Chapter Five- Betrayal
The next month was the best in Echo's life. She was at peace with her fate to come and wanted nothing more than to die in Blue's arms as predicted. He was a good friend to be around with, and an even better boyfriend to have. After three perfect dates, they declared themselves a couple to the school and before long rumours of love between the most odd pair began to stir. They walked down the corridors hand in hand, making themselves known as the most popular people in the school. Everywhere they walked Blue's old and Echo's new friends bombarded them. Nobody was nasty to Echo, including Lily and her gang. They, like the rest of the school were happy to make them feel like they were destined to be together. Even Zodiac was a friend to a good group of people now, after Blue openly told the school he was not an enemy. In fact Blue made it very clear Zodiac was his friend and if not with Echo, they would be trying to outdo one another by pulling pranks.
Echo, Blue, Pepper and Zodiac were in the back of the library, which was now seen as a popular place to be instead of a place for the misfits, talking about a new trick they could pull by a useful spell.
"Very simple. You take the blossom of a Ruction Tree, sprinkle it in all the teachers' drinks and we have our very own entertainment of fights in the playground!" Blue said.
"And what happens when they snap out of it and realise what happened?" Pepper asked her brother.
"That is where I come in," Zodiac replied, "and I try out a new spell I found out about last night and they become so peaceful they feel no need for punishment. By the time it wears off they'll have forgotten they had ever been fighting."
"It's perfect, and it'll let us avoid double PE this afternoon." Blue laughed.
Echo raised her eyebrows. "Once again you've outdone yourselves," she kissed Blue on the cheek, "and as per usual I will stay well out of the way."
"We can go to the Lake of Beatitude meanwhile Echo." Pepper replied. "School won't notice us if a fight is going on inside its gates."
"Good idea."
As the two boys walked along one corridor to find the teacher's room, Echo and Pepper walked down to the gates. As an outcry of angry spells could be heard, the girls opened the gates and walked down the green flowered lane.
The Lake of Beatitude was a favourite place amongst teenagers of the Other Realm. It made them feel at peace with their miserable lives (if they believed them to be so) and enjoy even the opening of a new flower as if it was the greatest film ever seen. There Echo and Pepper sat at the dock, smiling so much they had to close their eyes to remind themselves there was a world outside of complete joy. Anybody who lived near the lake was known to be the happiest amongst creatures and with the land being so expensive to own, people travelled to bottle water from the lake as a constant reminder of joy.
"What if Blue isn't my true love?" Echo said, closing her eyes long enough to remember her fate.
"He is! And we'll be sisters within five years!" Pepper replied.
"Nothing can go wrong." Echo sighed, dipping her feet into the cool lake.
"Except for the smoke coming from the school." Pepper replied, dozing off.
"Yeah�" Echo smiled, also feeling tired. She shot her eyes up at the school that was just visible from over the mountains. "Smoke?"
Echo jumped up and pulled Pepper along until they reached the green flowered lane packed with students. All of them were staring in horror at their school burning angrily.
"What happened?" Pepper yelled at the witches.
"It's impossible�" Mrs. Vixen whispered. "The school should be powerful enough from this sort of attack!"
"Where are Blue and Zodiac?" Echo asked, searching for the boys frantically.
Pepper was the first to run for the school gates that were jammed closed by the very scared school. Students from the other side were screaming for it to open, banging furiously on the iron bars.
"School! We only want to help! Let these students past!" Echo yelled at the gates. Very slowly and shakily, the school responded and the gates swung open. As the students ran past the girls, Echo looked up to try and see her boyfriend and best friend in the windows.
"They're on the second floor!" Echo followed Pepper and flew up to a window on the second floor, smashing it and feeling a rush of hot air.
"Zephyr!" Pepper cried and pulled up the dazed looking pupil.
"Pepper, take him and find every fairy you can to clear the fire." Echo said, looking outside the smoke-filled classroom into the corridor.
"Even the Fire Fairies?" Zephyr asked.
"Especially them," Echo picked up a piece of timber for a weapon as she felt danger, "they'll know how to control it."
The two fairies nodded and flew out again. Pepper looked back for a second, fearing for her friend's safety.
"Zodiac!" Echo called, coughing loudly in the smoke. "Blue!" She pushed past the remains of a wooden door and a pile of stone rubble, entering the library that was lit only by the small fires spreading rapidly.
"Echo!" Blue called hoarsely and Echo ran towards him. There she saw Zodiac standing over Blue, looking perfectly calm. Blue was shaking slightly, as if finding it hard to even try sitting up. Echo looked from Blue to Zodiac and saw on the floor a small puddle of blood coming from Blue.
"Zodiac, is he all right?" Echo asked but Zodiac did not reply. Her eyes flashed to the sight of a small knife, also covered in blood.
"Echo, get out, before he gets you too�" Blue cried and Echo saw Zodiac slam the door shut behind them.
"You and your boyfriend aren't leaving, princess." Zodiac said slowly, a small smirk on his face.
Echo felt fear fill her, knowing the amount of powers he held. "Zodiac, calm down, you don't want to�"
"I've been wanting to destroy this school of freaks all year!" Zodiac yelled, walking closer to Echo and Blue. "My parents were fools to think I could enter a school, knowing how dangerous I am. All I need is a reason�"
Echo was staring at Zodiac in horror, trying to find a way to take control of the situation without using her powers as she knew Zodiac could reflect any spells easily.
"Trying to figure out how to kill me?" Zodiac laughed. "Don't bother, I have more powers than you'll ever possess�"
Echo picked up her piece of timber and swung it so forcefully at Zodiac, he fell before able to stop her. Echo dropped the timber, breathing heavily as she ran for Blue. As she did two teachers ran into the room, hearing and probably feeling the force of the blow Echo had administrated. Echo was led away, seeing the fire was dying down from the Water Fairies placing rain clouds over the school. In a slight daze and still not believing what had just happened, Echo sat down on the grass, people everywhere asking her questions and trying to wrap a blanket around her. Echo stood up and whilst still feeling like she was floating rather than walking, she approached Pepper.
"What happened?" Pepper screamed but Echo didn't reply. Instead she looked towards the witches surrounding the stretcher.
"He cut his wings off." Echo replied dully and before anybody could help her, she had fainted.
Echo awoke with her mind foggy and the light from the window hurting her eyes. She turned over to see she was laying on her enormous bed in the castle. Somebody had taken her back to her home, but who? Nobody would dare tell her parents where she was, so who would even try to explain her whereabouts?
"Good morning."
Echo jumped to see her parents sitting at the end of her bed, looking at her as is filth.
Echo stammered a reply. 'Good, good morning mother, father�'
"Don't," her mother snapped, "don't even attempt to be pleasant to us."
Echo felt her throat tighten as she knew what they could do to her. She knew the powers they held and she might be the witness -- and victim -- to them at any moment.
"How could you?" Her father spoke up, a look of anger on his face. "How could you think we wouldn't discover? Learn you are attending that school of, of�"
"Freaks!" Echo's mother stood up and moved closer to her. "Half witches, every one of them! I saw one boy with the powers of a Satre and a beautiful girl carrying Sphinx blood! They would tear you limb from limb given half a chance�"
"Legend and Chimes are my friends!" Echo yelled over her mother. "You don't know them!"
"And you never will again." Her father replied. "You have brought shame to the Conjuratry name! Not only will you never be a warrior, you will die a pathetic fool, misguided by love for a commoner�"
"I love Blue!" Echo screamed. "I don't care if he is half witch! I will die in love!"
"You will die with no connection to our name if you do so." Her mother stormed towards the door, followed by Echo's father. "You will stay here forever, until you die with no shame on our family!"
The door slammed shut with a sickening bang and Echo winced. She felt hot tears fill her eyes and let them slide down her cheeks. The mere chance that maybe she would escape her life was so slim now. She couldn't remember happiness anymore. Blue was either dead or dying, along with many other pupils and her best friend was the reason for it, feeling need for destruction on the innocent students. Echo felt hatred for Zodiac; the boy he had befriended out of pity but he had taken them all for fools. Zodiac had meant to hurt them all along, not intending to make friends but rather catch Blue alone so he could kill him.
Echo slammed her fist into the stone wall, making the ceiling rain down debris. Echo ran to the window and tried to open it but it wouldn't budge. It was enchanted, as with the door and any other ways of escaping. Echo felt like crying once again but didn't, instead she waited for Pepper. Pepper would rescue her, as she always had in all their years of friendship. At midnight that night, Echo's prayers were answered. She watched the tiny green light fly towards the window and after many different potions were thrown at it, the window flew open. Echo saw the green light move onto the bed and as she grew, Echo saw Pepper was absolutely exhausted.
"Are you Okay?" Echo asked timidly.
Pepper brushed her eyes with her shirt sleeve and sniffed loudly. Echo had never seen her best friend look so miserable and unattractive in her life. Her dress was creased and more dirty than ever, her hair was greasy and specked with even more mud, her eyes were bloodshot and her whole face looked worn and splotchy. Echo suddenly realised she must had been asleep for more than a day.
"Echo, I came every night but you were still asleep. You have to come, you have to see Blue."
"Is he alive?" Echo didn't mean to sound so harsh as the words tumbled out.
Pepper nodded. "But I don't know for how long. Oh Echo he's so sick and we can't help him. I think he may�"
Pepper's voice became shaky as she tried to finish her sentence, but instead started to cry. Echo embraced her friend tightly, feeling tears falling herself.
"I'll come, Pepper." Echo replied quietly. "Don't worry."
The journey to the Enchanted Forest was long and tiring. They had to move on foot, the skies around the castle guarded in case Echo had found a way to escape. When they finally reached the forest, it was filled with creatures out at night. Echo was nearly blasted by a Snigroach while Pepper had to calm down a fight between two aggressive-looking Jiberos before they could even find the oak tree.
There was an eerie silence in the caves and tunnels as Pepper led the way to her bedroom. In the corridor Blue and Pepper's three other siblings were sat on the floor, looking just about ready to fall asleep. Pink, who was only two years younger than Pepper was crying in her mother's arms. Echo felt no resentment this time from the pure fairies of the tribe; instead they were as silent and shocked as the rest of them.
"Go in Echo, he may respond to you." Pepper's mother said quietly.
Echo walked into the dark bedroom and saw Blue laying down, looking more pale than she could imagine somebody. He was stirring slightly in his sleep and Echo breathed deeply. All she could think of was how she wanted to kill Zodiac, but her mind had to be at rest. She had to look past her anger and help out her boyfriend as violence would only make him weaker.
"Blue, Honey�" Echo shook him slightly and he opened his eyes. His blue eyes were piercing in colour compared to the rest of his face.
"Echo?" He rasped.
Echo nodded and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "It'll be Okay Sweetie. I'll look after you, I swear."
Blue looked around the room, as if expecting another face to appear. "He-he came out of nowhere, I couldn't even see him until� Echo, where is he?"
"He won't hurt you again." Echo said firmly and brushed Blue's hair out of his face, also looking a lighter blue than usual.
"I don't think he needs to." Blue replied weakly and coughed loudly. He seemed so helpless, as if all of his strength had been taken with his wings.
"Don't say that, you will recover soon enough."
"I can't�" Blue's voiced quavered and with that he had fainted again. Echo kissed her true love once more before she stood up and walked out of the door.
"How is he?" Shadow asked, brushing her red hair nervously with her finger tips.
"He's really weak." Echo replied and saw Pepper's mother give her a sympathetic look, knowing how much they were in love.
Pepper's stepfather was staring at Echo until he finally spoke up. "Echo, can I speak to you?"
Echo nodded without question, knowing him to be a kind man, unlike his children. She walked down the corridor until they were alone. He was watching her nervously until he finally spoke up.
"Echo, do you know how to kill a fairy?"
Echo was taken aback by his directness. She shook her head and wondered why he had asked.
"To kill a fairy they must have their wings taken, but Blue is half witch. I don't know how a witch can be destroyed so I don't think Blue will die."
"He wont?" Echo asked, excited until she saw his face. "Isn't that good?"
"No Echo, I fear he may never recover. His fairy powers are slowly dying, I don't know how he can ever regain his strength."
Echo felt her face drain of all colour. "But, he, surely� Don't you have any potions to save him?"
"No, Echo. We can make him as comfortable as we can but that's all. I'm so sorry."
Echo felt once again like there was no ground under her feet. She walked back down the corridor feeling ready to wake up from her nightmare. When they reached the family, they were all panicking and trying to get into the bedroom.
"Blue?" Pepper yelled, pounding on the door. "BLUE!" She pulled out her wand and blew the door down.
As they bundled in they saw Zodiac standing over Blue, pointing his stone at him. Blue was staring at him in fixed horror until he saw the group behind Zodiac.
"Help me, please�" Blue said weakly. As Zodiac turned around to see them, the two boys had disappeared with a flash of light, along with many of Pepper's potions that once lined the shelves.
They all desperately tried to counter the spell but it failed. Quail turned to Echo with a look of hope. "Echo, you have to find them."
"Why me?" Echo asked.
"You're a warrior! You must be able to defeat Zodiac!" Shadow yelled.
Echo shook her head. "I can't, I'm not a warrior�"
"Echo, ignore the Oracles! They don't know you!" Pepper yelled. "You have to save Blue before it's too late!"
Echo felt her love for Blue fighting with her hatred for Zodiac. They both meant one thing; she was willing to battle that boy to the death. A flash of her fate came into her mind and she brushed it aside. She was willing to die for love no matter what.
"I have to collect one thing first. Meanwhile, Pepper, you use your potions to locate Blue and Zodiac." Pepper nodded weakly and Echo was guided back into the forest to return to the castle.
Locked in one of the most hidden dungeons in the castle, Echo opened the door with a surprising amount of ease. It was the room filled with her parent's weapons, used years ago in battle. There Echo walked up to the most treasured item, stored in a glass chest. The Sword of Eons had been made thousands of years ago, handed down in Echo's family to each worthy warrior. That was the item she would never touch, according to the Oracles. It was so enchanted any warrior could feel its presence in the Other Realm when in use. Echo lifted the lid and pulled out the sword, looking it over and over to find any fault in its handle, any scratch in its blade.
"They should have let me play outside once in a while." Echo said to herself as she placed it in a holster tied around her waist. Before her parents could realise she had ever escaped to begin with, Echo had left the castle with no intention to ever return.
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