Body Blow
Note; An OC will be introduced in this chapter. She won't affect the story much but will be key to Roxy's future role in the story.
Solaria, 4:00 A.M. Magix Time
The Winx Club waited in the manicured gardens outside of the Solaria Royal Palace. Inside, Stella pleaded their case with her father. Tension hung in the air as this was their only option to gain reinforcements for Alfea. Bloom had done so many transits of the conservatory it was driving the other girls insane.
"Bloom, will you stop!" everyone finally shouted.
"Sorry," Bloom said, sitting down on a stone bench next to Flora.
Three long hours had passed since the Winx Club had landed. Everyone had done what they could to pass the time. Tecna browsed on her computer, Musa listened to her music, while Flora admired the gardens. Bloom, whose nerves were shot, had resorted to pacing.
"Yo, what if they don't let her go with us?" Musa asked. "We got the band back together. And no..."
"I understand," Bloom admitted as she began to pace again. "It took Mom and Dad quite a while to let me come here."
Finally, the palace doors opened and Stella bounded out to her friends. Her eyes glimmered with excitement and she had a new bonce in her step.
"We've got them and we'll be leaving within the hour."
Bloom had been studying Stella saw through the excitement. "What's the 'but'?"
"I stay here while the Royal Suns take care of Alfea," Stella said. "Like I'm going to listen."
An hour later the Red Fountain ship was zipping out of the Solarian system. Following it were 20 yellow sunships carrying the Solarian Sun Guard. The Winx Club wasn't sure what Stella had in mind, but they got an answer once Solaria was out of view.
"Hey ladies," Stella said, appearing from nowhere.
Tecna, Musa, Flora, and Bloom all jumped.
"What the..."
"Hey..."
"What..."
Tecna swore as her laptop went flying. The tech fairy dived after it onto the floor with her arms outstretched, with the laptop landed daintily on her fingertips. She glared at the Sun fairy, who gave her friend an apologetic smile.
"Nice going girl," Bloom said. "How'd you do it?"
"Solaria like all realms has a library of ancient magical artifacts. Including this little thing."
Stella shook her right hand at them and a gold ring was on her middle finger next to the Ring of Solaria. The other girls guessed what its function was and then exchanged identical evil grins. Everyone turned to look at the nearest screen, giving Stella the silent treatment. The Sun fairy glared at her friends, especially their lack of reaction to her feat.
"What?" Stella said, trying to get their attention.
"Nothing. Let's just get to Magix," Bloom said, trying not to giggle.
Stella huffed realizing who was the mastermind of the prank. She sat down on her chair, glaring at the Earthling. Bloom ignored the Sun and Moon princess, humming a merry tune to herself. Stella continued to give the redhead a death glare but found her friend wouldn't crack. Everyone kept quiet and gave Stella the silent treatment until she cracked.
"Someone say something!" Stella finally shouted.
Everyone lost it and burst into laughter. Even the stout Tecna wasn't immune to the hilarity, as she had to put the ship on autopilot and grip her sides. It took ten minutes before normality was restored to the bridge. Tecna, Musa, Flora, and Bloom passed around a box of tissues to wipe away tears. Their stomachs hurt and all of them had red faces.
"Wow, do that again," Musa hiccuped. Out of the five, she had laughed the hardest.
Once the laughter had died a grim atmosphere took over the bridge. Everyone began to mentally rehearse their spells, while Bloom tried to distract herself. She pulled out her phone and contained a squeal of delight when it showed that she had a signal.
"Hey Mom," Bloom said, phoning home.
"How it is going, Bloom? Are you okay?" Vanessa's petrified voice said.
"Yes. We're almost there. Any tips?"
"Keep true to yourself. Remember what we taught you," Vanessa said without hesitation. "Normally I'd keep you at home but..."
"I'll call you as soon as we get out of it."
When Bloom hung up as the armada approached the world of Magix. Tecna pushed a button and the head Solarian Royal Guard appeared on a console at the front of the ship.
"Okay, we come in low and land beyond the range of these 'witches'. We can't afford them to shoot us down. Winx Club lead us in."
"You got it," Tecna said.
The ships descended into the atmosphere and cleared the clouds. Instead of the blue sky were used to, nimboclumnus clouds now darkened the sky. The dark purple storm clouds flashed green bolts of lightning across the sky. Below, the world was bathed in a sickly shade of green.
"We need to name this ship," Flora said, causing everyone to look at her in astonishment.
"Well..." Musa said.
"No time Flora," Bloom said.
"How about 'Winx'?" Stella suggested.
"Winx it is!" the girls all agreed, their worries momentarily forgotten.
"Everyone in," Stella said, holding out her hand.
Each teenager put their hand on top of one another.
"Winx!" they shouted together.
One by one the girls all closed their eyes and generated their fairy forms. The ships began to descend and landed in the forest beyond the Alfea school walls. The Winx disembarked from their ship and were by 250 Sun Guards.
"Don't you have more?" Musa asked Stella.
"Nope. This is all Daddy could spare at the moment," Stella said. "More should be coming. But..."
"Ladies, stay behind us for protection," the Chief of the Royal Guard said.
He scowled at Stella, who gave him a weak smile.
"Thanks, Romolus," Tecna said. "Lead the way. Protect us as best you can.
"Flattery," Flora groused as the column began its march.
The battle for Alfea wasn't going well for the defenders. Conditions had deteriorated and Faragonda was forced to join the battle in person. Saladin, Griffin, Cordotora, Palladium, and other faculty raged across the campus to help the overmatched students. Countless monsters fell at their hands, but it failed to turn the tide of battle. Everyone watched in horror as a massive creature composed of boulders-like appendages climbed up one of Alfea's towers. It smashed the roof and the structure crumbled.
"Our students are exhausted," Griffin called to Faragonda.
"Keep fighting," Faragonda shouted back. "We have no choice."
The two of them conjured up a ball of green magic and blasted several flying monsters into smithereens. Then a pike rocket took out the monster next to her.
"What the" Griffin and Saladin said together.
"Bloom," Faragonda said proudly.
The wall on the west of Alfea was blown apart. Royal Solarian guards flooded onto the battlefield. Advancing in a solid formation, the effect was like a freight train hitting a car. The Army of the Dead stood no chance as the monsters fell in droves before the seasoned guardsmen. Exhausted students and faculty joined the Sun Guards, increasing their destructive power. Five fairies zoomed into the air with Bloom at their center. The three witches, who'd readying an attack on the guardsmen, immediately sped towards the Winx.
"No talking?" Flora said as they watched the Trix approach.
"Just fight and don't get hurt," Bloom said.
The eight combatants wheeled about in a general melee that devolved into a stalemate. They tested each other's boundaries and powers, firing spells at each other. Distracted, the witches didn't have the time or the powers to summon more monsters.
"Are they toying with us?" Flora asked as she blocked a spell with some vines. "We got smoked last time we faced them."
"I calculate a 70% probability that is the case," Tecna confirmed. "What are they getting at? What is the endgame?
"Fire them up now," Icy commanded.
Darcy conjured three crystals and Bloom found herself pulled away from her friends.
"BLOOM!" the Winx Club yelled.
Stella grabbed onto Bloom's hands and pulled, but the force was too much for her. The Earthling lost consciousness as Stella was violently ejected from her best friend by an ice spell. The bearer of the Dragon Flame was swiftly imprisoned in a black barrier as three crystals orbited around her.
"We have to get her out!" Musa said. She jetted towards the three witches.
Tecna pulled her back. "Wings up ladies. We have to be careful. Hit that barrier with everything we've got!"
"Nightlight!" Stella yelled.
"Beatbox!" Musa added.
"Flower Burst!" Flora said.
The Winx Club pounded the black barrier surrounding Bloom with their strongest spells. At first, the spells dissipated, but over time the black barrier began to weaken.
"Should I take care of them?" Stormy asked, seeing their barrier weakening.
"No, we need the Dragon Flame. Concentrate..."
All three witches' heads lolled on their necks. They floated motionless in mid-air, surprising the Winx.
"These vessels are weak," Darcy said in a voice much lower than her own.
"Forget it, get the Dragon Flame now," Icy commanded.
The three began to suck the Dragon Flame from Bloom. As orange fire flowed from Bloom and into the crystals, the Winx Club became deseparate.
"Stella! Now!" Tecna bellowed.
Stell's sun spell did nothing to break the barrier. None of their other spells dented the barrier.
"Now what?"
"I don't know," Tecna admitted. For once she was out of ideas, her head telling the barrier was too strong.
The Winx Club looked up to see another fairy floating in the air twenty feet above them. She had her right hand out in front of her and was directing the magical storm. Her wings were a light teal and were larger than those of the Winx. A teal long-sleeve minidress, and high heel shoes accented with red diamonds adorned her body.
"Abandon her, we've got enough," Icy said as the three felt the heat from the firestorm.
The witches vanished the crystals and dissolved into thin air. With no magic to levitate her, Bloom plummeted toward the grounds of Alfea.
"BLOOM!" the Winx yelled, racing to catch her.
The mystery fairy went into a seventy-degree dive. Ten feet above the ground she backflipped in mid-dive. She held out her arms and caught the falling teenager inches from the ground.
"Are you her friends?" she asked.
"Yes," Stella said. "That was amazing. But who are you?"
"You can call me Claire," the mystery fairy said. "I graduated a few years ago. But I do know Bloom. Please don't tell her I was here. She'll kill me."
The Winx Club blinked at these odd instructions. All of them were entranced by the fairy and her amazing control of a massive fire tornado. Tecna was in awe, as she flew behind the mysterious fairy and stared at her wings. They were twice the size of the students' and far more colorful. Various patterns of teal and light green intermixed with white to create a dazzling gleam that reflected light. It reminded the Winx Club of a disco ball reflecting light at a dance.
"Claire my dear," Faragonda's voice came from behind them.
"Crap," the fairy named Claire groaned.
"I see you got your Believex powers. But I thought you were lost along with Domino."
Stella and the rest of the Winx crossed their arms and glared at the newcomer.
"Domino?" Flora said.
"That means you are related to Bloom," Tecna deduced.
"You have some explaining to do," Stella said, summarizing the collective thought process of the Winx.
Claire sighed her hopes of a quick exit dashed. She glanced down to the ground and locked eyes with a man wielding a laser bow. She looked up again at Faragonda who gave her a disapproving look that made her feel like a schoolgirl again. Surrounded with no way out, Claire knew she would have to explain.
"Fine."
Providentally, Bloom awoke at that moment. Her mouth gasped when she saw who was holding her bridal style.
"Claire. What the hell are you doing here?"
"Everyone my office," Faragonda said. "It seems we all have some explaining to do."
