Chapter Text
“Ghost, I’m glad you’re here. I finished the translation device,” Tecna showed off the tiny watch to the vessel, who leaned over the table to take a closer look at it. It was the perfect size for their wrist. When Ghost held their arm out, Tecna helped put it on. She tapped the screen, and it came to life with a holographic display.
“This wristwatch detects fluctuations in your body, and if it has the correct frequency and intensity, they will be recognized as words, like how our vocal cords vibrate when we speak,” Tecna explained. “Since your body is a malleable material like void, it makes it much easier to detect changes! Why don’t you try saying something?”
Ghost looked down at the watch, then back up at Tecna. Words typed themselves on the displayed screen. “What does malleable mean??”
“It works…!” Tecna clapped her hands a little in excitement. “Right, malleable… How do I explain this… Malleable means able to be shaped or manipulated, like clay.”
“Oh, okay.”
“I still can’t believe it actually works…!” Tecna murmured to herself. “Well, I hope you make good use of it! Let me know if it needs repair or if I overlooked anything in its design. Though you strike me as someone of few words, so I hope at least it helps! Oh, right, I almost forgot, you can also use it to read text in Fairish aloud!”
“That probably would have helped yesterday.”
“Sorry, it took a little while to adjust it to you,” Tecna apologized.
“Oh well, Parker helped me with it. Thank you, Tecna.”
“Don’t mention it, I was just bursting at the seams waiting for another pet project, and this was the perfect challenge!” she replied.
Ghost gave her a grateful nod.
“Well, thank you for meeting me for coffee this morning,” Tecna took a long, slow sip of her mocha. “Usually I do have breakfast with the other girls, but sometimes I like my mornings quiet, and Stella is very much the opposite of quiet.”
“Yeah… She does not seem very quiet,” Ghost’s watch spelled out on the screen.
Ghost took their cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and tipped it into their mask through their eye hole. I mean, where else could it even go? They didn’t have a mouth. Because there’s nothing underneath their mask besides churning void, the hot liquid didn’t hurt one bit.
“Would it be wrong of me to say that the sight of you eating and drinking is a little unnerving…?” Tecna winced a little.
“It's okay, I get it. If it helps, mouths kind of creep me out, too.”
“Understandable,” Tecna replied with a slight shudder. “They are hotbeds for germs and other unsightly things… Anyway, according to my tablet, class starts in twenty minutes, so we’d better leave. I’ll take care of the cost; you should go ahead. Because of the size of your legs and your presumed body mass, your walking speed is slower than my own.”
“Who said I’d be walking?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll wait for you, then I’ll show you. I think you’ll like it.”
Tecna, now overcome with curiosity, made it quick as she paid for their coffees and danishes, then walked outside with Ghost by her side.
“Alright, I’m ready,” Tecna said.
Ghost knelt closer to the ground. As they knelt, they felt power begin to build up and up in their legs. Out of the corner of their eye, they could see the pink crystals poking up from the ground around them. Tecna stared at the crystals with fascination, wondering how on earth they sprouted from the ground so beautifully…!
As soon as the proper amount of energy was built up, Ghost did a little jump, and off they went, propelled at a blinding speed with the power of the Crystal Heart.
“Great buckets of bolts, what was that…?!” Tecna cried, half in shock and half in pure amazement.
With a disbelieving laugh, Tecna ran after Ghost, both of them heading towards Alfea. Tecna ended up transforming to keep up with Ghost with her wings. Once they got to the front gate, Ghost deactivated the crystal dash, and Tecna detransformed.
“My word, I have to see what did that…!” Tecna said, breathless from straining her wings.
Ghost handed Tecna the Crystal Heart, thrumming with power, adjacent to a heartbeat. Tecna held it in her hands carefully, as if afraid to damage it just by holding it. Her fingers grazed the high-powered crystal embedded inside. She was instantly able to identify it as the source of its power, even without the use of her analysis technology. She could just… feel it.
“That reminds me, clearly magic is present in your world, as is some form of technology… Would it be alright if I could… study it? Any method is fine with me, I can study pictures, physical samples…”
Ghost’s translation watch beamed up a screen with words typed upon it.
“I can bring you there.”
“Real— Really? Is that… possible?” Tecna let out a quiet gasp.
“I mean, you’d be a little tall for a lot of the buildings, but it's not any worse than Hollow’s height. When should we go?”
“I— Oh, I can’t believe it…! The first human ever to traverse Hallownest…! Well, it can’t be during the week, because I want to spend as much time there as possible, and in other worlds, it can be very easy to lose track of time. Both because of the difference in the passage of time, and because I’d be too invested to notice.”
“Friday night then? I can find a place for you to sleep while you’re there.”
“That would be optimal, yes. Two nights and three days,” Tecna nodded in agreement. “This is so exciting! We’ll reconvene at the front of the school at 6:00 pm on Friday.”
Ghost gave her an affirmative thumbs-up.
“I’ll see you then, Ghost.”
They both went off to their respective first classes, which for Tecna was Magical History, and for Ghost was Potionology.
Since Parker was able to read out the questions and help transcribe Ghost’s answers into Fairish for the worksheet Palladium gave them, Ghost was able to complete it. Now they felt a lot more prepared for the class than they did last time.
Ghost was among the first to enter the classroom, since they had gotten back to Alfea so quickly from the coffee shop. In fact, they were the only one in the room at the moment, except for two people. Professor Palladium, of course, and another professor. Professor Avalon, if they remembered correctly…? However, he looked a little different from when Ghost saw him last. That might be why Palladium was looking him over and talking to him with worry apparent on his face.
“But Avalon— Are you sure that those marks aren’t wounds?” Palladium asked. “I— I have potions that can—”
“Trust me, dear professor, I’m just fine,” Avalon smiled gently at the frantic elven professor. “This is my natural appearance. I just don’t show it often.”
“If you say so…” Palladium still looked uneasy, but accepted Professor Avalon’s answer.
Ghost could see why Palladium was concerned, though; The Magiphilosophy professor had angry red marks, almost like scars, streaked on his face. There were other differences too: His eyes were a startling yellow now instead of a deep grey, and his teeth were sharpened and thin. Ghost didn’t know much about humans, but they were 90% sure they weren’t supposed to look like that.
For the first time since they entered the room, Avalon looked down and saw Ghost. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. Well, I suppose this is my sign to go back to class. I’ll let you talk to Professor Palladium.”
Professor Avalon nodded his head respectfully and left the potionology classroom.
“Sorry, Ghost, I didn’t mean to ignore you,” Palladium plastered a polite smile on his face when he turned to face the vessel. “Avalon had come to speak to me, and I grew concerned with his appearance, so I kept him here a little longer than I should have… Was there anything you needed me for?”
Ghost took out the homework assignment from its folder and handed it to Palladium.
“Oh, good work…! Now let me see—”
Palladium’s face went a little slack when he saw that most of their answers were written in Hallownestian. But then he breathed a quiet sigh of relief when he saw translations written by Parker.
“Thank you, I’ll put your grade in as soon as I can,” Palladium smiled and put the packet on his desk. “By the way, what’s that on your wrist? A new watch?”
Ghost held up the translator, and the screen popped up in front of them. “Tecna made this for me. This way, I don’t need an interpreter.”
“A translator, how wonderful…! Looks like you’re adjusting quite well here! I assume it can also translate Fairish for you?”
Ghost nodded.
“Tecna is such a smart girl…! Good to see that you’re getting the help you need! Best of luck in class today!”
Ghost trotted over to the same seat they sat in last class, which now had a big book on the chair so they could sit properly and stay off the table, presumably for safety reasons. They silently watched as Palladium readied the classroom.
As they took out their pencils and notebook, one thought just kept nipping at their mind’s heel. Professor Avalon. They hadn’t seen much of him, after all, his class was for second years and above, and they were only a first year, but something felt odd about him today. No human so far had looked the way Avalon did. Ghost made the observation that humans’ teeth were relatively linear and somewhat flat on their molars. Where bugs had mandibles and sparse, sharp teeth for tearing meat, the people of Magix sliced their food into smaller pieces with tools or their hands, and their teeth merely aided in breaking it down for digestion. But Avalon’s teeth were more akin to a beast’s. And Ghost was well-acquainted with beasts. Perhaps they could ask Tecna for more information. Parker also seemed pretty knowledgeable. Most of all, neither of them trusted Avalon like the charmed student body. Ghost needed someone with a critical eye to give them an honest opinion.
After the potions lecture, Ghost put away their notebook of notes in Hallownest writing, and they hopped out of their chair.
As their other classes went on, they got an idea. As well as taking notes for class, they could also write down their observations about Avalon, as well as their inquiries for Tecna and Parker, once they saw them. It was good that they wrote everything in Hallownest writing, as it helps avoid any unnecessary interrogations about their suspicions. A few people did compliment their writing, though, which was nice.
At lunch, Ghost went up to Tecna before she went over to the Winx’s table and tugged on her pant leg.
“Good day, Ghost! How’s the translator working?”
Ghost gave her a thumbs-up in response. After a few seconds of what was presumably Ghost talking, they held up the translator, and the screen flashed to life, reading, “I need to speak with you after school. It’s about Professor Avalon.”
Tecna stiffened. Her eyes darted around the room before leaning down and lowering her voice. “You saw him too?”
Ghost nodded once, affirmatively. Another message typed itself out on the floating holographic screen. “I’m guessing it’s not normal?”
“No… It is not…” Tecna lightly shook her head. “We’ll meet in the same cafe we were at this morning. We don’t want any other students or professors to hear.”
“Can we invite Parker?”
“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Tecna agreed. “She’s the school’s security, and she does dislike Avalon, so she’ll listen to us, and she can talk to Faragonda if need be.”
“That is if she agrees,” Ghost said, the words showing up on the translator.
“Trust me, she will.”
Just as Tecna said, as soon as they brought up their observations about Avalon and their plan of discussing them in the cafe, she immediately agreed. They could have sworn they heard her grumble, “Fucking finally…” after they made their proposal.
Ghost also told Tecna about their notes on Avalon during class, and Tecna decided to do the same, as well as including aspects of him that irked her even before today, which would help provide context for their conversation. In the meantime, Parker sat through a few of Avalon’s classes, listening to his every word and watching his every move with a hawkish eye from the shadows.
Right after school ended, Tecna quickly said goodbye to the Winx and headed over to the cafe.
“She’s been weird today…” Bloom scratched her head. “Like she’s distracted. And Tecna’s never distracted.”
“I think she’s perfectly normal! Just good ol’ Tecna!” Stella chimed.
“That’s because you’re more distractible than a goldfish,” Musa snickered. “This is normal for you.”
“No, guys, I actually agree with Bloom here,” Layla interjected, looking toward where Tecna had left. “It’s not just her either. Didn’t anyone notice anything off about Professor Avalon today?”
“I mean, aside from the crazy make-over, I’d say he’s pretty normal,” Stella shrugged. “And he explained that too, that’s just what he looks like underneath his glamour spell. He covers it up so he doesn’t look intimidating or whatever. I think he looks fine, personally. Maybe some colored contacts wouldn’t be a bad idea, though; those yellow eyes kinda freak me out.”
“Besides, it’s not our place to judge our professor,” Flora added. “If he says that he’s well, then he’s well…! And I’m sure that Tecna just wants some alone time.”
“I guess so…”
Tecna was the second one to arrive, evidenced by Ghost already sitting at a table for three. They waved as Tecna approached and sat down in one of the metal-framed chairs. She pulled out her small but well-loved notebook that was thick with notes. She opened it up to her pages about Avalon she wrote out while she was in class.
“I have my observations right here. Do you have yours?” Tecna asked.
Ghost responded by taking out their own notebook and opening it up to their pages of scribbled Hallownest writing, as well as a small doodle of Avalon.
“Oh wow, you’re a good artist…” Tecna murmured, examining the drawing of Avalon in the margins. “It’s a good skill to have for making comprehensible diagrams or visuals! This doodle alone is a valuable resource. Now all we need is Parker…”
“I’m here, I got held up by Griselda.”
Parker’s body slowly reassembled itself out of the shadows, and she walked over and sat in the last remaining chair between Ghost and Tecna.
“Who’s gonna share first? I can if no one else wants to,” Parker offered.
“Maybe you can share your insight while we use the translator to write Ghost’s notes in Fairish into my notebook,” Tecna suggested, Ghost nodding in agreement.
“Sure,” Parker shrugged. “Actually, I felt something off with him ever since the school year started. I’m a being made of void, so I’m pretty in-tune with dark magic. For a paladin, Avalon has an odd amount of dark magic emanating from him, and he sure knows a lot about it.”
“That can easily be explained by his studies into magicphilosophy, can it not?” Tecna asked. “He wouldn’t be a very good teacher if he only focused on one part of magic.”
“That’s true, but it’s that combined with everything else about him that puts me off,” Parker responded. “Example two: him and my brother.”
“Wait— You have a brother?” Tecna waved her hands around before slamming them on the table. Even Ghost looked surprised, suddenly turning their head towards Parker.
“Yes, unfortunately,” Parker rolled her eyes at the thought of her goodie-two-shoes sibling. “Complete dumbass. I’m convinced he’s more feathers than brains. Anyway, he used to go to Malacoy, where Avalon taught, and actually had him as a professor. He loved him; he was his favorite teacher. Sometimes when I went out with Edward, he’d see Avalon and stop to talk to him for fucking ages. They know each other pretty well. But when I asked him about Edward, I told him an incorrect name to test him.”
“And he didn’t correct you,” Tecna softly gasped, picking up what the security guard was putting down.
“That’s right. So either he’s a fake-ass, two-timing bitch, or something’s wrong with him. Though I’m more inclined to believe the former. You’ve seen the way he talks to Bloom, all of the students, for that matter. Everyone thinks he’s so kind and charming, but to me, he’s just slimy. Like he wants something from her.”
“I… noticed that too,” Tecna admitted. “His special attention to Bloom has her clueless, but I agree with you in the notion that he wants something from her.”
Ghost’s translator produced a message, popping up from the watch. “I can sense it too. But for some reason, I can’t feel his dark magic today.”
Tecna and Parker’s heads both turned towards Ghost. First in confusion, then their faces lit up with realization. Or at least Parker’s did.
“I was wondering what felt weird about him today…! Well, weirder. You’re right, I can’t sense any dark magic on him. In fact… has anyone seen him do any magic today?”
Tecna shook her head. “No, he just gave a lecture. Not a speck of magic!”
“Aha! And has anyone seen him perform a spell outside of class?” Parker began to smirk.
“No, I haven’t…” Tecna responded. “He usually uses a spell to spruce up the classroom before lunch, but today he did it by hand.”
“Guys, I think we got him! Finally, I’ll get his ass out of this school!” Parker cheered.
“Perhaps nothing that extreme, but it's certainly something to bring up with Headmistress Faragonda,” Tecna said.
“Whatever… ” Parker muttered.
They all got up, took their findings, and headed back to Alfea, beelining straight for the headmistress’ office.
As Ghost crystal-dashed towards the school, something churned in their mind. Avalon’s strangeness wasn’t entirely foreign to them. It was familiar. Sickeningly familiar. The way Avalon was not quite himself, as well as the way he spoke, was far too perfect. Like a doll. Or a mask.
In Red Fountain, Hornet has suspicions of her own for one of her classmates. Though hers was a little less… concrete. That project about higher beings gave her a good excuse to conduct her investigation into the Seraphim, aka Edward Hekyll. Because there was no way in hell she was going to let another god take over her home.
She had compiled a list of notes from the research she was able to do from the library’s computer, with the help of headphones and the websites’ read-aloud function. Not that there was much to gather… From what she’s read, their lifespans are thousands of years, and there’s only one in that time. Once a higher angel dies, another replaces them when the balance of magic is tipped too far towards darkness, usually in a century or so. However, the last higher angel, the Cherubim, died relatively recently, only forty-some years ago. So why was Edward born so soon?
At least that explained the lack of information about these things; a lot of them existed before history was even being recorded, and there were only two alive in the relatively modern day.
After classes were over, the first thing Hornet did was head straight to dorm room 426, where she was told Edward’s room was. He and his roommate likely wouldn’t be there as quickly as she was, so that meant she would meet them at the door.
And just as she thought, two students were chatting as they made their way to the dorm room door, where Hornet was waiting. Even having never seen him before, she knew which of the two was Edward. He was the taller of the two, freakishly tall, easily as tall as Hollow. There was something vaguely inhuman about him as well. His eyes were too big, his arms and legs too long, and his smile a bit too wide. That, and also, he had a pair of huge ivory wings on his back, fluttering about excitedly as his glasses-wearing companion talked, likely Timmy.
“Edward Hekyll.”
Edward’s long, pointed ears twitched when Hornet said his name, and he turned to look at her.
“Oh, hi! Do I know you?” he asked, his head tilting.
“I’m Hornet,” Hornet answered, intending to keep this short and sweet so as not to waste any time. “I have a project on higher beings assigned to me by Professor Rann. We have to write an essay on a being of our choosing, and you were the best choice.”
“Oh, okay! I figured! Yeah, you’re not the only one who’s come to me lately for my help on that project! So, where do you wanna do this? We could do it in our room, but I’ll have to see if Timmy’s okay with it! There’s also the cafeteria, or we could get a study room; those are pretty quiet, and we won’t be interrupted by anyone! But the same also applies to the dorm room… So many choices!”
“…I see that he is quite the talkative one…”
Timmy made a light laugh and stopped Edward’s rambling. “I think a study room would be the best option, since I do have some homework to do…! Is that okay with you?”
“Oh yeah, sounds good!” Edward hadn’t even noticed that he was politely interrupted. “I’ll see you later, Timmy! Make sure Riven knows where I am, because trust me, he will ask. Even if he says he doesn’t care.”
“Trust me, I know,” Timmy replied. “For someone so stand-offish, he’s the clingiest guy I’ve ever met.”
“Don’t I know it? Anyway, thanks, Timmy! I’ll be back!”
Edward went along with Hornet to the library, where they got a private study room from the librarian, and used the provided key to enter the soundproofed room. Edward just plopped himself on any old chair, and Hornet sat down on the chair across from him, taking a notepad from her bag and flipping it to the next empty page, clicking the pen open.
“So, what did you wanna ask?” Edward crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair, completely relaxed. “If you’re not sure where to start, I can offer a few suggestions!”
“What is your relationship to these mortal beings?”
Edward seemed taken aback by the question. He made a stunned laugh, his smile unwavering regardless. “Wow, talk about cutting to the chase…! But um… I’m not really sure what you’re trying to get at here… My relationship with my classmates and teachers is the same as any other student!”
“No, it’s not. We both know it’s not. It never is,” Hornet’s tone hardened as her eyes narrowed at the confused angel. “I know that fact better than anyone.”
“…I thought I felt something special about you…” Edward answered after a moment of silence. “You’re a higher being too. But that’s not why you’re skeptical of me, is it? No. There’s something else there. Might it have something to do with you being only half higher being?”
Now it was Hornet’s turn to be surprised. She wasn’t a transparent person; many bugs have told her exactly that. But Edward had seen through her so easily. Was this a part of his power, or was this just a natural perception? It was funny too. Hornet was normally impeccable at reading people, albeit a bit harsh. Edward, to her, was a naive airhead, with little awareness of anything around him, judging from his interaction with Timmy. However, she suspected that this misstep was intentional on Edward’s part. Because she realized why she had jumped the gun. The smile. The toothy smile of a happy-go-lucky ditz was plastered on the face of someone much smarter than he let on.
“No, my genetics are merely a result of my parentage,” Hornet answered, keeping her cool. “You see… In my homeland… Gods weren’t the most merciful of beings. Their will was often to subjugate the bugs below them. To raise them to become slaves and servants. Mortal bugs were below them, pawns in their game. One even destroyed my home out of petty revenge.”
“Oh man… I’m so sorry…” Edward managed to give Hornet a sympathetic look, despite his smile. “Well, maybe there’s some truth to that for some gods… But we’re not really like that here. Sure, some of us feel like we’re above mortal existences, but most of the time, that instills in us an urge to protect instead of dominate. Especially angels. Whether I believe it or not, it's my instinct to protect those I perceive as weaker than me. I don’t want to think of my friends as weak, but… It's kind of hard not to when you’re… well…”
Even when his sentence trailed off, Hornet knew what he meant. Something about what he had said struck a chord with her. A chord that had been playing its lonely song ever since she was born. She had always felt othered, no matter where she went. She wasn’t a weaver, she wasn’t a mortal bug, but she wasn’t a full god either… So where did that leave her?
It wasn’t until she found Ghost and Hollow, and eventually Lace, that she felt like she belonged. That she felt seen. They were all imperfect gods, imperfect children. None of them could live up to the expectations others put upon them. And that was okay. They had each other.
Now here was Edward, still struggling with those expectations. Not to be something greater, but to be the same as everyone else, even when he was purely, intrinsically different. Even with the pressure to be human, he still feels isolated. Hornet knew that feeling well.
One thing was clear. This wasn’t someone to fear. This was someone who cared so deeply for the ones around him and below him, so much that it hurt. It even reminded her of… She shook the thought out of her mind before it could linger.
“I can see that my fears were unfounded,” Hornet admitted, to both Edward and herself. “You’re not the same as the others. Neither of us are. And as lonely as that may feel… That’s not a bad thing to be; different. Perhaps… Being different together is the best path out of this isolation. I know that’s what worked for me.”
“You really think so?” Edward’s voice was small, weakened by vulnerability.
“I do. I think I’ve gathered all the information I need for my project. This was very insightful.”
“Glad I could be of service…”
“I’ll see you another time, Edward. I’ll let you get back to your friends.”
Edward made a quiet nod and got up from his seat, his wings pulled close to his body so he could get through the door without hitting them on the frame.
“The more I explore, the more people I find like me…” Hornet murmured, looking at the scratched notes she wrote while they conversed. “It’s a big world out here. But a big world holds more possibilities, more connections. For once in my life, I’m grateful to have such a large lifespan, so that I may experience if even a fraction of it.”
Since yesterday, they wanted to better prepare for the task ahead, Hollow, Quirrel, and Tiso waited until today to meet with Headmistress Faragonda about Shadowhaunt, specifically how to get there and what secrets it held.
“Thank you for seeing us, Headmistress!” Quirrel said as he sat down in Faragonda’s office. “Even if our visit doesn’t relate to school matters…”
“It’s no problem at all. I’m not just a principal, you know,” Faragonda chuckled, her hands folded on the table in front of her politely. “So what did you want to discuss with me?”
“I had a dream one night ago,” Hollow rasped, fidgeting with his long fingers, trying to describe his predicament without sounding like a complete nutjob. “I was back in my home, the White Palace. And then… I saw my dead father. But he wasn’t a bug anymore. He… He looked like you. He had skin and hair, and… a face.”
“By the way, I never got to ask…” Faragonda said. “Who was your father?”
“The Pale King.”
He wasn’t expecting Faragonda to react to that name, only nod thoughtfully and ask him to keep going with his story. But her eyebrows had furrowed, and now her attention was wholly on Hollow. “Did he have long white hair and a tall, pointed crown?”
“Y— Yes, he did…” Hollow replied.
“Hollow… I believe I’ve met your father… Many years ago.”
“I knew it! So that book was written by him!” Quirrel piped up cheerfully. “Sorry to interrupt. Continue, Hollow.”
“Yes, please continue, I didn’t mean to cut you off,” Faragonda apologized, regaining her composure.
“It’s quite alright. It’s good to know. Anyway, he wasn’t merely in my dream; he was talking to me. He told me to seek answers in a castle shrouded in shadow, and to follow the light. He also said… it wasn’t luck that brought me to Magix.”
“And you’re sure it was him?” Faragonda raised her eyebrow. “Oftentimes, forces of evil, or malevolent spirits, will impersonate loved ones in order to get you to do their bidding. Especially ones that are deceased.”
“No, I’m positive,” Hollow shook his head adamantly. “It was him. My father has always been cold to the touch. Any room he enters is filled with a cool breeze, and any fevered shell he touches is eased. I felt that gust, and it was like… It was like he was right there beside me. Whispering in the wind.”
“Very fascinating indeed…” Faragonda put her hand to her chin in pondering. “I take it you’ve made your own revelations about this dream? I would assume so, since you came all the way here.”
“We believe we’ve found where Hollow’s dream was directing him to,” Tiso took out the book they had brought with them and opened it to the page they had bookmarked. The page detailing the castle of Shadowhaunt. “Does this look familiar to you?”
“Shadowhaunt…?!” Faragonda gasped. “Why would there possibly— No, I cannot allow it. That place is far too dangerous, especially to people unfamiliar with this world and its threats. A great evil lurks in the Under Realm.”
Tiso scoffed. “Please, how great can this evil be? I’ve faced down many a foe, all of them felled by my hand!”
“You don’t understand,” Faragonda said admonishingly. “Because of its depth, almost all magic is nullified down there, and it's filled with Bile Monsters; you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“I’d hate to correct you, Headmistress, but… Our entire society… is underground…” Hollow brought up. “We’re well accustomed to darkness. My magic is not as fickle as that.”
“And we’ve fought many monsters before, each more dangerous than the last! My comrades have even taken down a Brooding Mawlek, a creature twice my size!” Tiso bragged, notably leaving out the fact that they took it down to save his ass. “We’d welcome the challenge!”
Faragonda looked uneasy, but didn’t continue protesting. Instead, she said, “Alright… I will admit that you do seem rather well-equipped to handle Shadowhaunt. But be aware that monsters aren’t the only things that call Shadowhaunt home. They were created by their master, Lord Darkar. And he’s certainly more of a threat than those mindless Bile creatures he brings to life. Actually, I had been planning on sending the Winx there on a rescue mission along with Layla…”
“A rescue mission? For whom?” Quirrel inquired, his curiosity piqued.
“Lord Darkar, or the Shadow Phoenix as what he really is, had abducted a group of pixies and is keeping them in his lair,” Faragonda said. “We haven’t the slightest idea why, but it cannot be for no reason. Perhaps when they’re rescued, we may find out. In fact… You three seem to be perfect for the task.”
“Wait, do you mean to say…?”
“Yes, I want you to accompany Stella, Bloom, and Layla to Shadowhaunt,” Faragonda made a shallow, stoic nod. “Maybe through the mission, you’ll find the answers you seek.”
“So it’s settled then! We venture into the phoenix’s den!” Tiso laughed proudly. “That ‘Lord Darkar’ won’t stand a chance against the likes of us!”
Instead of making an expression of relief or amusement, Faragonda frowned slightly. “I wish you the best of luck when the time comes.”
“Thank you. For everything, Headmistress,” Hollow bowed his head in respect. “Come now, let us take our leave.”
“Have a good rest of your day, gentlemen,” Faragonda waved at them as they left her office.
Ghost was actually right by the door with Tecna and Parker when their sibling emerged. Hollow immediately noticed them, and their eyes crinkled in a smile. “Hello Ghost…! It’s good to see you. I wasn’t sure if I’d get to talk to you until the weekend. How is school?”
“…”
“Oh? What did Tecna make for you?” Hollow replied to Ghost’s silent sentence.
Ghost showed off the translator, whose screen had popped up with what they had just said.
“Remarkable…! I’m glad you were able to get your hands on a translator,” Hollow said. “Thank you, Tecna, for helping my sibling adjust to this school. I really mean that.”
“O— Oh! It was nothing much, really…” Tecna’s cheeks went a little pink in embarrassment. “I saw my opportunity for a new project, and I was more than happy to take it.”
“Good… I’m glad to hear that Ghost has been making friends,” Hollow said, also acknowledging Parker’s presence with a tilt of his head.
“We’re not friends,” Parker said curtly with her arms crossed.
Ghost responded by stomping their foot onto Parker’s, eliciting a small squeak of pain from the void-constructed witch. “Okay, fine, we’re acquaintances…”
Tecna chuckled in amusement.
“Hello, Ghost and company!” Quirrel greeted them as well. “We were just on our way out! We don’t mean to interrupt!”
“They say that they don’t—”
Parker and Hollow both looked at each other after accidentally speaking in unison, cutting each other off.
“Sorry, force of habit,” Parker mumbled.
Quirrel could sense the slightest bit of levity on Hollow’s mask before Hollow continued. “Ghost says they don’t mind at all, that they’re looking forward to seeing us on Friday.”
“Well, we’ll leave you to it! Goodbye, you three!”
Tecna and Ghost waved to Quirrel, Hollow, and Tiso, Parker muttering a quiet ‘bye’.
“Headmistress Faragonda? We have a most urgent matter to inform you about,” Tecna gave a knock on the open door before peeking inside. In contrast, Parker just let herself in, standing by Faragonda’s desk.
“It’s about Avalon,” she said bluntly.
“Um— Sure, come in,” Faragonda was certainly surprised at all of the people coming to see her today, but she wasn’t complaining. Her days could get a little dull when there was nothing to do and nobody coming to her office.
Tecna and Ghost entered the room and sat down in the free chairs.
“We have reason to believe that Professor Avalon… May not quite be who he says he is…” Tecna started. “Me, Ghost, and Parker have gathered some fascinating observations about him, especially today.”
Faragonda sighed, her shoulders sagging in pure, unadulterated disappointment. “Parker, not this again… And you dragged Tecna and Ghost into it as well? Give it a rest… “Bad vibes” are not a valid cause for firing a professor.”
“Ha ha! Joke's on you, headmistress, because we do in fact have cause! Which may or may not be cause for concern, but I digress,” Parker shrugged. “He looks like a freak of nature, he’s not doing any magic, and he’s a fake-ass hoe who’s pretending to know my brother, even though he was literally his teacher. And he’s a fuckin’ creep too.”
“That is… essentially the bare-bones version of it, yes,” Tecna agreed with a nod.
“I have noticed Avalon’s change in appearance… But are you sure he’s not doing any magic at all?” Faragonda asked.
“I’m positive. I was there for all of his classes; he didn’t perform a single spell,” Parker said. “And I’m not buying the whole ‘glamour spell’ theory. He deadass looks like a demon, that is not a paladin.”
“Paladins can be of any species; you’re just making a mountain out of a molehill,” Faragonda shook her head. “Besides, his true appearance being revealed actually falls into line with his magic being hindered. If he cannot perform magic, then his glamour spell would be disabled.”
“Well— What about the other stuff?” You could tell Parker was grasping at straws to make her argument. “And why would his magic be gone?”
“Perhaps he is ill and his magic is affected,” Faragonda kept knocking down Parker’s attempts with simple logic. “Honestly, if you weren’t so well-liked by the students, I would have fired you by now, just for this. This is getting ridiculous.”
“Headmistress, I know she seems… paranoid right now,” Tecna chose her words carefully, but still got a peeved look from Parker. “But Ghost and I agree. Ghost can also sense a large amount of dark magic on Professor Avalon, and today it was gone. Isn’t this worth looking into?”
“You’re all jumping to conclusions. Now, please, go enjoy yourselves, and get this conspiracy business out of your minds,” Faragonda gave them a concerned gaze as she dismissed them from her office.
Parker angrily huffed and left the office through the desk’s shadow on the floor. Tecna started out the door to meet her. But Ghost lingered, like an unsatisfied spirit. They stared with deep, dark eyes at Faragonda, who looked mildly uneasy.
Then the translator screen popped up from the watch on Ghost’s wrist. It read: “The most effective predators hide in plain sight, preying not on physical weakness, but mental. I know that kind of hunter well. But the one I faced wasn’t the only one of its kind.”
“What do you…”
“I hope that I’m wrong about this.”
“Ghost, wait—”
Ghost had already hopped out of their chair and followed Tecna and Parker. Faragonda was left wondering what Ghost had meant, now thoroughly unnerved.
“Well, shit, Faragonda’s not gonna help us. While this isn’t anything new, this doesn’t help us figure out what the fuck’s up with Avalon,” Parker rolled her eyes. “That bastard’s got everyone wrapped around his damn finger. Including the staff.”
“What about Professor Palladium?”
Tecna’s eyebrows knit together in deep thought at the specific question from Ghost, but Parker answered the question as part of her tirade.
“Gods, especially Palladium! That man is head over heels in love with that bastard! He needs better standards, I say.” Parker muttered that last bit under her breath.
“Can we go to Avalon’s classroom? I want to test a theory I have.”
That finally cut off Parker’s rantings, and she answered, “I mean, sure, I guess. We might as well get this over with since nobody’s gonna help.”
“What are you thinking?” Tecna asked the little vessel.
“That we’d better be ready for a fight,” the watch flashed.
“A fight? I don’t—”
“Quiet down, we’re getting close,” Parker, catching on to what Ghost was saying, shushed Tecna.
They got to Avalon’s office and all three of them poked their heads out to look inside, Ghost at the bottom, being the shortest, and Tecna at the top, being the tallest. It was like Ghost predicted it; Palladium was, in fact, in Avalon’s office. The door was nearly closed, but they could see Palladium looking a little too nervous as he was being backed into a desk by Avalon, who was, in contrast, as calm as ever.
“I’m not sure I’m understanding…!” Palladium sputtered. “You’re being very forward right now… This is rather… unprofessional, isn't it?”
“Palladium, professionalism is the last thing you should be worried about right now.”
As the interaction progressed, Tecna was analyzing every twitch and tic through her computer-like mind, calculating where it would go next, and what Avalon was trying to achieve. It was all turned on its head when Avalon opened his mouth. But it… wasn’t just his mouth. Thin lines made themselves visible along his cheeks, and as Avalon’s mouth opened wider and wider, those lines pulled back to reveal rows and rows of teeth. He blinked his eyes, and when he opened them again, his pupils were thinner than they had ever been.
To put it in simplest terms… He looked more beast than man. Which was exactly what Ghost was afraid of.
Before Palladium could even scream, “Avalon” lunged for a bite. But not before the door was kicked open, and Ghost plunged their nail into his shoulder. The cry of pain that came out from Avalon’s mouth was not the yelp of a struck paladin. It was the high-pitched howl of an injured animal. The shriek of a Nosk.
The Avalon mimic turned and looked at Ghost, who had yanked their nail back and landed on the classroom floor, with a face twisted in an animalistic rage. With another ear-splitting caterwaul, the rest of its body revealed itself. Six sharp, black, arachnid limbs replaced Avalon’s lower half. It had abandoned its facade, Avalon’s contorted face attached to Nosk’s true body a cruel mockery.
Palladium looked completely floored. By everything, really. He had far too many questions, but far too little time. All he had time to do was dodge Nosk’s piercing leg, slamming down on him and puncturing the floor where he once stood.
“Damn it! I thought we would finally be able to can him!” Parker grit her teeth as she lashed out her arm, now resembling a whip of void, cracking as it struck the monster. “But no! It’s a stupid mimic! Just my luck!”
“I’m guessing you’re familiar with this species?” Tecna called to Ghost as she summoned a firewall shield to protect her and Palladium.
“Ghost says yeah, it’s called a Nosk.” Since nobody could afford to break their gaze away from the raging beast, Parker went back to interpreting. “It's a bug that reads the mind of its prey, then takes the form it loves most to trick them. Wait— Palladium, are you fucking serious?! Of course this thing turned into Avalon to eat you! You gay-ass imbecile!”
“But— How did it get here?” Tecna cried, her shield blocking Nosk’s corrosive spit from hitting them.
“The portal must have been left open,” Parker translated Ghost’s silence. “After all, there’s not much prey to be had in a dying kingdom.”
Parker was going to say something else, probably another snippy comment, but a ball of acidic saliva from Nosk’s mouth hit her dead on in the chest, knocking her back, making her hiss in pain.
“Oh my gods, Parker!”
Palladium was about the leave the safety of the shield when Parker stopped him by speaking.
“I’m not human, dipshit, I’m fine. Just hurts like a bitch,” she grumbled, wincing in disgust at the slimy spit that now coated her clothes.
Even when Parker was knocked down, Ghost kept fighting, hitting the Nosk with Vengeful Spirits and Desolate Dives, and swinging their nail at it to regain that lost Soul. Palladium was the slightest bit in awe of that display of magic. Nobody had ever seen those spells before… Once the real Avalon was back, he’d be very interested in learning more about it.
But that relentless assault was cut short by Nosk’s sharp leg striking Ghost, hitting them square between the eyes. Their mask broke with a loud crack, and the pieces fell to the floor. The void that remained took Ghost’s shape, but it clearly wasn’t Ghost. It was no longer fighting, just floating around, as if to wait for something.
After a moment of dread-filled silence, Parker broke it by asking dryly, “By the by, have either of you written your wills yet?”
“What— What happened to Ghost?!” Tecna cried in terror, her eyes wide. “Are they—”
“Probably not. Or at least I doubt it,” Parker shrugged, as if this was completely normal. “But I think we should aim to find out later. Because right now, it’s not looking good. Well, for you two at least.”
“What— What is that supposed to mean?!” Tecna snapped.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get good coffins for both of you. As long as Faragonda’s paying for it, which she really should, because if she had listened to me when she had the chance—”
“PARKER!”
Nosk’s leg was aimed to spear through Tecna’s shield, and possibly the fairy behind it.
Parker, completely on instinct, threw her body right in front of it, only realizing her mistake when it was too late. She didn’t even say anything; she just let out an annoyed sigh and accepted her fate. Which was: This was going to hurt. A lot.
Or at least, it would have, if it weren’t for someone striking down the Nosk with one fatal thrust to its heart. To see if only the imitation of Avalon cry out in agony as the creature bled to death was… unsettling, and created a churning sensation of revulsion in Palladium and Tecna’s stomachs.
“What a pesky creature, almost killing my future customers!” the new voice tutted as he retrieved his almost comically large nail. “Good thing I arrived here when I did! I thought there was something off about that fellow who came through the portal after me!”
“Who— Who are you?” Tecna gasped. “You’re from Hallownest, correct?”
“Indeed, I am, miss! Just call me Sly!” Sly put his nail away and helped everyone up to their feet, despite being much smaller than they were. “I’m a humble shopkeeper in Dirtmouth, looking for new business! I noticed that Ghost and their friends had left for some mysterious portal, so I thought I’d venture here myself! Speaking of Ghost, where are they?”
Tecna’s face fell, her eyes half-lidded and somber. “Ghost is…”
“Oh, there they are.”
Tecna whipped around to look where Parker was pointing. It was them! Ghost was trotting into the very much trashed classroom like they were just walking in for a lesson. The shade of void noticed them as well, floating towards them and watching the vessel intently as they struck it with their nail. The shade dissipated at the strike and returned to them without a fight.
“See? I told you they’re fine,” Parker said. “They’re a higher being, and made of void.”
“Ah… That makes sense…” Tecna replied softly and shakily, more than a little shell-shocked.
“Hello Ghost, it’s good to see my most generous customer!” Sly greeted Ghost, who waved back. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to once again help each other in my new business venture here.”
Ghost gave him a thumbs-up. As expensive as some of his products could be, they couldn’t deny that they produced very good results.
“So you’re a shopkeep,” Tecna began to ask. “Where are you planning on setting up your new shop? And what are you going to sell?”
“Why here, of course! Just think about it: I get a constant customer base, and you get a one-stop shop right in arm’s reach!”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Palladium chimed in with a smile. “I can direct you to Faragonda, and she can approve it.”
“Splendid!” Sly clapped his hands. “Now, before we go, I found this strange gentleman strung up in his room, presumably the Nosk’s handiwork.”
Avalon, the real one this time, came into the classroom, brushing off the remnants of the cocoon he was stuck in.
“Avalon! You’re alright!” Palladium was the first one to approach Avalon, embracing him tightly. “That beast didn’t hurt you, did it?”
Avalon shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I can only assume it intended to eat me later after it finished its business…”
“So if that Avalon today was a mimic… That means everything’s as it should be!” Tecna concluded. “Looks like the case is closed!”
Parker made an expression of shocked indignation. “Like hell it is! What about all the other stuff?! Are we just going to ignore all of that other evidence?!”
“That Nosk could have been here for a long time, Parker,” Tecna explained. “That might have been who you were talking to…!”
“NO! Are you all stupid?!” Parker’s voice went up an octave as she began to whine. “There’s still something wrong with Avalon…! It’s not over! Guys!”
Palladium made a sound between a sigh and a groan. “Give it a rest… It’s all over now, Parker. Now we can be sure that Avalon is exactly who he says he is.”
“I hate all of you!”
Parker threw her hands into the air and stormed out of the room in pure annoyance.
“She’s high-strung, isn’t she?” Sly pointed out off-handedly. “Reminds me of Oro…”
“Ignore her,” Palladium shook his head. “She just has a certain… animus against Avalon. For what reason is a complete mystery to us. Now, let’s get you set up with your shop! Welcome to Alfea, Sly!”
“Happy to be here!”
A message typed itself out on Ghost’s translator watch, and with a press of a button, read itself out in an artificial voice.
“If you charge me 1800 geo for a lantern again, I’m going to kick you.”
Sly joyfully laughed, then, after he calmed down, he replied, “Business is business, my friend!”