A.N.: I'm baaaaaaack!
I didn't have the heart to take down the announcement chapter (THANK YOUS TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT, YOU HAVE MY GRATITUDE FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND PATIENCE), but I won't make a habit of putting them up. I just wanted to forewarn people in advance, which actually turned out to be a good thing as I was told that I had another test from my fourth class on this week's Thursday.
I'd actually written ahead as well, and have some half-baked ideas at the moment for the bridge that's between a Job for Bloom and the sixth episode of the canon episode. It will be a few more quartets before we reach that point, but I hope (I wish I could promise, but I don't want to let anyone down) that the process is enjoyable and satisfactory to read.
Any-hoo, Musa's alive, don't worry. Buuuuut, keep a look out for the new villains and characters I've introduced ( o)_( o)
Also, it just occurred to me while I was writing this that there is a distinct lack of descriptive verbal spars between the Winx and Amaryl, who I'm setting up to be a Draco Malfoy with morals. In other words, the school bully of this story, because just like with Diaspro, I never liked her.
And as an added bonus, I'm back to worldbuilding XD.
Now please enjoy.
X - normal text
X - text where Bloom is not present
'X' - thoughts
'#$X#$' - Parseltongue
Chapter: : A Job for Bloom Pt.4:
Though time is eternal, the same could be said for paperwork.
Checklists, booklists, visitation periods, cataloging the students leaving for the weekend that held Day of the Lily, carefully arranging the staff so that they would be well equipped to cover her absence when Day of the Royals arrived, processing of grades, meeting with parents of future students...indeed, there was much work to be done, and not enough time.
Perhaps the old saying that time was the biggest fool of all held a shred of truth.
Still, her weekend had been pleasant, even though the Westley Twins had pranked the whole school yet again. They really deserved more credit for their work than punishment, she herself could admit that.
Freddi and Georgina Westley were brilliant inventors, and she had no doubt that when the troublemaking pair graduated they would eventually run a shop of prank-filled wares.
Assuming that they put as much effort into getting their Charmix as they did their pranks of course. And reduced the number of detentions they willingly sat, lest they be withheld back a year.
It was late at night, and there were still numerous things to do before she would allow herself to turn in for the night.
Yesterday had been a rather...intense staff meeting, especially since DuFour and Wizgiz had both offered apprenticeships to the same fairy. Thankfully, they managed to act like proper adults to resolve the issue.
Today, she was still waiting to hear back from Barbatea, who had volunteered herself and her new assistant to go for a brief search in the newly discovered catacombs.
She herself had not known that there were more catacombs below, yet another mark against her old mentor.
Rosalind had taken dozens of secrets with her to her grave, what was one more?
Faragonda was stamping her approval for another gala at the end of term when the most secret and guarded ward tripped.
Instantly, the aged fairy's eyes shot to the bookshelves left and forward of her desk. Her surprise only grew when the identification ward pinged back, revealing the magical signature of the culprit.
'Impossible! The catacombs were on the other side of the school! Unless...they linked up...'
Startled, Faragonda waved her hand, her magic sealing the doors to her office. She did the same with the heavy curtains, her magic drawing them shut so any potential eyes outside could not look in.
She then rose from her desk and hurried over to the bookshelf. She released her magic once again, the entire bookshelf glowing and shimmering in a pinkish-white hue, before it slid towards the front of the office, exposing a hidden passage.
And out of it, emerged a frantic and pale Barbatea, with ashes in her hair and her clothes, soot and burn marks, smelling faintly of Krait Lizard blood, fire and smoke, her glasses slightly eschew, and her hair falling out of its elaborate design, stuttering and high-pitched.
"Headmistress, headmistress, come quickly! It's her! She's attacking Ms. Sung!"
Faragonda pushed past her and hurried down the stairs, taking them two at a time, her pace shifting into a run-walk as the stairs ended and the corridor began, leading to a bend that would take her to the most secure prison in Alfea.
Her run-walk turned into a sprint as she heard the young fairy's screams of pain.
As she rounded the final bend, coming before the short corridor that led to the door of the prison, it led to a very disturbing scene.
Musa was sprawled out on the floor in her magenta and reddish-pink fairy form. Tears of blood streaming from her half-lidded eyes. Her skin was pale, far too pale for Faragonda's liking. Worse, blood matted her hair, and she was lying on one of her wings, the other flapping uselessly, like the girl's flailing arms that clutched her skull before she spasmed.
Faragonda cast a light probe into her mind, finding the torn remnants of what had been mental barriers. Hesitantly--so as not to cause further damage to Musa's mind--she proceeded, finally arriving at the nexus where Ms. Sung's memories were stored.
And she was unable to restrain her flinch, mentally recoiling at the powerful presence within. A presence that turned on her, attacking her mental barriers.
Faragonda winced, bringing a hand to her temple, even as she strengthened her barriers, hissing in pain at the brutal, savage blows. It was unrefined, yet restrained, with an unpredictable elegance that came from the chess master she learned at the knee of.
'Fara. I see you continue to fail the generations who came after us.'
Faragonda stiffened at the accusation. 'It is you who attacks the innocent without care or cause,' she snarled mentally. 'You failed us all with your treachery.'
'Who gives a flying fuck?' Was the blunt reply. 'They would've become another threat in time. I simply did the Magix Dimension a favor.'
She could almost picture her former mentor's smug, arrogant look, the face of someone who knew that they held all the cards and they knew it.
Then, her tone changed to cruel curiosity and a ravenous hunger. 'But enough talk. Tell me, Fara. Do you know what walks in these halls?'
No. There was no way. She couldn't know! She couldn't! Ms. Peterson had yet to even unleash her inner Dragon! She couldn't know!
'The power that hides within the shell of flesh and blood? The fairy who will be the only one of her kind to have a tiara in her transformation?'
She knew.
Faragonda's breath hitched. 'No no no no no.'
The misty white eyes laughed at her. It was neither kind nor joyful. It was proud, it was spiteful, it was hungry. 'So you do know.'
'How did you learn of this?' Her question was barely a whisper, a demand.
'You already know.' Was the smug reply. 'The girl's shields are impressive for her age, rather unique, but ultimately inferior against a higher power.'
Faragonda's fist clenched tightly. 'You had no right.' She mentally hissed at the woman of her nightmares.
Clearly, something needed to be done about the prison's security if she could unleash mental attacks from within a prison designed to contain and drain the powers of powerful fairies.
'I had every right.' The voice continued, and oh, how Faragonda yearned to remove the wards around the prison so she could punch the smug bitch in the face. 'After all, I walked among and commanded these halls long before you were but a zygote in your mother's womb.'
Seeing that there was no point in continuing this mental spat (especially in a damaged mind), Faragonda erected shields around Musa's battered mind, noting that her old mentor was right. She had been developing mind shields. Rather rudimentary and basic, yet with an unorthodox design. Had they been stronger, Faragonda had little doubt that they could've cast her faint mind probe out.
Scooping up the still-twitching and spasming girl, she rose and hurried back the way she came. Her heels hit the floor, and her pace was far slower than she'd have liked.
She extended her magic to the wards, pinging Ofelia, letting her know that she'd have another patient.
When she emerged from the tunnel, she found a nervous and still-dirtied and smelly Barbatea wringing her hands together. "I'm terribly sorry Headmistress--I didn't know what to do--or where to go--and I knew that I needed to get you--please don't fire me--"
"Your position of authority is not in question." Faragonda shifted her grasp of the unconscious fairy (holding her up with her magic and arm) so that she could gently squeeze Barbatea's soot-stained arm. "You are not equipped to deal with the more severe branches of the mind arts. Triggering the sensory ward was the best decision you could have made, considering the circumstances."
Barbatea sighed in relief.
"Now, do clean up. I will await your report once I have Ms. Sung delivered to the infirmary." She instructed.
Faragonda received a frantic nod before they both left, both of their thoughts occupied by the limp form securely in her arms.
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I awoke the next morning with a mix of feelings.
I wondered if Musa had snuck back in while we were clocked out. I was desperately trying--not-to-think-about-the-family-that-were-murdered-due-to-my-inaction--to breathe and not hyperventilate.
I needed to forward my plans to Hagan and make time to learn how to forge. Plus, I still had assignments to do, and that upcoming test...UGH.
Thank Merlin that this was a college and not a high school, otherwise, I'd have exploded in a mess of stress and rage.
Still, I started my morning with my normal routine. A five-minute rough pencil sketch--to my annoyance and Stella's delight, that of either Adrien or Sky's facial features, but lately it had been the nymph of my dreams--followed by my stretches and light exercise routine (you have no idea how grateful I am that I can eat as much as I want and not have to worry about getting fat or diabetic or any of the ailments of Earth's diseases), and then my morning shower.
I was alone since I had awoken a little earlier than normal, leaving me with privacy and silence--apart from the rush of water and the pitter-patter of water that splashed at my feet.
After a five-minute scrub, and adding a hair softener to my hair that Stella had given me (it make my hair feel like silk, but just as strong, which I really liked), followed by a ten-minute wait and then another five minutes to finish washing (there may have been some clit teasing in between while I waited out the time), and then I was finished, refreshed, flushed, with the tingles of pleasure and slight pain still flowing from my loins out around my entire body.
I shut off the water, my thighs pressing together as I walked over to the bench and pulled a towel around myself. It was more of a common courtesy (since I would happily prance around nude if I could), and made to leave.
I passed by a half-dead-on-her-feet Stella who only had a towel wrapped around herself. "Mum-ning," she mumbled, before stumbling into the shower area.
"Morning." I giggled at her dumb-tired look, but left her to shower, already feeling the heat I'd been enjoying vanish when she cranked the water down to ice.
Her slight screech when the cold water hit her skin and properly awoke her was still amusing to hear from the common room.
I slipped back into my and Flora's room and chose my outfit for the day, mindful not to close the door too loudly, and to tip-toe across.
Flora, as I had come to learn, was very receptive to her plants, and her plants were very sensitive to me. In that perspective, she was a very light sleeper. Anything that could disturb a plant, would disturb her.
The limits that we'd agreed upon were nothing too limiting and suited us both just fine.
I settled on my pink and white striped top with blue hearts and a matching blue denim skirt that was just a little higher around my legs, because I was proud of how I looked and loved to show my body.
Sixteen years of exercise and stretches got me to where I am now, magic had come after. Not the other way around.
I slip my stockings up my legs, making sure that there aren't any wrinkles. I then pull my hair into one bunch that I tie together with a scrunchie. As much as I love my hair to flow freely, there are times when I feel the need to change up my hairstyle.
I smiled as I watched my sleeping rabbit, but knew that if I let the little bugger sleep all morning he'd still be full of energy later at night.
And an energetic Kiko is a messy Kiko.
I knelt down, softly humming the lyrics of 'Something Just Like This' as I brushed Kiko's soft blue fur. His nose twitched, along with his eyelids the more I petted him.
Finally, he yawned before stretching and opening his eyes, curious, but happy amber eyes looking up at me.
"Hey, little guy." I grinned down at him, letting him climb up into my lap.
Kiko cuddled into me before giving me a piercing, concerned gaze. Something very similar to what Hedwig used to do.
Huh. Now I'm wondering if her soul is in him. It would explain a few of his more prideful habits...like his consistent grooming...
"I'm fine," I said gently, quietly, mindful of my sleeping roommate.
Kiko patted my arm, still looking at me. His gaze seemed to become piercing, as though he knew I wasn't telling him the whole truth.
"Well, I will be," I promised, and the adorable guy gave me a cute thumbs up. Magic definitely made him more expressive.
I cuddled him to my breast in a hug before I set him down. I then gathered my books for Monday's classes: Metamorphosis, Magicphysics, and Good Manners, before I returned to the common room, making sure to slide the door shut behind me.
I could still hear water running from the shower and knew that Stella must be busy showering. She usually takes about twenty to thirty-five-minute showers, while Tecna takes about four or five minutes. Musa usually takes twenty. Flora...erm, about fifteen.
How and why do I know how long my friends shower for? Simple. We all go out of our dorms during class days together.
I set my books down and pulled my notebooks for each class into the pile. I then added my wallet and pencil case to my purse-pack (like a small purse but made like a backpack), and put everything else in my bookbag.
Then I laid back and accessed my Occlumency while Kiko curled in my lap, my hands gently brushing his fur while I appeared in my limited mindscape.
I didn't really have the time to review and study memories, not on a school morning, so I dedicated what little time we had left to building another mental barrier, adding in a few more tricks than the last one.
I formed what appeared to be a shield, but was actually a giant cloud of mist that worked much like an obscurus charm, hiding everything from sight, or in this case, a mental probe. Even if they broke through the first six barriers of my mind, they would have a much harder time trying to get past this one, since it would force them to manifest an avatar in my head, which would mean that I could confront them on the astral plane, or the mirror dimension, depending on what you call it.
Satisfied, I shifted my consciousness out of my mind and back into my body, taking control of my limbs. My body gave a little jolt, a slight spasm that went unnoticed.
I opened my eyes to see Stella admiring her nails on the couch opposite mine, and Flora sitting on the other edge of the L-shaped out I was using.
"Morning sleepyhead." Stella teased, her sunset-colored eyes shining brightly. How someone can have eyes that shine multiple colors in a startling, intense haze is incredible, and kind of art-inspiring.
Maybe if she lets me, I could draw her eyes at some point? They're really beautiful.
I had noticed that she was making an effort not to use the scepter to tap into her powers, trying to find them on her own. At most, all she could do was conjure enough magic to turn her irises to a brightly shimmering gold.
Hmm...Occlumency could help her there. The girls already knew about it (after Musa had revealed to them that I had mental barriers--thanks a lot for spoiling my secrets Muse), so I had enlightened them as to what mind art I practiced: Occlumency.
Plus, seeing as Darcy can read minds, it would be a very good idea for them to learn it, before I share any more secrets of mine.
"Morning girls," Flora said as she left our room, heading to the showers.
"Morning Flora." I waved, as did Stella.
"So, did Musa make it back?" I asked.
Stella shrugged as if to say 'Who knows?'. "So, are you excited for flying class again?"
"A bit." It was my turn to shrug. "I like flying, it's one of the few things that lets me be in my own world."
"Like your Transformers?" Stella teases. I feel my face heat up and I stick my tongue at her in response.
We turn our heads at the sound of a door opening, and see a rather disturbed Tecna leave her room, still in furry yet metallic-looking pajamas.
I take note of her pensive, confused, and slightly worried expression. "All right, Tecna?"
She frowned at my grammar (I lived and talked that way for over a hundred years, she'll find some way to deal with it) but let it slide in favor of answering my question.
"I...am unsure." She said, still looking confused and worried. Understandably so, since none of us had ever failed to return to our rooms without one of us knowing. "Musa's blankets are undisturbed, and there is a distinct lack of body heat. Furthermore, her possessions have remained untouched, with a night worth's more of dust layering over her property."
I sat up, alarmed. "She never came back?"
"No. Her bedcovers remain undisturbed." Tecna repeated, just phrasing it a little differently.
Stella was frowning, concerned as well. Although she and Musa tended to have rows (thankfully less often), both still cared for each other. "Did she say anything?"
"If she stated her intent to avoid her primary resting station, she did not inform me," Tecna said curtly, and my lips twitched, yearning to crack into a smile.
I so wanted to tease her and tell her to just call it a bed, but I let her. We'll slowly break down on her more...Zenithian phrasing.
"Maybe...maybe she got back later, and didn't really sleep?" I suggest. "She could be half asleep munching on toast right now."
"A lack of sleep increases the probability rate of a humanoid committing to an irrational decision due to a higher lack of critical thinking abilities." Tecna mused. "It isn't the rational excuse, but it could be satisfactory, considering our lack of data."
"Fair enough," I said, mentally translating some of her odder word choices.
The clock read 7: 23 am.
"Either way, we should get down and grab something to eat." I proposed.
"That sounds lovely," Flora said as she returned from the showers with damp hair, a tower wrapped around her curvaceous frame. "Mind waiting for me?"
"Sure." I said, biting back my sassy retort of 'Don't take too long', for, "Need any help?"
See, I'm learning from Good Manners.
"I'll be fine," Flora said with twinkling eyes. "I don't lather my face in makeup like a certain Solarian."
"Hey!" Stella said in mock offense, grabbing a pillow to throw. Flora giggled before ducking into our room and shutting the door, just as the pillow smacked into the space where she was.
"I thought that Good Manners was supposed to teach you not to throw things when you got mad." I teased Stella.
"Har har." She snipped back. "Why is everyone making fun of me at my expense?"
"Because you're receptive to negative commentary, no matter the intent behind the statement," Tecna replied.
"In other words, you're easy to tease and rile up." I shortened Tecna's explanation so Stella could understand. "Oh."
"Is that not what I stated?" Tecna asked rhetorically, looking confused.
I chuckled and patted her shoulder. "You'll understand once you look back on this moment in a few years or so."
I then rose, grabbing my stuff, overhearing Tecna's confused question, "Why would I do that?"
Flora emerged from the room in a frilly top that was the same color as her wings (jade), and another of her custom petal skirts, this time in a light purple.
"Gotta admit, after seeing you in nothing but pink and green, it looks a little weird," I commented.
Flora blushed pink. "Is it too much?
I shrugged. "If you add a little gold to your outfit and some gold highlights in your hair, it might help, but don't take my advice." I shrugged with a sheepish grin. "I'm not Stella, plus you do you."
"I do...myself?" Flora's face lit up in a huge blush as she registered an innuendo in my words.
Oops, right...forgot about yesterday.
Dammit, now my face was heating up.
"Look," I said, a little embarrassed. "We can talk about this later, to arrange times when we avoid the dorm if either of us wants to do...that."
Flora's blush deepened. Her eyes met mine. "Do you...?"
My face burned, but I refused to look away. "Hardly ever, I used to more before Alfea." My face was redder than magma from a volcano. "Now I'm more likely to do 'it' in the shower if I wake early enough."
Flora nodded after a moment. "That's fine," she said hurriedly, and I knew that the conversation tonight would be as painful as the one we had after dinner last night.
Stella hadn't wanted to share all the details, so I gave the girls more of my perspective of exactly what Darko did to my mind, and what he'd done to Flora's.
Needless to say, both Tecna and Flora were shocked, while Stella and I were furious at Darko's gall.
Clearly, he's the worst kind of playboy, the ruthless, remorseless kind, who will do anything to get into any female's pants.
(future me: I really wish I had connected the dots sooner)
We still had to bring Musa up to speed, which I guess we'll do once we arrive at the Great Atrium for breakfast.
We walked together, the absence of our fifth member feeling most notable, and some of the other fairies were whispering and pointing at us.
To be fair, the Winx had risen in popularity as a whole. Just not positively--in my case. Or Stella's, due to the lab explosion.
For such beautiful beings called fairies, they can really look ugly when they hold a grudge.
The whispers only grow as we cross the courtyard. We feel more and more eyes on us.
Flora looks a little nervous, as does Tecna. Stella was just irritated. "What are they looking at?"
"I don't know," I murmured, then paused in my walk when Amaryl, as well as her lackeys Alice, Francine, and Kimmy, walked into our path, blocking us from going further into the east side of Alfea, around the steps area.
Alice is another daughter of a Solarian baron. Unlike most of Solaria, her appearance is rather unique. She doesn't have blonde, whitish-blonde hair, or even honey-blonde. Instead, she has greyish-blue hair in long tresses that curls at the ends, above her butt. She's the tallest of them, with deep blue-gray eyes and pale pink lips. Her complexion is also less sandy than most Solarians, her skin just a shade more than a fair complexion.
Today she was wearing an ice-blue top that left her navel bare with a purple miniskirt and purple heels. Purple ladybug earrings, ice-blue knee stockings, and subtle purple eyeshadow completed the look.
Francine is from Andros, but her looks are all her father's, who came from Melody. She has chestnut brown hair with neatly brushed bangs above her eyes (which are sea-blue in color) that stop just below her shoulder blades. In addition to her fair complexion, she's more on the petite side than the other girls, smaller and less curvy. Which is no insult to her, because she still has an impressive rack.
She was wearing a light blue shirt that had most of it pulled into a ball on her left side below her ribs, exposing the smooth skin of her navel. She wore a pale pink skirt with pale purple boots. The boot's soles were the same color as her skirt.
Kimmy is another light fairy from Solaria. Which was understandable, because from what Stella explained of Solaria's politics, loves fairies. She has the natural sandy complexion most Solarians have from being in close proximity to their suns, with yellow-blonde hair that has inwardly bent bangs brown eyes that hold tracing sparkles of the sunset's colors, and pink lips.
She wore a pale blue top that bared her midriff and had cute puff sleeves ending halfway down her biceps. She also has a yellow skirt with a pale blue belt, and heels that match her color palette.
"Hey girls, look who it is. The Winx." Amaryl sniffed haughtily at us. "Incomplete as usual. If not in body, then in knowledge. But that's what happens when you let an ignorant nobody into Alfea with a bunch of rejects."
Her friends snickered behind her, eyes watching us, more specifically me, with excitement.
Tecna and Flora glanced worriedly at us, especially since Stella's hackles were already raised.
I lifted my brow, before addressing in a curt tone. I was more worried about Musa, therefore, I didn't have time to put up with her bullshit. "Unless you have something to share, Amaryl, I suggest you get out of our way. The big girls are talking."
Everyone within eavesdropping--cough, I mean, hearing distance, cough--distance instantly had wide eyes.
Stella's expression was a mix of bored and angry, but now an amusement shined in her eyes.
Amaryl's smile dipped before it was back. "Of course." She looked haughty again. "In fact, I will make this quick, wouldn't want your little brain to be overwhelmed by this knowledge, Earth fairy."
'I AM NOT AN EARTH FAIRY. I AM OF DOMINO!'
A growl got stuck in my throat, the Dragon Flame unfurling from his resting place in my core, angered on my behalf. I tightened control of my anger and magic, but not before my irises flashed orange.
"Hurry up, drama queen," I said, putting as much effort into my Occlumency while picking up on Madam DuFour's teachings as possible. "And be nice about it. We can't have the world thinking that a kind fairy and daughter of an esteemed and well-known Solarian Baron could act like a rotten witch."
There was a collective gasp, as well as a flash of anger in her eyes. Her smile was very clearly fake, and her knuckles were white from clenching them into a fist.
"Very well." She said, seeming to savor the moment. "It would seem that your missing member was attacked, and now lies in the infirmary. Depending on the rumor, she was ambushed by a dragon. Or an army of trolls. Or by a witch."
She shrugged carelessly, savoring our reaction. "I could care less for which, though."
Flora gasped, and Tecna's expression shifted from alarm to worry. Stella's hands tightened again, and mine narrowed.
"I suppose you'd be wanting a thank you?" I reined in my temper.
"I can't be bothered to accept anything from a fairy who doesn't know our own customs," Amaryl said, a gleam in her eye--satisfaction I realized--as she caused Stella's emotionless mask to slip.
"You bitch." Stella hissed, angry and low, sounding like a pissed-off cat.
Amaryl's expression darkened. "Careful, Miss Sol. I'd hate for your misconduct to get back to your father. How is Mother dearest? Still has yet to move out?"
My eyes widened. Of course, she would know who Stella really was, but couldn't expose her without facing expulsion. Still, it didn't mean that she couldn't dig, like this.
Stella stiffened, hurt, anger, then rage entering her eyes. Flora and Tecna had to restrain her when she lunged, squirming and hissing threats, her irises turning golden as she glared furiously at the cause of her ire. "Let me at her! I'll show the smug bitch a thing or two! Hey! Where's my scepter! Give it back! I'll blast her from here to the Omega Dimension!"
"Ha!" Amaryl gave the princess version of a snort. "I doubt you could even try."
"That was a low blow, Amaryl." I glared at her, my anger simmering beneath the surface.
I took a threatening step forward, which caused the bratty and very smug girl to turn her mouth on me. "What do you think you're going to do, Peterson? Punch me like you punched Olivia in the last Defense spar like a common thug?"
I glared at her, wishing that this was Defense class so that I could blast her into the ground without getting into trouble. She'd been insufferable since she lost the Miss Magix contest to Stella, despite never really having a shot due to the Trix's interference. "It's called practicality, sweetheart. Learn it. It might save your life one day, assuming that you won't cry from breaking your nails."
Her expression shifted to something ugly. The air was thick with tension, so thick that it could be cut with a knife. I could sense her aura lashing out against mine, and the Dragon Flame fumed within me, yearning for me to unleash my full aura and witness her collapse under my power.
(Future me: looking back, I'd probably been angry enough that I would've done it too, were it not for my sudden paranormal fear reminding me of the Ancestresses, and the timely arrival of Professor Griselda).
"What is going on here?" She demanded, green-brown-grey eyes narrowing in suspicion, causing the spectators to scatter like frightened birds when faced with a charging child in a park.
"Just a friendly disagreement," I said, pasting an earnest smile on my face while allowing her to see my gratitude in my eyes.
Griselda's eyes narrowed as she looked upon Amaryl and her group. "I see. Well, young ladies, you best move along. Classes start in twenty-three minutes."
Amaryl scowled, her friends glaring at us before they all left, leaving our way unobstructed.
Griselda moved on too, and Stella let out a sigh of relief. "And here I thought that we were going to get detention."
Flora looked a little nervous as she glanced at the retreating backs of the girls. "I don't like them."
"It's nothing you can worry about," I reassured her. "She, like many others, has allowed her mind to be filled with prejudice. Only they can overcome it, but that will not be today. Until they do, we will have to weather their language."
"You almost sounded like a stuffy heiress then," Stella said with a smirk as we entered the Great Atrium.
I turned my gaze to the staff table, observing those who were present.
Professors Wizgiz, Palladium, and Harvey were all chatting amicably, dressed in their usual day-to-day attire. Madam DuFour arrived at that moment, smirking at something Palladium said as she moved into an open seat.
Chef Sfoglia, Griselda, Madam Barbatea, and Headmistress Dowling were all missing, however. It was the latter that I voiced. "Faragonda's missing."
"Could it have to do with Musa?" Flora whispered, glancing pensively at the staff table.
I frowned, glancing at the empty chair where the headmistress would sit. "I don't know."
We ordered our food and ate in a quiet mood. Because we were late to breakfast, girls and fairies around us were finishing and leaving between the time that we arrived and ate.
Finally, we finished, and hurried out, only to run into none other than Headmistress Dowling. "Professor!" I gasped, nearly walking into her.
She smiled at me, but it was strained. "Hello, Ms. Peterson. I trust you have questions?"
I nodded, feeling the other girls behind me. "Is Musa okay? We heard she was in the infirmary."
Her expression flickered before lightening. "Ms. Sung was attacked while aiding Madam Barbatea. I'm afraid I cannot share the details, and I will insist that you do not pry them from your friend."
Alright, now that had me worried. I opened my mouth to argue, to ask, but Stella grabbed my arm and hissed quietly, "We got to go, we only have five minutes. We'll visit her later."
Louder, to the headmistress, Stella said, "Thank you for informing us, Headmistress. We apologize for taking up your time."
Faragonda chuckled, her eyes gaining a twinkle. "Do not apologize for worrying about the health and safety of your friends, Ms. Sol. Now, I believe you have a class to get to?"
We glanced at the clock before exchanging panicked glances. We only had two minutes to get to Wizgiz's class!
"Bye Headmistress!" We called before hot-footing it out of her sight, then spirited across the courtyard to class, sweating and hoping that Wizgiz wouldn't mark us down again.
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Once the girls were one, Faragonda shook her head in amusement before turning to the stairs. She strode with purpose, her feet guiding her to the infirmary.
The smell of antiseptic paper, healing potions, and an overall sterile atmosphere filled her nose as she pushed open the doors, allowing them to slide shut behind her.
She strode to the back of the room, where a rather frantic Nurse Ofelia was adjusting several instruments and magical holograms.
"How is she?" Faragonda asked.
"I fear that the attack's effects will linger. As it is, I already have had to replace the binder Ms. Sung uses to prevent her magic from attacking her brain." Ofelia said grimly. "Her mental shields are in tatters."
Straightening, she glared at Faragonda. "Tell me who did this, and promise me that they will be punished to the full extent of the law. Ms. Sung should be dead."
"And yet, it is thanks to your medical expertise that she is not," Faragonda said sagely, before moving to sit on an unoccupied bed.
"I mean it, Fara. Who could've done this?" Ofelia demanded.
"An old enemy." Faragonda breathed. Her irises flashed white before she looked at nothing. "One, that I cannot tell more of, not without a binding oath."
Indignation and anger flashed in Ofelia's eyes. Naturally, a Medi-Fairy would protest taking an additional oath on top of her medical oath, especially if it interfered with the latter.
Faragonda held up a hand to forestall any protests. "This is a secret classified on the orders of the Company of Light and the Council of Light."
That shut Ofelia up, who gained a stupefied expression, which turned dawning. "Who was down there?"
Faragonda shook her head. "I cannot speak of it." Not without an oath, went unsaid.
Ofelia sighed, resigned, but needed to know. "Will it obstruct my ability to care for my patients?"
"Not unless informing them of their attacker is a requirement," Faragonda replied sternly, knowing that there were variants of the oath, and she wasn't familiar with the oath that Ofelia had taken at the end of her healing training.
Barbatea sighed in defeat. "The one I took does not."
Faragonda nodded, then explained the bare essentials. Ofelia took a breath, then gave her vow. A flash of magic coiled around Ofelia's magic, settling into a bind, tightening as she stiffened.
"Rosalind lives."
Two words were all it took for Ofelia's eyes to narrow into angry slits. "You said she died." The nurse hissed.
"To everyone else, the mentor who I knew, and the headmistress we loved, that statement is not false." Faragonda countered.
"From a certain point of view," Ofelia said sharply.
"In those times, few saw the value of a witch's life, and many applauded Rosalind's attack on Aster Del," Faragonda winced, remembering Griffin's murderous rage. "We could not imprison her in Omega for her crimes, as she would be dead within the hour. But what is restricted is the knowledge that beneath the main three schools; Alfea, Red Fountain, and Cloud Tower, is a prison designed to detain powerful fairies who have fallen from grace."
"Rosalind." Ofelia was paling now, muttering the name of a woman whom she once revered and feared. She tried and failed to connect that to the woman who once supported her decision and encouraged her desire to become a Medi-Fairy."She did that to Ms. Sung?"
"She did," Faragonda muttered angrily. Her brow smoothed as she looked at the pale and bloodless fairy, the rising and falling of her chest the only clue that she was still alive. "Is there anything that we can do for her?"
Ofelia looked like she'd aged several years. "The mind is a fragile place, Fara. You and I know that better than most."
Faragonda swallowed, giving her a bitter nod.
The woman brushed back her strawberry blonde hair, frowning all the while. "I have given her a concoction that will place her in a conscious sleep while her body repairs itself. The bruises she gained from the fall are gone, and I have siphoned out the ash and smoke that was still present in her lungs. The presence of her friend's magic may help, as her magic may recognize theirs and feel safe."
Faragonda sighed tensely. "Keep me updated, Ofelia." Her eyes strayed to the unconscious form of Musa. "Any change in her condition is to be brought to me immediately. Physical, or mental."
"Will you be notifying her father?" Ofelia asked.
Faragonda hesitated. "Without telling the cause? It would only raise suspicions and questions that neither the Council nor I wish to handle about the past. No, I think it best that Mr. Sung be left uninformed, at least for now."
Ofelia looked irritated but knew that she couldn't argue further. "That's your call." She surrendered bitterly.
Faragonda grimaced, then turned and left.
The past must stay buried. No matter what, or who tries to dig it up.
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Lily knelt underneath the shade of the Peterson's avocado tree. Her eyes fluttered shut as she allowed herself to dip into her magic, immersing herself in her element, feeling the ebbs and flows of nature, and Gaia's presence. With her mental barriers up, it was the least risky thing to do, unlike casting magic, which the fairy hunters would no doubt sense.
She had been young when the fairy hunters had attacked, but until Headmistress Dowling had explained everything that she knew--filling in the gaps of Lily's incomplete knowledge--Lily had held out hope that there were more survivors, beyond herself, her sister, her daughter, and their adopted daughter.
Lily and Petunia were born as sisters, with Petunia born three years before her. Despite the three-age gap, the sisters were close as they grew. Their mother, Lavender, was a fairy of the Amazon Fairy Enclave.
Unfortunately, their fairy bloodline had been cursed by a dark wizard in the past, which had caused several of their generations to skip out on the magic gene. A cruel fate, but not fatal; thankfully.
Petunia had been born without magic, but she retained the attributes she would've had as a nature fairy, the same as Lily.
Petunia had learned to live without magic, growing closer with their father than their mother, while Lily grew closer to her ever-present magic source.
When she turned five, Lily was brought before the queen along with other fairies of her age. Elsa, Iris, and Azalea quickly befriended her, bringing their group of three to a quartet.
While she was brought to a world of magic every weekend, her parents ensured that Lily also had a strong foot in the mundane. While it was rare (or in the case that a child was born without magic), the White Circlet Kingdom ensured that all of its children, magical or nonmagical, were well cared for.
It was the reason why Petunia's jealousy never grew, as the Amazon fairies had a knack for not only nurturing nature's growth but also for being excellent therapists. They were able to help her sister move past her issues when their sister bond started to fray and ended up causing Lily and Petunia to become closer as a result.
Hence the sisters continued to stay close, and even ended up taking over a flower store and eventually--after saving up every dollar, penny, and quarter--buying the building, making it theirs as soon as Lily was nineteen.
Growing up, Lily and her friends learned how to tap into their various elements, learning various spells, techniques, and methods to immerse themselves into their elements, drawing strength and power from them.
Although they did not get to see each other as often as they did--due to their different elements requiring different magical training--they still maintained contact, and every month they were able to meet up at one of the enclaves, or at the White Circlet palace for events that Queen Morgana held.
Elsa, like many of her fellow arctic fairies, had pale skin, with pale pink lips hidden beneath blue lipstick, and crystal-white eyes. Her cheekbones are sharp and often tinged with shades of pink due to being exposed to cold climates for longer periods of time. Her clothes are often a mix of dark blue fabrics and furs.
Elsa was from the Arctic fairy Enclave, which lies deep within the Arctic Circle, in a floating ice fortress called the Frost Tower. From the outside, it appears as though a sailless boat has been swallowed by pale blue and bluish-white ice, and now has its stern decorated with long protruding spikes of ice as thick as the top portion of the Empire State Building and as long as the longest portion of the same building.
The tower itself climbs higher into the air before it starts to tilt and bend. More ice spires surround and continue to build the tower upward, with the largest spire holding the enclave's Fairy Major's throne. The tower itself flies due to the collective magic of its fairies and is enchanted against varying temperatures, radiation, high climates, and higher atmospheric pressures ranging from space to closer to Earth's surface, and deep below the Earth's waters. Connected to the second tallest spire is a massive balcony that doubles as an amphitheater, as well as a combat arena, depending on the day and event.
Within the tower lies a series of passages, stairs, and pathways that lead in every possible direction. Much like with Cloud Tower, the locations of these can be switched at will. The only difference between these two towers is that one moves independently, while the other shifts and moves in accordance with the Fairy Major's will. Behind the throne lies the Fairy Major's private quarters, and behind that lies the Frost Tower's vault, which contains the source of the Arctic Fairy's power: The Blizzard.
The Blizzard--much like the Suns of Solaria and the Dragon Flame of Domino--is the source of the Arctic fairies' powers. It is a very potent form of ice magic, and can only be wielded by those who have the coldest of hearts. According to the old legends and stories, passed down through generations of Earth fairies, a single drop of the raw form of this power could freeze an entire planet in a matter of moments.
Its appearance, however, could be claimed to be underwhelming. Instead of its source appearing as the size of a massive dragon comprised of pure magic and fire, or a star that shines brighter than any regular star going supernova, it assumes the form of a ball no larger than a basketball or crystal ball. Deep within it is a shard of pure ice, which repeatedly emits a mist of powdered snow, ice fragments, and glittery frost. The colors range from white to blue to yellow.
The Fairy Major of the Arctic Fairy Enclave can also control the speed at which the Frost Tower moves through the skies, the flight's pathing, where it lands and takes off, as well as control the wards over the floating ice-scraper; manipulating the internal temperatures of the tower.
The Arctic Fairy Enclave is led and governed by the Fairy Major named Aurora; a pale blonde with pale skin, ice-blue eyes, and purple lips. She wore a blue halter dress decorated and embroidered with glittering diamond gems, as well as extra streamers of transparent light blue fabric. Her feet and hands are covered by blue fur gloves and knee-length boots. She also has a hood, which she never pulls down.
It is her solemn duty to carry out the Queen's will, lead and protect the Arctic fairies, and their source of power: the Blizzard.
Iris is a warrior fairy. Her hair is neon pink, with grey-blue highlights. Her eyes are aqua green, and her skin complexion is sandy-bronze, a benefit of spending so much time out in the open sun near the equator. Her outfit consists of multi-layered animal hides, charmed in various colors--mainly green and blue--and dipped in a magical solution that removed the scent of dead flesh. Add in preservation rites and there you have a cropped corset top and a long skirt.
Her people also wear sandals that can be kicked off or launched at a moment's notice and wield powerful magical staffs. The staffs themselves are made to be from their foot to their shoulder in height, and wide enough to be surrounded by a hand no matter how long their fingers are, or how small their palm. At the tip of each staff are two curved points, like the heads of two scepters that were twisted so that the curved ends faced each other, but left a gap for magic to be channeled through.
Tir Na Nog is their island, hidden away from prying eyes, and warded so as to never be able to be recorded on any map. A long time ago, when the island was positioned out in the Mediterranean Sea, they were once mistaken for the Amazons. The bronze, unfairly beautiful, powerfully sleek, taut and athletic, and curvaceous warrior women who served Hera, Artemis, and Aphrodite, adopting men's use of Spartan shields and swords, and Athenian spears, who--according to Greek myths--lived on Themascira, on Paradise Island. To be truthful, it is likely where the first stories about them erupted from.
The island itself is beautiful, with dark grey and purple mountains that rise in jagged, yet strong formations at three points on the island. Tir Na Nog's beaches are vast and plentiful, with precious sand, soft, pale gold and yellow in color. The waters surrounding the island are crystal clear, blue with foamy white caps that elegantly glide onto the shores of the beach.
Further inland are massive forests, hidden by gargantuan trees, powerful branches lifting high into the air, spreading their canopy of healthy green leaves, casting the ground in cool shade. And in the middle of the island, rising out of the ground up into the air is a jagged cliff. And atop that cliff is the palace of the White Circlet Kingdom.
Massive white pillars arose into the air, winding and twisting into a delicate collum that rose further, spreading outward. Shades of pink and gold lined various banisters, balconies, and ivory decorated the palace grounds.
Within the grand walls is a massive tree that coils higher into the air, extending gorgeous pink cherry blossom flowers. The tree itself could be considered as large, tall, and as grand as a skyscraper in its own right.
Pale sand-colored buildings are erected across the various branches, each with their own balconies, and diamond-shaped windows. At the top spire is a sole round window, which leads into the queen's throne room, and court.
The tree's massive roots extend outward, heading down into the exotic forest below, wrapping around the cliff like a Kraken around a ship.
Azalea and technically Lily herself are a part of the Amazon fairy Enclave. Unlike Lily, who lived five days a week in Gardenia, Azalea lived in Amazonia from day one. Her hair is a warm shade of pink with light blue highlights. She has deep bluish-purple eyes and honey-colored skin.
She wears jungle-colored clothing, green and pale blue massive leaves cut and stitched together to form a halter crop top and a slanted skirt. Lily herself wore a similar outfit in green and pink, with pale yellow.
The older Amazon fairies carry spears and shields made from enchanted bark and wrapped in leaves. The spear tips are enchanted wood that contains a fallen petal that once was a part of the Sacred Sprout, the source of the Amazon fairy enclaves' powers, and their strongest tie into nature. It is also what the Amazon fairy enclave's Fair Major ties her life force to.
Diana is the Fairy Major of the Amazon Fairy Enclave. Her hair is reddish-pink, with a blueish-green and crown with an enchanted purple gem in the center resting atop her head. Two leaf-like ties part her bangs. Her eyes are a shade slightly paler than nature green. A pale blue string of kelp has been woven into a necklace with a purple crystal hanging from it.
Her dress is interwoven with different jungle leaves, ferns, and overgrown flower petals. A series of pinkish-magenta petals are woven together to make a narrow tube top, which is connected to the skirt part of her dress by a sash made out of green jungle leaves. The last half of her dress ended in a slanting skirt--whose longer end rested below her butt--that consisted of soaked leaves that had been interwoven with seaweed, causing the inside of the dress to appear pink.
They live in Amazonia, a region of South America cleverly hidden by magic. Interestingly enough, it also contains at least half of the Amazon rainforest, which was home to a variety of ecosystems nurturing and hosting various creatures and plants, prey, and predators. Trees, shrubs, foliage, flowers, vines, and creepers. Crocodiles, elephants, howler monkeys, green anacondas, giant otters, giant leaf frogs, and many other critters.
A tear falls from her eyes before she can wipe it. Earth has been her home. It had given her amazing friends, an amazing sister, an incredible husband, and two of the best and brightest lights in her life.
Bloom had been found and brought to them. Though she was not their child by flesh and blood, she felt like it in every other way that mattered. And she had chosen them as her family.
Violet was Lily and James's true daughter, in terms of flesh and blood. In every other matter, she was just their youngest child, the baby of the family.
Lily would do anything, give anything to protect her babies. She fed them from her breast, she watched them grow and nurtured their growth. She encouraged their passions and supported their decisions. She weathered their temper tantrums and watched as her eldest found and lost love.
Now, her family was scattered.
Bloom--who could act so mature that she would swear that she interacted with an adult, before turning into a child who had to be pulled away from her sketchbook or Transformers--was now learning magic in another dimension. Worryingly enough, Bloom had started to withdraw more every phone conversation, with Lily seeing more guarded expressions in Bloom's eyes, or her face.
It almost made her wonder if she was hiding something, some other event or problem that she wasn't telling, apart from her classes, searching for a job, and denying her interest in two blonde males who were clearly (according to a furiously blushing Bloom and smirking Stella) into her.
Violet was stressing heavily, enduring heavy bullying, and having to face all sorts of rumors that came from Bloom's absence in Gardenia, despite them having the paperwork on file (that way there was no loose end for nonmagicals to pick up, thanks to Faragonda). She was less happy as her school workload increased, and she was helping more in the flower shop.
James had become more distant as well, upset at the idea of leaving his planet to go elsewhere. Their arguments had always been intense, but they rarely argued, always able to find compromise. Now, they struggled, and it was hurting each other. James wanted her safe, but he wanted her on Earth. Lily didn't like the idea of leaving everything she knew behind, but she selfishly yearned for a haven free from fairy hunters, a place where she could practice her magic.
Another tear fell as she released her hold on her magic, feeling the faintest flicker before allowing it to fade. To draw on any more power would be to invite the fairy hunters, and she would kill herself before she led them to her daughters.
The normally delicate features hardened.
Lily had to try again. For herself, for their family's safety, and for their daughter's future.
She had to.
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We ended up passing by the kitchens and grabbing a few snacks, skipping dinner to hurry to the hospital wing.
Ofelia was absent, but as I enhanced my senses I could hear movement behind the wall. I strode up to the double doors and knocked briefly.
I heard footsteps growing louder before the left door swung open, revealing Nurse Ofelia, looking rather harried. "Oh! Ms. Peterson, and ladies."
Sighing, and looking rather like she'd been forced to swallow a sour pill, she muttered something under her breath that suspiciously sounded like, 'Damn you, Fara.' before straightening. "I can guess why you're here. Do keep your voices down."
We nodded and were ushered inside before we stopped at the foot of Musa's bed.
"Well, at least she doesn't have any ribs piercing her lung," Stella said in an attempt to make weak humor.
"Stella!" I hissed, more memories of such an occasion violently playing in the back of my mind like a sick reel show. "That was pathetic, and offending! I had a pierced lung!"
"Shhh." Flora 'shush'ed us worriedly, glancing at the direction Ofelia had vanished in. "I don't want to get kicked out."
"Interesting," Tecna said as she held a device over Musa's body, moving it up and down before pulling it back. "She has very little brainwave activity. Minimal, in fact. Based on previous medical reports that I recall persuing data for, I'd hypothesize that she either has brain damage, an imploded tumor or is in a forced sleep state."
We stared at Tecna. "Was it something that I stated?" she asked in confusion.
"Interesting?" Flora squeaked in what sounded like horror on behalf of Musa.
I shook my head and pinched the skin between my eyes in frustration. "Tecna, never list the worst case scenarios first, please."
"Why not?" Stella asked. When I threw her an exasperated look, she shrugged. "It gets it out of the way."
"And sticks more in your mind," I grumbled, crossing my arms as I leaned against the wall.
"Cheer up Bloom, I'm sure that Musa will be fine. She's under Ms. Ofelia's care, and she's one of the best nurses in Magix." Flora reassured me.
I frowned. "I hope so."
Ofelia came bustling back. "Madam, what is Musa's condition?" I inquired.
She shook her head. "I shouldn't really be telling you, but seeing as you are all so close, and I've slipped up before when it came to tending to your grievous wounds--", I winced, remembering the extensive list of injuries I gained at the hand of the troll monster, "--so I fail to see any harm done."
Slumping her shoulders, she then straightened her back and cleared her throat. "Ms. Sung is physically stable. Mentally, she's comatose."
"How?" Stella demanded.
"Why?" Flora asked, throwing a worried glance at the almost peaceful features of Musa's slumbering face.
"What caused her to fall into a comatose state?" Tecna asked.
"I'm afraid I cannot answer those questions." Ms. Ofelia said, almost bitterly.
I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, wondering why this felt very similar to what happened to Arthur Nicholas Potter.
Yes, that was another J.K.R. got wrong. Why the bloody hell would I name my second son, hell, any of my children after a manipulative old codger and a greasy-haired bastard who takes out his anger and the remnants of a teenage feud with schoolchildren and the son of the woman he loved and the father he loathed?
"She was mentally attacked, and failed to drive out her attacker," I said, drawing all eyes to me. mine met Ofelia's widening grey-blue eyes. "That's what happened, isn't it?"
Ofelia looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't.
A vow, I realized. "And you can't confirm it, which means that it happened."
Ofelia winced, but looked relieved, and irritated at the same time.
"How did you know?" Stella asked me.
"Wild guess." I tossed out, and hoped that the excuse (cough, lie, cough) would stick.
Both Ofelia and Tecna gave me suspicious glances before the former left, returning to her office with a last, "Find me if Ms. Sung's condition changes."
The instant she was gone, I pushed myself off the wall and moved to stand beside the bed. I placed my fingers over Musa's forehead, feeling the soft skin beneath my touch.
"What are you doing?" Stella asked me as she watched my magic surge to life, orange sparkles hovering off my fingertips and over Musa's head like a cloud.
Flora perked up, Tecna looking like she wanted to say something to me, but thought better of it.
"I've been mentally attacked before," I admitted, knowing that there was no other way I could've gained this kind of knowledge.
The fairies gasped.
"Oh, Bloom," Flora whispered sadly.
I gave her a weak smile. "It's fine, Flora. It happened years ago. It's why my family developed our mental barriers."
"I still question the logic of a fairy with an element that does not deal with the mind having access to mind-altering powers." Tecna challenged.
I shrugged. "It is what it is, Tecna. I guess Earth fairies break the 'streak' that everyone in the Magix Dimension has."
"What streak?" Tecna looked confused.
"Earth expression." Flora and I said at the same time, before we both flushed pink.
"Depending on how badly her mind was damaged by the attack," I continued, "I might be able to help Musa awaken. We were working on shielding our minds together before."
"Clearly, her shields weren't strong enough to forestall an invader." Tecna pointed out, giving me a look that I couldn't decipher, but I knew that it wasn't good.
"She had two rudimentary shields." I deadpanned. "We were more focused on sorting her memories and organizing them, as is the first stage of Occlumency. I wasn't sabotaging her."
Tecna flushed. "Oh. I apologize for giving a nonverbal accusation."
"You're fine." I waved a hand. "She's your roommate. You're going to feel protective of them." I said, casting a look at Flora, who blushed adorably.
Stella giggled.
"Anyways, I'm not using Occlumency. I'm using the opposite; Legilimency."
"What's that?" Flora asked curiously, even as Tecna's custom pocket computer made a reappearance.
As I spoke, she typed. "It's essentially the opposite of Occlumency. Whereas Occlumency helps you to sort, organize, and shield your mind, Legilimency does the opposite. It allows you to read surface thoughts, breach mind shields, scramble memories, place false memories or thoughts if one is skilled enough, view any unprotected memory...oh, and rewrite entire personalities."
All three of them looked sick at the end.
"Why is this not a banned magic?" Tecna demanded, looking rather furious, lime-green sparks dancing around her. Uh oh. "That sounds extremely dangerous, and something that a witch would know about."
"Because it was written off with Earth." I shrugged, giving a weak defense. "It's not like the Council of Light knew that one day a random family of survivors would find a way to the Magix Dimension and enroll in classes there."
"Touche," Stella muttered.
"Still, I worry about how much you know about this branch of magic," Tecna said stiffly. "Or how much use it has had."
"I haven't used it on you. Not once since we met," I scowled at the unspoken accusation, Stella's glare joining mine. "And I never will, not without your consent."
Tecna nodded stiffly, still looking like her feathers were ruffled, but backed down. Quietly, she muttered in my direction, "Apologies for the slight, Bloom."
"No offense taken." I sighed, grabbing a guest seat and pulling it over. I plopped down in it ungracefully, crossing my legs and smoothing down my skirt.
I felt...overcome, by the strange urge to tell them. Not everything, Merlin, no. But...I felt like I needed to explain to them how I knew about this.
Wait...oh Merlin! I'm going to have to stall and prevent them from watching Order of the Phoenix. They mention those two mind arts in that film!
Curse you J. K. Rowling!
Fuck it, I'm in over my head. It doesn't help that the Dragon Flame is also rumbling encouragingly, seeming to agree with this idea.
'Fine.' I thought at him, his avatar in my mindscape blowing a small gout of flames back at me.
Bloody wingless bugger.
My lips twitched at hearing an offended roar that no one else could hear.
Sighing, I leaned back. "Girls, what I'm about to tell you, you have to promise me you won't tell anyone else. Not Faragonda, not Ofelia, no authority figures, and absolutely NOT my family on Earth."
Stella's sunset-colored eyes met Tecna's teal and Flora's nature green, all three filled with confusion, but also holding a heightened curiosity...wait, was that excitement?
Clearing my throat, I glanced at our comatose friend, and involuntarily my fist clenched tightly in time with my heart.
"I was in school when it happened. There was a man who favored Mitzi--", Stella scowled at the name, mouthing 'Bully' to Flora and Tecna, "--I think, an uncle or something. He seemed to dislike me, and spent a lot of time staring at Mum whenever she was around."
I shivered, this had actually happened, and I still remembered the man's shadowed eyes roaming up and down Lily's curves with a hungry, possessive gaze. "Looking back, I think it was obsessive staring, and just...ick."
I shuddered, the other girls wincing in sympathy. "You get the point." I cleared my throat before continuing. "Anyway, whenever I was in his class, I started to feel a pain in my head. Sometimes, it would follow with me suddenly thinking about a specific event that had happened, mainly of Mum."
Flora looked green--and not the good kind--while Tecna looked at me with clarity and pity. Stella just looked murderous and disgusted.
The man didn't actually have magic, but his aura--all humans have one, they're just very small pin-pricks of light--was all dark. If he lived in the Magix Dimension, he'd have soaked up enough power to radiate a minor aura of negative energy, kinda like the one that Riven does when he's brooding or moody.
Why Musa fell for him I will never understand.
Still, I combed together elements of Snape and 'Mr. Bonnet', plus a dash of Voldemort (the man's currently rotting away in prison for making forced advances on another woman after he fled when he tried to do the same to Lily), and thankfully, the Winx bought my story.
"It was at that point that I was taught Occlumency. Once Violet turned ten, Mum and I helped her to develop her mindscape," I explained. "After that, it was just a matter of improving our shields and defenses, which was why we learned Legilimency."
Lily didn't actually know about Occlumency or Legilimency before me, she thought that it was a magic technique that I invented (and she thought it amusing that I called it a practice from Harry Potter. That's literally what it's called dammit!).
Violet never liked the idea of legilimency, finding the concept of actually looking into someone's thoughts to be extremely intrusive and sickening. Lily felt similarly but knew that it might be an advantage one day, and so had learned it, even as I explained the 'hypothetical' dangers of it.
"I...I don't like it, but I understand the circumstances behind why and how you gained the information of it." Tecna admitted.
"I don't either," I confessed. "It's invasive, somewhat painful, and can cause serious damage. But, it is a useful technique, and whenever we felt we were in danger, Legilimency was used to avoid the fairy hunters."
All of the girls shivered at the nameless, faceless hunters who'd wiped out an entire kingdom of powerful elemental fairies.
"Thanks for telling us that, Bloom," Flora said, casting a meaningful look at Tecna, who nodded, as did Stella.
I sighed, speaking vaguely. "I just wish life wasn't aiming a hundred swords at my back, otherwise I'd be more open with things."
Stella gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "It's enough that you're as honest as you can be with us, Bloom. That's more than enough. When you're ready, you'll share."
I shook my head, an amused smile creeping onto my features. "How can you sound so sure?" I asked, feeling very unsure at the prospect of telling the girls about my heritage.
"You promised." Stella shrugged. "You've never broken a promise."
"Statistical and factual data proves Stella's point." Tecna agreed.
I smiled and pulled the girls into a group hug. We separated, and then I glanced down at Musa. I wouldn't dare risk trying to use Legilimency here, but...maybe we didn't need to.
"Girls, I think that there could be a spell we use to wake her up." I offered, hoping against hope.
Flora, Tecna, and Stella perked up, hope rising in their expressions, the same hope that I knew was shining from my eyes.
"What spell?" Flora asked.
"It's called 'Enervate'. Ene-ree-va-te." I pronounced carefully.
"What does it do?" Stella asked before Tecna could.
I grinned at them. "It causes anyone to wake up. With enough power, it can even break out a person in a coma."
Stella was all smiles. "And we have our own powerhouse right here."
I took a deep breath and looked at the other girls. "You in?"
Flora and Tecna exchanged a look before nodding eagerly.
We moved around Musa's bed, then joined hands, with Tecna's and mine grasping over Musa's head.
Our favorite music fairy was pale, too pale for my liking. Her breaths were shallow, the hospital gown a little large on her petite frame. You could barely see her chest rising and falling.
Anger stirred in my gut, I would find whoever did this and make them pay!
The Dragon Flame growled within me, feeling my righteous anger, before projecting an image of Musa in my head.
Whoa, he hasn't done that before.
He rumbled again, reminding me to keep my focus here and now.
Right.
I cleared my throat, and looked to the others. "Ready?"
"We're ready." they chorused.
I nodded, taking another deep breath, drawing on my powers, my irises turning from cyan-blue to shimmering orange. "On three."
Tecna's irises gained a deep, inhuman glow, the blue of her teal irises suddenly much brighter. "One."
Flora's fingers tightened in my hand, nature green irises suddenly glowing with power. "Two."
Stella swallowed, before her irises flashed golden. "Three."
"Enervate!"
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"What is it?" A young female voice asked eagerly, excitedly.
"A power greater than anything in the universe." An aged woman says, her golden-brown eyes shimmering with confusion and wariness. Her once purple hair has lost much of it's vibrance, now more dulled with shades of grey. Her features are kind, laugh and stress lines stretched across her face and brow.
"Are--are you sure? The Dragon Flame, here?" The younger female's jaw drops before she picks it up to ask, light brown eyes staring at the almost healed grass in disbelief. "But--it's a myth!"
"Every myth and legend holds a shred of truth my apprentice." The woman reminded, her expression shifting to grim. "Make no mistake, it was here."
Olive-blonde hair is flung back. "So...where is it now?"
A hand brushes a pale pink dress. "I do not know."
Shock flashes across the teen's face. "But--but...you're the Guardian of the Alexandrian Library, a former headmistress of Alfea, and the Protectorate of the Forest of Flowers. How can you not know?"
"I do not sense it's power." The woman replied simply, still puzzled herself. "It is as though its power has vanished entirely."
"Could the Flame's holder have left?" The girl asked as she smoothed down her cactus-green denim skirt. "Gone back to the Magix Dimension? Or do you think they're still here somewhere?"
"It depends." The woman brushed back her hair, making a mental note to brew another batch of hair softener. Age was not kind to fairies once they past two hundred years. "If a Keeper of the Dragon Flame survived and was present in the Magix Dimension, I would've heard something by now from my contacts."
"And...if the most powerful survivor of Domino is on Earth?" The girl asked in a hushed tone, unable to fully hide her excitement at the prospect of meeting another fairy.
"Then we will remain vigilant. If the Dragon Flame makes a reappearance, we will investigate its origins." The woman straightened up. "For now, we must depart and return to hiding. The Wizards of the Black Circle are out there, and you have been exposed longer than I'd prefer."
The girl reluctantly nodded, glancing around Gardenia Penta Park one last time, her thoughts drifting to the friend that she had abandoned.
'No, stop it, it's better this way,' she thought. 'Bloom doesn't have magic, and associating with her will only endanger her. Her safety is worth the loss of our friendship.'
Or so she told herself.
Now, if only she believed it.