I recently watched the first episode to the new season of Winx…I still cringe because of the voice actors that Nickelodeon solicited, but at least they have another season running unlike 4Kids who left me hanging after certain events. I'm not going to divulge because I refuse to spoil if you haven't seen every season. I feel like such a kid for watching that along with scattered episodes of My Little Pony and SpongeBob, but I didn't have the best childhood. I think I should compensate for that. Anyways, as promised, some stuff will be revealed in this chapter and I think from this point on, things will get rolling. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.
~Rolyn~
Chapter Four: Flame
"Please May, have a seat."
The green haired Headmistress gestured to the spot where there was supposed to be a chair, but May found nothing. The brunette's brow furrowed in confusion only for her to jump back in surprise when a pastel pink colored winged back arm chair appeared from a puff of smoke and a good dose of sparkles. May mouthed her shock before carefully settling in the seat the Headmistress had offered.
"Thank you, Headmistress," May said politely as she crossed one leg over the other.
The green haired woman smiled gently as she took her own seat behind her desk. Her office was noticeably larger than most offices May had seen. Not even the addition of the magically appearing chair could appease how open the room was. The large glass wall overlooking the front courtyard of the school didn't help either.
"Please, call me Ms. Jennifer." The Headmistress offered with a nod as she settled in her seat and crossed one leg over the other just as May did. She stared at the brunette from the other side of her desk with slightly narrowed bright green eyes as her smile brightened. "I just can't believe you're here."
"I can't believe it either…" May admitted with a shake of her head.
"Well, you are here, and that is all that matters. You have returned to where you truly belong," Jennifer sighed happily. "The last time you were here, you were so little. An infant fairy destined for greatness with unfortunate circumstances robbing her of her opportunities."
May stared at the Headmistress in confusion.
"But of course, you have returned. Magic is in your blood…a strong magic that will not be denied its place in this vast universe." Jennifer continued as she sat back in her chair. "I'm just glad we found you when we did. With power like that, you'd have been a definite target."
"I-I…I'm not sure what you're talking about…" May stammered not wanting to sound dumb. Jennifer chuckled lightly at the girl's confusion and gestured to May's right hand where the mark remained a fresh raging red. Its shape was more defined now and was undeniably a dragon. May stared at the mark, still frightened by its sudden appearance.
"The Dragon Flame, my dear…" Jennifer said quietly.
May remained silent, hoping for further explanation.
"It is a coveted power that exists in this dimension. Its strength is limitless and its destruction, devastating." Jennifer explained as she raised a hand.
May watched as a deep red colored leather back book floated from one of the Headmistress' bookshelves and hovered over her desk. May jumped when the book jerked open and a massive red dragon seemingly made from pure fire flew out with a massive roar. Its amber eyes flashed dangerously as it circled the book before locking its eyes on May. "The dragon's flame was a gift given to Magix by the keepers of our dimension. Its supremacy makes it one of the most long lived legends of Magix…"
The dragon turned away from May before returning to the book with a burst of light. When the light faded, the book was closed and resting on Jennifer's desk. May breathed out in awe. "That's amazing…"
"Quite…" Jennifer sighed. "Your mother was the holder of the Dragon's Flame and with her passing, we believed it was lost to this world…thank the guardians that isn't the case. It is only just that the daughter of Caroline we thought we lost has the power we thought we lost as well."
"I have the Dragon's Flame?" May asked incredulously.
Jennifer grinned in nodded. "The proof is in the mark, my dear." She gestured to May's hand. "Now, such a power is not easy to tame so you will need immediate training. You'll need to take a Quintessence course immediately since you have only realized your abilities recently. You must be prepared for the oncoming school year…" Jennifer spoke more to herself than May as she stood up from her chair behind her desk and began pacing. "I'll have you move in immediately. I'll room you with Rolyn and the others since you already seem to know them…"
"You want me to move in now?" May inserted.
"You must, my dear," The Headmistress responded. "There is so much for you to learn. The transition will be painless, I promise."
"I need to talk to my parents first!"
Jennifer blinked in confusion.
"Your parents are no longer with us, May."
"My father is alive," May retorted quickly. "My biological father is alive."
Jennifer scoffed. "That's impossible…" She breathed with a shake of her head. "I was there the day your parents passed; May, my dear, your mother and father sacrificed themselves long ago. The family you have now are in no way biologically related to you."
"But my father has a picture of my mother…he's not from here."
Jennifer laughed awkwardly. "May, your father was a powerful Wizard. He is in fact from the Magix dimension." May stared at the green haired woman utterly confused. It was bad enough that she never knew her mother was a fairy from another dimension, but now this woman was trying to tell her that her father passed away along with her and that he was a Wizard. "His name was well known throughout the cosmos. He was the one that gave your mother the Dragon Flame. Besides her, he was the only one who could tame it."
"No…" May breathed shaking her head as she sat more tensely in her seat. "No, my father is a normal human being…from Earth. His name is Norman Maple…you have to be wrong or something."
"Norman…" Jennifer repeated. "Oh my…"
"What?" May snapped.
Jennifer sighed as she lowered her gaze. "Would you mind if we paid a visit to your home, May?"
The brunette took in a sharp breath. Something was definitely wrong.
"Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Maple," Jennifer greeted formally. Norman and Monica sat across from the prim and proper Headmistress while May stood off to the side. She really couldn't sit down after having to take a portal as transportation for the second time that day. It was almost as if the portal the Headmistress had conjured up messed with her even more than the one Rolyn had brought up to bring her to Magix. "I am sure you are both wondering what has brought me here today…besides May's remarkable abilities."
"I have to admit, I am a little curious." Monica murmured as she took Norman's hand.
Jennifer nodded in understanding. "Yes, well… May has been living under the impression that she is only half of her lineage deals with magic when in reality…she is in no way human." Jennifer explained. Confusion came to both Norman and Monica's faces.
"May's mother was a fairy…we know this." Norman stated in a matter of fact tone. "But I would know if I was some magical creature. May is my daughter…"
"No…" Jennifer said quickly. "No, she isn't."
May took in a sharp breath as those words hung in the air before Norman laughed incredulously.
"I'd like to say otherwise," He snapped. "Caroline was my wife. I was there when May was born. There is no way that she isn't my daughter." His voice shook. He sounded anxious. May stared at her father…or who was supposed to be her father. She didn't know what to believe at this point. She grew up with this man from day one; Norman was her father from the beginning while this woman with the odd hair color was trying to tell them otherwise.
"Magic works in mysterious ways, Mr. Maple…" Jennifer began lowly. "It can mold and shape reality. It can change what is into what isn't, if the power is there. Caroline…her husband was a man of many talents. He was an illusionist. However, on one of Caroline's earlier adventures, before she built Sentry and when she was just learning to become a guardian, she paid Earth a visit."
May's brow furrowed in confusion.
"She saw this as an ultimate test of power…to integrate with a society that oppressed who she was into nonexistence. It was here, where she met a kind young man who she easily befriended. She spoke of him often and at one point I questioned if she loved this man…but her heart was always with someone else…the powerful wizard of tricks and illusions."
"What are you saying?" Monica murmured.
"I am saying that Caroline left you with May because you are the one she befriended, Norman. You are the only human she trusted..." Jennifer locked eyes with Norman. "But to ensure May's safety here on Earth, her biological father casted a spell over you and made May your daughter…I can sense his magic. It's strong."
"May is my daughter." Norman ground out. "You cannot tell me my relationship with her was fabricated."
"I can break his spell if you wish…"
"You're not listening to me!" Norman raised his voice and stood to his feet. Jennifer lowered her gaze. "May is my daughter. There is no saying otherwise. Caroline was my wife. I loved her."
"You may have loved her…but she loved someone else…the one who is May's father." Jennifer blinked and time stopped. There was no movement, no sound. Everything was at a standstill. May glanced at Jennifer to see her standing to her feet. Everything was happening so quickly. Her father wasn't her father. Her mother was only his friend… "I'm going to have to work quickly to undo his spell…"
"Whose spell?"
"Your father's, May…" Jennifer said as she stepped towards the frozen Norman and pressed two fingers to her forehead. May's pulse quickened as she watched the woman's fingers glow as soon as they made contact.
"Who is my father? W-Will my fa – Norman forget me?" May quickly corrected herself. She didn't know who was who anymore.
"He will never forget you, May." Jennifer breathed. "Under a spell or not, you were always in his heart. The truth will be revealed to him though. As for who your real father is…that is something you should figure out on your own. I know little about your birth parents minus from what they allowed me to know. I thought you had died with them…it looks like they had secrets even in death."
"How'd both of them die?" May asked quickly tears were gathering in her eyes. This was getting out of hand. She couldn't keep up. It was overwhelming her and testing her limits.
Jennifer glanced at the hysteric brunette out the corner of her eye. She felt for May. This was too much for one girl to take, but it was better than continuing to live in a lie.
"I don't know…" Jennifer pulled away from Norman and sighed. "The spell is broken…however I think it's best we take our leave. Our presence will only cause further issue. I will hold time still for only a little while longer May. Gather what you need and we will return to Sentry."
The tears were sliding down May's cheeks now. It was too much. "I can't just leave…"
"It is for the best."
"Can I say goodbye? The brunette whimpered.
Jennifer smiled sadly. "It can be arranged."
There was a knock at the door and May jumped slightly as the door swung open. The person didn't wait for her permission to enter. She really had no right to give permission really. She shared this room with two other people now. Rolyn's bed was beside hers while another was across. It must have been Piper's since her belongings that had been floating after her all day were resting on the unmade bed.
Coincidentally, the one who had entered was the young strawberry blonde with the critical, calculating eyes.
May half expected the girl to ignore her and go about her business. Piper didn't seem like the one for idle talk. She always moved with a purpose with a prim and proper demeanor that matched Headmistress Jennifer's completely. The fifteen year old's green eyes met May's and the slightly shorter girl sighed as she approached the brunette's bed. May said nothing as Piper took a seat.
"My mother said it might be helpful if I spoke to you…besides your moping is a downer on the rest of us." Piper began as she casually began to inspect her nails as though she didn't even really care about how May felt. The brunette had to remind herself that this girl was a girl of smarts…of technology. "I feel for you, May. It is hard to come to the realization that the life you thought you knew was all fabricated from the day you hatched your first tooth, but the fact that you have not lost your sanity yet proves you have a strong Quintessence that will never fail to show that you are well beyond normal."
"Everything is a mess…" May grumbled. "I feel like I'm going insane."
"Living on Earth for your entire life will do that to you," Piper sighed. "That is the human in you…the part of you who believes this is all just some fairytale. Believe me when I tell you this is all too real and you must face this head on or it will consume you. You are of great significance to this world. You are the keeper of the Dragon's Flame. You are Caroline's daughter."
"Being her daughter never meant anything before…"
"It always meant something and you knew it," Piper said quickly. "Everything will surely fall into place, May. You have to keep the faith that everything will change for the better. Having you here is the best. You have so much you need to know."
"Like who my real father is…"
Piper placed a hand on May's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "All should be revealed in due time. In the meantime, would you like to join us for the first orientation? I think it will help you get better accustomed and it will help you get your mind off of things." Piper stood up from the edge of May's bed and offered the older girl her hand. May glanced up at the offered hand and smiled lightly.
"Thanks, Piper…" May murmured.
"No problem," The younger girl sighed with a shrug of her shoulders. "Us Fairies have to stick together…especially with such a questionable past concerning humans." Piper began to head towards the door and May gave her a confused look as she stood to her full height.
"What happened with you that made you so…upset with humans?" May found herself asking hesitantly.
Piper paused just as she was about to leave the room entirely. After a few seconds of heavy silence, May began to internally berate herself for even asking. It was probably a personal question that Piper didn't bother answering when it came to people who were strangers. Piper probably thought she was nosy.
"Humans…They killed my father." Piper finally said quietly as she glanced at the brunette over her shoulder. May took in a sharp breath, noticing the change in Pipers eyes from giving an answer. "It's hard for them to believe…and when they don't…it can be lethal for people like us."
"But not all humans are like that." May murmured.
"No…but a majority of them are." Piper responded with a sigh. "But I don't want to burden you with my problems. Forget I said anything. It is in the past and we have promising futures to look forward to."
"I don't know what my future entails…" May admitted as she followed Piper out of the bedroom and into the lounge area. Piper glanced back at May over her shoulder once again as she moved to hold the door open for her to let them leave the dorm room entirely. "All I know is that my mother built this school, was a guardian fairy and gave me the Dragon's Flame. I know nothing else about myself that hasn't been a lie since day one."
"Well, we can figure that all out as we go on." Piper promised. May smiled and nodded.
"What about you? I know your Quintessence is technology and intelligence, but are you going to be a ruler or a guardian…?" May trailed off.
"I intend to be a guardian of my home planet Vizio." Piper explained. "My mother expects me to take over Sentry one day, but I'd rather not…besides it is your lineage, not mine."
"Your mother is the Headmistress, right?"
Piper smiled and nodded. "Yes, but my mother was merely chosen to be Headmistress. Your mother was destined and so are you. I can already tell because you are quite the people person. I think you'd make a wonderful Headmistress."
"I don't know about that…" May laughed nervously as Piper pushed through a pair of double doors that brought them to a massive hall. It was almost like an indoor stadium or a lecture hall, with no definite seats, but rows that reached far up in the cathedral ceiling room. May followed Piper down the many rows were many different girls were chatting, some dressed in royal garb, and some simply dressed in sweats.
On the floor, Headmistress Jennifer stood on a stage talking to a row of seven other people who must have been instructors. Next to Headmistress was a young looking woman with bright blue hair pulled back into a tight bun. She was dressed in a floor length deep blue dress and was surveying the crowd of girls over the rim of her glasses while tapping her heel-clad foot impatiently. May couldn't help but find the young woman intimidating.
"Look who finally decided to join the living," May glanced over to the side to see that Alex, the half witch she had met earlier was the one that had made the comment. The ever-excitable Dawn snickered at her side as Piper took a seat on the other side of Alex, folding one leg over the other. May decided to take a seat on the end of the row next to Rolyn who merely smiled in greeting. "Heard that your rooming with us this year." Alex said as she nodded towards May.
"And we also heard that you're the keeper of the Dragon's Flame. How cool is that?" Dawn squealed as she reached over Rolyn to pat May's shoulder.
The brunette smiled bashfully. She couldn't help but find the situation a little strange. She was never good at making friends and it wasn't necessarily her fault. People just found her strange…mainly due to her love for all things fantastical, but these girls were so friendly…strange in their own special ways, but friendly nonetheless.
"I'm glad you're here, May." Rolyn breathed as she leaned in towards the brunette a bit. "We needed a little calm to negate the crazy." She added in a hushed whisper as her gaze darted towards Alex and Dawn who were making fun of the instructors for the year. May couldn't help but smile.
"Good evening everyone," Headmistress Jennifer easily gained everyone's attention with her kind voice carrying over the sound system in the auditorium. Everyone brought their chatter down to hushed whispers before a sharp look from the young woman with the tight blue bun shut them all up completely. "It is good to be back and welcome to the first orientation for Sentry University, school for fairies."
"The lady with the tight bun and the intimidating eyes is Professor Marina, head of discipline." Rolyn whispered quietly in May's ear as she pointed towards the young woman at the Headmistress' side. "Stay out of her way and you just might survive."
"Before we get started, Professor Marina will go over the core rules. The rest of the rules will be posted on your dormitory doors later on this evening." Jennifer stepped away from the podium and Professor Marina step up, eyeing the crowd before daintily clearing her throat and lifting her chin almost haughtily.
"Welcome to another year girls. We are delighted to have you." Marina drawled. May furrowed her brow. Despite the way Professor Marina looked, she didn't exactly sound that mean. "Delighted as we may be, we will not hesitate to cut your time here short if you fail to obey the rules."
Oh…
"The rules are pretty basic," Marina went on with a sigh. "You are here to learn, not to go crazy. You will always follow what your instructors say that is rule number one. Failure to follow the instructions given to you will result in a month's-worth of detention."
"Harsh…" Rolyn grumbled.
"Secondly, you are not here to show off so be aware that unauthorized use of magic will be punishable by you being turned into a toad…the first time." Marina went on.
"Harsher…" Dawn whimpered.
"The second time you will be suspended from school and sent home for the suspension time. The third time will lead to immediate expulsion. I recommend you keep your powers in check." Marina said sharply as she scanned the crowd of young girls over the rim of her glasses. "Last rule…you will not associate with the witches of Black Fountain. We do not have a punishment for that yet because anything they do is far worse than anything we could come up with if they found you there."
May perked a brow. "What's Black Fountain?" She whispered to Rolyn.
"School for Witches. Alex's mother runs the place."
"We have no rule against associating with the boys at the Battle Tower, but a disorderly conduct concerning them will earn whatever punishment Headmistress Jennifer sees fit." Marina clipped. "Follow the rules and I'm sure we won't have any trouble."
With that, Marina stepped away from the podium and gestured for the Headmistress to return. Jennifer smiled gently at her head of discipline before stepping up to the microphone once again, turning her smile on her new class of students.
"I'm sure all of you will not have any problems regarding the rules." Jennifer sighed as she gripped the edges of the podium lightly.
"Except for Alex…" Piper murmured with a crooked smile. The purple haired half witch scoffed and shoved the Headmistress' daughter roughly on the shoulder.
"If I wanted to cause problems, I would have gone to Black Fountain." Alex retorted. Piper simply shrugged; her crooked smile never faltered.
Jennifer went on. "As you all know, I am Headmistress Jennifer, but you can all call my Ms. Jennifer. Now some of you are returning for the new school year while most of you are new and those of you who have no attended Sentry before, I say welcome to you now and I hope that your experience here will prepare you for whatever paths you choose to take."
May couldn't help but wonder exactly what path she was already on.
"A little about myself; I am a former Fairy a Godmother and I am - was a close friend of the founder of this school, may she rest in peace. Now most of you intend to be guardians and most of you will, while the rest of you will be the granter of wishes like I once was or you will be the rulers of you worlds. We hope that attending this school will aid you in realizing your true potential and finding your place in this vast, magical realm."
"She always says that." Piper sighed with a roll of her eyes.
"Your instructors are here to guide you and you also have peers that will aide you as well as you mature in your magical walk and truly connect to your Quintessence. Do not be afraid to ask questions, be adventurous, and foremost, have fun." Jennifer smiled brightly. "I will now dismiss you to your dorms where you will be able to get to know you roommates better and create lasting bonds and take every opportunity you can to connect to your Quintessence."
Everyone was moving now; standing from his or her seats and shuffling out of rows to find an exit. Rolyn sighed as she stood from her seat and stretched her arms over her head as if she had been sitting for hours rather than a few minutes.
"Come on May," Rolyn nudged the brunette on the shoulder and May stood to her feet as well.
"I have so many questions…" May murmured.
"Like…?" Dawn inserted looking over Rolyn's shoulder as they began to file out of their row.
"Like what's the Battle Tower and what did Headmistress Jennifer mean by connect to our Quintessence?" May asked. She couldn't help but feel like she sounded stupid for asking, but this was her first time in Magix. Everything was new to her and she knew nothing minus for what she had been told already.
"Well, the Battle Tower is an all-boys school…it's kind of like Sentry except the boys there aren't fairies." Rolyn snickered. May managed her own small laugh. "It's where boys train to become heroes. Piper's brother attends school there as does Alex's boyfriend." Rolyn smirked.
"Not my boyfriend." Alex chided.
"Aden is so your boyfriend." Piper chuckled. "You guys are smitten with one another. I swear the two of you make me sick with the constant love fest you exist in when your within ten feet of each other."
Alex's cheeks flushed a bright red as she huffed and lifted her chin haughtily. The others snickered at the short half witch's expense.
"We're friends with a couple of the guys over there." Rolyn went on to explain. "Except for one."
"Oh please Rolyn, we all know you're head over heels for Jason, too." Piper inserted smartly as she offered the older girl a smirk. Rolyn scoffed as her cheeks retained color much like Alex's did.
"That's ridiculous. I'm a Princess thus I have no time for a chauvinistic arrogant pervert like him." Rolyn said quickly as she began to scale the stairs that led to the nearest door.
"Okay, that answers the question as to what Battle Tower is, but I'm still in the dark about connecting to my Quintessence." May inserted hoping the conversation wouldn't go into any further detail about any more boys. May was never that good at handling the opposite gender, but she suddenly got the feeling she'd have to rectify that soon.
"Well, that leads us back to the question of what Quintessence is here in the Magix dimension. We all know that its our source of power and energy, but is also what guides you." Piper said smartly with a smile as the group of five maneuvered the halls to their dorm room. "It is also your magical identity…what you control and what you have a bond with."
"I'm not sure what my Quintessence is…" May murmured.
"Obviously, it's fire May. It's not called the Dragon's Flame for nothing." Rolyn laughed.
"Right…" May sighed as she glanced down at the spiraling dragon permanently etched into her skin.
"Everything else regarding who you are and what you should be will come to you in time. All that needs to be revealed will be revealed. Have a little faith in fate, May." Piper added with a smile. May couldn't help but smile in return.
That took way too long. I'm trying to get my bearings together as I go along because I haven't delved into the earlier episodes of Winx in such a long time. I'm not used to the old story line and since I was too lazy to check, a lot has changed…like who May's father is. I didn't give a name for reason so hopefully that little piece of mystery works out. I need to keep this story moving and mentioning the boys means they will come up soon so I hope you all look forward to that…I really don't know how Drew and May's first meeting will go, though. It'll come to me I guess. Thanks for reading.
Feedback would be absolutely amazing so don't shy away from the review button.
~Rolyn~
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