S1E5 "Date With Disaster"
An uneventful week had passed. A week of early morning classes, quiet afternoons, and introspective, somber nights. This afternoon, however, Bloom and her friends found themselves toiling away in the school's kitchen, all sharing the task of peeling through three sacks of potatoes.
"So..." Tecna said, finishing her sixth potato. "This is a random thing, apparently."
Musa, half-awake, was in the middle of peeling her third. "Lucky us?"
A few fairies manned stoves that bore pans with omelets, sauteed vegetables, and julienned potatoes. Another few were dicing up fruits into glass serving bowls.
"What d'you think?" A fairy named Yuna said to her co-dicer. "More honeydew?"
The other girl nodded, cutting open another melon.
"Why can't we use magic, exactly?" A fairy said at the stoves. "Wouldn't that be easier?"
"Who knows." Yuna replied. "Maybe we're being punished."
Tecna grabbed another potato from the half-empty sack. "That's a likely possibility."
"Alright, who pissed off Griselda?"
The girls quietly laughed, raising their hands before resuming their cooking duties. Given the heavenly aromas wafting in the air, the meal preparation seemed to be going well. But Bloom couldn't focus, not when she felt so absent-minded, her thoughts somewhere far away and out of reach. Even worse, the potato in her hand was too slippery, making it a pain to peel off the remaining bits of skin.
"Bloom?"
Bloom jumped, nearly dropping her potato.
"Bloom..." Flora said, reaching her hand out. "I think that one's good for now."
She placed the peeled potato in Flora's hand, who placed it at another station.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah..." Bloom said, rubbing her pruney fingers. "Do I not look alright?"
"Well..." Flora paused, peeling another potato beside her.
"No?" Bloom said, sighing. "I know."
"Are you worried? About him?"
Bloom stopped peeling, staring at her in surprise.
Flora gave her a knowing glance.
"Yeah...I am." She finally said. "A little more than worried at this point, I guess."
"Have you asked Prince Sky about him?" Flora replied. "Stella has his number. He might give you some status updates if you ask."
"I don't know." Bloom shrugged. "Maybe I should let him be for now."
Flora gave her a reassuring nudge, before walking off to grab some more potatoes.
Chef Sfoglia swiftly entered the kitchen, a round man with a fancy, pencil-thin mustache. At each station, he gave his critique.
"Alright, omelets-" Sfoglia inspected the plated ones, picking off their crispy edges. "Overcooked."
He gasped at the other pans. "The vegetables are mushy, did you not strain the water beforehand?"
A fairy folded her arms. "I didn't think we had to?"
"Gah-start over then!"
A couple fairies groaned, setting out another pot for boiling.
"You know what, I'll be kind." He said as he walked over to the fruit-dicing station. "At least the fruit looks decent."
"Thank you?" Yuna said quietly.
"-But not enough variety! Too much honeydew, so even it out with more cantaloupe and grapes. Stat."
Yuna and her co-dicers rushed to the refrigerator to grab more produce.
"Maybe he'll like the potatoes?" Musa said in a hushed tone.
"No, miss Musa." He said as he walked behind her. "No, I do not. Where is the salt everyone? Come on now. You can still save these, just salt and reheat."
Soon the entire kitchen was scrambling for duties. Bloom brought more red and green grapes to the dicing station, and watched over the remade omelets.
"Okay. That's all the side dishes." Sfoglia said, looking around the room.
"Has anyone plated the roast?"
The girls grew quiet.
"Roast?" Flora whispered to Tecna, which was repeated across the kitchen by the others.
"Oh, by the will of Magix." He lamented. "Where is it? Please, someone tell me."
"Yeah," Tecna whispered back. "I don't remember any roast."
A pony-tailed girl shuffled her way towards the ovens. There was no warmth radiating from them, and the oven lights were dark. As if expecting another outcome, she slowly pried open one of the doors, revealing the entirely raw roast, with even the surrounding herbs still intact.
"R-Ra-" Sfoglia stuttered, clutching his chef's hat. "Raw! The meat is raw!"
Musa cupped her face. "Damn, we totally forgot about the roast!"
"'Knew we were missing something..." Yuna laughed nervously.
Griselda walked in at the sound of Sfoglia's shouting.
"Chef Sfoglia! What's wrong, sir?!"
"Raw, Griselda!" He shook her by the shoulders, blubbering in despair. "Raw! It's raw! It's raw!"
He stomped out the kitchen as he continued shouting, leaving Griselda and the girls alone in painful silence.
Griselda straightened out her pinafore. She didn't look the slightest bit amused.
"Well?!" She shrilled. "Something must be served tonight!"
Yuna shrugged and continued to chop. The others joined her, not having much else to do.
"I guess it's fruit salad, for now."
Once "dinner" was served, Bloom and her other roommates returned to the apartment. Musa entered the living room and slumped onto the loveseat to take a well-deserved nap. Flora checked up on her thirsty plants, and Tecna yawned so hard she almost lost her balance.
"I think I'm losing brain cells." She mumbled, grabbing a towel and caddy for a shower.
Musa closed her eyes and curled into herself. "You and me both."
Stella busted through her bedroom doors, partially clothed and hair pinned back in a regal updo.
"Girls!" She heaved, carrying a few dresses in her arms. "You've got to help me!"
"Ah, come on Stella." Bloom said, leaning next to the loveseat. "We're tired. You'd be too if you actually showed up tonight!"
"I know, you can yell at me later!" Stella gripped Bloom by the wrist. "Just help me out here!"
Stella pried open the doors of her closet, revealing several of her intricately designed dresses, shoes, and accessories. She passed a few to Bloom, developing a pile of four or more dresses that she held up to Stella's body.
"Guess who's going on a date tonight?" Stella said with a giddy expression. "Just guess?!"
"I have no idea, Stella." Bloom said sarcastically.
"Well if you didn't know, it's me!" She beamed. "Prince Sky is meeting me at the grand opening of this new restaurant. The Black Lagoon! A little short notice, but I'm not complaining!"
"That's a weird name for a restaurant." Flora added, peering through the doorway.
"Yeah, it is, but hell if I care!" Stella tossed one of Bloom's dresses onto a nearby rejection pile. "We haven't been on an official date yet, so I need to find the perfect dress. Something flirtatious, but not too risqué, elegant but nothing too fancy, okay?"
"Where do we even start?" Flora and Bloom raked through the hangers for possible candidates.
Flora pulled out a black silken dress. "How about this one?"
"This is a date, Flora!" Stella shoved the dress back in. "Not a funeral."
"This...thing?" Bloom showed her an interesting dress, with a clashing choice of colors and patterns. "Wait, you actually bought this?"
"No, I made it!" Stella said defensively. "But it's terrible, I'll admit that. Put it in the pile for now."
"What's with all the noise?" Musa mumbled, rubbing her eyelids while walking inside.
"Stella's got a date with Prince Sky." Bloom said, taking out more dresses. "So, naturally, she's losing her mind right now."
"Musa!" Stella threw her some dresses. "Which one screams, 'I'm totally into you but nothing on the first date, unless you ask me to'?"
Musa stifled a laugh. "W-what?"
"Come on, now!" Stella pulled out a haltered, metallic-gray cocktail dress and held it up to her body.
"Wait a minute," Stella said, clutching it in her arms. "I totally have the earrings for this!"
She rushed to her jewelry box, which had now become a locked jewelry chest since the incident at the Gala. She pulled out a pair of crescent-shaped moonstone earrings, eyeing herself with them on in her floor-length mirror.
"Oh, yes." She smiled, biting her lip. "Hell yes!"
"Is that the one?" Flora said, sitting on the side of Stella's bed.
"Absolutely." Stella flattened out the back of the dress and sank her feet into a pair of pearl-colored heels. She inspected her nails, peeling off her scepter ring and placing it into Bloom's palm with a sigh.
"Keep this while I'm gone tonight, will you?" Stella said, patting Bloom's hand shut. "I won't be needing it."
"Stella?" Bloom said, watching as the chest was locked shut. "You never know-"
"Don't worry, trust me." Stella replied. "Prince Sky and I are well-trained, given anything bad happens. Which better not happen!"
She added the finishing touches to her outfit, namely an anklet and a few spritz of her favorite (and Sky's favorite) perfume. She grabbed her purse and stepped into the living room just as Tecna returned from her shower.
"Let me guess, Prince Sky?" Tecna teased.
"Of course, honey." Stella smirked as she walked towards the exit. "Who else?"
"Goodbye Stella!" The others called out, hearing her giddy laughter echo down the corridor.
Everyone else powered down for the night, expecting another usual morning to greet them the next day.
Loud clangs, rustling, and things falling down. Angry words, and stomps along the tile floor. All of this commotion could be heard just before dawn, leading to an early awakening among the other girls. Bloom rubbed her eyes open, groaning in the dark. Flora did the same as she rested her head in her palms.
"Did you hear that?" Bloom said groggily.
"Yeah." Flora replied, throwing her head back onto her pillow. "It's been going on for like ten minutes now. Getting louder and louder, too."
Bloom stood up and placed an ear to the wall in front of her. The sound wasn't coming from the living room, but from across the hall, in Stella's bedroom.
"Stella's room?" Bloom said, surprised. "What is she doing this early in the morning? She should be knocked out right now!"
Flora and Bloom joined a groggy Musa and furious Tecna in the hallway.
"I don't know what her problem is," Tecna hissed. "But if she doesn't quiet down I'm gonna say something!"
"I'm guessing the date sucked." Musa said in a flat tone.
"Hold on guys," Bloom said, approaching Stella's door. She knocked twice, making the commotion immediately halt into silence.
"Stella?"
The door was yanked open. When Stella made eye contact with Bloom, her eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion. Her hair was in disarray, and she was still in her date outfit from the night before.
"Hello, Bloom." Stella said without her usual charm. "Hello...others."
Bloom rested her hand on the door, looking around Stella to see into the room. "Is everything okay?"
"Fine." She kept the door from opening any further. "Just...rearranging some things. Go back to bed?"
"What's the point?" Tecna said with a glare. "Our alarms are about to go off anyway."
"Do you know how early it is?" Flora said. "How late were you out? You're still in your dress and everything."
"A while." Stella said, not blinking. "...All night."
"Oh, really?" Musa raised her eyebrows, grinning. "How'd it go then?"
"What?"
"The date?" Flora said. "The one you were freaking out over? With Sky?"
"Oh." Stella said, seeming preoccupied. "It was...also fine."
"Aww, that's all the details you're giving us?" Bloom said, pouting her lip. "Come on, tell us more."
"On a scale from boring to spicy-"
"-Why would I tell you?!" Stella snapped. "Why do you want to know so much?!"
"Geez." Tecna said, recoiling. "Calm down, we're joking."
"I will when you all stop asking such asinine questions!" Stella retorted, before quickly slamming the door shut and locking it behind her. The girls stood in shock, a bit worried that the date had gone far worse than they had initially feared.
"Wow." Musa said, wide-eyed. "She's...pissed."
"Asinine?" Tecna began walking towards her room. "That's a big word for her, don't you think?"
Bloom shrugged. "Let's leave her alone, for now. She'll calm down and tell us eventually."
The bell rang, signaling the end of the first morning classes. Bloom and Flora exited Wizgiz's classroom, waiting as Tecna and Musa approached them in the middle of the hallway.
"Did Stella come to class?" Tecna said while clutching her notebook.
"No." Bloom sulked. "I mean, has anyone seen her since this morning?"
The other girls shook their heads.
"You know what, I'm going to go check on her. Something must've happened."
"Want us to come with you?" Musa said.
"If you guys can." Bloom replied. "Do any of you have classes after this?"
"Not for a while." Tecna said confidently. "Let's knock some sense into her."
Upon returning back to the east corridor, the mess in Stella's room seemed to have spread throughout the entire apartment. Wayward furniture and broken glass was strewn across the floor in every room, as if a storm had passed. Clanging and crashes still came from Stella's bedroom, causing Bloom to push open the door to confront her.
"Stella!"
Stella turned around, bloodshot eyes glaring in her direction. She looked even more disheveled, and almost distraught, her dress torn and her hair now in messy, uneven sections. She was growling, extremely upset and knocking over her own furniture.
"What in the world..." Flora whispered out.
"Where is it, Bloom?" Stella said, voice strangely low. "Where is it?! Tell me!"
"What are you doing?!" Tecna said, stepping over pieces of broken jewelry. "You're wrecking the entire apartment!"
"I can't find the ring!" She yelled, kicking away glass. "My ring! Where did it go?!"
"Your ring?!" Bloom was very surprised. "You should already know!"
"I need it, right now! You know where it is, don't you?! Tell me, Bloom!"
A wave of strange magic surged from Stella's body, heavy enough to send ripples of energy into the air. Bloom grew highly alarmed, having never seen Stella act so terribly in her entire time knowing her.
"Where is it!?" Stella screamed, knocking Bloom down and charging at the stain-glass window before zapping away into the courtyard below.
"Okay." Tecna said, shaking. "What the hell?!"
Bloom regained her footing. "Something's extremely wrong with her!"
"Maybe she's under a spell!" Musa said.
"What do we do?" Flora cried. "She could be anywhere, now!"
Bloom took a deep breath, feeling the hot wind blow in from outside.
"Let's take a bus to Red Fountain. We need to have a talk with Prince Sky."
Under the hot summer sun, the Red Fountain arena was filled to the brim with boys in red joggers and tanks. Some were transporting supplies, like lumber and steel beams, while many trained with dulled swords, spears, and other various weapons. The girls stood in shock among the commotion that surrounded them, deciphering the yelling and clanging noises in the hopes of picking up on a familiar voice.
"What time is it?" Bloom said, squinting. "He should be out here somewhere."
Tecna wrinkled her nose. "Smell's pretty rank, I can't lie."
"Well, we can't blame them." Flora mumbled. "It's disturbingly hot outside."
"But they're willingly spending their time out here!" Musa said, fanning herself. "Couldn't be me."
Someone let out a loud, hearty laugh nearby.
"Is that-?" Bloom said, pointing to a tall shirtless boy. "I think that's him."
Sky wrapped up his brief conversation with some other specialists and turned to walk towards their direction. Upon looking at the group he let out a high-pitched yelp, shielding his chest as if exposed.
"Girls!-My bad." He said, chuckling nervously. "Let me put some clothes on."
He reached down towards a nearby bench and grabbed a discarded tank top.
"No, you're fine!" Bloom said, watching him struggle to put it on. "You don't have to!"
The girls giggled, flustered by his body. Even Tecna, notoriously unphased by boys, let her eyes dwindle down his torso.
"Really?" Sky said through the shirt's collar. "Okay, thank you. Because this thing stinks."
He chucked the shirt back onto the bench and stared down at the girls with an amused look on his face.
"What brings you here to Red Fountain, on this lovely summer day?"
"We just have a question to ask." Bloom said. "Are you free for a second?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Sky eyed a nearby balcony. "Hopefully Codatorta doesn't give us any surprise tasks in the meantime."
"Okay," Bloom replied. "Because it's about Stella."
"Stella?" Sky said, his interest piqued.
"She's been acting really weird." Tecna said. "Like, really weird since your date last night."
"Date?"
"Yeah?" Bloom said. "You invited her out for a date at the Black Lagoon. Right?"
"No?" Sky shook his head. "I was in the dorms all night yesterday. Me, Timmy and Riv-"
"Out of the way, everyone!" A stern voice called out. A procession of three specialist boys barreled through, balancing metal beams on their shoulders. The last boy was a sweaty, wet-haired Riven, who rolled his eyes at the girls as he passed.
Riven placed his beams in a large stack with the others, dusting off his hands and following the others to retrieve more supplies.
"Are they allowed to be here right now?" He said in passing.
"Does it matter?" Sky replied, eyeing the overhead clock. "We're free for the next hour, anyway."
"You didn't answer my question."
Bloom stared at him. "We're just talking, and we'll leave when we're done. Don't mind us, okay?"
Riven's pace slowed as he looked at her.
"I'll try not to."
He gave Sky a glance. "And if Codatorta says anything, that's on you."
Sky shrugged his shoulders in indifference. Riven resumed running once the other specialists called out his name. Musa was the only one who watched him as he disappeared into the arena's crowd, hearing his voice as he shouted back commands.
Sky smirked. "Codatorta kisses his ass one time and suddenly he thinks he's...nevermind."
"But yeah, no." Sky continued. "There was no date last night. If we did, I would've remembered. Trust me."
Tecna crossed her arms. "If she wasn't with you, then..."
"Has she called you at all today?" Bloom asked. "Or since yesterday evening?"
"No. Which is pretty weird for her, actually." Sky crossed his arms. "We talk almost every day."
His face paled. "Wait. Did something happen?"
"Well..." Bloom eased out. "Yes...and no?"
"She trashed our apartment looking for a ring she already knows the location of." Tecna said.
"She also jumped out a second story window." Flora added, nodding. "And escaped."
"What?!" Sky's brows furrowed. "No. Something's wrong with her. Let me help you look for-"
A loud bell rang, followed by Codatorta's swift appearance on the grand balcony. Sky cursed under his breath.
"Attention, first-year specialists." Codatorta bellowed. "The shipment of live dragons has arrived ahead of schedule. All available hands to the third floor wrangling room immediately!"
"Damnit, man." Sky cursed again. "I'm sorry girls. Here-call me if you find her! Even if I don't pick up in time, just leave a message so I know she's okay."
After Tecna offered him a pen, he wrote his number onto the back of Bloom's hand. Codatorta whistled for his attention, a shrill noise that made his hand jump while writing the final number.
"I know you heard me, son!" Codatorta yelled. "Tell all your girlfriends goodbye!"
"Actually, they're not-" Sky started.
"Damnit, Skylar!" He yelled back. "Stop explaining yourself and get up here!"
"Okay!" Sky shouted back. "On my way, Professor!"
"That's more like it!"
Sky gave them a reassuring nod before dashing off with the horde of running specialists.
"Well, now what?" Tecna said, watching everyone empty the arena.
Bloom walked back towards the bridge, adding the number to her list of contacts.
"We'll just have to figure this out ourselves."
The girls took another bus into Magix City, hurriedly walking down the sidewalk.
"Do you really think she'd come here, Bloom?" Flora asked, pony-tail bouncing from her erratic gait.
"Hell, crazy Stella could be anywhere at this point." Tecna added. "But this is a good place to start."
"Does anyone know where The Black Lagoon is?" Bloom asked, looking at the passing buildings.
"No idea!" Musa said. She was struggling to keep up with the others.
"Actually, according to this map..." Tecna fiddled with the projection coming from her Magitech watch. "There's no restaurant or building called 'The Black Lagoon' in this area, period!"
"What?" Flora said. "That doesn't make any sense!"
Musa wiped her forehead. "So where did she go last night?!"
"Maybe it's unlisted? I mean, somebody has to know about it!" Bloom said, nervously looking around. "Let's just ask somebody!"
The girls split up to ask random Magix City residents about the elusive "Black Lagoon". When asked, many shrugged and shook their heads, or mistook the place for somewhere different. It was driving them nuts, especially Bloom, who was becoming more and more terrified that Stella had actually been attacked that night and hexed into her current behavior.
"Nobody." Musa said, almost teary-eyed. "Nobody knows!"
"The place doesn't even exist." Tecna said, staring at the ground. "But she said the date went...fine? How?"
Bloom heaved out a sigh, raking the curls out of her face and slumping against a sidewalk railing.
"I don't even know what to do anymore."
"Excuse me, misses?" A meek voice said.
Everyone turned around to see an odd-looking man beckoning them forward. They cautiously approached.
"I couldn't help but notice that, uh..." He said, rubbing his hands. "You were looking for The Black Lagoon?"
"Yes?" Bloom said, a little more hopeful now.
"I have some...information? About the place. That you'd like to hear?" He continued, pushing up his glasses. "Though maybe it's none of my business, heh."
"No, please!" Bloom said. "Please tell us!"
"Okay," He replied, grinning. "It's a great new restaurant just outside of town. To get there, you gotta follow the main road and keep going until you get to the bridge."
The girls turned around to look at the overshadowing bridge in the distance.
"You can't miss it, heheh." He continued. "There's a huge oak tree right in front of it!"
This had to be the best news they'd received all day. But when they turned around to thank the strange man, he had disappeared. Nevertheless, they bolted towards The Black Lagoon. The path took them past the city limits, as expected, through the lush countryside and quiet backroads. Seeing the gold oak in the distance, they finally arrived at the restaurant, which was strangely empty for high noon.
"Update that search program of yours, Tec." Musa joked.
Tecna crossed her arms. "Yeah, sure. But I mean, does it even look open to you guys? You'd think a new restaurant would have a busy grand opening week, right?"
"And maybe not be located entirely outside of Magix City." Bloom added. "This far away?"
Flora placed a hand on the oak, removing it with a gasp.
"This tree is beautiful, but..." She said, confused. "It's not alive? I don't think it's real, actually."
The golden glamour that seemed to veil the restaurant suddenly disappeared. The gorgeous building turned into a dilapidated, abandoned husk of its former self, making the girls realize how foolish they were to believe the man's words.
"See," Tecna said. "This makes a little more sense."
"I should've known better." Bloom sulked.
"We all should've." Flora placed a hand on her shoulder. "We were just too desperate to care."
"This is clearly a trap, guys!" Musa said, starting to panic.
"This is all we have!" Bloom said, taking the first steps inside. "Just...investigate. Be prepared to transform if anything happens."
They walked inside, the floor creaking loudly beneath them. Bloom could swear that Stella's laughter was nearby, shifting around to different areas before growing louder at the darkest end of the main hallway. Stella approached barefoot, her dress reduced to shredded wrappings.
"Hello, dear friends." She said, voice unrecognizable. "You've found me at last."
"Stella, please." Bloom said quietly. "Tell us what happened. Why are you acting like this?"
"Acting like what, Bloom?" Stella spat. "You'd be mad too if someone stole your belongings!"
"I didn't steal-"
"And refused to give them back to you!" Stella seemed to glide across the ground, eyes glowing in the darkness.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Tecna yelled.
"But it's fine, now. You're all here, right where I want you."
Stella raised her hands, casting her body in a purplish glow.
"Since you wont give it to me," She yelled, smiling wildly. "I can just take it back by force!"
Blasts of dark energy rained down upon them, making them duck for cover among the pillars and overturned furniture. Stella couldn't possibly be this strong without her scepter; the ring itself amplified her powers tenfold, and the sheer size of her current attacks wouldn't have been possible without it. It all started to click in Bloom's head.
"Guys!" Bloom said over the cracks of magic. "That's...that's not Stella!"
"Like hell, it isn't!" Tecna yelled from her hiding spot. "Whoever this is, they're entirely insane!"
"Then who are we fighting against?!" Flora yelled, shielding Musa from a near-hitting blast.
"I think I know who!" Bloom eyes widened. "Transform, everyone!"
With practice, Bloom had improved her transformation process. It was quicker now, and the hot crackling she felt initially didn't hurt as much anymore. Her fairy wings manifested, and as the cloud of blinding light dissipated, she and her friends walked away from their hiding places and valiantly stood their ground.
"You shouldn't have to guess." Stella crooned, having her own transformation. "You should already know. Some friends you are."
Stella's frizzy blonde hair flattened significantly and changed from golden to dark ochre. Her eyes were now an eerie yellow, outlined in heaps of charcoal. Stella, who shouldn't be called that anymore, was in fact Darcy, a deadly member of the Trix.
"Where's Stella?!" Bloom shouted, glowing with rage.
Icy and Stormy manifested beside Darcy, both equally imposing.
"'Where's Stella! Where's Stella!'" Stormy mocked. "Look, she's trying to intimidate us!"
"Someone's been practicing, huh?" Icy said with her silvery voice. "Not too shabby, like last time."
Knut came stumbling out the hall, tearing off his shredded clothing. His clothes were identical to the man's they saw before.
"If you've hurt Stella in any way I'll-"
"You'll do what, Bloom?" Darcy said with a coy tone. "Kill us?"
"Blind us for like...three seconds?" Stormy said, smirking.
"What about that gorgeous blond I saw? You know the one." Icy added, with just enough detail. "Will he come to rescue you?"
Bloom felt her throat tighten from the words. No way would she let them see her tears.
"You know what, Bloom?" Icy said, raising her arms in compliance. "I'll admit it-I'm not in the mood for another pointless fight."
Tecna's eyes narrowed. "I doubt that."
"No, it's true!" Darcy said, feigning fatigue. "Look, I can barely lift a finger..."
"We have your bimbo friend here." Stormy revealed a glowing orb of constricting magic. Stella, the real Stella, floated within it, pressure marks forming on her limbs.
"Stella!" Bloom and the others gasped. "No!"
"I'm sorry, girls!" Stella said, nearly in tears. "This was really dumb of me! I'm so...so freaking stupid."
"See?" Stormy chirped. "She admits it!"
"Well if you don't want to fight," Flora said, readying herself. "What do you want, then?"
"Because we're not leaving without her!" Musa yelled.
"Are you sure?"
"Enough games, Icy!" Tecna yelled. "What do you want?!"
"Sheesh." Darcy scoffed, lowering Stella to the ground. "As if I didn't ask a thousand times..."
Bloom's eyes lowered, now overcome with dread.
"The ring."
"The Solarian..." Icy clarified. "...Scepter Ring."
Stella gave her a haunting, wide-eyed stare, slowly shaking her head so the Trix wouldn't notice.
"This is how it's going to play out, alright?" Icy said, crossing her arms. "We know you all have it. Your little friend refuses to tell us anything, but putting two-and-two together, there's a pretty strong possibility of where it ended up."
"For every moment you waste denying us the ring," Darcy said with a soulless grin. "Stella's binds get tighter."
"And tighter," Stormy said.
"And tighter." Icy finished. "Until she pops."
"What-"
"The game's already started, Bloom. The Sun and Moon Fairy...for the Solarian Scepter Ring."
Bloom's chest, torso, and eventually all of her muscles begin to tighten. The others eyed her nervously, with Tecna ready to blow through the deal entirely. There was an obvious choice, but at what cost to Stella's powers? She struggled to think, hearing the invisible clock in her head tick loud. Stella looked uncomfortable, and at some points struggled to breathe.
"Tick, tock..." Icy sang softly. "...on the clock..."
"B-Bloom?!" Stella strained out, fully crying. "No!"
"Stella, I can't-"
"Don't give in like this!" Stella cried. "It's what they want! They're...testing you..."
"Doesn't really matter, either way." Darcy said, watching the life drain out of Stella's eyes. "Death is final if she doesn't cooperate."
"Bloom, this is nonsense!" Tecna shouted, readying her electronic shield. "We can take them on!"
"They're making it too easy for us!" Musa shouted as well. "It's just another one of their tricks!"
Flora stared at her, joining the others' stance.
"Bloom?!"
In a flurry of fiery orange magic, Bloom de-transformed. She felt the ring in her pocket, pulling it out into the open in a clasped hand. But when Icy reached for it she snatched it away.
"Stella first."
"Yeah, absolutely not." Icy sneered. "Ring first, or no deal."
Bloom remained steadfast. "Can I trust you enough for that?"
"Oh please," Icy said, rolling her eyes. "You think we have any use for her now? She can barely defend herself, much less anyone else. If you give us the ring, she's yours. On my word."
Stella was nearly unconscious and couldn't speak, but even then she looked disappointed.
Bloom dropped the ring into Icy's outstretched palm, who recoiled it so fast that she nearly tripped on her heels. Bloom panicked for a second that they would disappear without keeping their end of the bargain, but in a surprising turn of events, Icy lowered Stella to the ground. Her body heaved in gasps of air, her groans turning into quiet sobbing as she curled into a ball.
"See? A deal's a deal." Icy smiled, revealing the scepter's full form. "That wasn't too hard, was it?"
"Goodbye, little fairies." Darcy said, her form becoming translucent. "Thanks for playing."
Knut and the Trix zapped out of existence, leaving nothing but the sound of Stella's crying to echo down the halls.
The group retreated from the building, hanging their heads. Stella leaned on Bloom and Flora for support, the latter of which used a healing spell to soothe Stella's wounds.
"We fell for it." Musa said, shuffling her feet. "We fell for it, like amateurs."
"Who are we kidding?" Stella added. "We are amateurs."
"The numbers were matched." Tecna said sternly. "We could've beaten them."
"Fighting would've made things worse." Bloom replied, downtrodden. "Exchanging was the best option."
"How would you know that? You didn't even try!"
"Tecna, she's right." Flora said, defending Bloom. "I would've done the same thing. Most of us would. Stella shouldn't have to die over a piece of enchanted jewelry."
"Stella," Musa said. "Do you have your phone?"
"Nope. They tore my purse to shreds."
Bloom took out her phone and immediately called Prince Sky's number.
Stella looked unnerved. "Since when do you have-"
"Stella." Bloom held the phone up to Stella's face. "Just answer it."
After three painstakingly long rings, Sky picked up the call. He seemed out of breath, the vague sound of shouting and dragon screeches in the background.
"Bloom! Hey! Did you find her?!"
"Sky?!" Stella said, almost in tears again. She clutched the phone affectionately to her ear. "Sky, it's me!"
Sky sounded ecstatic through the muffled speaker, and they began their romantic back-and-forth banter as she paced along the road.
"No, I'm alright now…some psycho witches…yeah…aww, honey!...okay."
She turned around to speak to the others. "They're picking us up in one of the pod-fliers."
The girls beamed. Stella finished her conversation with an excessive amount of goodbyes before handing the phone back to Bloom.
"Do you think he's mad at me?" Bloom said, holding in a yawn.
The aircraft was cool and quiet, prompting Stella and the other fairies to pass out from exhaustion. Sky had one arm locked around her shoulder, propping her up whenever she looked too close to falling. Timmy, to Riven's chagrin, was navigating.
"Brandon?" Sky raised an eyebrow and slowly shook his head. "No."
"Okay..." Bloom's voice trailed off. "Because...I don't know...we haven't talked in a while, I guess."
"Yeah..."
"And with the whole leg thing, at the swamp..."
"Mm-hmm?"
"He just-" Bloom's eyes became a little watery. "He looked so...angry..."
"Bloom." Sky said. When she glanced up, a warm, reassuring look was on his face.
"He's not mad at you. Far from it."
Bloom sighed, nodding as her gaze drifted towards the floor.
"Pretty tired, though, I bet." Sky continued, gripping Stella's slumping shoulder again. "He's been trapped in the infirmary for a good week now. Changing splints, pain meds, physical therapy...anything but the PODS."
"What are those?" Bloom asked, a little concerned.
"Well, they're like-kind of-" Sky tried his hardest to explain. "You know what-Timmy?"
Timmy, the only one in uniform, briefly took his eyes off the navigation screen. His hands were covered in specks of a bluish powder-like substance. Magidust, Bloom remembered it being called.
He gave an upward nod. "What's up?"
Sky paused, circling his hand as if searching for his words.
"So..." Sky finally said. "What does PODS stand for, exactly? Particulate Overdrive-"
Timmy smirked. "It's Cellular Permutation Override Systems. Recently developed. C-POS, but they're basically pods."
Sky blinked. "Right."
"They're like...rapid regeneration chambers." Timmy readjusted the navigator. "Really only used for chronic or life-threatening injuries, but rumor says it's a glorified disciplinary tool."
"It, like, recreates your cells," Sky said to Bloom. "Then replaces the damaged ones."
Bloom rubbed her cheek. "So it heals you really fast. I mean, that's good? Right?"
"Amazing, especially for dumb new cadets like us." Timmy wiped his dirty hands with a nearby cloth.
"Keep your hands on it, man." Riven muttered from the posterior chair.
"Relax." Timmy chuckled. "I know what I'm doing."
"Sky's leg would take five to ten minutes, tops." Sky looked down at Bloom. "He'd use it in a heartbeat."
"He would. Anyone would." Timmy chucked the cloth to the side. "...If it didn't hurt like a bitch the entire time you're in one."
A horrifying image of Brandon screaming in pain flashed across her mind. She shuddered.
"Oh." She mumbled out.
"So expect him to be out for a while."
"You might not think so," Sky said quietly. "But seeing you would really make his day."
"No...Sky..." Bloom looked panicked. "I can't just...walk in-"
"Yeah, you can, actually." He replied. "From noon to five."
"I'll get you a pass from Codatorta," Timmy added, preparing to land on Alfea grounds. "He thinks you're one of Sky's girlfriends, anyway."
"Dude-"
"Wait, he does?" Bloom said, laughing a little.
"No matter who I'm talking to." Sky sighed. "He has it out for me, I swear. Must've flirted with his wife or something. Probably did. Last semester was wild."
He caught himself. "Don't tell Stella I said that."
Stella smirked with her eyes closed. "Too late."
"Oop-" Sky said. "When did you wake up?"
"Just now."
"Liar." Sky smiled. Stella shrugged, and he gently kissed her forehead.
Stella smiled back. "Probably did the same thing to Griselda, anyway."
Sky squeezed her shoulder. "Nice."
The aircraft lowered onto Alfea's courtyard, surrounding fairies dashing away to either side. Timmy powered down the controls a bit, unlatching the door and allowing the ramp to unfurl onto the ground.
"Alright, girls." Sky said, hugging Stella one last time. "Home, sweet home."
Musa was completely knocked out, slouching in one of the posterior chairs. Riven banged on the seat's metal handle, jolting her awake.
"Wake up." He said bluntly. "I'd like to go home now."
She groggily shuffled her way out the aircraft, fixing her pants and rubbing her eyes clear. Flora and Tecna did the same, waving goodbye to the specialists as they returned to campus.
Stella let her fingers trail down Sky's arm, reluctantly letting go of his hand before waving goodbye. She gave Timmy a shoulder pat and Riven a flash of her tongue before leaving. Before Bloom could leave, however, Sky discreetly placed something in her hand. The paper showed a building and room number, followed by brief instructions on how to get there. Bloom gave him a surprised look, which he reciprocated before smiling and waving goodbye.
Bloom exited the aircraft and watched as it returned to the sky.
"I'll see you guys later, okay?" Tecna yelled, walking towards the west-wing classrooms.
"Bye!" The others said, walking towards the apartment. "See you later!"
But Bloom only stood quietly, a mixture of fear and excitement clouding her thoughts.