Misty waved three singles at the vendor. "Three hot chocolates, please." 

"Sure thing, honey." The smiling woman placed the drinks on the counter before scooping up the money. Kristy and Tammy each took a steaming cup of cocoa, followed by Misty.

"Hey, let's toast," said Tammy, holding up her cup.

Kristy frowned. "We got chocolate, and you want toast?"

Misty giggled while Tammy rolled her eyes. "Funny, girlfriend. Now, cups up. We're toasting to new beginnings."

Kristy watched the others with care and followed the strange ritual. She had raised the cup to her lips when it hit. Magic on a scale she'd never felt before—and it came from Victor. The genie lowered the cup as every light at the festival went out, including cell phones. A heavy fog rose from the field, and a strong wind began blowing without disrupting the haze.

The sudden occurrence wasn't natural, and visibility was poor. The crowds went berserk, screaming and shouting as they shuffled through the mist toward the car lot that sat on the other side of the buildings. Tammy and Misty dropped their cups, yelling, "Let's get outta here, Kris!" as they joined the panicky masses.

But Kristy ran the other way, toward the bathrooms on the outskirts of the field.

Tón yelped when Kristy appeared through the thick fog. "You scared me, Kris! Vic's in there! We went to get him when the lights went out, but the door's sealed! Our phones aren't working, so we couldn't call 911."

Nick tugged on the handle to no avail as he called out to Victor. But Kristy sensed the residue magic blocked the door on the other side. Luckily, it had weakened enough for her to act.

"Move out of the way!" she yelled, causing Nick to drag his counterpart to the side. Not caring that Tón would learn her secret, the pink-haired genie thrust her hands toward the door, blue-tinged energy escaping her fingertips. It grasped the door, and Kristy pulled with all her might. The door snapped in half, falling on the icy concrete. She sprinted into the men's room with Nick and a bewildered Tón behind her.

"What... how the...?" cried Tón, but both ignored him.

Kristy saw three broken forms lying amid the wreckage. Near the sinks lay the glowing form of Victor, the only light source in the windowless room. The girl fell to her knees beside the teen, who again had caused a massive Disturbance, a significant interruption in the various magical and energy fields. That explained the depletion of power at the festival.

Nick dropped to the other side of his injured friend. "What do we do?"

She laid a hand on his bruised cheek. "I- I don't know." 

"Can the humans be trusted, genie?"

Tón screamed, and Kristy turned to see the black robes of a witch standing several feet away. The genie narrowed her eyes as she stood, and a glowing staff appeared in her outstretched hand. "You'll have to go through me to get him."

Another form appeared before the witch could respond, causing Tón to shriek again. The pointy-eared male wore multicolored baggies and a shirt as white as his hair. He skipped toward Kristy with hands raised. "Woah, kin! Like major freeze on the 'tude!" Stopping, he gazed at Victor in awe. "Whoa! Like a total wipeout for the Vickster!"

Kristy lowered her weapon. A fae with a witch? Vickster? "What's going on?"

The witch removed her hood, and Kristy recognized the elita she'd met during her summoning in the central realm. The silver eyes bore into hers. "We haven't much time before the Tribunal comes to investigate the Disturbance. You, me, and Kenwylis need to put things right by combining powers to create our version of the old magic and mask this mess. So, I ask again, can the humans be trusted?"

Before Kristy could answer, Nick said, "Definitely." 

Tón only whimpered.

The elf looked at Kristy. "Name's Kenwylis. Been some bad vibes around here. Too many kooks harshing my mellow." The witch glared at him, and he grinned, pointing to the blond lying on the floor. "Princess said that booger was like charged with a green spell of attraction." He then pointed to Kristy. "On you. But more like fatal attraction for the Vickster."

She understood despite the irritating way the fae spoke. A witch had set a spell similar to the Allure on Maddox and reversed it on Victor. That explained the possessive behavior. Victor had been right about the spell, wrong about the source.

The admission won her cooperation. "Let's do this."

Fifteen minutes later, the genie was exhausted. Never before had she shared power with witches and fairies, but the joining of their magics was successful. Kristy had transported Tón and Nick with the unconscious Victor to her house with strict instructions to clean him and put him to bed. Kristy pointed to his fading bruises. "Strange. His magic is healing him at a pretty good clip."

Nick tightened his grip on Victor. "Lovedae thinks he's at my place tonight, so we're covered."

Working together, the three magi managed to heal Maddox and his crew, leaving just enough injuries to look like the boys had fought each other. They repaired the doors, stalls, and urinals, and cleaned the area of any magical residue before a tired Kenwylis broke from the group. "I'll check out the do-dads in the central realm, then meet cha later. Aloha!" 

The elf disappeared.

Kristy brushed a lock of hair out of her face with an arm ready to fall off. "Why are you helping us?" she asked, her words blunt and direct.

The brown skin of the elita glistened with sweat, the only sign of the arduous work she'd done. "I've always considered myself a connoisseur of the old magic. Minister Roe cut off access to the central realm libraries when he came to power, but I'd already learned all there was. Tonight, the One Magi ascended to a higher plane of magic. His power called to mine, and I answered."

"He's—"

Princess nodded. "Along with other attributes, he became a full-fledged elita tonight and my better. Darkness covers the magi, and it starts with the Tribunal. How Victor plays into this, I don't know." She glanced at the three injured youths who began to stir. "Let's go. His attackers are waking, and the Tribunal is on the way. I've been summoned to assist."

The two magi faded from sight.

Victor stretched his arms, his body enticed by the smooth feeling of silky sheets. Natural silk, not the artificial material masquerading as the coveted fiber. Pure silk was nothing less than unadulterated splendor.

He gave a jaw-breaking yawn before snuggling down into the blissful sheets that felt like liquid. His sleep-filled brain assured him that another nap was necessary for the well-being of his health. Victor's cheek sank into the softness as he drifted—But something in the back of his mind advised him that all was not right. His eyes shot open as that same fog-filled brain informed him that he didn't own any silk sheets.

Victor sat up, the delicate sheet falling from his bare chest. Intrigued, he placed a hand on his pecs. Funny, he only slept shirtless in the balmy summer months. With growing dread, he lifted the sheet, peeked, then pulled the covering as close as possible to his body.

He was naked, not even socks to cover his toes!

Panicked, he gazed around the room, calming a bit as he recognized Kristy's bedroom with its low bed and colorful tapestries. What was he doing here naked and in her bed? His eyes narrowed as he checked the other side. Empty. No sign that anyone had slept there. Victor clutched the covers tighter as he glanced around, looking for his missing clothing.

Then he remembered. The altercation in the bathroom. The tendrils of magic disassembling and wreaking havoc on Maddox and his posse of bullyboys. He'd forced the magic back into—the broken column. With the memory came a tingling sensation throughout his body, a reminder that his pleasurable evening had turned into a train wreck!

A glance at the wall clock confirmed the lateness of the hour—two-thirty in the morning. Victor needed to go. Maddox and company were probably still in that out-of-the-way bathroom. He had to help them!

Just when Victor decided to get up, the door opened, and a dim light appeared. Kristy entered the room, placing a tray on the low table used as a nightstand. A mug of tea sat next to a bowl with a stew that smelled like heaven.

Kristy wore a silken robe of green, the sash tight around her tiny waist. Her pink hair fell in voluminous waves down her back. Victor had never seen her hair down in all the months he'd known her. She knelt, her slender hands clutching the edge of the tray as if frozen.

"I brought you food and drink." Her voice seemed drained. "You need to replenish your bodily fluids. Nick said you threw up on everything, so he washed your clothing."

"Thank you," he said, his eyes mesmerized by the shining folds of pink hair. He clenched the sheet to remind himself not to touch it. "Uh... I'm sorry I kept you from your bed." He stared at the immobile girl and then asked in a gentle voice, "Kristy, what happened?"

She passed him the stew and a spoon, not meeting his eyes. Victor accepted the bowl, moaning in bliss at the first savory bite. He knew not to press and continued shoveling down stew and sipping tea.

"I felt a massive buildup of power at the festival, and then all hell broke loose. Wind, fog, and everything turned off from the Disturbance you created. It was total mayhem."

Victor didn't like the dead tone of voice.

"Tón and Nick brought you here while we healed Maddox and his goons to the degree that their injuries looked like no more than a vicious fight amongst themselves. It took a bit, but we altered their memories of the incident," she continued, her voice devoid of emotion.

"We?"

"A witch and a fae you'll meet in the morning."

Victor placed the empty bowl on the nightstand, deciding he'd worry about the new allies later. His hand brushed her shoulder. "Kristy, why—"

The outburst came quickly, a mixture of guilt and weeping. Kristy twisted to her feet and then fell to her knees as she sobbed. "My fault! It's all my fault! Why did I leave you alone?" Her cries became more pronounced as she buried her face in her hands. "Why do I keep hurting you?"

Victor slid out of the low bed and crouched near the distraught genie. He hauled her up, his arms tightening around her as she continued to wail. "Kristy, no, shh."

But the shattered girl cried on, no matter what he said. Victor held on, rocking her back and forth, murmuring soothing nothings until her outburst lessened and subsided into sniffles and hiccups.

Victor loosened his grip, letting the spent girl lay back on his arm. Dark circles had formed under sapphire eyes that had lost their luster. Her skin seemed pale and sickly. He reached for the napkin on the tray and began wiping away her tears.

"I've always thought of you as a little peacock. So beautiful as you strut around in all your sapphire glory." He dried the remaining tears and gave her a lopsided grin. "It's the first time I've seen you cry."

"It's not a pretty sight."

"Never cry in public, love. You're an ugly crier," he joked.

Kristy snuffled, then snickered.

Victor's smile faded. "This isn't your fault."

"I shouldn't have left you tonight. You were right. Maddox was bespelled."

"How do you know?"

"The witch told me."

"You couldn't have known. You're not a witch." Knowing he was right didn't help the situation. Unlike her, he should have known.

"I should've stayed with you."

"There's no way I'd let you go in the loo with me."

Kristy tittered and rubbed her tired eyes.

The girl was exhausted. He felt a twinge of guilt that while he lolled on silken sheets, she had used a considerable amount of energy healing his victims and cleaning up his mess. Victor swooped up the flagging genie in his arms, laying her on the bed before extinguishing the light and sliding in next to her. He gathered her against his shoulder and covered them both. Kristy snuggled closer and wept a bit, her arm tucked around his waist. He stroked the gentle waves of pink hair and couldn't think of another place he'd rather be.

"I'm sorry, Vic."

His voice remained calm. "You did nothing wrong."

She shifted a bit, gliding a shapely leg between his. "I linked with you when we fought Oliver and never broke the connection until tonight. When I touch you... your magic's no longer contained. It runs through your system—just like the magi—something you never wanted." Her voice grew weaker. "It's my fault."

Victor paused as he considered his new state of existence. The pure white column that had once held the blue, green, and red magic was gone. Magic coursed through his body, invading every cell of his being. He used to envision each with a persona—the red, fiery, and overemotional, the green, secretive and calculating. And the blue, strong and overly prideful. These terrible triplets made the Dueling Duo look like altar boys. But instinct told him that phase was over. The three would never separate into their independent states again.

He placed a gentle kiss on her brow as Kristy stirred in his arms. "We'll deal with it in the morning, love. Rest. You're more than a bit knackered."

"So... sorry." Her words slurred as the need for sleep increased.

"Not your fault." Victor vowed he'd say it a million times until she believed it.

"Wannabe... here... for you," she whispered. "I lo..." The rest of the words slid off into gentle snores.

Victor gritted his teeth in frustration. A bloody wonderful time to fall asleep!

Had Kristy almost said she loved him? His heart ached to hear what she might have revealed, but he stopped himself from nudging her awake. For all he knew, she might have intended to say I looked for you. Or worse, I loathe you, which made him frown.

But it was nice to envision the first.

He lay with the girl of his dreams wrapped in his arms, listening to her snores. His eyes grew heavy, and he yawned. The memory of this night, the extraordinary change in his magic, Kristy sleeping on his shoulder with their legs interlaced like rope—would remain a night of calamities and wonderment in his head.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open, and Victor covered his face with his free hand. The reddish flush grazed his cheeks as he remembered his state of undress.

"Why me?" he muttered before drifting off to sleep.

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