The Occulta
When the Winx look around after using their Wands, they find they're on a ragged-looking ship that must be decades old if not centuries. The sails are ragged, the hull must have a few dozen holes judging from the sound of dripping water, and the whole thing gives off a musty smell that makes even Stella wish for some cleaner and a few scent-tags to hang around the place.
Bloom immediately starts scanning the surroundings, looking for something glimmering a sparkling green amongst the dusty brown. She doesn't find an emerald, but she does find three annoying witches.
Figures, the copycats.
Bloom smirks, crosses her arms, and asks "Are you three always going to play catch-up to us? We get into the Infinite Ocean, you follow. We get into the legendarium World, you follow. Honestly, this routine is getting old by now." Icy looks shocked, then furious, then shocked again when Bloom simply blocks her icicle barrage with a shield. "Oh, goody. Selina gave you three a power-boost. What, she read a story backwards or something? Switch her powers in reverse and turn them on you?"
Even Darcy's losing her cool - the most level-headed of the three sisters, not that it means much anyway - and then the fight they were all expecting breaks out in moments. It's all pretty much the same song and dance - right down to the team-ups, for Dragon's sake, though the Trix all get a few good bruises and lumps over the head from Bloom's wand being used to hit them over the head - right up until a bunch of pirates jump onto the deck. Bloom mutters "This must be the Occulta's crew. Perfect."
She sees the huge emerald in the captain's hat - well, at least she knows what to look for. And he seems to like throwing it around like a boomerang. Bloom simply snatches it out of the air, holds it up - much to the Trix's surprise, she's never really been one for a big, stinky hat that may well mess with her wings - and hits the emerald with a little burst of her magic.
The Captain says "What the…? Thieves! Treasure thieves, the lot of them! Get them, crew!"
It's the Fantasy Emerald alright, matches the picture exactly - really, who wears a stone that big on something that could fall off their head? And then Eldora comes and tells them that they don't have much time left before they get trapped in the Legendarium forever - which the Trix don't seem to know, as they freak and disappear.
The Winx hi-five, Bloom tosses the captain his hat back, and they teleport back to the real world using their wands. Stella jokingly says "The Trix looked like the world had just flipped and they were the ones with wings - they didn't know not to stay too long? Selina put them in there!"
Bloom shrugs and says "Yeah, well, there's a lot Selina doesn't tell them. Like knowing Eldora. Like Acheron. Like wanting to free Acheron. And something tells me Acheron would swat them away like flies if they tried to order him around - even they couldn't be stupid enough to attack him though."
Stella laughs and says "Well, now that we're away from creepy, gray-skinned pirates, let's find the guys, Daphne, and have some fun in the sun! Fog-free and on the beach!"
*Cloudtower*
The Trix storm into Griffin's former office, making Selina jump and look at them slightly warily. "Your back."
Icy angrily says "Try to contain your excitement, Selina."
The three witch-sisters surround her, and Selina nervously says "I just thought it'd take longer to destroy the Winx. Bloom and all…"
Darcy says "Yeah, 'bout that."
Stormy finishes "If you stay too long in the Legendarium, you get stuck there forever."
Icy threateningly asks "That little factoid slip your mind?"
Selina backs up a step, mentally cursing herself for not asking what Acheron meant when he said 'wait and see' before sending the Trix in, and says "I had no idea, I've never done this before. There was never any need. But wait, if you left before the Winx…"
They quickly run to the Scrying orb, but find the six fairies walking through Calavera looking for the guys while Stella talks about outfits she could come up with using the Fantasy Emerald as inspiration.
*Calavera Island*
The guys are enjoying some coconut milk, Sky and Riven are practicing with Riven's throwing technique, and he loses it behind the coconut milk stand. As he goes to retrieve it, Brandon's suddenly tackled in a hug from an excited blonde princess.
Riven gets back out from behind the stand and puts his arm around Musa, much to the Music Fairy's relief, and Bloom holds up the Emerald that's as big as her palm and says "Zombie pirates have some weird ideas in fashion - like wearing a rock this size in their ridiculous hats."
Sky chuckles and spins her around from behind, saying "Well, maybe that was the thing way back when they were alive." They kiss, and Sky adds "You know, I like it when you get like this."
"You just like it because I can't resist you like this."
"Well, at least this time we know what's going on."
Daphne and Thoren go down to the beach, Musa and Flora chuckling about how cute the two of them look, and then Sky goes to get two coconut smoothies for him and Bloom. Flora casts a growth spell on the tree, which puts a few dozen coconuts up there, and Bloom says "Sorry, Flora." and hits the tree hard enough to knock them all down to the ground.
She takes a sip of the smoothie through the straw, her eyes fly open - and then she immediately downs the rest of it in maybe a minute. Sky smiles and just hands her the one he drank out of, saying "Good, huh?"
"Amazing. Why, oh why, don't we have smoothies back home?!" She downs the second one, not even spilling a drop over the side, and Sky wraps an arm around her and pulls her closer.
Loki's voice sounds in her head as she puts the coconut down to stare into it, saying Maybe you can convince one constantly-drunk Valkyrie to take up smoothies instead, Bloom.
She smirks, and discreetly makes a ball of fire in her hand that reads 'Doubtful, she doesn't go long between drinks as it is. Making it nearly impossible to get a nonalcoholic drink in.'
Fair enough. But you'll have to introduce me after everything's over. The Trix are gone and all.
'Done. I'll also bring some more ice cream back for you. And popcorn for Thor.'
You are without a doubt the best. What's with the sudden fog?
She looks over to see a familiar fog rolling in and an even more familiar ship rolling in with it. "The Occulta? Here? Selina!" She loses her relaxed smile and she and Sky whip out their swords while the rest of the guys gets their own weapons out as well.
Pirates pour out of the ship like its what Bloom's heard called a 'clown car' - it really doesn't look like even that size a ship could hold so many bodies, not without sinking given those holes in the hull.
Bloom ends up next to Daphne at some part during the fight, and stabs another zombie through the chest -and then she looks over upon hearing the sound of metal clanging together, and sees Daphne's taken up a zombie's sword and is fighting with it. "Daph, you know how to swordfight to?!"
"We're the daughters of the best swordmaster in the Magical Dimension! We're charged with protecting the Dragon Flame! Yes, I picked up a few moves watching him practice with the guards! And he may have taught me a few things."
"So why all the fuss about me?! Really, I've got to hear this."
Daphne beheads a zombie, kicks another in the chest, and says "He was just upset he didn't get to teach you himself. Or watch you grow up. Or teach you how to get rid of sleazy princes. You were a year old when he last saw you, then he wakes up and your all grown up and have taken on a lot of things you shouldn't have had to."
Bloom is silent for a full minute, then finally deadpans "This is why I like dragons. Dragons make sense! Don't step on the tail or wings, don't try to separate mother from hatchling, and don't think you set the feeding schedule or aren't potential food! That's all you need to know to get along with them! People are bizarre!" She blasts at another, then sees even more pouring out of the ship. "Daph, I've got an idea for how to stop this. I'm gonna need your help though. Those pirates keep coming out of the ship - lets remove that part of the battle!"
The two sisters fly up to the ship, much to the Captain's horror, and they set it ablaze. "No! You'll pay for that, Butterfly-ladies!"
Stella insultedly asks "Butterfly-ladies? Really? That's the best you can come up with?"
The ship quickly burns down, and the pirates are easy enough to get rid of after that - they were easy to beat, but the sheer never-ending numbers made it a losing fight.
Maybe an hour later, life on Calavera Island has returned to normal with the Winx and the Specialists being the island heroes. Stella and Brandon are sharing some coconut smoothies and dancing, Musa puts on some music, etc.
Sky finds Bloom sketching Daphne holding a pirate's sword, and sits down next to her while putting his arm around her waist. "You know, I can't think of anyone I'd rather fight zombie pirates with. So how about you unbury your nose from that sketchbook and we share a dance?" Bloom doesn't get the chance to respond before Sky pushes it off her knees and pulls her off the stone wall she was sitting on.
AN: Alright, next chapter is here! Sorry 'bout the wait everyone, forgot to say I was in Missouri for the past two weeks - I'm back though! Yes, Daphne can in fact fight - not nearly as good as Bloom, but she can swing a sword and not cut off her own head - and as the previous Holder she'd have had at least some responsibility to know how to use a weapon if she had to. Think of learning to drive a stick-shift car even though you own an automatic transmission - just in case! At any rate, I've got more chapters coming, promise! I'm about to start summer classes though, so my lab will take some time unfortunately. I'll still be writing, it'll just take more time to get the chapters done. Enjoy, please review if you've got suggestions or comments.