SECRETS | Fate: The Winx Saga ~ Alternate Season 2

Chapter 11

After giving class to the fairies, Farah had spent the rest of the afternoon in her office drawers, looking for a personal effect of Rosalind's.
Tired of turning the whole room upside down, she had decided to take a short break to join her husband and best friend.
As they were refining their plan to get the former headmistress away from the school, their attention was drawn to some unusual activity at the edge of the forest. A small group of students, including Bloom and her friends, had formed around some of the Specialists.
The three teachers immediately came out of the castle and walked towards them, intrigued.
Some students were sobbing, their eyes on a mobile phone held by Marco, surrounded by several Specialists, looking grim. Noura was not with them.
They knew immediately that something bad had happened to her.
Trembling, the mind fairy approached, questioning them with her eyes.

"The Burned Ones managed to get through the barrier, we tried to chase them away, but they killed Noura," explained Marco, in tears. "There are too many of them, we couldn't do anything, we couldn't save her, and they're on their way."

Saul suddenly felt he was sinking. Noura was dead and he couldn't accept it. He had known her for so many years, trained her in combat, and her status as a Specialist had finally taken its toll. He hugged his former student affectionately before turning to his wife and friend, both deeply shocked.

"What do we do now?" he questioned, a little confused.

Farah seemed to think for a moment and sighed.

"I have the impression that it's time to tell the students that there's a war on, and to prepare them well for the fight, Rosalind can wait for a while, the priority is to protect the school," she replied firmly.

Ben nodded, and she walked away, without a word. Her heart was aching. She needed to be alone for a while to process everything she had just learned. Noura's death, the arrival of the Burned Ones, and Rosalind's attacks. Standing was becoming more and more difficult, she was feeling terribly exhausted, and yet she would have to use all her remaining energy against the Burned Ones.

***

As she fled on the top floor in a deserted hallway forbidden to students, she heard footsteps approaching. She recognised them as those of her husband, who, a few seconds later, put his hands around her waist and placed a soft kiss on her neck.

"Are you all right, darling?" he asked in a whisper, very concerned to see her so pale.

She quickly swallowed her tears to answer him, for she hated to show her vulnerability, even to the man she loved.

"Yes, but I'm worried about the students, I don't want to lose any of them. They're a bit like my children and I don't know how they'll react to the attack."

Nevertheless, she was trying to look strong, tired as she was, and Saul feared more than anything that he would lose her during this fight, which was shaping up to be bloody. He couldn't believe that in a few hours they would have to defend their lives.

"No, Farah, I know you're not alright, we've been married for almost twenty years, I know you by heart," he insisted, taking her face in his hands, harshly affected by her suffering.

"I'm scared, Saul," she admitted in a small voice as she snuggled against his chest. "Scared for us, scared for the school, scared of losing a close friend, scared of losing Sky, scared that we'll be separated forever."

He sighed, also really much in pain, his arms wrapping his wife tenderly. Her words echoed directly within him, for he too was not at all confident in the future.

"I'm afraid of losing you all too, beloved, but now we have no choice but to fight. Ben is gathering everyone in the big room so we can inform them of the situation."

More than a little distressed, his wife clung desperately to his neck, as if to hold him to her in some naive utopia. They were living their last quiet minutes, and perhaps their lives would change forever. Farah was exhausted from fighting Rosalind, and she might be less effective against the Burned Ones. This time the danger was real.
Saul stroked her hair sweetly, placing many kisses on her face to comfort her. He was so proud to have married his fairy, and to have raised Sky with her. He couldn't imagine a life without them, without the little family they had built, without the woman in his life.
The headmistress easily found her way to his lips, which had the power to console her. Slowly her hands, caressing the back of her husband's neck, went down to his uniform, which she tried to undo in order to get him off it. She wanted to enjoy their love one last time before the terrible battle.
Instinctively, he responded to her almost visceral call, savagely tearing off her clothes, blinded by his pain. Perhaps this would be their last time together...

Half-naked in that hallway, almost in tears, they made love both tenderly and passionately, each wanting to imprint the touch of the other's skin on his own, aware that they might never embrace again.

***

After this heartbreaking cuddling session, they made their way to the main hall, where all the students and teachers were waiting for them. Ben had managed to gather everyone in time, which was quite an achievement in less than an hour.
Farah took her place behind the lectern, and the room fell into a heavy silence, for wherever she went, she commanded respect. She fought back tears as best she could to make her announcement properly, without panicking the students.

"Dear students, this is a serious time. If we are all gathered here, it is because the Burned Ones have managed to get through the barrier by we don't know how. Unfortunately, they have already claimed a victim among the Specialists: Noura, our valiant warrior who passed away this afternoon in the forest. We will never forget her.
As I was saying, the Burned Ones will be here soon, and I want everyone to use their skills to protect the school. It is also important that everyone stays together on the ground floor and that no one leaves the castle. You are our responsibility and we don't want to have to count the dead. From now on, no one goes out and everyone gets ready. The battle is likely to be intense, so I advise you to go and eat in the dining hall now to gain strength before the battle.
We'll set up a room for the wounded, and hopefully it will be of no use. Take care of yourselves, and think of our late Noura when you have to fight. See you soon... I hope."

Sky's mom had finished her sentence with a lump in her throat from emotion. She was a strong woman, who had managed to toughen up over the years, but today was a particularly trying day for everyone. As she looked around the room, she could hardly believe that she would probably never see some of those faces again.

Everyone headed to the dining hall once the doors were barricaded to have a last meal.
After a while, vibrations were felt on the floor and students started to scream in fear.

They were there...