Hello, everyone! The good stuff is coming now – the girls are returning back to Alfea. Little do they know, their troubles have only just begun…

Guest: I feel bad for Tecna, too. The racist stuff was actually inspired by the Lunar Chronicles – have you ever read them? The protagonist there also has to face discriminatory laws due to her status as a cyborg. Yeah, I can see why Bloom/Stella would be a hateship – I don't love them, either. I like Stella, but I dislike how Bloom became a Mary-sue in the later seasons. Honestly, all the Winx characters became bad in the later seasons. I really like Mirta, too, though she's not my favorite. I just like how resilient and brave she is, even after facing so much discrimination.


CHAPTER 5: THE HIGHER ART

"I can't believe it!" Stella let out a wail. "My dress!"

The ship was approaching Alfea. Flora sat next to Mirta as Stella continued to fret, crying about how unattractive she was.

"How could she do this to me?" she seethed. "That stupid spoiled brat came and ruined my Princess Ball! And how could my father marry her mother? What about my mom? What, is she just a speck of dust under the rug?" She began to cry.

"Calm down, snookums," Brandon said, tightening his arms around Stella in a reassuring embrace. "We'll get you back to normal."

Flora squeezed Mirta's hand under the chair. I wish we could hug in public like that… As if hearing what she was thinking, Mirta cast her a warning look.

"Nurse Ofelia says she knows a way to turn you back," Bloom said from the dashboard. "She and Ms. Faragonda will fix this. Don't worry, Stell, it's going to be fine."

"I mean, I hate this look!" Stella cried. "I mean, it's like when Mirta got turned into a pumpkin, although she was kinda a cute pumpkin, not like this" –

"Did you really have to remind her of that?" Musa asked wryly, pointing to the grimace on Mirta's face.

Flora winced as well. Mirta had suffered from severe bullying, as well as anxiety, throughout her entire childhood. She remembered how she'd laid Pumpkin Mirta on her dorm table, how she'd tried every single spell she could think of to turn Mirta back. And how Mirta had stayed like that for months until it was over.

No one had even searched for her. Griffin had reported her disappearance to the Magix Police, but with so few leads, they'd given up. Even her parents hadn't seemed so bothered. The Winx hadn't reported it to Faragonda or asked the seniors for help, for fear that their headmistress would refuse to help a witch of Cloud Tower. She squeezed Mirta's hand even tighter.

"We're approaching," Timmy called. He looked sad as he stared out the window. "Landing soon."

Flora felt bad for him. If she was sad about not being able to express her feelings about Mirta, she was sure he felt sad, too. No one had heard from Tecna for two months – that was, until that morning.

She does this every winter, thought Flora. She had never invited any of the girls to her house, or even to visit her. And she'd been so aloof her entire life.

She remembered that day, two years back, when they'd been punished for sneaking out to Cloud Tower. In the past two hectic years, it had been a day like any other, one that went overlooked in their memories of one another. But now she remembered it very clearly, as they stood in Griselda's office together.

"Er, Miss Griselda?" Flora had asked timidly as they'd stood in the deputy headmistress's office. "We were wondering when you're going to remove these." She gestured to the band around her wrist, which stopped her from using her magic.

Griselda lifted her glasses and glared at the girls. Not a good sign. Her eyes skewered Flora, and she swallowed hard, stepping back.

"Your intrusion to Cloud Tower was unacceptable," she said severely. "You're lucky you weren't turned into magical jumping beans and sold to the Magix Circus. No, you won't be getting your powers anytime soon, but that's only the beginning of the punishment."

"Then what's the rest of it?" Musa asked.

"You won't be getting your powers back for the rest of the weekend, and you won't be leaving campus," Griselda responded.

Stella rolled her eyes. "So we get to hang out all weekend? Not exactly a punishment, Ms. G."

Bloom and Musa burst into giggles. Flora did her best to contain herself, and even Tecna cracked a smile. They all stopped abruptly, however, when Griselda glared at them, her eyes monstrous and terrifying.

"There will be NO hanging out," she snapped. "In fact, you will be cleaning the entire school from front-to-back, without magic. Here." She focused her powers on the closet across from her desk. It opened, and five brooms, a mop, and a bucket rushed out of the closet. She picked the mop up. "Here you go, Princess of Solaria." She threw it into her hands.

"What a strange-looking remnant of primitive technology," Tecna remarked, staring at it. "How odd. Let me see what my computer says about it." She pulled her portable laptop out of her pocket.

"Oh, and one more thing, Miss Tecna," said Griselda, snatching the laptop and snapping it shut. "You won't be needing any computers, either. In fact, I've turned off the wireless in the entire castle."

"What?" gasped Tecna. She tried to keep her face indifferent and emotionless, but Flora could see the fear behind her eyes. "But I don't know how to" –

"Tecna, you look so scared," Bloom teased. "You're actually showing emotion for a change!"

"Though by Tecna's standards, probably too much of it," Musa added.

"I know," Tecna said quietly, wringing her hands together as she stared at the ground. "I know I shouldn't be acting this way. But ever since I've met you guys, and left Zenith, quite frankly" – she stared up at the ceiling – "I've been losing control."

Flora began to giggle; so did the rest of the girls. Lose control? Tecna? She was the most rigid, uptight person they'd ever met. Tecna stared at them, alarm and annoyance in her eyes.

"What's so funny?" she demanded. "That wasn't a joke! I don't" –

"STOP!"

The girls stopped laughing. Griselda glared at them, and they all backed down. "Dust and clean every surface of the castle! I want to see your faces reflecting in the desks!"

"But, Miss Griselda," Tecna protested, "I still don't know how to" –

"OUT!" Griselda barked. Flora grabbed Tecna's hand and pulled her out of the office. The other girls carried the equipment, quick as they could to escape Griselda's ire.

"I don't understand!" Tecna protested, utterly confused. "How do I even use these things?"

"Don't worry, Tec, it's not that complicated," Musa laughed. "You'll be a pro at it in no time."

Later, while Musa, Stella, and Bloom were bickering about the cleaning, Flora stood with Tecna in the hall, trying to explain to her how to use a broom.

"Let me show you," she'd laughed.

"Thank you, Flora, but I'm sure I can figure out these primitive implements on my own." Tecna picked up the bucket and placed it on her head. "Ah-ha!"

"Um"… Flora did her best to disguise her laugher. "You sure?"

"Affirmative." With newfound confidence, Tecna picked up the broom and eyed it. "It's elongated so it can reach high places. Hmm." Carrying it over her head, she swept under a painting. Flora watched with amusement as Tecna swept roughly, pushing against the frame.

The painting began to shake. Suddenly, its fastenings were undone, and it fell off the wall. Tecna gasped in horror as it fell on the ground, the glass splintering into hundreds of pieces.

"No!" she cried in alarm, running to the floor. "What did I do?" Her hands fell to the floor, just about brushing the glass.

"Tecna"… Flora stared at her in alarm, the smile gone from her face. "Get back from there. You're going to cut yourself!"

Tecna wasn't paying any attention. To her shock, Flora saw that there were stress-lines across her suitemate's forehead.

"Why did I do this?" she cried. "Now our efficiency has been cut by zero-point-two times! I'll have to clean this, and then I have to figure out how to clean the rest of the school" –

"Tecna, please calm down," Flora whispered.

"No, you don't understand, I should never have" –

"No, it's okay."

Tecna stared up at her. Flora smiled as reassuringly as she could, and stroked Tecna's shoulders.

"Look, Tecna," she said, "I know you care about efficiency. But the thing is, it's fine. Yes, we need to finish cleaning by the end of today, but we'll get it done. The important thing is not making sure we get this done as fast as we can. The important thing is having fun."

"Fun?" echoed Tecna. "Why would this ever be fun?"

"Because we're getting to know each other," Flora answered, "and we're doing it together. Besides, you're forgetting one thing, Tecna: you don't have to do this alone."

"What do you mean?"

"We're all in this together," Flora answered. "The five of us were punished, and we're all taking equal responsibility for this – okay, maybe not Stella," she added. "But you're not alone, Tecna. No matter what happens, we'll always stand by your side."

The stress-lines on Tecna's face disappeared, and her demeanor calmed. For a moment, she looked like a normal girl, with no worries at all. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"Thanks, Flora," she whispered, brushing by her arm. A hint of a new friendship.

And now Flora sat in the ship, remembering that fateful day. Tecna had been the odd one out from the start, and had certainly been very strange about the cleaning. They'd all laughed at it, passing it off as just one of Tecna's oddities.

But now Flora was beginning to wonder how true that was. She'd been the one girl who'd never expressed delight when they all talked with each other about their boyfriends. It had taken the fall of the Army of Decay for her to even join in a group hug. And just as Flora had thought she'd worked through some of her emotional difficulties at the Resort Realm, this had happened…

"Let's go!" Stella yelled. "I want this fixed right now!"

Flora looked up and realized the ship had landed at Alfea. Timmy opened the rear door.

Stella ran out, followed by Brandon and Bloom. "Come on!" she shouted. They ran into the school, towards the nurses' wing.

Ofelia stood there, next to Headmistress Faragonda. Flora halted and stared up at her, the all-knowing woman who had served as their headmistress for the last three years. She looked gravely down at them.

"Greetings, girls," she said. "You got into quite a bit of trouble."

"Um, understatement of the month?" Stella screeched. "All it took was that jerk Chimera, and everyone turned against me! Me, the princess! My dad won't even speak to me" –

"All right," Faragonda said, raising her hand for silence. "Now here's what I'm going to do. Nurse Ofelia and I are going to break the spell, but we need you girls to be blindfolded. You cannot see what is going on."

"What?" asked Bloom in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The only way to break this spell is to practice a higher form of fairy art," Faragonda said. "It is held in complete secrecy to all except for those who unlock it."

Flora thought she knew what Faragonda was talking about. Adult fairies had a more mature transformation; she'd seen her mother wearing it. She remembered asking her mother, when she was younger, why her wings were different from Flora's. Flora's mother had just smiled and said that she would learn someday. I guess this is what it's about.

"Boys, step outside," Faragonda ordered. The Specialists walked towards the door, and Brandon gazed uncertainly over his shoulder at Stella. Nurse Ofelia undressed Stella, pulling the torn remains of the dress off, as Faragonda came near with blindfolds.

"Here," she said, passing one out to each of the girls. Flora pulled it over her head, gasping at the suffocating darkness it brought her.

"Now!" she shouted. A wave of energy shot through the room, and Flora gasped at its soothing effects. This is the most peaceful thing I've ever felt. Stella gasped in amazement as it washed over her.

"It's done." Faragonda nodded. "Now, unmask yourselves."

Flora tore off her blindfold, staring. Stella was completely back to normal. She was wearing a soft infirmary robe, and squealed in delight as Ofelia took off her blindfold. She rushed to the window.

"Wow, this monster transformation really softened my skin!" she gasped. "And that spot on my face from beforehand was gone! I don't have to cover it up with my hair to make it disappear" –

"You'd think she was a model, the way she keeps going on," Layla laughed.

Flora stared at Faragonda. "That must've been a really powerful spell," she said.

"Whatever it was, it was awesome!" Stella gasped. "The most soothing sensation came over everywhere in my body, and I felt so… pure. Ms. F, what did you do?"

"Oh, I daresay you'll find out," Faragonda smiled. "After all, senior year is just around the corner. Now, we need to talk about the political situation in Solaria, Stella."

The girls frowned. Stella stared up at Faragonda in alarm, and the headmistress placed her hands on Stella's shoulders.

"There is turmoil in your realm," she said. "The rain has stopped, but the King of Solaria is still searching for you. The real you, not your monster self – he hasn't yet connected the two. He believes that you've been captured by the same terrorists who brought a monster to the Princess Ball."

"What?" gasped Stella.

"There's more," Faragonda answered. "Solaria's relics have been stolen from the palace."

All of the girls gasped in horror. Flora stared at Faragonda, her eyes wide. No… How is this possible? Stella, however, looked furious. "I bet it was that awful countess!"

"Stella, you cannot jump to conclusions," Faragonda said severely. "You are going to be queen someday, and you cannot declare someone a traitor just because you assume so. In any case, I don't think it was a mere countess. It was someone much, much more powerful."

"But how?" Stella gasped. "How did someone attack my realm like that? And why didn't those idiot guards realize I was spelled?"

"Imagine how the situation looks, Stella," Faragonda frowned. "You didn't look very happy at the Ball – all the paparazzi were talking about how you didn't look like your normal self. And then you transformed into a monster. That makes everyone believe that you were an imposter, when you were indeed not."

"What are we going to do?" Layla asked worriedly.

"I'm going to radio your father and tell him that you're here, with your friends," Faragonda answered, "and that there is nothing to worry. I'll explain to him that someone put a spell on you and made you appear like an imposter. He will listen to me; I am well-known enough across all of the realms."

"But then that leaves us the question," Bloom said: "who put that spell on Stella?"

"The same person that stole the treasures," Faragonda answered. "Obviously, he wanted a diversion, so that he could steal the realm's valuables. This is very troubling news indeed. I will look into this matter. In the meantime, I want you girls to sit tight."

"How can you expect me to sit tight when my realm's under siege and my dad thinks I'm a monster?" Stella exploded.

Faragonda glared at Stella with the power of ten Solarian suns. The princess shrank back, startled.

"I am trying my best to keep this under control," she snapped. "Have you ever thought I might know about the situation more than you do? The reason why I'm asking you to relax is because stress doesn't solve problems. I promise your father will be in touch with you shortly. In the meantime, let me do my job!"

What's with Faragonda? wondered Flora. She's never acted like this! She gazed at Stella, who had a stunned expression on her face.

"Now go to the dorms," Faragonda continued, in a calmer tone. "I'll meet with you in the morning to discuss our plans."

"Thank you, Ms. Faragonda," the girls said quietly as they walked out. As soon as the door closed, they stared at one another in disbelief.

"What's up with her?"

"How'd the relics get stolen?"

"Why won't she tell us anything?"

As they walked, Flora realized she'd dropped her bracelet. Must be near the infirmary… She turned around to search for it, Stella's relieved voice and Brandon's promise of a date sounding through the air. She found it at the door to the infirmary, and picked it up.

As she turned around, she thought she could hear Faragonda speaking to Ofelia. They were talking quietly, but Flora could still hear her speaking in a grave tone.

"Something is not right here," she said. "How is it that someone was even able to spell Stella in the first place? The security at all royal palaces is very strong."

"I don't know, Headmistress," Ofelia answered. "What are you suggesting?"

"Just think about it," Faragonda answered. "Events in the Dimension have been haywire. First the Omega Portal breaks open in Melody, then the Solarian relics get stolen. And Melody's relics were stolen last month, too, though I didn't tell the girls. The Melodian royalty has been trying to keep it quiet."

"What are you suggesting, Headmistress?" Ofelia asked.

"I'm saying," Faragonda answered, "that something dark is approaching."

Flora shuddered. I hope she's wrong… But inside, she knew that wasn't the case at all. If Ms. Faragonda says so, there's going to be trouble. She turned away, her shoulders stooping as she followed the other girls.


Alfea stood brilliantly, its large, gleaming pink turrets against a blue, cloudless sky. The first day of school, Quintmensis 6, was here. New girls were wandering all around the quad, gaping at its beauty and prestige in the world.

"I know I saw this prematurely, coming in with you guys," Galatea said, "but I just want to say this place is amazing."

"Isn't it?" Musa grinned at her. "This is gonna be your home for the next three years. Enjoy every moment of it, Galatea."

"Winx!" Flora heard tiny voices behind her.

"The pixies!" Stella let out a whoop. Chatta, Lockette, Digit, and Amore zoomed towards the girls, their eyes filled with excitement.

"Hey, look at you!" Chatta grinned. "You're here, and" – She grinned at Mirta. "You're here with your" –

"Shh!" Flora said anxiously, looking around. Fortunately, no one else seemed to have noticed. They were chatting with their own pixies, excited to see them again.

"It's great to have them back, isn't it?" Layla asked, cradling Piff. With the exception of the Princess Ball, she and Musa had stayed in Magix the entire winter, so Piff and Tune had stayed with them the entire time.

Bloom gazed over at the quad. "There're so many new freshmen this year," she pointed out.

"Yeah, and some of them are freshmen that we know!" added Stella, catching sight of one. "Hey, Nova!"

Flora looked. A girl with bright orange hair was running towards them, grinning. She threw her arms around Stella.

"This is Nova di Ricci," Stella announced. "She's from Solaria, and her father's the lord of the Ricci province. Everyone, say hi!"

"Hi," everyone said, smiling at Nova. Flora watched as Nova gazed at all of them with her bright amber eyes, a smile on her face.

"It's so great to finally be at Alfea!" she burst out. "I'm so excited! I've been waiting all my life for this, and now it's finally here! I can hardly wait!"

"That's great," Flora grinned, remembering how excited she'd been when she'd received her acceptance packet, combined with a hefty amount of financial aid. "I'm happy for you, Nova."

"So, any more news from Solaria?" Stella asked worriedly as they walked towards the quad.

"No," Nova frowned. "The paparazzi's through the roof about how you got spelled, though. No one can believe it happened."

"I still can't believe it myself," Stella said, looking sad. "And that my dad's marrying that woman." She clenched her teeth.

Flora frowned. In that past week, King Radius had come to visit Alfea, apologizing to Stella for having ordered his guards to attack. They'd embraced tearfully, and then Stella had asked him why he was marrying Countess Cassandra.

"Why?" she'd shouted at him. "Why didn't you even ask me first? Do you have any idea how horrible this is?"

"I thought it would be a wonderful surprise," King Radius said, taken aback. "I thought you'd be happy to have someone to consider a mother."

"I already have a mom, and she's awesome!" Stella yelled. "How could you do this, Daddy? You know how I felt when you divorced Mom! And now you're letting – that woman – replace her!"

"We've been through this many times, Stella," her father said. "Your mother and I just weren't meant for each other, and besides, she hated royal life. Solaria needs a queen, Stella, and Countess Cassandra is as good as any other. She's a clever woman, and she'll help me with the administrative tasks around the castle. Not to mention, her daughter Chimera is a lovely girl, and I'm sure you'll be close friends in no time" –

To this Stella seethed uncontrollably and stormed out of her room, slamming the door in her father's face.

And now Flora was standing with her friends, watching Stella as she spoke to Nova. I hope we can figure this out… She let out a sigh.

"Come on, Mirta," she said. "Let's go and see the other girls" –

"Is there a witch in our presence?"

The quad fell silent. A sophomore girl, whom Flora recognized as Eris Drakos of Eraklyon, walked towards Mirta, her expression spiteful.

"So we have a witch here," she laughed. "One of the best schools in Magix. My parents – who are on the school board, by the way – voted against your entrance into the school, but Faragonda overruled them. So here I am, stuck with a loser like you."

Mirta was trembling. Flora put her arm around her and glared at Eris.

"Don't talk to her like that," she responded. "She helped us fight the Army of Decay, before you were even here! And she's given us so much valuable insight into warlock culture. Please leave her alone."

"Please," Eris mocked. "You sound like a little kid on the playground. 'Please give me a turn on the swing!'" She rolled her eyes. "You of all people, a Linphean, shouldn't be interacting with such" –

"If you're not going to listen to her, you'd better listen to us, hotshot," Musa said, stepping forward. "I've been bullied before, and I'm not about to let you go after her."

"Same here," Bloom added. "Mirta's one of us. We're not putting up with your junk."

"Yeah," agreed Stella, her hand lighting up threateningly. "And if you don't believe it, well, there's new monster-transformation spell I've really been itching to try out" –

"ENOUGH!" a voice shouted. Griselda walked towards the quad, her eyes blazing. She glared at Eris, and at Stella, who was pointing the spell at Eris's face.

"Release that spell, or I'm getting the magic-reduction band," she ordered.

Grumbling, Stella stepped backwards and glared at Eris. Griselda turned to face the Eraklyonese girl, who backed down.

"I'll be watching you from now on," she snarled. "You'd better watch your step, Miss Eris."

"Yes," said Eris, rather meekly. Never had Flora been so glad to see Griselda in her life. She'll keep Eris reined in… I hope… She squeezed Mirta's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Mirta," Nova said, stepping forward. "Not all of us are like that."

"I'm with her," agreed Galatea. "You helped us save Stella in Solaria, Mirta. You'll always have my respect."

"Are we going to start this school year or not?" Griselda demanded. "Sign in for attendance with your fellow professors here! Sophomores go to Table 1, seniors go to Table 2, and freshmen come to me!"

Mirta looked nervously at Flora, who smiled and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "You'll be fine," she assured her.

She got in line with the other Winx girls. They stood together, chatting excitedly about the upcoming year. Even Stella, after her fiasco of a Princess Ball, seemed excited. But then Flora turned around, and then she saw the girl they'd all been wondering about for the past two months.

Tecna was the last in line, her eyes downcast. Flora's heart leapt as she saw her, wearing a pair of long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. It's so warm today… and what happened to that cute crop-top? She turned away from the others, and walked towards Tecna, placing her hand on her shoulder.

Tecna jumped. Flora tried to smile, as cheerfully as she could. "Tec, it's so great to finally see you," she said. "How was your break?"

"Fine," muttered Tecna, her eyes downcast.

Flora's smile vanished. She stared at her friend, worried. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," said Tecna, rather absentmindedly. "Just doing a few calculations."

"Okay," said Flora, not quite satisfied. "But aren't you excited for the upcoming year? We all are."

Tecna nodded. "I am, but"…

"But what?" Flora pressed on.

"I'm sorry," Tecna said awkwardly. "I'm in the middle of calculating something in my head." She smiled, though the smile seemed humorless and sad. "We can talk later, okay?" She closed her eyes, and Flora stared at her.

She's never been this aloof before. At the beginning of last year, she'd greeted Flora and the others cheerfully enough. And once they'd defeated Darkar, she'd been ecstatic, partying along with the rest of them. But now… it was like a robot had taken over her body and set her controls.

She reached the front of the line. Palladium and Avalon were manning the table; Palladium was dealing with the lower half of the alphabet, while Avalon was dealing with the upper half. He nodded to Flora as he found her name on the list. "Flora Fernández, Linphea?"

"Correct," Flora nodded, forcing herself to look at him. After last year's chaotic events, she found it difficult to even look at the real Professor Avalon in the face. Even though the false Professor Avalon had been killed along with Darkar and the Realm of Realix, the treachery still had found its way into her heart. Avalon stopped checking her box and looked up at Flora.

"You're nervous because I'm here," he said.

"I" – How could Flora deny it? She nodded, gazing fearfully at him. He shook his head sadly and sighed.

"I suppose it will be a while before anyone heals from the scars of last year," he said. "Darkar's siege devastated all of us. But I will do my best to prove myself – that I will assure you."

"It wasn't your fault," Flora breathed. "That man – he assumed your identity. You had no choice."

"I know," said Avalon. "But you'll see. I'll make sure we stay together this year." He smiled at her. "You have my word." He passed her a sheet of paper. "Here is your schedule for the year."

She nodded. Stepping out of the line, she joined the other Winx and Mirta.

The girls swapped schedules, looking at each other's coursework. The Winx all shared Advanced Battle with Palladium. Musa, Tecna, Layla, and Bloom were taking Advanced Metamorphosis together. Flora, Mirta, and Layla were in Advanced Potions, Stella and Layla were both in Advanced Aeroflynamics, and Flora and Tecna shared Intermediate Magiphilosophy.

Faragonda stood up and began to speak to the students of Alfea.

"It is a pleasure to have you all," she smiled. "Greetings, girls, and I heartily welcome you back to Alfea. Now, I would like to commence this year with a few words to our freshmen. Sophomores and seniors, please step back while we talk."

Flora nudged Mirta. "Go on," she said.

She watched as Faragonda made her obligatory speech about the girls' duties to become great fairies of the Magical Dimension. It was a lot to expect of teenagers, but after all, they were students of a prestigious school founded by the United Realms. A few looked very nervous as she detailed the coursework. Then she dismissed the freshmen, and spoke to the sophomores about earning their Charmixes and their new responsibility to go on quests.

Like the quest to Shadowhaunt, Flora thought. She remembered how Bloom, Stella, and Layla had been sent on the first quest to Shadowhaunt, and how they'd all gone to rescue Bloom the second time. The thought sent shudders through her body, and she sighed.

But there won't be anything as scary as that this time, she thought. There can't. I don't think Mirta can stomach it. She sighed.

Then Faragonda dismissed the sophomores, and she turned to face the seniors, her eyes unusually grave.

"It is time," she announced. "Your third and final year at Alfea. You all have worked incredibly hard to become what you've become now, and I could not be prouder of each one of you. However – not all of you will graduate this year."

There was a collective gasp from the fifty or so students. Flora stared at Tecna, who had finally finished with her internal calculations and was staring at Faragonda, her eyes wide.

"In order to graduate this year, you will have to pass the final exam," Faragonda continued on.

Flora heard Amaryl muttering to her friends. "I haven't even unpacked yet, and she's talking about finals. Can't she wait until tomorrow? And how bad can this exam be, anyways?"

"I'm telling you this now because you need to hear it before you take a step into the building," Faragonda interrupted. Amaryl's cheeks became a bright red. "You need to hear this so you can understand what task you're undertaking."

Venus of Solaria raised her hand. "Um, Ms. F, what do we do? How hard do we have to study for this exam?"

"It's not a test you can prepare for," Faragonda answered. "It is a test that you'll only go through when the time is right. That may be tomorrow, a few months from now, or even on the last day of this school year. But this is the critical year, the year that you develop magical maturity. If you don't get it now, chances are, you'll never get it."

"What exactly is this thing that we have to get?" Tecna asked, and Flora held back a smile. She knew how much Tecna hated it when anyone spoke in abstract terms.

Faragonda smiled down at her. "That, my friend, is Enchantix. Yes, the final fairy form," she added, as several girls let out gasps. "It is the adult form of all fairies. And it is not easily found, either. For in order to earn Enchantix, a fairy must be pure of heart."

"What do we have to do to get it?" wondered Layla.

Faragonda frowned and assessed the group of students.

"No more interruptions," she said sternly, in a voice most unlike her. "This is important, and you need to hear it." The girls whispering in the corners began to hush; the headmistress continued on. "This is a test of sacrifice. In order to earn Enchantix, a fairy must sacrifice herself for a birth citizen of her home-realm. It will provide you with so many new powers you never had before. For those of you who pass, that is." She frowned. "For the rest of you that don't, you'll stay exactly the same as you are now."

A babble began to break out in the quad. Stella turned towards the other girls, her eyes blazing. "As long as it's not Chimera, I'll sacrifice myself for anyone!"

So that's what the special power is, Flora realized. This was the power that Faragonda had been talking about when she'd healed Stella! Oh stars, what happens if we don't get this power?

"Then, as full-fledged fairies," Faragonda continued, silencing everyone with a stare, "you shall protect your realms from destruction! That shall be your responsibility, as a graduate of Alfea." She nodded at the girls, who stared at her, their mouths agape.

"But that is enough," she continued. "Now it is time for you to go in and unpack. But don't forget what I've told you. Only those that pass shall become true fairies of their realms!"

She dismissed everyone with a hand-wave. Everyone began to leave the quad, talking worriedly. It seemed that the atmosphere had almost instantly changed; everyone had gone from excited to anxious almost immediately.

The other Winx girls, however, were looking hopeful. "I mean, we've faced decay monsters and Shadowhaunt and the Trix before," Stella pointed out as they walked up the steps. "How hard could it be? I'm sure we'll pass!" She began to dance around.

"I'm not so sure about that," said Bloom, who was staring at the ground.

"Why not?" Flora asked, feeling worried. First Mirta, then Tecna, and now Bloom. What's with everyone today?

"Faragonda said we need to save someone from our realm," Bloom continued on, "but my homeworld, Domino, was destroyed. Don't you see?" Her eyes flashed. "Unless Oritel and Marion are still alive, no one will be left. And I'll never get my Enchantix!"


Flora sighed, reaching her apartment. The day had been much more draining than she'd previously thought. What with the announcement, Bloom's problems, and the prospect of Enchantix, she felt exhausted. She opened the door to her room.

But someone else was in there.

"Mirta!" Flora's heart jumped as she saw Mirta lying on her bed. "Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" She sat down on the bed.

Mirta turned her head towards her. "I'm fine," she said. "I was just waiting for you, that's all."

"Oh." Flora remembered giving Mirta a key to her apartment. "That's fine." She frowned down at her. "What happened? Your suitemates aren't like Eris, right?"

"No," Mirta answered. "Actually – they're Nova and Galatea."

"That's great," Flora said, pleased. Nova and Galatea were good girls, and they would help Mirta around as much as they could; she was sure of it. "Then why aren't you spending time with them? Don't you want to get to know your roommates?"

"I do," said Mirta, suddenly appearing shy. "But"… Her voice trailed off.

"You feel insecure around them," Flora said, finishing her sentence. It was logical; after all, Mirta was a former witch in a fairy's world. She couldn't expect her to not be scared.

"Yes," said Mirta. "Look, Flora, I love it here – I can tell this is the place for me. But I can't help but feel sad. Most of the people here are great – but people like Eris"… She trailed off.

"I understand how you feel," Flora answered. "But I'll be there with you every step of the way." She frowned. "And don't let Eris get you. Whatever she says, she's wrong."

Mirta smiled, gazing up at Flora. Flora gazed down at her with nothing but love in her heart. This beautiful girl, insecure yet resilient in so many ways, was on her way to becoming a fairy. A wonderful, strong-hearted fairy for sure. Flora knew there would be nothing but brilliance in her future.

"You are going to be a great fairy," she said, stroking Mirta as she spoke. "Nothing will stop you; I'll make sure of it."

"But what about all those other girls?" Mirta asked tearfully. "Will I ever belong here?

"I can't say for sure," Flora whispered. "I know prejudices are hard to overcome. And I don't know if they'll ever accept you. And I can't tell you to stop thinking about them."

Mirta's eyes began to water. Flora held her tighter, pushing her hair away from her face.

"But what I can say is that you can't let their opinions of you pull you down," Flora added. "You've made the transformation from witch to fairy because it was the right thing for you. You can't let them demoralize you. You've done it for the right reasons."

Mirta brushed her tears away and looked up at Flora. "Sometimes I wonder whether it was the right decision."

"Of course it was." Flora felt a wave of frustration run through her. "Mirta, you're so much more whole and complete now that you've made the change. I can see it."

"You call this being whole and complete?" Mirta yelled. "Every day I wonder what I could've done differently to change this! Every day I wonder why I'm like this! So messed up, so broken, so out-of-control"… She began to sob profusely, holding Flora as tightly as she could.

"Let it all out," Flora whispered. She lay back down, staring at Mirta's wounded face, how pale and sad she looked at everything. Misery shot through Flora as she stared at her grieving girlfriend.

I wish I could take this pain away from her, she thought. But this isn't like growing a tomato plant or a flower. This… she needs time to heal. She held Mirta firmly.

"I won't ever let you go," she whispered.

Silence reigned. Mirta's cries subsided and she looked up at Flora, tears in her eyes. She hugged her tightly.

"I knew I could count on you," she said, and then she kissed Flora, full on the lips.

The kiss brought Flora into her senses immediately, and she opened her eyes wide. Electricity tingled through her as she kissed Mirta back, keeping the suction between their lips as firm as possible. Her hand went down the back of Mirta's shirt, and she caressed her, never wanting to let go…

There was a sudden gasp. A door banged open, pulling Flora out of the moment. She pulled back instantly from Mirta and turned towards the door, her eyes wide.

Tecna was standing there, an expression of pure disbelief in her eyes. "Flora?" she asked uncertainly. Behind her, Mirta pulled back in surprise, staring at Tecna.

Flora was the first to speak. "Tecna," she breathed, staring at her best friend. "I – what happened?"

"You were supposed to meet us at the quad ten minutes and fifty-three seconds ago," said Tecna plainly. "They sent me up to get you. And now" – She drew in a breath as she stared at Flora and Mirta. "I run into this."

"Run into what?" Flora asked, a sense of desperation running through her. Now Tecna knew everything, and she wasn't reacting at all in the way Flora had expected. Tecna was staring at Flora, as if she'd changed into a different person entirely. The technology-fairy shook her head.

"I know the other girls and I have boyfriends," she said, speaking the last word as if it was still something she needed to get used to. "On my first day at Alfea, I found that shocking enough, how every girl spoke freely about boys. But this – this is something else entirely." She drew in a breath. "I have to go."

"Wait!" Flora pulled herself up off the bed. "Don't go! Please, Tecna, explain to me what you mean!"

"Flora"… Mirta was tugging on her sleeve, but Flora ignored her.

She turned towards Tecna, her eyes distraught. "I don't understand," she said. "Why do you have a problem with Mirta and me? What's the problem with us liking each other?"

"It's unnatural, Flora," Tecna responded. "It's just… it's not supposed to happen. Girls aren't supposed to like each other in that way."

"Flora!" Mirta called from behind. "You don't have to convince her. It's okay."

"No, it's not okay," Flora insisted. She turned to face Tecna. "You're my best friend. I want you to accept me for who I am. I'm a girl who likes other girls – and Mirta most of all. You have to accept that."

"Flora," Tecna answered, "it's completely unnatural, and I don't know what to say about it. You… I've never seen you act this way. It's completely irrational."

She turned to go, clearly unable to process what had just happened. But Flora's next words stopped her cold.

"What exactly is rational about love?"


So that's it for this chapter. What do you think about the classes they're taking? I didn't have that information originally, but I added it in because it helps fill in the gaps about their classes.

Next chapter:

- Tecna spends some time with Timmy, remembering her love for him.

- Valtor starts attacking more realms, getting more on the offensive side.

AOTD: Icy, without a doubt. I just love her frigid personality and how awesome she is in the 4Kids dub. Lisa Ortiz is the best voice-actor of her character (and for all the characters in the franchise). She really is a great villain – in the first three seasons, at least. Close behind would be Musa and Roxy, just because I like their personalities and how defiant, loyal, and down-to-Earth they are. My favorite realm has to be either Linphea or Tír na nÓg, just because of the beautiful nature and what each realm symbolizes.

QOTD: Which dub did you grow up with in Winx Club, and which one do you like the best? (Oh boy, this is going to be a heated one).