Chapter 17 - Dark Realization
"So there is an end to the damned line…" Bloom muttered to herself as she gazed ahead. A large pavilion of gruesome structure was finally taking form from the darkness. "Maybe I can get some real answers, not the cryptic palaver these know-nothing watchers have offered." But as she got closer to the end of the line she didn't feel any sense of relief. Rather, Bloom felt on edge as the words of the watcher echoed through her mind. She wasn't ready to be judged for anything. Her life wasn't over. She wasn't dead. What kind of screwy system did Fate have, anyway?
Beyond the scrambling of her own cognition, the screams and pleas of other spirits and souls cried out to no one:
"I didn't have enough time…" begged the fading spirit of an elderly man.
"One more chance, please, I beg of you…" sobbed a terrified looking man.
"What about my children?" cried a distraught woman.
"My body lies in a river… please let me help them find it!" pleaded a youth.
"And mine is in the Underworld…" Bloom mumbled in response, but of course, the spirit didn't answer her back. With a resigned sigh, Bloom glanced down at her hands and froze in horror when she noticed that she could stare right through her own fingertips. "What?" she flipped her hands over and over, hoping there was some kind of mistake. Her heart pounded as she saw the translucency began to climb higher up her hands. "NO!"
A laugh echoed beyond the confines of the line. The figure became barely visible once more, his watchful eyes regarding her thoughtfully. "Alive no more…"
"I'm alive!" Bloom snapped, but she knew her fear was obvious. "This place is just playing tricks on my mind!" She rubbed at her arms frantically, but the translucency didn't cease. "Or not…" she whispered, her heart falling. An idea occurred to her and she lifted her skirts and gazed down at her feet. They weren't translucent. "What is going on with me!?"
The figure wasn't laughing anymore. His eyes were now wide in shock as he looked Bloom up and down, dark pupils flitting from her feet to the hands clutching her skirts. From what Bloom could tell, the figure hadn't seen anything like it. "So unprecedented… so living and yet not… how?" the figure hissed.
"Why would you be compelled to ask me? I'm the one freaking out! Do I look like I know what's going on?" Bloom asked incredulously. She dropped her skirts and turned in the line to stare at those morose and crazed faces behind her. When she didn't see any other cases like herself she looked back at the figure. "How does a living being end up in a line for the dead? How was time taken from me so suddenly, so unexpectedly? How is it I'm slowly losing my very being? You're the freaky supernatural watcher. What's going on?" Bloom demanded.
The figure fell silent and watched her with eyes so full of curiosity Bloom felt like some kind of amoeba beneath a microscope. Then the figure vanished again and Bloom let out a hostile scream that made the craziest of ghosts in the line cease their ravings. " And you leave! What's happening to me? I shouldn't be here! I should be planning my wedding or fighting off another of the universe's evils, not facing judgment for something I haven't done…" Bloom trailed off as a thought occurred to her. "Haven't done." she repeated. And the guilt began to seep up. "No…"
The line trudged onward and Bloom didn't say another word. The crazed lunatics ahead of her continued with their own rants and the calm souls kept up with their quiet vigilance. The line somehow picked up pace and the pavilion entrance got closer and closer. Bloom didn't even bother to address the figure when he made himself reappear again, his eyes still watching her intently as though she were going to try escape. But Bloom wasn't going to escape. There was no point.
"Could… could this have all happened because…" Bloom bit her lip and looked down at her fading gown. The bright blue of the fabric no longer looked blue, but a dull gray. In fact it appeared to be dissipating at the edges when she stared at one spot long enough. "… because of my incapability to destroy Baltor? Maybe Baltor somehow got free and sent me here… and now…" Bloom covered her mouth to hold back a dry sob, "… is he killing others? Is he hurting the ones I love? And all their blood…" Bloom looked down at her disappearing hands, "… all their blood would be on my hands. Damn it… damn it all…" Bloom felt the tears start to roll down her cheeks. Then as suddenly as her tears began she ceased her crying and looked up to find herself standing before the entrance to the pavilion. The entrance was a gaping black hole so full of finality and closure. "No… damn me. Damn me for not being strong enough." she whispered. And she stepped into the pavilion to receive her judgment.
The Winx and the Specialist burst into the Domino library almost an hour after Aetheria was able to get a lock on the fairy Eilian. Timmy had driven like a madman to get them to Domino as fast as possible, resulting in some very nauseous fairies and freaked out Specialists. But they made it back to Domino in record time. And there was quite a sight to behold for them upon arrival.
The library was a total disaster, Riven noted and immediately he was on edge. He caught sight of movement in a corner of the room. "Sisters!" cried a brunette girl Riven assumed was Eilian. She was tearing through piles of books, risking being crushed by haphazard shelves and precariously stacked books. "Help me find the book!" she called.
"What's it called, Eilian?" Aetheria didn't hesitate as she ran to the nearest pile. "Do you know what it's called?"
"No." Eilian answered. "But look anyway!"
Riven was about to let loose a smart-alecky comment about their aimless searching when he heard something. Beyond rows of shelving, Riven picked up on the sound of fighting. A recognizable shriek rang out and Sky and Stella scampered off to investigate. It was Diaspro's voice for sure, Riven figured. He was about to follow Sky and Stella when Musa grabbed his arm and motioned to a pile. "Help me look." she stated.
Riven was about to tell her no, then thought better of it and grudgingly grabbed a book off the floor. As he grabbed the book, Diaspro's voice sounded again, the shrillness of her tone ringing out loud above the bookcases. Every person searching ceased their scramble and looked up. "Hecate I beg of you, give me the book!" Diaspro shrieked.
"Oh cacas…" Eilian cursed. She looked around worriedly.
Riven felt the book in his hands tear itself from his grasp and fly at an impossible speed toward where Stella and Sky had disappeared. "Was that…" he began, but Meira's cry of disconcertion answered his question before he could finish.
"Grab it!" Meira commanded and Aetheria leaped at the book. But she missed her mark and it was gone before anybody else could even move. "NO!" Meira shouted.
More noise sounded from beyond the bookshelves. Riven picked up on Diaspro and Sky shouting at one another and some kind of struggle ensued. Then the fighting ceased. Moments later Stella and Sky reappeared, looks of panic evident in their expressions. Sky was clutching the book Riven had found. "Move… we've gotta move now!" Sky shouted.
"Guards!" Oritel's voice called out, thundering with anger. "Thieves!"
"What?!" Roxy squealed in terror, her hazel eyes suddenly bright. "We're not…"
"Not now Roxy…" Stella grabbed her hand and motioned for the girls to follow Sky. "We need to get out now!"
Without a word, Riven threw himself at the double-door entrance and found himself face to face with a couple of guards responding to Oritel's cry. They looked shocked and moved to grab their weapons. "Sorry boys!" Riven moved so quickly and smoothly that neither of them saw his attacks coming. His fist met with the first guard's nose with a crunch, then he expertly turned and drove his foot into the gut of the second. The two crumpled before him. "Let's move." he called out.
"Give me the book!" Eilian held her hands out to Sky. "I can read it!"
"Not now!" Sky barked as he led the group ran down the hallway. "We need to get somewhere else fast…"
"What's wrong with Oritel?" Flora asked, her slender arms pumping at her sides as she worked to keep up with Sky. Her gentle tone was filled with confusion. "Why did he just call the guards on us?"
"He doesn't remember Bloom…" Sky said grimly. His blue eyes dulled some. "There's no reason for him to remember us…"
Eilian let out a small gasp. "Time is going to waste faster than I thought…" Eilian cast worried glances at both her sisters as they ran alongside one another. Riven saw some kind of message pass between the three of them. "Won't be long now…" Eilian said forlornly, her words holding the hollow bitterness of defeat.
"Enough talk…" Stella snapped. She appeared to be irritated with everyone's sudden resignation, but Riven could hear the uncertainty and fear in her voice as well. "Let's get back to the ship and get the hell out of Domino…"
Riven slowed up and took a place closer at the rear of the group, making certain they had everyone. He threw a glance behind their retreat and saw Oritel stumble out of the library. Oritel saw his defeated guards then turned to see their group racing away. "Guards!" Oritel roared, breaking into a sprint after them.
"Damn!" Sky yelled and Riven looked ahead. An entourage of Domino's royal guard had apparently been on duty in the entrance atrium. They were now headed for them, shoving past screaming servants and aristocrats who had been obliviously wandering the halls. "There are too many…"
"We gotta take 'em." Layla clenched her fists and stared hard toward the oncoming company. "We've got no choice…"
"Can't you girls get your Tracix working?" Timmy looked at Tecna.
"No… I can't… by the time we transform…" Tecna was cut off when the guards crashed into their group. The Specialists flew into action: fists flying, feet kicking, and weapons slashing. The Winx were casting spells and charms, resorting to old-fashioned fist fighting only when the enemy got too close. Even the Eternal Fairy trio was holding up well in the fight. Riven was actually impressed with how well they were able to hold the soldiers at bay. But the guard numbers were still too many for them. And the situation only got worse when Oritel reached them.
Immediately Oritel went after Sky, swinging his famous sword in an arc toward Sky's head. Sky, book in one hand and his own sword in the other, managed to raise his weapon just in time to stop the blow. The blue phanto-blade flickered under the force. "The book, boy!" Oritel commanded, brown eyes alight with an uncharacteristic madness. "No one steals from Domino!"
"We need it to save your daughter!" Sky shouted. He broke the sword lock and rolled out of the way as Oritel's sword crashed down. "Remember, Oritel? We need the book to save Bloom! We aren't stealing it from you! Remember Oritel!"
Riven took out another guy about to attack him and looked at Eilian. "Why doesn't he remember? He's Bloom's father!" Riven grabbed a soldier's spear and threw the soldier off balance with a shove. "He sent us on this crazy mission!"
"He's had so little time with her!" Eilian swung the handle of her scythe and took a couple of soldiers out by the legs. Riven could tell by the wild look in her eyes she too was addled by Oritel's sudden change. "I'm guessing his memories of her have run out!" she offered.
"If Oritel's time has run out…" Musa began to speak then slammed her knee hard into the groin of another guard. Riven felt a grudging sense of pride and approval well up within him as he watched his girlfriend fight tenaciously. "… who knows how much more time we've got left!?" Musa finished.
"Who knows, therefore we don't have time for this!" Stella cried out. She dodged the attempted attack of a soldier and Brandon stepped in to handle him. Stella fumbled with the ring on her finger: the Scepter of Solaris. "Someone needs to do something! I'll try portalling…"
"And risk bringing this clash elsewhere? I think not!" Meira interjected.
"No! I've got this!" Aetheria yelled. "I can get us out!" she said determinedly. Before Meira or Stella could protest, the blonde Eternal fairy slammed the shaft of her spear into the floor hard and Riven felt his very being getting torn to pieces. Light filled his view, then darkness and he no longer saw anything; not the guys, the girls, the guards, the palace… he saw nothing but heard plenty. Beyond him he could hear the screams and cries of the Winx and the Specialists. Their voices sounded muffled and thick, but Riven was pretty sure that they too were taken aback by the sudden lack of being and awareness.
Only one voice came out clear as day. "Hold on!" Aetheria called out, her voice loud and peremptory in the senseless void. "Just a little longer!"
"Riven!" Musa screamed. Or at least he thought it was Musa's voice calling for him. Riven wanted to reach out to her and hold her, but it was like he had no arms or legs. "Help!"
"Now!" Aetheria cried and everything snapped into perspective. Riven could suddenly see again and he had arms and legs. He fell with a thud onto the hard ground and quickly got to his feet, nerves on fire with perception. He noticed Aetheria leaning heavily on her spear just yards to his right. "Oh gods…" Aetheria murmured and fell to her knees. "That most certainly took it out of me…"
"What did you just do?" Stella asked. She was running her hands over her arms and staring at her self. Riven saw that everyone else was doing the same. "What was that? Where are we? The guards…" Stella looked around.
"We're at the temple…" Flora said in awe. Riven suddenly realized they were standing amidst the very ruins they'd visited earlier on in their mission. The sun was shining brightly above them, giving them a clearer view of the dilapidated site. "… you got us out!"
"Risky move, Sister…" Eilian said. She wandered over and helped Aetheria to her feet. "Breaking us down and reassembling us elsewhere… that's a gutsy move considering our powers have been weakening with the destabilizing of space's fabric and the unwinding of the time strand. Feeling the effects?"
"Thank the gods my powers didn't fail me. For now, we're safe. And we've got the book." Aetheria looked hopefully toward Sky. Riven saw the book was still in his hands, looking especially tattered and worn in the bright sunlight. "We must make haste. Eilian, read it. Where's the Dais?"
Eilian dropped Aetheria's hands and walked up to Sky. He reluctantly handed her the book and she flipped it open. " Creatio Ex Nihilo. Aptly named." she commented as her fingers traced over the worn pages. She rapidly flipped the pages, her eyes scanning until she stopped at a page near the middle of the tome. "The Dais…" Eilian murmured, her eyes hungrily taking in the words. "… it's…" she paled and looked up at Aetheria and Meira.
"What?" Riven demanded. "Where's the damned Dais?"
"It's rooted deep within Erebus…" Eilian said quietly. Riven watched Meira's and Aetheria's faces fall. "…deep within Kerrin's realm."
-Author's Note- Bloom's moved forward to accept her judgment. The Dais is somewhere in Kerrin's realm, so the Winx and Specialists are more than likely to run into some obstacles there. Time is running out and Diaspro and Baltor are on the move. Things aren't looking so good for Bloom and her friends at this point. Has the memory lapse begun to take its toll on any of them? Are they too beginning to lose Bloom? Will Bloom give herself up too soon?