Chapter 17: Cloud Tower Fairies
Faragonda sighed sadly, as her eyes scanned the papers. Then she looked up over the rim of the notes at Bloom, who was sitting on the other side of the desk, absentmindedly petting Kiko. Then she returned her attention to the papers. They were notes from the therapist Dr. Winckelmann whom Bloom had been consulting, the same therapist who tended to her the preceding year and who had frequently visited her at Sunny Soul.
His conclusion about what had happened had been exactly what Faragonda feared. When people drew on their emotions for magic, said emotions were also empowered. The memories associated became much more dominant, which could temporarily altering the personality of the magi. It was one of the most dangerous side effects off emotion-based magic. Many a witch or fairy had gone completely off the deep end, their emotional state brought to a monomaniacal state, a state called Magic Induced Mental Irregularity. Many thought that fairies were better off in this stage than witches, who risked ending up in a permanently morose state of depressed apathy or running amok in a fury of hate-fuelled sadism. But as Bloom had unfortunately experienced, being consumed with something as positive as confidence could also be dangerous. Even if it was just for a moment, even if it was just one mistake, it had had serious consequences. One of the most important reasons that schools for magi existed was to look for signs of magic mania and help the students deal with it. This was a necessity, because the state wasn't always just a short burst of emotional dominance. Experiencing the same intense emotions over and over could slowly cause long lasting changes, allowing the magi in question to operate in normal society even though their minds had become warped by their growing emotional derangement. Fortunately, Bloom has only experienced a small dip into magic mania, her friends had recovered, only remembering seeing somebody in the fog they had wanted to spook before something exploded, and the pixies, who had to be abandoned in order to get Bloom home as quickly as possible, had been recovered without incident. The headmistress didn't dare to imagine how much worse things could have been.
She continued scanning the page. Bloom's case was very typical of somebody who had temporarily gone Mimi, as it was sometimes referred to. Her first reaction, once the shock abated, was a powerful phobia of her own magic, which initially caused her to swear off ever using it again. The following interviews revealed that she had dipped deeply into her confidence when casting magic before without it causing harm. These was followed by reparative therapy focused on making her comfortable using her magic again. Depending on the person, this could take everything from days to decades. Bloom had managed to overcome it in little under two weeks and was now, according to Dr. Winckelmann, ready to resume school, though he still wanted regular interviews with her to look for signs of relapsing. Between this, her classes and her royal studies, Faragonda wondered how much free time the girl would have left.
The ageing headmistress finally put down the paper, folded her hands and asked: "So how are you feeling, Bloom?"
A jolt went through the redhead's body as she was jerked back to reality. "Oh, just fine".
"And classes? What has it been like to return to them?" the headmistress continued.
"No problems so far," Bloom replied honestly.
"My staff has noted that you have become noticeably quieter and more subdued in class. Are you sure you feel ready to return to a regular schedule?" Faragonda continued with motherly concern.
"I am. I just... I just need some time," Bloom quietly responded. "I'm getting better. I have to get better".
Faragonda nodded. The girl was still somewhat scared of her own power, but magic could not just be suppressed and forgotten. It would react to her feelings, even if she wanted nothing to do with it. The only way to avoid future incidents was to learn control and that demanded the will to face such issues head on. There was nothing left to do for Faragonda but support her ward and help her through any difficulties she might encounter while recovering. She had supportive friends and a loving family. And one of the best possible school staffs to assist, in the headmistress' opinion. "Very well, then I allow you to return to a full school schedule".
"Thank you, Headmistress," Bloom said relieved. "I'm going to do my best to recover from this".
"Bloom, the important part is that you take your time to get back on your feet, figuratively speaking," Faragonda said. "Don't do anything you're not comfortable with and do not hesitate to speak to the staff if you feel the need to. We're here to help".
"I'll remember that," the redhead replied, Kiko happily purring in her lap.
"That brings me to another issue," the headmistress sighed. "After this incident, I have no choice but to forbid further trips to Earth. I want to make it clear that this has nothing to do with any fear of you hurting anybody," she added when she noticed Bloom's worried look. "But from the last talk I had with your father it seems clear that you have become the subject of unfortunate attention. Going to Earth has become too dangerous".
"And for how long will it be too dangerous?" Bloom asked worriedly.
"I don't know," Faragonda said sadly, shaking her head. "I honestly don't know".
...
After putting Kiko back in his cage, Bloom walked into the common room and threw herself into a sofa. She fiddled with the remote on the table and turned the TV on, passively watching as a game show went through the final rounds. She wasn't really paying attention, but she found the buzzing of trivia and challenges to be a pleasant diversion from her thoughts. She kinda wished her friends were there so she could distract herself by talking with them, but they were all either in their rooms or somewhere else. Not even the pixies were out to accompany her and if she bothered Kiko anymore, she was liable to wear his fur down to nothing. So she settled for the TV. She needed the diversion. Otherwise her thoughts began to go to some very unpleasant places. She felt kinda like she did at the tail end of the last school year, drained and tired, but it was somewhat worse. Most likely because she had to acknowledge that this time, it was all her fault. No crazy women, nightmare monsters or insane warlords from the depths of the planet to blame. It was her who had almost killed one of her oldest friends. And why did she do that? Because she was scared by a Halloween prank. Even worse, Bloom couldn't forget how often she had lost control of her magic and almost burnt somebody. It had almost become a running gag how often she had almost singed her teachers. Except now there was nothing funny about it. Even worse, part of her enjoyed the confidence and the certainty she could draw on. It had allowed her to face dangerous threats head on. And now it had made her hurt a good friend. What could she had done to avoid it? What if she had not been so lucky and Mirta had been badly hurt? Or worse...
She shook her head and refocused on the commercial for shampoo that was running. Dr. Winckelmann had advised her only to focus on the past as a way to learn how to handle the future. Speculating in what ifs and could haves was an unproductive exercise in mental self-harm. She shifted her attention to her finger. She wanted control. She didn't want to hurt her friends like that ever again. She took a deep breath and focused on something that made her happy. With a whoosh, a small flame lit on her finger. She focused and managed to juggle the tiny flame from finger to finger. Watching the dancing flame brought her some relief. Despite her initial reaction, she had no desire to actually give up her magic, though she occasionally felt like she should have had it taken from her, that she wasn't mature enough for it. Dr. Winckelmann had said that such guilt was normal, but unreasonable, as what had happened was an accident. She had to focus on that part. She had made a mistake, but Mitzi was okay and so were the others. And she could learn how to control her magic. She had to.
"Hey, are you okay?" came a soft voice and Bloom yelped as the flame vanished.
"Huh? Oh, hi Mirta," she said after turning her head. "Didn't hear you come in".
"That's okay. But seriously, are you feeling well?" the ex-witch asked concernedly.
"Yes. I mean no. I mean... Maybe," Bloom rambled. She took a deep breath and said: "I'm just trying to use my magic without flinching".
"I don't think it's healthy to force it," Mirta suggested. "I mean, not that I presume to know better than you or your psychiatrist, but it just doesn't seem healthy".
"I've gotten better. At least I can cast magic now," Bloom said. "I just have to push myself".
"If you say so," Mirta replied, though she didn't sound convinced.
"Here to see Flora?" Bloom asked.
"Yeah, I signed myself up for a seminar at Cloud Tower and wanted to ask if she wanted to come along," Mirta said and pulled out a brochure.
"What's it about?" the princess of Domino asked as she took a closer look.
"It's about the basics of magic based on negative emotions. You know, witch magic," Mirta explained. "I may be a fairy now, but I still know how to use my magic like a witch. So I figured I'd brush up on my skills a bit. Be prepared and all that". After a moment, she added: "It's also a good excuse to go visit Lucy".
"Hey, could I come along?" Bloom asked after inspecting the brochure. "I think I could do with a change of scenery".
"Sure. Just sign yourself up for the sessions next week. Just expect to stay overnight," Mirta instructed and pointed at the relevant info. "We can go together. In fact, if you want to go, maybe the others would like to too".
"That's an idea. Let's ask them," Bloom agreed. "I just need to ask Jacob if he can keep an eye on Kiko while I'm gone".
...
Bloom stretched her arms as she exited the bus, a couple of her joints cracking audibly. Before her lay the imposing structure of Cloud Tower, its twisted spires framed against the blue skies beyond. Behind her, her friends were slowly making their way out of the bus. The redhead was kinda surprised that everyone had had time for the seminar. Flora and Aisha had sounded genuinely interested. Stella and Musa mostly seemed to do it for a lack of anything better to do. Techna went along because she was convinced that if she took her eyes off Bloom, the redhead would go off to fight dragons or something without bringing her along. Though Bloom also had a suspicion that her friends went along to keep an eye on her just in case, not that she minded it. It was somewhat comforting in fact.
"So what exactly are we expected to learn?" Stella asked as they walked up towards the great ramp that lead up to the school proper.
"To be honest, nothing," Mirta replied. "You won't be graded or anything, since these aren't extra classes. They are more for giving people a better understanding of the subject, either because they're curious or considering extra classes. There'll still be some exercises but it's okay if you don't do them. They're mostly to give you some hands-on experience".
"Hmm," the Solarian princess emitted approvingly. "Sounds like the fun kind of education".
"I just have my reservations about the company," Musa commented.
"Why?" Techna asked. "You don't seem the type to buy into the whole 'glorious spell-caster rivalry' some people seem to be cultivating".
"Look, I know that there's both good and bad witches," Musa responded. "But what I also know is that I had half a dozen witches out for my blood because Icy pointed in my direction and yelled at them to snap me in half".
"That happened?" Aisha asked surprised.
"Unfortunately, yes," Mirta added sadly. "It would have been a lot worse if Lucy hadn't insisted the others stay behind and not go after you".
"And here I thought I'd stopped being surprised," Aisha said. "It seems life on Alfea is very... I guess adventurous is the right word".
"It has been rather stressful and hectic, yes," Flora added. "Not to mention dangerous. I had hoped that it would have been over after the Usurper Crisis, but it would seem this year too will be filled with conflicts of various sorts".
"Well, there's always next year," Stella sighed.
"Huh. Well, there's a surprise," Musa commented as they neared the front door. Standing by it and talking with Zarathustra was none other than Riven.
The magenta-haired warrior noticed the approaching girls and greeted them with a vague gesture and a: "Hi. Come for the seminar?"
"Yes. But what are you doing here?" Stella asked.
"A recent test demonstrated that my magic had marginally improved by me overcoming my near-death experience," Riven replied. "You know, when Darcy quite literally broke my heart. So Saladin suggested that I might be able to improve my talent a bit through some proper training. Not going to reach his level, or even yours for that matter, but if I can improve enough, I might be able to heal someone besides myself. For some reason, he was also sure I'd do better by drawing upon my negative feelings".
"It is truly a riddle for the ages," Musa dryly commented.
"Well, I've checked off your names. First lesson begins in the lecture hall at fourteen," Zarathustra noted as she wrote something down on her pad. "So have a good day and welcome to Cloud Tower".
"Thanks," the group said as they entered the structure.
"Alright, so how do we get to the lecture hall?" Bloom asked as they travelled down a twisting hallway. "Anybody brought a map?"
"Wouldn't do much good. Cloud Tower changes a lot," Riven commented.
"Seriously, it changes?" Techna asked. "For the love of... Is it just me or has Alfea really gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to schools?"
"I think I prefer Alfea," Stella commented. "I mean, it's hard enough to get around as it is. Why did they even build a school that changes?"
"Grow," Riven corrected the blonde. Noting the puzzled expressions he received, he elaborated: "Nobody built Cloud Tower, they grew it. It's a massive, magical organism that can alter itself based on its needs. Or those of others as the case may be".
Bloom blinked at the news before realising: "So that's what Discorda was talking about when we met her last year".
"So she wasn't just being crazy when she talked to the school?" Stella noted, taking a step away from the nearest wall. "We're actually inside the body of something. That's, like, totally creepy".
"And we just get the regular, non-flying, inanimate school made of boring bricks," Techna mumbled annoyed.
...
Half an hour later, after having gotten lost thrice in the winding hallways of Cloud Tower, the group finally arrived in the lecture hall. Students from both Alfea and Red Fountain had met up to attend the seminar, and on a podium in the middle of the room stood headmistress Guinevere Griffin, patiently awaiting the seminar attendants, with a couple of senior witches flanking her.
"Alright, I think I've given everyone ample time to show up," she noted after checking her watch. "Let us begin. I am Guinevere Griffin and I am the headmistress of the Cloud Tower Institute for Witches. The seminar you have signed up for, and I do hope this doesn't come as a surprise, will involve you learning the basics of witch magic. Let me start by talking about what that is while also dispelling some of the more common misunderstandings. Witch magic draws upon negative emotions. Emotions like wrath, hate, sorrow, sadness and so forth, in order to power your magic. Some claim it is harder than fairy magic. I'm no fairy myself, but from talking with my colleagues, I can conclude it is not harder, just different. It requires the ability to face the worst parts of yourself and use it as a tool. This is not something everyone can, but fairy magic requires you to be able to find the best in yourself no matter the situation and that can be hard too. The different kinds of magic have their ups and downs, and the schools are here to help you all sort out where you belong. Now, one of the more common misconceptions is that witch magic is better suited for hurting people. There is a grain of truth to it, but it's not as if a rock hurled by a witch is more dangerous than one hurled by a fairy. It just so happens that when you want to blast somebody to pieces, it's usually easier to call upon rage or loathing rather than happy memories of your grandmother's birthday party. But a fairy is just as capable of hurting people as a witch. The second misconception is that witches are more vulnerable to Magic Induced Mental Irregularity. That is not the case either. Witches just often happen to be more visible. A fairy lost in emotional derangement will often appear overly happy, self-confident or the like, and will therefore often be thought of as simply being overly peppy right up until something goes horribly wrong. On the other hand, a witch lost in the throes of sadness has a very visible problem in comparison".
Bloom found herself struggling not to laugh bitterly at the headmistresses' explanations. She was painfully aware of how wrong things could go.
"Now then, we will begin with a simple exercise," Griffin continued. "Powering magic related to your knack with negative emotions. If your knack requires a specific object to be present, there's several boxes of various knick-knacks down here by the podium".
The sounds of moving chairs and walking feet echoed through the huge room as several students got up to acquire something to work their magic on.
As they slowly made their way back into their seats, Griffin instructed them: "Now then, focus on something that makes you angry, sad or similar. Let that emotion fuel your magic and then reach out with it. Don't press yourself too hard, you are not expected to get it right the first time. If you need any help, several senior students have volunteered to assist with the seminar. They will walk around the room and you can ask them about anything".
Around the room, people began trying to use their knack with mixed success. Bloom noted that neither Techna nor Flora seemed to have any success, while Stella and Aisha seemed to be unsteadily able to conjure something. Mirta did it with ease, which was not that surprising, but Musa also seemed to take to it easily, though she also had to quickly stop and take a couple of shuddering breaths. Bloom returned her attention to her own hand. Finding something that made her feel bad was very easy. What she had done filled her with both sadness and also anger, which mostly towards herself. She took a deep breath and focused on those feelings. She could feel the painful memories energise her magic and she willed it to conjurer a flame. With a roar, a long and thin pillar of fire exploded from her hand and shot into the air, greedily licking the ceiling. The redhead yelped and willed the fire to die again. She gasped a bit as the shock settled, before she noticed that everyone was staring at her. Slowly, she sunk down in her seat, hoping she could will herself into the ground.
Griffin stared at the scorched patch on the ceiling, before eyeing Bloom and concernedly asked: "Are you okay?"
"I'm... I'll just wait a while before trying again," the Dominian princess quietly replied.
"Alright. If you need a break, take one," Guinevere advised. "That goes for the rest of you too. Triggering magic this way is hard if you're not used to it, so if you need to go outside for some fresh air, you are allowed to do so. One of the volunteers will be more than happy to show you the way".
...
In the deepest parts of Cloud Tower lay the storerooms that had at one point served as prisons for the students. Now, it once again only stored ingredients for alchemy and such. Like all sections of the living building, it was kept under constant watch by Cloud Tower itself, which would immediately warn the staff if something was off.
Or it would do that under normal circumstances.
But something weird happened, a sort of signal infected the tower and made everything seem just fine, even as it was commanded to open one of the walls to the outside.
Resolutely, Darcy stepped into the room, twirling an elaborately decorated staff.
"It actually worked," Stormy stated as she followed into the room, Icy right behind her. "I was halfway expecting the thing to be a dud".
"I'm just curious where Darkar got a backup control rod for Cloud Tower," Icy pondered. "It's not something you can just buy in the nearest convenience store".
"My guess is that he's had it for a while," Darcy guessed. "Now then, to find the Codex piece. Any ideas?"
"Well, if the piece looks like the other one that we found, then at least we know where to not look," Stormy brought up. "I mean, I've never seen anything like it in all my years as a student".
"Neither have I. Griffin must have hidden it somewhere," Darcy agreed. "But I think it's safe to say it isn't in any of the offices. We would have noticed it when we were in control of Cloud Tower".
"So it's not in any of the common areas and it's not in any of the teachers' offices," Icy summarised. "Great, so that covers just about all of the school then".
"It's probably hidden. Like in Red Fountain," Stormy suggested.
"Right. Which again means it could be anywhere," Darcy continued. "There's a lot of unused areas of Cloud Tower that could serve as a hiding place ".
"Can't you just wave that wand and make it tell us where it is?" Icy asked, gesturing to the artefact.
"No, it only controls things in the immediate vicinity. If I was to do what you want, I would need to..." Darcy said, suddenly realising something. She snapped her fingers and continued with: "Of course. The heart of Cloud Tower. That place is sealed off from everyone. It would be the perfect place to hide the Codex. And even if it isn't there, we can use the heart to locate it".
"This is going to be a fun diary entry," Stormy sighed. "Dear diary, today I invaded my own school. Again. Because it all went so well the first time".
Icy rolled her eyes and asked: "So where is the heart?"
"I don't know. It's not exactly public knowledge," Darcy replied. "But I do have some ideas about how we can locate it".
...
"Are you okay, Bloom?" Stella asked concernedly as she walked up to the redhead. They had been given an hour to take a break in and most students had gathered in the cafeteria, a tall room with winding stairs leading to different tables at different floors.
"I think I just need a moment," Bloom replied. "I guess I kinda scared myself".
"Well, you tots made me jump too," Stella said as she sat down with a tray of food. "It was actually pretty impressive".
"Impressive would be me controlling it," Bloom grumbled. "Even when I'm working with completely unfamiliar magic I'm still almost setting people on fire".
"It's not that bad," the blonde tried.
"Isn't it?" Bloom asked. "How many times have I almost set fire to people unintentionally? It even became a running gag how often I almost burned our teachers".
"True, but it's not like you're the only one," Stella argued. "I mean, like, Techna almost blew Avalon up for example. And there's been plenty of times where somebody screwed up a spell and caused some damage. I mean, I got my magic almost totally under control now, but I've set fire to things a couple of times as a kid. And I think that if you, like, ask the others, they'll gladly tell you about various mishaps they've caused".
"Hmm, I guess you're right. Still, I don't think any of you girls have almost killed somebody," Bloom argued.
"Didn't Techna mention how she once almost blew up her friend with... What was it, some frozen peas and a toaster or something," Stella speculated.
"Alright, point taken," the redhead sighed. "I'm not the only one with these problems. It doesn't exactly make it feel better".
"Never said it would," Stella said with shrug. "I just wanted you to know that you're, like, not alone with these things and your tots not the only one who's made mistakes".
"I guess not," Bloom admitted. After a moment, she added: "Thanks".
"It's what I'm here for. Hungry?" the Solarian blonde asked, offering a sandwich.
"Actually yeah, I am," the redhead replied and took it. After a couple of bites, she said: "Wow, this is really good".
A passing witch heard her comment and said: "You think so? The Tower's going to be happy to hear that".
"Do you have to go to a specific place to talk with it?" Stella asked curiously.
"Not as far as I know," the witch replied with a shrug. "It just seems to notice things".
"So the Tower makes the food?" Bloom asked.
"Yep. It also cleans the rooms, performs maintenance, acts as a librarian," the witch recited, counting on her fingers. "Honestly, the reason we have so little staff is that the building pretty much runs itself".
"Imagine that. Never having to clean," Stella sighed wistfully. "I'm starting to agree with Techna. Our school could totally do with a few upgrades".
"I should probably point out that the Tower puts a little extra effort into everything when students from other schools visit," the witch continued. "The food gets a bit better and the halls are cleaned a bit more frequently. I'm not saying it's normally bad, but you can definitely notice the difference".
"Well, I appreciate the effort," Bloom said happily and bit into the sandwich.
...
A bit further down the dining hall, Lucy and Mirta had found a table for themselves.
"So, it's been a while," Lucy noted as she put down her tray. "How's everything been lately?"
"Well, I can't complain personally," Mirta said as she nibbled her food. "School's been great this year. Well, mostly great. There's still been those incidents".
"Yeah. It sucks," Lucy agreed. "We've got that freak Darkar and now Isabella, Darcy and Maria are helping him out too". She sighed. "Why does Maria even hang out with those two?"
"I heard you visited her a couple of times when she was at Lightrock," Mirta said. "How was she?"
"Overjoyed for the company. Kinda like a puppy starved for attention," Lucy said without a hint of humour. "She was so happy her family had been visiting. But then she started getting more and more... Subdued I guess". She shook her head sadly. "Honestly, I don't think she's bad. I mean, sure, she's got a vicious temper, but I really think the two others have been a toxic company for her".
"That kinda makes it worse," Mirta agreed. After taking a sip of water, she said: "Any one of us could have ended up like her".
"Don't I know it," Lucy snorted. "I can understand the temptation to just run amok and show everybody who's boss now but... It just ain't right".
"So no plans to blow Popularis off the map?" the redhead ex-witch asked jokingly.
"I might force the mayor to change that stupid name," Lucy chuckled. "Seriously, Popularis. Might as well subtitle it 'Yes, everybody here have their heads up their asses'".
"It is a pretty... Confident name," Mirta tried diplomatically. "I wonder why the founders named it that?"
"Because Harmonians don't get subtlety," the slender witch insisted. "I mean, there's an area called Oppositus. Because it's designed to constantly contrast with itself. Seriously, look it up".
"Well, at least it's honest advertisement," Mirta countered, before quietly adding: "Can't say the same for Popularis".
"Let's change the subject. Talking about that shithole makes me want to blow something up," Lucy insisted. "How about you and that Flora girl? I noticed she came along too".
"Yep, her and her friends," Mirta said. "Well, I suppose they're also my friends now".
"Yeah, I've noticed them. Seem like a cool bunch," the lanky witch said approvingly. "And they have a habit of getting involved in some crazy shit if the grapevine is to be believed".
"Yeah, Flora occasionally complains about it," Mirta replied. "Says that nine out of ten times, they've been involved in something that should be handled by way more qualified personnel".
"And they still managed to survive," Lucy pointed out. "Says something about their skills".
"Or luck," Mirta replied. "I'd just feel a lot better if we could have a normal school year".
"Don't worry. Things will settle down again. They always do," Lucy said comfortingly, before checking the clock in the room. "Hmm, I better go water Linus".
"Linus?" the redhead questioned.
"Yeah, Maria's cactus. I promised to take care of it while she was away," Lucy replied as she got up. "See you at class".
"See you," Mirta responded.
...
Lucy made her way up a staircase, when she heard a voice. An uncomfortably familiar voice.
"So how many more of these readings do we have to take?" came the voice of what Lucy could swear sounded like Isabella.
The lanky witch slowly sneaked up the stairs, sticking closely to the wall, as what sounded like Darcy responded: "The more readings I take, the more correct the estimates are. If we're going to barge into the most well-secured and well-guarded area of the Tower, I prefer doing so while knowing where I am going".
"Wish that thing would hurry up. We're kinda exposed," came Maria's voice.
"Most students and teachers should be eating in the cafeteria by now," Darcy pointed out. "Now is our best chance to get a reading on this vein. It's the only way we're going to figure out where the heart of Cloud Tower is".
There was no doubt in Lucy's mind. It was definitely them. And from the sound of it, they were planning something. The green-haired witch took one more step, hoping to figure out what they were up to before going to a teacher. That's when her foot slipped on the almost invisible patch of ice Isabella had left as a surprise for anyone trying to sneak up on them. With a yelp, she slipped backwards and tumbled down the stairs. She landed hard on the bottom step and felt something in her elbow snap. Tears of pain dripped from her eyes as she ground her teeth together to prevent herself from screaming.
"Well, well, if isn't our old friend Lucy," Icy said coldly as she looked down the stairs. "It's been so long since we've seen each other. I believe last time we met you sent one of your little pests to sting me". A boulder of ice formed in her hand. "And now... I think I should repay you". Vicious glee marked the white-haired witch's face as she got ready to smash Lucy.
"Wow, wow, what are you doing?" Stormy asked as she ran up besides Icy.
"Is that a trick question?" Icy asked flatly.
"You can't just kill her like that," Stormy insisted. "The fuck is wrong with you?"
"I'm sorry, but if it wasn't for her and her redheaded bitch of a friend, we would have succeeded long ago," Icy argued back. "In fact, the only reason I haven't managed to stomp Bloom out of existence is because of her".
"Right. As if you actually needed an excuse to hurt people," Stormy countered.
"And you're just protecting her because she got chummy with you that one time," Isabella retorted. "She could jeopardize everything, but no, she kissed your lonely ass once, so now your best pals, huh?"
"I'm sorry, that sounded remarkably like a request to have all your teeth punched out," Stormy snarled, lightning dancing across her skin.
"Would you two please refrain from killing each other?" Darcy sighed as she walked up to them. "What are you two pissed about now?"
"We're trying to deal with her?" Icy said and gestured towards the bottom of the stairs.
"Who?" Darcy asked.
"Lucy of course..." Icy said and turned her head, only to see that the gangly witch was gone.
"So in you infinite wisdom of starting a bitching competition, you allowed somebody to escape and thus blow the perfect cover we have," Darcy sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose. "Congratulations, turns out that you're both idiots. Now please excuse me, I'll need to do a couple of additional scans before Griffin personally comes along to throw us off the top of the tower".
...
"Are you sure we shouldn't have turned right back there?" Musa asked as the group wandered through some part of Cloud Tower.
"Maybe we should have. Or maybe we should keep going a little longer," Stella replied, throwing her arms in the air. "This place could totally do with a map".
"Wouldn't help. Every time somebody tries to make one, the tower changes," Mirta said. "Apparently, it finds it hilarious".
"Our school doesn't have a sense of humour," Techna complained. "In fact, it doesn't have a sense of anything".
"Maybe you could ask Cloud Tower how you could make a new living school building for Alfea," Musa jokingly suggested.
"Don't give her any ideas," Stella warned the black-haired girl. "She's nuts enough to try it".
"Look, Alfea doesn't have to be the same as the other schools," Techna said. "I just want it to be a bit more magical in some way. It's a little too plain for one of the most important magical institutions".
"Well, you do avoid some hassles," Mirta brought up. "Not to say that Cloud Tower isn't great, but the changing layout means that even older students don't always know where to go".
"Look, let's just focus on getting to..." Stella started, but was cut off when Lucy charged around the corner and barged into her, causing them both to fall to the floor.
"For fuck... Ghhh," Lucy hissed as she rubbed her obviously broken arm.
"Lucy!" Mirta gasped as she ran up to her friend. "What happened?"
"Those three," Lucy gasped. "They're in the tower. Looking for its heart. I'm not sure what they're planning to do with it... But it can't be good. Ran as fast as I could, but my leg is kinda wonky". She hissed in pain.
"Not again," Techna sighed. "At least they didn't bring an entire army along this time".
"If they are here, that probably means there's a piece of the Codex in Cloud Tower," Bloom said. "We can't let them get it".
"We must act quickly," Flora agreed. "We should contact Griffin immediately".
"Good idea. Does anyone have her number?" Stella asked.
"I do, but my phone's back at Alfea," Mirta said.
"Tune has borrowed mine," Techna added.
"And mine snapped in half when I took a tumble down the stairs," Lucy said.
"Alright, but can you at least remember her number?" the Solarian blonde asked. The three girls shook their heads.
"If we have to run up and down Cloud Tower, they'll be long gone before we find Griffin or anyone else capable of helping," Musa said.
"In that case, we should split up. Try to find the staff, other students or even delay Icy, Darcy and Stormy if necessary," Flora argued. "Mirta, stay with Lucy until you can get some help". The redhead nodded in response as the fairies split up in three pairs and hurried along to find somebody to warn.
"So how do you think those three got in without anybody noticing?" Techna asked as she and Musa hurried down a hallway. "I mean, isn't Cloud Tower supposed to be able to notice that sort of thing?"
"Yes it is. Which worries me," Musa responded. "What could they have done to blind Cloud Tower to their presence?"
"I guess we'll find out," Techna replied while trying to shrug while sprinting. They hurried down a flight of stairs, rounded a corner, passed through a bathroom and passed a couple of empty classrooms.
"Seriously, where is everybody," Musa said as they rounded a corner. She and Techna froze.
"You!" Icy hissed as she suddenly noticed the two fairies at the end of the hallway. Behind her was Stormy and Darcy, who were currently operating a device hooked up to something in the wall.
"Hey, it's Frosty," Techna said and waved. "How's being the queen bitch working out for you?"
Icy responded with a snarl before launching a wave of icicles at the two. Musa countered with a wave of sound that shattered the frozen projectiles.
"Stormy, help her out. I can handle this part myself," Darcy ordered as she continued to fiddle with the device.
"Roger that," Stormy said and jumped forward, flinging a ball lightning at the two.
Musa and Techna immediately took cover behind the corner, as the electric projectile smashed against the wall.
"I could snap them in half if I could get close enough," Musa grumbled as a series of ice spikes smashed into a nearby wall. "But with a hallway this narrow they'll blow me to confetti before I get my hands on them".
Techna peeked around the corner, before retracting her head to avoid getting it fried by lightning. "There's some classrooms. If you could get into them, you could probably blindside them," the scarred girl pointed out.
"Great idea. Just a slight issue," the black-haired musician pointed out. "There's no other entrance".
"Well, I got this," Techna said and pulled something metallic with claws out of her backpack. "See, Timmy doesn't want to lend me any of those barrier busters, so I've been trying to make my own".
"You have been trying to make military grade equipment," Musa said flabbergasted. "Why would you... Never mind that, does it work?"
"Sorta. It's not as quiet as the Red Fountain ones," Techna said. "But I figure if I hurl a couple of these babies after them". She held up a couple of homemade explosives. "Then they won't notice a thing".
"Fantastic. I hope Cloud Tower doesn't mind us blowing a bit of it to pieces," Musa said and took the homemade barrier buster.
"HEY, CATCH!" the magenta-haired girl yelled as she hurled a couple of her bombs down the hall.
Stormy retaliated by creating a powerful gust of wind that sent the grenades back down the hall, harmlessly exploding between Techna and the two witches. "YOU'LL HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT!" the wild-haired witch taunted loudly.
"I ALREADY HAVE, BLOWHARD!" Techna retorted.
"Wait, what does she mean..." Stormy tried to question, before the door besides her suddenly smacked into her face and sent her tumbling back. Musa leapt out of the doorway and jabbed the surprised Icy is the stomach with the handle of her fan. The white-haired witch bent over in pain, only to have Musa's knee crash into her face. With a howl of pain and rage, Icy stumbled back and began firing shards of ice in every direction. Musa leapt back into the classroom to grant herself some cover from the furious barrage.
Techna had now leapt out of cover and was storming towards the group, trusty pipe ready. Icy had begun blocking off the classroom with a thick layer of ice when she noticed the scarred girl storming towards her. She reached out her hand and Techna stopped running as all enthusiasm in her vanished, crushed by a cold layer of complete apathy. This shift of attention allowed Musa to recover however, and with a powerful blast of sound she splintered the barrier and flung Icy into the wall beside her. She jumped out ready to resume her attack, but Stormy jumped her with a roar and tried pummelling her with her fist. The black-haired girl easily countered the clumsy attempt at brawling and retaliated with a series of jabs with her fans. The wild-haired witch was forced back by the barrage of blows, sore spots forming all over her torso. With a snarl, she let a wave of lightning explode from her fingers. In the narrow hallway, Musa couldn't dodge and she was flung back down the hall.
"Reading is done. Let's get out of here," Darcy called as she unplugged the device.
Icy and Stormy hesitated for a second before following the dirty-blonde towards a set of stairs.
"Oh no you don't," Techna mumbled as she unsteadily got on her legs. She pulled her arm back, aimed and flung her pipe. The iron instrument twirled through the air before nailing Darcy between her shoulder blades, causing her to fall forward down the staircase in front of her. Icy turned and launched a spear of ice behind her. Techna tried to jump out of the way, but the projectile sliced open one of her calves, causing the scarred girl to fall to the floor with a series of colourful swearwords. Then the white-haired witch followed Stormy down the stairs.
"Well... That was sorta fun," Techna gasped as she began pulling medical supplies from her backpack.
"I disagree," Musa wheezed as she tried to get back up on her feet.
...
"We're so lost," Bloom groaned as she and Flora looked around. "What do we do now?"
"I have sent a message to the staff of Alfea. Hopefully they can contact Griffin," Flora said and put her phone back in her pocket. "If only there was somebody we could ask for directions".
"Classes must have started or something," Bloom suggested. "Wait, I think I see somebody over there. Hello, we could use some help".
"Funny. So could we," Musa gasped, Techna supporting her. "Did three crazy bitches run this way?"
"I assume you had a fight with our adversaries," Flora guessed.
"Yep. Gave them a couple of good whacks too," Techna said enthusiastically. "Oh, and Darcy dropped this after I caused her to fall down a set of stairs". She pulled a strange device from her pocket and handed it to Bloom. "From what I could gather, it's used to analyse the magic that pulsates through veins inside the walls. They're using it to locate the centre of it. That's probably the heart and that's probably where a piece of the Codex is hidden".
"Then it is imperative that we inform the staff that those three have potentially located it," Flora said firmly. "Can you two handle yourself?"
"Only if nothing bad happens," Techna replied. "Because my leg got fucked up and Musa's still not walking properly".
"You know first aid better than me," Bloom said to the brunette. "Let's split up. I'll go run for help while you help Techna and Musa".
"I must admit, I am not a big fan of that idea," Flora replied. "We are at a disadvantage as it is, even more so now that we have split up. If we split up even further, well, let us just say that any encounter between you and the witches will be very one-sided".
"You know, she could always blow up at them. That's worked a couple times," Techna suggested.
Bloom stared at her hand. "Not sure if I can pull it off at the moment," she admitted.
"Doesn't matter, just run if you see them," Musa wheezed. "We need to make sure the staff is warned so that they can protect the Codex".
"Couldn't we just have Cloud Tower itself message them? I mean, clearly it pays attention to some things," Techna suggested.
"But none of us know how to do that. Maybe we'll have to find an ear or something," Bloom argued. "Best option is that I hurry along. The sooner I get going the better".
"Alright then. I can see your point," Flora admitted, though it was obvious she didn't like it. "Be careful out there".
"Will try," Bloom said as she headed off. She felt a bit bad about lying to Flora, but somebody needed to delay the three witches long enough for help to arrive, or even better, get there quickly enough to take the Codex and keep it away from the witches, though she was pretty sure Flora would rather have tied her to a wall than let her do something that risky. She stared as the device the witches had used and plotted the fastest course to the heart of Cloud Tower.
...
"Alright so let me get this straight," the witch said while staring disbelievingly at Stella and Aisha. "Three of the most notorious criminals in recent history have somehow managed to infiltrate Cloud Tower without being discovered, because they're looking for some magic dohicky that you don't know what does, which may or may not be hidden in some vaguely defined locale nobody knows where is. And you are not drunk or high".
"That about sums it up," Aisha said earnestly. She and Stella had managed to find a mixed group of students from all three schools after somehow getting to the gym, not that the students seemed to think much of their story.
"Look, can you please just direct us to one of the teachers. Then they can decide if what we're saying makes sense or not," Stella groaned in frustration.
"They've got a point," a male witch argued. "Might as well let a teacher hear them out".
"Ugh, fine," the sceptical witch said. "I think Zarathustra is back in her office by now".
Any further discussion was interrupted by Icy, Darcy and Stormy barging in through the gym door. Darcy was currently being supported by Stormy and all three of them looked rather beat up.
"Great. More problems," Icy hissed, ice growing in her palms.
"We don't have time," Stormy insisted. "We have to find the magic dohicky".
"See, I told you so," Stella said with self-satisfaction.
"So I gather," the sceptical witch replied as the students of the three schools got ready to fight the intruding witches.
"Sorry, but we have business elsewhere and I've had enough pain for one day," Darcy hissed and waved the sceptre Darkar had given her. "Cloud Tower's own defence systems should be enough to keep you entertained". The walls of the room rippled and out from them stepped several gargoyles, shaped like witches and formed from the same material as the school. "Do have fun," Darcy said while she and her two companions hurried out the door again, as the animated constructs attacked the students.
"Great, just what we needed," Stella complained as she unleashed a searing blast of light against the nearest gargoyle.
...
Bloom kept running and almost jumped down a set of stairs, before rushing through a door. She found herself in an softly lit chamber, filled with statues and messages chiselled in stone. The middle of the room was dominated by a massive structure that reminded Bloom of a mausoleum. It was elaborate and decorated with reliefs and statues of what the redhead assumed were witches, all of them carved with an incredible amount of detail. She could see the pride and determination blazing in their eyes. It only took her a few glances to realise that this was a sort of memorial chamber. One of the chiselled messages was dedicated to the witches that fell the previous year. She checked the map again. According to it, she should be right by the heart. She studied the central monument closer and noticed a plaque. "No matter what clouds your heart, be it rage, fear or sadness, know that you will always find a good home here," she read aloud. "What does that even mean?" A sharp pain exploded in her back and she gasped.
"It means..." Darcy started as she walked by Bloom, pulling her dagger out of the redhead's back in the process. She took the device out of the stumbling Bloom's hand with a: "Thanks for keeping this safe by the way. It means Griffin is the sentimental and dramatic sort when you get down to it".
Bloom gritted her teeth as the bleeding wound in her lower back pulsated with blazing agony, even as the venom slowly numbed her senses. She focused, getting ready to blast Darcy. But the thought of hurting another human with her powers made her pause for a moment.
A moment Icy used to backhand the redhead with an ice encased fist, sending her sprawling to the floor with a yelp. "I feel so much better now," the white-haired witch said relieved as she went up to her dirty-blonde companion.
"Great. So is this the heart?" Stormy asked. "Because we've managed to alarm pretty much everyone in the tower by now".
"It would seem Griffin built a sort of memorial around it. Most people would be too respectful to consider harming it, even if they were looking for the heart," Darcy explained.
"But not us I take it," Stormy added, sounding quite uncomfortable.
Bloom coughed, blood dripping from her nose and her torn lip. Her head was ringing like a bell from the impact. She tried to focus on the three, tried to focus on blasting them in the back. She knew she wouldn't get away with attacking them like that, but if she could just delay them a bit more...
Darcy reached out towards the monument. A split second later, several long thorns had pinned her hand to it. The dirty-blond stared at her bleeding hands, before her brain registered the intense pain in it. With a hiss, she willed her hand into becoming a shadow, allowing her to rip it free, as she and her two allies turned to see who had attacked them.
"I would advise you to not make a move," Flora said, threateningly brandishing a cactus. "You have already tested my patience by harming my friends". The brunette was flanked by Stella, Musa, Techna, Mirta, Lucy, Aisha and Riven, as well as several other students from the three schools. "Besides, I doubt you three would be able to handle this many of us at once, no matter how much power Darkar has given you".
"Hey, keep Linus out of this," Stormy said angrily, recognising her favourite plant.
"Do not worry. Unlike you, I do not make a habit of needlessly harming others," Flora said contemptuously. "Now, would you kindly surrender?"
"Sorry, but we're not leaving without the Codex," Icy snarled.
"I would chastise you for revealing such important information, but I think anyone with a sense of pattern recognition have figured out why we're here," Darcy commented while rubbing her pained hand.
"If that's what you're looking for, I'm afraid you have wasted your time coming here," another voice said. Everyone shifted their attention.
Headmistress Guinevere Griffin had entered the room.