Chapter 33
Falling water

I left the room in a daze, only to find Quentin hurrying towards me from the end of the corridor. I stared blindly at him as he approached.
"Dinner is served," he smiled sarcastically and bowed, and then led me back down the corridor in the direction he'd just come from. I shook myself internally, and scurried to keep up with him.
"I've been meaning to ask you," I breathed, trying to sway my mind from Dixie, "you said that I'd 'crash' a couple of hours after you'd boosted me with optimism, but I didn't. What's with that?" We rounded a corner, and trotted down a narrow spiral staircase, landing in a corridor identical to the ones above.
"Vampire," He replied laconically, and I pressed him to continue. He puffed out some air, and glanced exhaustedly at me. "Vampires don't 'crash', they simply slowly deteriorate back to an ordinary mind set. Being a half-Vamp, you're decline would have been slightly accelerated, but not as heavy as it would have been had you been one hundred percent Fairy." We'd stopped outside a pair of double doors, which Quentin swiftly flung open and fluidly swept inside. I followed him into the grand dining room and gazed around.
"Oh," I said shortly, awestruck once more by the beauty of a room. The dining hall was long and narrow, with a similar shaped tabled at the centre with a golden table clothe draped over the top. The walls were scarlet and the floor was made of highly polished wooden planks. The table had over twenty places set with various knives and forks with pristine plates and precisely folded napkins, but only the one right at the farthest end had a meal on it. I was ushered into the seat, where a very fancy looking lasagne stood waiting for me on the table. I tried to eat with etiquette, but was confused as to which pair of knife and fork to use, and dropped a few pieces on my lap, which were fortunately caught by the napkin I'd placed there. It felt strange eating alone at such a long table, and so I tried not to look up from my plate, and to eat as fast as possible. When I was finished, I dabbed my lips with the napkin, and slid off my chair to go and join Quentin, who was stood statuesquely beside the exit. He tapped the side of his mouth, and I sheepishly wiped the sauce from my face with the back of my hand.
"Now what?" I asked as we stepped back into the corridor.
"Now we return to the Emperors. That's what." He replied in a bored tone, and we climbed back up the spiral staircase. I raced after him, still struggling to keep his quick pace, and wondered what Serephina had meant by 'tomorrow we have much more to disclose to you'. Surely they didn't have any more bombshells to drop- at least, I hoped they didn't. We arrived at the mahogany door of the Emperors' room. We entered before my thoughts had managed to regroup, and I was instantly met by three welcoming smiles, one neutral countenance, and one unfriendly scowl. I was shown to my throne, and sat smiling nervously at the faces around me.
"Did you have a rejuvenating rest, young one?" Othenil asked kindly. I nodded and restrained the urge to ask him not to call me young one.
"You're hair looks very nice, Storm. You should do that more often." Serephina said generously, pushing her own golden waves behind her shoulder. I thanked Serephina, and sat, fidgeting as I waited to move onto more pressing matter. The Emperors sensed my urgency.
"Idle chit-chat is all very well and good," Phoenix snapped, "tell her about Link!" My eyes flew wide open, and my head swung to face the Angel.
"Link? What about Link?" Blank faces… "He's got Dixie, hasn't he." I stated after a pause, it wasn't a question, because I knew the answer. Serephina nodded solemnly. "Is she OK?" I asked hoarsely. The Fairy Emperor hesitated.
"She is not alone, which is good for her. Company will keep her strong." I frowned.
"She has company? What, as in Link's taken someone else?" I was confused; the news hadn't mentioned any other disappearances. The leaders allowed me to figure it out on my own. I was surprised by my own mind when the thought first entered it. I didn't believe it. How could I? It was sick. Sick, wrong, twisted- pick any word, what it comes down to is one hell of a messed up situation.
"Spiral?" I croaked, my throat suddenly dry from the rapid breathing. "He took Cloud's mum." The expressions around me were all either sympathetic or set and serious.
"He did Storm, I'm very sorry." Serephina lulled softly. I slowly placed my face in my hands, taking deep, slow breaths, my shoulders heaving with the effort. The memory of Link and Cloud's private conversations flashed sharply and shortly before my eyes. "We intended to tell you less brutally, but you kind of did it all yourself." I nodded, not taking my head from my hands. Link had Spiral. This was all his fault. He's the one who ruined my life.
I started to get angry. That little creep.
"I'll kill him!" I growled, throwing my head back and staring at the Emperors, my rage swarming rationality.
"No you won't," Adaro sang softly.
"At least, not yet." Phoenix laughed cruelly under her breath, and I stared at her in bewilderment. Realisation slowly crept over me.
"I have to kill him!?" I gasped, flicking my eyes between those around me impatiently. There was a long pause before I got an answer.
"Eventually… maybe." Othenil hesitated, shifting awkwardly in his seat.
"Listen, Storm," Serephina said soothingly, trying to counteract the effect of Phoenix's brutality. "don't worry about that right now. The day that decision has to be made is long away, lets concentrate on the present. You still don't fully understand the situation."
I nodded and sniffed, balling my hands into tight fists, trying to channel the anger out of me. Confusion and exasperation replaced it.
"Breath, Storm, try not to panic," the Mermaid Empress chimed beautifully, tucking a brown ringlet behind her ear. I kept breathing deeply, and was soon calm again.
"Now," Othenil continued, in a down-to-business tone, "have you ever notice anything strange about Link?" I frowned and ran my fingers through my hair, chewing my lip.
"Of course, I never stopped noticing." I gave a hollow laugh, and the Silver Dragon pushed me to explain what, exactly, was strange about him.
"Well…" I began hesitantly, searching for a starting point. "he's got this… Grin. When ever I see it, it triggers an unnatural amount of fear inside me. I remember the first day I met him, he turned up in my bedroom- he said he was dropping off a school book I'd forgotten, but I think he was just being creepy. I cried for hours after he left. I was just so shocked to see a stranger in my room, smiling like that… it was horrible." I hung my head and trembled at the memory, and the Emperors waited patiently for me to continue. "Then there's this thing I once pointed out to Cloud. He really didn't seem to know much about teenage Fairies. The kids at my school used to call him Angel face because he was blond with this little ringlet at the front, but he never seemed to acknowledge that it was intended as an insult." I froze slightly and shot a glance up at Phoenix. "No offence."
"None taken," she spat.
"Anyway… what else? Oh! Of course, there's the time he tried to… erm… touch me in the forest. His Aura was grey, but it used to be yellow. I don't understand how he could have done that. When I told Amber, the Dryad who saved my life, she said something about it being like he'd been wearing make up, but I don't see how that could be possible."
"You can see Auras?" Ravindra cut in, surprising us all.
"Erm… well yeah. I thought you would have known that." The Emperors shook their heads. "Oh, sorry." There was a short silence.
"Please, continue," Serephina nudged, and I scrambled to grasp my train of thought.
"I think that might be it… oh! Wait. Before I set off on the journey here, I went to see my friend Shimmer to say goodbye, and found her in bed with him. She told be she wasn't in control of her actions, like she was numb and couldn't stop herself doing whatever Link wanted of her." My speech was followed by a long, eerie silence, and I found it horribly unnerving.
"Why do you think all of these things were possible? The smile that made you cry, the ignorance of Fairy cultures, the changing Auras, the uncontrollable actions of your friend- how could any of those be possible?" Othenil whispered excitedly. At first I thought he didn't believe me, but then I realised he was just pressing me to find the answer myself- again. I thought about if for a minute or so. Well I guess someone who wasn't a Fairy, wouldn't understand Fairy cultures. But that wasn't an option for a plausible answer. Link was obviously a Fairy, the wings, the Aura, the slightly pointed teeth- he had it all. Then again, I thought, I suppose he could be Silver Dragon, who's taken the form of a Fairy. I shook myself internally. That wasn't possible. You can't make Auras, and Silver Dragons didn't have them, therefore, he wasn't one. I decided to use it anyway, the eyes that were trained on me were imparting too much pressure, and I wasn't thinking of anything else fast.
"Maybe he's not a Fairy?" I tried cautiously, and Othenil smiled. I thought at first that he was laughing at me, but I soon realised I was wrong.
"Bingo," he grinned and my eyes became the size of dinner plates. "You're right, Link is most certainly not a Fairy. The Aelianopus has told us that- he is definitely not the sapphire of the Fairies, but nor is he the               gold of the Vampires, Mermaid crimson, violet of Silver Dragons, or Angel lime green. His form in the Aelianopus is dark- like his blood."
My mind flashed to the day the Centaurs invaded the Lamias' camp. A Centaur stabbed a Lamia right next to my cell. Black liquid had oozed from where the spear stuck out of his heart. When I left the little village later on, the floor had been a mess of black and red intermingled. Two kinds of blood.
The image flicked to the night of Denny's death. It was a painful image, but I held onto it with determination. When I stabbed the Haut, he had bled black blood- but Denny's was significantly red. This had to mean something.
"He's evil," I choked, "like the Lamias and the Hauts. What IS he?!" The Emperors looked uncertainly at each other as I glared at them impatiently. After a long exchange of glances, Serephina turned hesitantly to me.
"Perhaps an easier question to answer would be 'where did he come from?'" I sighed, exasperated.
"Fine, where did Link come from?" I demanded edgily. There was yet another pause before I got a response.
"The human world," Phoenix snipped harshly, evidently losing her patience as much as I was. I turned to her, hoping for more direct answers.
"He's a human?!" I practically shouted.
"Don't talk to me in that tone of voice young lady!" The Angel Empress said indignantly, like a mother to a small child having a tantrum.
"Not exactly," Othenil interrupted, ignoring Phoenix's pride. "You see, Link did come here from the human world, and he was once a Human, but he didn't cross the wall here, like Cloud did. He found another opening, somewhere unguarded where he could cross without having to ask permission. We have no idea where it is. We have people out searching for it as we speak, with the intention of closing the gap so this never happens again. However, we believe that Evelia, otherwise known as the devil, may have lured him there and transformed him into a Fairy, in order to spread evil across the globe. He is, however, still partially human. On the other hand, he is now also a fraction Fairy. The collaboration of species from different worlds has caused a major malfunction. Link, has become a Daemon."
I stared numbly into the silence. And raised on incredulous eyebrow.
"A Daemon?"
"Yes, a mutant of sorts. A monster. A beast. Whatever you want to call it, which ever word you choose, he's evil and must be stopped." I was so confused; he didn't look like a typical monster. If it wasn't for the weird curl and timid, creepy approach, he could even have been quite attractive. He was horrible sure enough. Disgusting to the highest degree, but an actual Daemon? It didn't seem possible.
"His Aura can change colour, Storm," Adaro reminded me in her usual sugar-sweet voice, and I nodded, frowning with the depth of my thoughts.
"In your absence, he's been causing havoc all over England, not just in your Village. If he isn't stopped, he's going to take over the world. He's started befriending the evil species- Lamias, Black Dragons and Taurus's, who knows what else. By the time you return, he'll have gathered an army of millions, if you take too long on your mission, it'll be even bigger and will become unstoppable. He's more powerful than anyone has ever given him credit for."
"Wait! Mission? What mission? And why don't we just stop him now? Save ourselves some trouble!" I was panicked now; this was all getting too big. I just wanted Cloud back. Not an all out war!
"If we stopped him now, Evelia will simply create another being like Link, and keep doing so until it is satisfied with the amount of damage and suffering created by the servant. We must allow the devil to think it's winning before we crush Link. If we do, Evelia will be satisfied with her work just enough to not try again, and this whole mess will be over for good. It's a sacrifice, but it's essential." Othenil explained clearly, and I nodded reluctantly, not liking that more people were going to be hurt by Link.
"I can't believe all this. It isn't real. Please say this isn't real!" I begged, my mind tormented by the strain of the revelation and enormity of what they were telling me. Nobody replied, so I assumed it was, in fact, real, and I would just have to deal with it. I picked up the scattered pieces of my mind, and thought over what they'd said.
"You mentioned a mission? What do I have to do?" I asked warily, and meek smiles flicked across the faces of the Emperors.
"It's nothing too bad," Serephina promised, "you just cross the wall, as planned, fulfil all of your desires over there. Find Cloud, learn their ways, whatever you wanted, and return when you feel the time is right. However, you must bring something with you. We do not know what it is, we just know there is something in the human world that is essential for defeating Link, and it is your job to retrieve it." I blinked in disbelief.
"You want me to do what I was already going to do, but bring back something –something that nobody knows what exactly, and then use it to go to battle with a Daemon in my class, who just so happens to have kidnapped my best friends mum and caused me to come halfway across England?" I asked, utterly shocked by the whole ordeal. I slumped in my throne and shook my head thoughtfully. "This is getting ridiculous." We sat in a long, drawn out silence. My mind raced with new information. Trying to slot all the pieces together, feeling certain that they'd got it wrong. Unfortunately, it all made sense. Link had always appeared resentful of Cloud, maybe even jealous, so perhaps he kidnapped his mother to try and lure him into leaving. But why didn't he just take Cloud? Maybe he just wanted to spread as much pain as possible- I just didn't know. He probably wasn't banking on me following after Cloud, he did look extremely shocked when I told him I leaving that day in Shimmer's room, but then why take Dixie? Was he trying to pull the same stunt? Was there someone else he wanted to dispose of in order to get attention?
My head really was starting to ache.
After a prolonged silence, it seemed like there was nothing left to be said. Perhaps it was time to leave. Get going. The excitement that that one thought produced in me- the dream of finally achieving my goal and crossing the wall- served as an effective antidote to the immense pressure, stress and confusion I was feeling.
"When do I leave then?" I asked after a very elongated period of quiet. Serephina thought for a moment and then, turning to her colleagues for verification, answered.
"As soon as we've given you the terms?" She smiled eventually.
"The terms?" I asked shortly with a sigh, reclining lazily in my chair, entirely worn out by the whole thing.
"Well obviously we weren't just going to set you loose in another world- one that knows nothing of Faerra- all winged up with fangs and purple eyes! We do take some precautions!" Phoenix scolded, hands flailing in over the top gestures. I stifled a laugh; she looked so funny with her arms waving frantically around her, kind of like a fish caught on a line.
"We have to be careful that the Humans don't work out that you're not one of them. Otherwise they'd all come charging through the gate at one hundred miles an hour, and reeking havoc all over our beautiful world- and we've got enough to deal with as it is." Serephina explained more kindly, and I nodded, inviting her to continue.
"With the use of magic, we shall temporarily dispose of your wings- although they shall be reattached on you return. We can also blunt those lovely canines of yours and obviously the Humans can't see Auras- so no problem there. The real issue comes at your beauty and the colour of your eyes. You'll have to wear blue contact lenses at all times- except at night, if you sleep in them your eyes will dry out and your vision will become impaired. They shall need changing once every two or three days, and we'll provide you with enough for two years, which should be more than enough.
"Then there's the problem with your beauty. Fairies, as you know, are the most attractive species there is, no matter how fervently some will argue, it is a fact. Therefore, your beauty far surpasses that of any Human, and if you were to enter their world as you are, everyone who saw you would fall in love with you."
"Doesn't sound too bad," I joked with a broad smile. Serephina shook her head seriously.
"You must remain of low profile, drawing too much attention to yourself will offer more of an opportunity for experts to discover your true identity, or for you to trip up and reveal it yourself. We will blemish you skin with a few barely visible spots, add light circles under your eyes, and generally try to make you less attractive whilst remaining recognisable to yourself. But beware, even with these precautions, you will be seen as a figure of immense beauty, so prepare to knock back a lot of boys and receive cold stares from envious girls." I nodded and exhaled, this was starting to sound like less fun by the minute.
"However, we have discussed the matter at length, and have concluded to enrich you with the gift of mild magic. You will be able to control the elements weakly, increase peoples' happiness mildly, and push attackers from you without touching them. However, we will be monitoring your progress, and should you abuse this gift, we will take it away without a moment's hesitation." I was astounded. I stared with my mouth agape for a good few seconds before I could speak again.
"But… but why?" The Emperors laughed.
"We wouldn't want you entering the other world being just like everyone else, now would we?" Serephina smiled warmly. "Besides, we believe it will help you complete your mission quicker- if you have more control over your own life, you can find your friend faster, and return sooner." A grin broke out across my previously cautious and baffled face.
"Wow, thanks! That's so cool!" It was the best news I'd heard in what seemed like ages, and I felt like I'd forgotten how to react to good news. I thought it over for a moment. "How do I use it?" I asked excitedly, and all heads turned to Othenil.
"Think the instruction clearly in your mind, ensuring that it is isolated from your other thoughts. For example 'make Cloud happy,' and your will shall be done." My beam widened, utterly enthralled by the concept of using magic.
"Does Cloud have the same powers?"
"I'm afraid not, when he passed the gate we knew nothing of Link, and believed his journey to be purely for leisure, as he ignored our warnings that he would not find his mother, and so we saw no need to grant him magic." Othenil explained simply, flicking a small lock of blond hair from his face. I nodded, and a long silence befell the meeting. After another long thinking period, I asked what I should do when I arrived in the human world.
"We shall give you the address of an orphanage near the train station where the other side of the gate is situated," Adaro sang magically, "You should go there, explain that your parents have died and you wish to be taken in. We'll send Quentin with you to ensure that you get settled in and to back up your story by posing as one of their social workers. I'm afraid to say that the orphanage is a bit of a dump, but this should work in your favour, as they won't ask many questions and they'll take you in with minimal paper work. We'll also impart thoughts to them, encouraging them to allow you to be taken into their care. They shall enrol you in school, but the rest is up to you." I thanked her, and considered the new idea of being accompanied by the unfriendly Quentin. It didn't seem too bad- as long as Phoenix stayed where she was, I knew I'd cope, however I wondered how long he'd stick around. I hoped it wasn't long. The end of the Mermaid's speech triggered yet another prolonged silence between us. But this silence wasn't deliberate and thoughtful like the previous ones- it was more awkward, as though there was nothing left to be said. Serephina seemed to have made the same observation.
"Well if we've nothing left to tell you, I suppose you can be on you way." She flashed her gorgeous smile, and swept a golden lock over her angular shoulder. I blinked in astonishment.
"what? Really? Already? Are you sure?" I babbled uncontrollably.
"One question at a time!" Phoenix snapped, eying me up and down with irritation. Serephina brushed off her coldness.
"Well yes. What else is there delaying you? Have we not told you all you need to know?" She asked politely, still holding her body at a slant, her knees pressed neatly together. I furrowed my brow in thought.
"I guess so…" I managed eventually, not at all convinced.
"We've explained you past, your present and your future. What else is there?" Othenil frowned, evidently confused at my sudden reluctance to leave. I was just as puzzled at my attitude as he was. A few moments ago I couldn't wait to leave, but now that it was actually happening, a wave of fear washed over me, and it was as though I was seeing the enormity of the task that I was about to undertake for the first time. I thought quickly, suddenly frantic in my attempt to stall time.
"What about Human cultures? Do I not need to learn about those? I mean, I could say something stupid, or mention technology they haven't heard of, or-"
"You fell and hit your head hard and have forgotten a lot of basic knowledge and you need help regaining the information. That's your story- stick to it. Never mention your past life, design a new one and stand by it. But remember, you have to create a story of your parents' death, which is why you ended up in an orphanage. Quentin shall tell you the basics of Human life, but you'll have to find the rest out for yourself." Othenil sighed, clearly tiring of my presence.
"Ok… ok…" I breathed, completely unconvinced. I wound a ringlet of my hair around one of my fingers tightly, my mind still racing.
"Is that all?" Adaro smiled, apparently holding back a giggle. Then I realised- they didn't see crossing the wall as a big deal. People did it all the time. They'd seen it over and over again. I was just a silly girl, making a fuss of what seemed like nothing to them. Suddenly, I was on my feet. My bag was beside me- Quentin must have put it there while I was talking- and I slowly pulled it up onto my shoulder. I was about to cross the wall. Halos! I thought. I really should have prepared more. Othenil and Serephina also stood up, but the other three Emperors remained sitting- Adaro couldn't stand up on her tail, Ravindra was slouched in his seat, evidently uninterested by my departure, and Phoenix was eying me with utter contempt. Together the three of us left the room, and I called my farewells over my shoulder to the three who remained in their seats. We hopped across the hall, and through the door directly opposite. I soon found myself in a room that instantly struck me as the Garden of Eden. We were stood on a white stone path, with flowers edging the walkway and small, precise shapes of grass had been mown and trimmed to an exact degree. Hedges shaped like Mermaids, Fairies, Vampires, Angels and Dragons stood grandly on stone platforms, with golden plaques drilled into the base. The ceiling was domed, and powder blue with delicately painted clouds slipping overhead. Trees with fruit springing from the ends of the branches stood proudly around and about the beautiful room, but not a single leaf littered the ground. Over on the far side, a water fountain fashioned to look like a waterfall made soft, soothing sounds as the clear liquid fell over the edge of the rocks. A couple of wooden planked benches with black iron swirls curving to make legs and arm rests, and the backrests also had golden plaques screwed on, stood dotted about the garden room. We slowly made our way across the path.
"Now, we've had Quentin put the rest of those clothes we left in your wardrobe in your rucksack. We've also given you a bit of pocket money to make life over there a bit more comfortable for you. You'll also find the address of the orphanage and the contact lenses we told you about. We've also bewitched the photos in the front pocket. When you look at them, you shall see what has always been there. But others will see Humans in similar, ordinary situations." I grinned through my rising nerves.
"Thanks," I croaked shakily, with as much sincerity as possible in my terrified state.
"Don't worry," Othenil said earnestly, looking me straight in the eyes, "you'll be fine. If it gets too much just come back, but make sure you remember where the other side of the gate is." He laughed, but I didn't appreciate the joke. What if I actually forgot where it was? It was likely, I was pretty forgetful.
"And Quentin will visit you regularly to see if there's anything else we can do for you. Won't you Quentin?" Serephina looked over her shoulder to glance at the butler who was following a few paces behind with a melancholic expression on his face. He nodded reluctantly, and hung his head. I felt bad; he didn't want to be checking up on some kid in his spare time. I made a mental note to assure him I didn't need looking after, even if it was a big fat lie.
"Why are you being so generous?" I asked cagily, stopping and staring straight at the two Emperors. They glanced nervously at one another.
"You're forgetting Storm," Othenil began hesitantly, "we need you… in fact, your world needs you. You have to bring something back to defeat Link. If you don't, the fate of the world is in jeopardy." He watched me cautiously, begging me with his eyes not to have a sudden change of heart. I breathed out heavily through my teeth.
"No pressure then," I muttered, casting my eyes around the room. Serephina smiled encouragingly.
"None at all. Remember, do what you would do if we'd never told you about all this. It's destiny that you'll bring back what we need, so don't worry about it. Just concentrate on finding Cloud, and you'll be fine." She flashed another supportive smile, and gestured for me to keep walking. I resumed walking as I contemplated my task. By the time Serephina and Othenil had stopped beside the water fall, I hadn't managed to think of anymore questions. They really had covered everything. We stood by the waterfall for a good few minutes, smiling. After the first couple of minutes, the Emperors' smiles grew more forced and awkward, as, I assumed, did mine. They were acting like they were waiting for me to leave, but I couldn't see any obvious place to go. I was waiting for them to tell me where to go, but they seemed to think it was obvious. After five minutes or so, Quentin had had enough smiling.
"Are we going or not?" He asked sharply, and my head snapped round to face him automatically, shocked at being torn from my trance.
"Well yeah but… wh-where? How?" I babbled, searching around me for a door, with little success. Quentin rolled his eyes, and the Emperors laughed.
"Through the waterfall. Moron." The butler sneered mockingly, and I stared at him as though he was mad.
"The waterfall? But we'll get wet." More laughter.
"The waterfall isn't really water. Do you think we'd send a load of people materialising soaking wet in an unfamiliar world? Come on! We're not that daft." Othenil winked as he ushered my closer to the fountain.
"What about my wings and everything? I still have them."
"The changes we informed you of will occur on your stepping through the gate." Serephina reassured me. I swallowed a lump of saliva that had gathered in my mouth, and took a wary step towards the gate.
I'm about to pass to the human world. My mind screamed excitedly at me. Before I had to thank or say goodbye to the pair who had been so kind to me, Quentin gave me a great shove. My body was flung forward into the waterfall, and out of Faerra.