Chapter 12: The Phoenix Goes Viral
Another couple of normal days passed, without anyone being attacked, poisoned, kidnapped or killed. Bloom got the chance to really get back into sketching, which was helped by Helia's enthusiasm for the subject. They also managed to complete a couple of collaborative works, Bloom being good at adding dynamics to the picture while Helia had an excellent sense of colour composition. Together, they had managed to create a couple of excellent pictures, most featuring their friends as subjects.
Thus, it was one day, with the faint hope that maybe she could get through a month without having to get involved in a dangerous adventure, that Bloom walked into Avalon's class. She found her seat, sat down and waited for the paladin's arrival. Not soon after, he entered the class, punctual as usual.
"Alright, in today's class we shall learn about fusion spells," he started. "Now, does anyone here know what a fusion spell is? Techna, you have a suggestion?"
"Is it when you use magic to fuse things together?" Techna asked.
"In a way, yes, but probably not in the way you think," Avalon replied. "Alright, fusion spells is a subject that Palladium, DuFour and I will be teaching you about. Two magi can perform a fusion spell by connecting their respective energies to cast a single spell. When they do so, not only can they cast spells that draws upon both casters' knacks, but they also have access to their collective magical energy, allowing for greater spells. Now, I say both casters, but the thing is, there's no limit to how many magi can join together to cast a fusion spell. There are other limitations however. First of all, the magi casting the spell must be able to cooperate. It requires a great understanding of each other. Secondly, it also requires a great understanding of your own magic. You will need this understanding in order to share it with your partners. Otherwise, they will be unable to work with your knack. This is particularly hard, since most magi use their knack intuitively, but fusion spells require a great deal of introspection. I imagine you can see why this type of magic requires so many teachers to train you in it. It will also serve as preparation for learning ritual magic, which is basically fusion magic applied to general spells". He cleared his throat. "Now, first exercise is simple and consists of two parts. Firstly, I will split you up in pairs and then you must try to explain to each other how you use your knack. Take your time and do not hesitate to take a break if you need to think it through. Secondly, you and your partner must think of how you can combine your knacks. You will then try to use that idea, or ideas if you came up with more than one, in Palladium's class tomorrow". Then Avalon started setting up groups. Bloom got set up with Musa, while Techna and Flora had to work together.
"Alright, so my magic..." Bloom began, trying to put it in words. "It's like... I reach out and make a spark with my will. Too vague?"
"Try completely uninformative," Musa replied. "Let me try. I use my magic by plucking the air like a stringed instrument, creating waves of sound out of nothing".
"Huh, sounds interesting," Bloom said. "Okay, let me try again. I cast my magic by rubbing it really hard together".
"That just sounds weird," Musa stated.
A couple of rows behind them, Techna and Flora were exchanging experiences.
"So when you come down to it, we are using very similar techniques," Flora stated. "The difference is in the subject matter. And I will say that the biggest difference in our knacks is that plants are alive and you have to work with them when controlling them".
"Completely opposite of mine," Techna said. "Well, not entirely. Machines can be rather stubborn bastards too. But my point is that mechanics are already made to serve, so they work with you, rather than the other way around".
"It sounds simple," the brunette responded. "Which probably means we are oversimplifying it".
"Eh, maybe," Techna said uncaringly while shrugging. "Now, what awesome things can we come up with by combining our powers?"
"I thought you were intending on starting small in your projects, rather than shooting straight for the end goal," Flora noted.
"Hey, we talked first, right?" the scarred girl responded with a smirk.
Back with Bloom and Musa, they were having a hard time figuring out how to combine their knacks.
"A singing flame, maybe," the redhead said while brainstorming. "Sound propelled fireball... Maybe".
"Maybe fire that doesn't make a sound," Musa suggested. "I mean, I don't see how that would ever be useful. But I think we could do it".
"Or maybe we could use my peripheral knack," Bloom suggested. "Combining heat with a soundwave in order to create a magical blow-drier".
"Hmm, I think you're on to something," Musa said.
...
Red Fountain had its own newspaper, called the Red Times. It was not a huge publication, nor was it well known outside the academy. In fact, it wasn't even that well known inside Red Fountain, having only been started a couple of months before by a new student, but it was slowly getting traction. One of the things that attracted people to the weekly paper was that it maintained schedules of upcoming events at the three schools or in the nearby city of Magicalis, which was a boon to anyone who had trouble keeping track of it all.
The leader of this project, a young man named Jared, made his way to Saladin's office. The elder warlock had been the one to grant him permission to start the newspaper, though he had doubted there would be interest in it. And now he wanted another talk with Jared. The journalist's worst fear was that Saladin had concluded that there wasn't enough interest in the project and was therefore going to shut it down. To defend his newspaper project, he had brought a couple of charts to demonstrate that more and more people were reading the paper. He arrived outside the door and checked himself in a nearby mirror. He smoothed out his dark hair one final time and adjusted the orange shirt he worked in, before knocking on the door.
"Come in," came the warlock's voice.
Jared took a deep breath and entered the office.
"Ah, Jared. Good to see you," Saladin greeted him. "So, your project has been running for about two months now, correct?"
"Yes, sir," Jared responded.
"And how would you say it has been going?" Menefer requested.
"Well, it started out slow, but more and more people are getting interested," Jared explained. "The inclusion of a schedule for upcoming events was a definite plus in our readers' eyes. I'm thinking of trying to get a cartoonist on board, so we can have a funny page or something. Plus, some students from Alfea and Cloud Tower have expressed interest in the paper, so maybe when we get a bit bigger, I can export them. But that's a long term goal. That and getting more articles. I'll need a bit more journalistic clout before I can really get some good assignments".
"Well, I will admit that I was surprised by the popularity of your paper," Menefer said. "And so, I've decided to help you. I've had a talk with Faragonda and some of her students will soon be taking tests in the simulator room. So I've arranged that you can get an interview with a student about this machine and even observe it in use".
"Really? That's going to make the headline," Jared gasped. "I-I mean, thank you. Sir. Thank you, sir".
"At ease, Jared. I am only trying to add to enrich the lives of our students and soldiers, without negatively affecting their training," Saladin explained. "And the Red Times fulfil those criteria. Though the test is in two days, so if you want any interviews or whatnot before the test itself, I would suggest you get over there as soon as possible".
"My schedule is clear for the rest of the day," Jared pointed out. "So once I'm done here, I'll just hop on my aircycle".
"Excellent," the warlock stated. "By the way, last week's memorial issue was very well written. I feel that you managed to honour the fallen".
"I hope to make a similar page dedicated to those who fell during the Usurper Crisis," Jared explained. "Probably put it up on the anniversary".
"I think that would be a good idea," the warlock said. "Now, unless you have something to add, you are dismissed".
"No, sir. Nothing else, sir. Have a good day, sir," Jared said, before leaving the room. After closing the office door, his face lit up in a wide smile. He jumped into the air, clicking his heels together while exclaiming: "Yes!" Then he happily danced down the stairs, hurrying to get pen, note-block, audio recorder and camera.
...
"Man, fusion spells are hard," Bloom sighed as she sat down on one of the outdoor benches in the courtyard.
"What do you mean?" Flora asked. "We have not even started actually attempting to cast any fusion spells".
"I know," Bloom groaned. "And already Musa and I have only come up with one good idea. Or maybe it just seems good because it's the only one we got".
"Some knacks just don't seem to have an immediately useful combination," Musa added with a shrug.
"I suppose that is also part of the lesson," Flora speculated. "It forces us to think creatively. Gets us out of our comfort zone and allows us to see the potential of our knacks".
"Hey, I'm already creatively out of the box," Techna pointed out.
"Like when you creatively blew Professor Avalon out of both a window and his underpants?" Musa asked.
"Accidents happen," Techna replied. "Besides, he's forgiven me". After a moment, she added: "Still can't figure out why it went charging after him though. I checked the remains and all I could find seemed to have worked almost as intended".
"Oh, hello there, Aisha," Flora called when she noticed the princess of Tides walking across the courtyard. "How did the class go for you?"
"Oh, hi," Aisha quietly replied. "It went... It didn't go well. I had trouble properly communicating the... Well, the way I do magic. So now, we have nothing for Palladium's class".
"I am sure that is something that can happen to everybody," Flora said comfortingly. "Give it some thought and you might be able to put the right words on it".
"I'll try," Aisha replied a bit sadly, before shuffling off.
"I take it 'explaining herself' wasn't one of the things she got tutored in," Musa added a bit harshly. "No big surprise there".
Bloom eyed the black-haired girl for a moment, but any potential comments were cut off by a black-haired boy walking over to them with a: "Hello there. I'm Jared. Is one of you girls Musa?"
"That would be me," the girl in question said and got up. "So, do you want to do it here or should we go somewhere else?"
"I think the rest of us could benefit from some context," Bloom interjected.
"I disagree," Techna said with a wide grin. "Trust me, Firetop. Most things are just better out of context".
"The context is that Jared here is chief editor of Red Times, a newly made newspaper in Red Fountain," Musa explained. "Griselda came by and said that Jared here wanted to interview somebody about the simulator room, so she was looking for somebody who had the time. Since I've got nothing better to spend my break on, I said yes".
"Huh. Why didn't they choose someone like me?" Techna pondered. "No offence, but I am kinda one of the more tech savvy students, whereas you are one of those instrumental types".
"That would be musical types, Techna," Musa added dryly. "Also, I suppose Griselda didn't want you getting interviewed because the censorship needed would make the article unreadable".
"Ouch, low blow, Cacophony," the scarred girl said with a dramatic wince. "I can be completely family friendly when I want to".
"Ehm, to answer your question, Musa, could we set up the, ehm, interview outside Alfea?" Jared asked. "A lot of noise around here".
"If you think so," Musa replied. "Do you have any place in mind?"
"Yeah. I was, ehm, thinking we could go to the nearby stream. I know there are some picnic tables down there and the weather is, ehm, reasonably well today," the journalist suggested.
"Why not. Could use a walk," Musa said with a shrug. "Let's go. My break doesn't last forever".
The moment they were out of earshot, Techna added: "Kid should drop the stuttering, but other than that, he's got some smooth moves".
"He's got what now?" Bloom asked confused.
"I think Techna was implying that Jared grew interested in more than just interviewing Musa after meeting her," Flora added. "So he wanted to be alone with her".
"Oh?" Bloom said. "Oh, now I get it". She thought about it for a moment. "That was quick. They've just met".
"For some people, that's more than enough," Techna said sagely. "At least to start with".
...
"Wow. I'd never have dared to go into that machine if something like that had happened to one of my friends," Jared said while furiously scribbling down notes. He and Musa had found one of the tables he had mentioned in a glade by the stream, the grass coloured by the multitude of fallen leaves.
"They upgraded security afterwards and Bloom managed to recover," Musa said. "Besides, time gives perspective. Considering what else happened that year, well, starring in a horror movie suddenly doesn't seem so bad in comparison".
"Yeah, ehm, kinda happy I wasn't at Red Fountain last year," Jared said. "Not that I've, ehm, managed to avoid combat, what with RF already having been, uhm, attacked twice now".
"I was there the first time," Musa said. "Sat in the arena when that big beast dropped in. Anyway, I think we're getting sidetracked."
"Right, right," Jared quickly said, almost dropping his pencil. "So, we've gone over how it works and then some of your personal history, ehm, that is, with the simulator. Did you actually get to use it?"
"Yep. Both for my midterm and exam," Musa said. "It's fascinating the amount of customization that goes into it. For my exam, for example, I got a cave where I had to manage sound so as to not cause a cave in". She glanced at Jared. "By the way, doesn't Red Fountain have a simulator?"
"Surprisingly, no," Jared replied. "I think Cordatorta said that, ehm, Saladin had mentioned that they decided against it when the first simulators started circulating. They were, uhm, concerned that the device would hinder the proper development, ehm, of the students. But, ehm, I think one of the reasons Saladin wants this article written is that, uhm, he might be reconsidering and wants some more info on it. But, ehm, that's just me speculating".
"I think it would be a great help," the black-haired girl offered. "Would allow you to train in situations you can't simulate in an arena".
"We'll see," the journalist said. "Anyways, I think we're done. I'll be back tomorrow to observe it in use. I, ehm, look forward to seeing you there".
"Don't expect too much," Musa said. "We've started on a new subject, so it's not going to be anything fancy. Still learning the ropes and everything".
"Right, well, ehm, let's get back to Alfea," Jared said and the two headed back. When they returned to the school, Jared quickly found his aircycle and drove it up besides Musa. "So, ehm, that was fun".
"Yeah, I had a good time," the black-haired girl said.
"So, ehm, would you like to do it again?" the black-haired journalist asked.
"Another interview?" Musa asked a bit confused.
"No, ehm, I meant do something with me," Jared clarified. "Ma-maybe a date or something".
"Oh," Musa said in realisation. She shuffled her feet for a bit. "Jared... I really had fun hanging out with you, but..."
"That's a no, isn't it," Jared said crestfallen.
"Yeah, it is," Musa quietly said. "Look, I'm sorry that..."
"No, no, it's okay," he said and quickly put on his helmet. "You don't... Owe me anything".
"But that doesn't mean we can't do anything together," Musa added. "We'll just be doing it as friends".
Jared winced a bit. "I'll... Maybe we could... Do that. See you around". Then he rode off.
Musa watched him disappear behind the trees, before sighing and walking into the courtyard.
...
The next day was another crisp autumn day. Though it was progressively getting colder and windier, a lot of the students still spent the breaks between classes enjoying the weather. Musa was one of them, busy contemplating whether or not there was a better fusion spell for her and Bloom to perform. However, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Stella going: "So how was your date, Musa?"
The black-haired girl tensed for a moment, took a deep breath and said: "How about starting with a hello. That usually works". She turned around to see the intrigued blonde watching her with a big smile. Stella's 'I smell gossip' face. Behind her was Techna, who merely looked curious about what her friend had been up to, thus managing to look very dignified in comparison, oversized sombrero notwithstanding.
"Oh, well, hello then," the Solarian blonde quickly added. "Now, how was the date?"
"What have you told her?" Musa asked Techna.
"Just that a boy came for an interview and was obviously smitten seconds after laying eyes upon you," the scarred girl explained.
Musa mulled over it for a second, before admitting: "Well, that is pretty much what happened".
"I knew it. How was the date?" Stella asked with such intensity that was it not for the obvious glee, one would think she was interrogating a suspect about a national security breach.
Musa rolled her eyes, before saying: "Cool it, Stella. It wasn't a date".
"But he did drag you out to some secluded spot because he was into you, didn't he?" Stella asked, as if the question was the piercing inquiry that would cause the prosecutors case to fall flat.
"True. But I went with him to give him an interview, not because he was asking me out," Musa pointed out. "Besides, when he actually did ask me on a date, I said no".
"What? Why?" Stella asked.
"Arh, you aren't that dense, Suntop," Techna stated. "Obviously, she wasn't into him".
"Well, yeah, obviously," the blonde replied. "What I meant was, how could you be totally certain?"
"That I didn't want to date him?" Musa asked. "I just didn't feel it".
"Oh well, I suppose that really does settle it," the blonde sighed.
"Alright, I admit that I did have fun with him, so I told him I wouldn't mind hanging with him. You know, as friends," Musa pointed out, causing the two other girls to wince visibly. "What?"
"Did you tell him that right after declining a date?" Stella asked, still wincing as if she had just seen someone break something.
"Yeah. I though he deserved to know that I didn't dislike him," Musa stated.
"Ouch. Friendzoned immediately," Techna added. "That's gotta hurt".
"Oh, so you think I shouldn't have told him?" Musa asked a bit defensively.
"No no, you misunderstand," Techna quickly added. "You always have the right to decide for yourself who you date. I'm just saying it hurts when somebody you want to dance with ain't interested in the same rhythm, ya know what I'm saying?"
The black-haired girl sighed and said: "Maybe you're right. I felt bad about shooting him down, but I just honestly couldn't feel that kind of interest for him. I just didn't want him to think that I had something against him".
"Hey, it wouldn't be fair to him or you if you went on a date out of pity," Stella added. "Stuff like that, best solved quickly. Trust me," she soberly added. "Broken relationships aren't fun when they are dragged out".
"Though one should at least drop a few words before running screaming out the door," Techna sagely added. "By the way, how did Jared take it?"
"Better than one could fear, though a bit harder than I expected," Musa said. "He must have really fallen head over heels for me".
"Some people are like that," Techna added. "Never fun to shoot them down, but they're usually pretty good at recovering. Just think of it this way. Nobody's going to enjoy the dance if we're stepping on each others' toes".
"Yeah, I can get behind that," Musa said. "Anyway, I can see that our next class with Palladium is in a few minutes. We should probably get going".
...
Deep below the crust of the earth, inside the realm of Shadowhaunt, the dread lord Darkar sat on his throne, trying to come up with a new scheme. This was taking him a considerable amount of time. The big pile of crumbled paper by the side of his throne bore mute witness to his failure at coming up with a new diabolical masterstroke. It wasn't that he didn't have ideas, but that he always seemed to find some inexcusable flaw, like relying on too many unknowns or revealing too many of his aces too soon.
"You seem to be having issues, master Darkar," Darcy said as she walked into the throne room. "No new ideas I take it".
"Plenty of ideas," the dark lord mumbled. "Nothing useful yet. I need something that will both further my cause and have the desired dramatic effect, without making me out to be an idiot". He chewed at the end of the pencil. "I thought about another invasion, but not only would it be rethreading my own plans, I would basically just be copying your final gambit".
"Yeah, that did not go as planned," Darcy admitted. "Though mostly because we got blindsided by things like the dragonflame and our troops having already been weakened".
"Exactly," Darkar said. "How ignoble it would be for me to perish before we've even reached the final act. It would be disastrous. I would be a laughingstock. Villains all over the worlds would point at my grave and go 'Darkar was the lamest villain ever'".
"I'm pretty sure that won't happen," Darcy said diplomatically, mostly because she had yet to meet anyone that shared her employer's deranged perspective.
"Bah, it'll come to me in due time," Darkar said and hurled the pen and paper way. "Maybe it just isn't the right moment yet. Shouldn't try to force the plot along". He glanced at the mess in his throne room. "MOOKS. CLEAN MY THRONE ROOM!" Immediately, several forsaken charged in and started carrying out the crumbled paper. "Much better. A pile of paper would make for ridiculous set dressing". He eyed Darcy. "So, what is it you wanted?"
The dirty-blonde shrugged and said: "Mostly just wandering the castle. Icy is hogging the television and Stormy is busy reading. And your mooks aren't the best of conversationalists".
"Tell me about it," Darkar sighed. "Part of the reason I had to get you three on board". Suddenly, one of the big-mouthed forsaken charged in, carrying a scroll. "Ah," the lord of Shadowhaunt said delighted. "Today's report. Let's see if there are any updates". He unfolded the scroll and studied its content.
"Anything interesting, my lord?" Darcy asked.
"Yes. Something very interesting," Darkar replied. "There's the plot development I needed. I have an idea. I shall confront the heroines".
Darcy stared silently for a moment, processing his proclamation. "Alright, you got me. Why?"
"It'll allow me to gauge their abilities and powers for myself," Darkar explained. "Plus, I haven't had the proper opportunity to introduce myself to them. What poor story it would be if the villain and heroes barely interacted. It would deprive the conflict of a personal element".
"You're going to go fight the 'heroes' in order to add a 'personal element' to the ongoing conflict," Darcy quoted. "Sure, why not. It's in line with all the other things you've done. But what if you defeat the heroines?"
"Tch, listen to yourself," the Shadow Phoenix scoffed. "Obviously, if I defeat them now they weren't the real heroines, but decoy protagonists. Their fall will ensure the rise of the true protagonists".
"And that's somehow a good thing?" Darcy asked. "Will you be needing our services for this... Brilliant plan of yours?" she added, having to almost force the last couple of words out. She was starting to reconsider the idea of staying, but parts of her kept pointing out that despite his general instability, Darkar had provided them with everything he had promised and had generally been victorious. A thought that unsettled the witch. She was of the opinion that nobody that crazy should be able to be so strategically successful with plots based on outdated clichés, yet the Shadow Phoenix defied her expectations of how the world worked. In a way, she felt she had to stay, if only to see how it would all play out.
"I will need only your abilities," Darkar said and folded the paper scroll. "I'll need you to come up with a new disguise. Because now it's disguise time".
...
Back at Alfea, the students had assembled in Palladium's class. The elf himself was accompanied by Avalon. All the students had been divided into their small two-man teams, all awaiting for their chance to demonstrate their fusion spells, some with excitement, others with barely contained dread.
"Alright class, let's see what you have come up with," Palladium said with excitement in his voice. "And don't worry about failing. This is not a formal test, merely an opportunity to allow you to try out the principles that Avalon has taught you. Now, who should we start with?"
"I suggest we let Techna and Flora go first," Avalon suggested.
"See, he's already regained confidence in me," Techna whispered to her partner.
"Or maybe he just wants it over with in case our combined spell launches him clothes-less out of a window," Flora mused.
"Also an option," Techna admitted.
"Alright, that sounds like a good idea," Palladium said after giving Avalon's suggestion some thought. "Alright, what have you two come up with?"
"Well, we have created a prosthetic arm out of materials like wood, grass and such," Flora explained and gestured to the wooden limb on the desk they were sharing. "We will attempt to use our magic to make it move, Techna adding the mechanical expertise and I adding the control".
"Can it fly?" Avalon asked.
"Hasn't been part of the general design idea," Techna said. "Mostly because Flowergirl here insisted".
"A wise choice," the paladin said a bit relieved. "Alright, let us see what you can do".
"Alright, let's give it a shot," Techna said.
"On three. One, two, three," Flora counted.
At three, the two girls focused their powers, their energies mixing and stretching out towards the inert artificial limb. It fused into it, charging the plant's cells with magic and tugging at its fibers. The limb vibrated with force, its fingers twitching as the two girls in accord tried to make it move. Techna's brows furrowed in frustration as she tried to bend the non-mechanical shapes, while Flora dealt with the strangeness of trying to force the plant into unnatural movements. Their magic sparked and short-circuited, causing the entire thing to detonate in a little, but powerful explosion. The wooden fist flew through the air, before planting itself squarely in Avalon's face with a whump.
The entire class went silent.
"Aw," came the paladin's muffled reaction.
"Huh. It did end up flying anyway," Techna noted.
"Yeah, I noticed," Avalon dryly stated as Palladium carefully tried to pry one of the wooden fingers out of his nose. "Now, wh-ouch". "Sorry". "It's okay, Palladium. Anyway, what do you think went wrong?"
"I think I need to understand plants better," Techna said and eyed their scorched desk. "Plants aren't really supposed to explode".
"You would be surprised how many plants actually work by exploding," Flora noted.
"Really? Awesome," the scarred girl said with excitement.
"And to answer your question, I usually use my magic by allowing plants to grow or shrink, not just move," Flora stated. "It is something I will have to work with".
"Well, then you have learned something. And that was the point," Palladium stated. "Now, let us move down to the next in line. Bloom and Musa, what do you have to show us?"
"Well, we don't really have that much," Musa admitted. "It was kinda hard coming up with anything for our knacks".
"So we went with one of my peripherals," Bloom explained. "We're going to try to create a sound-based blow-dryer".
"It's kinda lame and really not that practical," Musa quickly added. "But it was the best we could come up with".
"Well, then I believe it will be a learning experience for you," Palladium said encouragingly. "Go on, give it a try".
"Alright. Here we go," Musa said as she and her redhead friend let the powers flow into one another's.
They mingled as Bloom tried to pour heat into the strings that Musa plucked in the air. It resulted in Palladium feeling a mildly warm breeze that was accompanied by the faint sound of nails on a blackboard. "Not really a blow-dryer," Palladium noted. "Still, I'd call it a relative success".
"Not done yet," Bloom said in a strained voice. As her magic bubbled, she could feel her desire to complete the task grow. She was certain that they could pull it off with just a little bit more power. "We just need to use more energy".
"Bloom, not certain that's a good idea," Musa said, nonetheless keeping the spell active.
"Neither am I, to be perfectly honest," Palladium added, while Avalon took a very concerned step back. "It's okay. We don't expect perfect fusion spells. This is just an attempt to give you a feel for its principles and..."
At that moment, Bloom let her dragonflame ignite and poured the power into the spell. With the sound of a cat being cooked alive in oil during a death metal concert performed in the middle of big city rush hour traffic, a great plume of fire exploded out into the room and hit the opposing wall, scorching it completely black.
Everyone stared, some having fallen out of their chairs from shock.
"Maybe a bit too much power," Bloom said in a tiny voice as she slowly let herself sink down under the edge of her desk.
"Are you okay?" Avalon asked concerned as he let the shield he had raised around Palladium drop.
"Well, I'll survive," the elf replied with a shrug.
"I might also have been a bit... Incomplete with the protection," the paladin admitted.
Palladium raised an eyebrow and touched his hair. "Ah, I'll need to regrow that," he noted as he felt the scorched patch that used to be one third of his hair. "Alright, so what have the two of you learned?"
"More power doesn't result in better spells," Musa said, as Bloom continued to hide behind her desk in embarrassment over having almost killed her teacher.
"Correct. It's all about technique, not about how much raw energy you can pour into it," Palladium explained. "Alright, next in line. Aisha and Niels. What do you have?"
"Nothing," the boy bluntly replied. "We couldn't find any way to combine water and fruit".
"That's fine. Just try to improvise," Palladium suggested.
"Are you okay?" Musa quietly asked her partner, as Bloom burrowed her face in her arms. "Don't feel bad. The teachers know that accidents are bound to happen in a school that works with training teenagers to be responsible magi. It's just part of the hazard of working here".
"I should have known better," Bloom groaned, the sound muffled by her arms. "This was one of those things they taught us last year. You can't fix a spell just by pumping more power into it".
"Yeah, well, shit happens," Musa said. "Come on, give it some time and it will be one of those stories we'll all laugh about. I mean, take Techna. She blew Avalon out of a window, resulting in pictures of his butt getting uploaded all over the net. And now, it's just the sort of funny story that passes around".
"I guess you're right," came Bloom's muffled reply, though she didn't sound entirely convinced.
Behind them, there was a loud bang and the entire class was suddenly splashed with fruit scented water.
There was another period of silence, although much shorter, as the students slowly got acquainted with the idea that this class would in general involve a lot of explosions.
"Nice idea, if flawed in its execution," Palladium said. "What went wrong in your opinions?"
"I dunno," Niels said with a shrug. "I think the technique was fine. It just... Fizzled out. Fizzled out all over the place".
"It's a sign that you two hadn't gained the necessary insight into one another to cooperate on the spell," Avalon explained. "Your individual techniques matter little if you don't know how to work with each other".
Aisha sighed deeply and sadly burrowed her face in her arms.
...
About an hour later, the students left the classroom, which was now smelling of everything from roses to yak ass, was filled with scorch-marks, small craters and broken inventory, and which was also haunted by a reversed jazz-song that refused to stop. The students had been given two hours to take a bath and clean up, before DuFour would talk with them about what they would be doing the next day.
Shortly before those two hours were up, Bloom walked into the room where the simulator was housed, saying: "In retrospect, almost setting Palladium on fire wasn't nearly the worst".
"I'd say it was the living biscuits that were the worst," Musa said and shuddered. "The screaming was creepy. I mean, how could they even scream to begin with? They're biscuits".
"The flying table stunt was cool," Techna added. "Well, until it broke Avalon's nose. That sucked".
They looked up to see DuFour waiting outside the simulator.
"Hello everyone," she greeted them. "Now then, I can understand that you have seen how wrong fusion spells can go. Therefore, I doubt I will need to explain the use of the simulator once I explain to you the nature of your task. Tomorrow's exercise will involve you splitting up in groups of five, to attempt fusions spells in a simulated environment. I have done my best to split you up based on whom you are clustermates with, in order to give you all better odds of being able to cast fusion spells. Still, if you feel that you don't know your clustermates that well, I suggest you spend some time talking with them before tomorrow".
"Oh no," Musa quietly moaned.
"What? It's okay. It'll only be simulated," Techna said.
"Not that. I forgot he would be here," Musa said and indicated with a sharp movement of her head. Jared was standing by DuFour's side, occasionally scribbling something down. It was quite obvious that he was making an effort out of not looking at Musa.
"What would the issue be?" Flora quietly asked. "You have already rejected his advances".
"Yeah, but I still feel a bit awkward about it," Musa replied. "Not fun having to stomp on others' feelings like that, even if it's just to be honest".
"That was all the information you'll need. Class dismissed," DuFour said and the students started to scatter.
"So... We're in a group together," Aisha said quietly as she walked up to Techna, Flora, Musa and Bloom. "I think... I think it would be best tomorrow if you just... You just did all the spells without me".
"Why? Afraid of actually having to pull you weight," Musa asked with a hint of venom. Her friends glared at her.
"No... It's just... Probably for the best..." Aisha quietly said. "I should... Probably go now". Then the brunette princess hurried out of the room.
"Alright, I will admit to being curious," Flora said. "What exactly is it about Aisha that makes your blood boil, Musa?"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like that," the black-haired girl sighed. "It's just... Her attitude sometimes... It just pisses me off".
"Why, what's she done?" Bloom asked.
"The other day, Techna and I talked with her about possibly donating some of her clothes to the poor," Musa said. "She said she was pretty sure those people would prefer to buy their own clothes over getting some shabby hand-me-downs. She's just... Completely out of touch".
"Well, true, that did happen," Techna added, scratching her neck. "Her Mayonnaise is a bit... Completely out of touch with everyday life and somewhat... Thoroughly marinated in royal etiquette and stuff".
"Well, then this will be an excellent opportunity to fix that," Flora said. "I think, in order to prepare for tomorrow, that we should hold a little party".
"Seriously?" Techna asked with a grin. "A party? Why not, sounds like fun".
"And let me guess," Musa added flatly. "You want to add Aisha to this in order to help her get to know us and maybe learn how reality works?"
"Yes. Will that be an issue?" Flora asked.
"No," Musa stated. "Just wanted to know if I guessed correctly".
"Then I will go talk with her," Flora said and headed off.
"Wait for me. I'll help," Bloom said and hurried along.
"I don't think our friends were impressed by you going all super grouch on Her Mayonnaise," Techna commented.
"I know, Techna," Musa responded a tinge annoyed. "I was here for the entire conversation".
...
"Aisha, wait," Flora called out as she pursued the princess of Tides into the courtyard. "I want to talk with you".
"Oh, what's the matter?" Aisha responded as she turned to face the brunette. "Anything wrong?"
"No, it was about what you said earlier," Bloom added as she caught up with the two of them. "We don't think you should stay out of the group".
"Oh. But I really don't know any of you that well," Aisha argued. "You just risk me ruining it for you".
"And Bloom almost set a teacher on fire," Flora pointed out. "How exactly can you do worse, unless you somehow actually manage to ignite one of the staff?"
"I get the feeling I'll be haunted by that for a long time," the redhead muttered.
"My point is, you will never learn unless you try," Flora continued. "But to help you, we have talked about having a little party this evening before we go to bed. It will be a light social gathering. No unnecessary rituals or drama, just us getting to know each other".
Aisha seemed to think about it for a second.
"Let me guess. Never tried it before?" Bloom commented.
"Actually..." Aisha started. "I have been to parties, though I do suspect they were different from what you would call a party. No, it was what you said. It reminds me of... Of Anne".
"Friend of yours?" Flora asked.
"I suppose she was," Aisha said with a shrug. "Not something I've been thinking about for a long time. She never bothered with protocol or anything like that. To her, I was just Aisha. But she was the daughter of a serving family and when they moved away, so did she. I've had fun with my cousins whenever they've visited, but they have their own duties and can't come to our kingdom all the time just to keep me entertained".
"I see," Flora said. "But yes, that is how it will be. No formality, just us being ourselves".
"We'll also need to ask Stella," Bloom pointed out. "If she's in, and I don't see why she wouldn't be, it'll be the six of us".
"Ah, yes, you will be inviting Musa and Techna," Aisha realised. She seemed to be pondering something. "Why do you even socialise with those two? Aren't they very much out of your class?"
The two girls stared at Aisha.
"I do suppose I can see why you would get on Musa's nerves," the brunette added thoughtfully. "The thing is, Aisha, we do not pick our company based on social standing or who would make us look good. We do not do it for the alliance, the benefits or the connections. We do it simply because we enjoy each other's company. Like you and Anne, if you will allow me to be presumptuous for a moment".
"I suppose that makes a sort of sense," Aisha said. A bit crestfallen, she added: "When I first enrolled, I just thought that you were all exaggerating about how little I knew. After all, my parents had gotten me the best tutors available, given me access to tons of quality books and ensured I could move around in the right social circles. But now, I'm starting to think that I really don't know as much as I thought I did".
"Well, if you're willing to learn, you can," Bloom said with a shrug. "It's never too late to learn something new".
"And that is exactly why we have this gathering. Both so you can get to know us and we can get to know you," Flora added. "So, are you in?"
Aisha thought about it, before with a grateful smile she said: "I am".
...
That evening, most of the girls had gathered in Flora's room, since she had the least clutter by far. They were all dressed in pyjamas and sat in a circle on the carpeted floor, listening to the howling of the wind outside.
"So, you're sure she's coming?" Musa asked, referring to Aisha.
"She has not cancelled or in any way indicated she has lost interest," Flora said, picking up a handful of chips from a bowl. "So yes, I do believe she will arrive. I suppose there is a sensible reason for the delay".
A couple more minutes passed.
"Hey, by the way, would any of you mind if I, like, showed up to watch you test tomorrow?" Stella asked. "I haven't got any classes in that period, so I thought that maybe I could come down and see what you all could cook up".
"If you're lucky then nobody will get hurt," Musa snarked. "If you're unlucky, you or the staff will most likely end up with a broken nose, a trip out the window and or the delightful experience of having been set on fire".
"Could we please stop mentioning that?" Bloom muttered annoyed.
"I think that means you should feel free to show up," Flora commented.
"Sorry I'm late," Aisha said as she opened the door. "I had to find the right pyjamas for the evening".
"Well, it's a reason," Techna commented with a shrug.
"Hey, finding the right clothes is tots important in any given situation," Stella argued.
"What, you also took time to figure out which pyjamas to wear to this?" Musa asked in disbelief.
"Yes. But I took time out before the gathering to pick one so I wouldn't be late," Stella said, obviously proud of this idea.
"Why didn't I think of that," Aisha sighed. "I had plenty of time this afternoon".
"You people..." Musa sighed, shaking her head. "It's just a little, fricking get-together".
"That looks like some pretty high quality silk," Flora added, studying Aisha's pyjamas. "Where is it from?"
"My father actually got it from a firm that operates on Limphea," Aisha said proudly. "Very expensive, but really worth it. It signals your resourcefulness to anyone in the know".
"That's a concern with a pyjamas?" Techna asked a tad confused. "Shit, when I want to signal anything, I just use my phone".
"From Limphea you say," Flora stated and got up. "Mind if I check the tag?"
"Not at all," the princess of Tides responded, obviously confused by why that would be necessary.
"As I feared," Flora stated as she inspected the tag. "The maker of this has not been certified by the Limphean Board of Worker Safety. You should probably insist on getting clothes from another manufacturer".
"Oh," Aisha said. She glanced around the room, hoping somebody would come to her aid and explain it. With no such luck, she finally asked: "Why?"
"Well, the Limphean Board of Worker Safety makes sure to hire professionals, like I will be when I am done with my education, to ensure that contractors do their business in the safest areas with as much protection as possible," Flora explained. "LBWS also makes sure that the workers are as well equipped and informed as possible. That does raise the prices a bit, but I think it is worth it to make sure that everything possible was done to prevent people from dying".
Aisha stared at her pyjamas for a moment. Then she asked: "Wouldn't it be better to just hire more competent workers?"
The other girls noted that Musa had begun strangling a pillow.
Flora just blinked a couple of times, before asking: "What do you know of Limphea?"
Aisha glared at Flora for a moment, before slowly replying: "It has trees and silk... I think".
"So, what do you think will happen first?" Techna whispered to Stella. "Her Mayonnaise gets a clue or Cacophony rips that pillow to confetti?"
"It's totally a fifty-fifty thing by now," the blonde princess quietly responded.
"Alright, let me come with an example of how Limphea is," Flora said after a moment's pause, her voice dead serious. "There was a firm who was interested in producing clothes from a certain kind of plant. However, it was most plentiful in a dangerous area, which we recommended against working in. We would not send anyone to assist and advised them to set up shop in a less dangerous area. They refused".
"Why was it so dangerous?" Aisha asked, dreading the answers.
"Due to a variety of nocturnal species in the area," the brunette responded.
"And the people who went there?" Aisha continued.
Flora shrugged. "Nobody knows. They certainly were not there when we visited the construction site. Only traces were a few synthetic threads and a name sign in the nest of a nearby colony of city finches. But on Limphea, that is enough evidence to declare somebody death".
"That's... Terrible," Aisha stated, looking very uncomfortable.
"Very much. Now, this is of course a worst case scenario where everybody died," Flora continued. "Another time our advice was disregarded was when..."
"I get it, I get it," Aisha said quickly. "I'll make sure that all things we buy on Limphea have been approved off. Just no more stories, okay".
"Very well," Flora said and sat down by the others again. "Take a seat and have some chips".
"Alright, after Flowergirl's horror story, how about something a tad more light-hearted?" Techna requested. "Anybody got a knee slapper?"
"A funny joke or story," Flora translated to the confused looking Aisha.
"Well, I have the story of my first big crush," Stella said. "And best of all, it tots got a morale".
"This is going to be good," Musa dryly commented.
"I'll be magnanimous and, like, ignore that cheap comment from the peanut gallery," Stella commented with extra dignity. "Now then, back when I was a little girl with shabby knees, my parents sent me to public school".
"Why didn't they hire you some tutors?" Aisha questioned. "Couldn't they afford it?"
"Actually, my parents believed that their own tutoring had tots cut them off from the outside world," Stella explained. "They wanted me to, like, know whom the people around me were and therefore sent me to the same school most of our servants and staff sent their kids to".
"And that's why Suntop here behaves almost like a real human being," Techna added enthusiastically.
"Alright, any more comments like that and there tots won't be anything but roasted peanuts in the gallery," Stella warned, her hand glittering with small bursts of light. "Anyways, in my class was the coolest boy ever. Robby," she dreamingly sighed. "He even sat beside me in class. And he was nice to me and everything".
"Because he liked you or because you were a princess?" Musa questioned.
"Honestly, everything considered I totally think he just liked me," Stella said. "Unfortunately for me, he didn't like me that way. He just wanted to be friends".
Techna winced a bit, before saying: "That's just how it goes sometimes".
"Well, he already had a girlfriend at that time, a girl named Kimberly," Stella continued. "She wasn't a royal or even a noble, but she was kind and beautiful, so she was totally popular. Then came the big Solar Festival. A huge event where almost everyone went and people danced. Hundreds of relationships blossomed at that festival".
"Let me guess, you wanted to invite Robby to that festival despite him already having a girlfriend?" Bloom guessed.
"I know now that it was totally selfish," Stella said with a shrug. "But Kimberly had broken her leg shortly before the festival and I thought that meant that it was my big chance to grab my true love out of her claws".
"You're right. That is pretty selfish," Musa stated. "Did you also handcuff him or something?"
"No, no, tots nothing like that," Stella said while shaking her head. "No, instead of finding someone to dance with, he just sat with Kimberly the entire day and kept her company. I remember being so mad. How could he be with her when I was not only more in love with him, but also capable of dancing". After a moment, the blonde added: "As I said, I am fully aware how totally selfish that was. But soon after I moved on and I learned a couple of things".
"So this is where we get to the touted morale of the story?" Musa asked.
"Yep. First of all, I, like, learned that you tots can't force love," Stella said. "Has to come naturally. Secondly, I realised that if Robby really had been, like, willing to abandon his girlfriend just because her leg broke, then he really wouldn't have made for a good boyfriend no matter how much I had fallen for him".
"Now that was a cute little story," Techna said with a grin. "Anybody else got one?"
"How about that one time Bloom beat up a noblewoman because she thought she was a witch in disguise," Musa suggested with a grin.
"Oh no, you don't," the Dominian princess warned her.
"Really? What happened?" Aisha asked.
"See, it all started with..." Musa began, but was cut off by a pillow that suddenly collided with her face.
"PILLOW FIGHT!" Techna yelled excitedly.
"Oh no," Stella sighed, seconds before a pillow hit her.
...
Jared sighed and walked outside, hoping the cool night air would help. He had been excused from all his duties at Red Fountain so he could stay at Alfea and make an article about the simulator. It was supposed to be simple. Then he ran into Musa, fell for her from the start and was rejected a couple of hours later. Rationally, he knew that the best thing he could do was get over it and accept Musa as a possible friend. Unfortunately, his emotions refused to get with the program, constantly causing him to speculate on what he could have done or not done to have given himself better options. This was not at all helped by the fact that Musa participated in the exercise, so now he had to be reminded of the whole thing all the way through. Worst part was that it was a futile exercise. It was already in the past and there wasn't a lot he could do about it.
"You look like somebody who has issues," came a feminine voice and Jared looked up to see a female student with neon-green hair walk up to him with a concerned expression.
"Nah, just got some heartache," he replied, trying to sound dismissive of the whole thing. "It'll be over again in a couple of days, tops".
"Ah, got the hots for somebody who rejected you," the girl said understandingly. "I can imagine that must hurt".
"Yeah," the journalist sighed.
"So, planning on trying to win her over?" the student asked.
"No way. I know better than to bug a girl like that," Jared replied. "She said she wasn't interested. Doubt she's going to get more interested by me being a pain in the ass".
"Really? Maybe you just need the right thing to convince her," the girl suggested, fishing for something in her pocket. "Maybe something like this". She held up a black gemstone in string.
"Oh, that is pretty nifty," Jared admitted, eyeing the stone.
"Also very rare. Just the thing to impress a girl," the student insisted and held the amulet out.
Jared took it into his hand and stared at it for a moment. "Nah, I think I'll just leave her be," he said and tried to hand it back.
But his arm refused to move.
Suddenly, Jared could feel a strange burning travel up his arm, as his fingers curled around the black stone. He despairingly tried to rip the obsidian object out of his grasp with his other hand, but he couldn't pry his fingers off. The burning sensation travelled into his chest and spread to his limps. He could feel his arms and legs stiffen as a foreign presence took over. He tried to scream but the invader already controlled his lungs. The burning rushed up through his neck and took his mouth. He went deaf as the burning took his ears and blind when it got his eyes. And then all sense of anything disappeared as his mind was engulfed in darkness.
"Well?" Darcy asked, still disguised as a student. "Did it work?"
"Absolutely fantastic," Darkar said, stretching Jared's body as he got a feel for it. "This body will allow me to get the big scoop and get all the dirt on those girls".
"What?" Darcy asked, noting a subtle change in her employer's behaviour.
"Yes, those hacks think they can out-snoop me," Darkar declared. "But I'm going to turn them into my winning headline. Come, to the simulation room".
"Why?" Darcy asked as she followed him onto the school.
"Because tomorrow, the big news won't be 'teen girl superstars win test'," Darkar in Jared's body claimed. "It'll read 'teen girls die horribly going up against the Shadow Phoenix'. It'll make national news. It'll be the scoop of the century".
"Because hey, we never did anything like that," Darcy muttered. "I think they installed some security features to prevent something like that from happening again".
"Oh, Darcy," Darkar said, shaking Jared's head. "That just means they think they're safe". His face lit up in an unpleasant smile. "But few people know how to deal with me".
"Ain't that the truth," Darcy commented.
...
The next day, the girls had assembled in the simulator room along with their classmates. DuFour was busy at the panel, while both Palladium and Avalon stood ready to observe.
"Alright, the test is very simple," the elf explained to the assembled students. "You will be deposited in a simulated glade and your job will be to use all members of your group's knacks together. No specific goal in mind. Just let loose and be creative".
"Though if you somehow manage to produce enough magical energy to risk overloading the equipment, we will tell you so before you cause any damage to the machinery," Avalon noted.
"Geez, somebody looks completely down," Techna quietly commented and nodded in the direction of Jared. He was standing in the corner, arms crossed, passively looking at his feet.
"Should I say anything?" Musa asked.
"Yes, but I advise that you wait until after the test," Flora said. "In case he has a powerful emotional reaction. It would be best not to disrupt yourself right before the test".
"I suppose I can just chat with him afterwards," Musa remarked. "Hope our team gets picked early. I don't like the idea of having hurt him".
"And the first team has been selected," DuFour said and looked away from the screen. "Bloom, Aisha, Techna, Flora and Musa will be the first to go in".
"Well, you got your wish," Techna commented as they headed into the simulator room.
The amber panels lit up as the girls were held in anti-gravity bubbles. The world around them shifted, until they stood in the middle of a shadowy forest, thick mist curling around their legs and obscuring everything beyond a few meters.
"Ehm, professors. It was a super happy funtime glade you promised, not the set of a slasher movie," Techna called out.
"DuFour, did you load the right program?" they heard Palladium's voice.
"I'm trying to load the right environment, but the machine is not responding," they heard DuFour's voice.
"Oh no, not again," both Bloom and the red-clad teacher sighed simultaneously.
"So sorry for the dread setting, heroines," they heard a voice echo between the trees. "But for our first proper meeting, a sunny glade would just clash with the scene. No, these grim woods will be the perfect set for our meeting".
"Who's there?" Musa asked challengingly, drawing her fans. "Come out where we can see you".
A hoarse cry rang out and a bird made of black flames ascended over the treetops, before it plunged into the ground, forming into a swirling vortex of obsidian fire. "I am the lord of Shadowhaunt," the voice dramatically echoed from the flames. "The master of darkness, wielder of the..."
"You must be Darkar," Techna realised.
The flames were silent for a moment, before anti-climatically going out with a puff, revealing the desiccated form of the Shadow Phoenix. "Yes, I'm Lord Darkar," he said a smidgen displeased. "And you just interrupted my introduction".
"Oh, sorry," Techna said. "Just do your thing then".
"No, no, the chance has passed," Darkar sighed. "Anyway, I am the great villain, Lord Darkar, as mentioned before, and I have come to deal with the intrepid heroines who have been a thorn in my side for so long".
"We have?" Bloom questioned.
"Wa... Of course you have," Darkar insisted. "You broke into my realm and freed the prisoners, interfered with both of my attacks on Red Fountain and prevented the poisoned pixies from going home. How is that not being a thorn in my side?"
"He has got a point there," Flora noted.
"And now it's finally my chance to deal with the five of you and your sidekick," Darkar declared. "I will... Wait, where's the blonde one?"
"Stella? She isn't in here," Musa said. "And I doubt she's going to come running just because you want her to".
"Hey, just curious. Who's the sidekick again?" Techna asked.
"Why, the much weaker princess you're all trying to teach the magic of friendship," Darkar said, gesturing to Aisha. "At first I was sure she was the story's heroine, but when I saw her with all of you, I realised she was the new kid in your heroine ensemble. Weaker, less experienced, will appeal to the girl demographic".
"We have demographics?" Techna questioned, scratching her head.
"This has to be the stupidest conversation I've ever participated in," Musa groaned, rubbing her temples. "How could a complete loon like you ever be a danger to the multiverse?"
"Incredible dark powers, hordes of loyal mooks, villainous credentials, competent minions and awesome character design," Darkar listed, counting on his fingers. "Anyway, I realise that you're stalling, hoping that your teachers can get you out, but it's not going to happen".
...
"So both the emergency shutdown switches have been pulled," Avalon started. "The power has been turned off and we've just finished cutting every single cord we could get to through the panels. And the machine is...?"
"Still running optimally," DuFour rambled as she ripped the control pad off. "There must be something that will make this thing stop".
"Yeah, this is bad," Avalon stated.
...
"Actually, I could see how it would work," Techna said enthusiastically. "Bloom is the fish out of water who discovers she's a princess and has OP magic powers".
"A classic," Darkar confirmed.
"Then I'm the group's streetwise mechanic, Flora is the business-minded woman who's one with nature, Musa is the snarky artist and Stella comes in as the really girly girl. Then we have Aisha as the tag-along princess. See, it makes sense".
"M'm not a tag-along," Aisha muttered.
"No. No it doesn't," Musa groaned. "I can't believe you're actually agreeing with that madman. What's wrong with you?"
"Plus, you cannot reduce people to a couple of easily memorized catchy titles," Flora insisted.
"Well, maybe not. But it could give you a general idea of a real person," Bloom argued.
"I can't believe we're still having this conversation," Musa said exasperated. "Why are we even having this discussion?"
"Mostly to pass time until Stella pops in," Darkar said. "Wouldn't be a proper showdown until she's here".
"There's not going to be a showdown," Musa insisted. "They're going to find some way to kick you out and pull us to safety".
"Again, don't count on it," Darkar said.
...
"It's not working," Palladium said frustrated. "Whatever has infected the machine cannot just be purified. It's not a curse, not an enchantment, not a corruption. I don't know what it is".
"We gotta figure something out soon," Avalon insisted. "They're trapped in there with that vile lunatic. The longer this takes, the more danger they're in".
"Maybe Jared knows something about what's wrong with the machine," DuFour suddenly said. "He was in here when I arrived".
Everyone in the room turned to Jared, whom was still standing in the corner, arms folded.
"Are you okay?" Palladium asked and grabbed his shoulder. The boy immediately collapsed, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
"What's wrong?" Avalon asked as Palladium cradled the boy.
"Something has ravaged his body. He needs medical attention, now," Palladium said. "Avalon, go get Faragonda. Maybe she can help".
...
...and then she said that she thought it was hand-cranked," Darkar said, causing Techna to laugh.
"Ah, classic tech diss," the scarred girl said happily.
"I'm happy you two are getting along so well ," Musa grumbled, sitting on the forest floor.
"Well, a valuable skill is being able to be on friendly terms with people you don't like," Aisha pointed .
"WE'RE NOT AT SOME FANCY DINNER PARTY. WE'RE TRAPPED IN SIMULATED REALITY BY A PSYCHOPATH!" Musa yelled. "THE ONLY REASON HE HASN'T RIPPED US TO SHREDS IS THAT HE HOPES STELLA WILL JUMP IN HERE!"
"But he's funny," Techna said.
"Yes, so delightfully quirky," Musa grumbled darkly. "Almost makes you forget about all those people he's gotten killed so far".
"Hmm, point taken," Techna said.
"Alright, this is taking far more time than necessary," Darkar insisted. "I will not allow my dramatic confrontation to be replaced by pointless padding and filler. Either Stella show up in five minutes or we'll start the battle without her".
...
"Did you hear that?" Stella asked. "He'll attack them in five minutes".
"Still no idea how to force him out?" Palladium asked Faragonda.
"No. His magic is... Unique," the headmistress said as she investigated the device. "I suspect the easiest way to break his control is from inside the simulation. But if he controls it, it also means he chooses who can go in".
"Which means he will probably only let Stella in," Avalon sighed.
"Then I have to," the Solarian blonde insisted. "I can't just let them be massacred by that maniac".
"I don't like this," Faragonda said. "It shouldn't be necessary for my students to jump into deadly situations, while we teachers stand helplessly on the sideline".
"Nonetheless, this is the best option," Avalon said. "Her presence will increase their chance of survival".
"And it is my choice," Stella said and tugged at the door. "I'm going in".
Faragonda sighed and said: "Be careful, Stella. We will continue our attempts to break Darkar's control from out here".
...
"Ah, the final star of the story has arrived," Darkar said as Stella's form manifested beside the others. "Now, the heroes are ready, the villain is here, the audience awaits. Let's give them a show they'll never forget". Great balls of dark fire charged up in his hands.
"I hope you didn't expect a minute to get oriented," Musa exclaimed as she grabbed the confused blonde by the collar and dragged her out of the way, as Darkar flung his massive fireballs after the girls. Grass and wood was scorched as the bleak flames consumed everything.
"You want to play with fire," Bloom called. "Here you go". A plume of flames streamed out of her hand and collided with a shield of black water that had been summoned by Darkar.
"Nice try. But you didn't even manage to make a scorch-mark," Darkar taunted and lifted his hand. A black icicle formed, which he hurled after the redhead. Bloom barely dodged, the ice opening a wound in her shoulder as it passed her by.
Musa jumped out from a tree and charged the Shadow Phoenix's back. She swung her folded fans at his head, but Darkar quickly turned and grabbed her wrist.
"You'll have to do better than that if you want to surprise me," he said, before grabbing one of her legs with his other hand and hurled her through the air. Musa collided with a tree and fell to the ground, air knocked from her lungs. Dark lightning snaked across the lord of Shadowhaunt's arms and he opened his palm, preparing to blast the downed fairy. At that moment, Techna hurled a smoke grenade at the forest floor, which obscured the black-haired girl. Darkar let several blasts of lightning loose, but when the smoke dissipated, he had only hit the tree.
Aisha jumped out from cover and tried to blast the Shadow Phoenix in the back. She concentrated, pulled water from the surrounding fog and splashed it against the dark lord.
Darkar just turned around and stared at her for a moment. Then he rubbed his chin and sagely nodded his head, all while saying to himself in a voice that indicated scientific confirmation: "Sidekick".
"I AM NOT A SIDEKICK!" Aisha angrily insisted, before Techna had to pull her back to cover to avoid a black fireball.
"That was close," Flora said as she helped Musa get up, having pulled the girl to safety by manipulating a root.
"Alright, direct attacks are not working so far," Musa said as she rubbed her back. "We need a plan".
"Yeah, that much is obvious," Techna said as she and Aisha hurried over to them. "But can you be more specific?"
Flora stared around at the various tress. "Tress have water," she stated.
"And the ground has rocks, but how's that going to help?" Musa snarked.
"Wait, I think I see where you're going," Techna said as she eyed Aisha.
Musa stared at the confused princess for a moment, before she said with sudden realization: "Of course".
Meanwhile, Stella jumped screaming over a big root as dozens of black icicles flew past her. She had so far managed to avoid any direct hits, but her clothes and skin were torn, burnt and bruised from several near hits. She gasped for breath as she hid behind a tree.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Darkar called and she could hear him walk through the undergrowth. "Was that sufficiently creepy or do I need to turn it up a notch?"
"No, that was creepy enough," Stella responded. She suddenly clasped her mouth shut with her hands in realization.
"Thanks for the feedback," Darkar responded. "That really helps. Also, DIE!"
Stella leapt from cover as a saw disk of black fire cut through the tree, sending it crashing to the ground. She dashed through the fog, firing a couple of lasers over her shoulder, though she was aware that she most likely didn't hit anything. She had no idea where her friends were, the thick fog hiding everything.
And then she suddenly saw a dash of red, moments before crashing into Bloom, causing the two to tumble to the ground. The Dominian princess had already charged fire up in her hand, when she realised it was just her friend.
"Please don't fire at me," the blonde squeaked as she eyed Bloom's flaming hand.
"Sorry, you scared me," Bloom said as she extinguished the flame. "I tried firing at him, but it didn't really work. Though I haven't yet really used the dragonflame, but..."
"But what?" Stella asked.
"Well, what if I use so much of it that it hurts me, but it still doesn't work?" Bloom asked. "Then I'm done for and you'll down one team member. Speaking of which, where are everybody else?"
"No idea. This damned fog is hiding everyone," Stella said as she peaked out of cover. "I can't even see where Darkar is".
"Don't worry," Musa said from behind them, causing both Bloom and Stella to jump. "I know where he is".
"Please don't ever do that again," Bloom gasped. "Sorry for the language, but I almost crapped my pants".
"Sorry. But I can navigate by sound," Musa said. "Follow me. We have a plan".
"HELLO. WHERE IS EVERYBODY?!" Darkar called as he stomped through the woods. "THIS IS A DRAMATIC BATTLE, NOT A DRAMATIC GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK!" He sighed and said to himself: "Maybe I should have gone with the sunny meadow". He tapped his armoured foot for a bit. "OH NO, A SPECK OF DUST GOT IN MY EYE! I HOPE NOBODY AMBUSHES ME!" he yelled. After a few moments, his shoulders sagged. "ALRIGHT, SERIOUSLY, WHERE ARE YOU ALL HIDING?!"
"Over here!" Musa called.
Darkar turned and sighed in relief as he saw Bloom, Stella and Musa. "For a moment there, I thought we would have to call do-over. Now, where were we?"
"You were about to get your butt kicked," Stella warned him.
"Ah, heroic bravado," Darkar said happily as he stomped towards them. "Good to see. Not that it will save you. This is the end of you, heroines. I, Darkar, the lord of Shadowhaunt, will..." The rest of his sentence was cut short by ominous creaking, followed by a giant wooden hand smashing him into the ground. "Okay... That hurt," came the Shadow Phoenix's muffled admission.
"Now, charge the spell," Musa called, as she, Bloom and Stella began mixing their magic into one fusion spell. "Bloom, use your dragonflame. Charge it as much as possible".
As they did, Bloom could feel the energy rush through her. An almost euphoric smile started spreading on her face as she dove deep into her happy memories to power herself as much as possible. A certainty of victory filled her, along with one of righteousness. All her worries faded as defeating Darkar ceased to be merely a necessity, but became the very best thing to do at the moment.
The wooden hand started burning, where after it exploded in a black inferno as Darkar burst free. "Alright, nice move. You dented my armour. But now..." He froze, as he realised the girls were charging another spell. The air was thick with energy. "OH NO, YOU DON'T!" he roared and flung another barrage of black icicles at them.
"FRY HIM!" Bloom yelled as she and her friends unleashed the spell. A solar flare burst from their hands in the form of a massive shock wave. The black icicles were annihilated, along with most of the forest. Realising the only way this scenario could end, Darkar cleared his throat, posed and dramatically declared: "THIS CANNOT BEEEE..." as he was reduced to less than ash by the wave.
...
Outside, the machine sparked and smoked as what was still working was overtaxed by the magic emission. With a final puff, the machine stopped working as the girls were freed from their simulated prison, the lot of them crashing to the bottom of the chamber.
Bloom winced as she starred at her hands, the fingertips burnt. "I might have overdone it," she hoarsely admitted.
"Don't care. Still alive," Musa mumbled.
...
"...and that's the last thing I remember," Jared said. "Sorry I couldn't be more useful".
"That's understandable," Faragonda said. "Thank you for your cooperation". She turned to the other teachers who had assembled in the hospital wing. "They're getting increasingly bold. This has been the second attack taking place on Alfea. I will have to request that Red Fountain send us some guards".
"Sad that that has to be necessary," Avalon added as they walked out of the hospital wing.
As they opened the door, Aisha and Musa slipped in.
"Oh, hey Musa," Jared said as he noticed the black-haired girl. "Sorry about almost getting all of you killed".
"You were possessed by Darkar. Not your fault," the black-haired girl said. "Just be careful about fondling any suspicious jewellery in the future".
"I'll keep that in mind," Jared chuckled. "Hey, does your offer of hanging as friends still stand?"
"Sure," came the reply.
"Then I'd like to take you up on it," the journalist said. "Well, once I'm out of my hospital bed".
"Sounds good. See you around," Musa said as she and Aisha continued on to where Bloom was.
"Are you okay?" Aisha asked the redhead.
"Well, I feel fine, but Ophelia just wants to make sure I haven't caused any internal damage," the Dominian princess said, scratching her recently healed fingertips. "So, I guess we passed the test".
"Well, it wasn't really a test, just training," Musa pointed out. "And Palladium said that the only thing we lacked was the five of us making a spell together, but otherwise it was a very impressive performance".
"He also warned us not to expect that this meant we had mastered fusion spells," Aisha brought up. "Because being united in survival is in fact very easy. He wanted to see us able to do it under less life-threatening circumstances, since that was the point of the exercise in the first place".
"Well, they'll have to fix the simulator first. Again," Musa pointed out. "So, what, you're going to wreck that thing once a year or something?"
"I really hope not," Bloom said. After a moment, she added: "But at least we know one thing". A smirk formed on her face as she said: "We can beat Darkar".
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Musa realised. "That's really good to know".
"By the way, Flora asked if we wanted to have another of those mini-parties," Aisha said.
"Sounds great," Bloom said. "It was fun the last time".
"Yeah, gotta say, you're really proficient with a pillow," Musa brought up.
Aisha smiled happily at the thought of having another party with her... Well, she supposed they were her friends now.
...
"Well?" Darcy asked.
"Well, what?" Darkar responded. The two of them had met up in his throne room, were the Shadow Phoenix was usually residing.
"Well, what was the point?" Darcy asked, having read through a recently arrived report. "Red Fountain guards are now patrolling the area, the 'heroines' are more confident than ever and just about everybody knows you're going after the Alfea Codex next. Well, what was the point?"
"Does there have to be a point besides the joy of a dramatic conflict?" the Shadow Phoenix asked.
Darcy tapped her foot. "No, I'm not buying it," she finally said. "You're out of your mind, but you're not stupid. You got some sort of endgame set up and you haven't done anything without wanting something accomplished. You've lost a couple of times, yes, sometimes even intentionally. But you have avoided overextending our resources or showing our hand to the enemy. So I repeat my question. What. Was. The. Point?"
Darkar's scorched lips twisted into a smile. "Very well, Darcy. Since you are so curious. Our enemies are right now focused on big bad monster attacks from the outside. I now know better than ever our protagonists' capabilities and they think they can beat me after tangling with a fragment of my power. Does that sound like a gain to you?"
Darcy mulled over it for a second. "Yes," she finally admitted. "It actually does".
"Also, all those people who know I'm going after Alfea next," Darkar added. "They're wrong".