Author's Notes: I don't own Kingdom Hearts nor Winx Club. They are owned by Tetsuya Nomura and Iginio Straffi.
Chapter 5 – The Manipulation.
"W-who are you…?" Stella asked the mysterious young woman who had landed a few feet away from her. The blonde's eyelids still had small drops of tears in them due to being stranded on an unknown world.
The strange woman that landed before Stella was a sight to behold – she had pale snowy skin, crystal blue eyes and silvery-blue hair that was mostly pulled back into a high ponytail by a dark teal tube-like hairband. Two long curled hairs flowed past her ears and to her shoulders. Her attire consisted of a light-blue, backless tank top with a flared collar, a slightly darker blue miniskirt with a thin diamond-studded belt that hanged over it from her waist and knee-high bright blue, high-heeled boots.
The stranger smiled gently. "Me? Oh, I'm nobody important – just the ruler of this world." She explained and Stella's eyes immediately widened in surprise – was it true? Was the blonde speaking with the ruler of this world?
The stranger saw the blonde's eyes widened and couldn't help but grin. "Your apparent shock is currently questioning whether or not my claims are true. Rest assured, you are indeed speaking to the ruler."
Stella had so many questions on her mind – what was the name of the world that this young woman ruled, how did she become Princess or Queen of this place and why was this place looking so… so broken?
"I can tell that you have so many questions right now – but first, I must know your name since I'm unsure of how to treat you right now." The stranger requested.
Seeing the request fair, Stella nodded. "M-my name is Stella… an ordinary girl that lived a normal life on Gardenia Island with my two best friends Bloom and Flora." The blonde explained as the ruler with silvery-blue hair was intrigued by what she said. 'So, this is the "Stella" girl that Darcy told us about… looking at her from top to bottom, she doesn't seem like anything special. Yet, I can sense a strong connection to the darkness from the inside of her heart… If my sisters and I can manipulate her – This will truly be an interesting experience." The woman thought with a smirk.
"So, Stella… What happened to your home and your friends?" The woman asked as Stella looked down onto the stony ground and sighed. "Well… our island was attacked for reasons unknown. I was able to get away safely… but I don't know if my friends, family or Gardenia Island made it." The blonde explained.
"Hmmm… what if I were to help you find your friends?" The woman suggested to which Stella looked at her in surprise. "R-really? But I don't know if I can trust you yet… I've only just met you."
As much as the woman didn't want to admit it, Stella had a point. The silvery-blue haired individual needed to find a way to earn the blonde's trust if she was going to manipulate- Wait, that was it! This was going to be very interesting.
"Not know enough to trust me…? Oh, sweetie… you wound me!" The woman made a scene in which she instigated a fake heart wound much to Stella's confusion and worry. "Ummm… I'm sorry?" She apologized awkwardly.
The woman turned away in order to avoid showing her sadistic smile as she continued to manipulate and tease Stella at the same time. "I thought that I had found a soulmate to relate my harsh and terrible experience in the loss of my home."
Apparently, Stella's eyes widened when she heard 'loss of my home' – did that mean… that this woman also lost her world to the darkness as well? She had to know!
Before Stella could ask, the woman surprisingly responded. "Oh, yes… I did indeed lose my world to the darkness. I've been living here for quite a long time ever since I was a little kid…" She turned to look at Stella with a small frown on her face as the blonde couldn't help but sympathize with the woman.
"I'm… really sorry to hear about the loss of your world. I wish there was something I could do to help." Stella told her and that was exactly what the woman wanted to hear.
But first… a little co-action. "Hmmm… Well… I do think of a… Nah, I don't think you're the right person." The woman told Stella before turning away to grin evilly once more.
"N-no! Wait… wait! What are you talking about?" Stella asked with a confused tone.
"I was going to tell you but seeing as how you don't trust me at all…" Before the woman could continue, Stella rushed forward to grab her hand. "W-wait! Please! Tell me what you were going to say!"
"Hmmm… are you sure?" The woman asked with Stella nodding. "Yes! I'll do anything! Please… just tell me what you need." The blonde pleaded as the young woman turned to look at her with a gentle smile on her face. "Very well, sweetheart… since you've appealed to my generosity, I guess I do have a job for you – in fact, its something that will benefit both you and I in a sense."
"Benefit me…? In what way exactly?" Stella asked curiously as Icy took out her hand for Stella to grab. "First things first, you must be very tired. Take my hand and let me lead you to place where we can talk freely."
(Meanwhile in Magix Town…)
"So… to surmise – your home was attacked by the Heartless and you both ended up in Magix Town, correct?" Ruby asked the question.
Bloom nodded as did her friend Flora. All three were in some kind of bedroom inside the Magix Town Resistance where Ruby was questioning and preparing to explain the things that the newcomers didn't know.
"It all happened in an instant… one minute, we were relaxing and thinking of ways to leave our home and explore the outside worlds and then before we know it – the Heartless attack us!" Flora explained as Ruby nodded in understanding.
The silver-eyes girl got up and sighed in frustration while crossing her arms. "Damn it… this is the eighth world that has been lost to the Heartless."
Bloom and Flora couldn't believe what they just heard – more than eight worlds were lost to the Heartless? That's horrible…
Ruby looked at them with a sympathetic look. "I offer you my deepest condolences… yet I'm afraid I can't do much to help. I can only tell you what I know…" She told them.
"We're all ears, Ruby. Whatever you know, we're listening." Bloom replied with a serious look as Ruby sat down on a bed.
"Very well… you both are already aware that there is more than just your island and this world, right?" Ruby asked as Flora and Bloom nodded before the silver-eyed teenager continued to speak. "Originally, the worlds were separated and kept a secret until the Heartless came. As the years went by, the little bastards have traveled from world to world in search of hearts to satisfy their hunger. But it wasn't always like this… are you both familiar with three evil witches by the name of Icy, Darcy and Stormy?"
Bloom and Flora looked at each other before shaking their heads in response to Ruby's question – they had no idea who those three were and why they were called witches.
"I thought so… you see, those three were originally a trio of malicious and villainous thieves before a mysterious stranger offered them a chance at ruling the worlds with an iron fist. He offered the sisters who are called the Trix – power beyond anything you could imagine… things got very ugly. The world that the Trix lived on was completely ravaged by the appearance of the Heartless… all thanks to the mysterious person providing the three sisters with that power. As a result, the Trix took refuge on their homeworld, constructed a castle to serve as a base of operations… after that, they invited several villains to join them in conquering the worlds… all for their mysterious benefactor. That's the whole story…"
Bloom and Flora couldn't believe what they just heard – they were patient and silent during the entire time that Ruby told them the story but now they were really in disbelieve…
How could those Trix do such a thing like destroy worlds all for the sake of power and conquering… did they have no compassion or remorse? Didn't they care that the inhabitants could have their hearts take or get killed in the crossfire?
Bloom was snapped out of her angry thoughts when she heard Flora sniffing. Upon looking at her, she saw that tears were coming out of her eyes. "Flo…" She spoke to her softly before placing a hand on her shoulder.
"H-how can someone so cruel and evil do such a thing like this… it's like they don't feel any remorse for their crimes…" Flora stopping speaking and continued to cry as Bloom comforted with a hug.
"Sshh… don't cry, Flo… it's okay… please… don't cry…" Bloom pleaded with her as she attempted to cheer up Flora and make her stop crying.
"I… just can't Bloom… life is precious. Just like with nature… if I ever meet any of those Trix… I swear I'll…" Flora didn't finish her sentence but her tone was one of anger – Bloom knew how much of a caring person her friend was yet if she met any of the Trix… things would go bad. Very bad since both she and Flora didn't know how powerful they were exactly.
"Hey, hey, hey… Flora, look… not that I don't admire you little talk about how life is precious… but believe me – if you attempt to take on the Trix yourself… well, you'll most likely end up being their prisoner or worse… dead." Ruby explained as Flora released herself from Bloom's comfort and sent out a small glare to Ruby.
"How would you know that, Ruby?" Flora asked as Ruby raised an eyebrow at the honeyish-brown teen – more important, her tone. That only made the silver-eyed girl sigh heavily.
"Look… Flora, I wasn't trying to offend you or anything… but think about this – if you got up against the Trix who are… mind you – way more powerful than you – what would the outcome be? Something bad happening to you…" Ruby explained.
That only made Flora look away but her face was still one of sadness and anger at the way the Trix did whatever they pleased and nobody doing a thing about it…
"Flora is taking this thing with these Trix a little too serious… better keep an eye on her in case she tries to do anything stupid. Though I'm curious about something else…" Bloom thought in her mind as she resumed her little conversation with Ruby.
"So… has anyone tried to stop the witches? Anybody at all?" Bloom asked as Ruby sighed once more.
"Over the years, a number of people have attempted to stop them… only to fail… mainly due to the Heartless that are on the side of the Trix… whatever we tried to do, they always came back – more strong and powerful." Ruby stopped speaking as she got up and walked over to the window.
Bloom had to wonder what made Ruby go silent like that – maybe it was frustration at the fact that the Trix couldn't be beater or the number of worlds that were lost to the Heartless? Either way, the orange-red haired just waited for the silver-eyed girl to speak.
After a few moments of precious silence, she finally spoke up once more. "But there is hope… legends say that the Heartless have a fear of a very ancient weapon. They say that it is a weapon that embodies both hope and terror mainly due to the fact that whoever possess it is doomed to a fate too dangerous but somewhat adventurous… but with how things are right now, we definitely need a hero around these parts." She finished explaining as Bloom realized what she was talking about… the weapon that the Heartless feared the most – a Keyblade…
"You mean the Keyblade, correct?" Bloom asked as Ruby froze and looked at her with a shocked look. Walking up to the orange-red haired teen, Ruby asked with a simple: "How?"
Bloom was ready with her answer. "Before we ran into each other, Tecna showed me a book involving the legend of the Heartless and the weapon they feared… but that's not the only thing I have to show as proof."
"Oh?" Ruby asked while Flora turned to look at her – from the looks of things, she was finished being angry and was now being curious.
Bloom raised her left hand as Ruby looked at her suspiciously – what exactly was she up to? The answer soon came as a flash of light surrounded her hand – like magic, the Keyblade appeared in her hands. This shocked not only Ruby but Flora as well.
Ruby's month was open wide as she walked over towards to see the Keyblade more clearly. She couldn't believe it… the Keyblade – a legendary weapon had fallen into the hands of a girl who was the same age as the silver-eyed Rose. A teenager…
Ruby wasn't the only one that was surprised. If Flora was too, she only showed it – but didn't say anything. Instead, she was conversing inside her mind:
"I can't believe it… how and why did the Keyblade end up in the hands of my friend Bloom…? Was she worthy of wielding it… will she suffer this terrible burden? God, I hope not… I don't want to lose her to the Heartless like we lost our home and Stella…"
Flora was being quiet yet a look of sadness and guilt was displaced on her – no doubt due to the fact that Bloom now had a heavy burden on her shoulders along with an upcoming adventure in the works. Yet, she kept quiet due to wanting to be strong for her friend. She had… cause she didn't want to lose her.
In the meantime, Ruby was finished examining the legendary weapon – yet she was still in shock. Not saying another word, she walked over to the bed and sat down to think.
Bloom dismissed her Keyblade and then sat down on a nearby chair to wait and see what Ruby would say… which didn't happen because a knock on the door occurred. The orange-red haired girl was curious as to who it could be.
"Yes?" Ruby asked as the door slowly opened as a familiar face popped up from the other side – it was Tecna.
"Ruby? Sorry to disturb you… but the representatives from Avalon High have arrived. I thought you'd might like to meet up with them." The girl with magenta-colored hair said as Ruby stood up.
"Already? Huh, they've arrived earlier than expect… nevertheless, I better go and greet them. Don't want to be a rude host after all…" Ruby replied as she released a heavy sigh.
"They're in the foyer… should I come so you can have some company?" Tecna asked but Ruby shook her head.
"Nah, I've got this… mind making some company for Bloom and Flora, if they're okay with it?" Ruby asked while turning her attention towards the two girls in the room.
"We're fine with some company, right Flo?" Bloom asked with a smile as Flora nodded immediately.
"Yep… we could use the company." Flora added with her own smile on her face – from the looks of things, she finally calmed down… but no doubt the anger was still there.
With everything cleared, Ruby nodded as Tecna entered the room and left the door open for the leader of the resistance to leave. "Be back soon… hopefully." The silver-eyed girl told Tecna who just nodded.
"Take your time… good luck." Tecna wished her as Ruby left the room and closed the door afterwards. Now only Bloom, Flora and the magenta-colored woman were left in the room.
Few moments later, Tecna released a sigh. "Man, what a day…" She admitted as a frown was displayed on her face.
"Why's that?" Bloom asked curiously as Tecna replied immediately. "Lots of paperwork, waiting and whatnot… if you both ask me, being a part of the resistance is a nightmare… however, it's worth it."
"Because of the fight against the Heartless?" Flora asked as Tecna nodded.
"Correct… though the real action is on the worlds that haven't been destroyed just yet… luckily." Tecna explained.
"Ah… say, Tecna – who are these representatives from this 'Avalon High' world?" Bloom asked – she was curious on that.
"Before you both arrived, we requested assistance from an old friend of ours… basically, they are sending two of their best experts to help us. Hopefully, this little situation might get resolved sooner… and the Heartless along with the Trix might be defeated at last." She finished explaining.
"I see… so, what is your role in the resistance, Tecna?" Bloom asked as Tecna grinned and answered immediately. "I'm the town's technician and intelligence officer… what I do is gather info on people and enemies… plus, I make sure that the defenses are up and running. It's a hard job… but to me, it's a like a hobby."
"In a sense, you are like a superwoman or something like that." Flora spoke with amazement in her voice as Tecna giggled.
"Somewhat… plus, it's a good task since I can protect beautiful peacekeepers… like you Flora." Tecna replied.
She didn't know how or why… but when Tecna said 'beautiful' – Flora just blushed. Why did she do that? "O-oh… t-thanks… but… you really believe I'm beautiful?" The honey-brown haired teen asked with the blush still there.
"Yep… plus, you are very brave. I admire people that remain loyal and brave in the face of danger… don't think Ruby didn't tell me how close and positive you act towards your friends. It's… kind of cute in a way that you act like you do." Tecna explained with a grin
"O-oh… t-thank you." Flora thanked her but her blush increased. What was going on with her exact… she hasn't acted like this way before… was it because of what Tecna said?
In the meantime, Bloom just watched the whole conversation and was smiling – granted, things started off on the wrong foot… yet, this was turning very positive so far…
Who knows? Maybe this adventure would be one that she and Flora would never forget… but would it be a good or bad one? That was a question for the foreseeable future…
For now though, she had to see what the present would throw at her.