Chapter 15: Storm Clouds on the Horizon

"And we're back," the newscaster said, as the commercials ended. "Once again, I have Mr. Vernon Johnson on the show today for an interview regarding the ongoing investigations of the Gardenia Disasters, as they have been coined by the press. Mr. Johnson, how would you describe the ongoing investigation?"

The grizzled man cleared his throat and stated: "Obviously, I can only say so much, but at this point, we have no doubts that all of these incidents are linked and that the people seen in regards to the Flying Fearsomes Case and the Battle of Gardenia Station are no doubt involved in the previous three cases. Of course, we have yet to identify these people and we still have a lot of blank spots to fill out."
"Theories of everything from terrorists to government conspiracies to alien invasions have been flying around in the media. Are we truly looking at something that might be described as supernatural?"
"Now that is an interesting question," Vernon stated. "Fact is, it definitely looks like that, but so does it when a magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat or makes an assistant disappear. I would personally be careful with jumping to conclusions. Disguising science as magic is not that difficult. With that being said, neither I nor the department can deny that there certainly are hard to explain elements. We're taking the grounded approach, trying to find the most reasonable explanation possible. We're hoping that the eventual apprehension of these individuals will help clear up a lot of the mystery surrounding these cases."

"Such as how someone can throw fireballs and fly?"
"Such as that, yes. I'd rather suggest we're looking at advanced technology than some sort of mystic force, but that would in and of itself raise questions, I won't deny that."
"And would you be ready to admit that what we're looking at is a bunch of aliens or whatnot, if that's where the evidence leads?" the interviewer cheekily asked.

The investigator chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment. "Yes. If the evidence truly shows that that is the only reasonable explanation, I would admit that."

Dumon shook his head as the interview continued. He tilted his head slightly, hearing Gantlos' voice from the kitchen.

"No, no, Daddy is okay," he was reassuringly telling someone. "But I won't be home for a while. What? Yes, that was me. I'll explain it to you later, but I have to go. Love you too, Jonathan." The blond grunted as he stepped into the room, turning the cellphone off as he went. "How's it going?"

"It's all still a mess. Nobody has any clues and everything from the president to the frog people of Neptune has been blamed," the shapeshifter explained.

"Not surprising given how little information they have to go on," Ogron remarked.
"So, what do we do now? Roxy is quite clearly on their side now," Anagan stated. "She proved as much when she tried to turn you into railway pizza."
"Question is, how much of that was Roxy and how much of that was the ring," Ogron commented, as he paced back and forth. "Both are equally perilous developments, but with starkly contrasting implications for the situation."
On the TV, the interview finished and the weather report started.

"Well, if they have the ring and they have Roxy on their side, what are they waiting for?" Dumon asked, as he turned the TV off. "What could their next goal be? They're clearly still trying to avoid too much public attention."
Ogron tapped his foot. "There's only so many things left for them to do. The fact that they are staying is the greatest indicator that their future goals are Earth oriented. If it isn't a publicity campaign greater than what we have seen so far, then there are only worryingly few things left for them to accomplish." He stroked his goatee contemplatively. "We'll have to contact some of the agents in the area, talk with them about possible reactivation. Might even have to start looking into recruiting again."
"It's that bad?" Anagan asked, eyebrows raised.

"Not yet, but it could soon be. This lot has proven a tenacious bunch and they have wiggled their way out of our grasp more than once, securing objectives in the process. I refuse to underestimate them," he declared. "But we have to be careful not to show our hand. They have so far displayed a remarkable tactical cunning."

...

"So, what was our plan for our next step?" Techna asked, lying on the couch while kicking the air.

"We don't have a next step," Musa said, as she kept changing between channels. "For that matter, we barely even have a plan."

"Well, that's actually smart," the scarred girl remarked with a smile. "They can't foil our plans if we don't have any."
"Yes, I'm sure they are floored by our tactical genius," the black-haired musician dryly noted.

Stella stepped out of her room with a yawn, before wandering over to the windows. She sighed happily as the rising sun's rays fell on her skin.

"Recharging?" Musa inquired.

"So much better than sleep," Stella commented. "Honestly, the only reason I don't run purely on sunlight is that my body needs time to heal. That and the fact that most planets don't have permanent sunlight."
"What's wrong with sleeping?" Techna asked while sitting up.

"Sleeping is tots annoying. You have to spend, like, seven or eight hours doing nothing more than wiggling around in a bed. I could get so much more stuff done in that time," the blond princess remarked.

"I don't mind wiggling around in bed," Techna innocently remarked. "Especially with company."

"But of course," Stella said, rolling her eyes. "Oh well, I make the best of the times I have to sleep. At least this way my sore muscles have time to heal."
"From what?" Musa asked in disbelief. "You have your dream job. You shop for people. What's hard about that?"
"Lugging six full bags up to the fifth floor because the elevator is out of order is hard. Especially without magic," Stella remarked.

Suddenly, Aisha barged out of the room she had been sleeping in, barely halfway dressed. "What time is it? Did I oversleep?"
"Nah. You still got at least an hour before you have to head off," Techna remarked. "So, what happened? Forgot to set your alarm clock?"
The princess of Tides yawned, as she fished some clothes out of the room and began putting it on. "That is indeed the case. I must have been too exhausted yesterday, since I forgot. I will endeavour to not let that happen again. Jason and the others are counting on my punctuality."

"I'm sure that guy would forgive you if you had a mishap. It happens," Techna remarked. "And hey, you obviously needed the sleep."
"Yeah. It's hard having a real job," Musa remarked.

Stella raised an eyebrow. "Was that a cheap shot at my current job or at royalty?"
"Why can't it be both?"
"Because I thought you wanted a new suit."
"To answer, yes, it has been much harder than what I was doing as a princess," Aisha remarked. "That was more mentally straining. That being said, despite the difficulties I've had adjusting to this new venue of labour, I find great fulfilment in the tasks handed to me at the club."

Musa turned her head. "You do?"
"Yes. Back home, the lesson plans and such were very hard, but I rarely had a chance to utilize them," Aisha explained. "It made it hard to see the point at times. Here, I have a feeling of making a contribution. Not to say that we haven't contributed before. Our involvement with stopping Darkar, Valtor and the Coven was most definitely a contribution to society. But this is ever so different. Even school doesn't have the same feel." She paused. "I find myself liking it. I hope ruling the kingdom will be as fulfilling once my training is complete."

"Couldn't tell you," Musa remarked, shrugging.

"Well, Dad says it's tots full of good feelings, especially when you do well by the people," Stella remarked. "So as long as you, like, do the right thing, you should be fine."
"Of course, your parents seem like they will most likely shackle you to a husband of their choice, so you better hope you share his opinion of the right thing," the black-haired musician continued.

Aisha looked slightly offended. "I'm quite sure Nabu and I can come to an agreement on these things in a sensibly and concordant manner."
"If your parents don't decide to change their minds regarding marriage," Musa said. "And I don't mean to be rude, but I could see them do that if they think they've found a better match."
"Hmm, I suppose I cannot say that is impossible, but it is very unlikely," Aisha remarked, though she did look rather thoughtful.

...

Selina groaned, as she and Mitzy headed down the road towards the latter's home.

"Still grumpy 'bout school?" the black-haired girl inquired.

"I just don't understand how we can cover the history of England without at least mentioning King Arthur," she replied.

"Maybe because it's pure pseudo-history?" Mitzy innocently suggested.
"Real history is vastly overrated."

Mitzy shrugged and replied: "If you say so." She pushed the door open, before calling: "Mom, I'm home. Selina is going to be here for a couple of hours."
"That's nice. I'm in the living room," her mother replied.

The two girls got out of their shoes and jackets, before entering the living room.

"Mitzi, I'd like to introduce you to an old friend of mine," Murray said, gesturing to a person in a chair on the other side of the coffee table. "He and some business associates were in town and he decided to drop by."
"Hello," Gantlos said, waving at the two. "Name's Gantlos." He had dropped his usual clothes and instead dressed in a white shirt and denim pants. A brown Stetson hat hung on the corner of his chair.

"Oh. Well, hello," Mitzi said. "I'm Mitzi and this is my friend Selina." She paused. "Have we met?"
"We have, but you would have been about four or six years old," the man replied. "So I don't expect you to remember me."

"No surprise, what with you living all the way up in Scandinavia somewhere," Murray remarked. "Was it in Denmark or Sweden or what? I can never remember which is which."
"Norway, actually."
"So what brings you all the way to California?" Selina inquired curiously.

"My job. I work with security, both on a consultation and an enforcement basis," the blond man explained .

"Oh, is it related to the recent events here in Gardenia?" the blonde asked eagerly, hungry for news on the subject.

"Client confidentiality forbids me from revealing details," Gantlos replied neutrally, causing Selina to deflate slightly.

"Oh, you baked cake, Mom," Mitzi suddenly noticed, starring at a chocolate cake that stood on the table. "And it actually looks edible this time."

Gantlos cleared his throat. "Actually, I brought that."
"Oh."
"I bet most mothers don't have to deal with their kids telling them their cake looks and tastes like a tombstone," Murray dryly remarked.

"It's honest criticism, Mom. You've always told me and Macy that it helps people improve."
"Yes, I admit I've dug my own grave in that regard. Can't exactly take it back now."
"At least your cake will go well with it."
"I suggest if you want any cake at all, then the two of you go tell Macy that the chocolate milk and cookies are ready," the black-haired mother replied, a smirk manifesting on her face.

Mitzy paused. "Well played." Then she and Selina walked upstairs to get her younger sister.

Murray paused, her smirk vanishing as she eyed Gantlos. "She's still too young."
"I've got nothing but sympathy for your concerns," Gantlos said, pouring a cup of coffee. "Have a kid myself. Not much younger than Macy." He paused. "But you've seen the news. We might not get to make that decision."

The black-haired woman sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of. I want it to be up to her, but if this ends up in a worst-case scenario, she might feel pressured to do it."
They both paused as they heard the three girls come back down the stairs.

"Oh, you've also made a cake, Mom," Macy eagerly said, as she eyed the table, while she and the two other girls stepped into the living room. "It looks so much better than last time."
Mitzi and Selina snickered as Murray sighed.

...

Faragonda had once again been called in as a character witness in another inter-realm meeting, her job being to convince several sceptical parties that yes, the girls were serious, yes, they knew what they were doing and no, it was doubtful it was all an attention grab to keep their winning streak going. These meetings had taken place over three days, had involved several hearings that seemed to go nowhere and everyone filibustered when they could get away with it.

The headmistress truly felt like the whole thing had robbed her of several years of life when she finally got back to Alfea. The first two things she did was to call SeFogelia and ask him to make her a large pot of tea, as the tea they had served at the meeting had been a disappointing puddle of lukewarm leaf juice. Secondly, she had asked Avalon and Griselda to meet with her so that she might have someone to talk with about the whole ordeal.

The deputy mistress eyed the large pot that the chef with some effort hauled into the office, before she remarked: "Ms. Faragonda, far be it from me to tell you what to do, but do you not think you might be developing a bad habit?"

"I could certainly think of worse ones," Emanuela calmly replied, as she poured herself a cup.

"So, how did it go?" Avalon inquired. "Have they finally decided to take action?"
"They haven't decided on anything. So essentially no, except now, there a lot more arguing," the headmistress replied. "Both Solaria and Eraklyon are ready to support their royal kids' decision, the former even being ready to take action without the approval of the other realms. On the other hand, Domino and Tides seem more interested in finding out how to extract their royal heirs without getting involved with the situation on Earth. Zenith don't see any immediate profit, so of course they won't lift a finger. Limphea has offered support, but so many of their resources are tied up in keeping their own people safe that there's little they can do. Prince Nereus has offered his support, as have other merfolk realms, but obviously there's a limit to what they can do without reopening the deep gate to Earth. And that portal has been closed for so long they aren't sure what will happen if it is reactivated. The ogre clans of Pyros are as always divided on the subject, but certain tribes are just about ready to storm Earth. Then we have the troglodytes. They have offered what support they can, but they are still busy slowly introducing modern technology into their society. So there's only so much they can offer. But like Limphea, they can still vote. The Roccalucian Order and your very own order of paladins, Avalon, have recommended immediate action, but neither have the authority to take action on Earth as of now. The realms of Harmony are all over the place, to no ones' surprise." Faragonda threw her hands in the air. "And there's of course several other realms like Isis, Calisto and Char. It is all one big mess." She shook her head. "A small part of me wants me to grab my coat and run off to join the girls on Earth."
"No doubt you could easily convince Griffin to help you," Griselda remarked. "I think even Saladin would be ready to help if you asked."
"Yes. I know. But the truth is that I can do far more good if I can just convince the realms to join up and help," Faragonda said. "It's just... Frustrating to deal with." She poured herself another cup of tea.

"Politics usually are. I take great comfort in the fact that Alfea does not have so many internal squabbles and divisions to deal with," Avalon remarked.

"Did the paladin order have that problem?" Griselda inquired.

"The heads of our organisation are very fair and good at refraining from getting too personal about things," the paladin remarked. "That being said, in the lower echelons that can be a certain amount of jockeying for social positions through demonstrations of skill at arms, magic and nobleness. I've never found interest in that, but that did not prevent me from getting involved against my will occasionally."

"Spectacular," the deputy dryly replied. "So we're just going to continue as usual then?"
"That seems to be what we can do," Faragonda replied. "That and wait for DuFour to finish analysing that ring. If we can give the girls some info on what is up with it, they might be able to use it to their advantage."
"That or avoid the possessions they reported," Avalon added.

"That too, yes." She poured herself another cup of tea.

...

Stella stood in front of the apartment's window, soaking up the last rays of the sun as she watched the people below move about. "So, how do you think it's going?" she asked as she turned to Techna, who was working at the computer.

"With the ring? Well, no news is good news, right?" the scarred girl replied. "I mean, pretty sure somebody would drop us a call if it had taken control of Faragonda and turned her into a giant octopus lizard out to consume all the world's tea."

The Solarian princess paused. "The inside of you head must, like, be a real fascinating place."

"It's awesome," Techna agreed, flashing a cheeky smile. "Anyways, I can shoot Faragonda a mail if you're concerned."
"Please do," Stella said, as she began pacing. "I can't help it. I've tots got this feeling that, like, any moment now things will go wrong. Is that pessimistic?"
"I think I will agree with Cacophony and just call it pattern recognition," the magenta-haired girl replied. "I mean, the situation has steadily been getting worse. We keep getting worked over by Draino and his cronies, mostly being saved due to us getting lucky. The ring kept screwing Roxy over in various ways. And people are getting more and more suspicious about what's going on in town. It's a powder keg waiting to blow up in our faces."
"Well, that's reassuring," Stella flatly commented, as she sat down in the sofa. "I'm gonna call my father, see if he can give me an update." She pressed a couple of numbers and put her phone to her ear. "Hello, Dad. It's Stella."
"Good to hear from you again," Radius replied, as he put his fork down. "How are you? It's been a while since you last called."
"Yeah, sorry, this keeping up appearance thing is, like, taking up a lot of my time," Stella said, as she got up and started pacing. "Hope we can get home soon, but Roxy is still not up for it."
"Well, I guess I can hardly blame her for not wanting to abandon her home," the Solarian king said. "I just wish it didn't have to endanger you."
"Well, I've been endangered a lot recently," Stella said with a hint of humour.
"I know," he sighed.

Stella began twirling a lock of her hair. "So, uhm, how are things going between the realms? You all coming to back us up?"
"As usual, it's complicated," Radius informed her. "The agreement between realms forbid one from interfering in another's business without a majority vote. It's supposed to prevent warfare, but due to how it is formulated, it does mean I am not allowed to just invade Earth to help you." He paused. "Mind you, if they don't allow it, I will personally storm the place with the Solarian army. But that will have political repercussions I'm trying to see if I can avoid. Just... Just promise to contact me if things get really bad."
"I will, Dad. Don't worry."

"Anyway, we seem to be working towards a resolution and it seems very likely to be a yes. If we can convince Domino and Tides that they won't be able to get Bloom and Aisha back without a military action, which might as well be a full-blown offensive against the Black Circle, then that should be the final straw to tip everything over and we should get our yes vote." He shrugged, even though there was no way for Stella to see that. "But then again, this is politics. It wouldn't be the first time things have taken a turn for the strange and stupid."

"Tell me about it," Stella commented. "But it is nice to hear things seem to be working out. How's Mom?"
"Doing fine, last I talked with her. Still worried about you, but that shouldn't be a surprise." Radius paused. "By the way, Cassandra is coming home soon"
"Oh," Stella said surprised, then tried to muster some enthusiasm as she continued with: "How... Great. I hope this all works out better between the two of you than last time."
Radius paused. "At least you're trying."
"I'm sorry, Dad. It's just, you know." The blonde paused. "She kinda did use you. But if Valtor can improve then I'm sure she can too." She paused, before sharply adding: "I mean, there might be others I have my doubts about. But I think Cassandra can make it."
"Our family dinners are going to be very stimulating I can tell," Radius sighed.

"Sorry, Dad."
"Just try to behave, okay? That's all I ask."
"I'll, like, do my best. Anyways, that was what I had," Stella finished. "So if you don't have anything, I'd just say goodbye."
"I'll talk to you later," the Solarian king assured her. "I love you, Stella."
"Love you too, Dad. See ya." Then she ended the call.

...

Roxy walked through the park, the sun's descent having rendered the air slightly cool. Not enough that the pink-haired girl needed her jacket, but she was concerned that it could get a lot cooler before she was done. She eyed the park bench she had been instructed to find, spotting Musa, Flora and Bloom sitting by it, in the middle of their own discussion. They looked up and greeted her as she approached. "Hey," Roxy greeted back as she sat down. "So, you wanted to talk with me about magic?"
"Yes. Seeing as you have chosen to remain on Earth for now, we found it wise to give you some pointers," Flora explained.

"Yes. Wouldn't do for you to get angry enough to give every dog within a kilometre a heart attack," Musa remarked.

Roxy's expression froze for a moment, before she inquired: "That was a joke, right?"

"Ehm... Well... I mean, you don't seem that powerful," Bloom tried. "No offense, of course. So I am pretty sure that, you know, you would be almost or even completely incapable of doing something that resembled that."
The pink-haired girl stared at the Dominian princess with a deadpan expression. "Reassuring people isn't your strong suit, is it?"
"Speeches in general aren't her strong suit," Musa said with a smirk. "Remember the strawberry of horror?"
"Please don't remind me," Bloom groaned, while Roxy looked particularly nonplussed.

"To get back to the subject at hand, while even trained magi can make mistakes, one is more prone to doing so without training," Flora interrupted. "First thing to do is help you get a feel for your magic."
"And that means?" Roxy inquired.

"To keep it short, magi can sense things related to their knack," Musa said. "So first things first is getting you just a bit of control over your magic by having you try to sense things around here."
"And I do that how?"
"You need to reach inside yourself and find your magic. And then drive it out into the environment," Bloom tried.

"Huh?"
"What Bloom here is clumsily trying to explain," Flora began, earning her a glare from the redhead. "Is that you need to focus on the magic inside you. Now, since you've been unaware of this magic for most of your life, this may be hard. So don't expect immediate results. It will be trying to trigger a muscle you have not consciously used before but always had, to make a comparison. If you manage to find it, then you must try to use it to sense the environment. You should start picking up things around you."

Roxy looked sceptical. "So I have to use a part of myself that I've never used before as a sense I've never been exposed to? Does that sum it up?"
"No. Because you have been using it subconsciously on multiple occasions and with help from the ring on at least one occasions," Flora replied. "So it is not as difficult as you describe it."
"But still difficult?"
"Not nearly as difficult as what could happen without the training."

Roxy chewed on her lip. "Alright," she said and closed her eyes. "Do I also have to assume the lotus position and go 'ohm' a lot?"
"Sure. I could use the entertainment," Musa snarked.

...

The music briefly flared up and died again, as Jason stepped out on the balcony, the full moon casting its white light down upon him. "Figured you'd be here. How are you holding up, Andy my man?"

The musician stood, starring out at the landscape. "Well, Mr. Queen has yet to come by to decapitate me. That's good." He paused, before burying his head in his arms. "God, I forgot an entire verse in the third song. That was so embarrassing."
"Ah, that explains why your noggin became as red as a fire hydrant," the Suits leader remarked, as he walked up beside him, sampling a Pina Colada. "Was wondering."

"Oh well, it was nice imagining I could have a music career while it lasted," Andy wistfully sighed. "I hope the band won't be disappointed."

Jason kept starring at him. "Do I have to tell you how dumb you sound or would I just be repeating myself?" The music briefly loudened again and the mohawked man looked over his shoulder. "Ah, Darma. How are things going in there?"

"Well, Mr. Queen and his lady love are both having the time of their life as far as I can see," the purple-haired girl replied. "I just came out here to make sure Andy didn't try pulling a Peter Pan. We really have no one to replace him or his guitar."

"So there's no reason to suspect the good Mr. Queen will want to put his head on a pike later?"
"Literally no reason."
"Well, there you have it," Jason said, turning to the brunette. "You're just seeing bogeymen everywhere as you usually are."

"But maybe he's just hiding it. Maybe he's actually furious. Maybe he'll have me..." Andy's tirade was caught off by a splash of icy cold water to the face. He paused, before informing the others: "That was unnecessary."

"Actually, it seemed very much needed," Darma remarked, eyeing her now empty glass. "Oh well, I'll go get a refill." She entered the building again, she passed by Jason Queen, taking a short moment to greet him before heading inside.

"Oh, Mr. Queen," Andy nervously said. "Look, you know, I'm sorry about that third song and my throat was kinda dry when we got to the fifth, so that would be why..."
He stopped, as the blond placed a hand on his shoulder, a warm and fatherly expression on his face. "Andy, you have helped make this the greatest day of my life. And I want to thank you for that."
Andy kept moving his lips, looking very much like a fish that had been ripped from the waters.

The blond Jason paused. "Is he... Going to be alright?" he asked, turning his head to the other Jason.

"Yes, just give him a moment. Poor boy is a bit on the pessimistic side, so he thought you were probably coming to tear him a new whazoo."
"I see. Andy, you have performed as well as I've come to expect from you. You can be proud of yourself and I look forward to continuing our work together. There is now no doubt in my eyes that you and your band have the talent necessary to become big." He paused with a contemplative expression. "That being said, don't even thing of dropping out of school. Music industry is tough and you'll all be better off having something to rely on if things don't work out. Okay?" He stopped, eyeing the brunette concernedly. "Can you blink twice for yes?"

Andy blinked twice.

"Good. I'll leave you to recover." Mr. Queen turned around and headed inside again.

"What did I tell you, my man?" the other Jason said, patting Andy on the back. "You did great in there. Heck, all of ya really blew my socks off. What a party. So you can stop thinking this is a fever dream or whatever kooky thoughts your weird little brain has decided to conjure up."
Andy closed his mouth and just stared for a while. "You know what? I actually feel fine," he said and turned around with a wide grin. "I feel downright fantastic. This... This is amazing."
"It really is," Jason enthusiastically agreed.

"It's awesome."
"Downright banging, yeah."
"Fantastic."
"You hit the high mark."
"I want to go party."
"Then let's get you something to drink and we'll join the others."
"That sounds like it will be fun."
"It will be."

And then the two headed back inside to join the party.