The Steel Fairy ‖ Fate : The Winx Saga

02 ‖ Freak show

I insisted on the conditions : Full equipment for him and before the sun rises to be sure we're alone.  Silva agreed to them without a complain. I'm sure Dowling will be watching us from far away. She is also eager to see my progress.

I arrive first at the ponds. I don't dare climbing onto the platforms, I will be more confortable on the ground. I brought my weapons of choice, the ones I made myself, with the guidance of Dowling. She is one of the kind of a fairy. She can guide young fairies to master their skills without owning them herself. I respect her.

I take the long swords out of their scabbards, watch the morning sky reflects on the blades. I catch a glimpse of myself. My hair looks darker than usual, almost purple when it's usually of a light silvery shade. I tied them into two braids which run down the sides of my head, away from my face. My hair is the 5% of my body which doesn't turn into steel when I switch in armor mode. I look like a window mannequin with a wig, this is embarrassing. I thought about shaving it, but android is not the vibe I want to go for either... could I just be less of a weirdo ?

Movement catches my eye across the lawn. Silva is coming from the main building so I start warming up. I always hated physical activity. When I came to Alfea, I was slightly overweight but I liked it. My curves were a disguise. No one looked at me twice. No one paid me attention long enough to see the silvering aspect of my skin back when I didn't control it. Now, muscles are showing even under my real skin, sculpting my arms from the wrists up to my shoulders and my back. My legs are strong from the runs I do in the morning and the sparring I do alone beyond the barrier every night. I don't recognize myself. I don't like what I'm forced to do, what I'm forced to be. Sometimes I just want to escape...

"Wasn't sure you would come," says Silva dropping his bag on the wet grass and grabbing the protective equipment the Specialists use on outdoors missions. "You stood me up last time."

"Sorry..." I mumble. I don't have a valid excuse. "I'm a coward" won't satisfy Saul Silva so I keep my mouth shut of that subject and instead I ask : "You're sure you want to do it ?"

"Sure! I trust you, August."

Well, you shouldn't.

"Where do we begin ?" I ask as my body gets covered in metal.

Silva straps the last piece of gear on his torso. His head and neck are still exposed and I try not to focus on them. "Show me your routine."

I step away from him and start the classical combo I practice every day. The blades obey me, spin around me, stay close as I wish. It's quite the same choreography that I did last night when Stella interrupted me, but when I throw the daggers away to stick them into the ground, I turn my back to the Headmaster. I don't want to send my blades too far toward a human being, this I didn't practice it well enough. All in control. I gather my weapons in my hand. I am barely out of breath.

"Well done! That is very impressive! How did it feel?"

I am proud of course. I didn't hurt him, so that's a win. I spent all night being terrified things would go wrong this morning. But so far, so good. "It was —"

Another silhouette breaks the stillness of the morning. They sit on top of the hill, where they have a good view of our business down on the Reflective Ponds. Short dark hair, dark skin, broad shoulders. It takes me only a second to recognize Marco. I'm not surprise, he's an Air Fairy, capable of projecting electricity balls. He can stop me if I loose control. Will it be enough to save a life ?

"Keep your focus here, August. Don't let anything or anyone distract you."

"You told him?"

"No! Marco is an early bird that's all. Focus! We gonna try with dummies. Just one to start, okay?"