I do not own Winx Club. I do own a staggering amount of characters that I made up for this project. If you want to borrow any of them, just ask, for I am a benevolent being.
This project picks up after Season One. Haven't seen any other episodes, and I probably couldn't get it to work right otherwise.
To answer your first three questions: Yes, I am a guy. No, I'm not gay. Yes, really.
For those of you who read this the first time it was published, welcome back. For those of you who did not (and for some of you who read but did not understand), I feel I must come clean with you on a few things; consider this the Feral2k Manifesto. One: This is kind of a horror story moreso than anything else. It's kind of dark, and things aren't all sunshine and unicorns like they were in the show. Also, questions might not be immediately answered. It happens all the time in horror stuff; watch some movies and read some (shudder) Steven King and tell me it's not true. Maybe I didn't label the story properly the first time; sorry. Two: I might take extreme liberties with different characters. These things are done to enhance the story, to tie in other characters, or to cause characters to evolve beyond their previous roles. Three: Yes, there are a lot of new characters. Each one has a place and a purpose, even if that place or purpose isn't readily apparent. Four: Updates might not come as quickly as you like. There are two reasons for that. The first is that this story got cut up to ribbons the first time through while other stories were (and still are) doing fantastically, which is actually what caused me to take this down the first time; as a result, I might not spend as much time a week writing this as I do other stories. The second is that I am sometimes called out of the country on "consulting" jobs, and am sometimes away from my computer for weeks if not months, thus not being able to write. Five: I will insert Author's Notes in different points of chapters, starting with Chapter 4 (that's when I started doing it, with the first unpublished chapter). I'm doing this because it would take too long to write up a full commentary like I do for a few of my other stories. It's an unholy pain in the ass, and I only do it with those two because one needed explaining why I made a fan-favorite hero a villain again; the other one I do because I'm doing a whole re-write of the property and want to explain why I changed different characters. You really don't want me doing this here, and I'm not about to start. Last: Do not ruin this story for others. If you don't like it, simply ignore it instead of writing bad reviews every chapter (I'm looking at you, Kikurukina Bal Des'cagel. If you have a problem with being called out, do the diplomatic thing and PM me. I was nice enough to not ruin you the first time around, so you owe me that much.). That's why I took this down the first time, and I'd rather not do that again. With that in mind, I'd like to welcome you to "Year of the Dragon". Enjoy.
Year of the Dragon
The Past Is Prologue
Darcy glared at the guard as he walked by her cell. For a second, she thought about psychically frying his brains, but dismissed the thought almost immediately. It wasn't compassion that made her spare him; the prison she was in had magic dampeners everywhere. She hadn't been able to do anything since her plans for world domination had been thwarted a few months ago. Stopped by a bunch of snot-nosed little-
She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. Thoughts like that wouldn't get her out of here. Thoughts like that might even get her stuck in here longer. However, she couldn't figure out what kind of thoughts would help her get out. It wasn't like she could do anything in here. She didn't even have her sisters here to help her. What was left of Stormy's mind had collapsed without Darcy to hold it together, and Icy had been offered a deal after inspection had revealed Darcy's control of her for the last year or so. With that little bit of evidence, Darcy had been sent to Midnight, probably forever. And forever would be even longer if she was stuck here for it.
Opening her eyes, she looked out the window. Not much to see; Midnight had shifted from whatever stellar system it had been in originally, and was shooting around space like a pinball. The name came from the fact that it was permanently dark; gravitational devices implanted in the core of the planet kept it very far from any stars, leaving the area outside the environmental shield pitch-black and freezing cold. The place was practically escape-proof. Even if you managed to get out of your cell, past the guards and out of the prison complex, you didn't really have anywhere to go.
Darcy was dwelling on this little kernel of information when her cell door opened. The guard knocked on one of the bars to get Darcy's attention. Darcy turned to look at her, and noticed, not for the first time, the little bracelet on the guard's wrist. Most of the female guards wore them, and Darcy was curious about what they did. It took her a moment to realize that the guard was talking to her.
"-our appointed attorney is here. She wants to discuss your options with you."
Darcy slid off her bed and followed the guard down the cell block. Several of the inmates watched her go down the hallway. Most of them made derisive noises as she passed. Darcy willed herself to ignore them, but it was hard to do. In fact, she was terrified of the other inmates, although she tried not to let that show. Closing her eyes, she continued after the guard.
"In here. You've got twenty minutes."
Darcy stepped into the room. It was bright; lighting was terrible in the cell blocks. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw her attorney. She was about Darcy's height, with brown hair hanging to her shoulders. A red diode shone from where her left eye should have been; Darcy did an almost imperceptible double-take when she saw that. The woman extended her arm for Darcy to shake. She did, surprised by the firmness of it. Both women sat down, and the lawyer opened her briefcase.
"We're going for an insanity plea."
"What? No, no, no. I'm not saying-"
"According to many witnesses, you would have conversations with your sisters, whom you controlled. We may be able to spin that into severe multiple-personality disorder, or possibly schizophrenia. You may have to do a little acting, but I think we can get you into a facility other than this one."
"I'm not crazy. I only did the conversation thing so people wouldn't catch onto the mind control thing. I don't care what you do, so long as you don't say I'm insane."
"Very well. I'm done here."
"Wait, that was it? All you had was the insanity plea?"
"Don't worry. I'll discuss this with my associates, and we'll get back to you in a few weeks. Until then, I wish you well."
The lawyer turned and walked out one door, while the guards came in the other to take Darcy back to her cell. She didn't even try struggling; she knew that there was no help to be had. She was going to be stuck here for the rest of her life. She almost started crying.
It had been two weeks since her lawyer had come to see her, as far as she could tell; it was hard to keep track of time when the whole planet was dark. Darcy was curled up on her bed, facing away from the cell door. Her hands were wrapped around a loop she had made out of her pillowcase. One more day in this hellhole, and I'm using it. I don't care what it looks like, I'm not spending the rest of my-
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Darcy perked up at the noise. It sounded like something dense was blowing apart. She couldn't think what it was, but it was coming closer. Thunk. THUNK. THUNK.
Darcy looked up when the noise came from behind her. Her cell door was open, and someone was standing in the way. Whoever it was, their face was covered by a hooded robe. Spikes stuck out in several places, and in its left hand was a large scythe. It beckoned with the right hand.
"You are to go."
"Wait, what?"
"You are to go. Find the mechanoid. It will tell you more."
Darcy slid off her bed and looked down the hallway. The other inmates were nowhere to be seen, but she could hear the distant sounds of fighting. She looked back at the hooded figure, which beckoned towards the exit doors. Darcy turned towards the doors and started walking.
After a half-hour of searching, Darcy was beginning to wonder whether or not this was just a dream. It didn't seem like one, but at this point, she didn't know what to think. She'd been on the brink of hanging herself not too long ago. For all she knew, she had actually done it, and this was just some delusion her oxygen-deprived brain was cooking up as she strangled to death.
She noticed an open door and poked her head in. Lying on the ground was a guard, writhing around. Standing above him was a humanoid. It was a little over five and a half feet tall, with silver arms and brown hair. It was holding a black rod, which Darcy recognized immediately; the rods were designed to give the nervous system a serious jolt whenever a prisoner crossed whatever line that particular guard had set in his or her mind that day. Darcy knocked on the door, and the humanoid turned from the guard. Darcy gasped. It was her lawyer.
There were some differences from the last time they'd met. Instead of any sort of professional garb, the other woman was wearing sneakers, light green pants, a sleeveless zip-up hoodie of the same color, and a white t-shirt. And there was the issue of the silver arms. She dropped the rod and waved a little at Darcy.
"Told you we'd get back to you. Just give me a minute. This is kind of a double-header deal here."
"Wait a minute. Who the hell are you?"
"Well, I'm Virus. Recognize me? Oh, wait. Hold up a second, gotta take care of my face."
Virus hooked the fingers of her left hand around the right side of her nose. Darcy watched as the tips thinned and elongated, appearing to slide under the nose. Virus yanked, and her nose, along with her hair and the entire left side of her face, peeled off. Underneath the mask, her face's left side looked like a metal skull. Her hair, freed from the confines of the wig, was short and ragged, in a screaming neon green. Darcy swallowed hard. If this was the same Virus she knew, she'd probably be better off dead.
The Virus she'd known had been a year older than her. She'd been a terror at Cloud Tower, picking fights with pretty much anyone who looked at her funny. And a lot of people looked at her funny. Virus had been a cyborg, with mechanical arms, one leg, and the left side of her face. But her parts had been bulky and in pretty bad condition. She didn't have parts that looked as sleek and dangerous as the ones this person had.
"Look, thanks for getting me out, but I think I'd better get go-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Virus was in her face. One hand was wrapped around the back of Darcy's head. Darcy didn't know where the other one was, but she was willing to bet that it was holding the blade that she felt pressed up against the roof of her mouth.
"Either you come with us, or we leave you smeared across this God-forsaken rock. Got it?"
Darcy tried to nod without cutting her brainpan open, and did surprisingly well. The point slid back out of her mouth, and Virus pulled her arm back. As she did, Darcy noticed that Virus wasn't actually holding any kind of blade, and found herself wondering how she did it; they were still within the effect of the magic dampeners. When Virus turned around, Darcy noticed that she was wearing one of the bracelets she'd seen on the female guards. Of course. The bracelets negate the dampeners, so the guards can still cast spells.
"Hey, can you get one of those for me?"
"I could, but I don't really want to. Now, make yourself useful, and help me find . . . no, wait. Here it is."
Darcy looked at the item Virus had found. It looked like a circlet to be worn around the head, only it was covered in spikes. Virus held it up as though she was going to put it on, but then decided against it. Threading her arm through the center of the circlet, she snapped her fingers. A shadowy mass crept in through the door, and it took Darcy a few moments to recognize the mass as the being that had freed her from her cell. Once it had coalesced, it drew back its hood, revealing a very stern female face.
"Enough antics, mortal. Have you the Crown?"
"I have. Now, take this one home."
With that, Virus popped out of existence. Darcy glanced nervously at the other. Up close, she looked more than stern; she looked zealous. That look vanished in an instant as the being turned to face her. As the other's stare fixed on her, Darcy found herself wanting to curl up in a ball and die.
"Grab the scythe, girl. He alone knows what use you'll serve, but you must be of some importance."
Darcy grabbed the scythe, and the world went black. For a second, she thought that she really was dead, and this cold, dead blackness was her final moment before her brain shut down completely. That thought only lasted as long as it took the blackness to fade away. As soon as the lights came back, the thoughts of her impending death vanished.
Her first thought was that she had been taken to some billionaire's summer home. As she took in the scenery, she realized that she was standing in some kind of temple. The walls were decorated with artwork depicting what looked like a dragon. She turned around and decided that, if the massive statue behind the altar was any clue, it was indeed a dragon. Before she could figure out any more, she was dragged to her knees by the shadow being.
"You are not worthy to look upon Him, even when He is in this state! Bow your head and-"
"Get your hands off me, you freak!"
With that, Darcy unleashed a torrent of psychokinetic energy, planning to blow this thing across the room. At least, she tried to unleash the energy. Nothing happened to the shadow creature. No flying across the room, no falling over, nothing. Not even a little rustle of her robe.
"Wha-what happened to my powers? What did you do to me!"
A cold hand dropped on Darcy's shoulder. She jumped, whirling around to find Virus standing behind her. The flesh side of her face looked a little worried, while the metal side was stuck in a death's head smile.
"You can't use your powers? That's . . . actually, that's kind of funny, when you think about it. Considering all the effort we went through to bust you out, only to have you as our weakest link . . ."
She burst out laughing, bending over and wrapping her arms around her stomach. The shadow woman glared at her.
"This isn't funny."
"Yeah it is! I mean, come on, you of all people should get this, Tenebra! You remember, when I got you free of-"
"That's enough. If you think it's so funny, maybe you should be the one to figure out how to make her useful."
"All right, fine. Newbie, come with me. We gotta change your appearance first."
"How are you going t-"
"You'll find out. Now, come on. Time's a-wasting."
With that, Virus grabbed Darcy by the arm and led her away, ready to start her down the path of evil once more.
