Chapter 16 - Winning the Battle While Losing Time

Oritel stared hard at the young girl seated opposite him, his mahogany desk separating the two of them. She stared back with unnerving, violet-shaded eyes, unperturbed by the stare Oritel was known throughout royal society for. "And so I've come to you for the book, King Oritel. We need that book to save your daughter."

He leaned forward, settling his chin on his clasped hands. "Bloom is on the verge of being destroyed. Legendary entities of great power have come forth to give aid. And the answer to everyone's questions currently lies within the Domino Library." Oritel shook his head and leaned back in his chair again. "I can feel time running out. As we speak I'm already forgetting the time I spent together with my daughter… I know it happened, but I can't recall it." He stood then and leaned toward the girl. " But you don't know what book you're even looking for. What if you're wrong and it isn't there? What if time runs out? Everything gets undone… my precious daughter…"

"So be it." the girl answered coldly, sounding as though she would willingly go with either version of fate. Her eyes flashed in the light provided by the hanging chandelier above them. "Obviously it was Fate's intentions for time to run out then."

"And it's Fate's intention that your realms be broken into and your charges be taken?" Oritel said pointedly. He ran a hand through his hair. "Specifically my daughter's? What I've read of your realms is that they're meant to contain these aspects, to ensure they're safely kept from those who wish to play fate."

"And sometimes Fate will look to pawns to do her bidding, even if the bidding means defying the very laws that have been set to prevent terrible catastrophes like this. Nonetheless, I've offered to help because my sisters insist that what's happening is not Fate's will." Kerrin spoke as though Oritel ought to be bowing before her and groveling because she was there. She got up out of her chair and faced Oritel. "Will you accept my help or not, Oritel?"

Oritel held his head in his hands. He was having a hard time of just accepting the girl's help. His gut instincts told him that something about her didn't seem right. The way she spoke about fate said she was on their side and yet she wasn't on their side. "How do I know you won't just disappear with the book, the only chance my daughter has? How do I even know that you're trying your hardest to save my child?"

"You don't. I guess it will be a matter of faith on your part. In any case, I'm only bothering to help with the intention of righting the wrongs, not saving your precious daughter." She referred to his daughter with such a spiteful tone it made Oritel stare. Kerrin appeared to be irked by Oritel's persistent questioning. "Why do you continue to waste precious time? Your daughter's life is on the line and here you stand questioning one who can help."

"Kerrin of the Eternal Fairies…" Oritel stared hard at her. She definitely didn't look the part of an Eternal Fairy. Sure she looked strong and beautiful, as the myths said she was. But Oritel didn't get immense power from her. Nor did he entirely believe her answers about her intentions. Her answers sounded vague at best. But did he have a choice? Bloom needed him. And he needed all the help he could get at this point. "Let us head to the Domino Library then. I hope we find the book." Oritel stood and strode across the room. He opened the door and motioned for Kerrin to follow him. "The library is down the hall, through the door on the left."

Kerrin nodded and followed him out of his office into the drafty hall. She started to follow him and began speaking. "I thought the grand Domino Library had been hidden on a Roc…" she wondered aloud.

Alarm bells began to go off in Oritel's mind. He finally decided to heed his instincts and he stopped leading Kerrin, turning abruptly to face her. "No, I've had the books brought back…" He frowned at Kerrin. "Wouldn't an agent of Fate know…"

He was cut off by another voice. "King Oritel of Domino?" called the voice breathlessly from down the hall.

With another odd glance at Kerrin, Oritel turned and saw a brown-haired girl making her way toward them down the hall, gray cloak rustling about her as she walked purposefully toward them. "That I am… what is it?" he asked.

Her gray eyes reflected a sincere look of relief as she hastened her steps, notably excited to know it was him. "I'm here to help. I've come for a book…" the brown-haired girl's breathless voice trailed off as her eyes settled on Kerrin. "Kerrin? What…" Her gray eyes widened in shock. "Di-"

Before the girl could finish the thought Kerrin blasted her and the girl flew down the length of the hallway. "I guess my cover's been blown, which is too bad…" She waved her hand before her and Oritel saw her visage shimmer. Before him stood Princess Diaspro of Isis. "I wanted to get this done without causing an uproar. But now that I know where the library is and how easily accessible the book will be…" Diaspro smiled at Oritel sweetly before she shot a burst of magic that threw him into the wall.

Oritel felt the air get knocked out of him as he collided with the wall. He scrambled to his feet and reached to draw his sword. "Guards! Halt, Diaspro…"

"I just shot you, what makes you think I'll halt?" Diaspro called out coolly as she sprinted down the hall toward the library, her heels sounding like a ricochet of bullets. "Seriously…"

"Time tear!" shouted the brunette. As she screamed a wicked-looking scythe appeared out of nowhere in her hands and she ran it through he air before her. A force of energy snapped toward Diaspro. Diaspro threw up a dark shield that dissipated the energy. "You don't know what your doing, Princess of Isis!" the brunette cried.

"Apparently I do! I keep going do I not?" Diaspro threw out splayed hand before her and dark energy swept forward, overcoming the brunette. "Get out of my way!" she snarled and she walked past the crumpled form of the brunette.

Oritel rushed to the brunette's side as Diaspro disappeared into the library. He offered her a hand as he looked after the intruder. "Who are you…"

"Eilian… and that was not my sister." Eilian groaned as she accepted his hand and got to her feet. "I'm becoming weaker as the stream of time is being undone… but we need to stop her." Eilian stumbled after Diaspro into the Library.

Oritel followed her. He was met with a whirlwind of books and papers that were zooming through the room. "Diaspro!"

"Hecate... servus tuus te obsecrat ... adiuva me invenient me libro quaero ... Ego praecipio vobis cum viribus vos praediti me …" Diaspro spoke the words in in a shockingly commanding tone for such a small girl. The books seemed to pick up speed after her chant. Diaspro tapped her foot impatiently. "Well?"

"You don't command the gods as a servant you fool!" Eilian laughed and slammed her scythe into the ground hard. The books ceased their spinning and fell to the floor. "Now listen!"

"No!" Diaspro threw a dark orb at Eilian, her eyes flashing with hate. The orb hit Eilian hard in the chest and she slammed into one of the sturdier bookcases. "Where is that damned book!?" Diaspro stalked over to Eilian and grabbed her by the front of her robes. "What book is it?"

"Drop her…" Oritel leaped over a pile of books and charged Diaspro. Diaspro dropped Eilian and snatched up her scythe, bringing it up just in time to block Oritel's attack. "… you need to drop your petty quarrel with my child! Bloom doesn't deserve any of this!"

"And I deserved everything that happened to me?" Diaspro heaved Oritel's sword back and scurried up the slope of a book pile.

"Find the book." Oritel said to Eilian and moved to pursue Diaspro. "I'll handle her."

Eilian got to her feet, her fatigue visible in her face and Oritel ran after Diaspro. "Watch out… she's got Hecate's blessing." Eilian warned and darted to the nearest book pile.

"Oh I've faced worse." Oritel muttered as he ducked down an aisle, his view of Eilian getting cut off. He silently prayed he made the right decision trusting this new individual as he searched for Diaspro. "Come now Diaspro! What you've done can't be irreparable! Give yourself up and allow us to fix everything."

"False promises, Oritel. And why is what you promise false? Because things are a bit out of my hands now…" Diaspro called, her voice echoing through the shelves. "I'm not holding the aspects that will determine Bloom's fate!"

Oritel's brow furrowed as he tried to narrow in on the sound of Diaspro's voice. "What do you mean? Who has these 'aspects'?" He turned a corner and was met by a surprising blow. He fell and found himself looking up into the wild eyes of Diaspro. "Diaspro…"

"A good friend of yours, Oritel. You may remember him. Baltor?" Diaspro smiled viciously as Oritel unwillingly let his horror show. "That's right. Your worst enemy has your daughter's fate in his hands at this very moment. He's got a bone to pick with her as well as you."

"No!" Oritel dropped his own weapon and grabbed the scythe's handle, throwing Diaspro off balance. The two grappled. "What have you done?"

"I'm rearranging the stars, so to say!" Diaspro laughed. "So they'll align for me!"

"You fool!" Oritel roared.

"King Oritel!" shouted yet another voice. Oritel glanced back and saw Sky and Stella headed for him from approximately ten bookcases away. "Hold on!"

Diaspro wrenched free of Oritel and scrambled back into a wall. "Hecate, why do you forsake me now? I command…" Oritel saw realization alight in her eyes. "Hecate I beg of you, give me the book!"

Her shriek rang through the bookcases, causing Sky and Stella to halt in surprise. There was a crashing noise and a book whizzed past them, straight into Diaspro's arms. It opened before her and her eyes gazed upon its contents. "The Dais…"

"Diaspro!" Sky roared. He raced past Oritel and reached out to grab Diaspro. "Don't!"

Diaspro snapped the book shut and waved her hand over the wall, smirking back at them. The bookcase shadows on the wall shifted in response to her movement. "Now that's more like it." She turned to enter the wall but Sky grabbed the book and attempted to pull it away from her. "Let go, Sky!" she yelped as she lost her grip and fell backwards into the shifting shadows.

Sky stumbled back, his hands clutching the book. "I've got it…" he turned to Oritel, his chest heaving. "This… this is what we needed to save Bloom…"

Oritel frowned, staring hard at Sky. "Bloom? Who's Bloom?

-Author's Note- Devious Diaspro. She almost got away with the Winx's only hope too. It's a good thing the guys and the girls managed to trace Eilian, who just so happened to be confronting Oritel. Makes one think about what Diaspro pretending to be Kerrin said to Oritel. Just what are Fate's intentions? Does she mean for Diaspro to win? If so, that explains why she and Baltor were able to break into Eilian's realm. But then Sky arrived in the nick of time to save the book they need to locate the Dais. Eilian managed to be in the right place at the right time to foil Diaspro's little charade. What's going to happen? Any thoughts? Hang onto those while I prepare you all for a scintillating end!