Chapter 18: Chaos in Cloud Tower
Silence reigned in the memorial chamber. Muscles were tensed as everybody patiently waited to see who would make the first move.
Darcy eyed the room, carefully watching for the telltale sign of somebody getting ready to attack. There was usually a subtle clue when someone finally decided to do so. A twitch or maybe a barely visible tensing of the muscles. A subconscious reaction, one that revealed the person's intentions. But no such move was made. It was as if Griffin's appearance had frozen the room.
"I see," Darcy finally said, allowing herself to respond to Griffin's comment. "How frustrating".
"Now, I am only going to say this once," Griffin warned, a mild breeze starting to twirl around her body. "Surrender now and hand over the artefact. I will not allow the three of you to abuse Cloud Tower or its inhabitants anymore".
Darcy eyed the headmistress. The elderly witch stared back. It was as if everyone suddenly held their breath, waiting for something.
At once, Darcy activated the artefact as Griffin unleashed a powerful gust of wind. Seconds before it could strike them, the three witches fell through a hole in the floor, which rapidly closed above them.
"Clever girl," Griffin grumbled. She looked up at the students. "Alright, how are everybody?"
"I think Bloom needs immediate care," Flora said as she gently assisted her almost completely comatose friend. "Can you get us to the hospital wing?"
"Certainly," Griffin confirmed. "Follow me".
...
Carefully, Bloom was placed into the hospital bed, the redhead silent except for the occasional groan of pain due to her splitting headache. The hospital wing of Cloud Tower was very bare, almost nothing but beds. No medicine nor tools were visible.
"So, who's the nurse?" Stella asked Griffin as the rather large group of people carefully observed Bloom.
"Cloud Tower will take care of her," Griffin stated. Moments later, the room rumbled. Arms and eyes on flexible stalks grew from the bed. The hands of the bed gently hovered over the damaged parts of the redhead princess' body, magic flowing from them. Bloom could feel a pleasant warmth spread in her body as the wounds started mending.
"Now then, the worst is being fixed. She just needs some time to recuperate," Griffin stated. "I will go make preparations for dealing with this situation".
"And what will those consist of? If we are allowed to know, that is," Flora asked.
"I'll contact everyone from the Magicalis police to the Roccalucian Order," Griffin stated as she left the room. "I am not taking any chances with those three".
"Quite understandable," Flora agreed. As the headmistress of Cloud Tower left the room, the noble brunette returned her attention to the slowly waking Bloom.
"My head hurts," the Dominian princess groaned.
"Getting smacked in the head with an oversized slab of ice will do that to you," Techna chirped. "I guess that's one good thing I can say about Darcy. Her attacks aren't particularly painful".
"Only because she's marinated her knives in that poison of hers," Musa commented. "I think I'll take getting my teeth knocked loose any day over being forced to imitate a rag".
"Point," the magenta-haired girl admitted.
"So, you are regaining your mental faculties," Flora stated. "Now, could you kindly explain to me how going for help ended up with you trying to take on those three yourself? Because I have a hard time imagining it was a coincidence, especially since you had Darcy's map of Cloud Tower".
"I... Might have... Been a little dishonest," Bloom admitted. "See... I was pretty sure you would stop me if I... If I had actually suggested that I should go delay them so they wouldn't get the Codex".
Flora's face went through a cavalcade of expressions as she fought her own urge to explode in frustration. Finally, in a somewhat strained voice, she said: "I am starting to think that you have learnt all the wrong lessons from the past incidents. You seem to regard these adventures as an affirmation of your role as a heroine and that you alone somehow can beat the odds".
"Kinda starting to sound like that Darkar fella," Techna interjected.
"That is because it is the same kind of faulty logic," Flora added with a harsh edge in her voice. "Reality will not bend and bow to make sure we survive. Running off like that was not only incredibly dangerous and reckless but also stupid and utterly pointless. If you have not yet realised it, Bloom, then allow me to spell it out. Darkar has empowered the three of them and do remember that they exceeded us in experience and power when we first had to deal with them. They are even worse now, even if we too have become stronger". She took a deep breath and continued with: "Now, it is not as if I do not realise what you were trying to accomplish and I do honestly respect your courage and dedication. However, neither means anything unless you apply your mind to using them. I am sorry to say that you completely failed at thinking this through and it is only by luck that you did not end up worse than you did".
"I know," Bloom sighed sadly. "I just... I just wanted to stop them. By now, they've hurt so many people and I... I wanted to stop them". A shudder went through her. "But I couldn't. I had the chance and I completely screwed up. I could have blasted Darcy when she turned her back to me, but then... I couldn't. I just suddenly couldn't do it. And then Icy smashed me to the floor".
"Bloom, we understand that you want to see them stopped, but we tots prefer you alive and breathing," Stella added sympathetically.
"And there is nothing weak in not wanting to hurt people," Musa added. "It is what separates us from them. And that is a good thing".
"I guess," Bloom mumbled, removing a small tear from the corner of her eye. "I guess I panicked when I realised they were going for the Codex piece. I didn't want them to win again. Not like they did at Red Fountain".
"True. That did suck tremendously," Techna agreed. "But hey, remember what Granny told ya. Darkar needs all four pieces for it to mean anything. So you being alive and Darkar having two pieces is still better than the reverse".
"I agree with them," Aisha said. "Being with the lot of you has already taught me so much. It would be a greater loss for everybody involved were you or anyone of us to die".
"They're right you know," Riven added. "One thing we've learned at Red Fountain is that sometimes, you lose. Shit happens. And sometimes, you have to choose what to lose. You have to know what is truly important. And I agree with their assessment, you're more important than preventing Darkar from reaching a two out of four milestone".
"Plus, turned out Griffin had it under control. We should probably put some faith in the people who've been around the block a couple more times than us," Lucy added.
"Even after all we've been through, we're still only taking the first steps on the road to mastering our magic," Mirta commented.
"I guess so," Bloom sighed. After a small moment, she added: "Thanks. To all of you. Heh, guess I still got a lot to learn".
"We all do," Flora added as the people left the redhead to rest. "You give us a call if you need anything".
...
"So let's see if I can sum this up," Stormy started. The three of them were hiding in a dark, featureless room somewhere in the lowest part of Cloud Tower, the only light provided by the constant arch of electricity between two of the wild-haired witch's fingers. "We ran around a lot, managed to completely blow our cower, I had a door smashed into my face, Icy was punched a lot by Musa, you were smacked down a set of stairs and now we're in hiding with everyone and their grandmother trying to hunt us down. And all that for the exquisite pleasure of being told 'Nope, wrong place you fucking dummies'. Have I managed to sum it up?"
"Yes, Stormy, you have accurately managed to summarise our current predicament," Darcy sighed slightly annoyed. "What would be a lot more appreciated than the cliff notes version of the events leading up to this point is any suggestion of how to complete our objective".
"Why couldn't we just go back to Darkar and say we'll have to try again later?" Stormy asked.
"Because they will not doubt move the Codex piece as soon as possible now that they are certain that we know it's here," Darcy stated. "And I imagine Darkar will be less than pleased with having to figure out where it is all over again".
"He couldn't even bother to send some of those monsters of his," Icy grumbled.
"That was because this was supposed to be a stealth operation," Darcy commented, before she muttered under her breath: "Not that that meant a lot to the two of you".
"Well, it's no longer a stealth mission. Can't he send something now?" Stormy suggested.
Darcy rubbed her chin, before saying: "Yes, that could actually work. I'll give him a call and see what he can do". She pulled out her cellphone and called. "Hello... It's... Hey..." She sighed and said, while holding a hand over the phone: "He's doing his entire intro speech. You know the one".
"He should get caller ID," Icy commented. "Or maybe a new speech".
Darcy nodded in agreement, before firmly speaking into the phone: "Lord Darkar, I am very sorry to interrupt you, but we have very urgent matters that require you attention. Yes, I know it's part of your gimmick, but we really need assistance. Our cover has been blown and we're hiding out in Cloud Tower. And everyone knows we're here. We need immediate assistance. Anything would be appreciated. Your pet, your mooks, anything really. Otherwise, there's a significant risk that the Codex piece will be removed from Cloud Tower before we can get to it. Alright, what should we do until then? Huh? Yes. In fact, it's only because of it that the mission hasn't been a complete failure. Alright, we can do that". She ended the call.
"Well?" Stormy asked.
"He says he'll send us assistance, though he can't say when it will arrive. Probably tomorrow by his estimates," the dirty-blonde witch explained. "Until then, we should use the artefact to engage the faculty and students in hit-and-run attacks. If we can capture and imprison them in Cloud Tower one by one, we will have a greater chance of recovering the Codex once reinforcements arrive".
"Great. More abuse of our former classmates," Stormy grumbled. "But can we wait for the moment? I'm kinda tired out after what we've been through".
"Resting and recovering is a good idea," Darcy agreed. "But first, we should attend to our wounds. I have fortunately brought some medical supplies that should be able to help".
...
The sun rose above the horizon, its rays piercing the windows of Cloud Tower. Students walked through the halls anxiously, never separating from their groups. Even the older students dared not be alone until the situation could be resolved. As many of the witches and guests sat down in the cafeteria for breakfast, the voice of Nash echoed through the Tower: "Attention all students. I have good news. The Roccalucian order and a squad from Lightrock will arrive to secure the school this afternoon. In order to guarantee your security until then, you are to show up at the headmistress' office at your earliest convenience".
"What do you think they'll do to keep us safe?" Bloom pondered. She had been declared fit to leave the hospital wing and had joined her friends for breakfast.
"Hard to say. Obviously it is not just a change in rules or a security measure that can simply be implemented," Flora pondered. "Otherwise, there would be no need for us to go to the office".
The group finished the food, a delicious blend of rake eggs and some sort of bacon-esque meat, before heading for Griffin's office. A lot of other students also joined them, many of them warily keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. With one attack, Icy, Stormy and Darcy had transformed the school from a place of fun and learning, to one of fear and paranoia. Everyone was on edge and the atmosphere was thick with nervous anticipation.
When they arrived, they had to wait quite a while before they could get through the waiting throng of students that had massed outside the office. And when they finally got inside, they were quite surprised by the complete absence of Griffin. In her chair instead sat a very tired looking Nash. The elderly witch had notable bags under his eyes and he seemed to only be awake thanks to a combination of raw willpower and even rawer coffee.
"Where's the headmistress?" Musa asked.
"She's gone to the heart to see if she can somehow block attempts at controlling Cloud Tower," the alchemist yawned. "It would put those three out of commission for good. Until then, we've managed to make these sensor gems". He showed them a bag full of small red gemstones. "Took all night to make them," he groggily continued. "They'll notice whenever anyone exerts influence over Cloud Tower and warn you by lighting up. Only downside is that they have limited range, but it was the best I could do at such short notice. Furthermore, supply is sadly limited, so I can only give you all three to share. You'll just have to stick together until this mess has been resolved".
"We are grateful for any attempt at improving our safety," Flora said graciously as she took the three gems. "But I do have a question".
"Feel free to ask it," Bittersmoke replied.
"We noticed that Cloud Tower has certain internal defences, especially after those three turned them on us," Flora began. "My question is, why did it not turn on those three when they last invaded Cloud Tower? In fact, why is it not working on them now?"
"Well, when Cloud Tower was first suggested as a school for witches, there were concerns as you might imagine," Nash explained. "What with the place being alive. So Cloud Tower was put under the permanent order to never harm students. Thing is, we're not sure how to make somebody stop being a student according to Cloud Tower. And as for their creations, well, they were made from the other students, so I think that's what confused it. When students go bad, the most Cloud Tower can do is shut down to prevent misuse of its facilities. But now that those three have a control rod, well, it can't even do that much".
"I see," Flora noted. "Thanks, that does clear some things up".
"You're welcome," Nash said with a gesture. As the girls left, he yelled: "NEXT!"
The girls made their way through the eager students.
"So, how do we, like, divvy these baubles up?" Stella asked.
"For now, we should probably just stick together," Bloom said. "Then we can divide them if we feel like we need to split up".
"Let's try to avoid splitting the party for now," Techna said. "Kinda backfired something fierce yesterday".
...
Griffin walked into the memorial room and eyed the central monument. She would have preferred remaining in her office, keeping an eye on things and coordinating everyone, to make sure they were safe. But she knew that she had to try to stop Icy, Darcy and Stormy from controlling Cloud Tower. She had to trust that the staff and the older students could keep everyone safe until things could be settled. With a sigh, she pressed a hidden button, and part of the memorial sunk into the floor, allowing her into the pulsating red chamber that was the heart of Cloud Tower.
She went inside as the memorial slit into place behind her, sealing the headmistress away from any distractions. She took a deep breath and let her magic flow into the heart.
Cloud Tower was surprisingly easy to relate to for a building. It had its needs, its desires and even its opinions. Yet it was still somewhat alien and communicated mostly through feelings or images. Thus, any discussion with it tended to be very slapdash as both the speaker and the building had to try and guess what each other were communicating. And somehow, Griffin had to convince Cloud Tower that something was wrong and then devise a way to counter it. She allowed herself to sigh again. This could possibly take some time.
She felt her magic connect with the Tower's own. She felt the connection and got a feeling of the Tower's mood. It was very confused. Images flashed through Griffin's mind. Empty hallways followed by pictures of the incidents that had happened the previous day.
Griffin pondered these repeated sequences, before realising something. The Tower had seen nothing and suddenly that nothing turned into a complete disaster. It could not see the three invaders, nor what they did, but it could see the aftermath. It had already noticed the discrepancy. Griffin felt a bit of relief. That meant that part of her work had already been done by the Tower itself. It realised that something was wrong. She tried to send out a feeling of understanding and compassion, while she tried to figure out how she would explain this to the tower. She wished she had been there to see some of the events. Then she could just have showed her own memories. Instead, she was about to have a picture and mood based conversation about infiltration and counteraction. She started looking forward to the weekend.
...
Techna studied the gem intensely, while the others sat around the table and discussed what they could do.
"I would advise that we stay put," Flora began. "We are ill-suited to deal with them".
"I don't know about that," Musa said. "I mean, sure, their magic is somewhat stronger, but they're still human. Neither Icy nor Stormy are really capable of defending themselves when you get up close and personal".
"It is true that our adversaries have certain weaknesses," Flora admitted. "But so do we. We cannot be certain that we will be consistently lucky in our dealings with them".
"Come on, you should tots give us all at least a little credit," Stella argued. "It's not, like, it's been pure luck. We've done pretty good for ourselves".
"Alright, so maybe I am underestimating our skills a bit," the noble brunette admitted. "I just do not like taking chances with these kinds of things. We are only second year students and there is still so much for us to learn".
"But we beat Darkar," Bloom said. "That's gotta count for something".
"Personally, I'm actually agreeing with Flora," Aisha said. "One should always leave a job to the professionals. For example, you wouldn't leave gardening to anyone but a gardener".
"I think I've moved our lawn back home too many times for that to be true," Bloom quipped. "Then again, my mother is a florist. I guess that could count".
"The thing is, if we run into them we may not have any option but to fight," Flora continued. "But I do not want us to actively seek them out".
"But we can't just let them run amok," Stella sighed. "Somebody else could get hurt and we're, like, probably the most experienced when it comes to dealing with those three".
"Hey, what do you think, Techna?" Musa asked. "Techna? Techna? Hey, reality to Techna, anybody home?"
"Huh, what?" Techna said, suddenly paying attention. "What do I what?"
"What do you think?" Musa repeated.
"I think this thing could be improved," Techna said, casually juggling the gem.
"No, about..." Musa groaned, before continuing with: "Wait, what?"
"Its range," Techna continued. "I'm pretty sure I could boost it. Combined with the map data of the school, it should allow us to see if Cloud Tower is being controlled anywhere at any time".
After a short pause, Bloom asked. "Wait, if it's possible, why didn't Bittersmoke just make them capable of that?"
"My guess is he didn't have the time," the scarred girl responded. "I mean, they're just to serve as a 'get out of there' signal'. Boosting the signal would only be useful if you, like, wanted to go hunt those three down".
"No. That is not a good idea," Flora insisted.
"But what if somebody is in trouble," Musa argued. "People could get hurt".
Flora seemed to consider the point for a very long while. "Alright, I cannot in good conscience object to that point," she finally sighed. "But if we are to do this, extreme caution and consideration must be exercised. And please excuse my moment of brutal honesty, that is not exactly this group's strongest skill. Need I remind you of the numerous incidents that could have been avoided by five extra minutes of thinking?"
"Coming from Flowergirl, that's actually a pretty brutal burn," Techna interjected. "You know, relatively speaking".
"Alright, we promise we will only use the responsibility bestowed upon us to help others in need," Musa spoke dramatically. "Good enough?"
"Your sarcasm has not gone unnoticed," Flora responded with a slight edge in her voice. "But it will have to do I guess. I am not responsible for you. I can only implore you to be careful".
"Great. I'll just go find the necessary materials," Techna said happily. "Just a teeny tiny little issue. It'll take some time to boost it, and it'll be offline while I do it. So I kinda need somebody to watch my back. You know, just in case".
"I'll go with you," Bloom offered.
"Great, then we can use the alchemy classroom. All classes have been cancelled today after all," Techna said as they ran off.
"Would it be improper of me to say that I have a bad feeling about all of this?" Aisha asked.
"No. That is the sensible reaction," Flora sighed.
"Careful. If you put any more faith in our group you'll be close to deifying us," Musa snarked while rolling her eyes.
...
Bloom stared at the vast array of tools and components Techna had gathered in the alchemy lab. She could identify a few of them from artificing classes, but many were completely foreign to her. And some, from their slapdash improvised look, were obviously made and possibly even invented by Techna herself.
The scarred girl took the various implements, poured alchemical substances in beakers, attached the gem to a weird device, hooked it up with wires and tubes, and finally connected all the parts with each other.
"There we go," Techna said with satisfaction as she studied the set-up. Fluid slowly flowed through the tubes and onto the gem where it was instantly crystallized by arcs of electricity traversing the shiny surface. "Now we just have to play the waiting game".
"Should we stay here?" Bloom asked.
Techna rubbed her chin, before replying: "Eh, probably for the best. Don't want nobody taking this thing. Plus, somebody might shut it down if they don't know what it's for".
"I guess you're right," Bloom said and sat down in a chair. After a moment, she asked: "So how did you almost kill a friend of yours with frozen peas and a toaster?"
"And a vacuum cleaner," Techna added. "Though to be quite frank, not only do I find that little tale embarrassing, I'm also unsure if I can make it sound believable".
...
"Maybe they should just have evacuated Cloud Tower," Mirta suggested as she and Lucy walked down one of the school's corridors. "You know, get everyone outside the influence of those three".
"I know, but Griffin's apparently concerned that Darkar will have more of his creeps lurking in the woods," Lucy replied, starring intensely at the gem in her hand. "Which could be even worse than those three".
"Maybe," Mirta sighed. "I'm just... Hey, Flora," she suddenly said, face lighting up. Not far from them was the brunette, who walked around a corner seemingly without noticing them.
"Where's her friends?" Lucy questioned as they sped up to catch up with Flora.
"Probably just around the corner," Mirta suggested. The two girls rounded said corner and stared down an empty hallway.
"Gotta admit, you girlfriend is fast on her feet," Lucy said.
"That's weird. Where did she go?" Mirta questioned. The two of them only managed to hear a soft thud behind them, microseconds before a sharp pain exploded across their backs. They stumbled forward and turned, only to see Flora standing behind them, brandishing two daggers.
"Fl-Flora?" Mirta questioned. "No... You... You're not... Flora".
The fake Flora smiled as her features melted away to reveal Darcy's face.
"You're really asking for an asskicking," Lucy weakly growled and got ready to duke it out, even as the numbing poison started to affect her.
"I don't think that fighting the two of you will be necessary," Darcy noted with a hint of smug satisfaction.
Mirta looked behind them and gasped, causing Lucy to look as well.
Dozens of arms extended from the walls, slowly slithering through the air towards them. The two girls struggled as the arms grabbed them and started dragging them into a slowly widening hole in the wall.
"FUCK YOU, DARCY!" Lucy cursed as she struggled to free herself, a whimpering Mirta fighting the hands beside her. "FUCK YOU RIGHT UP THE...!" And then the hole in the wall closed, cutting off her swearing.
"Alright, that takes care of those two," the dirty-blonde witch noted. "Let's see who's next".
...
"Hey, I'm back... And where is everybody else?" Musa asked as she returned to the table.
"Well, Bloom and Techna still haven't come back from their alchemy stuff," Stella said, absent-mindedly filing her nails. "And Flora wanted to go check up on Mirta, so Aisha decided to go with her. You know, safety in numbers and all that".
"Makes sense I guess," Musa said and shrugged. "What about everyone else?"
"They started running when Icy and Stormy showed up," Stella said uncaring.
"I... Wait... WHAT!?" Musa exclaimed. She felt her neck hairs tingle and twirled on the spot, ready to unleash her magic. A blast of lightning hit her and sent her flying through the air, causing her to crash into a table. She coughed as she fell to the floor, her insides protesting from the rough treatment. With tears of pain slowly forming in her eyes, she looked up at Stella and hoarsely said: "For fucks... DO SOMETHING!"
"Just a minute," Stella said almost completely emotionless, still filing her nails.
"Don't count on her saving your hide," Icy said with twisted delight as she stepped closer to the fallen musician. "My magic has made her completely incapable of caring about anything or anyone. At the moment, you matter as much to her as a slightly misaligned nail".
Musa struggled to get up, hands reaching for her fans, when a long tentacle suddenly lashed out from the wall and wrapped itself around her wrist. Another caught her around the waist and another her ankle. Slowly, she was pulled backwards towards the wall the tentacles had formed from.
Even more tentacles had formed and grabbed Stella, who weakly protested as she was carried off without any struggle: "But I'm not done with my nails".
Musa fought with all her strength against the tentacles, but they were too strong, continually dragging her closer and closer to the undulating wall they had spawned from.
"Hey, remember that little stunt you pulled yesterday?" Icy asked with malicious anticipation, the white-haired witch having moved up to the struggling musician. With a swift move, she planted an ice-covered fist in Musa's guts. The black-haired girl doubled over as much as the tentacles would allow, having to fight her stomach to not throw up. Icy followed up with an ice-enhanced backhand, which tore small rifts all across Musa's chin. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"
"So... Are... You..." Musa weakly shot back as she was absorbed into the wall, Stella following seconds after.
"Was that last part really necessary?" Stormy asked.
"Nope. Not at all," Icy said delighted. She turned to Darcy, who lowered the control rod she had used to capture the two fairies. "So, who's next?"
...
First year had gone from a fun time to a nightmare as the four young witches stormed down the hallway. Behind them, the entire structure of Cloud Tower undulated as tentacles and hands unfolded from the walls and lashed out to grab them, the girl's sensor gem blinking red to alert them of the very obvious danger.
One of them, a boy barely sixteen years old, screamed as the floor formed a mouth and sucked him in like a piece of candy.
"DENNIS!" one of the girls yelled in panic.
"KEEP RUNNING!" another male witch yelled.
Several tentacles formed from the walls to bar the passage. Two of the witches managed to jump over, but the third's foot got caught on a tentacle and she fell to the floor. She tried to get up, but a tentacle grabbed her foot and dragged her back into the nightmarish hallway. She clawed at the floor and screamed in panic as she was dragged into the wall.
"DAMMIT! JUST KEEP RUNNING!" the male witch yelled as the two remaining first-year students fled the corridor.
...
"Is it done yet?" Bloom asked with a minimum of interest, lazily eyeing the device. Asking about the process and learning a few things about alchemy had been fun the first hour or so. But several had passed and the redhead intensely wished she had brought a book, a yo-yo or something. Normally, Techna could provide entertainment for hours, but the scarred girl had to be very focused on the project, since if anything went wrong it could ruin the gem. And they were in limited supply as it was.
"What was the answer the thirty-six other times you asked?" Techna replied, not taking her eyes off a small screen attached to the improvised apparatus.
"No," Bloom sighed.
"And what do you think it's gonna be this time?" the magenta-haired girl continued.
"No," the royal redhead repeated.
"Actually, this time it's done," Techna said and pressed something on the screen. "Now we should be able to get a clear scan of Cloud Tower". Red blinking light immediately lit up the scarred girl's face.
"Is... Is it supposed to do that?" Bloom questioned nervously.
"Well, since it is supposed to warn us of when somebody is manipulating Cloud Tower, it is indeed working," Techna confirmed.
"That's a lot of red light," Bloom commented.
"Yep," the scarred girl confirmed. "We're all kinds of fucked, just for reference".
At that moment, two witches burst into the room, both of them almost collapsing from exhaustion.
"The... Three... Attacked... Hallway..." the male witch gasped, using a chair to support his shaky legs. "Almost... Everyone... Gone..."
"Figures. I guess these sections are where they have ordered Cloud Tower to keep them imprisoned," Techna said and pointed at the screen, much to the new arrival's confusion. "That does make tracking them even harder, since we'll have to differentiate between the areas they're using and the areas they're actually in".
"Okay," Bloom said. "So, how do we do that?"
"No idea," Techna said with a shrug. "I suggest we go get the staff and show them this. I think that artefact dohickey Darcy was swinging around might be a tad bit more powerful than anticipated".
With a resounding crash, a giant block of ice smashed into the device, scattering parts of it everywhere.
Techna, Bloom and the two witches looked up. Darcy, Stormy and Icy glowered at them from a hole below the ceiling.
"Great. Just fucking great," Techna said in frustration as she threw her hands in the air. "Five hours of work crushed by an oversized ice cube. See, this is exactly why nobody likes you three," she said with an accusatory pointing. After a moment, she added: "That, and the fact that you three are psychotic power-hungry mega-bitches. And not the fun kind either".
"I was actually aiming at you," Icy clarified somewhat annoyed.
Techna glanced at the block of ice. "In that case, your aim sucks worse than you do". Immediately the scarred girl leapt to the side to avoid another block of ice.
Bloom concentrated and sent a spray of flames in the general direction of the three hostile witches, momentarily shielding them. "GO!" she yelled at the two younger Cloud Tower students and she and Techna ran for the exit.
They burst out of the room and ran down the hallway.
"Are they still after us?" the female student asked as they ran.
Techna glanced behind them, just as an icicle flew past her face. "Yup. Keep running".
Behind them, the three witches were trying to catch up to them.
"They're getting away," Icy grunted as she hurled another icicle, this one not even coming close to hitting anybody.
"I could fire a lightning blast," Stormy suggested.
"No, save your energy. There's no reason to exert ourselves as long as we have this," Darcy said and held the control rod into the air. Immediately, the hallway started undulating. Long tentacles and hands began growing from the walls.
"NOT THIS AGAIN!" the female student yelled as she dodged a tentacle.
"REMINDS ME OF A HORROR FLICK I ONCE SAW!" Techna yelled before ducking under a claw. "ANYBODY GOT A CHAINSAW!?"
Bloom didn't respond, instead flinging fire at the growing menace. It did little actual damage, but it did help push them away a bit. The redhead suddenly yelped as a hand grabbed her ankle and she fell.
"Crap, crap, crap," Techna said as she braked. "You two, keep running. I'll handle this". She turned and jumped to Bloom's aid, fiercely brandishing her trusty pipe.
Bloom concentrated her fire and managed to cut the hand off. She hoped Cloud Tower would forgive her for harming it, but she found herself with little choice at the moment. More hands and tentacles began advancing on the two fairies. Bloom blasted at them with her flames while Techna bashed them away with her pipe. Suddenly, the floor under them shivered and formed a pair of lips that clamped around their feet and began sucking them in.
"The fuck? Let me go, do I look like a frickin' instant dinner to you?" Techna angrily said, punctuating her words with repeated strikes with her pipe.
Bloom bit her lip in frustration as she blasted away at the floor with her fire, to little visible effect. As the girls were pulled in to their waist, the three witches approached.
"Got any more smartass comments?" Icy asked, delighted in her opponent's predicament.
"Yes. This floor still doesn't suck as much as you do," Techna said defiantly. "And it's fucking eating me, so I think that says a lot".
The white-haired witch scowled and looked ready to blast the scarred girl with her magic, before she composed herself and said: "I hope you'll enjoy your new claustrophobic home knowing that in a few minutes we'll waltz out of here with another piece of the Codex".
Suddenly, having sucked the two fairies down to their shoulders, the floor rumbled before spitting them out. The two girls yelped before landing on the floor a bit away while the three witches stared in a mixture of shock and surprise.
"Okay, what?" Techna groaned as she lay on the floor, her voice somewhat muffled due to her being smacked face first into the floor.
"I think the floor couldn't handle our taste," Bloom commented somewhat weakly.
"Well, I'm relieved," Techna responded. "Also kinda insulted, but mostly relieved".
"Darcy, what are you doing?" Icy angrily asked, turning to her companion.
"That wasn't me," Darcy groaned, struggling to reassert control. "Something is fighting me".
Suddenly, Griffin's voice boomed through the corridor: "I THOUGHT I TOLD THE THREE OF YOU TO VACATE THE PREMISES!"
The entire hallways began pulsating, floors and walls undulating like waves of water. The tentacles and hands began flailing all over the place.
Darcy grunted as she poured all her magic into fighting Griffin and Cloud Tower, but she could feel her control slipping. Already, several of the wall appendages began menacingly snaking towards the three.
"Oh fuck. Oh fuck," Stormy gasped as she fought to maintain balance on the wavering floor.
"Dammit. I can't fight the headmistress anymore. She's removing my control," Darcy admitted in frustration. "We need to get out of here". With one last surge of power, she brute-forced her way into the magical network of Cloud Tower and forcefully tore several holes in the walls. "That way, run," she gasped, on the brink of fainting from the power struggle.
Icy and Stormy grabbed their weakened companion by the arms and quickly dragged her through the holes, even as the tentacles closed in.
"Well, that was close," Techna stated.
"Indeed," Griffin's voice echoed. "Now you'll have to excuse me. I will free your friends shortly".
On the outside of Cloud Tower, the three witches fell to the floor of the balcony just as the wall closed behind them.
"Fuck... This... Shit..." Stormy gasped. "I feel... Like I'm... About to... Have a... Heart attack".
"Dammit," Icy growled. "We were so close. And then Griffin had to go and regain control".
"Well, despite this rather unfortunate setback, I may have some good news," Darcy weakly said as she slowly got up. "When I briefly reached the magic of Cloud Tower while trying to get us out, I momentarily sensed the entire school. An overwhelming experience, to be completely honest. But something was off".
"Off? How?" Icy asked.
Darcy turned and pointed at the tallest point of Cloud Tower. "That structure up there isn't part of Cloud Tower itself. It can't sense what's in there. And now that I think about it, I've never been there or seen an entrance to it".
"Yeah, you're right," the white-haired witch agreed. "I've never seen any stairs or such that lead up there myself".
"So, what would be in a place that's not only well camouflaged, but also well protected and completely off the grid?" Darcy continued.
"Something really valuable. Like the Codex piece," Stormy realised.
"That would be my guess. Come, we've still got a chance to secure victory," Darcy said as the three began moving up the outer pathways. "I just hope those reinforcements from Darkar come soon. Because the guys from Roccaluce could show up any minute and I don't think we have the strength left to be able to fight them off".
...
"So, how are you feeling?" Techna asked as Flora, Mirta, Lucy and Aisha stumbled out of the wall that had held them imprisoned.
"Slightly inclined towards murder," Flora responded. "I do not appreciate having my likeness misused in order to harm those close to me".
"Understandable," Musa said, dried blood marking her chin. "So, as far as I've understood, those three are on the run now".
"I say we drop the whole being careful shtick and go give them a long deserved asskicking," Techna added, cracking her knuckles.
"Let's not underestimate them," Aisha commented. "I'm starting to notice that doing so more often than not causes people to get hurt".
"Girls, I have bad news," came Griffin's voice through the Tower's organic intercom. "Banishing those three from Cloud Tower has had an unfortunate side-effect. Darcy managed to completely link up with Cloud Tower for a brief moment. She knows where the Codex piece is".
The girls looked at each other.
"I'll need you to head outside and ascend towards the highest point of Cloud Tower," Griffin continued. "The Codex piece is hidden in the tallest tower. Discordia will be guarding it, but I am not taking any chances. Get up there immediately. I'll personally assist and send anyone still capable of fighting your way".
"Right. Let's go show these three that nobody's going to accept their bullying anymore," Lucy commented as the group rushed off.
...
"So, here we are," Stormy commented and stared at the tower in front of them. Unlike the rest of Cloud Tower, it was obvious when viewed up close that it was made from bricks that had painted to resemble the rest of the structure. "Doesn't look like there's a door".
"Icy, neither mine nor Stormy's powers are well suited for this," Darcy said with a gesture. "So would you kindly make a door?"
"On it," Icy said and advanced on the wall. She pressed her hands against it and concentrated. She forced ice to slowly grow in any hole or crack she could find in the wall. Slowly, the cracks began widening, as the wall was slowly forced apart. With a last grunt of effort, Icy managed to create a hole almost their size, the pieces of broken wall tumbling across the floor and roof of the institute. "There we go". Inside the tower, the three witches could see the Codex piece, another block of wood covered with strange writings, inside a glass case. Icy smiled and headed through the hole with a: "Let's take it and get out of here". However, her attempt at approaching the mysterious object was interrupted by a sudden wave of force hitting her and the white-haired witch was hurled screaming out of the tower.
"Figures," Darcy commented as Discordia flew out of the hole. "I suspect each and every one of these have one of those".
"So, I noticed you've given poor Cloud Tower quite the headache," Discordia said quietly, every syllable loaded with restrained wrath. "I do not like it when people hurt my poor little tower".
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Icy snarled loudly as she jumped back on her feet. "NO MORE! I'M GOING TO TURN YOU INTO A PIXIE POPSICLE, YOU INTOLLERABLE GNAT!"
"I would not recommend that course of action," sounded a voice behind the three witches. They turned, only to see dozens of Cloud Tower students and their guests slowly advancing. Near the front were Bloom, Musa, Aisha, Stella, Techna and Flora, who had uttered the remark.
"This seems awfully familiar," Stormy commented.
Suddenly, Griffin was lifted into the air by a powerful gust of wind, before landing on the roof. "Surrender," Guinevere ordered immediately. "Cloud Tower has thrown off your control. You're outnumbered and will be overpowered if necessary".
"Any ideas of how to get us out of this?" Stormy asked, eyeing Darcy.
"Well, I could assume my shadow form and ditch the two of you," the dirty-blonde commented. "That's the only way I can imagine any of us getting away. And even then, I don't exactly fancy my odds".
Icy didn't comment, instead just clutching her hands tightly. She looked like she was sorely tempted to jump the lot of them, but self-preservation held her back.
"I'll take your lack of action as your surrender," Griffin stated. "You will stay where you are until Roccalucian agents can take you away".
"I'm afraid that won't be happening," a voice dramatically declared.
Everybody looked up to see the imposing figure of Darkar on the very tip of the tower, framed by the sun. "I am the lord of Shadowhaunt, the master of darkness, wielder of the black flame, the..."
Griffin quickly sent a powerful gale at him. The Shadow Phoenix reacted instantly, slicing the blast of wind apart with a searing wave of black flames. The headmistress barely managed to use her magic to jump out of the way, as the wave melted through the floor.
"You know," Darkar growled as he slowly floated down from the tower. "I am starting to take these constant interruptions of my speeches as a sign of serious disrespect. And if you disrespect me, then I can only conclude you aren't taking me seriously". He landed, dark energy flowing across his armour. "And as the main villain," he added in an ominous tone. "That is a mistake I must correct. Permanently".
"BLAST HIS ASS!" somebody suddenly yelled panicly. A wave of projectiles were launched at the dark lord.
Darkar allowed himself to smirk, before his magic erupted. A storm of darkness exploded from him, quickly turning into a series of harsh winds and lightning blasts. Most of the projectiles were dissolved and destroyed as the dark gales knocked them into each other, the few remaining smashing against Darkar's magical shield with little effect. The various students threw themselves to the floor, holding on for dear life to not be thrown off Cloud Tower.
Darkar turned towards the Codex piece, Discordia defiantly standing in his way.
"I will not let you have it, you despicable monster," she growled.
"Flattery will get you nowhere," Darkar replied, magical energy charging in his hand. "OUT OF MY WAY OR I SHALL ERASE YOU FROM THE SCRIPT!" Crackling dark energy shot out from his arm as he swung it, Discordia teleporting out of the attack's way. The wave of magical energy sliced through the tower like a hot knife through butter. Seconds later, the top half of the glass case slid off. Then with a deep rumble, the tower shook. The sound of stone against stone echoed through the area as the tower began falling apart, a rift perfectly parallel with the one in the glass case forming in its walls. The structure slid and then tipped, crashing down the side of Cloud Tower, smashing through bridges and stairs, before finally being broken apart by the hard rocks surrounding the tower's base.
"Minions. Fetch the Codex. We're done here," Darkar casually ordered as the winds around them died down. "I think I have sufficiently reminded them who's the big bad here".
"On it, on it," Darcy said and hurried over to the wooden block.
"Not to be ungrateful, but what took you so long?" Stormy quietly asked, careful not to provoke the dark lord's ire.
"Oh, I arrived hours ago," Darkar responded nonchalant. "I just waited until a dramatically appropriate moment to assist you".
"Of course you did," the wild-haired witch groaned.
Bloom threw a look around the battlefield. Most of the students were quickly fleeing from Darkar's presence, not that she blamed them. Others were to shaken to do anything but lie still. Griffin herself was busy using her magic to keep several students from falling to their death, others assisting with getting the endangered students to safety. It looked like Darkar had won.
"No. We're not giving up," Bloom growled defiantly, feeling her confidence and dragonflame surge. "We can beat him. We have already done it once".
"Should we really, like, try that last trick again?" Stella asked. "He'll tots see it coming".
"What other options do we have?" Musa asked. "We can't let him have it".
"No. Remember, he needs all four," Flora protested somewhat weakly as she tried to get up. The powerful winds had slammed her into a pillar and her back ached at every movement. "We don't need to fight him".
"No. We're ending this now," Bloom said as she, Musa and Stella stood up. They began charging and synchronizing their magic, focusing on their shared desire to overcome their foe.
"Hmm?" Darkar emitted and turned to face them. "Ah, our plucky heroines are attempting to finish of the villain and end the battle. I'm sorry to say that this particular conflict isn't one that you will win. But feel free to show off your heroic determination. It adds a lot to your characters".
"JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!" Bloom yelled, as the three of them unleashed their fusion spell. The searing solar flare burst forth, scorching the rooftop as it flew towards Darkar.
The Shadow Phoenix charged forwards, black energy shielding him. To the three fairies' horror, he charged straight through the attack, splitting it apart as he went. With surprising speed, he burst through, his armoured gauntlet closing around Bloom's neck and lifting her into the air. He spun, his plated foot hitting the surprised Musa in the head and launching her back. He finished the spin by blasting Stella in the chest, sending the blonde skidding across the floor.
With a yell, Techna charged, pipe ready. The dark lord easily grabbed it and used it to hurl the scarred girl across the rooftop, where she smacked against a gargoyle. With a dismissive sneer, he crushed and melted the pipe in his hand, the molten remains dripping through his fingers.
"A brave attempt. Fruitless, but brave," Darkar chuckled, his hellish red eyes staring into Bloom's. "You are very powerful, Bloom was it? Perhaps the most powerful of your little hero team. But did you really think you could defeat me after that simulator incident? That was merely a fragment of my power, a shadow of my true self". He smirked. "You have severely overestimated your own power, little girl. You are not even close to being ready to take me on. You think you can destroy me? True, you are powerful, being born with the dragonflame". Power began radiating from his body. "But I am born of the dragonflame," he continued. "I am its raw power given form. And I am born of the dragon's shadow too. You are but a spark compared to the mighty dark pyre that gave birth to me".
Bloom's eyes widened at the information.
"So go on. Keep on fighting. But this story is a tragedy. You will never defeat my magnificence," he added, before throwing her to the floor. He waltzed over to Darcy, Icy and Stormy with a: "We're leaving". The four of them were engulfed in dark flames, which soared off into the sky in the form of a black phoenix.
"Dammit," Bloom groaned, as she weakly tried to get up. She hammered her hand into the roof and yelled: "DAMMIT ALL!"
...
Griffin sighed as she eyed the many students that had assembled in the lecture hall. The Roccalucian order had arrived mere minutes after Darkar had left, too late to stop him. At least they were assisting with helping the many students, some of which couldn't be at the assembly due to either physical or psychological damage. She took a deep breath, letting her gaze wander across the people in the lecture hall. Her attention fell on Bloom and her friends. She could easily read the pain of defeat in their features. The very same pain etched into many of the students' faces.
"I know what many of you must be thinking," she began. "How could anyone possibly stop Darkar? You saw what he did. Clearly, he is a being of impressive power, on par with the oldest of witches and fairies. Some of you may already think it's over, that we should just gift-wrap the other half of the Codex and just get it over with". She shook her head. "An understandable, if utterly defeatist attitude. We have all tasted defeat today. And yes, it is a quite bitter taste. One that I am very familiar with. But rather than lecturing you all, I'll just ask you this. Do you think laying down to die would have stopped the Ancestral Witches? Do you think the Shadow Phoenix would have lost in the past if people had just given up? Did we survive the war last year by surrendering? No, we fought on. We have fallen, but we must get up and move on. That is life at its bitterest. We taste it, hate it, but it can make us stronger. Hope is not lost. Darkar is powerful, not omnipotent. He is smart, not omniscient. He is tough, not immortal. Like so many others, he can be beaten. And he must, or he will remain a threat to us all. Maybe it won't be any of us who do it. It probably won't be. But that doesn't mean we should give up hope. Let us instead lend our support to those who will take the fight to this so-called 'dark lord'. Let us show him that he cannot keep us down. Let us show him, whether you're witch, fairy or something else, that we have hope. And that is a special magic all on its own". She noticed their faces, the scars of defeat slowly healing. "By the way, Darkar's three little helpers said I was a dramatic at heart," she added with a smile. "Guilty as charged". Relieved laughter broke out from many of the assembled students. "Overly dramatic speech followed by joke to kill the tension," she quietly said to herself as she left the podium. "Still got it". Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Discordia hovering near her. "So, how's Cloud Tower doing?" the headmistress courteously asked.
"The tower is in a bit of a shock," the pixie responded. "Would kinda appreciate if nothing big went down during the next couple of days. Neither Darkar blasting through five floors or crashing that tower down its side did it any favours". After a moment, she added: "Did I fail as a guardian?"
"No more than the rest of us," Griffin replied as they made their way down a hallway. "And to be honest, I see no way that could have gone differently".
"I see," Discordia replied. "So, do you really think we can defeat Darkar?"
"The Shadow Phoenix's power waxes and wanes with every incarnation. He has been powerful before, so yes, I think he can be beaten," Guinevere replied. After a moment, she admitted: "But I do suspect it's going to be an uphill battle".
...
"Well, I think we've learned a lot on this trip," Musa said as she and the others left the tower. "I mean, little of it had anything to do with what we came for, but still".
"Yeah. It sucks," Techna said. "Still, two pieces remain out of his hands. We might still pull this off".
"Let us try to avoid any further confrontations with Darkar," Flora advised. "He is incredibly powerful and after that display, I do not think we can take him, even if all of us were to engage him at once".
"I agree. Leave the crazy madman to the professionals," Riven commented.
"Speaking of professionals, where did you go during the fight?" Stella asked.
"Got hurled down three floors and smacked into a stone floor thanks to said madman," Riven commented. "Excellent test of my improved healing abilities, if a painful one".
Aisha winced and said: "You have my sympathies".
"Anyway, I'm inclined to agree with Flora," Mirta added. "I'm really afraid that any of you might get hurt".
"Might end up like my poor pipe," Techna said. "Now I have to get a new one with the right length and weight. Inconsiderate jackass".
Bloom looked around. Up through the cold, snow-cowered ground, grass had begun to poke forth. Spring was coming.
"Let us just get back to Alfea," she said as they neared the bus-stop. "I want to go home, get a bath and then try to forget everything about dark lords, crazy witches and what have you, until I've had at least twelve hours of sleep".
"You know what? I can totally get behind that plan," Stella commented with a smile.