be a rhetorical question.

At that point Francesca, who had been staring at the depths of her latte until then, spoke up.

- Adelaide was coherent. She said from day one that she wanted nothing to do with this, instead, you are backing out of the game only because you understood that it's serious. -

- Well, sorry if we want to live without being in a coma or risking to have four legs or a beak forever! - snapped Giunia.

- Do you think we aren't scared too? - asked Francesca, - I didn't like being poisoned either, you know, but since Katia could be here with us next year I would like to make it so that it doesn't happen to her too! -

- You can't do anything. - replied Ioanna.

- You're wrong. - said Cassandra.

- Cut it off Cass! Do you think you're some paladin of justice? - yelled Giunia.

- No, just someone with a minimum of coherence and reliability, not like you that you're only there with words and not even always, but when it comes to facts you disappear! Remember when I developed my powers? It was the worst moment in my life and my best friend wasn't there! You. Weren't. There! -

Having said this Cassandra got up and rushed out the dining hall, furious. She had enough of them, of forgiving, of getting over many little things that piled up together in the years formed a mountain. She stopped counting on Giunia and Ioanna for many things, more or less serious, and stopped showing them some sides of her, but it was really too much, sooner or later they would have to put off the blinders: magic or not, the world stayed a terrible mess and some strong willed people did their best to patch what others tore. And sooner or later you got hurt, who more who less.

She stopped in the corridor in front of the library. She was about to cry for anger, like always. She never learned.

- Cass wait. -

She turned and saw Flora and Icy catching up to her.

- Spare me conciliating speeches please. They don't work. - she said.

- No conciliating speeches, - said Icy, - just put it all out. -

- I said everything already. False, superficial and incoherent. - replied Cassandra crossing her arms.

- My ex tried to kill me, does that seem coherent? - replied the witch with a half smile.

- Not really, no. -

- Most people disappoint during life, that's something nobody ever prepares you to. There's the one in a million that has it all and even though we have some examples here, - and she looked at Flora, - we can't all be that. -

- It would be nice to have less problems than the norm, at least once. - murmured Cassandra.

- There's always time to improve. - intervened Flora, comforting, - Look at Icy, things started going well for her since a few months, after years that… well... -

- ...I could very well forget without regrets, yes. Even if Valtor wants to kill me, I assure you this is one of the less suffering moments of my life. -

- Because of Elizabeth? - asked Cassandra.

Icy hesitated a little before answering.

- Yes, partially yes, but also having an actual bed and a place to live in isn't bad. Sure, I can't freeze everything when I'm nervous, but there are less destructive ways to cool off. Hey, do you want a punching bag? It helps a lot. -

Flora glared at her.

- She doesn't need a punching bag. -

- Let her decide if she wants it or not. -

Cassandra could do nothing but laugh.

- Thanks girls. It's a little better now. -

§§

Meanwhile in Cloudtower Yami had been woken up abruptly from Henna and Aire during the break, they hadn't seen her since the day before and had no idea why she was gone.

- I thought you got lost in the tunnels! Is that the way to disappear? - Henna scolded her.

- Where were you? - asked Aire.

Yami told them about her adventure while she changed her clothes, putting on ones with less sand in the folds. The resume arose the admiration and the envy of her roommates.

- Oof, what are you complaining about? You went to Downland, it was my turn. - Yami hushed them after a few minutes.

- Next time it will be up to Laverna then. - giggled Henna.

- Sure, with the power she has she can be a spy at best. - replied Aire.

She doubted that the witch that passed through the walls like her ghosts could or wanted to be of any help.

- Speaking of which, where is she? - asked Yami.

- In detention with Ediltrude. She made a mess in the laboratory. - Henna answered unconcerned.