Verboten
Chapter 23

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Disclaimer: I do not own the Winx Club.

Fore Note: To be serious, I took a certain amount of time researching the geography of Italy to see how long this trip would be. Turns out from Google maps, it would take about a day to travel the length of Italy non-stop from the tip of the booth to somewhere near Switzerland but it would take about two to three days real time including eating, pit stops, getting gas, sleeping, tolls, traffic, etc. (I used Switzerland to Catanzaro, Italy and Livorno to Rome as my basis for my guesses.)

In the warehouse, construction was moving forward still despite what was happening. Nothing could stop it. There were some days where it had felt like no work had been done at all and days when it had felt as if they had gone overboard. The barracks were finished, the plumbing and electric was installed, the magical reality chamber was complete, everything except for the computer. Everything now revolved around the computer. Once it was done, the warehouse would be complete. It was not exactly safe as a real military base but what on Earth would attack them besides the Black Circle?

Sky paced in circles in one of the barracks, sat down on one of the bunks and then began pacing again. The room was small and square with white walls and a new blinding-white fluorescent light. It contained two metal frame bunk beds that lined the walls. Each had a couple of black plastic boxes stacked on top of each other at the foot of the beds.

"Damn it," he swore and ran his hands through his hair nervously. He had dark bands under his eyes.

Chandra had consigned him to the barracks after seeing his lack of sleep and his haphazard sleeping schedule. "It's unhealthy and makes for bad habits," she said and pointed him to the barracks. Sleeping was the last thing on the blond king's mind when there was someone on her deathbed in his MIR and her mind had yet to come out of her strange coma.

Chandra had used her telepathic abilities to read Roxy's mind for signs of life. It taken hours of careful probing trying to understand how Roxy's mind was organised and the woman had sifted through years worth of long-term memory and the mysteriously missing short-term memory before getting to the center of her mind, her sleeping consciousness. The dark woman had described the experience as facing an impenetrable never-ending black wall. That was not a good sign and it did not bode well with Sky at all.

And then there was Bloom who was missing.

Sky refused to even think about it her. He just could not face her in his thoughts and he surely did not know what would happen if he ever got facing her again. What would he do? What would she do? Would she throw a fireball at him again?

As hard as it was to admit, his fiancée was a volatile emotional train wreck getting hit with one thing after another. First, she finds out she is guardian of the terrifying power and is pulled into saving the universe so many times and then she finds her real alive parents.

Gods, was life supposed to be this hard? Granted, not everyone was destined for the throne but why was keeping in check with one's own fiancée so hard?

Damn it all, sometimes he wondered why his fiancée did some of the things she? What was wrong with her? At random moments, she seemed to do the opposite what logically should have happened. Why do this when you could clearly do that? Magic was not the only answer and Sky was infuriated by her constant need to rely on it. Why? Why?

They needed to serious talk and clear the air. He planned to do that as possible. Possibly lock themselves in a small room or barrack with a table and two chairs and talk it out, or maybe conjure something like that in the magical reality chamber in case it got nasty.

He preferred the latter but liked the former because it was more real.

Screw it, Sky flicked the lights off and threw himself unto a bunk to try and fall asleep again.

-

It worked. For maybe a half hour or even a full hour.

The darkness of the room was a welcomed comfort to the blonde's eyes, he realised. Laying on the bed was a welcomed comfort to his body too. He had not realised that his body was so tense. Sweet darkness. His sleep was not dreamless. In fact, he embraced the dreams as an entertainment to get away from real life.

His dream began randomly like any other. He was assaulted with colours and it all swirled into one image: a dense forest and a roaring river. A glance around showed him that he was in a familiar place. Looking at the sky, he saw a familiar back of mountains over the top of the trees. Greedily, he took a deep breathe. The scent of the forest was so clean and untainted unlike Earth's. This was Eraklyon. He missed home terribly.

Like a child, Sky began to skip over stones to cross the river. He did not know why but he liked it. The water rushed up the rocks and the spray kissed his ankles. Birds were singing their songs and the trees and bushes rattled with animal activity. Inside of him, all felt right. Every sound melded into a single harmonious symphony created by nature and he could even understand the songs of the birds.

"Sky, turn around," his mother commanded imperiously from her perch on a tree. She wore a deep red gown and her golden circlet was gloriously tangled in her red hair. Her eyes bespoke a seriousness that had him worried immediately.

Sky realised that this was not a dream at all. It was a direct mental message from his mother galaxies away. "Is something wrong, Mother?" he asked.

"Must there always be something amidst if one wants to see their child?" she said archaically. Her voice was deep and commanding, soothing and gentle with the strength of a knowing mother. Her being shimmered in the sunlight as if she were not totally there physically. She stood on a tree branch with her hands folded in front of her. Her dress danced in the wind and jewels sparkled brightly, almost blindingly. His mother, Samara was always an observer and a listener and her eyes had a light that spoke of her timeless and invaluable knowledge.

At the moment, her eyebrows were lowered in at a harsh angle that told of irritation and impatience. Sky became slightly alarmed by it.

"One assumes so since that is what one does most of the time," he said harshly. He knew about his mother's concerns about his choice of wife still bothered her. He could not blame her because she wanted the kingdom to be in good hands but at the same time, he wished she would treat him like an adult, like a peer.

She gave a hurt look and Sky immediately regretted his words.

"Mother, this is my dream. You're invading my mind. You could have just made a phone call if you wanted to see me badly. What's wrong?"

His mother gave him an odd mournful look. "You have to come home soon, Sky. I need to speak to you in person." She looked like she wanted to say more. She added, "Bring Bloom."

"Absolutely not," stood on the tip of Sky's tongue but he remained silent. "Why?" he asked.

"I want to speak to her, as well. Sky, do not ask!" she snapped in irritation.

Sky cringed slightly. "Mother, I don't know when this mission will end. Or even how! How do you expect me get back to Eraklyon in time?" he reasoned. It was totally ridiculous. What did his mother want again? Was she going to try and scare her again as test to her devotion to him?

"Sky, I'm not asking you to leave Earth tomorrow. I'm just asking that as soon as you get off planet, get to Eraklyon—even if the mission isn't over."

"Mother…?" Sky said helplessly and confused. He wanted to ask more when the image of the forest began to swirl.

Then there was darkness.

-

"Your Imperial Majesty…Sky. Sky!" Chandra shook the blond king roughly by the shoulder. "Sky, wake up!"

Sky turned and yawned. "What's going on?"

"A phone call for you," the psychologist said. His life seemed to revolve around phone calls now.

He took the cell phone to his ear. "Hello?" he said drowsily and rubbed his eyes. The lights were off but the opened door let light from the hallway spill in.

"Sky," Asta sniped. "I found Bloom."

Sky sat up straight and banged his head on the bunk above. (Chandra cringed from the sound.) Please, merciful powers that be, let her be safe. He had no idea what the dangers of Earth but they could not be much different from Magix.

"She's on the run with Andy," she continued. "To this country's capital, Rome."

Sky's heart sunk like rock with disappointment at the mention of Andy's name. What did that mean then about their relationship?

"What do I do? They're about to leave the city. Tecna is still with me."

Sky shook his head. Why the hell was he being so emotional? He was on a mission and Bloom almost jeopardised it and possibly the rest of the universe, he reminded himself. Steeling himself, Sky squared his shoulders and stood up. He left the barrack with Chandra in his wake.

He would not let such mistakes go by easily. His mother and father had taught him better than that. His sojourn away from Magix as he trained to become king just before going to rescue Bloom's planet had taught him mistakes made people weak. Mistakes were intolerable when something as big as Roxy was involved. Regrets were unacceptable for the conscience as it hindered him from moving forward. He was expected to be cold, to be cruel, and to be fair. No emotions could or should divert him from making the right choice. He might not have to like the right choice but he still had to do it.

This was just like when he pulled Oritel's sword out of its stone in Obsidian. For all he knew, the sword could have eaten him up with its flickering blue and white flames. He still did not know what had happened exactly beyond that murky gate after Riven, deep in the thralls of Mandragora's spell, had pulled the key out but finding his beloved Bloom on the cavern floor with the three spectres of the Ancestral Witches swarming her body and urging her to pull the sword, he had known what to do. He knew the prophecy by heart then: "A crownless king will save the king of a lost reign, and that which is lost will come to be." It did not mean much since it was only a prophecy and he was wary to put his faith on some words foretold long before he was even born.

Quietly making his way to Oritel's glowing sword while the witches swarmed over Bloom, he heard what Bloom had said: "The man who forged it said only a king with a noble heart can hold it!"

Staring at the sword, he had taken a leap of faith. What if he had not been the king foretold? What if it had been just sheer luck that he had recently become king? What if he was not of noble heart? Sky never thought of him as exceptionally noble. He might have been good at the sword and be the most well-mannered person in a room but that did not mean he was not prone to his occasional vices like pride, greed, maybe even a little lust now and then and most recently, wrath. Either way, he had to do something before Bloom gave in. Without thinking any further, he made his decision. If it killed him, fine; at least he had done something.

Putting his hand around the pommel and studying the glowing eyes of the dragons on the hilt, the fire had not burn him at all. It was then when he had in earnest pulled the sword out of the wretched stone and that was when he blacked out. He supposed that was the part when the sword was searching inside of him for the 'noble heart' of yore.

At the time, Sky did not have a lot of time to think of the implications of the situation but had he not done something, what would have been the future? A world with strife and fear as the witches tried to destroy the universe? He could not look back and wonder. He could not regret, could not feel sorry. What was done was done and that sword represented the end of one chapter in his life and beginning of the next as a king, a peer to Oritel and Miriam, to Luna and Radius, to Erendor and Samara and to all the other countless and nameless kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers and politicians.

Bloom was a danger whether she liked it or not. She was the danger. The girl was the walking source of energy for the creation of the universe and anything could happen with her. He would be taking no chances with her.

Sky began to speak clearly. "I'm sending a squad to catch up with you. Eight bikes, four cars and four levas in the air to follow. Your mission is to capture Bloom and Andy by force if necessary. I want them alive. Break some bones, if you have to but alive. Assume Andy is innocent and relay no message pertaining to the mission to him. Once captured, he is considered a political refugee until further notice. Do not release him under any circumstance. Bring him straight to the warehouse."

"And Tecna?"

"Once the squad catches up to you, one car will stop and you will transfer Tecna to that car. Lieutenant, you are to pursue Andy after transfer."

"Yes, sir."

"I'm giving you to Chandra." Sky nodded to Chandra to track the phone's signal.

Sky stepped into the main part of the warehouse near the kitchen and nodded to everyone in the vicinity. There were about a dozen people. "You heard what I said. Get moving." This included Brandon, Riven and Timmy whom stood up immediately.

"Not overdoing this much?" Riven quirked an eyebrow as they all wove their way to the weapon depot. Someone summoned a several motorbikes that shimmered into existent, then couple of sturdy armoured trucks and then four levabikes. They were all lined in a formation with bikes surrounding the trucks ready to move out.

"With Bloom, nothing is too much, Riven," Sky said critically.

Brandon gave him a worried look.

-

This felt terribly ironic for some reason. Riven could not put his finger on it but it did. They were suiting up to capture their best friend's fiancée…that just really had a strange ring to it.

The boys stepped into a locker-room and began to change. Riven changed into his red jumpsuit that he had not used in years since he entered Red Fountain. Red Fountain had handed him a standardised suit and therefore his own red suit was left to hang in his closet. It felt strange to change into something that was not blue actually. In the locker-room, Brandon was beside him changing into his own suit that was green with dark green stripes.

"To think we actually graduated," the squire noted as he shrugged on a shirt of protective armour and then his jacket.

"Who would have thought that we would get out of those stupid uniforms and capes?" he said back.

Riven suddenly rejoiced at the thought for some reason. They would not have to wear those ridiculous capes anymore.

After changing, he was handed a pair of guns and a supply of magazines from the depot. They fitted his right arm with an ion blaster as well. Were they expecting him to shoot Bloom down while she was flying? That would certainly be a first.

As Riven mounted his bike, a regular motorbike fitted with an enhanced silent and more efficient engine than the ones on Earth, he realised that this was really their first mission as a free man. He was doing this by choice and what he was about to do was a little disturbing. The implications were mind-boggling until he saw Timmy walk right by him shouldering a long black rectangular case.

Timmy wore a jumpsuit of his own: black with grey and yellow stripes that really showed his sinewy body. His glasses were replaced with a sleek pair of tinted goggles. Riven could respect that not everyone was buff like him or Brandon. Helia was testimony to that but what worried him was the case. Timmy placed the case on the edge of the truck at the back doors.

Riven whose bike was just behind that specific truck got a good view of what in the case as Timmy opened it to inspect its contents. There were several long tubes, an assorted amount of scopes, several cartridges and the rifle itself. Timmy inspected every piece meticulously.

"Timster, that is not what I think it is."

"I know what you're thinking." Timmy sighed and adjusted his goggles. Riven could see the other man's eyes dart from corner to corner as the computer on the goggles fed him information.

"You wouldn't really shoot someone with that, would you?"

"I would prefer not to. I'm going to try for tranqs, first." He pointed to the case with several lethal needles.

A sniper rifle.

They were really going to capture Bloom.

Holy shit.

-

"Dude, this is wrong," Brandon stated right away before Sky could say anything. "It does not take this many people to capture a fairy princess and a human both with no military training."

Brandon mounted his bike while Sky stood at the side near the wall making sure everything went smoothly.

"This is Bloom we're talking about, Brandon. I don't want to be harsh but we don't know how much damage she could cause. I…Great Gods, I'm going to make the world's worst husband but I'm not going to take the chance with you or anybody else on the line," Sky said detachedly. "I don't want to walk up to your mother and father handing them your dog tag and explaining the circumstances of your death. KIA does not make a great honourable discharge on your file."

"What could she possibly do?"

"We're talking about the Guardian of the Dragonfire."

Brandon heaved a deep breathe with disdain towards Sky's attitude and fitted his helmet on. "Those months away have made you a cold person, Sky. What happened to you, dude? I barely know you."

-

Asta flipped her phone close and drove steadily after Andy's car. It had taken them a while and several shortcuts to catch up to them. They were now two cars away from them and Asta had a continually glazed look about her eyes as she stretched her mind to hear the conversation in the Andy and Bloom's car. In the passenger seat sat Tecna. It was bumper to bumper traffic as the two cars tried to leave the city on a highway. It was slow mainly due to the end of the same construction going on much to the chagrin of everyone.

"What's the plan?" Tecna asked as she looked out the window.

"We're pursuing them. Sky is sending a team to help us corner them. On the way, you're going to transfer to a car that will bring you back home. For now, I'm going to only follow them until we get to somewhere open and deserted where less people are likely to see or get hurt."

"Wait, you're sending me back?!"

"You think you could contribute to us somehow?"

Tecna's anger reached its apex and finally, she let out on the witch. "What is your problem?!" Tecna turned in her seat and clenched and unclenched her hands into fists. "Why are you so difficult?!" the fairy yelled her frustration out at the witch. "I'm not an object! Stop treating me like one!"

Asta calmly stared straight at the traffic with her hands on the wheel. The infuriating witch just sat there breathing and staring which enraged Tecna even more. Moodily, Tecna turned in her seat with her arms crossed and stared at the construction.

"I'm sorry."

Tecna turned to see the witch at the corner of her eyes. The witch had not moved but she continued to speak.

"I'm sorry if you're angry with me," Asta said mechanically. "I've probably been extremely rude."

The silence hung in the car for a long moment.

"Why?" Tecna asked.

"Why 'what?'"

"Why are you like this? Why are you doing this?! Why is Sky doing this?!" Tecna said waving her arms, feeling antagonised. "For the love…why is this happening?!" Tecna said more to universe itself than Asta.

Confusion, helplessness, lack of control, they are swirled around the tech fairy like a heavy nimbus, Asta felt. Asta suddenly understood Tecna's stress in a blink of an eye and the witch's heart became heavy with the knowledge.

"Is life going too fast for you to understand?"

"Wha…yes." Tecna stopped abruptly and rested her head on one hand. "How did you know?"

"When you first went to Alfea, what did you want to be?" Asta drove the car slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"Your childhood dream, your dream job. What was it?"

"It was—what does this have to do with anything?" Tecna immediately got defensive, naturally. Even though she had nothing against her, Asta was after all still a witch.

"I wanted to be a forensic scientist. I studied at the University of Magix on a scholarship," Asta supplied readily.

"You went to Magix?"

"Of course."

"When did you graduate?"

"I never graduated."

Asta gave the digital fairy a brief explanation of how she was being stalked, her dropping out and continuing her career in the military without the cultural explanations. "It was just too dangerous for me to stay in Magix. What with the entire stigma against witches and all after Valtor's defeat and the Trix evading capture again. You should know how it is."

"Can't you just transfer to another university or apply again? I'm sure it's changed by now," Tecna said heatedly.

"And waste another three years of my life, Tecna? I've had enough of school. What respectable university would take me after seeing my records? All they're going to see is a dropout who left for 'personal reasons.' The records are not going to explain why I left."

"But that's not right," Tecna argued. "You have the right to an education."

"I also have the right to live the way I want to but that didn't happen when I was in Magix."

"What if you sued or something?"

The witch had moved so fast that Tecna thought she was going to hit her. Asta fixed her a harsh look, offended. "And where do you think I would get the money for that, huh?!" she almost screamed. "You damn Alfea scholarship fairies have it so nice with your dorms and your lakeside view outside of the city! I had to pay for my own apartment and part of my tuition fee as well as my visa for semi-permanent residence. I had to work part time and pay the cost of living in Magix. After all of that, you think I'm going to easily find some brilliant lawyer and sue everyone who has harassed me. You fairies are fucking impossible! Ever heard of living!"

"Hello! We're paying for the shop and loft right now as well as the expenses, too!"

"Four of you are technically titled as princesses with enough money to buy this entire planet. I didn't own a successful business that could give me extra money to buy everything I wanted."

"We don't even have money to some of the things we would like, too!"

"And yet you have so much free time to spend at the bar drinking smoothies?!"

"Well, look at you always hanging out there everyday!"

"Because my job revolves around watching Sky!" Asta hissed.

Tecna did not rebuttal. She kept silent and turned in her seat to stare at traffic again. Whatever sort of bonding had occurred, it had festered and died immediately.

-

Asta's cellphone rang again and it was Sky.

"You just left the city, right?" he asked on the loudspeaker as Asta steadily drove just behind Andy. It was about four o'clock and both girls had been rather silent.

"Right," Asta said. "Where's the backup?"

"They're going to be portalled ahead of you. Rome is, at its shortest route, a four hour drive still and the night is starting to come in early for Daylight Savings soon. They'll have to stop for food at some point as well, I think."

"So you're saying that maybe we can plan a sort of blockade on their route 'tomorrow?'"

"Unless they drive the night through. Can you possibly nitpick his mind for clues as to which roads he'll use and where he might be staying? A motel or something."

Tecna's ears perked up in interest to Asta's powers. The digital fairy turned and looked at Asta carefully as her eyes glazed over and her black-brown eyes became a milky swirl of dark stormy greys.

Asta saw her mind's eye leave her body and sore above the car they were in like a bird. Her mind zoomed over cars and passed trucks until she came to a now familiar dark blue car. She passed through the hood and straight into Andy's mind.

She saw images of hazy almost illegible signs pointing to various roads and towns. It was what he had scene or currently was seeing. She tried to delve into his thoughts for a bit looking for clues of direction.

"We go through Follonica, first and then pass Punta Ala…"

Asta's mind went whizzing back to her original body and everything blurred until she was her own car again.

"He's heading to somewhere called Follonica. F-O-L-L-O-N-I-C-A," Asta spelled out. "He mentioned passing a place called Punta Ala."

"Got it. Tecna, you're return car should be coming up behind you soon."

"…thanks," Tecna said curtly.

"Asta, keep following them until further notice. Avoid any and all confrontations with them," Sky continued. "The road they're taking is still heavily populated with towns."

"Yes, sir."

-

Andy drove into a diner on the side of the road just outside a small town. It was starting to darken. The sky was a mix between orange and dark blue with purple and pink clouds. Time was going faster than he had expected. They had been driving for two hours straight and his nerves were absolutely fried. The car had been silent the entire drive and it had grown unbearable. Bloom had sat in the passenger seat and said nothing while questions flew in and out of Andy's chaotic mind as he tried to grasp what he had just done. They had run away on a silly pretext that Bloom was going to be killed.

No, that was not silly. That was serious. Deadly, even. What was he saying? Of course it was deadly and serious.

He needed answers fast before he went any further on this crazy journey. Grabbing a window booth, they both ordered something to eat without much thought. As long as they ate, he was happy.

Waiting for food, Andy started speaking. "Bloom, you have to tell me what you did." That was it. That was all he wanted to know.

Andy watched Bloom's face go through various changes at a time. Her brows arched low while she bit her lip; her eyes were downcast as she seemed to contemplate; she looked around the restaurant at all the patrons as she rubbed her hands nervously. Suddenly, she raised her eyes to him. They were haunted and estranged. They were big and bright and blue as ever shining with the innocence of a child. It was filled with hope and briefly, even the hint of an adventurous smile appeared on her mouth. Seeming to wake up from some strange drugged sleep, she spoke. She was still subdued and spoke in broken sentences but at least it was something.

"I did something…I didn't mean to—I mean, it just happened. I never meant for it to happen. I just thought it was right…y'know, it seemed right at the time…"

Bloom continued on no more as food arrived at their table. Personally, Andy was famished and he did not press on about the subject until later.

-

"A room for two," Andy said to the motel receptionist. The receptionist was some haughty woman with obviously and badly dyed brown-red hair. Andy did not take to her at all with the way she looked at him. Considering the time (it was about eight) and suddenness of coming in, he could not entirely blame her but life was not always fair and Andy's life was a weird sort of emotional rollercoaster that he did enjoy at all.

At the moment, he was not being too entirely picky where they slept as long as it was not in the car or under a bridge. The receptionist quirked an eyebrow at Bloom in her weary state and then at Andy. Andy glared and hoped to God that the woman did not get any smart ideas about calling the police for some type of weird drug suspicion. After filling out his information and paying some ridiculous amount, Andy guided Bloom to their room upstairs.

As soon as the door was closed and he slid all the bolts home, he threw himself onto the bed ungraciously. He turned on his side to look out the window. Bloom had taken a seat on the chaise.

The room was not particularly noteworthy. It had a bed, a desk, a TV, a phone, a few chairs and chaise and other pieces of matching furniture that were not exactly boring nor were they inspiring. The sheets and curtains were blue and there was a small balcony. Just like a hotel should be, he supposed.

They had not continued traveling because Andy had to admit, what the hell was he doing? They had drove for almost two somewhat hours straight. Bloom had only arrived at his house the night before but the incriminating clues that something bad was at work was written all over it. He needed more answers.

"Bloom, what did you do?" he asked, not facing her.

This time, Bloom did not answer for a long time. For a long time that it made Andy worry and turn over to see Bloom's eyes watering again. She sniffled and Andy got up immediately to kneel at her feet.

"Is Sky mad at you?" he said gently.

"I-I…" She stared at him helplessly.

"Bloom, just say it. I won't judge. I promise." Andy steeled his heart for whatever atrocity that might have happened. Whatever mistake Bloom made, he was sure it was not the end of the world.

"W-will you believe me?"

"Of course."

"No, you wouldn't," she said weakly.

"Try me, Bloom," he dared her. Andy was sad to see Bloom in such a depressing state. Why could she not believe him? He had changed his tactics. He would not force or yell at her for the truth. He would gently bring it out with gentle words and firm reassurances.

"How far are you willing to believe?" she asked with watery eyes.

Andy took her hands into his and held them reassuringly. "Everything."

If only he had known what that had meant.

Latter Note: Cripes, I made Timmy a sniper. You know you're insane if you make good ol' Timmy a sniper. Anything else I should remark on? Actually, there is a lot that I could comment on but I don't want to. Too lazy. Plus, I have to get ready for my grad photos tomorrow.

Follonica and Punta Ala are real places between Livorne and Rome.

"It is not at all simple to understand the simple." -Eric Hoffer (World of Quotes: October 18, 2007)

"The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra." -Unknown (World of Quotes: April 9, 2007)

PS: Cripes, I made Timmy a sniper…

PSS: Omigod, I'm graduating high school… o.0;