Chapter 25

Hi everyone, it has been quite a while! Finally a new chapter of Fairy 101, eh? I have so many stories I am currently writing that I am trying to divide my time. It also depends on what I feel inspired to write for. Though I have some stories where I have only written the prologue, I want you to know I will start writing regular chapters eventually! :) It depends on what I have inspiration to write for at the moment. With that said, here is the new chapter. Enjoy! - QueenNothingness

I suggest you listen to:

Camila Cabello - Dream of you

Amelia Lily - You bring me joy

SVRCINA - Steady

Mirta groaned as she turned around in her bed, the sun coming through the windows softly, brightening with every passing minute. 'Good morning, Sleepyhead!' she heard someone chuckle, a grinning Ember standing next to her.

Mirta smiled gratefully at her best friend as a cup of coffee and a plate of croissants appeared in front of her. 'Thank you.' The fairy of air shrugged, as she sat at Mirta's feet with crossed legs. She thankfully accepted one of the croissants.

'What were you doing up so early?' Mirta asked eventually, as Ember looked up. 'Well, something has been bothering me.' Toffee also yawned, emerging from her bed on Mirta's nightstand and shaking her head. 'Do tell!' Toffee motioned, Lisna shaking her head in amusement as she pushed Toffee away.

'Okay, okay!' Lisna's bonded fairy laughed, as she gave some food to her pixie. Toffee also slurped a little bit from Mirta's coffee, careful not to spill any.

'We need to find the feather of Gravity first.' The fairy of illusions hummed, a sign she was listening even though she was busy going through her messages. 'Something seems odd to me.' That made Mirta look up, her eyebrow raising in question.

Ember sighed, closing her blue eyes in exasparation. 'Book, please help.' The silver ring on her finger started to glow, the book appearing out of nowhere and opening on a random page.

'Listen to this.' Ember said, as she cleared her throat. 'To find the feather of Gravity, you will need to go to the No Gravity zone of the Magical Dimension. It is a dark and desolate place. When all hope seems lost, and the feather of Gravity finds you worthy, it will show itself to you. Very important to note: the No Gravity zone works by the principle: a favor for a favor.'

Mirta raised an eyebrow, but Ember could see worry shining in her eyes. 'I don't know, Ember. That does not sound very good, does it?' Roxy later sighed, as the Winx had gathered in Ember's and Mirta's room.

The fairy of air bit her lip, crossing her arms and looking outside, down to the students walking below. Sometimes she wished it was that simple again. No difficult transformations, no problems, no responsibilities, ...

'What choice do we have?' Emma whispered, voicing everyone's thoughts. They had already made their decision, but that did not mean they had to like it.

'We don't have a choice.' Stella said, her shiny and happy demeanour serious for once. 'If we don't do anything, Nagendra will end up destroying the entire Magical Dimension. As usual, we are the only ones standing between a villain and total destruction.'

Flora approached Ember, squeezing her shoulder in comfort. 'Let's go than, to the No Gravity zone.' Bloom decided, as Ember turned, blue eyes tired and worried, a look most of the winx tried to hide.

Even Bloom did not know what to say this time, and in general she was always the one to calm everyone down and keep their spirits up. Not this time. 'Allright, let's go.'

Elion shared a look with his cousin, all the specialists remarking that the Winx seemed very depressed and anxious. Ember's hand was grasped in Elion's, but if the tight grip she held on his fingers was any indication, his girlfriend was very worried. 'Are you allright, Ember?' Elion whispered, his girlfriend throwing him a nervous smile.

'Yes, I am fine.' Ember muttered back, looking out of the windows, interested in the landscape that flew by. A sigh broke the silence a moment later. 'No, actually, I am not.' The fairy admitted to the boy she had grown to love, Elion frowning as her grip on his hand tightened some more. 'A favor for a favor.' Ember said again, Mirta sitting next to Elion and looking at Ember, Lorn standing behind Mirta, his arms draped over her chair.

'I am scared of what it means. Of what it could mean.' Elion and Lorn shared a look as Mirta closed her eyes and breathed deeply, the lines in her forehead increasing some more.

Even Howler, ever the optimist, was silent for once, lying at Ember's feet, gaze alert for eventual dangers.

'This is not what I had in mind with the No Gravity zone.' Tecna muttered, Clarissa shuddering at the bleak planet before them, leaning back into her boyfriend's arms. Rev raised an eyebrow. 'That is really depressing, you can feel the negative emotion coming off of this planet in waves.'

'We have to go. There is no other option.' Sky said, Musa groaning as they walked outside. 'Could it be any darker and gloomy?' Layla said, lips curled back in disgust at the bleak ground, sky and plants surrounding them. The sky was dark and grey, the thick clouds blocking the warmth the bleak sun provided. Stella shuddered, scooting close to Brandon. She looked pale and almost sickly, but no one said anything.

'You feeling okay, Stella?' Emma eventually whispered, the fairy of the sun nodding silently. 'I need the sun to thrive, so this planet is not the best. But if we do not stay too long, I should be fine.'

'We never said we were going to like it, right?' Mirta said in the meantime, the uncertainty in her voice clear. Layla tried to keep the shivers from shaking her body too violently, Musa's lip also curled back in a disgusted sneer.

'I wonder what happened here for the life on this planet to have become so bleak.' Flora said, a sad sigh escaping her as a flower underneath her wilted and evaporated in something akin to ashes. 'I don't want to know, to be honest.' Roxy muttered, Esnia curling around her bonded fairy.

The fairies nor the fairy animals liked it, connected as they were to the dying planet's slow but still somewhat existent heartbeat.

'Book, please help.' Ember whispered, the book appearing before her and going one way. 'I think we need to go this way.' The group followed Ember, Howler and Elion walking with her at the front, the book in her arms being the only thing giving them some light.

The bleak fields and almost desertlike landscape soon became thicker and changed into something akin to a forest, but the trees were harsh and unforgiving, wrung and grown in unnatural ways, as if they were reaching for the little warmth and light the sun provided, if it was not blocked by the clouds.

'What is going on?' Bloom whispered, the sudden light before them blinding them almost instantly, since everyone's eyes had gotten used to the bleak light of their surroundings. The fairy of the Dragonflame gently pushed Tecna aside, who shielded herself from the light. 'Ember?' Bloom whispered, Sky joining them as well.

'It's the book.' Sky understood, Elion nodding as Ember looked at the words written, almost as if in trance. 'We have arrived.' Ember said at once, her gaze falling upon the doors that had appeared before them.

They were large and black doors, swirls and something written in a language none of them understood, displayed on every inch of those gleaming black doors. Flora approached the door but her hand stopped from touching it, Amarok's growling warning her something very dangerous and wrong was behind that door.

'You can feel the negative energy pulsing in waves. Whatever is behind that door, is not good.' Musa rolled her eyes, as Emma groaned. 'Why is nothing ever easy?'

'This is the place.' Ember confirmed to no one in particular. 'Joy.' Stella muttered, Layla shrugging. 'We'd do best to transform, just in case.' Roxy nodded, sharing a smile with Artu. 'TYNIX!'

A few moments later, the Winx stood in their transformed forms, and Emma admitted in the privacy of her mind that it made her feel a little bit better. At least they were prepared if something happened now.

'Okay, let's do this.' Bloom said, nodding at Elas who stood next to her. Mirta touched the doors and pushed against them, trying to ignore the disgust and fear she felt coming off of it in waves. The markings on the door lit up like stars in a dark sky, the words that appeared before all of them making them even more wary of their mission.

'Leave behind all inhibitions and notions of this place. Only in loss and sacrifice can hope be born.'

Stella rolled her eyes. 'Wow, that makes it so much better.' Shiny sighed, but than her eyes hardened with determination. 'Here goes nothing.' Roxy muttered, as the group went inside, the doors closing behind them with a bang and enveloping them in complete darkness.

'Let me give you some light.' Tecna proposed, taking one of her devices that resembled torches, giving one to each and everyone. 'So you can spare your powers, Stella. We know how stretched thin you already are without the sun.' Stella nodded silently in thanks, Tecna giving her a soft smile.

The friends huddled together as they tried to find their way in the darkness, but it made no sense. There seemed to be no walls, no ground, only darkness. The only thing that seemed to indicate they were going the right way was the book that gave a soft light.

That is when Ember heard it. The whispers. She turned her head, eyes looking into the darkness but nothing. There was nothing.

'What is it?' Elion asked, eyebrow raising in alarm. 'Don't you hear that? Those voices?!' Elion shook his head, his face creased with worry. 'No, I don't.' Ember's gaze fell on Musa, who nodded. 'I do. A sound like an eery orchestra that is out of tune.'

The others admitted it as well, but everyone heard something else, and Bloom could only deduct that it depended on the powers the fairy had.

Emma felt it first, the trembling around them. First the earth, if there was even one underneath their feet, seemed to shake and than everything around them, though they still were surrounded by nothing but darkness.

Layla fell on her knees, Nyx grabbing her by the arms, trying to stabilise her. The shaking and trembling became louder and heavier, the darkness around them seemingly groaning and weeping.

'Hold on!' Brandon shouted over the sound, but it was becoming more and more difficult to even hear anything over the racket that was surrounding the group. Mirta's fear eventually mounted to an unbearable height, her powers barely working in this dark and desolate place.

She let out a scream, soon followed by others, and she finally understood she was not the only one that was scared. The darkness had gradually filled them with fear, desparation and sadness, making them weak and unable to fight when they needed it. The only thing keeping her from starting to wail like a banshee, was Lorn's steady hand in hers, and Abidin's breathing next to her ear. She was not alone. At least for now.

Ember in the meantime was trying to get up from the ground, the rumbling and trembling around her making her feel as if she was in a storm and a cave-in combined. 'Hold on, Ember! Hold on!' she heard Elion shout, but there was worry and fear in his voice she had never heard before.

If even he was worried, than they were truly in a bad place. 'I can't!' Ember screeched back, the fear and panic in her voice mounting. And than, another tremble came from beside them, Elion's hand letting go of hers.

'ELION! WHERE ARE YOU?' Ember screamed, looking around but still nothing but darkness, darkness, surrounding her. 'HOWLER?' a sob came through, her frame starting to shudder with fear and panic. The trembling and rumbling had at least died down, the world around her becoming silent.

'MIRTA?!' Ember screamed, her voice becoming shrill, almost sounding like a wail. She felt around with her hands, trying to find her footing, eventually sitting up. 'ANYONE?' Ember sobbed, still nothing but darkness, darkness surrounding her.

Nothing but fear. Sadness. Despair. Anger. Desparation. Hopelessness. Nothing but darkness surrounding her.

Nothing but silence and darkness. She was alone. Utter and utter alone. Ember fell in a sobbing heap on the ground, panic and fear consuming her mind, the silence changing into a ringing and whispers in her ears.

Now you know. A voice seemed to whisper. Now you know what happens when a planet loses it's very essence and life.

Only fear, sadness, desperation and hopelessness remain.

Ember let out another sob, something akin to a ghostly hand patting her head, a comforting weight stroking her black hair. The fairy of air looked up, her iceblue eyes falling on the woman? before her.

She was beautiful but in a sad way. Her long hair was white, her once vibrant eyes turned bleak and without life. Her skin seemed pale and bleak. Her dress floated around her, but it was pale, the green colour so faded it almost seemed white.

You have come from far, Ember. Said fairy looked up, her sobs having calmed down, a last tear rolling down her cheek. You have been strong. The woman turned her head and nodded at her. You have fought hard. Harder than most people I have ever met.

'Why?' Ember stuttered, the woman before her smiling sadly. Nagendra destroyed us, me and my sisters. He thought he could find an indication for the diamond here. When he did not find the information he wanted...

'He made you pay for it. He killed the planet's heart. It's you, isn't it? This planet's very essence?' Ember realised, the woman closing her eyes and nodding, the sad smile still present on her lips. Her eyes seemed to shine with hurt and anger and thirst for vengeance for a moment, but a split second later it was gone. I am indeed the embodiment of this planet's heart. My sisters, whose whispers and wails you heard, embody everything else on this planet, from the water, to the plants, to the earth, to the emotions, ... you name it. Together we are the planet you are standing on.

'He did this to you?!' The woman closed her eyes and nodded, shaking her head. What has happened has happened. It does no good to dwell on the past, since we cannot change it.

'Only in loss and sacrifice can hope be born.' Ember whispered, her eyes falling on where the woman's, err planet's, heart was. Veins of angry red seemed to come together in the heart of the woman, so black it was a stark contrast against her faded dress, a faint heartbeat all that was heard.

So faint, you needed to strain to hear it.

Than she understood, what she needed to do. 'If I,...' Ember stuttered, her jaw going rigid as she gathered some of her remaining courage. 'If I sacrifice myself, will my friends get the feathers? To stop Nagendra?' The woman gave her another sad smile, nodding. Are you sure?

Ember let out a shuddering breath, nodding. It was enough, she told herself in the privacy of her mind. If the others lived, and could defeat him, it was enough. She was just sad she would not be there to see it.

'If that is what needs to be done... I will sacrifice my life, if need be. Nagendra needs to be stopped at all costs.' The woman stopped in front of her, her hand appearing before Ember. Her sad smile had some warmth to it now, a warmth also shining in her eyes.

Come with me than, fairy of air. 'I am ready.' Ember said, her determination steeling itself for one last time. If she needed to sacrifice herself for the sake of the dimension, so be it.

She had had a good life. A short one maybe, but a good and happy one. As Ember thought back to all the people she had met and all the wonderful things she had seen and done, she decided she had had a lot to be thankful for. Her heart calmed down and started beating a normal rhythm again.

And as a grin lit her lips, Ember grabbed the woman's hand without hesitation. The woman's hand was warm and strong, and that was the last push she needed. So Ember followed, soon swallowed in nothing but darkness.

'Ember! Are you allright?' Mirta's voice came from far, but it was there, and Ember groaned as she tried to shield herself from the light. 'Be careful. Take your time.' A calm voice said, as Ember finally opened her eyes a fraction. She looked down to her middle and saw that Elion was holding her, keeping her steady as she woke up. She turned her head while Elion's hair grazed and tickled her cheek, relief evident in her boyfriend's eyes.

'Hey there, stranger.' He smirked, a giggle his only response. But as Elion's grip on her middle tightened, the fairy of air understood how scared he had been to lose her. A smiling but teary Mirta was sitting in front of her, grabbing her hands. 'We thought you did not make it.' Emma whispered, the relief evident in her voice.

'She's fine!' Flora called out, the rest of the winx and specialists letting out a collective breath. You did well, Winx. Ember's eyes fell on something behind her best friend, the planet's heart, the woman who had taken her into the darkness, floating behind Mirta. Next to her stood several other women, much like her, but different all the same.

'That was the test.' Bloom realised as she looked at the planet's fire spirit, who nodded approvingly at her. 'Each and every one was tested to see if we would be willing to sacrifice what was needed for the greather good.'

The planet's heart nodded, a warm smile lighting up her features. And you all did so very well. We have a gift for you. Her hand opened, and several lights went to the respective fairies, the light changing into...a feather.

Ember looked at hers, a darkblue feather with silver and a little bit of gold lining the veins of the feather. The stone also appeared, connecting to the feather with a sound like thunder, and than disappearing alltogether.

When you see Nagendra, give him our regards. Me and my sisters will be here, if you need anything else. The woman said, her sisters joining her.

'We will find a way to bring you back to your former glory.' Ember said. 'I promise.'

The planet's heart laughed, a soft tinkle in the air, before she disappeared. I believe you.

That evening Mirta and Ember sat on Ember's bed, Howler and Abidin curled around them. Both girls were silent, still shaken by the turn of events.

They could only hope their next mission to get the feather of Wind would not be so demanding.

But knowing their luck, it would be the opposite. Ember could only hope it would pay off in the end.

That's all they can hope for.