4. Mara
Stella stormed into the Winx room, clenching her teeth and groaning angrily, startling Bloom, Flora, Musa and Tecna who were sitting in the living area.
"Stel, what's up?" Bloom asked, peering behind the comfy armchair a she was sitting on and looking to her friend who slammed the front door behind her.
She stalked over to the girls, sitting on the armchair opposite Bloom, with Tecna, Flora and Musa occupying the three seat sofa between the two chairs; Tecna in the middle of a video game, Flora feeding a small plant in a pot some plant food and Musa reading a music magazine, all three girls stopping what they had been doing to listen to Stella.
"I got a phone call on my way back from that last lesson- which was a DISASTER may I add!" Stella began, bitterly.
"Why was the lesson bad?" Flora asked, softly as she stroked the little plant's leaves. "I thought you had a sophomore enchantment class?"
"Layla completely ditched, AGAIN!" Stella snapped. "I'm the one who doesn't go to lessons, not her! Anyway, that's not the half of it, the phone call as from Brandon, telling me to go outside. I- thinking there was something wrong- rushed outside to see him and it turns out he only came to check up on me!"
"Well, isn't that nice?" Musa stated, confused.
"Yeah, but not if you're doing it every TWO HOURS!" Stella cried, exasperated.
"He's just worried about you sweetie," Flora explained, kindly. "After all, you did die."
"Yeah, I wish Sky would have enough time to come check on me every two hours," Bloom added.
"It's just getting ridiculous!" Stella continued. "I feel like he thinks I'm helpless or something. I can look after myself, and besides how many times have I gone after him- don't answer that, it's over a hundred, I keep count! And this one time I die, it's all 'Stella, you're a weakling. Let me stalk you.' 'Oh, gotta check that fish has no bones in it, wouldn't want you to choke.' 'How hot is that shower water? You could get burnt!' And that's just the beginning!"
"Wait, he's keeping tabs on you whilst you're in the shower?" Tecna giggled. "That is odd."
"You know what I mean," Stella cried, as the other girls laughed.
There was a sound behind them and the door opened, Layla walked inside and Stella jumped up, holding her hips firmly.
"And where were you before!?" she demanded, crossly.
"I just didn't feel up to it," Layla answered, before walking off down the hallway and into her room, closing her door behind her.
"Why is she being such a GRUMP!?" Stella snapped, sitting back down and crossing her arms. "It's not like we attacked Nabu."
"She's going through a tough time now Stella," Bloom answered, however she knew exactly how Stella was feeling. "And now that this whole debate about life and death has come up, we have to be patient with her. It's bringing back a lot of old emotions."
"You should be the most pissed off with her out of all of us!" Stella cried. "She was the one saying you were wrong about this whole 'Guide' thing and that you didn't care about anyone else except yourself!"
Bloom was taken-back.
"Oops," Stella said. "You probably weren't supposed to know that. Ah well, better out than in."
"Stella!" Flora, Musa and Tecna cried and Stella shook her head, unremorseful.
Bloom had never felt so betrayed. The Winx Club was supposed to be her friends, more than that, her family, and that should she could always trust them to be there for her. But for Layla to be saying stuff like that... obviously she was wrong.
"You know what guys, I'm thinking I'm gonna go to bed," Bloom said, standing up and going to her room. She could hear the others lecturing Stella, but Bloom didn't really want to know what else would slip out.
She passed Layla's closed door and wanted to go in, she wanted to talk to her and stop this stupid feud between them, but she knew it was pointless. Layla had so much going through her head right now, that it would be futile to try and convince her otherwise.
Bloom went to sleep that night, her mind still focused on the girl in the next room and wondering if she would be forced to once again battle her friend, knowing this time the result could be much worse than before.
Layla saw herself, she was up on the west tower where she had been all afternoon and she was crying.
Crying her eyes out… still. She had thought she'd be past these painful feelings, but you never really get over losing the one you love, especially if they are also your first love.
It was strange watching yourself, seeing yourself from an outside perspective. She knew if Stella was seeing herself from an outside perspective, she'd say something like, "My hair looks fantastic in that sunlight! And that wind effect, I need to invest in that somehow!" or something along those lines.
She watched herself talking with Bloom, getting quite emotional before Bloom left and suddenly she was moving back, moving away from herself before she turned around and starting flying away, heading towards the forest before she could hear a laugh, a loud, terrible laugh that reminded her of Lord Darkar. She kept flying and suddenly she stopped, she was looking down and there he was, Nabu, lying peaceful and still. Since his eyes were closed, he just seemed to be sleeping. Suddenly, fire. Fire was everywhere, she looked up and there was Bloom, the Great Dragon circling around her and setting the entire place on fire. Layla could feel the heat as it burned her and she watched as Nabu started melting like wax. She tried to beg Bloom to stop, but no sound came out.
"No, no, no!"
Layla opened her eyes and immediately sat up.
"It was only a dream," she said, thankfully.
She breathed deeply and rubbed her forehead, feeling something wet. She had been sweating. No wonder the dream felt so real.
She lay back down on her bed and rolled onto her side, crying silently, her tears rolling onto her pillow.
She wanted Piff her pixy just to come and lay down on her head, making all of her bad dreams go away, but Piff was back at her palace, millions of miles away.
She wanted Nabu to come and wrap his arms around her, telling her everything was okay, but he was gone, frozen asleep on earth, millions of more miles away.
Layla was known for trying to go it alone, but now she wanted nothing more for someone to be there, to understand.
Bloom awoke early the next morning, showered and changed before heading downstairs, much before even Tecna had woken.
On her way down to the Dining Hall, she passed Ms Faragonda's office and Bloom wondered if she would be awake. She peered her head in and saw Ms Faragonda sitting at her desk, reading a book quite intently.
"Um, Ms Faragonda," Bloom said, quietly and her headmistress looked up, "can I talk to you?"
"Of course you may Bloom, come in," Ms Faragonda answered, closing her book and placing her head on her hands. "What is the problem?"
Bloom walked over and sat down on one of the chairs on the other side of the desk, her head mistresses surveying her obviously distressed previous student.
"The Winx are having a tough time right now," Bloom began, quietly and trying to maintain herself. "And I'm worried it's all my fault. I'm not being a good enough leader, I mean I know it's not an official title, but sometimes I feel it's up to me to keep everyone together and I don't know if I can do it anymore."
"What makes you think that Bloom?" Ms Faragonda asked, shaking her head. "In all my years of teaching, I have never met a group of more determined, street-smart and talented students than you and your friends, Bloom. If you aren't able to remain together, there is little hope that anyone else will be able to maintain their own friendships."
"I know, it's just…" Bloom began, before cutting herself off.
"I am aware of Layla distaste towards the current mission, however I know you'll be able to come together and do the right thing," Ms Faragonda said, smiling. "You always do."
Bloom nodded, before thanking Faragonda and leaving the office, going down for breakfast where a few students had already arrived, Tecna had managed to get down to the dining room whilst Bloom was talking to Ms Faragonda and was already eating some toast with an oddly colored topping.
After breakfast, Bloom and Flora took a defensive class with some juniors before Bloom had a solo with a class of freshmen, Roxy included.
"So that's how you get a portable light source," Bloom explained, concentrating on the glowing yellow sphere she had conjured in her hands.
The students gasped and looked excited at the prospect of making their own before Bloom closed her hands and the sphere disappeared.
"Now it's your turn!" Bloom said, smiling. "Before you leave lesson, I want every one of you to show me a light sphere. Let's start from the back."
All of the students in the back few rows successfully managed to produce a light sphere and eventually, it got down to the last two in the front row, Roxy and the white haired girl from their first lesson.
"Great job Roxy!" Bloom praised, as Roxy clasped her hands together and the sphere disappeared. "Now, lucky last. It's Mara right?"
The white haired girl nodded shyly, looking to Roxy who smiled at her.
"Come on Mara, you can do it!" Roxy reassured her, but Mara was shaking.
She looked down at her hands, and closed her eyes, imagining the light sphere appearing in her hands just like Bloom had told her to, but nothing was happening. She pushed as hard as she could, trying to muster all of her powers, but there was still nothing.
As if by magic, the bell rang and Mara opened her eyes. The other girls were gathering their books and bags and preparing to leave so Mara quickly gathered her own stuff and dashed out of class before Bloom could even speak to her about what had happened.
"Hey Mara, wait!" Bloom called, but the white haired girl had disappeared, before turning back to the students. "Okay, see you guys tomorrow."
The rest of the girls left, apart from Roxy who was still putting her books in her bag. Bloom walked over to her and lent against the desk.
"Roxy, what happened just then?" Bloom asked her, and Roxy looked up, slinging her pink bag behind her bag and shrugging her shoulders.
"I don't know," she answered. "Mara is my roommate, but she's very shy. She only really talks to me and not very often. She told me she gets nervous and that's why she runs out of class all the time, but that's all I know. See you later Bloom."
With that, Roxy left the class leaving Bloom alone with her thoughts.
Ms Faragonda said that The Guide wouldn't know what their powers were and therefore wouldn't know how to use them. Perhaps Mara was the sort of person they were looking for? But, the truth was they didn't even really know what they were looking for, and it wasn't like The Guide was going to turn up right now and confess. The Guide was as clueless as they were.
Bloom was interrupted by a knock at the door and she looked around, seeing Flora and Musa in the doorway.
"Hey Bloom, Ms F just sent for us," Musa explained, quickly. "Come on."
Bloom, Musa and Flora made their way up to Ms Faragonda's office where the rest of the Winx were already standing as well as Timmy, Riven, Helia, Brandon and much to Bloom's excitement…
"Sky!" Bloom cried, rushing over to her fiancé and wrapping her arms around him, both parties very happy to see each other. "What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be able to get away from Eraklyon for ages!"
"When I heard about your mission, I thought Eraklyon could wait," Sky answered, his arms still around Bloom.
"Mission, what mission?" Bloom asked, turning to Ms Faragonda who stood up and placed her hands on her desk.
"The mission Sky is referring to is a very dangerous one indeed," Ms Faragonda explained, sternly. "The attempts of the council to find The Guide have so far been in vain and we are running out of time, more and more people are finding out about their immortality and we must act fast, so we have decided to send you girls to the Dimension of Life and Death, the source of The Guide's Power."
The girls were taken-back.
"But that is one of the most dangerous places in all the magical realms!" Tecna exclaimed, gripping Timmy's hand and shaking slightly.
"Yes, and that is why we are entrusting the task to you and The Specialists," Ms Faragonda answered. "It is the only way to find out more about the next Guide."
"We'll handle it Ms Faragonda!" Bloom cried, bravely.
"Thank you," Ms Faragonda said, smiling. "The fate of the universe seems to have once again, fallen into the hands of The Winx."
"And you wouldn't want it in anyone else's!" Stella cried. "Especially with my new hand moisturizer, some of softest hands in the whole realm are in this very room, thanks to me!"
They laughed. After all, it was much easier than thinking about what horrors awaited them in the strange Dimension.