Category: Winx Club
Rating: M
Couples: none
Warnings: Major AU, Blood, Character Death
Chapter: 8
Copyright: © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me
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Outside the hallway where the exam was being taken Faragonda found him: Lord Darkar faced her there.
"Why?" Was all she said, emotions clogging her throat.
"I ended that exam and they reinstate it." He stated evenly. "They will regret it for the rest of their lives."
She rung for words, but could find none. Instead she pushed past him, opening the door. Wards tried to stop her, but she brushed them aside. Behind her Darkar grinned, knowing full well the outcome of this. Regardless, it'd be in his favor. He had not lied to Bloom: he acted according his nature, so why would he not do so now? Either the last Dragonfire perished in the bowels of Alfea, or Faragonda died trying to save her.
His face fell some when he remembered that day so long ago when he had faced Aenor. The fool had tried to summon the monster of the exam to battle him, but he had failed. He really did not need to think about what would have happened had he succeeded: that monster… man could have killed him.
He looked away from the open door when hearing others approach. Miriam and Oritel rounded the corner, freezing when they saw him.
"I am not here to attack." He assured them, making a dismissing motion with his hand. "Only punish."
"Punish?" Oritel echoed, his hand closing around his sword.
"The Council reinstated an exam that should have remained buried forever." He pointed at the still open door. "Now they pay the price for their folly."
"By killing our children?" Miriam demanded, anger causing her magic to radiate off of her.
"No." He countered. "By killing Faragonda." Red magic covered the opening, forming a barrier with glowing signs on it. "Be seeing you." He faded into the shadows of the hallway, his eyes flaring brightly for one moment before fading.
"We can't pass." Griffin rested her gloved hand on the shield. She might as well have rested it against the stone wall of the hallway.
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Bloom knew something was seriously wrong when runes started to glow on the walls, tingeing everything a blood-red she had only ever seen with Darkar.
"No…" The man breathed. "These runes… They are the ones Aeron used to manually activate my curse."
"What?" Layla exclaimed, looking from the runes to him.
He did not answer her as instead his skin bulged outward as if something was trying to break free from underneath.
Bloom watched in horror as he transformed into the exact same thing she had seen when Darkar had dragged her to the past. Only this time, she was really there and there was no way out. "Run!" Considering the speeds she had seen him use, it was a desperate gamble, but she had no choice. At least the others followed her immediately, rather than being frozen.
She for a moment only heard her own breath rush past her ears, until the heavy thumps of the feet of something big echoed in the hallway. A quick glance over her shoulders confirmed her fears: he was catching up on them.
"Faster!" She called. It was useless: they were already going as fast as they could and he was still gaining on them.
The air was rushing around them, roaring with the force of a storm. It took her heated brain a few moments to realize they weren't going THAT fast.
Something blue passed them by, going into the other direction. A roar of pain shook the walls.
She stopped, looking over her shoulder. "Headmistress Faragonda!"
"Run!" The older fairy ordered. "I can slow him down enough that you can escape, go!"
"We can't leave you." Helia argued.
"GO!" Faragonda alternated between looking at them and looking at the monster who was getting up again. "Darkar activated the curse, but he forgot there are still wards on this man. Wards that can save your lives if you RUN NOW!"
The monster got up, attacking the old fairy. She in turn send him flying again, but not as far this time. His claws dragged through the solid stone of the hallway as he roared.
The students were gone, but the headmistress had stayed behind. I know what rests in your cellar, Faragonda, and I know the wards on it. Remember those.