Chapter 5: One More Day
"Why is everything so awful right now?" Stella groaned, as she stumbled through the door and into the living room. "My head hurts."
"Because you still haven't recovered from yesterday," Musa said, as she sat down in the sofa. She winced notably and leaned forward. "Ugh, my back is still all kinds of torn up."
"An unfortunate side effect of our stay on Earth," Flora said. "Our magic is so low now that we have to wait for our wounds to heal biologically, which is much more inefficient."
"If only we could cast some healing spells. My shins are nothing but two big bruises," Techna commented from her spot by the computer. "At least I don't have to go anywhere today."
"Indeed." The brunette returned her attention to the Solarian princess. "But you should also keep in mind your low level of magic also means that you cannot absorb energy from the sunlight like you would normally do."
"Oh dear Solaris. Bloom, how do your people, like, survive without magic?" Stella groaned and flopped into a chair.
"Haven't got much choice," the Dominian princess responded, as she took a sip from a large mug of tea. "We'll just have to take it easy and try to recover. If we're lucky, we'll have one more day before those Black Circle goons come after us again."
"I'm actually dreading going out shopping today," Stella whined. "My head totally feels like its full of candy floss. But, like, in a really annoying, hurting way. And it's like there's weights on my ankles and wrists. Like, if I was wearing really heavy jewellery."
"Well, at least you didn't get hurt," Mirta tried to encourage her. "I mean, Flora for example had trouble getting out of bed due to the massive bruise on her stomach."
"Fortunately, I did not break anything. That would have put a serious dampener on our efforts," the Limphean noble noted.
"It also means that we'll have to be very careful," Aisha commented. "Any injuries we sustain while fighting the Black Circle could hamper us for quite a while."
"Indeed. Losing an arm is much more serious on Earth than back in the magical realms," Bloom added.
"Why does this place have to suck so much," Stella groaned. "My body is tots out of whack right now. I just wanna curl up in a corner."
"Well, you have a job to do. The rent does not pay itself," Flora said.
"I don't even, like, wanna think of that right now."
"Hey, check it out. Our little tussle with them Circle folks got noticed," Techna suddenly said. "It's all here in the newspaper."
"What are they saying?" Aisha asked.
"Vandals wreak havoc on parking lot. Several cars in need of heavy repair, with some being beyond salvage. The Gardenia police are currently asking residents if they saw anything, though working with the assumption that this is merely somebody having had too much to drink during yesterday's concert at the Frutti Music Bar. Though they are at a loss how to explain how parts of the asphalt had melted, how several roots had been dug up and how so many cars could be wrecked in so little time," Techna read aloud. "Yeah, I guess that would seem rather strange."
"Oh, those poor people," Mirta said, looking rather guilty. "I hadn't even considered the property damage that was caused."
"Let us hope they had insurance," Bloom added and took a look at her cellphone. "Well, we have to go now, Flora. At least Mom will let us take it easy."
"An advantage of having her in the know," the brunette remarked as she got up. She gave Mirta a quick kiss and said goodbye to the rest of the girls, as she followed Bloom out the door.
"Ugh, I am not looking forward to bicycling all over town with my back like this," Musa groaned, as she got up. "Seriously, the rest of you got off easy."
" I don't feel like I got off easy," Stella whined. "My whole body feels like it is made of lead. My head is kinda spinning. And I think that..."
"Okay, seriously Stella, how about I give you a couple of bruises so you can learn some fricking perspective!" Musa erupted.
...
Ogron walked through the park, enjoying the sun's early rays. He found a bench by a fountain and sat on it, patiently observing the greenery around him. It was early in the morning and most people were out working, leaving the park quiet except for the sounds of animals. The redhead barely moved as a strange puddle slithered closer to the bench.
Then, the protoplasmic mass shifted into the form of Dumon. "'Morning, boss."
"Good morning, Dumon. Anything new to report?"
"Yeah. Checked out the Dance Club as you recommended." He took a seat besides his superior. "The girls showed up for work as per usual. They looked tired, but that was about it. I doubt they're actually going to leave."
"They aren't," Ogron stated. "I knew as much when I saw that look in her eyes. Princess Bloom would rather die than fail at this mission."
Dumon scratched his head. "Boss, hypothetically speaking, would it really be such a disaster if they took our mystery fairy away?"
"I don't know. And that's what concerns me. This fairy has appeared out of nowhere, displays quite a potent level of magic and provokes such a reaction from the magical realms." He stroked his goatee in contemplation. "There are too many unknowns. Too many questions left unanswered. We need to find out how this fairy managed to evade all the safety measures we set up to avoid a scenario like this. And the only way we're ever going to know is by finding the fairy before they do."
"Point taken, I suppose." The mohawked man paused. "Are we considering calling on the others yet?"
"We are," Ogron replied. "We'll spend the day searching for the fairy. And if these interlopers have yet to remove themselves by then, we'll call in the necessary reinforcements."
"So why don't we just call them in now if we know they aren't going to leave?"
Ogron's features softened a bit. "We have one more day. I want to give them at least that much before we call them in."
Dumon sighed. "They aren't going to be happy, boss."
"I know. But it was their choice and I know they'll honour the agreement." The two Black Circle members sat in silence for a moment.
"That Bloom girl was really powerful," Dumon noted.
"That's the work of the dragonflame. She will definitely be a priority in any future hypothetical engagements." Ogron looked up into the air as he began formulating battle strategies. "Some of them had training in combat, but most of them relied heavily on magic. But with Earth's low magical energy, that is a foolish strategy. Of course, they must have realised this by now. We cannot expect them to make the same mistakes next time."
"Do you think they'll call in reinforcements?"
"Doubtful, but possible. With the way they are setting up their operation, I get the feeling they want to be subtle. Probably attempting to slip under the proverbial radar." Ogron stood up. "That means we have a secondary objective today, besides trying to locate the mystery fairy. While I stand by my one-day time limit, that doesn't mean we cannot eye out for them. If we can locate where they work and where they live, we can much more easily unravel the network they've set up."
"We know where two of them work. If we follow them, we should at least be able to track down where they live," Dumon suggested.
"With only the two of us here at the moment, I am less inclined to send you there for the entirety of today," the redheah admitted. "No, until the others arrive, we have to stay mobile. Otherwise, we severely limit our potential for finding the fairy. If their operation is taking shape like I suspect, then those two are not going to quit their jobs just because we saw them there. If that turns out to be the case, we can set up surveillance later when the others arrive and we have that much more manpower on hand."
"Sounds sensible enough, boss. I'll contact you if I find out anything else." Then Dumon shapeshifted into a pigeon and set off into the sky.
Ogron watched the feathered form of his subordinate disappear over the rooftops of the city. Then he turned around and headed for the park's exit.
...
"Well, do you like it?" Mike asked, as he let the boys enter the main room. "I know we should probably have asked first, but it's the same block as the girls and they're very affordable."
"It's okay. It's exactly what we need," Brandon stated as he looked around. "We'll make sure to start paying you both back when we can get a surplus."
"Hey, don't push yourself too hard. We're very understanding," Mike said. "Anyway, it's pretty bare for now, but I'll come over with all your field beds and such once I get off from work today. As for everything else, the girls are down in 312. I'm sure you can work something out."
"We will. Have a good day," Nabu said, as the blond closed the door.
"It's kinda... Bare right now," Sky said, as he looked around the empty living room. "Doesn't really feel like home."
"What, was his Majesty expecting silken rugs and a butler standing ready?" Riven asked. "It's a new apartment and we barely have any money. Of course it's bare."
"Don't worry, Sky. We will weather this temporary emptiness together and come out stronger for it," Nabu assured him.
"Why is it that all your compliments and reassurances come out as subtly worded insults?" Sky asked.
"I have no idea what you're indicating. Why would I ever want to insinuate anything negative about you?" Nabu asked with an innocent smile.
"You're doing it again."
"Do not worry, my dear friend. Any imagined insults are only a result of your own worries about perceived flaws in yourself. I mean you no grief."
"Captain..."
"No, Sky. He's a great help on this mission," Brandon said, smiling broadly.
"What help could this fop possibly offer?" Riven asked doubtfully.
"Besides his knowledge of magic and protocol? He helps keep my morale up."
"Do you think we could set up a corner where I can paint?" Helia asked, as he inspected the apartment. "I'd rather not have anything getting on the floor."
"Should be possible," Riven commented. "We could use old newspapers until we can spare the money for a tarp."
There was a series of knocks on the door and Brandon opened it, letting Timmy in.
"Excellent, you're all still here. Good news. I've got a job," the bespectacled sharpshooter said excitedly.
"That's good to hear," Helia said. "As what?"
"Mechanic. I ran across a guy with a broken down car," Timmy mentioned. "I actually think it was one of the cars that got slightly damaged yesterday. But anyway, he was going to the garage and his car broke down on the way there. So he was about to call a tow truck when I came by and offered to help." He took a moment to scratch his neck. "Well, I had my work cut out for me. There's absolutely nothing magical about Earth cars. It's all chemistry and physics. But I managed to get it up and running again."
"Great job, Timmy. Machinery was always your forte," Sky remarked.
"Heh, I may be more into programming than mechanics, but I know a trick or two. Especially since, you know, Techna has been teaching me some things."
"Yeah, I bet she has," Riven slyly commented. "So how exactly does it feel like being the opposite gender?"
Everyone else stared at Riven, then at Timmy, who had suddenly assumed the colour of a tomato and seemed to shrink several sizes.
"I... Uhm... Eh... I was... Anyway... So, uhm... The-the car," he tried. "I kinda... Uhm... You see... Well, I..."
"Great job. You broke him," Sky commented.
"And I was actually getting really invested in the story of Timmy and the broken car," Nabu sighed sadly. "Darn it."
The others fell silent for a moment, as Timmy continued to stutter through things, many times going back to earlier points in his story.
"Should we help him?" Helia asked.
"How? We haven't brought any tranquillizers," Sky said.
"Maybe a glass of cold water would help," Brandon contemplated.
"Maybe if you douse him with it," Riven added. "That should shock him out of it."
"Well, we gotta do something. We can't just leave him stuttering like this for the rest of the day," Helia insisted.
"Maybe if we just leave him here, he'll come out of it when he no longer fears that we'll ask him about whatever he and Techna did," Brandon said. "Besides, we gotta get started on our patrols. If we're lucky, we'll have one more day before the Black Circle comes after us again."
"Well, I'm taking a day off from painting today. I can help fill in for Timmy while he... Ehm, recuperates," Helia offered.
"Great plan. Timmy, I'll leave the keys on the counter. So you just keep an eye on things here until you feel comfortable again," Brandon said, before he and the others left the stuttering soldier behind.
...
Once again, as she stood by the desk of the flower shop, Bloom appreciated the fact that her parents were in on the whole magical adventure thing. It meant that Flora had more or less been excused and now sat out back reading newspapers and books. Good thing too, because while Flora was not one to show weakness or complain, the redhead knew her well enough to notice how uncomfortable she was when moving around. Learning of the previous day's event had of course also set her mother into full worry mode, which right now was mostly focused on ensuring that Flora was okay and comfortable.
Bloom's eyebrows raised as two people entered the shop. The first was Mitzi, who was followed by another woman, tall, statuesque and with matching hair colour.
Murray Monet. Mitzi's mother. "Ah, Bloom, good to see you again," she said as she walked up to the desk. "Is your mother here? I ordered some flowers and I just wanted to come by to see how that was going and maybe have a chat."
"Oh, she's out in the back, tending to my friend." Bloom paused for a moment. "She, uhm, she stumbled over a root while we were leaving the Frutti Music Bar yesterday. Struck her chest. She's okay, but you know Mom."
"Yes, she always was a bit of a worrywart. I can sympathise." She turned to her daughter. "Mitzi, why don't you stay here with Bloom while I go talk with Vanessa. I'll be right back."
The moment her mother was out of earshot, Mitzi commented: "And by that she of course means that we have at least an hour."
Bloom giggled. "Well, at least it's nice to have someone to talk to. With Flora out back, Mom fuzzing over her and Blair having the day off, I was getting kinda bored."
"And then you get me. Talk about being careful what you wish for."
This caused the redhead to chuckle. "Might have picked up a monkey's paw or two, yes. So what's with your mom buying flowers?"
"Ugh, it's Mazy. Ever since she managed to make that withered little thing live, she thinks she's queen of the plants and has convinced Mom to buy some more greenery for the entire house." Mitzi rolled her eyes. "And I still have no idea how she managed to actually save that wilting sprig of a plant."
"Huh, I think I actually vaguely remember that thing. Was it the one she brought home one day when I came by?" Bloom asked, folding her arms as she tried to recall.
"Yep. It's not exactly blooming or anything, but it's alive. Which is impressive, but no reason to turn the place into a greenhouse if you ask me." The black-haired girl shrugged. "Well, they can get whatever they want. As long as I don't have to deal with leaves all over my room, I won't complain."
"With the mess in your room, how would you even tell?" Bloom asked.
"Because my mess is inorganic."
"Ah. I see."
Mitzi paused. "So you went to the Frutti Bar thing. I'd have come, but I had homework. So, was it fun trashing that parking lot?"
"Wait, what?" Bloom asked, suddenly alarmed. "I didn't... I mean, I would never..." She paused as Mitzi's laughter cut her off.
"You should see your face," the girl laughed. "Priceless." She had to lean against the counter for a couple of seconds.
"Just so you know, I have several cacti on the shelves behind me and I know how to use them," the redhead dryly informed her still giggling friend.
...
Mirta took a deep breath as she walked outside the Gardenia Dance Club. She liked the place, but the dim lighting, constant music and hot atmosphere meant that going outside during her break was a big relief. She found one of the many benches outside and placed herself on it, enjoying the refreshing feeling of cool air seeping into her lungs. The day had been less than optimal so far. Especially since Jason had been ranting and raving at everyone and everything that stood still long enough about how the disgrace that happened at the parking lot was the reason that people looked down on teens gathering together. The attitude had not been helped by the police coming by to ask if he knew anything, the implications of which the wild-haired gang leader found deeply insulting. Mirta couldn't help but feel guilty. She wished she could just tell them what had happened. But nobody would believe her. And not helping on that guilt was Aisha. Not that the princess of Tides said anything, but every time she stumbled around due to being drained, Mirta was reminded of how little she herself did the previous day. She wasn't sure if she could have done anything, but she had been so focused on making sure Flora was alright that she had barely paid attention to the rest. She felt she should at least have tried to do something.
"You look deep in thought," said Helia and Mirta was immediately ripped out of her gloomy thoughts.
"Oh, hey there, Helia. I was just... Thinking," she replied.
"Didn't look like happy thoughts," Helia offered as he sat down beside her. "So, what's bothering you?"
The redhead was silent for a couple of minutes. "I just... Feel useless right now," she admitted. "I came along to be helpful, yet the moment something went wrong I rushed off to cling to Flora, while the others were fighting for their lives. I should have... I should have done something. Created an illusion, made a distraction, punched somebody, anything but just sitting around like a lame duck." She rubbed her eyes to erase slowly forming tears.
"Well, making sure everyone is okay is a priority," Helia said. "But let's be honest, even if we had interfered, I doubt we could have done anything. Without my gear, I'm limited to restraining holds, which are less than effective on elephants. And if Bloom and Stella couldn't harm them with magic, then... Well, I'm of course not saying you're weak, but the dragonflame is something else."
"I know," Mirta sighed. "But it is the principle of things. What about next time this happens? We both know it will, sooner or later. I can't just sit around being as helpful as a sack of bricks."
"Well, prepare then," Helia suggested. "Think of what you can do, rather than what you didn't do. What really went wrong yesterday was the fact that nobody saw the whole Black Circle thing coming. Even though we should have," he mumbled to himself. "Hey, I have an idea. Once you're off from work, why don't we go back to the apartments and start talking about what we can do to prepare. I'm sure we can come up with something."
"Yeah. You're right," Mirta agreed, a smile slowly forming. "We could take a look in that book Faragonda gave us. Maybe there's something in there to give us an edge."
"Maybe. We've been so busy settling in that nobody has had much time to crack it open," the painter replied. "But I think you're right. It might just have something to help us even the odds against the Black Circle."
"Yeah. And then next time, we'll help." Mirta paused, looking at her cellphone. "Oh, my break is over. I gotta get back in there. Aisha needs all the help she can get right now, the poor thing." She got up from the bench. "But thanks, Helia. That really helped make me feel better."
"No problem," the artist responded. He paused as the redhead disappeared into the Dance Hall. Then his expression faded into a guilty frown. He pushed himself up from the bench and wandered into the city, struggling with his own less than happy thoughts.
...
The entirety of the group was gathered inside 312, watching as the sun slowly lowered towards the horizon.
Sky sighed. "There it goes. Our one-day time limit is over."
Brandon turned around to the others and asked: "Alright, our time limit is up. From now on, we'll have to be even more vigilant and on guard. Does anyone have anything to report?"
"Well, uhm, me and Helia have started to go through that book Faragonda lent us," Mirta said. "It's kinda dense though, so, you know, we'll need some more time to find anything useful."
"That's okay. You just keep researching and don't hesitate to bring any ideas it gives you to the table," the squad leader said approvingly. "Anyone else got anything? No? Well, I cannot say I'm surprised. It would have taken noting short of a miracle to locate the last fairy in one day." He shrugged. "So let's get a couple of ground rules established. No going anywhere where there aren't at least three other people nearby. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. If anything goes wrong, immediately contact someone else. We cannot afford to take risks. Understood?" The others nodded.
As the others spread out and talked, Techna walked up to Riven: "Hey, Databoy's been kinda weird today. Any idea why?"
"Weird? You mean besides the usual?" the magenta-haired soldier asked.
"I wouldn't be asking if it was the usual. He's been looking weird, stuttering a lot, had problems making eye contact and such."
"Then why are you asking me?" Riven inquired.
"Because Sky said I should," came the chirpy reply.
"I'm going to kill that man one day," the magenta-haired soldier groaned. "Fine, yeah, I may have made a little joke at his expense, but Musa did mention..." He was caught off guard as Techna's foot collided precisely with his shin. "OW! FUCK! JEOWGH!"
"Just for the record, you're not helping in the slightest and I would really appreciate if you never did it again," Techna continued in her usually cheerful manner, as Riven jumped around on one foot. "Otherwise, I might just have to snap you in half and feed both parts of you to a fucking wood thresher. Do we understand each other?"
"Ouch, yes, we do," the magenta-haired soldier said, as he gingerly put his foot down. "Dragon's scaly ass, how can someone as timid as Timmy be around you without suffering a fucking heart attack?"
"Oh, I can be very gentle when I want to," the scarred girl reassured him. "Not that you need a gentle touch, Grumpy." Then she walked off.
"You know, you earned that one," Musa commented, as she looked up from the newspaper she was reading.
"Hey, you're the one who told me about that in the first place," Riven replied. "Shouldn't she also be at least slightly pissed at you?"
"She was."
"Oh." Riven paused. "Is that why your hair is lime green again?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
Elsewhere in the room, Helia walked up to Flora. "Hey. How's the bruise?"
"I admit, it is still a bother. I can probably expect it to remain so for a day or two more. As I slowly recharge my magic, the healing will accelerate," Flora responded. "By the way, thank you for getting Mirta into your project. She did not say anything, but I know how bad she felt about not being able to help."
"Hey, I know the feeling," Helia replied. "I'm not into fighting, but I still can't help but sometimes feel guilty."
"You should not have to feel bad about choosing to avoid violence," the brunette insisted. "In an ideal world, you would never have to feel guilty over choosing to not harm other people. But life is not designed to be ideal."
"It would be a lot easier if it was," Helia mentioned, looking out the window. "Then all this would not be happening."
"No. But it is. And that is what we will have to deal with." The Limphean noble sighed. "Anyway, thank you again for being such a good friend for Mirta. She really does need it."
"No problem," Helia said, turning away as Flora left. A conflicted expression manifested on his face as he stared out the window.
...
The hands of the clock ticked on.
"Well, that was it," Dumon noted. He and Ogron were currently sitting around a small table in the room they had rented, eating TV dinner. With their current work schedule, neither had the time to actually cook.
"While we of course cannot confirm they are still in town as of right now, we should assume that they are," Ogron stated. "Even if they have indeed left, the extra help will ensure a much speedier conclusion to our business here." He retrieved his cellphone from his pocket. He paused for a moment, sighed wearily and then began finding the numbers he would need to the call.
"I know you don't want to disturb them, but for the record boss, I really think it is for the best," Dumon stated. "We really need to deal with this situation now."
"I know," Ogron replied, as he pressed the call button.
...
Halfway across the planet in the country of Norway, the day was just beginning. Despite the sun barely having risen into the sky, there were still people out.
"Dad, catch!" a little boy with blond hair yelled, as he threw a red ball.
It sailed through the air, until a large hand belonging to the boy's father grabbed it. He was quite muscular and a mane of blond hair flowed down his neck. Despite being an outdoors man, his skin had remained very pale. "Good throw," he said, his voice deep and throaty. With a flick of his wrist he sent the ball back and the boy ran to catch it. The man gave a chuckle as the boy yelled excitedly at successfully grabbing the crimson orb. Then his phone rang. The man raised an eyebrow, wondering who it could be that early. He pressed a button and placed the phone against his ear. "Hello."
"Hello, Gantlos," came Ogron's voice.
The blond frowned. "What is it?"
The boy stopped yelling about the ball as he saw his father's expression change. Somehow, he knew playtime was over.
"Alright, I'll be there," the muscular said, as he ended the call. He turned to the boy with an apologetic expression.
"Do you have to go?" the boy asked.
"Yes, Jonathan," the huge man said as he kneeled down. "I'll get Dennis to look after you while I'm gone."
"When are you coming back?" the boy asked.
Gantlos sighed. "Dunno. Soon, hopefully." Then he pulled out the phone again so he could start making arrangements.
...
Farther to the south in Italy, a lively discussion was going on inside an apartment.
"...and if you though she was angry before, when she saw what they had done to the cake..." the dark-skinned man explained, before pausing to laugh. He wore a green shirt, denim pants, and had a notable bushy moustache.
"She's going to be a handful I can tell," the other man in the apartment cheerfully said. His dark-brown hair was tied up in a ponytail and he had a goatee of matching colour. "I'm almost too scared to show up. How did our cousin ever get into that?"
"Well, you know what they say. Love makes you mad," the other man chuckled. A phone suddenly rang. "Huh. I think that's for you."
The man with the ponytail picked up the phone. "Anagan here. Who am I talking to?"
"Ogron," came the reply.
"Oh. This isn't just a courtesy call I presume," the dark-skinned man replied.
His cousin watched as the man began discussing vague things with the person on the phone, before ending the call with a sigh. "I take it that means you won't be coming, Anagan?"
"Nope. Business calls," the ponytailed man replied. "Oh well, sucks, but I have my duties to uphold."
"And what can you tell me about it?"
"As usual, absolutely nothing. It's secret, so I'd have to kill you if you learned anything." Anagan smiled a bit sadly. "Tell them I wish the best for them. I probably won't be back in time for the wedding. Good thing I already bought the gift. Could you deliver it for me, with my apologies?"
"Of course, Cousin," the man said.
