"Everyone across the plan?"
"Yes, Sky," Brandon said patiently. "You've gone over it five times already. Now concentrate on what you're doing."
The Downworlders guard worm was making steady but slow progress on opening up the tunnels for the ship, which Sky was piloting. It was still a tight fit however and he had to use every bit of his abilities to avoid scraping the wings of the craft on the rocky walls. But he was finding the slow pace maddening and it was only luck that the body and tail of the guard worm blocked his way otherwise he might have been tempted to speed up a little.
Despite Brandon's assurances Sky found himself saying again, "When the guard worm finishes opening up the tunnel, we'll follow it straight through to Shadowhaunt. Amentia and her troops will enter the cavern from the western tunnels to split the shadow monsters and Darkar's attention."
No one called him on the repetition even though they all knew the plan off by heart by now, knowing his mind was likely with Bloom wherever she was being held in Shadowhaunt.
"Alright, here we go," Timmy said from the chair to Sky's left, indicating on the screen that they'd almost reached the cavern.
Mere moments later they heard the final rumble and crunch as the guard worm forced its way through the last of the rock and broke free into the cavern giving a roar of triumph. Sky rolled his shoulders and gripped the steering wheel as he guided the ship through the last few turns. Distantly he heard the cry of the trogs as they entered the fray.
"Sounds like they've already run into some of the locals," Stella said as the sounds of fighting started to reach them. It was impossible to tell what was happening or how bad it was until they got there themselves.
"I wouldn't worry about Amentia," Layla said, thinking back to the vision of Brandon going toe to toe with her. "She and her trogs seems pretty tough to me."
And indeed when they finally reached the opening and zoomed out into the cavern it was to find Amentia leading her army from the front, wielding her sceptre with deadly precision. But she was facing a formidable army.
Lord Darkar must have sensed their arrival because a force of shadow monsters, more than any of them had seen in one place, had gathered to defend Shadowhaunt. Hordes of many legged monsters with jagged teeth and slimy skin charged at Amentia and the trogs on the floor of the cavern, while a veritable mass of bats swarmed around the decrepit castle making it impossible for the ship to get close.
At the appearance of the ship a throng of the bats broke off and flew at them, making an awful screeching noise that had the pixies shuddering and covering their ears. Acting fast, Helia, who had remained in the weapons pod, quickly blasted them out of the air, taking out most of the group. The few who made it through collided with the ship, scratching at it with their claws. There weren't enough to make a real impact but if a bigger group managed to attack next time they might be in real trouble.
"Brandon, weapons pod now," Sky said, and his friend quickly unbuckled himself. "Give Helia a hand if another group decides to fly at us."
"You got it."
Sky circled the cavern scanning for any break in the bats while Timmy and Tecna did the same, using whatever technology the ship had at its disposal to search for weaknesses in the swarm.
"There's no way we'll be able to get close until we deal with these monsters," Timmy said, showing a rare moment of frustration as he ripped his glasses off his face and polished them furiously on a spare spot of his uniform.
Sky blew out his own frustrated breath, the knowledge that he was so close yet so far from Bloom eating away at him. But he rolled his shoulders and concentrated on the task at hand. "Alright, so let's get rid of these monsters."
The sound of the fighting, the screeching of the bats, the roars of the monsters as they were cut down, the yells of triumph from the trogs, and the blasting of spaceship blasters, it all echoed through the castle to the throne room.
"The time has come to enter Realix, my dear," Darkar said, extending a clawed hand to the phantom who took it and allowed herself to be led over to the pieces of the codex.
Stop.
But it wasn't Bloom's silent plea that stopped them in the tracks but rather an ice cold voice from the open doorway.
"You weren't about to enter Realix without us, were you?"
Fire ignited in Darkar's eyes but he was calm as he turned around and beheld the three witches standing expectantly.
When Darkar didn't answer, Icy continued, rage in her eyes. "If you didn't notice we've got a bit of a problem outside. The Red Fountain ship has made it to the cavern."
Inside herself, Bloom simultaneously rejoiced and flinched. Knowing her friends had made it that far and were so close, but also knowing what kind of army of monsters they would inevitably be facing out in the cavern. Darkar's next words drew her attention back to the throne room.
"And who's fault is that?"
Three simultaneous hisses of rage exploded from the witches and electricity crackled in the air.
"You had one job," Darkar continued, unmoved by their anger. "Keep them from reaching Shadowhaunt and you couldn't even do that. Now we have no choice but to enter Realix now and take the Ultimate Power before they get any further."
"You-"
Darkar stalked towards them, pure power radiating off of him. "And if you three want to see even a sliver of the Ultimate Power, you'll get out there and deal with them. Properly this time."
"How dare you-" Icy started furiously again, but the phantom had grown bored of their arguing and opened her mouth to intervene.
But Bloom, who had been watching the standoff from her prison inside herself, silently willing the witches on, hoping they would fight and argue and delay their entry into Realix, came back to life. She fought tooth and nail with every inch of her will to stop the phantom from using her voice, to keep her where she was standing and let the argument rage.
"Fuck off," the phantom hissed and Bloom felt a thrill of satisfaction knowing she was getting to her, in whatever little ways she could.
It didn't matter though, because the argument finished as quickly as it had begun with Darkar ordering the witches to go destroy the Red Fountain ship.
No!
"Deal with those pesky fairies and heroes while we open the portal and then you can join us in Realix," Darkar said, slamming the doors closed before they could argue.
He spun back around and stalked back to the phantom, looking at her with those unearthly eyes.
The phantom wrestled control back of Bloom's voice enough to say, "What?"
Darkar stopped in front of her, and reached out with a claw extended to brush a lock of red hair behind her ear. The phantom was intrigued by the movement while Bloom shuddered internally at the feeling of him so close.
"She is so like her."
The 'she' in question was undeniably Bloom, who's face the phantom was wearing, but neither knew who the 'her' was who Darkar was referring to.
The phantom shook her head. "Who?"
Darkar's mouth curved into a dangerous smile. "Queen Alinta," he said slowly as if tasting each and every syllable. "The young queen of Sparx who was responsible for my transformation into the Shadow Phoenix."
"Ah," the phantom said quietly, as understanding bloomed within her. "I had wondered why you chose Bloom. It seemed… specific."
Darkar spread those clawed hands. "What better revenge than to twist her descendant into something evil and use her as the last piece to finally attain the power I deserve."
"Indeed," the phantom said, her own lips turning up in a smile. But in her mind she was turning over Darkar's words. Still, she inclined her head towards the table where Sephiron had laid out the four pieces of the codex. "Shall we?"
Brandon's grunt of frustration echoed through the ship's intercom as three different groups of bats attacked the ship, making it hard for himself and Helia in the weapons pods to blast them all.
"They're getting smarter," Timmy said, as the bats collided with and jostled the ship with their weight. "They seem to have worked out that we can only shoot in two directions at once."
Sky didn't answer, too busy concentrating on keeping them in the air.
"We're too big a target," Riven added, clinging to his chair to avoid being tipped out onto the floor. "We need to get out there and split those bats. Give them more targets to focus on."
Sky risked a quick glance over to Riven, trying to parse from his expression if they were thinking the same thing.
"Timmy, can you take over for me?"
"You got it. Tecna can co-pilot."
"Red Wings?" Riven asked, already unbuckling himself.
"Red Wings," Sky confirmed.
They executed a neat shuffle, Sky flicking the ship to autopilot while Timmy took the pilot's seat, and Tecna took his vacated seat. Once the ship was back under control Sky and Riven made their way down into the hanger, struggling to keep their footing as the ship was buffeted by bats and Timmy tried to keep it level.
Sky and Riven didn't speak as they each climbed into the small Red Wing crafts, getting themselves comfortable as they powered up. Sky reached up to flick on the intercoms that would keep him connected to both the main ship and Riven's Red Wing.
"Brandon, Helia, direct your blasters to the port side. We need to keep the bats away while we deploy the Red Wings."
"On it."
Sky gritted his teeth as the Red Wing thrummed beneath him and the hangar doors opened but the ship's blasters were working at keeping the bats at bay and the air was clear. Still, neither Sky or Riven wasted any time flying their crafts out; the longer the blasters were focused on one side of the ship, the more likely it would become that the bats would converge on the other side.
Within moments they were both in the air, peeling away from the larger ship, and the hangar doors were quickly sliding closed behind them. While Timmy continued to guide the ship in circles around the cavern, Sky and Riven flew the smaller, zippy Red Wings in zigzags through the air, nimbly avoiding each other.
Their plan worked and soon the bats were forced to pick between the three ships, making it impossible to converge on just the one and making it much easier for them to pick off the bats still swarming around the entrance of Shadowhaunt. Sky in particular was lethally focused, barely letting up on his blasters, intent on taking out as many bats as possible as quickly as he could.
"Did you see that, Ace?" Riven crowed, as they passed one another in the air. "Just took out twenty in one pass."
Sky didn't answer, just narrowed his eyes, and picked off another dozen bats.
"I'm just saying," Riven continued, his voice taunting. "I haven't seen you take out that many in one go yet."
Sky wasn't nearly as competitive as Riven, but even he felt a prickle in his stomach at Riven's cajoling. Still, he stayed focused on the task at hand.
"I know what you're doing, Riven."
"What's that, Ace?"
"Trying to get me angry and distract me so I'll stop worrying about Bloom so much."
There was a pause. Then. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Sky shook his head but allowed himself a small smile, marvelling at how far they'd come.
"I can't be the only one who's sick of jumping every time Lord Darkar asks us to," Stormy grumbled as the trio made their way outside.
Darcy, ignoring her, was focused on Icy, who once more, in what had become something of a habit for her, was fingering the necklace around her throat. "We're not seriously going to give our power to those monsters are we?"
Icy didn't answer either of them, pacing to the edge of a ledge, seemingly unaffected by the bats who were swarming around the castle as well as the Red Fountain crafts zooming around the cavern. Without speaking she wrenched the necklace from around her neck, snapping the chain, and then in one smooth movement held it out over the ledge and let go.
Following their coven-sister's example, Stormy and Darcy wrestled their own bracelets from their wrists and similarly pitched them over the side, Stormy giving a cackle of laughter at their sudden freedom.
Darcy was more subdued, lightly touching the bare skin of her wrist. "So, what are we going to do now?"
Icy blinked, and finally turned to them. "Oh, we're going to give those monsters a power up just like Lord Darkar asked."
Stormy and Darcy exchanged bewildered glances.
"I thought-"
"We need those monsters to hold those pesky fairies, heroes, and pixies off. With them out of the way there will be nothing stopping Darkar and… her from opening the portal to Realix. Then we'll follow them through."
"And get our part of the codex?" Stormy asked eagerly.
"Not just our part, Stormy," Icy said coolly, eyes burning with cold rage. "After all he's put us through, I'm not settling for a mere sliver of the Ultimate Power. No, I want all of it."
Eyes gleaming with hunger the three witches lined up along the ledge and held out their hands, palms already brimming with magic. Then they unleashed themselves.
It started as a rumble somewhere deep within Shadowhaunt, a sound so deep and primal that it set the fairies, heroes, and pixies nerves alight.
"What is that?" Lockette squeaked nervously.
Then it hit them. The sensation was unlike anything else they'd ever experienced before. It was not unlike one of Musa's sonar attacks, but not painful, just an intense feeling that made them grit their teeth and clench the arms of their seats. And whatever it was, the ship did not like it at all, for it trembled and shook in the air, just barely managing to stay level.
In their smaller crafts, Sky and Riven were having an even worse time of it as they were thrown about in their seats, doing everything they could just to stay in the air.
"It's the Trix!" Timmy yelled, pointing through the front window to where they were standing.
Tecna grimaced, fingers darting about on her screen, trying desperately to work out what they were being hit with. "The magical signature," she said. "The magical energy is pouring out of them."
"What? Like a power-up?" Digit asked.
"Why would they be trying to power us up?" Stella demanded, eyes screwed shut as she waited for the sensation to end.
"They're not," Tecna said, the horror of realisation dawning on her. "They're powering up the monsters."
Up in the weapons pod, Brandon slammed on the intercom button. "Is this thing hitting you guys too?" He asked Sky and Riven.
"Affirmative," came Riven's voice.
But Sky couldn't answer, he was too busy dealing with other problems.
The Trix's magic was affecting his display screen which not only allowed him to see outside of his craft but also fed him a constant stream of other information. It flickered on and off, alternately showing what was in front of him and a wall of black. His eyes and mind strained, trying to steer his ship despite the impaired vision.
It wasn't enough however, not even Brandon's warning was enough. For his screen went dark one final time, remaining black for an agonisingly long few seconds.
And even though Brandon yelled, "Sky, look out!" through the intercom, it wasn't enough. Sky was already wrenching the wheel, not even knowing what he was trying to avoid, as his display finally came back to life, giving him the perfect view of the rocky spire he was about to slam into.
"Shit! Sky!" Musa yelled, watching through the glass as Sky's Red Wing clipped the rock and spun through the air. "Timmy! We have to do something to help Sky!"
Timmy grunted and tried to coax the large ship into turning as the others watched helplessly as the Red Wing flipped over and over through the air. As their ship got closer the Red Wing almost collided with them before it abruptly righted itself and veered away.
"Sorry about that," came Sky's voice, sounding shaken. "I've levelled out now."
"Are you sure?" Brandon demanded. "Do you need to come back in?"
"I'm fine. Let's just deal with these monsters so we can get inside."
Before Brandon could argue further, their ship was hit by another series of blasts, this one different to the previous feeling.
"Is it the Trix again?" Flora asked.
"No, they've left," Timmy said, squinting at the place they'd been standing.
"There!" Layla cried, pointing. "There's monsters up there."
Monsters were lining the cavern, appearing at almost every tunnel entrance while even more crowded the platforms and walkways leading from Shadowhaunt. Somehow they seemed even bigger and meaner than usual.
"That was some spell the Trix powered them up with," Tecna remarked.
"What the hell are they hitting us with?"
The answer came from Sky and Riven.
"Rocks," Riven supplied. "They're throwing rocks at you."
"We're right behind you guys."
Sure enough, the two Red Wings had circled around to flank the ship. Sky's flying seemed a little unstable to the others, but before they could question it, another rock hit their wing causing them to tip dangerously.
Stella screeched and clung to her seat. 'Timmy, do you think you could hold off on the aerobatics? I'm feeling a little-"
But what she was feeling, they didn't know because another rock hit them and this time they almost flipped entirely. It was only Timmy's considerable flying skills that kept them level.
"Never mind, you're doing great," she squeaked out through clenched teeth.
"Rocks?" Timmy demanded.
"Well," Riven said, reconsidering his earlier assessment. "Maybe they're more like boulders... big ones."
"Come on!" Layla said, frustration creeping into her voice. "We need to get in there."
"I'm sure Bloom is okay," Chatta said optimistically, flying over to land on Layla's knee. But when she looked over at Lockette hopefully for confirmation, the pixie's dark expression did not bode well.
Lockette flew over to Tecna's shoulder, peering down at one of the screens. "Is this all the monsters?"
"Yeah, I'm trying to run formulas to work out the best plan of attack." Another rock hit them and Tecna grimaced, pressing buttons rapidly. "While also keeping us in the air."
Lockette nodded thoughtfully, before reaching for her hair clip. In a flash she had it in her hand and it had transformed into her sceptre.
"Come on, Tecna," she said, her little voice carrying an unusual weight of authority. "Between the two of us I'm sure we can figure out a plan of attack. Digit?"
"Right here!"
Together the three of them bent over the screen, sparkles flying from Lockette's sceptre while Tecna and Digit talked in a steady stream of unintelligible numbers and formulas.
"That one!" Lockette finally declared, pointing to a spot while Tecna and Digit nodded in agreement.
Something about Bloom being in danger seemed to have transformed Lockette for she flew into the air and started barking out orders like a general. She directed Timmy in piloting the ship around the cavern, commanded Sky and Riven to focus on certain swathes of monsters, while instructing Brandon and Helia where to aim their blasters.
"Incoming!" Tecna called.
"Starboard side, Brandon!" Lockette instructed and moments later they heard the blasters start up, aiming for the monsters responsible.
"On it."
"What is Sky doing?" Layla murmured, mostly to herself. She watched his Red Wing closely; he was following Lockette's orders, but there was something reckless about his flying. He'd swoop in for a pass, take out a bunch of monsters, almost clip the craft on a rocky ledge or spire before abruptly diverting.
"He needs to be more careful," Piff said sleepily, rubbing her eyes.
"Yeah," Layla said quietly. "He does."
She was just wondering if she should share her concerns with the others when Flora gave a cry of relief.
"It's working! We're clearing a path!"
Lined up all in a row, the four pieces of the codex looked completely innocuous. The metal boxes they were contained within were simple and unadorned and it took work of a moment for Darkar to lift a hand and use his magic to force their lids open. No spells or enchantments prevented their opening for they were to be hidden so well that reuniting all four of them was supposed to be nigh impossible.
Finally open to them, Darkar, and Sephiron leaned in eagerly, eyeing the four pieces of ancient parchment hungrily. The phantom tried to follow their lead but was prevented by Bloom who began to thrash and fight within her, trying to force her backwards away from the codex. The phantom bared her teeth and fought back, doing everything she could just to remain in place.
"Careful," Darkar snapped when Sephiron reached out a hand to touch one of the pages. His magic reached out to leash the paladin's hand, yanking it backwards. "They are millennia old and extremely fragile. We mustn't disturb them lest they dissolve into nothingness."
Sephiron bowed his head in submission and Darkar's magic retreated.
"What is that language?" he asked instead, tracing over the archaic symbols inked on the pages.
"It is the ancient language of Realix. So old that even I have forgotten its name. But that is no matter, I do not need to know its name to speak it and invoke the ancient rulers of Realix."
"We should go," the phantom said hoarsely, sounding as though it was a struggle to keep Bloom's voice in her own control. "Bloom is not weakening within me."
Darkar looked at her, fascination burning in his eyes. "I didn't realise she'd be so willful. Such a shame that we have to remove her…" he trailed off thoughtfully and the phantom bared Bloom's teeth at him.
"We had a deal," she reminded him in a hiss.
Darkar regarded her for one long, terrifying moment that had Sephiron preparing for another fight, before he finally relaxed into a smile. "That we do, my dear," he said smoothly. "And if destroying Bloom is what it takes to keep you as my ally, then that is what I'll do."
A ripple passed through the phantom and she closed her eyes briefly. "Then let us finally open the portal to Realix."
Darkar waved a hand and the four pieces of the codex lifted into the air, angled perfectly so that they would be able to read the spell from them. But before they could utter even a single word, they were once again interrupted.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
Icy's voice cut through the room and the trio of Darkar, Sephiron, and the phantom twisted to find the Trix once again glaring at them from the doorway. The phantom's shoulders went tight with frustration as locked inside, Bloom gave a silent shout of relief. She couldn't believe how happy she was to see the witches but powerless as she currently was, she knew they were her next best hope for delaying their arrival to Realix.
"Yeah," Darcy added. "If we're speaking of allies, don't you think we should be here for this part?"
Darkar seemed unbothered by their presence as he carelessly replied, "I have enough allies I think, and no, I don't plan on leaving without them."
Lightning burst from Stormy as she gave a scream of rage but Darkar lazily swept it away with a wave of one hand while Sephiron summoned a wall of hard air to protect the codex pieces.
"You have got to be kidding me," Icy hissed, seething with anger. "We've been running around the entire dimension doing whatever you ask, and you're going to ditch us at the last minute for that thing?" She jerked her head at the phantom who glared back at her. "Without us, you'd only have one out of the four pieces of the codex."
"You played your part admirably," Darkar conceded. "But your services are no longer required. It's time for me to finally take control of the Ultimate Power and for that, only Bloom matters."
"You little-" Icy cut herself off as she, Darcy, and Stormy sprinted forward, their faces contorted with fury, magic already exploding from them.
Darkar stepped forward to meet them, while Bloom put up a few seconds of fight, managing to delay the phantom. But it was only temporary and soon enough the phantom had entered the fray.
Icy squared up against Darkar, twin spears of ice clutched in either hand while he fought back with flames of black fire. Sephiron found himself fighting against Stormy, using currents of strong winds to blow her lightning strikes off course. While the phantom lined up against Darcy, two entities of shadow who were looking to see who would come out on top.
"This feels familiar," Darcy snarled, raking a hand, fingers curled into talons through the air.
The phantom felt lines of dark magic scratch through her mind, and while Bloom cringed back inside of her, the phantom hardly seemed bothered.
"You think that will work on me? I have spent months hiding and lurking and attacking Bloom's mind. You think anything you could do could compare to that?"
Darcy let out a growl of frustration, but something in her face seemed warier now, refusing to meet those golden eyes.
Instead of trying the same attack again, this time Darcy simply disappeared and reappeared behind the phantom. But the phantom was good, and she was quick, and she twisted, already lashing out with lashes of fire, wrapping around Darcy's forearms.
The witch howled in pain, calling for her sisters to help her, but they were similarly occupied.
Wind whipped around the throne room as Stormy and Sephiron threw hurricanes of their own making at one another. While as quickly as Icy tried to summon more spears and daggers of ice, Darkar melted them with his own shadowed fire. Finally, Darkar and Sephiron put their magic together, creating a twister of fire, and it was all over for the witches.
The phantom finally released Darcy, and Bloom's stomach turned looking at the burns left behind on her skin. But the phantom didn't seem to have any such empathy, grinning victoriously as the witch frantically backed away.
"This isn't over," Icy promised, chest heaving with the combination of exertion and anger still raging within her.
"Oh, but it is," Darkar said simply, and finally cast them out of the castle altogether with one final wave of his hand.
He turned to Kerbog, where the shadow bat had been watching everything play out, perched on the back of the throne.
"Come to me," he ordered, and obediently the shadow bat spread its wings and flew over to its master, coming to settle on his extended arm. "I think we need to beef up security just a little."
He stroked a talon down Kerbog's leathery wing and the bat gave a terrible shriek that the phantom took for a noise of pleasure. He shooed Kerbog off his arm and the shadow bat flew into the centre of the room, wings flapping to keep it in place as it waited patiently. Red magic appeared from Darkar's hand, hazy and undefined, wrapping around the bat and obscuring it from view as the transformation took place. Kerbog shrieked a few more times and the phantom shivered despite herself, until finally the bat grew quiet and the magic started to fade.
Something heavy landed on the stone floors with a thud, and the phantom and Sephiron squinted to better see what Kerbog had been transformed into.
"I give you," Darkar began triumphantly. "The Guardian of Shadowhaunt."
Lockette proved to be quite the general. Under her direction the heroes were finally getting on top of the monsters and clearing the way to Shadowhaunt. The veritable swarm of shadow bats had been broken apart into the occasional trio here and there, while the many-legged beasts were looking less in number as well.
Down below on the floor of the cavern, Amentia and her trogs looked like they were waning but continued to press forward, drawing more and more monsters to them, away from the castle itself.
While Brandon and Helia took out the last few, scattered shadow bats, Sky and Riven focused on the larger monsters shooting them with the Red Wing's blasters. They were moving so fast that a few times they almost collided in the air with both forced into some fancy flying to avoid disaster.
"Watch it, Ace," Riven bit out after the third time it happened.
"Sorry, sorry," Sky said, but he sounded distracted.
Timmy frowned and punched a few buttons on a control panel to his right, trying to keep an eye on the status of the two Red Wing's while also focusing on flying. An orange light was blinking steadily, indicating something was amiss.
"You guys good out there?" he asked, struggling to investigate the orange light while also piloting the ship. He was suddenly missing having Sky or Riven around, much preferring not to be in the captain's chair.
"All good here."
"Fine."
He frowned at the orange light again. Now an error message was scrolling along the bottom of the screen: 'Red Wing 2: unidentified display malfunction'.
"Sky, watch out!"
Timmy's attention was pulled away by Tecna's cry of alarm and the group looked around just in time for Sky to fly a fraction too close to Shadowhaunt's rocky cliff-face. A particularly brave monster took a running leap and landed on top of the small craft. An audible grunt of surprise from Sky filtered through the intercom and Flora let out a yelp of fear as Sky's Red Wing sunk in the air, not equipped to handle so much weight.
In the Red Wing Sky kept his cool and kept his craft steady even as it struggled underneath the weight of the monster. He shoved hard on the accelerator, forcing it to fly at a faster clip, and turned in tight circles hoping to shake the monster off, but it dug its claws in and clung on.
"Can't we just shoot it off?" Stella demanded, watching the Red Wing worriedly.
"Do not," Sky said through gritted teeth. "Shoot at me."
Between his display, which had been flickering on and off since the Trix's attack, and the monster perched on the front of his craft, Sky had little hope for seeing anything. Certainly not the rocky outcrop that appeared out of nowhere. He jerked the wheel, managing to avoid a front-on collision, but still clipped his wing, sending the craft spinning through the air.
The good news was the spinning flipped the monster off the Red Wing sending it crashing to the floor of the cavern, the bad news was his display was completely shot now; it was flickering black more often than not, and when it wasn't his vision was still marred by deep gouge marks left by the monster's claws.
"Sky!" Brandon was yelling.
"Sky, come in," Timmy called. "I need a status report."
Sky's voice was tight when he answered. "All good here. Just a scare."
"Bullshit!" Brandon burst out. "That thing almost took you out of the air!"
The little orange light on Timmy's panel had turned red, and the words scrolling along the bottom had picked up intensity. Then a cool male voice started speaking. "Warning. Warning. Red Wing 2 has reached critical damage. Warning. Warning. Dock Red Wing 2 immediately. Warning. Warning. Red Wing 2 has reached critical damage. Warning…"
"Give it up, Sky," Helia said calmly. "How long has your display been shot?"
Sky was silent for a long moment as he got the Red Wing levelled out and continued to circle the cavern.
"It hasn't been right since it got hit by the Trix's magic."
"You idiot," Riven cursed bitterly.
"You're going to have to come in, Sky," Timmy said calmly, already preparing to open the hangar doors.
He was surprised therefore by Sky's vehemence as he burst out, "No! I'll be fine. You need to go on and get to Bloom. We've cleared enough of the monsters."
"Don't be stupid," Brandon said tightly. "We're not leaving you behind. Come in, Sky."
"Can't you manually override the Red Wing and force it to dock?" Musa asked Timmy, but he was shaking his head before she'd even finished the question.
"Re-docking while in flight is already hard enough, I wouldn't even try to attempt it without Sky's cooperation."
"Come in, Sky," Riven said, voice hard.
"He's being stupid," Digit said in disgust.
"No," Amore said, her eyes misty. "He's in love."
"I'll be fine, guys," Sky insisted, even as his Red Wing gave a dangerous wobble. "Bloom's the one who needs you now."
"Warning. Warning. Re-dock Red Wing 2 immediately."
"If you need a reason for us to save you first, then think about Bloom!" Brandon was yelling from the weapons pod. "We're going to get her back and then what? I'll have to explain to her that you died trying to save her? How's that going to make her feel, Sky? You need to come in."
The intercom was silent as Sky completed another lap of the cavern.
"Alright," he finally said, sounding defeated. "Red Wing 2 is coming in to re-dock."
Timmy flew into action, jabbing the button for the hangar doors. "Helia, get down to the hangar now in case he needs you. But make sure you give him plenty of room, I have a feeling this isn't going to be pretty."
"You got it."
"Thanks, Timmy," Sky said dryly.
"Look at it this way, if you're going to crash land, just make sure you crash land inside the hangar." To the others, he said, "Brace for impact."
The fairies grimaced and clutched tighter at their seat belts.
"Now," Darkar rumbled, a dark triumph in his voice. "It is finally time to open the portal."
He'd sent Kerbog in its new form out to guard the throne room from intruders, Sephiron was standing by to assist, and the pieces of the codex were arranged in order, ready for them to be read by Darkar and the phantom.
Locked inside, Bloom was fighting with every inch of her will to regain control, trying to force the phantom away, to prevent her from using her voice, but the phantom was fighting back just as hard. It seemed now that she had a body of her own she wasn't about to give it up.
"Follow my lead, my dear," Darkar told the phantom. Spreading clawed hands and tipping his head back, red magic appeared at his palms as he began to chant. "Vos voco antiquas copias. Aperi portam inter mundos et nos ad Realix aditum permittas."
A slight trembling began beneath their feet and Bloom went quiet and still within herself, waiting in fear to see what would happen.
"Chant with me," Darkar commanded, voice booming. And this time when he spoke the spell, the phantom spread Bloom's hands and spoke alongside him.
"Vos voco antiquas copias. Aperi portam inter mundos et nos ad Realix aditum permittas."
Magic spilled from the pair, swirling around them as the trembling grew into a heavy rumble. Bloom knew they were seconds away from absolute catastrophe but was at a complete loss for how to stop it.
The throne room shook from the force of their magic, rocking the throne, and the furniture, and the trio standing inside, but they were undeterred. And one final time, Darkar and the phantom spoke the ancient words of the codex.
"Vos voco antiquas copias. Aperi portam inter mundos et nos ad Realix aditum permittas."
Bloom wanted to shut her eyes, she didn't want to watch what was about to happen, but she was powerless and forced to watch through her own eyes as the universe stood still for a single moment. Then the air in front of them split open and the portal was opened.
"Finally," Darkar breathed, gazing at the swirling grey mist in rapture. "Finally!"
He made to stride forward before seeming to remember himself.
He flicked a careless look at Sephiron who was also staring at the portal in amazement. "You'll wait here."
Sephiron's awe cleared as he looked to his master in confusion and betrayal, but Darkar either didn't notice or didn't care. He was too busy extending a clawed hand to the phantom.
"Join me, my dear?"
The phantom hesitated only a moment, imperceptible to all except Bloom, before taking his hand.
"Of course."
And together they stepped through the portal and into the realm of Realix.
In his Red Wing, Sky was grimacing as he sized up the open hangar doors as best he could with his display flickering black every other second. Timmy had slowed the ship down as much as he could, but Sky was still going to have to hit a moving target from his own moving target, with limited visibility.
"I don't know if I can do this," he admitted aloud, as he eased the wheel from side to side, trying to line his craft up as best he could.
Between flashes of black he saw Helia move out into the open space, keeping well clear of the edge.
"Let me be your eyes, Sky!" Helia had to yell to have his voice picked up by the intercom. Sky saw him tug on the glove he'd pulled onto his right hand and instantly understood his plan. It was dangerous and if it went wrong both he and Helia would likely be killed, let alone the others, but they'd long since passed the point of caution.
Helia flexed his fingers before releasing the tethers in his glove; they shot towards the Red Wing, wrapping around the wings and securing them.
"Don't steer!" He yelled, flexing his arm and locking the tethers taught. "Just bring it in slowly."
Breathing deeply and putting his full faith in Helia, Sky slowly nudged down on the accelerator bringing the Red Wing closer to the ship. It was going well until a few of the final stray bats converged on the Red Wing, slamming into it, and knocking it slightly off course. Sky gritted his teeth and hurriedly levelled the craft back out, but he wasn't quick enough to save Helia who was yanked off his feet, the taught tethers dragging him as he yelled in pain towards the edge.
Sky pushed further on the accelerator, bringing the Red Wing in closer and reducing the tension on Helia, giving him the chance to get his feet back under him and scramble back from the edge. Sky caught a glimpse of Helia's face twisted into a mask of gritted concentration and pain as he tried to pull the Red Wing in again before his display went dark.
"Now, Sky, now!"
"Here goes nothing," Sky muttered, and shoved down the accelerator. The Red Wing shot forward, and he felt Helia's tethers guiding the wings. There was a horrible jolt as one of the wings just clipped the hangar doors, then a horrible screech as the Red Wing's landing gear scraped along the bottom of the hangar, then nothing as Sky slammed on the brakes and brought the Red Wing to a halt. He hurriedly powered it down and shoved open the door, hoping he hadn't just squished one of his friends.
"You in?" Timmy asked through the intercom.
"I'm in," Sky confirmed. He rounded the craft and found a smiling Helia leaning against the hangar wall, rubbing at his arm.
"Not bad for your first emergency landing."
Sky chuckled despite himself and threw an arm around Helia's shoulders, pulling him in the direction of the cockpit. "I'm just glad we both got through that in one piece."
Together they strode into the cockpit, before separating as Helia went to check in on Flora, while Sky went right up to Timmy.
"How are we looking out there?" he asked, leaning over the back of Timmy's chair so he could see out the front windshield.
"Amentia and the trogs are hanging in there but have suffered some losses. They've cleared most of the monsters in the bottom half of the cavern and the rest are falling back to protect the castle. Looks like the trogs are preparing to pull back."
"Fair enough, they did their part. It's on us now."
"Good news is we're just about good to come in for a landing. There's just a few scattered monsters left."
"We'll handle it," Musa said suddenly, unbuckling herself. The others followed suit, even Tecna who gestured for Helia to take over for her.
"They're too scattered for the ships' blasters to finish them off effectively," Tecna explained. "They could start damaging Shadowhaunt by mistake."
"And that would be a bad thing?" Riven asked sarcastically.
"Considering Bloom's still inside…" Musa reminded him, and Sky straightened, a look of alarm crossing his face.
"Brandon, Riven, stand-down. Let the girls handle it."
"You got it," Brandon said immediately.
"Alright, alright," Riven agreed reluctantly. "I'll bring the Red Wing in to dock then. You better have left me enough room in the hangar, Ace."
"Perfect," Stella agreed, rolling her shoulders. "It's our time to shine."
"Okay, but only if you promise to come in if things start to go badly," Timmy said, sounding firm and unlike himself.
"And why exactly is that?" Tecna demanded.
Timmy glanced over his shoulder at her, expression serious. "Because, Tecna, even though I know you can handle it, I'd rather you didn't risk yourself unnecessarily because I care about you and don't want to see you hurt. Okay?"
Silence followed Timmy's words and an unexpected blush appeared in Tecna's cheeks as the pair gazed at one another.
"Okay," she eventually stuttered out in response and tripped over her own feet when Musa seized a hold of her elbow and pulled her towards the ramp.
"Come on, Juliet."
"Awww," Amore was cooing, swooning into Chatta's arms.
Timmy finally turned back around and pressed a button to lower the ramp while the girls transformed into their fairy forms. Each one took a minute to touch their Charmix pendant, feeling the thrum of magic swirling within, before launching into the air and flying out into the cavern.
Riven gave them a quick salute as he flew the Red Wing back towards the main ship, aiming for the open hangar doors.
"I'm gonna zap these shadow monsters with a beam so strong they'll think they're on the sun," Stella growled threateningly as she led the charge towards the entrance to the castle.
"Better move fast," Tecna warned her. "They're scattering."
"Layla, Flora!"
Stella didn't have to say anything more, the pair moving in sync, striking out with their magic. Layla caught the monsters running in one direction with a wave, sweeping them back with a single wave of her arm, while Flora targeted the ones running in the opposite directions. She threw her arms forward and vines burst from the rocky ground, wrapping around the limbs of the monsters and yanking them back.
Stella flew higher in the air, sceptre raised above her head, sunbeam already starting to flare from its centre. Nearby shadow bats shrieked as the rays hit them, incinerating them almost immediately.
"Tecna, Musa!" she yelled.
"On it, princess," Musa said, as she and Tecna used musical and digital amplifiers to boost Stella's magic.
With their magic added to hers the sun rays pouring from her sceptre grew even stronger and the shadow monsters began to fall to its power.
"You should close your eyes now," Stella warned her friends as the sunbeam approached its peak.
They obediently shut their eyes, but even still they could sense the intensity of Stella's light through their closed lids. It flared brighter and brighter, warming their skin, until finally it faded and they dared open their eyes once more.
Stella was slowly sinking through the air to rejoin them, lowering her sceptre and looking quite pleased with herself. There was nothing left of the shadow monster by the entrance of the castle, no sign they'd been there at all, their way forward finally clear.
She turned to the ship, gesturing it closer and it finally came in to land.
"We're going to get her back."
The ship had been silent for so long that Griffin's words startled Faragonda from her deep reverie as she stared out at the inky depths of the dimension. A cool hand touched the back of her own warm one, and she turned it over carefully entangling their fingers.
"It's unlike you to be so optimistic, Xantha," Faragonda said, looking at her fellow headmistress. "Or be so blindly faithful."
Griffin frowned at her. "I am being neither," she said, practically turning up her nose.
"Oh?"
"I have no optimism," she said, as if she were affronted by the very idea. "And the faith I have is not at all blind; rather it is based on the years I have known you, Lucille. And from those years I know you will not walk out of Shadowhaunt until you have saved Bloom."
"And if that means I don't walk out again?"
Griffin didn't blink. "Then I will be standing beside you until the end."
"Xantha…"
"We're approaching the Under Realms, Headmistresses." Codatorta's brash voice cut through their quiet conversation, the battle master apparently quite oblivious to what he was interrupting.
Faragonda squeezed Griffin's hand before withdrawing. "Thank you. And thank you for accompanying us, Codatorta."
Without even having to ask, Saladin had guessed Faragonda and Griffin would be going to Shadowhaunt and had sent Codatorta along with one of the fastest ships in Red Fountain's fleet to join them. Faragonda had been relieved, not only by the additional help, but also the knowledge that Saladin would remain in Magix to look out for Alfea and Cloud Tower should she or Griffin not make it back.
They were not joined just by Codatorta, but by Concorda, as well as the pixie elders from the village as well, Discorda, Athena, and Ninfea. The quartet were sitting talking quietly to one another.
"No thanks necessary," Codatorta rumbled in response. "It is an honour to be sent on such a mission."
"How much longer?" Griffin asked, her expression composed as she gazed at the speck in the distance that was the planet of the Under Realms.
"No more than an hour, and even less if I can avoid this asteroid field."
"Then let us hope the way forward remains clear," Faragonda said quietly, and once again she felt Griffin's hand reach for her. And this time she didn't pull away.
"So," Brandon began cautiously once they were all standing outside the entrance to the Shadowhaunt castle.
Timmy had pulled the ship up close to the rocky edge and released a tether that anchored the craft to the rock; it would allow them to leave the ship on autopilot rather than completely powering it down so they could make a quick escape later.
"We think we've come up with a plan."
Stella frowned at her boyfriend and folded her arms across her chest. "We have a plan, we storm this rundown, crumbling excuse for a castle as soon as possible, preferably right now, find Bloom, yank her out there, and get back to Alfea quick smart where we'll work out how to cure her."
"Sounds like a good plan, so you girls are going to go ahead and do that."
Stella's eyes narrowed dangerously as she took a step closer to her boyfriend. "And where will you guys be?"
"You'll be quicker going ahead of us. We'll follow but we need to make sure no shadow monsters follow you in and complicate things."
"Brandon…"
"It's smart," Tecna cut in, although she didn't sound happy about it as she gazed at Timmy. "It's a smart, safe plan."
"Brandon," Stella said again, moving even closer and the others found something else to do, giving the couple some privacy.
"Hey," he said, taking her hand. "I'll still be with you. In here." He brought their joined hands up to her chest where they could both feel her heart beating. "Please, be careful in there. You-" he continued, voice thick, before breaking off and shaking his head. "You are the light of my life."
Stella blinked back tears. "I think that's the cheesiest thing you've ever said to me." She ran the fingers of her free hand through his hair and gently tugged him closer, leaning her forehead against his. "Brandon, I- I-"
"You don't have to say it," he whispered.
She shook her head and closed her eyes as a tear slid down her cheek.
"Brandon, I love you. I do, I love you. And I can't go in there without you knowing that."
Brandon made a sound low in his throat and pressed his lips to hers, tasting her tears on her mouth, feeling their love for one another burning between them.
Flora walked away from her friends towards Helia who was standing on his own. Wordlessly he held out his arms and she stepped into them, resting her head against his chest as he held her.
After a moment she straightened, tilting her head back so she could look up into his face.
"It's times like this that make me wish I'd been honest with you earlier. I can't believe how much time I wasted."
"You can't change the past, Flora," Helia said gently. "We can only have hope for the future."
"I want that future, Helia. I want it more than anything."
Helia didn't say anything else, he didn't have to, he just held her tighter for whatever time they had left together.
A little way aways Timmy and Tecna were standing hand in hand.
"The plan is completely smart," Tecna was telling him.
"It is," he agreed.
"It's completely logical."
"It is."
"It makes total sense."
"It does."
"I hate it."
A laugh escaped Timmy despite the circumstances. "That's very unlike you, Tecna," he said, his voice almost teasing.
"I know and I don't care."
She reached up with her free hand, hesitated, then cupped his face, running her thumb nervously along his jaw.
"I don't know how to do this," she confessed in a whisper. "I don't know how to do this girlfriend thing. But I wanted to figure it out with you, Timmy."
He didn't promise her that they'd get the chance, didn't try to tell her it would all be okay, he could only be honest with her. So that's what he did.
"I wanted to figure it out with you too, Tec."
Then he leaned in and kissed her.
Musa and Riven found themselves side by side at the edge of the rocky ledge, not looking at one another.
"What are you thinking?" Riven asked her quietly.
Musa laughed, a wet sound as if she were fighting back tears and shook her head. "I'm thinking I'm worried for all of us, I'm thinking I'm terrified for Bloom, I'm thinking you probably don't want to do some big mushy goodbye thing."
Riven was silent for a moment. Then. "Do you want to know what I'm thinking?"
Musa scoffed. "Always."
"I'm thinking I wished I'd had the chance to take you on a proper date."
A strangled noise emerged from Musa's voice and Riven cupped her waist, turning her towards him. His grip was too tight, too insistent, too perfect, and she never wanted him to let her go.
"Promise that you'll come back to me," he said, voice rough. "Because- because I don't know what I would do without you, Musa. Okay?"
She threw her arms around his neck and crushed her mouth to his, while his arms went around her waist, practically lifting her off her feet as he returned her intensity. They were both breathless when they finally parted but they couldn't tear their gaze away from each other.
"I promise."
Sky stood alone, leaned against a rocky column, eyes closed and fist clenched around the hilt of his sword. It hurt too much watching his friends. It hurt to see them say goodbye to one another, but it hurt even more seeing them hold each other and not know whether he would ever get to hold Bloom again.
"Are you okay?" a voice asked him, and he cracked open his eyes to find Layla standing before him.
He laughed without humour. "I haven't been okay since they took her."
"Yeah, stupid question," she admitted.
"I- I miss her. I miss her so much."
"I miss her too."
Sky sighed and straightened. "Are you okay? Being back here?"
"I'm fine," Layla said automatically before looking around and shuddering. "Not at all," she amended with a sigh.
"You're a good friend, Layla."
"Bloom deserves it." She looked at Sky fiercely. "We'll get her back."
Sky nodded and gripped his sword tighter. Before he could answer he heard a growl in the distance.
"You girls need to go."
Layla nodded and started calling for the others. The guys drew their swords, the girls said their final goodbyes, and the pixies clung tightly to their bonded fairies.
"Go!" Brandon yelled just as the first shadow monsters leapt out of the nearest tunnel.
The girls launched into the air and zipped through the open door to the fortress, knowing they would be faster in the air than on foot. Riven slammed the doors shut once they were clear and soon enough they were leaving the noise of the battle as it started up behind them.
"I hope they'll be okay," Flora said, her mind with Helia.
"I'm sure they will be," Chatta said, sounding much more confident than any of them felt.
"Regardless," Tecna said briskly, her face a mask concealing her emotions. "We can't worry about them now, it's our job to find Bloom."
"She'll probably be wherever Lord Darkar is," Digit said.
Musa looked at Layla. "Any ideas?"
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "The pixies were held on the lower levels, and I didn't exactly get a chance to explore this place."
The girls slowed slightly as they each tried to think of the best way to locate them.
"Is there anything you can do, Lockette?" Tune finally asked, turning to the pixie.
An expression of concentration temporarily overtook the look of fear on the pixie's face as she thought about it. "I can use my sceptre to try and detect her magical signature, if the evil spell hasn't affected it."
"It's worth a shot," Stella said.
Nodding, Lockette summoned her sceptre and closed her eyes, concentrating. The gem hanging at the end of her sceptre flared a bright, buttery gold for a moment before fading. But when Lockette opened her eyes she didn't seem disappointed. Instead, she slowly turned in a circle, holding her sceptre straight out in front of her. The gem stayed dark as she completed three quarters of her turn before it finally glowed again.
"Oh no," Lockette said quietly.
"What is it?" Tecna asked quickly.
"Can you sense, Bloom?" Flora added.
"I can. But I can also sense a strong portal has been opened."
"So, they're gone?" Musa demanded.
"I think so."
The girls touched down and looked at one another, each waiting for someone to speak up and say what they should do next. Finally, Layla shook her head and started striding off in the direction Lockette's sceptre was pointing.
"Come on!" she called impatiently. "If the portal's still open that means there's still a chance. But we have to get there before it closes."
Needing no more encouragement the others hurried after her, Lockette still holding her sceptre aloft.
"Okay, but maybe slow down a bit, Layla," she said.
"Why?"
"Because I sense something terrible ahead."
Layla's expression of grim determination didn't flicker. "Unfortunately that probably just means we're going the right way."
The girls walked in silence for a few minutes, the pixie flying alongside them, following Lockette at the front who continued to consult her sceptre to make sure they were moving in the right direction. The hallway they were walking down was dimly lit, so much so that they could only see a few feet ahead of them, the rest lost to gloomy shadows. They were just starting to silently marvel at how obstacle free their journey had been when Musa spoke up suddenly, her voice sharp.
"Did anyone else hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Musa didn't answer as she tilted her head, straining to hear any noises coming from up ahead. Her hearing was better than average and she could have sworn she heard the faint sound of metal on stone, as if someone or something had scraped something along the wall. But even as the group slowed to a stop, she didn't hear the noise again.
"Guess it was nothing," she said finally, moving into a walk again, but she didn't sound convinced.
"Wait," Stella said, holding up a hand, a ball of sunlight balanced on it. She threw it up into the air and it grew brighter, casting away the shadows and lighting up their way forward.
For a single moment they could see right to the end of the hallway, Stella's sun rays illuminating every inch, including the monster standing in their path. It was tall and broad and terrible, and so completely monstrous that Stella screamed and the light went out, plunging them into darkness.
The monster roared and swung its blade at the wall, sending cracks skittering through the rock and making the entire hallway tremble.
"Stella!" Musa barked. "Some light would be good."
"Sorry, sorry," Stella chanted, trying to regain her composure. She conjured another ball of sunshine and flicked it into the air.
Tecna's gaze immediately went to the spreading cracks in the way, trying to assess the damage, while the others were stuck trying to tear their gaze away from the horrible monster lumbering towards them. It was huge, easily twice as tall and wide as one of them, with sickening grey skin. Its head was misshapen and covered in horns and pincers, while its thick arms ended in huge hands holding twin battle-axes.
"Oh Dragon, what is it?" Amore squeaked, sounding like she was trying not to be sick.
Tecna's eyes flicked to it and away again. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Musa demanded as the group stumbled back a few steps away from it. It didn't seem particularly smart or fast, but being so big, it wouldn't need to be to crush them. "How do you not know?"
"Looks like Darkar created it." Her attention seemed firmly focused on the cracks in the wall. "This isn't good, this place is so rundown, it could have done serious structural damage here. We need to get out of here."
Stella didn't seem to hear her. "Well, whatever this thing is, I'm gonna make it regret every being created."
She launched herself into the air, Layla right by her side, and launched an intense ball of sunlight at the monster. She was hoping it would have a similar reaction to the other shadow monsters, and while it did roar unhappily as the orb flew closer, it was quick-witted enough to raise it's battle-axe, deflecting it back at them where it exploded.
Layla threw her hands up to shield her eyes but wasn't quite fast enough and she dropped from the sky as darkness temporarily clouded her vision.
"I can't see!" she cried in panic.
"You'll be fine," Stella yelled, staring down the monster. "It wasn't bright enough to do permanent damage."
Flora and Musa pulled Layla back out of the immediate firing range of the monster, before quickly hurrying forward to help Stella out. Flora used her magic to encourage vines to burst from between the uneven stone blocks on the ground. They grew fast and strong, attempting to wrap around the limbs of the monster but it defied its size with how fast it moved, using its blades to cut them to shreds.
"Okay, let's see you beat this," Musa growled. She leaned down and slammed her hand against the ground and rings of magic burst from her palm, rippling across the ground as a deep bass beat started up. The attack was supposed to bounce the monster right off its feet and disorient it, but all it did was cause the hallway to shake even more and Tecna to yelp.
"Musa! Careful! This place is still incredibly unstable."
The monster didn't seem to know or care about that however because it gave another roar and raised one of its battle-axes above its head before bringing it slamming down into the ground. A massive crack opened up in the floor and the stone blocks instantly began to crumble inwards, forcing the girls to fly into the air to avoid falling into the shadowy depths below. Flora took a hold of Layla's arm who was blinking as her sight slowly returned, making sure she was clear of the danger.
The monster stalked forward, his heavy footsteps causing the ground to crumble even faster, and the girls quickly flew backwards, trying to stay out of its reach. Only Chatta didn't seem intent on retreating, holding her ground in midair, hands on her hips.
"Back off!" she yelled, the power of her voice making the air vibrate around her.
The monster paused, as if considering her words, before striking out with its battle-axe, only just narrowly avoiding slicing her completely in half. Chatta gave a shriek and ducked out of the way, zipping back to Flora's shoulder.
"What do we do?" Flora cried, looking around for someone to take charge.
"We need to get past to get to Bloom!"
"We can't get past, none of our attacks are working!"
"We need to work together to beat it!"
"We need to run!"
"You need to let us take care of it," a calm voice spoke up from behind them and they twisted in midair to find Headmistress Faragonda, Headmistress Griffin, and Professor Codatorta standing there, looking the perfect picture of calm. Hovering in the air just behind them was Concorda and the three elder pixies from the village. And just behind them, looking a little worse for wear, but no less determined, were the guys.
"Get back, girls," Codatorta rumbled, already gripping his cobalt blade.
But it was Griffin and Faragonda who struck first.
"Congelonious!" Faragonda cried, holding out a hand.
"Excipio!" Griffin yelled, doing the same.
Their twin beams of magic twisted together in mid-air and caught the monster in the chest just as it raised its battle-axes to deliver another devastating blow. Its eyes went wide as its entire body froze, caught mid-swing.
"That was amazing," Flora breathed.
"I've never been so glad to see teachers," Stella said, touching back down lightly on the unsteady ground, already reaching for Brandon.
"Quickly, girls," Faragonda said, gesturing for them to go back the way they'd come, where the hallway wasn't so destroyed by the creature's blows. There would clearly be no time for happy reunions. "We don't have much time, our spell won't last forever. You must get to Bloom before it's too late."
"How?" Stella asked.
At the same time, Flora asked, "Aren't you coming with us?"
Faragonda shook her head. "If I know Lord Darkar at all, this creature was created with the express intent of keeping you from interfering and saving Bloom. It won't stop as long as it is alive. Headmistress Griffin, Professor Codatorta, and I will stay to destroy it, while the rest of you find another way to get to Bloom. Do not fear, the pixie elders will go with you."
"But-"
But there was no time to argue because already the spell was starting to wear off the monster and it was beginning to regain its movement.
"Don't worry, girls," Codatorta rumbled, hefting his sword up in anticipation. "We've got this completely under control."
The spell broke and the monster surged forward.
"Go!" Griffin yelled, one final command before the trio ran forward to meet the monster.
So the group turned and ran the opposite way, trusting that their beloved teachers would be able to hold their own. They had their own mission after all, and it was finally time to go rescue their friend.
Here we are, it's the penultimate chapter! How quickly/not quickly this has all gone. I was looking the other day and I've been working on this series for going on 7 years. I was in high school when I started it. Since then I've graduated, gone to uni, graduated uni, gotten my first big girl job, changed jobs, moved to working full time... just craziness. I know I know I've still got another chapter to go, and then still at least a couple seasons and the movies that I want to do, but I'm feeling so warm and fuzzy thinking about you guys coming on this journey with me, so thank you for sticking with me xx
Anyway, the chapter ha ha. I hope you liked it! I enjoyed writing it but it was also a lot of action which isn't always my forte. I didn't change much, probably just ramped up Sky's angst about Bloom ha ha. The next chapter is where the good stuff is, and it's going to be a monster I'm feeling. Gonna answer your last comments since I haven't done that yet, then probably get straight to working on it.
Thanks for reading and I can't wait to hear your thoughts xx