A Whole New World Chapter 9
There are only two times in the entire history of Linphea the planet has ever been engaged in battle.
The first was when the planet was first created by two sisters. They've fought to death on who would rule the planet, which was won by the elder sister who was crowned queen.
The second time was during the reign of the three ancestries witches. Sparks needed allies to fight with them, and because of the close ties between the rulers, Linphea accepted.
Now, they did have guards and soldiers trained in combat, who were always on alert. Close to twenty million. But Linphea was a peaceful planet, where war and violence barely existed. However, whenever conflict emerged, it was quickly resolved nearly the second it starts. Often times when it was too much to be resolved by themselves, the wise King Edmund was trusted to find some way that would benefit everyone.
Which was why, at the crack of dawn, they never expected a vengeful prince to led armies to the realm and destroy the planet.
Looking back, Musa kicks herself for not realizing something was wrong.
But then again, there was no way any of them could have known. The day started out so ordinary.
She woke from deep sleep at six in the morning, by the sound of a loud alarm alerting all the servants to meet in the main room.
Cursing the alarm, swearing at Cordatora, and wishing it wasn't a weekday, she got up and got dressed in her uniform. Once she was sure she looked okay, she met Timmy in the hallway. The two friends wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders and walked down to the main room, where everyone was gathering together and Cordatora stood in the center, clipboard in hand.
Leaning against Timmy's shoulder and ignoring his knowing smirk, Musa tried catching a few last minutes of sleep while Cordatora read off the chores for the day.
"Lastly, due to…tension…between his Majesty and her Highness, no one is allowed to see them unless I say otherwise."
Timmy nudged Musa gently, and she looked up at him, the two of them sharing a private and knowing look. Soon after the whole mess with O'Neil the Scum, the musical fairy found her friend and told him what happened. They both knew well enough what happened between Flora and her father was anything but tension.
"Excuse me, sir," said Jared, a dark-haired naïve servant who has been working in Linphea for nearly a year.
The poor boy nearly trembled in fear at Cordatora's cold eyes. There was nothing more frightening. One of the worse ways to get Cordatora anger was interrupting him. "What is it?"
"Well, sir…it has come to my attention…it seems-no one has seen Mirta."
Hearing this caused quite a stir with the servants. But no one was more surprised than Cordatora. No servant, no even the most dedicated rule-breakers like Musa, has never disappeared. It was even more surprising that sweet little Mirta was the culprit.
Quickly going through his clipboard and reading the log-ins, he saw there was one small detail he overlooked: Mirta hasn't checked in or out since last night. Looking up at the sea of confused, curious faces, his eyes settled on a petite, innocent-looking, aqua-haired girl he recognized as the girl's roommate.
"You," he pointed at her, notching the chatter going around. He beckoned her to step forward, which she obliged with trembling legs. "Renee, where is your roommate?"
"I don't know, sir," she answered truthfully. At twelve years old, she was by far the youngest maid. She and Mirta became quick friends because of their young ages. "Before I went to bed, she went to see his Majesty about the servants' notes you've given her."
He remembered that; it was the last assignment he given her. So why has been no record of her whereabouts since then?
Sighing to himself, he decided he'll figure it out the details later. The girl, like some maids, probably went off with some lover or was sleeping in somewhere. The palace was huge; she has to be somewhere. "Moving on. Tonight his Majesty will be throwing the grandest, biggest balls in honor for the princess for a very special occasion-".
"Which is our wedding day."
For a moment or two, hearing that voice, Musa was sure she was hearing voices. Or that the lack of sleep was getting her to her. However, noticing the stilled tension building up inside the room like static electricity, hearing the gasps coming from everyone, and seeing their shocked expressions as he walked through let her know it wasn't a dream.
The damn scum entered through the grand doors upstairs with such confidence, as if he owes the house, smirking down at their shocked and anger faces. His pale-nearly white hair gleamed under the sunlight, eyes colder and darker than before, and his smile sinister.
"My fellow subjects," he announced. "Bow down and tremble before me. I present myself to you as the new king of Linphea."
"Like hell!" Musa yelled, starting off a chain of protests and yells at him.
The prince waved off each insult and curse threw at him, the smile on his face becoming more twisted with each one. Around him were soldiers dressed in white from head to toe, armed with weapons, standing tall and firm. Among one, closest to O'Neil's left, was one who immediately stood out from the others.
Unlike the others, he wore no uniform and was dressed casually. He was the only one frowning, actually showing some kind of emotion that wasn't blank. He had spiky hair in a color that was a cross between burgundy and crimson red, a well-fit muscular body she had to admit was the most impressive she has ever seen, and piercing, cold eyes.
Very cold eyes almost as cold and dark as Cordatora's, in a very startling color of violet. Eyes the color of deep yet bright violet, which immediately popped out. Eyes that stared at her intensely the second she yelled out her outburst and he stepped into the room. Intensely and deeply, as if she was something he couldn't quite get, causing a very hot flush to travel throughout her body.
A flush she couldn't understand, and one she didn't want to.
Timmy noticed him watching her and must have gotten a sense of her discomfort, because he then gently pushed her aside as he got in front of her, glaring at the guy with stern warning in his eyes, acting like a big brother protective of his sister.
Still, it didn't stop the guy from staring.
Who the hell is this guy, she wondered.
"You damn leech!" Cordatora yelled with enraged anger pulsing through his thick veins that bulged throughout his body. "Where is King Edmund? What have you done with him?"
"The king, I'm afraid, has reached the end of his royal duties. With every fall of an old king, a new one raises. And that would be…me. But don't worry simpletons. I have a gift for you."
At the snap of his fingers, the strange redhead gestured for the two soldiers in the back to come forward. Obliging, they looked down at the servants, carrying something large and wrapped in white gauze. Without a second thought, they tossed it carelessly over the banister, watching it crash onto the marble-porcelain floor.
The second it hit the ground, the gauze covering it broken into millions of pieces and melted away like ice, revealing Mirta's dead body.
As much as it made Musa sick, as much as she wanted to look away, Mirta's dead eyes refused to let her look away. Her eyes were so haunting, eerie almost. Musa was silent, biting her bottom lip hard to keep everything together while the others lost it, screaming and crying and cursing at O'Neil.
"You wretched creature!" bellowed Cordatora, his scream louder than a hundred loud voices combined. "How could you do this to a child?"
The prince said nothing and only smiled, pleased.
Crouching before Mirta, Cordatora checked her wounds, and Musa and Timmy helped him. Being up close to her now, Musa could see behind the flat dullness of her eyes, there was shock and fear behind them blended with unspeakable pain.
Nothing could prepare them to see the huge stab wound punctured through her chest. Not even Cordatora could mask his shock.
"And that's not all, my friends," O' Neil withdrawal an elegant-fine sword smeared with crusted blood-Mirta's blood and tossed it over the banister. The murder weapon landed a foot away from the girl's head. "She also comes with an accessory."
Looking down at poor Mirta, Cordatora's fists were balled into two hard, tight fists of fury. Musa and Timmy quickly stepped back, sensing the anger building inside him like a volcano ready to erupt. He wasn't angry, not even furious, but enraged and hunger for blood. And by the dark, maddening look he gave O'Neil, there was no question about it on whose blood he wanted. "I'll see you are hanged for this!"
"You and what army?" A gleam of malice shone in his eyes, making him look more and more like a madman. At the snap of fingers, hundreds and hundreds of soldiers burst into the room, surrounding them. "Linphea is mine!"
Not if we can help it, Musa thought, looking around. There were hundreds of them against more than two thousand of his men, so it was going to be a tough fight. She looked at Cordatora, who nodded, then at Timmy, who nodded as well and mouthed "Code 4FK." Nodding at the two, she returned her attention to the two soldiers who were the closest to her, flashing them an innocent and flirty smile that intrigued them and kept their attention on her as her fingers brushed against the neckline of her top.
The suspicion in their eyes quickly changed to curiosity, which quickly morphed into interest and lust as she slowly pulled down the think strap holding everything in. And, though she couldn't see him, she knew he was watching as well.
Then, just as she was about to reveal all, she jumped high and her feet quickly flung, knocking their weapons out of their hands and knocking them out.
"Boogie blaster!" Raising her hand over head, a massive disco ball fifty times the size of a normal ball emerged from her palm, flying up to the ceiling. Whirling like a tornado, it shot hundreds and hundreds of blindingly bright, powerful blasts, hitting everything and everyone it shot as a threat, taking down close to half of O'Neil's men and blasting Mr. Cocky in the face.
"For Linphea!" Cordatora declared, picking up the bloody sword and holding it up high.
The magical beings quickly conjured up their most powerful spells, the not magical took out their weapons, and all began to fight.
Cordatora ordered Musa and Timmy to find Flora and the king, before being pulled into a fight. Musa wasted no time transforming into her beautiful, powerful Enchantix form, pulling Timmy by the hand and flying him up the to the twelfth floor, where they knew the royals were.
The first place they looked was the king's study, bursting into the room without a second thought.
"Sir, the castle is under attack-"
Musa cut herself off with a sharp breath and a whimper, staring ahead in dazed eyes. Timmy looked at her in confusion, wondering why she stopped, till he looked up ahead as well and was frozen in shock.
The king was pinned to the wall, with two death stars digging deep into his wrists and ankles, drawing streams of blood. He was perfectly still, and his eyes were closed, as if he were resting. With a huge, perfect slit across his neck, crusted with blood, bleeding out the last drop.
"Oh…my…god…" Timmy murmured.
"My lord," Musa croaked, barely able to speak, much less breathe. Hot tears rushed to her eyes as she stared at the man who ruled the kingdom incredibly for the past 27 years, the man who was one of the most generous and great leaders Linphea ever had. The man who has practically been a father-figure to her. Who was now…dead. "King Edmund."
The urge to cry was so great, she nearly fell down to her knees, ready to sob and yell until her heart gave out. But she couldn't. Not now.
Flora. Her best friend. She needed to protect her. Mirta was already killed by the damn bastard, it was too late to do anything for the king, but Musa would be damned if she let that monster take her best friend away from her, too.
Musa took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, getting herself together. She'd be damned if anything shall happen to Flo. She touched Timmy's arm, turning him away from the king, to the door. "Timmy, we have to go. Flora's our last chance."
An explosion burst through the door, the force hitting them harder than a wall of bricks and knocking them to the ground. Wincing, Musa slowly rose to her feet, helping Timmy up while ignoring the pain burning in her body. More than half a dozen of soldiers barged in, pointing their guns at them.
"You're coming with us." Growled the one in the center, who was by far the tallest and broadest.
Damnit! She growled. They didn't have time for this crap.
As if he could read her mind, Timmy wasted no time pulling out his laser gun, shooting up at the building before shooting at them. The men quickly charged toward him, and he quickly pushed her aside, shoving her towards the door.
Musa looked back and saw Timmy had his hands full, shooting and kicking and ducking. "Timmy!"
"Go!" he yelled, firing at one man and ducking a punch another swung at him. He tried smiling at her, as if to say everything was going to be okay, even though they both knew it was a lie. "Find Flora! I'll catch up with you guys as soon as I can."
She nodded, flashed him a weak smile, and flew to Flora's room, blasting down the doors and landing on her feet. Her eyes swept across the area and were shocked to find her friend wasn't there.
What the hell? She looked nearly all around the room, but there was no Flora. She looked at the princess's bed, and, judging by the lack of ceases in her bed, Flora hasn't been here all night.
"Where is she?" she asked herself. It dawned to her she hasn't seen Helia either. Did he have something to do with this? Was he with her?
"Exactly, what we were thinking. Maybe you can help us."
Before Musa turn around, a whip tangled itself around her wrists, shocking her like electric bolts, and she pulled toward two soldiers who smirked at her struggle.
When one leaned down to touch her, she immediately seized the chance to spit in his eye, aiming a big one right on target. Enraged, he slapped her across the face, knocking her flat on her back. The man holding the whip that held her captured pulled her up to her knees, tightening his grip.
"How about that, Thomas?" said the one she spit at. "Pretty and feisty."
Thomas smirked down at her before looking back up at him. With a wink, he suggested "Why don't we have some fun with her?"
Musa bit her bottom lip, bracing herself. The one who was spitted on kneeled in front of her and reached for her breast-
Then fell down dead.
With a bullet hole in his back.
"What the-" Thomas whimpered softly, his eyes speaking of unbearable pain as a death star was lunged into his throat. Groaning softly, he slowly laid back, his body twitching until it finally stopped.
The music fairy freed herself from her bounds, tenderly rubbing her wrists. She breathed hard in a single breath, but quickly reminded herself to pull it together. She turned to the door.
There he stood. The violet-eyed, strange servant. Holding a smoking sliver gun in one hand and five death stars in the other.
Riven looked at her for a moment, then down at the two soldiers now dead, and back at her again. "Idiots," was all he said with scowl before he left.
For a moment, Musa stared at the spot where he was stood, confused. He actually killed his own men? He actually protected her? But the confusion quickly passed as she heard the yelling and the fighting and O'Neil's cruel laughter. There were other things she needed to concern herself with.
Like finding Flora and kicking O'Neil's ass.
O'Neil's armies were taking Linphea by storm. Destroying the kingdom, burning down houses and buildings, tearing down anything that stood in their way, forcing people to aboard their ships like slaves with their whips and killing those who disobeyed.
A young-blonde-haired mother pulled away from the crowd boarding the ship, holding her child close to her as she took off running. She heard the gun fires, and felt the bullets getting closer and closer to her. But she couldn't stop now.
She was so close.
Everything seemed to slowed for a moment as a bullet was shot into her head. She barely had time to gasp before she hit the ground.
Her little girl hit the ground as well, but was unharmed. She crawled over to her mother's collapsed body and shook her head, praying her mother would open her eyes. "Mama. Mama."
She cried out in pain as the killer stepped hard onto her hand, forcing her to look up at his cold cruel eyes and smile, trembling in fear as he pressed the gun against her forehead.
"Say goodnight, you snot-nosed brat-"
"Ivy vine wrap!" Tangles and tangles of luxurious ivy wrapped around his body, bringing him down to his knees and tightening their grip up to the point he couldn't breathe.
Flora hopped off Helia's levaibike, grabbed the child, and got them out just in time as Helia drove his bike right into him, knocking him out cold.
The child was sobbing as she tightened her grip around Flora's neck and buried her face into the nape. She was too scared to notice who she was hugging. "Please help us."
Flora murmured sweet things in her ear to soothe her crying, gently rocking her back and forth in her arms. Helia quickly hopped off his bike, and led them to an abandoned alley before they could spotted.
"How could I let this happen?" Helia turned around to watch Flora slowly slipped down onto the ground, looking like she was a second from falling apart. He wasn't sure if she was talking to him or to herself. "My people, my kingdom. It's all my fault."
Helia kneeled down before her, pulled her into his arms, and held her tightly while she cried, stroking her hair and kissing her head. It pained him to see her this way, in much so grief. It was heartbreaking. He waited until there were no more tears before he began to speak. "This isn't your fault, Flora. I swear to you we will find a way to fix things."
She looked up at him. The tears were gone, but her face was streaked with dry tears. "You think so?"
"I know so." He promised.
"Flora!"
They tensed at the sound of her name, but soon the tension vanished as they recognized the voice. They smiled in relief as Musa and Timmy ran to them, hugging their dear friends for dear life.
"Musa, you're alright." Flora hugged her so tightly, she was sure Musa's body would break. But her friend returned the hug with fierceness.
"I'm just lucky to be alive," said her friend. She smiled at Timmy, who was hugging Helia. "We both are."
Truth be told, the two looked like they barely escaped. Timmy's clothes were practically in sheds, bruises covering nearly everywhere around his body, and his glasses were crushed. Musa's clothes were in the same condition, one ponytail loose from its bound while the other barely stayed in, her wings crooked, and a bruise on her cheek, as if she's been slapped.
Musa grabbed her friend's free hand, and said "Flora, there's something you should know."
"Is it about O'Neil?" she interrupted. "We already know."
"Besides that. He came into the castle and attacked us. Most of the servants are captured and some are dead. Mirta's was one of them."
Her eyes widened in shock. She adored Mirta like a little sister. It was unthinkable O'Neil could kill such an innocent, little girl. But then again, the prince was proving more and more how much of madman he was.
Understanding her shock, she nodded. "But that's not all," Flora's shock increased as she saw tears gathering in Musa's midnight eyes. In the past twelve years of their friendship, she never once saw her friend stifle a tear. "O'Neil killed your father. King Edmund is dead."
The second those words slipped out of her mouth, Flora's entire world stopped and crashed right before her eyes. For a moment, just a moment, she thought she was mistaken. As if her hearing was off, or her mind was playing tricks on her. But, seeing the firm solemn yet grieve look in Musa's eyes, the same look she saw in Timmy's eyes as he nodded sadly, and the shock in Helia's, she knew it wasn't a mistake.
Her father was really dead.
Her stomach immediately dropped, her eyes flooded with tears that poured down her faces, and she was on her knees, sobbing and yelling louder than she ever had before.
Musa held the little girl in her arm while she used her other to hug Flora, the two friends holding each other tight as they cried and cried. Timmy and Helia joined in the hug, offering their strength.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Flora shrieked, her screams mixed with her tears. "Daddy."
"Oh, it does break my heart to see such a beauty in tears,"
A chill went through each of their bodies as they heard that cruel, smug voice. O'Neil and Riven stood a few feet away from them, the prince smirking while the servant was scowling, a look that suited him well.
"But nothing I can handle." He finished.
"How could you do this?" she demanded, struggling to keep control of the rage burning up inside her.
"Simple," he shrugged, "You said you'd rather face the destruction of your planet than be my wife. If that's the way it's going to be, then so be it. Because in the end I always get what I want."
Flora rushed over to attack him, only to get slapped across the face. She was knocked hard onto the ground, and was slapped again by him. Ten times more harder.
"Consider that my payment for hit." He smiled.
Musa and Timmy rushed forward to help their friend, but Musa was knocked down by his ice blast while Timmy was hurled into Riven, who wrapped his hands tightly around the boy's neck.
"Timmy!" Musa exclaimed.
"Let him go!" Helia demanded. If O'Neil or the servant hurt his best friend, then may God help him…
"You really should choose your words more closely," O'Neil said, then turned to Riven."Do it."
Riven looked at them, looked down at Timmy's pale face, and, without hesitation, twisted his head around, letting out the most sickening crack they've ever heard. Timmy was dead before he fell to the ground.
Musa stared at her friend's body in shock, mouth agape and eyes filled with hot tears. Flora was too shock to even move. Helia slowly rose to the ground, his body trembling in such anger.
"Damn you!" He yelled, rushing over to the prince and raising his dagger high, ready to strike.
Only to be pierced into the chest by O'Neil's sword, looking into those cruel laughing eyes as tremendous pain kicked in.
"Helia!" the girls screamed in Helia.
Helia held the wound tenderly, already feeling the blood filling inside his mouth, his entire body burning with a pain he ever known before. He slowly fell down onto his knees.
"I always win, peasant," he looked up at O'Neil. "I always win."
He was kicked hard in the face, hitting his head hard as he fell backwards. The last thing he heard was Flora yelling his name once more before his mind swept into unconsciousness.