Author's notes: Ehhh...probably my least favorite chapter so far. It's not that descriptive and I feel like I could've added more but...eh. So, sorry if it's lacking.

Not much to say; enjoy the chapter (or don't)!

Faragonda pursed her lips as she looked at the latest report, intimidated at the lack of positive results. The search party had found nothing, other than mere sightings by witnesses long before, or things that may or may not have belonged to the girls, but it was worthless find as it did nothing to help find the girls' whereabouts. It had been about three years since the Winx Club started their journey to find the seven orbs and who was behind it, and they have not been seen or heard since. The search for the missing heroes have been quite huge throughout the Magical Dimension for an amount of time, yet it started to dwindle recently as more people start to believe that they are either dead, or went under the radar for an unknown reason. Either of the possibilities, she didn't want to even think about it.

"Many people are pulling out of the search. Even King Sky was forced to pull out due to a potential bankruptcy in Eraklyon." Griselda informed, looking quite grim. People are really losing hope.

"I...see," The headmistress leaned back on her seat. She was going to retire very soon as she was not getting younger, and so she didn't want to spend her last years as headmistress with the burden of losing her best students. That'd just be straight up tragic.

"I wonder if the person behind the seven orbs had something to do with it..." Griselda wondered out loud. And alas! Her question has been answered as a mirror nearby glowed a hue of green, before it showed a distorted shape of a woman, her face obscured by a cloak and a mask.

"Perhaps," The woman in the mirror shrugged so nonchalantly. Faragonda and Griselda gasped and turned to the mirror, only to see someone they hoped to never see again. "Maybe you shouldn't have done what you did, maybe then you'd have a fighting chance. Your best fairies are gone, you're too old to even transform, and your students are they weakest they've ever been! Boy, aren't you on a roll recently, Miss Faragonda?" She asked in a condescending manner.

The headmistress and her assistant looked at one another in horror, before turning back to the woman with equal rage. "You!" Faragonda yelled.

The woman didn't look intimidated. "Now, where have I heard that before?" She wondered sarcastically, before turning back to the older woman. "You know the drill. You may ask three questions and I shall answer them as truthfully as I can." She said in a monotone manner, as if she recited the same sentence time and time again.

Faragonda pursed her lips, not pleased but what can she do. "Where are the Winx? What happened to them?"

The woman smiled. "You'll find out soon." Her tone held something...malicious in it, she wondered why?

Griselda asked the second question. "Who released you?"

"Fate," Was the woman's answer, and she didn't try to elaborate on that. Faragonda frowned, not content with the answer, so she asked another question.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked.

"Because fate told so, did it not?" She told them. "Fate said that I'm going to destroy the world someday, and because of that my life was a living hell. If Fate insists that I am who I am, then let me take it upon myself to prove that."

Before they could react, the mirror omitted its glow as the woman disappeared, leaving an empty mirror and more questions.

...

"What's your first class?" Max asked as she walked with her roommate in the halls. Many students hustled and bustled as they walked to their classes, some ran with toast in their mouths after waking up quite late, while others were probably still in bed sleeping, used to their summer schedule, rest in peace to them. "I think I have History."

Cel glanced at her own schedule, "That makes it the both of us," She sighed. Max slightly frowned at the girl's slight downer attitude, but said nothing. "I really hate History."

"Uh, why?" Max asked, somewhat curious. She never really had any problems with History, professor Daphne was an okay professor and she didn't mind learning about significant events from the past. Sure, Cel was more of a 'math' genius but Max didn't recall her failing anything in History. Maybe it's because she deemed it useless information? Maybe she didn't care about learning what dead people did? She thought those too but what can she do.

She frowned. "Whenever my mom or dad gets mentioned, I always get compared to them. 'Hah! I bet Tecna didn't fail any of her classes!', 'Are we really sure that she's their daughter?'." She rolled her eyes. "Pfft. Losers."

Max looked at her roommate in surprise, before thinking about it and finding that she can also relate to that. Their lessons last year mostly consisted of well known historical figures and heroes, so of course their mothers and fathers would get mentioned a lot. Though she, too, found it annoying that every time the great musical fairy Musa, or the brave Specialist Riven, were mentioned, all eyes would be on her. Sure, they were her parents, but were they really? Musa died when she was barely two, and Riven couldn't be bothered raise his own damn children. So fuck them. Max sighed.

"That makes it the both of us."

...

Emma looked around the hall with several classrooms, carefully navigating her way to her current class as she dodged several students with slight difficulty. She made a promise to herself earlier this morning that she'd stop, or at least, tried to stop her clumsy ways as it would be dangerous and embarrassing for a fairy-in-training. Mostly embarrassing but don't tell anyone that.

"Potionology...Potionology...Potionology..." She murmured as her eyes scanned the room numbers. She forgot her promise to herself as she got a bit distracted, and being distracted meant having the potential to bump into something or someone, which she did. "Oof!"

She bumped into something. It was the first day, on the way to her first class, and she already had her clumsy stunt. How wonderful. "I'm so, so, so, so, sorry!" An apologetic, yet timid, voice squeaked. Emma looked at the figure she bumped on to and saw another girl, probably a freshman like she was. She was a timid looking girl, a bit shorter than Emma, with pale skin, light green hair tired into a ponytail, and matching eyes. The girl also wore a hoodie, just something Emma noticed.

Emma raised a brow. "It's okay...? It's my fault for not paying attention anyways-"

"No, no, no, no- I-it's my fault, I'm such a klutz, I-" The girl insisted.

She had never met someone so apologetic before, and instantly felt bad for the girl for whatever she experienced that made her eyes. "No, really, it's okay, really!" Emma said, silencing the girl. "Um, oh and by the way, I'm Emily, but I mostly go by Emma!"

The girl stared up at Emma with a hesitant look, before smiling. "Err, hi, I guess." She said, looking down, "My name's...um, Nemesis." Seeing Emma's raised brow, she squeaked, "I know, I know! It's a really weird name..."

"What? No! Of course not!" Emma laughed nervously as she waved her arms around, shaking her head. Not only did her clumsiness show in the first day, but she offended someone as well. Boy isn't she on a roll today. "Nemesis is a really pretty name." Nemesis gave a look that said, 'Okay...I don't believe that...but, sure'. Emma laughed some more, "So, Nemesis, are you a freshman too?"

Nemesis shrugged. "I guess."

"What's your first class?"

"Potionology." Nemesis seemed to have a thing for one word answers.

Emma's face lit up. Is this her potential first friend outside her suite mates? "Mine too!" She said, "Though, I don't know where it is..."

"Oh, well, it's the fifth room to the left." Nemesis told her, recalling the map she read.

"Thanks!" Emma smiled as she walked past the girl, turning away from her for just a second, "Why don't we go in the class together-?" She was about to ask as she turned back to the green haired girl, but-

She was gone.

It was as if she were never there in the first place as students walked past where she once stood, not batting an eye, their faces blank.

Emma blinked as she stared to where her new friend once stood, her mouth agape as she stared widely. She could've sworn she looked away for just a second, no one could've run off that quickly, and it couldn't be a spell either, Nemesis was still a freshman.

"Emily?" Emma gasped and looked up, only to see their vice-headmistress, Mirta. "Classes has already started. Are you alright?" Emma looked around, the halls were empty, the voices of several professors saying their introductions in their classrooms can be heard.

"Err, yes!" Emma gave a nervous smile. "I just met someone new and they must have been really quick because they left to class without me."

"Is that so?" Miss Mirta raised a brow, "It must have been one of those speed fairies, there are quite a handful of them this year. Can you perhaps tell me her name?"

"Her name is Nemesis," She smiled, "Err, Miss Mirta?" She asked in concern after Mirta's smile dropped to a worrisome frown.

Mirta looked like she had somewhere to be. "You should get to class, Emma," She quickly said, before walking away.

Emma was confused, but shook her head as she quickly ran to her class, questions suddenly springing on her mind.

...

"So, which do you pick first, my little darlings?"

Six colorful orbs were lined up in front of them in a specific order: blue, yellow, pink, red, purple, and green. Each representing different aspects of negative traits. The two child servants cooed at the pretty looking orbs and squealed excitedly as if they were choosing a toy at a toy story as they each examined the orbs, looking at each other as if they were debating. The woman fondly looked at the children as she sipped her tea, one of the only pleasures she indulges in this vile world.

"The blue one!" Pollo decided as he excitedly ran towards his master, awaiting her approval.

"Ah, the orb of envy," She nodded, "The desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to someone else. Very nice, Pollo-"

"No!" Arte frowned as she ran towards her master as well, with a frown. "I want the pink one!"

Their master raised a brow, "The orb of sloth? That's also very nice." She said, "The reluctance to work or make an effort; laziness."

"I want the blue one!" Pollo whined.

"No! The pink one!" Arte whined as well.

"Now, that's enough," Their master scolded with a frown, the two servants were silenced yet they still gave one another childish gestures. "We can't have two orbs frolicking around the place at the same time. You two need to compromise or else there'll be no game."

"Aww," The two whined, before frowning at one another. They shared looks, as if debating again as they both smiled and finally pointed to another orb; the yellow orb.

Their master smiled, pleased with their choice. "A simple thing to start off. The orb of pride, a foolishly and irrationally corrupt sense of one's personal value, status or accomplishments. Perfect,"

The two servants smiled as the yellow orb floated away to the sky, signalling something.

"Now, let the game begin!"

...

"So, how were you guys' first days?" Lana asked her suite mates as they all sat in the common room of their dorm. It was now afternoon and most students had already finished their classes. It was only the first day so there was homework or anything of the sorts, and the girls didn't have anything much to do.

"Painfully mediocre," Cel answered, slouching on one of the couch's arms. Max nodded, agreeing with her roommate.

"Yeah, it was kind of...uneventful," Brittany agreed surprisingly. "I know this happens every year but for some reason I feel like this year is different."

Max nodded again, "Something's definitely going to happen. I just wonder what."

Emma and Liz looked at one another. "Do you mean the back to school dance in a few days?" Emma asked, aware of several of Alfea's activities, especially if it has something to do with Red Fountain. She was honestly excited, meeting and getting acquainted with new people and possibly meeting the love of your life.

"Ooh, I almost forgot about that!" Brittany piped up, being the socialite she is, she tends to be overly excited with social gatherings, even if it's just simple group meetups for projects and the like. So saying she was excited for the party is an understatement. "So, what are you guys going to wear?" Many of them shrugged. She turned to Liz, "Liz, what are you going to wear?" She repeated the question.

Liz, surprised at the sudden question, replied with the most blunt answer ever. "Err, clothes?"

Brittany's face dropped while Max snorted. "Was that a joke? Please don't tell me we have a lame joker here," Max laughed, before stopping abruptly. "Seriously, don't do that again." Almost everyone agreed.

"Okay?" Liz raised a brow, she didn't know there was an intolerance for bad jokes amongst them, the thing she said wasn't even an intentional joke! Suddenly, she became curious. "What do you call someone who's your sister but your enemy at the same time-?"

"No!"

Author notes: It could've been better but honestly I feel tired and I have to update fast since exams are approaching. Also I feel like too much stuff is happening all in a span of one chapter, is there too much happening or?

Oh and note: Nemesis does not have anything to do with the Winx's nemesis counterparts in WoW. It's a coincidence, I named her Nemesis before season 2 even came out. Also, yes! Nemesis is a name, it's the name of a Greek Goddess. Her namesake actually says a lot about who she is as a character...mostly.

Trivia: Several characters are mostly based off of other favorite characters of mine from different media. Like Emma and Callum, for example! Emma is based off of Bianca from Pokemon BW/B2W2 while Callum is based off of Cheren from the same games. If that doesn't say a lot about their potential connection then I don't know what will. Also, speaking of Pokemon games, did you know that the story's plot is based off of Pokemon-*spoiler beep*.

Till next time!