A/N: Hello loves! Here is the sixth installment, following right along the Winx Club timeline. This chapter follows S1E3, "Save the First Dance" (if you're following the 4kids version) and so you know some important stuff happens! I don't own Winx Club or any of the dialogue I took from the episode. Hope you loves enjoy and be sure to give me love on the way out! XOXOX!

Chapter 6

'Look in the mirror, focus your Winx, and go!' Professor Wizgiz had said earlier in class.

Yeah, as if it were that simple, she grumbled to herself. It was easy for him to say that while he was changing into Miss Griselda and jumping around the class like some hyperactive rabbit. Bloom had barely received two days worth of magical education and she was supposed to be able to change her hair color on a whim? Those were impossible expectations.

'It's a little early to fall behind! You have a lot of homework to do!' Professor Wizgiz had reprimanded, embarrassing her in front of the whole class that had managed to change their hair into a rainbow of colors. Stella had offered her help back in the room, but help really just meant giving Bloom one idea and then pouting when it didn't turn out as planned. Then again, what else did Bloom really expect from the spoiled, lazy princess?

The current morning was off to a similar start. Bloom was up all night trying to get her transformations down that she barely slept a wink, and it was all for nothing. The closest she got to a color change was the slight shift in the shade of her bangs. Using so much magic was exhausting, not to mention taxing on her focus. She was about to fall face-first into her oatmeal had the Headmistress decided not to make some noise.

"Young ladies, your attention please! I have a very exciting announcement to make," Headmistress Faragonda's voice soared over breakfast hall. "As is the Alfea tradition, we will kick off the new school year with a forma dance. Our back to school gala will take place tonight and our special guests will be the boys from the Red Fountain School for Heroics and Bravery. We hope you will be warm and friendly hostesses and make them feel right at home!"

"But not too friendly," Griselda warned, clapping her hands. "Chaperones will be there, and love spells and crush potions are forbidden!"

Love spells? Crush potions? Those were actual things? Bloom didn't even want to entertain the idea. As if the fairies she'd met weren't horny enough, they had to add magical means to get into people's pants. Ridiculous.

Still, some of the girls around the hall looked disappointed, upset even. Were they planning to drug and date rape these guys or something? She got creeped out just thinking about it.

"But dancing is encouraged, and the boys will bring surprises for all so I'm sure you'll have a lovely time," Miss Faragonda continued, not wanting to end on a sour note. "I remember my first dance at Alfea...I met my husband there. Anyway it will be an evening full of enchantment."

The announcement ended when Miss Faragonda sat down, and the hall broke out into excited chatter. Stella immediately started gushing about the perfect dress she'd just bought and Flora stared examining her nails and playing with her color of polish. It seemed as though this was a big deal, something to get worked up about.

So then why didn't Bloom feel excited?

Later that afternoon, the five suitemates gathered in the common space to get ready for the dance.

"A party is only as good as what you wear to it, and this will be an excellent party!" Stella exclaimed, twirling out of her room with an orange-colored ballgown in tow. "Behold!"

She went on and on about how nice it was and how expensive it was and how it was designer couture. Bloom could not have cared less. In her honest opinion, it looked the same as every other dress Stella had worn; the one she'd found her in in the park looked better than this contraption winding its way across her bust. But Bloom smiled and oohed and ahhed over the overpriced piece of fabric.

Maybe she was just being moody because everyone else had a dress to wear and she didn't. It wasn't like she packed for a party. That wasn't the first thing on her mind when it came to survival necessities. It wasn't like she could show up to the dance dressed in her jeans and teeshirt either. The only other option was to not go at all, and if she wasn't going, she really didn't want to sit back and watch the others have fun without her.

Flora noticed her pouting and gave her a curious look to which Bloom tried her best to ignore to no avail.

"Bloom, why haven't you gotten dressed yet?" Flora asked, grabbing the attention of the group as well.

"I don't have a dress," Bloom admitted, trying not to be bothered by it. "It's okay. I'm not really in the party mood anyway."

"Everyone is in a party mood," Stella retorted, hands on her hips as she pursed her lips.

"It's not like I can show up looking like this," Bloom countered, gesturing to her usual get up.

"Puh-lease! No friend of mine is going to feel apparel-shame," Stella scoffed, taking on her dramatic flair. "There's a simple solution to any fashion dilemma: shopping!"

Bloom sighed. It looked like there was no getting out of this one, not now that Stella was on the case. That girl was so addicted to shopping it wasn't funny. Any chance to go and she clamored at it. They would have to go or they would never hear the end of it.

One hour and a bus ride later, the five girls were in the heart of Magix, on the prowl for a dress. Stella had taken them to the trendier strip near business part of the city. Bloom could tell by the shiny metallic facades and pristine interiors that these stores were going to be expensive, and her little bit of hope for finding a dress died. There was no way she could afford anything in any of these stores, but Stella insisted.

Everything Bloom tried on either fit too tight across her bust and ass or didn't flatter her waist. Even the designer dresses were off, nothing hitting her curves the way it should. There was one very unique blue dress with cut outs that laid nicely, but Bloom wasn't too attached to it, especially not for the outrageous price. Stella tried to pay for it, but Flora pointedly reminded her that she had maxed out her credit card buying her own expensive dress. Flora seemed sad to see the dress go though; the entire time Bloom had it on, she could feel Flora's eyes fixed on her body, dragging up and down her length too many times to count. Another reason to take it off as fast as possible.

They soon gave up on their fifth store, and by the time they hit the street, Bloom could tell the other girls were getting annoyed.

"You guys go head back. I'll keep looking," Bloom told them, knowing she'd be better off shopping alone without four people breathing down her neck, all with differing opinions on what looked best on her.

Unsurprisingly, the girls didn't put up a fight and took the bus back to campus, leaving Bloom free to head further south in Magix to the more affordable stores. Thankfully, she passed one with a sale sign in the window. After much digging, and annoying the customer service lady, Bloom found something acceptable: a plain blue sheath dress marked at 80% off. The sleeves were a sheer nude, as was the stomach panel, and the entire thing was far too long and a little baggy, but those weren't huge problems. Bloom was used to altering clothes to fit her unique needs. All she would need was a pair of scissors and some thread and she could make riches out of these rags.

The only problem when she got back was actually finding the scissors.

Bloom was going to be late - the dance was starting in minutes and she had yet to even brush the tangles out of her hair - but she at least wanted to make it through some of the dance. After all this trouble to get a dress, she was going to make an appearance damn it. If only she could find the scissors she needed!

"What's the point of knowing magic if you can't use it for the simplest things!" Bloom shouted in frustration to herself. It was like the hair color transformation all over again. She was struggling with the simplest of concepts and it made her upset.

Fine. If she couldn't summon the scissors, she'd go and find some. She remembered that Wizgiz had placed a pair in his desk after cutting two girls' hair apart when their own color transformations got out of hand.

What she wasn't expecting on the way was to find three intruders sneaking into Alfea. Quickly, Bloom ducked behind a pillar, watching the three girls as they made their way into the school. One of them had a map in their hands, the other a flashlight. They were searching for something, the question was what.

"Go straight ahead and make a right," one of them instructed, the three moving together in perfect synch. They all stopped in front of one of the closet doors, using magic to break inside.

"Here they are - the Red Fountain gifts," the one with the long white hair said, smug pride lacing her her voice.

"This school is so cheesy. I don't know why the boys wanna hang out with these losers," the one with the long dark hair quipped snidely, staring at the trunk in contempt.

"It's not like we'd want to hang out with those nerds anyway. We have better things to do," the white haired witch scoffed, rolling her eyes as if she couldn't believe her friend even considered the boys interesting. "Alright Darcy locate the ring."

The dark haired girl did as the other girl commanded. Her eyes started to glow a vibrant purple and magic filled the air, creating pictures.

When this spell is cast, show us the past!

The murky air cleared to show images of Stella placing her ring in her jewelry box hours ago. Bloom sucked in a breath. They were after the same thing the ogre was back in Gardenia Park! That meant...that meant that these were the witches who sent that creature. The witches who hurt her parents and got her stuck here in the first place.

Bloom's vision blurred red at the edges, her rage dialing up as she indulged the savage ideas of ripping the three witches limb from limb. But she had to contain herself, had to figure out what else they were up to so more people wouldn't get hurt.

"This will be like taking candy from a fairy," the white haired girl said, evil glee written across her icy features. "Your turn Stormy. Show us the gifts."

The silent girl with the poofy grey hair stepped up to do her part, waving her hands in the air so that the chest flew open with a dull thud. The dark haired girl reached in and pulled out one of the gifts, sniffing in distaste.

"Ooo, enchanted little eggs," she cooed, sarcasm lacing her voice as the golden egg erupted into butterflies in her hands.

"They'll be the most memorable gifts these losers ever receive," the white haired witch simpered, raising her pointer finger in the air. The other two followed suit, the air crackling with magical potential.

Turn the enchanted into the cursed!

Give them a bite that'll make them puke first!

The eggs will hatch and snakerats appear!

And panic, nausea, and terrible fear!

It sounded like a horrible, vile thing to curse someone with, and Bloom couldn't help but to feel bad for all the girls at the dance. They didn't know what was coming for them if something wasn't done to stop these witches.

"When we're done with them, those precious princesses won't know what bit them," the white haired witch cackled, the other two joining her in their maniacal laughter. The thought of ripping them all limb from limb returned, though this time Bloom was more inclined to give into it.

They vanished, their bodies simply disappearing from sight, leaving Bloom alone hiding behind a pillar. Bloom didn't know how to follow them; she didn't even know how to reverse what had been done to the gifts. She had no magical ability to stop them. The only thing she could do was tell someone before it was too late and the entire school was brought to its knees by sudden illness and put at the mercy of ruthless witches.

Bloom ran to the auditorium, now decked out for the formal. There were streamers and balloons everywhere. The chandeliers were sparkling and the DJ on stage was playing what Bloom could only assume were Magix greatest hits. Between the guys and the girls, the place was absolutely packed. Bloom had no idea how to maneuver fast enough to find her friends in such a crowded place. It was hard enough just to get by without elbowing someone or knocking over their punch.

And just when she thought she couldn't be inconvenienced enough, she ran smack into the one person she didn't want to see.

"Hey I was looking for you!" Brandon said happily as he recognized who'd ran into him, combing his hand through his shoulder length blonde hair. He looked just as Bloom had last seen him on the ship, same brilliant smile and everything.

"You...were...?"

He smiled awkwardly and nodded. Bloom bit her lip and looked away, knowing where this conversation was headed next: exactly where she didn't want it to go.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, his eyes far too eager.

Damn it all. Bloom had hoped she was wrong about this one, but it didn't seem like she would be able to shake him. She could tell by the way he looked at her that he was interested. She was used to getting that look. It wasn't that he was a bad guy or wasn't handsome or anything...it was just that she wasn't interested in being exclusive with anyone, not so soon after Andy. At least she didn't think she was interested. This was such a confusing time in her life, and she didn't need Brandon coming in and messing it all up. Especially when there were more important things going on at the moment than socializing.

"Yeah...sure...later?" she trailed off, slowing backing away before slipping back into the crowd to find her friends. She knew she was being rude and that Sky was no doubt confused as hell, but he was the least of her concerns.

She found her friends conversing in the corner of the room. It didn't take long to explain the situation or convince them to help stop the witches. They had just as much reason to save the dance as Bloom did, Stella especially since she was about to be robbed. It was Stella who suggested something called convergence - a combining of individual powers to create more powerful spells - and since they were going up against experienced witches, they had nothing to lose in trying.

The girls linked hands, magic vibrating through and around them. Bloom had never felt such a pure energy or connection. Linked with the others, she felt like her powers had been amplified, like she could do anything. The words came to them easily, the counter curse practically forming itself.

Let the dark magic be reversed!

Make the eggs like they were before they were cursed!

A wave of pure magic washed over the room, settling on the chest of golden eggs. Prince Sky looked down, befuddled as he saw the magic do its work. That didn't stop him from handing them out though, and the girls all held their breath before the egg opened to reveal the expected butterflies. There were no snakerats in sight, and the Alfea girls were all very happy. All in all, it was a win! They had saved the dance and no one even knew it.

"This one is for you, Princess Stella," Prince Sky said as he handed one of the golden eggs to the sun fairy. She blushed a bright pink and accepted the egg, looking hopelessly giddy it opened to reveal the butterflies. Bloom fought the urge to roll her eyes or gag. Or both.

Everyone seemed to settle down, the party continuing as before. There was little to celebrate though. All this time the were focused on the gifts, they had forgotten about the ring.

Bloom ran back down the hall and, lo and behold, Stella's jewelry box was floating in mid air and traveling right out the front door. She chased the enchanted box, hoping to catch it before it got to the witches. She was nearly to the edge of the forest before she got ahold of the box, the spell breaking on contact. The weight of the box was surprising, pulling Bloom down. She didn't mind though. The ring was safe. All was well. Now she could go back and finally get ready for the dance. Maybe if she hurried she could get a whole hour of dancing in before -

"Come back here! We've had it with you!" the white haired witch shrieked, coming out from the shadows and outstretching her hand to attack.

"Ice Bracelet!"

Bloom didn't even have time to react. A ring of ice erupted out of nowhere, forcing her into battle. The ice circled around her, entrapping her in a ring with no way out. It wasn't like she could climb over it either, the temperature so cold it burned to the touch. There was no way to escape, no running back to school.

The witches encroached on her space. The attacks came one after another with no reprieve.

"Heel of Oblivion!" the dark haired witch shouted, the ground at her feet breaking open into a gaping chasm, causing Bloom to lose her footing. She scrambled from the edge, desperately trying not to fall in.

"Twister!" the grey haired witch cried, summoning a full blown tornado to sweep Bloom off her feet, tossing her across the field until she skittered off the edge of the chasm, hanging onto the edge by one hand.

Her heart was beating out of her chest, fear overwhelming all her senses. The chances of her making it out of this fight alive were dwindling. The bottom of the chasm was nowhere in sight and she would definitely die on impact from this high up.

"Bloom!" she heard Musa cry from afar. Twisting her head, she could see the girls - still in their dresses - running across the field to rescue her. Unfortunately, they were held back by the ice witch's magic, a terrifying maze of icicles holding them at bay.

"You pathetic little girl. How did you even get into this school if you don't have any Winx at all?" the ice witch taunted, sneering down at Bloom.

"You're wrong! I do have Winx!" Bloom shouted, enraged at being so thoroughly defeated. It was embarrassing. She had to fight back with something! She had to have a place here for something!

"No, I don't think so," the ice witch retorted haughtily, raising the stiletto heel of her boot to crush Bloom's supporting fingers.

"I'll show you!" Bloom roared.

The boot made contact with her fingers. Searing pain ran through her joints as they were crushed under the full weight of the vengeful ice witch. She could hear bones snapping, popping. Feel her blood rushing over broken tissue. Hear her friends screaming her name in panic.

She let go of the ledge.

Then she truly let go.

The fire she felt back in Gardenia returned, but it returned ten fold. No one had told her that transformations hurt, that it felt like another person was ripping their way out of your skin to take control. She felt the fire course through her veins and screamed, the pain far more acute than the ice witch's boot could ever dream to be. But when the pain faded, Bloom was stronger for it, only the lingering sting of power running down her body. Her vision wasn't just tinged red around the edges, it was red.

And all she saw was the abject horror on the three witches' faces as she flew up out of the chasm to face them, hovering just above the ground.

"Wow, someone's got a dark streak in them," the grey haired witch quipped, crossing her hands over her chest.

"Are you sure you aren't on the wrong side little fairy?" the dark haired witch asked once the shock wore off, amusement in her voice as she took in Bloom's new form.

"Hand back Stella's ring or face my wrath!" Bloom roared, the coarseness of her own voice shocking her. She could feel her hands clenched in painful fists, but when she looked down to uncurl them, she noticed that her nails were sharpened to fine points that had created small cuts in her palm.

"Get a load of that 'tude," the grey haired witch snarked, looking at the other two. "A new set of wings and she thinks she's all that."

"Too bad an outfit can't do your fighting for you," the ice witch quipped, her smirk containing hints of annoyance. "Darcy! Preceptus Disorientus!"

The dark haired witch smiled evilly before her eyes went purple again, this time waves of magic radiating from them straight towards Bloom. The waves messed with her mind, causing her to fall from the air and stumble the ground, her brain pounding in her head. It was like she had lost all sense of depth perception, everything moving and shifting. A slight shift of her gaze and it was like the world was flipping upside down.

There had to be a way out of this...there had to be! But the pain was only getting worse, and she kneeled over and grabbed her temples, screwing her eyes shut to block the dark magic out.

My first real magic fight, and I'm going to be ended by a headache. How fitting, Bloom thought mirthlessly.

Suddenly, the pain stopped, and aggravated shouting filled the air. Bloom chanced a glance up to see that Headmistress Faragonda had joined the fight, backed by Miss Griselda. Together, they fired shot after shot towards the three witches, causing them to retreat. They vanished in a flash of magic, leaving nothing but a frozen chunk of forest in their wake. During the attack, they dropped Stella's compact and the Solarian princess scrambled up behind the Headmistress to scoop it up and assure it was back in safe hands.

Once Bloom was sure the fight was over, she stood back up on shaky legs. The fight had grown a bit of a crowd, everyone whispering and gossiping about it already. However, the Headmistress looked very put out. In fact, she seemed downright aggravated.

"Everyone please return to the dance," Headmistress Faragonda instructed, clapping her hands in time as the girls and guys all shuffled back into the school. Then, she shifted her critical gaze to Bloom. "You five. My office. Now."

When the girls got to Headmistress Faragonda's office, they were fully prepared to get a lecture.

Bloom was ready to get laid into about how reckless it was to challenge three witches to a fight in the dark near the woods alone. It was stupid, and looking back, she really should have just let the witches take the ring and then made a plan to get it back. But what's done was done and there was no going back. There was only acceptance and the Headmistress' herbal tea to get her through this meeting.

She had yet to transform back to her normal form, but that was mostly because she wasn't quite sure how. It was by pure adrenaline and luck that she got her fairy form to work. The logistics of getting it to go away escaped her, and no one seemed eager to get near enough to tell her. That was a strange phenomenon. Since the moment she transformed, it was like there was this bubble around her that people were afraid to breach. The other students were giving her side eye. Even her friends were staring when they thought she didn't notice. It was unnerving, and she pulled at the hem of her skirt.

All of them sat around the Headmistress' desk, waiting for her to start lecturing.

"You should consider yourselves lucky that you made it out of that fight alive," Headmistress Faragonda chided, sipping on her tea worryingly. "Those were Cloud Tower senior witches. Very skilled and very powerful."

"Piece of cake," Stella said cockily as if she hadn't been running for her life twenty minutes ago.

"This is serious," the old woman scolded, a frown pulling at her thin lips. "This was more than a prank on the dance. Whatever those witches wanted, they were willing to kill for it."

"They were after Stella's ring. This isn't the first time they've come for it," Bloom said, everyone listening with rapt attention. "The first time they tried, they sent the ogre and hunter troll that hurt my parents."

"I see," Headmistress Faragonda pondered, brow knit in thought. "And do you know why they covet the ring so much?"

"No clue," Stella shrugged, fiddling with the jewel on her finger. "It's not like sunshine looks good on any of them so it can't be a fashion statement."

"Well, until their motives are discovered, you girls are not to leave campus unsupervised, is that understood?" Headmistress Faragonda asked, though it was clear she was giving an order than asking for permission to hold them captive there. "I'll be having a long conversation with Headmistress Griffin in the morning."

"Understood, Headmistress," Tecna replied obediently for the group, the only one willing to keep their own emotions out of a clearly unfair mandate.

"Good," the older woman said with finality. "Now, it's time to wrap up the dance and bid the Red Fountain boys farewell."

Everyone got up and migrated towards the door, ready to get the night over with. However, one thing was still gnawing at the back of Bloom's brain. Something one of the witches said.

"Wait, what did they mean when they said I had a dark streak?" Bloom asked, the rough quality to her voice still present.

"Ummm...Bloom, have you seen yourself since you transformed?" Musa asked cautiously, eyeing her up and down but not in the way Bloom was used to people eyeing her. No, this was skeptical - a look you might give something dangerous.

"No. If you didn't notice, I was too busy fighting witches," Bloom attempted to joke, but no one was laughing. In fact, everyone was deathly silent.

Headmistress Faragonda got up, stood by the mirror, and beckoned Bloom over. Judging by everyone's reaction, Bloom was nervous to see what monster she had turned into. What, had she grown a second head or something? It couldn't possibly be that bad...

Except the girl in the mirror didn't just look bad. She looked evil.

Yellow eyes hooded with dark makeup traversed a body clothed in darkness. The girl in the mirror wore a crop top and skirt in a matching shade of navy black, ankle boots with pointed heels matching elbow length glovelettes. Bloom could count each and every rib on her exposed torso, and her cheekbones were sharp enough to cut glass. She had already noticed her nails while fighting, but her teeth contained the same points, as well as the jagged silver tiara on top of her wild red hair. And she had wings - quite possibly the only thing about this look that marked her as a fairy - but even they were pointed and uneven around the edges. She looked deranged. Like she belonged with the witches.

There was no way this is me, Bloom thought to herself as she placed a hand to the glass, watching her reflection mimic the move in perfect time. No way.

"What the hell am I?"