S1E10 "Bloom Tested"

Stella exited her room the next morning with a sparkly notepad in hand. On its pages were the sins of yesterday, annotated with her own comments. She approached Bloom and Flora's door with a knock that was followed by a quiet, cautious entrance. Inside, Flora was lounging in the middle of her bed, surrounded by several pamphlets and her opened Potionology textbook.

"Okay so, Flora?" Stella briefly looked over her notepad. "I'm sorry for calling you lame. And saying that your voice is squeaky."

Flora stared at her, flipping another page before peering down to scan its contents.

"You do things the safe way because you consider the consequences of your actions and how they'll affect you and everyone you care about." Stella continued. "That's uh...very cool, and not lame at all. I'm serious."

After puckering her lips a bit for thought, she walked further into the space and placed a stiff hand on Flora's shoulder.

"Your voice is a bit up there, but it's not squeaky. It's really not. The range...it suits you."

Stella inhaled. "It's actually kind of cute, to be honest."

A soft smile appeared on Flora's face.

"So..." Stella walked backwards towards the door. "...yeah."

Her shoulders hiked. "Also-"

"A while back, I killed one of your plants. On accident. Sorry for that, too."

"What?!" Flora's smile dropped. "Stell-"

Stella rushed out the door towards one of the bathrooms. The one closest to the exit contained Tecna, who was brushing her teeth.

She took a deep breath.

"Hey Tec-"

"No."

Abandoning the thought, Stella swiveled on her feet and walked back towards the bedrooms. But by the will of her own conscience, she turned back around at the last minute, this time entering the bathroom and staring at her through the mirror. Tecna glared back, brushing her teeth harder.

"Tecna..." Stella said, now stiff in posture.

"I'm sorry for telling you to take out-" She brought the notepad close and squinted at her handwriting. "'that large, pointy stick up your ass, because I know it hurts'."

Tecna stopped brushing, gripping one side of the sink.

"You can keep it up there, if you want." Stella closed her eyes. "That's fine by me."

Tecna spat out her mouth's contents and cleared the sink.

"That's your apology?"

"Mmhmm." Stella tossed back some hair and turned her notepad's page. "It's...the best I can do for now."

Tecna stared at Stella for a moment before playfully rolling her eyes. Stella tried to hide her smile, looking back and forth between Tecna and her grinning reflection.

Tecna placed her toothbrush back into her caddy and sifted through its other contents.

"Alright."

Stella showed herself out, walking towards another bedroom in search of her next recipient. Musa was still in bed, facing the balcony window with her head partially covered by her duvet. Used tissues were overflowing the trashcan next to her nightstand.

"Musa," Stella said quietly. "I'm sorry for...so many things."

Musa didn't respond.

"I should've told you everything, day of. I should've explained what happened, and why it happened, and apologized for my part in causing it. I should've been there for you, period."

More silence.

Stella sat down. "I can't even imagine what hell you're going through right now..."

She placed a hand on Musa's head. She didn't flinch as usual, making Stella lean over and inspect her face. Musa's eyes were closed, and lined with dark circles. She was fast asleep.

"Oh."

Stella tore off the notepad page containing her apology and placed it at Musa's side. She then lightly pecked her forehead, quick enough that she wouldn't be disturbed, and shuffled out the room.

Last was Bloom, who was on the balcony in a sports bra and cotton shorts. An interesting choice, given the morning's unusually cold weather. Stella walked out the apartment to join her, hair caught by the breeze.

"Bloom!" Stella said cheerfully. "Good morning..."

Bloom turned around, pushing wind-thrashed hair out of her face. "Stell?"

She approached, looking down at Bloom with the notepad grasped in her hands. Bloom eyed it, raising her eyebrows as she returned Stella's gaze.

"Notes?"

Stella grinned. "Apologies."

Bloom smiled, holding in a laugh. "Is that one for me?"

Stella nodded. But instead of reading what she wrote, she closed the notepad and sighed.

"I'm sorry for making fun of you, okay? For the whole Daphne thing..." Stella said. "That was mean as hell, and I shouldn't have doubted you."

Bloom turned to face her.

"Real or not, she has an important role in your life. With time you'll discover what she truly means to you." She continued. "And there's not a single doubt in my mind now that you will. She's out there. You'll find her, Bloom."

It was quiet for a moment, minus the whistling breeze and faint voices in the courtyard. Stella touched her side, fingers nervously drumming along her waist. This was until Bloom, squealing with glee, squeezed her into a hug. Stella used her free arm to issue a motherly head pat.

Bloom squeezed harder. "I freakin' love you!"

Stella smiled, hugging her close. "I love you too, honey..."

To her surprise, Bloom managed to lift her a few inches off the ground.

"Oh, wow! Look at you?!" Stella giggled. "Someone's been workin' out!"

"Oop-" Bloom soon began losing her balance. "Oh no-"

"Ahh!"

They dropped onto the balcony's floor, laughing hysterically while crawling out from under each other.

Stella composed herself while spitting out strands of hair.

"Do that to Brandon, please!" She giggled out again, helping Bloom to her feet. "I'm begging you!"

Darcy unlocked her bedroom door and peered out into the hallway. Pajama-clad and barefoot, she walked towards a small, unassuming door nearby. She entered, quickly locking it behind her and sauntering down the dimly lit stone steps. At the bottom lay the Vault, a room of Cloud Tower's creation that had become the Trix's hidden (and sound-proof) secret since their first year. She greeted her sisters with a poke. Stormy had braided her hair into two large plaits, while Icy wore an oversized graphic-tee the color of pewter. The stone felt cold beneath Darcy's feet, but she didn't mind enough to complain.

"Sisters." Icy said. "Let's bring about the Vacuums."

They focused their powers, summoning the Vacuums as they did weeks before. The vials glowed, slowly twirling above them.

"Lorelei Vacuum." They said in unison. The wall lanterns extinguished and the vials rearranged themselves, connected by the sparking energy of their combined powers. In the center was the image of Bloom during yesterday's fight, where a strangely powerful force from her body had brought Magix City to a standstill.

"Bloom's power registers at the highest level." Icy looked at her other sisters. "She's tiny and pathetic-looking, yet endued with magic that greatly surpasses our own."

"A first year that can barely control her powers is what we've been searching for?" Darcy added, stroking her chin.

"Who cares!" Stormy eyed the image. "All I'm seeing is magical energy that rivals the Dragon's Flame!"

"This'll be a breeze, now!" She beamed at Icy. "Corner, distract-then we just crack her open-"

"-No. Not like that." Icy rescinded her Vacuum. "We need to wait. She must be kept under surveillance until the perfect opportunity arises."

Darcy rescinded hers. "We'll remain in the shadows..."

Stormy finally rescinded her Vacuum, and the Vault grew dark again. Darcy's eyes glowed, now the only pop of color in the entire space.

"I'm tired of waiting!" Stormy complained. "Can't Knut just...sneak into Alfea for us like he did at Red Fountain?"

"Knut's too incompetent for that." Darcy said, relighting the lanterns. "Not to mention terrible at acting."

"Spying on them will be risky. We'll need to get close enough to eavesdrop." Icy said. "Close enough to get the intel we need, relay it back to the others, and flee from the scene. Without drawing any attention. Knut can't do that...properly at least."

Darcy's mood soured.

"Riven can..."

"Boy-toy?" Stormy gawked. "You trust him enough for something like this?"

"No." Darcy muttered. "Not with that lying streak. He's on thin ice now, actually."

Icy grinned. "But that's the best kind, you see..."

"What do you mean?"

"Unstable, fragile, and seconds away from caving in..." Icy elaborated, sifting Darcy's hair between her fingers. "With no one left to turn to, I bet he'd do anything to keep you around."

"Anything." Stormy winked. "Everything."

Darcy darted her eyes between them.

"Riven?" Darcy rubbed her wrist. "Riven, the Spy?"

Stormy nodded. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Icy held one of Darcy's hands. Her fingers were freezing, yet comforting as they curled around hers.

"Let him prove his loyalty to you..." She said, playfully tapping the tips of her nails. "...and maybe he'll live to see our plan's conclusion."

Darcy grinned.

"Alright..."

She walked back up the stone steps and into the main apartment. The humid, fresh-smelling steam of a recent shower wafted about the air. Darcy entered her bedroom to see Riven tucked into her sheets, struggling to read the large grimoire grasped in his hands. She immediately sputtered out a laugh, forgetting her spiteful mood to gawk at how adorable he looked.

Riven stared at her with a coy grin.

"Good morning."

She struggled to hide her smile. "Riven..."

"Oh, don't mind me." He said, squinting at a page. "Just enjoying a little bit of reading today."

"Riven...sweetie..." Darcy composed herself. "...it's upside down."

"Wait-Really? Shit..." He inspected the front cover, a mess of calligraphy and symbols. "I couldn't tell."

Darcy let out another laugh, making Riven laugh along with her. She climbed into bed next to him, reversing the book and explaining what some of the images meant. She was close enough to hear his incoming thoughts.

Relieved...Your laugh...Missed you... He was thinking. Sorry...Darcy...

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, closing the grimoire. "For everything, yesterday."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I know."

Looking up to see his face, she saw the bruises and scrapes from his fight, most notably the purplish-red splotch of color just below his left eye. She reached up to touch him, watching as his pupil followed her fingers while they glided along his cheek and temple.

She sighed. "He did that to your beautiful face..."

"Hah." He grinned. "You should see his."

"That was a pointless fight, you know that?"

"A fight that I won." He replied. "A fight that was going to put him in his place."

Darcy grabbed his forearm. "By killing him?"

"I wasn't-" He paused, shaking off his smirk. "Maybe..."

"If you did, you'd be in prison by now." She nudged him a little. "Don't do that to me, Riven. I'd hate to wait that long..."

"To see me?"

"To see you." Darcy repeated in a lower tone, close to his ear. "To be with you, again."

Riven wrapped an arm around her as they sunk down onto the pillows. He stroked her hair, while she curled into his body and pecked him with a kiss.

"I missed you last night." Riven muttered. She could hear his heartbeat quicken. "The living room couch...it isn't as warm.

"Kinda spooky in there, isn't it?"

"Yes." He sighed. "Very."

She giggled. Riven gently fingered through another section of her hair.

After a moment, she leaned over and met him eye-to-eye. He stopped stroking her, now blatantly staring at her lips.

"I missed you, too."

She ducked in for a kiss. To Darcy's surprise (and delight), Riven's hands quickly slipped beneath her camisole. He kissed her with a sense of urgency and impatience, and it soon felt as though he'd plan to yank it off of her entirely.

"Woah-" She broke the kiss, holding down his hands. "Slow down, big guy."

They breathed heavily, eyes locked in a stalemate of sorts. Riven's head sunk back down, and his grip on her waist loosened.

He looked at the ceiling and sighed.

Darcy patted his chest. "We need to talk about some things, first."

"Yeah..."

"I know it's a little unnerving..." She started, breathing in sync with him. "...having someone in your head like this. Reading your thoughts before you've even thought them in the first place."

Riven's eyes darted to another corner. "I guess..."

"Having someone expose you. Read you from the inside out." She managed to wrap a leg around him and straddle his torso. He seemed thrilled. "There's just a complete lack of privacy, now."

"Mhmm..." He managed.

She leaned over, hair shielding their faces. "I realize that she's very important to you. You had your own life before we met, with your own set of friends. With how we treated her, it's unfair of me to have expected a different reaction."

Moose... She heard. His favorite word, though he wouldn't admit it. No...Damnit...

"Darcy..."

She inched closer to his lips. "But if we're going to last..."

A flash of worry crossed his face.

"...you'll need to prove to me that I can trust you."

His grip tightened again. She inhaled.

"Anything." He said, looking up at her. "I'll do anything."

The words were like sparks. He reared up to kiss her like before, a bit more cautious now, but certainly with the same level of enthusiasm. Darcy sunk into him, and she didn't stop his hands as they crept their way up again.

"Can you be open with me?" She nearly gasped as Riven trailed kisses to the side of her neck. "Not lie to me?"

"-Of course."

Her camisole was slowly hiked up. The pull of the bond was overwhelming. Intoxicating.

"And be there when I need you? Can you?"

"-Done." He chirped between kisses.

He reversed their arrangement, kisses now trailing from her neck to her collar as she lay beneath him. She wouldn't say what he was thinking aloud, but hearing it made her grin uncontrollably. What a shame it was to have left the door unlocked.

The camisole was tossed. Riven continued his descent.

"And-um." Darcy said, almost holding her breath. She couldn't think straight. "Could-"

"-Could you...stop seeing her?"

He reached the center of her chest before coming to an abrupt stop. The interruption was jarring. He resumed with one final kiss, before raising his head and making a somewhat dubious expression.

Darcy tried to hide her disappointment.

"Right..." She started shimmying out from under him.

Riven brought a hand to her waist, as if to stop her. She looked at him, feeling the hum of an incoming message. His eyes, now soft, were hidden behind his somewhat wet bangs.

Yes. He said, nodding slightly. That's a promise.

His thoughts backed up his words, to her surprise. Not a "Moose" in sight. It was genuine honesty, without threats or magical coercion. Something so foreign to her, so rare, that she absolutely adored.

Riven continued, and Darcy's legs wrapped around him as she smiled. Returning to her face, he kissed her harder, but she gripped the back of his hair and pulled him away a final time.

"Ow." Riven chuckled, out of breath. "Damnit, Darcy."

"I know, I'm sorry." She said, smirking. "One last question, though. Two, maybe."

She brought his face in close and whispered into his ear.

"How good is your hearing?"

"Um...pretty good?" He whispered back. "Amazing, actually."

"Good." She smiled, kissing his earlobe. "That's good."

Icy and Stormy's footsteps carried up the hallway. With quick thinking, Riven pulled the sheets over their heads. Darcy hugged him down, hearing and feeling the low laughter in his chest.

"Because I have a favor to ask of you..."

Red Fountain was quiet that afternoon. Six bags were lined up outside an apartment door, all tied and filled to the brim with trash. Music pulsed out of Timmy's speakers, and he was bobbing his head to the plucky electronica. He had a partially filled bag in his hand, and was fishing out trash from beneath the loveseat. Sky was next to him, shoving his hand in between the cushions and pulling out wrappers, glass caps, and broken remotes. Brandon tackled the back and surrounding area rug, and was vacuuming to the beat of the current song.

"Almost done, guys!" Timmy yelled over the music. "We're almost done!"

Sky tied up his bag, finishing up his part of the task. Timmy finished as well, and with a final pass of Brandon's vacuum cleaner, all three boys slumped onto the loveseat and cheered.

"We did it!" Brandon exhaled. "We fuckin' did it!"

Sky wiped his brow. "We did amazing guys...I'm so proud of you all."

He high-fived the others and reclined, tucking his hands between his arms with a look of accomplishment.

"Alright..." Timmy heaved out a sigh. He wiped his fogging glasses.

"So that's the couch."

Riven, unbeknownst to the three, stood in the dormitory hallway with a hand clenched over his mouth. The loveseat was like an island among the sea of surrounding clutter, and he didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or yell at the horrifically funny scene. Things had gone from decent to hazardous after only three short weeks.

When Darcy asked for a favor that morning, this hadn't come to mind. He would spy on his former squad mates for the time being, with no further context. Was this her version of punishment? The amount of times he'd spiraled into angry ranting about them should've suggested to her how horrible this idea was. The only thing he was liking so far was that he no longer needed to censor his thoughts. He could think about Moose (Or Musa! The Fairy! The Girl!) in peace, as thinking (and not seeing) was allowed within their deal. But knowing Darcy, the risk would always still be there.

The boys suddenly laughed, with Riven missing out on the initial joke. They were easy to tell apart-Sky's laugh was loud, full-bodied, and fit for a king, often overpowering everyone else's. Timmy had a habit of cackling and clapping, and anything hilariously funny would leave him wheezing like a teapot until he coughed. Brandon, however, often tried everything in his power not to laugh, shaking and covering his mouth until he hyperventilated and reduced to tears. Riven remembered seeing all three laughs in action the night he streaked out the communal showers.

An amused grin began to creep onto his face, but he managed to shake it off and resume his silent surveillance.

"We've totally got this." Sky muttered, rising from the loveseat. "Come on, let's finish the rest of the living room."

They each grabbed a fresh bag and began clearing off the armchair, coffee table, and remaining area rug.

It was a strange experience, being on the outside staring in. Their current enthusiasm towards helping out seemed entirely absent while he was there. Every morning, before training, he'd toss Timmy's scrap work in the trash, Brandon's dirty plates in the sink, and Sky's...everything back into his room. Where was the enthusiasm then? The group effort?

The apartment suddenly flashed with light. Riven shielded his eyes, hearing the chattering voices of the Winx girls. His head braced the wall for a moment, preparing to run if anyone walked into the hallway.

"AH!" Sky yelled. "Well look who's here?!"

"Hey, honey!" The voice was low for a girl, raspy almost, and annoyingly flirtatious. Stella.

Riven heard the pattering of tiny footsteps. "Brandon! Don't move! I wanna try something!"

Loud, with a bouncy intonation. That had to be Bloom. How could he forget, after the earful she'd given him weeks ago.

"Look, the loveseat's clean!" Timmy said.

"Yeah." A girl scoffed out a laugh. "And literally nothing else..."

Tecna, probably. There was a deadpan tone she spoke with that he found amusing.

As the light and sparkles settled, Riven resumed gazing into the apartment. It appeared that Flora and Musa had failed to join them, though for Musa that wasn't surprising. He tried not to dwell on her too much, instead watching as Bloom struggled to lift Brandon off the ground.

"Let's go, Bloom!" Stella cheered. "Up! Up! Up!"

Bloom groaned, with Brandon shaking from a silent bout of laughter.

Sky pursed his lips for dear life. Timmy was nearly on the verge of hysterics, with Tecna hiding a smile as she sat on the loveseat next to him.

"Oh come on, I'm not that heavy." Brandon teased. "I weigh, like, five pounds."

Bloom looked up from his torso. "Five-hundred?"

He gasped. Timmy and Sky couldn't hold it in anymore.

"One more time!" Stella leaned over on her knees. "You've got this!"

Bloom tried once more, putting in every ounce of strength she had. With another groan, she managed to lift him an impressive inch of the ground, causing the others to holler in amusement. She planted him back down, raising her fists into the air and doing a couple lunges for good measure.

"Yeah!" She yelled, face flushed. "Fuck yeah!"

Brandon gawked with a hand placed to his chest. "That's hot."

"Well, damn!" Sky approached Bloom. "Me next!"

The group voiced their concern. Sky feigned surprise.

"Absolutely not!" Brandon said, placing his hands on his hips.

Timmy cackled. "You'll throw her back out!"

Bloom, however, looked incredibly eager.

"No. Bloom?" Stella said, wagging her finger. "Bad Bloom!"

Bloom pouted.

"One day, baby girl!" Sky pointed at her. "One day!"

Bloom aggressively nodded, puffing out her chest.

"Alright. Two questions!" Timmy said while playing with Tecna's knees. "One, where's Flora? And two, how's Musa doin'?"

"Flora is nerding it out in her room, right now." Stella answered. "She's been studying all morning, and if she's still hunched over her textbook when we come back, I'm fighting her!"

"I'll have to admit," Tecna said, finally catching Timmy's hand. "She's kinda overdoing it."

"And Musa..." Bloom took a moment to organize her words. "She's doing...better?"

After blanking out for a moment, Riven honed back in on the conversation.

"Yeah?" Sky said, sitting down on one of the loveseat's arms.

"I mean, she's been sleeping all day. But she finally stopped crying." Tecna said. "Which I say is a major improvement from yesterday."

Riven gritted his jaw.

Sky nodded. "We're gonna send her some things."

"Aww, honey." Stella placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to."

"Nope, we insist." He replied. "We'll apologize, since Riven can't, apparently."

Riven almost rolled his eyes, but stopped himself. He deserved the shit talk at this point.

"I'm telling you." Brandon said, squaring up. "It's on sight."

"Maybe next time he'll black out the other eye." Timmy smirked. "You know, to make it even?"

"Blind Brandon." Sky snickered. "Special Ops."

Timmy sputtered out a laugh. The others joined him.

"No, seriously-the next time I see him," Brandon continued, ignoring the laughter. "I'm knocking him into next week. I have to, at this point."

Riven allowed himself to roll his eyes this time.

"Bro, when Codatorta sees your face tomorrow..." Timmy shook his head. "...you'll never hear the end of it."

"I know. Riven won't either." Brandon replied. "And I don't give a single fuck. I'll do it right in front of him! Expel me, for all I care!"

He wouldn't get expelled, that's for sure. Codatorta loved him too much. Saladin, on the other hand...

"Anyway..." Stella changed the conversation. "Could any of you care to explain why it's taken several hours to clean one room?"

She looked at the floor. "Barely one room, actually?"

"I mean..." Sky mumbled. "...we needed a couple breaks, here and there."

Stella crossed her arms.

"Snack breaks. Bathroom breaks." Brandon muttered. "...Mental breaks?"

Bloom crossed her arms as well. Timmy seemed to contemplate his own set of excuses, but one wide-eyed stare from Tecna was enough to stop him in his tracks.

"Alright. Just this once." Stella raised her hands. "Don't say I never did anything for you guys-"

Stella revealed her scepter, and in a fell swoop casted the apartment aglow. Any bits of trash lingering about the floor were reduced to ash. She gestured for Tecna to come forward, who reluctantly left her spot on the loveseat and converged their powers. The ash was discarded, while objects soared and rearranged themselves mid-air. The boys stared in awe, stepping into the cleaned areas as if for the first time. The magic settled, and as a final touch, Bloom compelled open the living room window to let in some fresh air.

Sky's mouth gaped. Brandon looked around as he gripped his jaw, and Timmy rubbed his glasses clear to get a better view of the place.

They then broke into cheers simultaneously.

"F-fuck-" Sky stuttered out. "Stella! Girls! Hell yeah!"

"This place is surprisingly big!" Brandon walked towards the kitchenette.

Timmy gawked. "Can you come back in a week?"

"No, we will not be doing your chores for you." Tecna pinched his ear. "This is simply a head-start."

Stella raised her voice. "We made it clean, and from now until you graduate, we want it to stay this way!"

"Okay." Sky rubbed his neck. "We'll try-"

"Because if you keep things tidy here," Stella said, approaching Sky with a hand to the chest. "We'll definitely come over more often."

"Yeah?" He replied, watching it sink towards his waist.

"This apartment's twice as big as ours. I can see it now." Stella met his eyes. "Parties, hangouts, everything..."

"Just makes me want to..." She got close to his ear. "...stay a while."

"Like a sleepover?" Timmy gripped his knees. "I love sleepovers!"

Brandon draped an arm over Bloom's shoulders, clearly interested in the idea.

"Well shit, babe." Sky said softly. "Might as well stay now..."

"Wait, what?" Tecna muttered. "Girls..."

"There's an extra bed in my room, if you want it!" Timmy nudged her shoulder. He then lowered his voice. "There's also mine."

"A-hah-Thank you, but-" Tecna's cheeks grew warm. "I kinda prefer my own..."

"Damnit, Tec..." Stella muttered.

"Plus, I have a class in the morning." She continued, looking at the other girls. "We all do, actually."

Bloom nodded, giving Brandon an apologetic look. He nodded back and gave her a farewell hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. Without warning, he picked her up as payback.

"It's five-thousand, actually." He said in a haughty tone.

"I'm sorry, cadet..." Tecna playfully tugged on Timmy's earring. "Maybe next time."

Timmy's eyes followed her body as she slinked off the loveseat, blinking excessively as his face flushed.

Stella hugged Sky, but held his chin just before breaking off.

"Remember, okay?" She said, pouting. "I'm counting on you."

He quickly kissed the tip of her nose.

"Alright girls." Stella said, twisting her ring. "Gather 'round."

Bloom waved away the suggestion. "Let's just walk to the bus stop?"

"Yes." Tecna added, headed towards the door. "Teleporting gives me whiplash."

Riven panicked, running into the nearest alcove and concealing himself from view.

Darcy. He made brief glances at the girls.

Riven? Hey. He heard Darcy say. How's everything going so far?

Nothing important, for now. He replied. I'll try again tomorrow.

As the girls walked out of hearing range, Riven stealthily made his way down the hallway towards his squad's apartment. Hawk and Jason hadn't returned yet, and he'd likely have the place to himself for the next few hours. Digging around in his pockets for his keycard, he saw Sky, Timmy, and Brandon staring at him from across the floor.

He didn't look their way at first, until the sound of Brandon's hostile mutterings caught his attention. Riven turned his head to see him glaring, hands now instinctively balled into fists. Brandon suddenly walked forward, but he was soon yanked back into the apartment by the hem of his shirt. The door was slammed shut, leaving Riven alone in the hallway once again.

His apartment door finally beeped open, and he entered it with a smirk.

With the potions lab in the East Wing officially restored, Bloom and the others were surprised to find out that Monday's class would instead take place in the infamous "Simulation Room".

"Good morning, class!" Palladium said, clasping his hands. "Please enjoy the change of scenery!"

It was a circular space contained by gold metal panels and a wiry translucent ceiling. An elevated ramp lay in its center, where the class stood and stared in awe of everything surrounding them.

Hypothia adjusted her glasses. "What is this place, exactly?"

Palladium grinned. "The product of powerful, expert-level spellcraft and state-of-the-art Magitech!"

He paced with his hands in the air. "Light produced by these intra-solar panels is used to project a multitude of virtual realities and environments. Flawless ones, at that!"

"How about people?" Stella bit her lip to hide her smile. "Can it project people?"

A snooty-looking fairy named Anastacia leaned over to the girl beside her. "Watch her clone her boyfriend a hundred times..."

"Why, certainly! Perhaps I should demonstrate?" Palladium responded to Stella, instructing her to stay put. "Everyone else follow me to the Control Room, please!."

The Control Room was compact in size and buzzing with noises and flashing lights. It was a tight fit, but the class managed to pool around Palladium as he sat in front of the dashboard. Tecna resisted the urge to touch some of the buttons, while others, notably Musa, appeared distracted by their own thoughts.

"From this room, we are able to oversee any simulation's progress in real-time." Palladium explained, hovering his finger over a red button. "Mind the simulation override-this will be used only in cases of emergency."

"Go on, touch it." Flora whispered to Tecna. "I know you want to."

While Palladium had his back turned, Tecna quickly stroked a section of buttons. She grinned, looking exhilarated. Flora quietly giggled.

"Alright, Stella!" Palladium opened the door and yelled to her below. "Whom would you like to replicate?"

"Prin-" Stella paused when she saw Anastacia give a teasing pout. "I mean me. Can you clone me?"

With a few quick maneuvers, followed by a glass dial's subtle manipulation, the simulation room's panels began to glow with light. A figure appeared, a swarm of particles rearranging themselves from top to bottom, until an identical copy of Stella was revealed beside her.

The class stood in awe, muttering to themselves about the clone's life-like appearance.

"Oh, wow." Stella's eyes darted to her chest. "So that's what they look like..."

Several girls giggled.

"Y-Yes-" Palladium cleared his throat and powered down the simulation. "So during your exam tomorrow-"

He was interrupted by the sudden outburst of gasps and worried chatter.

"Wait-Tomorrow?" Stella yelled as she returned. "It's not on Wednesday?!"

"Wednesday? Heavens, no." Palladium replied, confused by everyone's surprise. "We have far too much content we need to cover. Any later, and our course curriculum would run entirely behind schedule!"

Musa shook off her absent stupor. "Crap, I forgot..."

"Me too, I guess." Bloom scratched at her nape. "Must've heard him wrong."

"Tuesday is currently the only other day this week that the Simulation Room will be available." Palladium crossed his legs. "I'm sorry if this comes as an inconvenience, but this choice is at Headmistress Faragonda's discretion, not mine. Your other instructors have been notified accordingly."

Stella rubbed her cheeks and muttered to herself.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit-"

"Relax, girls." Flora said as she approached. "If you've studied through chapter four, the exam shouldn't be that hard."

Tecna crossed her arms. "That's assuming you have been studying...right?"

Stella hopelessly shook her head. Bloom gestured a "so-so" with her hand, while Musa could only muster an indifferent shrug.

"Right." Tecna sighed. "I figured."

"It's only the first exam ladies, there's no need to panic!" Palladium half-laughed. "You'll simply be demonstrating some of the potion-making knowledge you've acquired so far, within a simulated environment of your choosing."

"We haven't even made potions yet!" Stella hissed. "The lab was just fixed a couple days ago!"

"There's instructions in the textbook." Tecna muttered. "It was all there in writing, you just needed to gather the ingredients yourself."

"I have a mini lab set in my room, if anyone wants to practice." Flora added.

"We'll meet here tomorrow afternoon." Palladium directed the girls out of the Control Room. "Please come prepared, focused, and most importantly, relaxed."

"This will be an experience you'll remember for years to come. Hopefully for the better!"

Bloom had a decent amount of studying to do, but not enough to cancel on Brandon that night. She'd have pretty much the entire day tomorrow for that anyway, and the exam wouldn't be too complicated judging from what Palladium described.

"How'd it go today?" Bloom asked Brandon as they walked Red Fountain's perimeter. Lady, a large shaggy greyhound and unofficial first-year mascot, trotted a few steps ahead of them.

"We've been taming the dragons for weeks now." Brandon replied. "And we finally got a chance to ride them today."

"Really?" Bloom beamed. "How are they like? I've never seen one up close."

"Pretty intimidating, at first. They're really big-like, tree-sized lizards."

"Wow." Bloom rubbed her forearm. "Do they breathe fire, too?"

"No, thankfully." Brandon shook his head with a short laugh. "Things would've turned out a lot different today if they did."

Lady took a moment to squat in a patch of grass.

"Good girl!" Brandon cooed.

"So yeah, today was insane. Really fun, but also terrifying." He slowed his pace. "The one I had must've been on something. Kept spinning in the air like a damn maniac..."

Bloom snickered.

"Sky's was so calm, just twirling around and letting him rub his belly. And then you look over and there's me, screaming for dear life as I get barrel-rolled for the third time." Brandon shook his head, grinning at the memory. "Like, what the hell?"

"M-Maybe he didn't like you?" Bloom said as she tried to compose herself.

"Probably!" Brandon began laughing. "But actually no, Timmy? I think Timmy had it worse. 'Cause he got bucked off once, and landed face-first in dragon shit."

"No!" Bloom gripped her knees, now shaking. "No way!"

He shook his head, attempting to cover his mouth as he trembled.

"He-" Brandon took in a breath. "You should've seen his face-"

"Brandon! Brandon, no!" Her stomach hurt from laughing. "That's terrible!"

"Codatorta nearly pissed himself. We all did, almost. Never laughed so hard in my life."

The two managed to find a bench to sit on and calm down. It was placed beneath the shadow of a large tree, offering them a small amount of privacy. Lady approached, aggressively whipping her tail back and forth while she nudged Brandon's leg for head pats. He abided, scratching behind her ears until she ran off again to explore the grounds.

"How'd your day go?" Brandon asked Bloom, face still a bit flushed.

"Well, definitely nothing exciting as dragons." She replied "I have an exam in the Simulation Room, tomorrow. That I should probably study for..."

"Wait, you do? Bloom!" He turned to face her a bit more. "If your test is tomorrow, go study! You could've said no to me tonight, I'd totally understand-"

"I have plenty of time tomorrow, trust me!" She played with one of his hands. "I'm not even stressing it."

"Bloom-" Brandon squeezed her fingers. "Please don't fail your test because of me."

"I'm not! Don't worry. I'll do fine."

He sighed.

"I was going to hang out with you tonight, either way." She said, watching as a smile grew on his face.

In fact, she'd grown comfortable enough to flat out stare. He didn't seem to mind either, leaning over on his knees as he fiddled with his leather bracelet. She'd never noticed how nice his hands were, surprisingly uncalloused for a royal knight-in-training. Every so often the nighttime breeze would blast a section of hair across his face, which he'd blow away in vain. Bloom scooted in closer and gently tucked it behind his ear, revealing his strong neck and jawline.

He gave a low laugh. "Thank you."

But a stronger breeze blasted the section free again, to the pair's amusement.

"Here-" Bloom retrieved a hair tie from her pocket. She reared up on her knees, inching behind him and gathering all of his hair into her hands. It was soft and thick, thicker than her own, but smooth enough to cinch into a ponytail with ease. His bangs evaded capture, stubbornly framing his face against the odds.

"Thank you again." He looked at her this time, eyes watery and kind just like she remembered them.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "You can keep it, by the way."

"Good, because you're never getting it back. It's mine now."

Bloom giggled. He wrapped an arm around her, being careful not to squeeze her too tightly.

"You'll do amazing tomorrow, just watch." His voice was a cross between a croon and a whisper. "And if the exam sucks, call later and tell me all about it."

She looked up at his face, matching his volume. "I will."

Now would've been the perfect time to kiss the living daylights out of him. She'd waited long enough, and had her fair share of daydreams doing it anyway. But there was a hesitancy on both their parts, and the moment of opportunity passed just as a panting Lady galloped into Brandon's arms.

"Hey-" He chuckled, struggling to hold down her paws. "Down, Lady!"

She whined loudly, frustrated by the pair's inaction.

"We should probably keep walking." Brandon said, rising from the bench. "If we stay, she'll have a fit and start biting my kneecaps."

Bloom laughed and returned to his side, holding him by the waist as they strolled away.

In their absence, the large tree groaned in the breeze. It then rustled, sending snapped twigs and leaves to the ground below.

Then branches. Whole tree limbs.

Then ultimately, Riven.

He groaned, reclaiming the breath that the fall had knocked out of him. Climbing the tree had been a bad idea from the start, but it quickly became the only option once Brandy and Boob started making their rounds across campus. How do you eavesdrop on a moving subject? By only luck, had the pair stopped to sit down below him, and by greater luck had he not fallen. Until now.

Ugh... He didn't bother to rise. Darcy...

What do you have for me?

Riven pulled out a tree fragment from underneath his body, providing his back some relief.

Um...they rode dragons today? He managed to pull out another. Timmy ate dragon shit. Poor bastard.

Okay, then. She replied, sounding a bit disturbed. What else? Anything about the girls?

Well...Brandon and Bloom were here.

She was? Did she say anything?

Riven made an attempt at getting up. Without energy, he failed.

She, uh...mentioned an exam. Tomorrow. He replied, gritting through the pain. Something about a...Simulation Room?

Hmm... It sounded like a purr. Interesting...thank you.

He decided to lay there for the next few moments, waiting for the throbbing to stop with a palm to the forehead.

Shit...

Riven? Darcy asked. Are you alright?

He heaved out a sigh. Maybe.

What happened? You keep groaning.

I was hiding...in this tree. He rubbed his throat. I may have fallen out of it.

Darcy snickered.

I'd stop doing that, if I were you.

He uttered a moaning laugh.

Oh, really?

The next morning didn't go quite as planned. Bloom had a late start, waking up just before noon instead of eight like she'd originally planned. This had made her trip to the library futile, as each study room was occupied by the cramming post-lunch crowd. As the exam time drew near, she'd only managed to scribble out a handful of important recipes and gather a bag of ingredients, all while hoping for the best.

She entered the Simulation room with the other students that afternoon, somewhat relieved to see equally panicked faces before her. There was also, of course, her friends; Tecna wasn't phased much, and Flora, despite her tendency to fret over assignments, looked level-headed as she reviewed her notes. Musa still possessed the same drowsy countenance from the day before, and Stella was a bit heavy-handed with her current theatrics.

"Alright, so I didn't get to study." Stella approached with a piece of paper. "But I did manage to write a will-"

Tecna's eyes rolled. "You're not going to-"

"To Flora, I give you my daisy-printed clogs, that hat with the butterfly on it, and my favorite paisley scarf."

"No-" Flora shook her head. "Stella, you're going to do fine-"

"To Musa, I give you literally all of my hairpins," Stella continued, almost in monotone. "My ex-boyfriend's cool ass band tee, and exactly one of my falsies. For the aesthetic. Just rip it off my face."

"Which one?" Musa mumbled.

"Doesn't matter." She responded. "Tecna...um, you get this black bra I bought a while ago..."

"How would that-" Tecna squinted her eyes. "You're like a D."

"Cut off my tits." Stella snipped the air. "And glue them on, or something. I won't be needing them anymore."

Fairies overhearing the conversation snickered nearby.

"And Bloom-" Her voice began to waver. "Bloom, you can marry Sky. And have his royal babies."

"Stell?" Bloom held in a laugh. "Stella, no."

The wavering got worse. "B-Because I won't be able to, which really sucks, and I don't want him to be lonely."

"Yes you will." Bloom gripped her shoulders, shaking them a bit. "Just do your best, okay? You've got this."

"Alright, ladies. In a few minutes, we'll begin." Palladium said from across the ramp. "You'll go one at a time. Remember to have all of your supplemental items on hand before stepping through the gate!"

"Shit." Stella mumbled. "Who's going first?"

"I don't know." Tecna muttered. "Better not be me, though."

"What? You're totally ready!" She replied. "Just get it over with!"

"I'm not going first if I don't have to."

Stella turned to Flora. She shook her head furiously, a couple leaves shaking to the ground.

As they entered the Control Room, Palladium adjusted something on the dashboard before sitting down and swiveling in his chair.

"You'll have thirty minutes to demonstrate brewing proficiency in at least one of three crucial potion recipes."

"Of course, the dreaded question:" He crossed his arms. "Which one of you ladies would like to go first?"

Every fairy immediately broke eye contact, staring at the floor, ceiling, or even each other as Palladium waited for a response.

"Hmm." He pursed his lips. "It appears I must choose a volunteer."

Tecna squinted her eyes shut. "Evasive maneuvers."

Flora pretended to read over her notes, Musa was short enough to be camouflaged by the others, Stella shook her head no as if threatening him not to, and Bloom made the rookie mistake of sneaking in a glance. When she looked up, Palladium immediately met her eyes.

"Bloom, perhaps?"

A collective sigh erupted from the class.

"Okay..." She mumbled out, approaching the dashboard.

Palladium cycled through a host of environments-mundane cities, villages and homes, vast natural landscapes, even the perpetual void (which seemed like an impossible choice in her opinion), but none struck her as intensely as the barren, rocky terrain she saw on the screen before her.

"That one."

"This is Domino." Palladium gave her a wary look. "The saddest, most miserable place in the magical dimension. Life is scarce here. Have you ever heard of it?"

She'd remembered the name, but had never seen its landscape.

"Yes, actually." She hiked her bag up her shoulder.

He lowered his voice. "Dear, the test is only as hard as one makes it to be. Domino is a very hostile environment, and certainly more unforgiving than some of the other templates. Are you sure?"

Bloom nodded her head. Palladium rose from his chair to direct her towards the Simulation Gate, a separate, pressure-locked and tunneled door that led to the same inner ramp as the other one did, but with added protection.

"As soon as you enter the Simulation Room, Domino will appear around you. Do not be alarmed by the reversing ramp. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Professor."

The gate hissed shut behind her, and she walked forward onto the ramp in silence. It began to reverse, as Palladium had warned, recoiling back into the wall as she made her way across. Soon enough she walked on nothing, suspended in the air by some invisible structure underneath.

Everything shifted white. It was like one of her dreams.

The void then grew solid, filling out from underneath her feet until she was immersed in the simulated reality. Red rock stretched in every direction, cloaked in a brimstone-smelling fog. Three red moons sat idle in the dark, weather-less sky.

Domino.

She clutched her bag to her chest. The air was freezing, but this was something she'd have to endure until her thirty minutes were up.

She started to pull out her bag's contents. An unimpressive, somewhat miss-matched selection-garlic from the kitchens, a catalyst vial, pearl dust, some of Flora's magic seeds, crumpled up recipes, and the most useful one yet, valerian root (which she swore appeared in every recipe she came across). Alongside a pestle with a few mortar bowls. She immediately got to work, shaking out the seeds and grinding up a potent "fertilizer" to cover them with. Then, with a pulse of her magic, she burned the mixture to activate its properties. She was relieved that things were going well-thirty minutes would be more than enough time for her.

But a flickering occurred, just outside her field of vision. She still noticed it however, turning around in alarm. It happened again, this time warping the simulation's configuration slightly as three figures manifested before her.

"Hey, Bloom." Icy's silvery voice sent chills up her spine.

"Ew." Darcy squinted her eyes and grimaced at the overwhelming smell of garlic. "What the hell is she doing..."

Stormy smirked. "Making lunch, probably."

Bloom grew annoyed.

"You won't do anything." She warned. "They're all watching. Each and every one of them."

Darcy's face suggested otherwise. A blast of dark magic catapulted her way, causing Bloom to dash across the rugged terrain and search for cover.

"Come out, Bloom." Her voice was low and calculating. "Defend yourself."

Bloom transformed, abandoning her exam.

Stormy let out a laugh. "That's more like it!"

"Show us what you're made of, sweetheart!" Icy shouted, setting her hands aglow. "Give us all you've got!"

"What, are you bored or something?!" Bloom gave them an incredulous look. "Didn't I crack your skulls on the asphalt Saturday?!"

"Don't gloat, Bloom." Darcy powered up another blast. "It doesn't suit you."

Bloom darted away from their incoming attacks. Strange things began to occur-glitches that warped around the Trix's movements, lagging voices, and even the brief flash of the mainframe's coordinates. She hadn't the slightest idea of how they'd arrived or known about her test in the first place, but their presence was entirely unwanted.

"Fight us!" Icy yelled. "Fight us, coward!"

She was continuously battered down by ice spikes and blasts of energy, in an unprompted assault that irritated her to impossible levels. A raging storm now swirled above her, striking the ground with magic bolts in Bloom's path.

"Where is your anger?!" Stormy barked out. "Where's your rage, Bloom?!"

Darcy swooped in. "We know it's in there!"

Bloom watched as they circled above her.

"You're all insane!"

She casted some defensive spells, which she wasn't the best at. Tecna usually took up the job herself, possessing the largest shield of all the Winx members. Besides Bloom's fiery bursts, of course, though hers didn't count when activating one was a game of random chance.

The Trix blasted her at once, wayward magic spilling out over the sides and flooding the landscape. The pressure built, and Bloom could feel the cold, overwhelming sensation of their spells grow stronger as her shield weakened.

Stronger and stronger, much like her anger. Her fear.

She could feel it, emanating from within her.

"Yes!" Icy's voice could barely be heard over the noise. "Yes, keep going!"

"Any second now!" Darcy strained out. "Hurry up!"

"Rise!" Stormy yelled out, smiling with psychotic-looking eyes. "Fuckin' RISE!"

Bloom braced herself as her magic blasted forth. Red-hot scalding light enveloped them. Time seemed to stop, as did reality. The warping had reached its limit, and the integrity of the simulation faltered so badly that pockets of gold paneling began to dot the landscape. Icy stared at a glowing vial before her, nearly brought to happy, accomplished tears.

"Undeniable! It's undeniable, now!" She cried. "Within her, lies the Dragon's Flame!"

Something had gone wrong, far worse than a broken simulation. The entire system was blaring with signals and flashing lights, random sequences of code now crackling across the dashboard.

"W-What?!" Palladium desperately mashed the override button and others, to no avail. "What in the-!"

Tecna came to his aid. "The computer's crashing, they're all fried! It's no use!"

Musa planted her hands on the screen. "They're going to kill her!"

"Get her the fuck out of there!" Stella yelled, before running towards the locked gate.

The class's panicked clamoring drowned out Stella's outraged yells.

"Why won't it open?!" Stella started ramming the doorway. "Fuck!"

"Wait, look!" Flora frantically pointed to the screen. "Something's happening!"

In the shuttering, glitching chaos that surrounded her, Bloom saw the Trix flash out of existence. She was left alone, winded and vaguely conscious, while her brain struggled to catch up with the rest of her body.

She was seeing double. Triple. Rows and groups of identical Blooms, either matching her prone position on the ground or staring blankly in parallel formation. The clones never stayed in one place, constantly shifting about in a dizzying cycle. But the crashing noises became worrying, and with her remaining strength she got up in search of the exposed Simulation Gate. Entering the previous tunnel, she ducked as the door was blasted off its hinges by a panic-stricken Palladium.

"Bloom!" His magic dissipated. "Are you alright?!"

She rushed into the Control Room. Stella and her other classmates surrounded her.

"We saw them!" Flora said, furrowing her brow. "But we couldn't even warn you before it was too late!"

"You, like-" Anastacia gawked. "-broke it. It's dead now."

"Y-you crashed the computer!" Hypothia stuttered, scoffing out a laugh. "Just completely wiped it out!"

"Hands down the coolest shit I've ever seen." Stella placed a hand on Bloom's shoulder. "But don't scare me like that, okay?!"

"Well ladies?" Palladium took in a shaky breath, eyeing the sparking panels. "It appears that the Simulation Room has entirely malfunctioned."

"Well, no shit..." Tecna muttered. Flora smacked her arm.

"I'll be postponing the exam until further notice." He straightened out his vest. "We'll just carry on with new content in the meantime."

Many girls nodded their heads in agreement.

Tecna crossed her arms. "Fine by me."

"Yeah." Flora sighed. "I should study more anyway..."

Musa shrugged, uttering a laugh for the first time in days.

"Ok. Great." Stella mumbled, despite feeling relieved. "Guess I'll just cancel my funeral, then."

Bloom gave her a confused look.

Stella sighed.

"I hope they give refunds."