Chapter Eighteen: All A Spectrum
Topaz filled her mouth with popcorn as she looked up the seven deadly sins and virtues. At first, she didn't believe she was under a spell when John told them, but grew convinced when she noticed how she craved for food and drink. They'd gone to Tecna to help break the spell; but, she told them to break it themselves as homework. They had three more days.
Euphoria groaned as she woke from her nap. She wasn't as interested in breaking the spell as Topaz was. That was probably because she was sloth. She yawned and turned over just to grab her laptop. Topaz scrunched up her face. Euphoria hadn't left her bed in two days. Her hair was massively oily and she was beginning to smell. If Topaz didn't have extra food lying around, Euphoria probably wouldn't have eaten.
"How did you sleep?"
Euphoria yawned, again and mumbled. "I had a weird dream."
"About food?" Topaz asked, mouth full of popcorn.
"About Nabu, he was standing in the rain and I gave him an umbrella. Then he smiled at me as it rained on both of us. It was really... weird."
"With Nabu? It's weird that it was so romantic. Aren't you engaged to Elliott? Well, you and Regina? I'm confused on his expectation. Will Regina be your wife too?"
"Maybe... I don't really care." Euphoria mumbled and went to her e-books. Topaz giggled and shook her head. "Your phone is lighting up."
Topaz wiped her mouth and picked up her cell. "Broke my spell, headed to Eraklyon to help your mom. Stay temperate. -Jeremy"
"Romantic." Euphoria said without looking up from her computer screen. So far Jeremy, Elliott and Orion were the only ones to be rid of the spell. The Winx were still spelled. Lusty Ismene was never on campus; Proud Regina would only answer to her full title and acted as if she was the greatest woman who lived. Jealous Semiramis got her hair spelled to be long like the other Winx and complained about everything.
Topaz smiles and then frowns. Jeremy was cute. His eyes reminded her of polished wood. She didn't know much about Jeremy and she didn't want to. "I don't know why Jeremy is talking to me. How'd he get my number in the first place? I always thought he nice, but he might be trying to set me up."
"Not every guy is Leon."
Topaz was having a nightmare. She couldn't see anything, but she felt a barrage of pain, confusion, and fear. She popped up and tried to catch her breath. She was tired of nightmares and flashbacks. She just wanted to forget. Topaz felt around for her phone so she could order pizza. She saw she missed her mother's call and called Flora back.
"Hey sweetie, what are you doing awake."
"I..." Topaz hadn't told her mother she was having nightmares. "I just wanted to get a snack."
"So you're going out? Are you going by yourself?" Flora asked, concerned.
"Yes, why?"
Flora hesitated before answering. "Anagan is in a detention center. I'm going to bail him out, but I can't get there for at least a couple of days."
"He got caught?" Impossible, her father was too fast. He must be using prison as an alibi. Topaz transformed. If her father was doing what she thought he was, she didn't have much time. Wind swirled around her feet and left white slippers. The tiny cyclone continued upward creating a faintly blue dress with orange trim and yellow wings. Her cornrows unraveled and became dreads. She rode the current up and landed in a curtsy. She flew out the window and went to Magix's best hospital. It was the place Leon was hospitalized.
This was the first time she'd come by. She was unsure she was doing the right thing, the moment her feet hit the ground. If Anagan was really there, there was a strong chance that she was too late. Her father had super speed. Maybe his desire for revenge meant Leon was still alive. She realized she was right when the hospital's power shut off. It took immense dark magic and time to shut off a magical generator. Eraklyonese guards ran past her to get to the source. She ran to the room where they came from and stood at the door. Her feet weighed her down. She couldn't bring herself to go inside. Topaz played with her cornrows and called Jeremy.
"Hello?"
"...How fast can you all get back to save Leon?"
"We're in Eraklyon right now. It will take us a while to get there, but we're leaving right now. What's going on? Nabu?" Jeremy asked
"I'm not sure." She lied. She could hear him explaining the situation to the other Specialists in the background. There was no way the Specialists would get to the hospital in time to defend Leon. Topaz also knew it wouldn't be long until her father was through with the guards and would come for Leon. "Call the Winx. I can stall for a while."
Jeremy hesitated. "You don't have to."
"Yes. I do." Topaz hung up and entered the room. It was dark; she could see shadows cast from the moonlight. His window was open. She tried to focus on that versus the situation. The bed was surprisingly empty. She heard a shuffle behind her. She turned around and faced her ex for the first time in months.
Medicinal magic was amazing. He was no longer the bruised bag of flesh dropped on her floor. He wasn't entirely healed either. He was covered in scars, some faint while others very deep. He'd lost all his muscle and seemed swallowed by his hair. She once thought he looked like a proud lion, but now he reminded her of a sad tree. His mouth was covered by a breathing mask; there was an oxygen tank floating next to him. The onslaught of feelings confused her. She still felt fear, but she also felt sympathy, sorrow, anger, regret, and twisted happiness. She put her thoughts aside and took a deep breath. The spell of gluttony broke with her sudden loss of appetite.
"What are you doing here?" He said. Even he was surprised to see her there.
"I have to get you out of here and to Alfea." Topaz said without emotion.
"Well good luck. I can't go further than a few steps. My legs haven't fully healed. Thanks for this by the way." Leon hissed
"This wasn't my fault. I didn't wish this for you. I didn't wish for a lot of things that happened." Topaz said trying to keep her emotions and volume under control.
"Sure."
"There isn't much time. Take my hand and I'll fly you out of here." Leon stared at her for a while, but eventually he swallowed his pride and took her hand. Topaz felt electricity the moment his hand touched hers. She floated in the air as sparkles surrounded her body. She became barefoot and golden glitter covered her legs. The magic swirled upward making her dress shorter, but more flowing. It looked as if it were made out of light blue chiffon. The dress bore massive white and grey sleeves. Her hair unlocked and straightened to be like her mother's. Her wings were still yellow, but grew bigger. As they fluttered, fairy dust sprinkled from them. Topaz felt more powerful than before.
"Whoa..." Leon said in awe. She was beautiful before, but Topaz in her Enchantix form almost knocked him off his feet. It was a clear upgrade, but he didn't understand why she gained Enchantix. "What the hell just happened?"
"Perhaps I can explain..." Anagan was perched in the window sill. It startled them both. Usually Topaz could sense him coming. Leon didn't want to be beaten near death again. Anagan smirked. His hawkish eyes barreled into the white haired specialist. "Enchantix. A form gained by sacrificing yourself to save someone from your home realm. Topaz was born in Isis, but she's half Liphean and half Earthling." Topaz understood. Saving Leon (of Earth), the man who violated her, counted as self-sacrifice. Anagan didn't allow Topaz time to celebrate. "You're finally a full fairy now and at seventeen. You're so beautiful... but it will never be enough to escape me!"
Topaz grabbed Leon by his arm and flew out of the room. She felt her father zip pass her. So she flipped in the air and went the opposite direction. Anagan halted and ran in her direction. Topaz could feel her father getting closer, even while dodging other people he was faster than her. She had to get outside. She could use the sky as an advantage until the Specialists showed up to take Leon elsewhere. He would need medical attention again. If she wasn't so focused she'd be able to hear his grunts of pain and his desperate breathing in the oxygen mask. Anagan ran along the side of the wall and smiled at her. He was taunting her. He'd been fighting fairies for centuries! He thought it was adorable that his daughter thought she could evade him. Topaz realized it was senseless to try to out maneuver him through the hallways. They'd made several circles around throughout the hospital floor.
"Will you go through your daughter to get to him?!" Topaz asked
Anagan laughed. "I'm so good, I won't have too. What's wrong, bud? I won't torture him since you don't like that. If you drop him, it'll end tonight. He'll die before he hits the ground."
"Dad..."
"Why should you save him?" Anagan couldn't finish his question. One of the hospital doors was open. Since he was running on the walls he had to run inside before returning to the hallway. When he did, he found that she was gone. He stopped to look around. "Smart, little bud, smart..."
Meanwhile...
Topaz had to catch her breath. She made it to the roof of Alfea. Leon was safe for now. Her father could get into Alfea; but she just felt better with the Winx close by as backup. She texted Jeremy to let him know their location. She clutched her knees and waited for a reply.
"I guess we're even now." Leon said through his own pants.
"Even?" Topaz looked up at the sky and closed her eyes. "Even... Do you have any clue how much you've hurt me?" Leon didn't answer. "I keep playing that night over in my head to see what I did to make you-! I keep dreaming about it. Sometimes I swear I feel it over again! I just want to know why? I'm never happy anymore. I try to, I try to move on, but I can't. I just don't understand! I swear I'll even call it even if you'll just tell me why!"
"...Because I could, now move on. Let the past be in the past."
Topaz was floored. That was the answer she'd waited so long to hear. She didn't expect that as an answer. She'd always rationalized it. Since they had sex before she thought that he was just being kinky or had so much passion for her, he had to have her. It was one of the reasons she didn't report him. She wanted to protect him just in case it was a misunderstanding or an apology. Part of her wanted to think that he felt bad about his actions and was going to apologize to her. He didn't even sound sorry.
Topaz wasn't thinking when her hands grabbed his neck, but she was pleased when he fell to the ground. She thought back to the pain, the nightmares, the nights she cried; she thought about the men she was too scared to talk to and her current anger. As she watched Leon struggle she felt a rush of adrenaline. Is this how he felt when the tables were turned? Did he finally understand? She wanted to ask him, but knew he could not respond through his gasps for air. Topaz's Enchantix outfit began to change again. The dress changed to variations of grey while her hair became more wild. Her wings sharpened and became blue. Her makeup went from being sparkly to smokey. The pressure around her changed as well as her aura. She was so consumed with darkness that she didn't notice the arrival of her friends or the Specialists.
The Winx and Specialists arrived simultaneously. They were so shocked by the scene that they hesitated. It was a shock, Topaz was now an Enchantix level darkness fairy. The other fairies and Orion tried to fly to her, but were blown back by a powerful gust of wind. Topaz grabbed harder and allowed sharp whips of wind to attack her friends. Once her attack ended, Elliott ran at her, but surprisingly Regina stopped him from moving.
"What are you doing?!" Elliott screamed at her.
Ismene and Regina looked at each other, but only Ismene spoke. "He should have died months ago, Elliott."
"That's my brother, your cousin, you're talking about." Elliott yelled, pointing at Leon. He glared at them and powered up. "Get out of my way!" Elliott threw a fireball at the witches. The moment he gained mobility he was put into a hold by Anagan. Anagan agreed with the witches; he wasn't going to deny his daughter her vengeance. John and Jeremy fought each other, each confused what action to take.
The chaos began to confuse Topaz. What was she doing? Was this vengeance? She was still alive. She was a Winx and Enchantix fairy. This man had tried to break her; he'd raped more than just her body. He'd taken her innocence, sense of security, happiness. There were times were she felt low; but, in the end, she always gotten up. He hadn't beaten her. She wasn't his victim. She was a survivor. Killing him in his weakened state wouldn't bring her happiness. It wouldn't even bring relief. Topaz released her hands from his neck before he stopped moving. He gasped for air and coughed viciously. He looked at her with both shock and fear. Topaz flung her arm, making a gust of wind blow everyone off the roof. Finally alone, she went back into her civilian clothing and fainted.
Semiramis caught both her brothers before they crashed and set them softly on the ground. Anagan and the witches landed on their feet. The twins were caught by Orion. Elliott tended to Leon. The bruise around his neck made him glare at the witches with disgust. "You almost let her kill him."
"It was justice, plus we're witches. We use dark magic for the greater good." Ismene said
"Your thinking is warped! We have laws for a reason." He looked at Regina "Can't you understand me? What if had been your brother."
Regina glared at him. "Don't start false equivalencies. Caspian would never do what Leon did. I can't believe you're more upset about Leon than Topaz. Especially for a brother you've only known about for a couple of months."
"This wasn't right." Elliott affirmed. "Even Topaz realized it wasn't."
"We aren't going to agree on this."
"It's starting to bother me that we aren't." Elliott and Regina looked at each other neither one knew what it meant for their future.
Next Chapter: Things are strained between the Winx and Specialists.
