Chapter 3 – Trial Tempest

 

The next day

 

Thatti paced back and forth within the school’s ever expansive halls. The many levels of Echostar academy layered into a deck of angles at every turn, providing spots for her to lookout the ledge and observe. Cautiously trailing her, Caleb stood behind the Orchid girl. She’d run from one end to the other, hopping up tall stairways and minutes later jumping back down them, all while leaving Caleb out of breath to come up short. Thatti could see everything that was going on. In a moment of silence, she watched and listened to the students. As she observed, a group of them had gathered to whisper amongst each other. Thatti couldn’t make out the students’ gossiping from afar, and Caleb was left clueless. On the other end, Diane was gathering students in her midst. “Ah ha!” Thatti put one hand in her bag, reaching for her wand. Before she could step forward, Caleb stopped her.

“Hey wait, slow down there for a moment.” He’d already chased her around the entire school thrice now just trying to keep pace. “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean? I’m going to go and beat her up! So she can tell me what I need to know.” She told him. “Right, about your vengeance or whatever.” He saw other girls laughing at Diane’s joke, the redhead leaning by the locker in skinnybeans. “But here’s the thing. I don’t know how it works in, wherever you’re from but you cannot just go beating up students!” He whispered.

She looked at him strangely. “Why not?”

 

Caleb chuckled. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you’d be expelled from this academy? Your friends will be on bad terms with you, your reputation would be tarnished-” He paused. “- and

you’ll feel even worse about yourself because you’re letting the people that bullied you get to you still.” Thatti stomped her foot. “But I wanna. I wannnnnnnnna.” She huffed. “And I’ve been expelled from school before, I’ve seen worse. Who cares in the end.”

She attempted to push back Caleb who stood in front of her, noticing he was giving practically

no resistance and felt as light as a feather in her push. “You are, really really strong. I get that.” “Your flattery won’t work boy.” She tilted her head to get a good look at Diane at the end of the hall. “And besides. Looks like her reinforcements will arrive!”

A plump mint-green figure in ripped jeans and the women with a cyan tinted visor and Mohawk poking out of a glassy helmet stood beside her, the same ones she’d seen uptop the academy earlier. Both were wearing skirts and school uniforms. He sighed, the last thing he wanted was a girl who could be his cute new girlfriend to get expelled.’ “Secondly, you’re new here, you don’t know what the rules are. Besides that one

girl, she’s got black magic of some sort and-” he paused. She was already turning Headhunter

into the shape of a giant mallet. “It’s called assault!” He yelled. “You’ll hurt someone else in the process, we’re inside a school. Try to think things through and-“ “Thought it gonnabeatherass bye.” She pushed him like a paperbag and then charged forward.

“AAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!” And slammed her mallet

 

towards Diane, who caught wind too later.

 

Maisma and Pyra jumped back. “Woah dude, what the heck?!” Amy yelled, watching the locker dent like paper mache. “Does time out mean anything to you?”

“Time to talk! WHERE IS JACK ROSELLA?!” She asked the two, slowly taking her mallet back from what she’d assume was Diane’s smashed skull. But the gem was nowhere on the other side of it. “Huh, wait where’d-“

Diane pushed her way out a locker on the opposite side of the hall, fixing her hair. Thatti turned to face the redhead, whose eyes were closed as she held her head in pain. A loud bang, Thatti had slammed and cracked the floor scaring several bystanders. “TALK gem.”

“Aah she’s CRAZY! I love it.” Jelena said watching from a corner, Veronica scrolling her phone nearby. “C’mon, smash some heads open! I wanna see gore!” She shouted.

Diane yawned. “I see diplomacy was never your strongsuit. You’re going to have to bitch louder if you want to chat with me.” The gem put a hand over her mouth and laughed giddily, mocking her. Thatti ran to slam Headhunter into the wall again, causing the entire hall to shake with her

strike. Diane was already behind her by the time she finished, climbing on her back. “You want a chance to chat-chat? Mano e mano? Okay, I gotta run. Tell you what, meet me in the inner arboretum in an hour, mind the humidity. Bring no one else, especially not that little toy of yours. We wouldn’t want anyone getting hurt from your, freakouts would we? Then we’ll dance.”

 She clacked her heels twice and then slid back towards Pyra and Maisma.

 “Oh, but you get to bring your two bodyguards? You some kind of Tri?”

 “They’re not bodyguards. Come alone.” She put her arms around the two and began to strut off. “You sure this plan will work?” Pyra asked Diane, speaking into her ear. “It’ll be fine. The most safe way to get this all figured out.”

Thatti watched them leave, then looked at her wand who looked back at her. “Caleb, let’s head back to our dorms real quick.” She told him.

“Are you serious? You wanna go there and listen to her? Whyyyy? Is your brain broken?!?” He questioned, trailing her. “It’s fine, my head is okay.” She said, kneeing him violently. “And stop walking in front of me, that’s bad form.”

The two quickly made it back to her dorm room, Thatti tucking her wand into her bag and setting them on the couch. She kissed it and then swiftly left, leaving it. Caleb began to direct her towards the upstairs arboretum on one of the upper floors, a massive chamber where different

fauna from an assortment of Xi’s planetary biospheres. Along the way, a young gentleman with slicked back blond hair stood in the hall alongside what looked like a dozen… Mini-hims? Thatti turned her head, the boy approached, several kids in sunglasses following behind him.

“So the rumours were true, a beautiful blossom did fall into Xi’s pond.” He took her hand and kissed it. “Um, hello?”

“How rude of me, my name is-“ “Screw the fuck off Dylan.” Caleb said. “I saw her first, she’s MINE. You can take your rich grubby hands off and shove it.” He attempted to kick Caleb’s crotch, the boy’s suit catching it. “I wear a cup, silly.” He slapped Caleb in return, all the kids

dressed like him laughed, their shades reflecting Dylan in their eyes. “Well it’s been excellent meeting you, I do keep a lovely Gen 67 VX-Tstar Warp room for parties and exclusive, shall we say get togethers, curtesy of my parent’s company. Please do come find me when you bore of that louse.” He said to Thatti, offering her his business card. Soon he strut off, all his Dylan Doubles following him in turn.

“Who was that?” Thatti asked.

Caleb shook his head. “Dylan? Just some douchebag, along with all his little wannames. He used to pick on me a lot until I’d smash his face in. The kids some rich mining corps executive’s offspring. He’s a huge turd, don’t pay any mind to him.” He brushed past her towards the entrance. “A-ah, alright.” She shrugged.

“Here we are.” He told her, pointing to the door. “Huh?” She turned her head and then looked at him, the arboretum was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a corridor of many different doors layered all around in a maze with the ceiling absent. “Well...this is awkward.” He sighed, leaning into the doorframe of the hall. There were vines and various roots along the doorframes. They could see the forest high above them. “There was an entire wide open biome here? How did all these doors and this maze get here?!” He asked, before a door swung open with a swirling energy around its ethereal frame. Diane peaked through, as if walking out a portal. “Surprise bitch!” She leapt at Thatti, who kicked her back. Diane went tumbling into a door, which swirled into another portal leading to other doorways. Thatti ran towards it, but by the time she felt it, the door was solid.

Diane peaked out from a whirling disc in the ceiling. “Dance Thatti, dance!” She leapt at the girl, who dodged and rolled behind a nearby door.

Back in Thatti’s Dorm, a llavalite with a small watch-shaped device finished unlocking the door and swung it open. Lightrays poured in, putting the wand’s eye on high alert. Veronica and Jel snuck in. “Ugh, come on Jel this is kind of lame.” She said. “Not uh! Thatti mentioned to me she’s from Orchid, y’know what kind of twisted sick stuff Orchid girls get up to? I bet she has

nasty torture devices hidden somewhere. Or dead bodies, how COOL would that be? C’mon!” Jelena snorted. “And besides, she would’ve already have gone down to the arboretum and gotten her ass kicked by now. She won’t be back for a while.” She turned on a light, while Headhunter rolled over off the couch and tried to hide under. Jelena began flipping through her bags and things, caring nothing for privacy. Veronica shrugged and went through Thatti’s closet, admiring the gleaming, metallic gold gowns, golden undergarments and skirts. She stretched a pair of pure-gold panties, seeing her own reflection in them. “Classy.” She said. While Jelena rummaged through Thatti’s possessions. “I found this thingy, do you know what it is?” She asked her. Veronica stood up. “It’s not a thingy. It’s a whistle.” The wand began attempting to slowly roll out of the room discretely.

“You mean like, for a dog of some kind?” Jel wondered. She found a leash and collar after. “Wonder what kind of pets she had.” She found a bracelet with pure-red gems embedded within, a pair of spikes curved on both ends, and then she found the matching pair. There were

pentagrams engraved on both. “These are pretty metal! Don’t really look like Orchid wear though.”

Veronica was busy applying golden lipstick she found from Thatti’s drawer. “Guess not.” They heard the door creak and turned around, gasping. “Huh, that’s-“ Jel ran over and caught the rapidly rolling wand, picking it up and admiring it’s cyan handle. “Jackpot. Her wand!” Jel shook it rapidly, trying to get off a transformation. “How do you think it works?”

“Hmmm, probably meant to be an accessory for a specific set.” Veronica said, eyeing it curiously. “I’ve written up reports on Glitterkiss wands in Xi, but I’ve never seen an Orchid one up close. Wonder if she was a member..” Jel twirled the wand, not sure how it’s magic worked.“You know what this means, right? This wand will be ours!” Jelena said. “It’s a good thing this girl had to leave so suddenly, a girl needs her personal style. I hope she’s not coming back anytime soon, or I won’t be able to have some fun.” She sighed, looking down at Thatti’s

empty bed. She slapped the wand continually on the handle, harder and harder. “C’mon, show

me some magic!” The green callouses of her flesh smacked it until it vibrated.

 

“STOP SLAPPING MY ASS YOU CRAZY LLAVALITE BITCH!” The wand shouted, to the

 

surprise of both girls.

 

Months ago, the lights of the Orchidian school battle-rack danced like fireflies, in which Thatti spun in the center. She’d been dancing in a circle with a huge grin on her face, giggling and laughing merrily. Headhunter was by her side, the two having a grand ole time. Surrounding her, were the unconscious bodies of two dozen other Crystantheum students, bruised and bled. Some insects, some plants, many of them students who had gladly hazed Thatti a time prior before she’d obtained her wand. She’d already beaten everyone inside into oblivion, leaving a pile of unconscious forms on the tiled hard floor and now stood with Headhunter in her hands. Suddenly, the speakers called her to her instructor, Miss Clementime’s office.

In the present, Thatti found herself smacked into a wall within Echostar. Diane taunted her from halfway through a wall, the endless portals she was creating had mad made the girl beyond dizzy. “You said you wanted to talk..” Thatti said.

“Oops? I lied. What is your problem?! Brain broke? Or were you just born cursed with stupid.” The redhead shouted at her, charging at her and slamming her into a new wall. Thatti grabbed Diane, finding herself falling through another portal and off the ceiling of the chamber onto a tree. On another tree nearby, Pyra and Maisma sat watching from a branch. Amy bit into a sandwiche, seeing the scruffle unfold. “Oof!” Caleb crashed over the wall, climbing into another tree over the maze, the two girls standing up to take notice at him. “Say, shouldn’t we grab him? We got those going wild. Diane doesn’t want anyone to interfere.“ “We’ll handle her.” Pyra shook their head, Maisma nodding. “Him you mean?” Maisma took out her whip and began swinging through the tree-tops towards Caleb. “I said what I said.” Pyra replied, leaping through the trees until he was reflected in her visor.

The two readied battle stances. Caleb put his hands up. “I should warn you, I know martial arts!” He said, to their confusion and then laughter. The boy went charging toward Pyra, but tripped and fell into a patch of grass. “Ugh..” After collapsing pathetically, he slowly pulled himself up and marched ahead, swinging his fist at Pyra who put a single hand over his head and prevented his reach. Caleb’s fists swung wild, reaching nothing and nobody.

While Thatti struggled, Diane grew her out wings. “I’ll have to put on a show just for you.” The redhead declared, stomping over a nearby door before kicking it to turn it into a portal. A hole of darkness surrounded her, as if sucking her into the void. She emerged from it with a spear and charged at Thatti, stabbing her sword into a tree while Thatti leapt from branch to branch at blinding speeds.

Back several floors below, Veronica, Jel and Thatti’s wand sat around in a clubroom. Jelena leaned back in her spinning chair, stringy candy in her mouth. She tore into it and chewed loudly. “I don’t think it’s meant to transform others like us, it just makes her into whatever Thatti should be. And it’s kinda a bitch, we’ll probably have to cut off all the jewels and pawned them off.”

“Maybe.” Veronica suggested, keeping careful notes in a journal.

 

“I was trying to take a nap, until you BLOWHARDS broke in, woke me up and tried to steal me! You’re not pawning shit!” It yelled back at them. Jelena looked at the wand sitting in front of them, her lips pursed. “Hm? A nap? What are you, a little baby rattle?” She reached out from under the table, taking a series of unicorn stickers and slapping them onto Headhunter’s handle. “Look at the widdle wattle, so cuuute!”

“I’M GOING TO TEAR YOUR FACE OFF AND SHIT DOWN YOUR NECK ASSHOLE!” The

 

wand yelled back, visibly shaking and vibrating.

“Sure thing rattle-boo. Say, where’s our fine cat friend? Don’t have any more gossip from the ditz?” Jel questioned. The wand went flying at her, she ducked her head and easily dodged. Jel went to pick her up from a box of supplies.

“Nope! Sunny has been MIA. That bitch’s been incommunicado for the past three days.”

Veronica laughed.

 

Jel kicked a box of legos on the floor. “Sucks. We cannot develop Maelstrorchestrium together without it.”

“Tsk, what the heck is Maelstrorchestrium?” The wand said.

 

They looked at each other, then Jelena gave the world’s biggest smile.

 

“It’s the ‘Jel tabletop platform project’, but we’re not supposed to tell anyone about it!” She brought out a huge board from underneath the table with a dome taking up the majority of it, a small pony figurine with a tiny cowboy hat hung up by a lamppost in the center, numerous thin sheets of glass along board tiles over the mini dome. “I’m developing a whole new board game using new material. It’ll be so hot.”

“Oh, that thing. It’s supposed to be just for friends?” Veronica said. “Not even Caleb knows about this. Or, doesn’t care to know anyway.”

Jel took out several little soldier and barbarian figurines she’d sculpted and painted herself. “It’s just a prototype. The storyline of Maelstrorchestrium is there’s a legendary treasure hidden inside the entrails of this legendary unicorn, represented by this piece here, called the ‘deathmark.”’ She pointed to the pony with a noose around its neck. You have to lead your armies across every barrier, fight the opposing sides army to get there first to hang it high and perform its execution, disembowel it, and steal the treasure inside! Guts everywhere, so gross! I’m trying to find a way to make a board-button that shoots out fake blood and guts alongside neighing sounds. But there are these sickass monsters roaming on the board and-“

“AAHAHA. You call these pieces? Did you make that, because this looks like complete shit.” The wand complained.

“Girl, shut up. We’re still working on this thing.” Jel said, looking at Veronica. “Okay, I’M mostly working on it. Veronica just bought some paints and supplies, but it’s my baby. The only other one to show interest and help me develop it is..”

“Jel-Ni~” A voice squeaked from the corner of the room. The group looked to see a figure with orange and yellow hair and two sets of cat ears, a leather jacket and jack boots. The two girls went into a squealing contest, Sunny picking Jelena up and spinning her around in a big hug. “Sunny! My daughter from another Set-mother.” She said as the Set teen spun her around.

The girl went over, her eyes going wide as she spotted the wand. “Oh, nice to meet you. My name is Nefriset, but most call this one Nefcy or Sunny.” She bowed her head politely. “Sunny’s my little gossip queen and mischief maker. They know everything that happens in this school. We both were kinda outcasts when we enrolled, so to me she’s one cool cat.” Jelena and Nefriset took each other’s hands in a hug.

“And no, Nefriset won’t need the likes of you for anything.” Jel said, the wand gasping. “What

 

was that?!” Nefcy gave a derpy look and clutched the wand closely.

 

“I have a name, you ass.” The wand said, the girls rolling their eyes. “Anyways, why don’t you 

and your furry shove it up your ass and put me back in Thatti’s-”

 “Thatti Bratti ain’t here.” Jel stuck out her tongue. As Nefcy held the wand up, her eyes

practically swirled. “Hey, don’t mean to harp on you guys but..” She rubbed her hands together deviously, spinning Headhunter inbetween, before coughing several times and spitting a wad of fur and saliva on her, the spitball splattering. “Ugh OOPs, gross! My bad, let me go clean you up Wand-Gigi.” She stretched abit, her tall figure soon heading out the room. First at a brisk stroll, then a spring. Jelena and Veronica looked at one another, then made chase.

Upstairs, Thatti was plucking huge sticks off gigantic cactuses and launching them like spears. Diane dodged them by leaping back into various portals around the forested biome, rapidly dashing and diving in a loop when Diane charged her and attempted to throw Thatti, she dived through a portal into a lake. Thatti leaped into the water after her, the two breaching the surface of the water, skimming the shallow surface and exchanging a flurry of kicks and blows. Most of the maze had been demolished by now, small animals running amonk casually. Thatti picked up a boulder in the lake three times her size as if it were a toy and sent it flying towards Diane with a shockwave, the gem formed her spear and with great effort, thrusted and stabbed it directly.

The boulder burst behind her into a shower of flaming debree which skipped into the lake, turning it into a heated steambath.

Nearby, Caleb hung by his waist around Maisma’s whip, he dangled while the two gems watched with boredom. “As soon as I get out of here I’m going to-“

“Nah.” Pyra slapped him. “Too soon to consider you a threat.” Amy unwrapped her whip, letting Caleb fall on the floor. “I’M HERE!” Nefriset shouted, slamming the door open and

charging into the arboretum at lightning speed. Veronica and Jelena gasped for breath after her. Diane turned to see two girls running towards her. “Nefcy. That.. wasn’t the plan.” She planted her face into her palms and blinked dumbfounded. The catgirl held up the wand and tossed it

Diane’s way across the biome. Diane’s eyes went wide and reached for it. Thatti leapt and stomped on her head, flattening her in a crash and swiped the wand mid-air instead into her hand.

Suddenly, somewhere inside the psyche of the artifact horrifying flashbacks sped. A metal assassin, monstrous and unkillable, rampaging through a city, delivering murder from above. Thatti’s own mind went into a tortured rage. The memory horrified her.

A silhouette coming to strike Thatti out - Jack Rosella, dancing happily, the crowbar in their hand raised high, coming down upon her.

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” Thatti screamed and cried, turning Headhunter into a battleaxe that she swung rapidly, splitting Diane’s skull with a bloody splash. The Orchid girl lost control. “GaAAAGHHHHHHHHH!” She swung her arms and jumped up and down as she smashed down over and over repeatedly, feeling like she was a part of the wand’s berserker dance. Pyra and Maisma ran, but stopped short of getting caught in her endless axing spree. Caleb finally came close. “Thatti, easy EAS-“ She swung it 3 inches from his face- a small cut sliding from his cheek, blood trickling down. Everyone went dead silent.

By the time Diane had regenerated, she had a terrified look in her face. The puddle of blood around her head matched the red of her hair in a crimson soaked way. Everyone was dead silent.

 

“D..Diane..” Thatti said. Diane clenched her fists and teeth. “Oh gosh, I’m, I’m so s-sorry, I

didn’t mean to-“

 

Diane put a single finger and went ‘ssh.’ “You know what, you win this round. I’ve had enough for today.” She gasped, her lips trembling. Veronica and Jel stared at one another in fright. They turned to Nefriset, who was helping pick up Diane alongside Pyra and guiding her along out the arboretum. “Hey, wait you-“ The catgirl revealed the amber jewel on her shoulder.

“Oh yeah, I’m also gem. Cya at the next meet club-friends!” She waved them goodbye. “Did I do good?” She said outloud. “Uhh, you tried your best dude.” Maisma said patting her on the

back. Caleb went over to Thatti who was still struggling to soothe her own emotions. “Hey, sorry about.. ya know.. that.” He said. “I know, it’s.. It’s hard to calm down..” She muttered, sobbing. When she finally sighed and calmed down, the sereneness of the forest scene began to blossom into serenity. Thatti looked at the dome overhead. She wiped her tears away and looked at Caleb, the poignant expression on her face revealing an intensity of regrets. “I uh, had an incident at

my last school. Some other students tried to hurt me alot, so we had to transfer to avoid any more problems.” It wasn’t entirely untrue, she thought.

Months ago

 

A tall, tanned-skinned woman with a crème-gold garment, a crown with two bug-like wings carved into the back and 5” golden nails sat stroking Thatti. “Please, pay attention when your teacher is speaking dear.” She told her. “Yes. Mother.” Thatti responded, biting her words

through her tongue as she did. Miss Clementine sat down shuffling through papers and handed the Domina a series of photos of other students with black eyes and broken bones. “Now, it’s not unexpected that the prodigal child of such an, esteemed ranking as yourself exibits this strength. I’m sure you were most impressed when your daughter bonded with her Rose of Spirit Joining, she’s certainly come along way. The night she uncovered it, would you imagine my surprise when she got into a violent confrontation with one of our glitterkiss sisters from Xi’s chapter?

But that said.” She looked at Thatti tenderly with a sad, dejected sigh and then at the Domina. “After our prior talks, about her, difficult home situation. I believe it best that she be transferred out. Both for her own safety, and the safety of the students here aswell.”

“What? NO!” Thatti said, jumping off her chair and running to Clementime’s fur fleece pencil skirt. The shimmering material of the teacher’s leggings crunched against her grip. “I LOVE it here at Chrysanthemum, don’t expel me!”

“It’s not an expulsion. Merely, a temporary leave of absence. Your candidacy for magus will be put on hold, but rest assured we do still have high hopes for you. Your mother and I have agreed this is the best course of action for your, difficult state of affairs. Perhaps with the break, you’ll be better able to keep your head straight, away from these dangerous situations and the trauma they induce.” Clementime said.

“It’s for the best, truly.” The Domina responded sternly. “I’m no fan of those heathens, but the Xi are harmless. You will attend a school there and be expected to be on your best behavior, representing the dignity of Orchid.“

“No no no nonono, I will NOT leave, PLEASE I’LL STAY HERE I’LL STAY I’LL BE GOOD

PLEASE!” Thatti’s eyes went wide as she fell to her knees, weeping in the Magus’s robes. She went into a ball, crying to her mother for forgiveness. “Mother? Mother please?!” “Ssh, it’s alright my dear. You’ll understand. Now, take your things. I’ll have your bags packed and ready at the gateway tonight. Be on the next portal for Echostar, please, I’ll stay here and see if Clementine can’t be of assistance on any matters.” The Domina said, caressing Thatti on the cheek. She then left the room. Thatti picked herself up in a slump, and slowly began to make her way out, Clementine showing her the door. Before they left, Clementine whispered in her ear. “Thatti.. beware of Jack. Do not trust gems.”

Thatti saw red.

 

She went for Clementine’s neck, trying to strangle her. She was quickly overpowered and thrown out of the room, thrown to the back of the main chambers, where she went berserk and got into a fight with every other Crystantheum student. She hit them in the face, kicked them in the stomach, clawed at their throats, slammed into doors and threw chairs. Her wand turned into a steel spiked brace around both her arms and she swung wildly with titanic momentum, smashing walls and breaking the bones of every single fellow candidate in her path until the halls were littered with battered, beaten bodies in a parade of flesh and glitter. From afar the Domina looked on, approvingly. Seeing her daughter savagely smash a student’s head through a sparkling waterfountain statue brought her a satisfaction of relief. She’s come a long way, Lyras thought.

A loud horn rung as she got thrown out of the academy.