Charm Cafe-Chapter 10

Know Your Enemy-Part 2

"NOOOO!!! SAPPHIRE!!!" Charmer Ruby yelled looking down into the swirling pool water, as she continued to jump along the waves but it was useless it was almost impossible to see anything down there. She groaned, what was she going to do, she couldn't exactly just dive in there she'd probably cause more trouble. What had they been taught in school, in normal circumstances she'd call the pool lifeguard, but they'd probably been sent out with everyone else, besides how exactly did you explain to them that you were a group of magical girls? That wouldn't go to well. She thought about it, perhaps she'd be best to try looking from a different, hopefully less dangerous, could be washed under the waves any moment angle.  

Where would that be though? She could see the edge of the pool, taking a deep breath she leaped onto it. Landing on two feet onto the cement. She turned around her attention focused back into the water, as she continued to look for Charmer Sapphire, but she couldn't see her. She looked over to the other pool edge. The other girls were too busy fighting a second torrent that had formed in the nearby kiddy pool. Should she go help them or keep looking for Charmer Sapphire. 

Well, considering I seem to have zero powers at the moment, she sighed to herself,  looking for Sapphire seems like the most helpful option. 

She swore she saw a glimmer of pink from the bottom of the pool. Zara's hair perhaps? If she was quick enough surely she'd be quick enough to dive in and pull her out, it wouldn't be easy with the way the waves were, but she'd been dumped by enough waves in the ocean to at least stand a chance of getting through them.  

She took a deep breath of air, and dived straight into the pool with a loud splash. Streams of bubbly water filled the space around her; as her eyes quickly adjusted to the water. She knew she only had a few seconds to find her, she needed to work quickly. She looked around, everything seemed so strange down here. Her ears hummed from the pressure of the water, but all too soon she felt the need to take in a fresh gust of air. She needed to go back up to the surface.  She frantically kicked her way back up there, poking her head out the water and taking a deep breath. Her eyes were stinging from the chlorine of the pool, she could see another wave of water coming her way, quickly she dived back down again. Then she saw her at the bottom of the pool, her hair floating in all directions, it quickly became clear to Charmer Ruby that Charmer Sapphire was unconscious, she had to help her. She just hoped she wasn't too late. 

Charmer Ruby focused herself, and swimming quickly she headed towards her, her head was getting a little dizzy, Come on, she willed her body. She was getting closer, she put her hand out in front of her to grab Sapphire so she could drag her up to the surface, but her hand met nothing. She blinked, Charmer Sapphire was gone!

Hazily, Charmer Ruby looked up, a black object was dragging the girl up to the surface. 

Storm perhaps?

She shook her head, if it was her she had a feeling Storm wasn't going to do the girl any favors. Charmer Ruby quickly made chase, as she frantically kicked after the figure. The waves had stopped now so, she was easily able to pull herself up to the side of the pool. As she righted herself she realised that it was in fact Storm, and that she was dashing away right away from her, Charmer Sapphire carried limply in her arms. She turned around, and smiled. 

"Better luck next time, Ruby." She laughed, and in a sudden bolt of lightning both Storm and Charmer Sapphire were gone.  

Charmer Ruby fell to the ground, she was wet, tired, sore, powerless and worst of she'd let Storm take Sapphire. She was hopeless. 

She felt her transformation fade away, as she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She peaked up, Tiffany, Lani and Lissa were standing behind her, all back in their clothes from the swimming carnival.

"Chloe, what happened is everything okay?" Lani mumbled. 

Chloe shook her head, what could she honestly tell them, it had been her fault that Storm had taken Zara away, if only she'd been quicker. It should have been her that Storm took away, she was the powerless one.

Lissa seemed to notice, she fidgeted with the flowers on her hula skirt, as she asked, "Ah- so where's Zara?"

Chloe closed her eyes, before turning to look back up at them, she took a deep breath, "Storm took Zara and it's all my fault."

"I'm sure it wasn't all your fault Chloe," Lani shook her head, taking a deep breath, "Any idea where she might have taken her though?"

Chloe shook her head, "Not a clue, she disappeared in a single lightning strike like the coward she is." 

"Damn." Lani sighed, "We have to find her though. Pity we don't have like tracking powers or something like that, it would be kind of useful right now and-"

"Who cares she was a bitch anyway." Tiffany shrugs, her arms crossed against her chest. 

Chloe remains silent, she can't believe what Tiffany just said. Lissa gasps at her, probably more for the word bitch than what it was about but the shock is there. Lani meanwhile is shaking her head, 

"Tiffany York, I can not honestly believe you would ever say such an awful thing about someone," Lani yelled at her. "Maybe it should've been you Storm took away."

"She's kind, she helps me in Maths, she cares about people, I know sometimes she isn't like that with you," Lissa mumbled, "But how could you say that. She's a person Tiffany." 

"Whatever, one person goes missing, big deal."

"She's our team-mate! God Tiffany, I thought if you'd learnt anything from all those years playing soccer it would be that. Quit being such god damn selfish all the time, Tiffany. The whole world doesn't revolve around you."

"Don't you mean yourself Lani? I stood there while you went off boy chasing at the ball. You barely noticed that anything happened to all the other guys."

"Well excuse me that a guy gave me a compliment and then it turns out he plays in a band at our school."

"He's in Year Twelve. He's too old for you anyway."

"Only by a year, can I remind you that we're only in Year Eleven."

"Guys. What has this got to do with Zara, may I ask?" Chloe questioned, looking between them both.

"Absolutely nothing," Tiffany growled, "I'm done with this."

"Done? You can't be done. We still have to-" Lissa mumbled.

"With all of this magical girl crap, the running around the fighting monsters. Besides, I don't need any of you anyway, I have plenty of other normal friends to hang out with."

"Normal? Well excuse us that this our destiny or whatever, you can't just turn your back on us now." Lani yelled at her.

"Watch me!" Tiffany yelled, "I quit being a magical girl."

With that, Tiffany stormed off. 

"Maybe, she should've been the one that got taken away." Lani grumbled to no one in particular. 

"Tiffany wait!"  Chloe yells.

She shook her head, and continued walking. 

"We have to worry about finding Zara, not chasing after Tiffany as well." Chloe sighed.

"I know!" Lani yelled, "I mean, we finally convinced Zara, and now she's missing and Tiffany's going on stupid. I thought we were finally becoming a team, but I guess not," She sighed, "Perhaps being a magical girl wasn't all I thought it was cracked up to being. I guess real life's not like Anime, where everything is solved by the time the seasons over."

Chloe stepped backwards, she hadn't ever heard Lani talk like this.

Lani sighed, "I think I need some time alone, I'll see you later."

She turned and walked away, leaving Chloe and Lissa standing there, they could only watch on. 

"Do you think we'll be able to rescue Zara, with everyone going on like this?" Lissa mumbled. 

"I honestly don't know anymore Lissa," Chloe sighed. "Like Lani, I thought we were working together as a team, but after this...look Lani will come around, but I can't see how the three of us can rescue Zara without Tiffany. She's not going to agree to work with us in a hurry." 

Lissa sighed, "We'll find a way. Maybe Nina can help us?"

Chloe nods, that's probably the best person to see, maybe she might know how to do a tracking spell or something, not that they even knew whether Nina even had powers or not to start of with, "Let's go and see her then."

***********************

Later that day when Lissa and Chloe had been dismissed from the swimming pool, they headed to the Cafe together. Lani had started talking to them again, but they'd decided not to tell her, she'd made it kind of clear that she'd had enough of the magical girl universe for today. 

But as the girls reached the door it was apparent that something wasn’t right. It was open, slightly ajar. 

Tables and chairs were overturned, napkins covered the floor as well as smashed plates and teacups were scattered in tiny pieces.

The two girls gasped.

“Nina? Kristal? Athena?” Chloe questioned taking the first steps.

Silence.

Chloe went to take another step, Lissa tried flicking the light switch but nothing happened. 

She quickly pulling on Chloe's sleeve, “Wait, this could be some kind of trap…”

Chloe nodded, Lissa was right.

"We'll be fine, if anything happens we can handle it." Chloe told her.  

The two girls walked further into the Cafe, when Lissa spotted something moving in the shadows. 

She didn't have chance to tell Chloe when something black and shadow like came out of nowhere, knocking both girls into the air.

"Quick transform!" Chloe yells, as they fly through the air.

She didn't even have time to pull out her pendant as the two girls landing on one of the overturned tables with a thud. Chloe winces, that had hurt.

"You o-" She calls to Lissa but it cut off when she notices the large shadowy figure coming towards them. 

As they step into the stream of light, it becomes apparent that the figure, is in fact a male, he had dark black hair that falls over his eyes, his skin is awfully pale, almost translucent and is wearing a large black trench-coat. 

"Let this be a warning girls," He laughs, "We know who you are, Don't try and stop us or you will lose everything." 

Chloe shivered. Stop trying to help the Crystal Realm was that what he was saying? But that was what Nina had told them they had to protect. But she'd said also said it was dangerous to know much more than that. Was this what she meant? Now that was why she was missing. 

"CHARMER AMETHYST PENDANT ACTIVATE!" Lissa yells suddenly from beside her. 

The room is quickly enveloped in a bright purple, glittering light. The guy, shrinks backwards, and snarls, before he speeds off towards the back door. Chloe considers jumping up and following him, but she realises that her foot is caught beneath a chair leg. Charmer Amythest lands on the ground in front of her. 

"He-he's gone!" She mutters, turning back to Chloe, "Well that was a bit of a waste..."

"You look a bit stuck though..."  She gasps as she looks at Chloe, before coming over to take the chair off her foot. "Here let me help you.."

Once Chloe wasn't so stuck, the girls stood in silence for a few moments, surveying the scene as Amethyst's outfit faded. Chloe couldn't believe it, they had another enemy? It was becoming clear that Storm wasn't the only one trying to stop them from helping out Nina.

"HEY! What are you doing in there?" An angry voice yelled. 

Chloe and Lissa spun around. There standing in the open doorway, was a guy, with red hair, not much older than them. Chloe squinted. It was the guy from the music store that had complemented Lani's singing, it was only a few doors down so it made sense that he'd be around here. He must have heard the fighting and decided to see what was going on.

"Uh...." Chloe blushed, what could they really say. Only a few moments ago they had just been fighting shadowy demons, there was no way they could tell him that. 

"We work here." Lissa quickly added. 

He didn't seem to be phased by that, or the fact that the cafe was pretty much a destroyed wreck, right about now.

"Your the girls that were in the music store a few weeks ago, right?" He asked. 

We nodded, wow he must have good memory to remember us. 

"We're you at the swimming carnival today?"

He poked his tounge out, "Nah, haven't been too one in years. Heard something grabbed someone in the water though, and a girls been reported missing."

He was talking about Zara.knew he was talking about Zara. I froze, I hadn't even thought about this, someone had to have noticed she was missing. What could we do and-

"Anyway, I don't think I've properly introduced myself, I'm Mitch." He smiled, breaking the awkwardness.

"This is Chloe and I'm Lissa." She told him. Chloe was suprised, Lissa had gotten much better at talking to other people. 

"Year eleven, right?" He asked.

"Yeah." Lissa nodded, "Your in twelve right?"

He nodded.

"You must be busy with your final year of school."

He nods, "Yeah, not that I'm too focused on my grades though. The band and I have quite a few gigs lined up and we've been writing some new songs."

Lani would love to be here right now, Chloe thought to herself, it was becoming pretty obvious from her behavior at the ball that she did think he was pretty cool. It was probably all her band girl fantasies come to life. 

When Mitch eventually left, Lissa sighed, "I guess we'll have to give up for today. We'll find them somehow."

Chloe knew that they would, but with all these hurdles in the way she couldn't see it being that easy.

Suddenly, a noise, it sounded like a baby crying, interrupted her thoughts. The two girls looked at one another, it sounded as though it was coming from upstairs. 

"Should we go check?" Lissa mumbled.

Chloe nodded, "After the day we've had it's probably likely to be some trick again, but let's go see."

Lissa sighed, "Probably."

Together, the two girls climbed the stairs up to apartment that was over the Cafe. The floorboards creaked beneath them, causing Chloe to squirm. At the moment walking around the cafe felt like being on the set of a horror movie, just the only thing was that if anything did jump out at them it probably would be real. Nope, don't think about that. 

There was cot over to the side of the room, hesitantly the girls approached it, peaking inside, Chloe quickly realized that in the cot was Charlie, the boy that Nina sometimes baby sat. How on earth was he the only thing that was still the only thing that was fine in this place.

"What will we do, we can't leave him here...I'd take him but I'd have no idea how to explain it to my mum, and she has her hands full enough with Jessi and I." Chloe muttered.

Lissa spoke, "My mum's a midwife, she knows how to look after babies. So we can probably take care of him."

Chloe was amazed, "But how, what are you going to tell your mum? I mean she might think you secretly had a baby or something."

"Chloe!" She muttered, like she couldn't believe Chloe would say such a thing, "I'll tell her the truth of course."

"What that you're a magical girl, no way, bad idea, don't you dare even think about it. We're keeping all of parents out of this."

Lissa sighed, "So you'd rather us leave him here and let that guy come back? My mum will understand, trust me."

"Okay, but if we all end up in trouble-"

"Chloe, it won't be that way." Lissa shrugged, "It's the best we can do right now."

Chloe looked at Lissa, she had to believe that Lissa was right because at the moment what other plan did they have?

"You're probably right, I'm sorry."

Lissa shook her head, "Don't worry about it. Anyway, I suppouse I better get this little guy and work out how exactly I'm going to explain this mess to my mother."

"I know you will Lissa, as you said everything will work out."

Lissa nodded. 

A few moments later the girls went out the front doors of the cafe and were leaving. The baby wrapped up in her arms, Lissa headed home, she spoke, "I'll see you later, Chloe,"

As Chloe watched her leave, she couldn't help but wonder how such an ordinary day as the school swimming carnival had turned into such a disaster. Nearly everyone that could help them was missing or not talking to them, and it seemed as though their secret wasn't going to stay so much of a secret for much longer. We'll find a way to get around this, she told herself, she just hoped that they wouldn't be too late.