Tell me why it took so long to write
⑅ ♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙ˊˎ
Alethea's POV:
We entered the gates of Alfea, on our way back to our dorm. My eyes were still wide, feeling on edge because of the lingering suspense of the horror movie I just watched with my friends.
"Well, that was intense huh?" I nudged Stella's side, a nervous smile on my face.
Stella shivered, nodding in agreement. "That was such a freaky movie!"
"At least it had a happy ending." Tecna pointed out, and that made me feel a little bit more at ease although the feeling still lingered.
"Yeah," A grin playing on Bloom's face, showing her white teeth and I couldn't help but smile at my energetic friend. "Nothing brings a family together like having to fight an evil demon, a horde of zombies, run from explosions, and survive a massive tidal wave!"
"And yet my parents are still separated." Stella giggled but we all know it was forced, and my smile soon fell. I saw with my own eyes how fractured Stella's family is, even after they separated they weren't on good terms. I remember this one time when Stella planned this picnic, in hopes of bringing her parents back together, but it only went downhill from there. Stella's coping mechanism since then was just covering it with jokes.
"That movie scared me." Flora huffed as we entered the school building, now walking through the halls on our way to our dorm. "Can we please stop talking about it?"
"Hey, remember that scene when she was locked in the chamber with that slimy ghost thing?" Bloom despite what Flora said, completely disregarded her, asked.
"Bloom!" Flora snapped, and Bloom quickly apologized for bringing up the movie again.
"Hold on!" Tecna suddenly called out, grabbing our attention and sensing our confusion she expanded on that. "Did anyone hear that growling sound?"
"It was probably Kiko's stomach." Bloom laughed while gesturing to Kiko who looked like he would vomit any second and even I couldn't help but shiver but soon brushed it off, all of us were perpetually on edge after having watched the scary movie. "He scarfed down all those gummy bugs."
"Suuure, it was Kiko who ate all the candy." Musa teased her and Bloom laughed at that.
"It was!" Bloom protested as we finally neared our dorm.
"I'm off." I yawned and opened the door, Stella following behind me. "Goodnight girls."
"Night, darlings." Stella smiled as we entered our bedroom. We were all tired, so we changed and then fell asleep immediately, the exhaustion catching up to us. The moon cast its silverly glow in the room as I drifted into an uneasy sleep, unaware of the horrors that awaited me in the realm of dreams.
I looked around in confusion, finding myself alone in a complete void of darkness. Everything around me was cloaked in shadows as the air hung heavy with an oppressive silence, broken only by the faint echo of my own breaths, shallow and ragged. With each hesitant step I took, the ground beneath me seemed to shake, as if the ground was very alive and breathing.
"Hello?!" I called out, unsure if I wanted a reply back or not. I don't know what would scare me most, if someone was here with me or if I was all alone here in this void of darkness. I ventured deeper into the abyss, my heart hammering in my chest. And then, from the darkness, I felt watched and as I looked around I made eye contact with the piercing red eyes I feared the most.
My worst nightmare.
Normally I felt the comfort of someone inside of me, watching over me as I soon found out it was the legendary Dragon. But now it was like I was all alone, being watched by the evil eyes that were fixated on me with hunger that sent shivers down my spine. I held my hand out, in hopes of casting a single spell to defend myself somehow when I didn't feel the familiar warmth of my magic, something I felt empty without.
I was alone.
I tried to run, my legs moving on their own accord but it was as if my legs were stuck to the ground. Panic surged through my veins, overwhelming me as the eyes drew nearer as if knives were trying to kill me. Just as it seemed like all hope was lost, I felt my nightmare fading.
At long last, it felt like I emerged from the depths of my nightmare, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I blinked back the remnants of my tears. I found myself in the warmth of my bed and felt two arms wrapped around me, pulling me in the comfort of a hug, and with trembling hands, I held onto them.
"Alethea? What is going on?" I heard Stella ask softly, worry clear from her tone as I heard footsteps near us.
"Alethea.." Flora ran to my side along with the others, I opened my mouth, trying to form the words but nothing came out.
I couldn't breathe.
Tears streamed down my face,
"She's hyperventilating." I heard murmurs around me but I drowned them all out.
Breathe in, breathe out.
"It was just a nightmare." I mumbled to myself. "But it felt so real, so.. suffocating."
Flora reached out a comforting hand, squeezing my shoulder reassuringly. "You're safe now, Alethea. We're here for you." With gentle encouragement, I motioned for my friends to join me, where we huddled together, a comforting friendship against the darkness and I felt a sense of peace wash over me until I had the courage to speak up about how I felt.
"There was something hovering over me." I confessed as I hugged my pillow close. "Tearing at my mind, it felt so real."
After all, I could never be able to forget such negative energy.
Tecna laid a comforting hand on my shoulder, looking just as worried as the others. "Sounds like you need a calming spell and a warm cup of milk."
"She'll be fine." Musa gave my hand a gentle squeeze before standing up. "Try to get back to sleep and wake us up if something happens."
Saying that, they went back to their own rooms as Stella went back to bed across from mine. Even as I tried to fall asleep, thinking it might be a dream, I couldn't ignore the growing sense of unease gnawing at my soul about the nightmare I had. It felt like someone was pressing down on me, draining my strength and vitality.
Is it wrong for me to be so on edge?
Suddenly, I heard ragged gasps from the bed across from mine. My eyes snapped open and I looked to see Stella, breathing heavily, I wasted no time and ran to her side when she let out a loud scream, already hearing the others enter our room.
"Stella, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice filled with empathy. "Did you have a nightmare too?"
"Must've been intense." Musa added on but did look worried for Stella.
"No!" Stella cried, tears rolling down her face. "It was real, like Alethea said! I actually felt something. It was like I was drowning in darkness!"
Bloom frowned at that. "I'm starting to think this wasn't just the movie."
"Let's just get back to bed." I squeezed Stella's hand, knowing there wasn't much we could do. "We're here for you when you need us, okay Stel?" Stella flashed me a grateful smile as everyone left the room while I went back to my own bed, in hopes of finally being able to go to sleep.
But little did I know that it was far from over.
And just as I felt I was about to fall asleep, a piercing scream shattered the tranquillity of the night. Startled, my eyes opened and I wasn't the only one who woke up. My eyes met Stella's and we quickly got out of bed and ran to Musa and Tecna's room, where we heard the scream and Bloom and Flora weren't far behind.
"What happened?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows, now completely on edge. This couldn't be a coincidence. "We heard you scream.."
"See!" Stella huffed, not happy that no one believed us when we said that the nightmares we had felt real. "Me and Alethea aren't the only ones."
"I don't know what's happening." Tecna frowned as we exchanged concerned glances. "I had a very unsettling dream where everything was dysfunctional and it was so weird, and now I'm feeling so.. strange."
"I had a whack dream too." Tears welled up in Musa's eyes. "It was about my mom, she kept saying she couldn't hear any music and then neither could I."
Without hesitation, I pulled her in a hug that she wasted no time to return. The terror was so palpable, so vivid, that even now, I still couldn't shake off that evil feeling.
"First Alethea.." Bloom began, her voice wavering. "Then Stella and now you guys?"
"It felt like something was crawling around in my head.." Stella trailed off, shivering in fear. "Like watching me sleep."
"Wait, quiet girls." Flora interrupted us in a hushed tone, looking around as if she heard something.
"What is it?" I asked, fearing the worst. "Do you sense something, Flora?"
"Even more, I hear something." Flora explained. In the corner of my eyes, I noticed Kiko get off Bloom's shoulder and start making his way to Bloom and Flora's room.
"Kiko, where are you going?" Bloom called as we followed after the bunny, wondering what caught its attention.
My lips pursed into a straight line. "I think Kiko hears it too."
"It's Mirta, She's trying to contact me!" Flora exclaimed and held her hand out toward the pumpkin, her hand glowing with magic until Mirta's spirit appeared.
"Flora! It's a good thing you were able to contact me." Mirta sighed in relief and my heart raced as I braced myself for her next words. "You guys were attacked by a nightmare Gargoyle, it stole some of your magic. Icy must have sent it, what they do is they stir off your energy by giving you nightmares and then at your most terrified moment they drain some of your power."
A surge of panic swept through me as we all gasped. Why is this happening right now? We aren't even safe here at Alfea? Stella clung to my trembling hand as Flora's magic faltered, Mirta's spirit slowly disappearing.
"I'm losing her!"
"Mirta!"
***
After the final bell rang, signalling the end of another day of classes, and freeing us from all the textbooks and practicals we had. Me and my friends were all settled on a bench in the courtyard, a sense of calm washed over me as I was bathed in the afternoon sun despite what happened last night.
"Maybe it's a class assignment!" Stella joked, breaking the somewhat tense silence. "Summon a beast to torment the fairies by Monday?"
"I don't think so.." Bloom shook her head at that. "Those Witches have been targeting us since the start of the school year."
"Why do you think that is?" Musa asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion and I was curious too.
Bloom bit her lip rather nervously and that piqued my curiosity. "I just don't think this is a school-related activity."
"It sounds like you have a theory, Bloom." Tecna narrowed her eyes at her, demanding answers. "But you just aren't saying what it is."
"Maybe.. well, I do but- okay." Bloom stammered as we all turned to her expectantly. "This may sound self-centered and all but I can't help the feeling that Icy, Darcy and Stormy are after me for some reason."
My eyebrows furrowed, showing confusion yet I was intrigued so I spoke up, "Why would you think they are after you specifically?"
"I don't know." Bloom heaved out a sigh of frustration. "I think this all has something to do with the truth about my past, I almost feel like, maybe those Witches know more about who I am than I do."
"It sounds to me that you're overthinking the situation." Stella's expression softened for a split second before turning into a piercing glare. "Not to steal your fire or anything Bloom but I think they're after me."
Bloom sighed, shoulders sagging beneath the weight of Stella's words. "Stella it's not a contest!"
"I know, I'm just saying! Who's powers did they try to steal first?" Stella rolled her eyes at her. "But hey, you think they're after you if you want to!"
"Stop it you two, let's take a breath shall we?" I interrupted, my voice soothing amidst the discord. "What's important is that we put our heads together and figure out on how to defeat this thing when it comes back tonight."
My friends nodded in agreement at that, and I smiled, happy that my friends weren't arguing anymore. And soon our conversation shifted from confrontation to collaboration.
"Hey, where's Flora?" Stella asked when she noticed she wasn't here with us.
"She's in her room trying to turn Mirta back to normal," I explained, feeling bad that Flora took the full responsibility on her shoulders to turn Mirta back and break the dark spell, determined to do so.
"Did you guys hear her last night?" Bloom sighed and I nodded in agreement, worried for my friend who was normally in vibrant spirit, and now had a forced smile and a distant gaze. "She actually said that she hated those Witches."
Musa shrugged, not knowing where Bloom was getting at. "So?"
Bloom gave Musa a look as if it was obvious. "Flora has never said the word 'hate' before, those Witches must really be getting to her."
"I'm sure she's okay!" My concern bubbled beneath the surface but the best we could do was try to solve our current predicament. "Let's just hope our plan works tonight and we're able to fight this monster thing."
"You hoping to fight, Alethea?" Musa joked and I playfully glared at her in return. "That's new."
"Oh, please." My tone came out as playful yet defiant. "I think of it as adding a little excitement to an otherwise dull day!"
My friends laughed and I couldn't help but smile despite how a monster was hunting our dreams, we still managed to make light of it and soon our laughter subsided and our smiles turned soft and that's why I was bold enough to say that I wanted to fight that monster because my friends gave me strength.
Something I didn't have before.
***
As the golden hues of the sun began to wane, casting long shadows across our school. I lay in bed, waiting for the signal when Kiko finally tugged at my sheets. Both me and Stella quickly got out of bed and we cautiously made our way to the lounge room when we both froze in our tracks. A monstrous figure loomed in front of us, frozen in terror we could only watch as it got ready to attack us.
"It's huge!" Musa cried out, pointing at it with a trembling hand.
"My magic made it even bigger!" Flora exclaimed while looking at the creature in horror.
I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease, it gnawed at the edges of my mind but despite my fear, I couldn't allow this monster to get the better of us, I knew we had to do something and as I exchanged nods with my friends, we knew exactly what we had to do. I pushed my fear aside as my eyes hardened, feeling the familiar warmth of my magic as my aura glowed brightly.
"Transform!" I closed my eyes and felt myself rise up in the sky as my surroundings changed, the sound of water dripping was heard and with the movements of my hands the water rose and covered me like a blanket and the water burst, revealing my Fairy outfit. I wore a light blue dress almost close to white that had translucent sleeves with a Dragon crystal on the dress paired with translucent thigh-high socks that matched my sleeves and ankle-heeled boots that consisted of silver designs while my snow-white hair remained loose. Sparkles surrounded me and soon my small light blue translucent wings formed on my back, finishing my transformation.
"Alright beastie bring it on!" Musa grinned, her magenta aura lighting up the lounge room, now able to get a good look at that monster that haunted our dreams. I glanced at Musa, my lips curling up in a confident smile of my own, sharing her determination.
"You're about to feel the power of Solaria!" Stella summoned her scepter, a blinding flash illuminating the dark room but she faltered when the creature just absorbed her magic like nothing, even I was taken aback.
"Stella." When noticing the dazed look on Stella's face, I gently touched her arm to get her attention. "Snap out of it!" Seemingly snapping out of it, her eyes met mine and my eyes widened at the amount of fear her eyes showed, almost looking like she could break down.
"What just happened?" Stella mumbled out, her eyebrows furrowed in distress.
"The monster-" I got interrupted when the monster took off, my stomach dropping. "Come on let's go get it!"
I fluttered my wings and followed the monstrous figure with my friends following behind, us flying through the halls when the monster suddenly halted. As Musa and Tecna wasted no time to attack I realized that the monster was way stronger than I anticipated when it pushed them back like nothing, causing their backs to collide with the wall.
My heart was heavy with worry for them, and I softly landed on the ground, running up to them to heal them. My hands trembled as my mind replayed the horrifying scene over and over again but I knew I had to focus on my magic to heal them. I focused on my energy, ignoring Bloom, Stella, and Flora who were fighting the monster behind me and soon a soft, warm glow emanated from my palms, swirling with the essence of my healing magic. My friends lying before me, battered and weary.
Closing my eyes, I delved deeper into the wellspring of magic within me, letting it flow through me like a gentle stream as my hands hovered over my friend's wounds, and finally, I could feel my magic responding and soon their expressions softened.
"That's amazing, Thea!" Musa gasped as Tecna nodded in agreement.
"I've never felt anything like this before," Tecna said, her lips curling up in a small smile. "All the pain just melted away."
A smile spread across my face, my hands still glowing with residual magic. "I'm just glad I can be useful."
"Come on you monstrosity, show us what you've got!" Stella yelled out as the monster roared and shot a green blast at Bloom, she tried to put up a shield but the attack was stronger and pushed her back.
"Bloom watch out!" My voice trembled with urgency as I fluttered my wings and positioned myself between them, giving Bloom time to recover. Summoning every ounce of courage, I knew I had to be fast. "Tidal Surge!" I summoned a tidal wave, rushing toward the monster.
My eyes widened when the monster deflected my attack. The monster was formidable, it shrugged off my attack as if it were nothing but sparks, just like that. I acted quickly and formed a protective shield but I underestimated the amount of magic energy I poured into my previous attack and flew back.
It seemed like my control was still off.
Nightmares suddenly plagued me, feeling like a prisoner in my own mind. I struggled to rise when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. "Alethea it's not the time to go to sleep!" I heard Bloom's voice and I soon felt at ease, my eyes snapped open as my shield disappeared into blue particles. I fell to my knees and Bloom followed suit while I coughed, leaving me feeling nauseous and disoriented, closing my eyes for a second, I took deep breaths. I felt weak and tired, but I needed to defeat this monster if I wanted to avoid sleepless nights.
Flora stood up, her hands trembling but that didn't stop her. "Girls, get up!"
Tecna groaned. "We are drained,"
Bloom stood up and held her hand out for me to take and I did before being pulled up. "Where did the monster go?"
"Downstairs." Flora was the one to answer, her wings fluttering behind her. "Let's get the monster."
"Let's take the express." Stella raised her scepter, it glowing a golden colour until I felt transported somewhere else, looking around to see that Stella transported us to the courtyard while the monster towered before us. The monster charged at us, different colours flashing through the dark night as we fell into battle with the monster. Musa and Tecna stood firm, their eyes blazing with determination that I admired. They raised their hands, as their magic surged like a river unleashed.
"Funky force field!"
"Digital Triangle!"
A shield enveloped them, as the monstrous figure charged and crashed against the shield but I soon noticed their strength faltering and their shield flickering.
"Musa, Tecna!"
My heart pounded with fear, my hands clenching into fists at my sides as I watched the battle unfold before me. Every fibre of my being longed to rush to their aid, but I was so scared, scared to mess up, and that my interference could disrupt their magic and make them more vulnerable.
"Together Flora!" Both Stella and Flora focused on their magic energy and faced off against the creature. Still, despite their efforts, it was already too late, Musa and Tecna soon grew tired after using up too much magic, leaving them wounded and defenseless and they fell to the ground filled with grass, bruised and battered.
"No way.." Stella breathed out, both her and Flora heavy with shock as they fell to the ground, breathing heavily after using up a lot of magic.
"We can't let them get to us." It was like a fire ignited within me, I couldn't bear to stand idly by any longer, watching as those I cared about were put in harm's way. With a newfound determination, I turned to Bloom, a silent understanding passing between us.
"We can't give up." Bloom agreed, and with a new sense of purpose, we approached the monster, protectively standing before our friends.
"You look defeated." A new voice was heard, grabbing our attention, and frowning when we noticed that it was the three Witches, confirming that they were behind this. "Yet you're still standing."
"We won't falter!" I retorted, my voice echoing through the courtyard. "We won't let you harm us!"
"No one messes with us and gets away with it!" Bloom added, her words a defiant challenge.
"You think you can defeat us, little Fairies?" Stormy sneered, their voice dripping with malice.
I didn't answer, I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction nor was Bloom. With every ounce of our being, we fought against the Witches, our magic intertwined in a beautiful dance of water and fire. The Witches were relentless, their dark spells crashing against us like waves against the shore.
Without wasting time Icy sent an Icy barrage.
I fluttered my wings and soared through the crisp night air to avoid the attack to successfully do so. I looked over my shoulder, to see sharp shards of ice heading my way with deadly precision.
"Hydro Shield!" My words echoed through the dark night as a watery shield enveloped me, repelling the onslaught of ice with a radiant glow.
"I must admit, Fairy," Icy began, her voice having a hint of astonishment. "I didn't expect this to be a formidable battle, not face to face with someone I considered weak."
I gave her a look of determination, my wings shimmering softly in the dark night. "Appearances can be deceiving, Icy. Strength comes in many forms, and it is often found when least expected."
The battle raged on, me and Icy danced amidst a whirlwind of magic, our powers colliding in a dazzling display of light and shadow. With each passing moment, my resolve grew stronger, I felt different, and having control of my magic for once felt so good, it gave me confidence. However, I did feel my magic lessening, knowing I would reach my limit soon and what caught me off guard was a sudden pain I felt, and Icy smirking at me.
I looked down at my arm to see myself enveloped with ice. I cried out in pain, it was hard to stay up in the air and soon enough my wings dropped limply as the ice crept across my skin, numbing my senses. My vision blurred as the excruciating pain took over me, trembling at the pain.
Soon enough, I plummeted through the sky, the world around me blurred and the rush of wind tore at my wings, sending shivers down my spine as my back collided with the grass floor of the courtyard, the ice breaking. There was a sense of vertigo, a dizzying disorientation. I attempted to push myself up, my muscles protesting against the strain, but still, I persisted and with a surge of triumph I pushed myself up as my vision cleared to see Bloom prisoned. The tail of the monster was around her waist, holding her in the air as Bloom struggled making my heart heavy with worry.
"Now, you got something we want." Icy smirked at Bloom and I tilted my head, confusion washing over me.
I took a step forward, only to stumble. "Bloom?"
Bloom glared at Icy. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"What is all this ruckus about?" A new, familiar voice suddenly spoke up and my shoulders slumped in relief at the sight of our Headmistress.
Icy looked angered at the sight of her but I could also see a gleam of panic in her eyes. "Great."
"What do we do now?" Stormy asked her.
"Let the beast take care of her." Icy cackled as if believing that the monster could defeat our Headmistress. The beast wasted no time and headed towards Miss Faragonda but before the monster could attack, she hit the monster with a spell, controlling it and the monster turned to the Witches, freeing Bloom in the process.
"I've had it with you three Witches, conjuring a nightmare Gargoyle is far beyond an interschool prank!" Miss Faragonda glared at the Witches with such hate that I'd never seen before. "Take this fowl creature of the night! Alethea, Bloom help me, consider it hands-on training."
I nodded along with Bloom, we glanced at each and with a nod of understanding we sprang into action. We attacked the monster with a series of spells, only for it to shrug it off like nothing but we continued, only because Miss Faragonda didn't tell us to stop yet.
"That's the ticket, keep firing." Miss Faragonda instructed and we complied, I ignored the strain I felt as I kept attacking, wanting nothing more but to defeat this thing "Nocturnus Executus!"
After that spell, the creature exploded into nothingness as if it never existed in the first place and I heaved out a sigh of relief, my eyes stinging with tears that desperately wanted to fall.
"We did it!" Bloom cheered and soon embraced me and I weakly hugged her back.
Miss Faragonda headed over to the Witches who were backing away in fear. "Now as for you witches, you've invaded Alfea for the last time, get back here young ladies."
"Yeah, right." Icy scoffed at Miss Faragonda. "Later."
And the Witches disappeared.
"Wait!" Miss Faragonda looked frustrated by their disappearance but I couldn't care less, I was just happy this was over and I could finally sleep without having gruesome nightmares. "Will someone explain to me what this was all about?"
"The Witches sent that monster to weaken our powers." I explained to her while my friends stood up with the help of the other teachers who joined us, medics running around and checking up on the injured. "And then they showed up and attacked us."
"Sorry, we let them knock us around." Stella apologized, looking down at the ground in shame. "You're not going to fail us, right?"
"We tried our best." Flora added on, her face showing signs of crying.
"Don't be silly." Faragonda flashed us a gentle smile that made me relax, my lips curling up in a smile of my own. "A nightmare Gargoyle bested an entire senior class when I was a student."
Kiko jumped next to Musa causing her to laugh. "I know you would have fought it if you could Kiko."
"Professor Griffin will be hearing from the Magix council, they'll see to it that she punishes those Witches for good this time." Even if those words were comforting to hear, it was too good to be true and that they would continue to target us until they get what they wanted. I looked up to the sky, but as long as me and my friends are together, I know we would overcome.
But then the question was, what were they after?