AN: Welcome to the beginning of the end, people! 9k words, the longest so far! Teen Drinking/Alcohol Mention, btw. -J

S1E7 "Friends In Need"

"Your intrusion into Cloud Tower Castle was extremely rude, young ladies."

Griselda's office was smaller than Faragonda's, and nowhere near as impressive. Just a beige room with minimal decorations aside from the large, gold-framed painting placed on the wall behind her. The lecture from Faragonda was bad enough, but enduring a second one from Griselda was nothing short of unbearable.

"You exposed yourselves to great danger, and that is the reason why your powers have been revoked." Griselda droned on. "Faragonda has deemed it sufficient punishment..."

She rose from her desk. "...but for me, however, sufficient is not enough!"

Stella bit her tongue to prevent herself from yelling.

"Just so you will remember this lesson," Griselda said, pacing the room. "You will spend the entire day at school, and you will clean the castle from top to bottom!"

The girls groaned.

"The whole castle?" Flora asked.

"No, dear." Griselda smirked. "Just the stairs, corridors, classrooms, and bathrooms."

"That's pretty tame." Stella said under her breath. "I thought it'd be worse, honestly."

Griselda snapped her fingers, manifesting several sets of brooms, buckets, and other cleaning tools.

"And since you do not have access to your magical powers for the moment, these will be provided for you."

Tecna's jaw dropped, as she had never seen something so primitive in her entire life. She pulled a Magitech gadget out of her pocket to research, but it was quickly snatched away from her fingers.

"No Magitech!" Griselda shrilled. "No magic anything, period!"

"Okay." Tecna said, frowning. "That's going to be a problem!"

"Try not to short-circuit, Tec." Stella muttered.

"What-"

"Tomorrow, I will conduct an inspection." Griselda interrupted. "Everything should be clean, if not spotless."

The doors were magically opened.

"It's best you get started, girls!" She said, shooing them out. "Go!"

Tecna and Flora were tasked with a large stairway in the eastern wing. They'd swept several flights of dusty marble stairs and sprayed the stain-glass windows clean, with haste. But they noticed the old paintings lining the walls, and diverted their attention for a moment to clean them.

"I don't think we'll be able to reach the higher ones." Flora said.

"Nonsense." Tecna quipped. "That's what the extenders are for."

"Extenders?" Flora giggled out. "Brooms, Tecna. For sweeping the floor."

"I doubt they're used for just that."

"Alright then, sweetie." Flora grinned, gesturing to the paintings. "Go on ahead."

Tecna angled the broom over a high-hanging portrait of an elder fairy. Cursed with a heavy hand, she brushed the painting off its hanger entirely, sending it crashing to the floor. Tecna stared at it, then looked up to see Flora's wide-eyed face doing the same.

"See?" Flora said. "This is where the broom comes in."

Stella, Musa, and Bloom were tackling the auditorium in the meantime, armed with mops and buckets of soapy water. The knees of Bloom's jeans were soaked, and her fingers were pruning from the many rows of seating she'd wiped down. Stella, though helpful initially, had tapped out after a couple of minutes, and now resorted to inspecting herself in a compact mirror. Frustrated, Musa threw down her cloth.

"Stella!" Musa yelled. "Can you put that down and help us, please?!"

"What was all that cleaning I did earlier, then?" Stella said, closing the mirror.

"If you'd help us with the bleachers," Bloom said, cleaning an end section. "We'd be done a whole lot faster."

"Bloom, my nailbeds can't handle it." Stella said, inspecting her cuticles.

Musa rolled her eyes. "That's what the gloves are for!"

"Yeah, no." Stella scoffed. "I don't do rubber. It gives me blisters."

"Then use the mops, damnit!" Musa yelled. She grabbed a bucket and poured its contents onto the floor.

"Okay, a little pushy." Stella jumped down from her sitting place. "Don't say I never-"

Stella slipped on the suds, sandals flying into the air. Musa and Bloom laughed, attempting to walk their way over to her location. Bloom, also wearing sandals, met the same fate, crawling around after falling to her knees. Musa slid forward on sneakers, but missed the two entirely, slipping away and falling on her side as she collided with a row of bleachers. They were reduced to hysterics just as Tecna and Flora found their way inside.

"What the hell is going on here?" Tecna said, taking off her gloves.

"There's suds everywhere!" Flora said, eyeing the floor. "Now we're never going to finish on time!"

"I agree!"

The girls turned around and gasped to see Griselda standing at the auditorium entrance.

"Don't worry, girls." She said, crossing her arms. "I'm only here to bring great news."

"Yeah?" Stella said, hoping for the end of their punishment.

"At the Magix Auditorium tonight, a formal concert will be held that the whole of Alfea have been invited to attend."

"Oh, okay." Stella said, mustering a grin. "Are we allowed to go?"

"No, unfortunately." Griselda replied, completely lacking in sympathy. "It appears you five will have to miss it."

"What!"

"Perhaps if you'd taken your punishment more seriously," Griselda eyed the sudsy floor. "An exception could've been made."

Tecna shot Stella with an evil look.

"Oh well!" Griselda shrugged, turning around to head towards the courtyard. "Resume your cleaning, ladies."

The auditorium door clicked shut behind her.

"She wasn't joking, guys." Bloom said, eyeing the buses parked outside. "They're actually leaving."

Musa looked through the corridor window. "So the school's gonna be completely empty tonight?"

"Yeah..." Stella said, before coming to a grand realization. "Yeah."

Stella took out her phone and dialed her favorite number. She bit her lip as she waited for the call to pick up.

"Stella." Sky crooned. She could hear the voices of the other specialists. "Darling."

"Oh, stop!" She giggled out. "You flatter me!"

"What's up?" He said. "Everything okay, now?"

"Well, our powers are still gone for the night. The whole school's out for a concert." Stella sighed, twirling a strand of her hair. "And Griselda's making us clean the entire campus."

"Man, really?" He replied, sounding sympathetic. "That's absolute bullshit. What's her deal?"

"She's clearly getting off on making me miserable." Stella pouted. "It's taking us forever, Sky. If only we had some extra help, you know?"

Musa's jaw dropped. Tecna rolled her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah..." Stella grinned. "...like some big, strong guys with big, strong arms, who could-"

"-We'll be there!"

"W-wait, really? Don't you have classes?"

"It's Saturday, Stell."

"Wait, yeah!" She beamed, looking at the other girls and pointing eagerly to her phone. "Okay! Alright, then!"

"I'm dying to see you, anyway."

"How about this: You help us finish cleaning," Stella said in a lower voice. "And we throw a party later in your honor?"

"Party, you say?" The other boys echoed the words, shouting in agreement. "We're down, haha."

"Great!" Stella replied. "See you later, honey."

"Love you! Bye." Sky answered back, cutting off the chanting and hollering in the background.

Stella twirled on her feet. "'Success!"

Musa placed a hand on her hip. "Are they really coming?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Won't we get in more trouble if Griselda finds out?" Flora said, feeling apprehensive.

"Relax, okay?" Stella placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not like they're sleeping over."

"This is technically cheating." Tecna muttered.

"No, not at all." Bloom added. "'No Magitech, no magic period' doesn't include some extra pairs of hands."

"Ah, a loophole!" Musa smiled. "I'm liking the sound of that!"

"Oof." Stella hugged herself. "I can't wait!"

The sun had set, leading Stella and the others to eagerly wait in the courtyard. Soon enough, three motorcycle-like vehicles zipped past, encircling the girls as they slowed to a complete stop.

"The wind-riders?" Stella said, shielding her hair from the breeze. "Hell yeah!"

Sky, Timmy, and Riven had arrived on Alfea grounds. Sky pressed the jewel on his chest, causing his uniform to convert to a tucked, half-buttoned shirt and khakis. He adjusted his watch, pocketed the jewel and wrapped a strong arm around Stella's waist.

"Rum, Beers..." Sky said to Stella as he pulled a bulky sack out of his lap. "And a bunch of cream sodas. On the house."

"Not bad." Stella said, smiling. "Tame for you, though."

"Can't have anything too crazy, right?" He smiled back, eyes lingering on her lips.

"-We also brought our weapons."

"Sky-"

"Your powers are gone, Stell." Sky said, squeezing her harder. "It's just a safety precaution. Probably won't even need them anyway. Please."

Stella sighed, placing an affectionate kiss on his cheek.

Bloom approached warily, immediately noticing the missing wind-rider.

"Looking for him?" Sky said as he dismounted.

She shook her head, breaking eye contact. "No..."

"Oh. Alright." Sky replied, highly doubting her answer. "How about visiting hours? Did you ever get a chance to stop by?"

"Um." Bloom sulked. "Also no..."

"Aww. That's a damn shame." Sky said, feigning obliviousness. "Guess it's a good thing he's showing up for the party tonight."

Bloom froze. "W-What?"

"Yeah, he's coming. Just a little late as always." He replied. "You didn't know?"

"Sky?" Bloom's eyes widened. "Sky."

He sucked in a breath through his teeth, lips curling into a grin. Panicking, she dashed off towards the apartment to hide.

"Don't worry," Stella said, playfully rolling her eyes. "I'll get her."

But when she geared to transform and bring about her wings, she only managed a tiny jump and nothing more. Perplexed, she patted herself and stared at her ring.

She closed her eyes in frustration, heaving in a breath.

"I fucking hate Griselda."

She fast-walked towards the courtyard stairs.

"It's free exercise, babe!" Sky called out. "It's good for you!"

Stella's loud expletives echoed up the stairway chamber.

Bloom was no match for Stella's long, winding strides, and she soon caught up and wrapped her arms around Bloom's body. Bloom grabbed onto the railing, hand squeaking as she was pulled downwards.

"Stella, you don't understand!" She whined. "I can't! I can't face him right now!"

"Stop-ugh-resisting!" Stella yanked again. "And talk to your boyfriend!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Bloom yelled.

"Okay!" Stella managed to get a foothold. "Your guy-you've-been-worrying-about-and-cried-over-like-a-week-ago-but-clearly-don't-love-or-whatever!"

Bloom felt her hand slipping. "It's not like that! He's-we're not-"

Stella peeled her off the railing, rushing back down the stairs blind. They stumbled to the ground floor, where Stella held her by the shoulders and forced her back into the courtyard. She watched in horror as the fourth wind-rider arrived.

"Grandaddy!" Sky shouted, whistling in greeting. "Grandpa B!"

Brandon performed the same spiraling movement as the others did, doing a regal wave as he slowed to a stop. Parking near Sky, they exchanged a goofy handshake and muttered a few words. Bloom's sandals began to dig into the ground in protest.

"Bloom." Stella hissed. "Calm down."

Judging from what Sky muttered to him, the words also put Brandon on edge. His eyes darted around, finally landing on Bloom with a look of sheer awe. Her heart dropped, and her throat became incredibly dry. It felt like dying.

Brandon approached in a steel-gray quarter-zip sweater, languidly raking back his blond hair. She hadn't seen him in so long that she was almost shocked by his unfamiliar features.

"A sweater?" Stella said, smirking. "Aren't you hot?"

"Yeah. Since birth." Brandon joked.

Stella scoffed. "Hah."

"The infirmary's cold." Brandon said, stealing quick glances at Bloom. "It's taking me a second to adjust."

Bloom did everything in her power to avoid his gaze.

"Now, this man's a legend!" Timmy said, shaking his shoulder. "He survived the PODS!"

Bloom looked up, shocked. An extremely painful experience, yet he'd endured it anyway to attend a last-minute party.

"W-what?" Bloom blurted out. Brandon perked up. The sound of Bloom's voice seemed to bring about a hopeful reaction.

"It's a ten-minute session, and I could barely get through two." Brandon said, shaking his head. "Felt pure agony in there, and had a couple hours of the chills. But it reduced my infirmary time from six months to six weeks, so I guess it was worth it."

"Grandpa gets one of these-CANE!" Sky yelled, throwing a metal capsule into the air. Brandon caught it without looking, allowing it to unfurl into a red walking cane.

"Ta-da." Brandon said flatly.

Stella snorted out a laugh. "Not the cane..."

Bloom and Brandon made brief eye contact, a miffed tap of his cane eliciting from Bloom a tiny, sheepish grin.

The others were less forward with their introductions, but amicable nonetheless.

"Hey Brandon!" Flora said, waving.

"Hey!" He said back. "Thank you, by the way. A little late, I know."

"You don't have to thank me!" Flora replied, smiling. "A leg's a leg! You can't afford to lose it."

Brandon waved at the others. "Musa!...Hey, Tec!"

The latter name caught Timmy's attention. He jogged towards Tecna, uniform shifting into an orange-sleeved henley, chinos, and sneakers. The silver hoop in his left ear shimmered, catching her eye.

"Tecnee, right?" He outstretched his hand. Tecna remained motionless.

"It's Tecna." She replied, pushing his hand down with her index finger. "The one with the muddy glasses? You're Timothy?"

"Nope, that's my father's name." He chortled out. "Please, call me Timmy. It's a pleasure to officially…officially meet you."

Tecna seemed a bit unnerved by his fixed gaze, looking as if he knew more about her than he originally let on. Nevertheless, she offered her hand, which he promptly shook with a laugh.

Riven wasn't one for introductions, so he remained seated on his wind-rider as the others conversed nearby. His civilian outfit was entirely black and fitted to the gods; a black tee tucked into jeans that faded dark to match his boots. He took a minute to adjust his lopsided belt.

"Kinda quiet for a party..." He muttered while dismounting, eyes looking at the darkened windows.

"That's because the party hasn't started yet." Sky said, setting the sack down beside him. "We have some cleaning to do first."

Riven groaned. "Yeah...no."

"Come on, man." Sky replied. "It won't even take that long. They have one last area to clean, or they'll get in more trouble."

"Nope. Not in–"

"You don't have to clean in all that." Sky said, gesturing to his clothes. "Just put your uniform back on and take it off when we're finished."

Riven looked up to the sky and sighed.

"Whatever."

He took heavy, clunking steps forward, placing his hands into his pockets. The others were bunched together as he approached.

"Flora." He muttered, nodding his head in greeting. "Tec-"

He ran into something low to the ground, nearly falling on top of it. It groaned, small hands grappling his upper thighs. He quickly un-pocketed his hands, grabbing hair, skin and bony shoulders.

"Whoa, whoa!" Riven complained, trying to keep his balance. "What the-"

When he looked down, a wide-eyed Musa stared back at him. She couldn't seem to form words, given that her face was smashed against his torso.

"Why are you-fuckin'-" He managed to grab her and push her to the side. "MOVE!"

"Hey! Don't push her like that!" Stella yelled, coming to Musa's aid.

"Who just parks their ass where someone's walking?!" Riven yelled back, fixing his shirt.

"Maybe if you watched where you're going, you would've noticed that she's standing there!" Stella shouted, getting in his face.

"I can't even fucking see her!" Riven shouted back, raising an octave.

Stella grabbed his chin hard. "Look down, then!"

"Break it up!" Sky stood between them, fearing a fight would ensue.

"Nothing else out of you, tonight." Sky said to Riven, a fist to his chest. "Or we're gonna have a problem."

Riven steadied his breathing through his nostrils. Brandon and Timmy exchanged exasperated looks. Flora, Tecna, and Bloom were frozen in their places.

Riven stepped away, returning the glowering, sour look that Stella gave him. Musa stood off to the side, and he avoided looking at her as he passed.

"S-sorry."

He paused. When he looked at her, her watery eyes darted in the other direction. Too arrogant to sympathize, he scoffed, returning to his wind-rider to calm down.

In Magix City, on the more dicey, witch-frequenting side of town, the Trix conversed in a local bar.

"They snuck in last night! Right under our noses!" Stormy whined, slamming a fist onto the table. "We can't let them get away with this!"

Darcy took a sip of her drink. "They raided our apartment and touched everything with their grubby little fingers."

Her eyes narrowed. "The brined bat wings were a couple centimeters off."

"They even stole their useless ring back." Icy muttered. "As if we care."

"Griffin gave Faragonda an earful, that's for sure."

Darcy hiked up her low-cut shirt. "Any brewing ideas?"

"It's a tit-for-tat." Icy smirked. "We're completely within our right to obliterate Alfea now."

"Yes!" Stormy rested her head in her hands. "It's long overdue!"

Icy let out a calculating laugh. "Can't wait to see the looks on their pathetic fairy faces-"

"Geez, you guys talk loud!"

Appalled, the witches searched for the voice's owner. Their eyes landed on a scrawny, red-haired first year named Mirta. She didn't make eye contact, just took sips of her frothing drink while her adjacent friend sheepishly looked to the side.

"Excuse me?" Icy growled.

Mirta continued to withhold eye-contact. "Fairy this, fairy that. It's all you three ever talk about. Why do you hate them so much?"

Stormy scoffed. Darcy lowered her yellow shades and sneered.

"Fairies aren't even that bad!"

Several surrounding witches and warlocks darted their eyes in the girl's direction, muttering and laughing in hushed tones.

"The mouth on that thing." Icy said, looking annoyed.

"Mirta." Mirta's friend was breaking out in a sweat. "Stop."

"I don't even care anymore, Lucy." Mirta replied, raising her shoulders. "It's the truth!"

"Fairies and witches can totally get along! It's not hard to try!"

"Good girl Mirta, everyone!" Stormy mocked, causing the bar to swell with laughter. "Clearly you didn't hear about the huge fire in the archives this morning?"

"The one the fairies caused?" Darcy added.

"But-" Mirta held her tongue. "-Still, you're just so-"

"-Mean? Nasty? Cold-blooded...heartless?" Icy cut her off, leaning over on the table. "Why, Mirta, of course."

Darcy crossed her arms as she reclined in her chair. "Shouldn't you be?"

"Transfer!" Stormy shouted. Soon, surrounding people continued the shout, growing in volume as hands were clapped and mugs were slammed against tables. Mirta grew tense, slowly sitting back down and hiding her watering eyes.

"Transfer!"

"Transfer, then!"

A mohawked boy cupped his mouth. "Fairy-lovin' bitch!"

More derisive laughter ensued. The Trix smiled at the chaos they'd created.

"Grow some wings, girly!" Stormy mocked. "Alfea's waiting!"

"Shut up!" Mirta shouted. "Just shut up!"

"No!" Darcy shouted back, mocking her voice. "You!"

Darcy blasted an orb of dark magic towards Mirta's face, encasing her head. She squirmed, falling to the ground as she struggled to breathe. Lucy, now mortified, came to her aid, but the magic only cleared with a wave of Darcy's hand. Feeling defeated, Mirta ran from the bar in tears, Lucy following quickly behind her. As the chaos died down, the witches resumed their discussion.

"Let's do it tonight!" Icy said, feeling confident. "When they're all at that stupid concert. It's the perfect opportunity."

Darcy finished her drink. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Stormy smirked in agreement.

"I'm open, I'm open!" Sky shouted. "Pass it to me!"

Using the mops as passing sticks and soapy sponge as the puck, the boys had created a makeshift game out of cleaning the great hall. Brandon quickly pushed the sponge towards Sky, who shoved it past the bucket barrier to score a point.

"Haha!" Sky cheered, stumbling a bit on the suds. "Three to one!"

Timmy threw down his mop and huffed. "This game is totally rigged!"

"Oh, please." Sky scoffed. "How? Explain, son."

"One, your goal is way closer spaced." He listed off. "Two, you're working together, and three, Riven isn't even playing!"

"I'm trying, damnit!" Riven retorted, straightening out his cape. "Sky's huge ass just keeps getting in the way!"

"Come on, it's not even that big!"

"Well..."

"Stop looking at it!"

They laughed at Sky's expense. The girls were finishing up cleaning the surrounding perimeter, occasionally watching as the boys shoved and yelled.

Bloom squinted her eyes. "They're using the sponges?"

Flora shrugged. "I guess that's one way to entertain themselves."

"How is that considered cleaning?" Tecna said, rinsing her sponge. "They're just getting soap everywhere."

"I don't know." Musa said next to her. "Looks a whole lot more fun, though. Can't we join?"

"How have they not fallen yet?" Stella muttered. "My ass still hurts from earlier!"

Witnessing another game, Riven powered through with an aggressive offense, scoring a somewhat illegal goal by shielding the sponge between his feet.

"That's against the rules!" Sky nagged.

"I won that one, idiot!" Riven replied, squishing the sponge with his foot.

"No, I don't think so." Brandon stepped in, a patronizing grin on his face. "You clearly cheated."

Riven scoffed. "Who fuckin' asked you?"

Brandon's grin faded. "Don't be a sore loser, man."

"Can't be, considering I won!"

Things started getting tense, and Sky shot Riven a warning glance. Riven reluctantly backed down, and Timmy found a way to diffuse the situation.

"Technically, the game doesn't have any rules." He said, raising his brows. "But, I mean, we could always get a second opinion. Girls!"

"Yeah?" Stella responded. The other fairies walked towards the specialists, careful not to slip on the suds.

"If you were watching," Timmy asked. "Between Sky and Riven, who do you think won this round?"

Tecna half-laughed. "Are you guys serious?"

"Sky!" Stella blurted out.

"Of course she'd say that." Riven muttered.

"What?" Stella crossed her arms. "Even if you did win, you actually think I'd root for you?"

A bit taken aback, Riven retaliated by entering her personal space. Stella stood her ground, looking him up and down with a disgusted expression.

He smirked. "Eventually."

"Ugh." Stella groaned. "Girls?"

"Sky?" Bloom said, making Stella nod in agreement. "The game's three to one, right?"

"Sky," Tecna said, looking at Riven. "Sorry, I guess."

Flora scrunched up her face. "Well, if you consider-"

A cutthroat look from Stella changed her mind. "Uh, S-Sky? Sky won."

Musa gave Riven a wide-eyed stare. He gave her a flippant grin in return, probably expecting her to cave after a few tense moments.

She nervously tucked her bangs, then shrugged.

"Um..."

Stella smirked back at Riven. "That's clearly a no."

"No it's not?!" Riven replied.

"You lost, elf boy!"

Frowning for a moment, Riven rolled his eyes.

"What do they know, anyway?" He muttered to Timmy. "They're girls."

"Sky, then." Musa said, catching Riven by surprise.

"What?!"

The girls laughed, and Timmy gave Riven a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Sorry, man. You had that one coming."

After a change of clothes and return to the Winx Club's apartment, the festivities could begin.

"Alright, everyone!" Sky said while the others encircled him, hoisting the sack onto the kitchenette and emptying its contents. "Pace yourselves, and if it's too strong for you, there's plenty of sodas to go around!"

The group cheered, settling in the living room. The girls had altered the lights, now a cool blue with tiny designs flashing across the walls. The playlist, expertly picked by Musa, was on full blast, starting off with high-energy house music. Sky and Stella each took a shot of rum, wedding-style, eliciting amused hollering from the others. Soon everyone began to loosen up, dancing and laughing near the center of the apartment. Riven remained near the kitchenette to mix himself a drink, but Sky quickly held his forearm before the cup could reach his lips.

"Are you sure about that?" Sky said, clearing his burning throat.

"Dude, what-"

"Aren't you like..." Sky squinted his eyes. "Concussed?"

"Don't give me that bullshit, right now." Riven removed Sky's hand. "Go ask Brandon if he's off his pain meds."

"He is!" Brandon said loudly, taking a large gulp out of his cup and grimacing.

"I'm not stopping you," Sky said to Riven. "I'm just warning you that it's probably not a good idea."

"Get off my case, then."

Sky sighed.

"Alright." He said, pouring himself more rum. "In half an hour I'll be too out of it to care, anyway."

"Exactly."

"Just don't overdo it, kid." Sky said, returning to Stella and the others. Riven sniffed his drink, pouring in more rum before taking a gratifying swig. He nodded his head while swallowing, shuddering a bit before quickly taking another.

"I don't know why I bother, sometimes." Sky muttered, taking another shot.

"Hopefully he blacks out early so we can take him home." Brandon replied.

"Give him a break, guys..." Timmy butted in, clutching a beer. "He probably needs one. Just be thankful he hasn't punched anybody yet."

Brandon gave Timmy a tired expression, then looked elsewhere across the room. Bloom watched him from a different area, then stared at the strong-smelling drink Stella had mixed for her. She took a tiny sip and immediately recoiled from the taste.

"Too much?" Stella said.

Bloom struggled to swallow. "Yeah."

Cracking open a can of soda, Stella poured a third of its contents into Bloom's cup. Another sip showed minor improvement. She had mixed drinks for all of the fairies (with exception of Tecna, who adamantly refused it) before the specialists had time to empty the bottles.

Bloom gave Brandon another wary glance, who returned it for a brief moment before drinking again.

"Have you stopped hatching your escape plan yet?" Stella asked Bloom, knocking back another shot. "Because he's not going anywhere, I promise you that."

"I'm not afraid to talk to him! I'm not scared, I just..." Bloom replied. "It's not the right time!"

"Of course it's the right time, Bloom!" Stella said, nudging Bloom's shoulder. "Just watch! You can avoid him all night if you want, but sooner or later the booze will do the talking for you!"

Bloom gulped.

"Just talk to him. A word, that's all!." Stella begged. "That's your goal for tonight."

"Stella!" Bloom pleaded, looking nervously at Brandon. "I..."

Brandon finished the last of his first drink, rearing his head back and shielding the view of his face. When he looked back, he showed much resolve, boldly staring Bloom down with furrowed brows. He swallowed and shook off the burning in his throat, winning shoulder pats from Timmy and Sky.

With this motion, Bloom gathered the strength to finish hers.

In a flash of light, the Trix had arrived on Alfea's campus. The coast would have been entirely clear had it not been for the blue-lit balcony and dancing shadows in the distance.

"Icy!" Stormy hissed. "The school's not empty!"

"That's going to complicate things..." Darcy mumbled, raking back her hair.

Icy glared, levitating towards the balcony. Peering inside, she saw nine or so people dancing and drinking in a sparkly living room, fairies and specialists suggestively close in proximity.

"A damn party." Icy muttered, rolling her eyes. "Look-"

A laughing red-head crossed her vision, followed by a fantastic looking blond. The earthling girl, now intoxicated alongside the rest of her fairy friends. Icy grew intrigued, gesturing for her sisters to witness the amusing scene.

"Come up here, now." Icy said, holding in a laugh. "Look at them. They make it too easy."

"Yeah, I don't really drink much."

Timmy swirled around his beer as he reclined on the loveseat, eyeing its remaining contents. Tecna had trouble believing his words, given that this was his second.

"I mean, it's not bad." Tecna replied, talking over the music. "Like, if you mix it with the soda. A lot of soda. Like, um..."

"Ninety-nine percent soda?" Timmy added, giving a short laugh.

Tecna pursed her lips, hiding a grin. "Perhaps."

"Wow." Timmy shook his head, smiling. "Well...probably tastes better that way, doesn't it?"

"Yes. Yes it does." Tecna said, holding out her full cup. "Try it."

Timmy eyed the cup in front of him. Holding it, he looked up at Tecna's eyes for permission. She gave him a beckoning look, curling her legs to her chest on the loveseat's opposite corner. He took a sip without breaking eye contact, swallowing and mulling over its flavors.

"Hmm." He mumbled. "Alright."

"Yeah?"

He widened his eyes, handing back the cup. He was struggling not to laugh.

"That's a nice soda you've got there."

Tecna let out a surprising laugh. "Oh, come on!"

Musa, a lightweight through and through, stumbled around the apartment looking for the bathroom. She was having the hardest time walking straight, something she found hilarious until she nearly collided with the floor tile. Finding the bathroom, she stepped inside and fixed her disheveled hair in the mirror. Her face was flushed, and she giggled while patting her cheeks. Just watching herself was amusing to her, and she was overcome with involuntary laughter upon seeing her smile. Her laughing was interrupted by the jiggling of the bathroom's doorknob. Unlocking the door, a shit-faced Riven appeared from the other side.

"Riven! Riven, hey!" She said, reduced to hysterics. "How are you?!"

"Great, great." He replied, bobbing his head. "I kinda have to-I gotta piss, or whatever."

They both snorted out laughter, Musa opening the door fully to allow him inside. He was already unfastening his belt as she closed the door behind him. A commotion of falling objects could be heard from inside, followed by a groan.

Musa held an ear to the door. "You okay?!"

"It's all good." Riven replied, followed by a clang of the opened toilet lid.

"Okay! Bye!" Musa said as she returned to the living room.

The dancing was still in full swing, growing wilder when Stella and Sky returned to the makeshift dance floor. Her bangs were tousled and her lips were smudged the same color as his neck, cheeks and grinning mouth. Flora was in a world of her own, spin-dancing and watching her feet twirl beneath her. Tecna was vaguely less sober than earlier, now finding a semblance of good humor in Timmy's jokes.

Brandon stumbled towards Bloom. "Hey-"

He looked at her without saying anything, then quickly downed a shot.

"Sorry, I'm not ready yet." He blurted out. "Gimme a second, Bloob-Bloom."

"Ready for what?" Bloom replied, swaying to the current down-tempo song. "Because I'm ready to tell you things. Brandon, I have a lot to say!"

Brandon nodded. "So, you wanna go first?"

"Yeah!" Bloom yelled, nodding back. "Brandon! I really, really missed you! I forgot how your face looked. And I'm sorry if you hate me. Okay?!"

"I don't hate you! Who told you that?!" He yelled back, leaning in a bit too close for his balance to allow. "Bloom, you're amazing! You're so awesome! Don't let people tell you differently!"

"You're beautiful, Bloom!" He gripped her shoulder a bit firmly. "To me, you're fuckin' beautiful!"

Bloom gasped. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Thank you so much!" She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I think you're beautiful, too!"

As the song ended, Flora began chasing Kiko around the living room floor.

"Bad Kiko!" She shouted after him, stumbling into furniture. "That's not for you!"

A really invigorating song came on next, causing Musa to abandon her cup at the kitchenette and dance. Bouncing around with her arms high and crudely singing the lyrics, the others were fired up along with her and began vibing to the music. Riven returned from the bathroom, stealing Musa's cup to drink from and resting himself on the living room's entryway. He watched as she danced, a wide grin on his face.

"Riven?" A voice drawled out. "Riv-en."

He turned to see Brandon, who stood like an old man, slightly hunched with bent knees. Sky appeared on the other side, attempting to follow the path of Riven's gaze.

"What do your elf eyes see?"

"My eyes?" Riven broke his stare and glanced at the two. "My eyes, guys?"

"What, what do they see?" Brandon and Sky continued staring at Musa. "What are they seeing right now?"

Riven let out a low, scoffing bout of laughter, Brandon and Sky joining him.

"Man..." Riven shook his head. "Everything."

They shared a laugh, the other two patting his shoulder and giving unintelligible praise.

"You know what, men?" Brandon said, sighing. "I'm really glad we're all drunk right now."

Riven took another swig of Musa's cup. "Yeah?"

"It makes us fun." Brandon cleared his throat. "And it makes me not hate you as much."

"Same." Sky nodded. "We should do this more often."

Riven nodded in unison.

Bloom, Flora, and Stella approached Brandon and Sky respectively, pulling them away to dance before the song ended. Seeing the dregs of Musa's cup, Riven left his spot in favor of the breezy-aired balcony. He pushed open one of the glass paned doors, chucking the cup to the courtyard below. His upcoming drowsy stupor and the cloudiness of his thoughts, though incapacitating, didn't stop him from mulling over what was said. He leaned on the balcony's edge and brooded for a while, the grin slowly disappearing from his face.

Hearing footsteps, the Trix ducked for cover and teleported behind some banisters. A specialist stood on the balcony, leaning on the railing and looking a bit depressed.

"That was close." Icy muttered.

"That's way too many people, Icy." Darcy said, staring at the moping boy. "Let's just bail for tonight and head back to Cloud Tower."

"Can't you feel it, though?" Icy replied. "The energy here. It's powerful. Powerful enough for the Vacuums."

"The Vacuums? Why?!" Stormy asked, touching her chest in shock. "We haven't found energy powerful enough for those in years! How's this time any different?"

"The energy we're looking for is somewhere in the school. It's hidden, and we'll use the vacuums to find it. It's so strong...it might be the Dragon's Flame!"

"It wasn't in the Solarian Scepter Ring, but the energy grows stronger whenever those fairies are around." Darcy added.

"Precisely! So the lame party is much to our benefit!" Icy said. "Let's get them ready, shall we?"

The witches readied their hands. Swirling red, purple and blue light surrounded them as they manifested three bottle-shaped crystals, glowing metalwork wrapping around the exterior. Releasing them from their hands, the three connected bottles levitated towards an undisclosed location, prompting Icy and her sisters to follow.

"But what if the Winx-"

"Nonsense. They won't be getting in the way." Icy said, grinning. "We'll give them something else to worry about."

A bout of focused chanting manifested a hulking, four-limbed monstrosity. The witches eyed their accomplishment with awe, directing it up the western corridor. Its hooved feet cracked against the tile.

"Now." Icy said, catching up with the Vacuums. "Where were we..."

Musa and Tecna's room had the unfortunate (or fortunate?) luck of their only window and light source being a corner door of the balcony window. A door that Riven had entered by mistake (or on purpose?), now currently supine on the cold tile floor.

Riven blinked, raising his head. "Why are you in here?"

Musa was facing the opposite way on her bed and eyeing Riven from its edge, a sudden wave of malaise having overcome her since her bout of frantic dancing.

"This is my room." She replied, swallowing. "I live here."

Riven scratched at his chest, head bonking back against the tile.

"Don't mind me." Riven mumbled. "I just needed to cool off, I guess."

Musa reared up to grab a pillow. She stepped off the bed and stood over top of him, and before he could ask, she held the back of his head and slid the pillow underneath. His sweat had muted the faint smell of his cologne, a warm, spice-like scent that she had recently grown fond of. He watched her as she climbed back into bed, clutched her stomach and closed her eyes.

After a minute of silence, Riven spoke.

"You okay?"

Musa opened one eye, then closed it while beginning to smile. "Are you?"

Riven chuckled softly, staring at the ceiling. "Who knows."

"Is it nap time?"

"I hope not." Riven sighed. "I really hope not."

"We can keep talking, then." Musa offered. "To keep you awake. Anything on your mind?"

Riven met her tired eyes that peaked over and below. She had taken out her pigtails, and black sprawling hair was now partially covering her face.

"Did you know that my entire squad hates me?" He finally said, a pained look flashing across his face. "And that I hate every single one of them?"

"Riven?" Musa lifted her head. "Don't say that."

"But it's true."

Musa frowned, propping her head up by her palm. "But how do you know that?"

"By what they say. By the looks they give me. Whenever I speak. Whenever I walk into the room." He listed off. "Whenever I do anything..."

Riven gestured with his hands towards the ceiling.

"We're all happy and dumb friends now," He muttered. "But when we sober up it'll all be the same. Us hating each other, and them hating me for getting in the way."

He bit his lip and sighed.

"It's taken four and half cups for me to finally realize..."

"Riven," Musa said, staring intently. He looked at her with sad, drooping eyes. She seemed sick, but happy to be there. "Hear me out."

"I don't know you that well. But from what I've seen of you," She continued. "You seem capable of anything you put your mind to."

Riven adjusted his head on the pillow.

"You screw up a lot, that's kind of true." She said with a smirk. "So do I. All the time. Hell, I almost got stomped on tonight."

"Yeah, about that-"

"-But," She cut him off. "Whenever you screw up, unlike me, you get up and keep going, anyway."

She rolled to her back.

"I think that's the one thing you have, that they don't." Musa said, sighing. "The thing they're all probably jealous of you having. What they want."

"What?"

"You have the nerve."

Riven blinked, perplexed. "The nerve?"

"Or as Tecna puts it," Musa giggled out. "The audacity."

There was silence. Riven closed his eyes, rubbing his face to hide his smile.

"Nobody tells me what to do."

"Well, yeah." She smirked. "If you want to put it that way."

Musa rose to a sitting position and reached down for his hand. He grasped hers, squeezing it tightly for a few seconds. He looked at her with newfound admiration, his other hand resting on his torso.

"Thanks, Moose." He said, along with a sudden yawn.

Musa laid down again. "That's actually not my name."

"Really? It's not?"

"No." She giggled. "But it's fine."

"I don't mind either way."

The party seemed to have carried on for far longer than intended. Most were sitting down on or around the loveseat, sweating profusely as their drunken high began to steadily taper off. Bloom and Brandon sat together, bodies slumped behind the coffee table.

"I have..." Brandon mumbled. "...the worst headache right now."

"Same. I think I'm done." Bloom groaned. "I think that's it for me."

Sky was still standing, but worn out to some degree, judging from his eyes. He swayed on his feet with one hand grasping an empty cup and the other hand stuffed in his pocket. In the bathroom, Stella and Tecna consoled a gagging Flora, holding her hair back and patting her shoulders in support. Timmy had started nodding in and out of sleep, but it wasn't enough to stop him from finishing the last sips of his final beer.

"Hmm." Sky said, sniffing. "I'd say tonight was a success."

"Yeah, definitely." Timmy said, staving off a burp. "Way to go, Big Daddy."

Stella and the others returned from the bathroom, allowing Flora to rest her head on the loveseat's opposite side. The leaves in her hair seemed to be wilting.

"Never..." Flora whispered out, taking faint breaths. "Never again, please."

Stella patted her head. "Poor thing..."

She stumbled her way into Sky's arms, copying his swaying movement.

"See, Stella?" Sky said while staring off into space. "Nothing terrible happened. We didn't even need them tonight."

"Yeah, yeah..." She replied, nuzzling his chest. "Thanks for looking out for us."

"Hey," Sky chuckled out, squeezing her towards him. "No need to thank me-"

The ground shook, taking everyone by surprise. It shook again, followed by the sound of shattering glass. The sounds seemed to be growing louder, prompting Sky and the others to walk outside.

Musa shook Riven awake in the next room, pulling him to his feet and joining the others on the balcony.

"Did you guys hear that?" Musa asked, clutching Riven's hand.

"Yeah..." Sky replied, searching for the source of the commotion. "Damn."

A sudden roar came from the main entrance, and a sheet of marble detailing was knocked down towards the courtyard. Sky frantically searched his pockets for a pod-shaped metal tube, clutching it tightly and turning to face the others.

"Somethin' is here." He said, slurring his speech a bit. "And it's big."

"Party's over, then." Riven muttered. He whistled for the wind-riders to hover beneath the balcony, allowing the specialists to mount and ride towards the main entrance. The fairies hurried downstairs to join them. Shattered glass littered the ground, and walls had been defaced with deep claw marks, revealing the stone infrastructure underneath."

"What kind of creature is capable of doing this much damage..." Timmy muttered out.

Tecna inspected the wall, noticing the divots and sparse blue tufts of hair. "A big one."

"Wow." Riven snorted. "Never would have guessed that."

Tecna sighed.

"It's two-and-a-half meters tall, weighs close to a ton," Tecna droned with half-lidded eyes. "Has bristly fur, horns and multiple clawed limbs. Not to mention a musky odor."

She leaned against the wall. "Is that better?"

Stella held back a laugh. Another rumble started, prompting the boys to power up their weapons.

"What are we waiting for?" Sky said, struggling to raise his broadsword.

"Aww, honey." Stella said, approaching the boys. "You can barely hold it."

"Doesn't matter. We've got this." Sky walked further into the building, letting his weapon scrape across the tile floor.

Bloom and the others followed. "We're coming with you!"

Brandon shook his head, awkwardly holding his shield. "I dunno about that, Bloom."

"You gotta stay where you are, miss fairies." Riven blurted out, pointing to the ground with his electronic saber.

"What?!" Stella retorted, attempting to transform. "Fuck that!"

She stumbled, remembering her lack of powers. The girls traveled an alternate way, running down the west corridor to regroup at a different point. Unbeknownst to them, the Trix were hovering with the Vacuums not too far behind.

The boys, shuffling about in the darkness, encountered a pitch-black room to investigate.

Sky leaned against the threshold before stepping inside and immediately crashing into an unseen object.

"Tim..." Sky mumbled out. "Give us some light in here."

Timmy powered on the tactical light of his laser gun, illuminating the room and revealing a disaster of glass, fur, and broken furniture. They looked up to see a gigantic hole in the ceiling.

"Damn...damnit." Brandon slurred. "He escaped..."

"We, we gotta go after him, guys..." Riven stuck his sword out, returning to the room's entrance.

Meanwhile, the girls walked around upstairs.

"The rumbling stopped." Bloom said, rubbing her neck.

Flora leaned against the wall, every so often clutching her stomach before continuing forward. Musa and Tecna occasionally bumped into each other, sometimes diagonally crossing paths entirely.

Stella power-walked with reckless abandon. "Whatever it was, it's gone now. Let's meet up with the boys and tell them!"

They used a connecting hallway to circle back, but as they walked forward in the darkness they noticed that something large had blocked their path.

"Aww, man." Musa whined, taking in breath. "It's down for maintenance."

The object was alive, rearing back its bovine head and casting a glow over the fairies with its menacing yellow eyes. It bellowed, spewing spit and hot breath in each of their faces.

"Eww!" Stella yelled, stumbling backward. "It's in my mouth!"

Tecna brushed off her chest. "You gotta keep it shut, then!"

"Solaria!" Stella shouted, shoving a hand towards its snout. The creature bellowed again, nearly knocking Stella to her feet.

"Stella, we're powerless tonight!" Flora yelled, retreating towards the atrium. "Run!"

"R-right..." She nervously laughed, backing away slowly as the creature stood over her.

They rushed back, running blind up and down multiple stairways and corridors. The creature's pounding steps shook the school violently, sending the girls cowering for stable ground. It soon charged, and by some miracle they dodged swipe after swipe from its deadly claws. Musa, distracted by the shaking, was slammed into the dark by a wayward fist. Her body slid across the floor, but she was soon picked up and brought back into the fray by someone's arms. Warm spice and sweat jogged her memory.

"Moose!"

Riven placed her on the ground, inspecting her scraped face before walking past her and brandishing his blade. The other specialists charged in after him.

"A fuckin' Whip?!" Timmy yelled, nearly dropping his gun. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Slice and dice 'em, boys!" Sky said, finally rearing the broadsword over his head.

They recklessly charged, thrashing, jabbing, and shooting in whatever ways they could. One swipe of the Whip's arm sent them colliding like pins into the end of the corridor. As he usually did, Riven immediately got back up and rushed forward without the others.

"Riven! Stop!" Brandon shouted. "We have to think this out!"

"Too late for that, haha!" Riven shouted back, not noticing the Whip charging behind him. "Nobody tells me what-"

The Whip snatched him up, swinging him around as Riven jabbed at his fingers. It bellowed in pain, discarding him and stomping around on all fours (or sixes?).

Sky cursed. "You fuckin' idiot! Get over here!"

Riven grabbed his blade and crawled away, getting to his feet for a few seconds before being side-swept again, this time much further down the same black hallway. He crashed through a glass pane and remained motionless as the Trix approached nearby.

Darcy was the first to notice the boy, whose ashen skin and pointed ears quite resembled her own. She heard his soft groans and watched his brow furrow in pain. He was handsome up close, exceeding her expectations.

"Oh, wow..." She said quietly, leering over his sprawled body. "That's the boy from the balcony."

"A half-drow specialist?" Stormy whispered. "Wonder how that happened..."

The Vacuums seemed to stall.

"It's not him," Icy said, circling to the other side. "But the energy he's giving off is...undeniable."

"It's dark. Ridiculously dark. Rival to my own..." Darcy said, reaching out to touch his hair.

"I wonder what his name-"

Icy grabbed her arm, keeping it away.

"Are you serious?" Icy spat. "He's still conscious! Don't make him blow our cover!"

"I just wanted to-"

"He's starting to move again!" Stormy added, directing them to another path. "Let's go before he wakes up!"

They rushed forward with the Vacuums just as he shot up and languidly returned to the other room.

The Whip was taking a number on the boys, pounding Brandon's shield nearly to its breaking point and shoving Sky and Timmy so hard that they were struck with the butts of their weapons. The girls could only watch in horror, before Stella foolishly rushed forward to come to Sky's aid.

"It's beating them to a pulp!" Bloom shouted, keeping her eyes on Brandon.

"What are we going to do?!" Flora cried. "We can't even transform!"

Stella picked up a vase of flowers on a nearby pedestal, dumped its contents, and hurled it directly at the Whip's face. The other girls did the same, securing random objects and former cleaning supplies before throwing them as hard as they could. Bellowing, it directed its attention to the girls instead.

"Plan B!" Tecna spat. "Why do we never think of a Plan B?!"

"We have one!" Musa yelled, turning on her heels. "It's called: Run!"

They bolted back down the corridor. Bloom and Stella held bottles of liquid soap in their hands as they ran, aligning themselves and signaling for the others to run against the walls.

"Are you ready?!" Bloom yelled.

"Yeah!" Stella snapped open her bottle's cap. "Now!"

The soap splashed against the ground, and upon stepping through it the Whip slipped forward at full speed and crashed through a wall into the grand hall below.

The specialists recuperated and joined the girls, eyeing the fallen beast and stashing away their weapons.

"How does a Whip end up on Alfea's campus?!" Timmy said, adjusting his glasses.

Stella fixed the strap of her camisole. "No idea..."

"That's an abyssal creature, and they rarely breach the overworld's surface." Tecna added. "That is, unless it was summoned here."

Bloom was already making some guesses.

Stella started to growl. "If they caused this shit, I'm gonna-"

"We don't know for sure," Tecna said. "But it's a safe bet that the Trix were involved in some way."

"The Trix?" Brandon asked.

"These bitchy senior girls from Cloud Tower," Sky explained, crossing his arms. "Stella told me all about them."

"They're worse than bitchy, though!" Musa said. "They're insane! They're entirely capable of doing something like this."

"There's a looking glass in Faragonda's office." Bloom offered. "She has it tucked away in one of her cabinets. It surveys the entire school!"

"Sneak into her office?!" Flora said, pulling her hair back into its ponytail. "We'll definitely get expelled then!"

"The school's in shambles, witches are wreaking havoc, and there's a Whip on the grand staircase." Stella replied, feeling frustrated. "She'll just have to give us a pass this time!"

They entered Faragonda's pitch-black office, though Riven gestured to halt as his violet eyes strangely began to glow.

"Riven." Musa whispered. "Your eyes..."

"He can see in the dark, lucky bastard." Timmy told her. "They just do that sometimes."

Riven looked at each corner of the room. "Someone's coming."

The fairies panicked, and everyone sought out hiding places as a white light approached from outside. Riven dipped away, searching the other areas. His suspicions were found correct upon seeing grayscale figures phase through a wall towards the next room. He followed them, who were now illuminated by the light of a glowing object. He felt the wall for a light switch, and upon flicking it saw the shocked, glowing-eyed faces of the Trix. He leaned against the wall and stood with a smug grin. The fairies and specialists pooled into the space, surrounding the witches that hovered above Faragonda's desk.

"Icy, Darcy," Stella listed off. "...and fuckin' Stormy. Why am I not surprised?"

Icy and Stormy shared mortified expressions, but Darcy was calm, staring at Riven and further inspecting his features. Riven stared back, surprised to see her matching skin and pointed ears. An odd exchange of eye contact occurred, which was stopped by Bloom's interjection.

"What are you doing here?!"

Icy nervously scoffed. "What are you doing here?"

"What is everyone doing here," An amused voice said from outside the room. "In my office?"

Faragonda flashed to the middle of the room. Bloom's heart dropped, and the group seemed to shuffle uncomfortably as she looked at each and every one of their faces.

"Headmistress Faragonda!" Bloom blurted out. "We can absolutely explain!"

The Trix cowered into each other, watching as several faces turned to glare at them.

The specialists restrained the Whip to their wind-riders by Magitech cables, trying to appear as sober as possible in front of the returning Alfea faculty. Mounting their vehicles, they began to say their quiet goodbyes to the fairies.

Sky gave Stella a somewhat sloppy kiss, eliciting a disapproving look from Griselda.

"It's a shame you have to drink and drive..." She whispered into his ear.

He shrugged, sneaking in another kiss. Moving as slowly as possible, he lifted the clinking, strong-smelling sack back into his lap.

Timmy fist-bumped Tecna, stifling a hiccup.

"Oh, I forgot." He said, grinning. "Congrats on your new job, by the way."

"Wait, what?" Tecna paused. "H-how do you know about that?"

Timmy grew wide-eyed, clearing his throat before explaining himself.

He sniffed. "I think...Stella told me."

"Oh. That makes sense."

Riven clearly needed help mounting his bike, as he was unable to get enough leverage to keep his balance and place his leg on the other side. Griselda gave him an odd look, and before she could approach him, Musa and Flora began rushing to his aid. He slumped into his seat with a goofy grin.

"Thanks, Flora." He gave her a nod. "I appreciate it."

His grin softened when he looked at Musa.

"Thank you."

"No problem." Musa smiled, restraining herself from leaning in. "Sweet dreams..."

Lastly, Bloom and Brandon shared a hug, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from both of their shoulders.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you." He said to her, staring at her lips. "At the marsh. You were only trying to help me."

"Don't apologize." Bloom replied, staring at his. "You were in pain. I should've given you some space."

"This is weeks late, but can we get each other's numbers?" Brandon said, knowing the answer.

Bloom beamed, already taking out her phone.

They hugged again, and with his helmet securely placed on his head, the specialists sped off into the sky with the Whip traveling silently behind them. The air grew tense as the girls looked upon Faragonda and Griselda's curious (the latter suspicious) faces.

"Griselda," Faragonda said. "Remind me to send Headmaster Saladin a letter of thanks."

"And as for you three," She spoke directly to the Trix. "Your behavior here this evening was uncalled for, and totally unacceptable. I will immediately take the matter up with Headmistress Griffin."

Icy gritted her jaw.

Faragonda sighed. "She will be receiving a formal complaint tomorrow morning. May you be disciplined accordingly."

With a snap of her fingers, Faragonda transported the Trix back to Cloud Tower.

Griselda turned on her heels, fixing her beady eyes on Stella's moping face.

She grinned. "Now it's your turn!"

"I've looked at the situation as a whole," Faragonda explained to the girls standing before her. "And, after some deliberative thought, I have decided against reprimanding you all."

The girls breathed sighs of relief.

"This evening's events have shown that you can handle difficult situations intelligently, creatively..." Faragonda elaborated. "...and certainly while at a disadvantage."

Stella and Bloom exchanged worried looks.

"Above all, without your magic. So perhaps it would be best to say that you've earned your powers back."

Each of the girl's magic essences catapulted back into their bodies. Bloom felt invigorated, a hearth-like warmth growing in her chest.

"Faragonda, they don't deserve this! The entire school has been ruined!" Griselda spat. "And those Red Fountain boys, these girls...all clearly intoxicated!"

Flora held her breath.

"Yes, dear." Faragonda said with a snap. A flute of prosecco manifested in her fingers. "I'm fully aware."

"Following our return from the wonderfully entertaining concert this evening," She took a polite sip. "It appears that I may be as well."

The girls gasped. Stella struggled to hold back her laughter, covering her mouth for dear life as an expression of shocked mortification and outrage appeared on Griselda's face.

Faragonda manifested another flute of wine, gently pushing it over towards Griselda's direction.

"We were young once, weren't we?" Faragonda said as she reclined in her chair.

"Some centuries ago..."

The girls excitedly returned to the apartment. Stella hastily took out her phone and slammed her door for an entirely different reason. From the balcony they watched as senior fairies and Magix officials repaired the damaged property.

"What an eventful night, huh?" Bloom said to the others, leaning on the railing.

Tecna snickered. "I don't think I'll see Faragonda the same way ever again."

Bloom and the others laughed, feeling the nighttime breeze dry their sweaty faces.

In the next room, Musa picked up the pillow lying adjacent to her bed. She brought it to her nose, and giggled at the memories of her whirlwind experience.