2. Wise Words

The girls didn't realize how much they missed Alfea until they stopped needing to go anymore.

As the ship landed outside of the school and the girls retained their civilian clothes, they bid farewell to the guys (Brandon and Stella taking about twenty minutes to say their goodbyes because Brandon was still worried) and stepped out onto the grounds just outside of Alfea. They looked upon the illustrious pink building with a sense of pride. It was strange to believe that a few years ago they were walking through the gates for the first time, unaware of all the adventures they would have.

"It looks like it's the first day back," Bloom observed, as she watched various scared looking girls gingerly making their way through the gates holding their luggage.

"Hey, I wonder if Roxy's here?" Musa asked eager to see their newest friend after a summer of being away on missions.

"So why are we here Bloom?" Stella asked, the girls starting to make their way towards the gates.

"You came back to life Stella, as did the sorcerers," Bloom replied, waving at a group of girls who had obviously spotted the Winx Club and were taken-back by their presence. "We can't just let this go, something's up and Faragonda will surely know what's going on."

A few young blonde girls ran up to Stella and asked nicely for an autograph, which Stella gladly signed before returning to the group as they crossed the quadrangle.

"But I mean I'm fine- clearly alive. Maybe that spell wasn't as powerful as we thought and Flora just needs to re-take her first aid course?" Stella supposed, shrugging her shoulders.

"My first-aid techniques are fine Stella!" Flora retorted, sourly. "You didn't have a pulse. I agree with Bloom, there is something up and Faragonda will surely know what it is."

After being cornered by a few juniors who wanted photos, as well as a lecture from Ms Griselda about making an appointment before arriving, the girls made their way up to Ms Faragonda office and Bloom politely knocked, the door opening and the girls filed in. Ms Faragonda was looking out the window, watching the new students enter the school grounds with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Ms Faragonda?" Bloom asked, as the girls lined up in front of the desk and she stepped forwards. "It's us, the Winx. We're sorry for interrupting-"

"I know why you are here girls, and you have done well to come," Ms Faragonda cut off, before turning around and looking down at them along her nose. "I heard about the mission in the Arrada Dimension and what happened to Stella and the sorcerers. You are right Bloom, she was indeed dead."

"What?!" Stella cried, her eyes widening. "How could I have been dead? Please say I'm not a ghost, I don't want to be in there clothes forever- they'll be out of fashion soon, and I really wanna buy these new red pumps!"

Ms Faragonda laughed a little before sitting down and resting her head on her hands.

"You are not dead Stella," Ms Faragonda responded, as Flora placed her hand on Stella's shoulder to calm her down. "But for a few moments, you may have been. You see when every creature dies there is a messenger, The Guide who helps them on the journey from the world of the living to the world beyond."

"So like, that guy with the cloak and the Scythe thing?" Bloom suggested, however the other girls had no idea what she was talking about.

"That is the earth superstition, but yes it's the same idea," Ms Faragonda answered.

"So he really exists?" Bloom asked.

"Not in the way people imagine," Ms Faragonda replied. "Everyone dies, it is the end of every story and there is no way to deny it, however since no-one knows what happens after you die, The Guide was put in place to help bridge the gap between this world and the next. This Guide is chosen at random from any creature in the entire universe; witch, wizard, mortal and even fairies."

"So any of us could be it?" Musa asked sounding slightly horrified at the idea of becoming 'The Guide.'

"No dear Musa," Ms Faragonda said, softly. "Once your powers have fully developed you are no longer eligible and since all of you are well aware of your powers and origins it couldn't be any of you. Normally, the chosen Guide will not develop their powers until they are much older and that is the first obvious sign for magical beings. When their powers are fully grown, the previous Guide will explain to them all of the requirements and pass the title on, but obviously this time that was not the case. After speaking with the fairy council, I have been informed that the previous Guide had completed their run before the next Guide's powers had developed, so the next Guide isn't aware of their responsibility and therefore everyone is currently unable to die."

"But isn't that a good thing Ms F?" Layla said, feeling her eyes beginning to water whilst remembering the pain she felt. "I mean no-one will ever have to feel the sadness I have. Or any of us have. For no-one we care about to die, ever again?"

"No Layla is very much is not," Ms Faragonda answered. "For you see, if no-one ever dies no-one can also ever be born. No more children, ever again. Everyone will continue to age until they are thousands of years old with no new children to grow. The evolution of the entire universe will stop."

"Faragonda's right Layla," Bloom said. "We need to find the next Guide, or else it'll be like the world is on pause for the rest of eternity."

Layla clenched her hands, flooded with anger. Bloom had no idea what she was saying. At first, she had thought Nabu- the love of her life- was dead and none of her friends could ever understand what that felt like. Nabu was her best friend, her soul mate and her everything and the thought that he couldn't be with her for such a long time made every second a difficult one for her, and even though he wasn't entirely dead sometimes it felt like he was. Layla never wanted anyone to feel like that ever again, and besides if any of the girls had lost their boyfriends they would be feeling the exact same way as her.

"Well they could be anywhere," Tecna pointed out, obviously. "You heard Faragonda, Bloom the person is chosen at random. How could we possibly find out who is it?"

"Well girls, the council and I believe the new Guide to be a much younger person than before, due to the fact they haven't discovered their powers yet," Ms Faragonda said, standing and coming around to the other side of the desk. "The council has sent various agents across the realms to find the new Guide as fast as they can- because if this information got out to the public there would be wide spread panic. Perhaps, you could stay here at the school for a while, work with the new freshmen and maybe the Guide could be right under our very noses?"

"You mean like, teach here again!?" Musa asked, sounding excited.

"Of course," Ms Faragonda beamed. "You are fantastic role models and are completely qualified to help out around the school. And besides, the girls all adore you and you weren't able to for very long last year, so this could make up for it."

"We'd love to Ms Faragonda!" Bloom cried, as the girls all smiled and nodded with her.


The Bug watched the girls chattering and smiling, obviously excited by something. It blinked its large red eye a few times, before crawling up and disappearing through the wall out into the roof, jumping off and gliding through the air.

It flapped its legs as it flew across the woods, gaining strength and speed as it flew before it disappeared into tiny pieces, reappearing in a small tower room millions of miles away from where it had been before. The room was simple, and had four large archways on each diagonal wall which led out to a small balcony that surrounded the top tower room; the only access to the room was through these archways. There was a large cauldron in the middle of the room where a tall, lean man wearing a dark robe and holding a large scepter was standing around, chanting something as he waved his free hand over it, his long dark hair swaying as he moved. There were desks up against the walls between the arches, cluttered with various magical experiments and scrolls, with open books lying all over the floor.

Outside leaning up against the stone balcony was a thin woman, wearing a tattered dark outfit and high shoes; her hair was a scarlet red and was long and choppy. She turned when hearing the crackling sound of The Bug arriving and grinned.

"Look Than, The Bug's back," she said, walking over to the creature and leaning down, stroking it as her partner continued his chant.

She disregarded his lack of interest and picked it up, taking it over to a free desk and waving her hand over its eye, The Bug blinked a few times before projecting the image of the six girls and the Alfea Headmistresses Ms Faragonda.

The woman listened intently to the conversation that had just taken place, before quietly laughing in excitement.

"Than, Than you have to listen to this!" the woman cried, looking over to her partner whom had still not registered her or the return of The Bug. "Than, come over here! Those pesky pixies are doing something!"

Her partner continued to ignore her. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, before shooting a dark fireball over at him, her partner quickly taking his free hand away from the cauldron and stopping the ball, bringing it into his hand and crushing it.

"I don't care for pixies Desdemona," her partner replied, lowering his hands and trying to remain calm. "Especially not those stupid Winx fairies, I wish you would just leave them. You are much more powerful than any of them now anyway. You obsession with them is becoming tiresome."

He took a deep breath in and began chanting again, trying to block out the woman.

"No, but if you just listen to me. The girls are-"

"If you interrupt my ritual again, you will become my next sacrifice," the man warned, which caused the woman to grin. "And you know how I treat my sacrifices."

"Fine go ahead, it won't do anything."

His red eyes opened quickly. Did she doubt his infinite power? He could crush her and anyone who came upon him in less than a second, it would barley require a snap of his twisted fingers.

"You doubt me?" he asked, turning to face her and feeling his power surging.

"Not you Than, If you listened to me you'd understand," the woman replied. "The Winx girls have found out that The Guide is missing. No-one can die."

The man stopped. He looked over at the projection from The Bug, showing the six girls frozen as they cheered and hugged one other, before returning his gaze to his partner.

"Well, that's terrible news," he said, wickedly. "We better find it. After all, we don't want all that power falling into the wrong hands do we?"

The man began to laugh at the thought of expanding his power further, before the woman picked up The Bug. She whispered a task to it and walked out into the balcony, releasing it into the breeze with the wicked laughs of it's master echoing for miles.