The realm of Magix fell away behind them, and was soon lost in the stars.
"Okay, our course is set, and we have about thirty hours flight ahead," said Timmy. He entered some commands, and a monitor lit up, counting down time starting from 29:48:05.
From the console on the port side, Lucy said, "Debris screens are up; sensors on wide sweep. Defensive screens at standby."
At the starboard side console, Mirta reported, "Generators operating at 56 percent capacity; thrusters at eighty-nine percent. Space drive steady. Life-support and other interior systems normal operation."
"Acknowledged," responded Timmy. He wasn't surprised. Both Cloud Tower and Alfea had a mandatory course of space ship operations, since there was no telling where a Witch or fairy would have to go in the universe for a job, or how they would get there.
"Everything's steady, we can relax, now," said Timmy. He turned to his shipmates.
Lucy and Mirta got up and hugged in the center of the deck.
"It is SO good to see you!" said Mirta with happiness.
"You too. I've missed you since we last were together," Lucy answered. Still under 'Witches Decorum Rules', she gave a small smile and let Mirta go after a few seconds.
Timmy came over to them. "Anyone hungry? I missed lunch for launch."
Lucy grimaced. "We're not gonna have to put up with puns like that the whole mission, are we?"
"Keep it up," Mirta threatened, "And I'll have to tell Tecna you're developing a sense of humor."
"Oh, is that what you call it?" asked Lucy, "I thought it was a sense of torture."
Timmy grinned, and laughed nervously. "Uh, well, anyway, cabins are here." He walked past them aft, and stopped at a door on his right. "This is yours, and I'll have the one across the hall."
"Bunk beds?" asked Lucy, looking inside, "I thought we'd get a cabin each." She tossed her backpack on the lower bunk, and Mirta's on the upper.
"Sorry, this ship is designed for four. The head is that hatch on the right; galley to the left." he explained.
"No, really? What was your first clue? The signs on the doors?" asked Lucy, looking annoyed.
"LUCY! Lay off the sarcasm! We're teammates and friends here, remember!" said Mirta in a forceful voice.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Sor-ry! It's just that he's acting like we've never been on space ships before!"
"I- I didn't mean any insult!" said Timmy.
Mirta took a deep breath. "She knows. Lucy, you can drop the Witches Decorum now."
Lucy looked at her best friend, then at the Red Fountain student, then back at Mirta. She closed her eyes and took several breaths. She seemed to relax. "You're right. Sorry, Timmy, I forgot we're not enemies now. Well, you know what I mean."
"Yeah, okay. The better friends we are, the better our teamwork will be," he replied. "Now, what about lunch?"
Witch and fairy followed Hero into the small galley. Most of the floor space was taken up by a table with four chairs. To the left of the hatch was the food console. It was programmed to create a wide variety of dishes. A port to one side showed the stars sliding aft slowly.
They sat and ate their chosen food with little in the way of conversation. Afterward they returned to the control deck.
"Just before we left Red Fountain, some additional data on Bekisan came in," said Timmy, "Let's review it now,
and get a better idea of what we'll be facing."
Sitting down at a side screen and keyboard, Timmy called up the data. The more they saw, the more worrisome it became.
The Ancestral Witches used dark magic to destroy buildings and people, but the magic didn't just disappear. It spread out into the surrounding woods and was absorbed by the plants and animals. As time passed, the affected life forms mutated, and rarely for the better.
Monsters and dangerous plants now infested the forest. The insects grew to enormous sizes, and became vicious.
The only good point was that the dark magic-affected area was only a few miles around the places where humans had lived. Much of the original flora and fauna was still there, but fighting a losing battle against the changed creatures. Eventually the entire planet would have a mutated biosphere.
"I recognize some of the mutations," said Lucy, "Some of the spells used have standard effects. Getting to the guy's home isn't going to be easy."
"I think those insects are going to be a real bother," said Mirta, "They're fast and deadly."
"Which is exactly why you need me," said a new voice.
Hero, Witch, and Fairy turned to find a stowaway floating behind them.
"Zing!" said Mirta to the Pixie, "What are you doing here? This is going to be dangerous!"
The Pixie of Insects nodded. "I know. Jolly did a reading with her cards, and said it was essential that I go with you."
"So you snuck on board, just like that?" asked Timmy.
"Sure did! You know how much I like adventure!" she replied.
Timmy turned back to the control board, and hit some keys. "The internal sensors didn't pick her up. Where were you hiding?"
"Can't tell you, I might need to hide there again," said Zing, smugly.
"We ought to turn around and take her back," said Mirta, "This is no mission for a Pixie!"
"We're more than an hour into the trip," replied Timmy, glancing at the countdown clock, "That would be a waste of time and resources."
"In that case, let's put her in a cage, and leave her there until we get back. Then she can be punished properly," said Lucy.
Zing gasped, and moved away from them. "Y- you wouldn't, would you?"
"Give us one good reason why not," said Lucy. She moved her hands and fingers in a specific pattern, and a bird cage appeared around the Pixie. It floated around her, instead of dropping to the deck.
"BECAUSE JOLLY SAID I WAS NEEDED!" shouted the Pixie, "AND HER PREDICTIONS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT!"
Mirta and Lucy looked at Timmy. "Well, she has a point," he conceded, "Tecna did some research with Jolly's prediction statistics, and she does have a 92.1 percent success rate."
Mirta felt sorry for the little stowaway. "Let her out, Lucy, She might come in handy."
"She IS here, and we can probably use all the help we can get," said Timmy.
Lucy looked annoyed, but didn't answer.
Zing saw Lucy's expression, and steeled herself to answer. "Lucy, I'll make a deal with you. Let me out and let me help. If Jolly was wrong and I'm not needed, you can punish me any way you want to."
Lucy stood up and went over to the floating cage. Zing moved back as far from her as possible. "Okay, I agree. And I'll make it even more interesting. If you win, you can punish me any way you want to."
The Pixie of Insects looked at the Witch with wide eyes.
"But let's get one thing straight now. You will do what we tell you to, when we tell you to. No acting independent. Got it?" added Lucy.
"G-got it," answered Zing in a tiny voice.
Lucy dissolved the cage, and turned aft. "I'm gonna take a nap. Don't bother me." She went to the cabin and slammed the hatch behind her.
"Wow, Zing, you really believe in Jolly that strongly?" asked Timmy.
"Of course I do," was the reply.
There was an awkward silence, then Timmy asked, "You hungry? The galley can whip up anything you want to eat."
Mirta winced. "Uh, Timmy, that might not be the best word to use right now..."
Timmy blushed. "Ooops, sorry, Zing."
"I'm not worried," said the Pixie, "Jolly's always right."
"I hope so, for your sake," muttered Mirta, watching the Pixie follow Timmy into the galley.