Disclaimer: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Video and Winx Club belongs to Iginio Straffi and Rai S.p.A (NOT 4Kids!). Song 'Skyreach' belongs to Akame Ga Kill.
Note: This follows the Rai version of Winx as the 4Kids version butchered it too much, like with every anime it dubbed.
Chapter 64: Shine! The Kingdom of Darkness!
A mountainside near the outskirts of Magix…
It was a clear day as the sun shone down on the natural landscape. Walking along the grassy plains at the base of a mountain were a group of people with travel packs. The Winx and the Nerima martial artists were hiking up the path.
"C'mon, just a bit more and we can take a breather." Said Ranma who was taking the lead. Behind him were Ukyou, Shampoo, and Mousse as well as Layla, being the most fit of the Faeries. Trailing a bit further were Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Shilly, who decided to come along.
"Did we really have to climb that mountain? I just wanted a simple walk!" complained Stella, who was not used to much physical exertion.
"Ha ha! Don't be so lazy, Stella!" said Bloom walking next to her. "Ranma and the others have wanted to go on this excursion as a form of training. A long walk will do us all good."
"Ghuh… yeah…"
Bloom then looks over to Lockette hovering nearby. "And this time, the Pixies came, too. It's going to be even better with them!"
"Oh yeah! We are so happy, Bloom!" said Lockette. She holds up her travel pack in front of her. "I even brought blueberry cakes! They will give you strength for the walk!"
"Ha ha! Thanks, Lockette!" Bloom couldn't help but laugh. The blueberry cakes are small and wouldn't be filling to a human (especially Ranma), but the thought was nice.
Amore floats up near Stella holding her own travel pack. "I have some fruit crunch if you want, Stella. Do you want some for extra strength?"
"No thanks. I'm too busy trying to breathe…" said Stella.
"You know, breathing pure air is good for your skin, Stella. It'll make you even more beautiful!"
"Uhm… let's hope so…"
The group hiked a few moments more, but then the wind started to pick up, causing everyone to look at the sky.
"Huh? I feel like bad weather's on the way, and the wind isn't helping…" said Shilly.
"Really? Well this is a pity…" said Flora disappointed. "Our trip will be ruined! What do we do now?"
"Hold on, I thought the forecast said it was supposed to be good today!" said Ukyou.
"Guess weather report not so accurate here like at home…" said Shampoo.
"C'mon! We got to find some shelter nearby!" said Ranma as he and the others hastened their hike.
Suddenly, lightning crackled in the sky, causing loud thundering noises. Soon, the sky got cloudy and dark. Some stray bolts have even struck the mountainside nearby.
"AIYAA!" screamed Shampoo.
"What's happening!?" asked Bloom.
"Bad weather doesn't just arrive like that!" said Ranma.
"That's not just any storm!" said Shilly. "There's magic and witchcraft behind it! I should know, I'm a witch!"
"Watch out!" shouted Mousse as he quickly pulled Shilly aside just before a stray lightning bolt struck near where she had been. Several more Lightning bolts began raining down and striking at random areas around the group.
"RUN! LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" shouted Ranma.
Opening (Akame Ga Kill style, 'Skyreach')
Music starts as Ranma slowly appears from the darkness, next, Ranma-chan emerges from the darkness. It then switches to a group shot of Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla. Finally, it shows Ranma standing with Shampoo, Ukyou, and Mousse. It fades and shows again with the Winx standing behind them, then soon revealed Platinum Sky, Diamond Brandon, Gold Helia, Onyx Riven, Silver Timmy, and Amethyst Nabu.
Kokoro ni kakushiteta omoi shizuka ni kotoba de kizande (I quietly carve down with words, the feelings concealed within my heart)
Brandon's broadsword pans by Ranma's turned back. A beam of light passes by a turned Stella.
Fumidasu tesaguri na asu e tsuyoku mayoinai hitomi de (And set forth on, feeling out the rise of a new day, with unwavering resolve in my eyes!)
A flame burns past a turned Bloom. A vine grows forward before sprouting some flowers past a turned Flora.
Donna mirai demo uketomeru watashi de itakute (I strive to be a person that takes head on any kind of future that may come,)
A line of music notes fly by a turned Musa. A piece of a circuit board passes by a turned Tecna.
Ima wa mou furimukanai (So there's no more turning back.)
A water wave splashes past a turned Layla, then it goes to Ranma rushing at the then goes into a split screen of Ranma' Shampoo, Ukyou, Mousse, and Shilly.
Hashiru shoudou ni makasete hirogaru sekai e (I'll let my racing impulses lead the way, towards a boundless world,)
Kawaru unmei ni kotae ga aru to shinjite (Believing this changing fate holds the answer.)
On a barren landscape, Ranma rushes in with fists flying at some fog monsters as his souls would occasionally pop out to assist him. Stella flies in as she fires off beams of light. Bloom shoots a barrage of fireballs. Flora slams her palms to the ground, causing a tree to knock out some monsters. Musa lets off a sonic screech. Tecna materializes some support units that fire off lasers.
Ano hi senmei ni egaita kawaranai yume wa (With the unchanging dream I vividly drew out that day,)
Fureta genkai mo kanarazu koeteiku kara (I will, by all means, surpass all the limits I felt in me.)
It shows a shot of Nodoka in her office, then of Kasumi and Sasuke in the kitchen, then Xander as le looks out the entrance of Alfea.
Yuruginai koe ni shite todokeru kitto (Using an unyielding voice, I'm sure it will be heard loud and clear;)
Itsuka tadoritsuku sono toki made (I'll someday reach there - so wait for me until then!)
It shows one by one shots of Ranma, Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, Layla, Shampoo, Ukyou, and Mousse standing at a random location before a lake, the reflection showing their cursed/transformed states. Finally, it shows a shot of Ranma from behind before the camera turns to angle from the side, just as the Specialist souls come out.
End opening
The group quickly ran as fast as they could to avoid getting lit up like Christmas trees. As they ran, Mousse spots a large upcropping of rock shaped like an arc.
"Over there! Quick!"
Everyone quickly ran towards the rock arc, which was thankfully big enough to cover all of them. As they waited to the storm to subside, they noticed the lightning bolts were striking at the mountain wall near where they were at, almost as if that section of mountain was attracting the lightning.
"Look at that! That lightning isn't striking by chance!" said Tecna as she pointed at the mountainside. Where the bolts were hitting. "They're hitting the rock to make something…"
After a few more lightning strikes, the side of the mountain started forming a pair of pillars with an engraving of demon sculptures above them. Suddenly, the area between the pillars split, forming a large set of double doors. At that moment, the lightning stopped.
"A door? A door to another world?" asked Stella as she and the others stared at what was happening.
"Look! It opening!" said Shampoo as the stone doors opened outward.
The doors slowly swung open, where dark ethereal mists flowed out. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing coming out. Soon after, big hulking humanoid monsters that seemed to be made of dark clouds and fog exited the stone doors.
"Monsters!? They're invading!" said Ukyou.
"But where are they from?" asked Tecna.
"From another realm? Who cares at this point?" said Ranma.
"That lightning storm created a doorway for them to pass through!" said Stella. "Magix is in danger! Let's attack!"
"Wait, Stella! We don't know what we're up against here!" said Ranma.
"Whoever sent them must be a very powerful wizard!" said Stella as she went out of the stone arc.
"Stella! Careful!" shouted Bloom.
One of the fog monsters took a swipe at Stella, who quickly ducked the attack.
"Whoa! That was close… but if you want to fight, I'm ready for you! WINX ENCHANTIX!" Stella immediately transformed into her Enchantix form to fight back the monsters. She brings out her scepter. "The Solar Scepter can defeat these dark creatures!"
"Girls! Let's transform, too! We have to help Stella!" said Bloom as she and other Winx ran out of the stone arc.
"WINX ENCHANTIX!" Bloom, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla were in their Enchantix mode and flew off to assist Stella, who shot at some of the fog monsters with a beam of light.
"Come on! We gotta help, too!" said Ranma as he also charged in. Shampoo brought out her bonbori, Ukyou whipped out her battle spatula, and Mousse held his sleeves at the ready. Even Shilly came out charging up her magic.
"Take this!" shouted Ranma as he nailed a fog monster in the head with a flying kick. Landing behind it, the pigtailed boy smirked at his handiwork after his kick took out the monster's head. However, it was short-lived as it simply regenerated its head. "Damn! That did nothing!"
The other Nerima martial artists were doing no better. Ukyou sliced one monster at the waist with her spatula, but it simply reconnected itself. Shampoo took out another monster's arms, but they simply reformed. Mousse brought out twin blades from his sleeves and bisected another fog monster, but it simply pulled its halves back together again.
"No good! Physical attacks do nothing to them! They're basically clouds!" said Ukyou.
Bloom flies up and fires a flaming beam at two fog monsters, blowing them up. However, they condense back to form again. "Oh no! They dissolve into the fog, but then reform…"
"The witchcraft that created them is more powerful than our spells!" said Musa.
"My spells aren't working, either!" said Shilly as she blasted a fog monster with dark lightning, but it simply reformed again.
Flora looked off to the side to notice Stella was completely surrounded by a majority of the fog monsters. "Look! They seem to be particularly attracted to Stella! They have her surrounded!"
"Stay back, you monsters! Don't you dare touch me!" shouted Stella as she swung her scepter at the converging monsters. Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain as one fog monster clenched its large hand around Stella. "AAAAHH!"
"STELLA!" shouted Ranma. "Stella! Hang in there! I'm coming!"
The fog monster that grabbed Stella immediately ran back through the stone door, followed by the rest of its comrades. Ranma immediately gave chase.
"Hurry! We must follow!" said Bloom as everyone else followed her lead.
"Damn you! Let go of Stella!" shouted Ranma as he struck at one of the retreating fog monsters, which did little to affect it.
Ranma, Bloom, Flora, Musa, Layla, Shilly, and Amore managed to get through the stone door. Once they did, the stone doors began to close. Tecna, Shampoo, Ukyou, Mousse, and the other Pixies were not fast enough to reach the door in time.
"No! Door closing!" said Shampoo.
The stone doors shut themselves, sealing off the others.
"Ranma!" said Shampoo.
"Ran-chan!" said Ukyou.
"Shilly!" said Mousse.
"No! We're too late!" said Tecna.
Suddenly, the lightning returned and started shooting at the door, causing everyone to scatter.
"The lightning's back! Get back to the rock arc!" shouted Mousse.
They quickly retreated back under the stone arc to avoid the lightning bolts.
"Guess the lightning signals that the witchcraft is back in action!" said Tecna.
To their shock, the lightning bolts began destroying the stone door, causing rocks to fall and pile over the gate, effectively sealing it off.
"The lightning's destroying the door! At this rate, it will vanish without a trace!" said Ukyou.
Once the doorway has been completely sealed up by the rocks, the lightning stopped once again as the skies cleared.
"The door gone! Now what we do?" asked Shampoo.
"Bloom and the others… they're prisoners of another realm…" said Tecna.
Suddenly, Lockette, Chatta, Tune, Digit, Piff, and Zing fly up to the group.
"We're all here, except for Amore! She must have followed Stella!"
"We can do nothing by ourselves. We have to get some help!" said Ukyou.
"Figure out where our friends are and who or what the hell those monsters were." Said Mousse.
"Red Fountain is close by. We should go there first." Suggested Tecna as she reverted to her normal mode. "Those monsters could be an even bigger threat for all Magix! We have to raise the alarm and mobilize the school and our teachers!"
"Sounds like a good plan." Said Mousse as they all began to depart for the drop ship they came in.
"Who knows where Stella is right now…" said Tecna.
Meanwhile, beyond the door…
The place on the other side of the door was like a desolate wasteland as far as the eye can see. The ground was nothing but dirt and rocks, the few trees that were around were all bare and dead, there was a perpetual fog everywhere, and the skies were dark like a permanent nightfall. The fog monsters were walking through the desolate land with Stella in tow as they approach a wooden horse-drawn cart being pulled by a large ox made of dark clouds. On the cart were several large clay urns.
"Let me go! UFF! Where are you taking me!?" shouted Stella as she struggled against the fog monsters' grips. One of the fog monsters goes and takes off the wooden lid of one of the clay urns. Stella immediately figured out what they were planning. "No! What are you doing!? I can't go in there! Don't- UUGH!"
The fog monster holding Stella used one hand to hold her around her torso and used the other to hold up her arms before stuffing her into the urn. Once inside, the other fog monster sealed it with the lid. They then began transporting the cart of urns through the foggy land as Stella struggled to break out.
Not far away, Ranma and the others were walking through the completely unknown land…
"It's so dark here… if there was only a bit of sunshine! Those monsters seemed to have disappeared." Said Bloom.
"Stella, too. What the hell is this place?" said Ranma.
"I haven't a clue." Said Layla. "Seems to be another realm. I've never seen anything like it in my life."
"No sun or stars… no light… it's like an eternal night here…" said Flora.
"Whatever this place is, it's creeping me out!" said Shilly.
"Hey look! A road!" said Musa as she pointed at a dirt path. "Let's see where it goes. It has to lead somewhere."
The others couldn't argue with that. Besides, it's not like they had any other leads right now.
A few minutes later, the group arrive at a place.
"Over there! It looks like a village!" said Musa.
The village was small and desolate. It was like a medieval peasant village, the houses were simple gray brick structures with roofs made from sticks and hay. If it weren't for the smoking chimney of one of the houses, the group would've thought the place was a ghost town.
"Uuuh… rather dark, don't you think?" said Ranma, noticing not a single soul was around. He goes to the door of the house with the active chimney. "Let's see if anyone's home."
Ranma knocks on the wooden door. A few moments later, a middle-aged woman with dark hair tied up in a bun and wearing a drab dress opens the door.
"Don't let anyone see you! Come in, quickly!" the woman said in a hushed and hurried tone. This catches the group by surprise, not expecting a reaction like that. The woman grabs Ranma's arm and pulls him inside the house. "Come in, I said! If they find you all outside, we're all in big trouble!"
"What the…?" said Ranma in confusion as he was pulled through the door.
"Everyone hurry!" said Bloom as she, Flora, Musa, Layla, Shilly, and Amore get in the house.
Once everyone was inside, the woman quickly shuts and locks the door. "There, closed! Light the lamp, Peter!"
Inside the house was a middle-aged man with graying brown hair. He was in the process of lighting an old lantern, providing some partial illumination in the dark room.
"Who might see us? Are you talking about those fog monsters?" asked Shilly.
"Them and the King's soldiers! The servants of the Lord of Darkness are everywhere… and they are always on the prowl for light sources!" replied the woman as she quickly shut the curtains to the windows. "That's why we turned off the lamp when we let you in. Even a small flame could draw them here!"
"The Lord of Darkness? Who's he?" asked Bloom.
"Unfortunately, he's our king." Replied Peter, taking up the explanations. "Him and his evil wizard who is now his sole advisor."
"What? A wizard?" asked Musa.
"A year ago, our king began losing his sight, and Zalto, a powerful wizard, offered to cure him. In the beginning, the cure seemed to work… but then his illness worsened, and under Zalto's influence, he became increasingly evil and intolerant! We could hardly recognize him! With the excuse of not letting his enemies find out about the seriousness of his illness, Zalto lured the king into thinking he preferred darkness… turning out everything light… all this is really to create the dark creatures that surround the wizard and obey only him!"
"Wait… so you're saying that this Zalto jerk's governing now?" asked Ranma. "What about the King's soldiers?"
"Many have been sent to fight in far off lands… or worse, accused of treason and killed… while others support Zalto. As the King becomes blind, he increasingly trusts the wizard, who only takes advantage of the King! Plants don't grow here anymore… the grass is dead… and when there is no more light, we'll all die of hunger and Zalto can grow to his victory!"
"What!? But that's insane!" said Shilly. "Why's this guy doing this!? He'll be left with nothing if the kingdom's destroyed by his own hand!"
"He's not interested in wealth, only power and darkness with which he must have made an infernal pact." Replied Peter. "When there is nothing left of our kingdom, he will lead his creatures to invade another one and begin the process anew."
Musa looked to the others. "The door created by the lightning was just a test! Once this kingdom gets destroyed, Magix may be next!"
"That would also explain why the fog monsters nabbed Stella…" said Bloom.
"She's the Faerie of Light. It makes sense they would see her as their most dangerous threat!" said Ranma.
"Light indicates hope. This is why Zalto's guards have been ordered to turn out even the faintest flame." Said Peter's wife.
"So where could they have taken our friend?" asked Flora.
"To the Black Castle, where the King resides. However, it is a labyrinth! It would be best if you forget about your friend."
"Sorry, but that's not happening!" said Layla.
Suddenly, there was a loud banging against the door.
"Open up! We have to inspect your house!"
Everyone inside cringed. "Zalto's guards! They must have seen the light or followed you!" said Peter's wife.
"Dammit! What do we do?" said Ranma.
"This way! Quick!" said Peter as he opened a trap door. "My cellar has a secret tunnel that leads to the woods. Come down here, quickly!"
"And what will you do?"
Peter helps his wife down the ladder as she replies, "There's no escaping those monsters! We'll escape with you! Hurry!"
Everyone had no choice and quickly went down into the cellar. Outside, the guards and monsters decided on a more direct approach.
"Break down the door!" ordered one of the guards. Two fog monsters went up and began bashing on the door. Soon, the door was broken apart.
Fortunately, the group had quite a head start and managed to get further down the tunnel. They come across another ladder leading up through an opening.
"This way! This leads to our wood chopping shed!" said Peter's wife as she lead the way. Once outside, she addresses Ranma's group. "Okay, here we are beyond the vegetable patch and near the forest. If we manage to get there, we're safe."
"Hold on! I have to know where to find Stella!" said Ranma. "We can't just escape! That won't solve anything! We have to do something so those monsters lead us to her!"
"What? But that's impossible!" said Bloom.
"Not if I get caught by them on purpose. Maybe the monsters will bring me to where she's imprisoned, they you guys can follow and maybe find out where she is."
"Are you crazy!? That's too dangerous and reckless!" said Shilly.
"Well, people tend to say I am." Said Ranma. "Besides, it's a viable tactic of the Anything Goes, tricking an enemy into thinking they've won, then launch a surprise attack!"
"I'll come with you, Ranma! I want to help Stella, too!" said Amore as she floated near Ranma's head.
"Alright then. Hide in one of my pockets."
Amore does just that and snuggles herself into his side waist pocket.
"So you're really going through with this then?" asked Bloom in a worried tone.
"There's no other way, Bloom." Said Ranma as he took her hands in his. "I know it's risky, but I have to save Stella whatever it takes. Don't worry, I'll be fine, and I promise to come back with her as well."
Everyone heard distant noises coming from the underground tunnel.
"They must have found the tunnel! They'll be here soon!" said Peter.
"Go! I'll attract the monsters' attention while you escape into the woods, but don't lose sight of me!" said Ranma as he ran off in another direction.
"Good luck!" said Flora as she and the others ran for the woods.
"This way! Come quickly!" said Peter as he lead them to the woods.
A few moments later, the two guards and two fog monsters come out of the tunnel's hatch.
"They came through here! Find them!" ordered the first guard.
It was then the second guard caught sight of Ranma. "There's one of them! Get him!"
Ranma clicked his tongue and made a break for it, causing the guards and fog monsters to give chase. As he ran, Bloom and the others peeked at the scene from behind some trees.
"Come on, you damn monster!" said Ranma as he took up a fighting stance. 'Time to put on my acting skills.' Ranma puts up a fight against the fog monster, but then it suddenly grabs him by the throat and slams him to the ground, pinning him down.
The monster's allies arrive as one of the guards gloats at the pinned pigtailed boy. "Ha! Well done!" The two fog monsters roughly pull Ranma to his feet and held his arms securely. "Did you really think you could escape? There's no escaping Zalto's soldiers!"
"Perhaps he is not alone. There were lots of footprints in the tunnel." Said the other guard.
"No matter. Our guys back at the castle will make him tell us who he was with. Take him away!"
The guards go over to a caged cart pulled by a fog ox. One of the guards orders the fog monsters to put Ranma in the cage where he gets carted off. Unknown to the guards and monsters, Bloom and the others kept a close eye on them and followed quietly.
A few minutes later…
Ranma looked out from his cage to see an old dark castle from within the fog surrounded by a large moat. The drawbridge came down to allow entry for the servants of Zalto before bringing it to a close. The Winx and Shilly spied from behind a boulder as Ranma disappeared within the castle gate.
"Looks like this is the place." Said Shilly.
"Getting in won't be easy…" said Flora.
"Let's go around. Maybe we'll find another way in." said Layla as she took the lead.
Meanwhile, inside the castle…
Ranma was roughly shoved into a prison cell by one of the fog monsters before slamming the door shut.
"Oof! Hey! Easy, you bastard!" said Ranma as he glared through the door's window.
"Shut up! You will rot in here until the noble Zalto decides a worser fate for you! Until then, make yourself at home! Hahaha!"
The guards and monsters left the prison, leaving Ranma alone in the cell.
"Sure, gloat at your little victory, you stupid jerks. This was what I wanted, anyway." Said Ranma.
It was then Amore peeked out of his pocket. "Have the evil monsters gone away?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's clear, Amore."
Amore then flew out and floated before him. "Have you seen Stella?"
Ranma could only shake his head. "Afraid not. You'll have to go find her! Once you do, come back and let me know, then you must get out of here and let the others know, too. They should be nearby since they followed us here. Can you handle it?"
"Of course! But what about you?"
"Don't worry about me. I can bust out of here whenever I want, but right now, Stella's our top priority!"
"You can count on me!" said Amore as she slipped between the bars of the door window. She looked down the hallway to see if the coast is clear. "Oh good, there's nobody around. The bad guys must feel safe if it's this lax." She then began flying down the hallway. "Stella? Stella? Where are you?"
Meanwhile, at Red Fountain…
Tecna, Shampoo, Ukyou, Mousse, and the other Pixies were in Saladin's private meeting room before a table where Saladin, Codatorta, Faragonda, and Griffin were seated. The group had just informed the faculty what had occurred.
"Ranma and the others prisoners in a parallel realm? We have to move fast!" said Faragonda.
"We noticed the lightning storm, but we didn't think it was such a serious threat as it passed quite quickly." Said Codatorta.
"We have to organize an emergency expedition!" Faragonda suggested.
"But door closed! How we get in?" asked Shampoo.
Codatorta was at a loss at Shampoo's question.
"If they are planning to invade us, they have definitely prepared more than one door." Saladin surmised. "What you saw must have been a sort of test run. I am sure there is or will be another more powerful and dangerous door somewhere. That's what we'll have to find!"
"I agree!" said Griffin.
"Me, too!" added Faragonda.
"We'll organize search teams. The first to find the invasion door will notify the others. Now go! Leave as soon as you are ready!" said Codatorta.
"We're on it!" said Ukyou.
"Don't worry, guys. I know how to fly a Specialist ship." Said Tecna as they left the room to prepare for takeoff.
Back at the dark castle…
Amore was flying through the dark hallways, then gasped slightly when she saw a guard. Fortunately, the guard was nodding off, sound asleep on his chair. The pixie quietly floated past the snoring guard and was soon on her way again.
"That was close…" said Amore. She then smelled something. "Hmm? I think I can smell Stella's perfume… it's coming from that door…"
Amore flies towards a door and slipped through its window. She sees several large clay urns in storage.
"What huge urns… what could they be keeping inside?" wondered Amore. She floats down to one of the lids and tries to lift it, but fails. "Ugh! It's too heavy! Thankfully, I have a bit of levitating powder with me. Heehee!" She sprinkles the powder on the lid, making it as light as a feather. Amore was able to easily remove the lid. "There we go! Huh?" Amore was stunned to see that inside of the urn were shining stars. "Stars? They put stars from the sky in here? How did they…?" She goes over to lift the lid off another urn. "And in here, we have… fireflies… millions of fireflies!" She goes to another urn. "Those baddies have captured everything beautiful and bright! I really hope that in here…" Once Amore lifted the next lid, she finds who she was looking for. "Stella! I've finally found you!"
"Amore!? It's great to see you!" said Stella, who sat with her knees to her chest when forced into the urn.
"Well come on! Get out! What are you waiting for?" asked Amore.
"I'd like to, but I can't move! This jar is magical and the spell keeping me in here is too powerful!" Stella demonstrates as she tries to stand, but was being prevented from doing so. "You have to try and break whatever is powering the spell. That's the only way I can get out of here!"
"I'll find a way, Stella! You can count on it!" said Amore. To not arouse any suspicion, she placed the lids back on the urns, including Stella's. She quickly makes her way out of the storage room. "I have to be fast, though. Where could I even start?"
As she wanders the halls, Amore stops when she hears some guards talking.
"We need to change guards in the crystal room! Move!"
"Crystal room?" wondered Amore. She peeks around the corner and sees two guards following who may be the captain.
"The Black Crystal is the guarantor of the noble Zalto's magic! It is a huge honor to be assigned its guard!" said the captain as he led the two guards up a flight of stairs unaware they were being tailed by the pixie.
Amore followed the three men to a room atop a tower and quickly hid behind the doorframe. Inside, she saw a pedestal where a large black crystal sat, crackling with power within a column of energy. Standing before it was the wizard, Zalto. He was a lanky old bald man with slightly pointed ears and a black mustache and pointed beard. He wore a green tunic with black leggings and a black cape. Just by his appearance alone that anyone could tell he's a villain.
"Here is the change of guards, Noble Zalto!" said the captain.
Zalto turned to the guards, "Good! Watch it so nobody can get close enough to overshadow the brightness of the crystal! Only when its power is at maximum can we prepare our invasion of new worlds!"
"Yes sir!"
Amore didn't like the sound of what she heard and quickly flew off. "My God! That's more than I wanted to know! I have to tell Ranma quick!"
The Pixie of Love made her way back to the cell holding Ranma. She slipped through the door window to see the Nerima martial artist waiting.
"Amore! Did you find Stella?" asked Ranma as he held out his hand for Amore to stand on.
"She is in a room nearby sealed in a big vase… but she can't get out because of some great magical force!" Amore reported. "To destroy the magic holding her, we need to break this black crystal kept in the highest tower!"
"So that's it, huh?" said Ranma. "That's all I needed to know. There's just one more thing you need to do. You got to get out and warn the others. They should be nearby."
"Alright then!"
"We got to attack and destroy that crystal, then I'll be able to save Stella!"
"Just leave it to me!" Amore then flew out the cell's window to find her friends.
Meanwhile, in Magix's airspace…
Three Red Fountain ships flew through the skies on a search mission.
"Ready to break up and patrol the mountains!" said one of the ship's pilots.
"Ready! We'll head east!" communicated Tecna who was at the helm of one of the ships.
"We'll go north!" said the third ship pilot.
"Formation break-up! Happy hunting!" said the other pilot as the ships flew off in different directions.
Inside Tecna's ship, the techno Faerie piloted the craft over the mountainside. Seated inside were Shampoo, Ukyou, and Mousse.
"That door could be anywhere! How will we recognize it?" asked Ukyou.
"Maybe it will have that dark fog? There was at the first door." Said Mousse.
Moments later, Shampoo sees something in the distance.
"Look! Dark fog!" said Shampoo as she pointed from her seat.
"Could be our lucky break." Said Tecna as she steered towards the mountaintop giving off the dark fog. Upon getting closer, the ship's passengers were alarmed at seeing that the mountaintop was an active volcano.
"A volcano? There are volcanoes around here?" asked Ukyou.
"No, but this is not just any volcano…" said Tecna. "It's the door we've been looking for!"
Unlike a normal volcano, it was shining a dark light from the top where more dark fog was being released.
"From afar, it just looked like any other eruption, but instead…" said Mousse.
"What a sneaky camouflage." Said Ukyou.
Tecna activated the ship's comm systems. "Everyone, this is the lead shuttle. The door has been found to the east! Converge on one-eight-zero!"
"Received!" a pilot answered.
"We're going in first! Good luck, everyone!" With that, Tecna flew the ship straight into the volcano's opening.
Outside the dark castle…
Bloom, Flora, Musa, Layla, and Shilly were sneaking around the castle while keeping out of sight. It was then Musa heard a fluttering.
"Hey look! It's Amore!" said Musa as she gestured to the flying pixie.
"Hey! We're over here!" said Bloom as she waved in Amore's direction.
"Oh! Girls!" said Amore as she floated over to the faeries and witch. She landed on Bloom's open hand. "Oof… I made it… I found Stella… and something else very troubling!"
"Tell us everything."
A lengthy explanation later…
"And Ranma says that by destroying the black crystal, we will also break the spell holding Stella prisoner!" Amore finished.
"Well what are we all waiting for, girls?" said Layla.
The four faeries took a pose and transformed. "WINX ENCHANTIX!"
"I'll wait here. I doubt I can be of help in this realm." Said Shilly.
"Alright. Be careful out here, Shilly." Said Flora.
"Same with you."
Bloom, Flora, Musa, and Layla flew off following Amore to the castle. The little pixie points towards the tallest tower.
"The crystal room is in that tower over there!" said Amore.
Unfortunately, the fog monsters at one of the castle walls caught sight of them, getting the guards' attention.
"Damn! Intruders! Sound the alarm!" shouted a guard.
CRASH!
The four Winx Faeries bodily break through the tower's windows.
"There's the crystal!" said Bloom as she pointed to the pedestal.
The guards and fog monsters in the room immediately prepared to fight. "What the hell!? Alarms! Alarms!"
Bloom stood poised as Flora, Musa, and Layla stood behind her. "Looks like we have no choice! Prepare for battle!"
The fog monsters charged forward. Bloom fires an energy blast at one, knocking it down. Layla fires her own blast that took out another fog monster. Musa and Flora provided covering fire to take out more fog monsters. However, just like before, the fog monsters simply regenerated or shrugged off their attacks.
"There're too many of them! And our magic isn't strong enough! We can't get close to the crystal at this rate!" said Musa as she quickly dodged a fog monster's swipe.
"We can't give up! Keep going!" said Bloom as she continued her assault.
Outside the castle…
Tecna's ship flew in to see the castle up ahead. The passengers also noticed some flashing lights at the tallest tower.
"Look! Castle there! And look like fight going on!" said Shampoo.
Mousse then looked down and saw Shilly waving her arms at them from the ground. "Hey! It's Shilly! Let's land, quick!"
Shilly saw the Red Fountain ship land nearby, which she quickly ran to. The door opened to reveal Mousse.
"Mousse! You're here!" said Shilly as she embraced the formerly myopic martial artist in joy, causing him to blush.
"Shilly! Thank goodness you're safe!" said Mousse as he returned her hug. He then releases her and asks, "Where are the others?"
"They're fighting in the castle! We gotta go and support them! Now!" said Shilly as she quickly boarded the ship.
The ship was back in the air, then were joined by the other two ships that finally managed to rendezvous with them.
"We're here, too! Let's do this!" said one of the ship's pilots.
Back in the crystal room…
Bloom, Flora, Musa, and Layla were backed against the wall as the fog monsters had them cornered. No matter what attacks the girls threw at them, the monsters would relentlessly keep coming.
"No good! There are too many of them, and that crystal is powering them up while weakening our powers!" said Bloom.
Just as the fog monsters were about to attack the four girls en masse, a barrage of laser shots blasted through the windows, knocking them aside. Ironically, the girls getting cornered also provided them perfect cover from the laser onslaught.
"It's Red Fountain!" said Flora as she and the others hide in cover.
"Don't worry, girls! Cavalry's here!" said Tecna from the ship.
"Give 'em hell, Tecna!" Layla cheered.
The fog monsters roared in pain as they had been shot at relentlessly, preventing them from reforming fast enough. The human guards quickly retreated as they did not want to get riddled by lasers. One errant laser beam managed to shoot at the black crystal, causing it to shatter like cheap glass.
Ranma's prison cell…
Ranma looked out the window of his cell when he heard the laser fight outside.
"Sounds like backup has arrived! Now then… time for me to make some noise myself!"
Ranma turned and immediately broke the cell door off its hinges with a flying kick. He quickly rushes out and runs into a guard in the hallway.
"What!? How did you-" said the guard as he was about to pull out his sword.
WHAM!
Ranma cuts off the guard with Diamond Brandon planting a fist to the face, knocking him out. "Just shut up."
More guards suddenly flood the hallway.
"The prisoner's escaped!"
"Get him!"
Ranma growled as the guards came at him with swords.
"I don't have time for you jerks!" shouted Ranma as he thrust his hands forward. "MOKO TAKABISHA!"
The confidence-fueled ki bolt slammed into the guards all at once, knocking them out.
"Serves you morons right!" Ranma ran past the defeated guards and on his way to the storage room. He looks through a door window and spotted the numerous urns inside. "This must be the room Amore was talking about…" He tries to open the door, but was annoyed to find it locked. No matter. He simply kicked the door down, granting him entry. Going inside, Ranma lifts the lid of one of the urns and was taken by surprise when a bunch of fireflies immediately flew out and exited through the window. "What the?" He lifts another lid, in which an assortment of celestial stars shot out and flew off. "Why were they sealing away all this?" wondered Ranma. He then lifts the next lid, where inside was…
"Stella!?"
"Ranma? Ranma! You found me!" said Stella. To her delight, she also found herself able to move again and quickly stood up to embrace the pigtailed boy. "Thank you! The spell has been broken and I'm free again!"
"Glad to see you again, too, Stella." Said Ranma as he returned the hug, then pulled the beautiful blonde out of the urn. "Thank the others, too. They managed to break the spell in the first place."
Stella nodded, then took out her scepter. "I've had enough of this darkness! May sunlight return everywhere!"
With a swing of her scepter, light illuminated the storeroom. The urns had their lids removed, releasing their contents from their prisons, which included lightning, sunlight, glowing crystals, glowing moss, and others.
Outside the castle, the once dark skies illuminated brightly in a flash, turning the constant night into day as a sun appeared. With the new rising sun, the fog monsters roared in pain as they began to disintegrate.
"The sunlight's wiping out the monsters!" said Shilly from the ship as it and the other two ceased fire.
The monsters continued to roar until they literally melted into the air.
"We did it!" said Flora as she, Bloom, Musa, and Layla cheered at their victory.
"Girls!" shouted Stella as she and Ranma ran up to where they are.
"Stella!" They all embraced the blonde faerie, happy to be reunited with their friend.
Some time later, king's chambers…
The visitors from Alfea, along with the king's high-profile servants, stood before the king laying in his bed. Earlier, Stella and the other Winx managed to concoct a healing potion with their faerie dust. Bloom knelt at the king's bedside and offered him a goblet with the potion.
"Drink this potion, Sire. This will heal your eyes." Said Bloom.
The king drank the potion in one continuous gulp. A moment later, his eyes slowly opened. "W… what's this…? My eyes… I can see!"
"Just as we thought, Sire." Said Bloom. "You were not sick, but the victim of another of Zalto's spells. Now you are safe, together with your kingdom."
The king sits up and gives the Alfea students a look of gratitude. "You have saved me from that scoundrel and his horrible monsters. You have all my gratitude and that of my subjects!"
Said subjects bowed to the group in thanks for saving the king and their realm.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Said Bloom.
"One thing worries me, though. That wizard is nowhere to be found! He managed to escape!" said Musa.
Suddenly, a chain-bound Zalto was roughly shoved to the floor before everyone present, much to their surprise.
"Is this the guy?" asked Mousse after having chained Zalto up.
"Release me you insect!" shouted Zalto angrily.
Amore flies up and points at him. "Yes! That's him! I saw him with that black crystal!"
"Thought so. I caught him snooping around and thought it pretty suspicious, so I tried to ask him something. His trying to run pretty much gave him away, so I snared him." Said Mousse.
"Wow! Great job, Mousse!" said Shilly as she hugged his arm, causing him to get flustered.
"So this is the guy, huh?" asked Ranma as he squatted to the usurper's level. "No matter how you look at him, he really does look villainous."
"You insufferable brat! Who do you think you're talking to!?" shouted Zalto.
"Hmmm… a low-life perhaps?"
"Why you..!"
"Zalto!" The wizard looked up to see the king standing over him. "To think I trusted you and made you my advisor. You are nothing but a two-faced charlatan and your horrendous crimes will not go unpunished! You are sentenced to life working in the mines!"
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I AM THE GREAT ZALTO AND I DEMAND- ERK!" Zalto's rant was cut off when Ranma roughly tugged on his pointed mustache.
"You'll do nothing except shut up and take your punishment, baldy." Said Ranma in a dangerous tone just before he slammed his head into the floor, pinning it down. "Or would you like me to show you what I did to your guards?" He emphasizes his point by having Diamond Brandon emerge, who cracked his knuckles audibly with glowing eyes. The soul then threw a downward punch at the floor that barely missed Zalto's head by mere inches. Zalto cringed in fear as he looked at the fist so close to his face. "Believe me, it's taking all I have not to beat the crap out of you for having your monsters kidnap Stella. Count yourself lucky since she's unharmed."
"Thank you, Ranma. I feel much better now." Said Stella.
"Take him away!" ordered the king to his personal guards.
The guards nodded and roughly picked up the chain-bound Zalto. They drag him out of the room and took him to the dungeon. The king addressed the group again.
"Once again, I offer you my gratitude in saving my kingdom and catching the scoundrel responsible. This calls for a celebration! We shall hold a royal banquet in honor of these heroes!"
Everyone cheers at the declaration.
"Great! All this work made me hungry!" said Layla.
"Though no dark meat for me, thanks." Joked Stella.
Everyone shares a laugh at the comment.
To be continued…
Preview…
Flora: There's a new attraction at Magix City!
Tecna: It's a virtual arena! The latest arcade hit! Now this is in my element!
Ranma: Looks like a tournament is being held. Interesting...
Bloom: Tecna enters the contest to test her gaming skills, and I know she'll win!
Stella: You go, girl! Hey, is this part of the game?
Musa: Of course not! The system's been hacked! Who did this!? Next time, on Ranma Club, 'Game On! Tecna's VR Challenge!'
Tecna: Looks like there are no continues here…
Author's notes
Another chapter done! Loosely based on another comic story I went through. So based on the preview, what do you think will happen? Bloom is the right gauntlet, Stella is the left gauntlet, Layla is the left greave, and Musa is the right greave. What do you think Flora and Tecna will be and what their abilities are? It was actually hinted some chapters back on what each girl will be.
Again guys, give Dual Destinies and Tekkadread Remastered a read!