Crossing time and space


Tasu and Blade had given it their all to decipher the spell hiding their much-needed information, while the others had gone out to hunt for the white once. The zombies still had the upper hand but with their generals diminishing their tactical advances slowed down. Glady the wisps numbers were rising slightly. A massive number of zombies had arrived and even more, were behind the horizon the next days would be critical.

"What if we take this rune and combine it with cross-reference here… and that might unlock…" Blade leaned against the wall behind her she had closed her eyes just for a bit to go through what she had just had read in the books. She had slept a bit here and there and told Tasu to wake her every hour just to make sure she was fine. Besides that, she tried to relax and help her out. Checking on her bracelet for information in the school books she had downloaded. It hadn't been as easy as they had hoped to break the army grade spell mainly because the language and runes were a bit different than they were used to and they had to re-correct their assumptions several times. Her head was still hurting and the wound was still tingling. 'Damn it, this is not good.' She held her hand against her forehead. 'Fever…'

Tasu looked up from the map, "Blade? Hey, what's wrong?" She touched her forehead. She was burning up. "But how I checked just an hour ago."

"Check the wound…" Blade asked her as she turned her back towards her slowly.

Tasu inspected the cut on the back. The edges were slightly red. "Wait, let me check." She touched Blade's arm to hold her better still.

"Ouch!" Blade felt pain shoot through her arm.

Irritated Tasu looked up, "I haven't touched it yet." She checked Blade's upper arm. There was still a wrapping of a strip of tunic around. She removed it quickly. "Oh, shit…" She stared at the cut barely a few inches long deep reds on the edges, swollen and the smallest pus leaks. "How did we miss that?!"

"Blade turned her arm and stared at it, "I totally forgot… the over wound hurt so bad… it was just a scratch…" Her eyes widened. She had not thought it to be so bad. "I covered it right away… how?…"

Tasu inspected the wound and found a rotten wood splinter in it. She pulled it out quickly and showed it to Blade, "Here check that. What do I have to do?"

"Gesh, give me a warning, ouch…" Blade cursed and stared at it. "Shit… I didn't say that. What about the burned wound. How does that look?"

"Slightly reddish, nowhere near this. What does that mean Blade?" Tasu could already guess the prognoses.

"Infection and its spreading," Blade turned a bit pale. She knew there was nothing more they could do here. They didn't have the medicine or plants for it.

"What do I have to do? Burn it again?" Tasu repeated her question.

"Too late…. It's in my system already…" Blade tried to remember, but the only thing she knew was that a team was supposed to bring back patients with infections straight away to the infirmary. Or to someone who was able to heal. "We… we don't have anything for this…"

Tasu moved through her short blue hair, "No, no, no… We just had decided this morning to finish fighting against the zombies. We don't even have the location yet. How long before it gets well… bad. What is the worst thing that can happen?"

"Sepsis." Blade stated in disbelief.

"What?!" Tasu went pale herself. "You need to get to Alfea straight away!"

"Chill. We probably got at least a day. Depends on my immune system…" Blade breathed out slowly. She knew her chances weren't that great. They had been exhausted from fighting. Plus, her other wound. She couldn't let Tasu lose her head now. "Then let's hurry. We got already around half of the cypher."

"We got to tell the others…and…" Tasu was getting more hectic.

"Tasu. Stop. Let them fight once they come for a break. We tell them. There is no point in them getting reckless on the battlefield as well. One of us down is bad enough…" Blade calmed her down.

"Right. Fine. Here drink some more. If anything gets worse you got to tell me alright?" Tasu ground her teeth and they refocused on the map.

The girls had met up around the afternoon and had finally had a breakthrough. After two days of being on the back burner, the wisps had grown back in their numbers. Now around five thousand wisps were swarming the battlefield. Altogether the girls had slain several hundred white zombies on their hunt and the enemy's tactical advances had broken down with it. Not to say that they had got them all. Tessa, Birdy and Nebula had teamed up not to get picked off too easily and to keep each other in check. They didn't want to risk another disastrous close call like with Blade. All the girls were wearing down as well with the constantly interrupted sleep patterns. Mister G kept them alert the best he could and reminded them of their much-needed breaks. Therefore, the team had managed to decimate many zombies in retribution for Blade. The map also increased their morale, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. They were eager to finish this unending war of the masses. So, they could form a proper plan for their next steps.

"What do you mean infected?" Nebula asked irritated. "How? We were so thought through."

"Splinter, I missed it in another scratch…" Blade felt so dumb. She was feeling her body burn up, her fever was rising. "We need to check you all as well. I'm not the only one with a scratch here after all." She cautioned them.

They all proceeded to was any scratch with Tasu's magic water. They picked up their talk from before. They had thought about it all and discussed things while fighting.

"So, there is no way, Blade will get better on her own?" Birdy recapped the update.

"No." Blade took another sip of water. She tried her best to stay hydrated.

"So, we finish the cypher and get the hell outa here," Tessa commented. She glanced at Blade. She really didn't look so good.

Tasu shook her head, "No, we are right to assume there are assassins out for blood. If we just stumble through the gate head over heels we'll all get killed. Worst case- of course." She tried to stay reasonable.

"Fine," Nebula scratched her head, "So, what then? She can't stay here. Just look at her. She'll never make it alone through a portal. They are underwater. On this side and the other."

"Then one of us has to go with." Birdy crossed her arms. Nothing was really the obvious answer.

"I can't leave you guys behind…" Blade didn't like that plan at all.

Tessa chuckled, "You're no help here. And we know you would never leave us behind." She stated firmly. She knew she had accused Blade before, because of Jewels. She didn't want her to stay out of obligation. "I will not lose you too."

"None of us will." Tasu shook her head. "We are way too tired to think straight. And anything beyond Phere-Moan is so big of a gamble."

"Yeah, but I think you were right Tasu. We simply have to go to our kingdoms and tell what really happened. Surely the survivors have not told the true story. Neferu's forces had retreated before Lord Adoms. We need to set it right. No one can so easily speak out against all of us."

Tasu sighed, "I know, I was against telling people. But what…Who knows, what happened in the meantime. Maybe Desertia wasn't the only planet hit by a coup de 'tat, you know…" She had thought so far and so wide about what was going on in Alfea and their kingdoms while they were stuck on Phere-Moan. "We are lacking way too much information to really form any decent plan."

"So, what do we do?!" Birdy couldn't think of anything foolproof.

Blade closed her eyes. They would start arguing in circles any minute now. "So - what about…about asking our parents. If I get stuck my mum always has helped me before. I know Uncle Basil could figure out something… I mean we are just kids, granted teenagers. We do not know everything. Expedience trumps anything, really. At least if it's about war tactics and this is war."

Birdy breathed out, "Blade is right. My mum and dad would move mountains to see me safe. Court is tricky. They might even suspect people already."

"Then… how about the crests…" Tessa stared at the other princesses.

Nebula was confused, "Crests?"

Tasu and Birdy nodded, "True. That might be the best option."

"Did I fall asleep? What are you talking about?" Blade asked confused as well. It was hard for her to keep track of the conversation.

"Well, chances are they ignore you two. Whatever story is set up. Your word against noble houses is next to nothing. Ours on the other hand is a threat." Tasu started out.

"So, you Nebula will get Blade back to Alfea. She needs a doctor." Tessa continued.

"Yes, and Faragonda will have to report that you are alive. So, our parents will get a note. Especially if you tell them we died as well." Birdy nodded and smirked. Their plan could actually work.

"It will cause political mayhem…" Blade realised that only now. 'And I thought pretending to be dead was a good idea…'

"Exactly." Tasu agreed, "So sooner or later they will call for a private audience with the both of you. And then you can use that chance to tell them we are alive and stuck here and what happened."

"We will have the same problem. Why would they believe a word we are saying." Nebula countered.

"That is what the crests are for." Birdy smiled.

"Crests?" Blade repeated the obvious question.

"Well, it's a super-secret thing, actually. Even we do not know which crown houses have them in use or not. But a crest is like a magic symbol imbedded with some life force of the user and bound to be seen only by a few people, which prior are established. It was an old countermeasure to keep out imposters. If we grant you a crest. Not only will you be able to tell that we are still alive, but also at least in my case, only my parents will be able to see the symbol." Tessa explained.

"So, we can make sure our parents believe you. Since you only grant this in life or death stakes. You know," Birdy added. "And it's essentially undetectable as well."

"True… plus even if you were to die… it stays on. So even if you get killed our parents will notice it if they go to your funerals to see if they can get any information, since they knew we were at Desertia as a group." Tessa thought about it.

"That went dark…" Nebula shook her head trying to ignore the fact. But the possibility was there. Nay number of things could go wrong after all. "So, what about the rest? Who else do we trust?… Blade… Blade? Blade!" Nebula stood up. Blade's head had fallen to the side. "She's sweating buckets!"

It was the evening of day six. They had the zombies on the run. They had given it their all to kill any remaining White zombies. They were sure some had escaped, but time was of the essence. They had strapped Blade to the back of the Mother Lou. Tasu had finally figured out how to break the cypher and they had found the location of the ocean gate. It was in a lake to the mountainside, beyond the hills in the Doha region. Birdy had convinced the Mouther Lou somehow to help them in a joined effort to reach that gate. They had moved and prepared the frontline accordingly to get the quickest way to the lake. Tessa, Tasu, Birdy and Nebula together with mister G stood on the temple roof.

"Ready?" Nebula asked one last time storing the phanto-knife in Blade's belt she had borrowed from her.

"Yeah," Tasu inspected the chakram she had wrapped around her arm activating a charge.

Tessa had the axe ready with her as well, "Let's get our friend to a doctor. Remember we need some magic to open the gate."

"We know…" Birdy had the bow at the ready. "Magic use only if necessary. Hold on, Blade we get you out of here." The mountain range insight she gave the sign to move out.

Mister G was high in the sky scouting for white zombies, "Let's do this Ladies!"

The Lous weren't as slow as one might think. Inside their own forces lines, there was so much goo and slime so they slithered high speed along the ground in only a couple of minutes to the frontlines and had crossed several kilometres. Like a humongous tsunami wave, they hit the front line. Black zombies dropped like flies as the most powerful army so far went on the offensive. Wisps popping up like daisies everywhere.

"White to your left thirty-one degrees!" Mister G shouted from up high.

Birdy drew her bow. "Steady." She had her aim in sight and shot. Of course, the white one had ordered black zombies to take the fall for him.

Yet all the girls had aimed a sphere at him as well with a little time delay. They had used that tactic all day. Nebula grinned as she saw Tessa's energy bolt had exploded its head. "Ha. Doesn't matter how many you throw in between if we tunnel through."

"Watch it! Pirates!" Tessa used the axe and sliced through tentacles trying to high jack their ride. It was their code word for zombies trying to tumble Lous.

The Mother Lou was a badass fury. She took anything she could grapple and chucked it through the air like it was nothing. Smashing down with her tendrils at the sides as well. She was munching away on zombies like crazy. She by now had built up an astonishing resistance to the zombies' corruption and anything left over the wisps took care of. Their symbiosis was nothing to joke around, there was always one or two wisps with her at all times.

"Parting waters!" Tasu stood upon the Mother Lous head and send off a wave that drowned many zombies at once, catching another white zombie on guard she swung her arm to throw her chakram but missed. "No! This is really hard…" She complained annoyed just to see a merciless Mother Lou slam down her tendrils on top of it. "Remind me never to get on your bad side…."

"Static field!" Tessa took advantage of the goo-covered zombies. Her lighting did spread faster that way after all even if the water was in goo form. And the Wisps did the rest.

Birdy connected to the Mother Lou. She gurgled and the Mini Lous spread out quickly.

Creating more room. "Nice," Birdy shot one arrow after another. She didn't even need to aim the black once were standing so close.

"Hold on Blade, we're getting you out." Nebula stayed close to Blade they had tied her with some vines to the shell.

Blade simply nodded and pointed out another white zombie. She was trying to keep track of what was going on, but really everything was a little bit too shaky for her to make anything out. Her state had worsened. That was the main reason they rushed to the gate in the first place.

The clock was already hitting midnight. White zombies were coming out of the woodworks. They smelled their chance to finally get rid of their nemesis. The girls had reached the lake near the mountain range.

"Tasu!" Nebula shouted out as Blade tried to get off the gigantic tower shell.

Tasu transformed, "On it!" She plunged into the water. She created a bubble and lid up a daylight sphere. The reflections were mesmerizing. However, there was no time to stand still. She had to find the ocean gate. "Voice of nature!" She reached out with her hand trying to get something. It was like a different world down there. No life, no plants, no fish and yet peace. The fighting was muffled so far, the fight going on outside wasn't even recognisable. Tasu moved forward. The map had shown an estimated location. "Come on, please be here… and work." It was hard to get anything from nature out here, where the corruption was still strong. Her feet sank deeper into the slick. She moved further along and then there it was. The ocean gate was nothing more than two sharp and edgy stone pillars, dead sea shells were still attached to it as well as some fossil plants. She saw a shadow in the corner of her eyes and turned around quickly. "Water Sphere!" She fired into the dark. 'Is my mind playing tricks on me?' She watched her sphere vanish in the far. She didn't like this at all. She turned around as she noticed something else swimming behind her. She created another Daylight sphere away from here.

"Ccchhhhh!" A white zombie seemed to hiss at her and used its tendril arms to catch her.

"Oh f-" Tasu jumped to the side just to notice another one to her left. "Parting waters!" She closed her fist tightly crushing the one in front of her to goo. She pushed off from the lake's floor. She noticed many more white zombies in the water.

"Watch out!" Blade picked up a stone and threw it. She did not hit the zombie she had aimed for.

Nebula swapped with another one of her clones and stabbed a white one in the back, "Where are you throwing?!" Nebula had to grin, Blade wasn't herself really.

"Just be ready to rush off," Tessa glanced to the water. 'Come on, Tasu…'

"Feather barrage! Steady, guys. We got to hold out just a bit longer," Birdy tried to keep their spirits up. Some of the Lous were rushing into the water. It was their preferred element at least in Desertia after all.

"Water Wave!" Tasu with a giant splash raised from the water's surface. "Right here! And a bunch of whites in the water below." She flew some loops to evade the arms reaching out for her.

"Voice of nature!" Birdy touched the Mother Lou who proceeded to enter the lake. "Let's get this over with!"

Nebula took Blade's hand "Time for a swim. Veil! Solid fog!" She created a barrier for them to enter the lake. She threw Blade's arm around her shoulder. She really was burning up.

"I hate baths…" Blade commented breathing heavily.

Tessa hovered over the lake edges. The wisps and Lous would hold the lakeside at least for a few minutes without a problem. She plunged into the depths as well together with Tasu and Birdy. A lot was going on the zombies had swum down as well from further away and were arriving one by one.

Tasu nodded to Tessa, "Quick we need to set up a defensive circle." She moved her air bubble right to the gate.

Nebula and Blade just reached them, "We got to hurry."

Blade's teeth were chattering again, the increased exercise was exhausting her even more. "Don't rush on my account…" she coughed as she joked around.

"Static field!" Tessa electrocuted anything close and turned to the others. "alright. Just like last time." She held out her hands.

The girls including Blade formed a circle. They concentrated together in convergence to feed the ocean gate magic. With a crackling sound, a rift formed slowly.

"Ooooohhhh."

Blade could hear a zombie had entered into their bubble moaning. "Shit."

"Concentrate!" Tasu reminded everyone and with a burst of her magic the rift opened up into a somewhat stable portal. "GO!"

Nebula took Blade's hand. "See you on the other side, guys. We'll come back for you!"

Nemoi, Selkie of her planet, was enjoying her afternoon tea with her fish friends. As suddenly her ocean gate began to shake and crackle and out of nowhere a portal opened. And two Fairies darted through in lightning speed.

"Quick! We need to get the potion to the baby! Before it's too late" The first one shouted.

"Sorry!" The other one mumbled as she got dragged along.

"Oh my!" Nemoi was shocked. "A baby? Hurry!" She created a current to move them faster to the surface. And the fairies were gone as fast as they had come. "Been a while since I had unannounced visitors. Oh well, who needs protocols then there is a life at stake…hope the baby will be fine… come now let's get back to tea." Nemoi swam back to her little coral chair.

Memphis was sitting at the controls of his team's owl. They had spent the last eight days chillaxing at the Resort Realm. Three days longer than they should have. They were late, way too late. 'Ahh, shit… we got the job done so quickly… The party was just too good. And those babes… dang it, Codatorta will have our heads…' He heard a clunk sound. "Hey, I said to stack those crates not to drop them."

"Yeah, yeah," Kevin answered he had a total hangover. "Stop shouting…"

'So, how do we get out of this one…think Memphis, think…I will not do another stable duty.' Memphis tapped on the console as his newest device went off buzzing. "What now…" he checked it slightly annoyed.

It was the newest prototype from the Lunasteel company, which he had gotten from the CEO himself several weeks ago. He was searching for Blade, their former weapons tester, probably as a favour to Blade's family. The CEO had been furious that Codatorta had cancelled the search. Not that Codatorta was wrong. Once the two weeks were up. No more civilians had popped up randomly all over Magix. The chances were zero especially since no one was able to reconnect to the ocean gate again.

Memphis himself had seen the palace of Desertia it was nothing but a pile of shambles. Several teams had tried to find survivors in the ruins like himself. It was a grim site and astray monsters roaming all over hadn't made that job any easier. Many kingdoms had come to help even the Winx club members. And so, like protocol, then the time came to quit the search. They had shifted focus to relief missions on the planet. The bodies of the dead had to wait.

The device, he picked up to check, was buzzing for something. He first quickly checked for other spacecrafts, but none seemed to be in range. "Is it on the frizz? Damn it, I should never have let Derek handle it. Since he dropped it, it's been glitching…" He mumbled to himself. It was a prototype to pick up vital signals from other private electronics and send a GPS location if anyone was in critical condition. For the standard electronics, like a phone, it worked only on the same planet the user was on. So, he had approached the CEO after his fight with Codatorta and had offered to take it and keep up the search. His squad was getting around after all. The CEO had gladly agreed.

"Ahh, maybe I shouldn't have given them false hope…but who could say no to this. I couldn't have let that chance slip me by," he unlocked the device and checked the data it had received. "No way," he stared at the tiny remote-like box. It was showing Blade's identification code, but the data was all over the place. "This is a lot of nonsense. I really need to send it in, so they can fix it.…" Then it dawned on him as he checked the GPS data in the Navi computers of the Owl. There indeed was a planet at the given coordinates. 'If we check that false data out… we have the perfect alibi for being late. We just need to alter some of our flight path logs, as always.' He rejoiced, "Ha, technology, saviour of the lazy. Sweet. No cleaning duties for us."

With a big splash Blade's head broke through the water surface. Nebula was right next to her. Blade breathed in gasping for air. The current had helped them to quickly reach up top. There in the distance, just a couple of hundred meters was the shoreline. An island, flourishing in bright green colours and sand as white as the clouds. They truly had made it. "Nebula?" Blade coughed as water entered her mouth.

Nebula had just managed to fly out of the water. It was a weird feeling getting her wings wet. "You alright?" Their illusion spell vanished. "Come here," Nebula held out a hand.

Blade took it. Her head was spinning so she first had grabbed past the offered hand.

She tried her best to tense up and use her feet as skis as Nebula dragged her along. It would have been fun. If Blade didn't feel her big wound tingling in a burning sensation each second.

Nebula let Blade's hands go as they reached shallow waters and transformed back to support her. They fell to their knees. The sand was hot and stuck to their skin and ripped clothes everywhere. "We made it." Nebula chuckled a bit in disbelief. She looked behind them, wondering how her friends were faring back on Phere-Moan. Quickly she checked her upper arm. All three crests were still glittering brightly. Their motive hadn't changed.

Blade stared at her arms as well, "They are still alive…good." Her bracelet went off buzzing like crazy Blade noticed Nebula jump at the sudden buzzing. Blade saw tons of messages coming in filling up her screen quickly. Yet, she couldn't care less that they finally were back in range of a magic tower. Everything began to hurt as the rush of adrenalin from the joy of making it had ebbed down. "Hmmm…" She felt her arms give in and fell to the side.

"BLADE!" Nebula still shaking herself from carrying her friend dragged her out of the sun into the shadows of the tree lines. She held her hand to Blade's forehead. "Damn it, she's still burning up…" She looked up. 'I need to find a healer. Right now.' She jumped to her feet and concentrated, "Voice of nature!" She just wanted to quickly locate the next city or town and who better to ask than nature on a planet brimming with life.

'Other island. Southwest. Other side, planet. Long way. Boats.' It echoed in Nebula's head.

"WHAT?! No, no, no…" Nebula opened her eyes with fear she stared at her friend. The trip through the cold water and hours of being on the battlefield had accelerated things. "She'll never make it to Alfea. If the people here only have boats." She panicked, "For fuck sake, we landed on a backwater planet. I rather had taken Zenith over this shit dump. Ahhhh. Clam down." She looked around. The forest was truly rich in all kinds of plants and she was sure she had spotted some animals as well. "Potion. Tasu told me the list…heart root, silver shine…." Nebula breathed in once more. "Voice of nature!" If she couldn't get help, she simply had to brew a solution right here on the beach. Quickly she located the first plant it was a bit off in the forest. "Don't you leave. Hold on Blade." She held her friend's arm and then transformed again darting into the forest.

Kevin had vehemently protested for three hours not to take another detour and he was still at it, "This is never going to work. Codatorta will have our heads…"

"Chill, it will. I mean it's a signal for Desertia survivors. Blade even, he likes Blade." Memphis repeated again. "I'm not going to do another stable duty, two months in a row."

"I do like the baby Dragons, though," Derek added everyone was glaring at him. "What?"

Memphis shook his head, "We just check it out for a second and bam alibi. You guys need to learn how to work the system. Besides, we can't ignore a call for help. That's protocol."

"Well, that is the code we inspire to." Detlev sighed and checked the transmitted data. "This looks like vitals from a chicken that is being cooked alive. I told you I can open it up and repa-"

"No." Memphis didn't' even let him finish. "The last time you fixed something it nearly blew my head off."

"And I said sorry… I miscalculated, okay… it was mid-battle. I was under a lot of pressure. I never make such mistakes then I got time and peace." Detlev protested a bit.

"Come on, don't scream so much," Fletcher complained he had the biggest hangover out of all of them. He was a big guy, yet even for him taking on a barrel had gone south. "Guys, I am hungry. Any chance we can get some fresh fruit on the planet at least. I am starving," Fletcher sat on the back seat and looked out of the window as the planet came into sight.

"Sure, we also can make a stop and bring everyone a pizza at Red Fountain," Kevin answered him sarcastically.

"Really?" Fletcher got his hopes up just to see Kevin and Memphis raising an eyebrow. "Ahhh, you're mean."

"Pretty planet." Derek commented, "So, blue."

Memphis checked for the exact location. "That is away from the civilised islands."

"Great. Then let's go." Kevin was pressing for time.

"Hold it. There is a smaller island. Prepare for landing," Memphis ordered his squad.

"What? But. Even the computer says no people are living on that sand blob. Why go to such lengths?" Kevin complained.

"How often do I have to repeat myself? A lie only works if it's a half-truth. If we tell Codatorta we made a detour and don't land. He'll know something is up. Or can you check from space if there is a person?" Memphis prepared the Owl for entering the atmosphere.

The boys landed the ship a bit further away on the white sand beach where they had the space for it. It was a beautiful sight, a nice solitary, tropical island. Weapons at the ready they crossed the sand since they had no idea what monsters might strive through the local jungle. Memphis held the tracker in his hands and followed the ping. "Hm, we should mark this on our chill-map." Carefree they walked along the shoreline before reaching the location.

"Nothing told ya." Kevin crossed his arms.

Detlev shook his head, "We knew that from the start. The point was to confirm it."

"Shhh," Memphis shushed them. He was drawing his two daggers. "Birds stopped singing."

"You don't think someone is he-eehhhh," Derek screamed as suddenly a white fog cloud had exploded into his face and a yellow-green eye lit up in the midst of it. "G-g-gho-ghost! AHHHHH!" He stormed out of the fog.

"For crying out loud," Memphis made a dive roll and blocked the magical sphere aimed at his comrade with one of his orange daggers.

"Circle formation! Show yourself!" He could make a shadow out in the fog.

"That's not a ghost. That was a Plasma sphere, brother," Detlev corrected him as he got into formation with the other three.

"Ha," Fletcher laughed, "Wizard or ghost. I'll squash them." He charged in.

"No, I said hold the formation!" Memphis got a bit pissed. Fletcher stopped in his tracks. 'Where are you? Not falling for a decoy in a magical fog.' He glanced around as he saw a shadow hush by on the ground. "There!" He threw his dagger right behind him into the air.

"Veil! Solid fog!" a girl's voice shouted.

"Wow," Kevin stared at the stuck dagger in the sky.

"Mist mirage!" The figure vanished behind the thin layer of fog as the fog shield dissolved and the dagger plunged to the ground.

"Back to back!" Memphis quickly ordered. "Don't let her get behind you." He simply spun and slashed away behind him.

"Tch." A fine taint-skinned girl not older than his boys reappeared flying backwards to evade his slash. Her lilac-coloured, curly hair was a mess. Burn scars all over her arms and body. She looked as if someone had turned her through the meat grinder. Her huge wings were shining in purple as well.

"Fairy?" Memphis was in utter disbelieve. "Wait, you!" He let his arm sink. It was the girl from the bar brawl he had let sleep over at Red Fountain with Blade.

"You'll regret the day you attacked any of us!" the girl looked very grim at him with the eyes of a killer readying another plasma sphere.

"Attacked?" Kevin was perplexed. "We came because of the SOS signal. How rude! Not very Ladylike."

"With swords at the ready? I think not. I'll rip all you traitors to pieces!" She threw her sphere.

"Calm yourself. We came to help," Memphis evaded quickly, 'She's beside herself. Traitors? What the hell is going on? If she is here, Blade!' He unplugged his mantel and tossed it at her all while he dashed forward to quickly get behind her infusing a bit of magic into his muscles.

"Plasma Sphere!" Nebula startled by the cloak blasted right through it. She had to keep magic in reserve if she wanted to finish the potion once she got all the ingredients together. "Liars!" Her sphere hit nothing. She just noticed a blur of blue passing her by.

Memphis caught her arm and took her into a grapple. Careful not to hurt her wings, he pressed her down into the sand. "I said, calm yourself!" He forced her down as much as he had to, knee on her back. "Where is Blade? Her vitals are shit. We don't have time to play games. You want to save your friend, don't you?"

Nebula glared at him barring her teeth 'That guy indeed looks familiar.' Then she remembered he had been at the bar, where Blade had partaken in the brawl fight. 'If I get this wrong Blade's dead. If I trust him and they kill her she's dead. If he is here to help and I won't let him she is dead as well.' Nebula growled, "Fine."

"Now, take three big breaths and then show us where Blade is," Memphis released the grapple and pulled her up. He glanced at her wing showing some scarring from a cut that had been healed. He patiently waited for Nebula to calm down. "You three get the Owl. Fletcher with me. Go, go, on the double."

Nebula watched as the boys rushed off. She breathed in. Reluctantly Nebula brushed away some branches leading them into the jungle right next to them. "This way..." She still was on her toes, but this was her best chance to save Blade.

Memphis barely followed her fifteen meters into the undergrowth. Before he spotted Blade's hand peeking out behind a tree. He rushed past Nebula. "How long has she been unconscious? What happened?" He asked before he even got to check her bracelet for the vitals. Her slumped body was proof enough to him.

"Last I went to collect more herbs she still was awake. Somewhat…" Nebula balled her fists in frustration.

"How long was that?" Memphis noticed a big leave next to Blade on which several other plants and herbs were gathered. "Did you get everything for the potion?"

"No. I was searching for the ingredients since a few hours before you trampled through," Nebula hissed. She was on edge. Her friend was worsening by the minute.

"How long? What happened?" Memphis checked the bracelet to get a better overview. He noticed the burned cut and the infected wound on her arm. 'Inflammation is serious, her body is shutting down.' She had a high fever. "Hey." He looked up directly into Nebula's face, who was somewhat spacing out. 'Great, she's under shock as well…' He breathed in. "How long has the infection been going on?" He asked firmly again.

'What am I supposed to say here…I can't say a word about Phere-Moan can I? …ahh, think…' She bit her lip, "Just a few hours ago then we were in the palace. She cut herself on a mission on Desertia a day ago, we missed a splinter."

Memphis gave her a weird look, 'A simple splinter? Bullshit. A few hours ago? As if…a day ago on the other hand fits. This looks like a beginner treated her with next to nothing…' He picked Blade up in a bride carry. "Take your stuff. We're leaving right now."

"No, I nearly got everything." Nebula protested. "She'll never make it!"

"Path is clear," Fletcher had cut down everything within a two-meter radius to the beach it was total overkill. "Maybe she should finish the potion…she doesn't look peachy."

"You've been here three hours. There is no way you'll find everything in time. She needs a wizard a good one at that." Memphis cut the both of them off, "We're leaving right now." He could hear the Owl's engines coming closer.

"But…" Nebula picked up the herbs and ran after Memphis. She felt so overwhelmed. It was much harder to filter information than she had expected. She rushed after them into Owl there was no time to lose.

"Detlev, take over." Memphis laid Blade down on the floor. "Kevin, get the first aid kit. Anything to clean and sanitise, check what we got." He turned his head to Nebula. "You, prepare those herbs, so we can use them on their own if possible." He stood up and activated the console. "Fletcher vital sign duty."

"Right," Kevin skit through the craft to open a hatch and pulled out a first aid kid.

Detlev ripped apart what was left from Blade's top. And quickly took off all the bandages. "First step, check the patient…" He inspected Blade thoroughly.

Derek was holding her up, so his brother could do his job, "Gesh, she's hot as dragon fire."

"Derek!" Memphis scolded him.

"No, I meant…" he tried to explain.

"She is burning up. If her fever rises any further…" Fletcher went a bit pale as he read through the bracelet data. The last time he had seen her. She had kicked their asses and saved them. This was wrong on so many levels.

Kevin came with the first aid kid and sat it down. He moved on to Nebula. "Does anything hurt? Are you fine? Any wounds yourself? How can I help with the herbs, my Lady?"

Nebula was dazed, "I no… not that I noticed…" Kevin sat her down on the floor, for now, to give her a check-up first.

Detlev stared at the true size of the cut along her back. Blade had inflammatory rashes all over. "Second, sanitise…kinda everything…" He opened up the bottle at the neck and poured it all over Blade. Especially on her arm, which looked straight out of a horror movie. Blade's body twitched a bit. "Hold her steady." He cautioned his brother. "Heart rate?"

Memphis was hammering commands into the console guiding the Owl back into space. 'Come on, think. Wizards, wizards… this planet's hospital has no magic ward… fuck… Right, that's it!' He quickly input the coordinates and hushed over the rest of them to help with the first aid.

"Left flank, circle back. Regroup with Owl squad five, six and twelve for a pincer attack," Codatorta was standing on the bridge of the Eagle. It was basically a space carrier, even bigger than a Hawk and the mother ship of the Red Fountain fleet.

Saladin watched as their third-year students were rushing around. Trying to follow Codatorta's commands, "Caution, don't get sloppy." He had his hands folded on his cane formed like a dragon. 'Codatorta is aiming to decimate his foes like always.' He chuckled.

"Hawk One. We got incoming from behind," it echoed from the speakers.

"Owl squad three, here, we got you covered."

Codatorta walked past the students punching in data into their consoles. "Update."

"We lost Hawk six and two. But stopped their advances, you were right Sir. They left their flank open to draw us in," A student answered him.

"Owl manoeuvre successful. We took one of their crafts. Casualties three owls," another one reported.

Codatorta shook his head, "You all can do better than that! Is this how you will protect your kingdoms once you graduate? This might be-"

"Hawk five, here, unidentified aircraft approaching with high speed. Sir, it's aiming straight for your starboard aft."

"Confirmed," The student looked up to Codatorta. "How did they get past us!?"

"What?! Who?" Codatorta growled. "Close the hangar! Evasive manoeu-" Wham, with a thundering noise something crashed into the landing heck. Codatorta stood there like a rock balancing out the aftershock, while he saw some of his students get flung from their chairs. "Damage report. Open a channel to the Crown Princes. Can't believe those…"

Saladin set down from floating in the air, 'Every year, one idiot tries this…' He raised an eyebrow as he stepped to Codatorta. "I thought, you three agreed on not using that tactic."

"Crown Prince Sky, here,-"

"Are you kidding me?! We agreed not to allow this stunt this year. Get your men in line!" Codatorta didn't let Sky finish.

"This isn't one of ours. Halt all attacks. Recall the troops," Brandon answered confused while he gave some orders, "All squads and members are accounted for. Must be-"

Codatorta was furious, "Open a channel to all Owls. Which of you idiots hit your own team?" He turned around, his head as red as a tomato pressing the button to open the doors to the hangar.

"Eh, Sir, I- I just got a request for an emergency landing."

Saladin, the headmaster of Red Fountain, just raised his eyebrow and moved on, following Codatorta. 'I am too old for this shit.'

"Who was it?" Another student whispered.

"Owl craft 453," he answered quietly.

"Checking, with active missions' roster…oh no, Chaos squad…"

"Memphis…" everyone groaned.

Codatorta was pressing on past the empty hangar. He could hear shouting as he approached the Owl stuck in between the landing platform and the closing door. "I'll tare these idiots apart."

"What did you do? I said to send an emergency code and prepare for landing! Not land! For fuck sake!" Memphis was furious. "Quick, Kevin, check the other girl!"

"Of course, it had to be them…" Codatorta ground his teeth. "MEMPHIS!" his voice thundered. He heard them banging on their loading door, which was pinned from the outside by the eagles one. Only the energy field kept the bay pressurised. "Stop! You'll get sucked out to space!" He gave a firm warning.

Saladin stomped with his staff on the ground and created another protective bubble around the ship. "Codatorta, hook the Owl so we can pull it in. So, I can fix this mess." He stated calmly as suddenly Fletcher the big baboon stepped onto the main consoles and smashed in the windows of the Owl with his sword.

"Found your way out," He stated somewhat proudly. "Hurry it up, Derek, her head is bleeding!"

"You just smashed the consoles! How am I to report the injuries now to the bridge?!" Detlev complained.

"Oye, sit tight! Stop smashing stuff. Are you insane!" Codatorta just had finished hooking the Owl. Out of the blue Memphis jumped out of the window, piggy packing someone.

"Master Saladin, forget the damn Owl, quick, she is crashing!" Memphis completely ignored Codatorta for now and rushed to his headmaster. "Please, we did everything we could. Noting is working! The infection is everywhere." He tried his hardest not to show his panic, but he was out of options. "I had to resuscitate her twice already." He was sweating himself as he laid Blade down in the hangar.

Saladin's focus shifted instantaneously. "Virgo Dividet!" He flooded Blade's system with his magic. 'My word, what happened? How is she even alive? It has been weeks.' His old heart was pounding. It had been a while since he had faced critical injuries. Not to mention that his speciality was attack and warfare magic not healing.

Codatorta stopped what he was doing and climbed without a second thought up to the broken windows. "How many are hurt? What happened?" He jumped inside, staring at an overwhelmed Derek who was pressing down on a head wound of a girl. 'Wait a second, that's one of the dead Alfea students who died on Desertia.' The girl was out cold as well. "I need some answers!"

"I bumped my elbow and it's bruised," Kevin answered as he tried to find a bandage that they hadn't used so far.

"Cut my hand as I smashed this window," Fletcher watched as some blood dripped down his hand.

Derek uttered, "I – eh, nothing. She fainted on us and bumped her head as brother crash-landed us…" He was still holding Nebula.

Detlev was still trying to get the com open to the bridge, "Hey, Memphis said to hurry, I used the override I always use. How was I supposed to know, there was an update blocking access to the remote control of the hangar doors on another ship?! If it wasn't for me, we still would be heading into the wrong quadrant!"

"Sorry, I thought you meant the other left," Fletcher scratched his head.

Codatorta checked the girl's pulse, "You guys are unbelievable…" She was fine so far and coming back to her senses. Scars all over her, she wasn't looking so well. But besides her head wound, there was nothing superficially bleeding.

"Blade…" she mumbled. As she opened her eyes and closed them again.

"Blade? Oy, stay awake, Lady. No time to sleep," Codatorta snatched the bandage from Kevin's hands and dressed the wound quickly. 'What in Magix is going on?...' He picked her up and slid down the Owl's front. Just as some third years came rushing in with a bunch of first aid kits. There he spotted Blade, pale as snow. "Saladin, how is she?" He rushed over lying down Nebula next to Blade ordering some of the third years around to take care of her.

"This is beyond me. I can't heal these wounds alone," Saladin's face was filled with worry and that wasn't often the case.

"Hurry, turn this bucket around! We're going straight to Magix, Alfea." Codatorta gave the order.