Thank you everyone for all your reviews so far. For the next few chapters I'll be showing the winx club and specialists and explaining how their lives have been changed since Baltor's rise to power, so there will be some flashbacks.

Warning: For all you Baltor fans, it may not end well for him!

Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club all rights go to Iginio Straffi.


Chapter Two

Musa slowly made her way through the halls of Alfea. She'd just had another one of her nightmares. She had them all the time after the final battle with Baltor, but they seemed to be happening more frequently now.

A whole year had passed and all of Magix was still trying to recover. Baltor had sent a flood that engulfed Cloud Tower, twisters that ravaged Red Fountain's campus, fire that consumed almost all of Alfea, and not to mention the earthquake that nearly destroyed the city of Magix. By the looks of things the schools of Magix didn't think they would be able to open up the following school year. It had been a hard summer rebuilding, but they had gotten the schools up and running again.

Exiting through the main doors, Musa began her routine walk through Alfea's garden.

"I see you couldn't sleep either." Musa looked up to see the friendly red haired witch Mirta peeping through a state-of-the-art telescope.

Musa only shook her head. Musa, Mirta, and Riven were the only ones among their friends that remained in Magix. A part of her felt guilty about not returning to her home planet. After all she was the guardian fairy of Melody, but Alfea needed her more. With Baltor slowly gaining power, the people of the magical dimension were at risk. No place was safe, and the schools of Magix needed all of the help they could get. That was why she had stayed.

And they needed to prepare themselves for the coming war. She grew rigid thinking back on that spring day. Hugging herself as if to ward off a chill, she closed her eyes trying to keep the tears that were welling up in her eyes from escaping. No matter how much time had passed it still hurt to think about that. Although she's had plenty of time to heal, the wounds still bled openly.

One Year Ago…

She sat in the middle of Alfea's garden, her head buried in her knees. For the past hour she'd been their crying her heart out. It had all come to be too much to bear. It had been hard enough facing the reality of it all. He'd taken Bloom and planned to do only the Great Dragon knew what with her, but none of them had expected his return.

The messenger pixie Libby had come to Musa and the others, her eyes wide with terror speaking erratically. They could hardly make out what she was saying, she was speaking so fast. Musa had asked her to slow down and that was when she told her, "Baltor has sent an army."

They were all still battered from the first battle. There was no way they could fight. And what could he possibly want with them? With complete control of the dragon fire, Baltor had the entire magical world at his finger tips. Those among them that weren't too badly injured gathered preparing for a fight. Seeing the boys with their weapons and the girls in their fairy forms Baltor's guard merely told them to drop their weapons, they had not come seeking battle.

They said they didn't come for a fight, but they wanted Timmy and Tecna. Baltor had some sort of project in the works and he needed their assistance. Then the man, Cáel, the head of Baltor's guard laid eyes on Flora. He was instantly taken with her, so he took her. Helia of course wasn't giving up Flora without a fight, and after being defeated was taken by the guards as well.

Here Musa was helpless, without a clue as to what she should do. So she did the only thing that she could. She cried, hoping that some kind of way the tears would wash away the pain and grief she felt.

She'd heard footsteps knowing someone was approaching, but didn't let that stop her from wallowing in her grief. She continued to cry, rocking herself back and forth; waiting for the pain of loss to numb.

Then she heard something hit the ground with a soft thud. Looking up she saw Riven standing over her, his face twisted in an unreadable expression. Looking down she saw that he had dropped a sword at her feet.

Before she could open her mouth to speak he simply said, "This is your only way out of this mess," he said pointing to the sword. "Magic is next to useless against Baltor. This matter will need to solved without the use of magic."Knowing that Riven was right, Musa only nodded her head showing that she understood.

For the past year Riven had been training Musa, as well as the others from the schools of Magix, together they were the rebellion, the magical universe's only hope. Riven taught them all that he had learned during his four years at Red Fountain. He trained Mirta as well. She had been devastated by Flora's kidnapping. Flora had been the one Mirta was closest with.

"The stars say a new war is beginning." Mirta said breaking the silence between them.

Musa looked up at the clusters of stars in the night sky trying to study them, but Musa had never been very good in astrology or astronomy, and couldn't tell one constellation from the next. They were all specks of light in the sky to her. "So they say all that?" She asked frowning up at the sky.

Mirta only nodded. "I've been studying them for the past month." She began pointing out the different constellations and began explaining what they meant. Then began to explain how the positioning of the planets in the constellation correlated.

They were deep in discussion when Riven found them. Mirta was showing Musa something in a book she held, while she continued to write down notes. "Ahem," he cleared his throat calling for their attention. The two girls looked away from the book Musa held in her hands and over at the red haired specialist.

"Baltor made an attack on Eraklyon." Riven said not bothering to break the news to them lightly. "He cleaned out their vault filled with ancient spells."

After a few moments of silence Musa spoke, "Is Brandon okay?"

Riven nodded. "He said Baltor and his guard showed Eraklyon no mercy. There weren't too many deaths, but a lot of people were injured. Brandon said he got away with a few scrapes, but he's fine."

"When did this happen?" Mirta asked. It wasn't even in the news yet.

"Early this evening," He answered.

"Have they heard from Sky?" Musa asked.

Riven shook his head. "Brandon said if he doesn't hear from him in a few days, he'll go looking for him." Sky had been off the radar for months. They had all tried getting in touch with him, but he simply did not want to be found. Riven figured it was best they left him be. When he wanted to come back and join their ranks, he knew where to go.


Stella watched from her tower as the golden colored Eraklyon craft landed in the docking area. Looking over at the clock she saw it was two in the morning. He was supposed to have arrived an hour earlier.

Gathering up her skirts she made her way down the long winding staircase, into the foyer, and out the palace doors into the courtyard. She knew she was breaking protocol. She was to have a guard with her at all times. If her parents saw her leaving the palace unprotected, they'd completely lose it. She could already hear them lecturing her. These procedures were put into place with your safety in mind. You can't wander around unprotected. You're the only heir to the Solarian thrown…

The list went on and on. But at this moment that didn't matter.

"Brandon," She called to the brown haired specialist as she saw his form coming into view. Picking up her pace she ran to him throwing her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the ground into a tight embrace.

"I missed you." Brandon whispered in her ear.

"I was so worried." Her eyes began to well up with tears. "We heard about the attack on Eraklyon and I didn't hear from you right away…" She said letting the tears fall freely down her face.

"It's okay." He said pulling her closer kissing her on her forehead. They stood that way for a moment, Stella weeping in Brandon's arms and Brandon running his hands up and down her back in an attempt to comfort her. It felt good to hold her that way. He rarely got to see her these days, with all Baltor had been up to. He would come and visit when he could, but those visits were rare.

Finally regaining her composure, Stella broke away from Brandon wiping the tears from her eyes, and then asked, "Any news on Sky?" When Brandon told her he hadn't heard anything she only sighed. She didn't know why she even asked. Of course he hadn't heard from him.

"I'm going to look for him."

"You said you were going to wait a little while longer." She said reminding him of the conversation they'd had only hours earlier.

Originally he wanted to wait. He'd wanted to give Sky more time, but after seeing all of the damage done to his home, he'd changed his made. Eraklyon needed its prince and he needed his best friend. "Things have changed." He said; the look in his eyes distant.

"I'll go with you." Stella said in response. She was tired of being cooped up in the palace. She was used to being a part of the action and she had a score to settle with Baltor.

"Will your parents allow you?" He asked with a raised brow.

Since Baltor's rise to power her mother Luna had moved back into the palace, for fear of her daughter's safety as well as her own. At first she had been glad to have both of her parents under the same roof together. The happiness has since faded.

Radius and Luna seemed to argue more than they did when they were going through the divorce. The two couldn't seem to agree on anything. With Baltor slowly gaining power the two argued over what precautions should be taken, what procedures should be followed, and the number one cause of their arguments, what should be done regarding the safety of their daughter Stella.

"I told them you would be here. They'll be expecting you in the morning." She said starting off towards the palace.

The two of them walked in silence as they entered into the palace and up the stairs into the guest quarters. "You'll be staying here." She said leading him into a big spacious room. "Sorry it's not made up with all the amenities. Your trip being so last minute, the servants weren't given adequate time to prepare for your arrival."

"As long as I have a bed," Brandon said falling down onto the soft mattress. He could sleep for hours, if he had the time to waste.

"I'll see you in the morning." Stella said flicking off the light on her way out. She knew she should retire to her room, but she was just too wired to sleep. Besides sleep was something she rarely got much of these days. She was just too worried about Bloom. She knew she should be just as worried about Flora, Tecna, Timmy, and Helia, seeing as Baltor took them as well, but she worried whether or not Bloom was okay and what Baltor was doing to her, but perhaps she should be just as worried about Flora. Only the Great Dragon knew what Baltor's guard had done with her.

Looking around at her surroundings she saw that her feet had taken her back up to the tower. She crossed the room over to the window and began to look out again at the night sky. She found herself wondering where Sky was and began to pray that wherever he was he was okay.


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