Alfea School for Fairies, Part 1
It was hunger that woke Bloom up. What time is it? She rolled over to see the digital clock on the nightstand, which informed her that it was nearly time for lunch.
"Good morning, Bloom."
Bloom sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Morning, Mom."
Vanessa hugged her and kissed her cheek. Her parents had never been shy about showing affection, but both of them had been freer with hugs than usual since she'd returned last night. "Are you feeling better?" Vanessa asked.
"I am," Bloom said. She wasn't anywhere near as exhausted as she'd been the day before. She'd crashed as soon as she and Mike had made it to the hotel room. "I'm pretty hungry though."
"Your father went by the house to see if he could find anything salvageable," Vanessa told her. "He should be on his way back soon, and he's going to pick up lunch for us."
"Sounds good," Bloom said. "I'll shower while we wait."
The hot shower was nice, and Bloom took her time. I wonder how Stella's doing today. Hope she's feeling better too. When she was done with her shower, Bloom was a little dismayed to realize that she was going to have to wear the same clothes that she'd had on the day before. Oh well, nothing for it, I guess.
By the time she left the bathroom, Mike had returned bearing pizza. Bloom eagerly accepted a slice of pepperoni and mushroom and settled on one of the beds to eat.
"So, what now?" Bloom asked between bites. She wasn't overly eager to hear the verdict on the level of damage to their house, but it would be silly to pretend that she didn't need to know.
"Well," Mike said, "there isn't much from downstairs that can be saved. Luckily the fire was contained before it spread upstairs, so if we can manage to get the smell of smoke out of the stuff upstairs, we won't have to throw quite as much away. Our insurance should cover the cost of the repairs, but it's going to be several weeks minimum before we can move back in."
Bloom chewed her bite of food slowly, trying to ignore the pinpricks of guilt that she felt. She hadn't purposely set their house on fire, but that didn't change the fact that it was still her fault. Swallowing, she asked, "And what about Alfea?"
Mike and Vanessa exchanged a look. "We haven't made up our minds about that," Vanessa said. "What are you thinking about it, Bloom?"
"I think I'd like to go," Bloom said. "I mean, I know it's in another dimension and all, but I have magic. What if I lose control again? No one got hurt yesterday, but what if next time someone does?" Bloom shrugged. "If there was somewhere on Earth that I could learn magic, I'd stay, but Ms. Faragonda said there isn't." Ms. Faragonda had said that there hadn't been anyone who could use magic on Earth in centuries. Bloom didn't have a clue why she could use magic now when that was supposed to be impossible, but the fact was that she could. "I need help, and I think Alfea might be my best chance to get it."
"We'll see," Mike said. He tossed his paper plate in the nearby trashcan. "In the meantime, we'd better head to the store and get a few essentials. I don't know about you two, but I'd like a change of clothes."
Bloom normally had fun shopping, but she didn't find it nearly as exciting as usual that afternoon. There was a big difference between getting new stuff because you wanted to, and getting new stuff because you'd destroyed most of the stuff you already had. The shopping trip lasted several hours, and when they had what they needed they returned to their hotel. Eager to be in clean clothes, Bloom immediately changed into a new pair of jeans and a soft green t-shirt.
They'd only been back at the hotel for a few minutes when a sudden glow announced the arrival of Ms. Faragonda. The Headmistress smiled at Bloom and her family. "Good afternoon. I hope this is a good time."
"It's fine," Vanessa said, stepping forward to shake Ms. Faragonda's hand. "I'm Vanessa, Bloom's mother. Thank you for taking care of her yesterday."
"It was no trouble at all," Ms. Faragonda said. "Now, I'm assuming the two of you probably have questions for me about Alfea."
"We do," Mike said. "First, we're not thrilled about Bloom going somewhere that we have no way to reach. We can't make portals to other dimensions."
Ms. Faragonda nodded. "An understandable concern. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about your ability to reach Alfea, but I can provide Bloom with a trans-dimensional phone that will enable her to call you, and I can also arrange to have her sent home for every school holiday."
"And, while we appreciate that you seem to want to help Bloom, we can't help but wonder why," Vanessa said. "We can tell from the brochure you gave us that your school is probably normally expensive, but you're offering to let Bloom attend for free."
"I'll be honest, it's not something that we frequently do," Ms. Faragonda said, "but Bloom's situation is unique. There have been no fairies born on Earth in several centuries. I'd like to know if Bloom's abilities are a fluke, or if they are a sign that magic is returning to Earth."
Bloom's parents exchanged a look here, and Bloom thought that she knew what it meant. It was a startling idea, that there might be more people on Earth with magic, but it was also a comforting idea. It meant Bloom wasn't necessarily alone with her struggles.
Ms. Faragonda continued, "Either way, Bloom still needs training."
"We're still not comfortable with sending Bloom to a place we've never seen," Mike said.
"I wouldn't expect you to be," Ms. Faragonda said. "If you would like, I can take you on a tour of the school."
"Can we?" Bloom asked eagerly.
Mike and Vanessa exchanged looks again, and slowly Mike nodded. "I think we'd better."
With a wave of her hands and a few whispered words that Bloom didn't quite catch, Ms. Faragonda opened up a swirling portal in the air. "Right this way."
Despite everything, Bloom couldn't help the excitement that stirred in her as she walked through the portal. Maybe her introduction to the magical world hadn't been everything she could have hoped, but she was about to see an actual school for fairies, a school that she might soon be attending.
The portal deposited them in a large, comfortable office. Behind the neatly organized desk was a wall that was almost entirely made of windows, and Bloom was immediately drawn to them to look out over the campus grounds. "Oh, wow." Manicured lawns stretched away from the building they were in, ending at a high wall. Paths crisscrossed the lawn, and artful trees and flowers made it seem more like a park than school grounds. She could see students walking around, or gathering in clumps to talk.
"Welcome to Alfea," Ms. Faragonda said, and it was plain by the tone of her voice that she was quite proud of the school that she ran.
"It's beautiful!" Bloom said.
"The view is lovely," Ms. Faragonda agreed. "But there is much more to Alfea than the courtyard."
She led them out of her office into the hallway, and Bloom was quickly struck by the elegance of the school. Alfea was much fancier than any school she had ever seen before, though it still had things in common with regular schools as well. There were classrooms, labs, a library, a gym, even a cafeteria. It was prettier than any other school she'd seen, but it was still definitely a school.
"Ms. Faragonda – oh, my apologies, I didn't realize you were with guests."
"It's no problem, Griselda," Ms. Faragonda said. "This is actually good timing. I'd like to introduce you to Bloom, the young lady I was telling you about yesterday. These are her parents, Mike and Vanessa. This is Griselda, the Assistant Headmistress and Head of Discipline here at Alfea."
Head of Discipline certainly seemed to fit Ms. Griselda. Everything about the woman seemed severe, from her square glasses, to her angled haircut, and her high necked blouse.
"It's nice to meet you," Bloom said quickly. She had a feeling that if she attended Alfea, Ms. Griselda was one teacher that she would not like to get on the wrong side of.
"Likewise," Ms. Griselda replied. Shifting her attention back to Ms. Faragonda, Ms. Griselda added, "If you could inform me when you've finished your tour, I need to meet with you."
"Certainly, Griselda," Ms. Faragonda said.
Ms. Griselda nodded at Bloom and her parents and then marched off down the hall. Students quickly edged out of her way, much to Bloom's amusement. Yeah, she definitely has a reputation around here.
"Shall we continue?" Ms. Faragonda said, gesturing with one hand.
"I think we've seen enough," Mike replied.
Bloom glanced between her parents. She couldn't guess from that tone of voice what decision they might have reached.
"Oh my gosh, Bloom!"
Bloom didn't even have time to completely turn around before arms wrapped around her shoulders in a hug that almost knocked her over. Bloom laughed. "Hi, Stella."
Stella abruptly let go of her and stepped back, hands on her hips. "I can't believe you left yesterday without so much as a goodbye!"
"Sorry about that," Bloom said, rubbing the back of her head. "But I wasn't sure when you'd wake up, and I needed to let my parents know that I was okay."
"Well, I suppose I'll just have to forgive you this time," Stella said. Her wide smile quickly returned. "So, are you going to come to Alfea after all?"
Bloom glanced back at her parents. "I think we're about to find out."
Her parents exchanged another silent look. It seemed like they'd been doing that a lot lately. Veronica nodded slightly and Mike said, "We're willing to let Bloom try for a semester."
Stella squealed and hugged Bloom again, making Bloom laugh. "You're going to love it here, Bloom!"
"Stella, why don't you show Bloom your room?" Ms. Faragonda said. "Her parents and I have some paperwork to go over."
"Is she going to take Veranda's spot?" Stella asked eagerly.
Ms. Faragonda nodded, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "Somehow I doubt her roommates would get any peace if I put her somewhere else."
"Alright!" Stella cheered before tugging Bloom along. "Come on, roomie! I'll show you where we're staying."
"I can't believe this is really happening," Bloom said as Stella dragged her through the halls.
"Oh, it's happening," Stella said with a grin.
Bloom smiled back, but her smile dimmed as she remembered being attacked by the ogre, and the damage she had done to her home when her magic had gotten out of control. Yes, getting to come to Alfea felt like a miracle, but not everything that had happened over the past two days had been wonderful.
"Hey, Stella?"
Stella glanced back at her, slowing down when she saw the expression on Bloom's face. "What is it?"
"What happened? Back at my house, I mean, before you transported us to Red Fountain." Bloom knew the basics thanks to what Ms. Faragonda had put together; she'd obviously lost control of her magic when the ghoul attacked her and set her house on fire. But piecing that information together was different than hearing it from the one person that had actually seen what had happened.
"What's to tell?" Stella asked, waving one hand. "You destroyed some baddies, passed out, and I got us out of there. No big."
Bloom crossed her arms over her chest. "Stella. I almost completely burned down my house. What. Happened."
Stella winced and sighed at her tone. "Okay, okay." She glanced around. The hallway wasn't crowded, and the other girls weren't paying any attention to them, but even so Stella pulled her into a deserted alcove and spoke quietly. "So what's the last thing you remember?"
"Getting jumped by the ghoul," Bloom said. Her skin crawled at the memory of its weight slamming into her, but she tried hard not to show it.
Stella nodded. She didn't seem surprised that that was the last moment that Bloom remembered. "Right. That was sort of the moment where your winx got out of control. I mean, winx just started pouring out of you, and it wiped out the ghouls on contact. The ogre ran out the back door to get away from the fire. So all the danger was gone, but you were unconscious at that point, and your magic wasn't really stopping."
That all matched up with what Ms. Faragonda had told her. Bloom had to repress a shiver at the image Stella was painting though. The idea of being so out of control was terrifying. If there had been innocent people in the building – if her parents had been in the building – she could have really hurt them.
I could have killed them.
Bloom shook her head to dislodge the thought, fingers digging into her arms. She was not going there. Besides, she was going to be trained now. She'd learn how to control her magic, and nothing like that would happen again.
"So how'd you snap me out of it?" Bloom asked. It wasn't going to happen again. She wouldn't let it. But…just in case. She ought to know.
Stella shifted from foot to foot, her eyes darting towards the hallway as if checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping on them. "I might have sort of merged our winx."
Bloom frowned. The information didn't really mean anything to Bloom, but it was obvious from the way Stella was acting that it was kind of a big deal. "And what does that mean?"
Stella sighed. "Merging winx is a high level technique. It's sort of like touching another person's soul. Which is a total invasion of privacy, I know, but it was the only way I could think of to get you the message that we weren't in danger anymore!" She clasped her hands in front of her, Stella's brown eyes wide and beseeching. "Honest, Bloom, it was the only thing I could think of!"
Bloom still wasn't sure she quite understood what Stella was talking about. But she did get that Stella seemed worried she'd be upset about it. "Stella, it's okay," Bloom said, letting her arms fall to her sides. "I'm just glad you were able to think of something to help me get my magic back under control."
Stella visibly relaxed, her smile returning. "Oh, good. And I haven't noticed any side effects yet, so we'll probably be okay."
"Wait, what?" Bloom demanded as Stella winced. "Stella, what kind of side effects?"
Stella didn't meet her gaze, twirling some of her blonde hair around a finger. "It's nothing, really. It's just, if you're not careful, well, the fairies involving in a merge can end up forming a link with each other. That's all."
Bloom ran a hand over her face. Getting specifics from Stella was proving to be more effort than Bloom would have liked. "What kind of link?"
"Um, I don't really know details about that part," Stella said. "But hey, neither of us have noticed anything weird, so we probably don't have to worry about it!"
"Any chance this school has a magical library where we can study the potential side effects of merging our winx?" Bloom asked dryly.
Stella blinked, tapping one finger against her chin. "Oh, yeah, it does. I always forget about the library. But we should probably do this research sort of secretly. Just to kind of avoid drawing attention from anyone that might be a little, shall we say, less than thrilled to know that I was using a high level technique like that. Mkay?"
"Sure, Stella," Bloom agreed. So long as there weren't any side effects that she might need help with, Bloom didn't mind keeping it a secret.
"Great!" Stella linked arms with Bloom, pulling her back out into the hall. "Now that we've got that cleared up, on to our room! I'll introduce you to our other roomies too."
"Other roommates? How many of us are living in one space?" Bloom asked.
"There's five of us, but don't worry, Alfea has decent sized rooms," Stella assured her. "We've got a common living room, three bedrooms, and each bedroom has a bathroom. You and I will share a room. Two of the other girls – Tecna and Musa – share another room, and the last girl – Flora – has a room to herself, which is just as well seeing as she basically brought a garden with her."
Stopping in front of a door, Stella gestured grandly. "And here we are!"
I'm never going to be able to find our room again. I need a map of this place.
Stella pushed the door open, and Bloom followed her inside. "Oh, wow." Like every other part of Alfea, it was pretty. Plush carpet covered the floor, and tall windows of the far wall let in streams of natural light. A couch and two oversized chairs were arranged in a circle around a coffee table, clearly intended as a place to encourage conversations. No TV though, which was just a little disappointing.
There was a girl curled up in one of the chairs with a tablet, who glanced up as the two of them entered. "Oh, hello," she said.
Whoa, that's got to be dye, right?
The girl was pretty, with high cheekbones, fine features, and bright teal eyes, but the trait that stood out the most about her was her hot pink pixie cut hair. If the color was a dye job, this girl has the best stylist that Bloom had ever heard of, because the impossible color looked completely natural on her.
"Hey, Tecna!" Stella said cheerfully. "This is our new roommate, Bloom! Bloom, this is Tecna."
Tecna set her tablet down on the end table next to her chair and stood. Wow, she's tall. Several inches taller than Bloom, and with a slender build, Tecna could definitely have pulled off being a model if she'd been interested. But Bloom got the feeling that she wasn't interested in that sort of thing. Tecna hadn't bothered to wear any makeup, and her outfit – a loose purple tunic over leggings and mismatched socks – spoke far more of comfort than style.
She walked forward and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Bloom."
Bloom shook her hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you too."
"Move in day for freshmen was the day before yesterday," Tecna said. "Why have you arrived so late?"
"Um," Bloom said, caught off guard by the abrupt question.
"Tecna," Stella sighed. "We've told you! Small talk before you start information gathering!" She turned to Bloom. "You'll have to excuse her. Tecna's from Zenith, you see. They're all about logic and stuff, and they don't really do small talk well."
Tecna was frowning, but not as though she were bothered by Stella's reprimand, merely puzzled. "I apologize if I have overstepped a social line."
"It's fine," Bloom said. "I guess I'm sort of a special case. I'm from Earth, so I kind of got in last minute after Stella showed up, and the ogre thing happened…I guess it's kind of a long story."
Tecna's head tilted to the side. "You're from Earth? That should be impossible. Magic hasn't existed there in centuries."
Bloom shrugged. "So I've been told. But I definitely have magic, so here I am."
Tecna was eyeing her with interest now, as though she'd turned into a particularly intriguing puzzle. "I see. Well, being from Earth, I suppose Magix must be a very different place for you. If you need any assistance, please don't hesitate to ask."
Bloom smiled at her. Tecna was a little different, but the offer was a nice gesture, and she seemed sincere. "Thanks, Tecna, I appreciate it."
"Are Flora and Musa here?" Stella asked.
"Flora is in her room tending to her plants," Tecna said. "Musa went exploring."
"I guess you'll have to meet Musa later," Stella said, "but I'll go ahead and introduce you to Flora."
Tecna nodded at them before returning to her seat, and Stella led Bloom to a door on their right. She knocked, and a moment later it was opened by another girl, presumably Flora. She was slightly shorter than Bloom, with light brown skin, and waist length brown hair tied back in a thick braid. She was dressed in a patchwork, ankle length skirt with a loose, flowy top that was the same shade of green as her wide eyes. She smiled at them. "Good afternoon, Stella. Who's your friend?" Her voice was soft and sweet.
"This is our new roommate, Bloom!" Stella said. "She's taking Veranda's place. I wanted to make sure she's introduced to everyone. Bloom, this is Flora."
"Nice to meet you," Bloom said.
"It's wonderful to meet you," Flora said, loosely clasping her hands in front of her and causing the bangles on her wrists to jingle softly.
A peppy tune chirped through the air, startling Bloom. "Oh, sorry," Stella said, pulling a cell phone out of her pants pocket. "Let me check this real quick."
Bloom stared for a moment, caught off guard by the sight of Stella using something as mundane as a cell phone. Well, Tecna did have a tablet. I guess I just didn't really think about magical people having similar technology to us, because well…they've got magic.
Stella squealed, bouncing on her heels for a moment as her fingers rapidly typed a reply to whatever message she'd gotten. "Sorry, Flora, we'll have to chat later. Come on, Bloom, the guys are waiting for us!"
"Guys?" Bloom asked blankly.
Stella slipped her phone back in her pocket, and then grabbing Bloom's hand she pulled her along to the door. Bloom helplessly waved bye to Flora, feeling bad for running off so quickly. Flora just smiled and waved as they went off.
"Right, I guess you didn't technically meet them," Stella said as she continued to pull Bloom along. "So, after you got your winx under control, I teleported us to Red Fountain to get away from the ogre, right? Not that I was exactly aiming for Red Fountain, but that's where we went. I've got some friends there, and we sort of showed up in their room, and then I passed out. Anyway, I didn't really get a chance to talk to them before Ms. Faragonda brought me here, so they've come to check on us."
"Wait, so these guys saw me yesterday, while I was unconscious?" Bloom asked.
"Ye-ep!" Stella chirped as they made it outside.
Bloom repressed a groan. She didn't know what she'd looked like yesterday right after the fight, but she had seen what she looked like that morning before her shower. It hadn't been pretty. Guess the chance for a good first impression is out the window.
Of course she had been in a fight right before meeting them. That ought to earn her a little bit of grace, so far as making a first impression.
Stella slowed down as soon as the front gate was in view, as though she had all the time in the world to make it there. The sudden change in pace made Bloom stumble a little, but luckily she didn't actually fall flat on her face.
Geez, what's with her? Rushing to get there, then slowing down, acting like it's no big deal. You want to see your friends or not?
As they drew closer to the gate, Bloom spotted three guys waiting for them. One of them noticed Stella right away, breaking away from his friends to approach her. Olive skinned with brown eyes and tousled brown hair, he had a build that reminded Bloom of high school quarterbacks. His gaze swept over Stella intently, and he smiled. "Hey, Stella. You're looking better."
Stella pouted. "Sky, I can't believe you'd imply there's ever a time I don't look good!"
"To be fair, yesterday was kind of rough," Bloom said.
Stella glared hands on her hips. "Bloom!"
Bloom raised her hands in surrender. "I'm only telling the truth."
"Looks like you're doing better too," said the second guy. This one was slightly taller than Sky, and with a leaner build. More like a runner than a football player. His blond hair was a little longer than Bloom usually liked on guys, hanging down around his jawline, but he pulled it off. He had the most brilliant blue eyes she'd ever seen on anyone, and when he smiled at her, he showed off a dimple on one cheek.
"Um, yeah," Bloom said.
"We haven't been properly introduced yet," Sky said. "I'm Prince Sky, and this is Brandon, my bodyguard. And Timmy here is one of our roommates."
"Nice to actually meet you," Timmy said with an affable grin. He was cute too, though more in a boy-next-door kind of way, with red hair, freckles, and brown eyes framed by square glasses.
"Yeah, sorry about dropping in on you guys like that," Bloom said.
"It's fine," Sky said, waving a hand in dismissal. "We're training as heroes, after all, so we're always available to rescue damsels in distress," he added with a wink.
Bloom smiled. Normally she'd take offense at being referred to as a damsel in distress, but Sky kept his tone light enough that it didn't come across as condescending.
"What, no Riven today?" Stella asked.
"He said he was too busy getting ready for classes tomorrow," Timmy said. "Also that you were probably fine and we were worrying too much."
"I'm touched by his concern," Stella said dryly. She shook her head. "Anyway, I'm glad you guys came! It's been way too long."
"Wouldn't have been nearly so long if you hadn't gotten yourself expelled last year," Brandon said with a laugh.
Bloom felt her eyes go wide. "You were expelled?"
"Oh yeah," Sky said. "Bloom, you've befriended Alfea's resident trouble maker."
"I wasn't making trouble!" Stella protested. "I was trying to make a new shade of pink! It was for fashion! It wasn't like anyone got hurt in the explosion!"
Bloom was suddenly glad that her parents were still with Ms. Faragonda. If they started hearing things like "explosion" and "expelled" they might have second thoughts about letting Bloom stay.
"Did it work?" Bloom asked.
Stella sighed, crossing her arms. "Sadly, no. And my parents wouldn't let me try to perfect the spell at home, either."
"Speaking of your parents," Sky said, "have they gotten any leads on that ogre that attacked you?"
"Not that I've heard," Stella said. "Hope they find something soon, or I'll be stuck on campus forever!"
Bloom shifted, a little uncomfortable at the reminder that the ogre that had attacked them was still running free. And he hadn't succeeded in getting Stella's scepter, so what was to stop him from attacking again?
Brandon must have noticed her discomfort, because he spoke up quickly. "Don't worry, Bloom, the ogre won't come to Alfea. That would just be asking to get captured, especially with the professors here."
"He's right," Timmy agreed. "Ogres aren't really known for their intelligence, but they aren't that stupid."
"Thanks," Bloom said. "That is reassuring."
Sky tossed an arm around Stella's shoulders. "And don't you worry about your imprisonment. We'll make sure to visit you so you don't get too bored. Why, we'll even make a special trip to see you next weekend."
Stella elbowed him, causing Sky to let go of her with a grunt. "Please. As if I don't remember Alfea is hosting the Welcome Dance this year. Of course you'll be here; it's mandatory."
Sky rubbed his chest where she'd elbowed him, but he still managed to smile at her. "So you'll save the first dance for me, right?"
Stella rolled her eyes, but she was smiling too, and finally it clicked in Bloom's head.
Oooh. They like each other!
Now that she'd realized it, it seemed totally obvious. They'll be cute together.
"So, there's a dance?" she asked Brandon and Timmy, deciding to let Sky and Stella flirt in peace.
"Right, I guess you wouldn't know about that," Brandon said. "It's a tradition dating back since the schools were founded. Every year each school takes turns hosting it. Last year was Red Fountain, this year is Alfea, and next year is Cloud Tower."
Bloom frowned. There was a third magical school? Cloud Tower? She hadn't heard anything about that yet. "I've got to find some kind of informational book about Alfea."
"I guess it's pretty different from Earth, huh?" Timmy said, startling Bloom.
"I didn't tell you guys that," she said.
"Um, no," Brandon said. He rubbed the back of his head, looking kind of sheepish. "Sky and I heard Stella's explanation when she was telling Ms. Faragonda what happened. Sorry about that. We weren't meaning to pry into your business, but Stella's a friend. We wanted to know what had happened to her for her to be that hurt."
Bloom could understand that. "I guess if one of my friends showed up mysteriously hurt, I'd want to know what was going on too."
Timmy glanced down at his watch. "I hate to break up the conversation, but if we're going to get back to Red Fountain before curfew we'd better get going soon."
Brandon nodded. "Right. It was nice getting to meet you, Bloom."
"Same here," Bloom said.
"Sky, it's time to go," Brandon said.
Sky shot him a look, seeming exasperated at the interruption, but he joined his friends. Brandon waved at Bloom as they walked out the gate, and boy was his dimple cute when he smiled like that. "I'll see you at the dance, Bloom."
Her mouth was suddenly dry, and it took her a moment to come up with a reply. "Yeah, see you!"
"Well, that's the guys," Stella said, turning back toward Alfea. "Except Riven. I guess you'll meet him at the dance."
Bloom followed, letting Stella's chatter wash over her as she kept picturing Brandon's parting smile.
I think I'm really going to like it here.
AN: Ugh, so many character introductions, and I didn't even get through all of them. Why does Winx Club have so. many. characters? So, not much action in this chapter, but I was trying to get some characters established so that I can hopefully move things forward a little quicker.
A quick note about Cloud Tower. The way it's portrayed in the show, Cloud Tower very much comes across as an Evil School for Training Villains. I don't like that. It doesn't make sense to me. So, I'm changing things up a bit. Cloud Tower and Alfea definitely still have a rivalry going on, I'm cool with that. But the witches aren't all going to automatically be terrible people either. Just stick with me, and hopefully you'll enjoy the way it plays out.
