"Hey Valtor, does your library have any books about Melody, Andros, or Zenith?" Sophia asked as she walked into the Wizard's throne room one afternoon. "I'm needing books on Melody's musical instruments, Zenith's technology, and the oceans of Andros."

"Why?" Stormy asked from where she was standing nearby, "What good is reading about those things going to do?"

Knowing that Valtor would want to know as well, Sophia calmly explained, "Each time the Star Case has appeared before the Winx was a moment when it was relevant to what was going on with them at that time. At Alfea, it showed up just as they decided what to do for their performance at the Sparx Festival. The next two riddles came when Bloom and Stella were struggling with personal problems and was intended for them. The fourth riddle, meant for Flora, took them to her home world, Lynphea. The riddle meant for Stella also took them to her home planet. Based on this data, there's a roughly 63.87% chance that the Star Case will also lead to the realms of Musa, Aisha, and Tecna. Of course, this is a pretty rough estimate—I really don't have enough data to form a more precise conclusion—but regardless, it's better to be prepared for the most likely scenario. Since I cannot, by any means, predict which realm might be next right now, it's better to just go with what those realms are most known for. After all, Lynphea is most known for nature and the Star was in the Great Forest."

"Hm." Valtor replied with a smirk as he stood up, "Very well then, Sophia. I believe I do have a book on the Oceans of Andros somewhere. Since I mostly collect spells, I don't think I have any on the instruments of Melody or the technology of Zenith, but it shouldn't take me long to procure them for you."

望むの星

It was a few days later when Sophia, who was reading one of the books Valtor had acquired for her, was pulled out of her studies by the Griselda's unmistakable voice. "Welcome back to Magical Self-Defense Class, my dear students. I hope you've been practicing your deflection techniques, because it's time to put them to the… test." She looked over at an ogre named Knut—who served as the school's janitor—standing at the ready with a catapult, Bloom's pet rabbit Kiko upon his shoulder.

"What do the Winx even need this for? They go into actual battle almost every day." The teen wondered with a raised brow as she took a break from her studying to observe the class.

"Ready Winx?" Bloom asked.

"Sure Bloom. I practiced all day yesterday." Musa replied.

"What for? You don't get enough practice fighting off the Trix?" Sophia asked aloud, even though nobody could hear her.

"And you, Stella?" Bloom asked with a smirk and a raised brow.

Stella chuckled nervously. "Ah-ha… Well, I'll… Just be back here."

"Stella first!" Griselda called knowingly. "My assistants, Kiko and Knut, will simulate a magic attack. Stella, get ready to deflect it."

"I know Stella's not exactly a star student, but how much practice could she possibly need?" Sophia muttered, watching with a raised brow as Knut launched a cannonball at Stella with the catapult. "Well… that's old-school."

Stella flinched slightly as she created a star-shaped shield in front of her. The cannonball collided with the shield and then fell harmlessly to the ground nearby.

"Next." Griselda called, apparently satisfied by Stella's performance as Musa took her place.

Musa looked focused and ready, but the sudden beeping of her smartphone caught her attention. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at it. "Riven?" She sighed, "He wants to get ice cream after class." She said in resignation. She failed to notice that Knut had launched the cannonball while Griselda was glaring at her with annoyance.

"Musa! Heads up!!" Bloom called in alarm.

"Huh?" Musa looked up, then whimpered and grunted as she quickly reacted to deflect the cannonball.

Griselda looked slightly alarmed as the cannonball flew right past her. "Pay attention! Or you'll hit someone with the rebound!" She warned sternly.

Sophia face-planted on her book and then sat back up. "What is the point of practicing all day if you look at your phone in the middle of the exercise?! Why does she even have her phone on?! Haven't they ever heard of turning your phone off during class?!" She sighed in annoyance and picked up her pencil to jot down a note. "My school won't even let us bring our phones to class…"

"Next!" Griselda called sternly. Unfortunately, neither she nor Knut noticed that Kiko had been bowled over by the cannonball that Musa had deflected as it rolled along the ground, and had subsequently wound up atop the pile of ammunition that Knut was flinging at the students. And as luck would have it, the little bunny was sprawled atop the cannonball that Knut was now loading. Fortunately, it was Bloom who had stepped up.

"Kiko!" The fairy cried in alarm as she saw her pet being hurled into the air. Kiko's weight caused the projectile to go off course completely. Bloom easily caught her companion while the cannonball collided with Griselda's face instead.

It was at that moment that the Star Case suddenly appeared before the group. "It's the Star Case!" Flora exclaimed. Sophia picked up the book she had been reading and stood up with it in her arms.

"It must be here to tell us where to find the Fifth Prime Star." Bloom said as Griselda picked herself up with a groan.

"Funny. Griselda was teaching last time too." Sophia noted.

"On the world of music

Rough and soothing combine artfully

And that perfect sound

Will yield the Star of Harmony." The Star Case recited.

"Couldn't the 'world of music' be your world, Musa?" Tecna asked.

"Yes! Of course!" Musa exclaimed with excitement. "So the fifth Prime Star is on my home world, Melody."

"Hm… No… I don't think it's a new pattern…" Sophia muttered in thought.

"Professor Griselda," Bloom began as the stars finally began to fade from Griselda's vision. "May we be excused? We have to leave for Melody right away."

"Well, as important as my lessons are, the fate of the Magic universe hangs in the balance. Class is over." Griselda replied before collapsing again with a groan as Bloom watched with concern.

Sophia sighed and walked through the portal that appeared beside her.

"Man, you really called it Sophia." Stormy grinned with amusement as the blonde entered Valtor's throne room.

"It's not like I was making random guesses you know." Sophia said with a roll of her eyes.

"I don't suppose the fact that Griselda was also teaching when they went to Flora's home world means anything?" Icy asked.

"No. I don't think so. Not all of the dots connect…" Sophia said with a shake of her head.

"Dots?" Stormy asked.

"It means there's not a clear pattern." Sophia explained.

"Any idea what we're looking for on Melody?" Darcy asked.

"No, not yet." Sophia replied, "Maybe it will become clearer when we get there."

望むの星

The Trix laughed as they chased the Winx, Stormy firing random bolts of lightning at the fairies as Sophia followed them out of obligation.

"You were saying, Stella?" Bloom asked with a hint of exasperation and annoyance.

"Relax, Bloom." Stella replied cheerily, "We just have to get the Prime Star before them, right?" Apparently, they'd had a prior conversation regarding the Trix.

"Up there!" Flora exclaimed, pointing to where the Prime Star was floating in its protective sphere above one of the spires of a temple atop the peak of one of the mountains they were flying amongst.

"Ah, yes. Because the Prime Star always just sits in plain view in a place that has nothing to do with the riddle." Sophia noted as she crossed her arms.

"Darcy! Stormy! Go get it!" Icy instructed.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Sophia asked with a raised brow as Darcy and Stormy ascended toward the Star.

"Not so fast!" Bloom exclaimed, firing a burst of Cosmix magic at the two witches. Icy responded by launching a giant ball of ice at the fire fairy. "Let's try the deflection technique!" The redhead exclaimed, grunting as she produced a shield that deflected the ice-ball, forcing Stormy and Darcy to dodge it instead before it clipped the spire and sent the Prime Star tumbling through the air. "Whoopsie…!" Bloom yelped in alarm.

"Pretty sure Griselda warned you about the rebound!" Sophia exclaimed as she quickly flew off to follow the Star. Her reaction was faster than Icy's for some reason.

"Trix! Let's follow the Star!" Icy called to the other two as she took note of its direction.

Sophia groaned with frustration was she chased the Star. "Jeez! What was the size and speed of that snow globe to make it fly off so fast?!"

Her eyes tracked the Star, predicting its path even as it left her field of vision. She landed on the ground lightly and looked around. "It should've landed right here and then stopped here… where did it go?" As she looked around, she noticed the thrum of pulsating music. She'd landed at what seemed to be the back entrance of some sort of venue. Noticing a door nearby, she walked up the steps and tried opening it. When she found it unlocked, she smiled with relief and returned to her normal form before entering what seemed to be a backstage area. She saw a girl with light blonde hair wearing a flowing pale blue gown with a pale purple disco-styled jacket nearby. "Um, excuse me…"

The girl turned and looked at Sophia with a bright smile. "Hi! You must be here for the dance contest, right? Why did you come in through the back door though?"

"Dance contest?" Sophia asked in confusion. "Sorry, I'm not from… well, Melody, so… I'm afraid I have no idea where I am."

"Ohh! A tourist, huh?" The girl asked, "Just how lost were you to wind up at the back entrance of the Melody Disco?"

"I'm…"

"Sorry, I guess I should introduce myself." She said before Sophia could answer. "I'm Princess Galatea."

"Please to meet you, your highness." Sophia replied with a polite curtsy, "I'm Countess Sophia of Tir Nan Og."

"The kingdom of the Earth Fairies?" Galatea asked.

"Yes, that's right."

"You are a long way from home." Galatea said with a smile, "Anyway, I gotta get going right now, but if you head out into the main area, I promise you'll be in for a real treat! Bye!" With that, the perky princess dashed off, leaving Sophia without a single chance to ask about the Prime Star. The younger fairy sighed and made her way to the front area with the help of a stagehand who had come over. The people in the room were wearing clothing suitable for energetic activities, which was… a far cry from what Sophia had on. She was still wearing the same dress that Icy had created out of thin air for her the day she first met the Trix.

"Welcome to the Annual Disco Magic Competition!" Galatea exclaimed as she floated towards the crowd on a levitating platform. "I will be your host, Princess Galatea!"

"Huh. I guess disco is still a thing here too…" Sophia muttered to herself, "Then again, parts of Melody do resemble Greece more than Asia, so I guess it makes sense…" Disco had long since fallen out of style in America, where Sophia was from, but she had recently been attending school in Europe, where disco clubs were still popular in some countries. As such, she knew people who enjoyed them, even if it felt… so fifty years ago to her. Not that America lacked nightclubs, but there was a huge difference between an American nightclub and a European Discotheque.

"Thank you all!" Galatea replied in response to the crowd's enthusiasm. "This contest is truly important to me." Sophia noticed the Winx arriving through the front entrance out of the corner of her eye as Galatea continued. "This year, we're going to award the Dancing Queen with this special crown, including a special extra that just fell from above!" The princess continued as she held the crown aloft, the Prime Star in its sphere nestled inside.

"Well, at least now I know what happened to the Prime Star…" Sophia muttered, "…But… somehow I don't think it's such a simple thing…" She crossed her arms in thought, momentarily choosing to ignore the fact that the Trix had also entered the disco through its main entrance. …At least until she sensed Icy attempting to launch an attack, only for something to block it. She turned and looked to see that the three witches were being glared at quite angrily by the crowd, which apparently made Icy rather nervous, given how her attack had been instantly neutralized. She smiled and giggled nervously, which convinced the crowd to leave her alone. "Remember, the disco is protected against magic attacks, so no cheating, please." Galatea remarked calmly.

Darcy and Stormy both smirked in amusement at Icy after the people surrounding her had dispersed. "Don't… say… a word." The ice witch growled.

"This is just the way it is, Icy." Sophia said calmly as she walked over to the three. "Princess Galatea is a fairy queen, and we're on her world. Around here, her magic is supreme."

"How do you know that?" Darcy asked.

"My godmother told me about it." Sophia replied, "She told me that on each world, there are things that only a fairy queen from that world can do. This magical protection probably uses an item that can only be activated—or deactivated—by Galatea's magic. It's no wonder she's so nonchalant about you three being here." She looked down at the Winx on the lower level, all of them wearing new outfits à la Stella for the contest. Strangely though, Musa split off from the group and exited the disco.

"Hey! The Winx are splitting up?" Darcy asked with suspicion in her voice.

"So what?" Icy asked with disinterest before examining her nails.

"I don't like this." Darcy replied. "What if they know something we don't?"

"It's plausible. This is Musa's home world after all." Sophia replied nonchalantly.

"I'm going after her!" Darcy said decisively.

"Darcy! We are getting that Star! That means we have to win the Dancing Queen crown!" Icy insisted as she stopped Darcy and forced her to face her.

"Whatever!" Darcy said breezily as she flicked her hand. "You don't need me. You have our… 'secret weapon.'"

Stormy laughed a bit, "Right. The fairies have no chance this time." She clapped her hands twice and she and Icy were instantly wearing new outfits for the contest.

Sophia stared at the two witches, mouth agape, before she quickly dashed after Darcy. "Hey, would you please give me back my book before you go?" Sophia asked, "I gave it to you, remember? Because I don't have anything to carry it in and don't know how to store things with magic yet?"

"Oh right." Darcy replied before retrieving Sophia's book. "Have fun researching." She said with a smile as she patronizingly patted Sophia on the head, causing the teenager to glare at her in annoyance. Once Darcy had left, Sophia looked back at Icy and Stormy in muted horror before making her way over to the Winx. "Hey… can I borrow Stella for a moment?"

"Sure, what's up?" Stella asked.

"Um… let's head to the ladies' room. It's a little embarrassing to talk about out here…" Sophia briefly handed her book to Bloom and then headed to the bathroom with Stella following her. "So… the thing is… I wanna join the dance contest too, but my current outfit is a little…"

"I gotcha." Stella nodded as she observed the tea-length skirt and flowing fabric.

"And honestly, I will not be caught dead in what Icy and Stormy are wearing…"

"Want me to create something for you?" Stella offered.

"Uhh… I can't really pull your look off either…" Sophia replied awkwardly. "I can't do 'bright and bold'. Look at me! Those kinda of colors completely wash me out!"

"Ooh, yeah… you're better off wearing light colors like Galatea…" Stella conceded.

"Fortunately, even though my magic isn't advanced enough for me to create my own clothes yet, I can show you what I want." Sophia grinned and then used her powers to create an image of herself wearing the outfit she had in mind.

"Wow! How'd you do that?" Stella asked.

"With my powers, I can diffuse light, and I can use that to create a sort of hologram." Sophia explained.

"Nice!" Stella replied. She looked the image over. "You don't want any bracelets or anything?"

"To be honest, I would find them distracting." Sophia replied with a shrug, "A pair of cute earrings is all I need."

"You got it!" Stella said with a nod as she began to use her own magic to make Sophia's new look a reality. Instantly Sophia's champagne blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail, lightly curled, and with a light purple baylage down the lower half. The cyan bodice of her dress was reminiscent of Bloom's top from her Winx form, although the collar was indigo. A silver trim lined the bottom of the bodice before it flowed into a pleated A-line skirt with a gradient that was pink at the top and cyan at the bottom. On her feet were a pair of purple and indigo sneakers with electric blue boot-like cuffs and soles of the same color. For accessories, she had handless indigo gloves with a star pattern that reached from her wrists to just below her elbows. Her ponytail was accented with a large blue-and-indigo bow and a pair of cyan post earrings in the shape of three-dimensional stars completed the look. In recognition of her more conservative preferences, Stella had kept her makeup toned down with light pink eyeshadow and lipstick. Sophia looked at herself in the mirror and smiled brightly.

"This looks great! Thanks Stella!"

"No problem." Stella said with a shrug. "It was easy since you knew exactly what you wanted. You have great taste too."

"That means a lot, coming from a bonafide fashion designer." The younger girl replied with a grin. "Oh, could you maybe make me a purse too? I have nothing to hold my stuff."

"Sure!" Stella exclaimed with delight. She quickly created a blue spherical purse decorated with silver stars and a simple, short handle. Its diameter was about the width of Sophia's face. Sophia watched with interest as Stella applied a bit of extra magic to the bag. "Here you go!" Stella said brightly as she held the purse out to Sophia. "I cast a bottomless well spell on it, so you can put as much in there if you need to."

"Thanks a ton!" Sophia replied with a smile as she took the bag from Stella. The two of them left the bathroom and—after retrieving her book from Bloom—Sophia walked back over to the Trix.

"What are you doing?" Icy asked when she saw the young fairy's outfit.

"I'm joining the contest too. There's not a problem with that, is there?"

"No…" Stormy began before smirking, "But do you even know how to dance?"

Sophia smirked back, "Well I guess we'll find out."

"Hey everybody." Galatea called out, "Is there a volunteer among you who can help me explain the rules?"

"Ooh! Yes! Me, me, me!" Stella exclaimed as she jumped and waved to get Galatea's attention.

"Isn't that Stella, Princess of Solaria? Let's hear it for her!" Galatea replied.

"Stella really likes being at the center of attention, doesn't she?" Sophia commented as the crowd cheered.

"Oh trust me. She's just doing it to show off her outfit." Icy remarked.

"While I don't doubt that, I personally would pick something a little less open to embarrassment over diving head first into a new situation." The Fairy of Starlight replied.

"I thought you were Miss Super-Confident?" Stormy said mockingly.

"There's a difference between confidence and a lack of caution, Stormy." Sophia said flatly.

"This Energy Bar will keep track of the dancer's score." Galatea explained as she flew up to the screen behind Stella, "And now… music!" Techno-music began pulsating through the disco. Stella noticed a circle of light appear on the platform and stepped on it. Another one appeared, and she stepped on with her other foot. "The dancers have to touch the bright spots that appear on the platform while dancing to the rhythm." The princess of Melody explained as Stella continued moving from light to light.

The princess of Solaria giggled, "Oh! This is fun!"

As Stella kept dancing, Sophia felt a rush within her. It may have looked random to everyone else, but she could see where the next dot was going to appear before it lit up. Her mind surged as she instinctively predicted the pattern in advance. "The dots connect!" The teenager exclaimed with a gleam in her eye while holding up one finger.

"What?" Icy asked in confusion.

"Oh… uh… nothing…" Sophia scratched the back of her head nervously, having not meant to say that out loud. When Icy and Stormy looked away with disinterest, she relaxed and turned her eyes back toward the stage. 'I guess the shield doesn't block passive abilities… I kind of feel like this is cheating but… Princess Galatea didn't block it, and it's not like I can just turn it off.'

"Look at Stella!" Galatea cheered, although her expression looked rather sarcastic. To Sophia, it looked as if she had judged the elder princess' dance skills for herself and found her lacking.

"Go Stella!" Aisha cheered from beside the stage.

"But be careful…" Galatea warned. Stella was a bit caught off guard as two lights appeared at once. "During the contest, the difficulty level will keep increasing." The Princess of Melody warned. Her face told Sophia that she was just waiting for Stella to mess up.

Stella whimpered as she struggled to keep up, only to misstep a few seconds later. Her energy bar was instantly depleted. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!"

"If a dancer misses a single lit spot, she will be eliminated!" Galatea announced.

Stella screamed as a spring suddenly popped up beneath the platform and launched her into the air. She was fortunate to land directly in Bloom's arms, though she looked bewildered. "Well that wasn't much fun!"

"All dance duels are one-on-one. Now let the dance competition begin!" Galatea exclaimed.

Sophia was flabbergasted. "The premise of the competition is fine, but what's with that ending?! Didn't Galatea graduate from Alfea?! Embarrassing the losers by pranking them is a little… undignified. This is a dance contest, not a game show!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Stormy asked.

"Well, there are sometimes game shows on Earth where something mildly embarrassing happens to the losers, but… the contestants never compete over anything that people would take seriously. A dance competition though… just losing in itself is embarrassing enough. People train really hard for these kinds of things." Sophia sighed with a conflicted expression. She couldn't help feeling a bit bothered by Galatea.

望むの星

"Icy versus Flora!" Galatea announced a short while later as the two girls in question stood on the two platforms. Those standing in the audience cheered, though more seemed to be cheering for Icy than for Flora.

"You got this, Flora!" Aisha called.

"We're rooting for you!" Bloom added.

Flora turned and glared at Icy. "I'm not afraid of you, Icy!" The nature fairy said defiantly, "You might be a powerful witch, but that won't help you now!"

"Oh how cute!" Icy mocked. "But either way: magic, or dance…!"

"Music!" Galatea called out.

As the music started, Sophia crossed her arms and tilted her head in thought. 'What was with Flora's bravado just now? Saying that she's not afraid makes her sound like a cornered mouse. Not to mention… being a powerful witch won't help now? Does that mean that she normally is afraid of Icy? Well… not that I blame her.' Sophia refocused her attention on the stage, figuring that it was in her best interest to watch others as much as possible before her own match.

Icy laughed lightly as she danced, "I'm gonna destroy you!" She told Flora.

"Whoa, Icy's not bad…" Bloom murmured.

"I'm not surprised." Sophia said from where she was standing nearby, "From the way that the crowd was cheering, it seems like her skills are known. Plus, it seems like she and Stormy already had outfits for this kind of thing. I don't think they just came up with them on the spot like Stella."

"Why are you watching Icy, though?" Stella asked, "Don't tell me you're actually rooting for her?"

"Of course not, but objectively speaking, Icy is the better dancer—or at least, she has a better reaction time. I can learn more about the algorithm by watching her."

"Did you just say 'algorithm'?" Tecna asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I'm sure you know better than anyone else Tecna that those lights aren't just appearing at random. They're following a pattern generated by a computer." Sophia replied, "Identifying patterns is something I'm good at, and the more data that you have…"

"The easier the pattern is to spot!" Tecna caught on.

"Exactly. By observing the appearance of the lights as much as possible, I can spot trends that help me predict where the next ones will appear." The younger fairy smiled.

"But… isn't that cheating?" Stella asked.

"I don't think so. It's similar to memorizing a dance routine. This isn't exactly a freestyle competition." Sophia replied with a shrug.

"She's got a point, Stella." Aisha agreed. She then turned toward the stage and she and Stella cheered in sync.

"Go Flora! Go Flora!"

Sophia frowned to herself as she watched. Flora's dancing was… cute, but… her skill level was nowhere near Icy's. The ice witch didn't seem to even be trying.

The Winx saw that Icy's bar was nearly full, while Flora seemed to be enjoying herself less as she focused.

"I won't let my friends down!" The nature fairy insisted. Sophia watched as Icy continued to dance with confidence. The ice witch smirked at Flora as she glanced at her. The brunette began to whimper with anxiety as she struggled to keep up. "Oh no!" Flora cried as she caught sight of her energy bar before her brow furrowed in determination. "But I'm not giving up!"

"Oh! I'm sorry! Are you still over there?" Icy asked mockingly before laughing as she continued dancing. A moment later, her energy bar flashed as it was maxed out.

"Level up!" Galatea announced, "Level 2!"

The crowd cheered and Icy continued dancing confidently. "I thought you'd already been eliminated." She mocked Flora. Flora gave no reply, grunting and groaning with effort as she struggled to keep up. The Winx gasped as they saw this, and a moment later, Flora missed one of the lights on the floor.

"Oh no!" Flora exclaimed. "Uh-oh…" Suddenly a green bubble surrounded her and drifted into the air with her inside of it. Icy laughed as Sophia sweat-dropped.

"Personally, I would've just hightailed it off the platform after what happened with Stella…" The teen muttered.

Flora whimpered as she floated past Galatea, who was apparently unconcerned by the situation. "…And the winner of the first dance duel is… Icy!" The princess announced.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Icy asked as she posed for the crowd.

Sophia ignored Icy and the cheering crowd as she watched Flora. The older fairy shrieked as the bubble popped, dropping her as it did. Fortunately, Aisha caught her best friend in her arms, although she and the other Winx were now splattered with green goo from the bubble.

"Oh, I'm sorry, girls." Flora said sadly.

"No worries, Flora." Stella said, looking a tad annoyed as she wiped some of the goo off of herself. She then smiled at her friend. "You'd looked great up there!"

"Yeah! You were amazing!" Bloom agreed.

"But Icy…" Flora murmured as Aisha set her on her feet.

"She's good." The princess of Andros said calmly, "But we can handle her."

"Don't worry." Bloom said with determination. "We are going to win."

"Flora!" Sophia exclaimed as she ran over to the Winx, "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Flora assured her as Bloom and the others used magic to clean themselves off.

"What on earth was Princess Galatea thinking?!" Sophia exclaimed with irritation, "If you were a human, that fall could've seriously injured you! How can a fairy queen who graduated from Alfea act like this?!"

"Are… you okay?" Stella asked with concern, "I mean, you put up with the Trix like, all the time, but you don't get this upset by them."

"Yeah, but they're witches!" Sophia replied, "Not to mention notorious. I don't exactly expect them to be nice to people."

"But… weren't you nice to Diaspro on Monoceros?" Tecna asked in confusion.

"That was different." Sophia said. "Lady Diaspro never earned her Enchantix and… it was clear that she had a lot of pain in her heart. Flying unicorns and horses may not be closely related, but they are similar, especially when it comes to empathy. I knew that if Ario had decided to trust her, of all people, then it had to be because he could sense that she also knew what it felt like to be betrayed."

"Do you like horses, Sophia?" Aisha asked with interest.

"Yes." Sophia replied, "I have a horse of my own back home. I hope she isn't too lonely without me there..."

"That reminds me! I've been meaning to give this to you." Bloom said suddenly as a small box appeared in her hand. She opened it to reveal a pale periwinkle ring adorned with fairy wings.

"Oh! My court ring! Thanks Bloom!" Sophia exclaimed happily as she took the box.

"No problem. Morgana asked me to give it to you when I got the chance. She said that you normally don't leave home without it." Bloom replied.

"No, I don't." Sophia confirmed, "I only take it off when I take a bath, but I forgot to put it back on when I went to bed the night before and I wasn't able to do so before the Trix cornered me."

"Aren't you gonna put it on?" Tecna asked, but Sophia shook her head.

"No. This ring is infused with Aunt Morgana's magic. If I put it on, it might free me from Valtor's mark."

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Stella asked.

"If it were that simple, I could've just asked one of you to get rid of the mark with your Enchantix powers." Sophia replied as she slipped the ring box into the purse Stella had made for her. "But as it stands, I need to avoid giving Valtor any reason to doubt me." She sighed sadly. "Please excuse me. I… have to take care of something…" The teenager walked away from the Winx to a more quiet corner of the room and used the connection Darcy had established between the two of them to contact the witch. 'Darcy, what's happening on your end? Anything of interest?'

'Regarding the Prime Star, no.' Darcy replied. Sophia could almost hear the smirk in Darcy's voice. 'I just saw Musa talking with her father about some instrument called a "harmony harp". Apparently, it can only be played by two people whose "hearts beat as one", so Musa's father hasn't played it since her mom died.'

'Harmony harp…?' Sophia asked thoughtfully, though Darcy didn't seem to notice.

'At any rate, seems like Musa isn't aiming for the Prime Star at all. She just split to come see her dad.' The witch remarked without concern, 'You guys stay and win that contest. Meanwhile, I'm gonna have a little fun.'

Sophia rolled her eyes after Darcy ended the conversation and then opened her bag and retrieved her book from within, flipping through it until she found what she wanted. "'The Harmony Harp… This instrument is believed to make the most beautiful music of all, but it can only be played by two people whose hearts beat as one. It is said that when the harmony harp is played, even the stars will come to listen…'" She read before her gaze drifted to an illustration of the instrument in question. "…This… Looks like a combination of a medieval harp and a Japanese koto…" '…The dots connect.' The teenager thought, 'The harp and the koto sound completely different… The harp sounds soothing, but the koto has a very distinct "twang". It's rough compared to the harp. Not to mention that it's said that "the stars will come to listen"… …the Star Case referred to this Star as "the Star of Harmony", and this instrument is literally called a "harmony harp"! "On the world of music, rough and soothing combine artfully, and that perfect sound will yield the Star of Harmony."' Sophia repeated in her mind, 'The key to solving this riddle is to play the harmony harp correctly! …But…' She looked over at Icy and Stormy, '"Two people whose hearts beat as one"? It's obvious that the Trix and I would never accomplish it. Based on the trends, I'm betting that only Musa can… her and… that Riven guy she was fussing about in class today…' She glanced over at Icy and Stormy again, 'I'll keep quiet about this for now. At least this will keep them from getting bored. I'm sure Musa can handle Darcy… at least I hope she can…'

"Next Dance Duel…" Galatea began as Sophia walked back over to the Winx, "Tecna versus… Stormy!"

"All right, Stormy!" Icy said with a smirk, "It looks like it's time for us to unleash our 'secret weapon'!"

"'Secret weapon'?" Bloom asked in confusion, having overheard Icy. "That doesn't sound good."

"Relax, Bloom." Tecna said as she stretched her arm in preparation, "This dance contest works a little like a video game."

"That's true, but… A piece of advice, Tecna?" Sophia offered, "If you end up losing, make sure to bail before Galatea throws you off the stage."

"Why would you say that?!" Stella asked in alarm.

"Do you know something we don't?" Aisha asked with a raised brow.

"Unfortunately, yes, it seems that I do." Sophia replied as she watched Tecna head toward the stage. The Fairy of Technology jumped onto her platform as if she were a spy in a movie and exchanged glances with Stormy.

"Music!" Galatea exclaimed. Tecna and Stormy began dancing in response to the lights on their platforms and their energy bars maxed out quickly. "Level up! Level 2!" Galatea announced.

Tecna didn't falter at all. She easily kept up with the new level.

"Yeah!" Stella exclaimed with joy before laughing a little.

"Tecna! You're great!" Flora exclaimed happily.

"Wait til you see my moves!" Stormy boasted as she easily kept up with increasing difficulty.

"…But… Stormy isn't bad either…" Bloom said with concern as she noticed Stormy's dancing.

"She's even better than Icy." Aisha agreed. "A lot better!"

"Um, duh." Sophia said with a sigh, "I told you this didn't seem like their first time. Plus, I can tell just by her posture and the way that she stands that Stormy has done a lot of dancing."

The Winx looked at each other, silently wondering how Sophia was able to tell.

"Level 3!" Galatea announced as Stormy and Tecna's gauges maxed out at the same time again.

"Huh?" Tecna seemed slightly thrown off by the sudden increase in difficulty. "Time to take it up a notch!" She exclaimed as she threw herself into the more complicated moves, grunting with effort as she did.

"That girl has some reflexes…" Sophia muttered in slight surprise.

"Too easy!" Stormy said to herself. Unlike Tecna, she was breezing through the new difficulty.

"Big finish!" Galatea exclaimed with excitement.

Sophia's brows shot up at the almost absurd increase in intensity, which Tecna barely managed to keep up with. The fairy exhaled with effort as she managed to survive and hold the final move. She panted as she looked over at Stormy, who was effortlessly holding her own finishing pose.

"Double perfect!" Galatea exclaimed, though the look on her face just before she threw her arms into the air made Sophia think that she had already determined who was likely to win.

Stormy stood up and glared at Tecna, who was still in her finishing pose. "Achievement unlocked." Tecna said as she looked up at Stormy. The other Winx cheered with excitement.

"Now, here's where the fun really gets going." Galatea continued, "To the playoff! Music!"

Tecna looked slightly panicked as she glanced at the various dots appearing as the music started up again, but she managed to begin dancing when the beat began. However, every move had her grunting with effort. It was clear that she was struggling to keep up.

Stormy, however, was practically bouncing on the platform as she effortlessly kept up with the lights. "Okay!" She said somewhat perkily, "It's on now!" It was clear that she was fired up.

"Not bad." Aisha said with concern as she watched Stormy.

"I can do this!" Tecna told herself, but she was breathing heavily and grunting with every move she made.

"Stormy's score is so high!" Bloom exclaimed with worry as she noticed the growing gap between Stormy and Tecna's energy bars. Sophia couldn't help but think that that was only natural, considering how impressive Stormy's dancing was. Just as Stormy's gauge maxed out again, Tecna's bottomed out. She hadn't actually missed a step, but her timing had been just slightly off too many times.

"And the winner is… Stormy!" Galatea announced.

Tecna stood up as the crowd cheered, and then noticed the circle of red light beneath her. "Huh?" Suddenly the platform opened and dropped her within. Tecna screamed a bit as she tumbled through a chute and was subsequently dumped out of a hidden door at the back of the room.

"Ha, ha!" Icy laughed as she joined up with Stormy and high-fived her, "Good job, Stormy!"

"Sorry girls." Tecna said as Bloom helped her off the ground, "But Stormy's a real hurricane."

Stella dashed over to the two celebrating witches. "Wait, wait, wait. Stormy was your 'secret weapon' all along?!"

Icy smirked as Stormy walked over to Stella. The Witch of Storms leisurely shifted her weight to one leg and held up her opposite hand. "Five-time 'Dance Witch Champion'." She said calmly.

"Heh." Icy said as she walked forward and held her arms around Stormy as if introducing a VIP. "She's kind of a rising star in the world of dark dance competitions." She explained as Stormy examined her nails.

"Uhh… 'Dark dance competitions'?" Bloom echoed in confusion.

"It's a thing." Aisha said flatly. "Unfortunately."

"You shouldn't say that, Aisha!" Sophia interrupted, "Or at least not like that!" Icy, Stormy, and the Winx all turned to see the girl standing there with her arms crossed, looking a bit annoyed. "Human, fairy, or witch, dancing is something that everyone should be able to enjoy freely. The fact that dark dance competitions are a thing is unfortunate only because it means that some people aren't welcome at other competitions based on their magic. The only thing that should matter at a dance competition is whether or not you can dance. That's one thing I'll give Princess Galatea credit for."

The five fairies and two witches were a tad stunned as they watched the teenager walk off toward the stage.

"Well, I didn't expect that." Icy remarked with surprise.

"Yeah. Sophia's had such a fairy brain from the beginning that I figured she hated witches." Stormy agreed.

"Girl has a mind of her own." Aisha said, "I don't think she cares much about what other people think is normal."

"You're right, Aisha." Bloom agreed, "…But… I don't think that's the whole story here. The way Sophia acted just now, it kind of seems like you touched a nerve."

"She has seemed a little touchy today." Flora agreed.

"I agree." Said Tecna, "She seems pretty annoyed by Princess Galatea, but she doesn't strike me as someone who usually voices her opinion of others so openly."

"Maybe there's something on her mind." Stella speculated.

"I'll talk to her after her dance duel." Bloom decided.

"That girl seems eager to embarrass herself." Icy remarked, although it was hard to tell if she was speaking to the Winx or Stormy.

"I know, right?" Stormy replied, "There's no way she's done this before."

"That might be, but… she seems pretty confident to me." Aisha said, taking note of Sophia's relaxed yet poised posture.

"But there's a big difference in the physical abilities of a fairy and a human." Flora said with worry, "Has Sophia had time to adjust to that?"

"Something tells me she wasn't out of shape to start with." Aisha replied.

"Next dance duel…" Galatea began, "Milos versus Sophia!"

"Heh, hope your outfit isn't the only thing that's good." The boy taunted, although Sophia ignored him. She didn't even glance in her direction as she took a breath, a smile forming on her face.

Finally getting around to posting this. I've had this chapter mostly finished for a while, but since Season 8 is finally available on Amazon Prime, I opted to check all of the previous chapters for errors first.