S1E3 "Alfea College for Fairies"

After an endless night of laughter, games, and heartfelt discussion, the girls could barely keep their eyes open when the next morning came. Bloom's very first class took place on the west side of campus, in a small, heated room that did nothing to help her drowsiness. Stella didn't seem all that present, either, slouching in a nearby desk.

"Good morning, everyone!" Their leprechaun instructor greeted the class with a tip of the hat. "As usual, it befalls me to kick off the school year."

The man swiftly jumped backwards onto his desk, barely making a sound.

"For those of you who haven't met me yet, I am Professor Wizgiz! Your metamorphosis instructor!"

Bloom perked up at the name. Wizgiz. She'd forgotten to ask that specialist boy, Timmy, about getting the homework answers.

"Or, as I prefer to call it," Professor Wizgiz continued. "Changing...the way you look!"

The tiny man immediately shifted his appearance, and at that moment he was nearly identical to Ms. Griselda. It was jarring to see a smile so firmly planted on her face, bouncing her ankles like a giddy schoolgirl. Most of the fairies gasped, laughed and cheered, though some were hesitant just in case.

"Oh, this is nothing, lasses!" The Griselda smirked. "By year's end, you'll do far better!"

With another jolt, Professor Wizgiz returned to his original form. "For now, we'll start with a simple exercise."

Mirrors manifested on everyone's desks, which peaked Stella's interest more than anything else so far. Bloom watched as she mindlessly fingered through her long hair, adjusting her purple headband for good measure.

"Concentrate. Look in the mirror, at yourself." Wizgiz shuffled about the aisles. "Think about changing...the color of your hair!"

Bloom watched as the surrounding fairies changed their hair colors. Soon enough, nearly everyone else had been successful but her. Closing her eyes and thinking of the color magenta as hard as she could, nothing seemed to budge. Perhaps her tired eyes had grown a little redder, though.

"Ah, don't worry Bloom!" Bloom was startled by Wizgiz's sudden words. "If at first you don't succeed, simply try again!"

Stella hadn't been participating, though she had managed to change from honey blonde to strawberry as Wizgiz approached her desk.

"Now, I know you, Stella!" Wizgiz chided her playfully. "You can do far better than that!"

Stella gave him a coy grin.

"But it suits me better, right?"

With the first day reaching its end, Bloom returned to the apartment still puzzled by her assignment. She'd only managed to make a few magenta strands after squeezing her eyes shut and not breathing for a few seconds. Stella sat cross-legged in front of her, changing her hair several different colors in demonstration.

"Alright, one last time and that's it." Stella said. "It's the first day, Bloom. You can't expect to master everything after one class."

"I know..." Bloom said, straining again. "I'm just hoping that my powers haven't bailed on me."

Stella rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

Flora, who had been tending to one of her plant experiments for the past hour, swiveled around in her chair and tied her hair into a leafy bun.

"She might be physically straining too hard. Maybe it's not about making, but only thinking your hair is changing color?"

"I'm definitely thinking of magenta." Bloom squinted again. "Magenta, magenta, magenta..."

"Imagine your hair being brushed with magenta paint." Stella sat beside her, holding a lock of Bloom's ginger hair. "You've got this."

Bloom closed her eyes, remembering her features in the mirror's reflection. She pictured the slow pattern of magenta strokes being painted along her scalp, making their way down from the base to the ends. She didn't strain, only imagined. Once she opened her eyes, instead of magenta hair the entire section of her bangs began floating upward.

"Ah!" Bloom tried to push them down to no avail. "Good job brain, that's definitely what I had in mind!"

Stella choked on a laugh, while Flora crouched her way over with a fine-toothed comb.

"You're just not focusing the right way. Not concentrating enough, either!"

"Well, at least something happened this time, right?" Flora said, combing frantically.

"Guys, I've spent my whole first day working on this..."

"First days always suck, Bloom." Stella smiled. "And Wizgiz loves his participation points, which never helps. But you're really overthinking this assignment, I swear."

"More practice. You need more practice." Flora finally managed to calm Bloom's bangs. "But not today. Give yourself a break."

"I don't know. Maybe it's just a mental block." Bloom said. "I keep doubting myself. Maybe I need to remember why I wanted to go here in the first place."

"Because I asked you?"

"Well, yeah. But...deeper than that. Like, what is my purpose here?"

Bloom stared at herself in the mirror. "My calling? I mean, what did you guys come here for?"

Stella looked around the room. "Well, I want to be a successful, powerful fairy, universally admired by my future subjects."

She walked in a circle, basking in the imaginary spotlight. "And of course, help people work out their problems!"

Bloom turned her head. "You, Flora?"

"Being powerful would be nice." She started. "But really, I just love to learn-"

"Nerd!" Stella called out, cupping the sides of her mouth. "Nerrrd!"

"What?! It's true!" Flora attempted to shush Stella with her hands. "I love learning new things! Bloom, you don't think it's nerdy, do you?"

Bloom shrugged. "Well..."

Flora planted a pillow on Stella's face, her loud voice still carrying around the room.

"Whatever you think your purpose here is-" Stella broke free, headband now ajar. "Don't let it be some lame answer like that!"

"Okay!" Bloom giggled. "Now stop yelling, will you?"

The next morning came, which started with a faculty-organized communal breakfast. Multiple tables of girls chattered amongst themselves, enjoying hibiscus tea, bowls of thick carrot-ginger soup, and jam-covered bread slices. Headmistress Faragonda eyed the tables with a look of tempered excitement, occasionally conversing with Griselda or Wizgiz beside her. Bloom could see Griselda's suspicious glances and Wizgiz's nods of approval, but had no idea of what they were speaking about.

Bloom watched Musa knock back a cup of tea. "What does it taste like?"

"Like hibiscus." Musa swallowed. "A little tart, a little fruity. Not bad, actually."

Bloom gestured for the teapot, which Stella handed to her. Out poured a vibrantly red liquid with floral bits into a dainty, pearl-white teacup. She took a sip that warmed her throat and filled her nose with its tangy aroma.

"Wow." Bloom drank some more, then dipped her spoon into the bowl of soup in front of her.

"You've probably noticed..." Tecna said in a low tone. "...but Griselda's been glaring at you for the past five minutes."

"She's glaring at me? I thought she always looked like that."

Bloom stole the tiniest glance towards the rounded dais. Griselda was indeed staring at her, sipping out of one teacup for what seemed like ages.

"Crap, you're right." Bloom averted her eyes. "Do you think she's still mad about the imposter thing?"

"Probably that," Stella said, biting into her bread slice. "As well as for breaking curfew. Or for just being the unfortunate recipient of Faragonda's mercy."

"Don't worry, she can't dish out punishments after the fact." Tecna half-grinned. "Just stay out of trouble, for now."

"No promises..." Stella mumbled as she took a sip of tea.

Faragonda raised from her spot at the table. "Young ladies! Your attention please."

After the talking and clattering of dinnerware subsided, Faragonda continued.

"As is the tradition among the prestigious Magix schools, the annual Gala in honor of our new students will be held tonight!"

A wave of excited whispers washed down the rows. Musa and Stella were nothing short of beaming, while Tecna and Flora shared an unenthusiastic glance.

"First-year students from both Alfea and Red Fountain-" Faragonda had to pause amidst the swooning and squealing girls. "-will gather here, in our castle, to perform the traditional Welcoming Gift Exchange Ceremony!"

More excited whispers. More squeals, at higher frequencies. Stella was practically vibrating. "I'll get to see Prince Sky in formal wear...it's like a dream come true!"

"Silence, please!" Griselda shrilled, clapping her hands twice. "Let's show some respect!"

"Thank you, Ms. Griselda." Faragonda continued. "One more thing I'd like to say: I'm calling on all your creative minds to turn this ordinary hall into a festive ballroom!"

Bloom looked around the dining hall. It was far better than Gardenia High's cafeteria, with green marble banisters and jade tilework lining the perimeter.

"This means that today's classes are canceled." Faragonda returned to her seat. The fairies cheered.

"Make haste, girls! But do remember that proper forethought and creativity goes a long way!"

"The audacity!" Headmistress Griffin shouted, slamming her fists against her desk. "The nerve of that glittering hag! Neglecting our invitation, once again!"

She reread the invitation, bitterly raking her arched brows. It was a beautifully designed pamphlet with shiny cursive lettering, but addressed no student or faculty of Cloud Tower whatsoever.

Griffin rose up from her chair and paced the floor. "Girls...girls...surely you sense the magnitude of this affront, as I do."

Three witches stood before her. One was pale as snow, with nearly blue lips. Another bore soulless eyes, unable to be veiled by her yellow shades. The last had her arms crossed, brow furrowing at Griffin's loud, clacking steps.

"Icy...Darcy..." Griffin placed a firm hand on the final girl's shoulder. "My dear Stormy. Something must be done."

"Faragonda's getting pretty bold isn't she?" Stormy said, smirking.

Darcy grasped her chin inquisitively. "What a shame. A night dancing with squealing fairies would've been...delightful."

"Why not host our own party, Headmistress?" Icy said. She played with a strand of her white hair. "Or really, why not crash theirs and make a mess of the place, like they assume we'll do anyway?"

"While that is a marvelous suggestion," Griffin said, turning on her heels. "A high-profile disaster like that tied to Cloud Tower would get this place shut down in an instant."

Icy rolled her eyes as Griffin returned to her chair. Despite being the Headmistress of a notoriously bad "reformatory" school, she lacked the dark ambition the girls possessed ten-fold. Icy and her sisters were more than capable of bending the rules, and fully planned to execute whatever devious plan Griffin offered, given she gave up her ridiculous morality code.

Darcy stepped forward. "Who's to say Cloud Tower would have any part in this?"

"What do you mean, dear?"

"A swift attack from an unknown source..." Stormy added, stepping beside Darcy.

"...plaguing Alfea's history for centuries afterward." Icy joined them, eyes narrowing.

"I don't know...nothing too extreme." Griffin said, slowly shaking her head. "Whatever happens, it needs to be discrete, and not to mention foolproof."

"Well, you're in luck." Icy twirled her fingers to manifest three pages of used parchment. Each landed directly on Griffin's desk, arranging themselves in a parallel line. Griffin scanned them, eyes widening at the written words.

"Because we've been brainstorming since the start of the semester."

"Girls-" Griffin began reading. "Now, this one is quite...diabolical."

"Yes?" The trio said in unison.

"And this one...nothing short of insane."

"Why, of course." Darcy crooned. "Fun, too. I designed that one, by the way."

Stormy scoffed.

"But this..."

The third parchment lingered in Griffin's hands for some time. She read it word for word, a sly smile growing with every finished sentence.

"This one is truly disgusting. A horrible idea. Terrible, despicable!"

Griffin brought the paper to her face, then held it affectionately against her collar.

"And I absolutely love it!"

The witches smiled, giving each other side glances. Icy leaned over on the desk, hair sprawling over her shoulders.

"I figured you'd pick that one out."

Bloom, Stella, and the other fairies strolled down the east corridor, which by noon had grown crowded with confused and excited girls discussing their night-time plans.

"The second day of school, and classes are already canceled!" Tecna complained, leading the group. "What are we going to do for five hours?"

"Get ready for the party, I guess?" Bloom replied.

"I don't know what you're mad about." Stella waved to a couple girls. "The last thing I want to do today is homework."

"I was thinking of heading to the library for a little while." Flora said. "Tecna, would you like to join me?"

Tecna nodded, but before they could split off, Musa darted to the front of the group.

"But don't we have to help decorate for the Gala tonight?"

"We'll have plenty of time for that." Tecna said. "It shouldn't be too difficult to set up, either. There's at least a hundred fairies in this corridor alone, so plenty of help to go around."

"What's most important is that I pick out a stunning dress and look absolutely delicious tonight." Stella continued walking. "Bloom, did you pack any formal wear?"

She actually hadn't. Nothing ballroom-worthy, at least. A thigh-length skater dress was the last thing she had squeezed into her suitcase.

"I guess?"

"Okay," Stella replied. "Because if you don't have anything I have plenty for you to choose from."

Bloom smiled. "Thanks. So...what are we going to do for five hours, actually?"

While Tecna and Flora walked to the library, the other three walked around campus before returning to the apartment to try on their dresses. Stella snatched an orange beaded dress with swirling blue detailing from her closet. It was quite revealing and appeared to be bunched around the waist, which Stella was pretty amused by.

"Well?" Stella asked the room. "What do you think?"

"It's gorgeous!" Bloom said.

Musa zipped up her dress, an asymmetrical red piece. "Looks expensive! How much did it cost?"

"An arm and a leg!" Stella said, lining the dress up with her hips. "But look at it! It was calling me from the shop window. I had no choice but to buy it!"

"Right." Musa grinned.

A few seconds later, the apartment door opened, with Tecna walking in and immediately slumping down onto Stella's bed with her arms crossed.

"You're back early." Stella said. "What happened?"

"Apparently every overachiever at Alfea had the same idea."

"It was so packed, so loud, we could hardly hear ourselves think!" Flora said, walking in after Tecna. "Plus, you're right, trying on dresses is a lot more fun than doing homework."

Stella gasped. "Do my ears deceive me? That's coming out of Flora's mouth?"

Flora playfully rolled her eyes. "May we join you guys?"

Flora and Tecna dashed off to their respective rooms, returning in extravagant gowns. Flora's dress was in two beautiful shades of pink, with stitched petals and vines lining the seams. Tecna's dress was in a brilliant electric blue, a geometric cape-like cloak covering her hemmed dress underneath.

"Oh, wow!" Bloom said in awe. "They're beautiful!"

Flora twirled around on her heels, the dress's skirt billowing. "I heard the Red Fountain boys are really nice. Will they be dressing up, too?"

"Probably," Tecna reclined. "I hope they don't walk around in their sweaty suits all day."

"I do..." Musa mumbled. Tecna smacked her with a pillow, gagging.

"Sky's royalty, and we're obligated to dress accordingly for festive occasions." Stella eyed herself in the mirror. "Though I wouldn't mind a big ole sniff of that-"

"-okay!" Tecna half-laughed. "You two are deranged!"

A chorus of giggles echoed around the room, with Musa and Stella poking fun by aggressively sniffing the surrounding furniture, and even Tecna herself.

"Bloom!" Stella said, out of breath. "Come here. Let me find a dress for you!"

Holding up one expensive dress after the other, they both realized that nearly every dress was tailored far too low for Bloom's petite frame. On top of that, the majority were very revealing and not to Bloom's taste.

"Damn." Stella closed the closet door. "Well, guess we'll have to go shopping now."

"You mean again?" Musa placed a hand on her hip.

"I forgot how short you two are. Bloom will look like a toddler in these!"

The girls took a bus towards Magix City. After a stop at Blithe Bistro for lunch, they entered multiple clothing stores to pick out accessories and watch Bloom try on nearly a dozen dresses. A pink chiffon, then a yellow trumpet-shaped one, followed by a slouchy silk cutout that definitely belonged in Stella's closet. Nothing was really ringing a bell.

"I give up. I'll get this one, and call it a day."

Bloom reached for the dress's price tag. It showed a ridiculously high number, one not a year's worth of allowances could cover. She sulked, slowly drawing the curtains to remove it.

"Nevermind..."

"I'll pay for it!" Stella interjected.

Flora held her shoulder sympathetically. "Stella, don't. Spare her some dignity."

"It's alright guys," Bloom said, holding her bag of accessories. "I'll find something later. Go on ahead without me."

"Bloom, really? We can wait, it's not safe being out here alone."

"I'll be fine, okay?" Bloom said. "I'll see you guys at the Gala."

"Okay..." Stella embraced her. "Let me know if you need anything, alright?"

The rest of the girls purchased their items and returned to Alfea in low spirits.

"Hey, this is it! What did I tell you?"

The Trix scoured an underground corridor with their flashlights. Darcy had hers pointed at an old map of the landscape, while Icy and Stormy pointed at the forward and hind paths in case they were being followed.

"These tunnels have been abandoned for centuries." Icy's voice echoed. "Back then, they connected the three schools and were used only during emergencies."

"The entrance to Alfea is straight ahead." Darcy said.

Stormy banged her flickering flashlight. "We're almost there, then!"

"I believe so." Icy laughed quietly.

"Can't wait for the fun to begin..."

An hour later, as the sun began to set, Bloom returned to the apartment to find it strewn about with makeup, styling tools, and mismatched shoes. The others had already left to set up for the Gala, leaving a frantic Bloom alone with the discounted blue empire dress she had bought. It was an absolute steal, with the only drawback being its dirty, oversized, floor-draping hemline. She searched for a pair of scissors, pulling open her closet and several of her drawers.

"Scissors, scissors." Bloom said aloud. "Did I even pack scissors?"

Kiko hopped into her room, squeaking upon arrival.

Bloom dashed about. "Kiko, you've got to help me! This dress is way too long, and I need to find some scissors!"

Kiko gnawed on the dirty hemline instead.

"Hmm...I don't think that's going to work."

Then it clicked. She was a fairy, for crying out loud! Not a very good one, but a fairy nonetheless. Closing her eyes, she directed all her magic into a fine point at her index finger, watching the orange flame flicker before her eyes. In a desperate attempt, she fired a line of magic just a few inches above the dress's hemline, smoke crackling from the singed fabric.

"It worked!"

The loud sound of engines powering down broke her focus. She rushed to the balcony, watching as hordes of Red Fountain boys walked through the courtyard. Brandon, Sky, Timmy, and Riven were among them, dressed in a wide range of formal attire. The Welcoming Gala had already begun.

Bloom suddenly began to smell smoke.

"What the-"

The hemline of her dress burned bright orange. Panicking, she grabbed a towel to smother the flames. Kiko did his best to help, but by that point the bottom was covered in soot and had no choice but to be removed. There were clearly no scissors nearby, but there had to be a pair somewhere on campus. Could Alfea rely so heavily on magic that basic tools weren't even necessary?

Walking back down the corridor, Bloom found an unlocked janitorial storage room. She ventured inside the dark, musty smelling place but stopped in her tracks as the three witches she'd encountered before walked towards her location.

The Trix. By some hidden tunnel, they'd made it onto Alfea grounds without permission.

"The door should be over there." The plum witch said. Bloom was deathly afraid of that one, who could easily detect her presence in this area. This time, however, Bloom had the common sense to immediately exit the room and duck behind the nearest banister.

At the side entrance of the dining hall was a large, gold-encrusted chest. The Trix eyed it with glee, inspecting its surface and lock for weaknesses.

Icy traced the sigil on the chest's lid. "The Red Fountain Coat of Arms. The gifts must be in there."

"I wonder what kind of sappy gifts the Red Fountain squares came up with."

Stormy zapped the lock a number of times before the chest was knocked open, revealing rows of glowing, gilded eggs. Bloom held in her surprise.

"Eggs?" Stormy scoffed, picking up one. "Enchanted eggs. What's inside?"

"Hell if I care," Icy said. "Whatever it is, we're going to use it to wreak havoc and spread panic across this school."

"It'll provide a nice distraction that we can use to find the Solarian scepter ring." Darcy added. "Why not kill two birds with one stone? Griffin doesn't have to know."

Bloom was once again given troubling news. The Trix were fully planning to sabotage the Welcoming Gala, and put Stella and her friends in danger. She had to tell the others immediately.

"Show us where the scepter is, Darcy."

Darcy concentrated, sending out waves of dark magic as she mapped the scepter's location. She stopped, projecting an image of Stella placing the ring in her jewelry box before leaving the apartment with the other girls.

"Excellent." Icy said quietly. "Now we know where to find it."

"Alright, sisters. It's time that we prepared our own surprise."

The witches combined their powers, showering the eggs in a dark, freezing mist.

"Snake-rat eggs, anyone? Disgusting, venomous creatures, hatched by a fairy's touch!" The girls laughed, sealing the chest once more. Bloom ducked further as they walked past, watching as they escaped through a portal to the outside courtyard.

The dining hall was unrecognizable, with jade banners and other shimmering décor. The strong, cloying smell of perfume and cologne filled the air, fancily-dressed fairies and specialists drinking and conversing on the dancefloor. Bloom, completely lacking in appropriate attire, sifted her way through the crowd. She had made it halfway through before stepping hard on someone's foot.

"Ow! Who did that?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Bloom said, straightening her posture. "I really didn't mean to-"

The watery blue eyes. The long, sandy (not platinum) blond hair. The genuine smile. It all started coming back to her. She was delighted, but why now, when she looked this terrible?

"Bloom?" Brandon said. "Bloom, it's you! You're attending Alfea?"

"Hah-B-Brandon!" Bloom could feel her cheeks flush. "Wow...this is you in the flesh?!"

"Yeah! Yeah..." He said, placing a hand on his neck. The boy was far taller in reality, though that didn't surprise her. For the Gala he wore a fairly plain brown suit, his pleated pants seeming to pool too much around his ankles. He smelled really nice, though, a clean mint-like scent that she couldn't place a name for.

"You look a little nervous. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Bloom slowly nudged passed, stifling her excitement as she placed a hand on his forearm. "But I have to go. I'm so happy I got to see you again, though!"

"Wait, you're going already?" Brandon looked confused. "Aren't you here for the dance?"

Before Bloom could answer, Prince Sky and the other specialists walked towards her, unintentionally blocking her escape route.

"Bloom!" Sky said, startling her with his commanding voice. His suit was quite the opposite of Brandon's, with the fabric of his navy blue suit jacket bunching around his chest and biceps. He had on a pretty strong cologne, with hints of teakwood and cream soda.

"Prince Sky!" Bloom replied, eyes darting around the room for Stella and the others. "How are you guys?"

"Wait, we didn't have to dress up?!" Timmy said, grasping at his orange tie. "That would've saved me a good thirty minutes!"

"No, I just...forgot to? Silly me, right?" Bloom said, squeezing past the lot. "Listen, I'll be back okay? Just-"

Bloom walked head-first into someone's chest. They groaned, peeling her off of them by the shoulders. She met the harsh gaze of Riven, who seemed to be missing his wine-colored suit jacket. He brushed off his vest underneath, eyeing her up and down with dilated pupils.

"So..." Riven scoffed, getting into her personal space. "You've been a fairy this whole time?"

Bloom nodded slowly, creating space between them.

Riven looked at the other boys in disbelief, then resumed glaring at her. "So why didn't you help with the troll fight a few days ago?"

Brandon walked up behind Bloom. "Riven, calm down."

"Like, what the hell?!" Riven seemed to be slurring a bit, but his voice was still loud enough for people to notice. "I have a full-blown concussion because of her lazy ass!"

"No." Sky said flatly. "You gave yourself a concussion by not following tactical protocol."

"Shut up, asshole!" Riven retorted. "Bunch of cowards, that's why...shit..."

Timmy grabbed him by the arm and directed him into a nearby dining chair. Riven slumped a bit, pouring himself a glass of spiced wine that was quickly snatched away.

"What?" Riven watched Timmy drink from the glass in horror.

"You're not drinking tonight, man." Timmy said, standing between him and the keg barrel. "Just sit here and relax."

"Sorry about that, Bloom." Sky said, crossing his arms. "We're practically babysitting tonight."

Bloom looked up to see Stella and the others approach. Stella immediately linked arms with Sky, sniffing his shoulder like her life depended on it.

"Stella!" Bloom stopped them before they could walk away. "Guys, I need to tell you something, but not here!"

"What?" Tecna said. "What's wrong?"

"Just follow me into the other room!" Bloom started walking. "Stella...Stella!"

Stella pouted, caressing Sky's bicep apologetically before unlinking herself and walking away with the others.

"This is an emergency, guys." Bloom started off in the empty corridor. "The witches are here!"

"What are you talking about?" Stella said. "The ones from the alley?"

"Yes, the Trix!" Bloom replied. "They've casted a spell on the presents from Red Fountain. Something called 'snake-rats', I think."

"Snake rats? Sounds familiar." Tecna said, pulling out one of her gadgets. "Let me consult my database."

A projected image of a slime covered scaly creature appeared, making low squeaking noises and whipping around its hairless ribbed tail.

"Snake rats. Toad-eating swamp creatures of the Disgustabilus genus."

"Eww!" Musa said, recoiling from the image.

"Slimy, vicious, and venomous." Stella groaned. "Just like those witches."

"They want to provoke a huge panic and use it as a distraction for something worse!" Bloom said. "The Trix are still after your ring, Stella. They're using tonight's plan to steal your scepter!"

Musa nervously stroked her collar. "We've got to stop the eggs from being handed out!"

"Oh, too late!" Flora peered through the dining hall's entrance. A couple of Red Fountain boys lugged the gold-encrusted chest to the center of the room.

"We need to think fast!" Stella said, grasping Bloom and Flora's hands. "Form a circle, everyone! Let's cast a counterspell!"

The five girls channeled their magic, creating a low hum of energy that grew stronger with each chant.

"What it once was, let it be again." They said in unison. "What it once was, let it be again."

Louder and louder, before the spell decanted from the circle, meandering its way through the dancing crowds. Finally, it rained over the chest, casting a glow that disappeared before anyone truly noticed.

"Let's hope that works." Stella said, breaking the circle. "Because we're completely out of options, now!"

The chest was opened, and the golden eggs were distributed amongst the fairies. When an egg was opened, a flutter of golden butterflies escaped into the air, and over time the ceiling was covered in thousands of the beautiful creatures. A chorus of oohs and ahhs grew among the party-goers, clapping at Red Fountain's marvelous and thoughtful gift.

Sky busted through the entrance, straightening out his lapel and holding a golden egg in his hand.

"For you, Princess of Solaria."

Stella panicked. "Oh-thank you, your highness. How sweet of you, but..."

"Give it to me, Stella." Flora held the egg in her hands. "I want to make a little surprise for those three."

Flora sent a pulse of her magic into the egg. Sky, a bit confused, allowed Stella to relink arms with him while he watched in silence.

"What did you do to it?" Bloom asked.

"I'll tell you later." Flora replied. "In the meantime, you should really get dressed. The night's still young, you know!"

Icy, Darcy, and Stormy seethed in the nearby forest, watching as the butterflies danced in the air and the fairies and specialists bore stupid smiles on their faces.

"I can't believe this. The spell didn't work!" Icy hissed through her teeth.

"Nevermind that," Stormy replied. "Our second plan is still in the works. We have the location of the scepter!"

"Watch!" Darcy readied her powers. "Together, we will retrieve it for you."

Within a few moments of focused silence, a glowing clam-shaped box containing the ring levitated its way towards their concealed location. Icy grinned, reaching her hands out to grab it, but stopped when a red-headed girl came barreling towards them. Bloom. Another round with the inferior earth fairy would be a terrible waste of energy.

"What is she doing?!" Stormy growled.

"She's trying to...catch it?" Darcy watched as Bloom pulled the box towards her chest. "She's caught it. Another plan ruined."

"Not on my watch!" Icy yelled, flying out of the forest and in front of Bloom. Her sisters followed.

"The Trix!" Bloom yelled, startled. "No!"

"Terrified, girl?" Icy shrilled, grabbing Bloom by the neck. "You should be, considering what shit I have planned for your meddling ass!"

Icy soared into the air, enduring the kicks, scrapes, and punches that Bloom pelted her with.

"Let me go, let me go!" Bloom cried, prying at Icy's cold fingers.

After staring at her for a few moments, Icy fulfilled Bloom's wish. She released her grip, and Bloom plummeted a good fifteen feet, rolling into her dive to lessen the impact. She felt a sharp pain in her shoulder blades, but by some miracle remained mostly unscathed. She stared up at the floating witches, Icy clutching the box in her hand. Stormy and Darcy were growing a dark storm cloud so large it looked lethal.

"I didn't come here to deal with you, Bloom." Icy said in a biting tone. "Thank you for wasting my precious time."

"Why do you want something that doesn't belong to you?!" Bloom yelled, groaning. "Why do you enjoy ruining other people's happiness?!"

"Why do you think, idiot?!" Stormy yelled back. "Nothing brings us more joy than a crying fairy on the brink of death!"

"And nothing brings us more power than the Solarian scepter of the Sun and Moon." Darcy smirked. "Do you ever use those fairy braincells of yours?"

"Now, goodbye! Rest. In. Pieces!" Icy angled her hand downward. "Don't make me say it again!"

There it was. The red-hot, nuclear force growing inside of her. It had returned in full. But this time, there was something different about the feeling-more well-rounded, more all-encompassing. Her civilian clothes burned to ash, revealing a sparkling blue ensemble underneath. Her shoulder blades began to heal, producing iridescent wings that fluttered behind her. She was truly transforming into what she had longed to be for years. A living, breathing, fairy.

The blinding light made the witches cower away, shielding their eyes from the blast.

"You're joking!" Icy shouted. "You've got to be joking!"

"I'm burning!" Stormy cried. "Make it stop, make it stop!"

Darcy closed her eyes entirely. "Cut it out, already!"

The blast subsided, revealing a confident Bloom in her battle stance.

"Alright then." Icy sneered.

She fired a few rounds of icy crystals. Darcy shouted the spell, "Vertigo!", disorienting Bloom as the ground rippled in her vision.

"Ice Prism! Frostbite!" Icy called out in rapid fire. More spells that Bloom just barely dodged.

Stormy zapped her for fun, giggling maniacally as Bloom darted across the ground.

When Bloom finally lost her footing, Icy delivered an entirely personal smack of ice to the face. Bloom was out cold, quite literally.

"This is getting too public for my liking." Icy straightened out her wayward ponytail. "We have the ring. Let's get out of here."

The Trix dissipated into the nighttime air, just before Stella and the others trampled their way to Bloom's side.

"Bloom, Bloom?" Stella brought her to a standing position. "Are you alright? Tell me what happened."

"The Trix." Bloom mumbled. "They have your ring, Stella. I'm sorry."

"They stole my ring? And now they're gone?"

"Yeah." Bloom rolled her ankle. "I'm really sorry."

"No, that's good!" Stella shook Bloom slightly. "That is exactly what we were hoping for!"

"Wait, what?"

"Don't worry." Stella giggled. "They'll see..."

"A ring, inside of an enchanted egg, inside a clam-shaped box." Icy said aloud. "I swear, fairies are such predictable creatures."

"They weren't even trying, were they?" Darcy said from her corner of the room.

"Open it." Stormy muttered. "Let's just get this over with. I'm tired and I want to sleep."

The egg felt heavy. Clearly something was locked inside. Icy shook it a few times, ultimately prying it open by hand. Purple, noisy, and feeble in appearance, a baby duck fell into her palms.

"What-!" Icy flinched at the duckling's cries. "-The hell is this?!"

"Mommy! Quack-Mommy!"

"M-mommy?!" Icy backed away towards her bed's headboard. "No...nononono. No!"

"It's official." Darcy droned. "Second plan failed."

The duckling attached itself to her in affection, and the room was filled with Icy's frustrated screams.

Bloom stepped onto the dance floor in her modified dress, now two-pieced with silken blue strings attached to the sleeves. The other fairies stared at her while complimenting her attire, the dress even getting a slight nod of approval from Faragonda herself.

She approached Stella, Flora, Musa and Tecna with wide eyes. "How do I look?"

Flora felt the silk of her sleeves. "Beautiful as a spring flower."

"Now, before I join the party," Bloom held Flora's hands affectionately. "What did you do to that egg? I'm dying to know. And where's Stella's actual ring?"

"While you were getting dressed, I did a little switcheroo with the egg and the ring, which now lies in a safe place." Flora smiled. "Right, Stella?"

"Yes, precisely." Stella and Sky were joined at the hip at this point, not to mention on their second glasses of spiced wine. "So enough worrying, Bloom. Relax and celebrate with us!"

Stella pulled Bloom into the circle of friends. The others were dancing mindlessly, with even Riven seeming in a better mood while a few pretty fairies danced at his side. Bloom joined the feverish revelry, twirling around and enjoying the fast-paced music. Soon enough, she ended up in the arms of a familiar face.

Brandon gave her a warm smile, eyes lingering on hers.

"You came back!" He chuckled. "Would you like to dance with me?"

"I'd love to, actually!"

Bloom placed her hand in his as he led her to an open spot. There, like a page in her fairytales, she waltzed with him in a dizzying yet beautiful path alongside the others. He was real, entirely real, and far more than some chapter-long prince charming. Being next to him was a true state of bliss.

Brandon leaned into her, his calm voice tickling her ears. "You wont run away this time, will you?"

"I won't." Bloom said, resting her head on his chest.

"I'm staying right here. I promise."

AN: Rewriting this episode made me realize how crazy the scene changes are! Like, they switch perspectives probably six times in E3 (and that doesn't really translate well in third-person limited) so hopefully condensing/rearranging the scenes reduces some of the mental whiplash! ANYWAY-please continue!