Disclaimer: I do not own the Winx Club brand, nor the music of the various artists mentioned in the story. Some artists (Avril Lavigne, Marina&TheDiamonds) are considered non-earthlings and are known in the Magic Dimension. Some characters and events are mentioned in several issues of the Winx Club magazine (numbers 21-22, 27-28, 29, 33, 40, 43, 46-47, 50, 52, 54, 56, 97). The story is not intended to be a faithful representation of truly existing people.

The symbols *** indicate a time interval of less than 12 hours; the symbols *** an interval greater than 12 hours; the symbols ยงยง a change of location.

Trigger warning: depression, child abuse

Chapter 1

Prologue

- She cannot go on like this, someone must move her, give her a shock! -

The girl who talked was Asian, with long black hair. A girl with amber complexion and green eyes answered her.

- But, Musa, if she did not want our help? Maybe she just needs some more time... -

- Please! She is shouting for help quietly Flora, even though she can't admit it. -

- I agree with Stormy. You don't know her at all, she has never been so... so off. She has always reacted, she never stopped. For two months now, on the other hand, she has been dragging herself through corridors, always sighing and pursuing who knows what thoughts. She is no longer Icy, and I do not know where the strong and determined witch I knew could be. -

Stormy, sinking into an armchair, murmured:

- She's drowned in a sea of bureaucracy. -

Neither Darcy nor the four fairies replied. In the past two months they shared the apartment in the college of Alfea. The Trix, after Bloom had decided to give them another opportunity by preventing Selina from locking them in the Legendarium, had undergone a process before the Council of the Fortress of Light. It hadn't been easy, but in the end the wise men had condemned them to attend the fairies' school's upgrading courses under the direct supervision of the faculty and the Winx. During the first weeks of coexistence silence could be cut with a knife, but slowly they learned to know each other, and sometimes fairies and witches were surprised to think of the others as their friends. This was Darcy and Stormy.

After the brief relief from the judgment of the wise men, Icy had given up to a static depression, responding in monosyllables, and the only ones who could get a word out of her mouth were the professors. When she was not in class, or she studied (she would never have given the Council the satisfaction of calling her unable) or she would lay on the bed watching the ceiling. Sharing the room with her was like dividing the room with a ghost, Darcy had tried in every way to shake her out of her torpor, but nothing to do: Icy had kept basking in her state of non-life.

For the witch of darkness Icy's departure had been a low shot. They had grown together, together they had been transformed for the first time and together they had fallen into the trap of the Ancient Witches. Stormy had only added herself at a later time, and soon became the favorite quarrel of the girl with light blue hair. During those months, Stormy had not missed a chance to punch on Icy, hoping for some reaction. Needless to say, all of her provocations had fallen into the void. The greatest reaction she had aroused was a glaring look when, after having realized that Icy had spent an entire day on the sheets, she asked if she had any intention of becoming part of the furniture. The Winx, for their part, were limited to timid attempts for fear of saying or doing something wrong. Once, with the help of Darcy, they were able to convince Icy to spend an afternoon in town with them and the Specialists, but in front of their failure they had decided to leave her some space.

On the arrival of summer holidays, the fairies had agreed to spend one month each at Alfea with the Trix. At the time of the discussion Musa, Flora, Bloom and Stella were in Alfea, the first two ready to go and the latest ones just arrived.

Tired of the silence that had been created, the red -haired girl said:

- There must be a way to get her back to herself. Darcy, Stormy, you've known her for years, is there something that she has always been keen on? -

Darcy thought for a moment, then said:

- Music. As a little girl she was just singing all the time... -

- She didn't seem to have been very interested in my collection of records. - said Musa skeptical. Stormy gave her a look that said, "I'm not surprised".

- Your "collection" - she mimicked the quotes with her fingers, - is composed almost entirely of classical music, pop and musical bases of individual instruments. In the cell phone of Icy, the songs that are not rock are counted on the fingers of a hand. -

Stella and Bloom glanced up and grinned.

- Rock. Seriously? - asked the fairy of the fire, beginning to search in a bag.

- Yes, but not that of the origins. She prefers the musicians still alive to the extinct ones. - the witch of lightning replied.

Stella sat on the armrest of the armchair.

- Then the concert will not be for four. Right Bloom? -

- That's right. - said the red-haired, showing triumphant four tickets, - We thought we'd go with Sky and Brandon, but we might still be in time to find more tickets. The concert is in three weeks. -

Darcy's eyes lit up. Here's the shake that her friend was waiting for.

- A ticket. Just one more ticket. The Council will be more inclined to allow one of us to leave the campus than all three. -

The girls smiled, complicit, something that until recently they would not believe was possible. Flora and Musa left, but they made time to hear Bloom enter the room of Icy and report the news (naturally glimpsing the discussion). Obviously, the witch tried to protest, but was immediately silenced by Stella's perentory "you will come!".