CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Sae waited as everyone gathered their things, the air was crisp, light puffs of smoke came out of their mouths from the cold. The grey skies were turning dark as the night approached, but she was determined to keep practising.
"You coming, Sae?", Aisha asks her friend as the rest of the girls from the Winx suite stand close. "Uhh, no. I'll stay for a few more minutes.", Aisha nods but Terra refuses to stay silent today too. "You've been staying longer, every morning and night. I think you might be too good when the time comes.", Terra chuckles, but the thought of being too good sents chills through Sae bones.
"Yeah, I just. I hate I'm losing control when I'm freezing stuff. So I'm basically just meditating. And the air and quiet helps.", she nsers, the lie coming out of her mouth like water. And the girls nod. "Don't stay out for too long.", Bloom smiles at her and she nods, biding them goodbye and making her way further into the woods.
She drops her bag on the ground when she finds a secluded space, sitting on the ground on her knees she waits patiently. In the meantime she tries clearing her thoughts and mind, just as he told her.
Pushing every good emotion in the back og her mind, she thought of all the times she felt weak and betrayed. All the times she felt like drowning, she didn't want to feel like that ever again. But she couldn't know if she did this, would it help her reach the sruface or would it pull her deaper.
Her ears pearked up at the sound of a twig snapping and her eyes traile over the woods in front of her, her eyes settling on a small, white bunny.
She lifts her trembling hands, from the cold or fear, she wasn't even sure. "I'm sorry little bunny.", she whispers, her hands outstretched infront of her. She gives all her attention to the little bunny, listening to the liquids inside of him. The heart pumping the blood that's cursing through him. She feels it, she could almost taste it. It makes her stomach churn, and she's afraid she'd throw up again.
But she doesn't and when she's ready, she bends her fingers like she's squeezing something. The little bunny yelps at first, but then he's quiet. She made him quiet, but he was still alive and breathing, so she continues on. Using the blood she controling inside of him, she makes him take a step, then two. And she wants to smile because she finally did it, and she would if it weren't for the guilt eating her alive.
She managed to make him take a few more steps before she decideds it's enough, so she concentartes on realising him, realising the power. But that's the problem, shile she managed to learn dangerously fast how to use the power, she didn't know how to sfely release it.
She tried her best, but instead of letting the bunny's blood flow naturally again, she squezzed and contracted his veins, clenching his heart. The bunny dropped dead and she let out an anguished scream, her tears mising with the sweat coating her body as she dropped her hands on the ground, letting her head fall with them. She cried, repeatedly hitting the ground with her fists.
The sky above her thundered, lightning lighting up the sky as she let her emotions control her. The rain started shortly after, but it wasn't a light drizzle like all the other nights. It was pouring, hard and cold, hitting her back like ice shards. But he didn't care. She didn't even bother using her magic to keep the rain away, she let it hit her and soak her.
She didn't care anymore, she let it all out.
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Riven tiredly trudged through the halls towards his room. He spent the day with the rest of specialist leading a false trail, which left him tired and angry. And the last thing he wanted to do was lay in an empty room.
But when he walked inside, he was met with a puddle of water in which he stepped in. He didn't mind it, he was soaking wet too from the rain pouring. But he, thankfully, changed his specialist clothes, the only thing left wet was his hair. He slowly looked up, seeing a person laying in his bed, he knew it was her right away.
Without a seoond thought he walked to his bed, his eyes cathing her wet clothes on the floor of the bathroom that was left opened. He slowly pulled the cover open, cuddling himself to her side. He pulled her to his chest when he felt her cold hands and damp hair.
He wanted to ask her why'd she let herself get wet, is she cold, does she need more clothes, blankets. He wanted to ask her if she's okay, but his mouth stayed shut. His heart clenching at the sound of her silent cries. He lifts his hand, brushing away the tears that escaped. The lightning outside lighting up the room for a moment and he could seeher puffy cheeks and eyes.
He swallows hard, contemplating, maybe he should ask if she's okay. But would it made a difference? He didn't know how to help her, or what to say.
"Did someone hurt you?", he asks carefully. It was the first thought that came to his mind when he saw her crying. She shook her head no. And he expected the answer. He thought of every day when she would act weird and distant, like she was keeping a secret noone could know of. He thought of every text and worried glance from Terra or any other firned of hers.
"I'm sorry.", Sae whispers once she manages to stop herself from crying, Rivens eyes trained on her. "Don't be sorry. It's okay, you'll be okay.", he wshipers back as if he would scare her away if he talked louder.
"I just- I was trying to keep it together. I just had enough today.", she says, the words barely audible but Riven still listens, because it is the first time in a long while she finally opened up. "It's okay.", he repeats, kissing her temple. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to."
"No, I do. For the last couple of days, I just, I feel like I can't breathe. But the thing is i don't want to fight to keep breathing, I just want to let myself...stop.", she whisper, her voice quivering, fresh tears started coating her cheeks. And she's afraid of the asnwer Riven would give her. He squeezed her tighter, his hands engulfing her whole as she found herself on top of him, her head resting in his chest. She could hear his heart beating faster.
"Please, don't stop breathing.", her chest feels heavier and she softly cries in his arms. "I don't know what I would do if you did. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you did.", he says and her chest tightens even more at the crack in his voice, she knew he started crying too. He wanted to wipe his tears, and tell himself to man up, but there was nothing he could do when the girl he loves cries in his arms.
"I just can't wait for it to be over, for all of this to end. I'm so tired of training every day and stressing about the day they would attack.", she explains, and he nods his head even though she can't see him. "I know. We've been leading a false trail, again. I just wish we would come up with just something.", he agrees with her as she snifles.
It was quiet for a moment and Riven's eyes trail to the window, where the rain significantlly was falling slower. It almost stopped. Sae swallowed hard, her cheeks finally starting to dry up.
"We'll be okay.", she whisper. "Yeah. As long as you keep breathing.", he says, a light chuckle escaping from he both of them. "What if something happens? What if i do?", she asks him quietly, the question itself came out steady, but the fear behind the wrods was strong.
"You don't have to worry. I'd give my last breath to you.", he whispers, gently lowering his head and leaving a warm kiss on her head.
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Sae and Beatrix sat patiently in Miss. Dowling's office, well, more like Beatrix waited patiently while Sae tapped with her right foot and spinning a pen she found in her left.
"What's taking so long?", the blonde muttered, pushing herself up. "They'll all be back and that wasn't the deal.", she continues while pacing around the room.
"Oh, will you relax? He said he'll be here.", Beatrix rolled her eyes just as a knock sounded through the room.
Sae stopped and watched silently as Beatrix opened the door. His dark aura instantly enveloping the room, it made the girl shiver but she refused to show it.
"Took you long enough.", Beatrix said as the man rolled his eyes. "It's the entourage. Like herding cats.", he walks in as he talks, but stops in his tracks when his eyes meet Sae's.
"It's good to finally see you, Sae.", he says, a devilish smile on his face.
"Don't think I can say the same, Sebastian."
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"The attack was over in about 20 minutes. I don't know how many Blood Witches, but enough to take over every specialist there.", Bloom said, pocketing her phone. Silva folded his arms on his chest, before nodding. "They knew we were making a move on their hideout."
"And we drank the last of the Blood Witch antidote. Fucker!", Riven exclaimed, shaking his head. "They took over every specialist?", Dane asks. " Mhmm, and fairies didn't have it much better. Sebastian basically brought an army of scrapers to take them down."
"Are they all drained?", Silva was the only one who dared to ask the question. Riven anxiously bit on his thumb as he waited for the answer. "Not yet.", He exhaled as Bloom answered, partly relived. But he still didn't know if she was okay.
"They're being held under the school, taken to him one by one. We're thinking that he can't handle a lot of magic at once.", Bloom pulled out her phone, showing a video Musa sent her. "So there's still some time to save some of them. That's good. Good Intel.", Silva said.
"Well, it's all Musa. She's hiding in the school. She was able to avoid detection, but Flora wasn't so lucky.", Riven's heart clenched at the lack of mention of Sae.
"It looks like we've got our work cut out for us. A frontal assault is suicide. A covert strike upgrades our odds, but not by much. And we'll be fighting friends, which is a headfuck. We've got non-lethal weapons, should you want them. Once we neutralise the threat, the Blood Witches will be easy to clear. Then we free the fairies.", Silva concludes.
"And I'll go after Sebastian.", Bloom adds.
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Sebastian paced and Sae rolled her eyes for, what felt like, the hundredth time. "If you're so worried she wouldn't come, just posses, or whatever the hell you do, Sky. And call her, tell her what you can do. Use him, she'd do everything for him.", Sae mutters, her chest clenching as she squeezed her fists.
She couldn't believe what she was telling him, but she reminded herself it was necessary. She had to go and find her mother, especially now that she knows 100% that she's alive.
"Well, aren't you a smart, little thing. It's almost sad you didn't join me earlier. ", Sebastian walked up to her, caressing her cheek, she watched him with a scowl on her face, before moving her head away from his touch.
"Just go and do it, so all of this can be over soon.", he smirked pulling away. "Why the rush? We've got all the time in the world?", he chuckled before walking out of the room.
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Sae's not sure how much time passed, as she watched through one of the windows as the sun went down, but the fight never stopped. She couldn't tell who m's good and who's bad. Specialist against specialist fought, but she knew why her eyes couldn't strain from the window. She was searching for one person only, and she couldn't find him. Not in the mess that fight was.
Her thoughts got interrupted as the conversation between Sebastian and Bloom came to a stop. She watched from the dark corner as Bloom began chaneling her Dargon Flame, anger and sadness obvious on her face.
Sae breathed, ready for this day to end, for all of this to end. Her eyes wandered above them where Sky hanged, tied by some vines. She knew no matter how many times she tried to explain to them, they'd never understand her. So she thought it would be better to stay quiet and ask for forgiveness when everything ends.
"Hate to interrupt a private moment.", her eyes snapped towards Beatrix, that slowly worked towards the two. "Not now, Beatrix.", Sebastian said, his eyes leaving Bloom's only for a split second. And Sae knew what he meant.
"Bloom might want to know what you plant to use the Dragon Flame for.", she said, her eyes trained on Bloom, she didn't notice Sae walking behind Bloom and towards her. "Does it matter?", Bloom cries out. "Figured. Remember you said that.", Beatrix turns her back, and uses her power to electrocute Sky, making him fall to the ground.
Bloom immediately stopped with her channeling, running to Sky, kneeling next to him. "Sky! No, Sky."
Sae wasn't sure what should she do, her heart sank. Both for one of her best friends, lying there motionless, and for the crsytal breaking in million pieces. "Do you have any fucking idea what you had just done?", Sebastian gritted out.
"Yeah, I just saved the world. Gotta admit, feels pretty good.", she answers him and Sae walks up from the shadows behind him. Her eyes glowing, blue and red mixing. Her hands outstretched.
"Well, too bad. This will fucking hurt.", she seeths, anger flashed through Sae's veins as she curled her fingers as she hears, feels Beatrix heart, her blood pumping in her veins. And without thinking twice, she squeezes her fists.
She doesn't stop when she hears Beatrix scream in agony, she doesn't stop when tears start streaming down her face. Instead she uses her power to push them back, to keep them there and instead blood drips down her eyes, out of her nose and mouth.
"That's enough.", Sebastian says, but she doesn't hear him, her ears are ringing, her only focus on the anger bubbling inside her. "I said enough!", Sebastian screams and uses one of his powers to push Beatrix into the wall. Her body connecting with the wall and then on the floor.
It's only when Beatrix's heart stops, does Sae notice the frightened look on Bloom's face. But she refuses to crumble underneath it. She knew what she was doing and she would do it all over again.
She watched as her friends eyes turned orange, a fiery wings appear on her back as she stepped forward. Sebastian cowardly stepping behind Sae.
"What did you do?", Bloom asks, tears dried up already, her body in a stance ready for a fight. "I did what I had to do.", she replies simply. "I did exactly the same thing you did. You needed information and you know you can't get you mother back. But I can get mine back. I had to do it.", she reasons, but Sae already gets ready for a fight she knows is inevitable. "You would do the same."
"And what are you gonna do? Kill your friend? Destroy the entire school? Your friends are outside fighting for you and you are losing control.", Sebastian dares to say, but he still stood a step behind Sae.
"Tehnically, her friends are inside now.", Terra's voice sounds and Sae watches as all her friends appear around them, noticing Stella's hands illuminating a light.
"Bloom. We're here now. You can stand down.", Stella tries to reason with her friend, but Sae doesn't miss the way the girls stole glances at her.
Sky gasps, his body jerking and everyone's heads snap towards him. There kneeled Grey above him, using his power to keep him alive. "Hos heart stopped. I can use Blood Witch magic to pump the muscle around it.", he explains and Bloom stops using her magic, running towards him.
"The boy came through.", Sebastian rolls his eyes. "It's over. No more fighting.", Grey says, shaking his head. "Is it?", Sae watches closely as a smirk finds it's way on his face.
"Are you really gonna make me do this again?", Bloom seethes, ready to use the Dargon Flame. But nothing happens. "Oops. Fairy magic isn't and infinite well. And looks like your little rage moment tapped you out. Even the Dragon Flame has limits. So the only thing's that actually changed is that Beatrix sacrificed herself for nothing. Sucks for her.", Sae breath grew ragged, her whole body shaking. Everything came crashing down, and she felt like a villain in this story. She supposes she is one.
"Sacrificed herself?", Stella asks and their eyes all land on the unmoving girl, Sae mind clouding with guilt. "You're a monster.", Aisha spits. "Yeah, well. I'm still stronger than all of you. And I have Sae, here, on my side.", Sae whips her head to him, her mouth in a scowl.
"Yeah, but are you strong than all of us together?", Terra asks. "Sae, move.", she adds and Sae can't help but feel even more guilt as her friends still care for her after she sided with Sebastian. But still, she can't let them kill him. Not until he opens the portal to The Realm of Darkness as he promised.
"Wait!", she screams, but the fairies didn't hear her as they channelled their power in unsion, targeting it at Sebastian. She rushed to his side, using her own power to create a wall of water, than freezing it over, all around them.
She turns to him as he watches her closely. "Tell me. Is there still a chance?", she whispers, tears at the brink of falling down. "I just need the Dargon Flame.", he whispers just as Aisha countered her power and brought the ice wall down. She noticed the tic in his eye as he said it.
She knew in taht moment he lied. There is no chance. The only chance stood destroyed under their feet.
"Sae!", Bloom yelled out, but the girl didn't listen as her eyes started changing color again.
"He's mine.", she said, her stare darkening. She screams as she uses her magic to control his body, lifting him up from the ground. The anger in her only directed to herself only, but she needed to let it out. And who better than on the man that promised her things that he couldn't give her. At least not anymore.
The girls watched in shock as he struggled against it, but as he said, ever power has a limit. "Sae stop!", Terra yelled out, getting closer to her. "You're bleeding!", Stella added as they watched her. In that moment she felt the liquid running down her nose, over her lips, dripping down from her chin.
"Not until he's dead.", she grunts. It was getting harder and harder, and he was fighting her power. He was back on the ground, struggling but made the two steps that separated them. "That was a bad move, Sae.", he grunted out, barely. Hus hand around her neck, squeezing her, she dropped her hands and with that her power stopped.
"Sae!", the girls yelled out as tears started rolling down her cheeks. "Do. It.", she rasped out, never breaking eye conatc with Sebastian. She wasn't sure who'd listen her. But it didn't matter. Either way she would feel it.
"Do it!", she yells again. And then she feels it. The power from the four fairies hitting her at once. Sebastian m's face showed pain as he let go of her, making her fall down on her knees.
"You can't kill me.", he grunts as Sae backs away from him, getting up from the floor. "Yes, we can.", she spits.
Letting her magic flow from her hands hitting him along with rest of them. She could feel and see the ice forming from he fingertips, gradually climbing to her elbows, than her shoulders. But she doesn't stop, she doesn't stop even when she starts trembling from the cold or when her breath comes out in puffs of smoke.
She only stops when his body dissapears and she's back on her knees. Her body hitting the floor hard. She exhales as she watches Bloom rush to Sky, Aisha walks up to Grey and Terra hugs a crying Stella next to Beatrix's body.
She's not sure if her mind is playing tricks on her, or if it's real, but a figure that looks identical to Riven's runs up to her as he kneels besides her. She could see him opening his mouth, trying to reach her but her mind's fuzzy and everything goes black.
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THE END
Well, this is the end!
Since the show is discontinued and I don't have the inspiration to write my own version, I decided to end it like this.
This way you decided how it actually ends. If you want, she woke up after this, or she died. It's up to you!
Hope you enjoyed reading!