Category: Winx Club
Rating: T
Couples: none
Warnings: Major AU
Chapter: 8
Copyright: © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me
Author's note: And I stick with the translation-bonuses in names… what do I suddenly have with Danish!
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The fountain next to them stopped flowing, the water hanging in the air as if time had been stopped. Then the water gathered, forming a body. Bloom was struck by the resemblance between the woman that had appeared and Lysdon and Skyggon: she had the same long, light-blue hair and the same deep-blue eyes. But unlike those two she had no wings. Instead she had a mermaid's tail with golden scales reaching up to her shoulders, leaving only her arms and head free of them. Around her neck and wrists were thick golden bands studded with gems the color of her eyes. Soft growls came down from the roofs, the dragons and humans backing away from her.
"I will take them from here." She said to their guide, who only nodded and backed away too. "Come, fairies."
She flew up the street, clearly expecting them to follow her.
"Excuse me." Bloom caught up with her. "But who are you?"
The woman chuckled. "How refreshing, finally someone who does not fear me. Who do you think I am, little girl? I'll give you a hint: I share more than their looks with them."
"You're related to Lysdon and Skyggon?" The red-head fairy exclaimed.
"I am their sister. Name's Vandia." Vandia smiled. "Can you guess what my power is?"
"The Water-stars?" Tecna asked. Vandia stopped, studying the technology-fairy. Then she smiled.
"Yes, that's me." Her golden scales rippled as she started moving again. "I was born into a broken family a decade after they left. Much like the rest of the Universe I have heard rumors. I take it your presence confirms them?"
"Yes." Bloom spoke again. "Lysdon wants to make up for his past mistakes."
"Mistakes?" Vandia hissed. "He calls what he did a 'mistake'? The nerve…"
"He did some stupid things, I admit that." Immediately Bloom wished she had remained silent: Vandia rounded on her, her scales seemingly on fire as energy crackled around her.
"You do not know what he did, fairy, do not presume you can judge." The older woman turned away, her rage making way for grief. "You know not half of what he did, to our family and to the Dimension as a whole. But you will know soon enough. The fact that you are Faragonda's guests will protect you from attacks of the inhabitants – both dragon and human – of this planet; even my father would not risk angering her. But it shan't protect you from the truth."
They progressed in silence after that. The creator of the Water-stars broke the silence herself. "You will stay at Faragonda's mansion; from there you only have to go North to reach the mountains were my father dwells. But I warn you; grief and anger have made him bitter over the centuries and he does not like company."
"You won't join us? You could explain things to us." Sky said.
Vandia looked at them sadly. "I have my duties on this planet, prince. I cannot play escort for you. Besides, it's not as if you can get lost on Asuran. Now come, you are being expected."
The mansion she left them in front was grand. Just like all the other buildings it was black, but there were many decorations which were silver. Vandia opened the gate, gesturing them to enter.
"Here I say goodbye, young ones. But I know we shall see each other again." She turned into water, splashing on the road before seemingly evaporating at great speed.
"Well, let's go in then." Layla suggested.
A young woman was waiting on the steps for them. "We did not expect Vandia to guide you here." She spoke, her voice shy.
"Vandia knew she would meet them at Vo'id and wished to introduce herself before then." The voice came from the opened doors. Bloom couldn't stop the gasp from escaping her. She had never seen Faragonda wear anything besides her light-blue dress with dark-blue vest, but now Alfea's Headmistress wore a long dress, which was such a dark-blue it could almost be considered black studded with small diamonds, making it look like the night-sky. Even her hair was not as Bloom had always known it, it now lay over her shoulder in one ponytail. "Come in, my students."