Verboten
Chapter 7
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Disclaimer: I do not own!
Warning: Mildly offensive language!
The room was still, waiting and hoping that nothing would as well as hoping that something would happen. The angry emanating from the princess was almost palpable. Sky had caught Bloom and tightened his grip on Bloom's shoulders and even wrapped an arm around her waist and elbows to restrain. She struggled but was no match for him.
"You're a witch, aren't you?!" Bloom screamed.
Those words had hit Roxy like lightning and she felt her heart jump into her throat. Her grip on the plate she was holding tightened reflexively as she looked around at her new comrades that she had just made that day. They had a witch in their mitts? What did that mean?! Was everyone else around her witch?
Her face was stricken fear and confusion as she tried to understand what Bloom had said. A dark wintery chill had just overcome Roxy just moments ago just like when the Black Circle used magic to trap her in their spell. It had a similar level affect except from she was near the witches of the Black Circle, she had this shock or static-like feeling go through her body but still had same feeling of darkness in the air.
Bloom's brash insinuations suddenly had everyone moving into action except Roxy who did not know what to do except put down the plate she was holding. The new fairy stood shock-still and afraid of what would become of the conflict. People dropped what they were doing and chose a side between Bloom and the other girl. The Winx Club girls were standing behind Bloom ready to fight for her while their boyfriends stood before the girls as a barrier to prevent a confrontation. Half a dozen Eraklyon subjects had surrounded the supposed witch protectively. No one had pulled out a weapon yet but Roxy was sure that everyone would start fighting if one person did.
Stella stood right behind Bloom, eyes blazing with fury. She automatically looked for Brandon to see that he had her back. She scanned the warehouse for him and found him running towards the witch instead. He stood on the witch's side, pushing her behind him roughly. His face was strung with worry and confusion but obviously, he was for the other girl's side. Stella wanted to say something but she was not sure what.
The black-haired girl was offended by his gesture and all the same, pushed pass her wall of security with unexpected strength. Brandon was caught surprised by her actions.
"Don't give me this witch crap, you bitch." The girl started. Her voice was soft and lyrical but harsh like a leader. "I know what I am and I know what happened during the Day of Royals. You wanna accuse me of witchery?! At least have the nerve to show the proof!"
The dark-haired girl made slow careful steps towards the red-head, still restrained by her blond king. Her posse stepped out of her way as purple-black nimbus of shimmering magic radiated around her. Her eyes glowed white and her enviously long knee-length black hair floated in the air. She emanated anger.
Bloom stood strong but unsure now. She did not struggle in Sky's grip as much.
Sky started, "Hey, I'm sure we can—"
"SHUT UP!" Her voice echoed powerfully in the room and made the floor beneath them rumble. "I'm not going to fall for this shit about looking like a witch shit. First, you accuse our Imperial Princess Diaspro of not only being a witch, but being one of those fucking Trix. And then, you accuse me of being witch for who knows what. When will this insanity stop—?!"
Bloom felt Sky's arms loosen around her as he went to stand in front of her. "Asta, leave her alone! She doesn't know what she's saying," Sky defended.
"OH, YOU THINK SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S SAYING?! Sky, I may not be an officially sworn in Eraklyon citizen but I know that if you marry that girl," she emphasized the word heavily, "the realm will fall into chaos. If this is how our future queen of Eraklyon will act, I don't think I want to be an Eraklyonite."
"Why, you little whelp! How dare you!" Stella screamed and threw a burst of white energy at the girl. "Don't you dare diss her!"
Brandon jumped in front of the attack, pulling out his sword to deflect it with the broad-side of his sword. The energy threw him off his feet but his fellow Eraklyonites came and caught him from under his arms just before he hit the floor.
"BRANDON!" Stella screeched, "No, no, no!" She ran to him but a blockade of people stopped her. They helped him get up but he waved them away and heaved himself up using his sword.
During all of this, the girl had not been moved by the fact that her comrade in arms had just taken a hit for her. Her face was devoid of emotion. She had barely turned her head to Brandon and continued on, "See what I mean? Look at her idiot friend. If she chooses her friends just as well as her choices, we're all doomed."
"Shut up! You don't know anything about me!" Bloom screamed. She had fists curled at her sides and eyes blinking heavily to prevent herself from tearing up. Inwardly, something told Bloom that what she was saying felt right. The fire fairy started to glow a fiery orange blue in preparation for a transformation.
"Actions speak louder than words, princess." The last part was like acid.
"And yours are louder, witch! You're the one showing off black magic!" Bloom threw herself at the witch, ready to transform but Sky caught her and pulled her back behind him.
"Bloom!" Sky had turned and reprimanded her like one would to a child, "You're not helping your case here!"
"But, Sky—!"
SLAP.
In the moment of the situation, Sky had raised a hand on Bloom and slapped hard on the cheek. The sound had resounded through the warehouse and awakened everyone up to the current situation. Bloom's left cheek stung and reddened slightly.
"Shut up and listen carefully because I loosing my patience with this idiocy," he said facing to the posse formed around the other girl. Sky's baritone was a low whisper that no one had ever heard before, a threateningly serious but deadly voice that everyone heard. He faced Bloom first, "You especially will be quiet." The fact that he had not used her name hurt her even more. "Power down now. That goes the same for you, too, Asta," he said to the other girl who pouted angrily.
He turned to Bloom first who forced herself to slow her heart rate down and think calm thoughts. It was especially hard considering what had just happened. She just wanted to cry but she could not do that just yet. He then turned to the other girl, who immediately dissipated the magic leaving no trace faster than Sky could turn his head to her. It was as if she had never used magic. She smiled cheerfully and gathered her hands behind her back and took on the image of a happy teenager.
"Everyone is going back to work," he said in a quick, efficient voice. When he saw that no one was moving from the tense situation, he roared, "NOW!"
Everyone except for the Winx Club, the specialists and the witch girl moved. The girls and their boyfriends were unsure of what to do because they were not his subjects. Brandon was being taken away to be examined for magical injures although he kept saying he was fine and Stella, emanating angry, was being restrained by Layla and Nabu, trying to calm her down. Like Hell she was going to let her best friend get slapped and not do anything about it. This was a whole new personality to Sky.
Sky roared some more orders to continue working and motioned that everyone, including the witch girl, to follow him into the yellow dome that had just been created and started the entire confrontation. As a last minute thought just before entering the doors, he said, "Roxy, come here." Roxy came at a run, unsure of what was going on with this witch business.
They entered through the doors of the chamber and found themselves into a sort of antechamber with the wall opposite to the doors carved up into a wondrous computer panel. Its main monitor happened to be the tainted window that had taken up the rest of the wall and through it Roxy could see the sparring ring. The small room was quickly filled with everyone and Bloom was silently crying tears and kneading her hands nervously. Roxy wanted to comfort her but was not sure how to go about it.
The girl leaned her bottom on the edge of the computer panel while the others minus Brandon took the other side with the door. Bloom stayed near the wall as far away she could from Sky to hide her face. Sky's face was a mask of pure anger; as if he was under Valtor's spell again and was ready to swing a solid steel poleax at her without regret. Sky stood in the middle of the room, the apparent mediator of the situation.
"This is Astrid Stryker."
Latter Note: Hmm…am I delaying the inevitable? What's wrong with Sky? Who is this barely fifteen year old teenager Asta Stryker and what's her deal about being called a witch? Is that a little vendetta I see blooming?