Last time we watched as Icy, Darcy, Stormy and Toro were brought to plant Xaldo, where the insidiously beautiful Zahidia talked to them about joining up with the resurrection of the R'lyeh Empire. After seeing the beginnings of a grand plan to take over the Magical Dimension, as well as a huge mind-control device called a Construct, the four young baddies decided to join with Zahidia. Meanwhile, the mad princess Diaspro continued her malicious work, whatever it is. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

Chapter 5: Layla's Angst; Stella's Woes

The first day of the new school year was as beautiful as usual for Alfea. The sun was bright and warm in a near cloudless blue sky, perfect weather as the students arrived at the front gate, eager for another year of learning to become fairies.

While waiting for Stella and Layla to arrive, Bloom thought over what Faragonda said about what happened to her on Domino. If the loss of control over her new Enchantix form is somehow linked to the curse that has Domino locked in a frozen grip, then the obvious answer would be to break the curse.

But it wasn't that simple. First of all, nobody really knows the full details of the curse the insidious Ancestress Witches placed the curse on Domino, or how they did it in the first place.

So Bloom had already resigned herself to play it safe for now; just use her normal powers until more could be learned about the curse and how to undo it.

As she waited for Layla and Stella, Bloom recognized many familiar faces coming back to Alfea, including one red-headed, freckle-faced witch who turned out to be a really nice girl. Mirta had always felt that Witches and Fairies shouldn't fight, and for her beliefs she was alienated from her fellow witches.

She tried to help Bloom one time to stop The Trix, and for that Icy turned Mirta into a pumpkin. But that didn't break her spirit. In fact, when Flora undid the curse before the final battle against the Dark Army, Mirta decided to stay at Alfea in order to better herself. As it turned out, Mirta had fairy blood in her; her mother was a witch, but her father came from a family where the women are fairies. So here Mirta was, more about her later.

(This i had written in my Kingdom Hearts/Winx crossover, check it out for the full details)

"Where's Layla and Stella?" Flora asked after the girls said hello to Mirta, "They should be here by now."

"They'll arrive when they arrive," said Bloom, "There's nothing we can do change that."

"Who else thinks that Stella is just being fashionably late as usual?" Musa asked in a disapproving tone.

"The odds are in her favor of such a scenario," said Tecna.

"But what could be keeping Layla?" Flora asked, "I'm worried about both of them, they did sound rather upset the last time I called them."

"There they are!" said Bloom as she pointed at the front gate, where Stella and Layla had just crossed through.

As she reached her friends, Bloom realized that they did look upset. But where as Layla looked angry enough to punch through a brick wall, Stella looked like she could start crying any second now.

Bloom thought that it probably wasn't a good time to speak to them, that Stella and Layla needed some distance, just to get adjusted to being back at school. Fortunately it was at that time that Faragonda began her usual start of the year speech.

FAST FORWARD A BIT

"Here we all are," said Musa after she and the girls were settled in at their dorm, "Back together again."

Two seconds later Stella collapsed onto the sofa and began crying, her face buried on the couch arm, while Layla began punching the wall.

"This is really awkward," said Flora.

"Indeed," Tecna agreed.

"You said it," said a familiar voice that seemed to come from out of nowhere, yet there was nobody else in the room, or so it would seem.

"Morgan!?!" exclaimed an irate Bloom.

"What!?" Morgan asked as she released her invisibility spell, "Carmen asked me to keep an eye on you."

"Well it's not exactly the sign of good friendship to have you spy on us," said Musa.

"I wasn't spying," Morgan pouted, "I was merely concealing my presence from someone who would be spying. But since I'm here, anyone want to clue me on why the two princesses are so distressed?"

"I'm curious to that as well," said Tecna.

"I think we should ask Layla first about her problem," said Flora, "Stella looks like she could be a while." Indeed, Stella was still shedding tears of anguish with no sigh of the waterworks letting up any time soon.

"Okay then," said Bloom, "Layla, um… if you keep doing that, you're going to break your hand. And I don't think Griselda would like a new hole in the wall."

Layla's rage-fueled assault on the wall had by now produced a fist-sized hole almost two inches deep. Bloom's words seemed to have calmed Layla down a bit, "No, I don't think she would like it at all."

"Then come over here and we'll sort this out," said Flora. Tecna and Morgan cast a repairing spell on the wall. Within seconds it was like new. Layla than sat down next to Flora, who gasped at the sight of Layla's mangled hand.

"Goodness!" exclaimed Tecna.

"That has to hurt like a symphony of sour notes," said Musa.

"Actually," said Layla, "It doesn't hurt at all." She then grimaced in pain as the raged-fueled adrenaline wore off, "Okay, now it does!"

"Just hold still," said Morgan as she sat on Layla's other side, "I'll take care of it," she placed one hand over Layla's injured hand and muttered a healing spell. The blue healing energy flowed into Layla's hand and began to mend itself.

"Now that you're calmed down and on the road to recovery," said Morgan, "Care to tell us what's gotten you madder than a wet goblin?"

"It's my parents," said Layla, "It's…well…have you ever been so disgusted with your parents, you just wish they would keel over and be buried already?"

"Every child has conflicts with their parents," said Tecna, "It's especially true with teenagers. You're just asserting your right to live your own life. It's part of growing up; it's perfectly normal."

"Oh this is anything but normal," said Layla in a slightly exasperated tone, "You know that Tatewaki went with me back to Andros to meet my parents, right? Well, we were hoping that my mother and father would approve of Tatewaki, in hopes that they will give their blessing for us to be married one day."

"You mean…did Tatewaki…did he pop the question?" Flora asked hopefully, while Bloom, Musa, Tecna and Morgan listened eagerly.

"Not yet," said Layla, even though Bloom could sense that Layla wish the opposite was true, "We both believe that the blessing of the families should be given first. Since Kodatchi is the only family that Tatewaki has, the only one that really counts that is, not counting their Hawaiian nut-job of a father, all we had to do was ask my parents, and guess what happed." that last part was heavy with sarcasm. It didn't take Bloom and the others to figure out what happened.

"You're not saying that your parents didn't give their blessing?" Bloom asked.

"Right on the money," said Layla.

"That's so wrong on so many levels," said Tecna.

"You and Tatewaki are so perfect together," said Flora, "Ask Stella, she'll tell you. I mean…" she nervously eyed Stella.

"It's alright, Flora," Stella sobbed, but kept her head down on the couch arm, "You're right, Layla and Tatewaki are a match made in heaven." There was a slight pause before Stella started crying again, bawling like there was no tomorrow and then some.

"Oh come here, sweetie," said Flora as she threw her arms around Stella shoulders, "It's going to be alright."

"How do you know?" sobbed Stella.

"I don't know," said Flora, "I don't even know what's gotten you so upset."

"Give her a minute," said Bloom, "I think she needs a bit more time to calm down. Layla, please continue."

"Right," Layla said through gritted teeth, "So, there I was with Tatewaki and my parents. They said that Tatewaki, the man I love with all my heart, my one true love, my soul mate, was an inappropriate suitor for my hand in marriage. My mom especially emphasized the fact that Tatewaki was from Earth, and neither was he a member of a noble family.

"My dad said that I could still see Tatewaki, but, and I quote, 'Only as friends, and at a distance.'"

"That's horrible," said Flora.

"It's a sin against the universe and all things right and true in it," said Morgan.

"I know," said Layla, her anger once again rising again to explosive levels, "My mom and dad may be the greatest king and queen Andros has ever seen, but they're terrible parents. They never let me do anything I liked when I was a child. It was always 'do this, do that, don't do this, don't do that, no dancing, always act like a proper lady, no socializing with the common people, no dancing!'" by now she was seriously ranting.

"We get the picture," said Morgan.

"'You know that you're not supposed to do that, Layla! You shouldn't be anywhere near the peasants, Layla! Always stand up straight, Layla! No dancing, Layla! Speak only when spoken to, Layla! Brush and floss, Layla! Where has that finger been, Layla!! No dancing, Layla!!!"

"We get it already!" shouted Morgan, "For f#ck's sake, girl, you're worse than Carmen sometimes."

"Oh, sorry," said a slightly embarrassed Layla as she began to calm down again, "Well, I was so mad at my parents, I couldn't even talk. I just stormed out of the throne room, slamming the door as hard as I could by the way, and went to my room to pack for school. Tatewaki tried to calm me down, but I barely heard anything he said.

"Finally I relaxed enough to understand him. He told me that no matter what happened, I would always be in his heart, and that nothing else mattered to him except my happiness."

"That's sweet," said Musa.

"I know," said Layla, "I so don't deserve Tatewaki, but I guess I'm stuck with him. He's back on Earth right now, he talked with his sister Kodatchi, she said that she might be able to figure out something."

"I'm sure Kodatchi would," said Bloom. She knew that Kodatchi Kuno, AKA 'The Black Rose', while completely out of her mind sometimes, was always there for her brother.

"Well that explains what put the burr in your britches, Layla," said Morgan, "But what about Stella, what has made her so woeful?"

"You think your family is dysfunctional, Layla?" Stella asked as she sat up, her eyes were red from crying so much, her makeup runny with her fallen tears, "Wait till you hear what's happened to mine."

"Just a second," said Flora, "No offense, Stella, but you look frightful."

"I know," said Stella as she used a tissue to wipe the splotched makeup from her face, "And right now I don't care."

"This is serious," said Tecna, "For something to upset Stella so much that she doesn't care about her looks."

"You'd better believe it," said Stella, "My problem started when my parents first got married. The kingdom of Solaria is made up of several noble houses, like every other kingdom. Well, my family has been the ruling family for several generations, taking our name from our sun, Solaris. My father, Radiant, was engaged to the heir of the Artemisia family, Luna, my mom.

"Everyone thought that their marriage, a union between the two most powerful noble houses of Solaria, would bring a new golden age to the kingdom. For a while it did, especially after I came around.

"Then sometime after I turned twelve things began to fall apart with my mom and dad. It seemed impossible, but they just didn't love each other any more. They were fully divorced by the time I met Bloom. Mom packed up her things and went back to her family's estate on the other side of the kingdom.

"Well, a few months ago a minor noble house came along and started rising in power; House Faust, lead by Countess Cassandra. She and my dad seemed to hit it off the second they met and have been inseparable since. Nobody said it out loud, but there are rumors that Cassandra put my father under some sort of spell, and you know what, I believe it. I mean, there's no way my father would ever fall in love with a snake of a woman like her."

"I think I know of this Cassandra Faust," said Morgan, "She's been married five or six times already, with each husband dieing from, ahem, 'mysterious circumstances.'"

"I agree, Stella," said Musa, "Your father must be under a spell of some kind."

"It's even worse," said Stella, "This is the really, really sad part. As I was getting ready to come back to Alfea, I got into a fight with my father. I kept trying to tell him that Cassandra wasn't right for him, that she only wanted him for his money and power. My father replied that he loved Cassandra, and that he was going to marry her, not only for love, but so that I would have a mother again.

"I said 'I already have a mother, her name is Luna, remember?' My father then shouted at me that he never wanted to hear that name again. I shouted back that I wouldn't stand to have mom insulted like that, and that I wouldn't stand to see him ruin his life by marrying Cassandra.

"My father responded by saying that he was the king and would marry anyone he wanted. He then rubbed in my face that is was in his power to decide who would rule the kingdom next, and that I could be tossed aside like garbage if he wanted to."

"But you're his daughter!" said Flora, "He can't cast you aside! Can he?"

"He already did," said Stella, she sounded like she was going to start crying again, "One thing lead to another, and I was kicked out of my home, my family and my kingdom."

"You've been banished?" Bloom asked in a whisper, as if barely believing what she was hearing.

"Uh-huh," said Stella as she started crying again, this time using Bloom's shoulder for support.

"It's alright, Stella," said Bloom in a comforting way, "It's alright."

"No it's not!" snapped Stella, "Not only has my father placed under a spell by that evil Cassandra and kicked me out of the kingdom, that cow Cassandra had the gall to make my father name her daughter as heir to the kingdom. Chimera Faust, the most stuck-up, self centered, fashion illiterate bitch there is. The day they make her the next Queen of Solaria is the day the universe dies!"

"That's a bold statement," said Tecna, impressed by Stella's choice of words.

"I'm serious," said Stella, "That tramp Chimera has not one scrap of compassion in her pasty body, and her hair, ugh! Could you say 'hair extensions' any louder?"

"Wait a second," said Flora, "Isn't your mother still Queen of Solaria? Doesn't she have anything to say about this?"

"My mother hasn't been seen since the engagement was announced two weeks ago," said Stella, "I went to her estate on the other side of the kingdom when it happened, but she wasn't there. Nobody has seen her. But in a way, I'm glad she went away. Cassandra, who is already skipping about like she's already the queen, has proclaimed my mother a traitor to the kingdom, and me as well. If either one of us is ever seen on Solaria again, we'll both be arrested and killed on sight."

There was a stunned silence in the dorm room, which Layla broke after a minute or so, "And I thought my summer sucked."

"You think you've got problems?" Morgan asked, "You ain't seen nothing yet. Bloom, tell them about your summer, or at least the last few days of it."

"Yeah," said Layla, "Flora said something about you having new powers or something like that."

"Well," said Bloom, "It started when our camp at the palace on Domino was attacked by ice demons."

"Again?" Stella asked.

"This time was the worst one yet," continued Bloom, "Anyway…"

...one explanation later…

"You've got your Enchantix now?" Layla asked, "That's incredible!"

"I'll bet you looked fabulous," said Stella.

"She did," said Flora, "For a minute or so."

"We think the reason I suddenly exhausted my powers is somehow related to the curse," said Bloom, "But that's all we know for now."

"So Stella has been banished from her home," said Musa, "Layla is being forced to give up Tatewaki, and Bloom is unable to use her new powers. Another typical year at Alfea."

"Indeed," said Tecna in a slightly depressed tone. Everyone did looked a little down in the dumps, except for one eager witch.

"Oh come on!" said Morgan, "What's all this moping about for? The Winx I know would figure out some outrageous idea to solve all three problems."

"I agree with Morgan," said Bloom, "We've been in some sticky situations before, and we've always pulled through. This is just another of life's curveballs being thrown at us. All we have to do is hit the ball out of the park and we'll be alright."

"You said it!" said Musa, "We'll think of something."

"Something about you, Musa," said Stella, "There's something different. New lip gloss?"

"Try again," Musa said as she touched her hair.

"Oh," said Stella, "Oh! Wow, very fashionable."

"I thought you said you wouldn't change your hair," Layla said.

"I'm entitled to try something different," said Musa.

As Layla and Stella fawned over Musa's new look, Bloom couldn't help but smile; no matter how bad the situation gets, her friends are always there for each other. And despite the problems that her friends were going through, Bloom knew in her heart that somehow they would get through this.

She and her friends were all together again, and Bloom knew that The Winx were strongest together. No matter the situation, no matter what tribulations they were faced to go through, they would face it together

The end of chapter 5.

The dark souls begin their search for the artifacts that will bring about a new age of evil. Those unsuspecting ones in their path are ill prepared for the devastation awaiting them. Yet even in the darkest of night, a ray of light shines to inspire hope as two lost travelers finally find their way home.

Next chapter: Pieces of the Puzzle

'For those with wings, fly to your dreams.'