Posted October 10, 2021.
CHAPTER 3: ROXY'S PLIGHT
Troposphere, Atmosphere of Earth
The Winx wasted no time in getting to Earth. They spent a week in Magix, preparing with immersion Italian and English classes and planning for their mission. The language was very much unlike Harmonian, Musa's native language, and she struggled with the pronunciation and conjugation of verbs.
And now, after another few weeks, they were off. For hours they had travelled through space and time to the planet Bloom had been raised on, which all of them (with the exception of Bloom and Stella) were going to see for the first time.
"Look!" Bloom cried as the spaceship flew forward.
Musa looked out the window and gasped. A huge blue planet loomed in front of them, massive green landforms behind whispering white clouds. The Winx gasped in amazement, staring forward.
"That planet is huge!" gasped Layla.
"Think of all the different ecosystems that exist there!" cried Flora.
"There must be so many different cultures!" Musa added.
"Indeed," Professor Krishnan nodded, turning around. The Red Fountain professor had offered to fly them to Earth, so they wouldn't have to park a spaceship on the planet. "Often referred to as the planet of many realms, there are thousands of cultures there, people of many skin-colors and languages and customs. In fact, there are more people on Earth than all twelve of the UR realms combined."
Musa digested that information in silence. That must mean there're at least a… billion people out there… The largest UR realm was Zenith, consisting of roughly 100 million; she sensed that was nowhere near the amount of people on Earth. What's going on in this place? She stared down at the planet, stunned.
"I guess that explains our overpopulation crisis," Bloom said lightly. "Good thing Flora found the location we're going to." She grinned at Flora. "We're going to Gardenia!"
"I knew Flora could do it!" Chatta grinned, affectionately knocking Flora on the shoulder. "She's just awesome!"
"Shut up!" Tune hissed, covering her hands over her ears. "If I have to listen to you screaming all day, I'll smack you with my parasol! You're going to make the Winx change their minds about bringing us!"
It wasn't even our decision, Musa thought wryly. The Winx hadn't exactly been thrilled about Ninfea's decision to send the pixies with them, and had protested that she was putting them in danger. Nonetheless, the Pixie Matriarch had insisted.
"They showed great dignity and responsibility during the evacuation of Pixie Village," she said. "In addition, Tune is nearing her sixteenth birthday; if she is to go on her rite, it must be now. You must let them do their duty to help the Magical Dimension. Therefore, Tune, Digit, Chatta, Amore, and Lockette will be going with you."
"Yeah!" Chatta cheered. She was wearing an emerald-green suit which allowed her wings to protrude, and was dancing around the other pixies. "This is gonna be great!"
"Chatta!" Flora called sternly. "Please be quiet. Prana's only just recuperating from her illness!"
"Sorry," Chatta squeaked as Digit flew to Tecna's side.
"Don't worry," she said. She was wearing an amber-orange suit with plenty of pockets. "I've figured out all the Earthian technology, and I took the liberty of buying each of us important gadgets! Look at this!" She flew towards something and picked it up.
It was a rectangular screen which was held lengthwise, about the size of Digit's head. It had a purple case on the outside, one with jagged stripes all along the edge. Digit proudly presented it to Tecna, who gazed at it curiously.
"An old phone?" she asked in confusion. "This model was created Franklin Fironov in the Year 650! Why would you" –
"It's the latest model on Earth!" Digit responded crossly. "An iPhone 11, released just a few months ago! I got everyone one – look!" She pointed to a stand on the side.
The Winx stared in astonishment – five of the curious-looking phones were on a stand. Flora picked up a pink phone with flower-prints on the back, gazing in astonishment. She gazed as she clicked the circular button on the white frame, and the screen lit up.
"Not nearly as bright as the phones here," she said, "but interesting nonetheless."
"I remember wanting an iPhone 6s so badly when I was fifteen," Bloom mused, picking up a blue phone with fire-symbols on the back. "Of course, after getting a Magixian phone, none of them seem quite so… impressive. It's interesting to go back to old models, though."
"You still haven't explained exactly what these things do," Layla said bluntly, holding a green phone with swirls on it.
"They won't work here," Digit explained, "but once we get cellular-service, we can call each other, like we do on these phones, and access the Internet – Earth's version of the Web. We can also use a maps-app for navigation. This is gonna be so exciting!"
"Big deal," Stella muttered, holding her orange phone with stars on it. "I bet this thing doesn't even create holograms."
"Well, no," Digit admitted. "You can't actually make Brandon's hologram appear in front of you when you want to talk to him. In fact, you can't really talk to him at all. But this is pretty cool, though, don't you think?"
This navigation-system probably isn't even accurate, Musa thought, gazing at her red phone with music-notes across the case. They depended on their phones for advanced radar, too, but there didn't seem to be so much as simple magical-detection possible on this phone. Well, it was nice of Digit to get them for us, anyhow. Ninfea walked forward.
"I'll keep your other phones for you," she said, taking all of their Magixian technology away from them. "Make sure to keep these phones in your pockets."
"I've studied all the maps of Earth there are to know," Lockette said, flying up to Bloom. "I know exactly where everything's located. If we ever need to leave Gardenia, I know where to go."
"And I know everything about the history of Earth!" Chatta shouted, putting her hand to her head in a mock salute. "The legends of King Arthur! How he bravely pulled the sword from the stone, holding it where no one else could" –
"Alright, Chatta, that's enough," Flora said gently, putting her hand over Chatta's mouth.
"I know all the fashion on Earth," Amore said to Stella. "In fact, I even made outfits for you all!" She pointed to a set of clothes, which Musa stared at in surprise.
It was six sets of jeans with colored shirts atop. The shirts and pants were much baggier than anything she'd ever seen before; she could tell that humans had larger waistlines and thicker legs. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but she doubted these clothes would fit them. Stella frowned at Amore.
"Those clothes are so unfashionable!" she complained. "How're we supposed to do anything with them?"
"You're supposed to blend in with the crowd, not stand out," Tune pointed out. "That means you're going to have to take a potion to disguise yourselves." She lifted a flask. "Here, try it."
"Take off your clothes first," Amore advised. "Otherwise you'll know all about it once they burst."
The women headed to an isolated spot in Pixie Village, where no one would see them. Stripping off her clothes, Musa held the strange-smelling flask to her lips, and gagged. It tasted about as appetizing as wilted spinach mixed with onions and bananas.
Immediately, she felt her body start to shift, her waist expanding and her hips shrinking. Her hair shortened slightly, beginning to thin out. She lifted a pocket-mirror, and stared at herself in confusion.
Her eyes were much narrower than she'd ever seen them in real-life, and her ears were rounded instead of pointed. The bluish tint was gone in her black hair. But the strangest thing to stare back at was her own eyes; instead of their normal violet shade, they were a deep brown. She pulled on the Earthian clothes, which now fit her waist, although were very odd to wear.
She stared at the other women, who had just pulled on their clothes as well. They all looked graceless and awkward in their new bodies, even Bloom, who had been disguised in a human body for fourteen years. Stella's eyes were now light brown instead of amber, and Flora's were hazel instead of emerald. But it was Tecna who looked the strangest of all. Her short hair was brown (instead of her pink natural coloring), with pink dye covering much of it, and her electric-blue eyes had been toned down to a lighter blue. It was unbelievably strange, seeing all of her friends so transformed.
"I don't know what we'd do without you all," Stella admitted, grinning at Amore. "You guys really are the best."
"Yeah," Musa nodded, feeling guilty she'd doubted Tune. "You guys are welcome to come with us."
"Goodbye, Piff," Layla said to her pixie, holding her tight. "Be good and look after the village for us, okay?"
"She will," Ninfea responded. "In the meantime, I will be sending someone else with you." She lifted her hand. A blue-clad pixie with a rainbow sash flew towards them, and they stared in surprise.
"Cherie?" gasped Digit in surprise.
"How will she help us?" Chatta asked tactlessly. Flora shot her another stern look.
"Cherie is the pixie of weather, which gives her a strong connection to nature," Ninfea said. "She is thirteen, and she must have her rite just as much as the rest of you. It will benefit her greatly to go with you, as well as the rest of you."
"Don't worry, Cherie," Musa said, noticing how nervous the little pixie looked. "We'll take good care of you."
Cherie gazed up at Musa with frightened eyes, and the two held each other's gaze. At that moment, she knew the two of them had made a connection. Piff, however, looked cross.
"Why can't I go?" she complained. "I wanna be with Lay!"
"Piff, no," Layla said firmly. "I'll really miss you, but you can't go with us. Please stay here with the other pixies and be safe. Please?" She gazed at Piff.
Piff huffed. "Fine," she muttered, flying away. Musa sighed and walked into the spaceship, where Krishnan was waiting for them.
The spaceship drew towards Earth's atmosphere, and Layla activated the invisibility booster. "Hang on!" The ship zoomed towards Earth.
As they barreled down into the atmosphere, Musa felt the gravitational force of the planet pull her in, and gasped. The gravity on Earth was much stronger than any planet she'd ever been on, and she was struggling for air as they headed towards the planet. She looked towards Bloom, the only person not affected. "No wonder humans can't fly!"
"Did anyone remember when I said I'd never come to this planet again?" Stella complained. Her first visit had been three years ago, out of a desire to visit two Earthian cities, Paris and Milan, the most fashionable on Earth. Apparently those cities were a complete letdown (by Solarian standards, of course). On the way out of Earth's atmosphere, her spaceship had crashed in Gardenia, where she'd been forced to duel Knut, meeting Bloom in the process.
"Yeah, well, Baba wasn't too happy about me leaving," Layla sighed. "I don't know how I convinced him in the end, honestly."
"I hated leaving," Stella sighed. "The servants are so nice to me – especially now that I lost my powers. You should've seen the look on their faces when I told them I was going on another mission."
"Same," Bloom agreed. "Convincing King Oritel was one thing, but King Erendor was quite another. He would've probably cancelled my engagement to Sky had it not been for Queen Samara."
"Queen Isabela still wanted me to stay, even though I don't have my powers," Flora added. "I'm taking a leave-of-absence for one year."
"Me, too," Tecna agreed. "There're still a lot of terrorists and insurgents on Zenith who are angry that Alexandrova died, and Cyros wasn't too happy about me leaving, either."
Musa realized, with a sinking feeling, that she'd had the easiest time of all getting off from her duties. She had simply told King Jun about taking time off from her job, and the king had acquiesced. And yet I was the most reluctant to come… Guilt drifted over her at the thought.
"Okay guys," Bloom said, pulling Musa out of her thoughts. "I hope you all remember your Earthian names and stories." She nodded to Flora, who started first.
"My name is Iris Alvaréz," she said. "I was born in – er, Mexico City, Mexico – and I'm visiting Italy."
"My name is Aisha Akbar," Layla said, stating her false name. "I'm from Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, and I'm visiting Italy."
"My name is – Chiara Castellini?" Stella looked at Bloom, who nodded rather crossly. "I was born in Italy, but was raised in Geneva, Switzerland."
Musa recalled that Stella was the only one of them who actually could pass as a blood Italian. In a surprising turn of events, it turned out that Italian came easier to her than the rest of the Winx. Part of it was because Stella had learned some French, on her trip to Earth three years before. The other reason was because the Solarian language was actually not too far off from the Italian language. According to their instructor at the immersion school in Magix, there were several other Earthian languages that were similar to languages of the various realms. She knew that Androsian was similar to the language called Arabic, Linphean was similar to a language called Spanish, Zenithian was similar to a language known as Russian, and Melodian was close to a language called Chinese. All of these words were still foreign on her tongue, despite the many hours they'd spent studying Earthian maps.
"I'm Anastasia Porava," Tecna said, "from Moscow, Russia. I'm visiting Italy, too."
She's the only one of us using her real name. Musa remembered the events of last year, when they'd discovered Tecna's true name and identity as a cyborg. She saw that the others noticed this, too, and they lowered their heads.
"And you?" Bloom turned to Musa.
"I'm Hui Yang," she said, "from Beijing, China."
"Before we reach Earth," Bloom said, pulling Musa out of her thoughts, "I want to go through the rules." She gazed at the girls, switching her language. "Number one: do you all understand me?"
Musa nodded. They'd spent the last week in immersion Italian and English classes, classes that were run by Earthian scholars in Magix. Despite being surrounded by the foreign language all day, every day, Musa could barely speak the words ciao and buongiorno. She shuddered, not looking forward to her time on Earth.
"We can only speak Italian or English," Bloom said. "Maybe Common Tongue, but only if we're completely alone, because that'll be heard as Irish."
"But we barely know either!" Chatta protested. "What if I have a really big, important burning question to ask, and I don't know how to say it?"
"Maybe it'll teach you not to talk so much?" Musa suggested irritably. Chatta glared at her, and flew off in a huff.
"Number two," Bloom said, "keep a low profile as much as you can. We're one step ahead of the Wizards, and it needs to stay that way. Remember, we don't know where the last fairy is located. No paparazzi photos, no creating a scene, nothing. We have to remain anonymous."
All Musa understood in those five sentences was wizards and nothing. It was fortunate they'd all gone through the rules in the Common Tongue before; otherwise, she wouldn't have a clue.
"Number three," Bloom continued, "no weapons or magic unless absolutely necessary."
"Well then, how can we defend ourselves?" Digit complained, switching to the Common Tongue. "It's bad enough that you made us leave our gadgets at home – we won't even be able to save ourselves from trouble!"
"We can't run the risk of attracting attention," Bloom answered urgently. "There's just no way. If the Wizards discover us and find her before we do, our mission is toast. Listen, Gardenia is a small town. I'm sure we'll find her."
"Yeah!" Chatta cheered, lifting an imaginary sword and chopping the air with it. "Rah! Rah! Wizards dah!"
"I just miss the boys," Stella lamented, staring down. "I wish they were here with us, able to help us against the Wizards!"
I don't miss my boy, Musa thought savagely, thinking of Riven. He'd cut her off without so much as a second thought. Of course, she'd been the one to dump him, but it still filled her with anger that he was probably spending a lot of time with more girls. As if I never existed in his life. She stared bitterly at the ground.
She could understand the other Winx's sadness, though. Sky, Brandon, Nabu, and Timmy were busy with their jobs, and couldn't talk. And Mirta was still at Alfea. It looked like, for this mission, the Winx and the Pixies were on their own.
The spaceship landed in a countryside area, one filled with no people. Yawning, Musa stared at her surroundings. They were in a land of verdant greenery, where cows roamed freely around the grass. Bloom stood up, grinning with delight.
"Here we are," she announced. "The outskirts of Naples, Italy. Are you ready to see Gardenia?" She hopped out of the ship.
Musa followed her, feeling more and more uncertain. I feel like that earth is going to swallow me whole. Nervously, she climbed onto the ramp and placed a foot on Earthian soil.
She didn't sink straight to the surface. The ground felt firm and solid beneath her feet, like a comfort after so many hours in space. Feeling stunned, Musa stared at the world around her.
This was the saddest place she'd ever seen. It lacked the warmth of Melody, the liveliness of Magix, and the energy of just about every other realm she'd ever visited. Compared to every other world she'd seen, the trees were limp and the grass was wilted. But Bloom's eyes were sparkling as she looked around the fields.
"Come on," she said. "Ready to see my home?"
Roxy walked into the school-building, staring around in surprise. It's so different from how I remembered it… She'd been inside this building before, but never as a student. She stared up, completely amazed.
Gardenia's scuola secondaria di primo grado (otherwise known as scuola media) stood in front of her, the yellow modern building filled with trooping students. It was mid-October, the beginning of the second month of school. Nervously, she took a step forward, gazing around at the school she'd known for so long.
I can't believe I'm going back to the Gardenia School District. It had been five years since she'd attended public-school. She was fifteen, and should've been in upper-secondary by now; however, her various expulsions had changed that. Six schools she had attended in the past five years, all of which were filled with constant bullying. And she had no doubt this year wouldn't improve.
I don't even know how I managed to get here. It was a miracle that Gardenia's middle-school had even accepted her. All she knew was that she'd probably be watched by many, many people. She sighed, lowering her head as she entered the building.
Her fifteenth birthday had passed on September 22, the autumn equinox. There had been no celebration of any sort, of course. Her father had still been mad at her for getting expelled from her previous school, and so that day had passed just like any other.
She knew better than to dwell on it, though. Would she have liked some kind of acknowledgment? Absolutely. But it wasn't going to happen, so she might as well just forget about it.
A few kids stared at her as she walked in, no doubt recognizing her. Of course. How many gypsy, pink-haired girls could there possibly be in one place? She lifted her head high in the air, challenging them to say something. The others quickly turned their heads away.
"Roxy O'Sullivan."
Roxy looked over her shoulder and did a double-take. There, standing in front of her, was Signorina Edelstein from her elementary-school. She looked the exact same as she remembered her, the same crisp business-formal and the same secretary-glasses. "To my office."
Roxy had known that Edelstein was the headmistress of Gardenia's middle-school, of course, but that hadn't made it any easier. She followed in a daze, wondering what was up. I can't be in trouble already… They entered her office, and Roxy sat down in the chair, staring forward. Edelstein peered under her glasses, staring sternly at Roxy.
"Welcome back to Gardenia School District," she said crisply. "I hope you are doing well."
"Er" – Roxy didn't know what to say. The headmistress continued, her eyes squarely on Roxy.
"It is good to see you again," she said. "I am glad that you're doing okay."
Of course I'm not okay, Roxy thought scornfully. In what universe would she be happy, coming back to the school she'd hated all her life? Edelstein sighed, her eyes piercing through Roxy's.
"I am here to give you a fair warning," she said. "The staff has been warned about you. You are not to cause any trouble while you are here – just keep your head down and complete your studies. I will not be kind to you if you commit any infractions. Is that clear?"
"Sure," Roxy said, only just biting back the sarcasm. So I was right about being watched, then. The woman sighed.
"Very well," she said. "Now get to class."
She exited the office, turning towards her classroom. In their school-system, students stayed in a classroom with all the same other students, throughout the entire day (with the exception of physical-education); it was the teachers who moved from room-to-room to instruct.
Keeping her head down, she entered the class, gazing up at the kids around.
There were six boys and five other girls. They all looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, roughly a year younger than her. As soon as she entered the room, she heard a few gasps, followed by whispers.
"I know her! She was in primary-school with me many years ago!"
"Didn't she attack Giovanni Marino?"
"How many schools has she attended before?"
Ignoring them, Roxy gazed around at the available seats. Of course, all the remaining desks are in the front row. At least she wouldn't have to see the others' smirking faces.
She sat down in the chair. The row was empty, except for an Indian girl sitting right next to her. The girl was bent over the desk, drawing in her sketchbook.
Roxy had heard of this girl. Apparently, she had moved from India just a year before, barely knowing any Italian. She never spoke to anyone, to the point where she'd been labelled by the student-body as mute. She was always drawing in that sketchbook, even during class.
Today she was drawing four men, dressed in white cloaks and medieval armor. Though there was a bit of a punk air around them, there was something sinister, something Roxy couldn't comprehend. Somehow, those men in the sketchbook seemed… familiar. She swallowed, feeling more and more nervous as she gazed around.
Fortunately, she didn't have to wait too long; A man with white hair, presumably their teacher, entered the room.
"Buongiorno," he said with a smile. All the students except Roxy and the dreamy girl immediately stood up, saying, "Buongiorno, Signor Ricci!"
Roxy remained seated. The man noticed this, turning around and gazing at her. "Are you both Roxy and Krithi?"
"What?" Roxy said curtly. The man turned towards his list and nodded.
"Young ladies," he said, "In the future, I'd appreciate it if you stood up with your classmates and acknowledged my presence. I am the one teaching the lessons, after all."
Whatever, Roxy thought savagely. Krithi remained silent.
"Okay," the teacher said calmly. "I have a question for you: have you ever heard the words form follows function?"
No, thought Roxy, already bored. What's this old guy trying to tell us now? A girl raised her hand.
"Do you mean the idea that every organism is built in a way such that its biological-processes are maximized?" she asked.
"Exactly," the man answered, beaming. "You may have learned, in your art classes, that art is intentional. Well, the same goes for living organisms. Every aspect of nature has been finely crafted, tuned for a very specific purpose."
Great, thought Roxy, wondering what her purpose was. There was no purpose to a woman ditching a newborn daughter. The thought made Roxy's blood boil as she stared at the desk.
"Open up your books," Ricci added.
All students were required to buy their own schoolbooks at the Gardenia Bookstore, and Roxy pulled hers out of her bag. The man continued speaking, his voice low.
"Let's start reading from page 10," he said, "about the surface-area-to-volume ratio of a cell"…
Roxy closed her eyes, letting out a groan. It's going to be a long day…
"Careful, Stella!" Musa called as she balanced a tray of food in her hands.
The Solarian fairy was grimacing, struggling at holding the tray in her arms. Hers was the lightest of all of theirs, and yet, she was still having trouble balancing it. Musa sighed, gesturing to the stand on the side.
They had all crashed at Mike and Vanessa Peters' house. They managed to find arrangements: Bloom, Stella, and Flora shared Bloom's old bedroom, and Musa, Layla, and Tecna shared the guest-bedroom. The Pixies roomed in the attic. Space was tight, though, and it was nearly impossible for all of them to walk down the steps and crowd around the dining-table at mealtimes. Though they were too polite to say anything, it was also a strain for Mike and Vanessa to cook for everyone.
In order to mitigate the financial burden, the Winx were now searching for jobs. They were trying to put their skills to use, so that they could help out. The work was hard, of course, especially since none of them had done anything of the sort before. Still, for some of them it was clearly easier than for others.
She gazed over at Layla, who was rolling her eyes. The Androsian fairy was the best at this job, mainly because she was a dancer, and had good agility. She placed the tray on a table. Sitting at the table, a man looked up at her in interest, asking something in Italian. Layla's eyes widened; clearly, she didn't understand.
"He wants you to get him a fork," Bloom called from the table behind.
Layla groaned. "I don't even know where the forks are," she complained. "Why do I" –
"I'll get it," Musa interrupted. "Here, take the tray." She passed hers to Layla, and walked into the indoor portion of the restaurant. Walking into the kitchen, she grabbed two forks for good measure. Not looking where she was going, she crashed into someone.
"Why – you!" A voice in front of her seethed.
Musa stared forward. Standing in front of her was a tall woman with black hair, wearing a green-and-yellow dress. Her fists were clenched, and she glared at Musa with anger in her eyes.
"Um," Musa said, switching to her best Italian. "Who you?"
The woman fumed. She yelled at her in a slew of Italian, words that Musa could not understand. Her eyes wide, she tried to push her way past her, but the irate customer wouldn't budge. Musa glared at her, wishing she could use her magic to give her a good sonic slap –
"Musa!" Bloom shouted from outside.
The black-haired woman turned around, and Bloom's eyes widened; clearly, she recognized her. They spoke back-and-forth in Italian, the woman screaming, Bloom calmly answering back. Finally, she pulled Musa out of the way, out into the outdoor seating.
"Who was that?" Musa breathed as they walked out.
Bloom looked grim. "Mitzi," she answered.
Musa gasped. She had heard Bloom's stories about how Mitzi had bullied her, and couldn't believe that she'd come face-to-face to her. "I can't believe it," she said, clenching her fists. She absolutely hated bullies, more than anything else in the world.
"You've got to be careful around her," Bloom continued. "Her father's the mayor, and her mother's loaded. You don't want to do anything that'll anger" –
"Aah!" she heard Stella suddenly squeal. Alarmed, she gazed inside the restaurant, and gasped.
The Solarian princess had just slipped on a ticket lying on the ground, and had let go of the tray. Instinctively, she held her hands upwards, trying to cast a spell, but the Wizards' enchantment held true. Soda, pasta, and ice-cream went flying off, straight towards one patron in particular.
Had Mitzi been facing their direction, she might've had the chance to get out of the way. As it was, she had no clue about the flying order until it smacked her straight in the shoulder. She let out a shriek as food spattered her gown. Turning around, she yelled at Stella, spewing insults and curses.
The people in the restaurant stared at the Winx, taken by shock and anger. The manager walked up to them, shouting and pointing to the door.
Musa didn't have to understand Italian to know what that meant. She ran out quickly, Stella and Bloom following behind her. Rounding up Layla, Flora, and Tecna, they headed out to the street.
"That's the fourth job we've been fired from this week," Flora later mourned, as they all reconvened in Mike and Vanessa's house.
"Yeah well, we can thank Stella for that," Musa said, glaring at her. "Why do you always have to trip over something or send something flying across the room? No wonder they keep firing us!"
"Well, I wasn't meant for this!" Stella fired back. "I'm a princess! And this is really hard!"
Musa threw her hands up in the air. The past week had been a nightmare. They'd tried getting hired for different jobs around town, and kept getting fired from each one. Their mission was looking more and more impossible.
In addition, the lack of magic was starting to drain on them all. The Winx were much, much weaker without their powers, and they were now much more prone to snapping and arguing with one another. Every time she lifted her hands to do a reflexive task, such as magically changing her clothes or brushing her hair, she was unable to do it. Even a week later, they were still struggling with everything, jobs most of all.
"Maybe now is the time for another class in Earthian manners," Tune said. She glared at them, placing her hands on her hips. "Maybe if you all weren't so rude, this wouldn't be happening!"
"Teach Stella, Tune," Layla said grumpily. "The rest of us are fine."
"Why can't we find jobs, too?" Lockette complained. "We can do just as much as you guys! Just because we're small doesn't mean we can't help!"
"I wish you could, Lockette," Bloom said, patting her pixie's head. "But the people on Earth can't see you. That's going to make working a little difficult."
Musa frowned. The other day, when she, Stella, and Layla were walking around town by themselves, Lockette had gotten spooked by one of those "hoverbikes on wheels", as Stella had called them, and the other pixies had flown to go look for them. Bloom had arrived out of a shop at that moment, and had demanded to know why the pixies weren't with them.
"You mean to say you let the pixies wander off by themselves?" she gasped.
"What's the biggie?" Stella complained. "They were getting bored, hanging out in Layla's bag! We had to" –
"Stella, people on Earth aren't exactly used to tiny magical humanoids flying around!" Bloom shouted. "As soon as they see them, they're gonna flip!"
The four women ran towards the park, where they froze. A couple was sitting together, holding hands – just the sight made Musa's heart twinge. Amore was smiling at the couple, saying, "Oh, they love each other so much!"
Musa winced, thinking of the times she and Riven had sat together like that. How many times had they done that, not knowing that their relationship was based on treachery and lies? She turned away as she saw Tune standing in front of a little girl, one who was dressed in a long skirt and with a straight, proper back.
"Well, aren't you a proper young lady?" she asked.
The girl smiled shyly. "Yes, ma'am." She looked up at Cherie, and grinned. "You're so cute!" She extended her arms to cuddle her, but the frightened pixie flew back.
"Don't worry about her," Tune said to the disappointed girl. "She's just a little shy."
"Shouldn't we be heading back?" Lockette's teeth chattered nervously.
"We're only here because you got scared away, you know," Tune pointed out.
"Yeah," Chatta added. "You faced Darkar two years ago, and helped Bloom take down Valtor, but when it comes to a loud hoverbike, you freak out?"
"Hey, but at least we're out of the clear," Amore pointed out. "The Winx aren't watching us anymore." She grinned, pointing to a bush. "You can come out now!"
Who? thought Musa, a wary feeling clenching her heart.
"Do-ta-do-ta!" a voice squealed. A pixie with a pink bonnet flew out of the bush, flying into her hands. The little girl smiled down at the little pixie, and Layla gasped in outrage.
"I don't believe it," she gasped. "Piff!"
"Piff?" Musa gasped in horror. "They brought her with us?"
"She must've been hiding in my backpack," Layla answered grimly. "I don't believe it! Why would she try to sneak here with us?"
"How did you guys not see her fly away, with the other pixies?" Bloom pointed out.
"They flew away so fast," Stella answered. "They must've been hiding Piff with them. She's not that large, you know – I bet Chatta was holding her in front of her as they flew."
"Well, here's our chance," Bloom said. The four women were about to climb out of their hiding-place, when a policeman called, "Excuse us, young lady?"
Musa froze; a policeman was standing in front of the little girl. Bloom's eyes widened in alarm.
"Oh no," she hissed. "He's gonna see them!"
But to Musa's surprise, the policeman didn't appear to notice the pixies; his attention was focused on the girl. "Are you lost?" The girl nodded nervously.
"Your mom's been looking all over for you," he laughed. "Come on, let me bring you back to her." He walked next to her, towards the other side of the park. To Musa's astonishment, he brushed straight past the pixies, who were staring at him in surprise.
"I had three little fairy friends keeping me company," she protested as he led her down the path.
"Of course you did," he smiled disbelievingly.
Musa stared at the group of pixies, heading out of the bushes. Amore was staring at the policeman's back in confusion.
"How very peculiar!" she exclaimed. "Why couldn't they see us?"
"Last time I checked, we weren't covered by a silencing spell," Digit frowned. "I'd scan the area for magical agents, if it wasn't for the fact that I don't have my" –
"Guys!" Layla called sternly. The seven pixies immediately stared at the women, looking alarmed. Layla immediately strode up to Piff, her hands on her hips.
"What're you doing here?" she demanded. "Why did you think it was a good idea to come? We told you to stay back for your own safety!"
"How could you have let this happen?" Stella glared at the other pixies. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"
"We wanted to give her another chance," Amore protested. "We thought it was mean that you were so willing to leave her behind."
"Yeah, because she's five!" Layla snapped back. "Why would you" –
"Well, we can't send her back now," Bloom pointed out. "Krishnan's left, and won't come back to check on us. We could book her an interrealm flight, but I know you won't send her on her own, Lay. I guess we have no choice but to keep her with us." She cast a wry look at the pixies. "Just what you counted on, of course."
"Tune, you shouldn't have done that," Musa added. "Why would you let Piff come with us? And how could you let your sisters run away?"
"Do you think I knew about this?" Tune shot back. "Chatta smuggled her here in Flora's backpack! She was" –
"Well, you should've still said something as soon as you knew Piff was here," Musa pointed out.
"As punishment, Piff and Chatta are going to do the dishes tonight," Bloom said. The two pixies protested, but she ignored them.
"Good idea," Musa said wryly. "And Cherie – if they act like idiots again, don't follow them, okay?"
The other pixies glared at Musa, and Tune crossed her arms, but Musa was too tired to care. She picked up some of Bloom's bags, and they headed back to the house.
And now Musa gazed at the women, wondering what in Symphonia's name they were going to do. How are we going to find the Last Fairy on Earth? The job was seeming more and more impossible.
"We're going to have to split up," Layla said, and Musa stared at her in surprise. Split apart? "This isn't going to work. We can't all have the same jobs - our interests are far too diverse for that."
"Well, how are we going to find them?" Bloom asked.
"I don't know," Layla said, "but we've got to try. We have to do something to pay our way out of here. This arrangement isn't going to work."
"Actually, what Layla says is very logical," Tecna mused. "If we're not together all the time, we'll be less suspicious - remember, the Wizards see us as a group. And we can tailor each to our strengths."
"What about us?" Chatta squeaked.
"You guys stay here," Flora answered. "Tune, you're in charge. Make sure to look after them."
"Don't let us down," Musa said sternly.
"I won't," Tune promised, gazing around at the six other pixies.
"Alright," Bloom sighed wearily. "I guess we'd better start."
Musa headed to the room she shared with Layla and Tecna. Discarding her waitress's uniform, she threw on a red shirt and a pair of jeans. She headed to the door, heading into town.
That October day, Roxy walked out of the house, with Artu at her side. She had probably about half-an-hour to take him on a walk before she headed to the Frutti Music Bar for her shift.
The bar was a family business, run by her father. It was one of the best wineries in town, attracting people all over the greater Campania region and even from Naples. His father had founded it at the start of the millennium, and since then, it had been a great hit. Roxy lowered her eyes, walking down the street –
"Hello," a sneering voice called behind her. Roxy spun around, coming face-to-face with a brown-haired girl. "Fancy seeing you around."
Roxy turned around, clenching her fists. Ana Rodríguez, a Spain-born resident of Gardenia, was like a thorn in her backside. She was two years above her, in Gardenia's secondary-school. Artu barked at her, immediately recognizing her for who she was.
"That dog," a voice said behind Ana. "Shoulda dealt with him years ago."
Roxy glared, turning around. Wherever there was Ana, there was also Giovanni Marino. The jerk was in his final year of upper secondary school, and Ana was with him, in her first year of upper secondary. Ana grinned, putting an arm around Giovanni.
"He and I are together." She drew out the words, and grinned up at Giovanni. "Isn't that right? We make a great team, don't we?"
Repulse rose in Roxy's throat. She wasn't sure which was worse – the fact that her two sworn-enemies were dating one another, or that Ana was dating someone two years her senior. Ana continued on, her voice malicious and dark. "Of course, you'll never get to be with anyone – you're just a pathetic gay."
"I am not gay!" Roxy snarled. How dare they call me that? "I would never get chummy with someone like you – much less another" –
"Sure," Giovanni rolled his eyes. "You're obviously a lezzie. No normal girl wouldn't be drooling over me." Repulse shot through her entire body, and she glared at him.
"In your dreams, Giovanni," she shot back. Rage shot through her throat, threatening to erupt into a volcano. "I am this close to slamming this fist into your stomach."
"Careful, Roxy-poxy," Ana smirked. "Wouldn't want an expulsion in your first week at a new school, would you?"
"Why don't you both go back to Giovanni's house and have a sweet little movie-night, instead of annoying me?" Roxy yelled. A couple people walked by, staring, and Roxy thought she could hear their disdainful whispers. Oh, there's that girl causing trouble again. "I bet Giovanni's mummy will make something nice for you. Pathetic little babykins not gonna move from home after graduation, will he?" She smirked up at Giovanni, who glared at her; something told her that she was on the right track.
"Like you're one to talk," Ana responded. "Dying your hair pink? That's just a way to scream I'm totally gay so pay attention to me! Not to mention, we all know your stupid dog is just a mutt" –
Roxy grabbed Ana by the shoulders roughly. "Don't you dare insult Artu!" she yelled. "He is worth more than ten of you combined! You – you" –
"Get off my girlfriend!" Giovanni shouted, pulling Roxy away from Ana with brute force. He shoved her roughly, and she hit the street with a thud.
Sitting up, she gasped in horror. A motorbike was charging towards her, letting out a beep. She sat there, stunned and petrified –
Someone pulled her from behind and threw her onto the sidewalk. Roxy sat, too stunned to register what had just happened. How did I – She turned around, but the motorbike had long vanished.
"Leave her alone!"
Roxy stared upwards. An Asian woman with a red shirt and pair of jeans stood in front of her, her arms crossed. Who is that woman - and what is she doing here? Her deep brown eyes glimmered furiously as she glared at Ana and Giovanni.
"I don't like bullies," she snarled, in broken Italian. "I bullied, too, and it not nice. Especially not bullies who hurt others. You be in court if anyone else see!"
What's going on? thought Roxy, her mind in shambles. Someone, a total stranger, was interceding? What in the world was going on?
I must be dreaming. This had to be some kind of vision, for the next thing that happened shocked her even more. Ana and Giovanni turned around and ran, leaving Roxy staring openmouthed.
The woman sighed, turning towards Roxy. "People like her terrible." She extended her hand to help her up, but the teenage girl slapped it away.
"I can take care of myself!" she yelled. "You people don't need to do anything for me. I'm not weak, like everyone else thinks!" Standing up, she turned around, running down the street.
She thinks I'm just a stupid child… That was what everyone thought about her - even her father. All the patronizing teachers, counselors, and adults towered over her, without doing anything to help. Well, I don't need these people. She continued running forward.
"Wait!"
Roxy's legs were beginning to tire. She had never been the best runner, and her breath was starting to give way. She was still running, but then suddenly, she stopped as the woman shouted again. "Fan!"
Roxy whirled around. Did she just speak Irish? The woman caught up to her, placing her hands on her shoulder.
"I am so sorry," she said, speaking in half-Irish and half-Italian. "I was bullied, too, and I know how it feels to be picked on. And I know how it feels to be vulnerable, and to be insulted and demeaned. It's okay to be vulnerable. You don't have to hide."
Under normal circumstances, Roxy would've bristled. But there was something about this woman that startled her so much, that she couldn't even find the will to shake her hands off her shoulders. She stared up at her, taking in the features she'd seen before.
The woman had thin bloodred lips and pale skin, the color of snow. Her deep brown eyes glimmered beautifully, a deep reservoir of something that seemed like sincerity, compassion, and… sorrow? Silken black hair tumbled down her shoulders, cascading beautifully like a waterfall. Roxy stared at her, taking in this goddess and wondering how she'd possibly reincarnated on Earth.
"You speak Irish?" she finally asked.
The woman's eyes widened, and she cursed. "Why I not speak Italian to you? No wonder you not understand what I say" -
"It happens to be my native language, actually," Roxy said dryly, switching to the aforementioned language. "Please, just keep to Irish. Your Italian really sucks."
The woman's face flushed crimson, but she smiled. "No problem. What's your name?"
"Roxy," the girl answered. "And you?"
For a second, it looked like she was hesitating, but then she spoke. "I'm Musa Xi."
So she is Asian, thought Roxy, finally taking the woman's hand. Why would an Asian immigrant choose to learn Irish, of all languages? Musa smiled, gazing down at herself.
"I was actually looking for a job, believe it or not," she said. "It's been very hard finding one. I'm sure you can imagine why."
"Oh," Roxy said, surprised. Where did this woman expect to find a job, if she only knew just about the most useless language on the planet? "Can't help you."
"Well, if you find anything, could ya let me know?" Musa pressed on. "Here." She pulled out her phone – a red phone with music-notes on it – and showed her contact-info to Roxy. "Copy it down."
As if she was in a dream, Roxy took out her own phone – a yellow phone with paw-prints – and typed in Musa's phone number. She gazed down, seeing that she had a grand total of three numbers on her phone – her father's, a neighbor's, and the school's number (so that she could block them from calling). It had been ages since anyone had asked her to keep a phone-number – especially due to her track-record. Musa smiled.
"I'll see you," she said. She headed down the road, the pink-haired girl staring at her as she disappeared like a shadow in the night.
The roads were winding as Musa walked down, gazing around at the hustle and bustle of the city. Cars spewed everywhere, and she winced at the acrid smell of the air as they zoomed down the road. It smelled unlike anything she'd ever known in the Magical Dimension.
"Why are Earthians so disgusting?" complained Tune, wrinkling her nose.
"I know," Musa muttered, gazing around. According to Bloom, vehicles on Earth ran on diesel, which spewed a foul-smelling vapor in the air. That was a great cause of pollution on Earth, amongst many other things. They also had a strange, icky-feeling substance called plastic, one which had only been created about half-a-century before but which was essential for so much production. From children's toys to sealing medical items, it was a must-have on Earth.
Musa just couldn't understand why humanity couldn't produce and respect nature. Plastic wasn't even all that useful in comparison to Morphgel, a substance created out of Morphix by Androsian manufacturers. It was much more malleable than plastic, and could often take any shape or form. As for diesel, well, in the Magical Dimension, that took many forms. Summian factories generated power through the four elements, Fulgurian factories used electricity, and Solarian factories used solar and lunar power. All of the manufacturers had figured out a way to utilize its power without causing harm to nature. Though there were greedy businessmen in the Magical Dimension, too, they at least cared for the environment. After all, the health of the natural environment was directly proportional to their powers; they knew that if they wanted to stay in business, they would have to be sensitive to the world as well.
Thankfully, she soon reached the park, where the smell of diesel diminished and the sound of the cars went away. She sighed, gazing at the five other Winx who sat there.
She'd been the last to arrive at the park. Even Stella had arrived before her, although she had been "fashionably late" as well. The other women had set down a blanket on the ground, and were looking happy. Not too far away, the Pixies were playing together, tossing pinecones back-and-forth as a kind of game.
"It's kinda cold to be out in the park," Stella complained.
"But there's no one here," Tecna pointed out. "It's actually kind of nice."
"That was a great idea of yours, Lay!" Bloom said cheerfully. "I got a job waitressing at a café in the downtown. They're actually paying me quite well!"
"Your mother is great," Flora said, tapping Bloom's shoulder. "She said she'd pay me to work with her in her flower-shop."
"I got a job as a lifeguard for an indoor pool," Layla grinned. "It's kinda boring, sitting around and telling kids to behave themselves, but at least I'm making money."
"I'm working at the boutique," Stella added. "They needed some sewing help, and I know some of that. Those sewing-machines are so outdated, though." She sighed disdainfully.
"Well, I'm happy with my job," Tecna smiled. "I'm able to help people figure out their technology needs, and fix whatever problems they have with their phones. It's cool, being able to do that again."
"What about you, Musa?" Flora asked. "You must've gotten a really nice job singing or something, right?"
"Yeah," Musa said tiredly. The sad feelings she'd felt before were coming back, and she lowered her head. "Totally." She turned around and headed into the forest, ignoring the other Winx's surprised voices.
She sat down on the grass, wishing she could feel better. But she couldn't get rid of the suppressing feeling in her body, from the magic she could no longer feel. And she especially couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling in her heart. She still wasn't free of that aching, painful feeling of emptiness and unhappiness. No matter how surrounded she was by her friends, she still felt alone.
"Musa?" She lifted her head as Layla entered the grove. She stared at Musa, looking concerned. "Are you okay?"
"No," Musa admitted. "I feel kinda lonely, to be honest. I still really don't feel fulfilled" – She let out a sigh.
"Is it because of your breakup with Riven?" Layla asked.
Musa's face felt hot. "No! Of course not. Why do'ya ask?"
Layla narrowed her eyes. "You've been down ever since you both broke up. We're all worried about you, Musa. You just haven't been the same for quite some time. In fact, I noticed the problems with you and Riven started a long time ago."
"I don't want to think about him again," Musa glared at the ground. "He betrayed me, Layla. Getting rid of him was the best decision I ever made in my life."
"And yet, you're still not happy," Layla pointed out. "You're still sad about the breakup. Musa, it's fine to be upset about it! I always say that boys aren't worth the" –
"I don't want to talk about him," Musa said, and her tone was final.
Layla sighed. "Okay, then." She sat on the grass. "But if you ever want to talk, I'm here for you."
Musa sighed, feeling guilty that she had spoken off to Layla like that. "Layla, look, it's just" –
"I don't believe it!" Bloom's excited voice filled the air. "Sky!"
Immediately, Layla leapt up. "Nabu!" She ran towards the field.
They're here? thought Musa, feeling annoyed. Why did they have to come here? Aren't they supposed to be at work? She followed Layla, staring forward.
Nabu, Sky, Brandon, and Timmy were standing in front of them, grinning. Of course, no Riven… They looked hilariously bad in Earthian clothes, and their hair was unkempt.
"Didn't mean to cut you off, Musa," Layla said, hugging Nabu. "Were you saying something?"
"No, nothing at all," Musa said, the loneliness intensifying in her heart as she stared up at the couple.
Stella threw her arms around Brandon. "This is so awesome! The boys are here!"
"Do I look like a boy to you, Stella?" a voice behind asked. Mirta pushed her way in front of Sky and Nabu, grinning at Flora. The nature-fairy let out a gasp of amazement, running forward.
"How did you get here?" she gasped.
"Faragonda has agreed to let me come with the Specialists," Mirta answered. "We arranged for me to spend my second semester abroad. I'll be completing my Alfea coursework from here."
"Wait, it's the second semester at Alfea already?" Musa asked in surprise.
"Well, no," Mirta answered. "It's still mid-Novemensis on Magix, and semester finals just ended. I decided to come here first and get a head-start."
"How are you going to do your coursework?" Tecna asked her. "There's no Realm Wide Web on Earth, and calls to Magix are very limited. Plus you can't use magic here. Is it going to work out?"
Mirta shrugged. "The teachers will mail me my work. I'm mainly taking theoretical classes – History of Magic, Potions, Earthian Studies, and Weather Predictions. I already took Convergence the first semester."
"Great," said Musa, feeling jealousy overtake her again. Guess Riven was too cowardly to show his face, huh…
"Well, do you want to help us?" Bloom asked. "We've got a lot of work to do."
"Sure!" Mirta agreed, following Flora. "I can't wait to see the flower-shop!"
"I'm interested to see Earthian technology," Timmy told Tecna.
"I'd like to see the swimming-pool you work at," Nabu told Layla.
"I want to see the boutique!" Brandon told Stella.
"I'll come and say hi to your parents!" Sky smiled to Bloom.
On the couples went, laughing and chattering together. Musa stayed where she was, allowing the darkness to close in on her, until it became a wrench in her heart.
