This is kind of an extension of the last chapter, but I couldn't fit them together. Oh well. In my opinion, this is where things really start to get interesting.

CHAPTER 2: QUEEN OF ICE

Someone else was already in her dorm room when Aria opened the door.

"Oh, hi," Aria said in surprise. Her roommate was getting into bed, wearing a set of purple pajamas. "You're here early," Aria commented.

"I know," she answered with a yawn. "But today was a long day. My parents are taking me out tomorrow." She climbed under the covers and looked up at Aria. "Wasn't prom great?"

"It was," Aria said, carefully modulating her voice so that it was light and even. The truth was, she hated this girl's guts. She had participated in the Magix Youth Choir along with Aria, and was one of the few – actually, the only one – whose voice was just as good as hers. She was also a gifted violinist, and was part of the Magix Youth Orchestra as well. They were always neck-and-neck in most auditions. Aria began to undress, putting everything back in the correct place.

"Oh, shoot," she said, with dismay. "I dropped my bracelet somewhere."

"Well, you'd better go get it, then," the other girl yawned. "Goodnight, Aria."

"'Night, Galatea," she answered, heading out the door. She hadn't dropped it anyplace in the common space of their apartment, the one they shared with Nova and Mirta as well. Darn it. She closed her eyes and, using a Melodian tracking spell, emitted sound waves to pick up its location. The jingle of the bracelet appeared in her mind, and she knew it was outside her apartment.

She opened the door, heading towards the location of the object. And then she froze. A boy was standing in front of her, holding a blue bracelet in his hands. He had a wide smirk on his face.

"Long time no see," he said, his silky voice drifting through the air.

"Daewon," she snarled, observing him with fear and hatred.

The boy smirked, twirling the bracelet around his finger. "How ironic that you're sharing a room with your nemesis," he sneered, pointing to the plaque on the apartment door. "You cheated her. Poured Nodule Potion into her coffee, and she had these horrible voice cracks and didn't place into the Magix Youth Choir. By the time she re-auditioned the following year, you already had seniority over her. And she still doesn't know what you've done." His indigo eyes glimmered at her. "Am I correct?"

"So what if you are?" she answered boldly, though her body was shaking. "I'm a better singer than her."

"If that was the case, why did you need to sabotage her?" he asked.

Her shoulders shook with rage. "You have no business here," she said. "You're still sore that I dumped you, because you were a horrible boyfriend" –

"No, I'm sore because you lied to me and made me think you were someone you're not," he answered deftly. "But imagine what would happen if I told some people? If your precious little fan club started to learn about the real you?"

She strode up to Daewon. "Give me that," she snarled, grabbing her bracelet. His mocking laughter rang through the air as she slammed the door shut. She ran to her bed, dove under the covers, and closed her eyes.

She opened her eyes and found herself in a winter wonderland. An arctic landscape, complete with short shrubs and bulky bushes, was fully covered by a carpet of fluff. The snow came practically up to her knees and she knew there was still more snow under her feet. A few paces away, a gleaming, frozen lake shone with stunning clarity and depth.

"Don't ruin the snow," a cold voice drawled behind her. Aria jumped, and tried to turn around. Before she could balance herself, she felt a glowing warm energy shimmer around her. To her amazement, her feet lifted off the ground and the snow filled itself in where her footprints had been. She was turned around in midair so that she could see her levitator.

It was a tall woman, with dark blue eyes, palliative skin, and long, pale blond curls that fell to her waist. She wore a stunning, glittering ice-blue dress that swept the snow and a crown of the same color. How the hell is she not freezing in that outfit? She had jeweled wings, similar to the Enchantix style, that faded from a cornflower-blue to a midnight-black. Aria had to admit that she looked truly beautiful.

"Welcome, Aria," the woman said with a thin-lipped smile. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Do we, um, know each other from somewhere?" Aria asked nervously, and then kicked herself. Don't act so feeble-minded! She wasn't just any girl – she was Aria Cadenza. And Aria Cadenza never acted feeble.

The woman chuckled. "Not at all. But we are going to get to know each other well in the next few days, for I have a deal for you."

"What?" Aria asked, getting more and more confused. "What are you talking about?"

The glittering fairy came closer to Aria, so that they were completely on-par with one another. She extended out her hand, moving it closer and closer until it touched Aria's cheek. She flinched. The woman spoke again, in a slow, seductive drawl.

"I have come to offer you something that you have never been offered before: the pursuit of vengeance. Vengeance against the school that wronged you, and the people that let you down."

"You mean… Daewon?" Aria asked slowly. Sure, she hated him, but what exactly did this woman's plan entail? Was she going to… kill him?

"Of course," the woman simpered. "I have been watching you, the hurt on your face as you went through two years. The system has completely wronged you, never elevating you to the position that you truly deserve. And you've been forced to contend with fools like Daewon and Galatea, a crown princess who only gets her way every time because she is of royal blood."

Aria wasn't going to lie – everything this woman said was true. Daewon and Galatea were both losers who always got in her way and ruined everything she worked for. But the very fact that this woman was correct was something that scared her. "How do you know all this about me?" she demanded.

"Spare the questions for now," the woman snapped. "Listen, I can help you get revenge against them. I can make you powerful, strong, and unstoppable. I can give you the world, and make it bow at your feet. Are you going to take my offer or not?"

"Well"… Aria couldn't deny that those things appealed to her. But I already have the world. She had a career that was going to start the very next day, and a high-paying one at that. Do I really want to throw it all away for some hare-brained scheme?

"Hare-brained?" the woman shrieked, making her jump. "Listen to yourself, Aria Cadenza! There are more people than just Galatea to fear. You will meet more people who will try to unseat you, to deny you the fame you deserve. You will be thrown out of the Opera House, an outcast."

"What?" gasped Aria. Oh, Solare! Is this really going to happen? She could hardly contain her fear.

"Then," the woman continued, "no one will listen to you. Right now, as we speak, Daewon is thinking of ways to bring you down. He is going to spread malicious gossip and lies across the Winx Wide Web, and destroy you. You will be kicked out of your job before you even start!"

"I" – Aria was seething. How dare Daewon do such a thing to her? Especially when she was going to be one of the best opera singers the realms had ever seen. She sat back, clenching her fists in anger.

"And lastly, your parents. They don't care one bit about you. They've been travelling the realms since you were born. They spend more time at work than they do at home! Ever since you were five, barely old enough to be in school, they sent you to a boarding academy because they wanted you to be a singer. But did they ever come to watch any of your performances? Did they ever take you off on vacations or even hold you to their chests and say that they loved you? No! The world is filled with cruel people, Aria, people who don't care about anyone other than themselves. It is up to you to rise to power and show them what's right!"

She's right, Aria realized. All of the hurt that she had kept buried for so long suddenly built up, building into a fierce rage. They had no right to treat me like that. None of them had any right.

"Very good, Aria," the woman praised. Aria barely heard the praise; she only felt the cruel sparks of resentment shooting up in ways they had never before. "For too long, you have concealed your true feelings and played the part of the good girl. But now it's time to let your inner storm go. The fears that once controlled you won't get to you anymore. You will make them suffer for what they've done!" Her eyes glowed with an icy blue light.

"Now," she continued, "your first task will be to kill Daewon before he reaches home. Destroy anyone that gets in your way. Let out all of your anger, I tell you; let it go!"

"Wait, what?" asked Aria, confused. But before she could ask any more questions, she suddenly felt a blue haze of light overcoming her eyes, and she started to transform. Her mind went dreamy and unfocused, but not before she let out a piercing scream as the world went black.

Galatea woke up with a start, hearing a scream echoing around the dorm walls. "What's going on?" she gasped. She saw her roommate kneeling on the floor, in her Winx outfit and with her back turned. "Aria? Was that you? Are you all right?"

Aria turned around, and Galatea was shocked at what she saw. The fairy didn't just look at her with anger, she looked at her with pure hatred in her eyes. "You," she snarled, standing up and beginning to fly towards the door. "Get out of my way."

"What?" Galatea wasn't sure she'd heard her right.

"I'm going to do something important," Aria answered, "and you can't stop me." She grabbed the door handle.

She let out a shriek and covered her ears; Galatea had sent a sound-wave at her ears. "What do you want?" she screamed.

"Tell me what's you're doing," Galatea ordered. And why the heck you're acting so crazy. She sent a silencing spell around the room, determined that no one else should wake up just because Aria was drunk or having a bad night.

"Leave me alone!" she screamed, trying to fly out, but Galatea held her ground.

"Not until you tell me what's going on!"

Aria froze for a moment, and then she strode straight up to Galatea. In fear, Galatea backed up against the wall, whimpering as the taller Aria placed a finger under her chin. "Not so strong now, are you?" she taunted.

"W-what do you want?" Galatea cried. "What's… wrong with you?" Why is she doing this?

"I'm going to destroy all those that have wronged me," Aria answered, and there was a mad look in her eyes. "Kill Daewon for all of the evil that he has committed. I won't let him pull me down. The Opera House will be mine!"

Daewon? Galatea thought, her mind fuzzy. Daewon was a friend of hers; they'd known each other since childhood. Oh, no! Not him! Not one of my people!

Aria strode back to the door, but she screamed as Galatea hit her with a sonic boom.

"What?" she cried, falling down and turning to face her roommate.

"I can't let you do that," Galatea said calmly. She stared at the struggling girl, and then she transformed. Quickly returning back in her fairy outfit, she lifted her hands and summoned a spell.

A dark glint appeared in Aria's eyes. "I'll finish you off first," she said, and then she struck. Her first attack flew towards Galatea, but she was prepared. She dove out of the way and let the spell hit the window. It completely shattered.

"I've always hated you, you know," Aria snarled, dodging a sonic spell that Galatea shot at her. "You've always acted so perfect, and treated me just like one of your subjects. You're so special, just because you're the crown princess of Melody. I have a better voice and am a better actress than you, and you still always take the spotlight! Just because you're born into freaking royalty!" She shot Galatea in the heart.

Galatea screamed as she was lifted into the air. She felt her ears splitting, deep booms pounding her ears. Aria let out a laugh, and lifted another bolt of energy in her hand. Galatea watched, knowing that this would be the end of it all.

But Aria misfired. Instead of hitting Galatea, the spell went straight into the door. All of a sudden, the door was destroyed and the silencing spell null and void. Distantly beyond the boom in her ears, Galatea heard a voice. "What's going on?"

The boom in her ears suddenly stopped. Galatea fell to the ground. She didn't hear anything as her face smashed to the ground, her body lying limply on the floor.

Aria had just released the spell when Nova and Mirta, the other two girls living in the apartment, burst into the room.

"What's going on" – Nova's voice stopped. The spell collided with Galatea, and she immediately fell, hitting the ground.

"Galatea! NO!" Nova shrieked, running up to her friend. Galatea lay motionless on the floor. "You killed her!"

"She's gotten nothing that she didn't deserve," Aria snarled back. "This is for all of the horrible ways she has treated me, and for what the world has done!" Using a reverberating thunder-clap, she broke the window of the room, and then she flew out, ignoring the screams that came from the dorm-room.

"What's is the meaning of this?" she heard a snarl. Griselda came out onto the balcony of her room, glaring at Aria. "What is the disturbance and… Aria? What's going on – why are you" –

"Shut up!" Aria snarled. She threw a Solarian sun-beam at Griselda, who gasped in shock, falling back. Glaring with a vengeance of fury and hatred, she threw solar beams in every which way she could. Girls could be heard screaming as the towers of Alfea set on fire, with no one knowing what to do.

Aria didn't wait for them to call the Magix Police Department. Time to escape! She quickly flew off the school grounds, collapsing onto the ground somewhere near the lake. The chaotic world around her faded away, melting into blackness.

She had no idea where she had escaped to, or what she was doing. All that she knew was that she was safe from the torment and horror that had plagued her for the last two years.