Chapter 19: Laughing Mad
"Come in, Bloom," Avalon said as he let the redhead enter his office. "Please sit down. I am quite excited to hear how your study of the art of healing is going".
"Well, I'm probably not going to be healing anyone any time soon," Bloom admitted as she sat down in a comfortable chair. "It requires a lot of knowledge of biology and transformation. Neither of which are my speciality".
"Even people with a natural talent for both are cautioned against healing anybody outside of emergencies when they're just starting out," Avalon explained as he sat down in a chair behind the desk. "Much can go wrong. But the question is if you feel like you're learning?"
"I... I guess so," the redhead finally replied. "I mean, I guess it's kinda hard to judge, what with me never doing any healing, so I have no way to measure it, so I guess it would be kinda hard and I guess you can't really measure acquired knowledge, so..."
"Bloom, please breathe," the paladin said concerned.
The Dominian princess took a deep breath, before saying in a somewhat winded voice: "Sorry. That's been happening a lot recently".
Avalon's brow furrowed as he carefully observed the redhead. Finally, he asked: "How are you doing, Bloom? And not just in regards to your own studies in healing".
"I'm... To be perfectly honest, I'm kinda scared," Bloom admitted. "And nervous. It's only been three weeks since Darkar attacked Cloud Tower. He has to come after Alfea sooner or later. Even if you moved the Codex from the school, you probably wouldn't tell him".
"And even if we told him, there would be no guarantee he would believe it, even if we had or hadn't moved it," Avalon sighed. "I understand your concerns".
"No. There's more to it than that," Bloom insisted. "Darkar... He said he was born from the dragonflame. He draws his power from the same source that I do. And it's just... After what I did to Mitzi, I'm just... Scared to think I could end up being like him. But then, when I was fighting Darcy and her friends, I suddenly couldn't attack them. So either I'm too strong to not hurt my friends or too weak to protect them. It's so frustrating, I feel... I feel like screaming at times".
"Yes, well, that is the burden associated with being born with great power and little to no control over it," the paladin added speculatively. "Your desire to not hurt anyone in that particular case was noble, though maybe a bit misguided. If nothing else, you would probably have been beaten up even worse if you had hurt them, so in the long run, that was probably for the best". After a moment of thinking, he continued: "Still, the only way I see you finding that desired middle ground is through a greater understanding and control of your powers. And to do so, you definitely need to throw off involuntary limits such as your fear. Limiting yourself to avoid hurting others is good, but it needs to be of your own choice, not because of your paralysing fears". He rubbed his chin. "I might be able to help with that, but I'll need to do some research before I can earnestly offer my assistance".
"The thought is appreciated, if nothing else," Bloom said happily. She looked speculative for a moment. "So where is the Codex piece here on Alfea anyway?" she finally asked.
"As might be quite obvious, I can't just tell you that," Avalon said neutrally.
"Well, of course, it's just because I figured it might be in the restricted archive," Bloom continued.
The paladin froze for a moment, before saying: "I can neither confirm nor deny that idea, but I am curious to know how you came to know of the restricted archive. I don't believe you're trained enough to be allowed access".
"I kinda stumbled upon it by accident," Bloom admitted. "And don't worry, I haven't told anyone where it is".
"Yes, students do have a habit of stumbling across it," Avalon admitted. "But since older students and teachers have to go there to get books on advanced and dangerous magic, its defences cannot be too tough to get through on a regular basis. Even locking the door has proved to cause too many difficulties".
"It's just, if it is in there, I'm worried Darkar might easily find it," Bloom continued.
"I would suggest that you do not worry," Avalon replied. "He required an army to take on Red Fountain and a rare artefact to get into Cloud Tower. I sincerely doubt he has anything like it when it comes to deal with Alfea".
"But he could have recovered his losses," the redhead suggested.
"And if his army comes here with the explicit purpose of tearing Alfea stone from stone, no hiding spot will be safe in the long run," the paladin informed her. "I understand your fear, Bloom. You have personally been there both times Darkar or his minions secured victory. It is understandable that you'd be concerned. And do not be mistaken, we teachers share your concerns". After a moment, he allowed himself to admit: "Frankly, it's almost all we talk about on the meetings. I guess being one out of two targets left would make people nervous. So don't worry, we are all well aware of the danger and we are taking precautions".
"That's a relief," Bloom sighed happily. "Thanks Professor".
"No problem, Bloom. No problem at all," Avalon replied kindly.
...
Timmy crossed the courtyard of Alfea, only occasionally stopping to say: "Good afternoon," and ask for directions. Finally, on the green fields behind the school building, he found what he was searching for. Techna.
Currently, his magenta-haired girlfriend had dragged a pile of various pipes out in the open and was now in the process of systematically beating the stuffing out of a Darkar shaped dummy with each and every one of them.
"I sense some lingering resentment," he commented as he neared her.
"Whatever gave you that impression?" Techna asked as she repeatedly hammered the approximate location of dummy Darkar's genitals.
Timmy winced a bit, before continuing: "So, not to state the obvious, but you seem to be having some trouble replacing your pipe".
"Yeah. I'm afraid I might be a bit too nostalgic," the scarred girl admitted. "I'd gotten so used to the heft, to the feel of it, that every other pipe just feels wrong". She sighed and momentarily ceased her unrelenting beat-down of the defenceless Shadow Phoenix replica. "Maybe I should just pick one and get it over with".
"Odds are that that's the best way to go about it," the bespectacled warrior offered. "Though, you might still want to pick one that's at least close to your old pipe".
"Had that stupid thing for years," Techna said, juggling a pipe with one hand. "I'm actually surprised it didn't break years ago with all the abuse I put it through. Still, if he had at least only crumbled or broken it I could have fixed it. But oh no, that bastard had to go and fucking melt it too. Reduced to a puddle". She turned to her boyfriend. "Have you ever experienced that? Having to readjust after losing some personal equipment or such?"
"Sorry, can't say I have," Timmy replied with a shrug. "Most of our equipment is standardized and interchangeable. Students can get customized equipment that's solely for them, but normally that only happens with seniors who really specialise and thus need it to optimize their fighting".
"Makes sense I guess," the scarred girl replied. "There never was any choice with my pipe. Just picked it up one day a couple of years ago. I was being cornered in an alley by two bullies. Had the combined mass of a pregnant truck. So I just grabbed the nearest thing, which was that pipe and started swinging". She chuckled. "Lost three teeth, broke an arm, five fingers and two toes. And I only got off light because a couple of my friends brought reinforcements. Still, I kept the damn thing". She laughed a little. "The oddest things you end up attached to, huh".
"I suppose," Timmy said, adjusting his glasses. "I know I would be rather miffed were anybody to break my glasses. A couple of years old, but I'm kinda attached to them by now".
"See, you do get it, Databoy," Techna said. She lifted a pipe experimentally and said: "Hmm, maybe I could modify one of these to... Nah, I'll just see if I can't get used to it. Unless..." Her face lit up in a smile indicating that the gears in her head were turning rapidly. "Maybe it would help if I made a better pipe. Yes, I need extra weight anyway. Why not add an extra feature as well?"
"Well. This ought to be interesting," Timmy noted. "So, what do you have in mind?"
"Lots of things. Maybe I can finally put that nitroglycerin I've been saving for a rainy day to good use. Or maybe the liquid nitrogen. Been using that in my portable freezer up until now," Techna said as thoughts entered and exited her mind.
"Where... Where do you get all that stuff?" Timmy asked surprised and just a bit scared.
"I have contacts," came the scarred girl's reply. "Come. To my room, Databoy. We have experiments to do".
"I'm pretty sure that whenever Stella drags Brandon off to her room for 'experimentation', it involves significantly less risk to health and sanity," Timmy commented as he followed his excited girlfriend.
...
Avalon looked up from his desk as he heard a couple of knocks on the door. "Come in".
"Hey, it's me, Professor," Bloom said as she entered, the pixie Glim floating besides her. "Palladium gave me your message".
"Splendid," Avalon replied. "He's such a trustworthy fellow. Anyway, I've found a spell that will put you into a trance, where you will be allowed to watch your more... Shall we say traumatic experiences. It sometimes helps to be able to take on the role of the observer, putting distance between yourself and the event. Furthermore, it might also bring to light moments and things you had not even considered responsible for your fears and worries". He then added: "Of course, this can also result in a sort of mental backlash when you re-watch things that have caused trauma. So it's not without risk".
"Too risky?" Glim asked, looking to the redhead.
"No. I'll take my chances," Bloom said resolutely. "My friends-no, everyone needs me at my very best. If I am to rule an entire nation, I need to be able to protect my people with my power. I owe them that much".
"Very well, we will try," Avalon said. "Please, lie down on the couch".
"Okay," Bloom replied and lay down on the silken cushions of the couch that stood in the corner of the office.
"Now close your eyes and try to empty your head of thoughts," Avalon said soothingly. "I know it's impossible to completely clear your mind, but the calmer you are, the more receptive you'll be".
Bloom emitted a vague sound of confirmation as she began relaxing, gently breathing in and out.
"Ritual?" Glim asked as she noticed Avalon pulling forth some parchment.
"Yep," Avalon replied. "Now, let's see". His magic reached forth and gently made its way into the receptive mind of Bloom. The redhead began to feel tingly, like her body was about to fall asleep.
Then she suddenly felt an intense rush, like she was falling. She opened her eyes and found herself gently floating between clouds.
"Well... I'm pretty sure I'm dreaming now," Bloom stated as she looked around. "Either that or Avalon accidentally teleported me into the sky. And made me able to fly". She paused for a moment. "Yeah, most likely dreaming".
Gently, she floated down through a layer of clouds. Below her, she could see a city. Cars that looked like toys from a distance drove busily through the streets while people swarmed the sidewalks like ants.
"Wait a second," the redhead said in realization as she began recognising things. "That's Gardenia". She suddenly felt a powerful lurching in her stomach as her speed accelerated. She was about to yell when her fall stopped, arresting her descend above a familiar building. Outside the building, Vanessa and Mike stood. They smiled and waved, looking happy as ever.
Bloom tried to reach out towards them. She suddenly felt incredibly homesick, a deep longing in her heart to return to her parents. Suddenly, people clad in black seemed to grow from the ground, surrounding her parents and prevented her from getting closer.
"You can't go back," one of them said in a distorted voice. "You are never allowed to go back".
"You are too dangerous," another said. "You cannot go back".
"You will never go back," a third intoned. "It is forbidden".
Bloom tried to protest, tried to speak in her defence, but all she could do was weakly mumble. Then she suddenly felt something pull her legs. With sudden speed, she was pulled through the streets as the sky above rapidly changed from day to night. The redhead could barely see where she was being dragged, as people and buildings blended together in the starlight. A whirling palette of muted colours flashed by, before Bloom suddenly hung still in the misty air.
Around her were trees barely visible in the gloom, Halloween decorations obscured by the thick fog and through the mist marched... Herself. With growing dread, Bloom realised where and when she was.
Out of the mist, slowly walking towards her, came what Bloom had found out too late was Mitzi and two of her friends pulling a prank. She felt an intense desire to warn them, to shout at them to get out of there, but she knew it was too late. It had already happened.
She winced as her earlier self confidently attacked, the explosive fireball thankfully hitting the ground between the girls rather than scoring a direct hit. The redhead felt a painful stabbing feeling as her friend screamed as the girls were hurled through the air, their costumes disintegrating into ash.
The Bloom of the past froze, realization dawning. She remembered how all that confidence had almost instantaneously been replaced with ice-cold dread. Her former self collapsed on the cold grass and began silently crying, mind shattered like an egg by the realization.
The Bloom of the now watched herself with an aching heart. It was painful to see herself commit the deed once more. She looked around, waiting for her friends to burst into the clearing, ready to help.
But nobody came.
Bloom raised an eyebrow. The time between her hurting Mitzi and her friends showing up had felt long, but she was pretty certain they had actually arrived pretty quickly. But then, where were they?
She suddenly heard metallic footsteps and the clinking of armour.
Out of the mist strode Darkar. Confidently, the Shadow Phoenix marched up behind her unresponsive former self.
Bloom felt her heart leap into her throat. It didn't make any sense, but when Darkar slowly reach out towards her past self, she desperately tried to yell, tried to do something, but her limbs felt like they were stuck in molasses and her throat felt like it was filled with wool.
With a victorious grin, Darkar reached out with his hands, grasped Bloom's neck and...
With a gasp, Bloom opened her eyes. She was back in Avalon's office. She could feel the trails of tears that marked her chins.
"Are you okay, Bloom?" Avalon asked concerned as he observed her.
"Cried. Mumbled," Glim said, before sympathetically adding: "Worried".
"I just... I just saw some things," the redhead responded while rubbing her eyes.
"Which things?" the paladin asked.
"I was... I was in Gardenia. I saw my parents and I wanted to be with them," Bloom explained. "But then these... These people appeared. They told me I wasn't allowed".
"Given that you aren't allowed to visit Earth anymore, it is understandable you'd feel some anxiety," Avalon analysed. "Go on".
"And then I saw the night I hurt Mitzi. Except my friends never came," Bloom explained. "Instead, Darkar marched out of the mist and... Then I woke up".
"Interesting. I'd say it sounds like most of your recent fears and worries melted together in the dream," the paladin speculated. "You are still marked by your unfortunate experience, which you feel is directly responsible for not only barring you from going to Earth, but also preventing you from stopping Darkar. Or at least, that would be how I interpret it". He rubbed his chin. "I will need to do some reading up on this. I'll advise that you spend the rest of the day resting. Obviously, revisiting these feelings has been harrowing, but hopefully it'll help in the long run".
"I hope so too. Because I certainly don't feel better right now," Bloom muttered as she got up from the couch. "Still, thanks for the attempt".
"Any time, Bloom," Avalon replied. "I'll probably contact your therapist about this, if it is okay with you".
"Sure. Maybe he can get something out of this," the redhead replied. "I mean, I watched it, but I'm not certain what I'm supposed to learn from it".
"That is the hard part of this type of therapy," the veteran responded. "It doesn't show you the solution. It just demonstrates the problem. The solution is something we will have to come up with. But for now, I advise you go relax".
"I'll do so. See you around," Bloom said as she left the room.
...
"So, like, how was it?" Stella eagerly asked after giving her redhead friend a couple of seconds to sit down.
"Reliving some of the most traumatic parts of my life during these last few months?" Bloom tiredly asked. "I'll go with terrible".
"Obviously it was not easy for you," Flora said. "But we are proud of you, that you work so hard to recover".
"I'm glad to hear that," Bloom said with a smile.
"So," Musa began. "Do you feel like doing anything or would you rather have some peace and quiet?"
"To be perfectly honest, I think I'd rather just blaze through TV channels and let my brain shut down for a while," Bloom admitted.
"And that is perfectly understandable," Flora said with a respectful nod. "Come, girls. Let us give Bloom some space".
"Do you think Avalon can use that spell to let me review my designs over the years, so I can see what I've done wrong?" Stella speculated as the three of them left the common room.
"Don't worry, I know what went wrong," Musa replied. "You started designing your own clothes".
Bloom didn't hear Stella's reply due to the door closing. She picked up the remote, pushed a button and watched the screen. A cooking show appeared.
"Tired?" Glim asked.
"Very," the redhead responded.
The pixie and the fairy sat in silence, watching as various recipes were done in front of a live studio audience. As commercials began, Bloom felt a bit tingly. She lifted her hand and stared at it. There was something... Off. But she couldn't quite place her finger on it. Experimentally, she called a small flame into being and caused it to snake around her fingers.
Bloom felt a happy tug at the edge of her mouth. She was actually freely conjuring fire without any problems. Granted, she had been able to do that for weeks now, but given that she had just re-watched that whole Mitzi debacle, that hadn't been a guarantee. Why, she could have had fallen back into old, bad habits. But now, it was easy. And soothing. Bloom felt incredibly relaxed as the flame jumped hypnotically from finger to finger. Her smile widened. She felt fantastic. Why hadn't Avalon done this to her before? She hadn't felt that good in months. With a dreamy sigh, Bloom leaned back in the sofa, torch-like flames billowing across her hands.
Glim, who had watched a commercial for dog food with little interest, suddenly noticed the great flames the redhead was conjuring. "Eh, Bloom. Careful," the pixie advised.
Suddenly, the sofa beneath Bloom ignited. Glim yelped as she shot out of the couch, watching as flames greedily started to devour the material. "BLOOM! BLOOM!" Glim yelled, trying to get the redhead's attention. The Dominian princess didn't seem to hear her, instead sitting in the sofa and dreamingly admiring the fire in her hands while humming something. Though almost completely obscured by the flames, neither Bloom nor her clothes were harmed, though she did fall through the couch once the material grew unstable. Not that the redhead seemed to care. Fire began growing from her feet, eating the carpet in a wave of flames.
"Not good!" Glim exclaimed and tried to get to the Dominian princess, but was forced back by the wave of heat. "Bloom. Wake up!"
Suddenly, the television exploded in a roaring flame, a vase of flowers ignited like a pyre and the table combusted. Everything flammable in the room began smoking, only to soon after catch on fire. Pictures on the walls fell burning to the ground. The smoke detector howled, only to melt as flames greedily devoured it. Sprinklers emitted waves of steam as they overheated and began melting.
"Not good," Glim repeated. She began sweating as the temperature in the room became unbearable. Windows exploded from the heat, the fires surging from the sudden intake of nourishing air. The door to the room exploded from a sudden surge of flames that consumed it from within.
The pixie took the chance and darted outside into the hall. "HELP! HELP!"
"WHAT'S GOING ON!" came a voice and the pixie turned to see Timmy come storming down the hall. "WHAT HAPPENED?!"
"SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH BLOOM!" Glim replied panicking. "SETTING EVERYTHING ON FIRE!"
Timmy looked inside, eyes wide. "Is she okay?" he asked.
"ONLY ONE OKAY!" the pixie loudly responded.
More explosions could be heard from the room. Flames hungrily clung to everything as the very room itself was being reduced to ash.
"Good thing one came prepared," the bespectacled warrior commented and pulled a grenade from his bag. He hurled it and with a loud bang, foam sprayed across the room, easily extinguishing the greedy flames. The moment he felt it was safe to do so, Timmy stepped in. The room was still hot as an oven and Timmy started sweating almost immediately. "BLOOM! BLOOM, ARE YOU OKAY?!" He heard humming from somewhere in the room. Slowly he made his way in, careful not to fall over the sad remains of the room's furniture. "Bloom, is that you?"
The redhead sat in the pile of ash that used to be a couch. She was no longer staring at her hands, instead just staring into nothing with a dreamy look on her face. She looked utterly blissful.
"Did she take something?" Timmy questioned as he tried to get over to her. He had to pull back as the redhead still emitted an intense wave of heat, enough to blister his skin if he got too close.
"Nope. Watched TV," Glim responded as she flew into the room. "Suddenly, whoosh, fire everywhere".
They heard running footsteps in the hallway and seconds later, Avalon, Aisha and Musa showed up in the doorway.
"What the fuck happened?" Musa asked as she surveyed the ruined room.
"Something's wrong with Bloom," Timmy said, addressing Avalon. "She's completely out of it. No response at all. And she apparently accidentally sat the entire room on fire".
"How strange," Avalon mumbled as he walked over to Bloom, a glowing shield enveloping his body to protect him from the heat. He placed a hand on the redhead's forehead. "I sense... I sense a presence," Avalon said. "Something is controlling her. Hang on. I'll try to seal it". Light glowed from his hand as Avalon concentrated. Seconds later, Bloom blinked, the look of bliss vanishing from her face. "Wha... What happened?" she asked as she looked around. "Wait... Where am I?"
"In your cluster's common room," Avalon said comfortingly and helped the redhead out of the ash and foam. "Something hijacked your mind and supercharged your magic by enveloping you in bliss. You accidentally set the room on fire while under its diabolical influence".
"I... I did... I did all this?" Bloom said in shock and looked around.
"Nobody got hurt, Bloom," Avalon quickly assured her. "All the damaged furniture is replaceable. Now, do you remember what triggered this?"
"I remember... I wanted to check if I could still do my magic," the redhead responded after a moment of concentration. "After seeing Mitzi again... I was worried I wouldn't be able to use my powers again. But then... I can't remember".
"I think you may have triggered something by using your magic," Avalon guessed as he turned to the others. "I have successfully sealed the foreign influence, but I have yet to remove it. I'll need to do some research. In the meantime, I'll need you to keep an eye on Bloom to make sure this doesn't happen again. Come get me immediately if she starts behaving strangely". He turned back to Bloom. "And no magic until we have cured you, unless it is an emergency".
"Understood," Bloom responded, staring in horror at the devastated room.
"Good thing you showed up," Aisha said, turning to Timmy.
"Good thing Red Fountain insists we keep emergency supplies at hand at all times," Timmy responded. "Didn't think visiting my girlfriend would require foam grenades".
...
Deep down in the darkest depths of Underland in the bleak realm of Shadowhaunt, Darcy was going through reports. They were simplistic, having been written by undead amalgamations with only the most rudimentary of intelligence, but it was enough to give a somewhat coherent picture of the situation. Darkar's forces were currently fighting a vicious war with the troglodytes, slowly beating them back tunnel by tunnel. Darkar's forces had the advantage of numbers and the advantage of their troops being undead, fearless constructs who had to be blasted to pieces to cease functioning. However, the troglodytes had much better knowledge of the terrain, were smarter and could field tunnel wyrms to dig new tunnels or to assist the frontlines, where they more than compensated for the troglodytes' relative weakness compared to the forsaken. It was an arduous war, but one they were winning. Darcy's main issue was that the at the moment, as far as she could understand from the papers Darkar's spies could get their hands on, was that diplomatic talks between the troglodytes and the other realms were bearing fruit and soon, Red Fountain would be authorised to send in strike forces to assist in the defence of troglodyte territory. Most likely, it would result in any progress on the battlefield grinding to a halt. And if more realms decided to send support, they could risk getting pushed back. Not that Darkar seemed to care. He mostly saw the endless battles out in the tunnel realm as an opportunity to harvest the fallen and remake them into more forsaken. Even forsaken that had fallen in battle could be reanimated after a trip through the grotesque flesh vats that were boiling away in the lowest halls of the castle. So the fighting wasn't so much an attempt at acquiring territory as it was an attempt at bolstering their ranks. It would do little good in the tunnels, which allowed only few fighters to engage each other at the time. But the large open caverns that surrounded Shadowhaunt itself were now filled with slavering monstrosities, ready to give their unlife for the defence of their dark master. Any assault on Shadowhaunt would be costly, especially since it would be incredibly hard to bring any larger force in. As far as Darcy could see, Darkar's plan was to bunker down with his forces and use her and her two companions in raids to acquire the Codex pieces. Yet if that was the case... Resolutely, the dirty-blonde witch put down the reports and marched off to the throne room. She knocked on the massive doors, waited for Darkar to say: "You may enter," and went inside.
The throne room was messy, mostly due to an enormous hole in the wall that several forsaken were trying to patch up.
"What happened?" Darcy questioned as she spotted the damage.
"I keep forgetting to take Kerborg outside before transforming him," Darkar responded as he slouched in his throne. "A bad habit of mine".
"I see," Darcy responded. "Anyway, I've been going over the battlefield reports. I suspect that pretty soon, we will stop advancing, due to the troglodytes gaining assistance from Red Fountain".
"The people of Red Fountain are as welcome in my vats as the troglodytes," Darkar said dismissively. "We have little to be concerned about".
"I know," Darcy said. "I realise that this isn't a question of territory. As far as I can understand, your plan is to use your amassed forces to hold off any attempted assault until you can acquire the complete Codex".
"That is correct, Darcy," Darkar responded. "You were always the observant one. But I sense there is something bothering you".
"Yes. Why the delays?" the dirty-blonde witch asked. "One would think you'd want the Codex before allied forces start pushing your forces back".
"I understand your concerns," Darkar said. "But fret not. I have sent Kerborg to get the third piece from Alfea".
"Alone?" Darcy questioned.
"Not exactly, no," Darkar responded. "See, the reason for the delay is that I have waited for a... Shall we say, golden opportunity. One that hasn't presented itself until recently. Each Codex piece is well protected and even I didn't know where they were. I still don't know where Pixie Village is as a matter of fact, but I have gained the info necessary to locate Alfea's piece".
"Just like you waited until you had the artefact before sending us to Cloud Tower?" Darcy guessed.
"Yes, Repairing that thing took some time," Darkar admitted. "But now, soon, another plot coupon will fall into our hands".
Darcy rolled her eyes at her employer's way of framing things.
...
"Well, I guess we should be happy that all you did to our rooms was singe the doors," Stella commented as she sat down in her bed. "Imagine if it had reached my clothes collection".
"Yes. I mean, you might have had to dress in the same clothes for four whole days while your parents load up a truck with new clothes," Musa commented.
Stella raised a finger as if she wanted to argue, before sighing and said: "Alright, that is actually true".
"But your own designs could have been lost," Techna brought up. "That would have been a disaster".
"More than they already are?" Musa snarkily asked.
As the discussion raged on, Flora turned to Bloom, who was quietly sitting in a chair while fiddling with her fingers, and asked: "How are you feeling?"
"To be honest. Terrified," Bloom said. "I lost control of myself. Again". Hovering just behind her was Glim, who looked quite worried at her friend's mood.
"Well, strictly speaking it's not, like, the same as those other times," Stella said. "This time, something took control of you".
"But still, I could have hurt somebody," Bloom argued.
"You could have, but you did not," Flora insisted. "And now Avalon is working hard to find a way to cure you and we are here to help you. So please stop torturing yourself with thoughts of what could have gone wrong. It is not healthy".
"Sorry," the redhead replied. "I didn't mean to bring down the mood".
Flora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Firetop, what Flowergirl here is saying is that you should stop hurting yourself because that's bad. Not because it affects us," Techna interjected.
"But speaking of the mood, how about we try to lighten it," Stella happily said. "And guess how".
"Makeovers?" Aisha asked.
"Makeovers," Stella replied.
"Yay. Changing clothes. What excitement," Musa said flatly, causing Bloom to giggle.
"See, you're already doing better," Techna commented.
"I guess I am," Bloom said relieved. "Thanks".
"No problem. Now, let's try out some of my newest creations," Stella said and pulled something out of her closet. It was beige with blue polka dots and had pink fur along the edges.
"Somebody should put that out of its misery," Musa commented.
Bloom began giggling again at the musician's remark.
"I think Musa should try it on," Techna said excitedly. "It would complement your eyes".
"That thing would complement everything. Anything and anyone would look good standing beside this blasphemy in dress form," Musa snarked.
Bloom began to laugh.
"Then you should wear it," Stella insisted. "Don't you want to look pretty?"
"I do. Which is why I refuse to even touch it," Musa shot back. "Now get it away, it's hurting my eyes".
Bloom was now laughing so hard she was almost falling out of her chair.
"Ehm... Bloom, are you okay?" Flora asked slightly concerned.
"Yes... Ha-ha... I'm oka-ha-ha... Okay," the redhead responded. "I just... He-he-he... Need a moma-ha-ha... Excuse me-he-he-he. I'll go to-ho-ho-ho... The bathro-ho-ho-hoom". Then she staggered out of the room, laughing all the while.
"Alright, that might have been too much of a good thing," Techna commented.
"Should we be worried?" Aisha asked.
"Well, she just, like, went to the bathroom. Maybe it's not so bad," Stella suggested.
"I would rather not take the chance," Flora said and opened the door. "Bloom? Bloom?" A moment of silence passed.
"Dang it, how does that girl manage to disappear so quickly all the time," Techna exclaimed as she jumped out of bed. "Come on. Let's go find her before she hurts herself. Or somebody else for that matter".
"I'll scout," Glim said and rocketed out of the room. She flew through the ruined remains of the common room and darted down the halls. It didn't take her long to find Bloom. The redhead was stumbling down the hall, occasionally giggling or singing titbits of foreign songs. Her entire posture was limp and wavering, like a marionette with most of it strings cut.
"Bloom?" Glim called concerned.
Bloom's entire upper body swayed as the redhead whipped her head around to see who had called upon her. The pixie gasped. Bloom's smile looked unnaturally wide for her face and her pupils were pinpricks in her wide eyes. Her face was a frozen mask of pure, undiluted ecstasy.
"Hiii, Glim," Bloom said happily as her torso wobbled from side to side, her arms freely dangling like pendulums. "Wanna go on a trip? I wanna go on a trip".
"You're scary," Glim commented, edging away from the redhead.
"And the perfect place for a trip is the restricted archive," Bloom said gleefully, before running off, her body undulating as she zigzagged down the hall, Glim hurried to catch up.
Bloom speedily navigated the hallways of Alfea, despite looking like she might tip over at any moment. With frightening focus, Bloom found herself back in the dead end hallway where she had first found the entrance and easily located the hidden door, opening it and waltzing into the library beyond.
"Not good," Glim mumbled as she darted into the towering library. Bloom was standing still, her eyes scanning the room with a rapturous smile marking her face.
"Bloom? Is that you?" Concorda asked as she noticed the redhead that had suddenly barged into her domain.
Glim wasted no time and darted up to the guardian pixie. "Something's wrong," she quickly said. "Something's controlling Bloom".
"Well, that does explain the expression," Concorda commented. "Bloom, how about we go see the nurse? I'm sure she'd like to take a look at you".
"No thanks, Concorda," Bloom replied, her head rolled from shoulder to shoulder. "I just wanted to borrow something. Do you have a Codex piece here?"
Concorda's eyes narrowed. "And why would you like to know that?"
"It's a surpriiiiiise," Bloom insisted.
"Should I alarm the faculty?" the seahorse pixie asked.
"Do that," Concorda said as she floated down from her miniature chair. "Now Bloom, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave the library".
"And if I don't?" Bloom asked delighted.
"Then I will have to restrain you until we can get you some help," Concorda insisted.
"Really?" Bloom giggled. Then the giggling turned into laughter. With an audible whoosh, many of the nearest books burst into flames.
"NOT AGAIN!" Glim yelled.
Concorda focused her magic and tried to bind the redhead with magical chains. But Bloom just took off, her wavering movements throwing of the pixie's aim as the crazed redhead darted between shelves, books igniting as she passed them.
Concorda darted between the shelves and saw the redhead hurrying up one of the ramps. "I think it's time you stop," the guardian pixie said and focused her magic. Golden chains manifested and tied the redhead's arms to her body.
"Do you know what I think?" Bloom asked innocently. "I think the Codex is non-flammable and the rest in here is INFLAMMABLE!" With that joyous exclamation, the books around her exploded into cinders and the ensuring fire surged towards the pixie. Concorda responded by raising a magical shield, protecting her from the consuming flames. Now no longer affected by the pixie's magic, Bloom easily broke the chains and continued her run upwards.
Concorda dashed out into the main tower and ascended. She reached out with her magic and began bombarding the redhead with heavy tomes. Bloom responded by giggling and hurling fireballs at the projectiles, detonating them into burning confetti.
"Concorda, should we really be treating the books like this?" the stuffy seahorse asked, wincing with every destroyed book.
"All the books have copies at the central library. We'll manage," Concorda insisted as she hurled a dictionary after Bloom. "Right now, stopping her is more important".
The redhead laughed as she rapidly hurled several fireballs at the three pixies, which they managed to dodge. Then the redhead continued up another ramp, bookshelves bursting with flames as she passed by. Burning books began falling from the tower like rain as more and more shelves became engulfed in flames, either by the redhead's passage or by the steadily spreading fires. The air became full of ash as paper incinerated and wood burned.
With a yell of effort, Concorda hurled a compendium entitled 'A to Z in Cursed Wounds', which hit the maniacally laughing redhead's ankle, tripping her.
"Good shot!" Bloom yelled in unrestrained delight. "My tuuurn". She concentrated and a lance of flames surged forth from her hand. Concorda barely dodged and the shelf behind her wasn't as much engulfed in fire as it was annihilated by it, burning splinters flying in every direction. With a wooden clonk, a symbol inscribed tablet fell to the ashen floor.
"The Codex!" Bloom yelled in delight.
"The Codex!" the pixies yelled in panic.
The redhead dashed up from her prone position and began circling the tower, launching potent fireballs at the pixies as she went.
Glim dashed towards the Codex. She was almost there when she suddenly noticed a fireball out of the corner of her eye. Concorda placed herself in the way and conjured a barrier to protect them. The fireball detonated with considerable force, not enough to breach the magical protection, but enough to hurl them back and smash them into an bookshelf.
"It's miiiine!" Bloom exclaimed as she neared the Codex. She made a leap for it, but the seahorse pixie darted by and grabbed it, yanking it away before the redhead could lay a finger on it.
"Naughty, naughty seahorse," Bloom singsonged. Blue flames burst from her hands and she began hurling them with unabashed delight.
The seahorse pixie weaved and wavered as blue fireballs flew through the air, blasting apart books and shelves alike. However, the Codex piece was quite heavy for one of his diminutive size and it did slow him down.
Bloom's eyes tracked the pixie and with a delighted: "Gotcha", she hurled another fireball. The pixie barely evaded it, but the resulting explosion was too much and he lost the grip on the piece which tumbled to the floor below, where it landed with a clonk.
"Okay. That's the Codex thingy, right?" Techna said as she peered into the room, pixie tracker in hand.
"I think... So..." Flora said as she followed and noticed the state of room. More than half of the restricted library was engulfed in flames and a dark cloud of smoke hung under the ceiling. The temperature was high and cinders rained from above.
"Did Bloom do this?" Stella asked as she entered the ruined library, Aisha and Musa right behind her
"Glim. Glim," Techna called. "I can't see her". She turned to the others and said: "We should probably... Probably..." Her eyes slowly widened.
The other fairies turned to see Bloom stand between them and the exit. The Dominian princess' head hung limply, loose hair obscuring her face. "Hiii, girls," she said in manic delight as she slowly raised her head to look at them. "Wanna play tag?" Blue flames surged around her.
"SCATTER!" Techna yelled and the girls jumped as a wave of fire billowed down the hallway between the shelves. The scared girl landed hard on the floor, but quickly got on her feet and dashed down between two rows of books, eager to put distance between herself and her crazed friend. Suddenly, the shelf in front of her exploded as Bloom burst through, her body wreathed in blue flames. With a wide grin, she yelled: "TAG!" and sent another wave of fire at the magenta-haired girl. Techna dove between the individual shelves of the bookshelf just as the fire passed her and she landed harshly on the floor. The soles of her shoes bubbled from the heat and agonizing pain stung her feet. Bloom easily burst through the delicate wood of the shelves, eager to get her hands on the Codex piece.
"Techna. Throw it," Musa yelled from down the corridor.
Techna obeyed and hurled the Codex piece. Bloom immediately shifted her attention and charged the black-haired musician with a disturbing giggling.
Through the shelves to the fallen Techna came Glim. "Okay?" she asked.
"My feet are all kinds of fucked, so no, not really," Techna responded while leaning up against a wall. "Glim. Go get Avalon. Maybe he can cure the thing now".
"Will do," the pixie said and darted off.
Meanwhile, Musa was running up one of the ramps, desperately launching waves of sound behind her to delay Bloom.
"Musaaaa. Where are you goooing?" Bloom singsonged as she swayed from side to side to avoid the waves of sound. "Give me that Codex and we can be the bestest of friends".
This proposal only made Musa run even faster. She yelped as a fireball exploded near her head, books exploding into burning pieces. She ran through an opening and began running by the railing of the library's central shaft. She noted Flora on the other side, waving her hands. With a burst of sound, the musician launched the Codex piece across the room, where the noble grabbed it out of the air.
"Playing keep away, are we?" Bloom asked delighted as she stopped pursuing Musa. "I love that game".
Flora ran as quickly as she could down the ramp, passed through the ashen hallways and ran for the door. But a wall of blue flames sprung to life, blocking her way. The brunette turned, only to see Bloom moving in on her.
"Come on, Flora. Give me the Codex," the redhead said gleefully. "You'd look so terrible with your face burned off".
"That will not be happening," Flora responded. "Bloom, do you understand how much hurting us will hurt you in the end? You were devastated at the mere thought of having had a chance of harming your friends. How bad will it not be if you actually did go through with it?"
Bloom seemed to think about it for a second, before shrugging and saying: "Don't know, don't care".
Flora had taken the short pause to reach within her seed pouch and she flung some of its content at the redhead. Long vines exploded forth and wrapped themselves around the surprised fairy. But not for long, as Bloom became temporarily engulfed in intense blue flames, the vines pulverising from the heat, but when she was done, Flora had already run back up the ramp. "Up and down, up and down. What a fun game we play, girls," Bloom called as she resumed her pursuit.
The room began creaking as many of the bookshelves began collapsing from the flames, tumbling over the railing and crashing to the floor below. Flora made her way up the second ramp, barely dodging one of Bloom's fireballs, when a burning shelf tumbled towards her. Flora yelped and reflexively pulled seeds from her pocket, the thick wines arresting the falling furniture before it could crush the brunette. However, Flora found herself with little manoeuvrability and she could see Bloom hurrying up the ramp.
"Flora, over here," came Stella's voice and Flora turned as much as she could and sent the Codex skidding across the floor. The Solarian princess grabbed and ran through the flaming piles of books towards the railing. She turned, only to halt as a bookshelf crashed and filled her way with burning debris. She turned to go back.
"Going somewhere?" Bloom asked with a demented grin.
"Ehm... Maybe," Stella said a little bit completely terrified.
"Good. But before you go, could I burrow a cup of Codex?" Bloom asked as she slowly stepped closer, flames engulfing her form. Then she was suddenly hit by a splash of water.
The redhead and the blonde slowly turned to look.
"I know," Aisha sighed, shoulders sagging. "Sorry, I tried".
"Still appreciated," Stella responded before calling upon her staff. "Sorry Bloom, but it is for your own good". She pointed it and the sceptre's head exploded in a bright flash of light.
Bloom stumbled back, rapidly blinking as she tried to get her bearings. "Cute," she said, still smiling. "But if I can't see, I guess I'll just have to do... This". She folded her arms and the flames engulfing her intensified.
"Not good," Stella said weakly.
The fire detonated into a powerful explosion. The blonde was forced backwards and fell over the railing. With a yell, she frantically waved her arms and barely managed to grab on to the bottom of the railings. He staff fell to the floor below and landed in a pile of ashes.
"Is that for me?" Bloom asked delighted as she picked up the Codex piece Stella had dropped when she fell over. "Really, you shouldn't have". Then she picked it up and began skipping away.
"Are you okay?" Musa asked as she ran over and began pulling the blonde up.
"Well, my best friend has, like, turned into a horror movie villain and tried to kill us," Stella responded as she was slowly hoisted over the railing. "So no, tots not feeling great".
Meanwhile, Bloom has reached the uppermost floor, which was completely engulfed in smoke, not that the redhead cared. She easily waltzed through the ashen cloud, her magic protecting her from any possible harm. She waltzed to the railing, concentrated and sent a searing blue ball of flame through the skylight. Glass rained down on the floor below and the smoke freely flowed out, before the fireball exploded above the school. A thump could be heard as something heavy landed on the roof and moments later, a grotesque head on a stalk snaked its way in.
"Are you here for the delivery, Kerborg? Good Kerborg," Bloom said as she petted the head and placed the Codex in its mouth. "Now bring this to Darkar as quickly as possible".
The beast growled in response as its head retracted back through the hole. Seconds later, the sound of beating wings could be heard as Kerborg began its trip back to Shadowhaunt. Then Bloom sat down in a random pile of ashes, her expression shifting from crazed glee to sedated bliss.
Deep below her, Avalon charged in, Glim right behind him. He stared in shock at the utterly destroyed library, before quietly saying: "Spirits above and below". He cleared his throat and yelled: "Hello! Is anyone in here?!"
"We're up here, Professor," came Flora's voice.
Avalon hurried up the ramp to where the fairies and pixies were helping Flora get out from the collapsed bookshelf. Their clothes and skin were singed from several close encounters with the ravaging flames.
"Where is Bloom?" the paladin asked.
"She went upstairs," Stella responded. "I think... I think she gave the Codex piece to one of Darkar's monsters".
"As I feared," Avalon sighed. "I think Darkar infected her with something when he fought her at Cloud Tower. I may have devised a way to purify her of his influence but..." He sighed. "If only I could have found a counter sooner".
"I am sure you did your best," Flora responded.
"Yes, well, I better do what I can to help poor Bloom now," Avalon said as he continued on his way. He hurried to the top floor and found the redhead sitting in a pile of ash, humming a song.
"Bloom. Bloom, can you hear me?" Avalon tried. No reply. He sighed again, went up to her and gently placed his palm on her forehead. Light emanated from it. Suddenly, the redhead blinked and the vacant glare in her eyes vanished like dew before the sun.
"What... What happened?" she asked. The smell of smoke hit her. As she looked around at the ruined library, fear began to fill her features as realization set in. Avalon wordlessly embraced her to give her comfort as the redhead started crying.
...
"Well. That went well," Darcy commented as Kerborg flew in through the window and dropped the Codex piece into Darkar's waiting hand.
As the Shadow Phoenix's gauntlet closed around the wooden block, a smile lit up his withered features as he said: "One more to go".