We've arrived at Alfea, and you get to meet the other girls. Enjoy this new chapter!

I do not own Winx Club, or this story's cover.

Oh, and many thanks for everyone liking and favoriting this story!

"Are you alright?" Stella eyed me worriedly when I rubbed my temples for the sixth time. "You are even paler than usual." She grasped my hand, her grip almost painfully tight. "You aren't going to faint again, are you?"

"No, I am fine. It's just…" I bit back a wince. "There are too many people here."

We were seated in the lecture hall along with all the other students. Yes, all 420 of them. The wall of noise surrounding us along with the amount of people made me more than a little nauseous. Usually I had no problem with crowds, as long as I took my medication, but there was something about Alfea's students that seemed to attack all my senses and kick-start a migraine.

"Hmm…" Stella nibbled her lip as she gazed worriedly at me. "I don't like the way you look, Bloom. Maybe I should get Ofelia."

"Please don't," I begged, grimacing at how pathetic I sounded. "I don't want to make a fuzz over nothing."

"Bloom," scolded Stella me. "It is not nothing! Might I just remind you that only last night you fainted? Have I mentioned how terrifying that was?"

I rolled my eyes, a smile tugging at my lips. "Yes, Stella. You mentioned it already. No less than four times." Stella crossed her arms with a huff. "Really, I am fine."

"You look like you are about to pass out again," disagreed the blonde fiercely.

I groaned as another wave crashed into me. It was a blessing I was sitting or else I would have swayed on my feet. And my head! My poor head!

"Bloody hell, I feel like a damned cripple." I rested my head in my hands as the wave slowly retreated. "It's like all my senses are being utterly overwhelmed." Stella gasped beside me, and I weakly peeked an eye open. "What?"

"Of course!" A wide smile pulled itself to her face. I wanted to tell her to tune it down as her teeth were blinding me again. "Do you remember how I told you that there is a constant buzz of magic in the air? Something you can't tune out, but is rather annoying?" I nodded weakly, still not sure where she was going with this. She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Bloom, you are experiencing that right NOW. Your senses are overwhelmed by the buzz of magic Alfea and its students give off."

"You said it was annoying, not tiring," I pointed out grudgingly.

"Because magical creatures usually learn how to deal with it, to block it somewhat out, from a young age. But you grew up in a realm with no magic. You didn't learn to tune it out."

"Great…" I scoffed, clenching my teeth as another wave crashed into me. "Just great…"

"Don't worry." Stella petted my hand with a smile. "It will be alright. You will learn how to block it out soon enough. And maybe if we tell Ms. Faragonda later, she can help you with it."

I groaned, slumping against her and resting my head on her shoulder. "Is it too late for me to go home?"

She chuckled, petting the top of my head. "You don't mean that. Just you wait and see, once the speeches are over and we aren't in a room full of fairies anymore, you will feel much better."

"Ladies!" Griselda barely needed to raise her voice for it to climb above the noise. Instantly everything quieted down. Now that my other senses weren't overstimulated, I noticed that the buzz and overwhelming waves were made out energy rather than noise. It was much like what I had experienced in the clearing the day before. It was nudging constantly against my skin, tugging at my mind and begging for attention.

I slowly raised my head and opened my eyes again, finding Griselda in the middle of the lecture hall. It was a half-round hall with a dome made solely out of glass and like any college lecture hall I had ever laid eyes on. On a platform in the middle stood a desk which currently was occupied by teachers. Faragonda sat in the middle and Griselda had been seated beside her but was now standing in front of us and staring up with her usual sternness.

"Thank you." She folded her hands behind her back. "Welcome back to Alfea. And of course, welcome to our new students." Someone cheered loudly "Go, Alfea!" and laughter erupted. Griselda's stern glare hardened. "Settle down! Settle! Down!" After a few final hiccups, silence fell once more. "Before I give the word to headmistress Faragonda, I would like to go over a few principal things."

Stella groaned, her chin falling to her chest. "Here we go. The whole speech on what is and isn't allowed."

"To our freshmen: Alfea will be your home for the next four years, and you will be her representatives to the outside world. Blacken her name and you will be severely punished." I swore her eyes lingered on Stella for a moment, but that could just be my imagination. "Some older students would be wise to take note of this as well." A few giggles erupted and this time the gazes were turned to a handful of girls at the back.

"Secondly, there are strict rules on the use of magic. You are not allowed to use any magic outside the classrooms, and even in the classroom you are only allowed to use your powers under strict supervision of your teachers. Any use of unauthorized magic and I will personally escort you to the front gate." This time I was sure she shot a pointed look at Stella, who fidgeted beside me.

"We also have a strict rule on using magic on your fellow students, one that I am bound to repeat in light of last year's prank war." This time some nervous coughs filled the hall. "Use any type of magic on a fellow student, whether it is harmful or not, and you will find yourself on the first bus home and not be welcome here again."

As she spoke she paced slowly before the desk, from time to time shooting a particular harsh glare at a girl or a group of girls. "Classrooms, the simulator, and the laboratories are off-limits outside school hours. If you are caught in one while you shouldn't be, there will be consequences. Then there is the matter of male company…" Judging by the giggles that arose, this was another problem. "I like to remind everyone that students from Red Fountain, Malacoy Academy and Gamera University are not welcome at Alfea unless they have been granted permission by both their headmaster and ours." Instantly whispers arose, some louder than others but all were in protest. "Quiet!"

A hush fell over the crowd. "And finally, there is the matter of the curfew. It is eight o'clock sharp. Anyone finding themselves outside Alfea after eight will have to sleep in the forest. Lights out is at ten. If you are found walking about the halls after it, you will spend at least a month in detention."

Her gaze fell onto us again and Stella seemed to gaze innocently up at the ceiling, as if it was the most fascinating thing ever. I snorted. "Busted…"

"Shut up, Bloom."

"Are there any questions?" No one lifted a finger or even coughed. "Very well. Headmistress."

Faragonda rose to her feet with a smile. "Thank you, Griselda." The woman took a seat behind the desk with the other teachers while Faragonda took a stand in front of it, leaning carelessly against it. "Welcome everyone to Alfea for a wonderful year. Do not let Ms. Griselda's words scare you too much. While the rules might seem strict to you, I assure you they are there to keep you safe."

The two women couldn't differ more from one another, much like Dumbledore and McGonagall. I chuckled quietly at the comparison. It fit like a glove, though I doubted Faragonda was as cunning and manipulative as Dumbledore. I certainly couldn't remember that she had been in the cartoon.

"On a happier note, I am delighted to announce that the annual start-of-the-year ball will be hosted by Alfea this year." A wall of noise erupted and I clenched my hands over my ears as practically everyone jumped to their feet and cheered. Faragonda laughed while Griselda ordered everyone to settle back down.

"What is the start-of-the-year ball?" I asked Stella, who seemed just as excited.

"Oh, just a little something the schools organize," she answered, throwing her hair back over her shoulder. She had the tendency to that when she wanted to add some drama. "At the end of the first week, all the schools gather and celebrate that a new year has begun. Since Alfea will host it this year, that means all the other students will come to us."

"All the schools?" I asked just for clarification. Hadn't Cloud Tower not been invited in the cartoon? Then again, there were now six schools in Magix while I was pretty sure there had been three originally.

Stella nodded. "Of course. Can you imagine what would happen if one or two schools weren't invited? Rather than a celebration it would be a massacre." She twirled a lock of hair around her fingers as Griselda continued to try and get the other students to settle back down. "It is custom to exchange gifts as well. I wonder what they will be this year. Last year was sorely disappointing…"

"Thank you, girls." Faragonda managed to get done what Griselda couldn't and the noise slowly faded away. "I am glad to see how excited you all are for the ball. I count on you to help the teachers and I with organizing a night to remember." While excited murmurs arose, the wall of noise remained absent. "On to the more serious matters then."

She spread her arms with a warm smile. "Welcome, freshmen. You are the lucky ones who have been accepted to Alfea, the finest school in Magix. Some of you have already been to your dorms and introduced yourselves to your dormmates, others will get the opportunity later. I expect you all to be civil and get along. You will have to spent the next four years with one another. Dorms cannot be changed without a perfectly good reason and during classes, you will often be paired with your dormmates to practise spells and for group assignments." She pushed away from the desk. "Breakfast will be served every morning from seven. You will be able to eat it until 8.15. I fear anyone joining us after that time will have to do on any stomach. At least until lunch, of course. And the classes start at 8.30 sharp, but I am sure as the good fairies you are, you will be punctual."

"Have you heard this before?" I wondered, noticing how most of the fairies surrounding us – including Stella – were on their phones and not paying any attention to the headmistress.

Stella nodded, barely glancing up. "Ms. Faragonda is a darling, but she is anything if not predictable. It is the same speech each year."

"When you return to your rooms, you will find a stack of uniforms specifically designed for you waiting there along with a lab coat. You are required to wear them during classes and the coat during potions. Of course you can wear whatever you like in your spare time." My lips parted as Faragonda continued her speech. Uniforms? I didn't remember the girls wearing uniforms.

"The grounds are yours to explore and the gardens open for your use, but I must urge you not to enter the dark forest on your own. While any malevolent creature would never venture close to the school grounds, they will not hesitate to strike you if they get the chance." I swallowed, my encounter with the ghouls and troll flashing before my eyes. Yep, I was definitely not exploring the dark forest or going near it anytime soon.

"The laundry hall is open for all uses. And remember, you are responsible for your own laundry. Now I believe most dormmates agree to do each other's laundry but it is up to every single one of you whether you want this or not. Then there is kitchen duty, of course. One dorm will help Chef Sfoglia each day with preparing the meals. You will find the list in the entrance hall. Make sure you take note when it is your dorm's turn. There are no excuses for skipping them." She gazed at all of us over her glasses, a rather stern sparkle in her eyes. "And that is also a reminder for my older students."

"I hate kitchen duty," muttered Stella. "I had hoped that my father would get me out of it, but alas."

"And I do believe that is all for now. You will get your schedules tomorrow at breakfast, and during the classes you will meet your lovely teachers." She mentioned towards the ones sitting behind her, and some whistles and cheers arose from the older years. One of the teachers – a young man with long hair and pointy ears – flushed all shades of red in answer. "Now, becoming a fairy is hard work. It requires dedication and persistence, but I have faith that every single one of you has it in them to become one. And remember, the teachers and I are always here for you, and if you ever need our help do not hesitate to ask."

A polite clap followed and Faragonda smiled warmly. "Now, on to my lovely sophomores. Welcome back for another exiting year…"

I tried to listen as Faragonda addressed the second years and told them what they could expect, and what changes had been made, but most terms she used were entirely unfamiliar. That grew even worse when she switched to the juniors. I stopped listening after that and started talking to Stella.

She was showing me a bunch of photos on her mobile when my stomach gave a jolt. I nearly leaped to my feet at the excitement that unexpectedly rushed through me. Eagerly and somewhat confused my eyes searched the hall to locate the cause.

There!

Shuffling into the lecture hall, trying to make as little noise as possible, was a woman. She was about my height, but she wore heels that made her seem quite a bit taller. Her paleness matched my own, and she had beautiful chocolate cherry hair that was braided and curled in a bun on top of her head.

My heart leaped to my throat at the sight of her and I found myself unable to gaze away. My body was humming, urging me to approach her, to get to know her… No, not that. I already knew her. The familiarity, the recognition…

I frowned. "Why do I feel like I have known her my whole life when she is as unfamiliar to me as the students surrounding me?"

As if she could feel my eyes on her, the woman froze. Nothing happened for a moment but then she turned around with a grace that even Stella couldn't match. I choked as I found myself starring into my own eyes. We had the exact same eye-colour! Hers were hidden behind a pair of thick round glasses, but they were the same nonetheless.

Her eyes widened as she met my gaze, her lips parting and… I frowned. "Is that shock? Fear? No, that can't be. Why would she be scared of me?"

The woman and I stared at each other, the world seeming to slow down around us and even Faragonda's voice faded. I had never wished so hard that I could speak telepathically, just to ask her a thousand questions.

She was the one who broke the staring match, tearing her gaze away and resuming her way to the desk. With it the spell was broken and the hall and noise returned. I continued to watch her as she was greeted by the other teachers with smiles and nods, and slid into an empty seat on the far end.

"Stella?" Only after she had taken a seat I found the strength to gaze away. "Who is that?"

Stella gazed up from her mobile, not having noticed that my attention had been captured by something else. "Who is who?"

"The woman who just entered," I clarified, but was too scared to point. "The one with the glasses and the beauty mark above her lip."

Stella peered down at the desk, shrugging as she caught sight of the woman I was referring to. "Oh, that is Ms. Barbatea. She is Alfea's librarian. I mentioned her earlier, remember? Nobody knows what exactly she is but she has been here like forever."

"The mysterious Ms. Barbatea…" My gaze was drawn to her again. "Why do I feel like I know you…?" My breath hitched as our eyes suddenly met again. Hers had an intensity and held a knowledge that made me flinch and fidget at the same time. "I don't want to go near her. She is dangerous, powerful. Yet… I want to learn everything there is in this world from her. Ugh, I'm giving myself a whiplash!"

"Bloom." Stella's hand waved in front of my face and I blinked. She was frowning at me. "I asked why you wanted to know."

"Sor-sorry, Stel-Stella…" Was I stuttering? Oh, dear God, I was! I rubbed my temples. "I-I…"

"Are you feeling overwhelmed again?" She eyed me worriedly. "Hang in there, it is almost over."

"No, it's not that." I rubbed my temples. "It's Ms. Barbatea. I feel like I know her, but I am not sure why. Did we bump into her last night by any chance?"

"Not as far as I can remember and she does rather stand out so I think I would have noticed if we had." Stella peeked a glance at Barbatea, whose gaze had returned to Faragonda. "You two look a little alike… Oh!" She abruptly sat up, her eyes sparkling in excitement. "Bloom, she could be your biological mother!" she whisper-yelled. "You have the same eyes, and the same pale skin. You even possess the same beauty!"

I would have agreed with Stella if I hadn't known that Bloom was the lost princess of Domino. "Yeah… Something tells me that's not it," I confided in Stella with a chuckle. "Besides, why would an ancient librarian from a magical school send her daughter to a magicless planet?"

"Hmm." Stella tapped with a finger on her chin. "You have a point there…"

In that moment Faragonda clapped in her hands with the brightest smile and addressed everyone again. "And that is it for now! You have the rest of the day off! Explore, catch up, get to know each other… Just make most of the wonderful weather outside. I will see all of you tomorrow at breakfast!" Girls instantly rose to their feet, but Faragonda seemed to have abruptly changed her mind. "Oh, one more moment." Everyone paused. "Stella, Bloom, if you would be kind enough to stay a little longer."

Stella and I hadn't moved yet, exchanging a look as the headmistress addressed us. "I guess you were right," I told Stella, who grinned in response.

"I am always right."

I rolled my eyes at her with a fond smile. "Yeah, humility is not one of Stella's finest qualities…"

It didn't take long before the lecture hall was cleared of all students. Stella and I made our way down the stairs and joined Faragonda and the other teachers – and Ms. Barbatea – by the desk.

Faragonda smiled warmly at us. "Good afternoon, girls. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm back to my normal self," grinned Stella, who was practically bouncing on the spot. "As fit as a fiddle."

Faragonda's eyes turned to me, a frown etching between her eyebrows. "And you, Bloom?"

I rubbed my arm, shrugging awkwardly now that I was in the centre of attention. "I've been better…"

"Oh, what did I tell you?" cut Ofelia in, abruptly getting up and stomping around the desk to reach me. She placed a gentle hand in my neck, checked my pulse and even my eyes. "The child is freezing and ash-grey. I knew sending her back to her own realm and then have her appear here again within twenty-four hours was a bad idea."

"She had to say goodbye to her parents, Ofelia," chided Faragonda gently. "We could not have asked her to stay."

"And I am glad you didn't," I cut in quickly, a jolt of electricity running down my spine as I felt Barbatea's gaze on me. "Saying goodbye to them… I could not have started my journey here without it. And, really, it is not the journey. It is…" I gestured hesitantly around me. "Well, this."

"The magic in the air is overwhelming her," clarified Stella. "Like fairies usually experience when they are still young. Because she grew up in a realm with no magic and therefore isn't used to it."

"Oh, dear." Faragonda's frown deepened. "I fear I had not even considered that yet."

"A realm with no magic?" squeaked a voice. "Aye, you must be the lass from Earth then."

A small fellow – not even 5'0 – jumped on top of the desk, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. He had large ears with pointy tips that stuck out from under a large green hat, rosy cheeks and a big nose. His hair colour, which curled out from under his hat, and neatly trimmed sideburns reminded me of a carrot.

I instantly scolded myself. That wasn't a nice thing to think.

"But he has to be my favourite teacher. Wizgiz."

Faragonda took a stand beside me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Everyone, I would like you to meet Bloom." Gasps arose as the teachers I hadn't met yet gazed thoroughly at me, their eyes widening. The beautiful woman with the ash-blonde hair even seemed on the verge of fainting. I wasn't sure why until I heard them mutter the word "aura". "And as I informed you earlier this day, Bloom is from Earth."

"Impossible." A tall dark man who I couldn't place at all, shook his head violently. "Earth has been magicless for ages. Even if she was the last fairy of that realm, her aura would not be this powerful." Stella and I exchanged a look but said nothing.

"Selim, please." Faragonda shot the dark man a stern look. "Now, I thought it wisest to introduce you to her. As of yet we are not sure what is blocking her powers. Until we have figured it out, Ofelia and I have agreed it would be wisest not to overexert her. Please keep that in mind these upcoming days, especially in regard to your classes." I fidgeted nervously as all the attention shifted to me again. Stella wrapped an arm around mine and smiled encouragingly. "Now thank you all for your time and attention. I will update you when we have discovered something new."

And just like that the other teachers also scattered, most shooting me another thorough glance as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. The only one who didn't was Ms. Barbatea, who was one of the first to take her leave. She did not even spare me a second glance. I was a little disappointed at her lack of interest in me. It seemed my curiosity was one-sided.

Afterwards Ms. Faragonda led us quietly to her office, Griselda and Ofelia in our shadow. She offered us a seat in front of her desk and Griselda brought us tea, while Ofelia asked me some more questions and did some more checks. I tried to fidget as little as possible, but the fact that I was basically in the principal's office on my first day made me more than a little nervous. I had never been to the principal's office before. I stayed out of trouble. Trouble would lead to disappointment and I tried to avoid that like the plague.

"Your father called me this morning, Stella," informed Faragonda my friend after Ofelia had finally settled down. The princess gulped audibly at the news. "He wasn't overly pleased."

"Yeah…" Stella's fingers fidgeted in her lap as she looked at everything but the headmistress. "I probably shouldn't have told him about the attack…"

"Quite the opposite." Faragonda sat down behind her desk, her piercing gaze focused on us. "You should have notified him straight away. His concerns are justified. His only daughter and the heir to Solaria was attacked while on her way to Magix and nearly killed in a magicless realm. Not once but twice." She folded her hands-on top of her desk. "Due to the severity, we saw no other choice but to inform the council."

"Ugh!" Stella groaned and slumped in her seat. "But that means we will have to testify in front of them."

I turned to the headmistress, puzzled by the reaction. "Is that bad?"

She smiled reassuringly. "Not at all. It is merely a little complicated."

I remembered what Stella had told me about the magic council and my mouth dropped in an "o". "Because of all the secrecy?" Faragonda inclined her head. "But once they know, will they make work of it?"

"I expect as much. Solaria is one of the most powerful realms in the Magic Dimension and they would want to keep king Radius happy. And if they did nothing…" She did not finish her sentence. She didn't need to.

I turned to Stella. "Isn't that a good thing, then?" Stella just folded her arms and huffed. Clearly she did not agree. I decided to ask her later and turned back to the headmistress, folding my hands carefully in my lap. "What did you want to talk to us about, Ms. Faragonda?"

She leaned back in her chair, her eyes piercing into mine. I shivered. Was mind reading a thing here, because this was the second time I could swear she saw straight through me and heard my every thought.

"First and foremost, I just wanted to make sure you two are in good health," she started. "Secondly, I wanted to inform you that I have a meeting with the other headmasters and -mistresses at the end of the week. I will notify them of these troubling events as well, and possibly ask for their help to figure this out." She sighed, shaking her head sadly. "We have not had such a direct attack on a royal family since the destruction of Domino." I couldn't help but stiffen at the name. "And that brings me to my final point." Her gaze snapped back to me. "Your education, Bloom."

Panic flared through me. "Oh, I knew it! She saw right through me! She knows I've been lying and keeping things! She is going to kick me out or worse…"

"I have asked Ms. Barbatea to give you lessons in anything she will think critical. To help you learn more about the Magic Dimension." I almost slumped in relief. Phew! Not busted yet then. "Unfortunately, she can only spare an hour a week, mostly at the end of the day when the library is closed. I suggest you go and meet her as soon as possible. Together you two can decide on a time and place, and she will see it cleared with me and Griselda."

"I can help too," offered Stella, she winked as I shot her a bright smile. "With how many questions she has already fired my way, I am sure I can teach her a thing or two."

"That is very kind of you, Stella." Faragonda nodded with an approving smile. "Then all that remains is finding out what exactly is blocking your powers."

"I can drop some of my medication off at the healing wing later."

"Oh, that would be marvellous, dear." Ofelia smiled warmly at me. "Palladium has offered to assist me in discovering their key ingredients and if they potentially block magic. The sooner I have them, the sooner we can get started."

I nodded, chewing absently on my lip before voicing one of my fears, one that had been swirling through my head for a while now. "Ms. Faragonda, what if it isn't my medication that blocks my powers?" "What if the body swapping is?"

Her smile instantly turned down. "Let's not think about that yet." Oh, that didn't sound good. Not at all. "It is most likely that your medication is what is suppressing them."

I swallowed at the lump in my throat. "I will have to stop taking them, then."

"Not until we are sure they are responsible for the blockage." Ofelia shot me another warm smile. "And until we know, do not use your powers."

I frowned. "I know I already asked this before, but why not? I mean, I understand that using them while they are being blocked causes some negative side-effects. Don't get me wrong, I prefer not being deaf. But I still don't understand how that is even possible. How I could have lost it simply because I used magic?"

"You have to understand, Bloom, that using magic always comes at a price." Faragonda's smile was back, despite the seriousness of her words. "Most magic is harmless. You can compare it to exercising. The more you exercise, the less your body suffers under the strain. It is exactly the same with magic." She mentioned towards Stella. "Take what happened the day before. Stella used a portal to get from Solaria to Magix. To keep a portal open alone requires quite some energy, but then she was blasted out of it and landed on Earth where she had to fight for her life. When that was over, she fainted due to how much energy she had used. Her body needed to recover from the strain." Stella grinned sheepishly at me when I stared wide-eyed at her. "But after a long nap, she was all but recovered." Faragonda's face grew more serious. "In your case, you would need a tremendous amount of energy just to tap into your blocked powers. To then on top of that use the powerful magic Stella described…" She shook her head, cutting herself off. "You are incredibly lucky to be alive, Bloom."

My eyes widened, my heart skipping a whole beat. Lucky to be alive? "Are you saying that I could have killed myself with what I did yesterday?"

Faragonda inclined her head. "The only reason you managed to survive is the magnitude of your powers. They are extraordinary, Bloom." I flinched a little as I met her gaze again. "It has been years since we have seen an aura as powerful as yours. That you have such powers, is the only reason why you survived yesterday's ordeal."

I chewed on my lip, frowning as I let that sink in. Extraordinary… While Bloom had been among one of the most powerful fairies in the cartoon, to use the word extraordinary? It felt a little too Mary Sue. "But surely I cannot be one of a kind?" I was not becoming a Mary Sue. I would die before becoming one. Well, that was an exaggeration, but I was going to prevent it at all cost. "Surely there have to be others with a similar power aura?"

"Well…" A shadow fell over Faragonda's face. "Let's just say that the last one was on the wrong side of the law and that got him sentenced to the Omega Dimension for eternity."

"Valtor…" A tingle ran up my spine as his name echoed through my head, my stomach giving a pull, almost as if the name had woken up something inside me and it wasn't too happy about that. I had to bite back the smile that the bubbling feeling of excitement inside was causing. "Oh, I can't believe I have barely given my favourite villain a second thought! Then again, I will have to wait at least two years before I get to meet him. Damn…"

"As for others…" I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts as Faragonda continued. The shadow still hung over her face. "They are rare. Extremely rare. Be careful when you meet someone with an aura similar to yours, Bloom. Most often they have paddled in powers that are better left alone." And just like that the shadow lifted and the smile was back. "Now, I won't keep you any longer. Be free to explore Alfea to your heart's content, but keep on your guard. We still do not know who was behind the attack and they might try to strike again."

"So what do you want in your room?" Stella and I were making our way back to our dorm, arm in arm. Stella seemed to prefer walking that way and I didn't exactly get much choice in the matter. "You should definitely get a canopy. I loved yours. I'm thinking about getting one as well. I liked those lights you had too. I am sure we can find some. Oh, and you will need a wardrobe, of course. You can't keep your clothes in that suitcase. And Kiko will need some stuff as well…"

I chewed on my lip at the mention of my kitten, worry gnawing at my stomach. "Do you think Kiko will be alright here? I hate to think what will happen to him if he wanders into the dark forest."

Stella snorted. "Bloom, don't be ridiculous. He will have to make his way through the entire castle and then through the gardens before he even comes to its borders. Trust me, that is enough work-out for anyone, let alone a little kitten." We reached our dorm and Stella opened it dramatically. "Besides, your cat is the smartest creature I have ever met. He will know instinctively to stay away from it." She winked. "Don't you worry. He will stay right out of trouble. Just you wait and see."

She had barely finished when Kiko – all puffed up – came growling out of my room and clawed up my leg, finally coming to a stop on my shoulders and hissing loudly into the direction he had come from.

"What in the name of…"

"Oh, I am so sorry, little one," called a sweet high-pitched voice from out my room. "He didn't mean it like that. Bad plant!" Not a moment later another girl hurried out of the room, almost running straight into me and Stella. "Please come ba… Oh!"

The girl in front of me was, much to my astonishment, shorter than I was and curvier. She was full and plump, a little like a peach. She even seemed as soft as one. She had a stunning tan and a gorgeous flush on her cheeks. Her hazel eyes reminded me of nature, and they were big and kind. She also had to most astonishing hair colour: caramel with streaks of honey. If I had bumped into her on Earth, I would have pegged her for a Latina, but since we weren't on Earth and Bloom only had one roommate…

"You must be Flora," I guessed, smiling warmly at her. I had always loved Flora as a character. She was simply the sweetest person. There wasn't a single mean bone in her body. "I am Bloom." I held out my hand. She gazed puzzled at it. "Oops." I awkwardly pulled it back and scratched the back of my head. "Sorry. Earth thing."

"Earth?" echoed a new voice.

I turned around and found another girl had entered after us. If I hadn't known Alfea was a girls-only school, I would have mistaken her for a boy. She was practically built as one. She towered above me, being at least over 6'0, and had no curves whatsoever. Instead, everything about her seemed rectangle, from her body to her face. It could be that her short hairstyle – magenta-pink hair which reached just below her ear on the right side of her face and was shaven on the left side – played some part in that.

I blinked at the two deep blue eyes staring at me. They were twinkling eagerly. "As in the none-magical realm that finds itself in a completely different Solar System?" Stella made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat beside me. I guessed she had caught sight of the tight leggings and sport bra the girl in front of us was wearing and didn't approve. "Wow! I didn't know there were magical creatures left there!"

"There aren't," I chuckled nervously at the eager stare she was fixating on me. "Just me."

"An anomality." Her eyes sparkled even brighter. "You must let me analyse you."

"Tecna." I almost snorted. "Yep, definitely Tecna."

"You should probably buy me a drink first."

Stella giggled beside me, but the girl in question seemed puzzled. "Why would I do that? Fluids influence the readings negatively. It is better to do a full body analyse on an empty stomach."

"Oh, you are definitely the girl from Zenith," chuckled Stella. "I've heard that the people from Zenith don't have a sense of humour. Seems I've heard right."

I jabbed my elbow in her stomach, shooting her a warning glare. "Stella."

She raised her hands innocently. "What?"

"Humour is not logical." Tecna frowned at us. "And serves no purpose. Therefore, why would I invest in that?"

"Ignore her," I told her. "Zenith… Than you must be Tecna? Am I pronouncing that right?"

"Not quite." I almost chuckled at her tone. It didn't even change once, as if we were discussing the weather rather than her name. "You put the emphasis on the "na" but you should put it on the "c"."

"I will try to remember that, but you are welcome to correct me if I say it wrong." I shot both Tecna and Flora a smile. "Well, it is nice to meet you, Tecna and Flora. My name is Bloom, and this is Stella."

"Stella of Solaria?" clarified Tecna and Stella shot her a dazzling smile in return. I rolled my eyes as she gloated at being recognized. "I heard about you."

Flora joined the little circle we had created. "Me too."

"Me three." A door opened to the side, the one leading to the other twin room, and out walked the final member of our soon-to-be Winx Club. "Hi, I am Musa."

I would have pegged her for an Asian girl with her dark almond shaped eyes, beige skin and diamond face. She wasn't much taller than I was, and had black hair. Currently it was pulled up in two buns that had something Asian as well. But Musa was from Melody and not from Earth, therefore any resemblance was coincidental.

Her petite and lanky body was rather a shock to me, as were the oversized clothes she was wearing. A big difference from the cartoon. Her clothes had seen better days and were swallowing her whole, like they were at least three sizes too big for her. On second thought, they probably just were three sizes too big.

Musa wasn't smiling, rather giving Stella a critical once-over. "Hey, do us a favour: before you blow up your room, give us a head's up so we can duck for cover."

"Ha-ha. Very funny." Stella crossed her arms in front of her chest with an indignant scowl while Flora and Tecna chuckled. "It was just an accident."

"An accident that got you expelled," pointed Tecna out. "And has Ms. Griselda use you as an example when warning new students on what not to do." Stella's scowl deepened while I laughed. "Any model would state that the chance they would allow you back, is well below 10 percent and thereby negligible."

Stella's arrogant smile returned. "Well, what can I say? They just couldn't do without someone as gorgeous as me."

"Negative." Tecna was the first to respond, of course. "Based solely on the common opinion on beauty, the only one here most likely to be accepted based on her appearance is Bloom."

Stella nearly blew up while I laughed even louder. "Oh, I like you already, Tecna."

Her frown only deepened. "That is impossible. We've barely exchanged words."

"From what Stella has told me, the people of Zenith are not good with emotions." I shot her a playful wink that only seemed to confuse her more. "But don't you worry, after four years with us you will have the hang of it. For now, just know that I got a feeling we will get along just fine." I smiled at the other girls. "All of us."

"Doubtful." That reply came – shockingly – from both Stella and Musa.

I rolled my eyes before turning to Tecna. "Am I right in assuming that there is some hostility between Solaria and Melody?"

"You would be correct." She nodded. "The feud is centuries old and dates back to when they were competitors in the same trade."

"Money, of course. Why am I not surprised? It is always about money." I puffed a strand of hair out of my face that had escaped my bun in Kiko's struggle to get to my shoulders. "If it is that old, then surely neither of you have an actual reason to already dislike one another?"

"Bloom is right," piped Flora in timidly but with a kind smile. "You shouldn't judge a person simply because of where they are born. They had no choice in that matter. I personally think both of you look like sweet girls."

"And I like to remind you that we will be dormmates for the upcoming four years," I added. "And you heard Ms. Faragonda, we should try to be at least civil." Neither Musa or Stella seemed to like that idea all that much.

"In the cartoon they went to Magix to get to know each other, and then bonded over danger. I would like to avoid the Trix as long as possible, but we could use some bounding…"

"I have an idea." I shot them my secret weapon. "Why don't we eat out tonight? That will give us the chance to get to know one another a little better."

Flora instantly agreed, practically beaming. "Oh, that is a wonderful idea."

Stella was a little more hesitant. "Are you sure that is a smart idea, Bloom? You nearly passed out in the lecture hall because the magic overwhelmed you, and Magix is the most magical place in the dimension."

"Only one way to find you." I shrugged. She had a point but I wasn't too bothered by the idea. "Besides, I refuse to spend the next four years locked up in Alfea out of the fear I will pass out or be overwhelmed." I chuckled to myself. "And I am dying to see what Magix looks like."

"Hmm…" Stella wasn't convinced. "I don't know… I think the Doc will have my head if I bring you back unconscious again. Not to mention Faragonda will have a thing or two to say about that as well."

I huffed. "Stella, your concern is touching, but come on! Where is the girl that claims rules are meant to be broken?" I seemed to be swaying her. "Besides, Faragonda said we are free to explore as long as we are on our guard and I don't use any magic."

Musa inched closer to the rest of us. "Why do you need to be on your guard?" Her voice washed over me like a warm wave now the caution and resentment in it was gone, like she was singing my favourite lullaby. If she sounded that good while talking, I would definitely be swooning when she started singing.

I shot her a radiant smile that had her take a startled step back. "Okay, before I answer that… You have the most beautiful voice I have ever heard."

"You do," agreed Flora, nodding sweetly.

Stella eyed Musa from top to bottom, her nose wrinkling a little and I mentally prepared myself to scold her again. "You sound better than all of Solaria's royal orchestra together."

My eyebrows shot up. Now that was unexpected. Was that an actual compliment? I shook it off. "Baby steps, Sybil. Be glad she seems to make an afford."

Musa flushed red. "Uh… Thanks."

"As for your question…" I shot her and the others a playful wink. "It is a long story. I will tell you on the way to Magix. Besides, the best tales should be saved for dinner."