Rainbow Guardians Chapter 4

 Chapter 4: Abyss of Dreams

A colony of spider-bee monsters slammed against Shanya's barrier. They used their webs to block the firebombs and their sting to crack them up. Shanya tried her best to retain the defence, but she couldn't bear to proceed. The barrier chipped off. Shanya lost her balance and fell. A spider bee spun a web around her; she landed on it softly. Nelly and the other girls stood back to back, forming a circle. A lizardion (lizard-scorpion) monster released a numbing gas everywhere; however, Anny partially broke the effect of the gas with her fusion weapon. She had emitted a type of antidote. The bad thing was that even a minimal amount of this numbing gas could influence the body. Nelly, Anny, Julia, and Neesha fell onto their knees, unable to move any limbs. The only reason they stayed conscious was thanks to Anny's antidote. Some spider bees covered them with their slimy webs. One of the lizardions sent a signal via air.

Then, a woman in leather appeared from the dust. She had vampire-like skin with jet-black eyes and hair; she floated on the air with her glowing harrows.

“Well, well, at last, I found you! Our Lord will be so satisfied when he sees you!” She burst into manic laughter, pointing at Nelly.

"Who the hell are you? What's your deal with Starland?" Nelly yelled, frowning.

“How rude of me!” the woman replied. “Your lowness, I’m Helena von Dunkel.”

Nelly’s fury rose as the seconds passed. It was one of the probable criminals who attacked Starland’s core. She tried to move her arms and legs, but they were still numb. Helena approached her and grabbed her face.

“I don’t understand why our Lord desires a bimbo like you,” Helena’s nails scarred her face slowly. “, but I guess he has some use for you.”

“Let my friends go! They have nothing to do with you!” Nelly pleaded.

Helena chuckled at her response, letting go of her face. Nelly was just a naive bimbo with a royal title. She was too young to understand their aim.

"Well, your lowness, it seems you lack a few screws," she said, drawing a circle with her index finger. "We want to entrap more birds in our cage, so why not catch more princesses when we have the chance?" 

“Now all of you will see the force of Negavise! If you don’t want your kingdoms’ devastation, you all have to come with me!”

After her words, she began to give laser shocks to each girl. Her harrows were gleaming. She chanted an ancient rhyme to activate a stronger version of her weapon. Her core shone brighter, and a lilac body armour appeared. A pair of harrows were added to her gun. The shocks were getting stronger.

 “Never!” the four girls vociferated in unison.

“Then, we shall begin to destroy the Harmony dimension from here!” Helena placed her harrows at the centre.

She had chosen the Rainbow dimension because of one reason; it was the nearest place to the Earth's core. Her harrows reached the magma, releasing freezing void energy. Suddenly, her weapon stopped releasing energy.

There were three silhouettes in the background. From their pointy ears and tall figures, it was possible to assume that they were nymphs. They were none other than Mistress Persephone Greenwoods, Vice-Principal Eleanora Lorelei and her assistant Penelope Tethys. Mistress Persephone envisioned: 'Flytrap Flower Bite!' and a large flytrap flower appeared, swallowing all the spider bees. Next, Eleanora activated stone darts to free the girls. The webs around them dissolved, and they all lay down in a sitting position. 

“I don’t know what your purpose is, but we won’t let you harm the Earth,” said Persephone, radiating a couplet with her thought energy “I seek the power of the forgotten; the one shan’t be broken; here I am offering an earth core token; Grant me the power of Spectra!” 

Persephone's fusion weapon turned into a battle axe, bound to her arm. She began to attack Helena non-stop. Her gun was breaking the air. Helena formed a shield; however, that didn't last long. 

“You pain in the neck!” Helena yelled, taking her portable teleport machine. “Negavise’s darkness will haunt you. Our Lord shall rise once more!”

Helena and her monster army vanished instantly. Penelope made the girls drink a more powerful antidote than Anny’s. The girls regained their mobility and stood up.

“Thanks to Almighty that you found us!” exclaimed Anny.

“We can’t express our gratitude, Mistress,” said Neesha, coughing.

“I couldn’t let anybody under the roof of my dimension suffer,” Persephone responded, deactivating her weapon. “Now, let’s get back to the academy. Eleanora and Penelope are going to examine this place.”

Persephone and the girls went out. Nelly and Neesha were carrying the still-unconscious Shanya. After a while, they arrived at the academy. Mistress Persephone requested a meeting with the girls a few days later. Shanya was sent to the infirmary by Penelope to be observed.

The academy year had begun with the light of a new threat, but life was still continuing. Rainbow Academy started its education programme as if nothing happened, yet there was anxiety among the students. Many of them were trying to avoid Nelly and her friends. Meanwhile, Nelly was visiting the forest frequently to see Alyra. The swan pegasus was getting used to her new habitat. Whenever Nelly was with her, she was usually swimming or bathing in the pond. The most exciting part was that Alyra had found her own pegasus group with the native pegasi. There were crow and hawk pegasi in the squad. Shanya was visiting the group often, too. She was getting her health back. Her condition wasn't that serious. According to the healers of the academy, she only drained her energy a little, which was good news. After she healed completely, Nelly and the girls went to Persephone's office.

***

Knock, knock.

“Come in,” Persephone said and saw the girls. “I was expecting you girls.”

Nelly, Anny, and Shanya sat on a couch across from the Mistress; Julia and Neesha stood behind them.

“Well, my friends, Penelope and Eleanora presented me with a report about the incident."

“What’s the conclusion, Mistress?” asked Neesha, looking at the holograms on her table.

“The results are showing that these monsters are from the bottom of Despair,” she replied, zooming in on the photos of the creatures. “I’m afraid that there is a huge danger ahead of us.”

“Oh my, what sort of danger?” Shanya inquired.

“I have to ask this to you girls, especially you, Miss Starland,” Persephone answered her chin between her hands. “Why hadn’t you come to me before?”

"I-I was… W-we were…" Nelly trailed off. "I'm sorry, Mistress. I was very perplexed."

“I heard what happened on your planet after I searched for the lost Starland students. We requested an urgent meeting with the Harmonial Council. Until the end of it, you girls cannot go outside the campus.”

“WHAT?!” they all exclaimed at the same time.

“You are the potential future leaders of your kingdom's girls. We can’t risk your lives,” explained the Mistress. “I also heard that you used your fusion weapons recklessly.”

"B-but, we had to!" snapped Shanya.

“Yeah, or else we would be in the raven’s claws,” Julia added.

Persephone shook her head from side to side and made a stop sign with her hand.

“It’s true. Nevertheless, you are just a beginner. Have you ever considered the side effects of the core energy?”

It was accurate. The false usage of this energy could cause physical, emotional, and mental disorders. Some of these were melanin loss, anxiety, and bipolar tendencies, although there were ways to get rid of them, too. 

“I have to warn you, girls, that mental transmitter would request a trial to verify you.”

“Which means?” Anny asked.

“Be prepared for a dream reality test simulator soon, girls,” replied Mistress Persephone.

A week passed after this meeting. The girls were under enormous pressure. They felt like they were walking on eggshells. Also, the manners of the other students weren't helping at all, particularly, the behaviours of Persephone's niece and her gang. 

“Oh no, Pistachio, come here!” yelled Shanya, running behind her Indian ringneck. She couldn’t catch the parrot. It left a prize on someone’s head.

“In the name of Gaea! My hair is ruined,” a nymph girl whined, shooing the bird.

“PISTACHIO! COME BACK THIS INSTANCE!” 

“Is that damn bird yours?” the girl asked with a grumpy face. “I’m ruined forever!”

“Oh, I am really sorry. Can I help you?” replied Shanya, taking the bird away.

“No, you can’t. You crack-handed princess wanna-be!” shouted the girl, driving Shanya to a corner.

There were tears in the timid girl’s peachy eyes. She was scared like a puppy, and she backed against a wall with Pistachio on her shoulder.

“P-please, Jeniffer, w-we can solve it.”

Jeniffer did not listen to Shanya a bit. She caught the parrot, plucked its feathers slowly and hurt. The poor bird attempted to escape; however, her grip was too strong. The sounds of it echoed in the corridor. Shanya understood that she could not take her friend with force. She used telepathy to free it. 'Pistachio, my sweet bird, you can escape from this hussy girl. With the power of the Creator,  fly!’ Shanya had an assertive frown; her peachy eyes were almost like an active volcano. At that moment, Pistachio found the power to spread its wings and landed on Shanya’s shoulder. Nelly, Neesha, and others arrived simultaneously with Jeniffer’s friends Jade and Fate. The nymph girl was speechless at the view she saw. The energy was constraining Jeniffer faded away. She and her gang fled as fast as they could. On the other hand, Nelly, Neesha, Julia, and Anny were blown away by her power.

***

On the night of this incident, something was about to occur. All the students were diving down into the world of slumber. The moon rays wrapped ribbons in their minds, connecting them to the realm of dreams. The five cores of the five princesses sheened, beaming signals in the dorms. These signals formed a vast spark and transferred inside the thought energy transmitter. 

They all opened their eyes at the same time. The inner mechanisms of the machines were projecting three different environments. Shanya and Julia, Anny and Neesha were together in the first two locations. Nelly was in the last zone. All the rooms had fire agate, rose-clear quartz, and diamond walls, but they had different grounds and heavens. Julia and Shanya’s area had a volcanic texture. Everywhere was filled with magma and plants. Anny and Neesha’s place had clouds and neuron cell-like wires. Nelly was standing in a void with starlight on top. 

Julia and Shanya were met by a primitive-looking magma creature. Its head was burning; its lower body was made out of transparent rocks. It approached the two girls, encircling them with flames and magma. The fire was causing a chemical reaction and made the place utterly dark with smoke. The soil became unstable, turning into hot goo. This muck aligned in ring layers and started to dry. It was forming an upside funnel shape. 

Shanya again concentrated as she did earlier, calling upon her core energy. Her veins surged in her body, going towards the direction of the power. She opened her eyes, which were brown now. She used telepathy to call Julia, 'Julia, we have to get this creature under control. You must activate your core, too; I'll try to wipe out this goo.'

Julia only nodded, and Shanya awakened the plants. Ivies, tree roots, and thorny herbs attacked together to split the half-hardened goo. Ivies entwined around the funnel; the roots soaked up the liquid, and thorns pulverised the dry matter. Meanwhile, Julia raised her right hand, drawing the Volcanotopia’s symbol in the air. A glowing seal appeared and sucked up all the flames and the gas. She was flying up and down. Shanya’s belly button and Julia’s right palm shone brightly. The creature withdrew its attack, slightly trooping: 'Congratulations, wielders of fire and Earth. You subtly combined the power of the wilderness and civilisation. Your trial ends here.' With that, they teleported back to their beds. It wasn’t quite that easy for the others.

Neesha and Anny were faced with a creature too. It was half vibrant and messy and half organised and dull. It reminded them of a right and left brain depiction. Its face was constantly showing different expressions. It was happy one second, sad another. Each side of its body was mixing, causing flashes of jolts. It knelt down and let out a piercing scream. Neesha and Anny closed their ears, stepping up the creature, while it sent electricity around it. The place was also producing similar energy, which meant electric shocks were frequent. Anny received a shock and shivered. Her ginger hair popped out like great curly lettuce. Neesha unconsciously evoked her core. Veins on her head became visible; her eyes became multi-coloured. She used telekinesis to levitate Anny away, saving her. She regained her composure and began to awaken her core energy. Her eyes became amorous pink; her heart’s shape was visible. They wrapped the creature with two different substances, moving in a spiral pattern. Neesha’s matter was fluidal and isolated the energy, but Anny’s had a bubble gum-like texture with some calming gas in it. They both pulled their substances and tied them into a knot, sealing them with their element emblems.

At last, the creature's face showed a content expression. It stopped spreading electroshock waves and took both the girls in its hands. 'Well done, princesses of reason and emotion. You balanced the sentiments and the logic very efficiently and passed the test,' it said, transferring them back.

Nelly's status was a bit complicated. She was wandering around upside down, literally since she was on the ceiling. She was in a mirror maze. Nearly each of the ways ended in crashing into glass walls. Actually, there was a hint in the order of reflections. They were reflecting the colours of the rainbow, directed towards the centre of the labyrinth. Nelly stared at the alignment of the light and noticed the prismatic line. She followed the way and came to the end destination. There was a void there, and it absorbed her right away. As if turning an hourglass, she fell to the ground. Nelly stood up, feeling a jelly texture beneath her feet. A few seconds later, she saw a familiar face. He had caramel eyes and hair and a dorky grin. It was Alexander Megavoid, also known as the 'rakish blob.'

Nelly’s eyes widened when she saw the boy. 'What the heck are you doing here?' she asked in her mind. 

'I wish I knew my nymph- I mean, Nelly,' Alex replied, lifting up his shoulders.

'This must be a dream reality trial,' said Nelly. 'Mistress was right. But what is the test?'

'What are you talking about?'

'Ah, I think it is here. Look.' Nelly pointed out a being.

It had a skirt made out of a black hole; the stars on its body were creating supernovas. The being was trembling, about to fall at any moment. The supernovas went outside it and went directly at Nelly, and Alex's eyes detected the rapid explosion, and he shielded her. His back rebounded as if nothing happened. They both gasped at this. Alex examined himself; his skin had always been thicker, soaking up the light. His eyes were also more sensitive. He had realised that he could see better in the dark but weaker in the light.

Moreover, sometimes, his eyes could detect flying objects very clearly. Nelly and Alex watched each other for an eternity. They were still holding each other; their faces showing a reddish tint; however, when another outburst occurred, Nelly broke their contact and activated a prismatic barrier instinctively.

'Well, it seems I returned the gesture,' said Nelly, smirking.

'Yeah, whatever. I think we should do something about it.’

'Indeed. We have to combine our powers,' Nelly explained.

She formed another prismatic wall around them; the wall reverberated the continuous star shower. Alex warned her about more prominent stars. For some minutes, they attempted to run to the black hole. They got closer and closer to the area. Finally, they reached there. 

Nelly shot laser rays at the stars, tearing them into smaller pieces. Alexander supported her by sucking up the material via his skin, and he also kept giving her the route of each star. The creature released a massive asteroid; Nelly and Alex intermingled their fingers. She drew a star shape with her other hand. The symbol placed itself right before her chest; a massive beam of light crumbled the space rock into a million pieces. Nelly's hair was slightly gleaming. Alex envisioned a vast black hole, and it swallowed the pieces. The hole disappeared with the sign of Negavise. While Nelly was about to react, the creature spoke.

'You did very well the embodiment of the light and darkness. You and the other elements brought equality back to this dream simulator. Your presence is verified.'

Both Nelly and Alex woke up at the same moment. They were panting very hard as if they completed a marathon. There had to be a deeper meaning than a mere trial behind this. Also, why were they together? What was the bond between Negavise and Alex? Only time could lay out what shall happen next.