Blade had stayed at Cloud Tower for a few more days. But her little trip outside had helped her to get more comfortable inside the school walls. And hanging around with the boys or watching them train had done its part as well. The webbing beneath her skin was gone as the last wounds had healed and her wings were back to their former strength.
Blade was pacing up and down her room. She had worked with Shanna today, they had covered the time when she had lied unmoving in the single cell and that asshole Clayton had entered at least parts of it. How Blade had successfully zapped him to the ground. Still so much was a haze to her, she remembered staring at the floor and nothing happening in addition to that she had been out cold as well before the boys had come to her rescue, which she had not even remembered at first. They had covered the arrest at the raid site, yet the group cell was mostly one thick cloud of unknown.
"Shit, you can do this, Blade… you have to…" She was trembling. Blade was riled up. She knew she was scared to fly anywhere alone, to be without backup, but she was so fed up with herself. 'I did win… I survived… I…Why can't I just...? Why do I… uuurghh!' She kicked against her bin and it crashed against the wall and toppled over. "Coward…" Shanna had dialled down her feelings of panic Blade had felt throughout the whole ordeal but had not erased her fear completely, it was on a more manageable level. Yet she could only do so for the memory parts they had worked on, which made it even harder for Blade now. As Blade had a gap in intensity between her fight in the group cell and lying on the floor and Clayton. One felt reasonable, and under control, since she knew the outcome of the single cell. She had scared Clayton off, thinking of him still made her gag though. Yet the group cell felt utterly horrible, both Clayton and that gangster boss had tried. But had the gangsters succeeded where the Officer had failed? She couldn't remember, she knew she had fended the gangster off once, there was no telling though if there was more. Both emotional ranges feeling in control and having none at all were both true to Blade, Shanna had warned her about it but Blade had insisted to stop for the day. "Fuck!"
Blade could feel the Tower reaching out to her. "I know, I know… I'm safe here…" Blade slid down the wall and tiny roots snuggled her. "I just… I am sick and tired of having an escort. I did my best. I won. I held out till backup arrived. So why am I so scared to go anywhere outside myself? I can't rely on a tag partner all my life. I'm such a coward…" She looked at the clock on the wall.
'Stay…' was the feeling she got from Cloud Tower. It had been really salty when Bladee had left these past days. It still was a bit restless when she was gone and super happy when she was back. Griffin and Discordia had complained so much, it had been hard for them to keep it in check.
"No, I mean, yes - I am happy to stay with you. But, but…I just want to… feel normal again… life goes on, I don't want to feel afraid all the time. This sucks!" Blade rampaged on. The little new Dream Eater even got a bit scared by her hissing and hid in the bookshelf. They were truly cocky when someone slept but if people were awake they were like meerkats from Gardenia. "Wonderful… I can scare the shit out of them while being scared, bullshit…" Blade sighed annoyed. 'Enough, no more, I can do this…' Her legs were trembling as she stood up and opened her window.
Cloud Tower grew some strings to hinder her from simply storming off. It was worried about her.
Blade halted, "Please, don't tell me you don't believe that I can do this either… I should be able to. There are no police in the air- or gangsters…. They CAN'T fly. If I want to do this I have to go now…before the dome…Why did I wait so long!?" She burrowed her head in her legs as she sat on her desk before the window. "Do you truly believe I can't do this? Then shut the window. If…please… I have to try. I…" Tears stood in her eyes. She heard the strings retract and the way was free to the outside. Blade sat there for a few more minutes. Her time was running out. "I can do this…just gotta dash all the way…" She had waited so long that it truly was now or never. "Shadion!" She transformed and was off into the night.
Panting, and breathing heavily, Blade slid down outside at the wall of Alfea. She was sweaty and cold. Some bird had hunted in the night and had dived past her to catch some prey probably. Blade hadn't noticed it as she had focused with tunnel vision on the ground in fear that someone was going to shoot her. Eyes closed, blindly, she had darted away from the scene, she nearly had flown completely past the school. She was scared and couldn't calm down, since what felt like forever she was leaning onto the school wall eyes shut trying to blend out everything around her.
'Help… I need help…' She looked up. 'The dome, it's up?! But when?' She hadn't even noticed so stuck she had been in her head and without her bracelet of course no one had found her. Shanna and the Professors had decided to leave it off as she was not on missions and the day she actually had worn it again, it so often had shown stress levels that Red Fountain wasn't sure then to check in or not, because every time they did it made things worse, plus she was never alone and in the safety of school grounds. 'Help me… help…' Blade couldn't stand she barely could crawl towards the gate, but that wouldn't get her over the wall and inside. And she couldn't bring herself to shout for help. This was so embarrassing. 'Voice of nature…'
"HA! And again, pot is mine," Wizgiz laid down his deck of cards. Everyone sighed.
Faragonda smirked, "Not so fast. That pot is mine." Triumphantly she turned her cards in her hand.
"WHAT?!" Griselda was speechless. "I was so sure you had nothing…"
Avalon stared at the headmistress, 'Even her aura said so…. She is worse than Wizgiz!'
"Well, that's the reason why I am Headmistress and you are not," She teased Griselda who grunted in return.
Palladium was scratching his head, "I'll never win in this game… one can aura read, you two are a void of emotions…" He let his head hang.
"Give it a few decades more you'll get the hang of it - maybe," Faragonda grinned mischievously. "Besides this table is easy. You should play with Votzaak, Eaden or Aithlin… he's something else. I swear he is using plants to spy on the decks…"
"Shouldn't you sense that?" Avalon asked a bit confused.
"Aithlin is half as old as Votzaak but twice as cunning if it's about card games…" Faragonda shook her head, "Nerrocean is the only one I can beat at that table, his tailfin twitches to the right when he has good cards…"
"You don't say," Wizgiz smirked. "Should remember that. Though Votzaak and he are into other card games mainly…"
"They are?" Griselda adjusted her glasses as she dealt the next hand, "What kind of-"
Palladium got startled and nearly fell over his chair as he darted to the window, "No way…" He opened it and looked outside.
"What's wrong?" Griselda was utterly confused. "No reason to run from a card ga-"
"Blade?" Faragonda was just as confused as Palladium. "Here? Inside the school? But when did she…?"
Avalon rushed to the window Palladium had already jumped out of, "But I thought she stays at Cloud Tower because of the Dream Eaters and she didn't want to come. What is she doing here?"
Palladium slid down the rounded glass windows and beams and turned left. "Blade," He called out to her. He walked in the direction nature guided him and spotted her. She was crawling along the school walls towards the front gates. She was shaken to the core gasping for air. He closed the gap and kneeled down beside her. "What's wrong? Hey, breathe," he had to calm himself down first. There were no wounds, nothing. Blade simply was scared. "Breathe, Blade… in and out…"
Avalon slowly stepped closer, "Blade, you are safe here, you can do this," He tried to encourage her, but she had such a hard time.
"I just… that bird…why… I should be…why?" Blade gasped as she clawed into the grass annoyed by herself.
"Blade, there is no reason to push yourself so hard. It's okay to take time," Palladium tried to reassure her. "Nothing's wrong with you."
'She's not calming down,' Avalon kneeled down as well, "Blade give me your hand please," he waited and reluctantly got his wish. "Sumnio Falax," he cast to calm her mind staying panicked now wouldn't help her at all.
Blade relaxed and could breathe deeply again. Still, her frustration stayed.
"Come, I fly you back to Cloud Tower," Professor Avalon suggested.
"No," Blade shook her head, "I can… I can stay here…"
Professor Palladium was as unsure as Avalon, "Blade, you don't have the Tower here or the Dream Eaters. Even if Nebula is in your room, it's not the same… she can't help you in your sle-"
"I want my life back!" She hissed tormented. "I stay. I can do this. I have to, I…"
"Blade, you're pushing too hard, that won't help you," Professor Avalon tried to reason with her. 'She isn't ready.'
Blade looked at him devastated, "I can! I got here, alone, that was the hard part - Why don't you believe in me?! Are you saying I'm too weak…?" Despite her complaints, she simply was so upset with herself.
"Not at all, Blade. Healing needs time. You can't just force this," Avalon spoke softly.
"I won, I came out on top, this is nothing in comparison - this should be nothing…" She started to cry. "I'm doing my best, why is it not enough? …"
Avalon sighed deeply, 'She needs someone to believe in her, doesn't she?' He stood up again, "Your best is good enough, Blade, don't worry about that. This was very brave of you. Still, please, call next time and don't do it alone, that is what friends and Professors are for. We can give you space and still watch out for you. Can you promise me that? Next time you call first?"
Blade nodded as she calmed down some more, "Sorry..."
"All good, apology accepted. Now come on, let's go inside. You made it this far at least we can let you try. If it shouldn't work, we'll fly back together. No protests. Does that sound fair?" Professor Avalon proposed.
"Yeah…" Blade agreed quietly as she stood up.
'But,' Palladium looked at Avalon in disagreement.
"Blade, hey, Blade, wake up," Nebula shook her awake.
Blade rose from her restless sleep and nearly screamed out loud.
"SHHHHHHH!" Snow pressed her hand on her mouth and once she stopped screaming hugged her tightly. "Everything will be okay, Blade." The whole class had snuck into their room and it was yet another slumber party with a bunch of mattresses.
Blade stared at concerned faces, she was drenched in sweat yet again, "I…I… what was it this time?" She panted and her heart was pounding but she could barely remember what she had dreamed about.
"You nearly kicked me out of your bed again…" Nebula rubbed her shin. "What are you dreaming?"
"Is there no way we can help her sleep better? A potion maybe?" Birdy looked at Blade worried.
"The Dream Eater would be the best choice…" Dahlia answered pondering.
Sienna shook her head, "But they don't like the school too much Light magic…" She let herself drop into her pillow again and stared at the ceiling.
"Come, all sweaty like that you won't get back to sleep either way," Amber stood up and offered Blade a hand.
Blade sighed, it was the middle of the night and she had showered five times already. "I don't know I just see blurred faces or hear voices… I can't really remember…" She let herself be pulled out of bed by Amber and followed her to the shower. 'What happened in that group cell?'
Amber looked at Blade as she quickly changed out of her pyjama, "Blade…"
"I'm fine…" Blade answered directly.
"No, you are not, no need to pretend here. We are your friends. I am your friend," Amber leaned against the sink, "I just wish I would know how I can help you. You haven't told anyone so far what… or even which Officer has beat you up. You haven't remembered yet, have you? Or were it truly those thugs as the boys suggested… but the teachers said that was unrelated…"
Blade's memories flashed up. Pulled by the hair, stuffed into that other cell. 'Friend…' It echoed in her mind. The bathroom walls are tainted in red just for a second, "Get out!" Blade screamed at Amber as she threw the next best thing half scared to death.
Amber was startled by the outburst, but the toothbrush missed her by far. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Her voice was unsteady. 'Shit, what did I do!? Stupid me, stupid, stupid!'
"What's wrong?!" The girls ripped the door open.
Blade stood there squinting her eyes and she sank to the floor crying.
Tessa quickly pulled a towel out of the closet and slung it around her, "You are safe Blade."
"Get out…please… just get out. Too many…too many…" Blade felt caged, she knew she was safe and yet it was too much with so many inside this small room, memories and reality overlapped for milliseconds. Blade used the exercises Shanna had given her to keep it together.
The girls looked at each other and slowly retreated from the door and bathroom to close the door for now.
"What do we do?! She can't stay there like that all night?" Rise whispered, she was devastated like the rest to see Blade like that. "Do we need to call Professor Avalon?"
"What did you say to her?" Birdy stared at Amber.
"I just…I was careless… I just told her that I don't know how to help her and that she doesn't have to pretend with us and then I…" She teared up herself. "I just rambled off none of the information we get our hands on is worth anything...shit…"
Sienna slung her arms around her, "We all want to know…who did it…why…she's just not ready yet."
"I know…" Amber squeaked from under the hug, "I just wish I could help her…do something, anything…"
Nebula sighed deeply, "We all want to… you had the right intentions… I'm biting my tongue all night long. She normally tells me everything. This is killing me." She sat down and let herself topple over.
"Do you think she even knows?" Snow asked quietly as they all sat down and leaned against some furniture.
Birdy sighed deeply, "You mean she blocked it out? I mean I did block some stuff from Desertia but then again…I didn't have those kinds of outbursts…it was more like missing a frame not the entire movie. She hadn't that much trouble with Desertia either. How was this worse than that?"
"Alone…"
"No magic…"
"Cuffed…"
It turned everyone's stomach upside down just thinking about it. Snow stood up again and knocked on the door. "Blade… you alright? Can I come in?" She could hear the shower and her sniffling and weeping. "Please…" No answer. She took heart and stepped in nonetheless.
"Stay away…" Blade mumbled as the hot water ran down her skin. The overlapping of realities had vanished as fast as it had come.
"I will, but I won't leave you alone, because you are not. This is your home and you are safe here. I'll always be here for you, always. I'll just sit here and be there. No questions asked," Snow started humming a lullaby as she sat down.
It was soothing, enough space to not feel threatened and yet not alone. Blade relaxed as the hot steam rose. Time passed by. "How did you find your courage, Snow?" Blade asked randomly at some point. "I'm so scared of what I may find once I dig… I remember, no I feel the fear still. But…the why… I'm not sure what is worse not knowing or knowing, I'm scared…"
"Courage...huh…" Snow snorted, "That you of all people would ask me that..." She had to chuckle. "You did, all of you in fact. You gave me courage when I was down. You showed me that my ice magic has nothing to do with Icy, that I can be Fairy nonetheless - anyone I want to be. And I am telling you right now, no matter what you may find, same goes for you," She paused, "But yeah, I'm still scared, still after all this time, whenever I go back home to Eraklyon my throat tightens my heart beats faster. I hear the whispers, the rumours and I find myself ensnared by fear. But you always say that I shouldn't listen to stupid nobles and their lies, they have no right to tell me who I can be or not. And you are right about that, still, I am afraid, stupid me, you are my friend I should trust your words more than those lies. So, sometimes I wonder, am I really courageous? Have I found my courage or am I just pretending…?" She looked to the ceiling.
"Of course, you are, why do you think I asked you…?" Blade answered muffled, "Every time you face a fear, that's courage…"
"Well then, I'd say you are the most courageous of us all tonight," Snow smiled as she stared at the rising steam.
"I can't even sleep…without a monster wobbling above my head," Blade snorted. "Ridiculous…I slept better on a planet full of zombies…"
Snow puffed, "You sure? Maybe you were just more exhausted or it didn't feel as hopeless. You had a goal to save other people, to get the help that was needed, to find justice. You had no time to second guess yourself it would have meant death, but you are safe here. So, you have the time to truly reflect. Picking a goal, what I want to do with my ice magic helped me greatly to accept this power and move on."
Blade shut off the water, "What did you pick? Remind me again, please…"
"I want to protect my friends, of course, I'll become the strongest defence Ice Fairy. No one will break through my ice walls… well besides, Codatorta, he's a beast, unbelievable… or Avalon… or Faragonda…Griffin can probably too…" Snow blabbed on.
'Protect friends, yeah, we always protect each other…' Blade chuckled a bit forced, "Didn't you forget Palladium?"
"Nah, I'll beat him and his puny plants. I'll make sure of that," Snow laughed out loud.
"Heh, nice goal, maybe we should focus on freezing plants and earth first," Blade suggested. "He'll be so annoyed then, that's for sure…" She grabbed the towel.
"Tchhh," Snow giggled, "So, what will you focus on first? What's your goal? Baby steps, right? That's what they tell us EVERY single day. So, what will help you grow and heal? Find your courage?" She looked at Blade who came out of the shower.
Blade halted and stared at the ground, "Protecting friends… no matter what happened, I don't want anyone to face, to feel so…" She trembled, "I want my life back…"
Snow hugged her tightly, "I'm with you, we all are."
"Yeah, this battle isn't over yet. Police and Sorceresses do mix. William proofed it. Even if I rather would run from him right now and never see his face again. He's my friend too…he did nothing… I – I can't lose him, he did nothing wrong, and I know that…still. No." Blade clenched her fists, "I won't lose what I have fought for, not because of some assholes who think they are better than anyone else. The other Sorceresses, William even Griffin are still working so hard not to lose the progress we made… those Officers...I'll pound them to dust, till there is nothing left of their oh-so-great supremacy. I'll give purpose to my pain, I'll get my life back. I'll beat them. Never again will they…not to any of my friends or other Sorceress…they'll pay for what they did…" Tears dripped down her face yet again.
"Yes, they will," Snow hugged her even tighter, 'That's the Blade I know,' Yet she corrected her, "But it's not I'll beat them. It's WE'LL beat them, all of us. If we could beat Philopa we'll squash them. And whenever you are ready and know… we'll always have an ear for you, any of us, okay?" Blade simply nodded as she leaned into the hug.
Blade had stayed at Alfea throughout the daytime and went back to Cloud Tower to attend classes and get her sleep there. She had tried to sleep in Alfea but she had been so tired after just two days of next to no good sleep. Yet she regained her feeling of safety the more she worked with Shanna on everything, those two nights with the girls had jolted her memory even if they had been lacking in sleep. She remembered that she had been dragged into the other cell. She had fought the gangsters, but most of it was a haze, still only bits and pieces from the beginning and even in these parts some things were missing, hidden, blocked by her mind. So, she had not talked with anyone besides Shanna about it. She first wanted to know the truth, the full truth, herself. They had worked on the unwanted kissing and touching part that had been truly hard and exhausting, but she knew she had defended herself, she had come out top both times, against the gangsters and the Officer. She was more than capable of fending off something like that even without magic. Blade and Shanna were sure they had covered everything after the gangster fight. The timeframe and what Shanna had read in the medical and police reports showed it. Shanna even had watched the security tapes, and from what Blade remembered and when Blade had fallen unconscious Shanna was sure there had been no more unwanted touching from anyone, everything matched up. Shanna promised Blade that and she believed her.
And that knowledge had helped Blade's anxiety so much. She wasn't just the victim anymore she was a survivor more than that a fighter. Blade easily could fly from one school to the next alone after that uncertainty had cleared up. She even started to run her parkour again and wore the bracelet outside of the school grounds again. She took part in all her classes as usual even battle class. Rumours of all kinds had spread through Alfea as to what exactly had happened that day. The official statement stood firm, pandemonium class had helped out to get the Tower under control and Blade was at home dealing with family matters. And the class didn't stray from that when asked neither did the Professors. Blade stayed calm and collected ever since her uncertainties had been cleared up, there had been no more hick-ups when someone came into body contact unannounced with her. People could interact with her normally again. Still, days after that revelation the fight in the group cell itself had remained hazy. Blade knew she had defended herself against the gangsters and had come out top, but it was all blurry, there were missing pieces the mind had blocked memories that had become clear to her. Shanna, therefore, had slowed down the process at some point. Shanna had told her it would come on its own when she was ready. So instead of forcing the issue Shanna had focused on other areas which Blade easily could remember, they had more than enough things to go through in depth. Shanna wanted to stabilise Blade further first and Blade had agreed.
Blade and her class were staring at the blackboard Griselda was scribbling down about differentiating the diverse shield spells and which to use against what attack spell. It was so hot outside and in the school building. It was hard to concentrate on anything Griselda was saying.
"Birdy, what of those five spells can shield you best from a plasma sphere?" Professor Griselda asked her abruptly.
"Uh… uhm… the one against energy thingies…" Birdy hadn't paid much attention as she had stared out the window.
Griselda stared at her, "Which is? …" The girl had no idea. "Blade, which one would you use?"
"None…" Blade snorted. "I'd be using a weapon or the chakram spell of mine…or simply jump to the side."
Professors Griselda sighed, "Theoretically."
"First one…" Tasu mumbled bored, she finally had been released from the Council prison and was back and as prepared as ever.
"At least someone pays attention…" Griselda was displeased with the class. "Tell you what let's make a quick test next week about this."
"WHAT?!" Everyone was ripped from their thoughts. "Ahh…please no."
"Well then, you better stop daydreaming about the pool to swim in and think about how you can regulate your magic pool better so you can fight longer," Griselda scolded them harshly. "You won't always just fight just one person or monster choosing the right defence strategy is essential for survival. Or how do you think Master Codatorta was able to defeat you all? If you're smart about it like him you simply can drag one enemy into the spell of another. No magic use whatsoever… He didn't win because he has more magic he…" Professor Griselda rambled on.
'Defence strategy…. …' Blade pondered, 'line ups to make them hinder themselves... He did that a lot…we trained this in his classes...saved my ass at least in the group cell…done right it's really an effective defence,' Blade scribbled the examples down she remembered from the Red Fountain classes on her paper and stared at them.
"Blade maybe you want to explain some basics from close combat classes in Red Fountain," Griselda had stepped over she had thought Blade was drawing sketches or something meaningless and had spotted the basic movement patterns she had drawn. The Professor held out the chalk to her.
Blade took it and moved up to the blackboard, "Which case?" She turned around to Griselda.
"Pick one," Professor Griselda left it open to her.
Blade closed her eyes shortly she used the simplest one to get it over with, "Well, you don't want to be surrounded obviously so you move out of the circle first…" She drew an arrow backwards and drew a new crosshatched circle to show the position change. "Once there you… line up people and move so they hinder each other. That minimises the number of attacks at once and they might hit each other or stumble… push…or in our case hit their own with their spells," She stared at the blackboard. 'He stumbled… one stumbled, didn't he?…' Blade tried to trace her fight in her mind. She knew she had knocked out one or two gangsters, especially at the start. Before she had been smashed against the wall herself and everything after that was really hazy. 'I won…' She was sure of it. 'But how? The police shot them, stunned them once they stunned me…there were so many shots…but no one stumbled in the start - not forwards, why do I remember someone stumbling forward…' Blade stared at the blackboard drawing the circles in her mind but the timeline didn't add up. It was too short. 'I was at the wall…no bench…no, no, entrance…when was I in the middle of the room? I…someone stumbled I'm sure of it…'
"Blade?" Professor Griselda stepped closer the girl just stood there frozen. "Blade? Everything okay?" The chalk dropped to the ground, but the girl hurriedly picked it up again. 'Does she remember? Did I jolt her memory? Not good, better call Shanna right away.' Shanna had warned them intensely that there was more to come even if she was stable now. 'What has she blocked out?'
"Sorry, all good," Blade mumbled before she shook her head and refocused, 'I… what? No time for this now…come on, concentrate. I don't need Griselda of all people to go mushy on me more than she already has.' Blade breathed in deeply. "So, to avoid…"
Neither Avalon nor Griffin had said a word to the rest of the staff about the sexual assaults, although they were pretty sure Blade had fended it off successfully. It wasn't theirs to tell and there had been no solid proof so to say, besides Blade's reactions and her aura. Of course, Shanna wouldn't break patient confidentiality either to confirm their already festered conclusion of what the police had done. Shanna didn't inform Faragonda or anyone else against Blade's wishes. After all Blade was in dire need to know she could trust people not to go behind her back, blabbing stuff to people. And her friends had no clue whatsoever.
'Obviously, she got beaten down in the single cell by that Officer…' Griselda trembled in anger herself shortly. She had read the official Police report of Blade's arrest and all the other reports that the station had filed that day and the following. 'They used that damn gangster brawl as a distraction for their own assault to hide it from the rest of the station personnel…Her scream for help wasn't for what was going on in the other cell, but because she was bleeding out! ASSHOLES! How dare they attack my student, a child. Cowards! Venting on a kid because they screwed up in that shitty raid,' Griselda had seen the tape of the security hallway of the station.
Blade had resisted the arrest, she had panicked in the anti-magic cell, so they had stun shot her once she had been inside the single cell and had used that as an excuse to beat her up unable to defend herself. 'It's impossible that Blade got that beaten up when she could have defended herself. No way that Officer would have gotten out unscathed. LIES, all LIES!'
The cell door of the single cell had been open for so long. Griselda could only imagen what probably had been done to her student once Blade had been down on the ground in the single cell. Not to mention the fact that she had been shut up again once the massacre in the other cell had been noticed. So many had gone inside her cell after they had noticed what the gangsters had done to themselves. Only that young officer who had been dragged out by a more experienced one had realised something was up, but he hadn't filed or reported anything so far. He actually was on leave all this time. 'And they have the audacity to pretend and ask her to help with the damn mess after beating her half to death… beside the point that she can't use healing spells, the audacity to ask such a thing after what they did. Just to cover up… I should…I - All this because the rest fucked up, being too busy searching for that Misery girl. The Officers upstairs had no idea what those few did… the reports clearly showed it.'
"…So, you move people in a line and so they block each other. In air battles that's much harder though as we all know an attack can come from all directions," Blade finished her explanation and drawings. She looked back at Griselda but she was somewhere else.
"Professor?" Tessa pulled on her sleeve.
"Yes," Griselda looked to the blackboard, "Very good Blade," she simply stated. She hadn't listened to what Blade had explained, but the drawings looked right. She looked at the clock, "I'd say that is enough for today…" Her thoughts kept spiralling. Confused stares pinned her down.
"Uhm…we never end early in any of your glasses. Is everything alright?" Birdy asked confused. It was just ten minutes but still, Professor Griselda never ended early.
Griselda adjusted her classes, "Well, when else will you study for the quick test next week?" She cleared her throat. A moan rolled through the classroom.
"Figures…" Sienna sighed deeply but everyone packed up before she would change her mind.
Tasu pondered as she packed up, "Is that hard to do, Blade? I never saw you do that with Avalon and Palladium when they fight us in battle class."
Blade looked up a bit disoriented from her backpack, "Uh… well… I try, but it's hard to do with just two people. Stuff like that is easier the more people are there because they step on each other's toes. With just two they have more space to move around, not to mention our Professors are freaking fast." Blade scratched her head, 'I did escape those thugs and then…jumped that one guy and but he stumbled backwards…what happened before the Officers shot us all…' Blade couldn't let this go.
"They are using that against us though," Nebula ground her teeth. "Maybe we should check for counters. Codatorta surely has an idea or something…besides being faster than them which is impossible for us…" They moved on to walk the hallways.
"I doubt there is a counter besides being better. Well spreading out more, but even then… Palladium will just use his desist spell and then fire whatever he has caught at us," Dahlia grunted displeased. "Blade, hey, watch out!"
Amber pulled her back before Blade crashed into Daphne who was carrying a bunch of books, "Blade. Hello?"
"Huh, what?" Blade looked irritated at her history Professor, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you, Professor."
Daphne looked concerned at Blade, "All good, nothing happened. Is something the matter? You look a bit - out of it?" She asked kindly.
"No, no, it's just so hot… I think I didn't drink enough. Can we help you with that?" Blade offered, 'What happened… I kicked the guy in the nuts he went down. Escaped…to the bench…'
"That would be so kind, thank you very much," All the girls took some books from Daphne's hands and they walked to her office.
'Bench, jumped that huge guy… then I got smashed against the wall… that makes three… down… door opens shots fired…no, no, no, stumble backwards… then they cornered me… no someone was above me once…' Blade followed them along. The girls had picked up some papers Daphne wanted to correct in the joined teacher's lounge as well.
"Just place them here, thank you so much," Daphne smiled at them all. "Picknick sounds fun, good idea, enjoy the sun okay? Free time is important after all."
"Blade? You coming?" Snow tugged at her. "Hey, what's wrong? Blade?"
"Hm? Just thinking…sorry, what was the question?" Blade asked a bit perplexed as she pushed her dreads back over her shoulder.
"We're going outside to picnic at the lake. Have you not listened at all?" Tessa looked at her confused.
"Maybe another time… I'm not hungry," Blade answered shortly and looked over her shoulder once more but only Dufour, Zyron and Daphne were in the teacher's lounge eyeing her closely just like her classmates. 'Why is it blank…? After the wall even before… My concussion is long gone. It should be healed. I should remember, aahh, this is so annoying,' Blade refocused on the people in front of her. "Do you know if Professor Avalon or Professor Palladium are in their offices?" She asked out of the blue.
"Palladium still has nature class with the first years, they are in the swamp I think…should be back any minute now," Zyron answered.
Dufour checked the plan, "Yeah, Professor Avalon could be in his office. He's done for today. Nebula would you go with her before you set out to the lake?"
"Of course, come on, let's fetch you the Angel of Death," Nebula snorted, she loved that nickname Kitty had given him and it always made Blade chuckle, but this time she didn't react at all.
The two walked down the hallway. Blade pulled her hands out of her pockets they felt sticky, "Blood…?"
Nebula stopped, "Blade, what's wrong? What blood? Your hands are clean. Blade?" Nebula took her hands tight and squeezed them, "Shit, she's remembering something again, Blade, wake up," frozen Blade stared at her hands. She freezing-up had happened here and there. It was like a coin dropped for her, especially in the start, but these past days had been quiet. She had worked with Shanna on everything after all. Just like Nebula had worked with Shanna on her feeling like she had betrayed Blade and left her behind to fend for herself against the Police. "Blade? Shit…" Quickly Nebula pulled her along. 'This is longer than normal, she should have snapped out of it already.' She knocked at the door.
"Com-" Professor Avalon could barely answer as the two girls entered.
"She wanted to see you. I escorted her and then she suddenly stared at her hands and talked about blood," Nebula was out of her element and freaked out a bit. "Blade?" She turned around to her friend as the door fell shut behind them.
Professor Avalon already was reading Blade's aura, her patterns were disturbed but there were no brewing emotions underneath her passive exterior. 'She's confused…' He stepped closer and guided Blade to sit down on the sofa.
"There was so much blood… Where did it come from…?" Blade looked up. She remembered the floor smeared with blood, and vomit on the ground. "But that was in the single cell…"
"Nebula, would you give us some time? I'll take care of her. Please, tell Faragonda to call Shanna," Avalon turned to the Fairy. He was as calm as ever Nebula on the other hand was an emotional mess right now. "Nebula," Professor Avalon firmly addressed her and laid a hand on her shoulder to snap Nebula out of her headspace. "It'll be fine."
Nebula simply nodded to him and rushed off.
Avalon gave Blade a little zap with his Light magic to get her out of her daze, "Blade, do you know where you are?" Avalon kneeled before her and inspected her closer.
Blade looked at him, blinked and looked around, "Your office."
"Good. You are safe here," He assured her. "What did you want to talk about?" He didn't want to push.
"There was so much blood, how could I forget…" Blade shook her head.
Professor Avalon stood up to pour some water for her, "You were hurt badly. The Specialists hurried but you were lying in the cell without first aid. Head wounds bleed a lot. It wasn't as much as it seemed."
"I know… but that was in the other cell…" Blade mumbled half loud.
"Other cell?" Avalon frowned, 'No way, she has seen inside that gang cell. They took her straight to the Owl. The tape wasn't altered, Griffin had it already checked out as well as Faragonda, she never left the anti-magic cell. The boys were mistaken, don't tell me someone told her that ludicrous assumption, just great…' He gave her the water glass and made sure she wouldn't drop it.
Blade sipped at the glass, "Yes, the gangster's cell…", Blade mumbled, "The guy at the door… knee… no, no… stumble forward… no it's all wrong…jump… where did the other one go? No, no, no it's all wrong," Blade tensed up.
"Blade?" Professor Avalon squinted his eyes. "I don't understand what you are trying to tell me. Do you remember the fight with the Officer?" He took the glass out of her hands as she was tensing up more. 'She's describing a fight…but there were never more than two Officers with her long enough for something that complicated. Could she hear that precisely what was going on in the other cell? Those thugs killed each other, that power struggle was horrific and that one guy was barely recognisable. Was it that loud? But then the Officers would have checked. They had to hear that. It's impossible they would ignore that. O were they truly that fed up because their comrade died that they didn't take it seriously!?' He took hold of her hand and spoke softly, "You are mixing things up, Blade, you heard the gangsters fight and called for help, the reports stated so, the tape proves it. The boys' imagination ran wild with them," He tried to calm her down. "You never were in that group cell, Blade, you couldn't have been, we would have seen tha-"
"I was!" Blade hissed at him because enraged that she couldn't reconstruct the events. She didn't care anymore if he knew or not, she just wanted the truth, the haze to lift, to remember. "You got to have a trance, a spell, something. It's all in the wrong order. I smacked the boss against the wall, and then I, I - the uppercut…he stumbled, but backwards not forwards. Where, when?!" Blade hammered her hands against her head. "Boss, uppercut, the bench, I toppled the big guy… Then I was on top... no, the kicks to the head. No, no, no, the pulling on the floor, no I was up against the wall…I... I…there was so much blood where did it come from, the blood on my hands," Blade ground her teeth so hard.
Professor Avalon stared at her wide-eyed, she wasn't lying or at least she believed she didn't. She had stayed away from all media she hadn't found the courage to look at the footage or read the reports and no one had forced her to. There had been no point to it. Blade already knew what had happened no matter what lies the Officers had spread to cover up what they had done to her. "Blade, look at me," the Professor took hold of her hands and pulled them down away from her head, she was so stressed. "Blade," Avalon stayed calm as his brain processed the information pieces. 'Four inmates died in that power struggle for new leadership, the healers were all busy at the raid side they were too late, too much time had passed, and they couldn't save them anymore…How could she possibly - without magic? How would they even - they couldn't have gotten her into the other cell without it showing on the tape. That's impossible,' He breathed in deeply. "Blade, you -"
"He slipped… he crashed forward… the one with the scar… he hit the bench…his head," Blade swallowed as her memory came back, that Police Officer had shot her in the back but, "The Police didn't stun them, I… they… they already were on the ground… I was the only one to be…" Speechlessly she stared at her Professor. The fight itself still was hazy, her heart pounded when she asked, "What happened to the gangsters in the other cell? Tell me… you read the reports, all of them, didn't you?"
Professor Avalon wasn't sure what to answer, 'How can she know that? Yes, one of the guys stumbled and smacked his head and died from the injury. But Blade shouldn't have known that, she didn't read the reports and the other students had no access to them. If she was in there with them in that power struggle…no… she would have stayed out of it. But then how? If they stuck her in there what else is a lie…? Did they - she was found still cuffed… did they stick her in there with six grown men and let them have at her, just to beat her up afterwards? Did those gangsters fight who was to go first!? Her aura clearly showed that someone forced… it was just like…but in the subconsciousness…' Avalon suppressed a gag. He couldn't lose it in front of her not now. He had no idea how far his presumed assault had gone anymore, he had been so sure she had won, not anymore, not with those odds.
"Professor…" Blade stared in a pale face of silence. "What happened to them? Say something…please," She teared up his silence couldn't mean anything good.
'If she's telling the truth…' Avalon looked at her, "It'll be alright, Blade," He laid his hand on top of her shoulder, "Somnio Flaxa Nescius." Blade fell into him as the sleeping spell took effect. Avalon would not go into this without Shanna, he had not the abilities to care for her as she would need it. He laid her down on the sofa. That spell would hold long enough for Shanna to arrive and no danger of her waking up prematurely because of nightmares since her sleep was magically induced. He stood there unmoving for a few minutes. "But how…" Blade was in a deep slumber the spell had taken its full effect. Avalon quickly stepped out of his office and locked it up.
"What are we exactly looking for?" Palladium sat in front of the Simulator room controls. He uploaded the security footage of the Police station again. "Blade got dragged inside and fought the Officer. Probably got most of her wounds there and then the fight broke out in the other cell. And they took forever to get to those gangsters."
"Stop the feed," Avalon was close behind him leaning on the back of the chair.
Palladium frowned, "She isn't even in the frame yet…"
"Can you project that hallway with its correct measurements into the simulator room? And put your camera feed at the same angle as in that tape. Extrapolate?" Avalon rose and stepped towards the entrance.
"Sure…that's easy. But what good will that do?" Palladium shook his head and simply followed the instructions.
Avalon stepped inside the chamber and waved at the created camera, "You can see me?"
"Yes…" Palladium's voice resounded from the speakers.
"Good, tell me when you don't…and no peeking with the over angles. Only use that one," Avalon warned him sternly.
Palladium sighed, "I get it, I get it, what has bitten you in the butt? We checked that tape like a thousand times for alterations, but there were none. Not to mention that a copy is saved at the Council and they were identical." Palladium watched Avalon open the door of the single cell wide open and step behind it. "Now you're gone," he informed him. "What are we doing here, Avalon?"
"See me yet?" He asked again.
"No, you are behind the door, you know that I can't see you," Palladium sighed as he heard the door open and Shanna stepped in. "Ah, good evening, Shanna, pretty sure we'll be done here any second…" Palladium refocused on the screen again, "Shanna is here, you need to wake Blade. What are you looking for anyways? I can't help you if-"
Avalon stepped out from behind the big door and slammed it shut angrily, "THOSE - I KILL THEM! I TRULY WILL!" He burst out in anger as he punched the wall with magic behind him and it cracked.
"Avalon?! Calm down buddy," Quite confused Palladium watched as the big door fell shut yet the smaller door to the group cell was open, "Why is the door open to the second cell? Wait, when did you even open that one?" Palladium played back the last few seconds. Nothing.
'So, she told him after all…but the Elf? Is she ready to open up that much?' Shanna breathed out deeply as she got a read on the Elf he was a bit too calm for that revelation. "Good evening."
Palladium turned to face Shanna, "Why is he going on a rampage? He's White Jade, they never…"
'Oh boy…' Shanna shrouded herself in silence, "Blade hasn't talked to you?"
"No, I was out with nature class, Avalon put her under before I even got here," Palladium saw no rhyme or reason to this.
Shanna simply moved on to enter the simulation, "Follow me…And not ANOTHER word to anyone about this. Is that clear?" She stated firmly.
"But… what?" Palladium stood up still confused he followed her into the chamber. The door shut behind him. He stood there in the police station hallway Avalon was still trembling in anger and squinted his eyes so hard.
"Shanna, what did they do...? You know…please…don't tell me they - Tell me I am wrong…please…" Avalon begged her devastated.
"Blade had nothing to do with the gangster fight," Palladium repeated firmly again, "Avalon… she can't have been in there. If she - that would mean… that she… We're talking about six grown men...and no magic. Shanna talk some sense into him," he looked to the elven Lady.
Shanna breathed out, "My apologies Professor Avalon, I can't."
"So, she got - by six men?!" Avalon was utterly speechless. He couldn't bare the thought.
"…" Palladium gagged up as he stumbled backwards against the projected hallway wall.
"Gentlemen, you should have more trust in the training you provided for her. How could four dead gangsters assault a girl not to mention the other two unconscious and, in the hospital," Shanna crossed her arms. "She'd be dead without you two, in more ways than one..."
"Her aura it showed…but in the subconsciousness…" Avalon simply was confused now unable to think straight.
Shanna breathed out, "Just because they didn't get what they wanted, doesn't mean they didn't try. You saw the rate she improved with mentally. That wouldn't happen if they had their way with her. Now please, that talk will take… a while. I won't leave her alone with the truth to hit her on the head in the next few days. She'll piece it together from her foggy memory, hearsay and reports."
"You can't! Those pictures, all those dead bodies, if she sees," Palladium couldn't even get up to his feet anymore. The truth had hit him so hard.
Shanna raised her eyebrows, "My, you two look worse than her right now. Better make a session with you two first by the looks of it."
"How can you be so calm about this!?" Avalon looked at the old Elf.
"It's my job. I had a few more days to piece this together than you, obviously. And I've had many patients. Cases where it didn't go so… well… for the assaulted… and this was a one-time off. You have no idea what can happen behind closed doors and palace walls. Again, your training saved her life, focus on that." Shanna paused. The two still looked like crap, "This isn't the first time she has faced death. In Desertia she watched many get killed. She led the front line even if she didn't take a life per se and focused on the monsters, she saw the battlefield. She already accepted that she had to defend herself in the prison cells, that it was a valid choice. She knows she's strong enough to protect herself, that's why she can fly around alone in the day or after nightfall again. The nightmares come from her mind trying to piece together what still lies buried."
"But… four lives. By her own hands…" Avalon shook his head, "That's too much. She's still a student.'
"Is it? And where is the difference to the Winx? They killed the last Phoenix host there was a man beneath once. Or Valtor the first time around he was obliterated to magic specs. Or the Black Circle frozen solid. Not to mention that being sent to the Omega dimension or any prison dimension for that matter is like death. Just because they keep breathing doesn't mean they are living. Even if many like to call those dimensions prisons, they are coffins if you ask me if not straight-out torture. So, why is it okay for the Winx to remember but not her?" She asked the Professors sternly. "Blade's already playing with the thought of taking this to a civil hearing after her criminal proceeding is done. If we don't tell her now, the latest it will be there, they will bring it up if only to scare Blade off. What if she wants to go to prison someday to confront her attackers and not all are to be found? It was self-defence not murder, there are differences even if it has the same outcome. Still, this needs to be properly processed, that is part of a good and full healing process. So, you will wake her up RIGHT NOW or do you want to keep her a sleeping beauty for the rest of her life? Cause nothing short of that will save her from the truth."
Back at Avalon's office, the three had woken Blade again. Shanna had set up to lift the haze in Blade's mind.
"Why lift the haze with magic now? You declined to do it before," Blade asked as she sat on the couch her one leg twitching up and down with the speed of a hummingbird's wings.
Shanna was floating in the air, legs crossed, "In the start that was impossible unless I had forced it with a lot of magic. Not to mention that your brain knows when it is ready for what. Just because one can fasten a process doesn't mean one should. You are stable now, well enough, to go into this fight. You actually want to know what happened now, or am I wrong? You weren't sure before. This still is your decision."
Blade looked at her two Professors they still behaved a bit awkwardly, "Do you know? Have you told them? Why are you so tense?"
"No, we read the reports and with what you told me a few hours ago… I don't know what exactly happened. I do know the outcome, we both know," Professor Avalon answered calm yet still with a heavy heart.
"Is it bad?" Blade asked reluctantly. Palladium was about to answer as Shanna raised her hand.
Shanna looked Blade in the eyes, "That discussion is for after you have seen it yourself. There is no point in getting a prefixed opinion now. What counts is what you think, you feel. You know you defended yourself and why already. Now gentlemen be so kind and leave and make sure no one interrupts."
"Wait," Blade halted them all, "Can you stay? And come with… I…need you-r feedback on my fighting skills." Nervously she looked to Avalon and evaded his gaze promptly, "So, I know what I have to improve on. I rather do that all together than another time…"
'Shanna?' Avalon asked in their PSI link.
'Yes, I can make that work. She doesn't want to burden the girls yet and she needs someone to know besides me, whom she trusts. Question is do you want to? I can't tell you what exactly we will see either. We barely could work on the first few seconds and I did not pry without her knowledge,' Shanna elaborated. "Blade are you sure you want him to see everything?"
Blade bit her lip, "I... we can alter that if?"
"Yes, we can, don't worry about such things. I'll give you feedback on your fight if that is what you wish. You are not alone, I told you, you can ask me for help and I am not going back on my word," Avalon sat down. 'Give me a minute to meditate and calm myself. I don't want to make things worse.'
Once all were ready Palladium guarded the door outside. And they had entered Blade's memory. They had started at the arrest in the streets. Blade had insisted on it. For her, it was now or never to show one of her teachers. Blade wasn't sure if she would find the courage to do so again.
As the hours passed by Palladium opened his eyes as the first early sunbeams hit the windows of the hallway. And the door behind him got opened. "Avalon..."
"Let's take a walk I need some air before I talk with Griffin," Avalon sighed deeply. "I also am to update you on certain things..."
Palladium rose, "What about Blade?"
Shanna stepped out as well, "Fast asleep, that was a lot to go through." She looked to Avalon, "You better remember what you are allowed to tell which person. She gave you those tasks to relieve her of those talks not make more problems."
Professor Avalon sounded even a bit insulted, "Of course, I remember. I'm from the White Jade. I know how to handle such things."
"And that's one of the few reasons why I let you take along. Remember you are one of her pillars now. Make some room and time for her questions, and schedule it to keep balance. Her friends can comfort her anytime. If you find anything you can't deal with and it can't wait till my sessions call. And please no more sleeping beauty unless it's necessary... You have the full picture now. No more surprises."
"Yes, mam," Avalon took a bow and moved on. He was in dire need of some fresh air.
"But... She's still in there...alone," Palladium was a bit confused.
Shanna smiled, "That's why I'm still here. Now off you go, your friend needs you." She turned around, "Oh, and Palladium if he has problems, seems off, is overwhelmed. Give me a call." She closed the door behind her.