Last time Bloom faced and fought her dark side, resulting in the intervention of Daphne. All the while a major battle was happening down the mountain as Aang faced Vicky, Zuko faced Icy, Toph faced Toro and Sokka faced Kevin. In the heat of the battle, one side tried to pull a fast one, resulting in an all out rumble. Sara then attempted to sneak up on the then incapacitated Bloom, but Appa rushed in and battled the shape shifter.
Aang then realized several of Vicky's secrets, one of which was that she was working for the new R'lyeh empire. Aang then tried to seal away Vicky's magic through Energybending. But Vicky's strength of will was stronger than Aang's, saving her magic but the both of them were nearly exhausted. Just then Bloom came to terms with her dark side, allowing Bloom to use her Enchantix, which she used to overpower the baddies.
Zahidia then decided to pull her 'assets' out of the fire in time. She then revealed herself to Bloom, saying that the time will come when they will meet in the flesh, and that she will win. Aang then told Bloom the source of Vicky's dark magic, and with that he and his friends returned to his world. Meanwhile, those who went into Omega to rescue Tecna turned out to be in need of rescue themselves.
(note, this chapter contains elements from the hit anime 'Hokuto No Ken,' otherwise known as 'Fist of the North Star,' which I'm using without permission, so please don't sue me)
'Nuff said, on with the show!
Chapter 24: Rescuing the Rescuers
The next thing Bloom, Carmen, Jake, Karen, Travis, Rei and Kiko knew, they were all back at Alfea. They walked through the gates and headed for the main building.
"Now that's what I call a trip," said Travis.
"Want to go again?" Rei asked in a daring tone.
"Hell no!" said Travis, "after nearly suffering heat exhaustion and heat stroke from the heat and humidity of the preserve, nearly getting eaten by dragons several times, nearly falling off that mountain several times and nearly getting killed by the baddies, you'll never catch me anywhere near that damn dragon preserve ever again!"
"I'm partial to agree," said Jake, "such a dangerous place is no place for Carmen…I mean Ms. Carmen…I mean her and Princess Bloom…I mean!" by now he was blushing and sweating, not from the heat, but rather from rattled nerves.
"Why my dear Jake Avatar," said Carmen, "I honestly didn't know you cared about me." she to was blushing, but also in appreciation.
"How much longer are those two going to fiddle around before they actually become a couple?" Karen asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," said Bloom.
Just then Faragonda came out from the main building, "I take it, Bloom, that your quest was a success."
"It was, Ms. Faragonda," said Bloom, "I can use my Enchantix now without passing out. There's still a lot that I can't do yet, part of my full powers are still being held back by the curse on Domino, but at least my life isn't in danger any more. Oh, Maya says hello, and that she says to change your glasses."
"She always did want me to look my best," said Faragonda as she cleaned her glasses, "but I like my glasses the way they are."
"As do I, headmistress," said Griselda as she walked out of the main building, "as do I. Well, Bloom, I do hope your newfound mastery of your magic will enable you to keep up with your school work. What with you and your friends going off on one wild adventure after another, it'll be a miracle if you ever graduate."
"I hope I live long enough to see graduation," said Bloom, "I think we've found the source of all those curses that Vicky has been using." But then she saw something that took her mind completely off of magic and curses, or rather, someone.
There, sitting underneath one of the trees in the courtyard, was Sky, looking up at the clouds as if something was missing in his heart. He then realized that someone was looking at him. He got up and saw Bloom.
They slowly walked towards each other. "Hi," said Bloom once they were less than two paces away from each other.
"Hi," Sky said back.
"Doc Monroe fixed your back," said Bloom.
"He did," said Sky.
Without another word said they embraced and kissed like there was no tomorrow. They stayed that way for about a minute or so, only breaking apart for some much needed oxygen.
"I missed you so much," said Sky, "more than you can imagine."
"I've got a pretty big imagination," said Bloom, "so try me."
"I can't think of a good example right now," said Sky as he lost himself in Bloom's eyes, while she did the same, "I'm just want to look at you. Everything makes sense again now that we're together."
"There's a good example," said Bloom. At that they both laughed. They then went over to sit beneath a tree and talked about how wonderful life is.
"I'd give them some time," said Faragonda to Griselda, "they have quite a lot of catching up to do."
"We'll fill you in on what we found out," said Carmen. She then sighed, "boy, are you going to be upset when we tell you this." She and Jake then informed Faragonda on the facts that Vicky is working for Zahidia and the new R'lyeh empire, whom are assumed to be in charge of all the wickedness plaguing The Magical Dimension. Also the fact that the source of Vicky's dark magic seems to be an ember of Dragonfire, one that was stolen by The Ancestress Coven and then tainted it.
"And if that wasn't the worst of it," said Carmen.
"Actually that's about it," said Travis.
"Meeting the head baddie was creepy enough," said Karen, "but learning that Vicky has evil Dragonfire on her side, that is the worst."
"It is," said Rei.
"But on a more positive note," said Jake, "we met and befriended the current incarnation of The Avatar, whom promised to send aid as soon as he could."
"And how long will that be?" Griselda asked.
"Just as soon as Aang and his friends bring back Airbending to their world," said Carmen, "shouldn't take them too long, I hope."
"Well regardless of time," said Faragonda, "I will pass on this information to Saladin and Griffin. No doubt they will want to know who has been stirring up trouble in The Magical Dimension."
Bloom meanwhile had just finished up telling Sky about what happened on Wallach VII from her point of view.
"You fought and beat your dark side again?" Sky asked, "and it was your dark side that was holding your powers back?"
"Yes and no," said Bloom, "I didn't exactly beat my dark side, rather, we agreed to work together to our mutual benefit. And as to my Enchantix, there's still a lot that I can't do, and won't be able to do until we lift the curse that Domino is under."
"Well if there's anyone who can lift a curse off an entire world," said Sky, "it's you. You are one incredible girl, you know that?"
"I have my moments," said Bloom, "but let's not forget about you. You went through one horrific ordeal to be able to walk again."
"At times it felt like I was crawling though hell and back," said Sky, "being without you that is, not the rehabilitation, getting my legs back was a piece of cake by comparison."
"And now you get to keep your promise," said Bloom, "that we'll be together and nothing will keep us apart." she then sighed and looked away, "but now…"
"But now there's all these other things to worry about," said Sky, "what with Vicky having a tainted ember of Dragonfire, and then there's this dark empire run by this sorceress that Vicky and The Trix are obeying."
"You'd think that after The Shadow Riders," said Bloom, "those witches would have learned their lesson."
"Some people are just plain stubborn," said Sky, "especially villains."
"Yeah," said Bloom.
There was a moment of silence between them before Sky spoke again, "it's only a matter of time before we're separated from each other again for some reason or another," he sighed in annoyance, "some future King of Eraklyon I'm going to be, I can't even keep a promise to the woman I love."
"I'm sure we'll figure out a way for us to be together, yet still fulfill our respective duties," said Bloom, "I'll think of something."
"I have a feeling that you'll do just that," said Sky. With that they kissed again.
Just then Sky tensed and shot up, "oh! I just remembered! Stella, Brandon and the others went to Omega to save Tecna!"
"And they left you behind?" Bloom asked.
"I wanted to wait for you to come back," said Sky.
"Well I'm back now," said Bloom, "and ready to go help save Tecna!"
"Oh no you don't!" exclaimed an irate Griselda, "not again! You just returned from your latest escapade, Bloom, one that has seriously left you behind on your schoolwork. You are not to leave Alfea until you are caught up, and I mean it!"
"And what about Stella and the others?" Bloom asked, "how far behind have they gotten while they're risking their lives to save Techa? And just how far behind is she? What difference would it make if I go help them? A lot for them, that's what and not much in terms of school work."
"She does have a point," said Carmen.
"You do sometimes need to get your priorities straightened out, Ms. Griselda," said Jake, "no disrespect implied that is."
"So we are going on another mission?" Travis asked reluctantly, "right after we got back from one?"
"It's our duty to go with Princess Bloom," said Rei, "to help her and her friends whenever they need us," yet she to felt like she'd rather not go, and Karen was feeling the same way.
"Well you don't have to come with us this time," said Bloom.
She was about to say something else, but Karen beat her to the punch, "See ya!" with that she, Rei and Travis hurried towards the gates. Ten seconds later a hover buss came by and they got on it and headed for the city, probably for a relaxing stay at a hotel.
"Well they've certainly proved their loyalty," said Carmen.
"You don't have to dome if you don't want to either," said Sky, "I'd be more than happy to lend you my wheels, Jake," he tossed the keys to his hover bike to Jake, "unless you and Carmen want to wait for the next bus."
"And miss on a chance to delve into Omega and put all the rampaging inmates in their place? I think not, Prince Sky," said Jake, "you must think so little of me. Half of the inmates in Omega were put there thanks to The Phantom Renegade, I know what to expect. You and Princess Bloom will need me on this most dangerous venture."
"And I'm coming to," said Carmen, "Elise and Morgan need me, I can feel it."
"And I can sense that Stella and the others are in trouble," said Bloom, "we don't have much time." She then cast a spell that outfitted the four of them in cold-weather gear. Bloom and Sky were wearing red and black winter parkas, while Jakes was blue and green, and Carmen was wearing all black as usual.
"Nice," said Carmen as she admired her new attire, "very nice."
"You think that's impressive," said Bloom, "check this out." she then cast a teleportation spell. Just like that (insert finger snapping sound) they were gone.
"One of these days, headmistress," said an irate Griselda, "one of these days that Bloom and her friends are going to push me too far."
"Let us hope we all live to see that day," said Faragonda, "I fear that what Bloom learned may be true, that the worst is yet to come."
Bloom, Sky, Carmen and Jake then found themselves on the surface of Omega in the space port where The Night Rider and The Sapphire Blaze sat parked.
Almost immediately, Bloom was nearly overwhelmed by the familiar dark presence she first sensed on Andros. But then the presence faded into the back of her mind. Bloom focused on ignoring it for now and focused on finding her friends and saving Tecna.
"Well look who's here?" said Lucinda as she and Beauregard came out from The Night Rider. Amanda was shortly behind them, she was rubbing her neck as if it were sore.
"Remind me to sucker punch that bitch, Morgan," said Amanda, "she fck$ng blindsided me."
"Only because you've got such a foul mouth," said Beauregard, "honestly, where do you get it?"
"Certainly not from hanging around us," said Lucinda, "That's for sure."
"Where are Stella, Brandon and the others?" Bloom asked.
"They went down there," said Lucinda, pointing to the entrance to the prison, "they went in a while ago."
"Riven gave me the keys to his ship," said Beauregard, "not to keep, but to keep the motor running."
"Well keep it running," said Sky, "we'll be back with all our friends."
"Good luck," said Amanda, "you're going to fck$ng need it."
"She really does need to watch her language," said Jake as he, Carmen, Bloom and Sky descended into Omega.
It wasn't long before they came upon several chambers full of dead inmates.
"I'd say this is the end result of an internal power struggle," said Jake, "with all the inmates running amuck, it's become jungle law in here, survival of the fittest."
"It'd be better for all of is us the bastards would kill themselves," said Carmen, "it'd make finding the others easier."
"But where are they?" Bloom asked as they found another chamber full of dead inmates. But this one was different. Where as the other death chambers had inmates slain by makeshift blades, blunt objects and bare hands, these inmates were destroyed by energy blades and well coordinated martial arts strikes. Some of them were shot with a .45 cal gun, but the most telling sings were that of residual fairy and witch magic.
"Brandon and Stella," said Sky, "they and the others were here."
"This guy was electrocuted," said Carmen, "and so was this one. Elise had a hand here, and those guys were killed with boomerang spells, Morgan's hand also."
"I can sense traces of sunlight, hip-hop, plants and Morphix," said Bloom, "our friends were here alright."
"This was an incredible battle indeed," said Jake as he observed the remains of the fighting, "our friends fought long and hard, but more and more of the enemy kept coming," he looked at the footprints on the ground, "faced with overwhelming odds, our friends had to split up and make a run for it for more favorable ground," he came to an area in the chamber where there were three tunnels, "some went to the left, some went to the right, and I'm guessing that Princess Stella and the other Winx flew into the middle tunnel."
"Which group do we follow?" Sky asked.
"That's a good question," said Bloom. She didn't know who went into the left and right tunnels, and even though her first impulse was to take the middle and help The Winx, her gut was telling her to take the left tunnel. So, they went left.
They soon found themselves along the edge of a deep chasm that seemed to go down forever.
"You sure some of our people went this way?" Carmen asked as she, Bloom, Sky and Jake carefully walked along the narrow path carved into the rock. The path was only wide enough for them to walk in single file.
"I recognize the tracks now," said Jake, "underneath the treads of the inmates there are five distinct boot prints. From these I can tell that four of them were male and the last was female. And then I can sense that the four males had energy weapons and the female had magic, specifically electrical magic."
"Brandon, Helia, Riven, Timmy and Elise," said Sky.
"How long ago were they here?" Bloom asked.
"That's the problem, I'm afraid," said Jake, "the cold of this world is preserving all the evidence I've discovered. Our friends could be only minutes ahead of us, or they could have passed through yesterday."
Just then part of the path that Bloom was standing on gave way, causing her to slip and fall. Sky caught her just in time by the hands, but then the rock he was standing on gave way and he fell, taking Carmen with him.
But then Jake grabbed both Sky and Carmen, lifting them and Bloom back onto more sure-footed rock.
"Everyone alright?" Jake asked.
"We're all still here," said Bloom, "thanks to you, Jake.
"Well," said Carmen, "that was exciting."
"Never a dull moment in The Magical Dimension," said Sky.
They rested for a few moments to regain their breath, then continued on, finally reaching a tunnel.
A few moments later they came to a fork in the tunnel. Jake then tensed up as if sensing something, "there's somebody coming!"
"If it's an inmate," said Carmen as she charged up a dark sphere, "he's dead!"
Just then Bloom sensed that someone was coming from the adjoining tunnel, but this was a familiar presence, "Wait, I think this person is friendly."
And friendly she was, for the person was Tecna, who was wearing a strange outfit that seemed out of place in the cold environment of Omega; an orange and yellow top and skirt with matching orange boots, all of which seemed to radiate with energy.
"Bloom!" exclaimed Tecna.
"Tecna!" exclaimed Bloom they ran and embraced each other, "I knew you were alive!"
"And I knew you and the others would find me!" said Tecna.
"We never doubted for a second," said Bloom, "but how did you survive for so long alone? And just what are you wearing?"
"Aren't you cold?" a slightly flabbergasted Carmen asked.
"Oh this?" Tecna asked, "I designed it myself. After I punched through The Omega Gate on Andros and sealed the vortex from this side, I found myself alone and surrounded by throngs of bloodthirsty maniacs.
"I took a page out of Morgan's book and used an invisibility spell to conceal myself until I could come up with a plan. I knew that my Enchantix form would protect me from the cold, but I could only maintain it for so long. I used some of my new powers to manufacture what I'm wearing out of the raw materials at hand, mainly rock and ice," she did a quick turn to display her outfit, "it has a thermal charm so that I'm perfectly warm. I've been doing my very best just to stay alive and wait for you guys to come."
"Well we're here now," said Sky, "now all we need to do is find the others and get out of here."
"Others?" Tecna asked.
"Brandon, Stella and so many more already came here looking for you," said Bloom, "but they've run into trouble. Somehow they've been separated into three groups. We were on the trail of Brandon, Riven, Timmy, Helia and Elsie when we found you."
"Then what are we doing standing here for?" Tecna asked, "let's go!" With that they six of them continued following the trail their friends made. They came to another cave that had several tunnels leading off into it.
Jake was in the process of determining which tunnel the tracks they were following lead off into, when suddenly they heard oncoming footsteps from all the tunnels. Before Bloom and her group knew it, they were surrounded by a gang of at least twenty vicious inmates, all armed with makeshift but deadly weapons.
"Well look what we've got here," said the gang leader, "more fresh meat." At this the inmates laughed.
"You'll find that this meat is tough to swallow," said Jake as he took up a defensive fighting stance, while Sky charged up his blade.
"We're tougher than we look," said Bloom as she charged up a fireball, while Tecna summoned a double fistful of green lightining and Carmen prepared a gravity crushing spell.
"I think we ought to teach these insolent brats a lesson," said the leader of the inmate gang, "a lesson they won't ever forget."
"Just as long as we get to have some fun with the girls," said another of the inmates, while several more laughed cruelly at the vile fun to come.
"Dibs on the redhead!" said another of the inmates, "I want to drill all her holes!"
"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's not nice to talk that way to a lady!" said a determined female voice. From the shadows of one of the tunnels emerged a woman in her mid-twenties wearing black boots, a denim jacket over a red and orange thermal body-suit that hugged her body so as not to impede movement, a body that looked like it was built for speed, dexterity, agility and strength.
She stood about 5'8" and had dark brown eyes and brown hair tied back in a tight braid. There was something familiar about this woman, something that Bloom couldn't remember. But whoever she was, she had the aura of someone who was absolutely disgusted by the behavior of the inmates.
"Pigs who abandon their souls to the darkness!" said the woman as she pointed at the leader of the inmates, "I can never forgive you!"
"Forgiveness is for the weak!" snapped the leader, "and this ain't your business!"
"When you go around threatening to defile innocent girls and murder their beloved boys," said the woman, "you make it my concern." She then loudly cracked her knuckles in a strange way. First she placed her left fist in her right palm and pressed them together, cracking her left knuckles. She then did the same with her right knuckles. All in all it looked and sounded sort of cool.
"Euripides!" said Jake.
"That's Euripides!" Carmen and Tecna asked at the same time.
"Of course it is," said Sky, "I remember hearing that she cracked her knuckles that way, it has to be her."
"Euripides," said Bloom, trying to remember where she heard that name. Then it came to her, "she's Riven's sister? One of the few girls to attend Red Fountain?"
"And graduate," said Sky, "with full honors in all heroic fields; swordsmanship, search and rescue, battle tactics, you name it, she excelled in it."
"But from what I heard," said Jake, "her true specialty, her gift, is in hand to hand combat."
"Well look here, boys," said the leader, "this little muffin wants to fight."
"Damn right I do," said the woman, Euripides, "I've been sent here to this gods-forsaken dump to clean up the mess," she pointed at the assembled inmates, "and you scumbags are the mess."
"I don't think she want's to play with us," said one of the inmates.
"Maybe she doesn't know how to play our games," said another of the inmates, "maybe we should teach her about our kind of fun," this made the gang of inmates laugh cruelly.
"Clearly we have different definitions of fun," said Euripides, "but if I'm think of what you're thinking, then let me put you scumbags in your place; if you had me, you wouldn't know what to do with me."
"Are you saying that we ain't got what it takes?" one of the inmates demanded.
"Oh I'm sure you have the proper equipment," said Euripides, "but considering that some of you have been locked up in here for hundreds, thousands of years even, the question remains if you're equipment is still functional. If that's the case, then you might as well be eunuchs."
"Why you dirty little bitch!" snapped one of the inmates as he aimed a makeshift crossbow at Euripides, "I ought to kill you for that!"
"Give me your best shot, scumbag!" said Euripides as she stood her ground.
"She's crazy to do that," said Carmen, "that guy can't miss at that range." True enough, the distance between Euripides and the inmate with the crossbow was less than fifteen paces
"I wouldn't be so quick to doubt her," said Sky. Bloom had to agree with him. There was something strange about Euripides that Bloom was sensing, something strange and terrible.
"See you in hell, bitch!" snapped the inmate as he fired his crossbow. The bolt's aim was true as it headed for Euripides' heart. She sidestepped and avoided the deadly bolt as if it were moving in slow motion, but to Bloom and the others it was Euripides who was moving really fast.
"Is that all you got?" Euripides asked in a slightly bored tone, "I'll give you one more chance to kill me."
"You bitch!" snapped the inmate as he hastily reloaded his crossbow.
"But if you miss again," said Euripides as she smiled, "you lose an eye."
"I'll show you!" snapped the inmate as he aimed and fired his crossbow. Again the bolt was on course.
But this time Euripides caught the bolt between her right fore and middle fingers.
"Two-finger Vacuum Grab!" said Euripides. She then flicked the bolt back at the inmate. The bolt pierced the inmates' left eye. He fell to the ground, howling in agony as he clutched at his ruined eye.
"You're gonna pay for that, bitch!" snapped the gang leader, "get her!" The twenty inmates then charged at Euripides.
She stood her ground at the onrushing maniacs. Just as they were about to reached her, she jumped up and over the gang. Euripides then delivered three kicks to the back of the heads of three inmates before landing behind the gang. With each kick she shouted like a well known martial-artist turned actor.
As the stunned inmates turned around in disbelief, the three that Euripides kicked then fell over, all three of them dead before they hit the ground.
Euripides then punched and kicked four more inmates before the rest of them realized what had happened. These four then fell to the ground, dead as doornails. The remaining gang members then attacked Euripides, who moved so fast that their attacks didn't even come close, but her attacks made deadly contact. Every time she punched, chopped or kicked she shouted, her exclamations driving home her attacks as they made contact.
"She's 'the one,'" said an awed Jake.
"'The one' what?" Carmen asked as she, Sky and Bloom watched as Euripides systematically destroyed the gang of inmates. The sight of one person slaughtering an overwhelming number of baddies was both shocking to the point where they didn't want to watch, yet was fascinating enough that they couldn't look away.
"There's a style of martial arts," said Jake, "one so powerful, so deadly, that only one person per generation can fully master it. Hokuto Shin Ken; 'Devine Fist of the North Star."
By now only the leader of the inmate gang and the one with a crossbow bolt in his eye were left alive.
"I'd give up if I were you," said Euripides to the inmate, "but that's just me talking."
"I'll rip you in half!" exclaimed the leader. He charged at Euripides. She responded by delivering a devastating chop to his head right between the eyes.
"Mountain-Splitting Wave!" said Euripides. The force of her chop divided the maniacs' headin half. He was dead before he hit the ground.
"Wow!" said an impressed Carmen, "now that's what I call kicking ass."
"Indeed," said Jake.
"Well what did you expect?" said Sky, "this is Euripides. They had to dedicate an entire wall at Red Fountain to hold all the awards she won."
"That's true?" Bloom asked. But then she realized that the wounded inmate, whom by now had pulled the bolt out from his eye socket, taking with it the smashed remains of his eye, had his crossbow aimed at her.
Fortunately Sky saw it as well and pulled her out of the way in time to avoid the deadly bolt from hitting Bloom in the heart.
"Bastard!" exclaimed Carmen, "I'll scramble his brains!"
"Not unless I rip him in half first!" said Jake.
"No!" said Euripides as she walked forward, "he's mine!"
"Get away from me!" exclaimed the now terrified inmate, "I'll be good from now on! I've learned me lesson, I promise!"
"Is that so?" said Euripides, "Then why do you have a shiv behind your back, waiting to stab someone the minute they let their guard down."
"What, this thing?" the inmate said hastily as he dropped his makeshift knife, "it's just a letter opener."
"Save your breath!" said Euripides, "you'll need it to make your peace with God!" Moving faster than he could react, Euripides rushed in front of the inmate and jammed her thumbs into his temples.
"North-Star Fists of Remorse," said Euripides, "I've pressed two vital pressure points; once I remove my thumbs, you'll have exactly seven seconds to think about all the horrible things you've done in life, and maybe you'll truly be sorry about them. Then, you die!"
"No!" exclaimed the terrified inmate, "I don't want to die!" He pushed Euripides away form him and ran down the tunnel. Seven seconds later he stopped dead in his tracks and clutched at his head, which began to expand like a balloon. It then exploded, spraying the ice-covered tunnel with blood, bone fragments and bits of brains.
"Ugg!" said a thoroughly grossed out Bloom.
"That has to be the single most disgusting I've ever seen," said Carmen, "and I know disgusting. But still, it was kind of cool."
"It was kinda cool," said Sky, "in a creepy, disturbing way."
"No one said that Hokuto Shin Ken was all sunshine and rainbows," said Euripides, "you must be some of the people my little brother made friends with. It's good that he has those whom he can care about and those who care about him. I'm sure you've had a difficult time being with him, he can be a bit of a pain sometimes."
"Riven can be an arrogant ass at times," said Sky, "but he's alright, more or less."
"He is alright," said Euripides, "I should know, I had to grow up with him trying to outdo me."
"You really graduated from Red Fountain?" Bloom asked.
"It took a lot of string pulling on the behalf of Master Saladin," said Euripides, "but he saw the potential in me and gave me the chance, and for that I will always be grateful."
"But why are you here?" Sky asked, "last thigk I heard, you were interning as an assistant instructor on Ginaz."
"I was," said Euripides, "but I was contracted by a committee from The Galaxy Police. My mission is to clean up Omega, for good. A few days ago an emergency conclave of royal houses from across The Magical Dimension decreed that Omega is to be abolished, for good. But no world is willing to take back the fiends they banished over the years, so I've been sent to destroy the scum before they have a chance to wreck any more havoc on any more innocent lives."
"The prison has been abolished?" Sky asked.
"I have a copy of the decree right here," said Euripides. She took out an official looking document from her jacket pocket. Bloom looked at the paper and saw that it was indeed an abolition order, decreeing that Omega was to be closed forever, signed by the heads of at least fifteen noble families.
"But you're doing it alone," said Carmen.
"I think she's all that's needed," said Sky, "that style you used, Fist of the North Star, it's unbelievable."
"It is," said Euripides as she smiled, "but I'm not alone in this venture. One of the first things I did when I first arrived here was to locate any surviving guards. There weren't that many to be saved when I got here, but I did. They should be right behind me."
Just then about half a dozen men in red and white uniforms came out of one of the tunnels. All of them looking rather ragged and nearly exhausted, like they had been fighting with very little rest for a long time.
"They're all that's left of the prison guards," said Euripides, "out of nearly a thousand trained employees."
"I had no idea that it was so bad in here," said Bloom. She then noticed that one of the guards, a man in his early fifties with short, graying black hair and hazel eyes was embracing Jake like a long lost brother, or some other type of family member. The man had a katana sword strapped to his waist with a green and white handle and a blue scabbard.
"We found her, Uncle Rich," said Jake happily, "the plan you and the other adults made, it worked, we found Princess Bloom!"
"Jake," said the man, Rich, "I knew that if any of the surviving children would find the Princess, it would be you."
"Princess Bloom, Ms. Carmen, Prince Sky, Ms. Tecna," said a smiling Jake, "this is my uncle, Richard Bachman. He's one of the dozen adults who survived the fall of Domino."
"A combination of bad luck and sheer determination was what allowed me to survive that horrible day," said Richard Bachman, "Princess Bloom, it is an honor and a privilege to finally make your acquaintance. You are the very image of your parents, King Oritel and Queen Miriam."
"You knew my parents?" Bloom asked.
"Not very well," said Richard Bachman, "I was an officer in the Domino Royal Guard. My unit was assigned to protect you and your elder sister, Princess Daphne. Yet circumstances led me to be separated from my squad the day Domino fell.
"By the time I could act, it was too late, both you and your sister were gone, The King and Queen had also vanished, and I found myself among only a dozen adults and 100 frightened children aboard a single starship that got away before the entire planet froze over.
"When the children were scattered across the stars, the adults also went our separate ways as well, promising to meet up again if a large enough group of the children managed to find each other one day. That was nearly 18 years ago, and I haven't heard from the other 11 since."
"But what happened to you?" Carmen asked, "how'd you end up a guard in Omega?"
"Carmen Dawson," said Richard Bachman, "you're the spliting image of your mother, Teresa."
"My mom's name was Teresa?" a shocked Carmen asked.
"And a very good friend of mine," said Richard Bachman, "as was your father, Thomas. And before you ask, no, they did not survive. Like The King and Queen, I was too late to save your parents, they were killed in the initial fighting."
"Oh," said a disappointed Carmen.
"You were saying about what you did after the scattering, Uncle Rich," said Jake. Bloom guessed he changed the subject in order to give Carmen something else to think about.
"As I found myself alone," said Richard, "took a small ship and landed on an uninhabited world. There I became a hermit of sorts, alone with only bitter memories for companions. At the time I blamed myself for the fall of Domino. I felt that if I had tried harder, none of it would have happened.
"I spent over five years in self-imposed misery before I came to terms with what happened. I finally left my private prison and found myself wandering the stars, hoping against hope that I would run into one of my fellow survivors. It soon became clear that my efforts were in vain.
"Eventually I sought employment, if only for something to keep myself occupied. The only available job I could find at the time was as a prison guard. I've been here for nearly 12 years, keeping watch over frozen villains. If was boring, but at least I wasn't feeling sorry for myself all the time.
"But then the prisoners began escaping from their frozen cells. What was a boring job had become a matter of life or death. There were only myself and five other guards left alive when Euripides came, and for that I will always be grateful."
"Well I'm glad you're here," said Bloom.
"And I am glad that you're here, Princess Bloom," said Richard, "I had heard rumors that you were alive and restoring Domino, and if you'll have me, I'd like to be a part of that restoration."
"I'd like nothing more than to have you there when Domino comes alive again," said Bloom. She held out her hand, "welcome back, Richard Bachman."
"I am honored," said Richard as he shook Bloom's hand.
Suddenly, the foul presence that Bloom had been sensing, the one that had been resting in the back of her mind, erupted into her consciousness, filling Bloom with an irrational but irresistible desire to follow that presence to its source.
Without warning, Bloom began running down one of the tunnel. She could vaguely hear Sky, Carmen, Jake and the others calling after her, but she paid them no mind. All that mattered to Bloom was to find the source of that foul presence.
Eventually she stopped in another cave. As suddenly as it came, the urge to find the source of the presence fled from Bloom's mind. She felt rather foolish for running away from the others, but what Bloom saw banished all feelings from her mind except awe and fear.
She found herself in front of a large set of doors metal in the rock walls, the doors nearly 100 feet tall and 30 feet wide. The doors had several enchanted locks and had four chains of magically-enhanced chains across them. Bloom could also sense dozens of protective wards and magical booby traps on the doors. Someone went to a lot of trouble to make sure that whatever was behind the doors didn't get out and that no one got in either.
"Bloom!" shouted Sky as he and the other finally caught up with her, "are you alright?"
"I'm fine," said Bloom, "at least I think I am. I don't know why I did that," but she did. Whatever dark presence she was feeling, it was behind those doors.
"What is this place?" Tecna asked as she shivered in a way that had nothing to do with the cold, for she also sensed the foul presence from the other side of the doors.
"We're in the oldest part of the prison," said Richard, "this cave was one of the first to be dug when Omega was originally established, adding to the natural tunnels already here."
"But what's behind those doors?" Bloom asked, "I first sensed something terrible on Andros, then sensed it again when the Omega Gate was going to explode. Whatever this dark presence I've been sensing, it's coming from behind those doors."
"The protective measures used here are fantastic," said Tecna as she scanned with wrist computer, "one would have to be the most powerful magic user alive to try to attempt to unlock those doors."
"And suicidal to boot," Richard, "For only a psychopath would want to unlock the Crypt of the Tecnomancers."
"'Tecnomancers?'" Bloom asked. Just hearing the word sent shivers up her spine that had nothing to do with the cold.
"The stuff of nightmares," said Jake, "a long time ago there were a group of people, mortal humans, who believed that all magic, good and dark, they saw all of it as evil. They sent out to rid the universe of magic, killing every magical creature they could find.
"Eventually the authorities sought to stop the fanatics before they succeeded, for there were a lot of people at the time who would rather live in a universe without magic.
"To make matters worse, the fanatics began augmenting their bodies with cybernetic parts to make them stronger, faster and more resistant to magical attacks. Eventually it got to the point where they could infuse their minds into robot bodies. They ceased being human and began calling themselves Tecnomancers.
"The resulting war between magical life and Tecnomancers would have destroyed all life in the universe, if a way hadn't been found to corral them into one spot and temporarily shut them down.
"Their cybernetic bodies made them all but indestructible, so at the time the best idea was to seal them away forever. That's the true reason Omega was created, to lock away the Tecnomancers and all their evil."
"And they'll stay that way," said Euripides, "The Galaxy Police told me that once I've resorted order in here, mainly wiping out all the riffraff, a new set of guards will be brought in with the one purpose of making sure nothing happens to The Crypt."
"And nothing will," said Richard, "the enchantments placed on those doors were meant to last forever. There's nothing to see here, Princess Bloom, nothing to worry about."
Yet there was something about the doors that did worry Bloom, "look!" she pointed to a spot on the doors where there was a six inch long crack in the metal. The crack didn't look very deep, but it was close to one of the hinges. If it got bigger, it could damage the hinge.
"That's been there," said Richard as he looked at the crack, "I came to Omega twelve years ago. Some of the senior guards pointed the crack out to me when I was given the orientation tour. As far as anyone knows, that crack has been there for hundreds of years and hasn't gotten any bigger."
"I don't think we should be here any more, Bloom," said Sky.
"He's right," said Jake, "Princess Bloom, we need to go."
"Brandon, Stella, Morgan and the others are counting on us," said Carmen.
"You're right," said Bloom. She turned to look at the doors one last time, then turned away and headed back up the tunnel to where the tracks lay for them to follow.
Yet as Bloom and the others left the cave, the crack lengthened. The increase wasn't visible to the naked eye, but it was there.
It was several moments later when the tunnel Bloom and her group were in ended. They found themselves on a ledge overlooking another cave, this one was full of at least 200 inmates. They seemed to be clustered in front of a makeshift barricade of rock and ice.
"My gut tells me that the boys and Elise are behind that barricade," whispered Carmen.
"There's no way we can sneak up on all of them," whispered Sky.
"If stealth won't work," said Euripides, "then the direct approach will do." She walked up to the edge of the ledge, "Hey!"
Her shout caught the attention of the inmates. Euripides then jumped down to the floor below.
"Who the hell are you!" demanded one of the inmates.
Euripides calmly looked across the cave, taking a quick assessment of the numbers she faced, "this is all of you, right? There's not any more hiding in the tunnels? Not that they'll make much of a difference against me."
"Get her!" snapped one of the inmates. He and three others charged at Euripides. She struck first with four lighting-fast kicks to the head, one for each of them.
"North Star Four-way Slash!"
The four inmates were stopped in their tracks. The last things on their minds before they died was how fast Euripides was.
"It can't be!" said one of the remaining 196 inmates in front of the barricade, "Fist of the North Star!"
"Those who sent you here to this horrible place for all eternity," said Euripides, "they thought that it was justice. Clearly they were wrong, so it's now my job to clean up their mistake, for good."
"She's just one girl!" said another of the inmates, "there's no way she can kill all of us! Get her!"
The inmates then charged at Euripides, who also charged at them. They met in the middle of the cave. All of the maniacs tried to get to her, but Euripides was too fast for them. Each time Euripides attacked, she delivered an instant-death punch, kick or chop, or she pressed a vital pressure point that dropped an inmate like a stone.
Before Bloom's eyes, Euripides had destroyed five score of the inmates, leaving 96 standing between them and the barricade.
"North Star 100-way Strike," said Euripides.
As Timmy and Elise tried their best to get them, Riven, Helia and Brandon out of their sticky situation, Helia, who was looking though a peephole in the barricade, saw something.
"Somebody's fighting the maniacs outside!" said Helia.
"Really!" Brandon asked as he, Riven, Timmy and Elise hurried to peepholes of their own.
"A rescue party at last!" said Riven.
"Aren't we supposed to be a rescue party?" Timmy asked.
"I'm just saying that we're in a bit over our heads," said Riven, "I'm not ashamed to admit it."
"Well don't get your hopes up, tough guy," said Elise as she watched the fight outside, "it's just one person, and a girl no less, who happens to be kicking some serious ass."
"She taking down those maniacs like they were nothing!" said Brandon, "but what kind of fighting style is that?"
"It's Fist of the North Star," said Timmy, "I heard about it, but I'd never thought I'd meet a true master."
"But who is this woman?" Helia asked, "wait, can it be? Yes! I remember seeing her picture, one with my grandfather Saladin in it as well. It's Euripides!"
"Euripides!" exclaimed Riven. He looked both mortified and happy at the same time.
"It's her alright!" said Brandon, "I remember her from an old yearbook."
"But what's she doing here?" Timmy asked.
"Who cares," said Riven, "if this isn't a sign that we should make out move, I don't know what is." By now Eruipides had just finished destroying 100 of the inmates in one quick battle.
"I agree," said Elise, "I was getting tired of being stuck in here anyway. You boys won't mind if the first move is mine, do you?"
"Of course not," said Timmy as he took out his blaster, while Brandon, Riven and Helia charged up their energy weapons, "ladies first after all."
"Chivalry will get you nowhere," said Elise. She then used a strong lighting spell that blasted the barricade, sending fragments of ice and rock into the remaining inmates, killing 10.
"Hope you don't mind a little friendly competition, big sister," said Riven.
"Not at all, little brother," said Euripides, "not at all."
"Save some for us," said Carmen as she and Jake jumped from the ledge to the cave floor. Bloom, Sky, Tecna and Richard soon followed.
"Timmy!" exclaimed Tecna.
"Tecna!" exclaimed Timmy.
"You can be happy soon enough," said Richard as he unsheathed his katana, "right now there's dirty work to be done."
"My thoughts exactly," said Jake, "I put away a lot of these animals, quite a few of them in this life. It's a shame my predecessors and I weren't' so merciful at times." He then realized that most of the remaining inmates in the cave were looking at him, "oh, you don't recognize me without the mask," just then a blue rose appeared in his hands, "but it is me, the one who forced you to face justice."
"He's the Phantom Renegade!" exclaimed one of the inmates. This made the majority of them so afraid that they ran for the tunnels as if the devil incarnate was after them. Only fifteen inmates were left in the room.
"Cowards," spat Euripides, "just more work for me to do later."
"We'll help you if you'd like," said Carmen, "these maniacs deserve everything that coming to them."
"Indeed," said Jake.
"Then allow me to start things off!" said Elise. She used a chain lighting spell that electrocuted five of the remaining inmates. Carmen then used a gravity spell that squashed five more. Jake then attacked four inmates, delivering strikes that barely touched them, yet dealt devastating force.
Only one inmate was left alive in the room, and this one was a particularly large and ugly specimen with his face covered in tattoos. He carried a 12-foot long spear with a razor-sharp tip.
"My comrades were pathetic," said the tattoo inmate, "like insects compared to me!" he took up a fighting stance and pointed his spear at Jake, "I may not make it out of this place alive, but at least I'll die with the knowledge that I killed you, Phantom Renegade!"
"As many have found out over the centuries," said Jake as he took up his fighting stance, "The Phantom Renegade is rather hard to kill!"
"No!" said Euripides, "he's mine! I insist!"
"If you insist," said Carmen. She and Jake backed away, as did Bloom, Sky and everyone else, leaving the middle of the floor to Euripides and the tattoo inmate.
"Don't think I don't know about you!" said the inmate, "your fighting style won't work on me! I spit on Hokuto Shin Ken!"
"It's your funeral," said Euripides, "your loss. Even though I was ordered to cleanse Omega, I was told that if any inmate were to surrender, I was to spare him so he could be taken to a more humane institution. So far less than twenty inmates surrendered and are alive."
"How's that work?" Bloom asked.
"I'd give them a teleportation badge that'd beam them up to a Galaxy Police ship in orbit," said Euripides. She showed a small case that was enchanted to hold a lot of stuff, "so far it's still pretty full," she looked at the inmate, "I can tell you're intelligent, more than your fellow convicts, so I will ask this one time; save your own life and give up."
"Go to hell!" exclaimed the tattoo inmate. He charged at her, intending to impale her on his spear.
"So be it," said Euripides. She then dodged the spear. The inmate then changed his attack so that he could now stab Euripides where she stood now, but she moved again. The inmate was fast, but Euripides was far faster.
"You're boring me now," said Euripides in a nonchalant tone as she dodged yet another spear thrust, "let's just end this so my friends, my brother and I can get on with our lives."
"Why you dirty little girl!" exclaimed the tattoo inmate with the long spear. He charged again at Euripides, still intending to impale her, but instead of dodging, she grabbed the spear with one hand just behind the stone point and raised it up, with the inmate still holding the other end.
"What…impossible!" exclaimed the inmate as he dangled in the air.
Euripides then tossed the spear up, taking the inmate with it. She then jumped up and jabbed her fingers into the inmate's neck near the spinal cord. She then delivered a bone shattering knee-strike to the inmate's nose.
"Neck-twisting, face-breaking strike!" said Euripides as she landed with the grace of a cat, while the inmate landed like a sack of potatoes, dead as a doornail.
"You really are strong, big sister," said Riven.
"From what I've heard from mom and dad," said Euripides, "you're not so bad yourself. Now what's this about you finally having a girlfriend?"
"I…uh…well that is," said a flabbergasted Riven.
"We'll talk later," said Euripides.
"But what happened to the others?" Bloom asked, "never mind, I think I have an idea on how to find them."
"A locater spell?" Elise asked.
"That," said Bloom, "combined with a teleportation spell. Once I find our friends, I can teleport all of us to them. Just give me a minute."
Bloom then used her locater spell, revealing that Mace, Payton, Kegan, Kurt, Ryoga, Tatewaki and Morgan were in one part of the prison, and still running for their lives. Yet they were on the same level of the prison as Bloom and her group were.
"They're down that tunnel," said Bloom, pointing to one to her left, "about half a mile. If we hurry we can catch up with them before its too late."
"We'll go!" said Brandon eagerly, while Riven, Helia and Timmy nodded in agreement.
"We'll go to," said Elise, while Tecna also nodded in agreement.
"As will I," said Euripides.
"Wait," said Brandon, "what about Stella and the other girls?"
"That's a good question," said Bloom. She then used the locater spell again. Bloom found The Winx on a very low level of the prison, low enough to be part of the original tunnels that were found when the prison was established.
But then Bloom sensed that Stella, Flora, Layla and Musa were in one dilly of a pickle. The cold and overall dark nature of the prison was sapping their magic, especially Stella, who had been cut off from sunlight for far too long. Flora, Musa and Layla had given as much of their energy to Stella as they could so she could keep up a protective shield that was keeping them warm, but it wouldn't be long before that shield failed.
And to make matters worse, The Winx were surrounded by at least twenty Frost Basilisks, all of them waiting for Stella's shield to fail.
"They're in trouble!" exclaimed Bloom. She then used a personal teleportation spell, leaving Sky, Carmen, Jake, Brandon and the others behind.
"Oh for crying out loud!" said Carmen, "she's gone off on her own again."
"We can find her easily enough," said Tecna as she scanned with her wrist computer, while Timmy scanned with his PDA, and Elise used her PDA in combination with her Sonic Screwdriver.
"Uh-oh!" said Elise, "we've got a problem! If my readings are right, and I hope they're wrong, then Morgan and her group are running into a trap. At least a thousand inmates are waiting for them in a large cave ahead of them."
"You're not wrong," said Timmy, "but it's more like two thousand inmates. Our friends are about to be massacred!"
"Then we've got to help them!" said Helia.
"But what about Bloom and the other Winx?" Sky asked, "we have to help them?"
"By the time we find Bloom and the other fairies it may be too late to help the others," said Brandon, "I'm worried about Bloom as much as I'm worried about Stella. But something tells me that Bloom has a handle on this from her end."
"I feel the same way," said Jake, "normally I would be for an all out rescue for Princess Bloom, but my instincts tell me that she needs to do this without us."
"I agree," said Carmen, "we should focus on the more closer problem at hand."
"But if we try to help Kurt, Morgan and the others," said Timmy as he did another scan, "we'll be facing what's looking now like almost three thousand inmates. We'll be massacred as well."
"Three thousand against twenty one," said Euripides as she counted everyone in the area, an eager smile on her face "or rather, against twenty seven, counting the others being chassed. Call me crazy, but I like those odds."
"Certainty of death," said Riven as he had the same eager smile that Euripides had, "small chance of success, what are we waiting for?"
Bloom intended to teleport inside Stella's shield, but the nature of the shield prevented anything solid from getting in, as well as blocking outside magic. So when Bloom arrived, she materialized on top of the shield and bounced off, landing on the frozen floor of the cave.
"Well that sucked," said Bloom. She didn't feel like she was hurt by her rough landing, so she got up and surveyed her surroundings. Next to her was the shield being maintained by a nearly exhausted Stella, while Flora, Musa and Layla lay near Stella, all of them unconscious.
"Girls!" shouted Bloom.
"Bloom?" Stella asked in a groggy tone, "is it really you?"
"It's me alright," said Bloom, "now, Stella, I'm going to get you all out of here, but I need you to let go of your shield first."
"What?" Stella asked, "but Bloom? It's cold out there, and there's these things, these big white snakes."
"I'll deal with the snakes," said Bloom. Already she could sense the Frost Basilisks coming closer. She could tell that the gargantuan serpents were confused by the turmoil in the prison, and that they saw Stella and the girls as threats. But Bloom had an idea that would set things right. But first she needed to get her friends out of harms way first.
"Stella," said Bloom, "I'm your best friend, and as your BFFL, I'm asking you to trust me on this. Drop your shield."
"As if I could keep it up any longer," said Stella in a distant tone. She then passed out, the shield dissipating as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Bloom caught Stella before she hit the cold ground. Bloom then used her magic to transfer a good sized amount of her energy to Stella, reviving her almost immediately.
"Wow!" said Stella as Bloom helped her stand up, "I mean wow! This is better than a full-body exfoliation treatment with an avocado oil soak, combined with an all-expenses paid shopping trip."
"Glad you like it," said Bloom as she smiled. She then used the same energizing spell on Flora, Musa and Layla, reviving them instantly.
"Bloom?" Flora asked.
"The one and only," said a smiling Bloom
"Well who else would it be?" Layla asked.
"Never mind that," said Musa, "Bloom, did you get your Enchantix fixed?"
"How's this for an answer!" said Bloom. She raised her arms, "Winx Enchantix!" with a bright orange flash she transformed.
"You did it!" exclaimed Stella, "you did it! You did it! You did it!"
"I knew you could do it," said Flora.
"And you're in control now?" Musa asked, "you're not going to faint on us again?"
"I've solved that problem," said Bloom, "but right now we need to focus on the bigger one."
"Yeah," said Layla, "the really big ones!" the Frost Basilisks were closing in now, their cold eyes hungry for prey to devour.
"So what's the plan?" Flora asked.
"Well I was going to teleport you guys out and back above to where the others are," said Bloom, "and then blast the snakes, but I've got a different plan in mind."
"As long as it involves getting us out of here before we're eaten," said Stella.
"That's the thing," said Bloom, "these snakes were the dominant species of Omega, and now they're guards. They're not evil, just confused."
"I heard that a spell was placed on them when Omega was founded," said Layla, "one that bounds them to act as prison guards until they are released, mainly when the prison is shut down."
"Then that's it!" said Bloom, "I know what to do!" Bloom then flew up and was hovering near the ceiling of the cave. She then released an incredible amount of Fairy Dust and sent it towards the Frost Basilisks.
"Why'd she do that?" Stella asked.
"I think it's because the reason the snakes are confused," said Flora, "it's part of the curse Vicky used to create all the chaos in Omega. Bloom's removing the dark magic from the minds of the Basilisks."
Bloom then saw one particularly big Frost Basilisk, one at least twenty feet longer than the others and had a hood on its head like a cobra. Bloom assumed that this was the leader or the alpha male.
Bloom then used a translator spell that allowed her to communicate with the alpha basilisk, "We are not you enemies. The prison has been disrupted by dark magic, allowing the real inmates to run amok. The dark magic has confounded you, making you see my friends and I as prisoners, but we are not."
"Who are you?" the alpha basilisk asked in a hissing tone, "no prissssoner hasss the ability to ssspeak with usss."
"I doubt there are many fairies in here," said Bloom, "we came here to rescue someone who came here in order to prevent a great wrong. All we ask is to find our friends and we will leave you in peace."
"Fairiesss are you?" the Alpha of Omega asked, "yesss, I can ssse now, the wingsss are a dead giveaway. I offer my mossst ssssincere apologiesss. The witsss of my brothersss and sssissstersss have indeed been confounded. But we ssse clearly now." At this all the other Frost Basilisks hissed in agreement.
"I'm sure you were only doing what you thought was right," said Bloom.
"What isss right and what isss wrong isss irrelevant," said the Alpha, "we were only carrying out our purpossse. For thousssandsss of yearsss we have been bound to the tasssk of maintaining order on thisss world, and for thousssandsss of yearsss that tasssk has been our purpossse, or reassson for living, for a life without purpossse isss no life at all."
"I happen to agree with you on that," said Bloom, "but now you don't have to be slaves to a task anymore," she then called up a mental image of the edict that Euripides showed her, the one abolishing the prison. She then sent the image to the mind of the Alpha snake.
"Omega is to be closed forever," said Bloom, "only a handful of outsiders will be here to keep watch over The Crypt of The Tecnomancers."
"The machinesss of darknessss," said the Alpha, "yesss, I can sssee why it is necessssary to keep watch there. If thisss isss true…"
"They're clearing out the inmates right now," said Bloom, "some of them are surrendering and being taken to other institutions. Those that insist on fighting are being destroyed."
"Then we truly are free," said the Alpha, "Brothersss! Sssissstersss! We are free! We Are Free!"
"FREE! FREE!" hissed the Frost Basilisks.
"What's going on?" a very nervous Stella asked.
"I think Bloom just gave them good news," said Layla, "at least I hoped so."
"I just did," said Bloom to her friends, "I just told them that they've been emancipated, at least I hope I did."
"Well I hope so as well," said Musa, "considering you were talking like them for a while."
"I thought I was speaking our language," said Bloom, "huh, that translator spell must work only so far."
"Little winged onesss," said the Alpha basilisk in a voice that Bloom, Stella and the others could understand, "I offer my condolencesss for your ordeal we unwillingly inflicted on you. Allow me to ssshow you the way back to your friendsss."
"Can someone please tell me what's going on here?" Stella asked as the Alpha Basilisk began frocing his way through the rock walls, creating a tunnel upwards.
"I think we just made a friend," said Bloom.
It was at this time that Morgan, Mace, Payton, Kegan, Kurt, Ryoga and Tatewaki found themselves in the middle of a large cave. With throngs of inmates behind them, they tried to decide which tunnel to take next. But then all the tunnels were filled with vicious inmates, all ready to partake in what was sure to be an easy slaughter.
"Well," said Kegan, "if you're going to die, at least die fighting."
"I'll be perfectly happy as long as I take as many of these bastards as possible with me," said Mace.
"Same here," said Payton. The three of them assumed their fighting stances.
"Only six shots left," said Kurt as he loaded his gun with his last rounds, "I figure one for each of us, then I could always bash my head in with my gun."
"Suicide is never the answer," said Ryoga, "although a quick death is preferred than being defiled, eaten and then worn fashionably."
"In that order if we're lucky," said Morgan.
"Me thinks that even though the odds are vastly against us," said Tatewaki, "there is still the chance we will survive. I am willing to take such a chance, if only to live to see my beloved Layla again!"
"And I want to see Elise and Carmen again," said Morgan, "you're right, we should try!"
"We should try," said Kurt, "though it'll take a miracle for us to survive this."
Just then several inmates in one of the tunnels were crushed to death by a gravity spell. From that tunnel emerged Carmen, Elise, Jake, Brandon, Riven, Timmy, Helia, Tecna, Richard and Euripides.
"Now that's what I call a miracle!" said Morgan.
"Sorry we took so long getting here," said Brandon as he and the others made their way into the middle of the cave where Morgan and her group were, "traffic was a real pain."
"As long as you're here," said Kurt.
"Who's the new guys?" Kegan asked.
"That guy is Jake's uncle Richard," said Carmen, "and that girl is Riven's sister, Euripides."
"The Euripides?" Payton asked.
"The one and only," said Euripides. She then spoke to all the inmates surrounding them, "I am Euripides, master of Hokuto Shin Ken! I am far more a fighter than any of you scumbags can ever hope to be. But if there are any of you maniacs who believe themselves to be superior, then I challenge you, here and now!"
One very tall and muscular inmate with a 'Z' shaped scar below his left eye stepped forward, "I'll fight you! And I'll win!"
"Is that so," said Euripides as she cracked her knuckles again.
"I know so," said Z-scar, "because unlike the rest of my comrades here, I am able to think of a plan very quickly."
"What kind of plan?" Euripides asked cautiously.
"The kind that makes sure that I will win," said Z-scar as he smiled insanely.
Just then several inmates grabbed Morgan, Payton, Elise, Tecna and Carmen. The five girls found themselves unable to move and with knives to their throats.
"No!" shouted Timmy.
"Oh yes!" said Z-scar, "these little dumplings are my ticket to victory. If any of you would be heroes try to rescue the girls, they die," he then focused his gaze on Euripides, "and if so much as lay a hand of me, they die."
"I think not!" said Jake. It was then that it seemed that he was in two places at once; one standing in the middle of the cave, the other near Carmen. The one near Carmen then attacked the inmates holding her, killing them. The Jake in the middle of the cave then vanished.
Timmy and Kurt took advantage of the confusion among the inmates by shooting the maniacs holding Tecna and Elise, while Mace destroyed the ones holding Payton, and Kegan slaying the ones holding Morgan.
"What just happened?" Morgan asked, "how'd Jake do that?"
"The after-image technique," said Mace, "a fighter focuses all his power on speed, creating the illusion of being in more than one place at a time."
"Now you don't have any hostages," said Euripides, "we're back to a fair fight." She then took off her jacket and threw it to Riven, "hold this, I don't want it to get ripped."
"Uh…sure," said Riven.
"You little bitch!" snapped Z-scar, "I'll kill you!" he charged at Euripides, whom then dodged his attack as if taking a walk through the park.
"Why did she take off her jacket?" Tecna asked, "I know she said she doesn't want it damaged by the fight, but she looks like she can keep dodging him all day."
"There's more going on," said Jake, "just watch and see."
Euripides then dodged another of Z-scar's attacks, the mad inmate bellowing like a bull.
Just then Euripides began focusing her energy. Those who could sense battle auras could tell that an incredible power was at work. Before the eyes of everyone there, Euripides muscle mass across her body increased over three times, while her body suit expanded with her muscles.
"The Art of Dragon Breathing," said Jake, "one of the primary aspects of Fist of the North Star. Normally a human uses an average of 30% of his body's physical potential. Hokuto Shin Ken allows one to tap into the remaining 70%. Euripides just tripled her power, and then some."
Euripides then delivered a right hook to Z-scar's solar plexus, followed by a left hook. She then began punching the inmate so fast that her fists and arms became little more than blurs. Five score times in all she punched him in various parts of his torso, including at least fifteen to the head, the last punch knocking him to the ground.
"Hundred-Cracked Fists of the North Star!" said Euripides. She then released her battle aura, causing her body to return to its normal size and her body suit contracting to its normal shape as well. She turned her back on Z scar, "you can give me back my jacket, little brother, it's over."
"Huh?" an amazed Riven asked, "oh, yeah, sure," he tossed Euripides her jacket. She was putting it on just as Z-scar got back up.
"It that all you got?" the mad inmate asked, "your punches were nothing more than love taps!"
"You're already dead!" said Euripides as she zipped up her jacket.
Z-scar's body then began contorting painfully as the 100 pressure points Euripides hit caused a devastating overload of energy in the inmate. Within seconds his body exploded.
"Oh that is just sick!" said Morgan, "cool, but sick!"
"That is only a fraction of what I can do!" said Euripides to the inmates, "but you do not have to meet with the same fate as that one," she pointed to the bloody remains of Z-scar, "Omega is to be abolished. Those inmates who surrender will be taken to more humane institutions. But those who insist on maintaining this insanity will be dealt with lethal force. The choice is yours!"
There was a minute of silence in the cave before one of the inmates shouted "Get Them!" The three thousand inmates then charged at the center of the cave. Our heroes prepared for the worst.
Just then something big and white emerged from one of the tunnels, something that turned out to be a very large snake.
"A Frost Basilisk," said Elise, "one of the native life forms of Omega. Fascinating."
The sight of the Frost Basilisk inspired fear in several of the inmates. Many of them tried to escape through the tunnels, but the tunnels were blocked by more Frost Basilisks. The white snakes then exhaled deeply, freezing nearly a thousand of the inmates solid.
It was then that the ground began to shake. From one end of the cave floor burst a Frost Basilisk that was easily twenty feet longer than the others and had a hood like a cobra. This one froze nearly 500 of the inmates with his breath alone.
From the white cobra's tunnel emerged Bloom, Flora, Musa, Layla and Stella.
"It's the girls!" shouted Sky.
"Snookums!" exclaimed Stella. She flew down and tackled Brandon. Flora flew to Helia, while Layla flew to Tatewaki and Musa flew to Riven.
Bloom landed next to Sky, "sorry I vanished on you like that."
"I understand," said Sky. They hugged and kissed.
Meanwhile, Riven was introducing Musa to Euripides, "so you're the one who's tamed my delinquent brother," said Euripides.
"I wouldn't say he's completely tamed," said Musa, "I still like a little chaos in a relationship, it's good for creativity."
"So I've heard," said Euripides, "excuse me, please," she then walked over to the Alpha Basilisk. By now nearly all of the inmates had been frozen by the lesser Frost Basilisks.
Euripides then held out the document that Bloom saw, "by the authority of The Galaxy Police and the Grand Conclave of Royal Houses, Omega is hereby abolished and the Frost Basilisk of Omega are free to live their lives as they please."
"Thisss isss good newsss," said Alpha, "very good newsss indeed."
"What will you do now that you are your people are free?" Bloom asked.
"Before humansss came to our world," said Alpha, "we were in the middle of 'The Great Sssleep.' We lay in our nessstsss, dreaming, waiting. When the humansss came, we were given our tasssk. Now that our tasssk is complete, we ssshal sssleep again. We ssshal dream and wait again."
"What are you waiting for?" Sky asked, though the fact that he was talking to a giant snake would later leave him slightly discombobulated.
"We were told, long ago," said Alpha, "that one day there ssshal come a great conflict that will rage acrossss the ssstarsss. When that conflict comesss, we ssshal awaken and give aid to thossse who are in need."
"I don't suppose you know who you're supposed to help," said Bloom, "or when this war will happen."
"We do not know," said Alpha, "all that we know isss that the conflict will come, and that we are to aid thossse who need usss."
"Well I hope that this war doesn't happen any time soon," said Bloom, "I wish you and your people pleasant dreams."
"And may your dreamsss be well asss well," said Alpha. With that he slithered into one of the tunnels.
"We just had a conversation with a giant snake," said a slightly freaked out Sky.
"Snakes are people to, you know," said Bloom.
Just then someone shouted "Look out!" Sky pulled Bloom out of the way to avoid a cruse, one that wound up hitting Kegan in the face. He collapsed to the ground, writing in agony as his hands clutched at his eyes.
Tecna was the first to reach him, "it's the same kind of curse as we've been running into," she said as she used her wrist computer, "and it's blinding him, like what happened to Layla."
"But it's much stronger than the ones we've seen before," said Elise as she scanned with her Sonic Screwdriver, "the curse is going to kill him in less than two minutes!"
"Fairy Dust time!" said Stella eagerly.
"I've got this," said Bloom. She focused on her wings, creating a cascade of Fairy Dust. She then concentrated the Fairy Dust above Kegan's head and released it into his eyes. Within seconds Kegan was out of pain.
"Vital signs returning to normal," said Elise, "the curse is gone."
"That's some potent dust," said Musa.
"Indeed," said Tecna, wile Flora, Stella and Layla nodded in agreement.
"But he's still blind," said Elise, "and just like before with Sky and Carmen's wrist, it has to heal on it's own. Any attempt to heal his eyes with magic will only make things worse."
It was then that Kegan woke up, "what's going on? What hit me? And why can't I open my eyes!"
"Your eyes are open," said Euripides, "you've been afflicted with blindness via dark magic. You are out of danger, yetmagic cannot heal your eyes. But I can," she placed her fingers on his face around his eyes, "this will not be pleasant, but you will thank me for it later."
She then pressed ten pressure points around his eyes, causing Kegan to cry out in sudden pain. But the feeling passed as quickly as it came. Euripides stood up and backed away. Within seconds Kegan was able to see again.
"Five fingers, right?" Kegan asked as he held his hand up in front of his face. Euripides nodded. "Thank you," said Kegan, "thank you so much!"
"How did you do that?" Flora asked.
"That's the other side of Hokuto Shin Ken," said Euripides, "while the art has the power to kill, it also has the power to heal."
Just then Jake brought over one of the inmates who managed to avoid being frozen by a Frost Basilisk, a short, rat-faced man wearing tattered warlock's robes, "this is the foul one who threw the curse!" he threw the inmate down.
"How do you know about that kind of dark magic?" Bloom asked the inmate, "and don't bother playing ignorance. If you've been locked up here for centuries, then where did you learn that curse?"
"I get where you're going," said Carmen, "Vicky used that type of dark magic to disrupt Omega, freeing the prisoners and destabilizing the Gate. If Zahidia and the R'lyeh empire is behind the curses, then this guy is working for them."
"You will learn nothing from me!" snapped the inmate, "nothing!"
"Oh yes we will!" said Euripides. She then pressed a series of pressure points on his head, "now you have no choice but to tell the truth, so answer the questions."
"Are you affiliated with Zahidia and the R'lyeh empire?" Jake insisted.
The inmate struggled to remain silent, but in the end he shouted, "Yes! I serve Lady Zhaidia and the new R'lyeh empire! I live only to serve Lady Zahidia!" His eyes then glazed over and he fell to the ground, dead as a doornail.
"Did you do that?" Riven asked Euripides.
"I only made him tell the truth," said Euripides, "that's all."
"He must have had a dark enchantment on him," said Timmy as he scanned the dead inmate, "one that would kill him if he talked."
"Well that sucks," said Carmen, "We're still no closer to finding out where this new R'lyeh empire is or what Zhaidia's plans are."
"Back up a second," said Layla, "what's this about an empire?"
"And who is this Zahidia?" Stella asked.
"We'll explain it all later," said Bloom, "I'm just glad everyone's alright."
"The sooner we're back home the better," said Sky.
"The ships are parked on the surface," said Riven, "I suggest we get moving before we start getting frostbite."
"That's just you complaining again," said Euripides, "Even as a kid you were never happy with anything."
"And you were always there pointing out my faults," said Riven, "what are you going to do, talk about how rotten a child I was all the way back to Magix?"
"I'd love to talk about the good old days with your friends, little brother," said Euripides, "but I have to finish up in here. There's still a lot of inmates in Omega."
"And you're sure you want to do it alone?" Bloom asked.
"That's another part of Hokuto Shin Ken," said Euripides, "I have enough stamina to keep going for at least another week with very little rest at all."
"Well as long as you're sure you'll be alright," said Sky.
"I will be alright," said Euripides, "and don't worry, we will meet again, definitely." She then looked at Riven, "see you around, little brother," and then ran off into the tunnels in search of more inmates.
"Your sister is kind of weird," Helia said to Riven, "awesome, but weird."
"She is awesome and weird," said Riven, "been that way since she was chosen to be the new master of Fist of the North Star."
"How'd that happen?" Musa asked.
"It's a very long story," said Riven.
"I'm sure we'd love to hear it," said Layla, "but right now all I want is to get into a warm shower."
"There's plenty of showers on The Night Rider," said Stella, "if we can ever figure out how to get out of this horrible place."
"That's what teleportation spells are for, duh!" said Morgan.
"Oh, right," said Stella.
As our heroes gathered together for the big teleportation spell that would send them all up to the surface, Bloom felt that this had been a good day. She saved her friends and nobody had gotten seriously hurt, and she made some new friends as well. Most of them strange friends, but friends nonetheless. Yes, a good day indeed.
The end of chapter 24
As the dragon princess and her companions enjoy a day of relaxation and restoration, word arrives that the traitor has confessed a vital piece of information. At the same time, the water princess is reunited with someone she would rather never see again. All the while, the dark ones set in motion a plan to acquire another piece of the puzzle. All of this results in a confrontation that will change the course of many lives.
Next chapter: Crossroads of Destiny
'for those with wings, fly to your dreams'