Gravity Winx
By adventuremaker21
Chapter 17: Guarding the best interests
Author notes: This here is another original chapter I have planned that showcases some downtime and some reunions. Hope this is a good one.
One weekday at Red Fountain, all of the specialists were taking it easy after their classes were done for the day. But for the staff, there was no time to relax. Saladin slumped in his chair. It had been a long day running his prestigious Red Fountain School for Specialists. Students were ignoring orders to do what they wanted, and the staff was at their wit's end. His second in command, Codatorta, was reviewing a bunch of papers.
"Sloppy teamwork reviews, improper weapon treatment, and one of our best ships has been impounded," Codatorta said. "AND THIS IS JUST BRANDON'S SQUAD!"
"There's got to be some way to get them all to cooperate, especially Brandon, Wendy, and Riven," Saladin wondered. At that moment, there was a knock on the door to his office.
"Go away! We don't want to hear about any more troublemakers, unruly students, or ships impounded!" Codatorta roared at the door.
"But what about a very old friend," the newcomer replied. At that moment, Saladin's ears perked up, recognizing that voice.
"Could it be?" Saladin stood up and answered the door, revealing Stanford Pines. "It is you! Stanford Pines!"
"Saladin, you old coot!" Ford happily replied as he hugged his old friend.
"It's so nice to see you again. It's been what, like 16 years? 16 and a half?" Saladin estimated as he saw someone next to Ford who looked very similar to the scientist. "And I see you brought someone along."
"Saladin, meet my twin brother, Stanley," Ford introduced his brother to his friend.
"Call me Stan," Stan introduced himself. Saladin then brought them both in and invited both of them to sit.
"These are your old Earth friends?" Codatorta asked, confused about how they were here, let alone from a backward planet.
"Ford's my old friend. This is the first time I've met Stan," Saladin explained to his deputy. "The two of us used to be part of the Company of Light."
"He was the grand wizard of the bunch, and I was but a humble scientist," Ford elaborated. "Which is kind of why we're here."
"Let me guess, you want to reform the Company of Light? Don't you have a life on Earth?" Saladin asked Ford and his brother.
"We were traveling the planet looking for new uncharted discoveries, but it turns out they're spread too far apart," Ford elaborated.
"I told him that we weren't in Gravity Falls anymore, so things aren't that weird out there," Stan added.
"Turns out his theory holds merit, so we decided to explore off-world using a makeshift portal device and try our luck in space, which caused us to get hired as professors at Alfea," Ford said, leaning inwards. "I've heard rumors that the Sparks bloodline isn't really wiped out, and the Ancestral Witches have new puppets."
"So Poindexter here got this ingenious idea to get his old group together, and if it means punching a witch or two in the face, then count me in," Stan finished up the story.
"You? Want in the Company?" Codatorta sniffed at that thought. "HA! Only the best of the best from across the universe are allowed to join the Company of Light. What have you ever done to even breathe the same air as your brother and Saladin?"
Stan leaned in and said four words that left the room silent. "I killed Bill Cipher."
Codatorta and Saladin saw the absolute conviction in his eyes and heard it in his voice. As veterans themselves, they both knew this was not a bluff.
"By the dragon…" Saladin said, completely in disbelief. "You actually killed Bill Cipher…"
"So now that that's out of the way, we need to talk to the others. Saladin, I propose a visit with both Faragonda and Griffin, to see if we can get the team back together" Ford said with the utmost determination.
"That… might be a bad idea," Saladin said, turning away. "Our divorce was too much, so we're not exactly on speaking terms outside of a professional capacity."
"You and me both, pal," Stan agreed with the divorce thing. "So why don't we go and talk to them together?"
"Hey, yeah, that could work. They both might be mad at you, but not at me. And they've never even met Stan," Ford theorized.
"I'm your ace in the hole!" Stan said with such confidence. At that moment, a battle-damaged Wendy came in with a broken phantoblade in hand.
"Hey Sal, we gotta talk about Riven's new girlfriend," Wendy said as she saw the Stan twins. "STAN? FORD?!"
"WENDY?!" Both Stan twins of them exclaimed.
"I know you're tough as nails, but who did this to you?" Stan said with some fire in his voice. "I want names."
"Oh, this? It's nothing, just some purple-haired prick. Dude cheated in a one-on-one fight by bringing in a witch and letting her magic do the talking," Wendy calmly explained. "But what the hell are you two doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Stan asked. "Did you fall ass first in a Halloween store again?"
"Oh, nah. Dad found out about the cop car I stole, so he said it's either here or juvie," Wendy explained her situation.
"Dan Corduroy used to be a specialist?" Ford asked.
"Apparently," Wendy said. "So why are you two here?"
"Long story short, my brother used to know your principal, and we're getting the band back together," Stan explained to his ex-employee.
"And we're also new teachers at Alfea as well," Ford said.
"You mean that Company of Light thing I've heard about a few times?" Wendy questioned.
"Precisely," Saladin stood up and turned to Codatorta. "Codatorta, I need you to look into Riven with Wendy. I need to reconnect with my ex-wives about these two."
"Of course," Codatorta nodded. "Get your gear in order and meet me in the yard in 10 minutes." Wendy nodded as she left.
A bit later in the day, some students at Alfea were taking time off from classes due to their schedules. "Whoo hoo, pool time!" Stella yelled as she, Bloom, and Musa, dressed in bathing suits of various designs, walked to the pool area with bags and towels in hand.
"I'm glad we actually have time to do this," Bloom said. "Between classes, homework, and Trix shenanigans."
"I don't trust what's going on with the big 3. The small one is decent, though," Musa said as she flipped down her shades.
"Yeah, but that's because she's a good girlfriend to Mabel," Stella said, pointing it out.
"The other 3… something is off with them," Bloom wondered out loud. "Dipper said something about that during the intermission of Mabel's play."
"Worry about that later, Bloomy. It's pool time!" Stella said as she ran into the pool area, only to be met with an immediate whistle noise filling the air.
"NO RUNNING IN THE POOL AREA!" Dipper said, who was wearing a white t-shirt and a red bathing suit, sitting on top of a lifeguard chair.
"Wait, Dipper?" Stella said, immediately halting. "You're a lifeguard?"
"Yeup," Dipper replied as he sat up. "I took a gig working part-time to make some extra cash because the conversion rate from dollars to gold sucks."
"It also helped because he had previous work experience over the summer," Wendy said, wearing a blue and white swimsuit and standing next to Sky, Brandon, and Timmy, who were in matching swim trunks. They were relaxing at the pool as well because even heroes deserve a time off.
"Sorry we came uninvited, girls," Brandon said. "But when a certain fairy said the pool was open, we just had to come by."
"Turns out the two of them do a really good job at keeping the pool clean," Timmy reiterated.
"Wait, two?" Stella asked as Layla, dressed in a red one-piece suit, came into the pool area.
"Oh hey there, everyone," Layla greeted them.
"Honestly, you make sense as a lifeguard," Bloom said as she went to Layla.
"Just doing my duty as princess of Andros to make sure the water is safe for all who reside, even if it's only for fun," Layla said, talking to Bloom. "Plus, Dipper and I have been having fun spending time with each other managing this pool."
"She's been teaching me a few things about how Magix handles its pools, like making sure to keep its temperature perfect," Dipper chimed in. "Including making sure the pool is good all year around with artificial weathering."
"And everyone knows this is not a one-fairy job," Layla said as she sat next to Dipper.
"That's why this place needs 2 of the most qualified people to make sure this pool is done well," Dipper said. "That and I love putting Riven in a penalty box for even the smallest infringements."
"I can hear you, jackass," Riven, also in matching swim trunks as the rest of the specialists, said as he was sitting on a chair alone. "This is such bullshit."
"And just for that, I'm adding another 5 minutes for yelling at a lifeguard," Dipper said as he added 5 more minutes to an already 20-minute timer.
"To be fair, he did deserve it for trying to smack a volleyball at Sky's face," Brandon vouched for Dipper.
"Hehehehe," Musa said as she took pictures of the Riven pouting. "This is going straight to social media."
"By the way, I have procured sunglasses for us for added coolness," Layla said as she handed Dipper sunglasses that looked like blue butterfly wings while she wore some that look like green butterfly wings.
"Yeah, we look awesome," Dipper said, fist-bumping her.
"That's how we lifeguards roll," Layla said, agreeing with her little buddy. "Nice day to relax, not worry about the world, and with no witches to fight."
"All our school stuff is done for now, no late-night panic attacks about Bill Cipher," Dipper added on. "Just you, me, and making sure everyone here follows the rules."
"And as an added bonus, look at our girlfriends," Layla said as they pointed to Wendy and Musa in the pool, volleying a volleyball to one another. "They seem to get along well."
"I'm surprised Musa's getting along with any of the specialists, considering how she acts around Riven," Dipper said as he handed Layla a can of Pitt cola. "You want one? It's a specialty from my planet."
"I think I will give it a try," Layla said as she accepted it and took a sip from it. "It is… not bad. I'm sure the taste will grow on me."
"Yeah, it's more of an acquired taste," Dipper said. As they were talking, they were keeping a watchful eye on the pool and all the people swimming inside of it, guarding lives, as per the name of their job.
Elsewhere, The trio of old men were soon on their way to recruit the remaining members of the company, taking a mode of transportation Stan wasn't accustomed to.
"ARE YOU SURE THIS DRAGON WON'T KILL US?!" Stan practically yelled out.
"Relax, Stanley. My dragon here is pretty harmless," Saladin said.
"Yea, tell that to the dinosaur I punched in the face," Stan said back.
"Focus!" Ford yelled at them both. "Now, we need to figure out where to go first. Alfea College for fairies, or Cloud Tower College for witches?"
"So, it's either Barbie's dream castle or Hot Topic?" Stan repeated his brother's choices.
"Faragonda would welcome us with open arms, but Griffin would more likely use us for hex practice," Saladin thought out loud.
"Hot Topic it is!" Stan said as he pointed to Cloud Tower, which startled Saladin and his dragon, before they all headed towards the witchy school, making a bit of a rough landing in front of its gates.
"Did you have to do that?" Saladin said as he brushed himself off.
"Forgive him; he doesn't even know how to ride a dragon," Ford said to defend his brother.
"Yeah yeah, now how do we open this up," Stan said as he walked up to the gates and knocked on it. Suddenly, clouds formed above the gates, and a magical hologram of Griffin's face manifested before them.
"Who dares disturb Cloud Tower during academic hours?" Griffin's voice boomed over the area as the three men stood their ground.
"Griffin, it is I, Stanford Pines. We need to come in and have a talk," Ford announced to himself and his two companions. Griffin saw this, and her face perked up.
"Stanford? Is it really you?" Griffin exclaimed, a smile appearing on her face. "Hang on, I'll let you right in." As she said that, the magical hologram dispersed, and a portal opened under the three men, dropping them directly into Griffin's office, each of them landing in a chair.
"It's been a long time, Griffin," Ford said as he hugged his witchy friend.
"16 years, to be exact," Griffin hugged him back. "And I see you brought Saladin along, and from what I can gather... your twin brother Stanley."
"Call me Stan," Stan said while leaning back on his chair. "The newest member of the group, finance teacher at Alfea, and professional punching machine!"
"Sorry to intrude upon your academic business, but this is an urgent matter," Saladin said as he explained the situation to them.
"And what matter would that be, Saladin? Hopefully, not another one of those prank wars your specialists start with my students," Griffin coldly said.
"Trust me, this is much more important than fake vomit and whoopie cushions," Stan said, defending Saladin.
"We're trying to reassemble the Company of Light," Ford told Griffin, hoping she would reconsider.
"The Company of Light died when Domino did," Griffin turned away. "What purpose do we have now?"
"I've heard that the Ancestral Witches have been on the move for a little while, and they're all right here in Magix somewhere," Ford explained. "And if they get even a fragment of the Dragon's Flame AND use it on the Book of Decay, they can release an ancient evil. The very same one that caused Domino's defeat all those years ago."
"That's why I'm keeping an eye on three possible puppets they might have gathered," Griffin said. "They may be scheming little witches, but the Trix are some of the best students I've ever trained. And luckily, there's a fourth member that's keeping an eye on them."
"A fourth?" Ford asked. "Normal witch covens never get a fourth witch."
"A fourth witch they've all but adopted from Earth. The poor girl was thrown out of her own home for being herself," Griffin said, feeling sympathy for the girl. "She's grateful for them but keeps them in check."
"Sounds like you got yourself an inside lady," Stan complimented.
"I've met her a few times," Saladin replied. "She's still adjusting to being a witch, but she's trying to do right. Getting good grades, too."
At that moment, Pacifica barged in and closed the door behind her with a scared look on her face.
"You gotta help me," Pacifica said with fear in voice. "The others are more sinister than ever and I can't exactly stop them on my own!"
"It'll be ok, Pacifica," Griffin said as she helped her in.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Northwest brat," Stan said, seeing her again.
"Ugh, great. He's here," Pacifica said, rolling her eyes.
"Wait, you know her?" Griffin asked, shocked at this revelation.
"She's the richest girl from Gravity Falls. Mean, snotty, and kind of a nuisance to my family. She even locked me in one of those wooden jails during a Founder's Day celebration," Stan said.
"Well, for your information, geezer, I'm dating Mabel," Pacifica said, taunting him.
"Well, you better make sure to treat her right," Stan said, changing his tone.
"Enough, both of you," Saladin said, putting a stop to the petty squabble.
"How did you even end up here?" Ford asked the young witch.
"Well, after coming out as gay, my parents threw me out of the house, and I had nowhere to go. I thought about getting a job and mooching off the Diner, but then it started storming, and I had to take shelter in the woods; that's where the witches found me. At first, I thought they were going to use me for a hex, but they then healed my wounds and unlocked something I never thought I had," Pacifica explained.
"And afterward, they took you here?" Ford guessed.
"Yeah, that's it," Pacifica responded. "Anywho, I still need help with the other Trix. They keep insisting that turning a class into ants and keeping them in an ant farm is funny."
"In that case, I'll have you meet with Professor Bittersmoke, and he'll help resolve this mess," Griffin said, standing up from her desk. "Let me know how it goes."
"And what will you do?" Pacifica asked.
"Me? Well, I've got a reunion to attend," Griffin said as she joined the others.
"THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU GET TO SHOVE YOUR GREASY SHIT IN THE MAIN FRIDGE, TECNA!" Flora roared at Tecna as she was showing her what was in their shared fridge in the Winx's dorm room. It was no secret that Flora and Tecna couldn't stand one another for multiple reasons, especially when it came to their dietary restrictions, but they kept it under wraps for the other Winx fairies out of respect.
Until today.
"YOU KNOW MY STUFF HAS TO BE REFRIGERATED, AND MY MINI FRIDGE IS ALREADY FILLED WITH EARTH SODA!" Tecna yelled back logically.
"Then empty your fridge out and leave my greens alone, you lardball!" Flora yelled back as Tecna pushed her back.
"I'm not just a lardball. I am also a strong cyborg!" Tecna roared as both she and Flora started going at it. At that moment, Mabel walked in and screamed at the sight.
"FLORA! TECNA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Mabel yelled, worried about those two. She then ran up and tried to push them apart with her magic. "You two are supposed to be friends. Sure, there can be some disagreements, but never like this."
"TELL THAT CRAP TO HER!" Both Flora and Tecna yelled at each other as they realized what the other one said. "YOU THINK THIS IS MY FAULT?!" As Mabel kept seeing them fight over the smallest of things, she then grew very annoyed at them and summoned a giant gray sweater from her room and shoved it on the both of them with both heads sticking out the top, Flora's left hand from the left sleeve, and Tecna's right hand from the right sleeve. "WHAT IN THE DRAGON'S NAME IS THIS?" They said as they looked at each other. "STOP COPYING ME!"
"This is my famous 'get along sweater', hence the writing on it," Mabel said, introducing them to the sweater. They saw its gray with rainbow letters spelling 'Get Along' on the front. Flora and Tecna tried taking it off but find that they couldn't.
"Mabel, sweetie, please undo the spell," Flora pleaded with Mabel. "I don't want to be stuck with this cyborg princess."
"And I do not want to be stuck with this hippie tree-hugging princess," Tecna agreed with Flora.
"I won't do that until you two can get along," Mabel said, determined to stick with her guts. "I don't want you two to keep fighting and have it spread all over the dorm. If it does, it'll spell the end of the Winx Club."
Mabel's words cut deep into both Tecna and Flora. Sure, they don't like each other that much, but they can't say no to Mabel like that. She and her brother don't know a lot of people here and they've been through so much already, so they owe it to her at least.
"Alright, I guess I could try…" Tecna said, defeated.
"Of course, sweetie," Flora agreed with Tecna as she answered Mabel. "But it is gonna be hard to get the princess of Zenith and Lymphia to get along."
"Yeah, guess I really can't do it alone, huh?" Mabel said as she thought about it, but she got an idea and snapped her fingers. "I know, I'll call your boyfriend Helia! Maybe he can help out." About 20 minutes later, Helia then came over to the dorm room and was informed by Mabel about what she meant by their squabbling.
"Well, Zenith and Lymphia do have a history of conflicting ideologies, so it makes sense for their princesses to be on opposite ends," Helia said as he heard all of it. "But there's no argument I can't dismantle through diplomacy."
"Oh thank you, Helia," Mabel said as she hugged him.
"If anyone can help out, it's bound to be him," Flora said as she was happy to see her boyfriend.
"Hopefully this means we get out of this sweater," Tecna said. Mabel sighed as she walked over.
"You see what I mean, Helia?" Mabel said. "We got to make sure that these two get along better."
"Well, I do have some ideas on what to do," Helia said. "We have team-building exercises back at Red Fountain that we have to do because of Riven."
"Then lead the way, Helia," Mabel said as she held Flora's free hand. "TO FRIENDSHIP!"
A short while later, Saladin's dragon touched down in front of Alfea's gates as the rest of them dismounted.
"I work here, and I still think this place is too fucking pink!" Stan swore as he covered his eyes. "I can't even see straight."
"You and me both, Stanley," Griffin agreed, shielding her eyes. "It's been a while since I've been this close to Alfea in the daytime. I've almost forgotten how painfully pink it is."
"Heh, slackers," Saladin said as he approached the barrier. "Oh, I forgot to ask: Did you two develop any magic?"
"Nope, never got a chance," Ford replied. "I think we were given permission by Faragonda herself."
"I just punch things and steal from rich people," Stan also replied.
"Well, luckily, I have magical artifacts so overflowing with magic that they'll trick barriers like these into thinking you're magic," Saladin said as he created two gold necklaces with his magic. "Wear these, and you will pass without fault."
The Stan twins took them and put them on.
"Hey, this doesn't look half bad," Stan said, checking it out.
"High-frequency hexonium jewels?" Ford asked Saladin, inspecting the jewels.
"Nothing gets by you, Ford," Saladin replied as they all walked through the gate and the barrier. As they went inside, they walked past various classrooms. One was a magical ballet class, while another was Wizgiz's Metamorphosymbiosis class. They also walked past gossiping students, who were most likely talking about them.
"Now that I've been a teacher here for a few days, is it just me, or does this place remind me of those magical schools Mabel showed us through some of her movies?" Stan asked Ford.
"Those fictional schools pale in comparison to Alfea's academia," Ford explained to him.
"My school's still better," Griffin snickered. They then soon arrived at the offices and were greeted by Griselda.
"Headmaster Saladin and Headwitchtress Griffin, this is a surprise," Griselda said as she saw them. "And I see that you two have met our newest teachers."
"You remember Stanford from our Company of Light days, right? And this is his twin brother, Stanley," Saladin introduced them both to Griselda.
"The scientist of your group finally rejoined? And joined by this oaf?" Griselda said.
"I may be old, but I still got a good few years left in me," Stan took offense. "Besides, we're not here for you. We're here to see Faragonda and tell her the good news."
"Faragonda wants nothing to do with her exes," Griselda said firmly. "Nor does she have time to deal with how they got you and your brother to talk them into reuniting the Company of Light." Griselda continued, throwing a dark look at the other Heads. "So I highly suggest you two leave at once." She hissed, her eyes flashing dark green for a moment as she tried to shoo them off; just then, Faragonda opened the door to see what had set off her deputy enough to cause the window panes in her office to rattle.
"What is the meaning of this?" Faragonda asked as she saw the 4 other people. "Saladin? Griffin? Why didn't you tell me you were visiting? Was this all you two's ideas?"
"We wanted it to be a surprise," Griffin said. "Until your guard dog here kept trying to shoo us away."
"I was trying to make sure they don't break your heart again," Griselda growled, trying to defend her actions.
"I know they won't," Faragonda said, trying to calm her second-in-command down. "I've got an idea, why don't you bring me the Winx Club and have them meet us here." She said, placing a soothing hand on Griselda's arm.
"If you insist," Griselda sighed, clearly displeased but unwilling to argue with Faragonda, sending a death glare at her old friends before she left to gather her students.
"Now, where are my manners," Faragonda said as she turned to Stan. "You must be Stanley Pines. I've heard so much about you."
"Looks like my rugged looks traveled the galaxy when they found out I killed a certain Bill Cipher," Stan said, letting his ego grow.
"Did he really kill Bill Cipher?" Griffin leaned toward Ford and Saladin.
"It's true. I checked his words with a silent spell and he's telling the honest-to-dragon truth," Saladin whispered.
"He atomized Bill as he tried to possess Stan. Completely erased. Triple-checked his psyche and everything," Ford added.
"I've heard about you through some of your other family," Faragonda said with pride in her voice. "So what brings you all by?"
"Long story short, my smartass of a brother decided to reform this group called the Company of Light after our expeditions on Earth became a bit too uneventful, and I decided to tag along for the ride as a new member," Stan explained.
"Also because we've heard rumors about the new information and events that's been going on," Ford added to the explanation.
"Those rumors are indeed true," Faragonda said with such worry. "Icy, Darcy, and Stormy have decided to cause some mayhem for some reason, but Pacifica's existence could be the key to splitting the Trix from their dark path for good."
"I can't believe the Northwest kid is the key to saving the universe," Stan said with such gruff.
"I know you and her have a bit of a past, especially considering how she was involved with the summer you had Dipper and Mabel," Faragonda said.
"Trust me, If we had about 20 hours to explain everything, then we'd get caught up to speed," Stan said, wanting to tell her about all the adventures of that summer. As he said that, he saw Mabel with Flora, Tecna, and Helia walking towards them.
"Oh hey Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Ford," Mabel said as she saw them. "And the three headmasters?"
"Grandfather, is this the rebirth of the Company of Light?" Helia asked of him.
"It most certainly is, Helia," Saladin said as he smiled. "We're getting the team back together, and with Stan on board."
"Hey kid," Stan said.
"Company of Light?" Mabel asked. "Is that some secret old people group?"
"In a way, yes," Griffin said. "We gathered together to help fend the universe, just like when we fought against pure evil during Domino's downfall."
"But what brings you out here?" Stan asked Mabel.
"Oh, Flora and Tecna here need to get along before they rip the entire dorm apart," Mabel explained.
"That does explain the sweater you forced them into," Ford said as he saw the sweater both Flora and Tecna were in.
"That's very nice of you to do, Mabel," Faragonda said. "Why don't you try taking them outside and having them do some flying exercises?"
"Flying exercises?" Mabel asked.
"I think I know what you mean, grandmother," Helia said as he thought about it. "Follow me, guys."
"To a fixed friendship!" Mabel said as all 4 of them left the older people alone.
"They're kind students," Faragonda said. "You have raised Helia well."
"Much like Mabel's parents," Griffin said.
"Alex and Dana would be proud," Stan said, proud of his great-niece.
"Now where were we?" Ford asked of his fellow companymates.
Outside Alfea's walls were Mabel and Helia on the ground as they were coordinating both Flora and Tecna, who were in their fairy forms but still had the sweater on, trying to get along by flying together.
"Ugh, go left," Flora said, giving Tecna directions. "No, my left!"
"We have the same left," Tecna said, trying to get in control. "Mabel, this is useless!" Tecna screamed down at Mabel.
"Keep going, girlies!" Mabel yelled at the fairies above. "You're doing great!"
"Yeah, you two should be getting along just about now!" Helia yelled.
"Helia, I know you and Mabel mean well, but look at her," Flora said as she tried pointing at Tecna.
"Oh don't you start, tree hugger," Tecna roared back. "I still haven't forgotten the time you trapped me in the closet with your vines."
"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" Flora yelled back.
"Wait a minute..." Mabel said as she remembered something. "Memories, that's it!"
"What's it, Mabel?" Helia asked Mabel.
"They keep focusing on the bad times and not enough on the good times," Mabel said as then she yelled to the two fairies above her. "HEY GIRLS, REMEMBER THE TIME YOU SAVED BLOOM FROM AN OGRE?!"
"The ogre the Trix have?" Flora said as she remembered. "Oh yeah, I remember it!"
"Me too," Tecna said. "But what does that have to do with anything?"
"Remember how you two worked together to save her, Dipper, and me from it since we had no powers yet?" Mabel said as both Flora and Tecna remembered.
"I remember Flora using her powers to hold back the monster," Tecna said as she remembered that day.
"And I remember Tecna blasting the monster back so Dipper and Mabel could grab Bloom before Stella teleported us all away with her staff," Flora said as she was proud of her choices then. It was the day she met Tecna and the rest of her friends.
"It's working," Mabel said, proud of her plan, and then yelled above something else. "What about the time we helped the Specialists with their troll issue? Or working together when we all got punished?"
Mabel was bringing up some pretty good points. The Winx Club has had some amazing adventures while all being together, and Flora and Tecna shared some of those memories as well.
"Like the time we helped Stella win that stupid pageant," Tecna said.
"Or the time you and the rest of the club helped me get that flower from the swamp," Flora also said. "We would have been sleeping for an eternity if it wasn't for your face mask."
"Thank you. I do try my best," Tecna said, appreciating the fact that Flora wanted to say something nice to her. Both of them smiled at one another as they were stabilizing their flying. Mabel and Helia were glad to see them working out their differences.
"Wow, you were right, Mabel," Helia said as he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"See? All they need to do is talk it out, and what better way to do so than with the power of memories?!" Mabel said as she cheered and Helia chuckled at Mabel's optimism. As this was happening, the two fairies hit the side of the building and were trying to stabilize their flying.
"CRAP!" Flora said as she tried getting back in control.
"WE'RE GOING DOWN!" Tecna said as both Mabe and Helia saw them.
"HOLD ON, I'LL SAVE YOU!" Mabel said as she transformed and flew up and went to them.
"Mabel, be careful!" Helia said as he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Mabel then flew under Flora and Tecna and started fluttering her wings to make sure that they at least stay stable.
"Mabel?!" Tecna said, surprised by her arrival.
"Be careful, sweetie," Flora said as Mabel then slowed down their falling and stopped just inches from the ground. Flora and Tecna got off of Mabel and fluttered to the ground. Helia then went up to hug Flora, who was still in that get-along sweater.
"Flora!" Helia said as he hugged her. "Thank the dragon you're ok."
"Don't thank the dragon, thank Mabel," Flora said.
"She really saved our bacon back there," Tecna added on as Mabel was still flying.
"Thank goodness indeed," Mabel said as she looked down and saw she was flying. But she wasn't afraid. She was happy. She felt free. She's not scared of heights. "This feels incredible! GUYS, I'M NOT AFRAID OF HEIGHTS ANYMORE!"
"That's incredible, sweetie!" Flora said.
"It is nice for all of us to get some sort of win today," Tecna added. "Now can you please get this sweater off of us?"
"Oh yeah, of course," Mabel said as she flew down to them. "As long as you two are closer now."
"Don't worry, Mabel," Flora said. "We promise not to argue a lot anymore."
"We promise to be better friends, too," Tecna said as at that moment, Mabel removed the sweater she had the two of them in as both of them got used to not being stuck to one another anymore. "Aah, freedom!"
"You said it," Flora said as she was held by Helia.
"Now that all of this is over, what do you say you and I spend the night in town?" Helia said as he leaned in. "My treat."
"Oh my," Flora said as she smiled. "Why of course. Would you mind giving me a few minutes to change?"
"And while they do that, why don't you and I go up and play some games," Mabel said to Tecna.
"I would like that," Tecna said as she smiled at Mabel, hoping to enjoy the rest of the day with someone she liked.
Later that evening, Dipper came back to do a last sweep of the pool to make sure it could be left unsupervised for the night.
"Now to make sure that there's no hidden surprises by Riven," Dipper said. "Heh, kind of reminds me of Robbie, except he's not good with a sword."
"I don't know what a Robbie is, but I will take your word for it," Layla said, in the pool and in her fairy form.
"LAYLA!" Dipper said as he jumped back in surprise. "Geez, you scared me. What are you still doing here?"
"Oh, I'm just fixing something down here," Layla said to Dipper. "I should be up soon."
"Oh, cool," Dipper said as he noticed her outfit. "Are you… in your fairy form? Won't your wings get wet?"
"Oh, this?" Layla said as she remembered Dipper didn't know. "Right, you don't know about Mermaidix."
"Wait, what now?" Dipper asked, confused by 'Mermaidix'.
"It's better to show than to explain," Layla said as she dived back down. Dipper saw a green mermaid tail on her as she swam for a bit and then launched herself out of the water, flying in the air with a mermaid tail where her legs should be.
"WAIT, ARE YOU A MERMAID FAIRY?!" Dipper gasps in surprise.
"Close," Layla said as her tail turned back into legs. "My kind, Androsians, can grant fairies a bonus power that can adapt fairies to underwater environments. And they can work with all forms, so we can master the sea as well as the sky. This, my dear Dipper, is the power of Mermaidix."
"That's really cool," Dipper said, examining her. "So you can access the tail at any time?"
"Yeup!" Layla happily explained. "And I can grant that power to other fairies as well, like you."
"Wait, what?" Dipper asked her. "So, you're gonna unlock a new power on top of my crap ton of other magic powers?"
"I was already planning on doing it to the rest of the club, so why not?" Layla said, smiling at him.
"Well, underwater adaptability is a pretty cool power to have… ok, I'll do it," Dipper said as he turned into his fairy form. "So, is there like a trial I have to do to showcase my worth?"
"Nope, just a chant," Layla said as she held Dipper's hands. "See this fairy, in the sky so free. Grant him the power to explore the sea!" As she said that, she glowed her green color as Dipper glowed his blue color for a few seconds until it died down.
"Did it work?" Dipper said, looking down at himself. He saw he still had legs.
"That's because you need to imagine yourself as part of the sea," Layla said as she jumped into the pool, her legs turning into her tail. "See? Now you try."
Dipper took a deep breath as he jumped into the pool and imagined the sea. As he did, his legs turned into a blue tail, matching his signature color.
"HAHA, I DID IT!" Dipper excitedly said underwater as he realized his vision was perfect and could speak clearly. "Wait, my voice… my eyes. I CAN BREATHE UNDERWATER!"
"Only the tip of the iceberg when having Mermaidix," Layla said as she showed off her swimming. As she did, she suddenly was hugged by Dipper.
"Thank you so much for this!" Dipper thanked Layla as Layla hugged back.
"You're very welcome, Dipper," Layla said, smiling at one of the best friends she's ever made. "Now, can you assist me in this light repair? This is not a one-fairy job."
"You unlocked my Mermaidix just for me to help out with pool stuff?" Dipper asked her. "Alright, let's get this dealt with."
"Sorry to have tricked you," Layla said as they both swam over to the broken light.
"Nah, it's alright," Dipper said, forgiving her. "As long as I get to ask you tons of questions about this form, I think we'll call it even. Plus, you at least had good intentions, unlike how my Grunkle tricked me a few times."
"The scientist one or the money one?" Layla said as they began working on the light.
"The money one, Grunkle Stan. He made me wear a wolf costume and pretended to be a werewolf for money," Dipper explained. "He's a good guy and someone I came to trust, but he does have some funny ideas about business."
"He sounds like a fun man," Layla said, chuckling. "And I cannot imagine you as a werewolf. Wendy and Flora, for sure, but you… you were basically born to be a magic user. You're so kind and gentle to be something fierce."
"Perhaps I could be a vampire if I wasn't a human or a fairy," Dipper joked to her. "I do like to take a bite out of important questions."
"That you do, dear Dipper," Layla said as they finished the light. "There we go, that should just about do it." As the two of them were working on the lights, another shadow was above the water. "Wait, someone else is here."
"I'll check it out," Dipper said as he swam to the surface and saw that it was Wendy, who was looking for something.
"Come on, where is it..." Wendy said to herself.
"Oh Wendy," Dipper said, trying to sound cool. "What brings you by?"
"Oh Dipper, glad to find you," Wendy said. "Do you know where my phantoblade is?"
"Your space axe?" Dipper asked. "Try the lost and found. It's by the lifeguard stand."
"Right, the lost and found," Wendy said as she rushed over and dug in the box, and found it. "FOUND IT! Thanks, Dipper."
"Anytime," Dipper said as Wendy saw what was underwater.
"Ugh, dude, what the hell is that?" Wendy asked him.
"Ok, promise not to freak out?" Dipper asked as he showed off his new mermaid tail. "It's a new power Layla gave me so I can breathe underwater." As he said that, Layla swam up to the surface.
"It's true," Layla said. "He and I were doing some last-minute repairs to the pool's lights."
"Look at you, being all responsible," Wendy said as she smiled at her boyfriend. "So, about your mermaid tail."
"Oh, you want to know about Mermaidix?" Layla asked. "Then I shall tell you."
In the twin's bedroom at the Winx's dorm, both Dipper and Mabel were getting ready for bed since they were both tired.
"Long day?" Mabel asked her brother.
"You said it," Dipper said as he yawned. "Layla and I took care of some pool business today."
"Sounds boring," Mabel said. "I managed to make Flora and Tecna into closer friends AND I managed to get over my fear of heights!"
"Look at you," Dipper said. "Looks like we're both getting new skills."
"Yeup!" Mabel said as she crawled into bed. "Dipper, do you think the people of Earth miss us?"
"I would assume so," Dipper said. "Between our old school, Gravity Falls, Grandpa, and even our online friend group, a lot of people care about us."
"That's for certain," Mabel said. "I wonder if we can at least tell Grenda and Candy when we visit them in the summertime."
"If we do, let's hope Griselda won't be there," Dipper said. "She hates Earth for some reason."
"Another mystery that will be solved later," Mabel said as she yawned. "Night, bro-bro."
"Night Mabel," Dipper said as he went to bed. Things were a bit stressful for the Pines Twins, but together, they're bound to change things for the better.
Pacifica was starting to get worried for her sisters. They'd been cackling more and more as of late, knowing their other sides were taking over more and more, as per the play Mabel put on. She knew Darcy's grip on her ancestor was weakening, which means the others were as well. Pacifica turned her attention back to Mirta as they were having some one-on-one time at Cloud Tower.
"So, these ghosts are the ones making the Trix do all those awful things?" Mirta asked.
"That's what I've seen, yeah," Pacifica answered her.
"That would explain their two-faced nature," Mirta said. "So, are you sure you want to learn this spell?"
"I know ghosts," Pacifica said. "But I wanna find out how to perform an exorcism so I can free my sisters."
"But why?" Mirta asked. "There's a bunch of witches here who would love to be in that situation."
"It's because they saved my life," Pacifica said. "So I wanna try to save theirs."
Authors note: Sorry this was a shorter chapter, but I promise to make it up to you in the next one. The next chapter, the 3/5th mark, will be more of a fun chapter filled with secrets, mischief, and the works.