Give and Take
A Winx Club Fanfiction
I.
Chimera wasn't supposed to be a common girl, wasn't even supposed to be nobility. Chimera had been destined to be a princess.
Her name had been Princess Mahinda, from an ancient Solarian word meaning 'moon.' The daughter of King Radius and Queen Luna, she had been born eighteen years ago, a year before Solaria's turn to host the Dragon Festival.
A celebration of the being who gave the universe life, magic, and wonder, the right to host it was passed along from realm to realm. Each different place, even the ones that were coated in darkness and evil, had a chance, and each of them took it. Because, as the Dragon decreed so long ago, His festival would be one of give and take. The realm which hosted the festival would be required to sacrifice something... and in return, they would get something far, far better.
When Chimera was one year old, she went to the festival with her parents. She played in the royal box. She watched jugglers and acrobats. She noticed the posters full of propaganda for the war effort (though of course she couldn't read the slogans). More than anything, she watched Queen Mariam from the neighboring country of Domino as she used magical fire to tell the story of the Great Dragon and how He created the universe. Chimera even got to play with Mariam's daughters, Crown Princess Dafne and Princess Alexandria. Alexandria was almost Chimera's age, about one year old. It was nice to have a playmate.
As the festival wore on, the time for sacrifice came near. The Company of Light's priestess, Tassatia, raised her arms up in greeting to the Dragon. His spirit flew from Mariam (who would be the holder of the Dragon until Dafne, now sixteen, came of age) and into the priestess. Then, Tassatia spoke. Her voice was layered, sounding both as though she was speaking normally, and as if she was a roaring dragon.
"Give and take maintains the balance of the universe. I have given you balance; I have given you life. This year, as every year, I give you instructions so that I may give you a blessing."
Radius nodded. "Speak, oh great Dragon. We will obey."
"I insist that your princess be traded for a common girl."
The crowd was dead silent. Luna took a sharp breath. "What?"
Tassatia roared. "You have heard my wish! Take Princess Mahinda and give her to a peasant woman. Then, hunt down the girl whose hair and name speaks of the sun. You will raise her as your own daughter, love her as your own. She and Mahinda will one day meet, and it is then that you will learn why I ask this of you. It is not a small thing to give up your daughter, I know. But this is what I wish... and what I shall have!"
Luna grabbed Chimera and held her tight. "I... I..."
"Give her to me."
Luna looked sadly at Radius. "Would you really cast away our own child on the orders of a being who doesn't even have a body?" she asked.
"I will find Mahinda the finest, nicest, smartest mother there can be. And Luna, when the time comes and we learn His reasons... I swear to you that I will find Mahinda and return her to you. To us. Trust me, Luna. I love you."
Sadly, reluctantly, Luna handed Chimera to Radius. "Tomorrow, I shall hold court. All women who would care for Mahinda will come and audition."
That night, Chimera learned when she was sixteen, Luna met with her best friend, Cassandra. Luna begged Cassandra to dress as a poor woman and smear her well-known face with dirt, yet exhibit the intelligence, etiquette, poise, and love that marked a noble heart. "You must," Luna told Cassandra, "raise my baby." She instructed Cassandra to rename Mahinda, to dye her hair into the blue of night, to keep her far from the royal court, even sending her away to school. Until, at least, the day the baby turned sixteen. Then, Cassandra would reveal everything, and the real princess would help keep the secret of herself.
As planned, Cassandra dressed in rags and acted as royalty. As planned, Cassandra was picked out of hundreds of potential adoptive mothers. As planned, Cassandra renamed Mahinda, calling her Chimera, a word that means hard to believe... just like the young princess's true story. When Chimera turned six, she was sent away to boarding school. At age sixteen, she was told her story and sent to Beta Academy, "as befits a young girl of noble birth."
It was that year that the careful plan began to fall apart. Luna and Radius had divorced, and Cassandra was requested to take over any castle duties that were not, by law, required to be done by the queen. She moved to the castle, and Chimera visited on summer breaks. Eventually, Cassandra and Radius began to fall in love. The king did not realize who Cassandra was, nor who Chimera was, and welcomed them both into his family.
At age eighteen, present day, Chimera realized that this was what the dragon meant. She had to be removed as a princess so she could grow. So she could know hardship and hiding and suffering. Now, it was time to go home. In three years, the Dragon Festival would be hosted by Solaria again, and the Dragon would reveal her true identity to the people. But why wait for that? Cassandra and Radius were getting married.
Chimera would finally receive her birthright.
II.
Stella was a beautiful baby. The pride and joy of her mother and father and seven older siblings and three aunts and six uncles and four grandparents- all of whom lived in a small house on the edge of the capital city of Eguskine in the realm of Solaria. She had soft hair that was the color of golden sunshine, and was longer than the hair of an average two-year-old. She had a bright smile and a sweet laugh and (as her parents realized when she levitated butterfly cookies down from the top shelf) powerful magic that bloomed earlier than they had ever seen in a fairy.
Her parents raised her well, raised her to do right. Their one mistake was taking their youngest daughter to the Dragon Festival.
They had put much thought behind it. They knew that the Company of Light would come and enjoy the festival, as it was a sacred thing, and not even the bitter Ancestresses would think to attack while the festival was in session. If the Company of Light was there, that would mean that Alyxa Griffin, the great teacher, would be there. With luck, Alyxa could recommend a teacher that the family could afford. Stella had a gift, and needed to be able to use it, but it was hard enough to get by without extra expenses.
Stella's mother and father, Perseus and Aviette, searched all over the festival for Alyxa Griffin, but with no luck. Stella, in Aviette's arms, gave her mother a hug.
They finally spotted Alyxa. Perseus began to run to her, Aviette and Stella close behind. Just as Perseus was within a good distance to call out to Alyxa, the crowd went silent. "Not now," Perseus groaned slightly. "Can't the give and take ceremony wait just a little while longer?"
But no. The priestess was already speaking. "Give and take maintains the balance of the universe. I have given you balance; I have given you life. This year, as every year, I give you instructions so that I may give you a blessing."
"Speak, oh great Dragon. We will obey," the king said, to forward the important ceremony.
"I insist that your princess be traded for a common girl."
"What?" the queen demanded over the silence.
"You have heard my wish! Take Princess Mahinda and give her to a peasant woman. Then, hunt down the girl whose hair and name speaks of the sun. You will raise her as your own daughter, love her as your own. She and Mahinda will one day meet, and it is then that you will learn why I ask this of you. It is not a small thing to give up your daughter, I know. But this is what I wish... and what I shall have!"
Aviette looked down at her daughter. The girl whose hair and name speaks of the sun.
The king and queen were arguing now, the queen trying to keep Princess Mahinda in her arms, and the king trying to take her away. An echo of the royal mother, Aviette clutched Stella close. Nothing, nothing at all, could make her give Stella up.
The argument ended after a few minutes, and the king announced auditions for a caretaker for Mahinda. Then, publicly, he turned to his guard. "Now, find the girl the Great Dragon spoke of. Her hair and name shall speak of the sun."
Aviette tugged at Perseus's sleeve. "We have to go, Percy."
"Why?" he said, distracted. "Alyxa's right there. Here, give Stella to me, and Alyxa will look at her and test her for powers."
"No! They're going to be looking for her! They're going to take our daughter away!"
"That's ridiculous, Aviette!"
"Were you even listening to the give and take ceremony?"
"You there!"
Aviette and Perseus turned. A guard member was approaching. "Show me that girl!"
Perseus brought the guard to Aviette, who pressed Stella's face gently into her breasts, trying to hide her daughter's face. "This is my daughter, the most beautiful child in the land."
"She has lovely blonde hair," the guard said. "What is her name?"
"Stella of Solaria."
"Stella. That's a sun name, isn't it?"
Perseus nodded. "Yes. She is named for the fifth queen in the House of Radius."
The guard ripped Stella from Aviette. Both mother and daughter cried out. "This is the girl we are looking for," the soldier said. "I promise she will be well cared for in the palace. We thank you for serving the kingdom and the Great Dragon."
He took Stella away. And Aviette dropped to her knees and cried.
Author's Note: I've had this plot bunny in my head for a while. No idea where it came from. Hope you enjoyed!