The tiny figure wrapped in the light fabric of her nightgown crawled across the floor trying not to make any noise. The curtains in the room had been drawn that evening, stifling the white rays of the moon that peeked out from the nearby mountains.
She groped forwards in the dark, clutching her favorite puppet to her chest with one arm, breathing as slowly as possible. She reached the large bed in front of her, too high for her to see the figure lying on it. Prying up on her little feet, she got up and she scrambled up.
Her older sister, who was asleep, rolled over in the crumpled sheets, muttering something.
-Icy? Are you awake?- she whispered, and began to yank her by the arm, waking her up.
-What is it, Sapphire? - the other asked.
The little girl had her hands anchored to her arm, and she was trembling, frightened. Her puppet lay upside down beside her. Since she never parted from it, Icy thought her fear must be real.
-I dreamed of those creatures again.- she whispered, as if afraid that someone else would hear her. Her chin trembled, on the verge of tears. -They wanted to hurt mom.-
Icy, almost fully awake, lingered over her little sister's shining eyes. She'd had nightmares like that before, and most of the time she'd woken up terrified, seeking comfort in her. At the age of ten, Icy was skeptical enough to reassure her sister coldly about the monsters she imagined too often.
-Stop crying. I told you before, the creatures you dream of don't exist. And they can never harm us, neither here nor anywhere else. Did you understand? -
-How do you know?-
- I just know. Here are those nice fast hares you like, and white whales. But not monsters.-
After a couple of sobs, the little girl seemed to calm down a little. She moved even closer to her older sister, waving her white curls.
-Can I sleep with you?- she pleaded.
-No, Saph, you've got to go. It's time to sleep now.-
-But I'm scared.-
Icy cursed herself every time she took the trap of her sister's pleading gaze, that managed to drag her into trouble after trouble most of the time. But she knew that this time she would force herself to make an exception to the rule.
-...alright then. But you have to be quiet.-
He made room for her next to her. With a leap, the little girl was by her side, eager for protection, as if she feared that everything she held dearest to her would be taken away.
Icy thought she was shaken by a jolt when she felt a hand just touch her, awakening her from her drowsiness.
She didn't remember falling asleep, and she was surprised that she was able to, given the nervousness she still had in her body.
The shuttle had been floating in the dark of space for quite a time, and its fluid gait had lulled her into a light sleep.
She blinked and regained her usual composure at the sight of Bloom, who stood before her.
-We are almost there.-
Icy instantly looked away from the fairy and looked out the window.
The star-studded sea of darkness was gradually clearing as the shuttle plunged headlong into a bluish mist. They passed a gigantic, sharp fragment of white crystal, which wandered there as lost as the debris of some crashed meteor.
Then, Dyamond appeared. Even from that distance, the white of the snow that covered it shining in flashes, and the faint blue sea hidden behind the massive net of ice, could be seen.
Icy felt a pang in her stomach at the thought that she was home again, and although she had been missing for only a short time, she hoped that her planet remained as she left it.
But her thoughts only concerned the white fox that lived there. She was still angry at herself for choosing not to take it away with her so many years before. Now, all that she hoped for, was to find her still alive.
The shuttle glided on the flat ground, kicking up a cloud of frost. The main door opened, letting the ladder fall to the ground as Sky turned off the engines.
-Perfect timing.- he said to Bloom who was wrapped in a snow jacket under which she had slipped at least two other heavy sweaters.
-How far is Dyamond from our galaxy?- she asked him, just in case that would turn useful in future.
-I calculated about sixty astronomical units and a time of a couple hours. But perhaps we have been clever enough to gain a few minutes.
Icy got up quickly from her seat and headed for the exit, where she did Bloom the courtesy of waiting for her. She wasn't going to waste a minute of time.
-Forget it. You can brag later on how good a driver you've been, now we're here for much more important reasons.-
Silence fell into the cockpit.
-Icy's right.-
Sky looked at Bloom, puzzled and surprised by her compliance. After that, he pulled out the digital topographic map of Dyamond that Timmy had given him before he left.
-This point indicates that we have landed just outside the capital. Continuing in a straight line to the north you will enter the mountain area. The glacier you are looking for should be around here.-
-Aren't you coming with us?- Bloom asked him.
Icy twitched her facial muscles until her eyes and lips narrowed to slits.
-No. I'll stay on guard at the shuttle. Don't worry, nothing will happen to me. And then I'd never want things to go wrong like last time.- Sky said, eyeing Icy with reproach. The two stabbed each other with a gaze before the boy returned to focus on the fairy.
-Take the map with you, it will help you. And, Bloom ...- he approached her whispering, so that she could hear him only. -... I hope you know what you're doing.-
-It'll be all for the best, Sky. It'll be a matter of a few hours. Or at least I hope so. Anyway, thank you for driving us here.-
When she kissed him goodbye, Icy was already out of the shuttle, impatient.
Bloom stepped off the dais and joined her, pushing her forward beside her with a gloved hand. -Come on, Icy.-
Sky leaned out of her door one last time to recommend that she keep in touch with him for any emergency.
When Sky disappeared into the shuttle, Icy breathed a sigh of relief and quickened her pace.
The voice of her conscience made her think that it would be better to be alone, as she always was, but logic convinced her that accepting Bloom's help would be the most useful thing he could do to accomplish her mission. Having someone would be advantageous in case of difficulty, and recently, Icy had noticed how the fairy was willing to take sides with her, in front of a common goal as the defeat of Valtor was.
Bloom counted her footsteps as she listened to them crunching on the hardened snow. With each breath of her, a thick cloud of vapor escaped her lips, and she had already lost sensibility in her nose and finger tips.
Beyond curiosity, there was another reason why she had offered to help Icy in the search of her sister: for some reason, she was eager to witness if the good side she'd thought she saw in Icy was real, or if she'd only imagined it.
For her part, Icy could not say how Bloom could have guessed that between her, the white fox and Dyamond there was a bond that no one else around seemed to suspect anything about. When the fairy had personally gone to her to offer her help, mindful of the affection she had seen her give to the animal, she must have read it clear on her face.
But she wouldn't let Bloom get too involved in things that didn't concern her. They would go in search of the fox and take it away from there; Bloom would help her break the spell and they would both return to their lives. What would happen next, was her business.
Bloom thought this would be the right time. Maybe, from that moment on, she would no longer have a reason to be afraid of Icy. But to ensure of that, she had to at least try to get to know her more deeply; to bring down the wall of prejudices and fears - and there were still many - that divided them. She had to try to talk to her naturally, like she did with her friends, or at least close to that. But she knew it wasn't going to be easy. Especially given Sky's opinion about it.
Icy had felt the boy's hostility and lack of trust towards her, and this had her deeply. But as usual she had decided not to care: he had been a simple means by which to reach her planet and start her search.
-We should stick together.- Bloom said. She would have added that it was a matter of
safety, but she didn't want to admit to Icy her fear coming from the fact that the place was totally unknown to her.
Icy slowed her pace on the snow dotted with gray rocks that now turned to end, giving way to the first huts and branching out into the streets that led to the center of the capital city of Dyamond.
-I know this place like the palm of my hand. When we get back, tell your boyfriend that he can go play himself with his maps and look like a seasoned explorer. Not with me, and not here.-
Bloom stopped a reply. Icy wasn't all wrong. -I'm sure he only wanted to make things easier for us.-
-Well, he's not here now, which means you're under my leadership. So follow me.-
Icy, acquired the witch form, took off, overlooking the roofs covered with shiny and compact ice. Bloom transformed too and, shivering in the cold, followed her.
Several meters below them, the indistinguishable houses crowded together quickly. At that altitude, the air lashed their faces, dragging an icy dust with it.
Icy looked ahead, then at the ground, then straight again.
-You know,- Bloom ventured, raising her voice to overpower the hiss of the wind. -maybe you're right, we won't need the map today. I have a fairly accurate memory of the glacier where my friends and I saw the fox for the first time.-
Icy gave her a quick glance, then shifted her attention to the path she was following.
The houses had completely disappeared from view, engulfed in the expansive block of ice bristling with sharp crystals that rose several meters above the city.
On the horizon, the sharp peaks of the mountains got closer, while below them an expanse of ice several meters thick appeared, so clear that it reflected the snow-capped peaks; what once must have been a lake. From there an expanse of snow rose up the steep walls of the mountain, the appearance of which resembled that of a waterfall that had been motionless for years.
-There it is, over there.- Icy pointed, while Bloom nodded.
-Do you think your sister is still hiding there?-
Icy didn't answer right away, just swallowing, suppressing her growing sense of concern.
-That's what I'd like to find out.-
Entering the thick walls of the glacier, they flew into the crevasse, finding shelter from the strong wind that blew on the surface. Bloom looked around. She could hear the sound of avalanches in the distance. The force of gravity was unloading entire banks of snow and ice downstream.
-Sapphire?-
Bloom gasped as she heard Icy call her sister's name. Making sure that the frozen walls were firmly in place, she reached the witch.
-Sapphire? Where are you?- Icy repeated.
The witch sighed as an unbearable doubt began to make its way into her, squeezing the pit of her stomach. She bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath to calm down. She advanced further, trying to see even the slightest sign of life. Bloom also began to call Sapphire's name, but it didn't seem to help.
The voices of the two girls echoed on the walls of the glacier, the wind carried them away along with its howl.
Icy began to think the worst. As far as she knew, Sapphire might as well be dead. From hunger, or cold, or the work of a ferocious animal; the chances varied, and Icy couldn't rest. Bloom walked over to her.
-We'll find her.- she said. She would add that it would be better to look elsewhere, and that they wouldn't give up, but she understood that breaking that silence would only make things worse.
She was about to rest her hand on Icy's shoulder in comfort, when a high-pitched whine rang out from an unknown source. Icy winced and, before Bloom could make any contact with her, she took off.
-Sapphire?- she called her again, and the fairy followed.
The whine rang out again, this time from below. Icy pointed to a small cave carved into the ice. A gray-haired beast walked slowly out of the den. The two girls rushed to see. The beast raised its sapphire-colored eyes on Icy. Its fur, which she remembered being white and shiny, was dirty and matted, and the animal looked undernourished. That vision shocked her more than it did when she saw her sister transform into the nonhuman, tender and defenseless creature she was not long before her.
Bloom also remembered the healthy and lively aspect of the animal. Her fairy heart now sensed Icy's apprehension, as she struggled with the doubt that she'd been wrong. When the witch raised a hand to stroke her, the fox stepped back and showed her teeth, nervous.
-Sapphire, it's me, Icy. Can't you recognize me anymore? What happened to you?-
Sapphire began to growl louder, eyeing Bloom.
-I think she's scared of me. She doesn't know me.- Bloom said. The fairy sensed the hostility in the animal, hidden behind her vulnerable and innocent look.
-Maybe I should step back for a moment.- she proposed.
The witch took a few seconds before answering. -Good idea.-
Her tone was calm. Bloom nodded and took a few steps away.
Sapphire gradually stopped showing her teeth and sat back down, opening her languid eyes and fixing them on the kneeling woman a few feet away from her.
Icy brought the rose quartz flower she always kept with her into her hand. She put it on the ground.
-Can you recognize me now?-
Bloom looked up, alarmed, to the surface of the crevasse, hearing the sound of shattering ice in the distance.
The fox limped forward until she reached the flower, sniffing it. She raised her head to Icy and yelped in despair. She was in pain. Icy lifted her, feeling her lightness. Her fur was bristly like straw. But her blue eyes, though washed out, were unmistakable. She whimpered again as she settled in Icy's arms.
The witch turned to look at Bloom, who had seen it all from her corner in the frozen wall, and now she was smiling, touched. As the fairy approached slowly, Sapphire let out a faint growl again.
-Shh, Sapphire. She won't hurt you.- Icy calmed her. The beast focused on her sister as Bloom watched her, unsure whether to try to stroke her or not. Icy held her close, still wary, and she didn't seem willing to let Bloom touch her, at least not yet.
-I think she has a broken leg.-
Bloom started to reply when she heard that uneasy sound again.
-We have to get out of here. If an avalanche fell down here, we would be buried.-
Before Icy could argue, a far more menacing sound echoed through the walls of the gorge. A howl that didn't belong to a small-sized beast for sure.
-Did you hear that?- Bloom said. -Hurry.-
Holding the fox close to her chest, Icy followed the fairy to the surface and the two headed for the city. None of them had any intention of becoming wild beasts food, and, having to protect the wounded fox, Icy could not fight in any way. At that moment, deep in her soul, she was grateful to Bloom to be there.
Bloom looked back to see a snow bank falling with a loud crash a few meters from the glacier.
Looking towards the city, Icy couldn't help but think that maybe some of her family there had managed to survive, as Sapphire had, and they could be in danger.
When they reached above the royal palace again, the highest ice-submerged spot, Icy told Bloom about that.
-I want to go look for them.-
The wind had risen, and it carried with it tiny, sharp crystal flakes.
Icy was beginning to believe it was impossible that there were still humans alive on the planet, considering that the population had probably been decimated by the cold. Part of her didn't want to give up and go back to Magix without even trying; even if it was only one, she would try to bring them back to life, making one step towards the salvation of her world.
-It's way too cold.- Bloom said, and turned her gaze to the fox. -She won't resist much longer. We have to get her away from here.-
-But...-
-I know how you're feeling now. But we don't have time. The blizzard is about to break out, and we'll never be able to leave for Magix and help Sapphire if we stay here for longer.-
Icy, in turn, looked down at the beast that was trembling, cold, protected as best as possible by her arms. The dangers of that place were lurking, and she became convinced that saving the fox was more important.
Having flown over the capital, they soon reached the shuttle, which was now partially covered th a thin veil of ice, and was immersed for a few centimeters in the snow. Bloom heard the sound of the engines, a sign that Sky was still there and that the craft was still functioning properly. In fact, she soon saw him appear at the door, and she felt relieved.
The two went inside and went back to their civil form.
-I started the engines as soon as I saw you coming. The weather is getting worse. The shuttle won't resist in this cold.-
- Take off, Sky. We must reach Alfea as soon as possible. We have a special guest in need of our care.-
Bloom looked at Icy, who was still clutching the battered beast, with an expression he could not remember ever seeing, in all those years, on her serious face.
She sat down beside her, focusing on the animal, their only point of common interest at the moment.
-She looks exhausted.- she observed. - But what matters the most is that we found her. When she gets better, we'll come back to Dyamond, and I'll help you find your family. Promised.-
Icy paused on the sincere smile that Bloom was giving her, not knowing how to react.
Sapphire was still hurt and hungry; therefore the mission wasn't completed yet. There was one last thing to do. The spell had to be broken, and her little sister had to get her human form back. Saving the people of Dyamond would be the next step.
The shuttle sped through space, headed for Magix.
-You don't have to worry about her,- Bloom said. -I know someone who can help us.-