Author's Note: I don't remember the last time I actually wrote a chapter for this fic. Probably three weeks ago. XD
I'm gonna go read and then I need to write some more, probably for Nightfall and maybe for ALC too. Yep.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Seleighe Waltz
Chasing people out of their offices should always be this easy. Then again, depending on the day, Crocker was either an insane genius or a crackpot. Today, Doombringer happened upon 'Crackpot'. It was this and the ridiculous idea she was willing to hand off her captured fairies that lured Crocker out of his office and into the cafeteria. Once she was sure he was gone(her half-breeds should keep Crocker entertained), she dropped into his lair.
There might be a reliable portal to Fairy World, ridding herself of much of this irritating guesswork. Magic linked to godparents was always registered by Fairy World…unless it wasn't tied into their central power. Doombringer wanted power, like anyone with any sense who came in contact with faeries, but it wasn't just power. There were many legends about faeries, elves- Sidhe, as they were called in Celtic tradition. Sidhe probably still existed Underhill, but she knew the pitfalls and besides, anyone with any cruel ambitions would be adopted promptly by the Unseleighe, either making her a victim of their Hunt or torturing her for untold time until they killed her.
No, it was best to skirt the old magic users and head straight for the old magic itself. Every faerie could tap into it, but they chose not to. Doombringer didn't know the entire story, which was why she needed access to Fairy World's repository. Unfortunately, she didn't have a cloaking mechanism and a human adult in Fairy World was bound to cause panic. That was the need for Remy to develop his powers, so she could exploit him and then slip into Fairy World.
In order to do that, she needed to be sure she could get there without forcing a godparent to take her. Juandissimo might do it, he might not, but he also wasn't within her control. She wondered if attacking Wanda or Remy would bring him to his senses.
She flicked on the lights and admired the Crocker Cave. Before her, inactive, was what appeared to be a working portal to Fairy World. Inhaling shakily, she ran her fingers along the arch and smirked. Always with arches. That foolish boy genius had a few.
She had to safeguard the arch. It wasn't moveable and the half-breeds didn't have that kind of magic. She scowled, hands on her hips. Here was an instance where Juandissimo would have been useful. She had ordered her half-breeds to scour the nearby towns to locate him, but their magick was constrained. They could only transport over a limited distance and a limited amount before they overtaxed themselves. She didn't know whether it was lack of training or magic.
Nothing else in Crocker's cave interested her. There were butterfly nets, which Doombringer already had, and a couple books she had already read. He had looked into mythology too, but the tales were disparate and apparently, not all of the old information was true anymore. She had had to use Juandissimo's magic to strip away Wanda's iron tolerance.
Although she couldn't enter Fairy World now, she switched the portal on and watched, awestruck, as the rainbow colored paths, clouds, and floating creatures appeared in the viewing screen. The very essence of goodness and light also carried and she cringed, averting her gaze. The happiness and pleasure was too much and it set her teeth on edge. She'd have to immure herself before she went.
Shutting the portal off, she closed her eyes. Fairy World's brief glimpse was seared into her brain. It was possible, then. All things were possible. And maybe Fairy World would be a trifle less cheery if she delivered a dead faerie at their doorstep. With the way things progressed with Juandissimo, the only way Remy would see him again was in a body bag.
Jorgen should have arrived in Dimmsdale immediately after he set off. He couldn't. There was a barricade around the town and it shunted him aside, putting him squarely in Retroville. Retroville was the last place on any Earth he wanted to be, although it appeared he might have to utilize Jimmy Neutron's interdimensional arch. Although, if magick couldn't handle it, why should science? For that matter, why Retroville? Why not Endsville or somewhere equally inane?
He tried again and again was shunted away, this time onto the outskirts of Brightsburg. All right, he got the hint. Changing into a human was out, because by his nature, everything he shifted into was too large and unusual not to attract attention. Whatever he changed into, it'd have to be something escaping notice but still capable of moving on foot. He doubted the magical barrier extended to creatures wandering into the city, just those trying to poof in.
Thus, he shifted into an osprey, not particularly caring whether they were indigenous. He was in the wrong state for idiots shooting at random animals and he was in a hurry. The fact the magical barrier existed at all sent up warning flags. Plus, Cosmo's taint, the fact he could no longer sense the faeries in Dimmsdale, and being shunted into Retroville. He didn't particularly care what became of the boy genius, but the fact there was a link to Retroville again was worrying. He had the feeling something had been diverting his attention and it infuriated him. Normally, he wasn't this far behind.
Flying overhead, he reached the Brightsburg/Dimmsdale city limit and hit an invisible wall. He 'saw' it with his mind's eye, but too late. Smashing into it with his chin, he crashed into a dumpster and grimaced, shifting into a child who, due to his side, looked like an adult. Climbing out of the dumpster, he stared at the bridge leading into Dimmsdale. The wall had knocked him back nearly a mile and his fury mounted. No one treated him like a plaything. No one pushed him around.
Altering his sneakers into rocket boots, again too angry to care about his appearance, he dashed along the bridge. Strange things happened in Dimmsdale all the time, things Timmy didn't bother to cover up. Now was not the time to slink about. Besides, who the hell had enough power, alone or combined, to knock Jorgen Von Strangle, the toughest fairy in the universe, off kilter? No one out-Strangled a Von Strangle.
Among the faeries, he was like a god…after Oberon and Titania, of course, but since they had retired, it fell upon him. He conjured up mental images of the struggles he'd endured after he assumed the mantle and came up with precious few where the challenger had survived very long. It honed his fury and sharpened it to a point, where he worked on his plan of action. He didn't favor subtlety, so his plan of action wasn't terribly complicated. He'd beat the tar out of anyone who stood in his way and then find the ringleader. There was always a head honcho and even the Fairy World Mafioso feared him, rightfully.
Halfway across the bridge, heat shimmered and created ripple effects. Oddly, the heat produced no actual temperature increase and he halted, peering through the haze. His feet dragged and it felt like someone had attached an anchor to his heels. Craning his neck, he searched for the source and located nothing. After a certain point, he discovered he could move backward, but not forward. Frustrated, he shifted into a bug on a windshield and an unknown force propelled him back to the midpoint.
Jorgen's temper rose again. He sprinted forward, his feet slowed, and he stopped dead. Cars passed like it was perfectly ordinary for an adult sized child to be repelled by an invisible barrier affecting only him.
Ducking inside an unoccupied security station, its windows shut, he pounded his wand upon the floor. The wand lit briefly and then died. Jorgen went cold and then snarled, pounding his wand again. This time, the wand remained dormant. In addition, the sensation of magic he had taken for granted had vanished too. He felt cut off, as if he'd suddenly and inexplicably lost his sight or hearing. Stunned, he stood within the too small security station and, for the first time in a long time, had no idea what he was supposed to do.
Juandissimo noticed Jorgen's presence, as all faeries in the area did. His magical command brought him to their attention, regardless of whether they were attempting to hide or not. He hadn't gotten very far- the half-breeds had done a better job than they suspected. No one could transit into Dimmsdale and no one could flee very far, unless they went to Fairy World, which wasn't an option. Right now, Juandissimo knew Jorgen was on the bridge and knew he ought to tell him what was going on, except he didn't normally take sides. Jorgen might not be able to act, either.
Nevertheless, curiosity and obligation compelled him to the bridge, where he watched Jorgen crash into the barrier repeatedly. For a split second, he saw darkness and it eclipsed his vision.
Know ye the price of failure, Seleighe.
Shivering, Juandissimo chose to ignore the cryptic comment and crept as close as he dared, to the security station where Jorgen had hemmed himself in. His fur rippled and black streaks appeared, much like they had with Cosmo. The taint within him wanted to show where he really stood. He jerked his head. No, that was ridiculous. The taint wasn't a sentient being. The dark versus the light were childhood tales designed to scare the weak at heart.
He touched the security station's wall and a force jerked him by the neck.
Juandissimo. This voice was more readily identifiable, although it sent chills down his back.
Juandissimo, you can't renege. A promise is a promise.
Juandissimo clamped his teeth on a desperate howl and what escaped was a whimper.
"Who's there?" Jorgen demanded.
Unless you want Wanda and Remy tortured? I thought you loved them. How could you turn your back on them?
"Jorgen!" he called. "It is I, Juandissimo Magnifico!"
Remember your promise. Remember.
It wasn't Doombringer speaking to him, but a reflection of her. He shivered uncontrollably.
Battering sounds ensued and the door slammed a couple times on its hinges. Juandissimo backed up, expecting Jorgen to blast the door. That didn't happen, however, after a few more attempts, the door fell off the hinges entirely. Jorgen looked at it with disdain before facing Juandissimo, who shifted into a child form too. There should have been power emanating from Fairy World's leader. It was like facing a dead battery instead of a thunderclap. Juandissimo backed up again.
"This is a temporary condition," Jorgen said dismissively. He gaped. "You have been tainted too!"
A picture revealed itself in his mind. The invisible barrier opened, for a brief period of time, and it would permit only one person. He didn't know how he knew this, but he knew if he went through, Wanda and Remy might be spared Doombringer's wrath. But if Jorgen went through, he might be able to fix this…
Make up your mind now.
Jorgen was powerless.
Juandissimo shifted into a dog again and bolted for the small doorway appearing in his mind's eye. Jorgen followed and his heart pounded in his throat. He thought Jorgen might be following, but he wasn't sure. As surely as he could see the doorway in his mind, he could see Wanda paying the price for his flight.
She returned to discover Remy had destroyed the wall and Wanda was lying, panting, on the counter near the microphone.
"You helped him."
Wanda straightened and stared at her. Doombringer almost had to admire her courage. Almost.
"I didn't," she said.
"You lie. You've been trained to help terrified human children. I knew you couldn't resist."
Wanda gestured through the two way mirror to Remy, standing, stunned, among the wreckage. "I didn't do that."
"I'm not an idiot," Doombringer said, her tone dripping venom. "I know what you're capable of. And it's time you were punished."
"I didn't help him!" Wanda snapped. "And even if I had, what would punishing me really do? You want our magic, fine, but you can't wring it from a corpse!"
Doombringer eyed her. She wasn't certain whether she ought to acknowledge her. Instead, she stared through the two way mirror to Remy, who had picked his way through the rubble and into the room he had opened. He was aghast and she smirked.
"If you're going to use my godson like you're using Remy, what's the point of having us here?" Wanda said.
Doombringer smiled and met Wanda's gaze. Wanda scooted back, her eyes wide and petrified. There was still courage and fortitude. It would be difficult to break her, if that were her goal.
"Backup and insurance," she said. "Plus, you have powers I want. And no, not the puny ones from your wands. The real power."
She picked Wanda up by her hair and dangled her above the floor. Wanda whimpered and swung back and forth, trying to gain leverage. Doombringer backhanded her.
"The true power of darkness, little faerie. Juandissimo's coming back. If you can escape my trap, you'll prove worthy. If you can't…you'll be a good example."
The last slap had been almost casual. This one was so hard it snapped Wanda into the counter and they heard a crack. Tears sprang and Wanda blanched, white with pain.
"Not used to being mistreated?" Doombringer whispered harshly and yanked on Wanda's wings. "Like ripping wings off of butterflies."
In olden times, they used to be able to feed off misery and pain. Now they didn't dare absorb it, but they sensed it around them. Anti-Wanda swore it was her counterpart, which sent chills down Anti-Cosmo's spine. Anti-faeries liked the darkness and cruelty, but chose only to harm humans. They had abandoned punishing their counterparts thousands of years ago when they joined Fairy World. Humans were always fair game, although killing them went beyond what anti-faeries should do. But still, this…
Anti-Cosmo struggled within the net and pried the bottom. It was stuck to the ground.
"Hello?" he called. "Anyone here? We stumbled into your net. The least you could do is haul us back in!"
The hallway was empty and Anti-Cosmo groaned. "This is absurd."
"I wonder what they're doing to her," Anti-Wanda said.
Magic didn't work. Anti-Cosmo grabbed Anti-Wanda's wand, ignored her yelp, and rubbed the sticks together. Magic or not, they were still wood. After a while, he generated enough friction and…yes!
The net caught fire, little sparks at first, and Anti-Cosmo continued rubbing the wands. The fire spread, breaking the magical hold it held over them, and he cast the net aside. Anti-Wanda scooted away from it, as if afraid she too might catch fire.
"It's time we spoke to whomever's in charge here," Anti-Cosmo said.
A scream split the air and Anti-Wanda collapsed beside him. The sense of being magically disconnected was gone and they were all too aware of the warehouse's other occupants. Anti-Cosmo held up his wand to poof to the scream's source and nothing happened. He grimaced. They'd have to head off on foot and hope not to run into any more butterfly nets.
He wished the damn things had never been invented.
Cosmo's mind kept returning to the statue. Dr. Ripped Studwell wasn't talking to him, although he'd occasionally fling him back into that horrible healing spring. He'd also tried dousing him with various chemicals, which made Cosmo smell and hadn't removed the taint. At this rate, he smelled like he'd been rolling around in the sewers. Studwell didn't know what to do about him and Cosmo didn't know either. And his mind returned to the statue.
There was a bust in their storage room with Mama Cosma's baleful eyes glaring at them. Cosmo had become aware of it over a year ago and, by some sheer coincidence, that was when his relationship with Wanda had gone downhill. He didn't understand it, why the telepathy had ebbed away and the comments he made stopped being funny. He always used to make her laugh. Now she wasn't laughing, but turning away and sometimes, he thought maybe she was hiding tears.
He was losing the connection between past and present. The being within him wanted control and Cosmo was never a fighter, not unless it really mattered, although he sensed now it did. He didn't know what to do, though. Usually, Wanda told him and now Wanda wasn't here. It was hard to hold onto the details; they slipped through his mind like water through an open hand.
And it scared him. It scared him that he might have been able to help Wanda and Timmy if only he remembered what was so important. Or remembered anything at all.
He thought of the statue again. Mama Cosma would know what to do. She wouldn't want to save Wanda, although Timmy might be a tossup. But she'd know what to do. Cosmo was overwhelmed, afraid his body might not be his again, and he hated how it felt like everyone had abandoned him. Tears welled up in his eyes.
Mama would know what to do. The statue. Wanda's hurt looks and those comments he kept making, even when they stopped being funny.
Cosmo landed in the water again and wailed, both from the pain and the indecision. It felt like a huge block had come up and devoured parts of his life.
"Mama! Wanda! Timmy!" he yelped and then remembered, belatedly, the last two needed him, not the other way around. Damn it, he'd screwed up again. The cleansing ritual burned and he still felt tainted, inside and out.