Chapter 65
Passage In Atlantis
The three principals and the teachers were in Faragonda's office. It had been almost a day since Valtor's attack began, the students hadn't come back from the parallel universe yet and Givelian claimed his absolute innocence, while the storm kept lashing on the valley.
They had to intervene to reestablish the climate and to do that they needed the magic of everyone in the room, but they couldn't leave the students of three schools alone. Besides the risk of another attack from Valtor, the teachers doubted that Alfea would still be standing at the end of their absence, for as brief as it would be. Fairies and witches kept starting fights for the silliest reasons while the Specialists tried to keep the situation under control.
- It is decided then. - said Saladin, - Codatorta, miss Du Four and Barbatea will stay here in Alfea. -
- It's better if we don't tell the students about our absence. - suggested Ediltrude.
- Yes, they'll be less unmanageable if they think we're all here. - her sister Zarathustra agreed, with a grimace that was pretty telling of how much disgust she felt for the new generation of witches she taught.
Faragonda nodded.
- Very well. Let's leave. -
§§
On the Flying Dutchman there wasalso preparation for the last part of the journey. They were now close to Atlantis, according to the captain's maps, and they only had to decide the best way to get there. Not everyone had Sirenix.
- I can use on them the same spell I used in Andros, when Valtor imprisoned queen Ligea, so they'll be able to breathe underwater. - suggested Aisha.
- Can you do it with so many people? - Cassandra asked.
Aisha nodded.
- Then we'll do it that way. - concluded Bloom.
Waiting for Falkenburg's signal, Lzzy let her gaze run one more time on the deck, the sails, the masts. Hadn't it been so dangerous, she would've wanted Joe, Arejay and Josh to be there with her as well. They would've liked to see a true pirate ship, a ghost one, what's more. She felt more optimistic than the day before, mainly because of her full stomach and the almost calm sleep she had had that night.
- We're there. We should be almost above Atlantis. - said Falkenburg, leaving the wheel to Alma and joining them on the deck.
- Thank you for your help, captain. We owe you a lot. - said Flora.
- Luckily for you, the old icicle is the one who pays me. Hurry, or we'll move past the island. - Falkenburg replied surly.
- Sirenix! -
- Bloomix! - exclaimed the fairies, starting the transformations.
Maria and Desirè gave each other an amused look.
- Show-offs. - commented the first, transforming into her Dark Witch in the blink of an eye.
- And so noisy. - added the second, imitating her.
Like the Winx, the Trix used their Sirenix too. Icy intercepted Lzzy's gaze.
- No jokes on the tentacles. - she warned her.
- It wasn't a joke. - Lzzy defended herself.
- No comments on the tentacles. - Icy corrected herself.
Lzzy laughed. She was just thinking that their outfits reminded her of Ursula.
After the transformation, Aisha cast her breathing spell on who needed it, then they said goodbye to the Flying Dutchman's crew, who watched as they disappeared under the waves.
While they swam towards the sea bottom, Stella said:
- What if we tried to enter the Infinite Ocean? -
- Me and Stormy already spoke about that. - replied Tecna, - It would probably be a complete failure. -
- The Infinite Ocean is linked to the oceans of our entire universe, but we don't know if we can reach it from this universe as well. - Stormy explained.
- Let's not make things more complicated. - said Maria, - We have the key, we only need to find the lock. -
- Frost said the portal has guardians, but that they might not hear us if we're careful. - Musa reminded them.
- Let's be careful then and speak telepathically if needed. - said Darcy.
Soon they reached the submerged city and headed towards the base of the volcano, where the portal was supposed to be. The buildings didn't reach the volcano, so it was easy to individuate it: there was a structure similar to a temple, with a long colonnade. Why build something so far from the rest of the city, if not to signal something important? The girls swam towards the temple, decorated with bas relief and covered in algae and shells. From up close, the colonnade was much longer and bigger than they thought. "There must be a recess for the key somewhere" Tecna told the others. "Let's split up, we'll find it sooner" Rebecca suggested.
The girls scattered. Lzzy kept glancing nervously at the statues, so realistic despite the sea ruined them through the centuries. In movies, the statues were always the guardians. They stood still on their pedestal until you did something or went too close to them, then they attacked.
But the guardians were not the statues. They came suddenly, from the city, and Lzzy felt them only because they were charged with negative emotions. There was no way to see them, they were the same color as the sea. Icy was a little further, examining the wall behind two columns. Lzzy felt something too close to her.
- Watch out! - she screamed, sending a ray of white energy towards the point where she felt that presence.
She actually hit something, that bumped on a column. For a few seconds they could see its contours.
- Back to the others! - said Icy, swimming quick the way they came from.
Lzzy followed her as fast as she could, while they both kept defending themselves from the guardians that attacked from everywhere. The other girls were already reunited in two groups and were fighting. Aisha and Stella had managed to make the guardians almost completely visible, although it wasn't a nice view. They looked like something in between humans and piranhas. Francesca, Maria and Flora had found the portal and the guardians tried to prevent the others to reach them with the key, pushing them far from the volcano.
Icy instantly jumped in the fight, but Lzzy stayed behind. They were too many for them. If only she could do what she had done with Valtor, go beyond her level… "It's worth a try" she thought, before starting to sing to trigger her powers.
- I'm not scared 'cause I know there's something out there waiting for me and I swear that I'll find it someday, just wait and see. -
She let an aqua aura envelop her. The guardians swam away from her.
- What is she doing? - Stormy said.
- I don't care that you call me crazy, I can't stay 'cause I need room to breathe. There's nothing left to say, better sorry than safe! -
One, two, three waves of energy moved from her in concentric circles, sweeping off the guardians. She had made it.
- There's nothing left to say... - she whispered as her sight got hazy.
Someone gently held her up and she leaned on them, whoever it was. She was too tired to care.
- They're coming back. - exclaimed Desirè.
Bloom got to the portal and inserted the key, but nothing happened.
- It's not working! -
Something was missing, and Francesca thought she knew just the thing.
- Transitus in Atlantide. - she said, activating the portal.
§§
Shortly after, in Alfea
When also Xavier, his pupils and his guests arrived at Alfea they headed at once towards Faragonda's office, where the girls were waiting for them. They had just come back from Roccaluce, together with Givelian and Yerka, who were trying to blame the Trix for the accident.
Walter was very worried, it was their word against that of a group of students. He didn't know that Aire and the professor had a plan.
The two sages weren't happy to see Xavier.
- What is he doing here? - asked Givelian, pointing his staff towards him.
- Surprised to see me, o wise one? - Xavier mocked him.
While he started arguing with Givelian, the boys reunited with the girls. Aire and Alec stayed by the door, waiting for the right moment.
Walter pulled Darcy in a desperate hug. She didn't resist. She didn't care to be seen by the three principals that tried to quiet down the argument, or by anyone else. If they didn't find a way to prove their innocence it was all over for her, Stormy and Icy, so as long as she could she was going to hold Walter close to her. She was tired and terrified, she just wanted problems to end, to give her a break. Lzzy found herself surrounded by Joe, Arejay and Josh, who pulled Icy in the hug as well. Donnie didn't hug Stormy, but she put an arm around his shoulders trying to smile, weakly.
- Go back to the half-mad, half-worried face, it creeps me out less. - Donnie mocked her.
Stormy sighed and shook her head. In that moment, she noticed that Xavier was making Givelian get closer to Aire little by little, without him noticing.
- How could you think of leaving them alone in front of the portal? -
- I still haven't got why you are here, old man. -
Xavier smiled triumphant. Givelian was in the perfect position.
- To trap you. - he said, while Aire took out her scepter and touched Givelian's staff with it.
Doing so she had access to all the events the staff had witnessed, and she chose a special one to show to everyone in the room: the one where Valtor explained his plan to the two sages, in that moment livid.
In front of that proof, Saladin could finally say:
- It seems to me that we must immediately inform the Council. -
- Without a doubt. - Faragonda confirmed.
The Winx couldn't recall ever seeing her so mad, she looked like she could set on fire anything she looked at. She had known for years that Givelian and Yerka were behind many nuisances her and her colleagues had faced, but they had never exposed the students of the schools to a similar danger. It wasn't just about what happened to the girls at the monastery, but also of the reason why Alfea was once more an emergency hotspot, and that was without considering that without the Winx Valtor could have never been defeated.
- You truly crossed every line! - she exclaimed, to then cast a spell on them to prevent them to leave the school in any way.
While Codatorta and Avalon, promptly called to her office, escorted the sages outside, Bloom asked:
- What is going to happen now? -
- The rest of the Council will take its measures. - answered Faragonda, in a way that wanted to put the topic aside.
There was a mutual exchange of looks between Winx and Trix. What did they have to do? Stay out of it or add what the Trix knew of their past traffics?
- We... me, Icy and Darcy... can testify against them. - Stormy said hesitantly, - It isn't the first time they act against the law. -
Saladin raised an eyebrow.
- It isn't news to us. Why didn't you speak up during the trial? -
Icy shivered. There was the question they feared.
- Nobody ever asked. They made sure it was never brought up. - she replied.
- Speaking against Givelian and his supporters would have meant dragging out the trial, if not losing it entirely. - Griffin intervened, - Their choice may be questionable, but understandable. You did good, Aire. I'll forget you didn't follow your fellows during the evacuation. -
Aire nervously fixed her hair. To tell the truth, she had forgotten she had ignored the principals' orders to follow the Specialists.
The tension piled up in the air slowly melted while the girls reported to the principals and Xavier what happened beyond the portal. They were finally realizing they had made it, they were home again and could allow themselves to feel relief.
Attention: Even a Witch will go on hiatus until 10/01/2022. Happy holidays and see you next year!