Posted October 3, 2021.


CHAPTER 2: DANGER IN PIXIE VILLAGE

Magix City, Magix

The day Musa landed in Magix was a somber one. News had passed quickly of the attack on the princess of Domino, and many people were still in a state of shock, particularly since she'd defended them insofar from so many enemies. The clouds were gray, an Octomensis-special storm threatening to break out.

She squinted through her magimask, which she was required to wear as a high-official of Melody. During their time at Alfea, Stella and Layla had also worn magimasks whenever they went out to Magix, so the press wouldn't catch them. The mask was created in such a way that it caused minimum discomfort, but Musa was still tense as she exited the spaceport.

"Could you hold this for me for a second?" Riven asked, handing her his backpack. "I've gotta take off my sweater."

Musa slung the pack on her shoulder, appalled at the weight. What is Riven carrying in here? Squinting through her magimask, she looked ahead, gazing at the streets of Magix.

Ahead of her, she saw five other women, whom she recognized instantly. Even with their magimasks, limp hair, and sallow skin, she could recognize them anywhere. Her eyes wide, she shouted, "Hey, guys!"

"Musa?" Layla asked, immediately turning around.

"Good to see you're doin' okay!" she burst out. After they'd been attacked, she and Galatea had been transported back to Melody while unconscious, not even getting the chance to see her friends again. But now they were finally together again, away from the press.

"We're happy, too," Flora said, smiling. The women came together in a group-hug.

"Good to see you all, too," Riven said, sauntering forward. "I've got a few errands to run in Magix, so I'm gonna be gone for quite some time. Catch ya later." He climbed on his hoverbike and sped off.

"So, how's life?" Musa asked as they boarded the bus.

"Terrible," Stella groaned. "I've never felt this useless in my life! Not to mention, my nails are chipping and it's just driving me crazy!"

"I've broken down twice in the last week," Flora added.

"My wiring has malfunctioned thrice," Tecna complained.

"My hair has broken into frizz four times!"

As they spoke, Musa felt something in her heart lift. So I'm not the only one… Somehow, she felt much better as soon as the other Winx confessed their worries.

"I wish I'd been able to stop them from attacking you, Bloom," Stella lamented, looking near-tears. "It was my party, and everything went wrong. I don't know how anyone entered the palace – it was supposed to be well-fortified! I don't get" –

"It's not your fault, Stell," Bloom said, placing an arm around her friend. "You know that. Just don't make it worse for yourself." She let out a sigh.

Musa gazed down at her feet, at the bag she'd dumped on the floor a few minutes ago. Wait - that's not my - Suddenly it hit her. She'd taken Riven's bag with her, without even knowing it. She'd been so thrilled to see her friends again that she hadn't even realized what she was doing.

Oh well, I'll just return it back to him later. It wasn't that big of a deal, right? She picked it up, grimacing again at the heavy weight on her shoulders.

"Look!" Stella squealed.

Musa looked upwards. The pink turrets were growing larger and larger, and the green quad was coming closer and closer in sight. She smiled, relishing the sight of her beloved castle.

"We're home," she announced.


Coming back to Alfea created a sort of dejà vu Musa wasn't expecting. Every blade of grass brought back memories, as did every sound. The Alfea students looked up from the quad, gasping in amazement as they saw the six women.

"The Winx are back!"

"What happened to them?"

"Flora!" A red-haired woman ran out of the crowd, throwing her arms around Flora. "It's so good to see you again!"

Musa smiled. Mirta had returned back to campus the day after Flora, and was continuing her classes at Alfea. It seemed lonely, in Musa's opinion, to be the only person still stuck at school, while the rest of the Winx and Specialists had graduated. Then again, Mirta seemed to be enjoying herself – not to mention, she had a good group of friends, and had grown considerably in popularity after the previous year's events.

"Winx, there you are," Faragonda called, stepping down into the quad. The elderly woman's eyes were as sharp as ever as she gazed up at the Winx. "Would you please come into my office?"

"Sure," Bloom agreed. Flora squeezed Mirta's hand.

"Catch you later," she said.

The women climbed up the steps and into the tower. Reaching the familiar room, Musa and Flora sat on the two chairs, while everyone else around them stood.

Faragonda seated herself on her chair and gazed up at the Winx. "I heard about the fight on Melody. I take it that this is why you scheduled with me this appointment?"

"Yes," Bloom said urgently. "Those wizards defeated us – and took our powers." She sounded near tears. "I can't believe this happened – this never" –

"Have you all gone through magical-rehabilitation therapy?" Faragonda interrupted.

"Of course, Ms. F," Layla answered, sounding depressed. "But our powers are still gone. We haven't been able to bring them back."

"They are not gone," Faragonda answered. "No fairy's magical powers can ever be taken away from her. No, there is some kind of blockage these Wizards have wrought, something you have never experienced in your lives. Not even you, Bloom, when you were attacked by Icy three years ago."

"So what do we do?" Flora asked. "How do we get our powers back?"

"We'll do anything to go back to being the way we used to be," Musa whispered. I'll do anything to secure my position as Guardian Fairy. She knew that, without her magic, she wouldn't last very long.

"There are two ways," Faragonda answered. "I can give you the names of the best doctors in Magix, who will put you through intensive magical-rehabilitation. But even with their help, it will take you months – even years – to regain your abilities."

"What's the other way?" Layla asked.

"You could trigger your powers back and reopen those blocked points, by gaining a new transformation."

There was a silence. Then Stella said, "I thought Enchantix was the final one!"

"It is the adult fairy-form," Faragonda corrected, "one that many fairies never achieve. But there is more than that. Once Enchantix is achieved, infinite fairy-forms are possible, all derived from the powers of Enchantix."

"Okay," Bloom said. "So then, what transformation do we need to search for?"

"I have a hunch," Faragonda answered. "First, though, I want you to tell me everything about the fight."

Bloom explained. As she spoke, Faragonda's expression became more and more worried, and certainly very alarmed. Her eyes narrowed when Bloom explained the part about the White Circle.

"It's just as I suspected," she breathed. "The Wizards of the White Circle have returned."

"Who?" Musa asked, startled. "Who are they?"

"We will have to go back to Earthian history for this," Faragonda said, "for this enemy is not one of the Magical Dimension at all. In fact, it solely exists on Earth. Bloom, you could likely be of help to us."

"Me?" Bloom asked, startled. "I don't know anything about these people!"

"No, but you do know about the fairy-tales of your home," Faragonda answered. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"No," Bloom said, startled. "I mean, my parents told me fairy-tales, of course, but I always thought they were just stories" -

"Exactly," Faragonda answered. "You see, magic did exist on Earth, centuries ago. However, it all disappeared, thanks to the Wizards of the White Circle.

"Before the Middle Ages, in fact, fairies thrived on Earth. They coexisted peacefully with humans, tending to the natural world. Human pagan religions reflected this sense of camaraderie. Different fairy-cults lived in different areas, and had different functions depending on where they lived. They don't just control nature – they are nature. And, in comparison to the fairies of the rest of the Magical Dimension, that makes them much, much more powerful.

"However, with such great power usually comes a limit. For the fairies, it is a very big one: their power is directly proportional to two things. One: nature much be flourishing in order for them to have power. Two: humans must believe in them. Their power is directly derived from the faith and power instilled in them by humans."

Musa could understand the first part of the clause. After all, Flora's powers were weakened whenever she was in a destroyed environment; the rest of them also suffered if their power-sources weren't strong. However, the second part astonished her. "They depend on humans?"

"Yes," Faragonda answered. "They are only real if people believe in them. You can imagine what happens if they don't believe."

Musa stared at Faragonda. "What happened to the fairies?"

"The Wizards of the White Circle attacked," Faragonda answered. "The Earthian medieval time was, as you know, a time of severe economic and political instability. As such, they used that time to wage a propaganda war against fairies. They used them as the scapegoat, saying that it was their fault there were so many wars and battles. Much of their propaganda was steeped in patriarchy, and it was, naturally, women who got the blame. The dominant culture of the time moved to a much more patriarchal tone, and women were forbidden from holding leadership positions."

"Who were the Wizards?" Layla wanted to know. "I mean, how did they originate?"

"Nobody knows," Faragonda answered. "All we know is that humanity turned against the fay. Over the centuries, they attacked each of the nations of Earth, slowly locking all the fairies away."

"Why didn't anyone in the Magical Dimension help them?" Layla demanded.

"At the time of the attacks, there was political turmoil in Magix and other realms," Faragonda responded. "The Fourth and Fifth Dimensional Wars were going on, and the realms had adopted isolationistic policies in order to protect themselves from more war. More importantly, though, Earth has always been very isolated from the rest of the Magical Dimension. It was often a target during colonization-efforts in the Age of Discovery. One hundred-thousand years ago, the fay used their magic to put up a barrier around Earth, keeping the planet isolated from attacks."

"So that's why there're always stories about aliens in Earthian folklore!" Bloom gasped. "When I was little, they always told us about green-skinned people coming to take over us" –

"That almost did happen," Faragonda answered. "Back when humanity lived in caves, the people of the Magical Dimension tried to attack, looking down on Earthians as primitive beings. But they underestimated the strength of the fay, who used their magic and prevented them from coming any closer. Back then, warlocks used to actually have green skin, which is why you always hear those stories."

"Wow," Bloom said in amazement. "I never would've guessed."

"After the Wizards locked the fay, though, the barrier fell. By then, the Magical Dimension had no interest in humanity; however, they did fear the Wizards' growing power. After all, if the Wizards had managed to weaken the fay where their ancestors had failed, they were certainly a threat to the Magical Dimension. They imprisoned the Wizards in Omega for all of eternity – or so they thought. They finally managed to break free now."

"They must have found a way to escape the ice-dragons!" Flora gasped. "Tec, I remember you mentioned that the Fifth Dimensional War criminals' descendants still survive. Their ancestors killed the Gatekeepers, and they keep on searching for a way to escape Omega. Is that correct?"

"I don't think that's it," Tecna answered, frowning. "The Wizards of the White Circle were locked away a thousand years ago – if that were the case, they should be dead by now. They must've found a way to survive the ice, just like Cyros, and remain in a stasis so their bodies wouldn't freeze over."

"I guess Omega needs some upgrades, then," Stella muttered. "'The most secure prison of all prisons?' Please. Daddy says that they should've increased Omega security as soon as the Gatekeepers' civilization was destroyed."

"Your father is quite right," Faragonda answered. "They tried to create the Omega Portal to Melody, as a way to increase security – we all know how that turned out. Just as we all know the reason why all these convicts were able to escape" –

"Valtor," Bloom finished with a groan.

"That's actually quite logical," Tecna mused. "I remember Cyros mentioned that quite a few of the escaped convicts still weren't rounded up from that time. It would make sense that the Wizards of the White Circle were amongst them."

"Hold on," Layla frowned. "Something doesn't add up. You just said that all the fairies are locked away; however, the Wizards attacked us the other day. What are they looking for, if all the fairies are contained?"

"That is something I have thought long and hard about in the last few days," Faragonda said solemnly. "There can only be one explanation: somehow, they have not contained all the fairies. Somehow, there is still someone alive."

"How?" gasped Musa in amazement. "I thought you said fairies don't live that long! How has one survived a thousand years outside of containment?"

"I don't know," Faragonda answered. "All I know is that there must be one. And this fairy may not even know of his or her own powers. Whoever this fairy is, there is grave danger."

Musa gasped in horror. Bloom turned towards Faragonda, her eyes blazing. "We have to save the fairies!"

"You don't have to," Faragonda corrected. "All of you are in tough positions now, and are facing handicaps you've never faced before. You may just not be able to face the Wizards now. In addition, you are under no obligation to defend Earth."

"But if we don't go, who will?" Flora pointed out.

"That is also a very good point," Faragonda answered. "The choice is entirely up to you - and your employers, of course. I will not force your hand either way."

"Well, I'm going," Bloom declared. "I don't care what anyone says. I know King Oritel will support me on my bid to Earth."

"I'm totally going with you!" Stella added, her eyes flashing. "Those seriously-ugly Wizards need to be kicked in their behinds! I'm sure Daddy will let me go."

"I don't think Queen Isabela will mind, either," Flora added. "Especially if I frame it as a matter of interrealm security."

"I'm coming, too," Layla added. "Baba wants me to learn more about Androsian state-affairs, but I've got my whole life for that. This is a mission for the Winx to solve!"

"I've done everything I can to help Cyros transition Zenith into a republic," Tecna added. "The rest is up to him. He'll be fine without me."

Musa stayed silent. She wanted badly to go with Bloom and the others to Earth, but she knew this would make her colleagues think even less of her. Additionally, she knew Zhedong would have a lot to say about it. You're shirking your responsibilities, you're too young… Just the thought made her blood boil.

"You're going to have to learn self-defense using weapons, as opposed to magic," Faragonda said. "You'll also need to learn an Earthian language, so that you can communicate – likely English."

"Why can't we just speak the language that's similar to the Common Tongue?" Stella complained. "That Irish language or something?"

Bloom laughed. "Stella, no one speaks Irish. Even the Irish speak English. Unless we're going to the heart of Ireland, I don't think that's going to be very useful."

Musa recalled that Bloom had studied this language – Irish – in Gardenia. At the time, she'd complained about learning it, but it'd actually turned out to be very useful. The Common Tongue was very similar to medieval Irish, and Bloom had been able to pick it up right away. Therefore, there had been no language barriers when she'd attended Alfea.

"What about you, Musa?" Tecna asked. Musa jumped, staring at her friend. There was a silence as she stared at the ground.

"I can't," she said. "If I leave, then I'll be in trouble with my supervisor. I can't come."

"But you have to!" Stella exclaimed. "We need to save Earth before the Wizards take over!"

"I'm sorry," Musa answered. "But the answer is no. I can't." She saw Layla shooting her a suspicious look as she stared at the ground.

"If you've committed to go, you will have to learn a new transformation," Faragonda said, "one beyond Enchantix. Once you achieve that, your magical pathways will open up again. The transformation I speak of is called Etherix."

"How do we earn that?" Bloom wanted to know.

"It is not an easy transformation to earn," Faragonda answered. "In order to earn Etherix, you must prove your worthiness to the essence of Earth and Nature. Only then will you gain that power. Here." She handed Bloom a book. The Dominian fairy tried to open it, but to her surprise, the cover wouldn't budge. "You must find the Last Fairy in order to open this. Only an Earth fairy can break the seal on this book."

"Who wrote it?" Musa asked curiously, gazing at the cover. The Book of Fay was written at the top, but there was no author's name to be found. Faragonda frowned.

"No one knows," she answered. "This book was compiled on Earth, and located in an ancient library. In the Year 207, it was donated to the Alfea school library. I have kept this book with me for study, though, rather than showing it to anyone."

"This is complicated," Stella muttered, exchanging a look with Layla.

"Your first step is to go to Pixie Village and visit the Tree of Life," Faragonda said. "Every realm has a branch. You must visit and see where the Last Fairy on Earth is located."

"Could you at least come with us for that?" Bloom asked Musa.

"Sure," Musa agreed. One last outing with my friends before I have to return to real life.

"All right, we'd better go," Bloom said. Thanking Faragonda, the women trooped out into the hall.


Pixie Village was just as Musa remembered it. As winter was approaching, the village was decorated with festive lights, wrapped around the barren trees. Musa walked into the village, grinning at the sight around her.

"Hey!" she heard a shout. Chatta flew up to them and grabbed Flora in a hug. "You didn't tell me you were visiting!"

"I've given you and Mirta quite a surprise," Flora laughed, scooping the pixie in her arms. "It's great to see you!"

"Hey, guys!" Chatta shouted, turning around to the Pixie Village huts. "Come on out!"

"This isn't one of your pranks again, is it, Chatta?" Tune's irritable voice came from inside. "It's quite rude of you. You have very bad manners!"

"Is that Bloom I sense?" Lockette flew out of her hut, staring at them in surprise. Her eyes opened wide, and she turned around. "Hey guys, the Winx are here!"

"What?" Tune shouted, flying out of her hut. She flew straight towards Musa and grabbed her shirt.

"So much for manners," Musa laughed, affectionately cradling her bonded pixie. She looked around and saw that Piff, Digit, and Amore had also come out to greet their respective friends. Tune withdrew from Musa and flew in front of her, beaming.

"How are you doing?" Digit squeaked. "We heard that you lost your magic, and we're so sorry."

"We're fine," Tecna answered. "A bit depressed, confused, worried – but fine. I've been through worse." She let out a sigh.

"We all have," Flora agreed, placing her arm around Tecna. "We will get through this. Don't worry about us, Digit."

"I'll get Ninfea," Lockette said, flying out of Bloom's grasp and towards the village.

"Hang on, what's that weird smell?" Chatta asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Layla asked, startled. "I don't smell anything."

Neither do I, Musa thought, taking a sip from her somewhat-leaky water-bottle. It'd been ages since she'd walked properly like this, and she was already thirsty. She capped the water-bottle, placing it into the bottle-holder of the backpack.

"It smells strange, like must," Digit said. "Huh, that's weird. I could've sworn the air was fresh a second ago."

"You pixies and your strong sense of smell," Layla said affectionately. "I remember that one time I ate the Chef of Magix's special masala-chicken back in the Alfea apartment. You should've seen the look on Piff's face! She refused to come near me for the rest of the evening."

Musa gazed at Tune, and then frowned. Tune and Amore were whispering to each other, casting glances in Musa's direction. Somehow I don't think they're talking about the weird smell… But before she could say anything, Ninfea flew forward.

"Greetings, Winx," she said cheerfully. "I am glad to show you to the Tree of Life. Please, follow me."

Musa dumped Riven's bag behind her, following the other Winx towards the tree. Tune caught up to her, her expression worried. "Musa, are things going okay with you and Riven?"

Why are we talking about him? She stared at her, surprised. "Yeah. Why wouldn't they be?"

"Amore told me she could feel amorous unhappiness in your mind," Tune whispered back. "She told me she was worried about you. What's going on, Musa? Why are you letting him treat you badly?"

"He hasn't treated me badly," Musa answered. "I'm telling you, nothing's going on."

Tune narrowed her eyes. "You can keep lying to me, but you'd better stop lying to yourself, before something bad happens."

Musa sighed, lowering her head. I can't break things off with Riven. No matter how wary she was of him, they had far too much history together, and she wasn't about to let that go. My career, my pride, all of that will be gone if I end things…

"We're getting really bored sitting around here!" Chatta complained, bouncing up and down. "With all of you gone, we're really, really bored sitting at home! It's no fun!"

"That makes two of us, Chatta," Flora sighed. "We really miss you guys, too – not to mention, it's painful not being able to use our powers."

"That must be so hard," Amore said sympathetically to Stella. "I'm really sorry."

"Hey, I have an idea!" Digit said suddenly. "You're going on this mission, but you don't have your magic, so you're gonna need backup! How about we go with you?"

"Yes!" all of the pixies shouted together.

"Absolutely not," Layla protested. "You're too young! Not to mention, it's too dangerous!"

"How rude!" Tune declared. "I'm fifteen, and I'm turning sixteen in a few months! Bloom was only fifteen when she enlisted at Alfea – weren't you, Bloom?" She glared at the Dominian princess, who frowned nervously.

"Amore, this is ridiculous!" Stella cried. "You can't come! Don't even think about it!"

"This is completely illogical," Tecna protested to Ninfea. "You're not going to let them go, are you?"

The pixie elder frowned. "I don't know. We have many pixie-children here, and we have many pixie-elders, too, but we have few adolescents and adults. When Darkar laid siege to our village two years ago, he took the able-bodied adults as slaves, and killed all those that didn't comply. Now that these five are growing into adulthood, we'll need their help more than ever." The pixies groaned in disappointment.

Musa winced, remembering the haunted stories she'd heard of the pixies' plight. Pixies had always been targeted, in the Magixian Civil War, when fairy-beings and warlocks had gone to war against each other, the warlock leaders had committed mass-genocide of the pixies, forcing the survivors to create Pixie Village. Two years earlier, when Darkar had arisen from his slumber, he'd resumed his ancestors' war on the pixies, taking many as slaves to exploit their incredible power. Thanks to the Winx and the UR schools, Pixie Village was now well-protected, but they were unfortunately an endangered community, with approximately only a thousand people living in their village.

"However," Ninfea continued, "in the old days, we used to have rites of passage, for pixies from ages thirteen to sixteen." Immediately, the five pixies' heads shot up.

"What kind of rites?" Amore asked.

"Between the ages of thirteen to sixteen," Ninfea explained, "we would send each young pixie on a mission of service. She would travel Magix, looking for a place where people were in need, and help defend the world from evil. Upon her return, she would be celebrated as a full-fledged member of the community. Those were the traditions of old, and now that Pixie Village is much more stable than before, I think it would be a shame to not continue with those traditions."

"You mean we can go with you?" Lockette squealed.

"I make no promises," Ninfea answered. "First, we have more important matters to attend to. Cherie?"

Musa stared forward. A small pixie with curly black hair was standing in front of them. She was wearing a sky-blue tutu with rainbow fabric embroidered into it, and a blue butterfly barrette and a set of azure sandals. Wings expanded out of her shoulder-blades, a shimmering, translucent rainbow arc. Her sapphire eyes were wide as she stared at the Winx; slowly, she backed up behind Ninfea.

"Don't worry, Cherie," Ninfea said kindly. She smiled down at her, and turned to the Winx. "This is Cherie, the pixie of weather."

"Hi!" Stella grinned at Cherie, extending her hand. The pixie didn't take it; instead, she stared at Stella with wide eyes.

"She doesn't talk," Chatta whispered, rather loudly. "She came to Pixie Village this spring – nobody knows who she is or where she's come from. We all think she's mute."

"Chatta!" Flora hissed. Ninfea shot Chatta a cool glare, turning towards the Winx.

"Cherie, please lead these fairies to the Tree of Life," she said. The pixie nodded, darting out of sight.

Musa followed her, gazing at what was ahead of them. There she could see it – the Tree of Life in the distance. As they moved closer, she gazed in awe at what lay ahead of her

There were many, many branches on the Tree of Life. It was also known as the Tree of One-Hundred Realms, as its branches comprised of Magix and the ninety-nine realms closest to Magix. All of them were thriving, except for one branch – the longest one.

Musa stared at the branch, which was barren but for a yellow flower. Ninfea flew up to the tree, touching the flower.

"That's the last fairy on Earth," she announced. "It's a female – I can tell by the shape of the leaves."

"That's the last fairy?" Stella asked in surprise. "She looks very weak."

Musa gazed in astonishment. The single flower was almost-wilted, and very small. Yet, within the flower, she could sense determination, the will to keep moving, no matter the cost.

"Yeah, but how does this help us?" Bloom pointed out. "She could be anywhere on Earth. How do we know where she is?"

"That's up to her," Ninfea said, pointing to Flora. "You've done so much for our natural environment - you've healed the Flower of Life. Do you think you can do this?"

"No problem," Flora declared, sitting cross-legged at the base of the tree. She closed her eyes.

Musa watched, transfixed, as her friend took in a few deep breaths. Since Flora didn't have her powers as of now, she knew it was going to take much longer for her to connect with the source of the tree. But we'll wait however long it –

"HELP!"

Musa's eyes shot up. A pixie was flying towards them, her eyes anguished. Carrying a baby pixie in her arms, she wept, "Prana isn't breathing!"

"How?" Ninfea demanded, taking the pixie in her own arms. "Did you see?"

"Someone brought zuìjiû here," the pixie gasped. "And Prana inhaled it. Oh, this isn't good at all!"

"You six, get out of here!" Ninfea yelled, pointing to the Winx's bonded pixies. "This is a very dangerous situation. We need to leave!"

"I don't understand!" gasped Stella. "What's going on?"

"The essence of zuìjiû is fatal to pixies," Layla said grimly. "When mixed with water, it emits a vapor that, if inhaled by pixies, makes them unresponsive. If we don't get tea from the Flower of Life in ten minutes, Prana will die!"

"Flora! Wake up!" Tecna yelled.

Musa looked over in alarm, seeing that Flora was still settled on the ground. She was deep in meditation, so deeply connected with the Tree's essence that she couldn't notice what was going on. What is she doing… Layla moved to forcibly awaken her, but Ninfea stopped her.

"The Tree of Life's essence is very strong," she said. "Since she does not have her powers, you cannot Flora from her trance. Leave her here. Right now we need to find a cure!"

"This is what we're going to go," Bloom declared. "Ninfea and I will go to the Flower of Life and quickly brew a batch of tea. Stella, Layla, evacuate the pixies out of here. Musa, Tecna, go find the source of zuìjiû!"

"Listen up, pixies!" Chatta shouted. Musa saw as she stood high in the air, several of the pixies leaving their huts to stare at her. "We need to evacuate now!"

"Why?" a little pixie asked in alarm.

"There's nothing to worry about," Amore said, more reassuringly. "We just need to get out of here for some time while these fairies fix the situation."

"I've calculated all the evacuation-routes." Digit handed Layla a device. "Can you follow this and get to the pixies on the outskirts of the village? Everyone needs to be evacuated."

"Will do!" Stella and Layla headed in the direction of the program.

"I'll create a program to sense its location," Tecna said. Closing her eyes, she focused on her internal cyborg wiring, something that Musa still wasn't used to. A loud hmmm sounded from Tecna's body. She opened her eyes, and pointed.

"This way," she said, flying quickly to the west. Musa followed her, a sinister feeling in her gut.

How did this happen? How had zuìjiû, of all substances, suddenly appeared in Pixie Village? Drug-dealers don't come here… they do their business in the alleyways of Magix! What was it that had caused this?

Near her, she saw Lockette crying out nervously. "I can't believe zu" –

"Shh!" Tune hissed, clamping a hand over her mouth. "We have to be quiet! If we say the reason why they have to leave, everyone will be in a panic!"

"Help!" a voice shouted. Musa's heart beat as she saw an old pixie flying, her back hunched and her wings broken. She turned towards Tecna, shouting, "We have to" –

The words hadn't even left her mouth when Tune reached the woman, holding her hand. She smiled, saying, "I'll fly you out of here, Miss Kunti. There's no need to worry." Lifting the old woman on her back, she flew into the sky.

"You have nothing to fear, ma'am," Lockette squeaked. "I know exactly the way out."

"You young ones are so polite," Kunti marveled. They flew out into the sky, towards the forest.

"Wow," Musa whispered, her eyes misting up as she saw Tune flying away. She hadn't realized how proud she was of Tune until right that very moment; she had gone from being an oversensitive, irritable child to a mature, brave, young adult. She looks after everyone so well…

"We're here," Tecna said, drawing to a halt. Musa frowned, gazing around the clearing.

They were in the same place they'd been when the Pixies had found them. There's nothing here! Why had Tecna brought them here –

Then she stopped, for the look on Tecna's face was unusually grave. She stared at Musa, a shocked expression across her features. "Why?" she whispered, pointing to the ground.

Musa looked forward, and gasped. The backpack was lying on the ground, drenched with water leaked from the bottle. Now she could smell the foul odor of the substance. There could be no doubt what had happened.

She had brought zuìjiû to Pixie Village.


In the end, nobody was harmed. Prana survived, with minimal damage; the toxins would eventually flush out of her system. The Winx turned the backpack into the Magixian authorities, claiming they had found it on the side of the road.

For Musa, however, the situation was nothing short of horrific.

How could I have done that? How could she have put all the pixies' lives in danger, and brought so much fear to the village? She had failed in her mission as a Nymph, with the sole duty of protecting her people. Zhedong was right. I'll never be a good Guardian Fairy.

It was late at evening when Riven came to Pixie Village. She heard his hoverbike park, and his near-drunken voice call out to her. "Come on, babe!"

That's it. Storming out of the meadow, she sauntered up to him, her eyes full of anger. "Riven, we need to talk."

"What now?" Riven muttered. "I haven't seen my girlfriend all day, and this is how she treats me?"

"I saw your backpack!" Musa snarled. "You had zuìjiû in it! An illegal drug!" In her peripheral vision, she could see the other Winx, watching worriedly in the distance.

"You stole my backpack?" Riven's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I was looking for it all day! What did you do with it?"

White-hot rage rose up in Musa's throat. How dare he pin this on me? "I turned it into the police. You won't be buying drugs anymore."

"You did what?" Riven snarled. "That's all that's been getting me through every day!"

"You're lucky I didn't turn you into the police!" Musa snarled. "What do you think you're doing, taking drugs? Of the magiwhales? Do you have any idea how much this has hurt me?"

"Do you have any idea how tired I am of hearing you whine all day?" Riven snapped back. "Complaining all the time about your job, whining about how unsatisfied you are - it's enough to make me hurl! And then you'll be on me about how unsupportive I am!"

"Riven," Musa began.

"And then this entire week, you've just been complaining about the loss of your powers," he sneered. "Well then, maybe you should've used it responsibly, don't you think? Maybe don't get into so many fights! No wonder those goons snapped the magic out of you with no problem!"

"Riven," Musa said louder, anger continuing to boil its way up her throat.

"And then you complain when my bag has a little bit of stuff in it!" Riven laughed. "You're such a drama-queen all the time! I'm sick of having to put up with it" –

"Fine, then!" Musa snarled. "You don't have to put up with anything! You don't have to put up with it, because as of this moment, you and I are not together."

"You," Riven began furiously, but Musa cut him off.

"No, it's my turn to talk! We're done, Riven. This isn't the first time you've betrayed me, just so you know. You joined the Trix against us in freshman year, and only joined back with us when it became clear they were going to lose. And then you joined with Mandragora" -

"She put me under a spell!"

"And now this!" Musa screamed. "You put all of Pixie Village in danger! Do you have any idea how much panic you caused?"

"You're exaggerating," Riven said coldly. "Let's go home, babe, and forget about all this."

"No," Musa glared. "This is it, Riven. I was a fool for not ending things sooner." Turning around, she stormed off into the meadow.

She had spent too long trying to please everyone, trying to gain external validation for her actions. Far too long she had tried to find meaning in a place where there was no meaning, where the system constantly worked against her. No more. She now knew exactly what she was going to do.

I'm going to Earth. She would join her friends in their bid to Earth, and help save the fairies. She smiled, thinking of all the adventures she'd face.

And then maybe, just maybe, I'll find meaning in my life…