Last time Sky went heads first into the lair of the shrew, Diaspro. With Icy, her sisters and comrades watching via crystal ball, Diaspro revealed to Sky her overall master plan; to create a race of genetic super soldiers. Diaspro, in her delusional madness, offered the antidote that would save Bloom in return for Sky's pledge of loyalty in the new order that Diaspro hoped to create. Sky basically told Diaspro to drop dead, grabbed the antidote and was transported back to Eraklyon, where it was revealed that the antidote wasn't real. But then Stella and Layla combined their Fairy Dust, and with a simple true-love kiss from Sky, Bloom woke up. But the reunion was cut short when Diaspro jumped in and blasted Sky, hurting him really bad. To make a long story short, Morgan and Kurt killed Diaspro, but then it was revealed that Diaspro pulled another face dancer switch, allowing her to escape and plot revenge another day. More than 'nuff said, on with the show!
Chapter 13: From Bad…
Once again our heroes were anxiously waiting for news of their friend, only this time it was Sky that was the patient. Bloom was anxious the most, especially since she was the reason Sky got hurt. Of course she felt responsible, for she just sat there while Diaspro tried to kill them yet again.
Naturally Stella and the others assumed that Bloom was blaming herself for what happened, and naturally they tried to get Bloom out of her funk.
"There's nothing you could have done," said Flora, "You were still groggy from that curse."
"And Diaspro had the element of surprise this time," said Tecna.
"If anyone's to blame it should be me," said Brandon, "I'm Sky's best friend; I should have intercepted that curse."
"Are you serious?" Stella asked, "Then you'd be the one with a broken back," she then realized that she was making a fool of herself again, "Oh, sorry. Umm…you're okay, Bloom!"
Bloom listened to her friends, but she really didn't hear what they had to say. All Bloom could think of was that her one true love was hurt because of her.
But then Carmen stepped in, "Would you rather that Sky had done nothing? Chances are you would have been killed. So, would you rather that you died instead?"
This did knock some sense back into Bloom, "No," she said.
"Then stop feeling sorry for yourself for f#ck's sake," said Carmen, "And be strong for Sky, 'cause he's gonna need you to be there for him."
It was then that the healers came and delivered their prognosis; Sky's spine was severed at the waist, while his back had suffered second and first degree burns. The exterior wounds could be healed with minimal scarring, but there was a problem with his spine; something was causing all the healer's efforts to nullify.
Tecna and Elise determined that the curse that Diaspro used was the same in nature as the ones they've encountered before. But this time our heroes had a means to fight back. Once again, Stella and Layla combined their Fairy Dust to removed the curse.
"He's mostly out of danger," said Layla.
"Thank goodness," said Bloom as she sighed with relief.
"But…" said Stella.
"Here it comes," said Musa, as if she knew there would be a snag, "so what's the problem this time?"
"The curse, like the one that Bloom got hit by," said Elise, "This one also has a condition that must be met before it can be fully lifted. But this time we have no sway over the condition."
"We did all that we could," said Layla, "The curse is all but gone."
"But we couldn't heal his wounds," said Stella.
"That's the condition," said Elise, "Sky's back has to heal on its own. I'm sorry, Bloom, but any magical healing could bring the curse back and cripple Sky for life, or worse, kill him. The only thing we can do is trust the healers that they can help Sky help himself."
"And there's the clincher," said Morgan, "I've heard about this kind of spinal injury in my grandfather's work. There are cases where the patent makes a full recovery."
"Well that's good," said Bloom as her spirits began to rise again.
"But it won't be an easy recovery," said Morgan, "each case involved months, sometimes years of exhausting, sometimes painful therapy. It looks like Sky is in for one long raw deal, and there's nothing we can do to help him."
"Oh," said Bloom as she began to grow depressed again.
"I'm sure something will happen to make things better," said Flora in a reassuring tone, "something always does."
Bloom wanted to believe Flora, but what with all that had recently happened, she was finding it hard to believe in anything at that moment.
But then something did happened that would lead to Bloom's restoration in her faith in herself; Carmen's phone rang, and on the other end of the line was…
"Oh, hi Jake," said Carmen as she slightly blushed, "Yeah, Bloom's here, we're all here on Eraklyon…it's too complicated to say it all on the phone, but let's just say that Sky got hurt bad, really bad…oh?…really…you don't say…sure, bring them over, I'm sure Bloom will like to meet them, especially this medicine man you've found…yes, I'll be sure to tell her that myself…see you soon!"
"Jake found some more survivors?" Kurt asked as Carmen hung her phone up.
"Three more," said Carmen in an eager tone, "And thanks, Elise, for upgrading my phone so it can make and receive calls to and from hyperspace."
"Another successful feature of my Sonic Screwdriver," said Elise as she twirled said tool between her fingertips.
"So where was I?" Carmen asked, "oh, that's right, Jake's coming to Eraklyon and bringing three more Survivors. Now we are twelve, excuse me, thirteen counting Bloom. But the best part is that one of the newbies is a doctor, and Jake thinks he can help Sky."
A short time later found Bloom and the others at the Eraklyon spaceport. They didn't have long to wait, for Jake's ship landed, and from it emerged the man himself, followed by three more people; two men and a woman.
It was clear that two of the newly found survivors were brother and sister; both had the same dark green eyes, and their hair was the exact same shade of indigo, but where as the man wore his hair short, the woman had hers worn long down her waist.
It was then that the similarities ended. The man looked to be about 22, stood at 5'8" and wore blue and red wizards robes with black boots. He carried a long wizards' staff made of oak. The woman was about 20 years old, was 5'2" tall and wore an orange and green shirt underneath a blue jacket and a red skirt with matching high-heals, while her nails were rainbow-hewed.
The other man with Jake was something completely different. He looked to be about 25, stood at 5'11", had light brown eyes and short orange hair. He wore a brown and black suit and tie and carried a doctor's handbag.
"Princess Bloom," said Jake as he bowed, "Once again I blame myself for what has transpired. Had I not been absent, I would have intercepted the foul plot against you."
"Oh give it a rest already, Jake," said Kurt, "it's nobody's fault. If anyone is to blame, it's that psycho bitch who keeps getting away."
"Of which I wouldn't have allowed," said Jake, "Had I but returned from my journey in time to attend the ball."
"It's not your fault, Jake," said Bloom, "Nothing you or anyone could have done would have changed things." Yet in her mind, Bloom saw a thousand ways she could have stopped Diaspro.
"Well you're here now," said Kurt, "And you've brought company again."
"Indeed," said Jake, "permit me to introduce Emma and Ethan Yates, and Dr. Thaddeus Monroe MD."
"It is an honor and a privilege to meet you, Princess Bloom," said the girl, Emma, as she and her brother, Ethan, bowed.
"An honor and a privilege," said Thaddeus Monroe a he also bowed, "Now, unless there's any further ceremony, I do believe I have a patient."
Bloom was a little taken aback by Dr. Monroe's abruptness, but she sensed that this was a man who knew what he was doing. One of the palace servants showed Dr. Monroe into the palace. Bloom and the others followed him, but when they got to the room where Sky was, the good doctor insisted that everyone waited outside, saying that he worked best alone.
While everyone waited for news, whether good or bad, Bloom learned the story behind the newly discovered survivors:
Ethan and Emma were just 5 and 3 when Domino fell. The were sent to an orphanage where they lived until they were 10 and 8. It was about that time that Ethan's wizarding powers began to emerge, and it turned out he had incredible potential. A series of standardized tests revealed that Emma also had great potential in magic.
It didn't take long for the siblings to be accepted into a private magic school on a world where wizards and witches live in relative harmony. By the time they graduated, Ethan at 17, Emma at 15, they were hailed as the best magic users that world had seen in hundreds of years. They both graduated with advanced degrees in transfiguration, meaning they were both well adapt at transforming objects.
Ethan and Emma then set out to find their places in the universe, traveling from one world to another helping people as they went along. And things would have stayed that way for many more years, had Jake not came along and revealed to the siblings as to who they really were.
Thaddeus Monroe was something else altogether. He was 8 when the survivors were scattered. Already possessing superior intelligence, (he could read and write in 10 languages by the time he was 4) Thaddeus, or Thad as he liked to be called, was adopted by a kind family of physicians who taught Thad the medical arts.
Thad graduated from high school at age 12, got his Bachelors degree at age 14.5, finished medical school when he was 17 and became a full physician and surgeon at age 20. He then served at a major hospital on Respite, a world renowned throughout the Magical Dimension as a world of healing, until Jake found him and told Thad the truth about who he really was.
"So you two are brother and sister," said Carmen to Ethan and Emma, "you must have faced some tough times, with one of you being a witch."
"Oh you better believe it," said Emma, "It's incredible just how many people out there have prejudices against witches. I tried to tell those creeps that witches are people to, but hardly anyone would listen."
"So we kept moving," said Ethan, "jumping from one world to another, hoping to find some place were we could be accepted."
"You've found it," said Bloom, "when we get Domino back to the way it was, it'll be a place where all are accepted, light and dark magic users, assuming they're good people to begin with."
"You don't have to tell me twice," said Emma, "I may use dark magic, but that doesn't make me evil. If there's one thing I hate, it's people who abuse the gifts they've been given, and from what I've heard, there's a lot of those running around in the universe."
"You got that right," remarked Musa.
"If you are referring to The Trix," said Ethan.
"We are," said Riven.
"Then we've come to the right place," said Ethan, "my sister and I have a few ideas that we can use against those three troublemakers, should they show up again."
It was then that Thad came back into the room, "Well," he said as he took off a pair of glasses he would later say he had to wear when working, "I've examined the patient, and to the best of my ability, I say he has a 68% chance of walking again."
"Oh," said Bloom. The odds were better than 50/50, but there was still a large chance of failure.
"However," continued Thad, "I do believe that, assuming I have free reign, I can increase the chances of success to nearly 99%."
"How?" Bloom asked, her curiosity clearly perked.
"I've invested my time and experience in some experimental cellular reconstruction techniques," said Thad, "Everyone knows that when a nerve, or in Prince Sky's case his spine, is severed, it's very hard to reconnect the severed parts, sometimes impossible. But I believe that this experimental treatment can restore Sky to as he was before, assuming Sky doesn't have any dormant neurological disorders that I should know about."
"What do you mean?" Flora asked.
"Well," said Thad as he cleaned his glasses before putting them in a case which he then pocketed, "The technique is still in its experimental phase, which I've already said, so bare with me people. During the tests, there have been two instances where the test subjects had previously undiagnosed neurological disorders.
"The treatment is chemical in nature, and in the two instances, the treatment actually accelerated the disorders, leading to complete body paralysis."
"You don't have to worry about that, Dr. Monroe," said Janelle, "My son has no genetic disorders of any kind, I can assure you of that."
"Then we can begin as soon as I can obtain the necessary materials," said Thad, "Which can be…" he pulled out a PDA and made some calculations, "…first thing in the morning actually. We can perform the necessary therapy and chemical infusions right here at the palace."
"Excellent," said Janelle, "I'll have a guest room set up for you at once, Dr. Monroe."
"Then I'll have to cancel my hotel reservation," said Thad, "I hope I can still get one of those mints the housekeeping puts on the pillow, I really like those."
"There's more to this," said Brandon, "Isn't there."
"Unfortunately yes," said Thad, "The treatment isn't without its drawbacks. Sky will need to put his full effort into healing his injuries and getting his strength back, for the treatment will last about six weeks to two months, and it won't be an easy time, nor will it be painless. In fact, the regeneration of nerve tissue will be quite unpleasant. Which means, with all due respect, Princess Bloom, he won't have time for any romantic distractions."
"You mean I won't be able to see him at all," said Bloom in a flat, emotionless tone.
"I'm afraid so," said Thad, "I am sorry."
"No," said Bloom, "It's not your fault. I should have known something like this would happen."
"There you go again with the self pity," said Stella, "this isn't your fault, Bloom! I swear, I'm gonna give you such a sunburn if you don't stop acting sorry for yourself."
"Focus your feelings towards Sky," said Flora, "He'll need you to be thinking of him."
"He'll need you to think for the both of you," said Stella.
"What she said," added Morgan while Musa and Tecna nodded in agreement.
"Aren't we forgetting something?" Brandon asked, "Shouldn't we ask Sky if this is what he wants?"
"You mean the part about the painful re-growing of his nerves?" Musa asked, "Or the part about being separated from Bloom for nearly two months?"
"Both," said Brandon, "This is Sky's life we're talking about, it should be his decision."
"I should talk to him," said Bloom.
"That's a good idea," said Janelle.
Five minutes later Bloom and Sky were talking. He, lying on his stomach, now fully conscious and lucid thanks to a pain-alleviating spell that had no ill aftereffects, listened to what Bloom had to say.
"So this doctor says he can get you back to full health in two months or so," said Bloom, "But it won't be an easy recovery. In fact, Thad insisted that you should do this without me, so I wouldn't distract you."
"You're kidding," said Sky.
"I wish I were," said Bloom.
"Well that's a problem," said Sky, "you were still asleep at the time, but I promised you that once you were awake again, nothing in the universe would keep us apart."
"I think I heard you say that in my dream," said Bloom, "but the alternative is to let you heal on your own, and who knows how long that'll take? Or even if that will work? Thad said that his way will have you fully healed almost certainly."
"Well I'd certainly like to be back on my own two legs as soon as possible," said Sky.
"Even if it means breaking your promise?" Bloom asked.
Sky thought about this for a second before answering, "I once heard that true love can't be hindered by distance. Besides, I already have the right motivation."
"What's that?" Bloom asked.
"Well how else am I gonna carry you across the threshold if I can't walk?" Sky asked. This caused both of them to laugh.
"I'll redo my promise," said Sky once they've both calmed down, "I'll work extra hard to get back into shape, then, and I mean it this time, then nothing in the universe will keep us apart."
"Do I have your word of honor as the crowned prince of Eraklyon?" Bloom asked in a mock official tome.
"Only if you accepted it as the princess of Domino," said Sky in an equally mock official tone.
Thad came into the room a few minutes later to hear Bloom and Sky to agree to the treatment. Thad was going over the details of the treatment with Sky, when Brandon came into the room.
"I'm staying with him," insisted Brandon, "I'm gonna stay with Sky and help him with his recovery."
"I'm afraid that's out of the question," said Thad, "My patient will need all his mental efforts to focus on the treatment, not on hanging out with his friends."
"I'm more than Sky's friend," said Brandon, "I'm the official squire to the crowned prince of Eraklyon, my duty is with my prince, and Sky's parents, the king and queen of Eraklyon, they have my back on this…no offense, Sky."
"None taken," said Sky, "But what about Stella?"
"I'm pretty sure Griselda will throw a fit if Stella skips two months of school," said Bloom.
"I've already talked it over with Stella," said Brandon, "she wasn't happy with it, but she agreed to go back to Alfea with you, Bloom."
"No way!" said Sky, "what did you promise her to make Stella agree to that? A months' worth of shopping trips?"
"Actually," said Brandon, "Stella was really reasonable about it. She knew I wanted to be there for you, Sky, while she wanted to be there for Bloom. Of course I did promise to call her every day, and text her, and email, but that's how it is."
"You know," said Sky, "That's pretty smart of Stella."
"It is," said Bloom, "Now I'm convinced that she's getting smarter."
A hour later it was time for Bloom and the others to go back to Magix. Bloom stayed by Sky's side until the last possible second, talking about how much fun they'll have once Sky's ordeal was over. Just when Musa and Carmen were about to drag Bloom out of the room, she gave Sky a farewell kiss. It was a bit awkward with him on his stomach and unable to move, but they managed.
Before Bloom and her friends left the palace, they had to wait for Stella as she made her farewells to a friend.
"You should come with us, Gaz," said Stella to her former bodyguard, "back to Magix."
"I'd like nothing more than to stay by your side, Princess Stella," said Gaz, "but I'm needed elsewhere. I know I said that I wouldn't be going back to Solaria, but I now realize that that is where I need to be. Someone has to prepare the way for your eventual return…that is, you are going to return, will you?"
"Of course I will," said Stella confidently, "there's still time before that snake Cassandra marries my father, and I will go back home to stop it, but not yet."
"I know," said Gaz, "too many of your family's old supporters have either been arrested, banished or have gone into hiding. But I know how to move about without getting caught. If anyone can get a resistance organized against Cassandra, it's me."
"I know you can do it," said Stella, "and I will come back to help, someday, I promise."
With that she and Gaz embraced like good friends about to be separated for an unknown amount of time, "goodbye, Gaz, may The Light be with you."
"May The Light be with you as well, Princess Stella," said Gaz.
As they were heading out of the palace, with Stella looking like she could start crying again at any second over being separated from Gaz, her family, Solaria and especially Brandon. Bloom knew she had to be strong, not just for her friends and loved ones, but for herself as well. She just wished that being strong didn't have to cost so much.
"Well this weekend sucked," remarked Musa.
"You can say that again," said Flora, while Tecna and Layla nodded in agreement.
"For once I'm looking forward to school," said Stella.
This caused Bloom and the others to stop in their tracks completely dumbfounded. Did Stella just say that she was looking forward to school? Or was it their imagination?
"You sure you're feeling alright, Stella?" Tecna asked as she used her scanner on Stella, "Maybe you're running a fever."
"Maybe she got hit on the head," said Layla.
"Or maybe she's just plain lost it," said Musa.
"That might just be it," remarked Flora.
"I'm fine," said Stella in a slightly annoyed tone, "I just don't want to think about being away from my friends and family, and especially without my snookums. Oh, Brandon!" with that her eyes began to tear up again.
"She's fine," said Musa.
Yep, thought Bloom, that's our Stella.
Unknown to Bloom and her friends, the crystal ball connection over on Xaldo was still active.
"You really think this doctor can get Sky back onto his feet?" Stormy asked.
"He might just," said Darcy as she held a sheet of paper she asked one of the palace servants to get, "his credentials did check out; this Dr. Thaddeus Monroe is a certified genius, look," she showed the credentials of said doctor to everyone in the room, "In fact, all of the survivors of Domino are genius' in their respective ways, sometimes in more ways than one."
"This is most irksome," said Vicky who looked annoyed and angry, "and highly infuriating. Our ancestors, The Ancestress Coven, they didn't sacrifice their mortal coils in destroying Domino and its people, just to have it put back together by a handful of above-averages. No, dear sisters, we're going to have to do something about this."
"We've been trying to do something about Bloom for, what, going on four years," said Icy, "and now she's got more help."
"True," said Vicky, "these survivors, these Children of Domino, they're becoming quite the annoyance. Somehow we'll have to squash them before any more of Bloom's little pets are found."
"Looks like that's something to add to a 'to-do' list," said Toro as he handed a message to Vicky that a palace servant gave him, "we've been served; Zahidia want's to see us, ASAP."
"Another Construct piece?" Darcy asked.
"Two this time," said Vicky as she read the summons, "and both are on Magix."
…ten minutes later…
"This palace is too big," complained Stormy, "just whose idea was it to have an anti-teleportation field installed into the walls?"
"Somebody who clearly enjoys physical activeness," said Toro in a teasing manner. True, The Trix found it most irksome to have to walk from place to place while in the palace, and since the corridors all had low-hanging chandeliers, flying was out of the question.
"I'll bet Zahidia did all of it just to be annoying," said Icy as they entered the , "Wait, why didn't we just phase through the walls? We could have been here to meet Zahidia in a heartbeat."
"You could do that," said Zahidia as she appeared behind the witches and dark martial artist, "If you wish to spend the rest of your natural lives hopelessly lost."
"How did you do that if we can't teleport inside this place?" Darcy asked.
"It's just something I can do," said Zahidia in a cheerful, playful tone, "I guess I'm special. Now," she then got more serious, "About these two Construct pieces on Magix. My sources tell me that one of them is at Alfea."
"Of curse it is," said Icy in an eager tone. Already the frosty witch was anticipating terrorizing young fairies and destroying that detestable school, while her sisters had similar visions.
"And the other," continued Zahidia, "is at your old school."
"Cloud Tower?" a slightly surprised Darcy asked.
"Well this is perfect," said Vicky as she smiled wickedly, "I've been looking for an excuse to visit my old stomping grounds."
"What about Red Fountain?" Toro asked, hoping for the chance to destroy all three schools.
"We've yet to determine if there is a third piece on Magix," said Zahidia, "Only the two are certain.
"Two will do for now," said Vicky, "I think we should pay a visit to Cloud Tower first. Did you know that Griffin once told me that I was one of her greatest students, if not the greatest. Oh, I can't wait to see the look on her face when I show up."
"Aren't we forgetting something?" Darcy asked, "By now those old fools; Griffin, Faragonda and Saladin, they've surely increased the security of their schools."
"True," said Zahidia, "but you also forget, young ones; the new empire has its agents everywhere. Trust me, you'll find your way into Cloud Tower without too much trouble."
"Then you shall have the next Construct piece in due time, Lady Zahidia," said Vicky, "that one, and the one after."
"I expect nothing less but utmost successes from you, Vicky," said Zahidia, "you and your sisters."
Just then Vicky had a thoughtful moment, like a light bulb just clicked on above her head, "Oh," she said, then her expression got more eager, "Oh, I just had the most vile of ideas!"
"Do tell, Vicky," said Zahidia, "do tell."
"It's like this," started Vicky, but then she looked at her sisters and Toro, "umm…" she hesitated, as if believing saying her idea out loud would jinx it. She then corked her finger, beckoning Zahidia to come closer so Vicky could whisper it into her ear, "If I may…"
"You may not!" insisted Vo'kar as the gargantuan alien emerged from the shadows.
"Oh lighten up, Vo'kar," said Zahidia, "I'm perfectly safe."
"I will take your word for it, Lady Zahidia," said Vo'kar as he bowed, "But if the impudent one tries anything, she will live to regret it."
"Of course she will," said Zahidia. She then bent closer so Vicky could whisper, grinning like an eager schoolgirl, "Now tell me, Vicky, what's your idea?"
Vicky then whispered a long and complicated plan into Zahidia's ear, the dark empress to be grinning in eager anticipation with every detail.
"And that's it," said Vicky in a normal tone as she and Zahidia straightened up, "So, what do you think?"
"That has to have been the most vile, disgusting and overall evil plan I had heard in almost 50 years," said Zahidia, "And I know, I've lived through it. But I like it!"
"I knew you would!" said Vicky, "we'll leave at once."
"Very well," said Zahidia, "Go forth, Vicky, you and your sisters, and carry out your duties to the new empire."
"We live only to serve you, Lady Zahidia," said Vicky as she bowed. Icy, Darcy, Stormy and Toro also bowed as well, but they were nearly two seconds behind Vicky, a hesitation that Vo'kar noticed but decided to remain silent on for the time being.
"So what's the plan?" Icy asked as she, her sisters and Toro left the room
"And say it normally so we can all hear it," said Toro.
Vicky was about to tell her plan, but then she and the others saw Diaspro coming towards them from up the corridor. The mad princess was looking like she was out for blood, witch blood to be exact.
"You!" exclaimed Diaspro as she pointed an accusing finger at Vicky, "You lied to me! You told me that the plan would work, that Sky would be mine and Bloom would be dead! You lied to me, Vicky! You lied!! YOU LIED!!"
"Oh for the love of all things evil," said Icy, "calm down, you bleached-headed bimbo! You're gonna burst a blood vessel."
"My hair isn't bleached!!" shouted Diaspro.
"Don't you shout at my sister, you f#ck$ng psychopath!!" spat Stormy.
"I am not shouting!!" raged Diaspro, "you thrice-damned witch!!"
"That's it!" said Stormy, "she's dead!"
"No!" said Vicky in a stern tone, "nobody's killing anyone right now, especially not Diaspro."
"Well why the f#ck not!?" Darcy asked.
"Because Zahidia wouldn't be happy that I was murdered before I could uphold my end of our little bargain," said Diaspro in a teasing manner, as if daring The Trix to try and do anything.
"That may be," said Toro, clearly outraged but still in control, "but you should remember; accidents happen."
"And you should remember well, my fine chimerical earthling," said Diaspro, "I had a very good look at your DNA the other day. It's only a matter of time before I learn just how to kill you, so we'll see who has an accident first," she then shifted her glaring back to Vicky, "And as for you…"
"I never said it would work for sure," Vicky interrupted, "All I said was that Sky would definitely come to you. What happened after that was up to pure chance. It was your fault that things wound up the way they did, not mine."
"Still," said Icy who had a sudden, somewhat unexplainable urge to change the subject, "I was impressed by your overall plan, Diaspro. Had you used different words, you might just have convinced Sky to join you."
"How did you know what happened?!" Diaspro asked in an accusing tone. Clearly she didn't remember that she had given Vicky and her sisters the means to watch her and Sky.
"We have our sources," said Vicky, who decided to play along for her own reasons, "And I did like the part about your super soldier project. I'm sure Zahidia will be impressed with the end results."
"She will be," said Diaspro as she began to calm down.
"I am curious as to one thing," said Darcy, "I'm sure that by now your lab has been discovered. It would be a horrible thing to have all your work go to waste like that."
"My work has been preserved," said Diaspro, "and my experiments. I knew that when Sky teleported out of my lab that my secret wouldn't be a secret for much longer. So before going to Eraklyon, I had everything packed up and moved to the palace; equipment, data storage devices and test subjects and results. Everything is here at the palace until I can find another lab to start working again."
"Wouldn't Zahidia be annoyed that you've had to pack everything up and move it?" Stormy asked.
"This is just a minor delay," said Diaspro, "my work will resume and will bear results on schedule. But you're distracting me form the topic. What about the potion you gave me to poison Bloom with, Vicky? You said that Bloom would never wake up! Well, why is she awake!?"
"Umm…that I will take responsibility for," said Vicky, "I underestimated the sheer power contained in Fairy Dust. It won't happen again, Diaspro, I am sorry things didn't work out for you."
"Well you should be!" said Diaspro, "I guess this will teach me to never trust a witch, especially a lying whore such as you, Vicky!"
"Don't you call my sister a whore, you c#ck-sucking psycho!" said Darcy, "If anyone's a whore here, it's you!"
"Takes one to know one!" said Diaspro, "Oh yes, I know that you and your pet earthling are addicted to fornicating, so don't try to deny it."
"We are not sex addicts," said Toro, "We can be abstinent if we wish to."
"Damn right," said Darcy, even though the two of them mentally shuddered at the thought of an extended amount of time without pleasing each other.
"Prove it," insisted Diaspro as she crossed her arms.
"They don't have to prove anything to you, you little bleach-haired maniac," said Stormy, "so why don't you go diddle yourself with your test tubes already, 'cause we all know that you like to do that."
"Why…I… I've never…my hair isn't…I don't…" Diaspro was so overcome with rage she couldn't complete a sentence. She took several calming breaths before finally speaking, "I will get back to work, and I will uphold my end of the contract with Zahidia. And when my Perfectives are ready to march across the universe, crushing all who stand in their way, it will be you who first acknowledges my superior intellect. Until then!" With that she walked away.
"That nutcase is starting to get on my nerves," said Toro.
"Me to," said Stormy.
"She's harmless to us," said Vicky, "Diaspro wouldn't dare do anything to hinder our efforts to the empire, Zahidia wouldn't allow it."
"Well if she does try to get in our way," said Darcy, "I've got one or two ideas to try out on her, ain't' that right, Icy? Icy? Are you listening to me?"
"Huh?" Icy asked, "Sorry, I was just thinking of something."
"Well let's hope it's something we can use," said Vicky, "Come, Cloud Tower and glory awaits!"
"I can't believe you were taking that bimbo's side," said Darcy to Icy, "what's with you?"
"I don't know," said Icy, "Well, when she said that she was trying to figure out how to kill Toro, it got me thinking."
"That can't be good," said Stormy.
"It will," said Icy, "Diaspro also said that she examined Zahidia's DNA as well."
"I already know what you're thinking about," said Vicky in an angry tone, "How can you even think about turning against Zahidia?"
"She's thinking about that?" Darcy asked, "now I know something's wrong with Icy."
"This is the best setup we've ever had," said Stormy, "And you're thinking of throwing it all away? Are you nuts or something!?"
"What are you girls talking about?" Toro asked.
"Just a second," said Vicky. She then cast an anti-eavesdropping spell around them, "Okay, it's safe now. What Icy was foolishly pondering was the possibility of using Diaspro's research to find a way to kill Zahidia."
"Just in the event that this turns out to be another fiasco like The Shadow Riders," said Icy, "I have no intention of being screwed over like the last time."
"This won't be anything like The Shadow Riders," said Vicky, "I give you my word as your sister. And don't let me catch you thinking about this again, Icy."
"Why not?" Icy asked, "you gonna turn me over to Zahidia? What could she possibly do to me?"
"Well," said Vicky, "first of all, quite a few people within the empire tried to have Zahidia assassinated. Zahidia killed the assassins outright, then personally tortured the conspirators to death. She had the events taped, I have a DVD of one of them if you wish to watch. It was edited down to an 8-hour disk, showing the best of a month-long torture session."
"Oh," said Icy in a thoroughly humbled tone, "I just wanted to have a backup plan, besides being cloned again."
"We'll figure out something if and when we need to," said Vicky, "now pull yourself together, we've a mission to plan."
Icy lagged behind a bit from her sisters and Toro, her cold mind still reeling from Vicky's words. But there was one thing she didn't tell Vicky about why she was staring at Diaspro. For some inconceivable reason, Icy was starting to like the disgraced princess, really like her.
...Alfea…one week later…
Bloom, Flora and Musa hovered above the school grounds in their fairy forms doing their very best to help Mirta get the hang of her newly achieved wings. Mirta's fairy form was a bit simpler than others, partly due to her mixed nature. She wore a fuchsia top and skirt with indigo wings and purple gloves and boots.
Despite having attained heir fairy form several weeks earlier, Mirta was still having trouble maintaining stable flight. By official count, Mirta had crashed no less than 18 times, yet each crash was one she walked away from, still determined to perfect her flying skills.
"You're thinking about it too much, Mirta," said Bloom, "just relax, this isn't like trying to slay a demon. Just let it come from within."
"Okay," said Mirta, "I'll try."
"Don't try," said Bloom, "just let it happen."
"Everyone else has it," said Musa, "Even the new girls." True enough, every first-year fairy at Alfea at this point in the school year had her wings and was a capable flyer, some better than others.
She pointed out a group of said first-years, including one fairy who also happened to be a friend of Musa's from The Harmonic Nebula. This fairy, her name's Galatea by the way, had dark blond hair in curls and bright green eyes. Her fairy form was similar to Musa's but was colored bright yellow and had no headphones. Galatea's wings were shaped like musical cleft symbols.
Mirta was about to say something else, but decided against it. Instead she took several relaxing breaths and fluttered her wings. She hovered a few yards above the ground, then began circling the courtyard. Her movements were much more controlled.
"I'd say she's gonna make one rockin' fairy," said Musa.
"I agree," said Flora, "but Mirta still has to contend with her inner darkness. She's still half a witch, and I'm afraid that part of her will always hold her back."
"Well if Mirta ever has to deal with her inner witch," said Bloom, "We're there for her. Oh, that's great! Mirta! You'll have it soon!" Mirta had just completed a complicated air maneuver, one that Bloom managed to get right her first time, but she was happy for Mirta none the less.
Bloom had another reason for being happy that day. The morning's text message from Brandon told good news from Eraklyon. The wounds on Sky's back was nearly healed with almost no scarring, while at the same time he had just wiggled one of his toes. Thad said that this was a very good sign and expected Sky to be back to his old self earlier than expected.
Yes, things were beginning again to look up for Bloom, in more ways than one. But then something was about to happen that would cast a shadow over Bloom, her friends, Alfea and the rest of Magix.
Bloom noticed a commotion from the main school building. She and the others landed, Mirta nearly tripped when she touched ground, but quickly regained her balance. The four of them powered down to their normal attire, just as Layla and Tecna came running out of the building looking for them.
"It's Carmen!" exclaimed Layla, "She's been hurt!!"
As Bloom followed Layla and Tecna to the infirmary, she knew that there was more going on than just her friend being injured. Last she heard, Carmen was with Morgan and Elise at Cloud Tower, researching the mysterious curses that Bloom and her friends had been running into recently. If Carmen had been hurt, then she would have been taken to the Cloud Tower infirmary, not Alfea's. There was more going on here, and Bloom had that old nasty feeling that she wouldn't like it.
The girls reached the infirmary. Bloom immediately saw an unconscious Carmen laying on one of the beds, a large bandage around her head. Elise was sitting next to her, while Faragonda and Griffin were having an intense, whispered conversation at the other end of the room.
"Carmen!" said Bloom as she and the others rushed over to their fallen friend.
"She's alive," said Elise in a grave tone as she stood up, "just a mild concussion. The nurse had already started a healing spell, so Carmen should be awake by tomorrow morning, if not earlier."
Bloom and the others then heard Carmen muttering something that could best be said as "newspaper taxies coming to take me away."
"And I thought you said strange things in your sleep," said Stella to Bloom.
"You don't know the half of it," said Flora, "I share the bedroom with her, no offense, Bloom."
"None taken," said Bloom. They had stepped away from the bed as the nurse changed Carmen's bandage. The wound looked very harsh, like someone had thrown a large brick at Carmen's head, hitting her to the back and left side. But the bleeding had stopped, so all the nurse had to do was apply a healing salve to help keep the scarring down.
"This is horrible," said Tecna, "who would do this to Carmen?"
"Let's see," said Musa, "Who in all the Magical Dimension hates Carmen the most?"
"Icy and The Trix," said Flora, "they've gone too far this time!"
"It wasn't Icy," said Elise in a slightly distant tone.
"Then who was it?" Bloom asked, "Tell me what happened."
Elise was speechless for a second as she sat down again. Finally she spoke, "I don't know where to begin. It was all so fast, and there was nothing I could do to stop it."
"Stop what?" Flora asked.
"The worst atrocity committed in Cloud Tower in all it's illustrious history," said Griffin as she and Faragonda came over, "I'm afraid that Cloud Tower has fallen to Victoria and her sisters."
"Vicky and The Trix," said Bloom in a stunned tone, while Stella and the others were too shocked to speak, "They've taken over your school? No, this can't be right. I thought all the security spells for all three schools had been enhanced at the start of the year."
"They were," said Faragonda, "but once again Vicky has proven herself more than her salt."
"But what happened?" Stella asked as she finally regained her voice to speak.
"We were in the restricted vault of the library," said Griffin, "myself, young Carmen, Morgan and Elise. We were attempting to trace the source of those curses you Winx have been encountering, when the alarms went off. This wasn't the intruder alarm, no, somehow those four foul wenches managed to get inside the walls without anyone knowing. This alarm that was sounding was one that I set as a final warning should any enemy breach all other defenses.
"The four of us reached the main corridors in time to witness the true evil that Vicky had unleashed upon Cloud Tower. Somehow, my former prized pupil had cast a spell that was infecting the minds of every student in the school. This spell spread like a plague, taking control of one young witch after another, bending her to Vicky's cruel will.
"Nearly every student, and the rest of the staff I might add, had already been infected by the time the alarm went off, and the four of us would have been slaves to Vicky and her sisters, had we not combined our magic at the last second and repelled the curse.
"But retaining our minds had cost us almost all of our energy, the curse was that powerful. By this time we had attracted attention of the enslaved students. It was clear that Vicky had commanded them to apprehend any uninfected residents of the school, especially me. I wasn't in especially good shape to defend myself, and I couldn't vouch for Carmen and her friends either. The only choice left to us was to flee, flee to return one day with full powers and better resources."
"You abandoned Cloud Tower to those horrible Trix?" a shocked Layla asked.
"There was very little we could do," said Griffin, "given the state we were in, and due to the fact that Vicky and her sisters had also given chase after us. No, we had no choice in the matter."
It was then that Bloom noticed that someone was missing, "Where's Morgan?"
"She's gone," said Elise in a distant tone, "we got separated some how, while escaping from the school. Griffin was leading us to an emergency escape tunnel, when Carmen noticed that Morgan wasn't with us. Carmen tried to go back for her, as did I, but then one of pursuers' threw a curse at us. It missed, but it hit the wall, and Carmen got hit on the head with a piece of the wall. We had to carry her out of there, but then we found out that the tunnel had collapsed ahead of us; we were trapped."
"How did you get out then?" Tecna asked.
"My predecessor told me that it would be wise to keep an emergency teleportation scroll at close hand," said Griffin as she held up a now blank scroll, "just in case, and she was correct."
"I wanted to go back for Morgan," said Elise, "but there wasn't time. We had to get Carmen and ourselves out of there. I could have saved Morgan, but there just wasn't time."
"It's not your fault," said Bloom in a reassuring manner, "you did what you could. And I'm sure Morgan is alright."
"I know she's alright," said Elise in a stronger, more determined tone, "I would know if she wasn't. I don't know where Morgan is or what situation she's gotten herself into, but I know that she's alive."
"Well what else is there to say?" Stella asked, "the next thing on the agenda is to go to Cloud Tower, rescue all the brainwashed witches and find Morgan."
"I'm afraid that may have to wait, Stella," said Faragonda, "for I fear, now that Vicky has taken Cloud Tower, her next move would be towards Alfea."
"No way!" said Musa.
"I'm afraid so," said Faragonda, "I find it hard to believe myself. Who would have believed that Vicky was this ambitions? It's almost insane, like…"
"Like The Trix?" Griffin interrupted, "Vicky is definitely like her younger siblings, now more than ever. I managed to glimpse my former student just before I had to take leave of the school; she is definitely not the same witch as I remember."
"What can we do?" Tecna asked. Already she was trying to compute a solution to the current crisis, but she had nothing.
"The only thing we can do is prepare," said Faragonda, "for Vicky and her sisters will surely come and attack Alfea."
"Well stop them!" said Bloom, "they tried to take Alfea before, we stopped them then, and we'll stop them again!" Stella and the others nodded in eager agreement.
"That's the spirit!" said Faragonda, "now if you will all excuse me, I must inform the staff and students of Alfea of the coming crisis. Bloom, I expect you and your friends to help prepare the school for defense."
"Consider it done," said Bloom.
"I should also contact Saladin," said Faragonda, "no doubt there will be several dozen Red Fountain warriors eager to take up the fight. Oh, Griffin, consider Alfea your home until this situation is resolved; you, Elise and Carmen, and may her recovery be swift."
"Oh she'll be up an about in no time," said Elise, "just wait until the trouble catches up with us, then she'll be ready."
As if in response, Carmen muttered something about a fish drama.
"Maybe she needs a bit more rest," said Elise in a sheepish tone.
It was then that Mirta came bursting into the infirmary, "Is it true, Ms. Faragonda? What everyone's whispering about, that Cloud Tower has fallen to The Trix again?"
"I'm afraid the rumors are correct this time, young Mirta," said Griffin.
"Headmistress," said Mirta in a slightly nervous tone, "I…I didn't know you were here."
"I wish we weren't," said Elise, "I still fell like this is all one of Morgan's jokes, I'd welcome it."
"Is Carmen gonna be alright?" Mirta asked as she approached the bed where Carmen was now muttering something about how to prepare a lizard pudding.
"It's not Carmen that I'm concerned about," said Griffin, "it will take more than this to destroy her. Nor am I concerned for Morgan; witches like her are as near as indestructible as can be."
"I'll drink to that," said Stella as she held up a glass of water.
"The one I'm truly concerned for," said Griffin as she showed a rare compassionate expression, "is you, Mirta."
"Me?" a confused Mirta asked, "what do I have to do with this?"
"The witch who threw the curse that got Carmen hurt," said Elise, "she wasn't infected, she wasn't in thrall to Vicky or The Trix. This one was helping them, willingly."
"Inconceivable!" exclaimed Tecna.
"You mean to say that one of the Cloud Tower witches was assisting Vicky and The Trix?" Layla asked, "that can't be right!"
"I'm afraid so," said Griffin, while Elise nodded in agreement, "It is my belief that this student is somehow responsible for allowing Vicky and her sisters to get inside the school without triggering any of the early-warning alarms."
"Who was it?" Mirta asked in a soft but menacing tone, her anger beginning to rise, "Tell me, who is the traitor?"
"You might want to sit down, Mirta," said Griffin, "it was one of your classmates from when you attended Cloud Tower."
"Who was it!?" Mirta demanded, her witch blood beginning to boil with rage, "I don't care if it was one of my classmates! None of them liked me, and I didn't like them at all. So who was it?! Tell me so I can turn her into a bug that I can squash!"
"It was Lucy!" said Elise in a voice that was mixed with anger and sadness, "If was your friend and roommate, Lucy, she's the traitor."
"What?" Mirta asked in a shocked tone, "No, it can't be! Lucy would never side with The Trix, not willingly! They must have had her under thrall!"
"She wasn't ," said Elise, "Lucy was in full possession of her wits, and she was working with the enemy. I saw her laughing with The Trix as they chassed after us. I saw with my own eyes as she threw the curse that caused Carmen to get hurt."
"Well your eyes were wrong!!" exclaimed Mirta who looked like she was very close to crying, "There's no way Lucy would, not after the Codex incident. It can't be, it just can't be."
"Believe me, I wish it weren't," said Elise in a serious tone, "but it's all true, and I can prove it…that is, if you are willing to try."
"Try what?" Mirta asked, then realization dawned on her face, "oh, that. Well…I guess so…no, yes, I mean, yes I am willing to try."
"What are they talking about?" Stella asked.
"I do believe that Elise is going to convince Mirta of the truth," said Faragonda, "through sharing. But I sincerely doubt that this is a wise course of actions."
"It's the only Mirta will believe me," said Elise, "to see what I saw, then she will know the truth."
"'Sharing?'" Bloom asked.
"It's a means of transferring memories," said Griffin, "witches, as you are surely aware of, are more adapt at psychic abilities than fairies, mostly in terms of telepathic communication. Sharing allows one witch to copy specific memories and give them to a receiving witch."
"That must be handy," said Layla.
"It is useful," said Griffin, "But it can also be potentially dangerous for less experienced witches, especially in young Mirta's case."
"I'm willing to take that chance," said Mirta.
"If it's so dangerous then don't," said Flora, "maybe the truth isn't always worth knowing."
"The true danger lies with Elise," said Griffin, "for it will be her strength of will that will be tested since she is the one who will initiate the share. But you are right to be concerned for Mirta. Her strength of heart may not be strong enough to accept the truth.'
"I said I was willing to take the risk," said Mirta, "I'm ready whenever you are, Elise."
"I hope you are," said Elise, "I've never done this before. I have been on the receiving end of several shares, but this will be the first time I've begun one, so it may not work."
"Well…" said Mirta as she began to have second thoughts, but then she rallied her courage again, "just do it already."
"Okay then," said Elise, "here we go." She placed her right hand on Mirta's left shoulder, while Mirta did the same. Elise then chanted in a language that Bloom couldn't understand, but Tecna translated as: 'my mind to your mind, my memories to your memories.'
At the same time both Elise and Mirta's eyes glazed over as if they both were in a trance. Slowly, they both leaned forward until their foreheads touched. They stayed that way for a minute or so before leaning back, releasing their hands from each other's shoulders and their eyes returned to normal.
"It's done," Elise sighed with exhaustion, for she did look like she had just ran a marathon.
"Are you alright?" Bloom asked.
"I'll be fine soon," said Elise, "I have to say, that was one trippy experience. I should try it again sometime."
"Wait until you're older," insisted Griffin, "You took an incredible risk here, Elise. There was the distinct possibility that you could have exhausted your mind beyond the point of no return."
"It was the only way Mirta would believe me," said Elise.
Mirta was just sitting there, a neutral expression on her face.
"Mirta?" Flora asked, "Mirta? Are you okay?"
"It's true," said Mirta in a flat tone, "It's all true, every thing that Elise said about Lucy, it's true; my best friend is the traitor."
"Oh, Mirta," said Flora, "I'm so sorry."
"For what?" Mirta asked as her anger began to slowly rise again, "It's not like this wouldn't have happened. I now realize that Lucy would have turned out rotten, one way or another."
"And now she has fallen in with the worst crowd," said Griffin, "Vicky and her siblings have taken my school," she then looked at Faragonda, "They'll be coming for yours next."
"We'll be ready," said Bloom, while Stella and the others nodded in agreement.
"So will I," said Mirta, her tone of voice now filled with determination fueled by righteous fury, "I know what I have to do now. Lucy was the one who betrayed Cloud Tower, she has to be held accountable."
"That's the spirit!" said Carmen in an eager tone as she sat up, fully awake and lucid, "embrace the hatred! Make it your own!"
"How long have you been listening?" Bloom asked.
"I'd like to know that myself," said Elise in an accusing tone, as if she believed that Carmen was faking her unconscious state.
"Long enough to know who it was who blindsided me," said Carmen, "to think I was one of the few who was nice to Lucy, or at least tried to be nice to that self-made social outcast. I underestimated her back in school and I underestimated her today. It won't happen again. When Vicky and her scumbag sisters come to Alfea, I'll be waiting."
"Not until the nurses say so," said Faragonda, "You've had a serious blow to the head, combined with a traumatic experience. You are a guest here at Alfea, and as headmistress of Alfea, I'm responsible for your health and safety. You are not to leave the infirmary until the nurses assure me that you will be alright."
"Can I at least get out of bed?" Carmen asked.
"Let's wait until the nurse has a look at you," said Elise.
"I never did like sitting around doing nothing," said Carmen in a mildly complaining manner, "I never got a chance to grab the book I was reading," she looked at Bloom, "the one you told me about, 'Atlas Shrugged,' it's very good, I'm a little less than halfway through."
"I'll bet I can find another copy for you," said Bloom.
"I would have grabbed your book with a summoning spell," said Elise, "if I had known that was what you wanted. But I did manage to summon these out of our guest room, just before Griffin used the teleportation scroll," she pulled from her pocket Carmen's sunglasses.
"You're too good to me," said Carmen in an appreciating tone as she put her glasses on, just in time for a particularly bright patch of sunlight to hit the infirmary window.
"Aren't you worried at all about Morgan?" Musa asked in a slightly exasperated tone.
"Oh I know Morgan's alright," said Carmen, "she's alive, and still free."
Just then a cloud based in front of the sun, casting a menacing shadow over Alfea.
"Let's just hope the same can be said for us," said Elise as everyone felt a sudden chill in the air.
The end of chapter13.
The dragon princess and her friends are forced into a battle they do not wish; a battle against innocents who have had their will taken away. Three of the dark souls attempt to obtain another missing piece, forcing the music princess to make a difficult choice. Friendships are torn asunder as the shadow of evil is cast, and the teacher of the dragon princess may never be the same.
Next chapter: …To Worse.
'for those with wings, fly to your dreams'