A.N.: This is my first actual fanfic, like the one I'm putting all my effort into. Any other fanfics I have are dormant, I do still plan to return to those and finish them at a later period. Chapters for those fics will not be announced, only because I do not wish to make false promises about update schedules.
X - normal text
X - text where Bloom is not present
'X' - thoughts
'#$X#$' - Parseltongue
Chapter: 1: S1E1: An Unexpected Event
"Five more minutes Mum," I groaned, my British accent coming in as I turned in my sheets to hide from the sudden brightness of my room as Lily pushed open my curtains. I squeezed my eyes tighter shut, desperately trying to hold onto the darkness of Morpheus's realm.
I felt hot breath on my ear and refused the urge to shudder. "You're late Bloom," she sing--songed.
Merlin! "Oh no! School!" I shot straight up out of bed, rushing to my closet to grab a towel before pulling my nightie up and over my head (blue and teal, with a single cloth strap around my neck with a gold ring in front to hold it on my slender frame). "Yikes, I've gotta get going."
"Why didn't the alarm go off?" I wondered aloud as I ran around in my birthday suit. I bounced from my room past my desk into the bathroom. I tossed down the towel before turning up the water and entering the shower, hurriedly washed my body with soap and water under the steaming showerhead, being mindful to pay extra attention & less rough scrubs to my underarms, boobs, and the space between my legs.
"Mom, why didn't you wake me up sooner?" I called as I rinsed the soap from my many curves. I shut the water off, steam now clouding the mirror (I only tolerated scalding-hot showers and jacuzzies), I continued moving like a possessed muggle as I wrapped my towel around my hair and a robe around my body so I didn't flash any passersby or neighbors (my room was on the second floor and I would have ran in front of an open window, duh) before sprinting over to my dresser.
Making the quick mental decision, I went for girly instead of tomboy and pulled out a jean skirt, stockings, panties, bra, and a cute blue top with white stripes and pink flowers. I tossed the robe into my laundry basket by the bathroom door before stepping into a pair of Gryffindor red and gold panties before pulling them up, followed by the matching bra (I could hook it in five to ten seconds when rushed).
Then I was slipping up my button-up skirt, giving my hips a shimmy to ensure that they were perfectly on my hips. My navy blue skirt came halfway down my thighs, modest, but cute. I pulled up my light blue stockings, which rode up my toned legs from my feet to my knees. Finally, I pulled my top over my bra, the former which came down to just above my diaphragm.
I then moved for the door, when it hit me that Mum hadn't moved, and looked like she was trying hard not to giggle. So was Kiko. I wracked my brain for reasons why she looked like that and why my alarm didn't go off when it hit me.
"Wait a minute," I said, pausing to yoink my hair out of my collar and fluff it out (the hair in question being lovely red locks that came down to the top of my shapely bottom).
"There is no school, it's summer vacation." My annoyed pout must've done it because Lily burst into full-out snickers and giggles. "Not funny mum." I scowled at her, before covering my mouth and yawning.
"I thought it was funny," she replied, still snickering. She was wearing a flora-patterned shirt underneath her blue overalls, which she wore with matching jeans. "Took you three minutes this time."
I ignored her comment as I trudged back to my bed, which was calling me. "I'm going back to bed," I announced, not bothering to change my clothes.
Kiko scrambled into the bed with me. I smiled at the adorable blue and white rabbit before cuddling him to my chest. I pulled the covers over us both and turned on my side, hands layered one on top of the other beneath my pillow, Kiko's head and fluffy ears visible beneath mine.
I heard Mum approach and I opened my eyes a crack to see her picking up a book I'd been reading well after midnight. "Sugar-blossom, were you up late again? What was it this time, reading or drawing?" she put a hand on her hip as she brought the title to her face to read.
"I was reading," I said, closing my eyes again and pretending to sleep. I really couldn't lie, not when the book I'd been 'studying' had fallen to the floor.
Mum read the title aloud, "Fairies, Myth or Reality." she chuckled. "Why am I not surprised? Pretty silly stuff."
I opened my eyes and sat up immediately. "Take that back," I said. "Just because they aren't the real thing doesn't mean they're not cool."
Mum made a show of trying to think really hard, tapping her jaw. "Why is that?"
I rolled my eyes, unwilling to get into this kind of banter without my morning tea. "I don't know," I said sarcastically, "Maybe because we're fairies, and these are greatly exaggerated tales of Tinkerbells."
Mum set the book down on my desk, which had my collection of Optimus Prime figures. Give me a break, ok? I didn't exactly get a lot of toys as a kid, and I still hated dolls and Barbie dolls with a vengeance. But an articulated action figure, one based on one of the main heroes of the most badass alien robot series ever (sorry Gundam) I couldn't help but fall in love with. I'd take muggles over the wizarding world any day of the week if they kept on making awesome characters with a dynamic like Optimus and Megatron.
"Anyways," Mum said. "Now that you're on break, you can help me in the shop."
"Moooom," I whined before she exited the room and shut the door. I felt the Dragon Flame inside of me rumble once. I caressed the spot where my cores were, in between my breasts, around my heart.
Kiko made annoyed noises as I got out of bed, and he stood on the floor. "I know, buddy." I patted him on the head before turning to leave my room, well, technically our room, as his bed was next to mine.
With an irritated huff, I stalked downstairs to the warm smell of coffee and peppermint tea, along the with delicious fragrance of food. The table was covered with eggs and waffles, bagels and cream cheese, toast and sliced avocados, pancakes, and honey. There were also bowls of diced strawberries and sliced bananas. My stomach growled.
"Someone's hungry." my sister teased as I blushed.
Violet was sitting in her chair, already eating a bowl of cereal. Dad was dressed in his green, yellow, & grey fire-fighting uniform and sitting at the coffee table with his newspaper. He lowered it and grinned when he saw me. "Good morning Prongslet."
"Hey Daddy," I said, yawning again before moving to grab myself a cup of tea.
"Morning, Bloom. I heard Mom got another prank over you." I mock-scowled at Violet before ruffling her hair up despite her protests.
"Morning to you too little sis'," I replied.
"One, just because your hair is unfairly perfect, even messy, does not mean that you get to mess with mine. Two, I am younger than you by a year." she scowled at me before trying to fix her hair.
"Still younger," I replied, enjoying her pout. I spread some cream cheese and avocado on a pancake before rolling it up and taking a bite out of it like you do a burrito (don't knock on it til you try it. It's delicious!).
"So, Bloom, once you're done helping your mother in the shop, I'll need your help cleaning out the garage." Dad's words only reminded me of what I didn't want to spend my summer doing. Working in the bloody flower shop.
"Dad, I don't want to spend my summer vacation working in the shop, or going to the beaches again." I saw that he wanted to speak but I made a 'shush' motion with my fingers and continued my rant. "I want to go somewhere else. Someplace fun and get out of Gardenia for a little while."
My voice grew quieter, though I managed to keep the quiver out of my voice. "Someplace where memories don't linger."
His eyes darkened a bit, and from the corner of my eye, I noticed Mum stiffen. I sensed guilt coming from both of them. They knew that I'd taken the breakup with Andy hard, especially since he'd been the only person I hung around after Selina had moved away.
Roxy was still around, but she was the adult in the relationship between herself and her father, who was the occasional drunk, flirt, and child. Basically Sirius, except that he had a child, had no plans of settling down anytime soon and was more drunk than sober. Honestly, it was a wonder that Roxy turned out as good as she had while running her father's bar part-time.
Still, managing her father's beach club, and bar, and being his caretaker left her with virtually no time to herself, apart from the time that I forced her to take off. And I'd already taken up so much of her time last month, following Andy's and my breakup.
Violet missed the whole exchange that just went right over her head. James and Lily exchanged a look before he sighed. "When you're older, you can go wherever you want."
I wanted to facepalm. I put a hand on the table in front of him, leaning over so he could see my bemused expression. "And just how old is old? I'm sixteen." I asked unhappily.
"Ah ah ah." He waved a finger at me. "Only sixteen. You're still my little girl."
I glared at him. I could just tell, that in his mind's eye, he wasn't looking at me, but at the six-year-old me with blue overalls (I'd been in a hate-skirt phase back then), yellow shirt, and cute red ponytails. And I didn't even need Legitimency either. "Dad? Dad."
Lily was glancing at us and Violet was trying her hardest to suppress her giggles. I slapped the table in front of him. "Dad! Snap out of it!"
He jumped back, and his reaction was funny enough that all of us girls giggled. His expression told me that I'd get Marauder-pranked later. I would fear retribution, but honestly, taping the door at head-level, Nutella toilet trolls, replacing my water with lemon water (whoever invented that should be strangled), and leaving buckets of paint or ice water over a door were becoming rather easy to predict.
Thankfully he wasn't a wizard, or else I'd fear more. Seriously, some of the stuff Fred and George invented would have been among the plethora of pranks that the Marauders unleashed in my previous life during their Hogwarts days.
Gender-changing (for a day), Weasley's firecrackers, Portable Swamps, Instant Darkness Powder (which they'd taught me how to make, and was unclearable by magic), itching powder, sex-snitches (for the female quidditch lovers), love potions, truth potions (that would force them to confess their deepest desires and wishes), well, you get the point.
"Look, we'll be going to the beach this weekend-" He started, only for me to huff and interrupt.
"I don't want to go to the same old beach every year." I crossed my arms. "Can't we go somewhere else? We went to Disneyland last year, what about Knotts this year?"
"Why Knotts? You hate slow rides?" Dad asked, his face confused. Mum sniggered. "James, Knotts is full of those roller coaster rides, the thriller ones."
"Yes, exactly!" I was glad that someone was understanding where I was going with this. Dad groaned, rubbing his stomach. I then remembered; fast-paced rides didn't agree with him, as we learned on Space Mountain and California Screamin'.
"I just want to go somewhere special," I said in a hollow voice, sounding defeated. I poured a cup of tea and grabbed a muffin before sitting down to eat. Kiko hopped onto the stool and started nibbling at a piece of celery stalk. I was just finishing my tea when I noticed my parents exchange a look.
Silent communication, now that was something that Andy and I never mastered. I shook my head to clear thoughts about him before my magic increased the flame of the candle, or I finally snapped and raged at everyone.
"Something special, huh?" Mum's coy voice told me that they had something planned. Despite my pessimistic side telling me not to get excited, I could feel excited tension building in my body. Like a spring coiling before the spring.
"Well for that, you need wheels," Dad commented casually, before winking at me.
My heart soared. I'd been wanting a motorcycle since I passed my permit test and got my license. Here in California, you could take it as early as fifteen and a half years. I hadn't shut up about it, and had talked about owning and driving a motorcycle since I was eleven.
"Mom, Dad, really?" I squealed, rushing to grab some food I could eat while out before running down the hall to slip on my shoes. I opened the front door, Kiko on my heels, and hopped down the steps to see...a bike.
A bloody pink bicycle with a blue wicker flower basket. They were my favorite flowers, honeysuckle, but at that moment I was more let down than anything.
The shadows of my parents came up behind me. "Nice huh?" I heard Dad ask as he came up beside me.
"Well, um. Yeah." I said, trying to sound grateful, and not disappointed or sarcastic. Although the look they exchanged told me that I'd probably let some of it slip through. "Thanks." I sighed, before trudging towards it with a less energetic walk (my shoulders were not slumping).
"Bloom!" Mum called. I turned back. "Your father is just having you on." she scowled at James, before turning to the garage, ignoring my father's look (which was that of a prankster who'd just been caught by McGonagall and was forced to undo his pride and joy).
The garage opened slowly, and my breath caught. It was an Aprilia RS50. A racing motorcycle! I couldn't contain my squeal this time either, rushing over to inspect it.
This two-stroke, 50cc motorbike had sleek fairings, an aluminum frame, aggressive sports styling, racing decals, a small windscreen, and even a full instrument panel with an analog rev counter and a multi-functional digital display. It was a small-capacity form, properly-made sports bike with genuine sports ergonomics.
And once I tinkered with it, the bike would run off of magic instead of fuel (which would probably take me a week, assuming that Mum didn't find out I was messing with magic again). On either side was a custom-made box (compartment?) to store things, with a sealable top, and air holes.
I hugged both of my parents, while my sister fawned over the new bike, which was actually for her (she wasn't the speed demon that I was), but my dad had wanted to use it in a prank. We had these pranking contests every summer, although I'd already been pranked twice. I'd have to step up my game.
I loaded one side with some lemon muffins and an apple, then helped my adorable pet bunny into the other side. "I'll take you out when we get there, ok Kiko?" I asked him. He nodded and gave me the cutest smile ever in response. That'll happen when you feed your pet magic. They start to gain more personification as they grow to become your magic Familiar, and Kiko was mine in this life, just as Hedwig, good faithful Hedwig had been in my last one.
"I think she likes it." I heard Dad say as I mounted my bike, testing my weight.
Mum giggled, watching as I started its engine. "Yes I think so," she replied, before calling out to me and tossing me something. "Stay safe, Bloom!"
I put it over my face and pulled the visor up. It was my own bike-racing helmet, something that I'd bought with my own money, but never thought that I'd be able to use so soon.
I jumped off and sped over to my parents, giving them the best Hermi-hugs that I could. Both were surprised by my sudden movements, but both smiled and hugged me back, glad that I liked it. I saw that my sister looked left out so I tightly squeezed her as well. "Oof! Bloom!"
I grinned at her before rushing back to my new motorcycle and mounting it. "I will, thanks, guys! See you later!"
Violet, Mum, and Dad all waved goodbye as I sped off and onto the road. Using a motorbike was amazing! I sped (obviously within the speed limit) down the road, giving drivers their right of way. I moved past the busier intersections to the downtown streets, which had maybe one or two cars on them at any point and time. Most people in Gardenia had already left or were at home preparing to leave for summer trips, which meant that the drivers here would be going to work, or were tourists that were arriving early.
I followed the road that would take me to Gardenia Penta (it was shaped like a pentagon on the map) Park. Yes, humans still sucked at naming things, tell me something else that's new.
"Hey, Bloom!" A girl's voice called. Internally, I groaned. I had abandoned half of my breakfast and did not have the mental capacity to deal with this bitch in the morning. Three girls stood on the sidewalk next to the brick wall, which one of the girls was leaning against.
The first girl I recognized. Evie Verona is a thin girl with a nice ass and just enough of the chest to not be called petite. She had a great figure overall, with bronze skin, blue-gray eyes, and raven-black hair. She wore a triangle-shaped striped bikini top and jean shorts that looked like they were riding up her butt a little. She wanted to be a fashion model as long as I'd known her.
The second girl took me a little longer to recognize. Erica Johnson, the resident nerd of the school, also had a reputation for being anyone's yes girl. She had on her usual oval classes (which did make her look cute, I admit), but today was wearing a crop top and basketball shorts (the stuff that's made from polyester).
The third girl I instantly recognized, and had also been the one to call me over. I internally groaned. Mitzi Tyndall was a tall and lanky girl with nicely toned legs, pouty lips, angled glasses (which I thought she got rid of when she started wearing contacts to class), dark brown eyes, straight long black hair, and that Californian sun-kissed skin that everyone in Gardenia had.
She was also the daughter of one of the businessmen in Gardenia, which made her sense of self-worth and ego shoot above the clouds. Today she was dressed in a green top and tight nude-colored jogging pants (she had almost no boob to speak of, and her ass was kinda flat) that clung to her petite frame, exposing as much of her nonexistent chest and midriff as was legally allowed.
"Who'd you have to spread your legs for to borrow that ride?" she asked, her jealous gaze settling on my chest, then down to my hips (the latter of which had expanded another inch this year).
I scowled at her as I flipped up my visor. Truthfully, I was surprised that she even recognized me. Actually, wait...it's probably the 'fit, and my hair. Just wait until I got a black catsuit...then I'd look really badass.
"If you must know, princess--", really ironic considering my heritage, "--my dad got this for me. What are you still riding, that tricycle?"
She pushed off the wall she'd been leaning on and flipped her hair back in an exaggerated manner. "Oh, you poor girl, who's going to believe that? Your family couldn't have possibly afforded that, not when they live in that rundown apartment."
Rundown? That was a better description of the alleyways next to her father's business.
I growled under my breath, suppressing the sudden urge I had to set her hair on fire and laugh at her screams.
This girl was the reason I'd taken to working on Occlumency every single month instead of every three. She was always insulting me, always making comments about my more developed body. She triggered my anger more than Malfoy, and that was saying something.
To not let her get to me, I had to desensitize myself to those memories, and more specifically, insults. As Harry Potter, insults tended to wash over me, but in this life, they really just stuck out to me as a girl.
I couldn't help that I was rather short (5'2"), making my boobs bigger than they seemed, even though they were C, borderline D cups (likely going to hit the next letter soon, I'm still a growing gal after all)! Nor could I help that I had the best metabolism ever (thank you magic!). Kiko popped out of his compartment to wave his hands and stick his tongue out, making unflattering spitting sounds at the girls.
"Hey Bloom, are you going to the same beach?" Erica asked me, giving an apologetic smile. She'd been Mitzi's yes girl after the girl had bullied her into tears. I'd stood up for her, but she'd chosen to stand by her bully, who was also my bully.
"Yeah, though it should be a brief trip. Then I'll be going somewhere else, far from Gardenia, and loads more fun." (Future me: Merlin! Why do I tempt Fate!)
"How pathetic, my father is taking us to the Caribbean this year." Mitzi bragged.
Evie sniffed, looking down at me like I was the mess left behind from a dung bomb. "And I've got tickets to go to Rhianna's fashion show, with VIP backstage passes."
Mitzi sniggered (it didn't sound very nice). "I'll send you a postcard Bloom. It should brighten up your vacation and make it more enjoyable when you see me having fun."
I rolled my eyes. This girl was always dropping rude comments on my social media posts, and she knew that we'd been to Disneyland all of the last summer. The fact that she chose not to acknowledge that meant that she was either stupid, ignorant, retarded, or just wanted to be mean.
"Hey, boys! Be careful with that, or my father will have you jobless on the street!" Mitzi turned and yelled in a pitchy voice at two muscular men that were clumsily unloading a brand-new electric scooter, which was popular with most of our generation. Not me though, I needed something more speedy, like my new motorcycle.
She turned to brag to the rest of us. "It's brand new you know."
"Oh, um, that's cool," Erica said. She jumped when Mitzi gave her the stink eye. "I-I mean, it's fantastic! Ecstatic! I mean, I'm ecstatic for you. I'm so jealous."
Mitzi and Evie looked at each other with sour expressions, as though they couldn't believe that this girl was in their group.
I snorted, showing that I was unimpressed. Mitzi's face darkened as she noticed that I wasn't looking at her with envy like most girls at our school did.
"So's my Aprilia, and it's much better than the electric version of a child's transportation device." if there's going to be bragging, I'm going to shoot this brat down hard.
Before she could open her mouth to say something else unflattering, I added, "See you around, Bitch-zie, Evie, Erica."
Then I took off, being sure to gun the motor extra, which caused a bunch of smog to fly at Mitzi, who'd been moving towards me with her car keys in hand (Probably to scratch my new bike. Well, haters will be haters). Merlin, I wanted to kick her ass, which really wasn't all that much to look at.
"What a bloody showoff." I was pissed enough that I could feel the Dragon within me writhing this way and that, magic generating from my anger. Probably one of the best feedback loops, now that I've thought about it.
I drove the rest of the way to the park, my adrenaline and anger still high from the encounter with the girls. The angrier I got, the more volatile my magic became. Like a ticking bomb. I've only exploded once, but it was enough to scare my whole family. The best way to defuse it, ironically, was painting or drawing out my traumas. Well, mine, or Harry's
I shifted my Aprilia to neutral and walked it with me into the park. There was no law against that since the mayor of Gardenia had ruled that motorcycles were in the same category as bicycles, not cars. I walked it to a tree, ignoring the following eyes.
A dark-haired, dark-skinned girl (around my age) jogged past, her large breasts bouncing in her spandex top. I subtly glanced at them and wondered how big they'd be in my hands before shaking my head. I wasn't ready to do anything with anyone anytime soon, especially not a month after Andy broke up with me. Come back to me in four months or so & I'll have an answer for you by then.
Kiko hopped out of the side compartment as I opened the other to grab myself my breakfast. I pulled out a carrot for him, which he started nibbling on as I opened my own lemon muffin. "Mm." I sighed as I savored its sweet & sour flavor on my tongue. I slowly ate it, enjoying it as Kiko cuddled into my leg, his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk's as he gobbled down the other half of his food.
I giggled at how cute he was before finishing the muffin. I saw that he was ready to go out and explore. "Ok Kiko, just don't go too far. And if you find an acorn, bring it back and I'll toss it around with you."
He wiggled his ears before hopping off to do whatever bunnies do. I reached into my snack bag and grabbed an apple. I bit into the side of it, listening to its crunch before its juicy flavor filled my mouth. It was quiet, the silence undisturbed.
Of course, I could hear the distant hum of cars, the chatter of people walking through the park, and even the heavy footfall of someone running, but still, tranquillity surrounded me. I could hear the wind ruffle the leaves, the bees buzzing around me as they searched for nectar, and the birds singing their finest songs.
This was why I often retreated to the park, to escape from reality. I was usually undisturbed, and I could work on my anger issues (teenager again, so I have lots). Of course, my anger would feed into my magic, and my magic would elevate my anger. The temper tantrums that I never had as a child erupted as a teenager. I was very intense and passionate as a teenager. Honestly, I could see why people found me overwhelming. Heh, never thought I'd become a more physically active and attractive version of Ginny Weasley.
I opened my sketchbook and began to draw the bridge that we crossed a bit back (though I could still see it in the distance), waiting until people were clear before resuming in between biting my apple. I shaded in several sections (this was a rough sketch).
I was about to take another bite when my rabbit came back, running on his hind legs, making a screech (when he was afraid or scared of something) equivalent to a human screaming bloody murder.
His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell down, feet sticking up in the air. I giggled and shook my head, thinking that it was one of those squirrels again.
"Squirrel got you Kiko? I warned ya." He tended to get into wars with them, and while it was funny and adorable to watch the confrontation, he usually lost and would run back to me.
But this time, he acted stranger than usual. His squeaks and wheezes matched a sense of urgency, which only appeared to be deeper as he got up, bouncing from one foot to the other as he tugged on the laces of my running sneakers (I hate anything heels).
"What's the matter?" I asked him. He seemed really spooked. My silly rabbit wouldn't stop tugging and hopping. I was about to get up and help him when I heard it.
A roar rocked the little forest, shaking the trees and causing the ground to unleash tiny tremors. It was loud enough that I flinched at the ear-shattering, dreadful screech, the hairs on my neck standing up. The sound was so similar to something from my past life that my battle instincts kicked in. I shot to my feet, heat beating rapidly in my chest, my hand reaching for a wand that was not in this world.
"What in Morgana's left bouncy asscheek was that?" It sounded like a mountain troll, but they shouldn't exist, that had been a part of my last life. In this life, there were just fairies and fairy hunters. Like Sam and Dean Winchester hunting spirits and stuff in Supernatural, only their moral roles were reversed.
I looked around, biting my lip. I instinctively tucked my aura behind my shields, then brought up enough magic to enhance my senses, attuning them to sense active or dormant magic. It's a basic Auror exercise, really.
I listened intently, hearing another roar (I flinched at the sound). No one else was around, and most people were leaving the park to do other things before lunch. Merlin, how was it already time for lunch? I hadn't looked at the clock in the house, but I'm pretty sure that I only slept in an hour late, not three.
I glanced at my phone, frick, it was eleven-thirty. I was supposed to be at the shop an hour ago. But, that roar was more intriguing. 'Sorry mum, curiosity is calling', I thought. That was NOT human, or fairy. And if it was something that threatened the safety of my family, especially related to the fairy hunters, I had to find out.
I grabbed the ignition key and slipped it out of the Aprilia into my pocket. Seeing that I was ready, he began to hop off in a direction. "Wait up," I called, running after the little bugger, who was surprisingly fast despite his size.
The angry roars grew louder, but now I could hear growls (the kind of a hungry pack of wolves that wanted to devour you to the bone). Then, I started to hear something else. The shout of a girl. I sighed, feeling slightly sweaty from the run in the heat (which is a bitch to a gal) and the run.
The closer we got to the commotion, the tenser the air felt. It wasn't like the chemicals we used in physics class...it was something...purer. No, not purer, just different. More powerful, primal, mystical, and natural. The Dragon within me rumbled again, and I stumbled as a wash of power overcame me.
Then, I recognized what I felt. It was magic! Its mana signature wasn't familiar to me, but right now that did not matter. Someone, a girl by the sound of it, was fighting something that could either be a troll, ogre, goblin, or fallen elf.
We stopped at the edge of a clearing, the kind that you'd expect to see with birds getting fed bread, dogs running around and playing, or families on picnic blankets with a makeshift volleyball net set up and sporty teens on either side knocking a ball around with their fists and hands.
None of those things were there. What was there was something I thought I'd never set eyes on again.
Magical creatures.
I stared, taking quiet, rapid breaths to slow my pounding heart. A curse slipped from my lips. "Bloody hell."
A blonde girl stood with her back turned to me, some kind of staff in her hand. She wore glittery orange boyshorts that barely reached her mid-thighs (it looked like it could've been found in a stripper's wardrobe), the material looking like nothing I could name on Earth. She wore heeled boots made of the same sparkly orange material that clung to her legs up to her knees.
Her midriff was bare--actually, she showed a lot of skin (not that the tiny voice in my head was complaining). The reason for that was the tiny top with a single strap that went over her left shoulder, leaving her right bare. That thing barely covered the top of her breasts, and it had two slits in the back.
Why? Because those slits were for her wings. Her wings were shaped like three leaves overlapping--transparent, softly glowing & sparkling blue, and even shimmered in the sunlight that fell through the trees. She had a sparkling blue headband over her head, with her hair pulled into a ponytail; the rest of her hair fell down to her butt in cascading waves in two long bunches.
My mind rebooted. Bloody hell, she was a fairy! And look at her staff! It was definitely a foci of some kind, like how witches and wizards from my last life used wands and staves.
The staff was a long stick of unknown glowy blue-white material, with a ball at the top. Surrounding it were tiny orange spheres about a fourth of the big ball's size, with even tinier ones of the same color further out. Even from this distance, I could feel its power, radiating the aura you'd feel from an overcharged rune cluster, right when it was about to explode. The staff was not an artifact you wanted in the hands of agents of chaos.
I hesitated. Does that mean that her opponents are the fairy hunters Mum mentioned? I'd avoided doing active magic, as I knew that it was easier to trace than dormant magics, like mind practices such as Occlumency. They certainly looked like nothing I'd seen before, which worried me.
They in question were these terrifying-looking creatures that made my gut twist at the sight. 'Oh Merlin, their bones are bent backward out of their skin!' Ok, add that to the list of freaky demonic shit that I'd involuntarily stumbled upon.
These ugly creatures seemed like the result of a necromantic ritual gone wrong, assuming that it was indeed Dark Magic that was used to create their bodies.
Their bodies were red, like, burning red. Their upper half looked like someone had snapped the bones of a pelvis in half, then had turned them one-eighty before turning them into extended shoulders.
Their lower body looked like an enlargened spine piece, similar to a cat's when they stiffen up and arch their backs. Their top vertebrae were sticking out like needles and I could count their ribs (which looked like teeth beneath their red decaying muscles) from a distance since there was nothing covering them.
Well, apart from some black fur on their elbows (I think that's what those bends were) and the bushiest eyebrows I'd ever seen, as well as the ugliest beard ever (the hairs stayed to the shape of the face). Oh, and evil yellow eyes, which made a different set of eyes flash in the back of my mind.
They moved on the ground on all fours, their hands like paws, but their legs shifting like spider legs. And they leaped like fleas...I shivered, brushing my skin. There was another figure in the back, big, bulky, and looming, the only thing I could tell from this distance was his glowing yellow eyes, likely the leader of the bunch.
"Stay back ghoul!" The girl ordered although she didn't sound particularly confident. I picked up on the tenseness, the lack of breath. She clearly looked and sounded exhausted. She looked tired and sweaty too; like she'd just run a marathon. Or, if this scenario was what I think it was, she'd expelled too much magic fighting these creeps and was now feeling the strain.
A sparkling orange boot struck the chest of one of those gremlin things, which flew back into the ground. Not stopping her movements, the fairy swung her staff, which collided with the head of another that had latched onto her arm, leaving behind several cuts, which started to drip blood.
Two more crawled at her, their run like lions closing in on prey. She raised a hand and called, "Rising Sun!"
A beam of yellow sunlight made me look away (I'd been using Mage-sight, which is similar to the muggle's infrared goggles, staring into an overpowered flashbang or explosion). I blinked back spots from my eyes as I looked back. The trees looked like they'd been blown backward, with scorch marks on the ground.
"You seeing this Kiko?" I whispered, my bunny having hopped up onto a tree stump next to the tree I was peeking out from behind. I trembled as I hear another angry roar echo through the trees, which swayed a little more than usual.
Four more of those decaying gremlins leaped at her. She looked winded but began to glow again, her staff glowing with her. She slammed it against the ground, crying out, "Solar Wind!"
Merlin, did every single spell she utter have to be aloud? True, spells were more powerful when cast aloud, but the element of surprise was lost, they knew exactly what kind of spell you were using and had a few precious seconds to come up with a counter. Anyone knew that to be an effective dueler you needed to have a Slytherin mindset and silent casting allowed you to have spell chains.
Oh right, the fight. I looked back to see that the gremlin things that charged were blown back, hitting trees. The damage they took must've been too much for them because they glowed a sinister yellow before exploding into a billion magic particles. Ok, maybe not Necromancy, as they'd have gotten pulled back into the Earth, not explode.
The fourth gremlin got lucky, it flew backward until it was about to hit the hulking figure in the shadows. It was caught in a meaty yellow fist. Then, the fist started to squeeze until the little monster was shrieking at ear-splitting volumes. Then it exploded into those tiny dazzling lights. Ok, not so lucky, I amended.
The big guy in the shadows stepped forward, and I almost tripped. An Ogre, a yellow ogre. During Harry's time, he'd encountered several of their species before.
Yellow ogres were extremely near-sighted, taller than seven feet on average, and wider than most dinner table lengths. They had minimal magical resistance and an impressive magical regeneration.
But what almost made me burst into peals of laughter was the brown overalls he was wearing. He had a bald head, apart from his bushy eyebrows and ginger sideburns. Plus some dark hair on his chest and forearms (which were a mix of fat and muscle). Not that I'm complaining of course. They're usually a lot harder to fight when they're wielding weapons and tanked out in enchanted armor.
He growled, baring rows of sharp teeth. "Hand over the scepter little fairy girl or my ghouls will tear you apart."
I shivered. Kiko looked like he was having a brain overload, as he shook his head before fainting. Unlike the ones Harry had fought (who had mainly been dumb guards that could barely string a sentence of words together), this guy could not only speak coherently but was set out for murder. And sought to steal from one of my kind.
The girl glared at him, though her voice trembled when she spoke. "Newsflash Mr. Hideous, but the power of the Fairy of the Shining Sun is so going to flatten you, so back off!"
It was clear that despite her bravado, she was nearing her magic limit.
He let out the loudest roar yet (I assumed in anger), before charging her, hands outstretched. "You're the one who's going to get flattened," he said in a deep, gravelly voice.
"Umph!" The sun fairy cried out as she was body-slammed by the ogre, crashing down and skidding along the ground, the grass leading to her torn away, as a sign of how powerful the chest blow was.
Kiko shook his head before fainting on the stump beside me. I winced.
"That's gotta hurt," I muttered, one hand covering my mouth, the other summoning a wreath of flames to my palm (Occlumency helped me gain better control over my powers, even with my temper and the lack of use).
More of those freaky 'ghouls' (I liked gremlin better) moved out from the ogre's side of the woods, encircling the fairy, who was bleeding in dozens of places, looked magically exhausted, and was struggling to get off her back, scepter a few feet away from her. It had been knocked out of her hand.
He laughed, the sound horrid and quick. "Hura hee hee hura ha," he paused, his fists clenching as he glared at the downed fairy. I was running through various attack ideas in my mind.
"You're finished, little princess." The girl's eyes widened with fear. "Now ghouls, BRING ME HER SCEPTER!" he bellowed while pointing a finger.
At once, six ghouls leaped at the girl, who'd gotten up to grab her scepter. Their combined force & weight knocked her back down, and they wasted no time restraining her. One grabbed her ankle and tugged it that way. Another grabbed her by her thigh, their clawed talons wrapping around it entirely. Two more grabbed her by her elbows and wrists, forcing her to be spread out, and down on the ground.
Another grabbed her over the mouth and nose, its other hand tugging on her hair so that she'd meet it against the mud. She was struggling though--I gave her credit, she clearly wasn't used to fighting, although her resistance was adequate--but it wasn't enough to break free.
Her voice, muffled but angry came through, she was shouting but I could barely hear it. "I'm warning you--you'll never get away with this!"
At this point, I was horrified and disgusted, though I wasn't the master of death I still wanted to have some words with those gremlin's creators.
"I think I just did." the ogre shot back before stomping over and ripping it out of the hands of one of those freaky ghouls, the thing baring its two sharp teeth (which were on the lower jaw).
"Your scepter's ours." the ogre growled triumphantly, a maniacal gleam in his eye.
My irises began to turn orange, the blue fading away entirely. If there was one thing I hate more than agents of darkness and their masters, it was their annoying ability to gloat about their victory and mock the victim while they were downed.
Well, that and I have a hero complex. 'People saving thing.
He got in the fairy's face. "Not so sunny are you now?" He growled.
The fairy's struggles were muffled, though I could see the sudden understanding and renewed fear in her eyes. Her struggles intensified, and the ghouls began to cut her body with their claws. Within moments, her struggles were growing weaker, almost like she'd been injected with a paralytic or poison. I hoped it wasn't the latter.
He laughed again, the sound grating in my ears. "You're history!" He roared, bringing the scepter high over his head as an executioner would an axe, the fairy was struggling in her binds, helpless, her eyes wide with fear, those freakish red things growling in her ear.
My eyes narrowed into angry slits, fire spouting from the edges of my eyes. They were going to kill her!
"Not this time, fairy hunter!" I snarled, exploding from my hiding place. He turned with a look of surprise but I gave him no time to prepare, extending my hand out, the tips tingling. My anger hadn't cooled, and the attempted murder of one of my kind had reignited my rage, like pouring gasoline on a fire. Fire lanced out from my hand, the torrent of flames exploding into the massive humanoid's side, leaving scorching burns.
He yelped, flying into a tree with a sickening 'crunch'. The other gremlin things had little time to react before I launched a wave of fire, passing harmlessly over the girl while incinerating her attackers.
Another roar rocked the clearing and rattled the trees. "GET HERRRRRR!" he growled at the end.
"Uh oh," I muttered as dozens more emerged from the woods from every direction. I grabbed a large stick from the ground and swung it hard. It connected with three of those ghouls as it jumped into the air.
I saw one of those gremlin things making a move for the scepter, so I summoned it to my hand. As soon as it makes skin contact, a cackle of power shot up my arm. I realized that it was a sentient object or at least semi-sentient. Hopefully, it would allow me to use its power to fight off this motel crew so I could give it back to the sun fairy, who looked to be about my age and was currently, dead on her feet.
It vibrated in my hand, and I got a feeling of acceptance. Its power connected to mine, and I realized that while it was sentient. A savage grin formed on my face, now this was my element!
"Get my scepter!" Roared the ogre. More gremlin creeps crawled out from the trees--where were they coming from?--and attacked me.
I swung, blocking two before trying to aim the scepter. Not knowing what to do--it's not like it came with an instruction manual (and I'm uncertain if the spells Harry learned could be cast with the Dragon Flame, or with the scepter)--I poured a little of my power into it.
The effect was immediate, a massive sun blast, bigger than anything the girl had conjured--but with red flames around it--exploded into the ground, knocking quite a few aside.
One of them got lucky and missed my swing. I tried to back up to hit it, but it took advantage of my moment of weakness. It forces its needle-sharp razors into my leg. With a scream of pain, I fell down, flares of agony traveling up my lower leg.
I kicked it off, then quickly inspected the damage. My stocking was torn, with blood running down my leg. I saw the ugly little gremlin who did the deed a few feet away, staring at me with its menacing yellow eyes. The missing scrap of my stocking, covered in my blood was in its mouth.
I couldn't fireball it because three more of those freaky things jumped at me. It seemed to happen in slow-motion. They jumped towards me, my heart seizing with fear, the fairy nearby shouting a warning that I faintly registered. I raised my arms to shield my head, and the Dragon Flame reacted.
"Get back!" A ball of orange fire enveloped me, protecting me as I clutched my injured leg. I heard those ghouls scream in pain, flickering in and out of reality, glowing brighter each time until they finally popped. I froze, the shield around me vanishing, my hand still outstretched.
I heard Kiko, sounding frightened behind me. I twisted and saw that he was cornered by one of those ghouls. I saw red, fury & magic coursing through my veins. I levitated several branches, which I then swung at the ghoul.
"HANDS OFF KIKO!" my cry was more of a dragon's roar, the branches gaining an aura of fire. They crashed into the ugly thing, which gave a cry of surprise before it exploded in a burst of magic light particles.
Kiko got up on the stump and seemed to be happy. He shook his head, miming punches, pretending to dunk his head to avoid an invisible fist all while making squeaks that sounded like grunts and groans of an invisible opponent getting hit.
My lip twitched in amusement. "What am I going to do with you, Kiko?"
"Watch out!" I heard the fairy warn again. I slowly moved to my feet when a meaty hand closed around both my wrists and lifted me into the air. "Hey! Whoa!" I yelped.
He swung me around and back before moving me so that I was being held out, my feet hanging inches from the ground. I squirmed and tried to pull away but his grip was too strong. "Bad move little girl. You should've minded your own business."
Gods, his breath was like he'd eaten rotten meat. And his odor! Hadn't he ever heard of something called deodorant?
"I'll smash you in like a china doll." He bared his teeth at me, and I struggled in his tight grip.
Fear built in my chest, and I turned that fear into anger, anger at my helplessness. Then, I felt rage as he flopped me around like a voodoo doll. "LET. GO."
Orange tinted my vision, flames licking all over my body, from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes. I glowed a bright reddish-orange, magic building up when it happened.
Something exploded out of me. One moment I was struggling in the ogre's tight grasp, the next I was on the ground struggling to draw breath, feeling like I'd just been dunked in ice water, all my limbs feeling very fatigued, as though I'd just finished a hundred laps in the swimming pool without coming up for air.
I looked up to see something reddish-orange and glowing slam into the ugly yellow ogre so hard that he crashed through several trees. It snaked around in the air, roasting the closest gremlins, then flew up into the sky before diving down, its body moving like a snake's. It was made of pure fire, its eyes glowing reddish-orange, my orange. The head was that of a dragon, minus the wings. My eyes widened in surprise, the other girl's doing the same as we saw the shape of my power take on that of an alpha predator.
The Dragon Flame.
I yelped as it dove at me before flying back into my chest, my magic boosting again as it nestled inside of me. I stared at the space of my chest, right over my heart where it entered, before looking at my hands. Instantly, I felt reenergized, and although I could tell that my internal magic was depleted, enough to make me tired, I didn't feel like I could fall over and die, which was a good thing. A severely depleted magic core wasn't a pleasant feeling, let me tell you.
"How did I do that?" I wondered aloud, I didn't even cast any magic.
The great beast inside me rumbled, giving me a sense that it was pleased. Seriously? My connection to the magic of the Great Dragon involuntarily saved me?
Embers rained down around us--remnants of the Dragon Flame's fiery trail. The fairy got to her feet, using her scepter as support. "Hey, thanks."
"Oh, no problem." I gasped out. I glanced up and squinted at the silhouette in the light, radiating such purity and beauty, dazzling brown eyes filled with concern.
"Are you alright?" she asked me. Maybe I'd used more magic than I thought, or I was becoming drowsy. Maybe there was a paralytic in that gremlin's teeth.
She seemed to realize that I'd exhausted myself using a lot of magic, because she then said, "Take it easy, you used a lot of magic." She paused, then eyed the destruction I'd caused. "But you do pack quite a punch."
Despite myself, I raised a brow, but her attention wasn't on me, but on the ogre, who'd come crashing through the trees. "I have my scepter back, and you don't scare me anymore!" she announced brightly (though I could see past her facade to tell that she was bluffing, she was still scared, still magically exhausted).
The ogre continued its horrid laughter. "Laugh all you want, fashion fiasco, you're going down!" she called. I snorted, he did look like a fashion failure. He was heavily burned, several buttons from his overalls missing, and a strap torn. Apart from that, he looked unharmed, albeit a little afraid.
She brought her scepter down, a jet of sunlight bigger than a basketball flying right into the gut of the ogre, who let out a weak 'oomph!' and crashed into the ground.
"I suggest you get out of our realm, like yesterday," she added with a cocky smirk.
I walked to her side, fire appearing in my palms. Kiko squeaked pointing. Three more of those gremlins had tried to sneak up behind us.
The fairy noticed too. "Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaauuuhhhh!" she cried, spinning her scepter in the air before unleashing a dozen balls of sunlight that exploded, sending each ghoul into a pile. The second the last one landed on top of the others they all lit up like a C4.
She spun it like a monk spins his staff before placing it upright in her palm. Kiko stood on the stump, imitating her with a tiny stick, puffing out his chest. It was so adorable that I wanted to giggle but now was not the time.
The stupid gremlin that tore my leg up with the part of my stocking still in its mouth crawled over to the ogre, the other two survivors leaping onto his bulkiness. "We'll meet again, Princess Stella."
Huh, so that's what her name was.
He clapped his hands, a sickly-purple light illuminating the clearing for a moment, forcing me to shield my eyes. When it vanished, I looked back to see a circular burn mark in the grass where those freakish things and the handsy ogre had been, a faint glow remaining in the ground. A closer look revealed that it was a weird glowy ring of sorts, which turned to ash when I touched it. Weird.
I also made a mental note to slap him with fire the next time he shows his ugly mug. No one puts their hands on me and gets away with it, human, magical, or creature.
"Ew, can't say I'm looking forward...to...that..." Stella trailed off, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. She crumbled, falling over.
"Shit, shit, shit," I swore, running to her side, Kiko on my heels, her scepter nearby, and humming with energy.
A faint glow surrounded her body before vanishing, and with it, her fairy form vanished. I stared at the orange summer dress she wore, which had a plunging neckline, bared most of her midriff and back, starting at her hips and coming down as a standard skirt, but with a leg slit, and an odd tail. It had a glowy light-blue sash that came around her skirt part, just below her butt.
Another sash started as a part of the shoulder straps before turning into strings that came around her bare back to rest on the top of the skirt. Her hair left its ponytail, two long blonde bangs falling down as the rest of her hair billowed. Her eyelids gained the same light blue eyeshadow, and she was wearing blue heels that put Louboutin's to shame (I still loath heels).
I couldn't be bothered to care about her appearance too much, as something in my mind had just clicked, a memory triggered by her name.
She seemed familiar to me, as did her magic, or aura, or magical signature (depends on what you wanted to call it, really). I couldn't place where though...
I glanced around before rushing to grab my motorbike, luckily no one had messed with it in my absence. I wheeled it over to the clearing, then pulled out my phone. "Mom, it's an emergency."
"Are you alright?" her worry-laced tone filled the speaker. "You didn't make it to the shop, did you already crash?"
"Har har." I snarked weakly. "No, I'm fine, but I might've stumbled upon something bigger. Code M."
I could imagine her stiffening on the other end. "Are--are you sure?" she asked, something in her voice that I hadn't heard before.
I nodded, though she couldn't see it. "I saved a fairy from getting killed by an ogre and a bunch of freaky-looking things that looked like a cross between a carcass and a bone-bent hairless stray with my fire."
"Where are you?" she asked urgently, I could hear the jingling of keys in the background.
"Gardenia Penta Park," I replied.
"Don't move, I'll be there soon," she said over the line. Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion hit me. I sized up, fell to my knees, and groaned. "Bloom, Bloom! Speak to me." I'd never heard Mum sound so frightened before.
"I'm fine, just magical exhaustion, I think." I gasped out.
Lily didn't reply, just gunned the engine. I was kinda lucid after that. I remembered hearing footsteps come closer--as if someone was running through the grass.
I remember her panicked tone as she found us both. I don't know if she dumped us in my motorbike and then walked it with us on its back, or if she made separate trips for each of us & my property.
I felt a seatbelt get buckled around me when my eyes finally rolled into the back of my head and darkness claimed me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I came to, the sun was high. Oh good, it's still midday. I faintly registered that I was indoors and looked around before recognizing that I was resting on the couch at home. I felt my skin prickling, like phantom pains. I noticed that my leg was wrapped in gauze. "Try not to move it, Bloom."
I turned to see Mum enter the room, looking a mix of hopeful, worried, and furious. Furious because I'd broken the rule of no magic, worried for me and the fairy I'd found. And hopeful, probably that we'd found another survivor.
"Oh. Hey Mum." I greeted passively, knowing that whenever you pissed Mum off, it was bad. Mum was harder to anger, so when you did, you run for the hills. Seriously, Voldemort is one thing, but angry Mums are another. You don't mess with either of them.
"Don't you 'hey Mum' me." Lily walked over, anger visible. "You had small bits of venom in your leg. I extracted it before applying the counter. You're lucky that I'm a nature fairy, otherwise, I fear to think what would've happened."
"That explains why I felt so drowsy," I muttered. And why I passed out. A slow-acting, subtle poison. Good think Mum was good at recognizing and curing those things. It came with her being a nature fairy.
"What. Were. You. Thinking?" she asked angrily, and I gulped, knowing that I'd be grounded if my answer wasn't good.
So, I filled her in on the events that had occurred after I left, briefly touching on the conversation with Mitzi and her underlings before talking about the park. I told her about the 'ghoul' things, and she looked creeped out and sickened by the description, yet showed no recognition. Her eyes did darken as I mentioned the blood dripping from Stella's many wounds.
When I told her about the magic Stella did with the staff, Mum frowned thoughtfully, "It sounds like a tool to enhance the magic of the user, like a wand, or a staff."
I shrugged. "It worked when I used it."
Mum's brow raised. "Do tell."
I then told her about Stella getting restrained before I jumped in and took down all of those gremlins and knocked back the ogre. I mentioned taking the scepter at this point and bashing more gremlin heads in. "One of those gremlin things got lucky and took the bite out of my leg."
"That explains the teeth marks," she muttered, looking a little pale.
I then told her about getting manhandled, her angry look reassuring me that I was off the hook at this point (I may or may not have sighed in relief). I told her about my fire taking a corporal shape as it exploded out from my chest.
"Odd." Mum looked like she was thinking really hard. "Your magic took the shape of a dragon without wings."
I nodded. "I know, it was surprising too. It seemed to have a will of its own since it knew only went for the ogre and those freaky gremlins, leaving the girl, Stella unharmed."
"Sentient magic." Mum's breath hitched. "There are many tales about sentient magic. My Queen had many theories about magic, and its levels of awareness. She concluded that it is partially sentient, but objects imbued with a part of your personality tend to be more coherent to reality."
"Sounds like an interesting way of putting it," I commented. Really, the Earth fairy queen, Queen Morgana, wasn't far off.
Magic was sentient, it was impartial, but it also played the roles of judge, jury, and executioner. It was capable of giving out rewards, just as it was giving out punishments, depending on how you pushed its boundaries. Magic had its own set of laws that prevented it from being abused and broken like the laws of physics, space, and time were.
One surviving theory from Merlin's time--in my past life--was that Magic was a part of the fifth dimension, the place where all of space and time are interconnected, and that saturated places like Earth were nexus points or gateways to that energy.
"You also exhausted yourself." Mum paused. "I'm sorry. Please continue."
"There's not much more to tell." I shrugged. "Kiko warned us of another group of those things just before they attacked, which gave Stella time to swat them with her sun magic. Then she blasted the ogre guy back. He got up, saluted us with 'Princess Stella', then vanished in a purple light, taking his surviving minions with him."
"Purple magic is a physical manifestation of dark magic." Lily looked alarmed. "Likely, this ogre was just a thug, with more thugs helping him. It sounds like they wanted the scepter, and killing Princess Stella was just a bonus."
"Either way, too many of our kind have gotten killed or lost." My fists clenched, my knuckles turning white. "I refused to stand by while another of our kind was removed from this plane of existence."
"While I am unhappy that you broke our number-one rule, I can't find fault in what you did." She hesitated. "I don't recall there being a group of fairies dedicated to the sun though."
Now it was my turn to frown. "What do you mean?"
Mum sat down across from me as Violet and James entered the room. "Earth fairies live in tribes based on their personal affinities and beliefs. The Rustic Fairies believe in justice, they follow and protect Sybil, their fairy major. The Amazon Fairies dislike outsiders, and solely focus on themselves as a community, led by Diana, their fairy major."
"And for the nature fairies, the arctic fairies, so on and so forth. I get it." I waved my hand, then perked up. "So does it mean that she's not from Earth?"
Mum shrugged in an 'I-don't-know' gesture. "We'll have to wait for her to wake up. From what I could tell, she was at dangerously low magic levels when you came across her."
I frowned, recalling my travel to Earth as an infant, one of the few memories that gave me dozens of nightmares until I could desensitize myself to it. "Maybe she tried to portal somewhere but screwed it up? Or the ogre and his gremlins messed with it and she was magically drained when she crashed here?"
Mum's eyes lit up. "As in she came from the Magix Dimension!"
"I'm going to assume you're talking about my headache problem," James said as he sat down next to Mum on the other loveseat while Violet joined me.
"You ok sister?" she asked me, looking kinda nervous and excited. "I'm fine, I promise. It barely hurts."
"So, who's the girl in the guest bedroom?" Dad asked.
I paused. "You know how we're magical beings?"
He instantly made the connection, as he groaned. "She's a fairy too?"
Violet perked up at that. "She's a fairy? Like us?" Like me, Violet was able to use Occlumency (I taught Violet & Lily) to master control of her powers. But, also like me, we were forbidden from using magic, unless it was a life or death situation, to avoid the fairy hunters.
I nodded. "I think she's in training or something? She must be pretty important because she responded when the ogre called her a princess."
"There are, or at least, were a large number of royals in various realms of the Magix Dimension," Mum said thoughtfully. "It's possible, though we won't know until she comes around."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daphne's breath caught in her throat, or it would've if she were still alive. As it is, she'd just gotten the biggest shock of her life.
Bloom was alive! Her baby sister is alive!
She knew how to access her magic too, as she felt the Dragon Flame's energies in a burst from wherever in the galaxy Bloom was. She'd tried to send her baby sister and her portion of the Flame to Solaria the day that Sparx fell, but the Ancestresses' volatile magic had made her portal unstable. She'd felt the bond snap on her end, just as the portal collapsed in on itself, baby cries cutting off sharply, like Death reaping a soul.
She'd grieved and mourned, even as the Ancestresses tortured her for the Flame she no longer had inside her. She'd been more than smug to know that she'd denied the witches her own piece of the Dragon Flame, however small that victory was.
She'd endured agony after that, then eternal black when the darkness witch, Lilisis, cursed the Sirenix power itself through Daphne and her connection, turning the Iron Throne dark, and Politea into a monster. The curse also stripped her from her body before casting her spirit out into the void.
She'd been stuck in Limbo for what was probably a few days but felt like years. It took time, but eventually, she found her way out, although it cost her most of what remained of her magic reserves.
She'd barely had enough energy to contact her old headmistress; to warn Faragonda to hide all material and knowledge of the Sirenix path and conceal the Sirenix Stone in Lake Roccaluce with selkie guardians before she was forced to retreat to Domino for sustenance, however little there was left. Her survival now hinged on the contingency that she remains tethered to Domino.
As a spirit, Daphne's connection to the Great Dragon's spark was even more limited, and her energy, like Domino's existence, was waning. She estimated that she and Domino only had two more years left before the damage the Ancestresses, Darkar, and the removal of the Dragon Flame caused the planet to wither and die. Once that happened, she herself would follow.
The only way to begin to fix the damage was to lift the Darkness Curse that Darkar placed upon Domino, which only a power equal to that of the Shadow Phoenix could accomplish.
The Dragon Flame. Bloom was its Keeper, as such, she was their homeworld's, and Daphne's only salvation.
Before she felt that burst of power, she'd grieved. Grieved for her parents, her kingdom, her people, her planet, and her baby sister.
But now, now she felt hope.
And as she followed the weakened bond link, she had a connection. While she couldn't get a glimpse, she got a word, a feeling.
She gasped. She knew what planet her sister was on now. Earth.
Once she got over her elation, she started to ponder what kind of life her baby sister has led, and how safe she really is--Earth was cut off from the Magix Dimension by the Council of Light's decree after the Earth Fairy kingdom vanished, with traces of lingering dark magic and the visible destruction of the kingdom and various enclaves for fairies.
It led the Council of Light to believe that there were fairy hunters still at large. To protect all the other realms, Earth was to be cut off, for their own safety.
And now Bloom was there. Daphne hoped with all her heart and soul that Bloom had lived a good life, and not one full of fear and on the run.
Her magic was strong, as she knew her sister's connection to the Dragon Flame would be as a Keeper. But she shouldn't be this strong--Daphne felt like she got hit by a ton of heavy bricks, a massive sandbag--not unless she'd been forced to use her magic early.
The earlier a fairy's magic awakens, the harder it is to control it. Most fairies' powers awaken after age eight--though the Council ruled that schooling could only begin once they were age sixteen, & more mature to use their powers--with only special cases, accidents, or life-threatening events causing their powers to awaken sooner.
Fairies' magic is tied to their home realms. Witches draw from external sources (typically negative energy) of magic around them. Sorcerors, wizards, and Betas are a mix of the two; sometimes both. And then are those few selective fairies who are connected to wellsprings of ancient and powerful energies such as the Dragon Flame.
The concern and danger are twice as great that they will have out-of-control powers the earlier their magic awakens.
Daphne prays that her baby sister's connection doesn't grow too strong before she learns to master her powers. Otherwise, she fears that the Magix Dimension and all its realms, both magic, and magicless, will drown in the Fire of Life.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While Bloom fell asleep thinking of a better tomorrow, she had no idea what her actions had unleashed.
In a deep, dark dimension where the ground was black, with purple clouds everywhere, the very same yellow ogre that had attacked Princess Stella and Bloom stepped into the room. He was limping, wincing as his arms brushed against his blackened skin. Dejected, with an angry, humiliated expression on his face.
He hissed as his fingers grazed over the cuts to his back. He officially hated Earth, their trees were so weak, but their splinters found the easiest of ways to get under his skin...literally.
His chest was still tingling, a sign of his regeneration properties at work. And that fire that the Earth girl used...she had to be a fairy or a witch. He doubted the latter, witches only stuck out for themselves. Unless they banded together. So that left the option of being a fairy.
Knut was smarter than most gave him credit for. He was sure that the girl was not an Earth fairy, but something else. He'd never heard of an Earth fairy with such a powerful connection to fire magic, although the Amazon fairies had been known to use fire. She very well could be a survivor.
Either way, his employers cared not for what he thought, but only for his hired muscle. And speaking of his employers...
"KNUT!"
He sighed, trudging over to a raised dais, black as night. At the end on all three sides appeared three sets of yellow glowing eyes, which turned yellow-orange with tints of red around the edges, a physical manifestation of their current emotions.
"Yes, your wickednesses?" Internally, he was mocking them. The coven he worked for were school girls, their power and height yet to reach that of the Ancestresses his own ancestors once served. To an outsider, he sounded rather afraid, which is the image he knew that they expected from him.
"You useless ogre." The voice came from the left set of eyes, sounded on edge, and slightly crazed like she wanted to destroy something.
"You failed." A voice came from the middle one, sounding colder than winter itself. "Again."
"We sent you with over thirty Ghouls to take care of a pathetic spoiled brat who uses the scepter as a focus instead of using its full potential." The crazed voice sounded disgusted, as though such an idea was a waste. "An ogre and thirty-four Ghouls to take a toy from a weak princess. A fairy klutz. Someone who wastes her time shopping and looking pretty rather than putting any effort into her studies."
Knut winced. Yes, his minions were generated by their powers, and he knew that it took quite a bit of magic to create a small army of them. To an experienced magic user, it was nothing. But to a still-developing witch or fairy in school, it would be a lot more taxing. Yes, they would be angry with him for wasting their magic, especially when it came to someone who was lacking in combat skills.
"Explain yourself." the voice came from the left-most one, sounding cool and collected. Of the three, she sounded the most dangerous.
"It really wasn't my fault this time." He growled, still trying to keep a subservient position.
"Then who is at fault for your failure to return to us without the Scepter of Solaria?" the dangerous voice asked, her tone carrying just the right amount of curiosity and temperament.
"I had downed the princess." He began. "I had the Ghouls deliver the scepter. It was in my hands!"
"Yes?" drawled the icy voice, sounding unimpressed.
"Then an Earth fairy appeared from nowhere and attacked me."
"You trapped the Princess of Solaria on Earth." the dangerous voice stated, speaking to him like he was an idiot. "Earth has no more fairies or magic."
Knut tried to suppress his anger. "There was an Earthling fairy. And no ordinary fairy either." He paused, trying to remember what he saw, a hand on his chin, the other on his forehead. "She took us on with one hand."
He demonstrated one of the positions he most clearly recalled the girl in, leaning back while pushing her hand outward. "She destroyed the Ghouls I sent after her and was able to wield the scepter. After the princess came around and destroyed the rest of my Ghouls bar two, I fled."
"Coward." the second voice, the crazed one hissed.
The lead set of eyes narrowed, listening to the more valuable intel. "She was able to use the Scepter?"
"What did she look like?" the third voice, the dangerous voice demanded.
"Well, um...hmm." Knut struggled to recall what she looked like. She'd been a mix of red--was that her hair?--blues--probably her uniform--and sandy-pale, likely her skin tone. But he couldn't recall any further details. "She had red hair and blue clothes."
"Anything else? Something that would be more useful?" drawled the icy voice again.
"I'm a...not...sure." He bowed his head, angrier with himself at the moment. "Wait, she also did something with fire. Look what it did to my chest."
So saying, he shifted his overalls down a little to reveal blackened skin.
"So, fire powers, red hair, and blue clothes. I could name half a dozen witches on that description alone." the crazed one spoke.
"Where are your glasses!" shouted the icy tone. Knut almost jumped at the frosty screech. He frantically dug into his pocket before pulling them out. "Right, here your scariness." his stance and expression were as apologetic as he could make it while he was humiliated.
"HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO TELL YOU TO KEEP THEM ON!" roared the dangerous one, now sounding pissed off.
The landscape around them trembled, a sign of her magic lashing out in her anger. Knut winced, putting on the glasses as the sides squeezed his face.
The crazed voice spoke up again. "Don't you know that you're as blind as a fucking door knob without them?"
"So, blind as a bat, memory impaired, failure to fulfill your side of the bargain. Hmph. I bet you're not even sure that it's a fairy, or a girl for that matter." the icy tone sounded like it was coming from the frosty ring of hell itself.
"Reasonable sure," Knut replied in a tiny voice.
"SILENCE!" all three shouted.
"Know your place." the crazed one snarled at him.
"Why do we have this baboon employed?" drawled the icy tone.
"Because he's strong, fairly magically resistant, a good tracker, and should something happen we get plausible deniability." replied the second voice in a tone that suggested that they'd had this conversation many times before.
The first let out a noise that sounded like an irritated protest and an annoyed growl. "Fine." the in a much louder voice. "KNUT! We want the scepter, but now we also want this...Earth fairy."
"I have a plan," Knut replied.
"Speak." the dangerous voice said.
"One of my Ghouls managed to take a bite out of the redhead's leg," Knut spoke, pulling out the bloody piece of clothing and dangling it. "We'll just give it to a hunter troll and follow it right to them both. I left behind the gate ring so we can get back."
Knut's face itched, though he refused to remove the glasses, not while this coven's eyes were on him. Loud thumps behind her drew his attention. The witches had removed a hunter troll from its cage, and it thumped over to him. A fat nose, the size of a hamburger. Dark blue skin and black hair that looked dry and oily.
It was double the size and height of Knut himself. Its ears were angled, like a bat's. Its fangs came out in an underjaw bite, and when it opened its mouth you could see a long, slimy tongue and rows of sharp teeth. Its only clothing was a loincloth that was torn and ripped so much that it barely covered the giant's muscular glutes or the shriveled blue appendage that dangled between its legs.
Knut handed it the torn piece of leg stocking, and it brought it up to its nose. It inhaled once, then licked the bloodied fabric. The girl's scent, blood, & traces of magic washed over it. Its eyes glazed over, the red irises slightly glowing from within. The chains around its wrists clanged and jingled together as it slowly raised its broad arms to the sky. And then it roared.
Knut grinned. A darker form of the same smile was shared by three witches as they left their globe, confident that their agent would succeed. Or he would fail again, and this time, their displeasure would be more physical.