Posted January 9, 2022.


CHAPTER 16: THE SPHINX'S RIDDLE

On the Matter of the Realm of Egypt

Egypt is a place where many fantastical wonders can be found. An ancient civilization of incredible culture and commerce, it has incredible value. It has many, many magical beings in its fantastic land. Common fay include phoenixes, Sphinxes, El Naddaha, and Mama Wati.

Similarly to their Hellenistic counterparts, the Egyptian fay met their end when the Romans conquered their realm. As they could not withstand the force of invasion, they died out, losing their powers.

Like their human counterparts, the fay pray to the Egyptian gods.

– From the Book of Fay


Cairo, Egypt

"A week ago, a fire took over the Grape Inn, causing much damage to the property. Although the cost of remodeling is estimated to be at 2 million Euros, no one was hurt, thanks to the actions of a group of women. One of them is rumored to be a fairy" – the reporter said this with an air of disbelief. "However, they are none other than the same women who kidnapped a girl from Italy, just two weeks ago.

"These women remain as elusive and enigmatic as ever. They are powerful, certainly. However, the question remains: why are they here? Why have they decided to show themselves now? Are they here as benevolent patronesses, or as avenging goddesses?"

Musa listened in silence, staring at the reporter from Greece expressed her worry and dismay over magic. I don't know what to say… She looked at Stella, who clearly looked angry.

"I don't believe this," she complained. "We save their butts on numerous occasions, and yet, they still don't trust us?"

"Why don't you open up your brains for once?" Roxy asked irritably. "Your magic is ridiculously powerful. You have the power to contain the fire, sure, but you could've also burned that entire building down yourself! Honestly, I'm kinda freaked out of my mind, too."

"You're right," Bloom conceded. "But it still sucks that this had to happen, though."

"We have two special guests on the air," the newscaster said. "These two juveniles were arrested for arson, one which nearly burned down the very same hotel. They have some interesting… testimony. Roll the tape, please."

The shot turned to two boys in orange-jumpsuits, who were both sitting in the same cell. They had anguished expressions on their faces as they pleaded with the newscasters.

"There was a fairy!" one of them shouted. "Well, she looked more like a bird than a fairy – but she was so incredible!"

"And scary," the other boy shivered.

"All right," one of the reporters said. "Let's back it up. First of all, what are your names?"

"Jason Christidis," the first boy cried out.

"Er… Justin Alexandris," the second one squawked.

"Okay," the second reporter said, sounding skeptical. "When did you see this… fairy?"

"First, there were a group of four chicks who came to save us," Jason gasped. "Three of them had these super-cool shiny shields that protected them from fire, and they came to get us! And then this glowing – sparkly – fairy appeared" –

"She lifted the fire into, like, this magic Frisbee!" Justin added. "Only it was kinda hollowed out and didn't really have a center – but anyways – she stopped the fire! She had so much power – it was just unbelievable!"

"Eyewitnesses continue to talk about the magic that was apparently used," the news-anchor continued. "Cell-phone videos of the fire show a brilliant light taking over the building, blinding everyone inside. And when it was over – the fire had completely gone."

"But fairies?" a second newscaster added. "Sounds to me like those kids were in that fire too long."

"In the meantime, a second girl still remains missing," the first newscaster continued. "Krithi Venkatesan, from the same town in Italy. It is unknown whether she has been captured by this group of woman or if she has gone missing on her own."

"That has nothing to do with us!" Roxy sounded outraged. "She led me to Ogron! I swear, if I ever see that girl again" – She clenched her fists.

"I don't wanna see any more of this," Musa muttered. "Could we turn it off, please?"

"Fine." Tecna turned off the TV.

"How in the world do you have that thing connected to so many stations, anyways?" Roxy demanded. Tecna smiled.

"I reprogrammed the antenna," she said. "We can get news on any station now, without paying a single cent. You humans have such primitive technology."

"Hey, look!" Flora pointed, staring outside.

The ruins of a city stretched ahead of them, within the city of Cairo. Musa stared through the Black Circle, seeing it in its former glory, the brilliance and beauty of the city shining through the Circle.

This city, she could tell, had been a major center of learning. A temple, devoted to the sun god Ra, was located there, belonging to the High Priests of Ra. There were archives there, too, where much documentation had taken place. She smiled, appreciating the beauty of the land.

She was thankful that they could now fly lower and appreciate the landscape. Stella had used her light-powers to blend their helicopter into the sky, effectively making them invisible. Now, they were close enough to the ground to see everything from above.

"Where are we?" Flora asked.

"I'll use my scanners to check," Tecna answered, focusing on her internal wiring. Musa saw Roxy staring at her, and knew she still wasn't used to the sound of Tecna's cyborg wiring Truth to be told, most of them weren't, either. Although they'd known about her skills since last year, it was still difficult to wrap her head around the fact that Tecna had a computer inside of her brain. Tecna finished scanning, and turned towards Flora.

"We're above Cairo," she said. "Directly below us are the ruins of Heliopolis, and ancient city from ancient Egyptian times."

"Hey – is that an eagle?" Layla stared down below the balloon.

Musa and Stella stared through the Black Circle. A small bird, one with red, gold, and purple plumage, was flying through the air, carrying an egg of myrrh. "That's the phoenix from before!" Stella cried.

"What?" Layla said, looking at her in confusion. "Didn't you say he died?"

"According to Greek mythology, a phoenix is reborn from its ashes," Tecna answered. "It lives and dies, and is reborn again, for all of eternity. When the next phoenix is born, he brings his father's ashes to Heliopolis and places them in the Temple of Ra. Let's watch him doing it."

The bird flew into the Temple of Ra. Musa smiled, turning towards the others. "Maybe he holds the key to the next jewel!"

"I don't think so," Flora frowned. "He said he was the protector of the jewel in ancient Greece. We need to figure out the next place to go."

"Well, why don't we ask him?" Layla suggested. "He might be able to tell us."

Just as the bird flew out of the temple, he noticed them. He flew up towards the helicopter, staring at the women.

"Hello," Flora said cheerfully. "Good to see you alive and well!"

"It is good to see you, too," he responded. "Are you ready to find the next jewel?"

"Yes," said Layla. "Can you tell us what we need to do?"

"You must find out on your own," he answered solemnly. "That I cannot divulge to you. We Keepers remain separate from one another; only those who are truly resilient can find them all."

"All right," Bloom sighed. "I guess we'll start searching."

"Leave it to me," Tecna said, opening her phone. "I'll find out the important landmarks of Egypt in no time." She searched up on her screen.

"Hmm," she said, her eyes narrowed. "There're the ancient pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the ruins of the Library of Alexandria. There're so many rich landmarks we can see here – it's quite incredible. What do you want to see?"

"I want to see the pyramids of Giza," Layla said. "I looked them up before coming here. It's just incredible how they built them all!"

"I don't know," Flora frowned. "The Sphinx could be our answer."

"The Library of Alexandria could have all the information we need," Tecna argued. "If we use the Black Circle, we can enter and search for information. It could be just the place we need to go."

"Well, we're above Cairo now," Bloom said, checking the phone. "Giza's really close to here – Alexandria is 442 km northwest. I say we go to Giza first, and then if we really need to, then we'll go to Alexandria."


It was only a short distance to Giza. They were flying above the outskirts of Cairo, straight above pure desert. Tecna shuddered as the heat burst through the windows, even though they were in a protected helicopter.

She had never been a fan of hot weather. It was mainly due to her upbringing on Zenith; until recently, the realm had been incredibly cold. Even then, its summer was far cooler than Magix's, and snow fell even in late spring and early autumn. She wasn't a great fan of the dry air, either.

"Artu's thirsty," Roxy said, pointing to her dog, who was lying on the floor. "We need to get him water."

"I'm really thirsty, too," Stella complained. "I haven't drunk any water for two days."

Tecna recalled that Stella, as a Solarian, was able to survive with far less water than the rest of them. Solarians were hardwired for desert climates; they could drink as little as one glass per day, yet still be in perfect health.

"We're out of water," Layla said, searching through the compartments. "We're going to have to land and buy some."

"You couldn't have said this before we flew away from Cairo?" Roxy groaned. "Now we're going to have to turn back!"

Tecna felt inclined to agree. The heat was absolutely oppressive, and she hated the idea of going outside for any longer than they absolutely needed to.

"Lighten up, Roxy!" Flora said cheerfully. The nature-fairy was taking photos of the outside, her eyes shining as she stared through the window. "The desert landscape is just absolutely breathtaking! The cacti are so beautiful!"

"I'd sure hate to get stuck here," Roxy grumbled.

The last word hadn't even left her mouth when Tecna heard something crack. She let out a gasp as the helicopter rocked. It shook once, and it began to rock back-and-forth.

"AAH!" Musa screamed, shouting in fear. "What's going on?"

"I don't know!" Tecna gasped, running an algorithm through her brain. What's happening? The helicopter continued to shake, and she stared down in disbelief.

The ground was appearing closer and closer.

"Stella, do something!" Bloom shouted. "You're the only one of us who can fly!"

"I'm on it!" Stella transformed, opening the latch-door. She flew out into the sky, summoning a spell in her hands.

That was when all hell broke loose. A gust of wind shot at them, one more powerful than anything they'd ever felt before. Sandstorm… Tecna cried out as the helicopter shook, more and more furiously.

And then it began to fall.

The women screamed as the helicopter shot down, like a stone. Tecna grabbed onto the controls, desperately trying to utilize them, but there was no hope.

BANG. The helicopter landed on the ground, the sand thankfully lessening the impact. The women sprawled on the floor, horrified. Musa groaned as she sat up, asking, "Is everyone alright?"

"Here," she heard Layla's voice. Bloom and Flora sat up as well, staring around.

Tecna stared in dismay at the engine. Frowning, she focused her scanners on the engine, and gasped.

"I can't believe I overlooked it," she groaned. "It still has some damage from the Wizards' attack in Ireland! I'm going to have to fix it before we can get anywhere."

"How far away are we from the nearest city?" Stella demanded.

"Eight miles from Cairo, four from Giza."

There was a silence, and then Roxy spoke, her voice angry. "So we're supposed to walk that far? Without water? How will Artu manage?" She pointed to the dog, who was whimpering. Glaring at Tecna, she shouted, "This is all your fault?"

"What?" Tecna asked, startled.

"You didn't even stock the helicopter properly!" Roxy shouted. "It's because of you that we could all die out here! What are we going to do?"

Tecna stared at her. She's right… Truth to be told, she'd been so excited, after Stella received her Etherix, that she'd gotten overconfident. What'll we do?

"Don't diss my girl Tecna!" Stella shouted. She was flying down from the sky, and her eyes were closed. "You were the one who jinxed us! Now I've got sand into my eyes, and all over my clothes, too" –

"Guys, cut it out!" Musa yelled. "We'll figure something out, okay? We can manage!"

Tecna let out a sigh. "I'll do my best to fix the engine," she said. "The rest of you, go and find some water."

"Yeah, but how're we going to travel out of here?" Roxy asked, her arms crossed.

Tecna didn't answer. She had spotted something, and her jaw dropped as soon as she saw it. Is that a mirage? She scanned it quickly, and gasped, realizing what she saw was indeed true.

A rainbow hot-air balloon was ahead of them. By the looks of it, it had been caught in the sandstorm and dumped right near them. I don't believe it… Stella's jaw dropped as well.

"That's perfect!" she shouted. "I'll use my magic to get it moving!"

"Tecna, we're going to go ahead on that," Bloom told her. "Keep this." She handed her the digilocator and a phone. "We'll come back here and get you, okay?"

"Got it," Tecna answered. "I'll fix this for you."

"Let's go!" Roxy shouted, picking Artu up and carrying him to the hot-air balloon. It lifted into the air and out-of-sight.


"Woah!"

"That's just incredible!"

"How did they build all of that?"

The pyramids of Giza loomed ahead of them, tall and majestic. The pyramidal shape was exquisite, taller than she could've imagined. The noon sun shone down directly above them, illuminating the tops of the pyramids. They glowed a golden color, filled with life.

Under normal circumstances, Roxy would've appreciated them; however, she was too concerned about Artu. She held her dog in her lap and glared up at everyone.

"Can we please not get distracted?" she snapped. "Artu needs water, okay? We all do – or else we won't survive here for long!"

"How about this?" Musa suggested. "Roxy, Stella, and I will go and search for water, while the rest of you guys search around the compound. This could be our clue to discovering what's going on."

The balloon landed at Giza. Stella pulled Roxy along with her, and Roxy let out a sigh, carrying Artu in her arms. She gazed down worriedly at her dog.

"Artu," she whispered, "you're gonna be okay. I promise you." Fear filled her eyes as she stared down at her dog.

She couldn't help but feel worried about Artu. She would always worry about him, especially because he was her only companion in this world. Especially now that they were separated from her… father.

"Roxy, are you okay?" Musa asked with concern. "How ya feeling?"

Roxy didn't answer. She was too worried about Daidí, left alone without her. Daidí, who had cared for her all this time. Daidí, whom even she was beginning to miss. She angrily brushed her tears away as she stared down.

And then there was Krithi. There was just something about that girl that made Roxy so angry, an infuriating expression she couldn't put her finger on. And yet… she was so docile and sweet at the same time, it made Roxy want to slap her. But there was nothing she could do –

A loud BOOM sounded from outside, startling them all. Musa let out a gasp, turning around. "What just" –

She didn't get to finish her sentence. Three Wizards appeared on either side of them, a malicious glare in their eyes. Ogron held a bottle of water in his hands.

"Looking for this?"


Tecna frowned, gazing around at the engine. She had tried scanning countless times, but was unable to fix the parts of the engine. Letting out a groan of frustration, she slammed her hands to the ground.

"This is impossible!" she groaned. "However am I going to do this?"

She had no idea how she was going to fix this. The hot-air balloon was cool and all, but it wouldn't take them long-distances. Letting out a groan, she stared at the engine.

Suddenly, her phone bleeped. Confused, she picked up the phone, staring at the caller ID. Flora? "Hello?" she asked.

"You've got to help us!" her friend shouted frantically. "Some kind of magical entity is attacking us! We have to stop it!"

"What?" Tecna gasped.

"Just get here!" Flora cried.

Alarmed, Tecna slammed the phone down. I've got to find them. She grabbed the Black Circle, holding it in her hands. How am I going to get to Giza?

Suddenly, the Black Circle tinged. She gasped in alarm as it lifted her feet of the ground. Holding it in the air, she shouted, "To Giza!"

She gasped as she was whirled into the air. Holding the Circle in front of her, she saw as the Giza Plateau emerged in front of her, leading her to the place where her friends were. She stared at the Sphinx, looking through the Circle.

The Sphinx blinked.

She's alive! Tecna realized. And she's got my friends! She stared down as she saw all of them stuck under the Sphinx's paws, her ferocious growl bursting through the air.

"You!" Tecna shouted, landing at her feet. "Let my friends go!"

"Oh, you," the Sphinx purred. "I was wondering when you'd show up. I'm the guardian of the Egyptian jewel that you seek."

"Let them go!" Tecna repeated. She didn't care about the jewel anymore, especially if it meant that her friends would die. "They can't defend themselves!" She saw that Bloom had fainted, and that Layla was staring at her with terrified eyes. Flora was struggling, but her expression was determined.

"Sure," the Sphinx answered, her eyes gleaming. "But first, you must answer this one question. There were once many books in the lost library of Alexandria. How many letters were there in those books?"

"What?" Tecna asked angrily. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"You have one hour," she answered, a gleam in her eyes. "If you do not find the answer within that time, your friends will die. Answer correctly, and I'll give you the jewel; answer incorrectly, and you'll die along with them. Of course, you could always walk away and leave them to their fates."

"Never!" Tecna shouted, glaring at her. "I won't give up on my friends!"

"Then you have some searching to do," the Sphinx cackled.

Anger shot through Tecna's head. I spent months away from my friends last year – I'm not about to lose them again! She was about to lift her weapon, but Flora shouted, "Tecna, don't waste your time! You have to get out of here and find the answer!"

"This is an impossible task!" Tecna snapped back. "I have to get you away from her!"

"She's too powerful for us!" Flora called. "Listen, Tecna – go to the Library of Alexandria! You need to scan the books with your cyborg brain, and come back with the answer!"

Tecna checked her phone. If she used the balloon, she would reach there in a record fifteen minutes. She hopped into the balloon, jetting into the air.

I've got to get there. Her heart raced as she flew as fast as she could. I've got to save my friends from trouble.


Musa ran forward, drawing Excalibur. She slashed at Ogron, who simply dodged. "I'm afraid she's mine," he smiled. Turning towards Roxy, he lifted a spell, ready to take her down.

"Fight someone who can fight back, you coward!" Stella shouted, lifting a solar spell in her hands.

In response, Ogron knocked her down. She let out a shout as she slammed into a cactus, looking alarmed. Laughing, Ogron whizzed another hex straight at Roxy.

"Haaah!" Roxy shouted in fright, dodging just in time. Holding Artu in her arms, she desperately tried to run away, Ogron laughing as he followed her trail.

Musa's eyes widened with horror. I've got to help her! She started to run towards her, but Gantlos blocked her way.

"There, there," he smirked. "What's the rush?" He lifted his hands. An earsplitting sonic-boom filled the air, breaking into Musa's ears. She let out a cry as she was pushed back, the noise's fury filling her entire head.

I won't let it! She lifted Excalibur, slashing again at him. He gasped, running out of the way, but she had already broken his concentration.

"News flash!" she snarled at him, punching him in the face. "Don't you dare pick on her!" She hit him on the head with her Sword, knocking him to the ground.

She ran towards Roxy, who was backed into a corner, looking horrified, yet furious. Artu was whimpering, and she glared at Ogron. Gantlos and Anagan were surrounding her, ready to move forward as soon as Ogron told them to.

"Hey, Wizards!" Stella shouted. "Over here!"

"Give us the girl!" Anagan snarled, his face enraged.

"You're not one to make conditions," Stella answered boldly. "This is my home-territory!" She drew incredible power from the blazing desert-sun, and Musa watched in awe as she blinded Ogron and Anagan. They let out a shout, kneeling to the ground.

But it wasn't good enough for Gantlos. Breaking through the blinding light, he ran towards Roxy, his face monstrous.

"No!" Musa yelled.

But he was ready. With a simple wave of his hand, he sent a wave at her, and she shouted, leaping out of the way. Shoving past him, she grabbed Roxy's hand. "RUN!"

The two ran out of the plaza. Musa ran backwards and drew her shield, blocking Gantlos attacks from hitting them. With horror, she saw that Anagan had recovered, and was glaring at them as well. Back-to-back, they stared at each other, wondering what in the world they were going to do.

"Roxy," Musa whispered quickly, "I'm going to distract them. Use your powers!"

"How!" Roxy hissed back.

"You've done it before!" Musa snapped. Running towards the two Wizards, she drew their attention, shouting, "Yo, uglies!"

Anagan growled. "Who're you calling ugly?" With his super-speed, he pounced at her.

She leapt out of the way just in-time, landing squarely on her feet. Thank Symphonia for Layla's dance- and gymnastics'-lessons! She slashed Excalibur at his face, and he dodged. He flew up next to Gantlos, who shouted, "I've had enough of this!" He shot towards Musa, as did Anagan from the other side.

Musa watched carefully as Gantlos and Anagan each flew at her – Gantlos from the east, and Anagan from the west. Let's hope this works… At the last possible second, she flipped into the air. The two crashed into each other, falling to the ground.

"Enough of this foolishness!" Ogron shouted. He glared at Roxy, who was still standing alone, backing up in fear. "Capture her! The Last Fairy shall be ours!"


The balloon landed in Alexandria, and Tecna pulled the Black Circle out of her pocket, searching for the Lost Library of Alexandria. I've got to find it… She gazed through the Circle, staring straight at the ruins.

Rather than seeing the library, though, she saw a tunnel heading into the earth. Huh? She ran down towards the tunnel, staring around.

She used her scanners, and gasped. The library is buried underground! She ran through the long, winding tunnel, gasping at how much cooler the air was.

I need to save my friends. Worry clenched inside her heart, like a fist twisting her insides. She knew that if she failed, no one would forgive her – least of all herself.

She remembered the disastrous events of the past year, how painful it'd been to be separated from her friends. She couldn't bear to relive that again. She swallowed, connecting to her full scanning capacities.

She frowned as soon as she entered the library, staring up at the shelves. The library was furnished with Persian rugs, and Egyptian gods and goddesses were freely painted on the walls. Scrolls were shelved all around the walls, very neatly. Unbelievable… She stepped forward, and gasped.

I can sense the magic here. Nervously, she used her internal computer to start the algorithm she'd made on the way there. It was then that she noticed something right below.

On the floor were ancient Egyptian clay-tablets, in hieroglyphs.

No… Tecna stared, confused and startled. Now what was she to do? Does she want the number of letters in the entire library, or just the books and scrolls? What was she to do?

I'll have to calculate both, then. She looked at her watch and gasped; half-an-hour had elapsed since she'd left the Sphinx. She had to calculate within the next ten minutes, or else her friends would be gone.

But ten minutes passed, and the algorithm still hadn't worked. Tecna was panicking, terrified that she was still missing it. There were far, far more letters than she could've imagined, which was why it was taking so long. She stared around hopelessly, determined not to get back empty-handed.

As she gazed around the shelves of the library, she caught sight of a scroll peeking out of the shelf. She grabbed it, opening and staring at it.

Villains in Egyptian Lore

Just what I need, she thought eagerly.

The scroll was written in Egyptian hieroglyphs. Running a program to translate to Unified Zenithian, she stared at what she saw.

Sphinxes are known tricksters. Famous for their riddles, they know how to beguile a hero, sending him to his death thereafter. The Mother of all Sphinxes resides in Giza, a statue erected in her honor.

When Oedipus journeyed throughout the world, he encountered the Mother of all Sphinxes in Giza. She asked of him the question "what stands on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night?" Due to his creativity and clever wit, he answered correctly, "a man", for it is humanity that has that power.

It should be noted that sphinxes know exactly how to trick their audience before telling their tale. They use their opponent's flaws in order to beguile them, goading them into the wrong course of thought. Their riddles are steeped in trickery rather than basis of real fact. However, they are constructed so that an ordinary person with ordinary capabilities should have the ability to answer them.

Ordinary capabilities… Which meant her algorithms were completely useless. She frowned, staring down at the floor.

What was she to do? It was clear that the Sphinx had tricked her, sending her in the "wrong course of thought". Or in this case, wrong course of action. She saw clearly that she had never needed to come to the Library of Alexandria at all.

But then what? she thought frantically. The riddle's answer had to be something she'd overlooked, something simple, within the question. She frowned, thinking of the question.

And then it hit her with force, such force that she couldn't believe she hadn't realized it before.

Suddenly, a boom sounded from above. She let out a gasp of shock as the ceiling above her shook, and cracks appeared. What's going on?


Duman stood above the Library of Alexandria. What had once been hidden for centuries was now discovered, thanks to the Zenithian fairy's foolishness. He frowned, staring down at the entrance.

She cannot know who I am. He could not let the Winx discover what he was, for that would help them destroy him. He glared down at the cave below, curling his lip.

Goodbye, fool. With a single stomp of his foot, the earth shook. He smirked sardonically, disappearing just as the ground below him fell.


Tecna dove under a ledge just as the first rock fell down. She gasped in horror, frantically running up the tunnel.

The entire tunnel was collapsing. Red danger alerts were flashing across her vision, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she was buried alive. She tried to force her way through, breaking through the rocks.

The rocks rolled towards her at full-speed, threatening to flatten her. She leapt over one, gasping as they kept coming towards her. She knew it'd be impossible to outrun the sheer force of gravity.

But then how do I get out? She stared around, trying to look at where to go.

And then she saw it. A tiny crack in the wall, a small ledge, that she might be able to squeeze through. She grabbed onto it, pulling herself up.

She stared desperately at a huge boulder, which was rolling towards her. Come on, come on! From the force calculated by her internal computer, she knew she'd be crushed if it reached her. With a huge effort, she yanked her entire body up.

She made it into the tunnel just as it sealed away. She only barely fit through it, her thin body just able to squeeze through. I suppose it's good I lost all that weight last year. She hauled herself up, forcing herself to the surface.

The wind was picking up, and she lowered her head as the sand around her swirled. In the distance, she caught sight of the rainbow balloon, only just staying on the ground.

Thank goodness. Now all she had to do was fly back to the Sphinx. She looked at her watch and gasped.

Only twenty minutes left! She had to go immediately. Leaping into the balloon, she turned on the fire and sent it off into the sky.


Roxy stared at the Wizards, who were advancing on her with dark eyes. Ogron laughed demonically, flaunting the water-bottle in her face.

"You foolish girl," he laughed. "Soon, you shall be ours."

"You'll never win," Musa snarled, hatred in her eyes. "You won't take Roxy away – not when she's done so much!"

Why does Musa have so much confidence in me? Roxy thought. It was very hard to live up to her expectations, especially since she was barely a fairy. I don't even have wings like Stella… How could anyone expect her to be a proper fairy?

"You can't let him get into your head, Roxy!" Stella shouted. "That's exactly what he wants!"

"Shut up!" Gantlos shot her with a sonic-wave. She fell to the ground, unconscious, and Roxy gasped in horror. "No!"

"Missed me?" Duman appeared in front of Roxy, startling her. "What'd I miss?" He looked towards the other Wizards, who growled.

"Good to see you could grace us with your presence, Duman," Ogron snapped. "Now help us do something useful."

Duman lifted a blast of blinding sand at Roxy, who was completely unprepared for the attack. She shouted out in pain, and Artu barked angrily.

Suddenly, the ground yanked her and Artu down. She let out a shout as she sank into the sand, completely helpless. "What're you doing?" she cried out. Next to her, Artu was frantically barking and moving his paws.

"Teaching you a lesson," Duman laughed. Musa shouted in fury, pointing the Sword directly at his back. But just as she was about to strike, Ogron slammed her with a sandstorm. She fell down, shouting in anger.

Roxy watched fearfully as Duman walked up to her, his eyes glinting. He smirked at the struggling girl.

"The reign of Ma'at will soon come to an end," he laughed. "Truth and order shall descend into true chaos. And then, I will be victorious at last!"

Who's Ma'at? thought Roxy. What was Duman talking about? She stared at him helplessly, crying out in-pain as her head reached the sand's level.

Suddenly, a natural healing energy shot through the desert. She gasped in shock as she felt the essence of magic flowing through her, ejecting her and Artu out of the sinkhole. It closed up completely, and Artu let out a joyful woof, his dehydration seeming to have healed. The Wizards stared around in disbelief.

"What just happened?" Stella asked shakily, sitting up.

"I think the other Winx have done something," Musa gasped. "But what?"

"Goodbye, fairies," Ogron snapped. "This isn't over!" They vanished.


Tecna burst through the air, the hot-air balloon blasting forth at full-speed. She gazed ahead and let out a gasp, dismayed and alarmed.

STRONG WINDS AHEAD, her digi-sensors read. HEADING NORTHWEST.

No! Tecna thought in horror. Why did she have to get headwind now, of all times? This is going to slow me down by ten minutes! Already, she could feel the hot-air balloon slowing down.

She gazed frantically at her watch. She was five minutes away from Giza, but with her luck, she would now be fifteen. And she only had ten minutes left to get to Giza. There was only one thing left to do.

"I'm going to have to abandon ship and fly there myself." Using the Black Circle, she flew into the air, shooting straight through the sky.

She screamed as soon as she was hit full-force by the winds, which showed no sign of stopping her. Now I know how Stella felt… She tried desperately to resist against it, but they were far too strong. Tears came to her eyes as the sandstorm beat against her eyes.

No – I've got to resist against it – She closed her eyes furiously, but the sand still burned into her eyes. She shook her head, determined not to let herself fall. Her internal timer beeped, and she gasped in shock.

Only five minutes to go… come on…

The cities were expanding below her. Tecna would've taken the time to appreciate them, but she was unable to see them. Her eyes were sealed shut, excruciating pain overcoming them. Her body was beginning to ache as she pushed herself faster than she'd ever pushed them before.

Her breath was beginning to come out in short rasps. A good amount of sand had gone into her mouth, and she could not stop coughing. But there was no time to stop – there were only two minutes left on the clock.

I've got to get there. Panic rose in her throat as she thought of the Winx, trapped under the Sphinx. Come on!

When a minute was left on the clock, her wiring bleeped, telling herself that she was in Giza. Finally, she reached the Sphinx. Her body suddenly giving way, she fell through the air, hitting the sand with a thud.

"Tecna!" Flora cried out.

"Oh, I see you're back," the Sphinx said smoothly. Tecna didn't even have to see her to know that she was in front "With only ten seconds left." Her eyes gleamed. "Ready to see your friends die?"

Tecna didn't answer – she couldn't answer. Her mouth was filled with sand, and she could not stop choking. I have to tell her the answer – I have to get the sand out! The time was disappearing right before her eyes.

"I suppose the time has come," the Sphinx smiled. "Say goodbye to your friends." She lifted her paws, ready to strike down on the Winx.

Tecna saw her internal clock count-down. One second left – Before the Sphinx could strike, she screamed out, "Ten!"

The Sphinx's paws hung in midair. She stared at Tecna, taken aback. Flora, Bloom, and Layla screamed in horror.

"That's it?" Layla gasped. "How could there only be ten letters in all those books?"

"Not in all those books," Tecna answered, "but in the words 'those books'! She tricked us this entire time, sending me on a wild-pixie chase to Alexandria – all to solve this silly riddle! Well, this ends now!" She glared at the Sphinx. "Release my friends!"

Suddenly, she felt a magical power overcome her. A soothing, terrestrial energy shot over her eyes, and she saw that she could see. She was inside an orange cocoon, with lavender sparkles shooting up her body. Staring down, she gasped at what was happening.

She was wearing a purple fairy tunic with a jagged bottom, and long lavender trousers. Bronze boots and a bronze belt of neon gems rose up her body. An indigo pharaoh headdress was on her head, and earthen gloves were on her hands. A fairy-dust choker appeared at her throat, and a neon-green tourmaline jewel at her breast and forehead. Her wings were square-shaped, with neon lights. The cocoon disappeared, and she stared around.

The women had fallen to the ground, exhausted, and she ran up to them frantically. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Bloom said. "In fact, I feel kind of – healed. As if I'm full of energy." She looked at Flora. "What about you?"

"Same," Flora agreed. "You did a wonderful job, Tecna." She smiled at her friend. Staring up, Tecna watched as the Sphinx lifted something in her paws.

It was an amber gemstone, deep orange. It shined brilliantly as it flew towards the Black Circle, entering into the next spot. She watched as it dazzled, the Circle glowing orange.

"I am impressed by you, young woman," the Sphinx continued. "You showed an ability to stretch out of your comfort-zone, thinking creatively instead of logically. You have now mastered a new skill." Her eyes gleamed. "I suppose you could teach me a thing or two about logic, though. Working together, we could devise the best riddles the fay have ever seen."

Tecna's head became woozy. Working with her? Suddenly, the force of wind she'd fought against, coupled with dehydration and exhaustion, came over her. Black spots appeared at her vision, and she felt herself fall. The last thing she heard was Bloom's shout as she collapsed, safely in her friends' hands.


The hot-air balloon sailed towards the damaged helicopter, which was still lying in the desert. Musa gazed forward, ready to bust out of there and get going on their next mission.

A raspy cough sounded behind her. Turning around, she saw that Tecna had awoken, looking rather confused. "What – happened?" she asked blearily, lying on the ground.

"Tecna!" Bloom ran up to her. "Are you all right?"

"Guys, don't crowd her," Flora commanded. "Let her rest." She gently poured some water from her Cauldron down Tecna's throat. The technology-fairy lay down on the floor of the balloon, sighing in relief.

The balloon landed at the helicopter, and Layla bent down to pick up Tecna. "I got her," she said, carrying the Zenithian fairy inside.

As she picked her up, a strong gust of wind blew at them, and a sheet of parchment flew out of Tecna's pocket. Musa snatched it in the air, staring at it. "What's this?" she asked in confusion.

The entire paper was written in some confusing language. She couldn't decipher it at all, and stared blandly at the paper in front of her. Tecna shook her head.

"It's the scroll I got the information from," she said. "I translated it."

"You can read hieroglyphs?" Roxy asked in amazement. "I've never seen these before!"

"We have this awesome thing called Interrealm Translate," Stella answered cheerfully. "Come on, Tec, whip that thing out!"

Tecna held the parchment to her face, analyzing it with her brain. The others watched eagerly as she read aloud.

"The snake Apep is the enemy of light. When darkness is at its highest, he rises, swallowing the sunlight and bringing devastation to the crops. His mortal enemy is the Faerie Queen, the protector of agriculture, who is blessed by Ma'at, goddess of truth, and Ra, god of sun. Every year, at the spring equinox, they fight for domination over the crops. She always defeats him, though the war is never truly won, as he always springs out of the ashes. Once they both die, their roles will be passed on – her to the next Faerie Queen, and he to a new boy whom he can taint with darkness."

Below that was a sketch of a snake, both in serpent and human form. She stared at him in disbelief, unable to believe what she saw.

The man on the page was Duman. He had the same pink spiky hair, the same thin stature, and the same devious smirk. She let out a gasp, turning towards the others.

"It's Duman!" she shouted. "He's Apep, the Enemy of Light!"

"That's what he meant?" Roxy asked disdainfully. "Sounded like a load of crap, if you ask me."

"You saw him?" Flora asked in horror.

"We sure did," Stella answered, her eyes flashing. "The Wizards ambushed us while you guys were trapped by the Sphinx. Duman told us that Ma'at's reign was ending."

"Well, Ma'at is a goddess in Egyptian mythology," Bloom mused. "I'm not sure what Apep has to do with her, though. I think we need to do more research." She looked towards Tecna. "Can we get to the Library again?"

Tecna shook her head sadly. "An earthquake came over it while I was there; it's no longer accessible to any of us. All that knowledge, all gone"… She stared sadly down.

"It's okay," Musa said, placing her hand on Tecna's shoulder. "One way or the other, we will get to the bottom of this."


Next chapter:

Krithi goes through the Test of Fire.

Riven enters rehab.