As soon as Samara stepped through the portal, an ice-cold wind hit her in the face.
"Oooh of course it is freezing out here!" Stella complained as she stepped through the portal as well.
"Well what did you expect, Cloud Tower is on top of a mountain!" Tecna snapped at her.
"Come on let's get inside!" Layla said.
The seven of them hurried up the road towards the front doors of Cloud Tower, where a lonely figure waited fort hem.
"Welcome to Cloud Tower girls." Headmistress Griffin said. "I would say it's a pleasure to have you but…"
"Yeah yeah we are just as excited about this as you are, let's get inside shall we?" Stella said as she marched towards the entrance hall.
Griffin and the rest of the Winx followed her. Two other women were waiting for them in the hall.
"Please meet Professor Ediltrude and Professor Zarathustra." Griffin said.
The two women nodded.
"They will be teaching your classes of this week along with me."
"Well they sure seem nice." Stella whispered.
"I won't be able to remember those names that's for sure…" Samara muttered.
"Now professor Zarathustra will guide you towards your rooms." Griffin said. "I will see you tomorrow at eight o'clock in the dining hall."
"Follow me." One of the women said.
The Winx did as they were told and followed her to the third floor.
"This room is for three of you." She said pointing at the door to her right. "This one for four." She pointed to her left. "I'll leave you to it."
"So who goes where?" Stella asked.
"Does it really matter?" Layla asked as she walked into the room with four beds.
Musa and Tecna shook their shoulders and followed her. Samara looked at Musa and turned to the other door. She was soon joined by Bloom and Stella.
"Are you still mad at Musa?" Bloom asked.
Samara didn't answer and started to unpack.
"You have to let it go, she apologized for using your lyrics without asking you first." Bloom tried again.
Samara huffed but didn't really respond. The morning after the show, Musa had been shocked to find out that Samara did not appreciate the surprise. Apparently Musa had followed Samara to the roof to see how she was doing after their talk and heard the entire song. She had apologized right away but Samara was unable to forgive her. If only Musa knew what that song had done…
But she doesn't know…nobody does…so why stay mad at her?
Samara shook her head to dismiss the thought. Bloom had given up and was unpacking as well.
"Could I use some of your closet space?" Stella asked as she opened her third bag of clothes.
"Gosh Stella why did you bring that many clothes?" Bloom asked. "We're only here for a week."
"Just because we are surrounded by horribly dressed witches does not mean that I can't look at my best." Stella huffed. "So please move over those trousers so I can put my shoes there."
A few hours later the three girls were in bed.
"Anyone asleep yet?" Bloom asked.
"Nope." Samara said.
Stella groaned. "If I don't get my eight hours of sleep it will show on my face."
Samara sighed and turned towards the wall. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to fall asleep but somehow she couldn't. Something felt off…as if the air was filled with a weird energy. After three more hours, the sound of soft breathing filled the room. Seemed the others had finally fallen asleep.
The first class the following morning was teached by Griffin. The Winx sat down nervously. A lot of the witches stared at them and not in a kind way. Griffin stepped into the room and everyone went silent.
"Good morning girls." Griffin said.
Her voice echoed through the round room.
"As you can all see we have some visitors amongst us."
The few eyes that weren't on the fairies before now joined the others.
"I expect everyone of you to make them feel welcome."
There were a few laughs around them and Samara felt a shiver run down her spine.
"Now for todays lesson, we will create an energy sphere from our bare hands." Griffin continued.
"That will be easy, we already did that in Palladiums lesson weeks ago!" Musa whispered.
Samara frowned as she remebered that lesson all too well.
"Stand up, hold your hands close to each other and gather as many negative thoughts as you can." Griffin said.
"Negative thoughts?" Flora asked a bit tool oud.
"Yes Flora, negative thoughts." Griffin said as some witches started to snicker. "Opposite from faries who use positive energy, us witches thrive on negative and dark energy." "Just try to think about the times that you were angry, scared or depressed."
The Winx looked at each other. All the witches had already conjured a small purple orb. Samara brought her hands together and closed her eyes. As soon as she thought about those emotions a face appeared in her mind. A set of almost golden eyes looked at her, a long straight nose and thin lips, pale skin and long ears. For a second she felt her heart soaring but then she remembered everything that happened.
We'll just have to continue with our normal lives… Try to avoid each other as much as possible
Her heart ached as Palladiums voice echoed through her mind, images of the memory vividly.
The image of Palladium holding the golden sphere in his hands, when they had to step away from each other in the forrest, all of the moments that she had to dismiss her feelings…her love for him… came flooding into her heart. It was too much to bear…
Samara opened her now tearfilled eyes and saw that there was a sphere between her hands. A completely black sphere.
"I expect my witches to conjure at least a light grey sphere, for the fairies of Alfea…a light purple will do." Griffin said with a mocking tone.
Suddenly a bright light shined on Samara's left side.
"Miss Stella that was not the assignment!" Griffin said.
"Sorry but I don't do negative thoughts, that's how you get wrinkles you know." Stella said.
"Your grades here will be on your permanent record!" Griffin threathened.
Stella huffed. "Have you seen my grades?" "These will fit in just fine!"
Griffin decided not to respond and walked to the middle of the room. She snapped her fingers and all the spheres flew towards her. With another snap of her fingers the spheres were gone.
"I will examine your results later." She said. "Winx, your results will be transferred to Headmistress Faragonda."
All the students packed their stuff and left the room.
"We should mingel amongst the witches." Bloom said. "Try to find out how they feel about the Trix."
Samara groaned. "Do we have to?"
Layla walked towards a group of students.
"Hi there, my name is Layla." She bravely started. "So…do you enjoy your lessons here?"
The witches looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"You've got to be kidding me." One of them snickered before they walked away.
"That went well…" Layla sighed as she rejoined the fairies.
"Why don't you lot just go back to your fairy school?"
The Winx turned around to see another group of witches.
"We don't need your help and don't want you fairies snooping around in our school." One of them said.
"Believe me when I say that we don't want to be here either." Stella said.
"Stop it, we all want the same thing, to protect the Codex of Cloud Tower!" Flora said. "Let's just work together for now…"
"Nah I'm not working together with a fairy, we witches can fend for our own." A witch with long deep red hair said. Others agreed with her.
"Let's just go to our rooms, this is useless." Samara said.
She hadn't felt well all day and was longing to lay in her bed.
"Ah there you are."
Professor Ediltrude walked towards them.
"Headmistress Griffin has requested that you meet her in her office right away."
She did not wait for a response and showed them the way. Griffin looked up from her desk when the Winx walked in.
"You wanted to see us Headmistress?" Bloom asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid we have a problem." Griffin said with a slight shiver in her voice. "It appears that the Trix are already inside Cloud Tower."
"What?" Musa said. "But how is that possible?"
"Did you see them?" Layla asked.
"I did not see them, but I have lost control over some parts of the school." Griffin said.
"What do you mean lost control?" Tecna asked. "You makei t seem as if Cloud Tower is a living thing."
"It is, this isn't just an ordinary building." Griffin said.
She snapped her fingers and a hologram of Cloud Tower appeared. Most parts were light purple but some were black.
"As headmistress I normally have control over the entire school but as you can see someone else now holds control over several parts." "I am sure it's the Trix."
"So what do we do now?" Flora asked.
"We need to find them and stop them from finding the codex." Musa said.
"That's easy to say…"Stella muttered.
Samara groaned softly. So long nice warm bed and good nights sleep.
"I suggest you patrol the school in groups of two to cover more ground." Griffin said. "Bloom and Tecna can take the corridor on the second floor, including the library."
The two girls nodded and walked out of the office.
"Stella and Musa, the ground floor including the canteen."
They also left right away.
"Flora and Samara you can take the first floor and Layla can take the third floor, you can skip the staffs quarters."
"I…I need to go alone?" Layla asked panic clear in her voice. "Why me?"
"Why not?" Griffin asked. "From what I heard you are a strong fairy, most capable of walking around a school on your own."
Layla nodded.
"Now off you go and let me know if anything suspicious is going on, in the meantime I'll try to regain control over the school."
The three girls left the office and went their seperate ways.
"Do you think we'll run into the Trix?" Flora asked with a shiver.
"Let's hope so, we cannot let them get to the Codex." Samara said.
It was clear that Flora did not share that thought.
"So uhm…got any plans for the weekend?" Flora asked, obviously trying to think of something else.
"No, you?"
Samara knew she was being rude but she couldn't focus. Her head was pounding and there was a heavy feeling on her chest.
"Not really…" Flora said. "I was thinking about taking a walk through the forrest but…"
"But what?"
Flora's cheeks turned red. "Well I was thinking about asking Helia to join me but…I don't know."
"What don't you know, if you like him?" Samara asked.
"No I like him a lot." Flora said. "But what if he doesn't like me back?"
They took a turn and walked into a long narrow corridor.
"Just ask him and find out." Samara said a bit too cold.
She was getting frustrated by Flora's worries. Not to mention that the heaviness in her chest was increasing by the minute and now she was feeling light headed as well.
"Oh no I'm too scared." Flora said.
Samara snapped.
"Honestly Flora quit being such a wuss!" She said angry. "Best case scenario he likes you back and the two of you can love each other without any problem, worst case scenario he does not like you back and you can simply move on!" "Not everyone has that luxury."
A silence fell, the only sound to be heard being their footsteps. After a few minutes Samara noticed that she was walking a lot slower then before.
"Is there…is there someone that you like?" Flora cautiously asked.
Samara thought for a moment. She was tired, so very tired. Not just physically but mentally. The constant hopes and disappointments, the love she had felt had only brought her pain. Was it really worth it all?
"No…no there isn't."
And in that moment, that very second, Samara felt her heart collaps. She could not breathe, hear, see, speak, there was nothing anymore, just darkness. A laugh echoed through her mind, a cold frightning laugh.
It all lasted a few seconds and then it was as if nothing had happened.
"Should we check on the others?" Flora asked a few meters ahead of Samara. She hadn't noticed a thing.
"Uhm…yeah sure." Samara muttered.
She took our her phone but noticed that there was no service.
"Ah there you are!"
Flora jumped a bit as Layla came flying around the corner of the corridor.
"I just fought the Trix!" Layla said. "They are heading towards the basement of the school."
"Wait what?" Samara asked.
"The Trix, they are heading towards the basement, they think the Codex is there!" Layla said.
"Why would they think that?" Flora asked.
"No clue but we need to stop them in case they are right, I couldn't defeat them on my own."
Flora and Samara both changed into their fairy forms and followed Layla.
"We need to find the others as soon as possible, you two go to Bloom and Tecna on the second floor, I'll get Musa and Stella and meet you in the basement." Samara said.
Layla and Flora nodded and turned to the left on the second floor, leaving Samara to fly downstaris all by herself.
Authors note:
And the plot thickens! Please let me know what you think about the story as I am doubting myself lately. Feedback would be very appreciated!