You know, I was confused. I wasn't getting any review for this chapter on this website, when you guys are a lot more active than on AO3. But yesterday, as I was falling asleep, I just realized... that I didn't post it. Yep. I just uploaded the doc to the website. So right now it's 7 a.m. and I hope you'll forgive me XD

So, in this chapter we're gonna dive into something I really wanted to expand, and is going to be useful in the future. It's totally not canon. But I had to give an explanation, and I wanted to introduce some characters so… yeah, enjoy ^^

PaulaAbsol : Yes but it's frustrating to post something where… there's kinda nothing happening lmao. But yes, it's better than just rushing into the action and have readers completely confused. Thank you ^^

Winx4Ever : Honestly, and I'm going to repeat myself, but it'd be so weird not to see your name in the comment section. Thank you ^^

VampireNinja1706 : I think the professors at Cloud Tower just have this little something, especially Griffin. I don't know why, but I completely agree with you because she's my favorite too ! I would love to see a mini-serie about the Company of Light, instead of just inventing stuff for the Winx. After the first movie, it would have been really good. And I never watched the Pixie show so I can't really talk about it… But it's something that doesn't happen with the Winx directly so why… Urgh XD

Heato-Kun : Oh lala va falloir que je regarde la saison 6 pour avoir tous les détails T.T faudra que je trouve quelque chose, mais je pensais qu'elle entrait à Tour Nuage pour apprendre justement. Et puis, autant les Sorciers sont assez durs à approcher, autant les Trix étaient juste devant elles (c'est un peu comme impressionner ses professeurs). Mais bon, vu que je n'ai pas encore regardé, je ne vais pas trop parler mdr Mais oui, le choc pour les deux ! Haha j'imagine le « T'es une sorcière ?! » de Bloom et le « Et toi t'es quoi au juste ?! » de Sélina XD

Saramus92 : I'll see what I can do ^^ and yeah, I'll give my own explanation in this chapter but I fear we may never have a real explanation (although I'm pretty sure it's because it would be kind of ridiculous to have a grandma turn into Enchantix or something like that lmao).

MeltingLove : Enchantix sure is something… It's especially hard for Tecna, because we don't see her planet or family in the first three seasons (at least Musa has her dad who shows up in season 2). She's actually the only one with whom I'm having troubles finding how she could possibly earn her Enchantix. And here it is for Griffin ! I rewrote a bit after reading your review, realizing she was a bit off in my writing, and I hope you'll like it ! And of course, this author is literally the only one keeping the Sparxshipping fandom alive so lmao I have to acknowledge her

V : Yes. In the first season it was a bit believable… but after that it became too much. She's just putting her students in danger, when she could find other, grown up fairies, to do the job.

The rest of the week had been terrible, and the girls welcomed the weekend with opened arms. They would have two days of calm, where they would be able to investigate as much as they wished. The days had been too exhausting to try anything, except talking to Mirta.

The new Fairy had been surprised when Stella and Layla all but cornered her after classes and asked her questions about her past as a Witch. Obviously, the red head had been scared that she'd done something wrong, but Flora interrupted the little interrogation and invited Mirta for tea in her room.

A bit more confident, the red head accepted and the Winx were able to learn to fly without their wings, or at least the theory of it. Flora mastered it quickly, and Bloom somewhat lifted herself off her chair, but nothing more. After all, what she was taught in Cloud Tower required negative energy, something Fairies never learned to control, especially not in Alfea.

Mirta could fathom the idea that Fairies could use their positive energy to fly without their wings, but had absolutely no idea how. She supposed it took too much energy, or simply wasn't relevant when they could transform in less than a second. She hadn't tried it herself, so she could only shrug when this question was asked.

The girls thanked her, and everybody left the room to let Flora and Mirta have a little talk.

Tecna had also succeeded and announced to her friends that they would see Ms. Griffin on Saturday, in the early afternoon. She made sure to tell the Headmistress that no one should know, and the Witch agreed, a mischievous smile on her lips.

They all left Alfea on this day, while their friends were eating and caught the first bus they could as the rain poured outside.

'Should we just tell her everything ?' Asked Flora.

'What if she's working for this… Lord ?' Whispered Stella.

'We won't ask her or even mention that,' interrupted Tecna firmly. 'We'll simply ask her if she knows anything about what's happening to Flora and Bloom, and if Fairies can fly without wings. That's it, then we're gone.'

The girls were silent after this, the stress settling itself in their stomachs, and they watched as everything around them grew cold and dark : the results of the dark magic around the Witch's school. Nothing could grow near their castle, and no one wished to settle near a school of troublemakers like them.

It was such a big contrast to Alfea, and none of them could say they envied the Witches' environment. As they got off the bus, Layla realized that even the wind was affected when she watched the black drops fall on her hand.

Flora intertwined their arms and led her to the entrance of the school.

The gates were opened, and they could make out the unmistakable silhouette of the Headmistress in the darkness.

She welcomed them coldly, looking at them with narrowed eyes, before turning around and walking away.

She led them through the maze that was Cloud Tower, before eventually reaching her office. She let the girls enter quickly, and made sure no one could listen on their conversation before sitting down on her chair.

Ms. Griffin then raised an expecting eyebrow at the six girls, although her eyes lingered on the flower Fairy, and waited.

Without any introduction, Tecna started asking her questions.

'First, we would like to know if it is possible for a Fairy to fly without her wings ?'

The Witch smiled at the boldness of the student, then shrugged.

'We can, I don't see why you couldn't.'

Silence fell over them, before Tecna changed the subject entirely in order to avoid raising any suspicion.

'We're also here because two of our friends have been infected by dark magic,' stated Tecna while the professor snorted.

'Dark magic ?' She asked. 'Is that how you Fairies call it ?'

None of the girls dared to answer, and they simply stared at the teacher, or looked at the shelves around them. Eventually, the old Witch sighed, a familiar smirk on her lips.

'What do you call it ?' Asked Layla, trying to look at the Headmistress in the eyes.

'Negative energy ? Bad spells ? Mischief ? There is no such thing as dark magic. All that matters, is what you use to fuel your spells, and what you do with them. How come you didn't learn that in that pretty pink school of yours ?'

The girls stayed silent, finding something else to look at.

'Continue,' ordered the Headmistress as she stared at Tecna.

'We don't know what to do about it,' admitted the girl. 'Our Headmistress doesn't believe that anything is happening to Flora, here, and Bloom just… it's weird.'

The Headmistress narrowed her eyes, suddenly sitting taller in her chair.

'You come to me, when even your own Headmistress told you it's unimportant ? Are you trying to make me lose my time ?'

'No !' Immediately answered Musa. 'Ms. Faragonda didn't even listen to us ! She forbade Flora from going to the infirmary when she couldn't even stay awake for an hour straight ! And all our professors just started acting… weird… I don't kn-'

'Enough.'

It was calm, but it shut the music Fairy down at once as she lowered her gaze automatically.

'That doesn't sound like the Ms. Faragonda I know, and I won't let you insult the teaching staff of Alfea who has proved times and times again their talents and professionalism. If you girls think this is funny, then maybe you should change school.'

Bloom stepped away from the group, too tired to argue, and simply closed her eyes as she focused onto her anger, despair, and confusion. She felt the energy flow through her veins before it exploded around her and she felt the change, just as she usually did when she transformed into her normal Fairy form.

She opened her eyes to stare at a speechless Headmistress.

'We're not lying,' said Tecna. 'We're just at a loss.'

It took a moment, but the professor eventually composed herself, and cleared her throat to talk to all of them, even if her eyes were still onto Bloom.

'Has she seen…'

She trailed off, and the girls were left to assume she was talking about the strange transformation the red head suddenly obtained.

'No, I didn't know how to transform into… this, last time.'

'But she saw Flora sick, and didn't even blink,' repeated Musa.

Something changed in the eyes of the Witch. The anger and shock from before had completely faded and instead, she looked very serious. It made the girls worry, as the only time they ever saw her like this had been last year, when they were all fighting against the Trix and their army.

'How did you… transform into this ?'

Bloom glanced at her friends, unsure, but they sent her reassuring smiles. Bravery coursed through her veins, and she stood taller as she looked into the Headmistress' eyes.

'I don't know. My friends woke me up a couple of times, and I looked like this. I only recently understood how to turn into this form and… well, I don't know why exactly this is happening to me… but we have a theory.'

'A theory ?'

The tone wasn't judgemental, or mocking.

Ms. Griffin was taking them seriously now, and the red head didn't know if she should feel relieved, or completely panicked.

'Yes. There's a new professor in our school, and when he learned about my past, he offered to help,' she explained. 'Of course, I immediately agreed. I wanted answers about my past… but then my friends noticed something strange was happening.'

She nodded towards Layla, who got the message and looked back at the Witch.

'I was the first one to notice something strange. I lived on Andros when Valtor was still trying to take over my Kingdom, and… I don't know why, but I could feel something that felt like his magic on Bloom.'

'Are you saying your professor has something to do with Valtor ?' Screeched the Witch as she stood up in alarm.

'No !' Immediately answered the Princess. 'I simply felt dark ma-energy, b-but I didn't know what it was so I just assumed it was what I felt on her !'

The professor calmed down immediately and composed herself, before sitting back down.

'But you're still saying that this professor had ill intentions towards your friend ?'

'Yes. But we really realized something was wrong when he had to personally bring her back to our dorm…'

'And it reeked of dark energy,' finished Flora. 'It was suffocating.'

'You two felt it ?'

Both girls nodded.

'We were both there when he brought her back, and we felt the magic go away as soon as he was out,' explained the fluids Fairy.

Nodding, the eyes of the Witch lost focus for a moment as she dived into her own thoughts.

'You girls have no idea what that kind of transformation is ?'

First the Winx shared a look, then shook their heads together in complete confusion. It was the reason they were here, after all.

The Witch sighed, but didn't seem surprised at all.

'Of course you don't,' she muttered. 'Let me show you a little something.'

Closing her eyes, she disappeared from their view as a ball of light suddenly appeared above the desk. It darkened a little, and shadows appeared. It was blurry, at first, but they eventually started recognizing streets, buildings and even carriages.

People appeared, dressed in an old fashion : while men had very plain but formal clothes, the women were dressed in different gowns, covering everything from their neck to their ankles with colours so sad it made Stella's nose twitch.

'A long time ago, magic was a prohibited art, considered dangerous and wicked.'

The pictures moved, and suddenly, the same buildings from before were destroyed, and fire was everywhere. Everyone seemed to be running for their lives, in every direction possible. Not a single carriage in the street was still standing, and horses were stuck on the ground while everything fell apart around them.

'But the Great War happened, and we needed something to fight back darkness.'

Smoke covered the light, before a giant battlefield was suddenly shown. Men in armours were running with their swords in the air, or standing back and aiming with arrows while creatures of humanoid appearance, made from something dark, stood on the other side of the field and waited patiently.

But when the image jumped, only the shadow army was left standing, while men were on the ground. Their eyes widened, while shock spread through them.

'When Magix lost too much, women had to find something to do, and eventually decided to try using magic.'

The battlefield got blurry for a second, allowing a small change to take place : the men were now standing, waiting in lines, and above them, women in dark Fairy outfits, just like Bloom's, were flying.

'This was the first-time magic was considered useful, and the ancestors to Witches and Fairies were born.'

Men started aiming, and running, while the women above them started using the elements to attack their enemies. A ray of sunshine cut through the black clouds, burning the shadow creatures, while nature seemed to have a life on its own and vines angrily swept through their bodies.

'We called them Hægtesses. They used their powers for very pure intentions, such as saving their families, but were full of hate and wanted nothing else but revenge.'

The picture changed once again, and the battlefield was now sunny, full of men and women shouting and rejoicing, drinking and dancing.

'This victory was the first of many and of course, we came out victorious of this war, marking it as the first day of our calendar.'

Bloom was gaping at so much information. Never in a hundred years had she heard of something called the Great War, or Hægtesses. Even this army of darkness didn't ring a bell.

'Centuries passed, and the world watched as Hægtesses divided into two kinds.'

One part of the picture became dark, while the other stayed white, and women on both sides were smiling at each other, although their styles contrasted. On the darker side, women were dressed in long, dark dresses with black lipstick and their hair in strange and complicated coiffures. On the other side, women were dressed in shorter, lighter and colourful dresses, with their hairs in messy buns or ponytails.

'Wiccas and Faes. Two unique schools with different views on magic, but no hatred towards each other. They simply shared and explored possibilities.'

As if pages were turning, the picture became blurred.

'But thousands of years have passed, and we lost this friendliness for some reason.'

A more recent picture appeared, and the girls winced as they realized it was supposed to represent their era.

'Witches and Fairies can't get along nowadays, and Hægtesses are nothing but a forgotten concept.'

The light subdued, and they stared at the Headmistress.

'Those… ancient Fairies have completely disappeared ?' Asked Flora, unsure of her own question.

'Yes, and no,' answered the Witch. 'There is only one school left for them, the Beta Academy.'

'I heard it was a school for Fairies ?' Asked Layla.

'Yes, but it also welcomes Wizards, Witches and Hægtesses, or Sorceresses.'

'Sorceresses ?' Repeated the blonde.

'That's the name they like to go by now,' nodded the Headmistress, as her eyes went back to the red head. 'I would suggest you ask them directly for information, as I have very little knowledge about anything related to it. I didn't even know Fairies could have two basics transformations.'

'We didn't either,' muttered Musa as she crossed her arms.

Bloom simply released her transformation, and nodded gratefully at the Witch.

'You said you had a problem too ?'

Flora's cheeks immediately reddened, and she nodded.

'I touched something, from that professor we talked to you about and… Since then, I just have this… dark energy growing inside me.'

'Growing ? What do you mean ?'

Looking down, Flora focused on her magical core, trying to differentiate her normal magic and the darkness.

'It's… melting into me ? I… can't really explain it but it's as if it's a part of me now, stitched to me.'

Sighing, the Headmistress shook her head, and the Winx all saw how really tired she was. It was gone the next second, as she stared at the flower Fairy again.

'I don't think I can help you either. You should both go to the Beta Academy as soon as possible. I can only teach Witch lessons, and you are welcomed in this school anytime, but I don't know how helpful Witchcraft could be to you.'

The Winx nodded and thanked the professor repeatedly. Ms. Griffin brushed them off, and stood up.

'I'm only doing my job, and if that is all, I will have to leave.'

They nodded once again, and the Witch led them outside.

They found Lucy, Mirta's childhood friend, waiting for them with arms crossed and a frown. She didn't move when she saw her Headmistress, only nodding towards her.

'Remember what I said. This school will welcome any of you if you wish to learn the basics of Witchcraft, but I have a feeling you may feel better in the Beta Academy.'

They prepared to thank her once again, but she turned her back to them and walked away.

'Just follow Lucy. I have things to do.'

The student only snorted before walking away too, obviously not in the mood to wait for them, and used to this kind of behaviour.

As they walked through the long corridors, they realized how quiet the school was now that their minds were a little bit more at ease. There never seemed to be any student in the corridors, unlike in Alfea. The few they saw were making their way somewhere, fast, and only spared them a quick glare before disappearing inside another corridor.

'So… how's Mirta ?' Suddenly asked the student Witch.

'She's fine, she's made friends and is very hard working,' answered Flora with a smile.

'I guess that's good for a Fairy,' she muttered before falling back into silence.

'Why do you like to be a Witch ?'

Stella's question took her friends off-guard, leaving them to hope the Witch wouldn't feel insulted.

Lucy laughed, but didn't turn back.

'Why do you like to be a Fairy ?'

'Because I know I'm gonna have to protect my Kingdom someday,' answered the blonde with confidence. 'Being a Witch wouldn't suit me anyway, too much darkness…'

'You like being a Fairy because you're happy and you make friends,' interrupted the Witch. 'You always have hope, and you always see the good side of everything. That's why you like it so much. That's why Mirta likes it.'

'Are you saying you're always unhappy and don't like anyone ?' Asked Layla, her tone surprisingly respectful.

'No,' snorted the Witch. 'I like my friends. And I'm happy, I guess, but I get angry easily. And I don't plan on doing anything for anyone else. I don't feel like fighting anybody's war anytime soon. So really, how bad of a Fairy would I be ?'

'And how's Amaryl ?' Asked Stella, trying not to frown when she said her name.

'Oh well, she's a great Witch. She still spends too much time in Alfea, but most of her friends are there so I guess that's an explanation.'

'Do you like her ?'

'She's fun, for a Fairy.'

The conversation ended as the Witch turned around to look at them, and the girls realized they were standing in front of the main gates.

'How do you know your way in this school anyway ?' Asked the blonde once again.

'You learn.'

She was gone before they could even thank her, and they slowly exited the school. They were glad it had stopped raining, although the menacing clouds above them hinted that a storm may be coming their way. Hastily, they all made their way to the bus station, just as one arrived, taking them back to their own school.

'Hægnesse huh ?' Said Stella as she sat next to Bloom.

'I think it's Hægtesse,' interrupted Musa while watching Flora with a careful eye. 'And we're not even sure.'

'We still have next week to get in this Beta Academy,' said the blonde with a pout.

'I'm surprised we never heard of such a thing before,' muttered the brunette with her eyes closed.

'Yeah me too,' nodded Layla. 'I mean, it's basic information, right ?'

'But if only one school teaches it, it may be for a reason ?' Suggested Flora.

'You think it's dangerous ?' Asked Bloom.

'Well, maybe ? I don't know.'

'Well, look who's here !' Screamed a voice they all knew perfectly well.

'Brendon !' Yelled back Stella as she watched the group of boys get on the bus.

Bloom nodded at the blonde, who immediately stood up to hug and kiss her boyfriend, while Sky took her seat. Riven and Helia simply stood in front of Flora and Musa, while Timmy awkwardly stood in the way to get closer to Tecna.

Layla sighed and let him take her place, walking over to the two standing Specialists.

'So, what are the news ?' Asked Riven, his eyes on Musa.

The brunette clapped her hands, getting the attention of everyone, as the red-haired man smirked.

'I forgot to tell you all ! But there's a concert to celebrate the end of the Red Fountain's annual tournament, and I've been invited to sing something I wrote !'

'Girl ! Why didn't you tell us right away ?' Asked Layla with a big smile on her face, as the others started to congratulate her as well.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, but it gave them the time to bond a little more. Stella and Brendon obviously did not wish to separate again, but once in front of Alfea, she had no choice left.

'C'mon, you'll see your knight in shining armour again,' laughed Bloom as she dragged her friend off the bus, waving at Sky.

The rest of the girls laughed, before they felt the rain starting to fall again, and hurried back to their dorm. While Tecna and Layla got ready for their showers, Stella suddenly felt like working on her dressing again, when Flora's question interrupted them.

'When's this big celebration ?'

'In three months,' Sighed Musa. 'But it'll happen before I know it, and I want to be ready. I have something special planned and… well, you'll see.'

She winked, and disappeared in her bedroom. Tecna simply shrugged, and followed Layla out of their dorm room. Flora smiled as she saw Bloom and Stella chatting animatedly over something, glad things were starting to get back to the way they used to be when they had less problems to worry about.

'So, you thought you could hide it from me ?' Said a little voice behind her.

'Chatta ?' Asked the Fairy as she turned around.

'I saw you, in the bus, with this mystery man with long black hair.'

Flora laughed.

'You mean Helia ? He's just a friend.'

'Thisis Helia ?'

'Yes,' answered the flower Fairy with a smile. 'Stop looking at my phone.'

'Holidays are next week ! You could get to know him !'

'I have other things on my mind, honestly,' sighed Flora, looking tiredly at her Pixie.

'Oh no Miss ! You won't fool me !'

Groaning, the girl made her way to her bedroom and slammed the door before the Pixie could enter.

'I know you can hear me !' She screamed through the door. 'This conversation is not over ! Come back !'

Thanking the Nymphs that Musa had offered her brand-new earphones, Flora played some music, and quickly fell deep into her own thoughts.

This day had been exhausting, and she couldn't help but replay Ms. Griffin's words in her head.

"Hægtesse".

This word didn't sound familiar, nor reassuring, but she was desperate to find something explaining her current situation. The dark magic, or energy as the Witch liked to call it, was not going away.

In fact, it seemed to grow inside of her. As if it was her own magic. She could feel it becoming a part of her, and had no idea how to get rid of it, or if that even was a possibility. But she couldn't keep it up.

It made her angry, and different from who she used to be. She tried to keep up the façade as best as she could, but felt herself cracking now and then. Some days, she just wanted to fly away from everything, and never look back.

She loved her friends too much, though. She couldn't disappear like that, as she was sure to regret her actions. But it was still an idea that danced in her head from time to time, especially when things got too hard.

Chatta was nice, but she just couldn't think of a guy right now. Helia seemed nice, and they had a lot in common, but she couldn't picture herself in a relationship. She couldn't understand how Stella managed it, or how Musa kept thinking of Riven. Even Tecna seemed to be alright with Timmy.

But she would stay on the solo side. She would wait until she felt ready.

'So, we know Faragonda may use Witchcraft to fly without her wings'

'Although she may use her good energy to do so,' nodded Flora.

'We also know that Bloom may be some…'

'Hægtesse,' said Layla.

'But we still have no idea what's inside of Bloom,' finished Stella.

'And that is the root of our problem. As long as we don't know what's inside you or who is up to this, we don't know what Flora really saw when she had her vision, and why she has this source of darkness inside her,' completed Musa.

'Of course, I'll try to set up something with the Beta Academy,' said Tecna. 'For next weekend, because their school closes for the holidays.'

The girls hummed, but stayed silent as they slowly started to look at Bloom, who could only sigh.

'We'll have to ask Valtor for help,' she finally conceded. 'But I don't want him back here, you hear me ? I don't know what you girls were thinking.'

'We wanted you and Flora safe,' answered Layla, her tone suddenly cold.

Both girls stared at each other, before sighing.

'But it was reckless,' admitted Layla.

'You did it for us,' countered Bloom.

This time, they laughed as their eyes met.

'Stella, you're the one with his address,' reminded Musa.

'Yeah, don't you girls even think about going without me,' said the blonde.

'We wouldn't dream of it,' winked the red head.

'Let's take our breakfast first, then we'll plan this together,' interrupted Layla as she saw the blonde ready to take off her ring.

They all nodded, and made their way down to the cafeteria together, as usual.

It was reassuring to see Flora walk on her own, with a little more confidence than in the last few days. Layla was still by her side, but she wasn't holding her up anymore. They were simply talking about some lesson, and comparing notes.

Musa smiled when she saw there would be Melodian food today, while Tecna rolled her eyes.

'It's only food.'

'You just can't understand,' laughed her friend as she intertwined their arms and led the way to their usual spot, in the middle of the left table.

The others laughed, but it was quickly interrupted as a professor passed them. No eye contact was made, and they stared after Palladium, as he made his way towards Wizgiz, who politely nodded when he saw his friend.

'They're usually so happy to see each other,' commented Flora.

They lowered their heads and sat down, watching their plates appear out of nowhere.

Ms. Faragonda and Ms. Griselda entered the room, greeted by almost every student at once, and sat at the main table too, their Headmistress in the middle of it.

'Griselda looks tired,' noticed Stella.

They all turned to look at the Head of Discipline of Alfea, and sure enough, the bags under her eyes were more than noticeable.

'She's been like that all week,' nodded Layla.

'But it's worse now,' said Bloom.

They met the eyes of the woman, who only blinked in response, before focusing on her own plate. The girls eventually turned around and looked at each other.

'Something must be really wrong.'

They quietly finished their breakfast, before making their way back to their room or the showers. It was then decided that they would take this day off, considering Flora's weakness, and the pile of homework that had been accumulated these past few days.

The day went by quickly, and eventually the sun set.

'We should be going to bed now,' said Layla as she stood up, stretching.

'Right behind you', yawned Stella.

They'd been surprised when she joined in, working efficiently with them, but hadn't commented on it. They were happy that their friend finally tried to show what she was capable of.

Professors couldn't even imagine how intelligent and hard working she could really be. But they lived with her. They saw the passion shine in her eyes every time she talked about fashion, or designing. They all knew that she spent her days drawing clothes, although for some reason, she didn't believe in herself enough to make them.

That's why they all felt this warm feeling as she retreated in her bedroom, glad they could influence her to work with them.

Musa stood up, followed by Tecna, leaving Bloom and Flora on their own.

The two sighed, and left the table as it was. They would need to work a little bit more with Stella, but had almost completed everything for the next week.

The lights were turned off early that night, and they fell asleep without worrying about tomorrow.

Until something crashed into their living room, and they had to step out, already transformed.

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