With the Specialists...
"I still don't get how it's possible for Bloom to have it." Sky said in disbelief.
"I know someone we can ask." Helia said, looking at the two.
"Who?" Sky and Nabu asked at the same time.
"My uncle." Helia said. "He was there the day Domino was lost."
"I keep forgetting he was part of the Circle of Light." Sky said, smacking his forehead. "Would he tell us?"
"Well, we know where the power is, so yes." Helia said, nodding. "I believe so."
"Let's go talk to him." Sky said. "We need to gather more information and wrap our heads around the fact that the girls we like, and their friend, are fairies." The others agreed.
The guys snuck out of the forest before walking the rest of the way back to the car. Once loaded in, Sky drove them back to their apartment building, parked and they all got out. Once in, they went to Helia's, since he has the resources to contact the Magic Dimension. Once in, Timmy sat down and loaded up the laptop, connecting it, and contacted Saladin. A few minutes later, Saladin popped onto the screen, the background his office at Red Fountain.
"Helia. Boys." Saladin greeted, nodding his head. "What can I do for you?"
"Hello, Uncle." Helia said, nodding politely. "What can you tell us about the day Domino was destroyed?" Being blunt always works.
"I have already told you everything before." Saladin said, bemused, but spoke anyways. "We tried as hard as we could to defeat the Ancestral Witches, and we almost did, but then they pulled Oritel and Marion, and the rest of Domino, into the Realm of Obsidian." He let out a sad sigh. "It was a terrible and sad day."
"So, no one survived?" Sky asked.
"The only person to survive was Daphne, Oritel and Marion's daughter, but how she is wouldn't really be considered surviving. Or alive." Saladin said, shaking his head. "Somehow, we've never discovered how, The Witches separated her spirit from her body and trapped her at the bottom of Lake Roccaluce as a nymph."
"Daphne?" Brandon asked, that name sounding familiar.
"The Nymph of Magix." Sky answered, before looking back. "Though I didn't know she was a princess. But, you're sure nobody survived?"
"Of course I'm sure." Saladin said, snapping a little, before looking at his nephew. "Helia, what is with these questions?"
"What was the one thing you always taught me?" Helia said instead of answering. "Never tell a lie. Why are you lying, Uncle?"
"I am not lying." Saladin said, indignant.
"Then why did we just see a fairy use the power of the Dragon Flame a few minutes ago?" Helia asked bluntly. Saladin was stunned, the guys could tell. "And from your stories, the only people able to contain and control the Dragon Flame, the only people able to be the Guardian, are the people from Domino."
"Now I know why I got a tongue-lashing from Faragonda." Saladin murmured to himself, shaking his head.
"What?" Helia said, confused. "What does Faragonda have to do with anything?"
"Who's Faragonda?" Riven asked, confused.
"She's the Headmistress of Alphea, the school for Fairies." Nabu answered, offhandedly.
"You are right, Helia." Saladin said, resignation in his voice. "The first thing I did teach you was to never lie, and I have been telling one for seventeen years. Everyone in the Circle of Light has been."
"What is it?" Helia asked.
"There was one true survivor of Domino." Saladin said, taking in a deep breath. "Her name is Bloom and she is the last surviving Princess of Domino."
"Princess?!" All the guys shouted.
"She's a princess?!" Sky repeated.
"Yes." Saladin said, nodding. "Only the royals of Domino are able to be the Flame's Keeper, and you are right. She is the Dragon Flame's current Guardian. Daphne transferred it to her when the Ancestral Witches came that day to take it. She then hid Bloom, and after all the people of Domino were sucked away, we found her." Saladin shook his head. "She was just a baby and her whole planet was a frozen wasteland. We then decided that Faragonda would be the best to raise young Bloom and that was that." Saladin then grew serious. "So, since you are asking these questions, and from the tirade I got from Faragonda, I assume you have met Bloom...and her friends?"
"You know about the others?" Helia asked, eyebrows raised.
"Of course. Those six are inseparable." He paused. "You know them too." Saladin added. "Well, you, Sky and Nabu know of them. Everyone in the Magic Dimension does."
The three looked confused.
"They are the Fairy Prodigies." Saladin explained. "Those girls are six of the most powerful fairies in the Magic Dimension. They are already at their Enchantix level."
"Believix." Nabu corrected.
"What?" Saladin asked, confused.
"They just transformed to their Believix level." Nabu said. "We watched it happen. It's how we figured out they were the fairies we've been seeing everywhere."
"Believix." Saladin said, slowly shaking his head. "Not good. Not good at all."
"Why?" Helia asked, a little worried.
"They just got more powerful, and a lot of people already want their magic, especially Bloom's." Saladin said, and at their confused looks, he explained. "She is, arguably, the most powerful fairy in the Magic Dimension, thanks to the Dragon Flame." Sky's brain just short-circuited. "Anyway, that is why they are there, on Earth. For their own protection."
"Who are the other five?" Nabu asked. "Where are they from?"
"Well, Stella is from Solaria." Saladin said, before getting a sly look in his eyes. "Actually, she is the princess, daughter of King Radius and Queen Luna."
"Princess?" Brandon said, choking on the word.
"Flora is from Linphea, Musa is from Melody and Tecna is from Zenith." Saladin recited, ticking them off his fingers. "And Aisha, well, Nabu, I am actually surprised you did not recognize her, or at least her name."
"Why?" Nabu asked cautiously.
"Aisha is from your home planet." Saladin said.
"She's from Andros?!" Nabu exclaimed.
"Not only that, she is the daughter of King Teredor and Queen Niobe, making her-" Saladin was cut off.
"She's the surface princess!" Nabu exclaimed again.
"Well, at least their last names make sense." Timmy added offhandedly. "They're their home planets." Helia nodded, now having confirmation of what he suspected on the first day of school.
"You need to be careful around them." Saladin warned. "Like I said, they are very powerful, making them dangerous to be around, since they attract so many enemies. Also, they know who you are."
"Who we are?" Helia asked.
"Who you, Sky and Nabu are." Saladin clarified. "Faragonda told them."
"They haven't said anything." Sky said, surprised.
"Of course not." Saladin said. "If they did, then they would have to reveal how they know."
"Right." Helia said. "Well, thank you, Uncle. We'll talk soon."
"Goodbye, Helia." Saladin said before Timmy shut off the laptop.
"Well, isn't that nice." Brandon commented after a few moments of silence. "Stella's a princess."
"So are Bloom and Aisha." Sky added. "Wow."
"What are we going to do with this information?" Timmy asked.
"I think we need to chat with the girls." Sky stated. "There's no use in pretending neither of us knows. It'll just make things awkward."
"Agreed." The others said.
"Should we go now?" Brandon asked.
"No time like the present." Sky said. "Let's go."
The guys left the apartment complex, got back into the car, Sky driving, and headed back to the Winx, hoping they are still where they left them the last time.
With the Winx...
After the girls took a breather, they shot back up into the air, wings flittering, and looked around, making sure no other rock creatures were lurking; they also called out for the Pixies, who immediately flew out of their hiding place in the woods and over to meet them. Once the Pixies saw them, they skidded to a stop, staring at the Winx's new outfits. Nobody said anything for a minute, and the Winx slowly floated back down to the ground, landing on their feet.
"You guys changed." Tune said finally.
"How did you get your Believix?" Lockette asked in awe.
"No clue." Bloom answered honestly, smoothing her hands over her new miniskirt. "It just kinda...happened."
"We saw from the woods that a bright light came down and hit your protective shields, and then when they exploded in fairy dust, you guys had you Believix!" Chatta exclaimed all in one breath.
The Winx looked at each other before nodding. "Arcadia."
"The first fairy ever alive?" Zing clarified.
"That very one." Musa said, nodding.
"Arcadia?" Roxy asked, again confused.
"Arcadia is the Fairy of the Golden Kingdom, a place in the center of the Crystal Labyrinth." Bloom said to Roxy. "And as Zing said, she was the first fairy ever to exist in the entire Magic Dimension."
"She is also assumed to be one of the most powerful fairies in existence." Tecna recited. "But even if she is, she's still not as powerful as the Fairy of the Dragon Flame."
"Which is Bloom." Roxy said, nodding.
"Yes. She is the most powerful being in the whole Magic Dimension." Tecna continued.
"So, how do you think she knew to give us new magic?" Flora asked, seeing the blush on Bloom's face.
"Maybe, somehow, she sensed we were in trouble and decided it was time for an upgrade." Bloom guessed, thankful for the topic change.
"I can't think of anything better." Tecna said with a shrug. "I have always heard that we're favored by her, since we're Fairy Prodigies and all."
"Why did she grant me a new transformation, then?" Roxy asked, looking over her new outfit again. "I'm not a Prodigy or anything."
"I guess it could be because you're helping us?" Bloom guessed again. "And maybe 'cuz you're the last Earth fairy?
"Well, on the upside, we defeated those rock creatures." Stella said with a smile, always the optimistic one.
"That we did." Aisha said with a sigh.
"Wait." Bloom said, looking around. "Where are Mike and Vanessa?" She was starting to get worried. "I haven't seen them anywhere."
"I'm sure they're around here somewhere." Flora reassured Bloom, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Let's go look for them." Musa suggested. The others agreed.
The Winx and Roxy pushed off of the ground, fluttering their wings to stay up, and started turning around to go look for the two adults, the Pixies about to do the same; then, their names were called from their left, near another stretch of forest, and when they turned to look, they blanched. Standing their, looking at them in their fairy forms, were the guys. And they didn't even look freaked out.
"Oh boy." Stella murmured, looking back at Bloom.
Bloom swallowed past a lump in her throat before speaking. "What are you doing here?" She flew in front of her friends and hovered a few feet in front of them.
"You aren't going to ask why we aren't freaking out?" Sky asked, looking up at her.
"Why bother?" Stella said offhandedly.
"It seems to us you know what we are." Aisha said, placing a hand on her hip.
"And we know who you," Musa said, pointing to Sky, Helia and Nabu, "are. I guess we don't have to keep secrets anymore."
Helia was about to speak when Nabu gasped.
"What?" Sky asked, looking at him.
"They have Pixies!" Nabu exclaimed, pointing to the seven tiny figures fluttering behind their fairies. "I haven't seen a Pixie in a long time."
"So, you've seen Pixies before?" Stella asked, head cocked to the side.
"I have." Nabu nodded, glancing at Aisha briefly.
"Getting back on track..." Bloom said, breathing in a calming breath. "How did you guys figure out what we are?"
"We followed you back here after you left us at the beach." Brandon said.
"It was the third time you've done that, so we were wondering why." Helia continued.
"And now we know why." Sky said, looking over their hovering forms.
"What else do you know?" Bloom asked, arms crossed over her chest in a defensive gesture.
"Well, we know you six are the Fairy Prodigies from the Magic Dimension." Sky said, ticking things off his fingers. "We know you, Bloom, are the current keeper of the Dragon Flame. And we know you, Stella and Aisha are princesses."
"You guys know a lot." Stella muttered.
"What we don't know is why Roxy's here." Helia said, looking at the youngest fairy.
Bloom fluttered over to Roxy, the guys following her movements with their eyes, and placed an arm around her. "Roxy is an Earth fairy."
"Meaning?" Timmy asked, intrigued.
"Meaning she is from here, not the Magic Dimension." Tecna answered. "She is one of the last Earth fairies, to be precise."
"Wow." The guys said.
"So that's why she suddenly started hanging out with you." Helia said, understanding.
"Yes." Bloom said. "We're teaching her. She just turned into a Fairy a few months ago on her birthday and never had anyone to teach her. But now, now she is even more powerful than before, all thanks to us." Her tone was apologetic.
"It isn't your fault, Bloom." Roxy said, smiling at her. "I mean, I would have reached Believix eventually, right?" She looked at Tecna and she nodded at that. "See? It would have happened, it just happened a little sooner than expected."
Bloom smiled before looking back at the guys. "Why don't we get...changed and we can go on a walk, talk some more?"
"Sure." Sky said.
"Lockette?" Bloom called and her Pixie flew to her. "Can you and the others continue to look for Vanessa and Mike? Make sure they're alright?"
"Of course, Bloom." Lockette said. "You know I'm good at finding things."
"Thanks." Bloom said and watched as the Pixies flew off, following Lockette. "Well, hold on a second."
The fairies fluttered down and landed on the ground, before changing back in a flurry of fairy dust. Once it cleared away, they were left in their bathing suits, which is what they were wearing when they changed. Bloom looked at Stella, who nodded. She waved her hand in the air and snapped her fingers, and their outfits changed from bathing suits to normal clothes. Bloom's wearing a yellow belly-baring hoodie with pink accents and two slanted pockets on each side, jeans with two pink bands at the top and one yellow at the bottom, and pink laced boots with a light blue heel and tip outline. Stella's in an orange ruffled top with a blue star-shaped pin in the center, jeans with an orange belt around her hips, and blue heels. Flora's wearing a red long-sleeve shirt with cut-outs at the shoulder, blue short-shorts, pink sandals with ribbons that tie up her calves, and a pink choker around her neck. Musa's changed into a pink/purple-striped long-sleeve shirt under a pink cropped vest with blue trimming, a hot pink miniskirt, blue half-calf boots with lime green laces and lime green and hot pink bottoms, and her hair is in pigtails. Tecna's wearing a yellow belly-baring tank top with a dark green number symbol (#) on it, dark green cargo pants with a stringy purple belt around her hips, green/yellow sneakers with purple heels, and purple wristbands around her wrists. Aisha's in a pink and green tank top, khaki shorts, khaki and pink bands on her arm, a yellow scarf, and pink/khaki hiking boots. Roxy's wearing a purple top with transparent pink ruffles and long-sleeves, a sky blue miniskirt with purple polka-dots and a transparent pink ruffle, pale blue flats, and a magenta ankle bracelet on each ankle.
"Ah, that's much better." Stella said, clapping her hands together.
"Magic?" Brandon asked her.
"Fashion magic." Stella said proudly. "The best kind."
"Let's go on that walk." Bloom said, leading them into one of the paths that wound through the woods at the edge of the property. Once they were a mile in, Bloom spoke. "Okay, ask all the questions you've been holding back."
They spent the next two hours talking and walking, the Winx and Roxy telling the guys anything and everything they wanted to know. And in turn, the guys answered their questions truthfully. Once the questions were out of the way, and the awkwardness over, they're now back to normal, talking and laughing with each other. The day started to turn to dusk and the girls stopped, facing the guys.
"Thanks so much for being so cool about all of this." Bloom said with a sweet smile.
"Well, it isn't exactly out of the ordinary for me, Nabu and Helia." Sky said, shrugging. "We did grow up in Magix."
"That you did." Bloom said.
"And the other three have family in Magix." Helia added, looking back at Riven, Brandon and Timmy.
The Winx and Roxy nodded at that, then Bloom looked up at the sky. "Well, we should head back. It's gonna get dark soon."
"Aww, leaving so soon?" a voice sounded from behind the Winx. A voice they knew very, very well.
The Winx turned around so fast, they blurred. The looks on their faces read three emotions: surprise, caution and anger. A whole lot of anger. Bloom's fists clenched, as did the other Winx, and they all froze, standing still as stone. Roxy turned around slower than her friends did and was watching them with confusion. The guys looked over at Roxy, seeing if the young fairy knew what was going on, but they saw as much confusion on her face as they were feeling. Roxy and the guys looked over the three newcomers and couldn't figure out why the Winx are freaking out so badly.
The one standing in the center has blue-white hair pulled up into a high ponytail held with a dark teal-tube piece, pale blue eyes, and fair skin; her body's athletically slender with curves and bumps in all the right places, a small waist, flat stomach, and long, shapely legs, and she looked to be around the Winx's age. She's wearing an ice blue midriff-baring tank top, an ice blue miniskirt, a chain belt studded with rhombus-shaped diamonds around her hips, and ice blue high-heeled, knee-high boots. She had a...frigid air about her.
The one standing to the right has dark brunette hair that reaches her ankles and two waist-long caramel brunette strands framing her face, yellow eyes, and fair skin; her body's athletically slender with curves and bumps in all the right places, a small waist, flat stomach, and long, shapely legs, and she also looked to be around the Winx's age. She's in an indigo strapless top with a heliotrope purple circle in the middle that's attached to a choker around her neck, purple bell-bottoms, blackish-purple high-heeled boots, and she's wearing glasses with yellow lenses. She was a little...dark.
The last one, who's on the left, has dark blue frizzy hair shaped like a storm cloud and whitish-purple bangs that go past her shoulders, teal eyes, and tan skin; her body's athletically slender with curves and bumps in all the right places, a small waist, flat stomach, and long, shapely legs, and she, too, looks to be around the Winx's age. She's wearing a maroon crop-top with a metal loop decoration attaching the shirt to a loop around her neck (other than this, her top is strapless) and criss-crossed midriff-straps under the top, a shiny maroon miniskirt, and maroon platform high-heeled sandals. She was quite...electric.
After looking them over for the tenth time, the guys and Roxy still didn't understand what had the Winx in such a tizzy. Then, the Winx did something unexpected.
"Magic Winx, Believix!" Bloom shouted.
Once the girls changed, Roxy rather confusedly, the Winx fluttered up and hovered protectively in front of the guys while Roxy fluttered off to the side, still beyond baffled. The three newcomers didn't seem real interested in the guys, their smirking gazes never straying from the Winx. The Winx, on the other hand, still had their fists clenched and looked ready to explode.
"What," Bloom said through clenched teeth with such venom, it's a surprise she isn't a snake, "are you three doing here?"
"Aww, you remember us." The one in the center said. "I'm touched. It's been awhile. Looks like you girls have gone through a costume change since we last...met."
"About three, actually." Stella retorted, sounding just a venomous as Bloom did.
The one on the left then threw her hand up in the air, sending a stream of lightening into the air that then gathered in the clouds before shooting back down, forming a dome around the three newcomers. When it cleared away, the three did a costume change as well.
The middle one is now in a dull navy blue sleeveless, open-collar V-neck full-bodysuit with long pants, the letter "I" embossed in the middle of the top, and a royal blue cape, with knee-high, high-heeled boots a darker shade of blue over the pants; down the front of the suit is a white stripe that connects to a thin white belt slung diagonally across her hips. With this, she wears fingerless elbow-high gloves, a dull navy blue choker around her neck that's connected to the white stripe on her outfit, dark blue eyeshadow and pale pink lipstick. The one on the right changed into an indigo strapless, sweetheart-neckline full-bodysuit with capri-style pants and the letter "D" embossed in the middle of the top, with indigo high-heeled ankle boots; down the front of the suit is a white stripe that connects to a thin white belt wrapped around her hips. With this, she wears indigo hand gloves, an indigo choker around her neck that's connected to the white stripe on her outfit, indigo eyeshadow and purple lipstick. The one on the left is in a maroon sleeveless, open-collar V-neck minidress that reaches mid-thigh with the letter "S" embossed in the middle, with maroon tights and maroon high-heeled ankle boots; down the front of her dress is a white stripe that connects to a thin white belt wrapped around the bottom of the dress. With this, she wears maroon fingerless gloves that go up to her elbows, a maroon choker around her neck that's connected to the white stripe on her outfit, maroon eyeshadow and magenta lipstick.
Once their costume change was complete, they shot into the air, though they didn't need wings to do it. The Winx and the newcomers stared each other down, neither one breaking eye contact, until the middle one spotted Roxy.
"Looks like you have a new friend." She said in a sardonic tone. "Who is this precious little thing?"
Bloom's knuckles turned even whiter. "She is none of your business, Icy."
"I was just curious, Bloom." Icy said, smiling, well, icily.
Bloom looked back at Roxy, anger still on her face. "Roxy, meet Stormy, Icy and Darcy." She pointed to each one in this order with their names: left, center, right. "Otherwise known as the Trix."
"The meanest, nastiest witches in the Magic Dimension." Stella added, still in a stare-off with Darcy.
"They've also been after our magic since we became Winx." Musa said, staring at each witch, eyes heated.
"They will do anything to get what they want." Flora added, her voice uncharacteristically enraged, and loud. "It doesn't matter who they hurt." Her stare-off is with Stormy.
"Apparently their own magic isn't enough for them." Aisha said, all but growling.
"I've lost track of how many times they've destroyed Alphea to get to us." Tecna said, and she, too, is working hard to control the hate in her voice. "Or even our homes."
"Big mistake to come back here, Trix." Bloom said vehemently. "We're a lot more powerful than when we last met. Even if we beat you then." Bloom looked each witch over. "And you still haven't answered my question. Why are you three here?"
Icy, who had conjured an ice crystal, swirled it around lazily in her hand. "Can't you tell we missed you?"
"You couldn't have found us here." Bloom realized, before narrowing her eyes. "How. Did. You. Find. Us?"
"That'd take all of the fun out of it, Bloom, dear, now wouldn't it?" Icy said, smiling wickedly before she lobbed the sharp ice crystal right at Bloom's face.