Chapter Three

The next morning dawned bright and clear, everything fresh from the night's rain. Animals that called the park home went about their normal business. The light grew brighter as the day got started,

Four skoots skimmed along the unpaved path from the opposite way Topaz had taken. The drivers were her friends Onyx, Ruby, Sapphire, and Amethyst.

"And the police won't do ANYTHING?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah, they said she had to be missing an entire day before they will start looking," answered Amethyst.

"Figures," muttered Onyx, "On our own, as usual."

"Well, this is the path she HAD to have taken, since it is the shortest from her house to mine," said Amethyst.

"Right. Let's keep a sharp eye out," said Ruby, looking around.

They all called out for Topaz, but got no answer, and saw nothing out of place. Finally they got to the fountain.

"Hey, there's her skoot," said Onyx, pointing to the white vehicle patiently awaiting its driver.

They pulled off the path and around the skoot.

"Her helmet's here, but where is she?" asked Amethyst, looking around carefully.

"The skoot's still running," added Sapphire, shutting it down. "She can't be far."

"Topaz? Topaz, can you hear me?" called Ruby, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Topaz! Where are you?" called Amethyst.

"C'mon, you're scaring us!" said Onyx.

"TOPAZ!" yelled Sapphire, making the others wince.

Some distance away, just by the edge of a bush, a familiar hand was raised. "O-over here, guys..."

They all ran over to find their friend just sitting up, holding her head.

"Ohhh.. my head..." she looked around briefly. "It's daylight? Where did you guys come from?"

"We've been looking for you for the past hour," said Ruby, kneeling beside her.

"You're all muddy," said Amethyst, "What happened? Why are you over here?"

"Lemme think a minute..." groaned the blond troll.

The others exchanged a glance and while they waited for her to speak they all knelt beside her and touched her gently on the limbs, head, and torso, looking for any injury. They gave a collective sigh of relief when they didn't find any.

"I got caught in a storm and missed the path. I ended up at the fountain," she said, thinking. She decided not to mention falling in. "I was trying to figure out where the path was when there was a loud bang, and someone just appeared in midair."

"Was it Simon or Snarf?" asked Onyx.

"No, it was a girl, tall like the fairies we met. She was dressed in a kind of punk fashion. She was thrown into that tree and fell to the ground. I think she had a broken leg. I came to see if I could help her."

"So what happened? Where is she?" asked Ruby. If a fairy had somehow been transported here, they better find her quick.

"I don't know where she is. She uh, said... That's what you get for attacking... uh..." Topaz tried to remember, "Oh, it was 'that's what you get for attacking Mirta the Witch'! Then she blasted me with orange magic and I woke up when I heard Sapphire yelling."

They all stared at each other. If Topaz wasn't imagining things, this could be very bad.

"There's a witch here?" asked Onyx, looking around carefully.

"Did you attack her?" asked Sapphire.

Topaz answered the blue-haired troll with a glare and frown. "Of course not! Why would I? I was trying to help her!"

"Are you sure you actually saw someone, and wasn't dreaming or something?" asked Ruby. "Maybe you hit your head."

"I know what I saw!" protested Topaz, "And heard! And felt!"

"Okay, okay, I believe you!" Ruby held up her hands in a placating manner. She stood up. If a witch had somehow been transported here, they better find her even quicker.

"I think we'd better find her, and find out what she's doing here," said Onyx, standing up, "What did you say her name was again?"

"She said Mirta," answered Topaz. With help from Amethyst and Sapphire, she stood up. She was wobbly for just a moment, then got her legs under her.

"Does anybody remember being introduced to a Mirta at Alfea?" asked Amethyst.

"We wouldn't have, if she's a witch. They go to a different school, remember," said Sapphire.

"Oh, that's right," nodded Amethyst, turning a bit red.

"Hmmm... She didn't take your skoot, and if she has a broken leg, she couldn't have gone far. She has to be around here somewhere," said Onyx.

"Well, let's look," said Ruby, "But be careful!"

"Well, duh," said Onyx, rolling her eyes.

As they split up to search, they had no idea they were being watched.

Mirta had awakened to find her leg was better (the magic had set it) and the swelling in her wrist had gone down. They were both still sore, but had probably finished mending. The cuts and bruises were nearly healed.

She had used the heating spell again to finish drying off, then took out another vial. This one contained all the nutrients she would need for a couple of days. It would sustain her, but was no substitute for food. She was already hungry. Hopefully she would be able to get back to Cloud Tower before too long.

Cloud Tower... she hoped everyone was okay, especially Lucy.

She tried to think and remember what happened. She was in class at Alfea... no, Cloud Tower. Why would she think of Alfea? Concentrate, Mirta! She was in Professor Palladium... no, Edeltrude's class... doing it again! Edeltrude's class. They were learning a headache cure... no, a poison cloud potion, when... what? Her mind was blank.

Hearing voices she crawled to the edge of the clearing and peered through the bushes. The creature she blasted had been joined by four more. They inspected the blond one and helped her stand up.

"What short people," she thought, "And all that hair. Must take a heck of a spell to keep it like that..."

She watched as the five girls went to different places and looked for her. "Mirta? Are you there?" she saw the one with blond hair looking between bushes. "MIIIRTA! You can come out, every thing's all right," said one with pink hair. "Yeah, we aren't going to hurt you, we want to help you," said one with black hair.

She looked around at the unfamiliar place. Obviously it was a city park. There were skyscrapers to one side, but it wasn't Magix. There were huge trees scattered around as well, of a type she had never seen before. Finally she pulled out her cell phone, but had no service. The odds against her just got worse.

Then she saw the cycles waiting by a fountain.

"Wish I'd known those were there last night, Wait a second. What is all this about sneaking and hiding? I'm a witch! I have power and the will to use it! I'll make them tell me what I want to know!" she thought.

Concentrating, she felt the unfamiliar magic from all five of them. Great. One, maybe two she could handle. But five? No way. "I'll have to ambush one of them," she thought, then grinned. She knew she could take the blond.

Moving back away from the bushes, she stood up. Thinking for a moment she remembered a spell that would help. Waving her hands and saying the words, caused her form to shimmer and turn transparent. It wasn't exactly invisibility, but unless someone was looking right at her when she moved, wasn't likely to be seen.

She moved through the bushes and looked for the girl she picked out. There she was, approaching a clump of bushes and trees near the foot of the hill. She moved as quickly and quietly as she could down the hill and went into the bushes on the side away from the blond.

Topaz stopped just outside the bushes. "M-miss Mirta? Are you there?" the idea of meeting a witch was scary, especially after those three back in Magix. "I want to help you. Don't be afraid."

Without warning an arm shot out of the bush directly in front of her. A hand grabbed her blouse and yanked her into the copse. She was spun around and slammed into a tree. A large, five-fingered hand slapped over her mouth.

"I want answers, and you're going to give them to me," said Mirta, "But if you yell, or try to alert the others, you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

Scared silly, Topaz could only nod.