Chapter 20:
No surprise, Tecna's barrier was a huge success! Faragonda immediately installed it into Alfea's protection program and worked with Tecna on creating two more for Red Fountain and Cloud tower. And if Saladin and Griffin liked the barrier enough, then the three schools will join together and create a fourth for Magix. Tecna was beaming with happiness.
"I think Giffin's gonna love it," Bloom said as we walked on the winding purple road to Cloud Tower. Tecna agreed.
"I wonder how she'll install it into the Tower?" she wondered, "After all, it is a living creature." Bloom wondered to herself.
"You know, it might not be a bad idea to have a Winx understand the structure of the Tower. It is a source of dark magic."
"Then can I skip out on the lesson too?" Stella whined. Bloom shook her head.
"No, Stella. Scarlet needs all the support she can get." Stella folded her arms across her chest and began to pout. "Oh, come on. She needs it. What if she overloads again and transforms again?" I shuddered at the thought. I really didn't want to become that again.
"But there's already so much work to do for Faragonda, and Griselda, and Paladium, and—" She loudly groaned at the thought.
"We all have that work load," Layla pointed out. She paused for a moment before adding, "Ah, shit. We've got that project for Avalon due in a few days. I don't think I've started it yet."
"At the rate we're going, we're never gonna get anything done," Stella mumbled.
"We'll be fine," Musa said, "Remember how long it took us to work on that symbols project for Faragonda? But we got that in on time."
"I think the important thing is that we're not alone in this," I concluded, "All of this would be more daunting if I did it alone." Stella still pouted. We arrived at the long double doors and gently pushed them open enough for us to squeeze through. As usual, we headed towards Griffin's office to hear what our assigned work would be, and then split up into our groups. I was with Griffin 1, Tecna headed to the library, and the rest went off with Griffin 2. Luna tagged along to see my new spells. I couldn't help but notice that she's been a bit quiet since my last talk with Blanche. I hoped everything was alright.
"I'm impressed to hear how rapidly your night powers are growing," Griffin said after I finished the explanation, "Let me see how they work." I transformed into my vampire form and demonstrated my Night Bomb, Night Slash, and my new armor. I explained that the armor protected me from Bloom's Dragon fire. Griffin tapped my arm and then waved her hand over it. A green orb surrounded her gloved hand as she nodded to herself.
"It seems to me the armor will be useful to protect you from the sunlight," she concluded. "You're a warrior fairy, correct?" I nodded. "Have you been training with the specialists recently?" I nodded again and told her of my session with Matt. "I see." She lowered her hand and headed to her desk. Her quill flew into her hand and she began writing some notes. When she finished, she asked for me to do some exercises with my vampire powers. At that moment, Tecna knocked on the door and entered with a tall, scraggly girl with long green hair. She asked if she can observe my lesson so as to further investigate the origins of my double powers. Griffin didn't mind.
"Ah, Lucy," she said with a proud smile, "Scarlet, allow me to introduce my apprentice. Lucy. She's a senior, like you, and has been through the same battles as the Winx."
"She's Mirta's best friend," Tecna added.
"Nice to meet you," I said, "Thanks for your help." Lucy slightly lowered her head and got into position. As we battled, I noticed that new spells were creeping into my head, and none of them spells I've learned from my dad. Night Claw, Night Realm, Night portal, Night Fang, Nightmare! The list went on! Griffin eventually had to stop us. Dark energy was pulsing through me, leaking through my skin and surrounding my body. It was too much. Tecna rushed over and placed her palm on my forehead.
"Overflowing magic that spills and falls, come into my hand, command to my call," she chanted. The magic sucked out of me and was in the form of a dark blue mist. It drew towards Tecna's hand like a magnetic force. "Fascinating," she whispered, tapping the ball with her finger. I plopped into one of the seats of the classroom and took a breather. Griffin asked for Tecna and Lucy to allow some privacy, and then we could be dismissed.
"I'm a little concerned about your powers," Griffin said, looking through her notes from the lesson.
"What about them?" I asked. I didn't want to know.
"Your night power seems to be…well, overflowing. You're still repressing it." I shook my head.
"Recently, I've been transforming every day. Maybe there's a day when I don't transform, but that's rare now."
"I don't only mean physically repressing." She walked towards my table and placed down her notes. I tried to look them over, but her hands covered it. "I know accepting your true form is difficult, but you cannot keep rejecting it. You're the Balance, and it's time you acted like one. Your own magical balance is still tilted." I laced my hands together and kept my head down. My navy skirt sparkled in the dimly lit classroom. I sighed.
"What else can I do?" I asked, "I've been using dark magic—" Griffin raised her hand.
"You mustn't use it because you're forced to. You have to choose to use it. When you start doing that, your magical balance will begin to restore itself." I reluctantly nodded. She rested a finger under my chin and lifted my head to look at her candlelit eyes. "Let me assure you that if you don't, your wind power, your fairy magic, will disappear."
The Trix pushed open the heavy metal door, leading them to Cian's lab. Long clean tables displayed a variety of test tubes and beakers each filled with different substances. Cian was down at the far end of the room, examining test tubes each filled with a deep red liquid. When the Tirx's footsteps reached his ears, he smiled.
"How goes training?" He asked.
"Pretty well," Stormy answered with a stretch, "I can't wait to fight." Cian picked up a test tube and shook it a bit.
"That's encouraging to hear."
"Sir," Fury said, "did the Silent-takers bring back any more blood?" Cian placed the test tube back and faced his four witches.
"I did receive a lot of blood from the locals, but none that we needed. We're short one fairy."
"Flora," Stormy growled, "That goody-too-shoos thinks she's so powerful just because she believes in her friends and unlocked her stupid Charmix." She crossed her arms in anger.
"Is it already time for them to gain their Charmix?" Cian asked with a hint of wonder in his voice, "Hmm. If that's the case, we better pick up the pace." He pulled out an empty vile and passed it to Stormy. "We need Flora's blood in order to complete my plan. Any amount will do. Just make sure it's hers." Stormy lowered her head and accepted the bottle.
"If one fairy already has her Charmix," Icy said, thinking aloud, "Then the others might get theirs too." She looked over at her team. "They might over power us again."
"If only we had our Gloomix back," Darcy wondered, "It would match our power to theirs." Cian took in Darcy's words.
"You'll need more than just your Gloomix to match them," he replied.
"Then what do you purpose we do?" Fury asked.
"I purpose that you girls to learn from your enemy." He stepped away from his test tubes and led the girls to a cauldron. He waved his hand over it and showed the Trix past battles between them and the Winx. "See how they join together to beat you? They have a common cause that units them as one."
"So you're suggesting we…combine our powers?"
"Yes, Fury. That I do."
"And you're sure this will crush those annoying brats?" Icy asked.
"I can't guarantee it, but you'll have a higher chance of success if you do."
"We could really use those Gloomix," Stormy whispered, hoping that Cian wouldn't hear.
"It's worth a shot," Fury agreed. Icy nodded.
"Alright, grant us our Gloomix and we'll practice combining our powers." Cian smile grew wider, revealing his pearly white fangs.
"Excellent." He extended out his hand, causing a deep red smoke cloud to appear. As it grew bigger, four swirly pieces of jewelry formed, each a color matching their respective witch. He gently tossed it towards them. The pieces broke out of their red mist and floated towards their witch-master. One wrapped itself around Stromy's right arm, another on Darcy's left, and a third around Icy's neck. Fury's Gloomix was a headpiece. Its daunting green diamond rested in the center of her forehead, intertwining across it and wrapping itself around her head. A few pieces curved outward around her temples. She gently grazed her fingers over the jewel. She could feel its dark energy, and her body was absorbing it. Fury lowered herself onto the floor, leading the Trix into a formal bow.
"Thank you, master," she said, "We will not fail you."
"You haven't thus far, and I expect it to remain that way. Now practice before going out." They rose and left Cian alone in his lab. He glanced back into the cauldron and waved his hand again. The liquid rippled away the images of the Winx and reveals Scarlet's parents and the Royal family. He chuckles.
"You're going to have to fight hard to win back your family, Scarlet Avila, because I'm not sure if they'll all make it out alive."
The smell of roses filled my nose. I looked around me. I was back home. Everything was decorated. Red and white roses surrounded me, draped on every furniture and upon every shelf. My mom wore her white dress while dad wore his sharp red suit. I walked towards the mirror to take a look at myself.
I'm ten. Wearing my red party dress and white stockings. A red rose carefully rested in my hair.
"You look adorable," my mom praised, kissing the top of my forehead. I looked at her dark, warm eyes and smiled a big smile, making her and my dad laugh.
"We'd better head to the castle, or we're gonna be late," My dad said, looking at his silver pocket watch, "Run upstairs and put on your shoes."
"Okay!" I sprinted up those familiar steps, winding up to my room. My precious room. My balcony door was wide open, letting in the warm breeze. How familiar it felt. And yet…something seemed different. I couldn't place my finger on it. Maybe the bed? Yes, it was! There've never been two beds in my room before. The wind blew against me and I turned to the balcony. Silhouetted against the sun was a girl about my age. She wore a white dress and red stockings.
"Do you need your shoes too?" I asked. The girl only smiled. She raised her arms outwards, letting the wind wrap around her. Slowly, she lifted herself up. I gasped at the sight.
"Why wear shoes when we can fly?" She turned her back to me and flew to the sun. I ran to the balcony edge and tried to reach out to her. I couldn't.
"Wait! Don't go! Come back! Please!"
I snapped my eyes open. I saw Flora waving to me from her desk. Slowly, I lifted my head only to find a very frustrated professor Wizgiz glaring at me.
"I know you're incredibly busy, Scarlet, but that doesn't give you any excuse to fall asleep in my class," he scolded.
"I'm sorry," I replied. He nodded, satisfied with my apology and continued with the lecture. My eyes began to droop again and I smacked my head to keep me awake.
This is impossible, I thought, What's wrong with me?
"It's probably because you're not sleeping properly." My eyes blinked widely open.
Blanche?
"The one and only!"
How're you able to talk to me when I'm awake?
"Because your low on energy, Scarlet. You're gonna pass out from magic exhaustion if you keep this up."
What else can I do? I'm attending two different schools for two different things. I can't help it if I'm not sleeping most nights.
"Then regain your Charmix."
Huh?
"I mean, if you obtain your Charmix, you won't have to work so hard." I laughed out loud, making everyone, including Wizgiz, stare in my direction. I placed my hand over my mouth and apologized again.
It's easier said than done, I told Blanche. I glanced over at my friends, each of them giving me concerned looks. When Musa caught my eye, I remembered something. Blanche! Did you find Musa's mother yet?
"Not yet. She's already passed on. Once you pass, it's difficult to get you back in between the world of the living and the dead."
There has to be a way. Don't spirits look after their loved ones?
"They do…" I heard her sigh. "I'll keep looking. Oh, Celia and Lucentia are helping too. They might have something."
Lucentia, yes. Celia… I heard Blanche laugh.
"Alright. I'll do my best to find her in time."
In time? In time for— The bell rang, totally taking me by surprise. A second wind of energy pulsed through my body, ending my connection with Blanche. I'm pretty sure the Winx noticed I was talking to her because Tecna ran up to me, laptop in hand, and asked, "That was another Blanche connection, correct?"
"Yes," I said with a reluctant sigh, "And we talked about how I'm not getting the proper rest I need because of all of this work!" I let out a huge grown of frustration. Flora placed a hand on my shoulder, her green eyes flashing with worry.
"Are my potions not working?" She asked.
"No, no, not at all," I replied, "It's all me." I looked around the classroom to make sure no one was around. Once the cost was clear, I explained to them what Grififn had told me last night. "According to Blanche, I need my Charmix to keep my energy up."
"In other words," Tecna said, "Your Charmix is the only way for you to keep your magical balance intact." I paused to understand Tecna's meaning. When I gave her a conformational nod, she added it to her computer. "Anything else?" she asked.
"Yeah, we had this conversation when I was awake." Every looked surprised.
"I thought you could only speak to Blanche when you're unconscious," Bloom replied.
"Apparently when I woke up, my mind was still in that…I dunno, unconscious state? Anyway, she managed to talk to me."
"So what happened when you were asleep?" Tecna asked. I closed my eyes, trying to remember. The only thing I could recover was my mom in her white dress and everything smelled of roses. I explained that to Tecna.
"You know, Scarlet, tomorrow is the Day of the Rose," Stella pointed out, "It's very possible that you're just thinking about that." I gave her a blank look.
"It's tomorrow?" I asked. Everyone nodded. I slumped back into my seat. Now I understood what Blanche meant. She was going to try to find Musa's mother by tomorrow. The holiday of mothers. I quickly looked over at Musa. She had her hand on her shoulder and was looking away from us.
"Some of us are leaving school tomorrow just for that holiday," Stella said, "I'm going to spend it at the Solarian Spa! My mom's treat, of course." She giggled. "A day without any school work. No classes. And no Cloud Tower trips." She clapped for joy. "I should go pack." Before any of us could stop her, she ran out of the classroom. To our surprise, she walked back in. Griselda made her walk backwards.
"I see you're eager to start your holiday," she said, "instead of trying to regain your Charmix." Stella weakly smiled, holding her hands up as if trying to calm her down. Griselda didn't bother. She looked over at us. "Miss Tecna and Miss Bloom, you are now required to join Miss Flora in her Charmix training. Follow me, please." The two of them looked at one another briefly and headed towards the door. Griselda examined each of us before saying, "You four better hurry up, or you won't be able to save Magix." She left us with that thought.
"We're trying," I quietly said, a heavy sigh passing through my lungs.
"Well, I don't know about you girls," Stella said while stretching, "but I've got important packing to do."
"Wait," Layla called out, "You can't leave yet. While we've got the time, we should practice what Ms. Griffin taught us to Scarlet." She gave me a smile. "We may not have our Charmix yet, but we can strengthen our dark spells."
"That sounds like a great idea," Musa voiced. She still seemed bummed about the Day of the Rose. I rose out of my chair and took their hands into mine.
"We could even make a 4-way convergence that can be just as powerful as a charmix spell. We've certainly got the time while the other three are gone."
"Maybe you three do, but I don't," Stella chimed, "I really must get to my packing." Layla let go of our hands and walked over to Stella.
"Come on, Stella, how often can we four do something just us? And I'm sure Bloom and the others would be happy to see what we could do."
"Layla dear, you must understand, I just don't do dark magic. It's not good my fairy glow."
"You've been practicing for almost two trimesters now," Layla mentioned, "Your fairy glow is probably tainted by now anyway."
"I only do what is needed in the classroom," Stella replied, "Otherwise I avoid all dark magic entirely. I mean, have you seen those witches' sense of style? I wouldn't be surprised if black magic has driven them in that direction."
"Isn't protecting Magix and helping Scarlet a little more important than worrying about your fashion sense?"
"I do want to help, but I draw the line at dark magic. It drives me crazy! I don't sleep anymore, I rarely get to do my huge shopping sprees, I never have time to myself, and I don't have any time to spend with my Brandon!" I pinched my lips together and carefully lowered my head. I wasn't sure if any of the other Winx knew about Brandon's intentions.
"Brandon's busy helping us," Layla said, "He's just as busy as you are. Besides, we have all those parties on your terms. You've got plenty of time." Stella folded her arms across her chest and glared at Layla.
"You may be okay with seeing Nabu only when we fight, but I like to see my boyfriend all the time. Now if you don't mind." Stella tossed her long blonde hair in our direction before leaving us alone in the classroom.
"That didn't go very well," Musa said after a few moments of silence, "We can still practice together. Just us three." She looked at me and shifted her eyes towards Layla as if trying to tell me something.
"I'm cool with just us three practicing," I assured, looking for another signal from Musa. She nodded her approval, so I continued, "It's alright if Stella doesn't want to do this. I forced her in the first place. She has a right to not do it if she doesn't want to."
"If you're okay with it, Scarlet, then so am I," Layla replied. She began pushing some of the desks around, making more room for us to practice. Musa and I helped until we had a large, clear circle. They demonstrated some of the spells and exercises Griffin had taught them. They were on hundred percent Cloud Tower spells. Musa explained that though my dark spells are powerful, they are connected to my Vampire ability. In order to add more power to it, they needed to refocus on solely witch spells. "It's a third type of spell to add to your Vampire ones," she added, "This third type will give all of us that extra boost to fight against Cian. It's the only type he himself doesn't have."
"And it'll be good to use the Trix's magic against them," Layla mentioned, "Three types of magic smacking those four at once might be a key in weakening them."
"Back in the days of Darkar, we tried to use dark magic, but in the end it failed," Musa explained, "But now—" She released a dark purple-red glow in her hand. "—we can actually do it."
"And not fight one another. Well, almost." Layla looked back at the door where Stella left. "Please don't take what Stella says to heart, Scarlet. She really is eager to help. I think maybe she's just breaking down from all the stress."
"I understand," I said, "Maybe I should go talk to her and tell her how much I appreciate her help. Stella seems like the kind of girl that needs that reminder."
"Not a bad idea," Musa replied, and Layla agreed. I left them in the classroom and headed to Stella's room. Along the way, I found Luna. She asked how classes were and I mentioned my conversation with Blanche.
"I don't like her," she said when I finished telling her the story, "She's way too secretive."
"But I need her help. She's the only one who seems to know about my vampire skills." Luna was silent for a bit before asking, "Has Tecna found anything on her yet? Who she was, where she's from?" I shook my head.
"All we know is that she was intended to be a student at Inter-Realms. That's it." Luna crossed her arms and sat on my shoulder, humming to herself while lost in thought. "Is there any other reason you don't like her?" She looked over at me, her dark eyes kept reminding me of my mom.
"Well, there is another reason…you see—"
"I'm SO done with this!" Luna and I paused in front of the door before I carefully opened it. I called out Stella's name, but she wasn't around. Instead, she was in her private bedroom. As I got closer, I heard more of her conversation. "I hate going to Cloud Tower every night. It's ruining everything… I know it's helpful to the girls, but there's only so much I can offer… Well, of course I'm loving and kind enough to help. Hold on, Brandon. Amore, can you pass me that top… Thanks… Brandon, I just can't take it anymore. I love Scarlet, but Cloud Tower is her thing, and her thing alone. I don't see why I have to suddenly stop everything just to help her out… That's my point! I don't mind fighting with her to protect Magix. I just don't need to be a part of her vampire problem."
I closed the door to our room. I couldn't hear anymore. I slid down onto the floor and placed my hands over my face.
"I'm sure she didn't mean it," Luna said. I shook my head.
"She's right. I did ask for everyone's help." I gave myself a minute to cry a bit before adding, "This vampire thing isn't their problem. It's mine. I can't have them using dark magic for my sake."
"But you need their help," Luna replied, "Didn't you hear what Musa and Layla said? They can provide a third type of spell." I got up and headed to Musa and Layla. I needed to make them stop before further damaging their energy. When I got closer, I heard Layla say, "These battles don't seem to end, do they."
"Nope," Musa replied, "They keep coming and coming. I won't be surprised if another strikes today. It's getting so frequent."
"Then infrequent. It's killing us." There was a pause before Layla added, "I think Scarlet's right. These battles are weakening us. But…I really can't see us getting better, even with the help of the Charmix. We're so behind and the attacks are getting wilder. Who knows when Cian will just make the final call and destroy us all?"
"We've gotta have faith," Musa suggested, "Faith that when we're united, we can defeat him."
"I don't know, Musa. I just don't know." I stood with my back to the wall and continued to listen. They were losing faith. A long war that's been tedious and tiring is working to Cian's advantage. I wanted to do something, but what? Solve the problems I could solve, but how? I couldn't face Stella after what she said, and I can't bear to see Layla act chipper and hopeful when I know she's not. What does Musa think? What does everyone else think?
Am I really just a nuisance?
The Trix appear just outside of Alfea College. Darcy placed her gem-bearing hand, feeling the shock of a barrier. She closed her eyes to see if there was a way in, but she couldn't find any.
"That explains why we couldn't transport ourselves inside," Darcy concluded. She removed her hand and gently shook it.
"So what, we just wait out here until a Winx comes by?" Stormy asked. Frustration creaked through her voice.
"Patience, my sisters," Fury replied, "If there's one thing we can do, it's to bring the girls to us."
"How?"
"Why not attack Red Fountain again," Darcy suggested, "I just love watching boys suffer."
"Or Cloud tower," Stormy added, "How I wish we could rule that school once more."
"Me too," Icy agreed, "But this barrier thing is a problem. We need to make sure it's Alfea only. We know these three well enough to be linked in protecting one another." She turned to Darcy, who gave a nod and brought her fingers to her lips. She muttered something and split herself in threes. One by one, the Darcy-decoys flew to their respective schools, testing the area to see if it was clear. When they returned and fused themselves with the original Darcy, she growled.
"They all have it. It's impossible to get in." Fury approached the barrier and placed her hand on it. The electrocution shot through her, but she didn't flinch.
"There must be something we can use." She removed her hand and faced Icy. "Where's another place that the Winx hold dear." Icy place a finger on her chin, lost in thought until a chilling smile grew across her face.
"I think I remember one."
I sat outside with Luna in silence. We just didn't have anything else to say. I had decided to not use black magic for a while to bring comfort to Stella and my team. I figured that using dark magic with dark magic wouldn't bring anything but double the disaster. Luna disagreed, as usual, but didn't fight me on it. We kept to ourselves until Luna jumped off my shoulder. She remained perfectly still as her wings fluttered with a burst of energy.
"Luna?" I asked. She didn't turn around immediately. When she did she said, "We have to find the others." Quickly, she flew back into Alfea. I chased after her, constantly asking what was wrong. She wouldn't answer me. She didn't say anything until we saw the pixies playing with some of the Magix animals in the hallways.
"Girls!" Luna shouted, "We've gotta go. Pixi village—"
"—is under attack!" Chatta finished, suddenly sensing what I assumed Luna sensed. One by one, the others felt the same vibe and huddled together.
"We better hurry back," Lockette replied.
"We can't leave without Amore," declared Digit, scanning the group to see if anyone's missing.
"She's with Stella in her room. I can go get her and inform them both." Luna turned to me. "Scarlet, you've gotta gather the rest of Winx. I'm pretty sure we won't be able to do this alone."
"Of course." I immediately started running back towards the classroom where Layla and Musa were. I blocked out any conversation they were having before entering. I told them about the attack.
"We can't let the pixies go alone," Musa said with concern, "Whatever's there is gonna hurt them."
"I know," I replied, "But we need the others. Their Charmix will give us the strength we need." Layla was lost in thought before coming up with a plan.
"I'll go with the pixies," she suggested, "I agree that someone has to go with them."
"Fine. Then Musa and I will get the others as quickly as we can." Without another word, Musa and I ran to Griselda's classroom. I felt that Griselda would be very suspicious of me, especially since I interrupted her class yesterday as well. Even if it was for a good cause, I'm sure she's not terribly pleased with it. Once again, I barged in. Before Griselda could say anything, Musa shouted, "Pixi village is under attack!" Griselda's eyes grew wide in shock.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course we're sure," I said in a hurry, "The Pixies are heading over now with Layla and possibly Stella."
"We better go, girls," Bloom commanded. Musa and I transformed ourselves and we flew outside. I created my wind current and we flew as fast as we could. We spotted Layla, Stella, and the pixies along the way and they joined us on the ride. Fortunately, it didn't take us long to get there. Dark magic filled the area, and I felt it in my bones. It was much stronger, stronger than it's ever been. I slowed down the current and we carefully lowered ourselves to the ground. We slowly approached the village. No one was there. No Silent-takers could be seen.
"I can sense something," I whispered. I rubbed my arms, feeling the dark magic prick my skin.
"This seems…familiar," said Bloom while looking around. The other Winx nodded. Flora took a step in front of us and examined the village. She placed out her hand and closed her eyes. A soft pink glow appeared around her hand for the briefest of moments. After a moment, the glow vanished.
"No one's here," she stated.
"But I sense them," Luna replied, frantically looking around. She led the other pixies into the village. Each one walked into a different pixi house, shouting out a variety of names. Their voices shook with fear.
"This is terribly most inconvenient," Tune announced, "If only they left us a clue, or something." An ice blue bolt zapped the pixies, freezing them individually in their own ice crystals. From behind the trees, the Trix floated through, smiling proudly at their catch.
"We were so heart broken by their cries that we decided to reunite them with their village," said Icy in a mocking town. She cackled a laugh when Fury brought out an ice box, carefully opening the lid. Each member of pixi village was frozen like little dolls.
"This will certainly be a good gift for our Master," Fury replied. Her green eyes glanced over at us. Without a care, she tossed the box over her shoulder. I tried to summon my wind magic to break the fall, but I was seconds too late. The box fell, cracking slightly around the corners.
"As much as we want to fight, we've got our usual mission to perform first," Fury informed us with a wicked grin across her face. I glared at her, noticing something new on her forehead. It was like a headband of some sort. My eyes scanned over the other three and they two had a similar accessory. I heard some of the Winx gasp. Fury must've heard it, for her eyes grew wide with joy.
"What's the matter, little fairies? Intimidated by our Gloomix?" She placed her fingers on her gem, releasing a huge wave of dark magic. My mind began to crackle and shake, bringing me to my knees. Soon my whole body shook.
"Firewall!" I heard Tecna shout. A huge, green pixilated flame rose in front of us, blocking out Fury's attack. We quickly got back on our feet, the flames slowly going down.
"You're not the only one who gained power-ups," Bloom announced. She raised her hand in the air, an orange glow swirling to life. Bloom launched the ball over to the Trix, but Icy caught it, freezing it in place before throwing it back to her. Layla used her morphing magic to create a bouncy shield, tossing it back over to the Trix.
"We're not here to play games," Stormy shouted with rage, breaking the orb with a lighting strike. "We're here for one purpose."
"To painfully torture you until you're begging for death," Darcy revealed, raising her fist and showing us her gleaming purple gem.
"Ick," replied Stella, resting a hand on her hip, "Seriously? You guys have been trying to kill us since freshman year. None of this is news to us." Darcy gritted her teeth and flattened her hand, palm facing us. "Shadow Ray!" Dark, snake-like forms rose behind her and flew towards us. I raised one arm up and left the other one down, moving them in opposite direction to form a large circle. The wind scooped into my hand and I brought it to the middle.
"Wind reflection!" I pushed the circle outward, hoping to push the forms back. The wind briefly held them in position before the forms moved through, stabbing right through me. Dark magic surged through my body, pricking every joint in my body. I fell to my knees, panting, already losing my strength to fight. Darcy admired her gem with a sigh.
"Man, these things really can smash a fairy. My spells seem to improve drastically."
"You're not the only ones with improvement!" Flora shouted. She took Bloom and Tecna's hand as they created a convergence spell. From their hand, a spiral of green, pink, and orange flew towards the Trix. Thankfully, it knocked them back a bit. Swiftly, Bloom led Flora and Tecna into the fight with the Trix. Stella tried to follow, but her attacks didn't even seem to catch the Trix's attention. They were too busy with the three Winx with their Charmix.
A few hands touched my shoulder and chanted a spell. My dark energy left my body and into the hands of Layla and Musa. I nodded as a thank you and got back on my feet.
"It looks like our abilities won't work," I said, watching Stella struggle. "Maybe we four must combine our powers into one. That seemed to work for Bloom and them."
"In any case, we've gotta help Stella," replied Musa, pointing at her as she fell to the ground. We flew to her aid. I told her about our convergence plan and she joined in. Her Solarian ring was summoned and her staff appeared once more. We tried creating a disco bomb, succeeding in its creation, but after releasing it onto the Trix, it only damaged Fury. I felt everyone's disappointment.
"One's better than none," I said, trying to cheer them up, "Bloom, Flora, and Tecna are outnumbered by one."
"If we can keep her busy, they'll have a fighting chance," Layla concluded. Stella spun her staff around and prepared herself for Fury's attack. She placed her hand on her gem and then extended it towards us. "Fury cycle!" She shouted. A dark green wave washed over us, shooting us back, each slamming our back into a tree. Sharp pains spread across my back. Just moving forward made the pain worse. I looked over at Fury, watching her ignore us and fight the other three.
"Great," Layla grunted. She pushed herself forward, wincing at her own agony. "Now we're not even the focus anymore." I took a deep breath and worked through the pain to get on my feet again. The others did their best to follow, watching the battle that we couldn't be a part of. After a while, Layla gasped. "They're after Flora! She's the only Winx left without her blood being taken."
"Let's at least try to protect her," I suggested, "We may not be able to fight, but we can guard." It hurt to move my wings, but I did anyway. It felt as if my wings were breaking by the weight of my body. I tried to bring the wind beneath me to provide a form of support, but I couldn't. I had to conserve my energy. When we re-joined the group, Layla told them of her discovery.
"At this point, it doesn't matter," Flora declared, "They have all of our samples and the pixies need us."
"They're still going to try and kill us," Tecna replied, "It's certainly worth protecting you to prolong whatever else they're planning." She and Bloom created a shield to surround us while the rest of us surrounded Flora. She dug into her bag and blew something on us. Suddenly, my aches and pains vanished and my strength returned. I opened my hand to pour out some silver magic. Quickly it formed into my trusty sword.
"I may not be able to magically get to them, but I can try with physical force." The Trix placed their hands in the center and muttered something. None of us heard it, but a violent attack shot at us, breaking through the shield and knocking us down.
"Wind Binding!" I shouted, frantically wrapping my fingers around the wind threads and puling to break our fall. Our speed slowed down as a gently breeze cushioned our fall. The Trix threw another attack, smacking us harder into the ground.
"I can't believe these are actually working!" Stormy cheered, "Darkar clearly didn't give us enough power last time." She threw a lightning bolt on us. Our screams filled the forest as Fury laughed with joy.
"I'm enjoying this immensely," she said, "Now, to get what we came here for." I looked up and saw the four witches summoning their creepy daggers. With what little strength I had, I pulled myself up, sword in hand, and stood in front of Flora. "Asking for another beating?" Fury asked. My grip on my sword tightened.
"I can still kick your asses." Accepting my challenge, the Trix lunged towards me. I blocked each blow, transforming each defense move into an offense move. They each had widened their eyes, surprised by my moves. The sound of movement came from behind me as I heard Bloom say, "I think she's got the right idea." I sensed the girls summoning a few weapons and joining my side. Flora also joined, but stayed behind with Layla.
"My weapons can't break," she whispered to us, "I'll be the last line of defense." An orange sword flew towards Icy while another red sword went after Darcy. Our attack was strong, and finally were causing some damage. Fury was my witch and I did my best to keep her attention on me.
"You really think that you can beat me with your sword?" She asked. Her dagger was poised, ready to strike. "I'm sure Cian would love to have more of your blood. That little vile from earlier isn't quite enough." Her smile turned into a horrid grin.
"You can try, bitch, but I've got more important things to fight for than my blood." I lunged forward and sliced her side. Her hand smacked towards it, covering her hand in blood, and she flew to me. Her hand smacked me in the nose, and her blood's scent drove me crazy. I stumbled back, feeling myself transform.
"No!" I shouted, wiping the blood away as best as I could. My name was called out by my friends, but the Trix kept them busy.
"Transform!" Layla shouted, "Your vampire form is already pulling through." I shook my head.
"No! No dark magic. Not today." I gagged. My body was rejecting my fairy form. I had to try. For my friends, who are forced into this madness. "This is my problem, and no one…else's. I won't…I won't make you suffer by forcing black magic on you!" I took my sword and swung at Fury again. I fell back into the ground, the smell of the soil easing my pain. The sound of wings fluttered towards me.
"You're here for me, correct? Then come and fight." The sound of blades clashing echoed in my ears as I lifted my face. Flora and Layla were fighting Fury. I managed to get myself on my knees, scooping up the soil and pressing it into my nose. Everyone seemed distracted.
Now seemed like a good time to act.
I quietly tip-toed towards Icy's frozen box. I wasn't sure how to melt everyone, but at least I could get it away from the Trix. Carefully I walked, planning each step as I moved forward. A scream pierced my ears. I turned my head to see Flora had been cut. Fury shouted another spell and Flora's screams became wilder. The Winx tried to form together, but one by one they were held down. Everyone's screams matched Flora, and soon quieted down. Only Layla stood strong, her weapons constantly changing shape. Icy froze them and then froze her.
"Looks like the rebel's left," she commented as she landed on the ground. The other three followed. Layla struggled, but couldn't budge. Fury grabbed Layla's cheeks and looked deeply into her eyes.
"It seems the Princess of Andros has lost faith in her team." They all roared with laughter. Fury took a few breaths to calm down. "Well, I'll give you credit for admitting your own weakness. With us four this strong, there's no way you can win." She then pointed to the direction of Alfea. "You may be able to keep us out for now, but we'll find a way in. We always do." She brought her face closer to Layla's. "Because everyone fears us," She tapped her gem. "and that's our ticket in." Quickly, I picked up the box, dropped the soil, and summoned my sword to me. I stepped out from my hiding spot and pointed at them.
"There's always hope when one can still fight." The Trix looked back at me and shrugged.
"There isn't anything else you can do," Icy said. She snapped her fingers. The box began to shake, slipping out of my grip and into Icy's possession. "All I have to do is shatter this, and your pixies will be completely obliterated."
"I'll get them back before you can," I threatened. Icy laughed her chilling laugh.
"You want to take that risk?"
"Yes!" I brought my sword closer to me. "Because no one should mess with a fairy's pixi." I jumped in the air and drew the wind around me. A huge wind ball surrounded me. Then, in one quick motion, I began to flap my wings, transforming it into an ultra fast current, and shot myself towards the box. I cut Icy's arm and held the box close to my chest. Icy swore and froze her wound.
"You're going to regret that," she said. I gave her a confident smile.
"I won't. I never regret smacking you down." Around me, I heard the groaning of the other Winx. One by one they weakly stood up, weapons re-summoned, and ready.
"There's always hope when one can still fight," Layla repeated. She looked at her hands and smacked them on the ice. "Ancient ice or Gloomix ancient ice, ice is still ice." Her morphic pink liquid oozed out of her hand, slowly covering it. Steam began to rise off it as it wrapped entirely around it. Cracking echoed in the forest. Layla raised her hand, rolled it into a fist, and she smacked down, breaking her prison, and freeing herself.
Suddenly, yet briefly, a bright light glowed from within her. It vanished within moments and Layla was left with her Charmix. A pink opal shaped gem rested upon a pin that bordered it, curling into a spiral. Another mirroring set of spirals swirled on top, placed neatly onto her left shoulder. Her pink sash bag hung comfortably on her right side of her hip, wrapped in green embroidery, matching her Winx color. She smiled confidently, enjoying the Trix eyes fill with caution.
"Now we're evenly matched," she said, flying high into the air. "Four Charmix against Four Gloomix."
"You still can't beat us," Darcy warned, "Our powers are stronger than last time."
"And you can't beat us!" I flew with the rest of the Winx, the box under my arm, and joined Layla. Musa and I held hands while the four with their Charmix held theirs outward. "I think a dark Charmix will be appropriate," Layla suggested.
"Agreed," Tecna replied, "We'll certainly have a high percentage rate of overpowering them."
"We'll join as well," Musa declared. She gave me and Stella a smile, "We three have to work extra hard to keep up with them." I looked over at Stella, remembering what I overheard. I shook my head.
"Stella doesn't have to be a part of this," I said, "Dark magic doesn't suit her well. I…I never want her to feel pressured into anything." The Trix created some diamond formation and their wicked magic began to stir and rise. I finally let myself transform into my vampire form and let my magic blend in with Musa's. At once, well all unleashed our combined magic. A bright light of colors mashed against the dark rays of the Trix. It was on. We pushed our magic outwards, but without Stella, the Trix were winning.
"We've gotta keep trying!" Bloom grunted, "We can't give up now!" My eyes slowly moved towards Stella.
"I'm sorry, Stella," I said, "if I even made you do something. I really…really do appreciate your help." I took a deep breath and forced the magic out of me. We slowly began to overpower the Trix, but they pushed back again.
A hand touched my shoulder and I heard a spell creep into my mind. I closed my eyes, preparing to give all that I got.
"Moonlight Sonic Blast!" Our convergence pushed over the Trix burning them with our spell. They cried instantly vanished when they transported themselves away.
We seven fell to the ground and took a moment to catch our breath.
"I'm the one who should be sorry." Stella wrapped her arms around my neck. "I know I complain a lot, and demand constant vacations and shopping trips, but I do love helping my friends." She pulled back. "Even if they aren't entirely boy problems."
"Thanks Stella." I saw another brief flash of light in front of me and looked down. A mirror-shaped pin rested on Stella's left shoulder. I smiled. "Thank you for accepting using black magic." She flipped her hair and sighed.
"Moonlight. How exotic!"
"I'm thrilled you got your Charmix, Stella, but we must hurry." Flora kept her cut covered on her arm. "I need to go to the lake."
"The lake's water might be able to break Icy's magic," Tecna added. Without delay, we flew to the lake. Flora thoroughly washed out her wound as I helped the others wash away the ice from all the pixies. Luna coughed a bit and shivered like crazy. I held her close. The other pixies had similar symptoms.
"We should hurry back. They might need medicine." I stroked Luna's hair and tried to warm her up.
"I'll guide the pixies back to Pixi village," Ninfea said, "I'll brew some tea from the tree of life for them." She sneezed in between a few sentences, but the pixies understood her. As the floated away, Tecna asked, "While we're here, Scarlet, can you summon Blanche for us?" Panic struck me. I quickly glanced at Musa before asking why. "Maybe she can give me some straight answers about your skills that I can't get data on. Plus, we might discover why she's linked to you?" Musa began to look uncomfortable.
"How about another time," I suggested, "Let's take care of the pixies first."
"Yeah," Flora agreed, "I'm worried about Chatta." Tecna shrugged.
"I understand. I know that Digit will be fine. She's also as curious as I am." She giggled to herself and we flew towards Pixi village. I looked back at Musa.
Not yet. I can't let Musa see Blanche until her mother is standing by.