Revolution, Chapter 6 by patricia51
(Resolution)
"STOP!"
All eyes in the room turned towards the commanding voice. There were gasps and many of the assembled wizards, from both groups, pointed their wands at the figure. Alex felt her knees weaken as that somewhat transparent figure raked the room with burning eyes before settling that gaze directly on her.
"Stevie?"
There was a choked gasp from the angry young man. Dennis was his name Alex thought.
"Stevie."
The figure's eyes turned to rest on the boy and the hard gaze softened.
"Miss Nichols," marveled Professor Crumbs.
Stevie spoke. Her voice was faint, as though the one word outburst had taken all the energy away from her.
"Yes, it's me."
"A rather fortuitous timing I must say," said the stately head of the Wizard Council. "I am glad that you seemed to have survived, at least in some form and I assume from your command you are here to stop your followers from their mad plan."
"You would assume wrong then." replied Stevie. "On both counts by the way." The figure wavered, seemingly even more transparent than when it had first appeared. "I'm certainly not here to stop my friends and I seriously doubt that once this is over that I will have survived. At least not on this plane of existence."
"Stevie, why ARE you here?" asked Alex.
"Here? Or HERE?" The half-phantom girl asked with the wry grin barely visible that Alex now remembered so well. "At first it was anger that kept me here, anger and hatred. For you Alex. For deceiving me and then indifferently leaving what was left of me scattered across the floor. It was a burning desire for revenge, for some way to make you suffer. And it was the need to finish my plan, the plan I was so close to completing even though I couldn't share in its results."
She lifted a hand that the flame of one of the candles could be seen right through. "Of course I figured out rather quickly that someone else was responsible for what happened. That softened my feelings and I was glad. I may have been, may be rather, someone who likes to have her own way. Someone who enjoys a good practical joke, who has fun being a bit of a rebel and enjoys the swagger of being a tough girl. But the darker emotions have never been part of me."
Stevie moved across the room. Moved was the wrong word Alex though. She floated. But even then there was a hint of the deliberate swagger of her friend, one of the many things that had first drawn Alex to her. The ghostly rebel stopped in front of Dennis and lifted a hand to his face.
"Those emotions aren't part of you either. Don't let the man I love fall into this trap. The hatred will only consume you until there's nothing left." Tears glistened in the young man's eyes and he nodded jerkily. She turned from him to face Crumbs.
"Now then," she said briskly, I don't know how much time I have left so let's get right to the point." She glided to stand beside Sean. "I didn't stop what looks like to be a helluva brawl because I thought it shouldn't take place. I stopped it because I needed to say a few things AND get right up here in front. This was all my idea to begin with and I deserve to be leading the charge. So, on the count of three?"
"People are going to get hurt?" Professor Crumbs warned as he shook back the sleeves of his bedecked robe in a movement that seemed like he was drawing a weapon. "People that you profess to care about."
"It's a revolution," shrugged Stevie. "That's going to happen."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots," quoted Sean, "and tyrants. We're not afraid. Are you?"
The air began to visibly crackle with the power building in the room. Any second now Alex realized. This time it was her turn to cry out and she stepped in between Stevie and Professor Crumbs.
"Stop! Please! There has to be another way!"
"Alex, get out of the way!" cried Stevie.
The Italian-Mexican wizard girl faltered for a moment. What in heaven's name was she doing here right in the middle of an approaching battle? To her own surprise her resolve hardened and rather than following her first instinct to run, transport or even fly away she determinedly stood her ground.
"There has to be another way," she demanded. "There HAS to be."
NO, Miss Russo there is not," replied Professor Crumbs. "The Council will not stand by and watch centuries of tradition overthrown."
"Even when those traditions are out modeled and unfair," answered Dennis.
"They have sustained our people the wizards safely through generations and kept us concealed from the humans who would seek to destroy us."
"The days of the Salem Witch Trails are centuries behind us," reminded Stevie. "Covens of witches exist publically nowadays. And the present contest has not proved to be all that competent." She went on to list the same arguments that Sean had discussed earlier, including the comparison of Alex and Justin, who had joined his sister, determined as he always was to protect her or at least rescue her from another mistake.
"What you say has much validity to it," admitted Professor Crumbs. "But letting all wizards keep their powers is no better. There will be just as many possible incompetents and even more irresponsible people who don't have the control to use their magic properly. And just because people are more accepting and minority group rights are more respected does not eliminate the possibility of a pogrom, especially among those who would covert our powers and be unwilling to accept they are a birthright only."
"Perhaps it isn't fair," the elder wizard said wearily," but there is no other option." He straightened and a look of determination filled his eyes. "And yes, Sean, I am afraid but only because I fear the destruction that will fill this room if you challenge the Council."
Alex had never heard of a Mexican Standoff but that was exactly what she was facing. Her mind raced frantically, and not only because she was standing right in the middle of what looked like to be an all out war any moment. One word kept resonating in her mind. "Contest, contest," why did she keep thinking of the contest? Then, with her usual desire she had to shorten anything to more manageable levels, which usually gave her a better chance to avoid having to do anything involving work, the answer came to her. Not contest but...
"Test!" she shrieked. "A test."
On both sides hands relaxed and wands were lowered. Just slightly. Watchful eyes maintained their vigil on the other group, waiting for any sign of an attack.
"What do you mean?" asked Professor Crumbs.
"I just thought of it. To graduate from High School now you not only have to pass your courses but you have to pass the graduation Examination. A test to see if you know what you are supposed to have learned. Why wouldn't the same thing work for wizard powers?" Alex colored with embarrassment. "I've been a bit worried about passing the one at Tribeca Prep so it's been on my mind."
Silence settled on the room.
"It still would mean that some wizards would lose their powers," said Sean thoughtfully. "But it would give everyone an even chance."
"Perhaps there could be re-exams in the case of those who came close to the standards but didn't meet the requirements," added Kat.
"What would be the requirements and who would decide them?" demanded Dennis.
Professor Crumbs held up his hand. "All good thoughts. There is much that would need to be worked out but perhaps this is a program that could work." He looked at Alex and amusement crept over his face mingled with respect. "A certain school principal has described you as an 'evil genius' Alexandra. Perhaps the 'evil' part is not as applicable as he thinks. Anyway, I'm glad now that I didn't take your powers that time."
"So am I. Alex hesitated and then looked over at both sides. Just one question. Why in the world among everyone here did it take ME to come up with this idea? Why didn't anyone else before?"
Now it was Professor Crumbs turn to look sheepish. "Hidebound adherence to tradition I suppose. And I confess it, when you have lived as long as most of us on the Council have you tend not to think about changing things."
Sean shrugged. "I guess we got carried away with the idea that all wizards should keep their powers without considering the idea that some have no business with them."
"I think we can come to an agreement," the white-bearded wizard announced. "If the four of you," he indicated the Inner Circle members, "would agree to sit down together with an equal number of Council members I believe you can hammer out a new policy that will extend the number of wizards keeping their powers to all those who deserve them." He turned to Stevie. "That includes you too Miss Nichols."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible Professor," said Stevie steadily. Alex was horrified to see the other girl's body was becoming more transparent as they all watched. "Now that the issue that kept me here is settled I think it's obvious that it's time for me to go on to wherever I am supposed to be already."
"No Stevie, please. Don't go," Alex ran to the other girl and tried to grip her hands as though she could hold her to this world. Her fingers passed right through Stevie's.
"Oh God don't," pleaded Dennis. "I thought I'd lost you once. I can't go through it again."
"Poor Dennis," the fading phantom girl whispered. "I'm so sorry. I'd stay if I could. I love you." She flowed against the young man and lifted her pale lips to his. Their lips met in a kiss as fervent as Sam Wheat and Molly Jensen ever exchanged. And something happened.
Stevie's body grew more solid. Not much but enough to notice. But Alex saw that as Stevie became solid that Dennis started to fade.
"What's going on?" asked Justin who had come to once again to stand with his sister.
"He's passing energy to her," exclaimed Alex. "But there won't be enough. He could kill himself."
"What can we do?"
"We can help."
"How?"
"I have no idea but I have to try." Alex wrapped her arms around Dennis, closed her eyes and tried to somehow project herself into the struggle taking place. She visualized a stream of light flowing from herself through Dennis to Stevie.
"It's working!" Alex heard Justin cry out but the words already seemed far away. She stumbled slightly and her head began to spin but she refused to let go. Then a pair of arms seized her and she realized her brother had joined the battle. Then there were other presences she could feel as the other young wizards surrounded them and added their own power to the fray. Finally what seemed to her mind's eye as a towering white flame enfolded all of them and she knew Professor Crumbs was there.
The world seemed to freeze for a moment and then an earthshaking rumble flung them all to the ground. When the group untangled themselves a great shout went up. For in the middle of the room in Dennis' arms was a very solid, very much alive Stevie.
Once the jubilation calmed down Professor Crumbs, a much more familiar twinkle in his eye than the seriousness that had been there earlier said "I assume this means that you will be able to provide your input into this new arrangement after all Miss Nichols?"
"You can count on it!" she exclaimed. Still supported by Dennis the former leader of the wizard revolution followed the Professor and the rest of the Council out the door with her other three main supporters right behind. As she reached the doorway she stopped and looked over her shoulder. Seeing Alex she gave a wink. And smiled. Max had joined them in the struggle to save Stevie and the three siblings listened as the group continued on, Stevie's voice floating down the hall to them even after she was out of sight.
"For one thing the Hall of Transfer needs to be eliminated or at least modified. I mean really, having someone report there when the competition takes place elsewhere is like telling someone 'You have an appointment to be guillotined at 10 AM sharp on Tuesday. Don't be late. It's all but cruel. If a wizard does need to have their powers taken away it should be done on the spot of the test, not drawn out."
Alex smiled. Alex laughed. And Alex all but collapsed as her strength and knees gave out at the same time. Her brothers each grabbed an arm and steadied her.
"Can we go home now?" asked Max, disappointment on his face as he realized once again he wouldn't get to be king.
"You bet," said Justin. "Click your heels together three times Dorothy Gale," he mock instructed his sister.
"Justin!"
"You can do it, Alex."
"You bet I can!"
(The End)
(I used several famous quotes in this story and think it's only fair to give the credit for them here. Justin's "You may fire when ready Gridley" is a famous naval saying uttered by Admiral Dewey during the Spanish-American War. It tickled me that Alex would, of course, know nothing of that and assume that "Gridley" was Dennis' name. "The tree of liberty..." is from the writings of Thomas Jefferson. And most important "Stand your ground..." was the command given by Captain John Parker to the Lexington militia on April 19, 1775 that was the start of one of the most important Revolutions in all of history.
"By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April's breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood And fired the shot heard round the world."
Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Concord Hymn")