Chapter 9: Nebula

Ogron paced back and forth across the threadbare rug of the hotel room, brows creased and one hands twirling his goatee contemplatively.

Dumon sat nearby, switching his attention between his boss and the day's newspaper. The two other Black Circle members had gone downstairs to make calls to their families, so that they wouldn't be disturbing their leader's contemplation.

Finally deciding to break the silence, Dumon put the paper down and asked: "So, is anything coming together, boss?"
The redhead ceased pacing and took a deep breath. "Yes. But no matter what I conclude, it only serves to make me worried." He began pacing again. "It has become clear now that getting to Roxy was only part of their operation. They must have been looking for the White Circle too. Either they are interested in finding and acquiring the many relics of that group, or maybe they suspect..." He stopped and began mumbling, lost in considerations.

"We're back," Anagan said, as he opened the door, letting him and Gantlos in. "So, we miss anything?"

"Not really," Dumon replied. "Except that we're beginning to suspect that the situation is a bit FUBAR."

"The thing is," Ogron continued. "It all seems to revolve around Roxy. She was their first priority when they arrived. And now they've found a white ring. If they had information about the latter, why seek out the former? And if it's because Roxy had the information, then why does she have that? And could it be related to why we haven't picked up on her before?"
"Could she have arrived from off world?" Anagan asked.

"Doubt it. Records check out," Dumon stated. "If they were faking, it would be one heck of a job they did on the government's databases."

"And it still wouldn't explain why she of all people has knowledge about the White Circle," Ogron continued. "None of this adds up. There are several vital pieces of this puzzle that we're lacking."

"So what do we do?" Gantlos inquired.

"For now." The Black Circle leader sighed and shrugged. "What can we do? Dumon can keep an eye on them and we can wait for their next move. Or we could try to barge in and force them to give up the information. But I sincerely doubt the latter would work."
"And therefore we're stuck with the former," Dumon finished. "Gotcha, boss. Should I just get going now then?" His superior gave a nod of confirmation and the mohawked man transformed into a raven, which flew out the window into the warm Gardenia night.

"So then I guess we're on waiting duty," Anagan commented, as he leaned against one of the walls. "Probably my least favourite part of our job."

"Nothing to be done about that," the readhead admitted. He began pacing again. "I'm starting to wonder if the timing is coincidental. It is possible they have been watching and waiting for us to be in a weaker position?" He paused. "Did we make a mistake downscaling our operations?"
"No," Gantlos stated with certainty. "It was obvious to us all that times were changing and we changed with it."
"Agreed. There just wasn't a need for that many of us anymore. Plus, you know, many of you were starting to sound like you were ready for retirement," Anagan agreed. "But if that's what they have been waiting for, we could risk having to reverse it."

"I suggest we don't panic," Gantlos drawled. "It would be all too easy for us to shoot ourselves in the foot if we act without consideration. As Ogron said, we lack information. Expecting the worst is a good way to get it."
The trenchcoated man shrugged. "Point."

"Indeed," Ogron agreed. "We cannot presume we have made a mistake until evidence of wrongdoing on our part has been brought to light. As it is, this could all be coincidental. I doubt it, but that might as well be centuries of cynicism colouring my opinion. We shall await Dumon's report and then make further plans from there."

"Well, I guess that's settled then," Anagan said, as Gantlos sat in one of the chairs with a grunt of agreement.

...

Bloom hurried up the stairs to the Gardenia Dance Hall. She immediately noticed Jason, who was standing outside with a grim expression. "How's the situation?"
"Still bad," the Suits' leader replied and opened the door. "Come on inside and we'll take a look."

As soon as she stepped in, she saw the problem.

"...and would it be too much if I called now, because I don't want to seem overeager, but I really don't want to seem tardy either, so maybe I should call now, but if I were to call him, what would I say, because if I just call and don't say anything, that would seem weird, because..." Andy rambled to a bartender, who looked like she was seriously considering jabbing a couple of chopsticks in her ears.

"All day?" Bloom inquired.

"All frickin' day," Jason replied with emphasis. "He called the number provided by that talent scout and was told that they were interested in his band. Though they said that they were busy at the moment, so he was to call back later today. And ever since then... This."
"Explains the grin," the redhead mumbled, noting that her ex's face was fixed in a permanent and quite large smile.

"Oh, hello Bloom," Mirta said, as she noted the other redhead. "I almost thought your mother wouldn't let you leave for this."
"God bless that woman," Jason muttered. "Anyway, I'm giving a free drink to everyone if you can get the boy to calm down. I understand excitement as well as any man, but I'd rather not see him die on the cusp of greatness because he forgot to breathe, ya know. And we've tried everything I can think of, short of just knocking him out." He paused. "Plus, my ears are just about to fall off from his ramblings. So there's that too."

"I'll try," the redhead said and approached the musician with an expression like she was about to try to disarm a very talkative bomb. "Hey, Andy," she began.

"Hey, Bloom, you'll never guess what happened, because when I called those talent scouts, they told me they were interested in my band and that I should call back, which must mean..." he immediately began, unleashing a verbal tsunami of words.

The redhead paused for a moment, before lifting a finger to indicate she wanted to say something.

It took a moment before Andy noticed it. "Oh, sorry, you wanted to say something, because I sure didn't mean to talk over you, so if you have something to say, feel free to tell me, because I'd love to hear what you have to say to me, because..." He paused, realizing that he was giving the redhead no room to actually say anything. He went quiet, tapping his finger on the desk.

Bloom just sat and waited.

"So... You wanted to say something?"
"Yes. Just give me a moment."
They waited a bit longer.

"There, you're breathing again," Bloom concluded. "Honestly, you risk hyperventilating if you keep going like that."
"I know," the musician sighed. "It's just... I'm nervous. I mean, it all sounds great but... I dunno. They're legit and everything, looked them up online and such. But maybe they just want us for some menial job."
"Menial job? In music?" Bloom asked confused.

"You know, they need someone to play at a school for an afternoon or something," Andy replied. "Not that I would mind, but what I mean is, they may want someone to fill out a temporary job, not actually help us move up in the world of music. So that's why I'm nervous. I've got such high hopes, but I'm also really, really scared." He fell silent.

"The only way you'll ever know is by making the call," the Dominian princess stated. "Sounds like you've waited a while. Give them a call, find out what they want and then you'll know."

Andy exhaled heavily. "You're right. I'm going to call them." He stared at his phone. "Right now." He stared some more.

"You'll need to press the buttons eventually."
"Don't rush me. I'm getting to it, alright." Andy slowly pressed the digits, the final one taking him about ten seconds, and then put the phone up to his ear with a face like a man facing the gallows. "Hello? Mr. Queen? This is Andy. You know, we met at the Frutti Music Bar. I called earlier today, but was told to... Oh, you do remember. So what... An-an audition? Su-sure. I mean, I'll need to talk with my band mates about when we can show up, bu-but that shouldn't take long. Thank you, I-I'll be in contact. You have a ni-nice day too." He ended the call, his face pale. "An audition," he croaked.

"Wow, my man, you look about ready to faint," Jason said, as he stepped over. "Here, how about I make it two drinks for you. Put it on my tab, Sally. He needs a little shot for them nerves." He patted Bloom on the shoulder and said: "Thanks, by the way," as Andy gulped down his two shots.

"No problem," the redhead replied. "Isn't that great, Andy? They must actually be interested in your band's music."

"I know. He said to bring some of our original work," the musician replied. "I can't believe it. We might actually pull this off."

"Which means the Suits' very own DJ will also be getting a direct shot at fame. I couldn't be prouder of you all," Jason nobly stated.

Bloom suddenly felt someone poking her shoulder and turned her head around. "Oh, hi Darma. Nice suit."
"Why so surprised? Suits always dress to impress," the girl replied. "Anyway, did you forget your phone at your mom's shop?"

The redhead patted her pockets. "Huh. I think I did. Why?"
"Because I got a call from Mitzi who got a call from Selina because you weren't picking it up," Darma explained. "She wants to hang out later today and asked that you call her back if you have the time."
"Hmm, I do have to chat with Roxy today, so... Yeah, we could meet up at the Music Bar. Yeah, okay. Thanks and say hi to Mitzi for me."
"Will do."

...

The redhead made sure to arrive at the Frutti Music Bar as early as possible so she would have the time to talk with Roxy before hanging out with Selina. It didn't take her long to find the pink-haired girl. As she herself had indicated, her hair colour made her stand out among the customers. She excused herself and the two found a table in a quiet corner they could sit by.

"So, no new dreams I take it," Bloom started.

"No coherent dreams if that's what you mean," Roxy replied. "Still just the occasional vagueness." She yawned. "It usually ends up waking me, so that's annoying."

"Yeah. I remember that part," the redhead added. "Anything about the ring?"
"No. So far it's just been lying on the table." The pink-haired girl shrugged. "Though it could be doing something magical. I mean, how the Hell would I know? The thing could at this very moment be calling the Ringwraiths over."

"God, I hope nothing like that exists," the redhead muttered. "Do you want us to take a look at it?"

Roxy considered it. "Not right now. I'm still hoping whomever contacted me in my dreams will tell me what I'm supposed to do with it."

Bloom shrugged. "If you change your mind, you have my phone number. Until then, we really can't do anything but wait until you get more messages."
"I know. By the way, have your boyfriend told you yet?" Roxy suddenly asked.

"What? Sky? Told me what?" the Dominian princess asked. "Oh God no, what now? He always forgets to inform me of things." She paused. "To inform everyone of things, to be perfectly honest."
Roxy rolled her eyes. "Not to keep stepping in this issue, but it's not like the rest of you always remember to get all the important details on the table."
The Dominian princess looked a bit embarrassed at the reminder. "Point," she admitted.

"But no, it's nothing bad. In fact, it's good news," she said and pointed.

The redhead followed her finger and noticed Sky moving around the bar with a serving tray, handing out food and drinks.

"Dad opened up the position and I helped him get it," Roxy said. "As I've stated before, I don't mind you guys. And I heard he needed the money, so..."
"Roxy, that's splendid," Bloom interjected. "Thank you so much. The extra money is sure to come in handy."
"Eh, just giving a hand," Roxy replied nonchalant. "Anyway, I need to go now. Need to make sure Artu is given enough water in this weather."
"Alright. See you later," Bloom said, as the Earth fairy left. Then she checked the clock on her cellphone, noting that there was still a little while before Selina would show up. She put the device back in her pocket and looked around, noting that Sky was still walking around serving drinks and food. He paused by a table where two teenage girls were seated and handed them two sandwiches on a plate, while making them giggle at a joke he came up with.

"Haven't seen you around here before, handsome. New?" one coyly asked.

"Yep. The owner's daughter helped me get the job," he admitted.

"Mmm, I can see why," the other commented. "We should come here more often. The view is getting better."

"Heh, thanks. Anyway, you have a nice day now. I have to go look nice in front of the rest of the customers," Sky joked, causing the two girls to giggle again.

As Bloom watched she sudden felt a stab of something. Annoyance, mixed with hurt. Confused, it took her a moment to realise why. She groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"Oh, hi, Bloom," Sky said, as he walked by. He stopped. "You okay?"
"Yes, yes. Just getting some perspective," she mumbled. "Saw you with the two giggle-heads over there and... I think I got a bit jealous." She paused. "Sorry 'bout that. You're just doing your job."
"I know how you feel," Sky admitted. "It's totally bogus. I mean, I know I shouldn't be. But it just stays there."
"Until you engage in a tree incident?" Bloom inquired.

"So yeah, it sucks," the blond prince continued, pretending he hadn't heard her. "Anyway, to completely change the subject, did you hear what Helia and Mirta managed to dig up?"
"No. She must have forgotten to mention it what with Andy freaking out," Bloom replied. "What did they find?"
"A speed spell. They think it might be the same as what that one Black Circle guy uses," Sky repeated. "It would give us an advantage if we could learn to use it ourselves. Anyway, I'm sorry, but I can't stand here chatting all day. Got customers to serve."

"It's okay. I'll manage," the redhead replied, waving him off. "I'm waiting for Selina anyway. Would be rude to blow her off just because we're a couple of doofuses."

"Agreed," the Eraklian prince commented and walked off.

Bloom sat a couple of minutes in silence, occasionally checking her watch.

"Hey, Bloom," Selina said, as she walked over to the corner. "How's it going?"
"Fine. A bit tired, but eh," Bloom replied. "So, school's over?"
"Except a couple of exams, yeah," the blonde replied. "So, first of all, Mitzi is participating in a surfing competition in a couple of hours. Sounds interesting?"
"Huh, didn't know she had taken up surfing," the redhead replied, rubbing her chin. "But I guess it makes sense. She's always loved the ocean."

"Indeed. I mean, it's nothing professional or anything, but it'll be fun," Selina agreed. "By the way, what do you think of the incidents in town recently?"
"Incidents? Oh, you mean what happened downtown?" the redhead asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah. I mean, they say it's a bomb, but even the police have admitted that's just because they have nothing else that fits," Selina replied. "Rumours are already leaking out. The wall, for example, while blown up lacked any traces of actual explosives. And places where the asphalt had cracked apart didn't even look like the result of a bomb. Plus, there are weird rumours of strange animals. Some even claim they saw a dinosaur. What do you think?"
"That people have a good imagination?" Bloom suggested. "I mean, didn't they say on the news that it was a result of mass panic?"
"Pshaw, that's what they always call it when dozens of people see something, but it left no evidence," the blonde replied. "No, I think it's linked to that parking lot incident. There are many similarities."
"You sound almost excited."
"Well, it's of course horrible that it happened and very fortunate nobody got hurt."
Bloom had to force herself not to laugh bitterly at that statement.

"But everything about this screams weird," Selina continued. "I think this might actually be something out of the ordinary."
"If it turns out elves are blowing up our cars, it would challenge a lot of my preconceptions about them," Bloom dryly commented.

"True, that would be weird. And it could have a perfectly mundane explanation. I know that." Selina sighed. "I just want something out of the ordinary to happen."
Bloom was just about to remark that she should be careful what she wished for, when her cellphone rang. "Oh, excuse me a moment." She took the call. "Bloom here."
"Hey, Bloom, it's Dad," came Mike's voice. "Does the name Erendor ring any bells?"
"That's Sky's father. Why?" Bloom nervously asked.

"Because he and ten soldiers are currently in my living room, inquiring about where in the world Sky is," the firefighter continued. "In full uniform and royal regalia. Could you get Sky over here before somebody notices the armed bodyguards in our house?"
"Oh no," Bloom groaned. "I'll go get him."
"What's happening?" Selina asked.

"Sky's father is being difficult about him moving to Gardenia with us. Have to go take care of that. If I'm not back soon, I'll hopefully see you at the competition." And then she ran off.

Selina stared after her, before rubbing her chin with a contemplative look.

...

Roxy opened the door to her room and entered. The ventilator was spinning, as Artu sat by it, enjoying the cool breeze. It was simply too hot to leave the poor canine out all day.

"Here you go, Artu. Some nice, refreshing water," she said, as she filled the dog's bowl with water from a can she had brought up. The grateful hound immediately and thirstily began lapping the water up.

"I knew you'd like it," Roxy commented and giggled. She turned around to leave, but stopped. Something felt weird. She turned around, trying to figure out what was bothering her. Then she noticed it. The white ring was laying on her end-table. It looked very ordinary, but Roxy got a funny feeling looking at it. She stepped over and picked it up, curious as to why the ring was giving her this vibe.

Behind her, Artu had stopped drinking and stared at Roxy. Then he started barking.

"Huh? What's wrong? Artu," she asked and looked at him. "Are you..."
Everything went white for a moment and then Roxy found herself gasping on her knees. It felt like icy fingers were burrowing into her mind. She gasped, as Artu crawled whimpering in under her bed. "What...? What is...?" she coughed and looked. Somehow, the white ring had ended up upon her finger. "What...?"

Everything went white again.

When she came to, the agonizing feeling in her skull had intensified. She looked with confusion as she suddenly found herself by the door, hand on the handle.

"What... What is going on?" she asked, as she stumbled back.

"Shh, shh. Just let go," a voice whispered in her mind. It was a smooth, male voice, though with a hint of deep seated venom to it.

"What? No. Who-who are you?" Roxy asked, as she grabbed her skull. "Get out of my head."
"I'm afraid I cannot do that. You will be assisting me now," the voice replied, as the feeling of fingers in her brain intensified. "Stop struggling. It won't do you any good. You're not powerful enough to keep me out."

"Argh," Roxy gasped. She grabbed the ring and tried to pull it off, but her hand refused to do as she wanted.

"Nice try. But I'm the one in control now."

Then everything went white.

"Much better," Roxy sighed relieved. "Nice try, girl. But you're just not that good."

Artu continued to whimper, but Roxy paid him no heed as she walked out of the room.

...

Bloom hurried through the bar, scouting for Sky. It didn't take long to find him. "Sky, we are in trouble," she started, as the blond finished serving some drinks.

"Oh, what now?" Sky groaned.

"It's your father. He's decided to come visiting."
The Eraklian prince paused, eyes wide. "Oh. That's not good. What do we do?"
"Well, hopefully we can get you off from work either early or for a short while before your father does something stupid," Bloom said, as they hurried towards the desk. "I'm sure Roxy's father will be understanding."
"I hope you're right. Would be such a bummer to lose the job right after getting it," Sky agreed.

They hurried towards the desk, almost running straight into Roxy.

"Oh, hi," Bloom said. "Listen Roxy, can I ask favour of you?"
The pink-haired girl turned and looked at them with a strange, slightly nonplussed expression. "Oh?"

Bloom paused. "Ehm, you see, we need to talk with your father. It's kinda important Sky gets some time off from work right now."
"Oh. I see," Roxy replied, sounding completely uninterested. "You'll have to excuse me for a moment." Then she walked off.

The off-world royals stared at her as she made her way through the crowd.

"That was weird," Sky stated. "Did she seem different to you?"
"She did. It was like she didn't recognise me at all," Bloom replied. "And that's the white ring she's wearing." She turned to the prince. "You think...?"
"That it has hijacked her? Signs point to yes." He scratched his head with a frustrated expression. "Great, Dad's about to cause a political crisis and Roxy's brain has been stolen by bling. What do we do?"
"You get the other guys and try to prevent your father from upsetting the neighbours with armed soldiers. I'll get the girls and try to help Roxy," the redhead replied, fishing out her phone as she began pursuing the oddly behaving girl.

Circa ten minutes later, the other girls arrived to find a very nervous looking Bloom jumping around outside.

"Where is she?" Musa asked, as they looked around.

"She managed to hail a cab two minutes ago," Bloom replied. "And with how much effort it took her to figure out how to do that, I'm really certain now that the ring has taken control of her."
"Could that be why she got those messages?" Aisha asked. "The sender wanted to use her as a host body?"

"I don't know. And I have no idea where she is now," the Dominian princess continued. "She didn't want to answer me where she was going, didn't want me to come along and I have no frickin' clue where she went."

"So how do we pursue her?" Musa asked.

"I have a suggestion right here," Techna said with a grin, holding up two rings. "My wingpacks."

Stella rubbed her chin. "Well, it's great that we have those, but, like, I'd certainly have no clue how to operate them."
"Fortunately, I have actually read the instruction manuals that Techna brought along," Flora said. "So while my knowledge is theoretical, it is still more complete than the rest of you."
"Yeah. And if we combine it with that speed spell Mirta taught us, we should catch up in no time," Techna said, handing Flora a ring. "Let's do this, Flowergirl."
"Well, this ought to be interesting," Musa dryly noted, as the girls gave the two some space.

The two rings glowed and a second later, Techna and Flora were equipped with the wingpacks. The backpack was connected to a visor, which provided the two with both eye protection and information.

"And now, for the spell," Techna said and began doing a series of poses.

"Ehm... Why the gymnastics?" Aisha asked.

"Helps me focus. Used to use my pipe, but that poor sucker got destroyed a couple of times. Melee is just not in vogue anymore," Techna replied.

As a complete opposite, Flora stood still with closed eyes, as if meditating.

The other girls felt the slight charge of magical energy as the spell took affect.

"Wow,thatfeltweird," Techna quickly said. "ButIthinkitworked."
"You have to make an effort to slow down," Flora noted, the words slightly drawn out. "Alright, we will call when we have found out where she is going."
"Yeah,sostayoutoftroubleuntilwe'reback," Techna stated.

Then they activated the wingpacks. Brilliant white light engulfed the skeletal joints, taking on the feathery form Bloom had come to associate with paladins. Then the two set off, shooting into the air and over the city.

Flora couldn't help but smile, as she felt the wind rushing through her hair and across her body. The device easily responded to her magic, making it almost feel like a natural extension of her body. Down below, they could hear the occasional gasp from people noticing the strange, blurry, glowing shapes zooming over the city.

"So, do you have any idea how we track her down?" Flora asked, using the visor's inbuilt intercom. "The urban environment is your forte, after all."

"Sure. See, I've gotten a feel for the traffic around here. And if the taxi only left ten minutes ago and it's around four o'clock, which it is, then it's probably stuck at the main road," Techna replied. "And since Roxy is more magical than the other people around here, she should stand out when scanned."

"Sounds like an idea." Flora paused. "We have quite efficiently just dropped being the least bit stealthy about this, have we not?"

"You said it," came the scarred girl's chirpy reply. Flora could actually visualize the grin the magenta-haired girl had to be wearing.

As they flew over the main road, the magenta haired girl activated the scanner in her visor. "Wow," she exclaimed. "I think Bloom's right to be worried."
Flora raised an eyebrow and activated the scanner of her visor. Immediately, she noticed the issue. In the middle of the cluster of cars stuck in transition was a bright, flaring source of magical energy. "What the..." she exclaimed, before cutting her curse short. "The ring did not come off as being that magical when we found it."
"No. And if Roxy has been possessed by it, it means somebody or something is using it as a relay. Guess we can add that to the list of mysteries." Techna took a moment to contemplate the situation. "Here's another question. Do we grab her now and hope she's willing to answer questions? Or do we see where she's going?"
"We need the information. As long as she does not leave city limits, we should be good."
Finally, the taxi got through the slow part of traffic and moved on, the two faeries easily following along above. Minutes later, it arrived at a dingy hotel not far from the train station.

The cab stopped and Roxy stepped out, gazing at the building.

"I think this is her destination" Flora reported.

"Then I suggest we turn off the extra speed. It's good for zipping across the skies, but I don't feel like running into a wall," Techna responded. "Would remind me a bit too much of our mission so far. Anyway, I better call the others and tell them where we are."
"You do that."

"Hey, delays or no, you still have to pay," the chauffeur grumpily informed Roxy, as the pink-haired girl stepped towards the building.

"Oh, silly me. I almost forgot your reward," Roxy stated with barely any interest and lifted a hand. The cab was immediately blown back and rolled over twice, straight into the middle of the street, where several other cars had to jam their breaks to avoid a collision.

"Definitely not Roxy," Flora muttered, as she flew down to the cab. "Are you well, sir?"
"No! What the fuuuuu..." The driver, who had been in the process of dragging himself out of the flipped car, stared at Flora. "Are... Are you an angel?"
"Please just get to safety as soon as possible. There is a risk this area will end up like Gardenia downtown soon," Flora pleaded. "And if you can get your fellow citizens to back off too, that would also be beneficial."

"O-okay," the dumbstruck cab driver replied, as the two girls hurried inside the hotel.

In the main lobby, they found a receptionist nursing a bleeding wound on her head.

"Do you need help?" Techna asked. "Because that looks like it hurts."
"No, I'm..." The receptionist paused, staring at the two.

"Miss, I will need you to focus on me," Flora stated loud and clear. "What happened?"
"Ehm... The weird girl. She demanded I tell her if a redheaded man with three friends had a room here," the receptionist explained. "When I told her I wasn't allowed to just hand that information out, she hurled me at the cabinet... Somehow, and walked upstairs."
Flora and Techna looked at each other.

"The Black Circle?" the scarred girl inquired.

"Most definitely." She returned her attention to the receptionist. "Madam, you might want to start calling up all guests and start evacuating them. This situation could develop in a rather dangerous manner very quickly." They left the confused hotel worker behind and hurried up the stairs.

Upstairs, Dumon knocked on the hotel room door, carrying a bag of groceries. Gantlos was the one to open the door.

"Hey. We have food again," the mohawked man proclaimed. "We'll have TV dinner for days."

Gantlos grunted with displeasure.

"What, do you want to spend hours in the kitchen?"
"Yes," the blond bluntly responded. His attention shifted down the hallway, where Roxy walked around the corner. She eyed the two, an unpleasant smile manifesting on her face.

"Roxy? Why are you...?" Dumon began, but Gantlos cut him off with a: "No. That ain't her."

"Hello, Black Circle," Roxy sweetly said, as she stepped down the corridor. "How have you been? You'll have to forgive me if I can't remember your names. It's been so long after all."
"And I'm creeped out," Dumon stated.

"Now, it is time you ingrates pay for what you did to the White Circle," Roxy continued, raising her arms. "You will pay dearly for every single crime you've committed."

"YO, PINKY!" Techna yelled, as she and Flora ran up the stairs. "Hey, there you are. Could you stop being really super-duper creepy crazy for five minutes. That would be nice."

Roxy just glared at them for a moment, before returning her attention to the two Black Circle members. "You thought you had gotten away with it, didn't you? But now, I'll..."
"THAT'S STILL CREEPY!" Techna yelled. "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG, PINKY!"

"The name is Nebula," the possessed fairy snapped, as she turned around. "And you would do well to show me the respect I deserve. I am a high general and I will not be spoken down to by a bunch of neophytes like yourselves."
"Jeez, someone pissed in her breakfast," Techna commented.

"Ah, Nebula. You'll have to forgive us for not recognising you," Ogron stated, as he and Anagan stepped out of the room. "You seem to have switched gender and lost a couple of years since we last met."
Nebula snorted. "I am only temporarily borrowing this form. It is not as powerful as my own, but it should be sufficient to render your gang of hellions asunder."

"So what's with this dude?" Anagan asked concerned.

"Nebula. Also known as the Fairy of Death," Ogron responded, keeping his eyes on Roxy. "Don't let him touch you."

"Oh, I don't need to touch you to kill you," Nebula replied, the smile on Roxy's face growing more bloodthirsty. "Though it would be the most fitting way for you turncoats to go out. But I can make do." She smacked her hands together, producing a wave of flames that razed down the hallway.

The Black Circle ducked for cover inside their room, as the hallway became an inferno.

"Okay, stop that right now," Flora declared, as she and Techna charged forward.

"Stay out of this," Nebula stated and swung her hand. A magical barrier manifested, blocking the two fairies' path.

Still smirking, Roxy headed down the fiery corridor. She turned and faced the door to the Black Circle's room, before kicking it open. Immediately, she was blown back by one of Gantlos' shockwaves. Not only was the door blown off its hinges, she herself broke straight through the door behind her and landed inside the empty hotel room.

Meanwhile, Flora continued to work on dispelling the barrier, even as the four Black Circle members charged across the hallway to get at Roxy. With a final burst of energy, she managed to break through the magical hindrance. She stumbled and leaned against the wall, taking a couple of deep breaths.

"Drained?" Techna asked.

"Yes. But we do not have time to waste," Flora said, as she pushed herself away from the wall and marched down the smouldering corridor.

The flames were greedily devouring the walls and had already begun weakening both ceiling and floor.

As they approached the door Roxy had been flung through, a resounding crash was heard as Dumon was hurled with great force through the weakened wall and smacked into the opposite one. He groaned and got up, then noticed the girls. There was a short, awkward pause before he got into combat stance.

"Dude, is this really the time?" Techna asked, gesturing to the spreading fire.

The mohawked man paused with a surprised look. "No, I suppose not." He scratched his head. "But, aren't the two of you with..."

The building shook as another crash and several screams from frightened hotel guests was heard. The three people exchanged glances, then ran into the room. The floor was gone, as was the floor beneath that.

"Oh crap. Back to the stairs," Techna said as the two faeries hurried out of the room again.

Dumon sighed and shape-shifted into a pool of micro-organisms, which seeped down the hole.

As Techna and Flora hurried downwards, they get could feel the building occasionally shake, dust raining from ceiling. In the lobby, several people were doing their best to force their way out in a panicked stampede.

But a few were also trying to get in.

"'Scuse me. Coming through. Sorry," Stella said, as she helped the others get a foot inside.
"TECHNA! FLORA! WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Bloom called to be heard over the din. "THE BUILDING IS ON FIRE!"
The structure shook again, as if to punctuate her sentence.

"Okay, here's what we know. Some lunatic called Nebula has kinda hijacked Pinky's brain and is now out for the Black Circle's blood," Techna summed up. "So yeah, remember when they said that ring was dangerous? They sure as fuck weren't kidding."

"If it's the ring doing it, then the best way to stop the possession should be getting it off," Musa argued. "I mean, she will probably make it difficult, but still..."

A loud crash echoed through the lower floor.

"Sounds like an idea. Let's go," Bloom declared, as they ran down the hallway.
They found that the conflict was currently centred in the hotel's dining room. Tables and inventory was smashed beyond all recognition. Lamps and paintings had been ripped out of the walls. Leaking pipes, sparking wires and fire added to the area's grim décor.

In one corner, Anagan was nursing a wounded arm, with Ogron in the process of helping him up. Not far from them, a scuffed Gantlos and Dumon were holding off the possessed Roxy. The pink-haired girl looked like she had gotten a couple of bruises herself, but it didn't seem to affect her much.

The Stetson-wearing man noted the arrival of the fairies. "Ogron. We've got company."
The redhead looked up and locked eyes with Bloom. For the first time, the Dominian princess felt genuine anger from the Black Circle leader, even as he kept himself under control. "Are there any more civilians in the building?"
"Nope. They've cleared out," Gantlos reported.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere," Nebula threatened, as she stepped forward. "We've just begun."
"And now I am ending it. But do not think we will be running from you forever, Nebula." Ogron turned his full attention to the other fairies. "And you. Don't think we'll forget about this either." The rings on their fingers glowed and then they were gone.

Nebula paused and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she commented: "That far away, huh. Better get started walking then." She turned around, but noticed the girls were blocking the path. "What?"
"I'm sorry, but we're not letting you take Roxy anywhere," Stella declared. "So, like, let her go right now."
"Really? You think that's a good idea?" Nebula asked with a shrug. "Listen, your concern for your friend is... Admirable, but we both want the same. The destruction of the Black Circle. And I'm doing pretty well with that. Isn't that better than constantly having this girl hold you back because she doesn't ever believe you?"
Bloom paused for a moment.

"Even if it is, that's still not the right way to treat Roxy," Musa angrily interjected. "That's her body. I don't care how much we have in common. If you mess with my friends, I will plant my boot so far up in your ass that you will taste my shoe polish." She paused. "Only downside is that you're wearing Roxy's ass right now."

Nebula sighed and shook her head. "I've been waiting for centuries to finally rid the world of those lowlife scum. If I have to go through you neophytes to do so, so be it." She raised her hands, flames dancing across them, and prepared to fry the girls.
Aisha reacted quickly. With a thought, a tendril of water launched out of the nearest pool and wrapped itself around one of Roxy's hands.

"Hey, what the..." she tried, as she pulled back. With a wet swup, the tendril pulled off the white ring, which landed on the floor with a clang. Nebula stared at it for a moment, before leaping for it.

A shockwave, courtesy of Musa, hit the possessed fairy and launched her away from it.

She landed hard on the floor and bounced. She forced herself up, but the control was already slipping. "No... I've waited... For too long... I was... So close... I need... More... Time..."

The voice in her head faded and Roxy blinked. She looked around at the ruined scenery with a look of complete bewilderment.

"We'll explain later," Musa said, as she helped the pink-haired girl up. "For now, let's get the fuck out of here before the building collapses on us."

"Uh... Right. Right," Roxy said, a bit stupefied by the shock.

...

Through luck, skill and a little bit of magic, the group managed to get away from the collapsing hotel. They managed to drop Roxy off at the Frutti Music Bar, promising that they'd talk about what had happened as soon as she felt better. The pink-haired girl had decided not to argue at that point. The girls had also chosen to keep the ring, sealed inside a protective field created by Flora. With those two things resolved, they hurried off to Bloom's parents' house to see how the situation was going.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!? IS THERE ANY NEURAL ACTIVITY GOING ON AT ALL UNDER THAT BLOND HAIR OF YOURS!?" sounded the furious voice of Brandon through an open window.

"Oh, oh," Aisha muttered.

"Sounds like your boyfriend is already doing well," Musa snarked.

"Hey, maybe it's not him," the redhead tried.

"Who then? Your dad?" the musician questioned.

Bloom paused, then sighed. "No, you're right. Let's go in and see what's up with this."

Inside the house, a rather weird scene was playing out. Sky looked like he was both taking cover behind the sofa and Mike, who was sitting in said sofa. In the other end of the room stood Brandon, who looked like he was doing everything he could not to throttle his future ruler right then and there. Flanking him were Timmy and Riven, ready to grab him if things got out of hand. In the middle stood a rather annoyed King Erendor, tapping his foot on the carpet. Finally, Helia, Vanessa, Nabu, Mirta and several armed guards looked on with varying levels of concern. Of course, the moment the fairies entered, attention shifted to them.

"Uhm... Hi. So long story short, we resolved our problem," Bloom began. "Ehm, what's happening?"
"This complete doofus sold off all his royal signet jewellery," Brandon fumed. "The most valuable and culturally significant jewellery he could bear as upcoming king of Eraklyon."
"In my defence, I think all jewellery look alike," Sky tried, causing his father to groan in annoyance.

"You... You could... GRARGH!" Brandon exploded. "HOW IN THE NAME OF THE DRAGON'S FLAMING BREATH ARE YOU EVER GOING TO LEAD A COUNTRY!? IT'LL TAKE YOU ROUGHLY ONE WEEK TO MISPLACE HALF THE CITIZENRY AND SELL THE OTHER HALF FOR FIVE NUMMI TO A HARMONIAN SHOE SELLER!"

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Flora inquired, hoping to defuse the situation.

"While I don't agree with my son's participation in this mission, he is an grown man and as such I will not decide for him. He is adult enough to handle the responsibility. That being said, the jewellery is of importance to not only him, but all of us," Erendor explained. "I wanted it returned, but he said he sold it to a pawn shop."
"Bloom. Any chance of getting it back?" Musa asked.

"Depends on what the broker and Sky agreed on," the redhead reported. "If he has exceeded the time limit, then it might still be for sale. How much did you pawn it off for?"

"Well, he gave me a good price. See, I got two thousand dollars for it," the blond prince explained.

"Hmm, I am unfamiliar with that currency," Erendor commented. "Squire, are the royal signet jewellery even close to being worth that much?" He noted the way Brandon's face contorted in anger. "Ah, I see. Low price."

"Look, if this will help, I can try to buy it back," Mike offered. "The boys and girls already have enough they need to spend money on."
"Your aide is appreciated. But I cannot allow myself to be aided without reciprocation. It would make our royal house look weak," Erendor noted, as he reached into his pocket, withdrawing a small bag. "I assume these will sufficiently cover any expenses?"

Mike stared into it, his eyes widening. "Ho-holy mackerel," he gasped. "It's full of rubies and emeralds and... Your majesty, this is just too much. I can't accept this."
"Nonsense. If you find yourself with too many riches, share it with others," Erendor said with a wave of his arm. "But that will be your choice. These are now yours."
"Right. Okay then. I'll go see if I can get those things back right away," Mike reported and wandered off with a bit of a dazed look.

"Can I come out now?" Sky asked.

"NO!" Brandon ordered. "Stay behind that couch and think about what you've done."

...

The meat hit the hot pan and began sizzling, soon after filling the apartment with its aroma. The boys and girls had gathered together for dinner, both to share a moment and to discuss what had happened.

Nabu stared at the white ring, the artefact slightly glowing from the spell that encapsulated it. "So, this entity was named Nebula, correct?"
"Yep," Techna agreed. "And he or she really, and I can't state this hard enough, really didn't like them Black Circle guys. The moment they were gone, Nebula was already planning how to track them down again."

"I called Roxy. According to her, Nebula sounded male in her head," Bloom said. "Absolutely nothing like whomever contacted her in her dremas."
"Ain't that a shame," Riven, who was helping Musa in the kitchen, said. "Had they been the same person, it would have been rather easy to figure out the how and why."

"Could Nebula be related to the White Circle?" Flora asked.

"Well, that would give him amble reason to hate the Black Circle," Nabu stated. "But that also raises questions. What is he, for one? You see, there is no entity inside this ring. It must have served as a signal relay for Nebula's magic and thoughts."
"So that means there are two mysterious entities that have contacted Roxy, one to guide her and one to possess her," Sky counted. "But then, why would the mysterious female voice lead her to such a dangerous artefact?"
"Maybe there's more to it," Stella suggested. "I mean, like, we hadn't even figured out that somebody could send their magic through it."
"Yeah, Roxy was not keen on letting us run away with it," Musa noted. "We never did have the chance to study it."

"On the other hand, it would only have hurt our cause had we forced her to give it up," Flora noted.

"Here's the part I noted," Techna said. "Both Shifty and Draino seemed to think it would make perfect sense if we were working with Nebula. Why?"
"Because we dug up the ring?" Aisha suggested. Everyone paused, then turned their attention to her. "What?" the dark-skinned princess asked. "I mean, working with Nebula would explain why we went for the ring in the first place, wouldn't it?"
"I suppose it would. Truth be told, the Black Circle probably have information we lack and vice versa," Flora stated. "With neither of us having a complete picture, we both would have to make assumptions based on what little we do have."

"God, this is making me dizzy," Bloom groaned. "I can't believe I missed out on a surfing competition for this mess."
"Look, I just think this is all getting kinda complicated," Riven noted. "And I'm getting kinda uncomfortable. We've got Roxy, who's at the centre of this for some reason. The Black Circle, who have their own goals. And at least two entities possibly connected to the White Circle, who both seem interested in using Roxy. To be frank, I'm starting to feel like we're seriously out of the fucking loop."
"He has a point," Helia added. "It is becoming increasingly clear how little we actually do know about this situation."
"And that makes us ill-suited to help poor Roxy," Mirta noted.

"True. But it's not like anyone else is lifting a finger to do something," Musa added. "I could go home with a clear consciousness if Eraklyon or Domino or somebody would send professionals to take care of this. But no, apparently they don't have the resources for that."

"And that leaves Roxy as the one bearing the brunt of the consequences," Bloom sighed. "I don't know. Have we only managed to place her in greater danger?"

"If we hadn't been here, the Black Circle would have gotten her," Musa pointed out.

"True. But there are signs indicating that they are not just the power hungry megalomaniacs we were initially told about," Flora indicated. "Ogron only gave the signal to retreat when he was sure the building had been cleared out, for example. I think they genuinely believe in their mission statement."
"Look, just because they believe in it doesn't make what they do right," the black-haired musician argued.

"True. But it does lead me to suspect the situation is a lot more complicated than we have so far presumed. With all of these, if you will, individual players making their proverbial entrance on the scene, I am inclined to agree with Riven. We are far too uninformed to make rash judgement calls, that much is clear."
Musa paused, before sighing. "Point."

"So what do we do now?" Bloom asked. "Sit back and wait again?"
"No. We must try to research and study the ring," Nabu said. "It might provide some of the answers we are looking for."
Everyone in the room took a moment to stare at the ivory surface of the ring. It seemed so harmless sealed away inside the protective bubble.

"Good idea. We totally need to learn more," Stella agreed.

"It is settled then. We will continue our daily routines, keep an eye on Roxy and do research," Brandon stated. "Helia, Mirta. I want the two of you to continue digging spells up from that tome. The speed one came in handy today from what I've heard. Now, anyone else have anything to add? No?" He paused a moment, before finishing off with: "Alright then, let's get some dishes on the table. Those stakes sure do smell delicious."