Re-vieeeeeeeeeee-wers! Come out, come out, wherever you are! :)
Oh, and happy cold weather, if you live in Northeast America!
CHAPTER 8: THE EXCIDIUM
9 days until…
"A devastating force has shaken the city of Helios, capital of Solaria, down to its very core. What we have here is mass destruction; over half of the city was obliterated in the attack. As of now, three thousand are dead and six thousand are wounded, lost, or displaced. Amongst the wounded are the criminal's own parents, both of who are critically injured and under care at the Apollo Military Hospital."
Nine thousand? thought Maire, stunned. She knew that the destruction had been immense, but that many people?
She took a sip of electrical tea. Made out of volts and fire-leaves, it was meant to restore one's energy. She had already been treated for her broken arm, which was fine except for some aching.
"The guardian fairy and princess of Solaria was mortally injured trying to defend her kingdom, and immediately rushed to the hospital. We are sorry to announce that she did not make it. At three o'clock this morning, Helios time, Princess Stella Lucia Calisto di Solaria passed away from magical damage and shock."
Oh Natura… thought Maire, staring. This was the fairy who'd fallen when Aria had hit her. How is this possible? Princess Stella was one of the most powerful fairies in the dimension; how had Aria managed to kill her? Even the Trix had tried several times, and failed. And yet, Maire had seen the princess fall with her own eyes. If she's dead, there's no hope for us to face against Aria.
"The king of Solaria has declared a state of emergency. Today, the UR will be meeting in Magix to discuss its next course of action. In the meantime, the general public is advised to keep its children home and protective spells enhanced. We cannot predict where Cacciatore will strike again, as we do not know her whereabouts. Nine out of the twelve member states of the UR are on high alert, but everyone is advised to be careful. Those who went to school with her or are relatives should seek extra caution. This is a type of force we have not reckoned with since the Dominian Wars."
Maire shuddered. Twenty years ago, Domino had been destroyed by the Ancestral Witches, foremothers of the fearsome Trix. Even all of the UR's forces and the Company of Light had not been able to defeat them. Although Maire hadn't been alive then, the adults she knew always spoke of that time with an air of fear.
Queen Elaheh stood up. "I am going to speak to my speechwriters about drafting an address to the people," she murmured. "To assuage their fears and assure them that all is well. It shall be done while the king and the prince are at the UR council."
She left. The screen stayed on, but Maire wasn't paying any attention. Her mind was completely elsewhere, in a whirl.
She could not believe the hatred and fury Aria had shown towards her parents. Anger was one thing entirely, but violence and widespread destruction? What was making her do that?
And that axe… why was it so powerful? What kind of weapon was it? Somehow Maire felt that it was the key, the reason why she had been able to cause so much destruction. If she didn't have that stupid thing, maybe we'd be all right.
For the first time, an emptiness filled her heart, bottomless and voiding. The feeling of despair. She leaned back, stunned at how hopeless she felt.
She'd been brought up to believe she could solve any problem. As farmers crusading against endless taxes, failure had not been an option. No matter what, they always had to make ends meet. If their harvest was going badly, neighbors would help them out, just as they helped their neighbors. And then there had been her brothers, so outgoing and determined. They had brought her up to believe that no matter what, she should never give up.
But this was different. There were so many different things going on here, so many problems. Magix was an interrealm stage, a place where the world appeared so vast and endless, not parochial like her small village. During her time at Alfea, she'd come face-to-face with immense power. But she'd never felt hopeless, not until now. Aria's incredible power, the power she used to destroy and kill, was more powerful than anything she'd ever seen. And there was no way they could face it.
I can't face Mom, either… She sighed, picturing her mother in a village tunic, her red hair falling down her shoulders, the same hair that Maire had. The green eyes, though, had been from her father… the man whom Maire had never known.
Her mother had only been twenty-four years old when she'd married Breandan Griffin, her boyfriend of three years. They'd gone on to have six children, until he'd disappeared, shortly after her mother had become pregnant with Maire. Maire knew little about him; his very life had been a very closely guarded secret, one with her brothers had absolutely refused to tell her. The only tangible memory she had of him was a photograph of her mother standing with him, seventeen years ago. They both looked burdenless and happy, his brilliant green eyes shining at the camera. It was hard to believe he would ever take off.
Mom hated him. She rarely spoke of him. But the few times she did, she spoke with hatred and bitterness in her voice.
Not that Maire knew much about her mother, either. Her mother rarely spoke of her life as a child; all Maire knew was that she'd been poor, just like the rest of them. But she seemed determined to maintain that poverty as well. Instead of rising up and transcending beyond her simple life, she insisted on the closeness of "family", at the expense of everything else.
She wanted me to be the perfect village girl, Maire thought. Perfect, because she couldn't be the perfect wife. She wanted to live through me, force me to live the life she never had. And because she was such a control-freak, I had no choice but to leave.
But that line was beginning to crumble now. After all, they'd all thought the worst about Aria's parents, only to find out, once they went there, that they'd had good reasons for sending their daughter far away from them. What if something was similar about her own mother? What if there was a reason she'd been so strict with Maire, one that she simply wasn't telling her?
Well then, she should have told me, she thought. She shouldn't have just berated me every time something went wrong and – oh, I just can't think about this. It's too much.
She stood up, switching off the screen and heading down the hall.
Aria flew into the air, carrying her Axe as high as she could. She stared down at the ground, trying to make sense of what Isolde wanted her to do.
Ice formations covered the ground. They weren't vast, like glaciers or boulders, but they weren't exactly small either. Aria felt herself shaking as she thought, she wants me to destroy those?
"Oh, stop it." Isolde had joined her, shaking her head. "Ice is one of the most fragile materials in the universe. There is nothing that is stopping you from destroying them. But enough of that." She sighed. "I want you to project all of your anger onto them – but listen. You shall not release a single bolt of energy until I tell you to do so. In the meantime, just sit tight and collect energy in the Axe. Are we clear?"
Aria nodded. She gazed down at the Axe, feeling confused as she stared at it. This Axe, Isolde had told her, was her ticket to power, a powerful artifact that would give her domination over everyone. It felt vaguely familiar – she almost felt as if she'd used it before, but couldn't remember when.
Maybe it had been yesterday. She remembered that Isolde had called her to go training with her, but beyond that, she couldn't remember anything. It was like someone had gone into her brain and extracted a chunk of her memory. It was the most frustrating thing she'd ever experienced.
"Ready?" Isolde asked. She frowned as she caught sight of Aria's expression. "Now what's the matter?"
"I feel weird," Aria answered. "I – I can't remember anything that happened yesterday. It's totally bugging me out."
"Really?" Isolde looked interested. "What do you remember from yesterday?"
"I – I remember you telling me to get ready for a training session," Aria answered. "We came down here. And then… I don't remember anything else."
For a second, Aria thought she saw a relieved gleam in Isolde's eyes. But it vanished, and Isolde shook her head, looking genuinely regretful . "Quite a crying shame. Yesterday we did exercises like the one you are about to do yesterday. Those exercises involved conjuring up memories of the past, memories of humiliation and pain. It is likely you were too weak to handle those memories" – she spoke sneeringly at that – "and your mind shut down. However, the skills you learned yesterday still remain with you, and you will continue to be strong, though you'd be stronger if you didn't hold onto such weak thoughts."
"Okay," said Aria tightly. How dare Isolde call her a weakling? After I've done so much for her and her stupid realm? Then she began to feel shame, followed by fear. What if I am too weak? What if I fail at this? What – what if I never get my revenge?
"Now stop your grousing," Isolde ordered, "and close your eyes. It is time."
Aria instantly closed her eyes, worry filling her as she hovered with the Axe in her hands. Isolde drawled in a dark tone.
"It is late at night. You are in your dorm room, minding your own business and setting down to go to sleep. Then you remember you've dropped your bracelet, and you head outside to go get it."
Wait, I think this actually happened to me, Aria realized. But… when? Isolde continued to speak, her voice reverberating through her mind.
"And there stands your foe, twisting your bracelet in his hands. He has a cruel smirk on his face, a smirk at seeing you and being there to twist you, to contort you into shame. And so he lies to you. He tells you that you are a liar, that you have exploited others to gain your fame."
What? thought Aria, furious. How dare he? I'm famous because I'm one of the best singers in the realms!
"Not only that, but this boy is someone whom you have known for years. He was your first love, the boy you loved more than anyone else in the world. But alas, he was never able to return your love! Barely came to your concerts, was never there when you needed him, never there to give you affection and love. What kind of a boyfriend was he? A loser, that's what! He never loved you when you deserved it! What should you feel for him?"
White-hot rage filled Aria's heart. I hope he burns and dies and breaks into a thousand pieces… She held her Axe to her heart, shaking violently. It began to glow, heating her with its rage and intensity.
"He betrayed you so steeply, you can never forgive him," Isolde continued on. "He hurt you, striking you where you were tender. The parts he was supposed to nourish and love were the parts he destroyed."
The Axe began to glow even brighter, becoming a flame. It now burned Aria as she hovered there, her heart beating frantically as she remembered. I need to shoot now! I need to let it out!
"And then," Isolde continued, "he did the one thing you can never forgive him for, making you into prey, downstaged you and marred your trueness, your talent, and your love" –
"Stop!" cried Aria. She slammed the Axe down, releasing all the energy. I can't take this anymore! She let everything out, slamming the boulder of ice. It created a terrific boom as she hovered there, her heart beating no slower. She opened her eyes.
Her anger had barely made a dent in the ice. She stood, stunned and humiliated, as one fragment of the boulder fell to the ground, splintering like her heart. Other than that, there was nothing. Her anger had done absolutely nothing.
Isolde let out a mocking laugh, one that made Aria's cheeks burn and her eyes stare down at shame.
"Now you know why I told you not to release until I said so." She flew towards Aria, grabbing her arms. "You're clearly still too weak to stomach the memories. Well, it will come. You'll see one day. At least, you'd better." She spoke through clenched teeth.
Aria stared at her, not knowing what to say. All she knew was that she couldn't, just couldn't remember what had happened that horrible day. I can't think about it… She closed her eyes, forcing the tears to stay inside so Isolde wouldn't see her cry.
Darius stood with his father, gazing down at the central dome of the Magix Hall. In front of him, the other twelve royal families were already assembled, sitting on their respective thrones. A chairman sat in the middle of the hall. Darius swallowed, trying hard not to let his worry show.
Each realm sent diplomats to the UR; but there were rare instances when the monarchs of the realms had to convene. The Council of Sovereigns only ever met in times of dire emergency. It'd met all of last year, when Tritannus had threatened the stability of the Magical Dimension. This would be Darius's first time at a Council meeting, now that his school days were on hiatus and he was officially proclaimed as the heir to Fulgur's throne.
I hope they only send a task force after Aria or something, Darius thought. We can't let them kill Aria. But he knew (or at least hoped) that the chances of a task force being able to defeat Aria would be minimal.
He glanced around at the twelve other member-states. Each head of state was present, usually accompanied by a successor and a guardian witch or fairy. All of the Winx were there; Darius saw Lady Musa's eyes flash as she looked over at Princess Layla of Andros, a secret message in their eyes. Melody's new crown prince, Prince Kai, was present as well. As Darius's mother was the guardian fairy of Fulgur, she should have been there; however, she'd opted to stay home in order to televise an address to the public.
He'd argued with his father about it, before they'd gone to court. His father was firmly in favor of retaliatory action against Aria, which meant he was highly unlikely to support a bill that stated otherwise. Darius, however, didn't want to get involved in the fight, and told his father as much.
"I'd rather we didn't pass a retaliatory resolution," he said. "Please, Dad, don't support any resolution that says that."
"Really, Darius?" His father raised an eyebrow, turning towards Darius. "And what is your basis for that?"
Darius hesitated. "I – well, it'll be hard on Fulgur," he said. "The people will resent it if we raise taxes simply to help Solaria find her. And we can't do that. Especially, well, not with our treasury."
"And do you know the state of our treasury?" Darius's father asked.
Darius raised an uncomfortable shrug, knowing that he hadn't been able to keep on top of all state affairs, especially since he'd been away at school for three weeks. "We owe money to Linphea and Andros, so we have a deficit."
"We have a surplus," his father said sternly. "And we've been paying back our debts for the last three years. Yes, it is likely we'll have to raise taxes a little, but the people will support it, because they want to be safe. That argument, Darius, is not one of a future king. It is one of a heartbroken teenage boy."
"What do you mean?" Darius challenged his father, though he knew exactly what he was talking about.
"I mean you are grieving the loss of your former girlfriend," he answered. "And that is understandable, especially considering you both had a strong relationship. But you need to put your kingdom above your feelings for her. You cannot jeopardize the safety of Fulgur above one girl. Remember that, Darius. Cacciatore is a criminal, and we must work with our allies to make sure she is brought to justice."
Darius sighed, knowing there was nothing he could do to change his father's mind. He sat in the spacecraft gloomily, not looking forward to the convention.
And now that they were in the convention chamber, the fear that had been rising in his heart was beginning to rise even more. This convention could last as short as short as a day, or as long as a few weeks. Either way, he was not looking forward to the results.
The chairman banged his gavel, ceasing all of the chatter in the room. "Greetings, sovereigns of the United Realms. I am Arjun Gopal of Magix, and I shall be the chairperson of this emergency meeting. We shall start with attendance, in order of each realm's creation. The Republic of Summa?"
"Present," called President Colleen O'Shalley of Summa. Her vice-president, Donovan Flanagan, nodded his assent.
"The Queendom of Linphea?"
"Present," said Queen Rachel and her daughter, Princess Krystal, in unison. Lady Flora stood next to him, not speaking, her green eyes filled with worry.
"The Kingdom of Andros?"
"Present," called King Teredor and Princess Layla. Both of their eyes were narrowed in fury.
"The Realm of Domino?"
"Present," King Oritel and Queen Marion said together. They both exchanged a look, one of steely determination. The kingdom's heir, Princess Daphne, stood plaintively, but its guardian fairy, Princess Bloom, looked exceedingly furious.
That's not good, Darius realized. He looked around, noting that many of the sovereigns in the room had angry looks on their faces. Their chances of passing a resolution that didn't threaten Aria's life looked slim.
"The United Faerie Realms of Tír na nÓg?"
"Present," called High Queen Regent Nebula Pacem, as well as her adviser, Queen Diana. Out of everyone in the room, they seemed the least angered. Maybe they don't support fierce retaliation. A wave of hope washed over him.
"The Kingdom of Solaria?"
"Present," said King Radius, his eyes flashing furiously. Queen Luna stood next to him, an expression of undeniable sorrow on her face.
Okay, there goes that. Darius couldn't forget that for one person willing to provide mercy to Aria, there were a thousand others against her. The attack on Solaria had utterly devastated the morale of the kingdom and shocked the rest of the realms.
"The Realm of Fulgur?"
"Present," called Darius and his father. Darius caught many other royals craning their necks at him, getting a glimpse of the future king of Fulgur.
Gopal finished calling attendance with Whisperia, Melody, Zenith, Eraklyon, Rêve, and Magix. Of all the delegations, Rêve was the only realm which had only one representative. The king, King Gabriel Ferdinand du Rêve, sat by himself, with no consort or guardian fairy to speak of.
"This council is now in session. I am the chair, and I shall recognize those who wish to speak," Gopal said, looking around at the members. "Let us be reminded of the rules: only the sovereign head-of-state may speak. All others may deliberate with the head, but only the sovereign may voice the interest of his or her own realm." He looked around the room, and then said, "Are there any points on the floor?"
King Radius immediately raised his scepter. The chairman looked over at him, and then nodded. "The chair recognizes the Realm of Solaria to speak. Solaria, you shall have five minutes."
The king walked over to the central podium, holding out a long address that had been drafted out the night before. Placing them on the stand, he began to read aloud.
"Thank you, Sir Chair. As you all very well know, this is not the first time Solaria has come under siege. Tritannus has threatened her in his theft of the seal of the Pillar of Light; she has also come under threat by her own citizens, citizens who made a deal with Valtor so that they could take over the throne." His eyes darkened with rage. "And now, she has been deprived of her guardian fairy and heir, because of another treacherous citizen who threatens to imbalance the stability of this dimension.
"This act is not just treason; it is a catastrophe. Cacciatore has developed enough power to collapse thousands of dwellings under one spell, killing hundreds of people. She has also developed enough power to kill a guardian fairy, one of the most powerful beings in all the realms. We have not seen this magnitude of a threat since the Ancestresses threatened Domino twenty-one years ago. How, may I ask you, can we allow this threat to even continue to exist? How can we, in good conscience, allow our kingdoms to be shaken to the ground, all because of this criminal?"
The room was silent, but from its vibe, Darius could tell that everyone supported what King Radius was saying. What exactly is he going to propose? He swallowed hard. King Radius continued to speak.
"Therefore, I have a solution that has rarely been used in the Age of Unity, but it is our only choice in this dark battle. This is a dark foe, one with powers that the realms have never seen before. I see but one solution to this problem: we must summon the Excidium."
The effect was instantaneous; the room let out a collective gasp. Darius stood where he was, fear pounding in his chest. Oh no… His worst fears were coming to fruition.
The Excidium was a monster, one fashioned by Zenithian programmers. It had been created one-thousand and thirty years ago, in the Fifth Dimensional War, to fight against King Hideki Sutoku, a power-hungry king of Whisperia who'd taken over Melody, Linphea, Andros, and Eraklyon. It had been commissioned by Prince Arjuna Pandava of Magix, the commander-in-chief of the offensive against Whisperia. Using the Excidium, all of the other realms had fought against Sutoku, and won. This victory had prompted the foundation of the United Realms, and had been highly successful; no dimensional war had ever been fought since then.
It was a fearsome beast. Darius had only seen pictures of it, but they were scary enough; the metal, dragon-like monster was the size of Fulgur's royal palace and could kill entire armies with one slash. Each kingdom had given the beast a part of its power: from Magix it had the power of sorcery and deception; from Fulgur it had the power to send massive thunder and lightning strikes; from Summa it had the power to burn, flood, storm, and shake; from Domino it had the power to use the dragon flame; from Solaria it had the power to call upon any realm's sun; from Rêve it had the power to put soldiers into a deep sleep; from Zenith it had the power to scan its enemies; and from Tír na nÓg it had the power of the fey, an ancient race that was unique to Earth itself. When the conquering and conquered realms had joined the UR, they had added their own powers: Linphea gave it power to manipulate plants; Andros gave it the ability to control the waves; Melody gave it the power to manipulate sounds; Eraklyon gave it the power to lift entire boulders of rock; and Whisperia gave it the power of darkness. It had only been summoned two times since the Dimensional War, but it had never failed to annihilate its opponents. Aria would stand no chance against it.
"Solaria is aware of the circumstances in which the Excidium is summoned," King Radius said calmly. "And she believes that this situation calls for it. Not even four months ago, Tritannus was using trickery and politics in order to divide the realms, and we refused to even work together until it was almost too late! No longer shall we allow a foe to divide us and wreak havoc on our realms. We must act before it is too late! We must be united on this issue!"
A babble began to rise in the chamber; usually orderly, the sovereigns were too shocked to act with decorum. Chair Gopal banged his gavel on the table.
"Thank you, King of Solaria," he said. "How will you yield your time?"
King Radius didn't flinch. "I shall yield the remainder of my time to the chair."
"Thank you, Realm of Solaria," Gopal continued. "We have other realms that need to make their points heard. Any more points on the floor?" More sovereigns' scepters went up, and Gopal nodded at Queen Tsunami. "The chair recognizes the Warlocks' Realm of Whisperia."
The spacecraft landed on the planet of Iris at the dock. As usual, the five of them were wearing their disguises. Sir Arishtat opened the door, and Sharzad stared in awe.
It was a beautiful planet. It was filled with greenery and meadows, as far as the eye could see. Above them, a brilliant network of clouds and rainbows shone over the sky. People were walking over the rainbows, chatting to each other as they headed around the center.
Sharzad had only been to Iris once, and that was when she was very young, while on vacation. Therefore, the planet was unfamiliar to her, as mystical as the elusive grandeur of Rêve.
"We have a slight problem," said Arishtat as they landed. "In order to reach the Cave of Colors, we must head up into Rangin, the rainbowland of this realm. But only people who work there, or important people such as dukes, presidents, and royalty, are allowed up there. Therefore, Princess, you will have to reveal yourself in front of the officer on guard. We're trying to keep your identity concealed, but it may be difficult."
"I'll go with her," Daewon said immediately.
"Good," said Arishtat. "Princess, for your own safety, I advise you only reveal yourself in front of the guard. It will be a security risk if the citizens come to realize that their princess has come to visit their planet."
"Okay," said Sharzad, heading out of the ship. As Daewon followed her, she wondered why he had been so quick to come with her. Maybe he thinks it's a safety concern if I go alone. Then she shrugged off her worries as they entered the office.
A lone, bored witch sat at the counter. She looked at Sharzad with dull, irritated eyes. "Who's this?" she asked.
Sharzad walked up to the witch. Seeing the strength of her poise, the witch sat up straighter, realizing that it was someone important. In a swift motion, she removed her magimask and showed the attendant her real face. She reached into her coat pocket and showed her royal seal to the witch. The witch gasped as she looked up at the princess; Sharzad put a finger to her lips.
"I am here on a secret mission," she whispered, in Irisian; she had taken immersion lessons in the languages of Fulgur, and her Irisian was as good as her Barquese. "As you can see, I am under disguise. I ask that you do not alert anyone of my appearance here. I have this guard" – she motioned to Daewon – "and three staff members accompanying me."
The witch nodded, her eyes still wide. "It will be as you say, Your Highness," she said. "I will give you a set of ordinary visitor stickers." She reached into her drawer and picked out a set of magical stickers, and handed it to Sharzad. "Put it on your wrist, Your Highness."
Sharzad did as she was instructed. She watched as the paper melted into her skin, creating an imprint. It was in the shape of a rainbow, the colors shining brilliantly against her tan flesh.
"Thank you," she said, passing a sticker to Daewon. She put her mask back on, making sure it was secure so that no one would see the face behind.
"Have a safe visit, Your Highness," the witch said, sounding as if she didn't quite believe what she had seen.
Sharzad headed out, followed by Daewon. As they exited the office, Sharzad caught sight of a woman, one who was wearing a brown suit similar to hers. The woman had light brown skin, gray hair, high cheekbones, and warm brown eyes. She looked at her, and immediately smiled. "Princess Sharzad," she said quietly, her voice sounding clipped and foreign, in the Common Tongue. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Sharzad immediately stopped still, Daewon colliding into her. "How did you know who I am?" she gasped.
"I can see through illusions and disguises quite well," the woman smiled. "I am quite learned in the subject. I also happen to be under disguise as well." She bowed to the princess. "I am Atete Blanc, Rêve's priestess at the Temple of the Thirteen Realms at Magix."
Sharzad stared at Priestess Atete. She was just speaking to one of the most important priestesses in all of the realms. The Temple of the Thirteen Realms was run by the Spiritual Union of Beliefs, a non-religious, non-denominational private organization that ran throughout the realms. If a priest or priestess' fame rose, he or she could be chosen by the union. Zarathustra Mazda, a wizard from Barq, was the priest representing Fulgur. The priests and priestesses themselves were not said to represent the various religious beliefs within their own realms, nor did they have any political power whatsoever. However, they were very wise and learned in the magical arts, and were often sought out for advice in difficult times. Unlike the monarchs of each realm, they often lived humble lifestyles, seeking ways to help their communities. High Priestess Saraswati of Magix, for example, taught a course at Alfea.
"Priestess," she stammered, then bowed slightly, careful not to attract too much attention from the people on the street. "I'm honored to meet you."
Atete smiled, and her face was warm and friendly. "I assume you have a good reason for staying in disguise," she said.
"I do," said Sharzad, ignoring Daewon as he poked her multiple times on the shoulder. Stop it. I just want to talk to her. How could she not want to talk to such an esteemed fairy of all the realms? Suddenly, she had a thought. She turned towards the woman, her voice shaking, the smile disappearing from her mouth.
"Um, I was thinking – you're really good at magic, and I think you might be able to help us." She gestured to Daewon, who was glaring at her. "I just wanted to ask – do you know a spell to find someone's location?"
Priestess Atete tipped her head. "That is an interesting question. Tracking spells are very difficult to complete. It requires complete mental focus, as well as a deep understanding of the person you are thinking of. Not many know how to practice this complex art. I only know of one person who has mastered this, and that is the former High Priestess of Rêve. But even she did not have complete control over it. In fact, the last time she ever cast this spell was when she tried to locate Queen Isolde. But the spell was too strong, and she died in the effort."
Sharzad's shoulders drooped. "I guess it's too dangerous to use the spell. Never mind, we'll figure out a way to find her."
"Might I ask whom you are looking for?" Atete asked.
"We're on a mission to bring a criminal to justice," Sharzad explained. "We're looking to find and bring back A" –
"Stop!" yelped Daewon, covering her mouth with his hand. Sharzad jumped back in surprise; Daewon turned towards the priestess. "We really need to get going."
"Of course," Atete said politely, her face carefully concealing any hint of surprise. "Good day to you both." She turned around and headed away.
"Why did you have to do that?" Sharzad hissed. "Did you have to be so rude? She could have helped us! And you just shut me up while I was" –
"We don't even know her!" snapped Daewon. "You should have just said 'hi' and walked away. But no, you had to waste time talking to her! And you had to tell her what we were doing! Now she definitely knows who we're looking for."
"So?" said Sharzad, stung. "She would've helped us. She's wise and powerful. Why couldn't we have just taken her along with us?"
"Because she would've had the exact same reaction as your parents if they knew what we were doing!" Daewon snarled. A few people turned in their direction, and he continued speaking in a quieter, though no less angry, voice. "You complete idiot. Now we won't be able to find the shard."
"Don't you dare call me an idiot," Sharzad yelled back. "I thought you were my friend." It was one thing to be insulted by Darcy or Stormy, but Daewon?
Daewon shook his head. "Let's just go."
Sharzad stormed towards the spacecraft, her mind churning with anger. What right did Daewon have to tell her what to do? He acts like he knows everything, she thought furiously. He's cocky all the time, and I'm sick of it. She was about to tell Daewon exactly that, but then she heard Arishtat's voice. "Everything all right?"
"Yes," she assured him, climbing up to the ship where he waited. "I brought extra stickers, just in case Darcy and Stormy were coming along."
"We might as well bring them," Arishtat sighed. "Let us go. I will keep an eye on them." He nodded towards Daewon and Sharzad. "You both first."
The two nodded, and headed towards a gate. A few people were walking in front of them, scanning their IDs. Sharzad scanned her temporary tattoo, and the gate opened up. She looked in front to see a… giant beanstalk.
Daewon was behind her. "Obviously we climb it," he said, with another infuriating shrug.
Climbing was not so difficult – the stalk was actually made for people to walk up it easily. The wind also helped, guiding them upwards. It was a fairly short climb; they soon reached Rangin. Sharzad looked around.
"The Cave of Colors is this way," Stormy said uninterestedly, pointing towards a sign.
Sharzad followed her gaze. The sign read CAVE OF COLORS with an arrow pointing to a rainbow slide. The slide slid into a shimmering cave below, one that shined with power. She shivered. Do people actually go there?
"The rainbow-makers work in that cave," said Arishtat, as if reading her thoughts; she jumped. He noticed her expression, and said, "Are you feeling jittery, Princess?" Stormy and Darcy made disdainful noises.
"I'm fine," she said, ignoring the two witches. "I just – I was just wondering, how did you know?"
"I was raised on the planet of Iris," Arishtat explained. "My uncle is a worker in the Cave of Colors. They work to strengthen the enchantment of the rainbow paths that we walk upon." He looked at her. "Only one of us can enter the cave; the rest of us should stay behind. Would you like me to go ahead?"
"No," Sharzad said. "I'll go."
"You should stay here," Daewon protested. "I'll go."
"No, I'll go," Sharzad snapped, ignoring the puzzled look that Arishtat gave her, and the look of surprise on Daewon's face. I'm not going to let him have any chance to gloat. She was tired of everyone thinking she was useless – first Darius, then the witches, and now Daewon. She was going to recover the shard, and that was all there was to it.
"Are you sure, Princess?" Arishtat asked. "It is dangerous for you."
Sharzad shook her head. "I'm going." Without any further discussion, she sat down on the slide. The guard gave her a slight push, and she tumbled down.
She gasped as the wind blew her auburn hair back. With each second, she gained speed, and whooped with excitement as she slid faster and faster. Then she gasped as she entered the vortex, and everything went white.
The yellowstone road meandered through villages, past temples, and into the heart of a forest. Trees with pink branches and silver leave rose from the ground, their roots embedded far into the flesh of the clouds.
Storms burst above the forest, fierce and demanding. Franc walked down the path, grief maddening him as he stared around.
What a coincidence… he thought. He'd been in this exact forest, hearing this exact thunder, fifteen years ago. What made it even more stunning was that it'd been the last time a thunderstorm had ever occurred on Rêve. After all, thunderstorms only occurred once every decade or so, and it had been one of the most violent storms the realm had ever seen.
It was the day his wife went into labor. She had just started her maternity leave from work, though the baby wasn't due for a good two weeks yet. They'd been in the woods, going for a walk, when Trinity had suddenly collapsed on the ground.
"Get help," she had shouted, and Franc had stared at her, frozen with terror. I need to get her to the hospital… I need to get her to the hospital… Casting a water-repelling spell over her body, he heaved her into his arms, flying to the east, towards the castle.
Gray clouds appeared above the heavens. The sky darkened, and Franc stared in horror as thunder burst, threatening them with darkness and horror. I have to get her to safety! He rushed out of the forest, running down the clouds.
The rain was terrible. People were shut up in their houses, and he heard children's screams as the thunder boomed in the sky. The very clouds he stood upon seemed to shake in fear, something that had never happened before. He landed on the Royal Bridge, running across to get to the Rêvian Castle.
This is her only hope. The king was a good friend of Trinity's, and he would have to let them into the castle.
He shouted as soon as he reached the castle's clouds. Women rushed out to greet his wife, their eyes filled with worry.
"Quick, quick!" one of them shouted. "Get her into the castle!"
Trinity moaned. Her waters broke, and she lay down, filled with pain.
"We can't move her now!" another woman yelled. "We have to deliver the child now!"
Franc watched anxiously as the women descended upon his wife, pulling off her clothes. They helped the moaning mother push through, forcing the baby out through her body.
"You can do it!" a woman shouted. "Push, Trinity, push! Don't let the pain consume you!"
Franc's stomach clenched, and he fought the desire to push the women away from his wife. Fairy women, after all, were very fragile when it came to birth. There was a reason why fairies tended to only have one or two children, and why they only even attempted to conceive after a century of age. Even after taking all the precautions they could, the birth was premature, a disaster in their ordered minds. There was no guarantee either Trinity or the child would survive.
"Come on!" another woman encouraged. "Let your child go!"
Suddenly, the storms halted. Franc stared up in surprise as the rain ceased, the clouds parting from the sky. The sky returned to its usual azure shade and sunlight revealed itself, seemingly shining down on his wife.
Franc stared in bewilderment around him. The gray clouds below his feet turned back to their normal shade of white again. The pearly white castle in front of him, turrets gleaming in the air, brightened as the sun cast her rays on the towers. The sky was washed perfectly clean, as if no storm had raged the skies just moments before.
And under that sky, Angéle Espérer du Maurier was born.
The naming had not been easy. Franc had wanted to give their daughter a name such as Fortuna, so she would be blessed with fortune all her life. But his wife had refused.
"There is no such thing as luck," she had said. "Everything always happens for a reason. All we can do, in the face of adversity, is to never lose hope. Therefore she shall be named Espérer, our bundle of hope. And Angéle, for she is our angel that delivered us from this storm."
And her word had been final. She'd fallen asleep, and Franc held his perfect baby in his arms, his darling angel. He stared at her glossy brown skin, her curly black hair, and shut eyes.
So delicate, he thought tenderly. She shall be priestess of all priestesses, when her time comes. And what a fine woman she'll be. Love swelled his heart, and he gazed down at her with adoration.
Fifteen years later, his wife had indeed been right about the naming, but not in the way any of them could've expected. As it would come, there was nothing fortuitous about their lives.
Seven years ago, his wife had died. She had disappeared from the world, gone and never to come back. He could still feel her absence like a void, horrifying and broken.
And then a year ago, his daughter disappeared. Despite his best efforts to protect her, he'd failed utterly and completely, with nothing any longer to keep him alive.
I failed, he thought frantically. Without them, there was no reason to live any longer. Without the people he held so near and dear to his heart, there was nothing.
He'd never given up searching for her. A poor priestess's husband, he'd wandered the realm, trying to find any trace of his daughter. No such luck. The entire realm was abuzz with grief, wondering what had become of their High Priestess and her talented daughter.
I won't give up, he thought. Not my sweet Angéle. My dear daughter, I will find you. We will be reunited again.
Maire sat on her bed, staring at the journal. Darius had asked her to read it while he was at the convention, and had given it to her before his departure two nights ago. Unfortunately, it was written in Harmonian, which meant she couldn't read a thing.
Looks like we're gonna have to do this the hard way. Sighing, she turned on the laptop in the room. It took her awhile to locate the Web app; this computer was filled with many fancy features that hadn't been available on the school computers at Alfea. Of course these brats have to make it as complicated as possible. Finally, she found it and searched for Realmwide Translate. Using the computer's camera, she took a picture of the journal page.
The next journal entry was months after the previous one, which surprised Maire. Looks like she didn't write in this thing very much. If it were me, I'd be writing here every day. She felt annoyed; why couldn't Aria had written more? This was going to make it even harder to find out what had happened to her.
The computer analyzed the lines and began to translate the text into the Common Tongue. Hunching over the screen, Maire began to read.
6 Novemensis 1012
I went out on another date with Darius. He's not as cool as I thought he was. He's actually kind of weak. And he doesn't even compliment my dress when we go out. I hate it when guys interrupt when I talk. It's like he doesn't even care about what I have to say.
I mean, I know I'm good with persuasion. Men are so fallible – I'm great at persuading them to do what I want, and how to listen to me. It's all about the tone, baby. You've got to make the boy feel guilty, without sounding accusatory or emotional. But I'm tired of Darius. Boys get boring after a while. I made him listen to me, but I could tell that his heart wasn't really into it. He didn't really care about me.
I'm beginning to seriously think she's narcissistic, thought Maire. What kind of a person needed to be complimented all the time, and always talked about herself? This was insane.
She remembered the times when she and Aria talked – she had been able to voice her problems, but it had mostly been Aria. She remembered how dismissive Aria had been about her problems with her mother. I was such an idiot to put up with all that. A sense of guilt began to fill in her heart, and she thought, if I had been able to advocate for myself back then, then I'd have dumped her in the dust and never looked back. I wouldn't even be in this position now.
But she knew that wasn't true. Even if she hadn't have been best friends with Aria before her disappearance, she would have been concerned about her, and sought to save her in some way. Even though the mission was hopeless.
Sighing, she turned back to the computer, and finished reading.
I've had such a bad rapport with boys. First that jerk from Melody – I refuse to even mention his name – then Darius. Boys just don't care about anyone but themselves. They don't listen to anything I say. It's like I'm not even important.
You know what, why do I even bother? Screw that. I'm dumping him tomorrow. He thinks he's so full of himself – well, he's not great at all. Just because he's some prince of some realm doesn't mean his talent is better than mine!
The diary ended, and Maire stared at it in shock. He never told me that. From what Darius had told her, his breakup with Aria had been mutual. She didn't realize that there had been problems between the two of them.
I have to call him. She found her phone and dialed his number. It rang a few times. Finally, Darius's voice came on the end.
"Hello?"
Darius was in his room. He sat down quietly, staring at the computer screen. It was seven o'clock in Magix City, and breakfast would be starting in an hour. However, his dad was likely going to speak with him and his advisors on what action to take next. He wasn't exactly left with much free time during this convention.
It wasn't that he hated exercising his princely duties. Sometimes, it was a pain, although he recognized that it was his duty. No, it was the fact that no one really cared about his opinion. Even though he was the crown prince, he wasn't allowed to speak – that final power rested with the king. And so he was basically expected to sit there, with no say in anything whatsoever.
Then the phone rang, and Darius picked up.
"You told me your breakup with Aria was mutual," Maire said accusingly, her sharp voice cutting through the air.
"Well, it was," he said sheepishly. "Except"…
"Except what?" Maire prodded on, her face hard.
Darius didn't answer. He thought of his short-lived, yet meaningful, relationship with Aria. There had been a few times when he'd been frustrated with her, particularly with her inability to stop talking about herself. But then he had also felt guilty. After all, she obviously needed his support. And wasn't it the duty of a good boyfriend to listen to his girlfriend, whenever she had problems or needed support?
For a while, their relationship had been moving along smoothly; Darius had gone to every one of Aria's concerts and performances, and had smiled when people exclaimed how she was going to be a star one day. She was already a mini-celebrity in Magix at the time, and Darius had been proud to be her boyfriend. Then out of nowhere, Aria had suddenly dumped him. He hadn't known what to think or how to act – he'd been so disoriented by the sudden change.
Then had come anger. Why had Aria dumped him? He'd done everything right. He'd spoken courteously to her, gone with her on dates, gone to every single event she had, and held her in his arms while she cried about how jealous so-and-so was of her. Darius had believed it at the time. He'd felt sorry for her, and angry at the people who had wronged her; he'd even tried to find out who they were, but to no avail.
After their breakup, he'd tried to speak to her as politely as he could whenever he saw her, for a part of him still liked her. They'd had a few decent conversations in Magix, and she'd spoken just as civilly towards him. It was as if nothing had ever transpired between the two of them. Yet, Darius had always seen a glimmer of fear in her eyes, hidden behind the proud exterior. And he was powerless to do anything about it. Despite his best efforts, she'd refused to reconcile and get together with him again.
"Darius?" Maire said again. "Are you listening?"
Darius sighed. "She dumped me because she felt I wasn't supporting her enough," he said. "Listen, Maire. I think she was being threatened by someone."
There was a pause. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, whenever we used to go out, she always used to be scared," Darius continued on. "She always used to be worried about everything. She told me that people were jealous of her, and that they kept insulting her in school. Her life wasn't all about admirers; she had opponents, too" –
"Huh," Maire snorted, and Darius could catch the disdain in her voice. "More like she's a total narcissist."
"What?" Darius stared into the phone. "What do you mean?"
"I looked it up," she answered. "Narcissistic Personality Disorder. People who have this disorder feel like they're more important than everyone else. They can't take a single bit of criticism; if anyone even gives them con crit, they feel like their delicate egos are under attack. This either comes from excessive criticism as a child or neglect from their parents. Don't you see? Aria acts every bit like this type of person. Probably someone was telling her to stop being so full of herself and she came down on that poor person like a ton of bricks."
"Well"... Darius frowned. "I don't think we're in a position to diagnose anyone, Maire. We're not psychiatrists."
"Whatever," Maire snorted. "This mission is impossible – she's way too powerful. I vote we just give up."
Darius glared into the phone. "You did not just say that," he snapped. "Aria's parents are in critical condition at the Helios Hospital. They almost died to give us information. And you're saying that we just stop and leave her to the mercy of the Magical Dimension?"
"Think about it, prince," Maire snapped. "We're never gonna find her. We don't even know where she is. How the heck are we not gonna fail?"
"If you're going to be a pessimist, then of course we're going to fail," Darius responded.
"I'm not a pessimist!" she snarled. "I'm being a realist. This mission is just impossible. Just accept it."
"You" – Darius began furiously, but then stopped as a guard came into his room. "Your Highness? The king requests your presence at a meeting."
"Sure," Darius said, then he spoke into the phone. "I have to go." Not waiting for an answer, he turned off the phone.
He sighed as he got up, following the guard. Why does Maire have to be so pessimistic? Does she even care about her friend anymore?
Aria sat quietly in her room. There was absolutely no one there for company. She was extremely lonely, and wanted to go home. I don't have anyone here to talk to…
She'd met some servants in the castle. Just for conversation's sake, she'd tried talking to them, telling them about herself. How she was going to go to the Opera House, how good she was at singing. Many of them had laughed at her, telling her that she was too full of herself or that they didn't have time for her chatter. One had even slammed the door in her face. Finally, it ended in not having anyone to talk to. No one to give her the love or the devotion that she needed, or that she deserved.
No one truly loves me, she realized. Not one person. Not my parents, nor my teachers, nor Maire, nor my old "friends", nor any of those people who follow me around the school. They admired my abilities, but they never truly loved me.
She closed her eyes, trying to summon a memory when she had felt loved or cared for. But there was nothing. She couldn't even remember the last time her parents had cared for her.
And she had utterly failed at the training session today. She couldn't even let out her anger properly. She remembered Isolde's mocking laugher, and felt a surge of fury in herself, the fact that she couldn't even execute righteous rage. I'm weak, I'm weak… But there was no way she could allow the memories to enter her mind, memories that were too painful to ever be acknowledged. Memories that only proved she would never find love.
She stared at the hourglass, which was always on her nightstand. About a third of the contents had fallen to the bottom. By her estimation, it would last less than fifteen days in total. Still, she couldn't figure out what it represented, or what it was there for.
Maybe this represents how long it will be until I am truly alone, she realized. Maybe Isolde's plan is to torture me, by keeping me alone. She knows how much I hate being alone. She gasped. And by the time that hourglass finishes, I'll be left completely alone. I'll be locked in a dark prison, with no one around to care for me!
"Aria?" a voice behind her said. Aria turned around to see Angéle walk into the room. "I was wondering if you wanted to – you're crying!" She stared at Aria. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Aria said roughly, trying to push the girl away. "Nothing at all." She hadn't even realized she'd been crying.
"Clearly something must have happened, for you to feel so low," Angéle said quietly.
Aria didn't respond. All she could think of was her group of friends, friends who had always followed her around during school. But they had never been real. She couldn't remember feeling anything that resembled kindness from them.
"You need help." Angéle sat down on the bed, cross-legged. Her brown skin gleamed as she lightly touched Aria's arm. Aria wanted to pull away, but found that she couldn't. "I feel sad like this sometimes, too."
"Well, you can't be feeling as bad as me," Aria responded harshly.
"Why's that?"
Aria glared at her. Angéle drew back, stunned by the harshness in her gaze. Then Aria spoke, and her tone was wild.
"Because I'm not supposed to be like this! I'm not supposed to be feeling this way! I'm an opera singer, I'm going to go live The Life, and I have all the friends in the world! This just isn't fair!"
"Come," Angéle said quietly. Aria stared at her.
"What are you talking about?"
"Come to my room," Angéle responded. "It'll cheer you up. This room is so dull. And maybe we can play some music together." Her eyes were wide and pleading.
There was nothing Aria wanted to do less. But no one could resist Angéle's puppy-dog eyes, and she gave in. "Fine," she spat, climbing off her bed and heading towards the hall. Hopefully she'll leave me alone after this.
The colorful room was just the same as it had been before. Angéle sat down at her harp, and Aria sat awkwardly on the bed, noting how nicely made it was. Damn, she makes her own bed… Back at Alfea, she'd always been able to convince one of the other girls to make her bed for her. It was clear that none of the useless servants around here had the capacity to even do that.
"What are we going to play?" she asked, trying her best to sound disinterested, though she kind of wanted to sing now. Back at Alfea, she'd always sung to get her mind off of problems – and because everyone loved her singing, too.
"Do you know the Rêvian hymns of the goddess Mierve?" Angéle asked.
As if I'd know any of your stupid temple hymns, thought Aria scornfully. "No," she said.
"Here." Angéle handed Aria a slip of paper. Aria looked at it and saw the sheet music, filled with words she didn't know. "I don't know this language – whatever it is."
"It's Scriptura," answered Angéle. "There are three languages commonly spoken: Souhai, the language of the common folk, Songeria, the language of the royalty and nobility, and Scriptura, the language of the priesthood; it's an outdated language, not used since the Age of Darkness. I have taken lessons in all three, though Songeria is my native language."
"How the heck do I say these words?" Aria asked bluntly.
"It's very phonetic," Angéle responded. "Scriptura has a different script, but I gave you a translation that puts it in Common Tongue characters. Just remember: the vowel 'a' is actually an 'ah', and the 'o' is as pure as can be. Make sure your vowels are pure and you'll be fine."
Shouldn't be too hard, thought Aria. After all, she'd sung songs in different languages many times; the difference was that she'd always had ample time to practice before singing in front of someone.
"You don't have to be shy," Angéle said softly. "I won't judge."
Aria cast her a haughty look. "Who said I was shy? I'm not scared. In fact, I'm not scared of anything, or anyone!" She held the music up.
"All right." Angéle began to play. Aria sang along with her, her powerful voice shimmering around the room.
She stumbled over a few words; her cheeks turned red. Come on, you're better than this, she scolded herself. But fortunately, Angéle didn't notice. She was simply strumming her part, closing her eyes.
There was a pause, where Angéle merely played by herself. Aria found her gaze meandering towards Angéle, and watched as she played the harp. For the first time, she was taken by how beautiful she was. She was pretty, but not in an ostentatious way. Her white dress fit her perfectly, and her tight, curly black hair was silkier than actual silk itself. Aria had always scorned girls who never wore makeup, but this was different. Angéle didn't even have to try to be beautiful; she was just herself. She raptured Aria so much that she forgot to come in during her entrance.
"Forgot?" Angéle said teasingly. "Don't worry, we can start from a few measures before that spot." Aria felt a slight wave of anger pass through her at Angéle's teasing, but immediately forgot as she heard the beautiful tone of her harp. She stared at her music and began to sing.
As she sang, she felt something in her heart lifting. There was something beautiful about this companionship between the two of them, something she had never experienced before. In a flash, she realized she was actually enjoying this. It was even better than singing for a crowd, when she had to practice for hours and hours beforehand. Now, she could simply sing for the sake of singing. She didn't have to worry about being perfect – here, she was just herself.
The song ended, and Aria looked towards Angéle, who looked at her. "Feel better now?"
"Yes," Aria responded, and then immediately kicked herself. Now she's going to think I'm weak. "I mean, I wasn't feeling bad to begin with," she said quickly, forcing a smile on her face.
"But I saw you crying before," Angéle said in confusion.
"Well, every singer goes through that at some point," Aria responded. "It just comes with the territory of being so awesome. We always have a few moments where we have to de-stress and let it out. I was just having a diva moment yesterday."
Yes, she told herself delightedly. She could even believe the excuse herself. But Angéle looked at her sadly.
"I know sadness when I see it," she said. "Believe it, Aria, I know what it's like to be lonely. And I know you're upset. I don't know about what, but I know."
Aria shrugged. Why did it matter to her what Angéle thought? She was just a little girl, and a common thing at that. She was fun to sing with, but Aria couldn't care less what she thought.
"Look," she said, "Isolde is here to bring me greatness. When I triumph over all that is wrong, I'm never gonna feel pain ever again. So don't even worry about it."
"The queen is going to bring you greatness?" Angéle asked in surprise. "That's what she told you?"
"Yeah, duh," said Aria. How had this girl not figured that out? How does she not know how powerful I am?
"Whatever she told you, it's wrong," Angéle said hurriedly. "Aria, she has reasons for having you here, and they're not pleasant. Don't fool yourself."
Aria laughed. "I never fool myself! And of course she has reasons for having me here! She wants me here because I'm awesome!"
"But Aria," said Angéle urgently, "she's the queen of a forgotten realm, and she's done horrible things in the past" –
"Be the pessimist all you want!" Aria fired back. "But I'm not gonna let you spoil this for me. She's going to make my life great, and she'll make sure I live the life I've been meant to live. And no one is gonna stop me from being a star!"
Angéle nodded weakly. After a moment, she said quietly, "So, want to play another song?"
Sharzad entered a world of white. There seemed to be no ground below her feet, nor any perception of space; she was suspended in midair. She looked around in surprise. "Where am I?" she asked.
"Greetings, princess of Fulgur," a mystical voice said; one whom she did not recognize nor see the owner of. "You have reached the Cave of Colors. You are not one of my employees, those who work to create the rainbows of this land. Therefore, I ask you: why have you come to this establishment?"
"I am looking for the rainbow shard to the realm of Glacia," she said. "I need it to unlock the realm."
"What you are looking for is in here," the voice said. "The shard was entrusted to the Cave of Colors sixty years ago, by a citizen of Glacia. However, we cannot give it to you."
Sharzad swallowed; she couldn't bear the thought of returning empty-handed. Daewon will never let me forget it… "Why not?"
"Because you have not proven yourself worthy of access to the realm," the voice answered simply. "Twenty-two years ago, the rainbow shard was given to us by a citizen who sought to liberate the realm of Glacia from the oppressive rule of its queen. We were meant to guard it, at all costs, with one exception. We were instructed to only give it to someone who proved that he or she had the character to save the kingdom. It is apparent that you already have the first two shards; otherwise, you would not have come here. You passed the first test, of skill, to gain the lightning shard; you also passed the second test, of strength, to defeat the guardian of the thunder shard. Now you must pass the third test, of character, in order to gain the rainbow shard."
"What do I need to do to prove myself?" Sharzad wanted to know. Her chin trembled, but she stayed resolute. "I'll do anything. I – I'll do anything to save the Magical Dimension." And to prove myself to Darius, she thought, feeling a bit guilty that her intentions weren't completely pure.
"Let me ask you another question," the voice said. "Why do you need the shard?"
Sharzad's voice shook as she spoke. "A criminal is conspiring with the queen of Glacia, the very dictator you speak of. I need the shard to bring her to justice." The video footage of Cacciatore's destruction of Helios went through her mind, and she winced. "The entire dimension is in danger. Grave danger, even bigger than during the Dominian Wars. If we don't get the shard, the safety of the Magical Dimension will be at stake. Please, please give it to me."
There was silence for a moment; then, the voice spoke. "But why should we give it to you? What have you done that makes you worthy of the shard?"
"I" – Sharzad's knees felt weak, and she was sure that if some enchantment had not been holding her in the air, she would've collapsed right that minute. "I don't have anything," she admitted. "The only thing to my name is that I'm a princess. I study at Alfea, but I'm not the greatest fairy or anything."
"I do not speak in terms of accomplishments, fairy," the voice answered. "I speak in terms of character and resilience and strength. I want to see if you have the character meant for one who is going to liberate the realm of Glacia from its oppressors."
"And how am I going to show you that?" Sharzad asked, her voice shaking.
The voice didn't answer. Instead, Sharzad saw the scene around her shifting, and gasped as her feet landed on solid ground again. The world around her changed; from a swirling rainbow vortex, it had become a frozen terrain with soldiers all around. The soldiers formed a circle on the frozen plain as the bitter wind whipped by; she stood in the circle, gaping at what was ahead of her.
In front of her was an old woman, held captive with chains of ice all around her wrists and hands. The crowd was jeering at her, shouting at her. As they shouted, a fairy floated down from the sky and walked up to the woman.
Sharzad stared at the fairy in awe. The woman wore a glittering ice-blue dress and a stunning, ostentatious crown of the same color. She must be the ruler of this people… But there was no sign of mercy in her gaze, nor kindness, as she leered down at the woman. She extended her arm forward, cupping her chin and slashing it with her long fingernails as she spoke.
"You have committed treason against this kingdom," she said, her voice filled with hatred and cold fury. "You have sold state secrets to the enemy, and have broken the confidence of this kingdom so deeply that it can never be repaired. There is only one punishment for this crime, as fitting and deserved for one as treacherous as you: death."
The crowd began to shout, calling out to the ruler. "Long live Queen Isolde!" They began to whoop, shouting in glory.
Isolde? thought Sharzad. She remembered that name, but she couldn't think from what it was from. That's… Then it hit her. She's the queen of Glacia! She's the dictator, the one who sealed the realm! Atete was even talking about her earlier! She could barely breathe.
The old woman lifted her head, and Sharzad was amazed to see her eyes. Whereas one in her position should have looked meek, begging for forgiveness, she did not display any such emotion at all. Instead, her eyes held a calm acceptance, and a cool fire burned in her eyes as she stared back at the queen. "If I am a traitor, then the great Goddess herself is the devil. If you are to sentence me for working to save this realm from evil, then I will gladly accept my fate. You are trafficking in hatred and malignance, Isolde. As your faithful maid, I beg of you, my dear: please change your ways, before it is too late."
The crowd began to shout at her. Isolde lifted her eyes, not even addressing her former servant. After a moment, she shouted, "Soldiers! Finish it now!"
The soldiers began to close in as Isolde flew out of the way. Their shouts were carnal as they advanced on the defenseless old woman, positioning their spears. The old woman made no movement to stop her inevitable fate.
Sharzad gaped at her in horror. This woman is about to die a horrible death! She could barely watch as they ran towards her, shouting curses as they all began to close in.
Her first instinct was to close her eyes and run – far, far away from the site of the execution. This was going to be bloody – she had absolutely no desire to watch this. And she would have run, had she not seen the woman's face. It was not of pain, or worry, or sadness – only a resigned acceptance to her fate.
I can't just let her die like that, she realized. I may not be able to save her, but I – I have to try. No one deserves to be skewered alive! As soon as the thought bolted across her mind, she was on her feet, screaming, "Magic Winx!"
Her outfit changed, transforming into a silver top and skirt. She flew straight towards the chained woman, grabbing her by the arms. Milliseconds before the soldiers closed in on her, she lifted the old woman, freeing her from the points of the spears.
The soldiers gasped in shock and outrage as their metal spears clashed against one another. They stared, dumbfounded, as Queen Isolde screamed, "Don't let her get away! After them!"
Sharzad flew as quickly as she could, dodging attacks as the men shot balls of ice at her from the endpoints of their spears. She was shocked at how light the woman was; her body felt as if it was made of nothing but bones. "What have they done to you?" she exclaimed, flying forward.
"It is not what they have done to me, my dear," the woman answered. "It is what Isolde has done to herself."
Sharzad gazed up. She couldn't see anything above her, but she doubted that they were going to get out. I've got to save her… She had to stop this woman from being killed. She couldn't let her die for doing what was right.
Suddenly, a shape appeared in front of them. Sharzad screamed as she collided into a body. She fell to the ground, falling in a heap on top of the woman. A shrill voice behind her laughed, high-pitched and merciless.
"This is where it ends," she heard Isolde say. She flew up to Sharzad, tapping her lightly on the back. "You were clever, girl. But no one dares interfere with my rule"… She shot a bolt into Sharzad's back, and she screamed in terror.
But no pain came to her. Instead, she felt weightless as she floated around in midair. The entire scene disappeared. Confused, she looked around, but could not see anything except for black space. What happened? Where have I gone?
And then the light returned, only she wasn't in a wintry land anymore. She was standing in the hall of a great palace, its walls and floor shining rainbow. The room was beautiful, and it took her breath away. The walls of the palace glistened, the colors shifting and morphing into one another as they shone throughout the halls.
In front of her was a green-clad woman, with her back turned to Sharzad. Her dress was iridescent, the warmest shade of emerald green she'd ever seen. Stunning patterns of gold and rose shimmered upon the fabric. Her wings were crystalline, made of white, shining stars.
The woman turned around, and Sharzad let her jaw drop. She was simply beautiful. Her eyes were sky blue, and her brown hair fell in ringlet curls to her waist. Her face was tanned, and it shined with an ancient glamour of truth.
"You have reached the Palace of Prisms," she said, echoing the same voice that Sharzad had heard as she'd entered the Cave. "I am Anahita, guardian fairy of Rangin."
"Anahita"… Sharzad gasped. She felt like an idiot for not knowing who she was; after all, she had grown up knowing this woman's name. Anahita was the head of Rangin, and supervised the creation of rainbows and clouds on the planet of Iris; she had patented a method of rainbow-creation, one that had made her famous throughout the realm. "Lady Anahita, it is an honor to meet you."
Anahita held out a shard, one that glistened with the colors of the rainbow. Cautiously, Sharzad extended her hand and took it.
"You have proven that you are worthy of this shard," she said. "Your courage in the face of danger was remarkable. Use it with honor, Princess. And liberate those who do not have your power."
"I will," breathed Sharzad. "I just have one question."
"You may ask," Anahita responded. "Only one question, though, before you return back to your people."
"Who was the woman whom Isolde was about to execute?"
Anahita was silent for a moment, then she answered. "She was formerly Isolde's maid, the one who sent the shards to Fulgur. She was executed sixty-two years ago for treason against the queen."
"What was her name?" But before the last word had even left her mouth, the palace disappeared in a whirl of color. She gasped as she was ejected out, bursting into the sky.
Daewon stood outside of the Cave of Colors, with the witches and warrior. Arishtat was beginning to look worried.
"An hour has passed," he said. "This worries me. Why is it taking our princess so long to return?"
"I don't know," Daewon said, sighing. He was more annoyed than worried about Sharzad; their conversation was still on his mind.
How in the realms could she be so gullible? First she wanted the witches to be set free, and then she almost told the priestess of Rêve their secrets! What is wrong with her? He'd never met anyone who was so susceptible to lies.
I can't believe I thought I liked her, he thought. All of the admiration he'd felt for her, for her beautiful auburn hair and shining brown eyes, was gone now. I can't believe I was such an idiot. Only an idiot would have a crush on a stupid girl like her. She may be pretty, but she just doesn't care enough about bringing Aria down. And I can't believe I thought her act was… cute.
He had such bad taste in girls. After Aria had shown him her true colors, he hadn't been able to pursue a single girlfriend. Several girls had come up to him, asking if they could go out, but he'd turned them all down – his heart just wasn't into it. And now, when he did find someone he liked, she turned out to be the total opposite of Aria, but in an equally bad way – a completely naïve, gullible loser.
Shaking his head, he turned towards the Cave of Colors, wondering what was taking her so long.
And then the Cave exploded with a brilliant rainbow.
Sharzad flew into the air, the rainbow trailing after her. She landed neatly on the cloud and held up her hand. In her fingers was a rainbow-colored shard.
Daewon gaped at it. She found it… He could hardly contain his excitement.
"Princess!" Arishtat looked relieved. "It is good that you are back."
"Got the shard?" Stormy interrupted, walking towards the princess. She eyed the shard, as if testing its authenticity. "Looks like you finally did something right." She let out a sneer.
"This is great!" said Daewon, letting out an exalted whoop. Now they had all three shards of the key to Glacia. "Now, I say we go home." He turned back towards Sharzad, and added, "Unless you don't want to sleep before the big day ahead of us."
He could have sworn that he saw a flash of anger in Sharzad's eyes, but he didn't care. He was glad that she'd gotten the shard for them, but not so glad that he'd forgotten how she'd almost screwed everything up for them.
Well, as Stormy said, she actually did something right for once, he thought. It doesn't matter. We'll be in the realm of Glacia by tomorrow. He flexed his arm.
And then I'll take down Aria for once and for all.
It was the end of the day. Darius was ready to collapse; he might have, had it not been for the adrenaline that was coursing through his veins, the fear that kept him up.
All day, they had deliberated on resolutions, getting nearly nowhere. They had come to a vote several times on the more moderate resolutions, proposed by Domino, Whisperia, and Linphea. But nothing had worked; they'd all failed to pass with the required two-thirds majority. There was only one resolution left to vote on. He held his breath as the chairman began to speak.
"The final vote shall be for the Summoning of the Excidium," he said. "This vote differs from all of the other resolutions; in order to bring this creation forward, all member realms should be in unanimous agreement. Without that, the realms cannot summon the Excidium." He looked at President Chandra Narayanan. "The Republic of Magix?"
President Narayanan nodded. "Magix votes 'yes' for the summoning of the Excidium," he said.
"The Republic of Summa?" Chair Gopal called.
President O'Shalley didn't blink. "The Republic of Summa votes for the summoning of the Excidium."
Darius tensed. He looked around at the room; from the vibe he got, everyone seemed to agree. He couldn't even make out one face against the decision.
"The Queendom of Linphea?" Chair Gopal called.
Queen Rachel hesitated, then looked at her daughter, whose face was resolute. After a few moments, she said, …"Linphea votes for the Excidium."
"The Kingdom of Andros?"
"Andros is for it," King Teredor said at once, his eyes flashing.
"The Realm of Domino?"
"Yes," said King Oritel and Queen Marion in unison. Their eyes locked together, a silent agreement.
"The United Faerie Realms of Tír na nÓg?"
Queen Nebula paused for a second, looking rather hesitant. Darius could almost feel her dilemma; Tír na nÓg was a new realm in the UR, and therefore had to prove herself strong enough; however, as Earth was in a different dimension as Magix, Aria was not as much of a threat to her kingdom. Maybe she was in a position to have reservations about sending the Excidium. But he shouldn't have hoped. In a quiet voice, she said, "In the interest of dimensional safety and interrealm stability, Tír na nÓg votes for the summoning of the Excidium."
Darius watched as King Radius, his father, Queen Tsunami, King Jun, King Cyros, and King Erendor all voted for the Excidium. This was it; there was only one more realm left to vote. Once Rêve cast its vote, Aria's fate would be inevitable. He sunk lower in his chair as Chair Arjun Gopal turned towards King Gabriel du Rêve. "The Kingdom of Rêve?"
King Gabriel stepped off of his throne and walked forward. There was a silence as everyone stared at him, taken aback by his calm, unaffected composure. He then began to speak, his quiet yet authoritative voice reverberating around the walls of the room.
"The Kingdom of Rêve votes against the summoning of the Excidium."
Ooh, that was it! Anyone wondering why Gabriel chose not to vote for the Excidium? That will be explained in future chapters, of course.
Next chapter:
- Daewon and Sharzad head to the Gates of Glacia with Darcy and Stormy.
- Darius and Maire unearth a crucial event, one that explains a good part of why Aria is mentally ill.
See you all next week!