Verboten
Chapter 16

Friday, September 4, 2009

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Fore Note: To be blunt, Roxy is being a *beep* to Andy. Or to everyone in general. Sorry.

Roxy hands curled into delicate fists as she saw the Winx Club line up her counter. He father had told her that he did not want to see or hear them at his bar again. The boys would tell him even if he was not here undoubtedly. They were just that loyal. She looked at all the guys around the bar who gave her questioning looks. Brandon's clearly said do something.

"Roxy, we have great news!" Stella babbled on. "Musa's going to do a demo with this famous Earth music company! Isn't that great?! She's going to be famous!"

"Eh, eh, eh…" Roxy plastered on a plastic smile. She knew that Musa's voice was good enough but the fact that her father had banned the Winx Club from the bar and the boys knew about it made it extremely awkward. "Congratulations, Musa!" Roxy said to Musa who was already fidgeting with a microphone for an impromptu concert with Andy's band.

"You're not happy?" Stella said plainly with a worried face.

"No, it's not that…it's just…um…" Goddamn, Andy! It looked like he was the one who invited them over. Technically, Andy played at the bar often enough to be considered part of the family but he still did not officially work at the bar like the specialists or her. In short, Andy was unaware of Roxy's punishment.

It was not as if Roxy did not like the Winx Club entirely. She liked them enough but at the same time, she did not want to disappoint her father and break his rules. After all, she loved him. She did not want to create a bigger rift between them. He was all she had for family besides Artu and the other pixie pets. Roxy struggled under Stella's gaze and went off into kitchen leaving Stella with a confused look on her face.

Off in another corner of the bar, Bloom wondered about the tables looking for her fiancé. She found him in the far end near the stage walking away from several tables.

It had taken her almost a week to realize it but she was being stupid. After what Sky had said had sunk in, she realized that she was being very stupid. He was right. She could not go about screaming about like that and Asta was just as right about her accusations. Although she did appreciate the slap at the time, the impact had faded over time but it still stung. She caught up to him and tentatively spoke, "Sky?"

"Yes?" he said in his usual voice. He sounded irritated for some reason. He picked up some empty glasses from a vacant table.

"Are you okay?" she started. That was definitely the wrong question, she thought.

"Absolutely fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Bloom, don't skirt the issue. Be blunt and very direct. My kingdom has no patience for subtle games of intrigue," he advised as he walked about.

Bloom silently followed him around the bar. "I'm sorry."

"That's fine. You still have to learn."

"No! I mean I'm sorry about the fireball!" Bloom said panicked. "I didn't mean to throw it at you and I was…omigod, Sky, I could have killed you!"

"I'm not that easy to kill, Bloom," he assured casually while precariously balancing a stack of dishes on his arm.

"But still!"

"Bloom, can we talk about this later? I just started working. I promise I'll talk to you later."

Bloom was about to rebuttal but instead said, "Promise?" It was in a small quiet voice. He was being frighteningly easy to talk and gentle as well.

"I promise."

Sky stepped into the kitchen and placed his tray of dirty dishes on counter. What was he going to tell Klaus about the girls? he thought with a worried look. At least, Bloom was doing something to make up for her mistakes. Not that he did referring to it as her fault but it truly was.

-

"Andy!" Roxy whispered from her corner on the stage. She was hidden behind a curtain and large speaker. She waved him over and motioned for him to approach.

"Yo, Roxy. What's up?"

"You dumbass!" Roxy said harshly. Perhaps she said with a little too much malice than was necessary but she was under a lot of stress. Andy seemed to be her unknowing vent. "Why did you bring them over?!"

"Whoa, what's with the anger, Roxy?" he waved his hands in defense with wide eyes.

"Why did you bring Bloom, Stella and all those other girls?!" she seethed. It was not fair. Why could she not explain to her father that she was a fairy now? Then she would not have to go through all this trouble of explaining to Andy her punishment.

"We're only here to celebrate Musa's demo."

"But Dad doesn't want them in this bar!"

Andy's face straightened as he realized the seriousness in her tone. "Wait, why?"

"Because he doesn't trust them, Andy! Just don't ask, okay? It's all very complicated."

"But Bloom is the nicest person on Earth," he defended.

"Just don't ask questions, Andy. You don't work at this bar! Bloom and her friends are customers that Dad doesn't like. He's the one who signs your check. Deal with it."

Andy raised his voice. "Well, tell them! Not me! I didn't know anything about this, Roxy."

"I will! I'm just letting you know," she hissed.

"Geesh, calm you hormones!"

"You know what, Andy?! Shut up!"

Roxy sauntered off back to her bar with a thunderstorm over her head leaving a confused guitarist in its wake. Andy's remark had definitely gone too far in her mind. Maybe it was her hormones and she was being insensibly about the way her life had turned out but she was definitely not taking that remark about her hormones lightly.

"What's wrong with her?" Musa asked with a weird look.

"God, I don't know!" Andy raised his eyes towards the sky for an answer. "Girls," he muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

They both shrugged and went back to setting up the equipment.

Roxy threw herself into a secluded corner of the bar in one of the booths and hid her head in her hands. She just wanted to scream! Why were people being so difficult with her? Life was not fair anymore. Magic was great and all but why did her life have to be in danger?! Was it too much to ask?

"Roxy?"

Roxy gave a dangerous look at the person who called her name. She made quite clear on her face that she did not want to be spoken too. Bloom's smiling face faltered.

Bloom was the source of all Asta's troubles. The Trix were the source of all of Bloom's troubles. The Trix were in the end the source of all of everyone's troubles. But Bloom was the one who had to make it very clear that witches would never prevail. How could she face her knowing what she had unwittingly done to Asta's life?

"Roxy, can I talk to you?" Bloom took it upon herself to seat across from the new fairy. "I know that everything hasn't easy in the last couple of weeks ever since we came crashing into your life. I'm really sorry about what happened to your father, I really am and all the trouble that we might have caused and everything. I don't know how to describe everything that you might have felt since we came along. We didn't mean to put your life in danger with the wizards and all. It just happened like that. The wizards first came after me and we realized that…" Bloom paused as she took in Roxy's unwilling attitude to participate in the conversation. "…you don't like, don't you?"

"No."

Bloom's shoulders slumped and put on an offended face. "Why? What the hell did I do?" Bloom said innocently.

Roxy gave her a belligerent look, unwilling to answer.

The fire fairy thought for a moment and it seemed that a light bulb lit behind her eyes. "Okay, let me try this again. I know that you might have heard some things from Asta that don't make me sound like a good person. She's a witch, after all and I—"

"Excuse me?! That's your best excuse?!" Roxy stood up indignantly. It was the blame game all over again except Bloom was playing it in her favor. "What is this stupidity about being a witch or a fairy?! It's all your fault that she couldn't finish school!"

"Roxy, what are you talking about?" Bloom backed away from the fuming girl. "I didn't do anything. I swear that this is the first time I've ever met Asta."

"I'm not listening to this." Roxy turned towards the bar.

"Wait, Roxy!" Bloom pulled out a familiar white hoop from her purse and shoved this into Roxy's hands. "Look. I don't know what's going on with Asta and I didn't mean to offend you because I see that you don't want to talk to me anymore but at least take this," she said rapidly. "It belongs to you, since you're the last fairy of Earth."

Roxy roughly took it out of Bloom's hands and stormed to her room.

-

Chandra was idly typing away on her laptop when the succeeded king of Eraklyon stepped into the warehouse accompanied by his retinue of guards with their gleaming poleaxes. The king was a burly bearded man with dark hair, wearing a red doublet and jerkin and white breeches.

"My Lord," Chandra said respectfully while not looking away from her laptop. She sat on a couch while construction of the super computer went on. King Erendor looked at the fantastic structure with an approving gaze.

"Lieutenant Colonel Richelieu. As usual, you're not one to turn from work," he noted.

She stopped typing for the smallest of seconds. "Of course. Would you like me to stop?"

"No, continue. I have come to personally deliver the items that Sky requested."

"He is not here, my Lord."

"Yes, yes, working at a bar, I hear. Has there ever been a planet that did not serve alcohol?" Erendor said the last part to himself in a pitying manner.

"Is it safe for you to leave them here or should I go and get your son?"

"It's a bit of both." The rotund man waved his hand in the air and suddenly, a yellow envelope appeared. "These are the last pieces for the computer." He handed her the envelope.

"I'll take your word for it." She dropped the envelope in the empty couch spot beside her.

"You're not curious about what's inside?" The man quirked an eye.

"I don't really want to start caring, actually. I might get too curious. As they say, curiosity killed many things."

"Of course."

Erendor turned and left the warehouse intent on speaking to his son.

-

Roxy slammed the door opened and threw the White Circle at the wall making a metallic chinking sound. Artu whined and ran when he saw the ring towards him as did the other pixie pets. She let out a guttural sound and punched the wall hard. The Earth fairy laid her head on the cool wall.

Life was not fair anymore. Andy was a dumbass. Bloom was so freaking stupid. Stella was just annoying. Asta was a bitch (a nice one at times). Her father was in her the hospital. Where the hell was her life going?!

She fell to her knees as she felt tears fill her eyes again. Tears. Always tears. Would it ever end? Why was she always crying? She was so pathetic. Everything that happened always brought her to tears. She was stronger than this. People would laugh at her if they ever knew what was happening to her. Laugh at her for being so weak. No one understood what she was going through. No one did. Her life was whizzing by her faster than she could keep up with it.

Why? Why? Why?

Why did she have to be the last fairy of Earth?

The Wizards of the Black Circle.

"Roxy," the voice cooed gently.

The White Circle glowed and hummed gently on the floor.

"Roxy, listen to me."

Roxy turned and stared at the object afraid.

"Roxy, help us," it begged. There was the myriad of voices, each begging for escape from the ring.

"Hello?" Roxy picked up the ring. It was warm in her hands and glowed blinding white.

The maternal voice got stronger and Roxy felt anger pour out of the object with a white hot intensity. "Set me free, Roxy. Nebula has been locked in here for too long. I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!"

Roxy tried to throw the ring away from her as it began to burn but her body refused to let go of it. Angry energy poured from the ring and into the girl. White started to fill Roxy's vision as she felt her refuse to let go of the ring.

The bloodstain fields with dismembered body parts came back and the hunting fairy specter floated over the battlefields towards her. "Give me your body, Roxy. Nebula will have her revenge on the Black Circle."

"No! What's going on?!" Roxy yelled but then her vision blurred into darkness.

"It's useless to resist, Roxy. Don't fight it. Nebula will have her revenge."

As a ditch effort to do something, Roxy screamed at the top of her lungs before the darkness took over and she went into a deep sleep in the corners of her mind.

"Nebula is alive! I will finally have my revenge!"

-

It was the strangest of things yet to happen at the Frutti Music Bar. Really, it was. Musa was at the end of a ballad when the succeeded king of Eraklyon stepped into the bar in all his finery with his retinue of guards. The Winx Club approached him at the entrance of the bar lest he caused a commotion further in.

"So, Bloom," Erendor said casually, "Where is my son? How is your relationship going?"

Bloom curled her hands into fists. "He is…um, where do I start? Things are a little bumpy, right now with the mission and all."

Erendor listened intently to every word. "Yes, do go on." He scrutinized her carefully, looking for mistakes.

She fidgeted under his gaze until Stella seemed to have a fainting spell or quick passing headache. "We have to go," the blond princess said all of a sudden. "Something's wrong. I sense negative energy in the bar."

"Stella, what are you talking about?" Bloom asked confused but thankful for the distraction.

"I think Roxy's in trouble. Her energy is so strong and dark."

"It's not Asta?" Tecna asked while checking on her PDA.

"No, it's a fairy's energy."

Bloom stared at Erendor nervously. "I'm sorry, my Lord but I must go and attend to an important matter."

Bloom took this chance to escape by looking worriedly around the bar trying to sense Roxy's presence. They searched every corner and even in Roxy's personal playroom until they caught up with Musa who had finished her concert. Musa was about to grab Roxy's arm until, of all things, the Earth fairy flew into the air apparently intent on going somewhere with the glowing White Circle in her hand.

Latter Note: Is this the start of Sky and Bloom's reconciliation? Why is Sky's father Erendor on Earth? What was that package? And lastly, is Roxy possessed? Le *gasp*!

Okay, yes I know. The last couple hundred words with spiel about how Stella senses that something is wrong with Roxy is from out the whazoo but that's what really happens in the show. Next, a close encounter with the Wizards of the Black Circle!