Happy New Year readers! I hope you enjoy part 2 of the Christmas present. Cheers to a great 2022 :)


The slamming of double doors down the hallway was the only warning people had before a very angry Valkarian prince stormed down the hallway right past them. Some rebels were able to quickly change direction or vacate the same hallway before they got too close, others had to practically hug the walls as the man stormed past them.

"Do not walk away from me!" a young voice yelled after the prince.

People watched in confusion and surprise as the Melodian princess stormed a few feet behind the prince trying to catch up with him. Their yelling echoed throughout the complex causing some people to wonder if they will ever get along.

"We are done talking," Riven yelled back continuing his long strides down the hallway.

"No, we are not," Musa replied in annoyance. "We are done when I say we are done."

A scoff sounded from Riven. "Is that a command, Your Highness?"

Sir Hammon opened the door to one of the offices after hearing the yelling and watched the young pair arguing down the hallway. He raised any eyebrow at their behaviour.

"At least they are talking," Sir Hammon sighed before closing the door.

Musa growled in annoyance at Riven's retort. She noticed two of her Melodian knights chatting at the end of the hallway before it forked into two directions. She caught their eye and yelled "block his path!"

The two knights quickly moved and blocked each hallway causing the prince to stop short and groan in annoyance.

"Do you seriously think that I will not force my way passed these two?" Riven said as he stared at the two men.

The sound of boots hitting the floor was the only response before Riven smelt Musa's jasmine scented hand cream. The same hand cream as her mother's. The Linpheans were able to create a similar version for her when she arrived to help with her injuries. It was a scent Riven never wanted to forget.

"You will do no such thing," Musa rolled her eyes. "You are the rebel leader; you will not do something so stupid as pick a fight with our men."

Riven turned around and stared angrily at Musa. "You cannot spring something like that on me, not after before."

Musa sighed finally understanding Riven's annoyance. "Looking back my timing should have been better but I have been avoiding speaking to you about it since I found out. However, I cannot avoid it any longer, not when this could impact the rebellion."

"My mother is not your concern."

The Melodian knights behind the pair awkwardly looked at each other, trying to avoid staring at the bickering pair.

"It is when this mess started because of lies. I know the truth and you need to as well."

"I know what happened. This conversation is over," Riven hissed before pushing past the knight on the left, leaving Musa speechless.

Musa stared at the retreating prince in shock. What just happened? They shared an unbelievable moment just before and now he could not even talk to her? She had the answer to his mother's death, why would he run away from that? Does he really know what happened?

"Shall we go fetch him for you, Your Highness?" the knight on the left asked awkwardly.

Musa sighed and rubbed her forehead trying to rid the oncoming headache. "No, leave him be. I am sure he will cool off eventually. He normally does after we argue."

The knights raised an eyebrow at the princess' response. It sounded awfully like a bickering couple. Musa realised her words and how they sounded and her face flushed red.

"I was defiant on Melody, ok?" Musa blurted out before turning on her foot and heading towards the dining hall to meet with her father. Speaking to the king was another discussion the prince should do but Musa did not need another angry Valkarian to contend with.


The next day, Musa was in the training room with the Winx and Faragonda. It was the first time she was going to train with an actual teacher. She spent the previous night speaking to her father over dinner, catching up on years of missed opportunities and hearing the stories again of how he and her mother met. There were a few tears, mainly from Musa, as she listened to stories from the past, when times were happier, but it was just what she needed. She spent years in the palace wondering if her father was ok, praying that one day gone was another day closer to seeing him again. According to Bloom, who spoke to Sky that morning, the prince had been locked away in his room and did not attend breakfast. Musa felt guilty, she should not have sprung the topic of his mother like that, not after they shared a beautiful moment together, but she needed to tell him. If they were really trying to make whatever they had work, they needed to do it without secrets.

"Musa," Faragonda called breaking Musa's train of thought.

"Sorry, what?" Musa asked turning to her teacher.

The girls giggled as they sat on the foam mats as Faragonda stood in front of them. She gave a small smile and shook her head.

"Did you hear what I said?" Faragonda asked.

"Ah…." Musa began. "I am sorry, can you please repeat?"

Tecna rolled her eyes at her friend. She heard from others that morning about the argument she had with the prince but her and the other girls had hoped that they spoke after they left the music room the day before. Perhaps Musa was too stubborn to come to a truce with him at this stage.

"Musa, you are the Princess of Melody, the fairy of music. Knowing that helps you to understand how to charge your power. Take Princess Stella, for example. She is the Princess of Solaria, the fairy of the sun and moon. She, like other Solarians on base, need to go upstairs to the sunroom to recharge themselves. Staying underground for too long drains them and they become sick. That is the point of today's lesson. We are going back to the basics. For this war, we need all of you to be battle ready, and that means understanding how your magic works but also how to defend yourself if it is depleting."

"I did that, Faragonda," Musa said interrupting the lesson. Faragonda looked at Musa as she sat on the floor, her legs stretched out in front of her. "During the raid on Melody, I had this overwhelming sensation to sing, and I did. Through that I was able to earn my Winx."

Faragonda smiled at the young princess. "It was quite a feat particularly for one learning on their own with no guidance. I was impressed to hear that; however, we all need you up to speed, Musa. You need more training, more practice with your magic. The other girls here have had their whole childhood and teenage years to master their magic. They are here to help you get there faster. Doing it once in the field is not enough for this war."

Musa nodded her head sadly knowing that Faragonda was correct. She had missed out on magic training since her mother passed away while her friends were able to learn. It used to get to her as a child but when her friends stopped visiting, it was less of an issue. Now though it was a stinging reminder how just how much she missed out on. If she ever was lucky enough to be a mother, she would ensure that her children would never miss anything. Faragonda turned to Flora and nodded to her. The young brunette smiled and walked over to the music player at the back corner and turned it on. Music started filling the space and brought a smile to Musa.

"Now," Faragonda said turning back to Musa. "I heard that Prince Riven gave you some physical training. As this is magic training, everything we will do from here on out will be very different to what you know. Your Winx is the start of your magical journey, and normally it is where a young adult fairy starts to becoming a full-fledged fairy."

"Is my Winx not a full-fledge fairy?" Musa asked.

Faragaonda shook her head. "I am sorry, Musa, it is not. You need to earn your final phase as a fairy. You need to earn your Enchantix. It is a powerful transformation and gives you access to new powers. Powers that we may need to win this war. Your Winx alone will not be enough to stop Kataar or Darcy."

"Why cannot the girls help me? Surely they have their Enchantix powers?"

"We do, Musa," Bloom said. "We will be there in battle and will help you however we can."

"Though ultimately, you must stop Darcy and Kataar if you want to save Melody. You are the heir to the throne, a powerful Melodian fairy. With Enchantix, you will be rewarded so richly and so profoundly that your life will be changed forever, if you do not then you will stay the same as you are now. We need your help to stop them, and it must be you who faces them to win your realm back."

"Then…what do I have to do to prepare?"

"You do not have to study or train yourself for a test to earn your Enchantix."

"Then what is the point of this training?"

Faragonda and the girls were silent for a moment at Musa's question. "To train you in case you do not get your Enchantix."

"That does not make any sense. How can I not get my Enchantix?"

"The test will find you at a critical moment in time, Musa. It will require you to rescue someone from your own world and it will require you to do this by making a great sacrifice. This is the only way you can earn your Enchantix."

"Rescue someone from my own world? But that is exactly what the rebellion is doing. How can I earn my Enchantix before the final battle when saving my people is the outcome of the battle?"

The room was silent, and Musa started to panic. She thought that earning her Winx would help the rebellion. She now had to hope that her Enchantix test found her, but they were running against the clock.

"Musa, it will be ok," Flora said softly. "Fate will find a way to bring you this test."

"Worst case scenario is that we get Riven to push a Melodian off a cliff and then you can save them," Layla joked.

"As much as I appreciate your ingenuity, Layla," Faragonda began. "This test must find her; we cannot force it to happen.

"Well, how did Tecna earn hers? She has been with me under Kataar's rule for the same time."

"I tried to save my father during Kataar's invasion," Tecna answered sadly. "I…I fought off a knight to protect him from execution."

"But…." Musa began sadly. "They…"

"They took us into custody and executed him anyway, I know," Tecna finished, looking away from the group.

"Tecna risked her life to stop a knight from executing her father, that was her test. Sometimes, the test may not always end up exactly how we want," Faragonda explained sadly. "You just need to sacrifice something important to you, even risking your life for someone else even if it may not save another."

"I am sorry, Tecna, I did not mean-"

"It is fine. Really, it is ok."

"Moving on," Faragonda said gently trying to improve the atmosphere in the room. "With the final battle approaching, we must learn how to defend ourselves and our allies. I want you all to circle around me."

The girls looked at each other in confusion before they stood up and circled around Faragonda as they all stood in the centre of the large training room.

"When you are ready, transform."

"Let's go Enchantix!" The girls, minus Musa, chanted and they transformed.

Musa watched in awe as she saw her friends wearing flowy and glittery dresses, and skirt and top combos. Little bells hung from their impressive wings, and the jewellery was something Musa could not help but notice. The girls looked to Musa and gave her encouraging smiles, the latter rubbing her arms in shyness. The music tingled her skin and it felt like it was beating in time with her heart.

"You can do this, Musa," Faragonda encouraged.

Musa looked at the woman and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, letting the music fill her senses. She could picture the notes in her mind, could feel the beat tingling on her skin sending goose bumps down her arms, and felt the energy surge into her body.

"Magic Winx!" Musa yelled.

A flash of purple and red light surrounded Musa, causing the others in the room to shield her eyes and once it dimed, Musa stood in the same spot in her red Winx transformation and wings. Musa opened her eyes and cried out with relief and surprise. She looked at her hands and down her body seeing the same top and skirt combo and tall boots. The girls in the room cheered as Musa tried to turn to look at the wings on her back.

"You did it, Musa!" Stella cheered happily.

"Well done," Layla added with a smile.

"Great work, Musa," Faragonda said before looking at the rest of the girls. "Now, I want you girls to attack me, and I will demonstrate defensive spells. Would anyone like to volunteer?"

The girls looked at each other awkwardly. They did not want to attack their teacher, particularly Musa. She was the headmistress of a prestigious school and she saw what the elderly woman could do in battle. She had no hope in beating her.

When no one else answered, Faragonda smiled. "Very well, I will pick someone. What we want to do is use the attacker's force against them. How about you start us off, Stella?"

Stella cringed at the nomination as the other girls giggled. "Attack our teacher? I thought we would start off with something easier, maybe potion making? I did not realise we were throwing Musa into the deep end. Whatever happened to a well-rounded education?"

Faragonda chuckled at Stella's nervousness. "At the moment, our mission is to help you survive. Go ahead, show me your best attack."

"Fine!" Stella huffed before flying into the air. "Sun Burst!"

A large yellow sun ball appeared in Stella's hands, and she threw it at Faragonda. Without missing a beat, Faragona yelled "Sun Block!" A soft green dome appeared over Faragonda and it absorbed the sun ball, almost melting into the shield.

The girls gasped in shock and Stella got irritated. That was one of her usual fool-proof attacks.

"Well played," Stella commented. She summoned her sceptre and twirled it around her before the crystal glowed. "Solar Lava Blast!" A stream of bright lava looking magic shot out of the sceptre crystal and aimed for Faragonda.

"Deflect-us!" Faragonda yelled and small shield appeared above Faragonda's head and bounced the attack back at Stella, hitting her directly, causing her to fall to the foam mats.

"Ow!" Stella complained rubbing her back and bottom.

"See how I used her power against her?" Faragonda asked. "Everyone attack now!"

"Right, let's go!" Bloom said determined as she and the others flew into the air.

"Try to hit me, girls" Faragonda instructed.

"Digital Web!" Tecna yelled and a stream of glowing green webs shot out of Tecna's hands.

"Venus Gobler!" Flora yelled and the two attacks merged as they headed for Faragona.

"Bubble Sphere!" Faragonda summoned another dark shield and bounced the attacks back at the girls. Flora and Tecna dodged the attacks and they hit the back of the wall, leaving scorch marks.

"I have never seen anyone do that," Tecna commented. "I am impressed."

"Let us see what she does with my wave attack!" Layla said and summoned a morphix wave from the ground and headed straight for Faragonda.

At the same time, Bloom yelled "Dragon Blast" and a large fire ball shot out of her hands and joined Layla's attack towards Faragonda.

"Power-us Absorb-us!" A wall of black and grey magic appeared in front of Faragonda and absorbed the attacks.

"I am starting to see why we need this class first," Stella said nervously.

Musa, still on the ground, watched her friends attack Faragonda and immediately felt out of place. She barely knew how to fly or summon her Winx, but now she was expected to attack her new teacher?

"Come on, Musa," Layla cheered. "Show her what you have got!"

Musa looked at the girls with a nervous smile. The imaginary clock around her stressed her and she started to feel pressure. Tecna nodded her head and cheered Musa on with the others. She took a breath and slowly fluttered her wings and shakily started lifting into the air.

"You can do it, Musa!" Flora clapped as she watched her friend start flying.

Musa smiled as she watched the ground get further away from her until she was finally flying amongst her friends. Faragonda smiled at her new pupil.

"Alright Musa, your turn! Attack me," Faragonda instructed.

Although there was music surrounding her and energy in her body, a voice at the back of Musa's brain knew that it would not be enough. The attack would not even be half the strength of her friends and they were already bested by the teacher. But Musa knew that if she did not at least try then she would have already failed.

"Boogie Blast!" Musa yelled and a bowling-ball sized red and purple sphere appeared in her hands and she threw it at the teacher.

Her victory at summoning an attack was short-lived for the sphere was immediately caught in Faragonda's hand and she half turned to catch it. The girls gasped at seeing Musa's sphere attack floating just above Faragona's hand. Without saying a word, Faragonda closed her hand into a fist, and immediately extinguished the attack, causing Musa to float to her knees in defeat. The other girls saw Musa's attitude change and floated back to the ground as well.

"Well done, girls," Faragonda complimented. "In another battle with another opponent those attacks would have worked."

"Great," Bloom replied sarcastically as she gently laid her back on the ground.

"Excuse me, Faragonda," Tecna asked as she walked up to her teacher. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"A friend of mine took all the battle classes while she was a student at Alfea. In fact, she won a gold medal in the All-Realm Magic Games. She taught me everything I know in magical martial arts. When you girls return to Alfea, and Musa and Tecna hopefully attend when this is over, she will be one of your teachers. I hope you have realised how important it is to improve your battle skills because if Kataar or Darcy get a hold of you, they will tear you to shreds."

"That is very comforting from a sweet old lady," Stella whispered to Flora who giggled.

Faragonda walked over to Musa as she sat on the floor, staring sadly. She crouched in front of the young princess and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You did well, Musa. This was only your first magic lesson after all."

"I knew it would not work," Musa muttered softly. "The music is not enough."

"What do you mean? You are the fairy of music."

"I did feel the energy, Faragonda, but I need more. That attack would barely scratch someone in battle."

"You defeated Darcy with music, how is this any different?"

Musa lifted her head and stared sadly at her teacher. "I was wearing a crystal several weeks before Darcy stole it from me. I was playing music before then in secret and sung a song before I transformed. I must have had some extra Winx in my body, enough to fight Darcy. Now, I do not even know if I have enough magic to survive a fight with her. Music here does not seem enough."

"What can we do to help you?"

"I need a crystal, Miss F," Musa said sadly as a tear ran down her cheek.

The room was silent again and Musa could already hear the response in the air. Flora slowly stood up from the floor and walked over to Musa before crouching next to her with Faragonda.

"Musa, sweetie," Flora began softly. "I am so sorry but none of us were able to take a crystal back with us."

"So how am I even going to have attacks in my Winx form then?" Musa asked sadly but was met with silence.

"Let us take a break," Faragonda instructed as she stood up.

The girls all nodded and walked over to Musa to pull her into a group hug. Musa looked at the ground in sadness. Just when she thought things were looking up for her, she kept meeting more obstacles.


A knock on the door broke Hoe-Bo's train of thought as he sat in his private study with war papers and strategies littered on his table. Since Musa had woken up, it was difficult to find time to review the rebellion's strategy, but he had already approved the strategy for getting into the palace. That one was easy. The old tunnels throughout the palace would give them the element of surprise and, according to Riven, Kataar and Darcy were unaware of their existence. So far, the timing of the battle hindered on how quickly Musa could earn her Enchantix. Hoe-Bo permitted the person on the other side of the door to enter and he was not surprised at who stood in the doorway.

"Ah, Riven, I have been expecting you," Hoe-Bo greeted and motioned for him to take a seat.

Riven gave a quick bow to the king before he sat in one of the chairs in front of the king's small desk. The room was humbler than Kataar's, Riven thought, but considering it was a study in a secret base and furniture was borrowed, it was a decent job.

"I hear from a few people that you and my daughter are not getting along," the king comment as he poured them each a drink. The fruity smell that came from the liquid caught Riven's attention. Hoe-Bo chuckled at Riven's confused face. "Juniper berry ice-tea. A favourite of mine from Solaria. A few of the Solarians here were kind enough to give me a bottle of it."

Riven took the glass cautiously from the king, nodding in thanks, and took a tentative sip. Normally when he entered his father's office, he would watch him drink whiskey or something stronger and was never offered a drink himself. The drink was not bad, Riven thought. He would not have it often, but it could tolerate it for this meeting.

"I would not say that we are not getting along Sire," Riven commented after swallowing a sip.

"Then my daughter did speak to you after we left you yesterday?"

"We did," Riven replied, deciding to keep the fact he made out with his daughter to himself. He and Musa did agree to keep things low key until the battle was over, if they made it out alive that was. Though Riven did not want to borrow from tomorrow's problems.

"Then why have I had a number of group leaders in my office talking about your argument?"

Riven did not answer for a moment and took another sip of drink. The king waited patiently examining Riven's movements.

"She wanted to discuss the death of my mother."

"I see," Hoe-Bo said slowly with understanding.

"Musa thinks she knows what really happened to her."

"I take it that you were not in the mood to discuss your mother."

Riven shook his head. "Not after the earlier conversation we had, no. My mother, well…"

"She is not an easy topic to discuss." Riven looked up at the king surprised to hear exactly what he was feeling. "I understand completely. Matlin was the same for a time after Miranda passed away. Lived in denial for a while but then with things shaky with your father at the time, well, Matlin always avoided talking about Miranda."

"What did you do?"

"Unfortunately, with your father claiming that her death was at first natural, then suspicious and Melody was at fault, it forced Matlin and I to discuss Miranda heavily but not in remembrance. Matlin unfortunately had to put her grief aside to handle diplomatic issues."

"Which obviously did not last long," Riven added sadly.

Hoe-Bo nodded his head. "Yes, my darling wife never fully accepted Miranda's death before she died but her and I knew that it was not an accident, just one not done by Melody."

"You are aware, Sire, that I do not believe Melody had anything to do with my mother's death?"

"If I thought that, you would not be sharing my favourite drink with me and allowed to be left alone with my daughter," Hoe-Bo answered with a smirk.

"Touché," Riven said raising his glass in response.

"I am sorry about Miranda. She was a kind and beautiful woman and loved you more than life itself." Riven looked at the glass sadly. "I meant what I said yesterday, Riven. She would be proud of you."

"No, she would not," Riven said, looking back at the king. "Musa was right. I am a monster." Before the king could argue, Riven continued. "I helped invade her home, I led armies that invaded Melodian cities and have blood on my hands. What I am doing does not wash away any of that and nor should it. If my mother was here…..if she…if she raised me, she would not have wanted a perfect soldier for a son. She would have raised me to be a good leader, a caring person who helped others, and one that did not grow up fearing their father."

"I am sorry, Riven, that you feel that way. I am sorry that Kataar was so consumed by his grief that he failed to see that he was still not alone in the world. He had you and he should have pursued with his grief to be a better father for you. I do think you are wrong though. When your parents first told us they were pregnant, the look of pure joy on both of their faces could not be hidden by anything. Kataar could not stop smiling and was always at your mother's side. Your mother, she told us that she wanted a healthy baby and hoped that they grew up to be a respected person who is kind to others and helps the world. That they know right from wrong. You, Riven, embody all of that. You are your own person who grew up not only finding but making their own path in life, who is right now helping to make the world better for not only Melody and Valkaris, but for others as well. You learnt your true heritage on your own and are trying to follow both. She would be proud of you."

"I…..I appreciate it, Sire," Riven stuttered out.

"We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I see that you truly want to do the right thing. Even if you were not Melodian, you would have seen what your father was doing was wrong."

"Was my mother really Melodian?"

"She was, she was full blooded and came from a long line of nobles. Was part of Matlin's court and the moment Kataar met Miranda, it was love at first sight. He was a prince from a powerful nation that never invaded anyone, and Miranda's smile caught his attention from across the ballroom."

"So, my father really was just blinded by his grief?"

"After losing Matlin, I understand that type of grief. It can be too much but wanting to live and keep going for my child helped. Anyone could be influenced in that state otherwise. Him and your people want vengeance, plain and simple."

"Did my mother ever tell you if I….."

"If you had magic?" Hoe-Bo finished the question with a knowing look. The look of surprise on Riven's face caused the king to smile. "You have been wondering since your glowing eyes?"

"It is hard not to think about, Sire. I have wondered the same thing since I found out about mother."

"After you were born, Matlin and I met you a number of times. You were a rambunctious child," Hoe-Bo laughed. "But you were polite and always listened to your parents. You never displayed signs of magic but then again Musa never showed any at that age either."

"You said you had answers to my questions."

"As you know, music is the heart of Melody and of Melodians. It is part of our culture, another way to communicate. It gives power to magic within ourselves and the realm. Musa was correct and I am so proud of her for discovering it on her own. Without music, the magic in the realm is draining quickly and destroying the realm. The crystals enhance the magic powered by music and with that helps fuel the large crystal in the palace, sending the music throughout the realm and replenish the magic. Miranda must have been using her own crystal to bring additional magic to Valkaris. Your people relied too much on it and when your mother died, it seems the magic died with her and so did the ease of life. Farmers forgot how to create ideal growing conditions or plan for winter conditions or drought. No food, no materials for construction or clothing or warmth. Valkaris just stopped. He came to us for vengeance but also to take a realm filled with things his people needed."

"So, after this is over, what will happen to my people?"

Hoe-Bo was quiet as he poured himself another glass. He offered to Riven who declined a second glass.

"That is up to Musa and yourself to decide," Hoe-Bo said.

"What do you mean?"

"I have not told Musa this, I am not ready to. She may already have a suspicion; I do not know. Once this battle is won and Melody is free, I will not hold the throne for long. The throne is Musa's and how she decides to deal with your people is up to you and her. You are the rightful heir of Valkaris, always have been. Having you two cooperate is key to finding the best solution for your people. That is why I wanted you two to talk. Musa may not think level headedly if she is fighting with you."

"What about my glowing eyes?"

"As I said, music is apart of Melody and Melodians. Just because you are only half Melodian does not mean music does not influence you. Did you feel anything while playing yesterday?"

"I…I guess I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders."

"Did it empower you?"

"Emotionally I think it did. I have not had music in my life since she died so having that again brought me closer to her."

"The glow is what all Melodians get when the music, in a sense, recharges them. When the magic within themselves is empowered through the music. It may not mean you have powers like Musa or Tecna, but I cannot say for certain. You are the son of two powerful realms; you are both Valkarian and Melodian. Who knows how the blood of each will affect you. Valkarians rarely married outside of their own people, not out of prejudice but because they rarely interacted with other realms. Which was why Kataar's marriage to Miranda was so special. Not only did their heir marry a non-Valkarian, but a noble of Melody. The blood of two powerful families from two powerful realms; you would be a force to reckoned with, Riven. Time will only tell what that means. Having Darcy as your father's advisor to me is no coincidence."

"Sire, it is difficult for me to talk about my mother. I had time to grieve her until I learnt about her heritage, and it was like opening an old wound. Whether or not I have powers is irrelevant. I will not be going into a fight with the Winx to try, do not worry." Hoe-Bo chuckled. "Please know that I was not offending your daughter with our argument. I did not want to open the old wound particularly as I know what happened to my mother."

"Really?"

"Yes. I know it was Darcy who murdered my mother, and I know you do too."


I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Always love hearing your thoughts :)

Till next time!

~AngelAlexandra~