The infirmary was dark around Layla, still holding onto the last remnants of night even as the sun rose steadily and students started to move around the school. Alfea's healer, Ofelia would be arriving soon after being encouraged enough by Layla's recovery to spend the night in her own quarters rather than watching over her. But in these last few minutes before she arrived, Layla was glad for the privacy. Between waking up surrounded by five strangers, and having Ofelia and her parents fuss over her once they'd left, Layla was glad just to have a moment alone to think about everything that had happened over the last few days.
The Lord of Shadowhaunt had haunted her dreams since her escape, and she couldn't get past the crushing guilt over leaving the pixies behind in his clutches. She was terrified to go back down there but even more terrified to consider what would happen to the pixies if she didn't. After everything they'd done for her, leaving them behind wasn't an option, she was going back.
The question wasn't then if she was going down into the Under Realms to rescue the pixies, but how she was going to get there. The five unfamiliar girls had insisted they would come with her but Layla didn't know them from a bar of soap, and she wasn't particularly enthused to go on a dangerous mission with people she didn't know. But then again it was going to be hard to get back to the Under Realms without their help, especially now that Lockette wasn't there.
Layla rolled over with a sigh, figuring she could start down the plan they'd managed to cobble together before Ofelia had returned and do her own thing when the time was right. But that didn't mean things were going to be easy either. The first step of the plan involved her parents, and talking to the King and Queen of Andros was more like war negotiations than a teenage girl talking to her parents.
Layla huffed out a breath and rolled back the other way. She was an early riser by nature and it felt weird to still be in bed when usually she and her brothers would have started their lessons hours ago. She sat up, thinking she might wake Piff and see what the pixie thought of her plan to go back into the Under Realms before realising with an unpleasant jolt that she was gone from the bedside table.
Frowning, Layla slipped out of bed and padded over to the windows, drawing back the curtains and flinching at the bright sunshine that flooded the room. Her frown turned into a full grimace as she saw Piff fly past, the pixie's eyes firmly closed as she went. It didn't happen often but occasionally Piff would dream about flying and her wings, not realising the rest of her was still asleep, would start to flutter, taking her off somewhere with the pixie none the wiser.
Gritting her teeth and not stopping to change out of the infirmary dress they'd put her in, Layla hurried from the room, almost taking Ofelia out as she burst through the door and past the guards.
"Miss Asherah?"
"Princess Layla?"
"Your Highness?"
"What is it, Princess?"
"Nothing," she yelled over her shoulder, injecting as much authority into her voice as she was able to manage, barefoot and wearing an infirmary gown as she was. "Stay where you are!"
"Princess, we have orders-"
The noise faded away as she turned the corner and hurtled along the next corridor; they were welcome to follow if they wanted but her bonded pixie was in danger and Layla wasn't stopping for anyone. She soon encountered another problem however, as Alfea was bigger and more of a maze than she had realised and she soon had no idea where she was. The hallways were empty of students and Layla had no idea how to get down to the quad.
She ran along, trying door after door, many of which were locked, and the ones that did open looked to be teacher's offices. Finally she found a staircase and she hurtled down it, dodging a pair of giggling freshmen who stared after her in bemusement as she went past. She jumped the last few steps and found what she guessed was the entrance hall, crossed it quickly and shoved open the heavy double doors.
She dashed outside and looked around wildly, catching sight of a speck high in the air that had to be Piff. Before Layla had a chance to call out to her and attempt to wake her up, the speck abruptly stopped in midair and dropped, falling through the air towards the hard ground.
"No!" Layla screamed, and tore across the grass, knowing she was unlikely to catch Piff in time but needing to try. "Piff! Wake up!"
Piff approached the ground rapidly and Layla knew with a sinking feeling in her stomach that she wasn't going to reach the pixie in time. She gave one last desperate scream and Piff jerked to a stop, only a few feet from the grass. The pixie yawned and rubbed her eyes a little but didn't wake, flying away once more.
"Come on, Piff," Layla sighed, jogging after her. The fairy liked to think she was pretty fit but even after being in the infirmary for days she could still feel the effects of the Under Realms weighing on her.
Layla gritted her teeth as Piff zoomed through an open window into the classroom beyond, and dashed for the nearest door. Once inside she walked quickly along the carpeted hallway, glancing in through the open doorways to see which room Piff might have ended up in.
It wasn't until she heard a voice say, "Oh, what's this?!" that she felt confident she had the right one. She sped up and slipped into the classroom, weaving between the desks just in time to catch Piff as she fell out of the air for a second time.
Layla breathed a sigh of relief as Piff scrunched up her nose and peered up at her. "Layla?" she said sleepily. "What are you doing?"
"Stopping you from doing yourself an injury," Layla said fondly. "You were sleep flying again."
"Oh." Piff blinked up at her innocently. "Ooops."
"Yeah, oops." Layla deposited Piff on her shoulder where the pixie immediately wound one of her curls around her hand having fallen asleep and taken a tumble off Layla's shoulder too many times before.
"Does someone want to explain the meaning of all of this?" a voice behind her demanded and Layla whirled around.
A dark haired professor with unusually sharp features for a fairy was frowning at her, arms folded. Layla straightened and glanced around the classroom, noting uncomfortably that the entire class was staring at her curiously. Among them were the five girls that had been there when she'd woken up; two potion cauldrons were on the table in front of them, one simmering with a pale blue liquid in it, the other holding a murky brown potion that was bubbling dangerously, not that they were paying attention to either.
The teacher cleared her throat impatiently and Layla looked back at her. "I'm sorry, Professor. I'm Princess Layla Asherah of Andros, I've been staying in the infirmary."
Recognition crossed the teacher's face as she nodded. "Of course."
"And I'm Piff of Herrolan Wood," Piff said, already sounding on the verge of falling asleep again. "I'm sorry for the interruption, I have an unfortunate habit of," Piff paused to yawn, "Of sleep-flying."
The teacher looked disapproving but didn't say anything as at that moment the redhead from the group, Bloom, jumped to her feet. "Professor Isokalis?" she said quickly. "I could show Layla back to the infirmary."
"Yes, thank you, Miss Peters. Take your books, class will be finished before you can return."
Bloom gathered her books and stepped smoothly away from the table just in time for one of the cauldrons to explode, coating the girl's with blonde and pink hair - Stella and Tecna, Layla thought - with the lumpy brown contents. The two immediately turned on each other and began squabbling about who was to blame while Bloom quickly ushered Layla out the door, shutting the door behind them just as they heard the teacher begin to yell.
"Me, Stella, and Tecna are the worst at potions," Bloom explained to Layla as she led her along the hallway. "Between the three of us we manage to make something explode at least once a lesson but Isokalis won't let us swap partners. I think she just likes yelling at us."
Layla immediately thought that Isokalis sounded like her father and was so troubled by the thought that a minute passed without her saying anything. Bloom didn't seem to mind though and launched into a story from the year before where between the three of them they had almost managed to blow up the entire school and it was only due to the quick thinking of some of their classmates that they had managed to limit the damage to the potions lab.
Layla listened to her talk, shooting her covert glances at her out of the corner of her eye as she did. It was impossible not to recognise her as the lost Princess of Sparx, her face and name had been splashed everywhere all summer after all, and her quick disappearance back to Earth had made her all the more mysterious. Bloom didn't seem at all like the princesses Layla knew, what with her jeans and hoodie, and casual smile, but then Layla supposed that made sense considering her upbringing. Which made her wonder what it was like to be a normal girl one day and responsible for an entire planet the next. Questions bubbled up inside of Layla but she bit them back, simply smiling and thanking Bloom when they arrived back at the infirmary.
"When are you meeting with your parents?" Bloom asked her quietly as they slipped back inside, ignoring the disapproving looks of the guards.
"Soon I expect."
"Good luck. But whatever happens we'll be here to help you, it'll all work out."
Layla jerked a little, glancing at her quickly, and away again. It was odd to her that these girls who were more or less complete strangers would be so committed to helping her. Before she had to come up with a response the door opened again and Ofelia bustled through.
"Oh, Princess," she said, when she noticed Bloom and Layla standing there. "I'd wondered where you'd gotten to. I've brought some clothes for you to get changed into, your parents are waiting for you in Headmistress Faragonda's office.
Ofelia pressed a bundle of cloth into Layla's hands and gestured to the bathroom attached to the infirmary. Layla glanced at Bloom who was backing towards the door.
"Good luck," the redhead said again, before slipping away.
Their plan was pretty simple, Bloom thought, but at the same time more structured than their plans usually were; this one at least had steps. And step one involved Layla convincing her parents to let her enrol at Alfea.
The princess had warned them that she was homeschooled in her castle for a reason, and that her parents were ridiculously overprotective, so the odds of them willingly letting their daughter out of their sight for the entire school year were slim. Which was why the other girls found themselves pacing worriedly outside of Faragonda's office during the morning break, for inside they knew Layla was doing her level best to convince them.
The doors abruptly opened and they all skittered back a few steps, pressing themselves back against the wall as the King and Queen of Andros stepped from Faragonda's office. King Teredor, a tall man with a serious face, didn't look back as he swept past but Queen Niobe paused and touched Layla's face gently, where she hovered in the doorway.
"We'll send your things, dear," she said quietly, before hurrying after her husband, smiling absently at the girls as she went past.
"Does that mean what I think it means?" Bloom asked once the King and Queen were out of earshot.
"What happened?" Musa added, looking intently at Layla's expression.
Layla's face looked drawn but she managed a smile. "Guess who's coming to Alfea this year."
Flora let out an excited yelp and threw her arms around Layla, hugging her close. The others chuckled quietly at Layla's wide-eyed look as she gingerly put her arms around Flora as well.
"Sorry," Flora said sheepishly as she drew back. "I'm just happy for you."
"It was that easy?" Musa asked, still examining Layla's face closely. "You made it sound like you would have to sell your soul to get them to agree."
Bloom glanced between them but Layla steadfastly avoided her gaze. "Layla? What did you have to agree to do."
Layla managed a small, sad smile. "Nothing that matters right now."
Bloom bit her lip; she wanted to pry and ask what that meant but she didn't know Layla well yet and didn't know how she would react to such a question. A voice clearing their throat from behind Layla prevented her from deciding what to do, and they all turned to see Faragonda watching them from inside her office, a knowing look on her face. "I believe we all have some things to talk about."
The girls filed inside and lined up in front of Faragonda's chair, waiting for their headmistress to get settled.
"I'm sure you've heard by now that we are very lucky to be welcoming Miss Asherah to the school. Seeing as you all know each other I believe it would be most prudent to move her into your dorm; Miss Haleigha you are currently the only occupant of your room, correct? And I have been led to believe that it is of a more than adequate size to be converted into a double? As long as there are no objections, I can have someone over during the day's lessons to have it set up for Miss Asherah to move in."
There was an uncomfortable beat of silence where Stella, who's mouth had fallen open, just stared at Faragonda. Then Bloom nudged her sharply in the ribs, and Stella's mouth snapped closed with a click as she nodded and said, voice tight, "Of course, headmistress. No objections."
Faragonda's lips twitched. "Excellent. I'll have you room ready by the end of class this afternoon. I'm sure you girls will be happy to show Miss Asherah around." Faragonda made a motion towards the door, clearly indicating that they do that right now, but the girls didn't move, exchanging glances.
"There was something else, Miss Faragonda-" Bloom began but Layla broke in.
"We need permission to go to the Under Realms."
The others winced while Faragonda leant back in her chair and regarded Layla curiously. "While missions are a part of Alfea's curriculum, I must say you are very eager considering it's only your first day, Miss Asherah. Might I ask what interests you about the Under Realms?"
"I thought it would be a good bonding exercise and practice for our skills," Layla said evasively.
"Please Headmistress," Flora broke in. "Some of Layla's friends are trapped in Shadowhaunt and we want to go rescue them."
Faragonda stiffened, sitting upright, the small smile gone from her face, the sparkle in her eyes having gone out. "No," she said immediately, voice firm. "I cannot allow that. Shadowhaunt is much too dangerous. Only the best of our third years are allowed missions to the Under Realms but they are strictly forbidden from entering Shadowhaunt. It is a terrible place."
Stella waved a hand airily. "Hey, we're the girls who went to Sparx, remember? And that was a piece of cake."
Bloom resisted the urge to remind of the snow crabs that had almost devoured them while they'd been on Sparx.
"The Under Realms are very different," Faragonda said evenly, never taking her eyes off Layla. "And Shadowhaunt is the worst of the worst."
"So?" Stella said, still sounding cavalier. "It'll be a challenge for us then. We can totally do it, you just have to give us a chance."
Faragonda shook her head apologetically, finally looking at Stella. "I'm sorry, girls. I love to see such confidence in you, but confidence will not help you here. No matter how sure of yourself you are, you cannot stop the effects the Under Realms have on you."
"But what about my friends?!" Layla burst out. "I can't leave them behind again!"
There was an uncomfortable pause and the other girls shifted. They'd all decided not to mention to Faragonda that Layla had already gone to Shadowhaunt once, fearing that their headmistress would feel obligated to tell Layla's parents about it; instead their plan was to leave it ambiguous about how exactly they knew the pixies had been captured. The silence hung in the air and there was a knowing, triumphant gleam in Faragonda's eyes as she surveyed her new student, but then the moment passed and Faragonda continued without addressing it.
"Try to understand," she said kindly. "The Under Realms are so dangerous that any student of mine who wants to go has to first pass a survival test. A test so hard that most fail, and Shadowhaunt is even worse."
The girls looked at each other. "We have to at least try," Bloom said, and the others nodded in agreement.
Faragonda sighed. "I admire your courage, girls, but we'll find another way to get Layla's friends back. I'll contact the Guardian Network, they might be able to assign a team." But even Faragonda sounded doubtful.
"You have to let us try!"
"Come on, Miss F."
"Yeah, if we fail the test we'll back off."
Faragonda looked at her students, seemingly torn between frustration and fondness at their stubbornness. "It's such a difficult test that more than three quarters of those who take it fail."
"A twenty-five per cent chance of success is better than no chance at all," Tecna pointed out.
"You would attempt the test in the magical reality chamber," Faragonda said, clearly still trying to dissuade them. "And as it would mimic the effects of the Under Realms you could get hurt."
"My dad always says 'it's cool to try and fail, but not trying is not cool'," Musa said.
Faragonda looked at her students over her steepled fingers for a long minute, before letting her breath out slowly. "Okay," she said finally. "Meet me at the magical reality chamber after sixth period and we'll see. Now, you should all get back to class."
As if summoned by her words, the bell to signal the end of morning break sounded. They thanked Faragonda and hurried from the room before she could change her mind.
The girls grilled Layla as much as possible over the course of the day to try and prepare for the magical reality test but unfortunately as they quickly found out, it wasn't something they could exactly study for.
"There's this weird feeling when you're in the Under Realms," Layla explained as they mounted the stairs towards the chamber. "It's like there's a damper on your magic and it's weighing you down. You get so tired so quickly."
"Great," Musa muttered. "Can't wait for that."
The control room looked surprisingly empty without Palladium who was usually sitting behind the controls. In his place was Faragonda, putting the final touches on the chamber's settings. She glanced over at them, looking concerned.
"Are you girls ready?"
When they confirmed that they were, she gestured for them to enter the chamber proper. They filed out into the chamber, Layla especially looking around, curious but unafraid.
"Just try your best," Faragonda said, her voice coming through the speakers.
The chamber began to hum around them as it powered up, the lights growing brighter and brighter until they eclipsed the bronze walls. The catwalk they stood on withdrew, leaving them hanging suspended momentarily until the environment of the Under Realms assembled around them. Dirt appeared under their feet, so hard packed that it felt like rock, which led into actual rock walls and a low hanging rock ceiling, complete with occasional stalactites.
"Woah," Layla breathed, reaching a hand out to touch the cold rock wall, which felt completely real.
The others however were already feeling the effects that Layla had described to them, and Bloom shifted her shoulders as though trying to throw the invisible weight off.
"So, this is the Under Realms?" Stella said looking around. She wrinkled her nose. "Pretty drab and dreary."
Tecna rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to retaliate when they heard a shifting come from further down the cave. They all glanced in the direction it had come from and then at each other.
"Come on girls," Bloom said. "Let's do this."
Musa and Flora immediately transformed, the latter raising her hands.
"I'll make a vine barrier."
But when green magic began to form at her hands, nothing happened and eventually the magic faded away again. Flora frowned and tried again, a quiet grunt of exertion leaving her. This time the green tips of vines appeared from the ground but they quickly turned brown and withered away.
"I don't understand," she cried, looking at the others. "I don't know what's happening."
"Don't worry about it, Flo," Musa said, red sound waves already emanating from her. "I'll take care of them."
She directed the sound waves further down the cave where the sound of the monsters were getting closer. But something went wrong and the tight quarters of the cave amplified Musa's magic, the increased sound waves causing the walls to shake and crumble.
"What's going on?!" Musa yelled over the sound of the shaking walls.
"The cave walls magnified your power," Tecna cried back, shielding her head from the falling rock. "It's out of control."
They all scattered, trying to avoid the large chunks of rock now falling from the ceiling, the situation only growing more chaotic when the three monsters finally reached them, roaring threateningly.
"Bloom! Layla! Let's go!" Together, Stella, Bloom, and Layla all transformed, and the girls got their first look at Layla's fairy form.
She wore a one shoulder top in a pretty seafoam green, cut cropped to expose her midriff. A sash ran from the top, across her stomach to connect to the green skirt she wore, paired with the same sort of heavy boots that all the other girls wore as well. The wings on her back were small, transparent, and shimmering like the other girls.
All three flew into the air immediately and took on a monster each. Bloom reached deep into the well of her magic and smothered one monster with a wall of flames, Stella blinded her monster with a wave of bright light before blasting with an energy ball, and Layla waved her arm conjuring a wave of water to crash down on the final monster. The water washed over it, extinguishing Bloom's flames and when it drained away, all three monsters had disappeared.
There was an electronic whir and the cave around them fractured and dissolved as they were returned to the bronze magical reality chamber. The sound of Faragonda clapping came over the speaker and she entered the chamber, moving over to check on them quickly.
"Well done all of you," she said, eyes raking over them. Musa was on her knees, head ducked, Flora was slowly getting up from where she'd fallen, and a bright red blush was colouring Tecna's cheeks. "Especially Bloom, Stella, and Layla, you three passed.
"Damn," Stella said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "You weren't kidding, Miss F, that was a hard test."
"Yes, it is, which is why I don't want you to be discouraged if you didn't do well. You're still young fairies."
"I couldn't even transform," Tecna said mournfully, refusing to meet anyone's eye. "I felt quite inept." Bloom slipped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly, even though she had to stand on tiptoe to do so.
There was a sniff, and everyone stared at Musa's back where she was still facing away from them. Faragonda crossed the catwalk and knelt beside her, mindless of her pencil skirt.
"It's okay, Musa," she said, laying her hand on her shoulder. "Everyone's magic is different and I assure you, we'll need your powers on other missions. This is an important part of growing as a fairy," she continued, looking around at them all. "And something you'll learn more about this year. You need to be able to identify and acknowledge both your strengths and weaknesses if you want to grow."
Musa didn't answer, but wiped away her tears and nodded. Faragonda stood and offered her student a hand to her feet.
"Get some rest now, girls," Faragonda said. "The test may have been short, but it took a lot out of you. And you'll need all the energy you can get when you leave tomorrow."
Layla crept from the dorm early the next morning, casting a worried look at the slumbering Stella as she went. The blonde didn't seem the type who appreciated being woken before her alarm went off, and after last night when she'd barely said a dozen words to Layla, she was determined not to get on her new room-mate's bad side. She was sure Stella didn't like her, but whether that had to do with losing her single room or something else, Layla wasn't sure.
She slipped out of the room and into the common area where Bloom and Musa were both yawning as they watched the television with the volume turned down low. Layla left them to it and exited the dorm already dressed in the protective cargo shorts and shirt Faragonda had sent over for the three of them going to the Under Realms. Layla didn't really have a plan from there but found herself wandering to Faragonda's office and knocking on the door, half surprised when a voice called for her to enter.
"Miss Asherah," Faragonda said with a surprised smile. She gestured for Layla to take a seat. "What can I do for you?"
Layla had no idea what was going to come out of her mouth until she abruptly blurted, "Why didn't you tell my parents that I'd gone to Shadowhaunt."
Faragonda tilted her head consideringly. "I suppose for the same reason I'm letting you, Miss Haleigha and Miss Peters go back now. I believe a growing fairy should get the chance to prove themselves. Why didn't you tell them about Shadowhaunt?"
"I guess I didn't think they'd understand why I had to go back," Layla said slowly. "You're right about the Under Realms. You can't control what it does to you; by the time I'd left Shadowhaunt I barely had any power left."
"Shadowhaunt is so over-run with negative energy that there is no balance, it's why it affects fairies especially so much."
"Do you know who this guy might be?"
Faragonda paused almost imperceptibly. "I'm afraid I can only speculate at this point. Perhaps when you save the pixies they might be able to tell us what he wanted from them, that might help narrow it down."
Layla was glad that Faragonda had said 'when' and not 'if'.
Faragonda glanced at her watch and stood, Layla following. "We should be getting down to the quad, my dear. Your backup will be arriving soon."
"Our backup?"
Faragonda only smiled mysteriously and led Layla from the room. Down on the quad the others were waiting for them, Bloom and Stella dressed in the same khaki clothes that Layla was. Both had a backpack that Layla knew was stocked full of anything they might need, dehydrated food packets, a full self-filling water bottle, a thick weatherproof jacket and more. There was a third backpack at Bloom's feet that she handed to Layla.
"Here, I grabbed this for you."
"Thanks," she said, and swung it onto her back.
"Take these," Fragonda said, pressing a small packet into her hand. "They're emergency magical light seeds."
"What do they do?" Layla examined the nondescript white packaging.
"The monsters you'll encounter likely won't have seen light for a long time. When you activate these seeds with a burst of magic they give off a very bright light that will drive the monsters away. But it will only work once so be careful."
Tecna was watching them with a worried expression. "I wish we could go with you," she said, and at her side Musa looked equally worried as she frowned at the ground and scuffed the toe of her sneaker into the gravel.
"Only fairies who pass the test can go," Faragonda said firmly. "And besides I've already arranged some backup for them."
As if on cue a shadow fell over them. They all craned their necks to see a Red Fountain craft begin to land on the quad. Bloom and Stella grinned at each other starting to get excited, but Layla scowled. Going with two girls she barely knew was going to be enough of an adjustment let alone adding to their party.
She wasn't the only one with reservations however. "The boys are going?" Tecna squawked in outrage. "That's not fair!"
Stella kicked Tecna's shin to shut her friend up, already waving excitedly as her boyfriend exited the craft, followed by Sky, Riven, and Timmy.
"Oh come on," Musa groaned. "They don't even have powers."
"Which means they don't have powers to lose," Faragonda said patiently. "I asked Saladin who would be best to send with you girls and he suggested Misters Traherne and Phillips. They scored the highest marks in their course on surviving unexplored terrains."
The boys arrived and nodded to Faragonda respectfully. Brandon slipped an arm around Stella's waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"Hi honey," Stella sighed to him.
"Hey sunshine," he replied while Musa pretended to gag behind their backs.
Tecna sniffed. "According to my calculations, their presence barely improves the chance of success. You'd be much better off with us along."
"Ouch, Tec," Sky said, while Brandon pretended to clutch his heart.
"I'm sorry but it's true," she said with a shrug.
"I agree," Layla said unexpectedly. "If we can't have Tecna, Musa, and Flora, I'd prefer it be just us girls."
"Hey now, new girl," Brandon said holding up his hands. "You haven't even seen us in action yet."
Layla narrowed her eyes, but all she said in response was, "It's Layla, not 'new girl'."
Sky glanced at her. "Princess Layla, Andros, right?"
Layla's dark eyes shifted to him and her mouth curled up, but it wasn't exactly a friendly smile. "Brandon- oh sorry, I mean Prince Sky, Eraklyon, right?"
Sky stiffened and Bloom glanced between them.
"Enough," Faragonda said, her voice brooking no arguments. "Brandon and Sky are highly trained and prepared for any emergency situation, magical or not. This is the team going on the mission, and you can accept that and go, or you can stay here and go to class like normal. The choice is yours."
There was a beat of uncomfortable silence as the five going on the mission eyed each other, all waiting for someone to pull out. But no one did and Faragonda finally nodded in approval. "Good," she said. "Now you should get going. Timmy and Riven will accompany you so they can bring the squad ship back, and they'll also collect you when you've secured the pixies."
Musa, Flora, and Tecna still didn't look happy about it but they wrapped the other girls in tight hugs, making them promise to be careful while they were gone. Finally they boarded the squad ship, Bloom and Stella looking around in amazement as they were led on and given a quick tour of the new ship.
"Wow, guys, it's huge."
"For sure," Timmy said, grinning like a kid with a new toy. "It's got a containment area if we need to transport any nasties, a hangar bay where we can fit a couple smaller crafts or our leva-bikes, kitchenette, bathroom, sleeping quarters, you name it, we've probably got it."
They walked out onto the main flight deck, Sky immediately claiming the pilot's chair, while Riven took the co-pilot position, the duo working in tandem to get them into the air. The others were left to stare each other down, the tension between Layla and the guys still making things uncomfortable.
Brandon, returning to his usual jovial self, was the first to wave the proverbial white flag. "Look," he said to Layla. "We got off on the wrong foot, but we've got a few hours before we get to the Under Realms and I'd rather not spend the entire time arguing. Besides, a divided team has no chance on a mission, so truce?"
Layla eyes his outstretched hand before taking it and shaking it once. "Truce," she agreed gruffly.
Brandon's usual grin appeared. "Sweet, well, I'm Brandon. We've got Sky and Riven flying." The two guys both waved a hand in greeting. "And Timmy." The redhead gave Layla a wave as well.
"Nice to meet you all."
"Great. Now everybody strap in because any minute now we're going to leave Magix airspace and Sky's really going to put his foot down."
Bloom claimed the seat on the other side of Sky, and Stella and Brandon took seats as far away from the others as they could manage, leaving Layla to snag a seat by Timmy who was manning the radars.
"Hey," Bloom said, as she buckled herself in beside Sky, before stifling a yawn.
He looked over at her with a grin. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah, just a bit tired. I didn't sleep well."
Sky's smile faded a little. "You're still not sleeping well?"
"No," Bloom said with a patient smile. "I wasn't sleeping well during the summer but I got over it. And then I didn't sleep well last night because it's our first mission today and I was strategising."
"Strategising, huh?" Sky said, knocking his knee gently against hers.
Bloom's lips curled up into a smile. "All the strategising."
Riven abruptly kicked the back of Sky's chair, and they both looked over.
"Eyes on the sky, Ace," Riven said, a sardonic, teasing note in is voie. "If you wanted to talk to Bloom the entire time you shouldn't have called shotgun on flying."
Sky waved him away and looked back at Bloom. "Riven's just annoyed that I get to fly the first mission of the year. If he had his way he'd fly all the time."
Riven flipped Sky off without looking over, but Bloom caught sight of his profile and could see he was smiling. "You're just lucky we all need a minimum number of flight hours to pass third year or you'd never get me out of that chair."
"So, who's the bad guy this time," Brandon asked from the back of the flight deck.
Bloom spun her chair around and glanced at Layla, who shrugged.
"Not sure yet," Stella said. "We just know he likes to hang around Shadowhaunt, captured Layla's friends, and has a grudge against pixies, for whatever reason."
"And is wicked strong," Layla said in an undertone, remembering with a frown the feeling of his power wrapping around her.
Brandon didn't seem too concerned, if his lazy shrug was anything to go by. "It'll be a piece of cake. And we're loaded up with all sorts of cool stuff, you should check out our new PHA."
Bloom raised her eyebrows. "PHA?"
"Personal Hero's Assistant. It's the newest bit of hero tech out of Zenith," Timmy said excitedly, looking away from the radars. "It's designed to be really functional while still being as small as possible. It has GPS tracking, a grappling hook function, and even has a new feature that allows us to pass through solid objects. Codatorta gave us a couple to test out."
"Sounds cool," Layla said vaguely. "Hey Brandon are you able to pull up a map of the Under Realms on one of these computers."
Brandon clipped his PHA back onto his belt and gestured them over to one of the monitors. "Only parts of the Under Realms have been mapped so it's going to be hard to find our way around."
"It's just a whole load of tunnels," Stella said, staring at the map, her face aghast.
"It;s not just tunnels," Layla said, her tone indicating that Stella should have known this already. "It's divided into kingdoms like lots of other realms, you can see the borders here and here," she continued pointing to lines on the map. "The surface is unlivable so everyone who didn't abandon the planet went underground, that's why it's called the Under Realms. There are lots of tunnels and caves but there are also big caverns, and underground rivers as well. I'm hoping to remember enough to guide us around."
Stella rolled her eyes. "Sounds like a great plan," she snarked back, ignoring Bloom when she nudged her in the ribs.
"So, which part is Shadowhaunt?" Bloom asked to change the subject.
"Well, this is Downland," Brandon said, pointing to a cluster of tunnels that looked to open out into a massive cavern.
"Then this one is Shadowhaunt," Layla said, pointing to another large cavern nearby. "Downland is the closest."
"Sending you the coordinates, Sky."
"Aim for them, but I'll direct you when we get closer. The entrance I took last time was overrun with monsters."
"You got it," Sky said. He pushed the accelerator a little more and the ship shot forward.
The others drifted away to get in as much chill time before they arrived in the Under Realms, but Layla stayed close to the map, trying to commit it to memory. Occasionally she glanced covertly across the flight deck, watching her companions and trying to pick up on the group's dynamic.
Brandon and Stella were clearly a couple, a blind man could see that; Stella was perched on the arm of Brandon's chair, his arm around her waist while they talked quietly. Riven lounged in the co-pilot's chair, cracking sarcastic quips and making Timmy laugh, and looking for all intent and purposes like a slacker, but Layla noticed how his sharp eyes never strayed far from his duties. Bloom and Sky were the hardest for Layla to work out; they seemed to sit a little apart from the others, lost in their own world, but throughout it Layla didn't think she saw them touch each other at all. She watched them on and off during the few hours it took them to reach the Under Realms but throughout it all they were like two magnets, hovering close to each other but never coming into contact.
As they got closer Sky gestured for Layla to come closer and direct him towards the entrance. They skated over the plain, rocky surface of the planet, bypassing the entrance she'd taken last time with Lockette, and instead she directed him towards a crevice, where according to the map, there was a smaller entrance. Sky skillfully negotiated the tight crevice, lowering the ship through the darkness until they hovered several feet over the highest rocky landing.
"I can't go any closer or we'll risk losing power to the ship. Saladin warned us that the Under Realms might have a negative affect on it."
Layla peered through the front window, calculating the drop down to the ledge. "It's not so far. I'm sure we can handle it."
Stella came over to look as well, making a face like she wasn't so convinced; but in completely untypical Stella fashion, didn't put up a fight.
Sky handed the piloting duties over to Riven and they all gathered their supplies, preparing to leave.
"You guys be careful out there," Riven said, not looking away from the front windshield despite his worried words. "The second you're done you get in contact and we'll be back to pick you up."
Brandon slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be sweet."
"Who said I was worried?" Riven said brusquely but Bloom thought she saw his shoulders relax a little.
Timmy had rigged up a rope from them to descend from, Stella and Bloom grimacing at the sight of it. Lysippe made them do rope climbs occasionally but it was hardly their favourite activity, especially Stella who resisted anything that might damage her usually flawless nails. Bloom was at least slightly reassured to see the rope had been knotted at equidistant intervals to give them something to cling to.
Sky went first, climbing down it in a flash like he'd barely had to think about it; and knowing Red Fountain he probably hadn't had to think about it because he did that sort of thing every day. Layla went next, climbing down almost as quickly and brushing aside the hand Sky held out to steady her. Then it was Bloom's turn and she gritted her teeth as she took Brandon's proffered hand as she swung her legs over the side of the ship's opening and lowered herself towards the rope. She certainly wasn't breaking any speed records on her way down but she climbed down at a steady pace, making sure of her grip everytime she slid her feet lower. When she was low enough, Sky reached up and held her waist to support her as she jumped off.
"Thanks," she said, voice a little breathless as she tried to ignore the warm feeling of his fingers on her bare waist where her shirt had rucked up.
The second her feet hit the rock, that same feeling Bloom had felt during the test in the magical reality chamber slammed back into her, feeling even more intense somehow. She felt like there was an invisible weight dragging her down, and the magic she could usually feel inside her waiting to burst free felt further away than normal. She shook her shoulders around a little, trying to settle into the feeling, before looking up to track Stella's progress.
If Bloom had thought she had been slow climbing down the rope, Stella was practically glacial. The blonde gritted her teeth the entire way down and her knuckles were white from how tightly she was gripping the rope. Brandon followed her down, calling gentle encouragement the entire time until finally Stella was close enough for Sky to help her gracelessly relinquish the rope and stumble back onto solid rock. Brandon leapt down next to her and immediately took her hands in his, rubbing the feeling back into them.
"I much prefer my wings," Stella sniffed, looking haughtily up at the rope.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Bloom thought she saw Layla turn away to hide her smile. Timmy waved from inside the ship and called out a goodbye before the door lowered, blocking him from view.
"Come on," Layla said, as soon as the ship started to fly away. An edge of impatience had crept into her voice and she was looking into the entrance of the cave. "Let's get going."
Sky and Brandon immediately followed into the tunnel, the former withdrawing a torch to illuminate the way. Bloom shifted the straps of her backpack, settling it into a more comfortable position before following them. Stella cast one final, longing look at the sliver of sky she could still see before she too followed them into the dark.
"We're coming at Shadowhaunt from a slightly different angle," Layla was telling the guys as they walked. "But I looked at the maps on the ship and I'm pretty sure of the way."
"Pretty sure or definitely sure?" Stella snarked under her breath, glowering at the rocky walls of the cave as they trudged along.
Layla frowned but didn't rise to the bait, and Bloom dropped back a little to walk with Stella.
"What's up with you?"
"I don't know what you mean."
Bloom didn't believe her innocent act for a second. "Come on, you're kind of acting bitchy to Layla for no reason."
Stella frowned and opened her mouth to retort before glancing over her shoulder. Even walking for a few minutes they'd already followed a few twists and turns and lost sight of the entrance. "Did you hear that?"
"No," Bloom said. "I didn't hear anything, I think you're avoiding the question. If you didn't want to come you shouldn't have done the test."
"Of course I wanted to come," Stella muttered, shooting wary looks at Brandon, Sky, and Layla's backs.
"Then what? Is this about having to share your room with Layla?"
Stella rolled her eyes. "Wow Bloom," she said sarcastically. "Didn't realise you thought I was so shallow."
"I don't think you're shallow," Bloom sniped back, feeling her temper rise. "But I do know you like your own space."
"This isn't about a stupid dorm room. Maybe after the summer I've had, the last person I want around is a girl who is supposed to be a 'catalyst for great change'- Okay tell me you heard that!"
"Stella, there's nothing there."
Stella ignored her and in a flash of bright light had transformed into her fairy form, her orange tank and shorts managing to sparkle even in the dim environment.
The flash drew the attention of the others and they turned around in surprise.
"You girls alright back there?" Brandon asked.
"Yep," Stella said breezily, walking ahead of Bloom. She plucked her Solarian ring from her finger and threw it up into the air, catching the sceptre it transformed into and swinging it back and forth casually. "There's supposed to be monsters all over the place, right Layla? Can't hurt to be ready."
Layla watched as Stella strutted past her, eyes guarded. "Right," she said.
Stella didn't get very far however before the monster she'd been hearing growl made its appearance.
"Oh crap," Bloom said as she wheeled around and found herself practically face to face with the thing.
Stella zoomed through the air and slid neatly in front of her, sceptre held out. "Go," she said firmly, not wincing in the face of the monster. "I'll deal with this."
In the midst of battle Bloom knew the importance of taking orders so she didn't argue and took off running after the others. Behind her the tunnel lit up with one of Stella's spells. She didn't make it very far however because up ahead, Brandon, Sky, and Layla had been stopped short at a heavy set of metal double doors.
"Bloom," Sky called. "Think you can blow it open?"
"Leave it to me." Bloom didn't even bother to transform, so confident she was in her ability. She just sized up her target, holding her hands level with the intricate lock that was emblazoned with some kind of creature, and let the well of magic inside of her explode outwards, flames roaring towards the lock. But a strange thing happened. When it should have come into contact with the metal and blown it open, the magic instead passed straight through it, disappearing with a faint whoosh.
There was a beat of silence.
"Did it just-"
"Absorb your magic?" Layla said grimly. "Yeah. This place has a tendency of doing that."
"That's where we come in," Brandon said, springing into action. "Sometimes brute force has its uses."
He unclipped his PHA from his belt and wasted no time attaching it to the door. He hovered in front of it, punching in numbers on the keypad and muttering under his breath.
"What's happening?" Bloom asked Sky.
The blonde hero was watching his friend. "He has to get the size of the blast right or we'll be dealing with a collapsing tunnel as well as monsters."
"Well, he'd better hurry up," Bloom muttered, staring in the opposite direction. A bright light was flying rapidly towards them and she was willing to bet Stella was only moving that fast because monsters were on her tail. She glanced sideways at Layla, who met her gaze with determination.
"Let's do this."
They transformed just in time for Stella to reach them, looking tired. She dove behind them for a momentary reprieve while Bloom and Layla attacked the half dozen monsters who had arrived along with her. Bloom immediately flung a wave of flames at two, burning them to ashes before they even had a chance to spit their bile. Layla meanwhile dodged the flying spikes of another before forcing a tendril of water down its throat, drowning it.
Bloom was already feeling the effects of the under realms on her, and realised using such a powerful first attack might not have been the best idea. Layla was looking similarly tired, and they were only saved from the three remaining monsters by Stella who conjured enough strength to raise her sceptre and unleash a wave of sunlight, incinerating them.
"Alright, I think I got it," Brandon called. "Take cover."
Sky pulled Bloom behind a large stalagmite, while the other three hig behind a rocky outcrop on the other side of the tunnel. For a second Bloom wondered if it hadn't worked but then she heard the explosion and felt the heat fill the tunnel. She was expecting more damage but Brandon had calculated it perfectly and most of the doors remained intact, with only the lock blown to pieces. Sky kicked the doors open, while Brandon scooped up his PHA and led the girls through.
"We need to get this sealed fast," Sky said, as he and Brandon pushed the doors shut once more. "More monsters could be coming."
"I could try and melt the metal and fuse it together," Bloom said dubiously. She wasn't sure she could conjure flames hot enough to do that even without the effect the under realms environment was having on her.
"I got this," Layla said, shaking out her shoulders a little. She crouched down and brought her water magic to her palms, letting it pour onto the ground and pool there. She mixed it with the dirt on the rocky ground, combining the two it became a thick muddy mixture which she applied to the join in the doors, before freezing it solid.
"Woah," Brandon breathed, touching a hand to the muddy ice that was now coating the doors.
"I didn't know you could freeze water as well," Bloom said.
"Yeah, it's all about messing with the temperature of the water molecules. Only thing is I can't do anything with it once it's frozen except melt it again." Layla made more of the mixture and applied it to the tops and the bottoms of the doors, her movements slowing. "I should do a second coat," she mumbled, voice faint, and when she went to stand upright she stumbled a little.
"Woah," Sky said, catching a hold of her elbow and making sure she was steady. "Are you alright?"
Layla shook her head a little, but didn't answer. She brought a hand up to her temple and barely seemed to notice as her wings and fairy outfit disappeared with a flash and were replaced with her khakis and boots. Sky stepped around to her backpack and pulled her drink bottle free, handing it to her.
"Here, have some water. You probably just over-exerted yourself a little."
Layla took a long drink before nodding in agreement. "Yeah. You can never know how fast this place is going to drain your power. Let's keep moving."
"You sure you're right to go on? We can sit for a bit while you get your strength back?"
"I'm sure," Layla said briskly, waving away Sky's concern and jerking her head back at the doors. "That ice won't last forever, they'll either crack it or it'll start to melt, and we don't want to be here when the next monsters get through."
With Layla leading the way, and Stella beside her, still throwing off sun rays with her sceptre, the group continued along the tunnel.
"Don't worry about not having your powers, Layla, I'm still good to go," Stella was saying to Layla.
"Yeah, we all stick up for each other," Brandon agreed. "And we've been going on missions together for a year now so we're like a well oiled machine."
Layla glanced at them. "I'm not worried," was all she said in response.
"You haven't even seen Bloom when she goes all crazy, mega-power attack mode…."
Bloom lost track of the conversation after that. Being at the back of the pack meant being the furthest away from the light source and she was starting to have trouble seeing, causing her to trip over the uneven group and the odd stalagmite. And to make matters worse, a steady pounding had started up in her head and soon she was having trouble walking and had to lift a hand to the wall of the tunnel to keep herself balanced.
"Bloom?"
The voice surprised her and she stumbled. Only this time she didn't have the energy to correct herself and she ended up falling straight to her knees, the rocky ground cutting into her unforgivingly.
"Bloom!"
"Bloom?"
"Bloom, Bloom."
The voices washed over her, making her head swim, and Bloom fell heavily onto her side, bringing both hands up to her pounding temples. Hands touched her shoulders and arms, trying to pull them away from her face and get her to sit up.
Then a gentler set of hands touched her face, brushing her hair back and bringing a water bottle to her lips. She drank from it greedily, before resting her head back against the ground, eyes tight shut while she waited for the pain to recede. The other hands retreated but those gentle hands stayed, brushing tender fingers soothingly over her temples.
She didn't know how much time passed but finally she started to feel better.
"What happened?" she rasped, and the quiet murmuring voices broke off. She opened her eyes slowly and was relieved to find the tunnel had grown dark around her, Stella's sun rays having vanished.
"You fell," Sky said quietly. He was sitting by her head, while the others hovered behind them, their faces clearly worried even in the darkness. "It's hotter down here than I was expecting, I think between the dehydration-"
"And this place draining your power," Layla added.
"Yeah, you just got weak."
"Stella's not feeling too hot either," Brandon said, and Bloom could see that Stella had de-transformed back into her khakis.
Sky helped Bloom stand up and encouraged her to drink more from her water bottle.
"How are you feeling?" Layla asked, sounding anxious, though Bloom wasn't sure if she was worried for her wellbeing or for the pixies.
Bloom took a quick stock of her body. "Okay, I think," she said truthfully. She certainly didn't feel up to running a marathon or anything but as long as she didn't try to use her powers too soon she thought she'd be okay. "Let's keep going."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. The sooner we find the pixies the sooner we can get out of here."
They continued on, Sky sticking close by Bloom's side in case she started to feel weak again. Layla led the group but she was frowning and shaking her head at their surroundings.
"What is it?" Bloom called up to her.
She let out a frustrated sigh. "I thought I would be able to remember my way around but all these tunnels look almost exactly alike. I thought those doors meant we were getting close but now I'm not so sure."
The others exchanged looks. They could hear the impatience creeping into her voice, and the exhaustion coupled with worry for the pixies was clearly starting to wear on her.
"How about this?" Brandon broke in. "The tunnel branches off over there, I'll follow it along and see what I can find while you continue with this one. We'll walk for five minutes and see what we can find and then meet back here."
"I don't like the idea of you going off on your own," Stella said, but Brandon grinned and pressed a fleeting kiss to her cheek.
"It'll be all good, sunshine. I'll see you in a few."
And then before anyone could argue, he'd ducked into the side passage that opened off the main tunnel and disappeared from view.
Layla watched him go before shrugging. "We might as well keep going."
Stella bit her lip, looking after the way Brandon had gone before reluctantly following Layla, Sky and Bloom joining them. They didn't have to walk long before they saw a brightness appear in the distance, lit by crystals that grew in clusters on the cave walls. They hurried towards the end, before coming up short at the narrow ledge the tunnel opened out onto.
"Woah!" Layla said, flinging out an arm to the cave's edge to catch her balance.
Woah was right, Bloom thought as a wave of vertigo washed over her. Being a fairy and spending so much time in the air had cured her of any phobia of heights she might have had, but this was on a whole other level. The cave had opened out into a tall cavern, the walls of which were dotted with crystals and other ledges like the one they stood on. When Bloom craned her neck she thought she could just see the sky in the distance, but she was more worried about what was below her, the floor of the cavern not even visible through the gloom; if their ledge suddenly crumbled she'd have no idea how far they'd fall before hitting the ground.
Layla cast a disgusted look around the cavern and thumped her fist against the cave wall, surprising the others. "This isn't right."
"Hey," Bloom said gently. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out."
Layla didn't seem comforted by her words and opened her mouth to answer when a shout from below caught their attention. They peered over the edge and a few ledges down and over they saw Brandon lean out from another tunnel with a grin and a wave. They waved back and Layla cupped her hands around her mouth to shout down to him.
"We need to regroup. Can you find your way back up here?"
"I think-" Brandon broke off with a grimace and a moment later he was backing further onto the ledge and pulling a sword hilt from his belt. He clicked the broadsword out, the green metal glinting even in the gloom, and yelled without looking away from the cave entrance, "I've got company down here."
A cry emerged from Stella's throat and she wheeled around to run back into their cave but Layla beat her to it, transforming in a split second. "It'll be quicker if I go."
Stella's mouth snapped shut and a dangerous look entered her tawny eyes but she didn't argue. Not that there was much point because Layla was already gone, diving over the edge and flying down to Brandon's aid.
"She's crazy if she thinks I'm just going to stand here," Stella hissed, but it quickly became clear she still didn't have enough energy to transform. Bloom tried to transform as well but like Stella she was still exhausted from before and the Under Realms were keeping her powers from regenerating.
The sound of Layla's scream drew them away from their attempts and the girls along with Sky leaned over the edge again trying to see what was happening. Layla was gone from view, fighting in the tunnels, Bloom hoped, but Brandon was still on the edge, wielding his broadsword against a long necked monster. He thrust and parried trying to nick or cut the monster but it was surprisingly agile and adept at dodging his attacks.
Then the unthinkable happened and Brandon missed again, slamming the powerful blade against the rocky ledge. The rocky ledge that clearly wasn't strong enough to hold up against that kind of attack and instantly began to crumble. Brandon's eyes went wide with shock, as an agonised scream wrenched from Stella's throat. The brunette specialist turned for the cave entrance but only managed a step or two towards it before the entire ledge dislodged from the cavern wall completely, taking Brandon and the monster with it as it fell out of sight.
"Brandon!" Stella screamed.
Bloom turned to look at her but it was like she was moving through water, her movements slow and awkward, and entirely too late to stop her friend as Stella cleared the two steps to the edge of the rock and dove off the side to follow Brandon that long way down.
Can you believe it's freaking September already? I legit can't remember the last time I updated this fic, but it's freaking spring for me now guys. that's crazy. where has the year gone?
As always I have gotten to this author's note and completely forgotten all of the things I wanted to say. I hope you liked how I clarified how Layla was able to attend Alfea, something that I think was a little vague in the actual show and has always lowkey bugged me. There's a lil bit of tension going on between Layla and the guys, and even more so between Stella and Layla (insert side eye emoji here). I hope you liked the potions class from the start of the chapter, that little tidbit was born out of a funny conversation on the winx club discord server about who would be the worst at potions (tecna, stella, and bloom all tie for the worst, while flora is the best), and props to Drops I think who inspired the, "tecna, stella, and bloom almost accidentally blow up the school" anecdote.
As always thank you so so so much to everyone who reads, leaves kudos, and takes the time to comment, you're all amazing. Please feel free to leave a comment telling me what you loved, what you didn't love, and what you're looking forward to seeing in the next chapter. Stay safe everyone xxxxx