Disclaimer: see chapter 1
"So what have you got there, Tecna?" Bloom asked one morning after the tecno-fairy had asked her to come look at something.
Tecna responded by holding up a peculiar electronic device.
"It's a prototype I'd like you to test for me." She explained, "I call it a 'Winx Watch'. It's a watch that you can make phone calls with."
"Really? That sounds awesome!" Bloom exclaimed happily.
"Rosella said that red is your favorite color, and I designed its shape to match the logo you made." Tecna explained as she fitted the watch to Bloom's wrist.
"It looks awesome! Can it do anything else besides telling time and making phone calls?"
"Yes, it has a GPS that will allow us to track your location if you get lost." The magenta-haired fairy replied as she held up a finger in explanation, "Of course, that's probably not necessary in your case since Rosella seems to be equipped with a built-in Bloom Radar—but if this prototype works, then I will make one for each of so that we can always find each other!"
"Wow, way to be prepared. Good thinking, Tec." Bloom praised. "Hey, by the way, what classes do we have today?"
"According to my schedule, today we're going on a field trip with Professor Palladium to the Black Mud Swamp." Tecna answered.
"Sounds… fun." Bloom said, attempting to hide her grimace as the two of them headed to the dining hall for breakfast.
As they made their way over to their seats, they found Rosella pouting in an uncharacteristic manner.
"Morning, Rosella. Is something bugging you?" Bloom asked.
"I am not being allowed to accompany you on today's field trip." Rosella stated unhappily.
"Why not?" The fire fairy asked.
"Because the point of the lesson requires you to be on your own for a little while, but I am not allowed to go off of the campus without a faculty member."
"That's too bad." Bloom empathized.
"I will be lonely without all of you…" The child lamented.
"Oh I don't think you'll be all dat lonely, Rosella, because you'll be coming with me to Solaria." Midnaruan remarked as he walked over to the group.
"Le ferai-je vraiment ?" Rosella asked with excitement.
"Aye, lass."
"Why are you taking her to my world, Professor Midnaruan?" Stella asked in confusion.
"Your royal library'll have information on her world." Midnaruan explained before grinning at his surrogate niece, "And so far as I know, she's still allowed to borrow one book a month from the library of Solaria."
Rosella's eyes lit up and she stood to her feet in excitement, "Every month?!"
At this, Stella sweat-dropped, "I totally forgot that Daddy gave you permission to do that… though I don't think he could've really stopped you from using the library either way…"
"What do you mean, Stella?" Musa asked.
"Oh, nothing. Don't mind me." The blonde said with a nervous laugh as Midnaruan continued smiling at the excited child before him.
"I say it's high time you borrowed a new book."
"I can hardly wait!" She replied.
"You're such a bookworm, Ro." Bloom teased, before suddenly realising that Midnaruan might think she was bullying the younger girl. "Er, I didn't mean that as an insult, Professor."
"It is all right, Bloom." Rosella replied, "Everyone says that, including Oncle." Giving a lighthearted shrug, she sat back down and returned to her food.
"So, you said the watch has a homing beacon, Tecna? How does it work?" Bloom asked.
"Press down on the lower right wing." Tecna told her.
"All right." Bloom said before pressing the button. "I think these kinds of things are designed to activate automatically when they hit water. This has the same thing right?" She stopped talking as her ears caught the sound of a faint, beeping trill.
Rosella tilted her head slightly. "Well, Tecna? We can certainly hear it, but are you receiving the signal properly?"
"Yes, all systems are green." Tecna said with satisfaction.
"C'est bon." The younger girl replied before taking a sip of her tea.
"I wonder where Professor Palladium is taking us on our field trip today?" Flora mused with interest.
"I believe you are going to the Black Mud Swamp." Rosella replied, now in a much better mood than before.
"I'm to sure about that." Midnaruan told her.
"What do you mean, Oncle?"
"There was a limnic eruption in the swamp early this morning." The King of Lunaria explained.
"Oh, I've heard of those." Bloom remarked, "There was one in the late 1980s on Earth that killed a bunch of people."
Maria made a face, "What a… lovely topic to bring up during breakfast, Bloom…"
"Sorry, but when Professor Midnaruan mentioned the one here, it reminded me of a similar incident on Earth." The fire fairy replied.
Maria sighed and set her teacup down. "Yes, well, please keep in mind that anything involving death is not a suitable mealtime topic."
Bloom looked at the uncomfortable expressions of the other girls. "Er, point taken."
Rosella looked up at Midnaruan as she picked up her spoon. "Are natural disasters like this common in Magix? I had that it was a rather harmonious realm…"
"There are occasionally earthquakes or flash floods, but a limnic eruption is abnormal." He admitted.
"I assume that the gases from the eruption are being contained, but what has been done about it beyond that?" The child asked.
"The Council of Magix has sealed off the swamp until the Medusa gas be removed and anything petrified by it returned to normal."
"Medusa gas…? C'est èstrange…" The girl muttered with a troubled expression, "But more importantly, that will result in the devastation of the swamp's ecosystem and kill many of the animals…" She stared at her soup pensively before suggesting, "I think it would be better if I used my restoration spell on the area."
"Aye, but we have to wait until the gas is cleared. It's spread out to about 7.5 kilometers." Midnaruan told her.
"The gas cannot clear on its own if it is being contained by a barrier." Rosella pointed out, "En autre, if I were to enter the area while accompanied by someone who is capable of creating an oxygen barrier around us, I could use my spell without waiting for the gas to be dealt with. Rather, my spell would also deal with the gas on its own."
"I can help you with that." The king said with a nod.
"C'est bon." She replied as she stood from her seat, "Then please take us to the centre of the gas cloud."
Midnaruan nodded and created a barrier around the two of them before teleporting to the center of the disaster. Once they had arrived, Rosella looked around carefully before turning her thoughts inward to contact the Dragon and the Phoenix. 'Maman, Papa, will I be able to do this without first removing the necklace that you gave to me? It is a pretty big area…'
'No, you'll have to take the necklace off to deal with this.' She heard Guanghuo reply.
'Understood.' The child replied as she reached up and unlatched her necklace before turning and holding it out to Midnaruan. "Oncle, please hold onto this for me." Midnaruan nodded and took the necklace from the girl. As he did, Rosella noticed a small creature lying motionless on the ground and walked over to it. "Poor thing…" She lamented as she stroked the mysterious animal. She then stood up and took a breath before beginning to sing.
"Rose de cristal brûlante—Montrez votre pouvoir—Rembobiner le temps—Et rendre ce qui est à moi—Apaiser toute la douleur—Geler toute la pluie—Ce destin impur—Brûlez-le loin de moi—Loin de moi..."
Rosella smiled and watched as everything around her and Midnaruan returned to the way it should be. Even the little creature near Rosella's feet began to stir.
"Most impressive." Midnaruan stated as he looked around at the now thriving swamp.
Rosella beamed at his praise and smiled as the small creature flew up to her, stopping when it was at eye level.
At that moment, the image of butterflies appeared on some of the rocks nearby, and then a spring of energy burst forth and enveloped the young girl. In the depths of her mind, Rosella witnessed herself transforming into a fairy with large, glittering wings like a butterfly.
"What was that?" She asked aloud as the vision ended and she looked at her small hands.
"Seems to me that you've received the Butterflix power." Midnaruan replied, causing Rosella to look up at him and tilt her head.
"Butterflix?" She accepted her necklace back from Midnaruan and placed it around her neck once more.
"It's a very rare fairy form." The man explained.
"I do not understand…" Rosella replied with confusion, though she was immediately distracted by the creature she had saved attempting to garner her attention. Her eyes met those of the deer-like creature roughly the size of a cat. In that moment, all that they could see was each other, and Rosella could hear the creature's voice in her head.
'I can explain it to you, Princess Harmony. Butterflix is a form granted to a fairy who proves herself to be a true defender of fairy animals. The disaster in the swamp caused you to worry for all of those who dwell within it, fairy animals like myself included, so you used your amazing power to restore it. Nature has rewarded your pure and noble heart. The power of Butterflix will further enhance your ability to protect nature. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Jewel. I am what's called a Qilin.' Jewel's body was covered with the short, smooth fur of a deer, yet it sparkled like a pink ruby in the sunlight. Even her markings made her look almost as if she were made of crystal.
"A Qilin... just like my clan…" Rosella said breathlessly. She instinctively stretched her arms out and Jewel flew into them.
'Yes. My kind lives only in the Realm of Soulstice. I am so, so, sooo happy to meet you, my dearest princess!'
"Looks like ya've formed an emphatic bond with that little one." Midnaruan remarked. "Ask her if she knows how long the gas had been building up."
"Unfortunately, I don't think that Rosella's new friend can answer that for you, Midnaruan." Came the voice of Faragonda as she walked through the bushes to join them.
"Madame Faragonda!" Rosella said in surprise.
"What are you doing here, Fara?" Midnauran asked.
"I came looking for this little one after Rosella had finished her work." Faragonda replied as she reached over and patted Jewel's head. "She's not supposed to be here, but she's curious by nature and occasionally slips out to explore."
"Slips out?" Midnaruan asked with a raised brow.
"The barrier keeps threats out, Midnaruan, it doesn't keep the fairy animals in." The headmistress replied.
"Well now, that's a major design flaw if I've ever seen one, Fara."
"Midnaruan, it's meant to protect them, not be a cage." She responded with a raised brow.
"True." He admitted, "It's been a long while since I visited the park."
"Well it's not as if it's completed yet, anyway." The woman replied with a patient shrug, "At any rate, I think it's time we returned to the school. Rosella appears to be quite tired."
Midnaruan looked and saw that his niece was swaying slightly, a dazed look on her face. "Agreed." He scooped Rosella up in his arms. The little girl rested her head upon his chest and fell asleep almost instantly, Jewel still sitting contentedly in her arms.
ウィンクスクラブ
Sometime later, the Winx had changed into the hiking uniforms Alfea has given them, which looked like typical women's safari outfits. They climbed aboard a bus with the other first year students and soon arrived at the Black Mud Swamp. Once they had disembarked, Professor Palladium turned to address the group of girls.
"I'm afraid that today's challenge will be a bit different than what I had originally planned." Palladium began.
"Professor Palladium, a mosquito just bit me." A girl named Francine complained.
"Yes, well, we are near a swamp, and it's just a mosquito. No big deal." Palladium replied as a student named Katy laughed beside him.
"But look where it got me!" Francine exclaimed, lifting up the leg of her shorts slightly to reveal the mosquito bite on the inside of her thigh, ignoring the fact that another student named Emily was laughing behind her.
"Oh my!" Palladium exclaimed, immediately becoming embarrassed and flustered. "W-Well, uh… wh-what I meant was, uh—t-to be shorts and to… to the point…" He trailed off as he realized his verbal error and all of his students, save for Maria, Stella, and Bloom, continued giggling at his floundering.
"Poor Professor." Bloom lamented, "They shouldn't give him such a hard time."
"If he were confident, he'd get more respect." Stella whispered back.
Bloom looked at the teacher in question. Palladium was the first real elf she'd ever met. In addition to this class, he was the school's potionology teacher. As potionology was Bloom's favorite subject, she had quickly developed a fondness for this particular teacher. That said, Palladium was rather scrawny and had a very bookish look about him, which made it easier to understand why he was so flustered by his class full of young students. He looked like the kind of guy who didn't get out of his lab much.
"If Rosebud were here, she'd never let them walk all over him like this…" Maria muttered quietly.
Bloom nodded in agreement. She had noticed that Rosella was a bit more withdrawn here at Alfea, but Bloom still knew the child wouldn't stand for it when others disrespected authority figures like the teachers. There were many things that she said nothing about—though Bloom knew her well enough to know that they bothered her—but laughing at a teacher was one of the few things she would never allow to slide.
"A good fairy must be able to listen to what nature tells us." Palladium explained. "Miss Faragonda wants us to find out what caused the limnic eruption that nearly destroyed the swamp earlier today."
"Hm… isn't a limnic eruption usually a result of volcanic activity?" Tecna asked thoughtfully.
"Yes, but therein lies the problem." Palladium explained, "This area hasn't had volcanic activity in centuries. Not only that, but if carbon dioxide had been building up in the lake, we would have noticed before it reached the point of eruption and found a way to release the pressure safely. Moreover, this eruption was accompanied by an explosion of Medusa gas, which is not something that exists in nature. That is why we suspect that the cause wasn't natural. However, nature will react to sources of magic within the environment. Your task today is to find the source or point of the eruption. You can use magic if you must, but… you will likely be more successful if you simply listen carefully to the voice of nature and follow its advice." Palladium looked around and then looked at his watch, "Hm… it appears that our escorts are running a bit late."
"Escorts?" Flora asked Musa, who shrugged in response.
ウィンクスクラブ
Back at Alfea, Rosella had recovered from her exhaustion and was currently glaring at her wardrobe in thought, trying to decide what to wear. "Entrez." She called in response to a knock on her door. After a beat, Professor DuFour walked in.
"Bonjour, mes petit." The older woman greeted, "Professor Midnaruan has informed me that he will be taking you to the royal palace of Solaria. Would you like some help in getting ready?"
"Oui. Your timing is perfect." Rosella replied with a smile, "I was just wondering what I should wear."
DuFour peeked into the child's wardrobe and clicked her tongue. "I see that Madame Eldora's tastes are as… eccentric as I remember." She sighed and closed the wardrobe before summoning a dress form that was perfectly matched to Rosella's measurements. "Remember that in choosing in an outfit, one must always consider time, place, and occasion. Today you are visiting the Palace of Solaria. However, even if you cannot remember, you are not a commoner, and King Radius knows this, so you must wear clothes that are befitting of your station. Only a gorgeous and elegant dress will be appropriate in this case. Because of your age, it is also important that you always look cute and innocent. However, since you are visiting the library, your outfit should be somewhat serious, rather than playful." Having said this, she created a white sleeveless frock with layers of ruffles and a high collar that featured a ribbon around the neck. On top of this was pink, polka-dotted pinafore that parted in the middle to reveal the ruffles of the frock. The edges along said part were ruffled as well, and the pinafore was adorned with ribbons on the chest and waist, as well as a large bow in the back. It had a straight neckline at the top of the chest and straps that went around the neck, allowing the collar of the frock to be seen as well. Above the ribbon on the waist and below the chest was a brown corset, adorned with ribbons and tied just so that it created a clear separation between the bodice and the fluffy skirt. She then added a white bag that was styled to look like a book. DuFour nodded to herself in satisfaction before waving her hand, causing the dress and purse to vanish from the dress form and appear on Rosella instead. A pair of cream-colored socks with ruffles just below the knees and cute, vintage pink pumps likewise appear on her feet. DuFour then gestured to Rosella's vanity stool and the child sat down so that the woman could brush her curls.
"What is the reason that I always wear my hair up?" Rosella asked. She'd found it to be an ingrained habit when she first arrived on Earth, so she hadn't stopped, but now she was curious as to where said habit came from.
"Young children are energetic and often run about as they play. It has long been the belief of our people that having to worry about the state of their hair would restrict the freedom that little ones need to grow and develop. However, short hair lacks elegance, so it has always been the practice in most noble families to have girls tie their hair back until they reach a certain level of physical maturity."
"A certain level? Not a certain age?" Rosella asked in confusion.
"You will understand when the time comes." DuFour replied with a mysterious smile as she expertly tied Rosella's hair into a high ponytail and adorned it with a pink ribbon that matched her outfit. "There. I believe that you are ready now."
Thanks to Midnaruan's teleportation magic, it was only a few minutes later that the he and Rosella entered the grounds of the palace of Solaria. She didn't bother to ask Midnaruan about the cloak that he was wearing. She knew that as the king of Lunaria, a planet which lacked a sun, Solaria, with its three suns had to be unbearably bright and hot for him. Rather than worry about it, she occupied herself with gazing in appreciation at the greenery of the front garden.
"It's been to long…" Midnaruan murmured beside her, causing Rosella to look up at him curiously.
"Oh? How long has it been?"
"Several years."
Such a vague response really didn't answer Rosella's question, but she decided to drop the matter. "I wonder where King Radius is?"
"I'm right over here, actually." Said a man with flaxen hair from in front of the entrance to the palace.
"Oh!" Rosella exclaimed in surprised, feeling a tinge embarrassed that she hadn't noticed him sooner. "Good afternoon, King Radius." She curtsied politely to the man, who smiled kindly at her.
"Good afternoon to you as well, Rosella. It's been far too long."
"Oui, it has." Rosella replied, expertly concealing the fact that she had no memories of ever meeting the Solarian King. "How is Queen Luna?" She asked politely.
A grimace briefly crossed Radius face before his smile reappeared. "She's doing well."
Rosella could not be fooled though. Having sensed Radius' discomfort at the mention of his wife, she tilted her head curiously. "King Radius, whatever is the matter? You were not happy when I asked about your wife…"
Radius sighed with resignation. "Well you see… the truth is… Luna and I are getting a divorce."
"Oh!" Rosella gasped with surprise, "Pardonnez-moi... I did not know... Stella has never mentioned such a thing…" She could not help the nagging feeling that there was something wrong about all of this, but she couldn't understand what it was.
"Yes, I fear she is taking the whole thing very badly…" Radius admitted.
The child nodded slowly. "I had… sensed that she was hiding some kind of terrible sadness within her, but… it seemed she did not want others to know and I have not had a chance to approach her in private..." She hesitated for a moment before deciding to speak up, "I do not like having to tell you this, but… she feels like it is somehow her fault."
At this Radius looked surprised, "What?"
"It is a very common feeling among children whose parents are divorced." The girl lamented, thinking of many of the children that she had seen back in Gardenia. "I have seen it quite a lot. They lose their innocence and trust, their sense of permanency… and… they cannot help but think that it was somehow all their fault." She sighed with regret, "In hindsight, I should have realized. I have observed enough children with divorced parents to know what it is they feel. Home… is something that no longer exists when your Maman and Papa live in different houses."
At this, Radius' eyes widened and filled with regret. "I had no idea we had hurt our Stella so badly…"
At this, Rosella's gaze shot back up to meet his and her eyes widened before she looked away in embarrassment. "I am sorry... I have said too much..."
Radius' eyes widened in surprise, "No, Rosella. I want you to speak your mind."
"Very well..." Rosella replied, clenching her fists as she met Radius' eyes with steeled resolve. "Your majesty... if you truly love Stella, then you should find a way to reconcile with Lady Luna and make things work. To leave a child caught in the middle... feeling forced to choose between her parents... it is a very selfish thing to do. I am not sure if Stella has thought about this, but... I think if it were me... I would feel like my parents did not even think about my feelings or my happiness."
Radius said nothing, unable to respond to such a statement.
"These are just... my thoughts on the matter... if you like... I can try to help you two reconcile, but... I cannot guarantee I would be of any help. I do not really know anything about how my powers work or even... really remember who I am."
"I will gladly accept any help that you can give us." Radius replied, "Now then, you must have come to visit the library today, am I right?"
"Ah, oui…" Rosella replied with a shy nod.
"Well then, right this way."
'Who am I, that I can get away with speaking so candidly to King Radius?' Rosella asked Guanghuo and Yukichou telepathically, 'Solarian society is built on those of lower rank showing deference to those of higher rank.'
'I believe you will find the answer to that question in the library.' Guanghuo answered.
"By the way, Radius…" Midnaruan began, "Do you by chance have a book that has every kind of fairytale, both true and fictitious?"
"Are you talking about the Anthology?" Radius replied, "No, I'm afraid I don't."
Midnaruan sighed, "Well that's troublesome…"
"Why are you looking for such a book, Oncle?" Rosella inquired.
"That book is very important, as it contains the entire history of the Magic Dimension." The king of Lunaria explained. "It would be dangerous in the wrong hands."
"You do not need to worry about that," Rosella assured him, "For I have that book. Grand-Maman says that I was holding it when I first arrived on Earth."
"Your mother must have thought it was wise to send that book away with you." Radius remarked as he led them into the library.
"Wow!" Rosella gasped in amazement, her eyes lighting up as she took in the massive collection of books.
"Must be a pain to keep this place from getting dusty." Midnaruan commented.
"That is what magic is for, my friend." Radius assured him. "Now then, speaking of your mother, Rosella, I have something here that she entrusted to me. I think it's time that I returned them to you." He quickly summoned two books from amidst the immense shelves and held them out to Rosella. She accepted the books and then sat down at a table and looked at their covers. She found that one was about the powers of Qilin Fairies, while the other was about the magical places and objects of Soulstice. She looked up at Midnaruan.
"Which one should I read first?" She asked.
"I'd suggest the one about your powers first." The Lunarian King replied. The child nodded and opened the book in question.
"'The Qilin Clan of Soulstice are the descendants of the first fairy, Arcadia, and are the rulers of Soulstice. In addition, the head of the Qilin Clan—either the queen or a princess in the absence of a queen—work together with the Keepers of the Dragon Flame and Phoenix Crystal to form the High Council of the Magic Dimension. This governing body mediates conflicts between realms and also passes judgment on criminals whose crimes threaten the stability of the Magic Dimension. The keepers of the ancient powers act as spokesperson for the Great Dragon and Grand Phoenix, but because they are opposites, the head of the Qilin Clan serves to mediate between the two to find an acceptable solution. The head of the clan is also responsible for approving the selection of the heir to the throne in kingdoms with multiple heirs and approving all royal marriages." Having found the answer to her earlier question, Rosella turned the page and scanned the next section. "…According to this, the only thing comparable to even the most basic magic of my family that other fairies can use is that of the Believix Power..." She took to simply scanning the pages for a bit. "…The ability to know what others are feeling and to communicate my feelings to them by touching their hearts directly... the ability to strengthen their hearts when they falter or are afraid... Hm? It says here that the Believix power was first developed by a member of my family sharing her power with another fairy." She looked up at Midnaruan. "Is that really possible? I thought all fairy forms were pre-existing."
"They're all created at some point, it's just a matter of when." Midnaruan explained.
"Oh...?" She said with interest before looking back at the book, "My basic powers are my passive ability to sense the emotions and intentions of any living thing around me, nullification magic, spell reversal, and enhancing the magic of others."
"I guess that explains how you were able to do the things you've done so far." Midnaruan remarked.
"It does not explain why I can already use my powers though..." She muttered, "'The spells of Qilin Fairies often contain powerful emotional energy...' What does that mean?"
"I have some idea at least." Radius answered, "When you awakened your powers, Rosella, you unleashed a burst of energy that was felt all across Solaria. You were angered by an injustice and literally the entire realm knew it.
"C'est quoi?! " Rosella explained.
"More like the entire universe." Midnaruan corrected.
Rosella looked up at the Lunarian King in shock before turning back to the book. "'The teachings of Soulstice state that there are five elements or traits which make the heart strong: Courage, Purity, Intelligence, Growth, and Hope. Each Qilin fairy is born with one of these traits being very strong, and this trait becomes their power source.' So I wonder which of the five traits is my power source?"
"Purity." Both kings answered in unison, causing Rosella to sweat-drop before she turned the page.
"Oh, this is an interesting... 'If a Qilin fairy with a strong heart forms a deep bond of friendship with four others with strong hearts, and each embodies a different Element, they will all gain the rare and powerful Elementix form, which is considered to be a cut above Believix.' So does that mean that they have to gain Believix first?"
"I believe so." Midnaruan remarked.
"I wonder if I will ever acquire it?" Rosella wondered.
"I know you will." Midnaruan insisted.
Rosella smiled in thanks for his encouragement. "Should we look at the other book now?"
"Aye."
Rosella opened the second book, only to immediately be met with a portrait that made her freeze.
"Amia…" Midnaruan said sadly.
"Is that…?"
"Your mother, yes." Radius confirmed. Rosella's eyes filled with tears.
"There, there, Rosella." Midnaruan said as he patted the girl's head, "I miss your mother too. She was a huge spark of life."
"Indeed." Radius agreed. "Amia was surely the embodiment of courage. She was vivacious and energetic, as well as quite adventurous. I myself am much younger than they are, but I understand that she was like the baby sister of the Company of Light."
"Aye, she was." Midnaruan confirmed.
Rosella reached out and gingerly touched the image, only to find herself surprised when it suddenly changed to show that Amia was, in fact, wearing a pendant in the portrait. Words also appeared on the opposite page.
"It must've been enchanted so that only a Fairy Queen of Soulstice's magic would reveal it." Radius realized.
Rosella stared at the portrait for a moment longer before continuing to read from the adjacent page, "'The center of the realm of Soulstice is known as the Heart of Soulstice, and contains the collective emotional energy of the planet's residents. The royal family has the duty of stabilizing the Heart when the people are troubled. Only a Qilin fairy or a guardian fairy of Soulstice can enter the heart, but only a Qilin Fairy Queen can calm the Heart. In order to monitor the condition of the Heart of Soulstice while away from their realm, the royal family uses a magical pendant known as the Mirror of the Heart. Qilin Fairy Queens have a magical bond with this item and only they can use it.'" She looked confused. "A magical bond? What does that mean?"
"Not sure. Magical bonds with objects aren't common." Midnaruan replied.
"Hm…" Rosella said thoughtfully.
Oh help us please…
"Huh?" Rosella looked around in confusion for the source of the singing she'd just heard. "Oncle… did you hear that?"
"Hm?" Midnaruan gave her a questioning look.
Please come find me…
Rosella's curls bounced and swayed as she looked around again. Midnaruan and Radius looked at each other.
"What did you hear, Ro?" Midnaruan asked.
"A voice… calling me… asking me to come find it…"
"Ah, now I see!" Radius said. "It's likely that what you heard was the Mirror of the Heart. Its magic is connected to yours, and so, it is calling for you, its master, to claim it."
"…But… why is calling for me now?" Rosella asked.
"That's hard to say." Radius sighed, "But perhaps it's because you are now aware of the Mirror's existence."
ウィンクスクラブ
Meanwhile, at the Black Mud Swamp, the Specialists from Red Fountain had finally arrived. Due to the unforeseen changes to the field trips purpose, the young heroes-in-training were tasked with protecting the students of Alfea as the fairies searched for the source of the disaster earlier that day.
"Hey, Flora, you're the Fairy of Nature. Is there anything that feels off to you?" Bloom asked as the Winx trekked through the swamp with Brandon's Squad.
"Not really." Flora said, "But then again, whatever Rosella did restored the balance, so I don't think there's anything that I would notice."
"That must be why Professor Palladium said that we could use magic if we needed to." Tecna surmised.
Flora nodded in agreement. "I'll try asking the plants in the swamp about which direction the eruption's origin was in. Magic Winx!" As a first year fairy, there was very little that Flora could do without transforming, which was why she did so. Once she was in her fairy form, she hovered above the mud with her wings. "Golden Pollen!" The nature fairy held up her hands and blew on them, causing a glittering golden pollen to dust the plants in the area. A moment later, the pollen lifted off of the plants and rearranged itself into an arrow. "It looks like we need to head due west!" Flora said.
Stella looked thoughtful for a moment at the area ahead of them. "Um, I'm no expert on the voice of nature, but don't swamps have a lot of wild animals that like to lurk in dark places?"
"Yes, they do. Why?" Flora replied.
"Oh, I'm just thinking that we wouldn't want to be ambushed by some nasty creature while looking for the source of the eruption." Stella remarked.
"You're right, but what can we do?" Sky asked.
"Leave it to me!" Stella said. "Magic Winx!" After transforming into her own fairy form, Stella rose into the air, "Rising Sun!" Rather than releasing her spell as an attack, Stella used it to make herself glow brightly. "I'll light up the shadows so that those nasty beasts leave us alone!"
"But… won't that disturb the balance?" Musa worried.
"Actually, most of the predators that live in swamps are nocturnal, so all Stella is doing is making sure they know that they're supposed to be asleep right now." Maria remarked.
"Then let's get going." Brandon said, prompting the group to begin walking in the direction that Flora's arrow had pointed.
"Flora, how will we know when we're getting close to the source?" Bloom asked.
"To be honest, I'm not really sure." Flora admitted. "I could only ask the plants for the general direction."
"This is where the voice of nature will come in." Tecna remarked, "Or rather, the smell."
"We already know the swamp stinks, Tecna." Stella said.
"This is a different kind of stink." Tecna remarked. "Limnic eruptions are caused by underground volcanic activity. Volcanoes release sulfuric gases, which smell like rotten eggs. Even if the source is underground, some of that gas should still reach the surface."
"So we'll be able to find the origin of the eruption by the smell when we get close!" Timmy caught on.
The group walked for a little while longer before noticing the smell that Tecna had mentioned.
"Ugh! It stinks all right." Riven said in annoyance as he held his nose.
"I'm going to activate my scanner." Tecna said as she held up her palm, producing a holographic image, "It will be hard for us to find the place of highest concentration with just our noses." The group continued walking a little bit, following Tecna whenever she changed directions in response to the readings before she finally stopped and lowered her hand. "This must be the origin of the explosion."
"But now what?" Musa asked. "Even if we're on top of the source, we can't actually see it."
"It's not like we can just drill down there either." Dusk agreed.
"Let's split up." Tecna suggested. "Bloom, you go with Brandon, Flora, go with Dusk, Stella, go with Sky, Maria, go with Tudore, and Musa, go with Riven. I'll stay here with Timmy and keep running analyses. Try listening to the voice of nature to see if you can find a path that leads to the source."
The others nodded and set out. Bloom walked with Brandon for a bit before stopping in her tracks.
"What is it?" Brandon asked.
"I feel like we should go that way." Bloom said as she pointed in a different direction, "I can't explain why. It's just a feeling."
"Sometimes it's best to just follow your instincts." Brandon said. "Let's go." The two of them headed in the direction that Bloom indicated and soon came across a cave. "The entrance to this cave probably leads underground. It might lead us to the source of the eruption." Brandon remarked. "We'd better call the others."
Bloom nodded and activated her Winx Watch. "Tecna, I think Brandon and I've found something. Head to my location with the others."
"Roger that, Bloom!" Tecna replied. Within a few minutes, she and the other five girls arrived with their escorts. Tecna, Musa, and Maria had all transformed to get there faster.
"…Does anybody else feel like this cave looks a little unnatural?" Tudore asked as he looked at the entrance to the cave that Bloom and Brandon had found.
"Yes. The entrance is too perfectly shaped." Flora agreed.
"It looks more like some kind of ancient ruin." Timmy said as he adjusted his glasses.
"But there's no record of any ruins located in the Black Mud Swamp." Tecna remarked. "Still… I find it weird that a cave would exist beneath the swamp at all."
"Why is that?" Sky asked.
"Caves are formed over time by water seeping into limestone and mixing with the carbon dioxide in the stone, causing it to dissolve." Tecna explained. "Even if the bedrock here were made of limestone…"
"In a swampy environment like this, it would've formed a sinkhole by now." Flora caught on.
"Exactly." Tecna said.
"Maybe we should find out what's in there before we go in." Musa said, "I'll generate an ultrasonic sound wave to probe the inside." She strained and grunted as she concentrated her magic, sending it towards the entrance of the cave and listening carefully to the feedback. "Scanning complete."
"And now I'll analyze the data." Tecna said, holding her hand out toward Musa. Musa held her own hand out, allowing Tecna to use her magic to connect with her temporarily. Tecna strained as she retrieved the data from Musa's brain. "All right, got it." The tecno fairy said when she finished, opening her palm to produce a holographic image. "Here's what the inside of the cave looks like."
"What the…" Riven said as he looked at the hologram, "That's not a cave, that's a tunnel!"
"It's size and shape are uniform throughout." Timmy agreed as he adjusted his glasses again. "It looks like it slowly loops deep underground before coming to an abrupt end. Tecna, can you overlay a map of the swamp on top of this?"
"Sure." Tecna said, waving her free hand to add the map. "The tunnel ends here, right under where we found the site of the eruption."
"Then I'm betting that whatever's at the end of that tunnel is what caused the eruption." Bloom remarked.
"That means it wasn't an accident." Brandon agreed, "Somebody planned to have an eruption destroy the swamp."
"But why?" Maria said, "Not even the Witches of Cloud Tower would do that."
"Hard to say." Tecna remarked. "Perhaps we'll find our answer when we reach the end. Stella, can you light the way please?"
"Sure!" Stella said, happily lighting up her body again to guide her friends through the tunnel.
"Hold on." Maria said, stopping the Sun Fairy before she could fly ahead. "I think it might be better if I light the way this time."
"How come?" Stella asked.
"Sunlight generates heat, which could become uncomfortable in an enclosed space. Moonlight lacks that property, so it's the safer choice."
"Oh, good point. I didn't think of that." Stella agreed, deactivating her powers as Maria lit up her own body instead.
The group headed into the tunnel with Maria at the head. After they'd been walking for a little while, Timmy noticed that Dusk and Tudore's breathing had grown heavy. "Are you two okay?" The technician asked.
"Yeah… it's just hot down here." Tudore said.
"Our planet doesn't get very warm, so we're not used to it." Dusk added.
"Maria, are you okay?" Sky asked upon hearing this.
"Don't worry about me. My powers are stronger than my brothers', so I can withstand this heat, no problem." The lunar fairy replied.
"The heat will only get worse as we go further in, though…" Tecna said thoughtfully. "The farther we get from the surface, the stronger the air pressure is going to get, and the closer we get to what caused the eruption, the hotter it will get. Unfortunately, the heat will raise the air pressure, which will in turn make it even hotter. This tunnel acts as a kind of exhaust vent that keeps the pressure from building too high, but that doesn't make it more comfortable for us. The concentration of sulfuric gas grows stronger the closer we get too."
"So pretty soon, we'll all be feeling the heat." Riven surmised.
"What do we do?" Musa asked.
"Stella, Bloom, I think you guys might need to go on without the rest of us." Tecna said. "Bloom is a fire fairy, so hot environments don't bother her, and Stella's solar magic is similar to fire, so she should also be fine."
"All right." Bloom agreed before continuing on with Stella. The two of them had only gone a little bit farther when they got a very big surprise.
"Bloom!" Came the voice of Rosella as the child suddenly appeared in front of her, along with Midnaruan.
"Rosella! What are you doing here?" Bloom said in surprise.
"I came because I felt that something was wrong…" Rosella said before gazing in the direction of the tunnel's end. "I sense a dark power in this place. Oncle, what do you think?"
"It's definitely Valtor's handiwork…" Midnaruan replied.
"He must have created this more than a century ago to bring disaster upon Magix." Rosella said. "We must get rid of it."
"How?" Bloom asked. "And who is Valtor?"
"I will explain later…" Rosella replied as she put a finger to her lip in thought, "There is a way, but it is not something that any of us can handle. We should return to Alfea and report this to Madame Faragonda."
ウィンクスクラブ
"So, Valtor created a volcano underground?" Faragonda asked when the group reported back.
"Mm… that is not it exactly…" Rosella replied with a thoughtful expression. "I could definitely sense an active source of his dark magic. I didn't see it for myself, but I believe that he created a kind of sphere of fire magic or something like an orb of lava beneath the swamp, turning it into a time bomb of sorts. The spell must contain a kind of conditional magic… one that would cause the Medusa gas to be released when an eruption finally occurred. He was captured over a century ago, which means it took at least that long for the bomb to go off, so to speak. If we get rid of it now, we can prevent another eruption from occurring in the future."
Rosella's expression turned serious, "With that being said, I made a point to avoid telling the Winx this, but… the only person who can undo Valtor's handiwork in this case... is Icy. Only her ice magic would be powerful enough."
At that, Faragonda furrowed her brow. "Midnaruan, is Icy aware that she's the keeper of the Phoenix Crystal?"
"Not to my knowledge." Midnaruan said.
"She doesn't have to be." Rosella replied. "It's simple enough to say that it is because she is of royal birth. As a princess of Dyamond, her magic is naturally stronger than average."
"That's true…" Faragonda replied. "Very well, I'll contact Professor Griffin and inform her of the situation."
Rosella nodded in agreement, "All right, but let her know that it is probably best that she accompany Icy. There is no telling what might happen if Belladonna's power recognizes Valtor's magic. It's not as if Icy, Darcy, and Stormy are possessed by the Ancestral Witches, but the power that they 'received' from them is clouding their minds and has been gradually warping their personalities."
"I should've stopped Griffin when she said she was going to train those three ta be witches." Midnaruan muttered.
"I don't think you could have stopped her." Faragonda stated plainly, "Griffin was too angered by the loss of Cassian and what happened to Sapphire to listen to reason back then. Well, I suppose it's natural, given that Cassian was her only son and Sapphire is her youngest grandchild."
ウィンクスクラブ
"So… remind me again why I'm saving the environment?" Icy asked as she followed Griffin through the Swamp in her witch form.
"The Black Mud Swamp is too important for us." Griffin replied, "Many of the ingredients for our potions can only be found in swamps, and this is the closest one to Cloud Tower by a long ways."
"Shouldn't those plants have already been destroyed by the eruption?" Icy inquired.
"It would seem that the Medusa gas had the unexpected side effect of preserving them until the air was cleared by the fairies of Alfea." Griffin fibbed. She knew the truth, but Faragonda had warned her not to say anything about how the Swamp had been saved by Rosella.
Icy looked toward the entrance of the tunnel ahead and saw Bloom, Rosella, and Flora waiting for them. "Why are you three here?"
"I was told that my barriers would be effective in protecting us from any toxins that might be down there." Rosella explained, "Bloom is here to help us deal with the heat and Flora is here so that she can warn us if nature senses danger."
"Rosella's magic will also be helpful in amplifying your magic." Griffin explained.
"But she's a fairy." Icy said in confusion.
"Convergence between a fairy and a witch is possible, and apparently, Rosella has a natural aptitude for it." Griffin replied, "Besides, her nullification magic will be useful in thwarting the magic that's behind all of this. Enough chatter, let's go."
"So, remind me exactly what I'm supposed to do?" Bloom asked as she and Flora walked behind Rosella and Icy. The two of them had transformed for extra power.
"Just absorb the heat around us." Rosella said, "You can do it. You just have to concentrate."
"Couldn't she have just destroyed this underground lava bomb then?" Icy asked.
"Under ordinary circumstances, perhaps, but the magic we are dealing with is far from ordinary." The child replied.
Thanks to Bloom's heat absorption, the group reached the end of the tunnel without any issues. Griffin turned and looked at Icy and Rosella. "Now it's your turn."
The two of them nodded. "Give me your hand, Icy." Rosella said, "It is necessary to sync my magic with yours."
"Ugh, fine." Icy said, allowing Rosella to take her hand. The two of them held their free hands up and channeled their power toward the orb of lava. The orb reacted, quavering like jelly, and a strange mark appeared on the front of it.
"What's that?" Flora asked.
"Proof that the one behind this is exactly who we thought it was." Griffin said, her eyes narrowed.
Rosella and Icy both narrowed their eyes as they focused, intent on ending this matter. As the orb began to freeze, the ground began to shake.
"What's going on?!" Bloom asked in alarm.
"The magic used to create this thing is fighting back!" Griffin explained, "Icy, Rosella, keep going! I'll keep it in check!"
"Can we help?" Flora asked.
"No, convergence between a witch and a fairy requires that they both be extremely skilled." Griffin replied, "Rosella is an exception because her magic is naturally suited to it. Bloom, especially, should not get involved. She and Icy would only cancel each other out." The Headwitchtress used her magic to stabilize the area around them and Bloom noticed that the amount of heat she was having to absorb was rapidly dropping. Rosella and Icy continued pouring their combined powers into the orb. Suddenly the mark upon it shattered, and in a flash, the group was above ground, the tunnel having completely disappeared. The orb had transformed into a glistening mineral crystal that glittered in the sunlight.
"Wonderful!" Flora exclaimed when she saw the orb.
"When lava cools, the chemicals and chemical compounds within crystallize, forming gems and igneous rock." Icy said matter-of-factly.
"In other words, most gems are basically frozen lava, right?" Rosella asked with excitement.
"That's right." Icy said with an uncharacteristic smile as she looked at the crystal orb. It reminded her of her home.
"It's best we move it to Alfea." Griffin said. "It's difficult to tell whether what we're looking at is simply an ordinary crystal, or if it's something more since Rosella's magic was involved."
"What does my magic have to do with anything?" Rosella asked as she tilted her head.
"Your family has long specialized in the creation of magical objects. It would be best to let the faculty of Alfea analyze this." The woman told her.
Rosella nodded and gazed at the crystal. "Leaving that aside, the beauty that mixing fire and ice can create is breathtaking, n'est pas?"
Icy nodded, unable to help the nostalgia swirling within her.
Author Notes
So as of this chapter's posting, I have exceeded 425K Total words written on FF net, onwards to 450K and this fic is approaching 50 K total words.
Pinkrose064's Notes: Kind of tried to consolidate some things by keeping to the original point of the episode at least somewhat while also making use of elements that would otherwise have gotten left out of this AU.