Sky and Brandon were with the Winx girls in their suite.
"You can guide us through the Omga cave? Do you know that cave?" Aisha asked.
"No, I don't know the cave, but…," Brandon began
"Then how would you like to guide us through it?" Musa asked.
"I know a lot about caves, I've been in many and I'm a mineworker, I know what the dangers are in a cave," Brandon said.
"Everyone knows the dangers of caves, collapsing and all," Stella said, as she turned to her friends. "We don't need him."
"Listen Sunshine, I'm just new here, very kindly offering my help, I can at least expect that I get bitchy behavior in return, Brandon said.
"Don't call me Sunshine," Stella said. "And I'm not bitchy."
"You are a little bit bitchy right now," Terra said.
Stella turned to Terra and gave her a angry look and felt offend. "Terra."
"I wouldn't involve Brandon if I didn't fully trust him," Sky said.
"Terra, Aisha and I have wings, which makes us a lot more powerful anyway," Stella reminded Sky.
"But the negative energy will drain us, even with our wings we will be weakened," Terra said.
"So in other words, we need specialists," Flora said.
"But the mineworker is new, do you have the right skills? Do you know how to fight at all?" Stella asked in snarky tone.
"I'm a skilled fighter, It's in my blood," Brandon said.
"He's a Hagen," Sky said.
"You're a descendant of Christopher Hagen?" Terra asked.
"I'm one of his grandsons," Brandon replied.
"But that's not enough, even with Sky, that cave is stil dangerous and unpredictable," Flora said.
"In other words, we need more specialists?" Aisha asked.
"At least two more," Flora replied.
"Riven and Dane. They're experienced enough and we can trust them," Musa said.
"You think they want to help?" Aisha asked.
"Let me ask Riven if he will help us, If he wants to help us, Dane will probably help us too," Musa said.
"If they can help us that would be great," Flora said.
Musa stood up and walked toward the door. "I will now look for Riven and ask for his help." She opened the door and left te room.
"Maybe we can also ask Kat for her help?" Terra suggested
"No, 4 specialists seem enough to me," Flora said.
"How about we trade Kat for Brandon, that seems like a good idea," Stella said.
"Stella."
"Okay, suppose we arrive safely at the center of the cave, then what?" Aisha asked.
"If the gate is there, then we can get Bloom back," Flora said.
"Are we all going into the Realm of Darkness?" Stella asked.
'I'm going through the gate," Sky determinedly said.
"Sky you don't have any powers," Aisha said.
"And your powers will be totally weakened if you go through the gate," Skys said. "I'll go through the gate and get Bloom back."
"The Realm of Darkness is huge," Terra said. "How are you going to find Bloom in there?"
"I'll find my way to Bloom," Sky said.
Stella rolled her eyes after hearing Sky's comment. "So cheesy."
"Okay, we have a plan, sort of," Flora said.
"That's better then nothing, right?"
"Having a sort of plan, is better then having no plan," Aisha said.
Terra sighed and looked nervously at the floor. "Yeah, there's just one little thing I've been holding out to."
"What have you been holding out?" Aisha asked.
"Well," Terra nervously said.
"Terra, speak," Stella said.
"The cave is sealed," Terra said.
"What?"
"And you didn't think that's is that you had to report in your report?" Brandon asked.
"I know, but I thought if I put that in there, you guys wouldn't want to go through with this," Terra said.
"Terra, what exactly do you mean by sealed?" Sky asked.
"There is no more entrance, just stone," Terra explained.
"Can't we use our powers to break open the cave?" Stella asked.
"That could cost us a lot of energy," Terra said.
"We will enter the cave weakened and our powers will getting weaker the closer we get to the gate," Flora said.
"Could it lead to our death?" Stella asked.
Terra and Flora did not answer Stella's question, and their silence made not only her, but the rest also nervous.
"Can it?" Stella asked.
The door opened, Musa walked into the room with Riven and Dane. "They are in."
"That's very nice, but we don't even know if the mission can go through," Brandon said.
"What do you mean?" Musa asked.
"Terra, here forgot to tell us that the cave is sealed," Stella said.
"Terra, how can you not tell us something so important?' Musa asked.
"I'm sorry, all right."
"There's no point in arguing about it," Flora said.
"Right now we have to figure out a way to unseal that cave," Aisha said.
"Can't you girls use your powers?" Dane asked.
"No, apparently not," Stella said.
"I can get that cave open," Riven said.
"Oh yeah, Riven, and how?" Stella asked.
I'm good with explosives, just give me the information I need and I can make the right bomb," Riven said.
Stella turned and looked at Brandon with a mean smile on her face. "Ah, finally someone useful for this mission."
'Cut it out, Stella, we need Brandon's help," Sky said. "Thank you Riven."
"Okay, we pretty much have a clear plan now," Flora said.
"Anything else we need to go over?" Musa asked.
Sky turned to his old pal. "Brandon?"
"Put on good comfortable clothes, nothing fancy. If you bring a bag, make sure it's not too heavily packed," Brandon said.
"We'll leave early. We'll meet at the cave at 6:30," Terra said.
'I'll take care of the equipment we need," Brandon said.
"Do you have the information about the cave and especially the part you kept hidden?" Rivne said.
Terra handed Riven all the information about the cave. "Here you go," Terra said. "And we didn't hid it."
"I'll go through this and then I'll take care of the explosives," Riven said.
"Dane and I will handle weapons," Sky said.
"Very well," Aisha said.
"Get a good rest, we have a long and hard tomorrow," Sky said.
Bloom had no idea her friends were on a rescue mission, she and Maya were walking through the fields of the Realm of Darkness, the trees and grass were dead, no sunlight, just darkness, hence of course the name, Bloom thought.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"I'll take you to a place I think you should see," Maya said.
"Are you always so vague or do you only do that with me?" Bloom asked.
"Patience my child we are almost there," Maya said.
Bloom and Maya kept walking and said nothing more. After a while they arrived at a place," Maya said nothing and she just stared at a stone.
"What is there?" Bloom asked
"There lies your mother, I took you to her grave, "Maya explained.
Bloom went silent, she walked toward the stone, she got down on her knees and used her sleeve to wipe the earth away from the stone. Here rests Queen Marion of Domino.
"Mom," Bloom said.
"I'm so sorry Bloom," Maya said, as she put her hand on Bloom's shoulder.
"Was she in pain? Was my mother in pain, when she died?" Bloom asked.
"No physical pain, but the negative energy of this realm got to her, she saw so many bad things, she couldn't take it anymore," Maya said.
Bloom was startled by what Maya said and turned to her. The thought of it shot through her mind, she didn't wanted it, but still it happened. "Did she, you know?"
"No, no, that's not how she came to her end, she literally died from the endless grief she had," Maya explained.
"Did she ever talk about me?" Bloom asked.
"Yes, I can tell you some stories about your mother," Maya said.
"Tell them."
"Not here, come we return to my house and after I tell you everything go to sleep, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Maya said.
"Tomorrow? What are we going to do tomorrow then?" Bloom asked.
Maya said nothing and started walking in the direction of her house.
"I really wish she wouldn't be so vague," Bloom said to herself.
Bloom wiped away her tears, got up and walked after Maya.
Two hours later, Aisha was at the river and had just finished swimming, she climbed out of the water and saw Grey sitting on the rock by her things.
"You're sitting on my towel," Aisha said coldly.
"I knew you would be here, you always go swimming around this time," Grey said.
"Get off my towel please," Aisha said.
Grey stood up, he grabbed the towel and handed it to Aisha. Aisha started to pack her bag and then she saw how he looked at her and knew he was going to say something.
"Aisha," Grey began.
"Grey don't, Aisha said.
"I know what you and your friends are going to do, go into the Omega 'Cave," Grey said.
"How do you know... Have you been spying on us?"
"It's a dangerous mission, you shouldn't do it," Grey said.
"Like I'm going to believe a word you say," Aisha said.
"Aisha," Grey began again.
"I know it's dangerous, but I don't care, we'll go into that cave and get Bloom back here, " Aisha said as she started to walk away. She stopped walking and turned around to Grey. "You won't stop us Grey."
Grey wanted to say something, but he got an angry look from Aisha thrown at him. Aisha started to walk again and headed back to Alfea..
After having a long conversation with Maya, Bloom was in bed. Maya walked up to her cup of tea in one hand and strange-looking stone in her other.
"What's that?" Bloom asked.
"This stone will help you sleep," Maya explained.
"Are you going to knock me out with it?" Bloom asked.
"No, this stone will protect you," Maya said.
"How?" Bloom asked.
"As I told you, the longer you stay in the Realm of Darkness the more unhappy. And in your sleep you are the most vulnerable, all your dreams will become nightmares, endless nightmares," Maya explained.
'So my mother had that too, those endless nightmares?" Bloom asked.
Maya sighed. "It was so bad with her that she didn't sleep at the end."
"And that stone can really keep me from having nightmares now?" Bloom asked.
"You won't have nightmares, Maya said. she handed Bloom the cup of tea. "Drink this, it will help you."
Bloom drank the tea, she lay down and fell asleep not long after.
The next day the fairies of the Winx suite and the specialists were up early and were at the Omega Cave. Riven went right to work and placed the explosives on the rock wall.
"Once Riven blows open the wall we enter that cave, Flora said.
"We find the gate and get Bloom out of the Realm of Darkness and back into our Realm," Terra said.
"Sounds easy when you say it like that, but we know it won't be easy," Musa said.
Stella actually wanted to say something, but felt Brandon's eyes looking her up and down.
"Can you see it?"
"I can see that you haven't listened to me, Sunshine, since you look like you're going to do a fashion show and not a rescue mission," Brandon said.
"And you obviously didn't listen either, since I told you not to call me Sunshine," Stella said.
"Don't expect me to carry you if one of your heels breaks off," Brandon said.
"Don't worry, you would be the last one who I want to carry me," Stella said.
Sky stood between Brandon and Stella. "Enough you two, we don't have time for this."
"You're right, sorry, man," Brandon apologized.
Brandon opened the big bag and handed out the stuff in it to everyone, he gave everyone a flashlight, harness and a whistle.
"A whistle are you serious? We're not little kids anymore, Stella said.
"These whistles are for when you get lost, you blow the whistle and we'll come back for you, Brandon explained.
"And a flashlight?" She threw the flashlight on the ground and snapped her fingers and created light. "I'm a Light Fairy, I can create light by snapping my fingers."
"Yes, but in there you are a flashlight whose batteries are slowly dying," Brandon said.
"Stella in the cave we have to limited the use of our powers and you can't be our walking flashlight," Terra said.
Stella rolled her eyes and landed on once bag filled with helmets. Riven finished placing the explosives and walked back to the rest.
"Helmets? Are you serious?" She asked.
"I didn't bring those," Brandon said.
"I brought those," Riven said.
"Why?" Stella asked.
"Well, when I blow open that wall, there will be rocks and other stuff flying around," Riven said.
"So?"
"So it would really suck for you when a rock breaks open your skull," Rive said.
"And there'll be blood all over your designer heels and you won't like it," Brandon said.
"Oh shut up you," Stella said.
"Stella enough now, don't act like a child," Aisha said.
"But he..., Oh well, never mind then," Stella said.
Stella looked at Brandon who had a grin on his face and got a box from Riven, who was laughing along with him.
"Do you think we can really blow open the cave?" Dane asked.
"We'll see, Rivne said. Okay everyone go sit behind the rock.
The Winx fairies and specialists all grabbed a helmet and sat behind a rock.
"Are we really at a safe enough distance?" Terra asked, as she clenched onto her helmet.
"Riven knows what he's doing, If he says we're safe here, then we're safe here," Dane said.
"Let's blow it up," Riven said.
Riven pressed the button and then a loud explosion followed. Rocks and pieces of wood flew around and large clouds of dust covered half the area. As the dust began to clear, Terra cautiously looked up and saw that there was a hole in the rock wall.
"It worked, there's a passage," Terra said.
"Whoa," Dane said.
'I told you I know what I was doing," Riven said.
"Good job Riven," Aisha said.
The fairies and specialists came out from behind the rock, they took off the helmets and threw them down on the ground and wiped off the dust.
We can really go in now, we can get Bloom back,
Dane opened the bag he had brought with him and distributed the weapons between himself, Sky, Brandon and Riven. "And now we're armed."
"Great," Brandon said.
"And even though our magic is limited we can try to help however we can," Musa said.
"Good to know that you've my back," Riven said.
"Brandon are you ready?" Sky asked.
Brandon nodded his head. "Yes."
"Let's go into the cave," Flora said.
"I will see you again soon Bloom," Sky said to himself.
One by one the fairies from the Winx suite and the four specialists entered the cave, but they had no idea they were being watched by Grey.
"Aisha, no."
After sleeping for many hours, Bloom woke up feeling fine. She saw that Maya was busy making breakfast. Bloom got up and walked over to Maya.
"Good you are awake," Maya said.
"Can I help you with anything?" Bloom asked.
"No, need for that, I'm as good as done, sit down then you can eat," Mays said.
Bloom sat down at the table, Maya placed two plates on the table and also sat down at the table.
"How did you sleep?" Maya said.
"I slept well, no nightmares, so your stone worked well and I feel rested," Bloom said.
"Good."
"How long did I sleep?" Bloom asked.
"Very long, but you really needed your rest too, since you didn't do that for three days," Maya aid.
"At least I feel a lot better, thank you for that Maya, Bloom said.
"You're welcome my child, well go on eating because you need your nutrients too, Maya said.
Bloom nodded her head and took another bite of her breakfast.
"I know the food here is not good as the food in your realm, Maya said.
"It's okay, I can eat it, Bloom said.
"I'm doing the best with I can what I can find, Maya said.
"It's okay, I've been very grateful for everything you've done for me since "I've been here, Bloom said.
"Go take a shower after breakfast, because you need one, Maya said.
Bloom felt insulted, yet she smelled herself and pulled a dirty face from the smell coming off her. "Oh, that's smells really bad, oh that's bad. "I really do need a shower."
"And after you've showered, because we've a long day ahead of us," Maa said.
"What do you mean?" Bloom asked.
"I told you yesterday that we were going to have a long day today," Maya said. "Get showered and then we can start."
"Start with what?" Bloom asked.
"With your training," Maya said.
"What training?" Bloom asked.
"I'm gonna help you get more control over your powers," Maya said. "I'm gonna help you master the Dragon Flame, get full control over it."