Posted January 23, 2022.


CHAPTER 18: YIN AND YANG

On the Matter of the Realm of China

China is a realm filled with magic and mystique. From the Great Wall to the ancient Forbidden City, the fay dwell everywhere. Humanity and fay work in tandem to protect the ancient empire from outside threats. Common fay include dragons, phoenixes, fox-spirits, and unicorns.

The Han Dynasty was a time of greatness for the fay. Chinese art and literature flourished, and humanity and the fay lived together in peace. They had a bond unparalleled in any other realm. China soon became one of the greatest civilizations in the world.

Between the Han and Sui Dynasty, much of this great empire crumbled. The fay's relationship with humanity started to decay, as did much of civilization.

– from The Book of Fay


Beijing, China

"Woo-hoo!"

"Yip-haw!"

"Yay!"

Layla stared out the helicopter, watching warily as the pixies cheered happily outside. Flying atop the rainbow balloon, they were swinging on loose ropes attached atop. She frowned, turning around to the others, who seemed less concerned about the pixies and more concerned about other matters.

"Where are we supposed to head next?" complained Stella. "We've been travelling around China for two weeks and still haven't found anything. Where're we supposed to go?"

"Beats me," Roxy answered, tossing the Book of Fay onto the table. "Search this thing top to bottom, if you want answers."

Layla frowned as she watched Piff dangling precariously from a rope, only one hand clinging on. Pushing that image out of her mind, she turned around to the others, trying her best to keep her voice calm.

"China's supposed to be a massive country," she said. "We can't expect to find the next jewel as quickly as we did the last two. It's gonna take time."

"I just wish it wasn't this long," Stella grumbled, sitting back down in her chair.

"Yee!" a sound of fright came from outside the helicopter. Amore was clinging tightly to the ropes attached to the hot-air balloon, which was empty except for the fire. The wind was blowing fiercely, and all of the Pixies were now clinging tightly to the ropes, expressions of fear on their faces.

"Pixies!" Layla shouted. "I'm com" –

She stopped, remembrance crashing on her like a particularly harsh wave of an Androsian sea. She couldn't save the pixies, because she couldn't fly. Of course she wasn't going anywhere. Tecna caught her expression, looking sympathetic.

"I got it," she said, opening the latch. Transforming, she flew out to the struggling pixies, who were hanging onto the ropes for dear life. Snatching them one-by-one, she carried them back to the helicopter, placing them inside. Flying back for the balloon, she pulled it into the helicopter, deflating it before closing the door.

"Be careful, Pixies," Bloom said sternly to them. "We don't want that happening again."

Layla sighed, holding Piff to her chest. "Be safe," she whispered to her. The young pixie smiled, falling asleep in Layla's arms.

She glanced at the pixie, her precious pixie, and placed her on the table. Thank Marinus she isn't hurt. It had nearly killed her, having to leave Nabu behind. She swallowed, thinking of the Specialists, and where they were situated now.

Nabu has to be safe. Tears came to her eyes. Please, Marinus, keep Nabu safe from –

"Hey everyone, look outside!" Flora shouted suddenly. They all scrambled to the window.

"Woah, look at that!"

"Amazing!"

Layla gazed down in awe, for once unable to speak. She had seen many awe-inspiring things, having grown up in a royal palace, but somehow this was just as astonishing. She stared out the window, taking it all in at once.

The Great Wall of China stretched ahead of them. Made of white bricks and stone, it extended as far as the eye could see. On both sides of the wall rose white battlements and fortifications. Below it extended a huge forest, which looked bare now due to the winter, but which Layla knew would be lush and beautiful come spring and summer.

"This is amazing!" Amore cried. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"It really is," Bloom gasped. "It's just so beautiful!"

"Where are we going now?" Roxy asked. "We've been searching this country for, like, forever."

Layla frowned, gazing at Tecna's phone, which had a map on it. Where do we go? She thumbed through the Book of Fay, trying to find a location.

Instantly, she saw it. The illustration showed a waterfall that thundered down a legendary mountain, pushing against everything in its path. Orange carp were swimming towards that mountain, trying to leap over it.

"I found it!" she called. The others immediately turned towards her, stopping what they were doing.

"Found what?" Bloom asked eagerly. Layla showed them the Book.

"Hmm, let me see," Tecna immediately looked it up on her phone. "Dragon's Gate, on the Yellow River in Hunan Province. According to Chinese mythology, this legendary waterfall is home to magical carp. On the third month of spring, they try to leap over the Dragon's Gate to the top of the mountain. It is said that those who succeed turn into dragons."

"No way!" Chatta gasped.

"That's what they say," Tecna answered. "It is said that, once the first rains begin to fall, the carp have successfully turned into dragons."

"We've got to go there," Bloom declared.

"How about this?" Flora suggested. "Stella, Musa, and I take Roxy for some magic lessons. You three take the hot-air balloon and go to find the next jewel of the Black Circle."

"Um, problem?" Roxy said from behind. "How are they supposed to teach me magic if they don't have their powers?" She pointed to Musa and Flora.

"Don't worry about us, Roxy," Stella answered. "I'd worry about you. I've learned quite a few things from Griselda, if I do say so myself."

"Who's Griselda?" asked Roxy as the rest of them giggled.

"All right," Bloom smiled. "Let's get on our way."


A red-and-yellow city loomed below them, filled with red palace-like structures with golden thatched roofs. Dragon symbols were etched into nearly everything. Everywhere, there were Chinese characters, many of them written in purple. Red fortifications surrounded the whole city, and trees were planted everywhere. Musa took it all in slowly, admiring everything.

"This is Forbidden City," Roxy said as the balloon flew over. "It's supposed to be the home of the ancient Chinese emperors."

"Let's see," Digit checked her phone. "'From the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty, Forbidden City was the residence of the Chinese emperors. It is the largest palace complex in the world, and also the most valuable.' Well, on Earth, at least."

"Still, even by Earthian standards, this is impressive," Amore pointed out.

Musa frowned, gazing over at Roxy. She seemed to be in a much better mood than before, which Musa appreciated. And yet, she still wasn't a hundred-percent. Musa could still that she still missed her home and her family, as little as she probably liked to admit it.

She wanted nothing more than to put her arm around the girl's shoulder, but she didn't know how well she would take it. All she knew was that she felt a kind of motherly protectiveness towards her. She wanted nothing more than to protect her friend from harm.

Why do I feel this way towards her? Why did she always want to protect Roxy, stop her from being hurt? Why was it that she was so motherly and protective of her?

"Musa!"

Musa snapped her head up. Digit was staring at her, looking cross. "Did you hear what Stella just said?"

"No," Musa said. "What happened?"

"We wanted to know where we're going to train Roxy," Stella answered.

Musa looked out the window. There was a deserted park, filled with bare trees and snow. "Let's head there," she said.

"Good idea," Stella agreed. "No one need know we're training there."

"So what're you gonna teach me, anyways?" Roxy asked.

"First, we're gonna start connecting with your magical source," Musa answered, remembering the lessons she'd had during her childhood. "Breathe in and out. Connect with your heart – your magical reservoir – and feel the power within. Then let it spread slowly through your veins. The magic will reach your dominant hand, and then you'll be able to create a magical sphere."

"Is this like meditation?" Roxy groaned. "My dad put me in anger-management classes a few years back. All we ever did was sit around and breathe."

"Well, as Flora would say, meditation does calm your soul," Stella said. "Right, Flo?"

"Sure," Flora answered absentmindedly, turning the pages of the book.

Musa frowned, staring at her friend. "What's going on?"

"I'm reading about the different kings of the Chinese Empire," she said. "There was one in the Sui Dynasty, by the name of Sui Yang Di. He was a very cruel king who conscripted his citizens constantly and heavily taxed them as well."

"So what relevance does that have?" Roxy asked, sounding bored. Flora turned the page, pointing to a sketch on the page.

"Someone drew him," she said. "There's something familiar about him, isn't there?"

Musa looked at the page and let out a gasp. The emperor's face was cruel and distorted, and he had a familiarly vicious look on his face. Long blond hair framed his cheeks. She stared at Flora, saying, "But that's – that's" –

A sudden gust of wind nearly blocked the balloon over. Musa, Roxy, Stella, and Flora grabbed onto the side; Stella instinctively transformed. A loud, mocking laugh sounded in the distance. Then Gantlos appeared in front of them, smirking. "Looking for me?"


The helicopter flew over the Yellow River. Layla gazed down at the river, holding out the Black Circle as she gazed at it.

She gasped. Below them was a mountain which hadn't been there before, a tall one that extended into the sky. A waterfall flowed from its peak. She motioned to the others, shouting, "We're here!"

Immediately, Tecna landed the helicopter and they all clambered out. Layla admired the sight of the waterfall, appreciating the arduous climb the carp clearly had to make in order to reach the top.

After all, much of her life had been an uphill climb. She swallowed, remembering the difficulties she'd faced as a child.

She'd been secluded much of her childhood, mainly for her own safety. The palace tutors grilled her in nearly every area, from history to languages to magical defense childhood. In some sense, her childhood had not been much unlike Tecna's, except that while Tecna had been forced into servitude by an evil scientist, Layla had been made to work merely so she could serve her kingdom. She hadn't had much contact with children her age, which had made her very insecure once she attended Alfea.

And now, she was on this mission, as far away from the palace environment as she possibly could get. They were touring the entire planet, looking for the jewels of the Black Circle. It was arduous, just as arduous as the leap the carp made over the Dragon Gate.

She wondered if she could make her own leap and regain her magic. Without it, she felt powerless. She'd had it her whole life, only for it to be taken by the Wizards of the White Circle. Without magic, she felt as if she had no purpose for existence.

They'd managed to recover two out of six jewels so far. And they had five more they needed to recover. This was with both the Earthian police and Wizards on their tails. It was going to be a very, very difficult mission, which they would have to persevere through.

The person she was most worried for, though, was Musa. There was something about Musa that had just changed. She knew that, ever since Tecna had disappeared last year, Musa hadn't been the same. It had affected the rest of them too, of course, but Musa seemed particularly changed. No longer was she the cheery, upbeat fairy she'd been before, always cracking jokes and laughing around. No, she seemed deadened, a shell of her former self.

She worried for her friend. She hoped that, with time and patience, she would feel much better. Letting out a sigh, she turned towards the river, frowning slightly.

"There's just one problem," Tecna said as they landed. "According to the Book of Fay, the carp don't leap over the Gate until the third month of spring. It's January now – nowhere near the first month of spring. How are we going to find one?"

"Let's check through the Black Circle." Layla looked through the Circle, trying to figure out what was going on.

She stared. In the water, there was an orange-like carp, who was struggling to swim. The fish tried to swim up to the falls, but struggled. It leapt high into the air, but not high enough to reach the top of the falls.

"We have to help it!" she cried, trying to encourage the fish forwards. "Come on, fish, you can do it!"

Somehow, the fish seemed emboldened. Layla pulled out her weapon and slashed it against the water; it created a giant wave, one that rose towards the top of the mountain. Emboldened, the fish rode on the wave, then made a giant leap. Flying up into the sky, it reached the top of the falls, just at the upper river.

As it neared the stream of water at the top, it transformed. Its body lengthened, and its scales became more pronounced on its back. The beast was a brilliant orange color, long and serpentine, like a cross between a serpent and a fish. His eyes were yellow, fierce and commanding, as he flew down towards the three women.

Layla stood where she was, wondering what he was going to do. She gazed up at him, bowing down as he flew up to her, his eyes bright.


Immediately, Musa, Stella, and Flora ran forward, lifting their weapons. Climbing atop their flying-saucers, Musa and Flora launched off the balloon. Stella flew towards Gantlos, lifting a hot sphere. "Fire of the phoenix!" she shouted, launching it straight at him.

"Technical failure!" Digit shot a sphere at Gantlos.

"Royal heartbreak!" Amore added.

"Gossiping gallop!" Chatta shouted.

Needless to say, Gantlos effortlessly dodged all these spells. With a growl of frustration, Musa lifted her bow, shooting pink arrow after arrow at the Wizard. Gantlos smirked, and then he sent out a soundwave.

Roxy screamed as the soundwave knocked over the balloon. She and Artu clung desperately to the side, trying to hold on. Then the balloon tipped over, and, to their horror, they fell.

Terror like she'd never known burst into Roxy's heart. I'm gonna die! The ground loomed alarmingly closer, filling her with fear –

A brilliant yellow light suddenly flashed around her. Slowly, she levitated towards the ground, Stella's spell gently letting her down. She landed feet-first on the ground, gasping in relief and fear. Staring upwards, she let out a shriek as Gantlos bore down towards her.

But Cherie flew to her side, shooting a hex at Gantlos. The irritated Wizard brushed away the hex like it was nothing, glaring at Roxy, Cherie, and Artu. Roxy smiled appreciatively at her bonded pixie. She closed her eyes, trying to connect with her magical source.

She thought she could feel a stirring inside, something warm, that she'd never connected with before. She let out a gasp. Feeling its warmth, she tried to connect to it, the magic within –

She screamed as a wave of cold water hit her. From the river behind, it slammed her straight into a tree. Coughing and bedraggled, she lay in a heap at the ground.

"Foolish fairy," Gantlos laughed, kneeling over her. She struggled as she tried to escape, but Gantlos's grip was too tight. "We have you at last."


The dragon flew over Layla, his scales gleaming brilliantly as he looked down at her. She gazed right back up, staring at him straight in the eyes. His intelligent eyes bore straight back into her, the yellow gleaming brilliantly at her.

"Thank you, fairies," he said. Although his lips didn't move, Layla could clearly hear his voice in her head. "You have freed me from the curse that trapped me as a carp for a thousand years."

Layla's eyes widened. "Sixteen years?"

"I was turned back into a carp for a thousand years," the dragon answered. "For years, I tried desperately to revert back to my old self, but I could not. But you, fairy of Andros, saved me."

"We're here to save not just you, but all the fay," Layla answered. "We need to know more about the fairies and the problems they faced. Can you tell us?"

"I can tell you all you know about the fay of China. During the tumultuous dark ages between the Han and Sui dynasty, the fay disappeared. We were locked away by the Wizards of the White Circle, never to return. We were locked in the realm of Paradise, which is where most of the fay currently are now."

"Hang on a minute," Tecna frowned. "Why were you in the river, then? How did you manage to escape Paradise?"

"Not all of us were locked up to begin with," the dragon answered. "My ancestors managed to evade capture by disguising as other animals. We reverted back to our childhood form – as carp. It was how we remained free, for although the Wizards were locked up after the imprisonment, humanity had turned against the fay by that point.

"And then, sixteen years ago, a fairy managed to escape from the prison of the fay."

Layla's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yes," the dragon said solemnly. "A foolish fairy escaped Paradise, not realizing that to do this was a great curse upon us all. Exactly a year after she had arrived, she was sent back to the prison, and an even greater darkness fell upon us. Pollution was rampant, and over the past fifteen years, natural crises have struck."

"So we freed you from a thousand years' imprisonment," Layla realized. "But you understand, don't you? We need you to be able to break that curse on everyone, whatever it may be! You have to help us!"

Instead of answering her plea, the dragon spoke again. "Millennia ago, my ancestors taught humanity the importance of balance. Without balance, there is no life. Even us dragons must be tempered. My consort was the Queen of the Phoenixes."

"Chinese phoenixes are female?" Bloom asked in surprise.

"Correct. Our fiery consorts stop us before we let too much water fall to the ground. When they set fire to the forests, eliminating old and dead trees to make way for the young, we calm them before the fire goes out-of-control. They are yin, and we are yang. Likewise, the fay represent yin, and humanity represents yang. Neither is superior to the other, and each needs the other in order to survive.

"The problem arose when humanity tried to overtake the fay, and yang oppressed yin. Masculinity overtook femininity, and all seemed lost. When the Wizards of the White Circle defeated us in the medieval time, we were trapped away."

"So the Wizards represent toxic masculinity?" Layla asked, through gritted teeth. "Are they yang?"

"No, they are not yang. A true man knows how to treat women – and all other people before him – with respect. It is through wisdom, not brute force, that he gains power. These Wizards are misusing the power of their yang to spread misery and chaos."

Layla frowned. Yin and yang… The terms sounded familiar. Suddenly, it came to her.

"In the prophecy!" she realized. "Yin and yang! The Gallizenae said that 'yin and yang must create a bridge of piety'!"

"So we basically need to free the fay," Bloom realized. "Then, the world will be balanced again!"

"Okay," Tecna said, frowning. "So what do we do with this?"

"Fifteen years ago, my consort died. In misery, I withered away, allowing depression to overtake me. But now I must go back to my duty and spread rainfall to the land. Will you do this with me?"

"Absolutely," Layla answered. The dragon's eyes gleamed as he gazed at her.

"Very well, then. Let us depart."


Musa watched as Gantlos grabbed Roxy, lifting her up into his arms. Artu barked fiercely, and Cherie let out a gasp of fear. Musa pointed Excalibur at Gantlos, ready to pounce –

"Stop!" Gantlos demanded. He grabbed Roxy by the shoulders, shaking her like a rag doll. "Make one move and the fairy is dead."

"You won't kill her," Musa gasped between heartbeats of rage. "You need her for your messed-up White Circle stuff."

"Oh yeah?" Gantlos's eyes grew dangerous. "Test me, and we'll see how that goes."

"Musa, Stella, drop your weapons!" Flora shouted desperately from behind. "That's the only way he'll let Roxy go!"

"No chance, Flo," Musa answered grimly, glaring at Gantlos. "As if the likes of him will ever follow a bargain."

"Let go of me," Roxy shouted, "you horrible, manipulative monster!"

Gantlos's eyes narrowed in fury. He tossed Roxy aside, who squealed in fright. Standing tall, he glared down at Roxy.

"My citizens used to call me that," he snarled. "As if they know anything about my greatness! I was once Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, and I singlehandedly eradicated the Chinese fay! I worked hard to destroy the threat that humans faced. And they were almost gone – until this one was born!" He pointed straight at Roxy.

"Well, you're not eradicating her," Stella said grimly. "We'll never let you win!"

"Roxy!" Musa shouted desperately. "Get up!"

Suddenly, a blue aura glowed around Roxy. Standing up, she stared at herself, clearly feeling the magic within. She lifted her right hand, and a blue sphere of light slowly started to form within it. Musa gasped, staring as Roxy turned towards Gantlos, her eyes flashing.

Gantlos yelled as the blue hex hit him in the chest. Staggering backwards, he glared at Roxy, his eyes full of rage.

"I'll be back for more," he snarled. He disappeared into white shadows, leaving them alone to process what'd just happened.


"I've scanned the area," Tecna said, gazing around. "According to my calculations, there're 20 square-kilometers of dry farmland in this area."

Layla's mouth dropped open. Can we water that much? The dragon she sat atop did not look very strong. She gazed down at the farmland herself, and gasped.

The farmland itself was very dry. Although it was winter, the fields were far more fallow than they should've been. She pressed a hand to her mouth, staring down in horror.

This is impossible, she thought. Can we do this? The dragon's eyes gleamed as he gazed down, flapping his wings.

"It is time." He lifted his head, calling upon the water of the rivers. Layla watched as he absorbed it into his body, pulling the water to him. He spewed it into the clouds, darkening them. A powerful magic shot through the air, the clouds brimming with power.

And then rain fell.

It thundered into the earth, sending fertility and strength everywhere. Using her earth magic, Tecna directed the water, making it absorb into the water as strongly as possible. While she flew behind them with her speed-wings, Layla and Bloom sat atop the dragon, enjoying the ride.

Over hills and forests they flew, spreading rain. The people below ran out of their houses, staring in disbelief at the rainclouds over the sky. They shouted in glee, delighted at the rainfall.

But Layla could see that the dragon was tiring. He had been stuck under the riverbed for too long, and was starting to lose his energy. Sooner or later, she would have to do something to help him.

But what? She didn't have her magic. How was she going to help him out? How was she going to help him do his job?

She frowned, remembering what the dragon had said about yin and yang. Something he'd said had bothered her, sticking into her mind.

"A true man knows how to treat women – and all other people before him – with respect. It is through wisdom, not brute force, that he gains power."

That had never been the idea when she'd grown up in Andros. Although her parents, surprisingly, were more liberal than most, she'd still grown up with patriarchal ideas enforced around her. She'd been taught how to defend herself, yes, and was educated in the finest manner, but her life had been very sheltered. She'd been protected and shielded, partially because of her royalty, and partially because of her femininity. It had sickened her, to the point where she'd had to keep on sneaking out.

My realm overuses yang. She knew that there were many realms like hers; Eraklyon was also very patriarchal, something that never failed to irritate her. Sky and Brandon were two of the nicer men from Eraklyon, having grown up with strong women in their lives, but she knew some Eraklyonese men who were absolute jerks. They overused their yang – as did Riven, with Musa.

But she was beginning to realize that yin could be overused, too. Musa had overused her yin just as much as Riven had overused his yang. She realized, with a flash, that they had never been made for each other, that Musa and Riven were never meant-to-be.

Both need to be balanced. The two parties of a relationship needed to be balanced in order to work. Whether yin and yang, yang and yang, or yin and yin, they needed to actively work to complement each other. With that, a peace came over her, and she sat up.

She saw that the fields were now drenched in water. There was far too much water, she realized with horror, and the soil was coming loose. In a flash, she realized the mistake they'd made.

It's the peak of winter now. With winter, there were no crops, and therefore no plants to absorb the water. If they continued to water, the entire plains would flood. She turned towards the dragon in horror.

"This isn't the right time!" she shouted. "You have to stop watering this area, and come back next spring! Not now!"

The rain continued to fall, soaking the ground. It filled houses, drenching the whole land in a mudslide. Peasants screamed as they fell into the mud, the rivers of wetness carrying them away. The entire landscape had become wet, and there was no escape.

"What do we do?" Bloom asked frantically.

"I can't redirect the earth!" Tecna shouted. "How do we stop this flood?"

Layla grabbed the Black Circle. She flew down towards the water, lifting her hands in the air. Suddenly, she felt something she hadn't felt in ages coming back to her, something utterly powerful – magic. Using the Black Circle, she directed the weak yet compelling strain of magic, using it to cleanse the land.

Like a magnet, she pulled the water from the clouds, from the plains, from the dragon – and sent it in a stream in the air. It flew in an arc, sailing towards the Luo River, which was now half-empty. Water refilled the basin, splashing away from people's clothes.

She felt herself enter a purple cocoon. Water splashed over her as she stared around, her entire body covered in sparkles. She felt a green, coconut-colored top and bottom strap onto her. She had scales on her back and a dragon-shaped headdress. Silver mesh-leggings were on her legs and arms. She had a pink pearl on her breast and forehead. Dragon-shaped wings were on her back.

Below her, everyone was staring upwards. The people looked up, dazed, and a woman pointed towards Layla and the dragon.

"Look!" she shouted. "It's the Dragon and his Phoenix! They've come!" The people let out a cheer.

"It's a sign!" a man shouted. "Next season we shall have a good harvest! The rains will come, and they will bring us prosperity!"

I'm not a phoenix! What were they talking about? She turned back to the dragon, whose eyes were shining with wisdom.

"Well done," he said. "You have mastered the powers of yin."

"What are you talking about?" Layla asked.

"You see," the dragon said, "the powers of yin are instrumental to all fairies, whether male or female. Yin is often shadowed as the "dark" element, while her brother yang gets all the light and glory – when in reality, yin has such an important function. Without yin, yang wouldn't be possible."

"So you're saying that we can reclaim the yin that the Wizards of the White Circle stole from the fay?" Bloom asked.

"Certainly," the dragon answered. "I have faith that you will." He flew towards the Dragon's Gate.

A glimmering topaz flew down towards Layla, entering the Black Circle. It glowed yellow before inserting itself into the oval. She stared up at the dragon, her eyes wide.

"Thank you," she breathed. "I will do my absolute best."

"I know you will," the dragon answered. "You will spread the ancient teachings of yin and yang to the world, bringing balance. I have faith in you."

"Come on," Bloom said, taking her hand. "It's time for us to join the others."


The helicopter soared in the air, flying away from the realm of China. Roxy sat down, feeling exhausted – but also proud.

I managed to connect with my magical source! Now she could feel it, beating deep into her heart. Musa grinned at her, looking proud as well. "That was some great work, Roxy."

"Thank you." Roxy smiled as she gazed down at the ground.

"Roxy," a voice called. Bloom walked towards her, holding the Book of Fay. She turned to the page which had the sketch. Roxy took the book, staring down.

Now she knew why the sketch had been so familiar. Emperor Yang was the spitting image of Gantlos, clearly very strong and powerful.

"So Gantlos was once a human," Musa said, breaking the silence. "That's something important we found out today. He ruled in the third century C.E."

"I think Duman was originally human too, though," Tecna pointed out. "He was human before he became Apep. Is it possible that all the Wizards were just regular humans before they became Wizards?"

"That may well be," Layla said. "It would explain a lot, actually."

"Explain what?" Roxy asked in confusion.

"Today we learned about yin and yang," Layla explained. "Yin represents the fairy race, and yang represents the human race. They were meant to coexist peacefully, respecting each other's differences and working together with the balance of the earth.

"But then humans became too powerful. They used the fairies as scapegoats for their own mistakes, and fought many wars against them. Even now, the tales of old paint fairies in a negative light.

"And so, these four Wizards rose to defeat the fay," Musa said with realization in her voice. "They spent centuries locking up the fay in Paradise, banishing them from the human world."

"Exactly," Layla answered. "And that has kept the planet very much out-of-balance."

"We'll do something." This time it was Roxy who spoke. "We're gonna find the fairies and bring back balance to the world. And those Wizards will pay." She clenched her fist, feeling more and more determined.

One way or the other, we will bring the Wizards down.


Next chapter:

The Winx go to Iran.

Roxy discovers an ancient library.

Bloom finds an eternal flame.