Chapter Twenty-Three: Kevin and Cosmo

Jeremy passed Topaz a towel. She was trying to catch her breath and didn't see it until she looked up. She grabbed it and rubbed the sweat off her face and neck. She thought training got easier the more you worked, it seemed to get more tiring. The first half Jeremy would train her body. He was teaching her balance and martial arts inspired by the wind. It doubled as self defense. The second half he helped her understand her powers. She was nowhere near mastery, but she was getting better gradually. Jeremy was a great instructor. He was also a good friend.

"Hey, what are you wearing to Semiramis's legitimization ceremony?"

Semiramis was sent home after losing her powers. When Sky heard the news he rushed to be with her. Semiramis appreciated the effort, but wan't thrilled to see him. Sky knew she needed more time, but he had enough. His children seemed to be injured a lot. Thinking about how short life is, he decided to take a stand and legitimize Semiramis. Every royal family and their associates were invited. Semiramis invited the Winx and Dragonfire Unit; their tickets allowed a plus one. Topaz's heart rate increased with his question. She was sure he'd ask her to go with him. "My dad bought me a yellow and gold dress. It's awful. I'm going to have to make alterations, but it's what I'm wearing. What about you?"

Jeremy shrugged. "I dunno. I figured I'll just wear a matching tie to whatever my girlfriend wears."

Topaz frowned. "Girlfriend?"

"Yeah, Karina of Aquatia. You've probably seen her around. She has light blue skin, blue-green eyes, and silver hair," He explained with a smile. "We've been together for over a year now."

Topaz nodded she had seen her around campus. She was hard to miss. Occasionally, his girlfriend hung out with Euphoria and her group of friends. She seemed nice enough, she was certainly pretty. Topaz found it hard to breathe. She had a lump in her throat that brought tears to her eyes when she tried to swallow. She'd never asked Jeremy if he was single. She assumed he was because they always were in close proximity. He'd always found time to talk to her and even train her! Jeremy was always respectful of her; he never visited her late at night or touched her outside of sparring. He was the first guy she'd felt comfortable with after Leon. She liked him; but, her hope for a future with him was dashed. She tried not to let it get to her. "Congratulations."

"Thanks. I asked because I wasn't sure if you were going with anyone yet. John's been asking about you a lot lately and I think he might have a crush on you." Topaz felt like she'd been slapped. He was asking for his brother, not himself. "He's kind of shy like you are and keeps to himself, but he's a good guy. The four of us could go together if that would make you comfortable?"

"Y-yeah... We could-" Topaz could no longer speak. Her heart was too broken to continue. She tried to hold it in, but started crying.

Jeremy was confused, but put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. He assumed she was crying because she was scared and thought of Leon. Leon and John had been friends; he thought that he brought bad memories. He was oblivious to the fact that she liked him. "I'm sorry. That was stupid; I shouldn't have asked." He tried to get her to look at him, but she wouldn't. He was used to tears. His sister, Pandora, was a drama queen. "Let me see that dress you want to change it's probably alright."

Topaz wiped her eyes. She was still said, but her tears stopped. She felt embarrassed, but was glad he was offering her a way out of it. "It's horrible."

Topaz wiped her eyes and lead Jeremy to her room. Euphoria was there, talking to her mother. She smiled, but it faded when she noticed the redness and puffiness in Topaz's eyes. Jeremy pulled a chair and waited for Topaz to return. Euphoria looked at him, but didn't say anything. She didn't know why Topaz was crying, but would certainly ask once he left. Topaz came back dressed in her ballgown. It looked like she was being swallowed in fabric. It was a no sleeve turtle neck, and the bottom had multiple layers and was poofed. Euphoria and Jeremy were speechless until he broke into laughter. Topaz smiled a little before turning away. Euphoria tried to swallow her laugh. "Mom, I'll have to call you back. It's okay, Topaz; we can fix it. I'll send it to my mother."

"Thanks, what are you wearing, Euphoria?"

"A vintage red dress and an up do." Euphoria snapped her fingers. She was momentarily dressed for the ceremony until it faded away.

"Wow, "Topaz said. "You're going to look amazing." Topaz bit her lip and played with her dress.

"I like Topaz's tent better. It's more functional." Jeremy winked at her. Topaz laughed. Jeremy chuckled and got up. "I knew you'd smile sooner or later. I'll see you later."

Euphoria dropped her laptop. They looked at her alarmed. She was blank for a moment and reminisced on her recent brush with death. "I knew you'd be the easiest to beat." He was cloaked so she couldn't see his face, but the voice was a perfect match to Jeremy. Euphoria grabbed Topaz and went passed Jeremy into Ismene and Regina's room.

Regina was doing push ups with her cat on her back; Ismene was busy flirting with some guy that she barely noticed the intrusion. "What do you pixies want?"

"It's Jeremy! They guy in the cloak is Jeremy!"

Topaz pulled away from Euphoria. "No, he's not!"

"I'm sorry Topaz, but I'm not wrong."

Ismene ended her conversation and looked to Euphoria. "What makes you so sure it's Jeremy?"

"I couldn't see his face, but he spoke to me. He said that I'd be the easiest to beat."

"You are." Ismene said bluntly. "So?"

Euphoria rolled her eyes. "Look, the voices are the same."

"That doesn't mean anything."

Ismene shook her head. "Yes it does. It makes a lot of sense. This guy in the cloak hasn't touched is Storm."

"Who?" Everyone asked.

"Earth reference, you need to learn the history of your people," Ismene said to Topaz. "I said, the guy in the cloak hasn't touched you."

"Or you." Topaz defended.

"No. That guy in the cloak has been in my nightmares."

Euphoria thought about the times she dreamed about Nabu. "That's nothing right? You can't help what you dream."

"I'm the witch of nightmares. I can control my dreams; but every night this guy's been trying to get into my mind. So it's like I said. The only one he hasn't attacked is Topaz."

Topaz folded her arms. "What happened to no secrets? I've had everything put out there, even what I didn't want to and you're keeping secrets like that?"

"You know what, you're right." Everyone looked at Ismene. They couldn't believe Ismene admitted she was wrong. "What? She was right, but what I did is irrelevant because Euphoria has a point. Where was Jeremy when Regina was shot? Jeremy had to take the inside of the castle when we went to Shadow Haunt, that's where Semiramis was. Plus, he obviously knew a lot about us if he knew to take Regina there."

"Well let's kick his ass then!" Regina interrupted.

Topaz frowned. "It's not Jeremy. We've been alone countless times. He's never hurt me."

"Also a good point. Let's test him."


Jeremy was sleeping soundly. He was dreaming he was boarding down a mountain. He felt a shiver down his spine; suddenly Ismene appeared he turned to avoid her and wiped out. Ismene helped him up and turned to face another intruder. He was wearing a cape. "Die," was all he said before he shot electricity at her. As soon as she was hit, he woke up. That was a shock! He willed his heart to slow down. He wondered why he dreamed of Ismene. He never hung out with her and didn't like her. He knew she was the witch of nightmares, but didn't think she cared enough to mess with his head.

The dream was weird. They guy in the cape sounded like him. The also strange that he used electricity. The only person he knew had that power was his brother. He looked over to see if John was awake, but he wasn't there. He remembered his dream and jumped out of bed. Jeremy looked in the bathroom before going to the common area. There was one last place he knew John would be. He sneaked into the school and went to a door. He said the magic words and a staircase opened. He walked softly, talking himself into it with each step. He hadn't been down there since he was spelled! It was a jail; it housed a couple of criminals inside that were too notorious or dangerous to be placed publicly. He didn't know who the other inmates were, but the latest one imprisoned was their birth mother, Stormy.

The guards were knocked out as well as the other prisoners. He touched them to make sure they were alive. They were, but they were spelled. Jeremy cursed and went to her cell. The man in the cloak was busy trying to open the cell to notice him. "Hurry up, Kevin! That spell won't last."

"Stop calling me that."

"It's your name!" Stormy snapped. "I named you Kevin not-"

"John!" Jeremy called out.

John turned to him, but didn't stop his attack on the Stormy's cell. John's heart dropped in his chest. His twin looked at him with a mixture of hurt and confusion. John raised his other hand towards Jeremy, hoping that he'd leave. Jeremy just stood there. John tried to force himself to attack, but he couldn't. Instead he hit the cameras and the alarms rang.

"You idiot!" Stormy yelled, breaking out of her cell. Stormy looked at the direction her son was and was shocked to see her other twin boy standing there. "Cosmo." Stormy walked to him and gave him a hug. "Cosmo, we have to go."

Jeremy pushed away from Stormy. "You have to go back."

"Go back? Didn't that bitch tell you who I am? I'm your mother!" Jeremy frowned. She was talking about the Chimera, the woman who raised him.

The Division for Protection of Magical Children (DPMC) took he and his brother away when they were eighteen months old. She was sent to prison and they were left without care. Since she no longer had a coven nor a relationship with their unknown father they were placed in foster care. It was hard to find a home that would accept them. Not only were they an offspring of the Trix, but they also developed their powers precociously. They found explosions and messes to be fun. John had a knack for starting fires and thought the faces people made while being electrocuted were funny. Jeremy would decrease the gravity in some objects to watch them fly and then return the weight for it to crash. He would mash all his food and toys. They would also fight each other. They were went through nine homes in three weeks! They didn't think they'd find a place for them until Chimera came along. She was looking for income by any means necessary. She didn't have her mom for money or to tell what to do anymore. She had bills to pay and was without status or money. The fiasco with Stella and Valtor ruined her family. Cassandra was too proud to live in poverty and disappeared. Chimera didn't know if her mother was alive or not. She took the boys only to receive checks, but they grew on her. It was hard work by herself, she had to chase two active boys who thought it was hilarious to cause destruction. When she lost it, they clapped. She could do no wrong in their eyes and over time, she'd grown to love them. They forced her grow up and she stopped longing for riches for herself, but only the best for her foster sons.

"She's not a bitch." John and Jeremy said at the same time.

"Less talking, more moving," Stormy said looking at the alarm. She then felt herself sink into the ground. "What the-?"

Jeremy held his hands out. He forced them to the ground to wait for reinforcements. "I won't let you two leave."

Stormy looked at him and growled. "Looks like Cosmo needs a whooping some timeout."

Later...

The Specialists ran into the prison to see most of it under control. There wasn't anything damaged and the prisoners were still imprisoned, except for one. Stormy was gone. They weren't surprised she escaped. She had been fleeing for decades. They just knew she had help. After investigating they saw a man face down in a cloak. They pulled the hood.

It was Jeremy. They left him to take the fall.

(A/N) How easy is it to frame Jeremy. They are twins after all; I haven't figured out who's older. I just know John is the one Stormy named Kevin and Jeremy is Cosmo. Their father is...? On a lighter note, Ismene likes Earth comics/mangas. Her bedroom wall is decorated with her favorite character's images. She's called Topaz, Storm (from X-Men, which I do not own) and Leon "blue eyed, Inuyasha".

Next Chapter: Pandora has to decide whether she will tell the truth and be expelled or stay silent while Jeremy is imprisoned.