Here's the kick off to my #wcng fanfiction (I mean, the prequel, but still).

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The scene was dark. Dawn broke over the dewy palace lawn where a swirling portal waited to sweep the five royal children away to safety.

Bloom's arms still felt heavy with the weight of the baby she had just passed to her son, the eldest at eleven years old. Jonah stared up at her with her same wide eyes, shining with betrayal.

"Take care of your sisters," and she hated herself as she said it. On either side of him, his younger sisters stood, both of them with the eyes of their father, both of them brimming with tears.

"Mommy, please, I don't want to go," her youngest son begged, freckled arms reaching for her as Roxy held the little prince back. Bloom wished Sky was there so she didn't have to do this alone. She wished she didn't have to do this at all.

"It's not safe here," she choked out. She swore she wouldn't cry.

"Then come with us," Jeremy pleaded.

"Enough," Jonah said before either of the women could say anything. His cyan eyes were as hard as ice. "We have to go."

The chilly lawn was glowing gold and pink in the light of the rising sun, warming the Queen's back as she held back tears.

"The war will be over soon," Bloom found herself promising. "You'll be back before you know it."

"I'll see you then," Jonah said with a curt nod, lip set in a straight line. "Bye, Mom."

He stepped through the portal with little Jill in his arms and everything within her told her to go after him, that she could keep him safe, that she could keep them all safe. But she'd faced the end of the world enough times to know that wasn't true.

Roxy followed, sending Bloom a sad look as she dragged Jeremy through the portal. Ten-year-old Julia sniffled and followed, glancing back at the Queen forlornly until the very last strand of strawberry blonde hair had disappeared into the portal.

Then it was just Jane.

"We'll see each other again soon."

The nine-year-old shook her head, freckled face screwing up as she fought back tears. With one shaky step after another, she threw out her arms and Bloom caught her, sinking to her knees in the wet grass to hug her youngest daughter.

"Mom, please don't leave us," she begged and it broke Bloom's heart. She made a mental note to hug Daphne the next time she got to see her.

"I'll call you every day."

"Please."

By the time the sun rose over the horizon, the portal was closed and Bloom was all alone.

SEVEN YEARS LATER

Thunder crashed and the faculty all mumbled beneath their breaths in the foyer. Most were still in their nightclothes, including the old woman who called for this midnight meeting.

"Dear friends and colleagues," she began, voice shaky with age and fright, "something malevolent has awoken deep in the heart of the universe. I fear the worst."

"The Trix?"

"Valtor?"

"The Black Circle?"

The staff all began to fearfully speculate, but with a tap of her cane to the smooth floor, Faragonda silenced them all. She stared out at the sea of familiar faces as memories of her nightmare flashed behind her eyes. Black eyes, red blood, silver on silver, fairy against fairy, and something dreadful with obsidian feathers.

"War is coming, bringing with it an evil we thought we'd never see again."

The last vision of her nightmare brought itself to the forefront of her haggard mind: Alfea burning.

"School starts tomorrow," said Wizgiz. "What will we do?"

Faragonda squared her hunched shoulders.

"What we always do: survive." She turned slowly, old bones aching beneath the weight of her years. "Now come. We must prepare."

As she led her staff up the staircase, she held to the only hope the nightmare had shown her: the next generation.

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Let me know what you thought!

Love, Ru