Category: Winx Club

Rating: T

Couples: none

Warnings: Major AU

Chapter: 3

Copyright: © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me

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Adunal, 'son' of Faragonda otherwise known as Lord Darkar, sat on one of the chairs of the spaceship.

Bloom was talking softly to the other Winx, the Specialists steering the ship towards Obsidian. He could feel their anxiousness grow as they approached the dark realm.

"Thank you for joining us." Flora said softly.

Darkar smiled. "Don't be too quick with your gratitude, Flora. We have yet to see whether I am of any use to you."

"You're the son of Headmistress Faragonda, that has to count for something." She nervously toyed with a strand of her hair.

"Perhaps." He rose from the chair when the ship arrived. "Shall we?"

The girls transformed, Bloom flying up front. He gently rose from the ground, joining the fairies in the air.

While they complained about the darkness and the weakening effect it had on them, he reveled in that very darkness, although the Evil of the Coven gave it a foul aftertaste. But he remained silent as they progressed.

"I think we found out destination." Timmy pointed at a keyhole in the smooth stone.

Darkar had to admit that the door unsettled even him a bit.

"Anyone volunteering?" Stella asked, a tinge of disgust audible in her voice.

"I'll do it." His pale skin stood in stark contrast with the black of the liquid forming the entrance towards where the Coven was. It slowly engulfed his arm, drawing him in. "Feels funny." He stepped forward.

The darkness held no secrets from him, but he could do not too much without alerting the Coven to his power and thus, his identity.

He pretended to be overcome alongside the fairies by the aura of Obsidian and heard how the Witches tried to tempt Bloom into destroying the sword and – which they did not tell her – Miriam alongside of it. He felt a surge of power, making his hair stand on edge and for a moment believed it was his brother, finally coming to the aid of the humans. But it was the gentle voice of Daphne which sounded above the cackling of the Coven. He carefully rose to his feet, the five now locked in combat not noticing him. The other fairies were too weakened to do much more than sit on the ground. He wondered were Musa was.

Hidden behind the well of power Daphne had unleashed he felt another building, but it was so subtle he knew no one besides him could even notice it. Miriam knew who was here and she would not lose her daughters again.

In his blue eyes the battle above was reflected and he could feel Bloom weakening, even with the aid of Daphne. No doubt Miriam did too as she broke the spell keeping her trapped in Oritel's sword.

But the long stay in it had cost her dearly and he suddenly knew for certain that Faragonda had been right: without his aid they would fall. He sighed.

"Stay away from them!" He called, drawing the attention of all six of them as well as the Winx to him.

"Oh, Faragonda's son." Belladone said. "How I will enjoy sending you back to her when I'm done with you."

"I think you will do no such thing." Darkar answered her, not the least bit intimidated by the witch. "Leave them be, they are under my protection."

"No." They were so easy to predict, but he had no intention to draw this out any more than it had to be. He started to wonder how long it would take Lysslis, self-proclaimed Queen of Illusions, to realize he was not what he looked like.

He was rewarded when realization dawned on her face and she called out to her sisters. She then turned to him, studying the man between them and the fairies. Her voice was smooth when she spoke. "I never would have thought Faragonda's spawn would have need of Illusions. Reveal your true nature! It is the most fitting for you to die in."

"As you wish." Adunal answered her, but in the few steps between him and the Royals of Domino it was Darkar who ended up beside them. He found he had not missed his spikes once while being a human. He however loved the horror on the witches' faces when seeing him. "Last chance, leave them be." He also loved the much more threatening note his voice held now.

"You… what?" Belladone managed to whisper.

"A favor for Faragonda." He shrugged, grin still playing around his lips. "I guess I owed her one for seeing the truth."

"What?" The voice of the third sister sounded as loud as the thunder she commanded.

He started to glow, glancing behind him at the fairies. "Darkness and Evil are two different things. She saw that and for that, I am eternally grateful to her. Well, and for introducing me to Chocolate, I guess." His blood-red magic lashed out. "Plus, I have grown rather fond of Bloom."

While the Coven had held their ground against the Dragonfire, the Shadow Phoenix himself was a completely different story: he was Darkness itself, and as such, none could stand against him in it. Bloom got the eerie feeling that her second year would have ended far differently if Realix had been covered in darkness. Darkar tore Obsidian apart, the Phoenix rising from its' ashes.

When the people of Domino found themselves back on their planet, many had near heart-attacks: above their rulers and several fairies flew a monstrous bird. No one needed to tell them it was Lord Darkar.

Floating in the air he changed back into his humanoid form, softly touching down.