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reverse-winx · 6 years

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Stella’s Ring

Hello everyone, sorry it’s been so long since the last chapter went up. I can’t make any promises about when the next one will go up, but I’ll do my best for you.

Obligatory disclaimer: I don’t work for Rainbow and I don’t make money off this.

Last time:

Bloom enrolled at Cloud Tower School for Witches with Stella as her sponsor. She met three other girls in her suite, Flora, Tecna, and Musa, as well as three powerful fairies, Icy, Darcy, and Stormy. Bloom and her new friends discovered that all is not as it seems when it comes to Magix’s three most famous fairies, and they may have made some enemies...

The next morning, Bloom headed down for breakfast with her suitemates. “I never got a chance to thank you all for last night,” she said as they descended the many staircases. “How did you figure out where I was?”

“Well, you said you had just wanted a quick call, so I gave you change for a ten-minute-max call. But then ten minutes passed and you didn’t come back,” said Stella.

Tecna continued. “I looked up the location of the nearest phone booth, which wasn’t very far.”

Flora said, “We investigated, and you weren’t there. Musa heard a commotion, though, so we followed her ears to where you were.”

“What I can’t believe is that they were associating in the open with an ogre,” Stella said. “Ogres are creatures of dark magic. The Trio hasn’t gotten where they are by being careless.”

“It would have had to be something really important,” Musa said, thinking.

“They said they really want Stella’s scepter,” Bloom said. Turning to her friend, she asked, “Do you have any idea why?”

Stella shook her head. “It’s an heirloom that’s been in my family for millennia,” she answered. “Other than its ability to channel and amplify magic, there’s nothing too special about it.”

The newly-named Winx girls let the subject drop over breakfast before they headed to their first class, Mayhem, taught by Professor Zarathustra. The tall woman stalked purposefully before the lecture hall, looking them over critically. “Witches thrive off the energy of chaos,” she said as she walked back and forth. “In this world where people constantly seek some semblance of order, we witches must know how to draw on the chaotic nature of the universe and harness it. We can feed off the emotional turmoil of other beings just as well as we can use the energy of a thundering waterfall. With this knowledge alone as your tool, we will commence our first exercise in magic. Draw on some source of chaos, either from within yourself or from your surroundings, and focus it between your hands. Begin.”

“That’s not a lot of instruction,” Bloom whispered to Stella.

Stella shrugged and held out her hands. A ball of silvery light appeared above them. “It’s not too bad,” she said. “But then again, I’ve been doing this for years.”

Musa also easily focused a ball of fuchsia light in her hands. “I can hear the soundwaves bouncing all over this room, and they’re in no way orderly,” she explained to Bloom.

“You’re making a rather good source of inner turmoil,” Tecna commented as an electric green glow appeared in her hands.

“Glad to be of assistance,” Bloom said as she held out her hands and focused. “This was so much easier when I was being attacked by an ogre.”

“That’s because you were scared,” Stella said as she juggled several silver balls of light around idly. “Fear and battle are great for mayhem.”

Bloom peeked over at Flora and saw that her eyes were closed, and that she was whispering to herself. “The wind whistles freely outside – there is both order and chaos in nature. Let me embrace the beautiful chaos.” A weak, golden glow bubbled over Flora’s hands, leaving Bloom feeling rather inadequate.

“Most of you seem to be making progress,” Professor Zarathustra said as she peered over their group. She turned her attention to Bloom. “Hm. You’re the last-minute enrolment. An uncharted dimension, if I recall. No exposure to magic. You’re going to have a lot of catching up to do.”

Bloom chewed her lip as the professor walked away. “I’m doomed,” she groaned. “Come on, work!” Something faint and orange flickered between her fingertips and died.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Flora said encouragingly. “We can work on it together later if you’d like.”

Later found Bloom in Flora’s room, practicing the exercise. “I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong,” Bloom said with a sigh. “How am I supposed to focus chaos between my hands?”

“It’s difficult,” Flora said as she practiced alongside Bloom. “I’m more of a potion’s person myself. I like working with controlled, predictable chaos, which sounds rather contradictory, I know, but it’s different.”

“No, I get it,” Bloom said. “It’s like chemistry, but with magic. Stuff doesn’t obey the laws of physics, but it does it consistently.”

Flora nodded. “This whole energy thing is just a little difficult to grasp.”

“Tecna and Musa were able to get it right away,” Bloom said with a sigh. “Stella doesn’t count since she’s been learning magic since she was little. Maybe we could go ask those two for help?”

So, they did. Musa lazed on her bed as she described her process. “Soundwaves are all around us, and I just happen to be able to detect them,” she said. “They bounce all over the place, and my power allows me to tap into it. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

“It’s similar for me,” Tecna said. “I’m the Witch of Technology, and so, naturally, I’m in tune with all sorts of waves and electric signals that most other beings aren’t. Some of them are orderly, but many aren’t. I’m also more observant that most people, so I can easily identify sources of chaos.”

“Theoretically, it all makes sense,” Flora said as she continued trying. “Nature is all around me. It’s just a matter of focusing properly.”

“At least you know what to look for,” Bloom said glumly.

“You still practicing?” Stella asked, poking her head into room 14J. “You worry too much.”

“If I can’t get at least decent fast, I risk being kicked out,” Bloom said.

Stella strode over to her side and squeezed her shoulder gently. “Don’t worry about it. We’re not fairies. We don’t get a new transformation and suddenly have all this magic available to us. We earn our powers through hard work.”

“Their way must be nice,” Bloom muttered.

“Come on, what happened to the girl who was so confidently talking about taking a stand for witches?” Stella asked. “You’ve held off an ogre with a stick! You can do this!”

“Yeah,” said Flora. “We’ll be all the stronger because of all the work we give.”

“All this talk about work is gonna make me sick,” Musa complained.

“Why is that?” asked Tecna. “You’re in a school environment, where such talk is generally unavoidable. Also, it’s just words. They shouldn’t have any impact on your physical wellbeing or the pathogens that make their way into your body.”

“She does have a point,” Stella said. “It’s just the first day. Sometimes the simpler things are harder anyway. You just need to relax a little.”

“The suggestion to remove the chaotic energy from your person does not sound unreasonable,” Tecna remarked. “Perhaps being surrounded by external yet tangible chaotic energy will be more basic for a complete novice.”

“You speak so pretentiously,” Musa remarked.

“And you complain too much,” Stella said, voicing what Bloom had been thinking.

“About the ‘surrounding ourselves with tangible chaotic energy’,” Flora said hesitantly, “how should we do that?”

“Simple exposure to multiple living beings would suffice,” Tecna said.

Musa rolled over onto her side. “I know some spots in Magix,” she offered. “Sure, they’re not where the most upstanding members of society hang out, but they’re bustling with energy all the same.”

“I’ve got a better idea,” Stella said. “I just happen to know that there’s a party in Alfea this weekend. It’s some formality between Alfea and Red Fountain, and naturally, Cloud Tower isn’t invited.”

“How do you know about it, then?” Bloom asked.

“Oh, I’ve got contacts,” Stella said flippantly. “Anyhow, the energy there will be alive with magic, which could be the perfect place for you and Flora to get a sense for lively chaos.”

“And Magix City doesn’t have enough?” Musa asked. “Look, a party is cool, but I’m not about to go within thirty measures of a bunch of preppy girls who would love an excuse to put me away. Plus, there are clubs out in the city that serve some pretty sweet drinks.”

“There’s no drinking age in Magix?” Bloom asked.

“Not in Magix, no,” said Stella. “People around here realize that making a big deal over restricting something is a surefire way to make sure people use back roads to get it. But, anyway, I still say we should head to Alfea’s party.”

Flora looked uncertain. “I don’t know. I think Musa has a point.”

“But Stella’s right about the energy,” said Tecna. “The power of uncontrolled, teenage magic is far greater than the rage of a slightly-intoxicated club.”

“We’ll stand out immediately,” Musa argued. “Everyone knows you, Stella, and the rest of us can’t exactly pass for fairies.”

“That’s where the glamor comes in!” Stella said excitedly. “At Alfea, one of the first things they teach is metamorphosis. Last year, all the girls used it to hide their blemishes, make-up their faces, and fix up their clothes.”

“Metamorphosis is a fairy power,” Tecna said. “It’s constructive and builds up an illusion. It’s totally incompatible with witch power, which, you should know, is destructive.”

“That’s why I said ‘glamor’,” Stella explained. “I’m the Witch of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. My power comes from light! I can just change what’s reflected off us, and no one will know the difference.”

“That sounds both complicated and exhausting,” Flora said.

“Yeah,” Bloom agreed. “There’s got to be a better option.”

“Yeah, like going to a club,” Musa pointed out.

Stella pursed her lips. “Flora!”

“Yes?” The girl looked up at her with surprised, innocent eyes.

“Do you know any morphing potions?” Stella asked.

“Well, yes, but…” the girl trailed off.

“But what?” Stella asked.

“Morphing potions require something off which to base their model,” Flora said.

“Meaning?” Bloom asked.

“I’d need some biological artifact from a person we want to emulate,” she answered.

“Even if we’re just going for body type?” Stella asked.

“The best thing that I can brew in time for the weekend would be an imitation potion,” Flora explained. “More specific ones, like for body type, would take longer, and could possibly have some adverse effects. An imitation, however, will fade after a few hours or so.”

“We’re really going to this fairy party?” Musa complained.

“Hey, if we don’t start breaking down barriers, no one will,” Bloom said.

“Barriers?” Musa scoffed.

“They discriminate against us,” Bloom said. “You know it’s wrong. And we have to do something about it.”

“By trying to fit right in with them?” asked Musa.

“To be fair, the Trio did get a pretty clear look at our faces yesterday,” Stella said.

“Bloom is right,” Tecna said decisively. “All these other dimensions are so behind the times. On Zenith, anti-discrimination laws have been in place for hundreds of years. It’s about time that someone decided to push things along.”

“Once again, by trying to look like them and go to their parties?” Musa asked. “Sorry, but that’s not for me.”

“We’re not trying to play their game here,” said Bloom, feeling herself getting more confident. “We’re trying to learn how they play their game so that we can get familiar with it and then tear it apart before the public.”

“That’s optimistic,” said Musa. “But it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to convince you guys otherwise, huh?”

“You’re in, then?” Stella asked.

“If we witches can’t stick together, who else do we have?” Musa reluctantly pointed out. “Plus, there may be a day when I want you guys to have my back. Something for something, you know?”

“That’s the spirit!” Stella exclaimed.

“You haven’t said anything, Flora,” Bloom noted. “This whole thing relies heavily on your potion-making. Are you okay with this?”

Flora shrugged. “I’ve done worse things than sneak into a fairy party.”

“Really? Like what?” asked Musa. “Squish a bug?”

“Well, that too,” Flora admitted. “My little sister is slightly allergic to hornets, so there was no question in my mind. Anyhow, like I said, I’ll need biological material of someone whose form we want to emulate.”

“I’d offer mine, but I don’t know if the potion takes into account my physical maintenance,” Stella said.

“Oh, it should,” said Flora.

“Then here.” Stella plucked a long, blonde strand and handed it to the smaller girl.

“So, we’ll all end up looking like you,” Tecna stated.

“That’s right,” said Flora.

“We’ll remedy that by using makeup, hair dye, contacts, and different shoes,” Stella said. “It’ll be the mother of all makeovers – making one person look five unique types of different!”

“Shoes?” asked Tecna.

“To throw off the heights,” said Stella. “We’ll all be the same, and it’s unlikely for five friends to be that way, even if we’ve all got the same body type.”

“I’ll get started right away,” Flora said.

“Tell me your style preferences, and I’ll whip something sweet up for all of us!” Stella exclaimed.

*~*~*

The weekend came more quickly than Bloom realized, though she supposed it was understandable, with all the extra work she was putting in alongside the required homework. She had finally started getting a feel for the chaos energy that Stella, Musa, and Tecna could feel so easily, but was still nowhere near consistent when it came to being able to do the simple energy concentration that Professor Zarathustra had assigned on the first day.

It was Friday afternoon after classes had ended when Stella called them all into her and Bloom’s room. “I’ve taken all of your requests into account, and this is what I’ve got. Come see the drawings!”

Stella was a talented artist, Bloom discovered, and she knew fashion inside and out. She admired the simple, royal blue dress that her roommate had designed for her before noticing the alternative hair color on the model. “Auburn?” she asked Stella.

“It’s just a suggestion,” Stella said as she inspected her large and well-organized box of makeup. “We’re all going to start off as clones, and we can’t just go in there looking like- like- what’s the name for six kids all at once? Six-tuplets or something like that?”

“Sextuplets,” Tecna said. “You think that my hair should be white?”

“Silver,” Stella corrected. “You said you wanted to keep a strong Zenith style, and, according to my research, silver hair is very in right now. Combine that with a slightly metallic lavender and a dash of white and dark gray, and you’ll be the model of Zenith fairy fashion.”

“On Zenith, we don’t make that distinction,” Tecna commented.

Stella waved her off. “You know what I mean.”

“Blonde?” Musa asked as she looked at Stella’s designs for her. “Blonde is overrated.”

“Darker or lighter?” Stella asked as she waltzed over.

“Edgier,” Musa said. “If I’m changing my look, I wanna go hard.”

“The outfit is okay, though?” Stella asked as she looked it over.

“Definitely,” Musa said. “The knee-high boots are perfect.”

“The skirt isn’t too short?” Tecna asked, peering over. “My analysis of your style says that you’re very practical and prefer pants.”

“We’re trying to blend in with a bunch of impractical fairies,” Musa said. “Say, how about colored highlights? Is that fairy-fashion-acceptable?”

Stella thought a moment. “As long as they aren’t black,” she answered. “Pastels are most common, but I think light metallic may be what you’re looking for.”

“Are these makeup notes?” Flora asked.

“Yup,” Stella confirmed. “I’ve gotta find a way to make sure our faces don’t all look the same since I’ve got pretty big, recognizable eyes, you know? Oh, and while I’m thinking about it, does anyone want to add a little color to their skin or go super pale?”

A good portion of the rest of the day was spent finalizing details. By the time evening came, Bloom was fashioned out. Tecna knocked on the door after dinner and dropped off Bloom’s newly-updated cell phone, so she decided to call her parents before getting some much-needed rest.

“Bloom? Bloom!” her father’s voice came through as if he was sitting next to her. “Wow, your reception is great over there. I’ve never been able to hear so clearly through this thing!”

“Yeah, one of my suite mates is a tech genius,” Bloom said. “She fixed up my phone for me.”

“Sounds like you’re meeting some pretty cool people,” her father said, and Bloom could hear the relief in his voice. “So, how’s the magic?”

“It’s…” Bloom tried to think of a good analogy. “It’s like trying to learn a sport,” she said finally. “It’s not formulaic, like learning history or science. The only way I can get better is by practicing. It’s like when you were trying to teach me to kick a soccer ball into the net. You could explain to me all the physical mechanics, but when it came to me actually doing it, I tripped over my own feet.”

“It’s harder than you thought,” he summarized.

“Yeah, kind of,” Bloom admitted.

“You know, you can always come back home,” he said. “Your mom and I miss you.”

Bloom laughed. “I can’t just give up,” she said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m learning magic. It doesn’t matter how good or bad I am at it; that I’m able to do it at all is amazing in itself.”

“That’s my passionate little girl,” her father said, and Bloom could hear his smile.

“How’s Mom?” she asked.

“Oh, busy, busy,” he said. “She’s out getting flower food right now, or something like that. She’ll be sad she missed you.”

“It’s okay, I’ll call you guys tomorrow- wait, not tomorrow. I’m going out. I’ll probably call you guys the day after tomorrow or something like that,” Bloom said.

“You’re going out?” her father asked. “There better not be any boys involved.”

“Oh, come on, Dad,” Bloom said. “I’m sixteen! I’m going out with my suite mates to a party near the city, and there will be boys, but they’re not the main object of the night.”

“Be careful all the same,” her father advised. “I don’t care if they’re aliens from other dimensions; they’re still teenage boys who are probably full of hormones and bad judgement.”

“Okay, I promise,” Bloom said. “I’ll watch my friends’ backs, and they’ll watch mine.”

The two of them talked for a little while longer before Bloom very noticeably could not stop yawning. After she hung up, she rolled over in her bed and was asleep in what felt like seconds. When she woke, she saw Stella sweeping around their spacious room, surrounded by beautiful clothes.

“Good morning, sleepy!” Stella sang. “Somewhere, the sun’s shining bright, I can feel it!”

“Good morning,” Bloom said blearily. “Are these tonight’s outfits?”

“Of course!” Stella chirped. “Here, this one’s yours.” She snapped her finger, and in her place stood the auburn-haired, very naturally made-up version of herself that Bloom would be that night. “It really is a great color, hm? And are you still alright with your hair in a braid? If you do, I think a ribbon added in could be a great contrast.”

“Whatever you think is best,” Bloom said. “I’m not great at the whole fashion thing.”

“Then a ribbon it is,” Stella said as she changed back into herself. “You’re gonna look sweet tonight!”

“How are we getting there?” Bloom asked as she sat up.

“Oh, you know those boys I called before when we were fighting the ogre?” Stella asked. “Well, they’re going to the party, and I’m going to have them let us in.”

“Can they do that?” Bloom asked.

“Of course,” Stella said. “Prince Sky is, well, a prince. He can do almost anything and it’ll be fine.”

The day passed slowly. Bloom did her written homework before meeting Musa and Tecna in their room to work on flying, a skill that was basically essential for life in a tower-filled school. “No Flora?” Musa asked.

“She’ll be working on the potion,” Tecna said.

“Right. Well, let’s get back to work. Can you still float?” Musa asked.

It was another grueling practice, and Bloom ended up with more than a few small bruises from managing to get herself briefly a little off the floor before tumbling down. “My analysis says that your focus has certainly improved,” Tecna remarked as Bloom rubbed her sore bottom. “You’re able to hover for nearly ten seconds uninterrupted.”

“How did you guys learn?” Bloom asked as she lay back on the floor, tired.

“Yeah,” said Musa, looking at Tecna. “How in the worlds did you learn? You’re one of the most unfocused people I’ve ever met. I swear, you declare you’re bored every other second.”

Tecna shrugged. “I got bored and realized that I could float. That was exciting, so I figured out how to do it at will.”

“Aw man, I can see it before my very eyes!” Musa exclaimed. “Baby Tecna, bored out of her mind, so she stares at the ground, trying to make something happen, and then boom! She’s floating!”

“How did you do it?” Bloom asked, looking at Musa.

“Eh, I was running away,” Musa said. “I was just learning to pick pockets, and I messed up. I took a wrong turn and was at a dead end. I really needed to get out, and force of will helped me out.”

“How did you replicate it?” Tecna asked.

“Tenacity,” Musa answered. “It wasn’t hard to realize that flying is really useful and had the potential to help me out of many a sticky situation, so I forced myself to figure it out. Once, I ran into a known witch and I begged her for help, and she gave me a few pointers. She told me what I’ve been telling you, Bloom. In the beginning, you can’t think of anything other than the flight – not your position in the air, not the excitement of your new position. You’ve gotta build up the magical memory before you can even think about multitasking.”

“But getting to the multitasking point is rewarding,” Tecna said. “Now I can fly and think about my projects simultaneously. My next goal is to be able to use other magic while flying.”

Flora’s voice suddenly drifted through the air. “Potion’s done! Come and get it!”

The four other girls rushed into room 14K. Bloom was first surprised by how much light there was, and then by how many plants filled space. She thought she could even hear running water.

“How did you smuggle all of this into the school?” Musa asked, impressed.

“I didn’t,” Flora answered. “I got full permission to set up a potion garden in here, so long as I contributed to the school’s supply. I’m a certified brewer, you see.”

Stella peered into the happily bubbling cauldron. “How long did you say this will last?” she asked.

“Four hours,” Flora answered. “There’s enough so that we each can have two doses, if needed. Anything cosmetics or spells applied while under the potion will disappear when it wears off. According to the instructions, this includes, but is not limited to, tanning oil, hair dye, nail polish, and glamor.”

“Alright, then,” Stella said. “Let’s all take a picture now so we can do a before and after comparison, and I can show it to the boys so they know who we are.”

“The boys?” Musa asked suspiciously.

“I know some guys from Red Fountain,” Stella said. “They’ll escort us in. If you want, I can even arrange for us to have dinner with them!”

“Why?” asked Tecna.

“Oh, to be friendly. I haven’t chatted with the guys in a while, and while I can’t monopolize them anymore, I’m more than happy to share,” Stella said.

Musa scowled. “Years of living like I did taught me to be slow to trust boys.”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry too much about these guys,” Stella said. “They’re real sweethearts.”

“Even that Riven guy?” Bloom challenged playfully.

Stella hesitated. “He does need a little work,” she admitted. “But even if he’s got a bad attitude, he’s definitely hot.”

“That adjective does not compute,” Tecna said, confused.

“It means that his body is attractive,” Musa explained.

Tecna looked blank. “I cannot claim to be an expert in that area.”

“Don’t worry,” Bloom told her as they lined up and Stella floated her phone an appropriate distance away. “Looks aren’t the defining aspect in a guy. Personality is much more important.”

“Alright, everybody, cheers!” Stella said, raising the small cup of steaming potion that Flora had just poured for her. “Here’s to a fun night of dancing and friendship!”

“Cheesy, but let’s roll with it,” said Musa.

They drank their potions in a gulp, hardly tasting it. As soon as Bloom put down her cup, a tingling feeling began in her stomach and quickly spread out through her body. She felt like she was stretching slightly, and her very blood bubbled. A rush flew up through her scalp and her eyes itched. “Is anyone else feeling really weird?” she asked in a voice that was not quite her own.

“Yeah, my entire body’s cramping,” a voice that was not really Musa’s said.

“This must be what it feels like to be toothpaste being squeezed out of a tube,” Tecna commented.

“I did just watch you grow six inches, Musa,” Stella said. “Of course you’re cramping! Now, who’s up first for makeovers?”

It took hours, of course. First, Stella cut Tecna, Musa, and Bloom’s hair, and then everyone had their hair dyed. After the initial cut and color, Flora and Tecna applied a magical tan to darken Stella’s bronze skin while Musa and Bloom went for skin lightening. Only then did Stella start on the styling and makeup.

“How does one put these flimsy pieces of plastic in their eyes?” Tecna asked, suspiciously examining the pink contact lenses before her.

“I can help you,” Flora said as she slipped her own brown lenses in.

“Stop fidgeting, Bloom, or I’m gonna mess up your eye makeup!” Stella exclaimed as she held her still.

“Sorry, I’m just not too used to this sort of thing,” Bloom said as she forced herself to freeze. “I’m sure you can see that I’m not a makeup type of girl.”

“Good thing I am, then!” Stella chirped as she did something fancy with one of her brushes.

“It’s strange being four inches taller,” Flora commented as she pulled on the gloves that went with her dress.

“Try being six inches tall plus four-inch heels,” Musa said. “It’s great!”

Bloom twirled around in her dress, feeling like she was five as she watched the skirt flare out. “I love this!” she exclaimed. “It’s so simple and classy and- and beautiful!”

“I told you to trust me,” Stella said cheerfully sprayed hairspray over her own do. “Tecna, how’s yours?”

“Quite appropriate,” Tecna said as she inspected herself in the mirror.

When everyone was finally finished, Stella lined them all up for a picture. “Say cheese!” she said as she snapped her fingers, setting off her phone’s flash. “Now, the boys say they can’t do dinner since they’ve got to deliver some things to Alfea before the party, but we’re to meet them downtown, where they’ll pick us up after we’ve eaten.”

No one had time to argue, as Stella swept them away with her ring’s teleportation powers, insisting on treating everyone to an expensive restaurant as compensation for coercing them into going to the fairy party. When they had eaten their fill and left the restaurant, they found a bright red ship waiting for them. “That’ll be our ride,” Stella said with a grin. “Hello, boys, it’s us!”

“Ah, Princess Stella!” Bloom recognized Prince Sky stepping out of the ship to greet them. “Well met, your highness.” He gave a dramatic bow, and his brown bangs fluffed with his exaggerated movement. She stifled a giggle.

“You’re so dramatic, your highness,” blonde-haired Brandon said as he knocked his prince lightly on the back. “Hello, ladies.”

“Let’s see if I’ve got this right,” Timmy said from the pilot’s seat. “Princess Stella’s got the headband, Flora’s got the curls, Musa has the ponytail, Bloom’s got the braid, and Tecna’s got the short cut?”

“You’ve got it,” Stella said. “Now, you’ve all met Bloom before, but these are my other suitemates, Flora, Tecna, and Musa. Girls, these are some friends of mine from last year. They’re from Red Fountain. The gentleman is Prince Sky, the blonde is Brandon, the pilot is Timmy, and the grouchy one is Riven.”

“Nice to meet you,” Flora said with a polite bob of her head, and Tecna mimicked her. Musa gave a curt nod as well, but said nothing.

“Well, off we go to the party,” Timmy said. “Take a seat, everyone!”

“So, princess,” Sky said as they took off, “How do you want this whole escort to work? You mentioned in your message that you wanted to keep this discreet.”

“Yes, well, it wouldn’t do if the Alfeans discovered that my friends and I crashed their party,” Stella said. “So, if you all could pretend to have brought outside companions, that’d be excellent.”

“Now, you ladies have one on us,” Brandon said. “How do you want that to work?”

“I’ve made myself up to mimic Prince Sky here,” Stella said, flipping her long, brown hair. “I’ll pretend to be a relative who insisted on coming, so he can escort another girl.”

“So how are we splitting off?” Bloom asked.

Stella shrugged. Brandon said, “Prince gets first call?”

“And I’m guessing no one really gets a say at all?” Riven asked crossly from the copilot’s seat.

Musa looked at him sharply. “Where’re you from?” she asked.

“Magix,” Riven answered. “You?”

“Originally from Melody,” she answered. “But I know your accent. South side?”

“How’s a Mel like you distinguish the South side accent?” Riven asked, sounding less aggressive than usual.

“Lived there since I was twelve,” Musa said.

Riven was quiet for a moment. Finally, sounding less crass than Bloom had ever heard him, he said, “We should talk some time.”

“Perfect, then you two are a pair,” Sky said. “Now, I’m already responsible for Princess Stella, but which other lady should I take under my wing?”

“Tecna,” Stella said immediately. “She’s unfamiliar with party culture and could use my expertise.”

“Your proposition has merit,” Tecna agreed.

Bloom realized that left her and Flora. She would have loved to spend the night with Mr. Swedish-Model-Brandon to see if there was a personality behind those good looks, but she had a sneaking suspicion that shy Flora and slightly nervous-looking Timmy might not make the most natural pair. “I’ll go with Timmy,” she said.

Brandon nodded. “Then I’ll escort Miss Flora.”

The ride was short and sweet. Timmy let them all off at the door before taking off to park the ship. Bloom walked with Stella, admiring the openness of Alfea College. Tall, slender girls, well made-up and dressed to the nines, mingled with young men in the military unitards of Red Fountain. Her patron had not been joking – the stones of Alfea really were pink. “I’m not quite sure what I was expecting,” she whispered to Stella, “but I don’t think it was this.”

“It is quite different from our current accommodations,” Stella agreed. “But let’s avoid talking about that for now, hm?”

Bloom nodded. “Got it.”

“Now, tell me,” Stella said as she glided elegantly through the throngs of people, “why did you choose Timmy? I know you had your eye on Brandon from the moment you met him.”

“It was for Flora’s sake,” Bloom said. “I have a feeling that Brandon will take very good care of her.”

“I see you’re point,” Stella said. “Now, you just enjoy the party and feel the energy, okay? It’ll be a good time!”

It was, at best, a decent time. Bloom was a book person, not a party person, and Timmy shared her sentiment. After Timmy presented her with a golden egg that melted into a flurry of butterflies, she attempted to make small talk with the boy who had managed to put an electric collar on a troll, but it seemed that social interaction was all together a different type of monster to him. Finally, Bloom gave up and was content to sit at a table with Timmy while his fiddled with his high-tech, probably magical phone-like device. She closed her eyes and tried to feel the energy of chaos around her. To her surprise, she could hear the air buzzing with warmth, like a happy, crackling fire, dancing about with the chaos that accompanied excitement. It really was different than practicing in a room with a cynic, a shy potioneer, and a genius.

As Bloom felt her senses stretching out across the party venue, she became aware of the burning presence of her friends, to which she had become attuned during her days with them in the suite, that stood out in the bubbly yet muted magic of the fairies. There was Musa’s sharp, crackling fire, Flora’s warm, smoldering coals, and Tecna’s flickering candle-like flame that danced with her attention. Stella’s open flow was also there, but it felt strange and dull. Bloom knew that Stella had been accustomed to hiding herself among fairies, but to feel that she had gone so far as to alter her magical presence blew her mind. What stood out, however, was the ring on her patron’s finger, the Solarian heirloom that the ogre had been trying to steal when they had first met. It pulsed with energy and light, and even a novice like herself could sense its power.

Then Bloom became aware of three other distinctive presences. They were strong, as strong as her friends’, if not stronger. One felt clean and cold, like a glistening glacier, one felt soothing and hypnotic, like a lullaby, and one felt strong and lively, like a happy dance. Somehow, Bloom instinctively knew that they were fairy presences, and she knew just whose they were. It was no surprise that the Three Fairies would be here, on their home turf.

Suddenly, the calm energy that must have been Darcy’s spiked, and Bloom’s eyes snapped open. She saw the beautiful Fairy of Night scanning the crowds, her hazel eyes narrowed. Bloom felt a chill in her stomach. Could she see through her and her friends’ disguises?

When Bloom stood up, Timmy noticed. “Uh, you can just sit,” he offered awkwardly. “I can get you whatever you want.”

Bloom smiled. As bad as he was at holding a conversation, he was definitely a sweet and considerate guy. Maybe he and Flora would not have been as bad off as she had thought. “Don’t worry about it, Timmy,” she said gently. “I just want to stretch my legs and show off this fabulous dress. I’ll be back in a minute, okay?”

Timmy nodded and turned back to his phone, and Bloom slipped into the crowd. She was not sure if she was fleeing or investigating, but so far, her instincts had yet to lead her wrong in the magical world. She found herself drawn near but out of the eyeshot of the Trio. From her spot, she could hear the three older girls clearly.

“Are you sure it’s the ring?” Stormy was asking. “Everyone’s wearing their finest jewelry and magic items tonight.”

“I’m positive,” Darcy whispered. “It’s distinctly Solarian. Plus, as hard as Stella tries to hide her witchy presence, I can sense it. Her new, witchy friends are also here in disguise. They’re not bothering to hide themselves at all. I’m surprised you can’t tell, they’re so loud.”

“We’re not all natural sensors in our civilian forms,” Stormy said.

“Peace, sister,” Icy said. “Darcy is rarely wrong, and we do know that the Solarian princess can’t resist a party. I’m not surprised at all that she’s here.”

“Are we gonna do anything about it?” Stormy asked. “She knows too much.”

“We’ll need to take it outside,” Icy murmured. “Once we’re there, cover is no issue, yes, Darcy?”

“Of course not,” Darcy said. “But there are more subtle ways to deal with this.”

Bloom watched the fairy look in Stella’s direction, and she followed her gaze. Something on Stella’s hand flickered, and her ring slipped off and floated away. Yet when Bloom looked again, the ring was still there. Stella, who appeared to be deep in conversation with Brandon, spared her hand a glance, as if someone had brushed it with their clothes, but noticed nothing. Meanwhile, the ring wove its way through the party, toward Darcy.

Now, Bloom disliked thievery. Maybe she had read too many stories with codes of chivalry, or maybe she was just a decent human being who respected others’ belongings. She also disliked people who stood by, watching something that they knew was wrong occur. So, naturally, Bloom had to take a stand against the Trio’s blatant theft. She slipped between partiers, following the ring as best she could, trying to catch up. She reached out, trying to snag it before it could fall into the fairies’ hands. Was it the best idea she had ever had? Absolutely not, but what else could she do as a witch on fairy territory who did not know magic?

A warm hand closed around her wrist. “Let’s take a walk,” the deceptively sweet voice of Darcy murmured in her ear. Bloom tensed up as she realized that she could not run. Darcy led her through the crowd and out the door to where Icy and Stormy stood waiting.

Something shiny glinted in Icy’s hand, and Bloom realized that she had Stella’s ring. Against her better judgement, she muttered, “Thieves.”

“Oh, sweetie, I don’t think you’re in any position to be saying such nasty things,” Stormy said, crossing her arms. “A witch shouldn’t harbor such a powerful magical object in the first place. This is hardly stealing; it’s keeping Magix City safe.”

Bloom’s blood boiled. She suddenly personally understood the fire that had fueled the Civil Right’s movement in her country, and why so many oppressed peoples had been ready to resort to violence. If they had been exposed to this kind of hatefulness for hundreds of years, it was no wonder that peaceful talking had not seemed like enough. And to think, she had only been living in the Magical Dimensions for less than a week!

“This is the second time this week that you’ve stuck your nose into our business, little girl,” Icy said coldly. “You got away last time because of your little coven, but you’re all alone this time.”

“I speak for myself when I say it’s nothing personal,” Darcy said with a shrug as she released Bloom, nudging her in the center of the triangle that the three of them had formed. “It’s just, you’re too curious and have seen a little too much. That’s all. You’re new here and haven’t formed strong bonds yet. No one will miss you for long, if that makes you feel better.”

Icy stepped forward. “I have to say, it would give me great personal satisfaction to be the one to eliminate this slippery little thing.”

“Be my guest, sister,” Stormy said. “I’ll be happy with a good show.”

“I’ll cover,” Darcy said. “Are you ready, sisters?”

Together, the three chanted, “By the power invested in me, by the sign of three, give me the power of a fairy!”

Bloom watched in awe as the three were engulfed by colored light. She felt the energy around them surge, and realized that the powerful presences that she could feel when they were in civilian form were a mere fraction of their power transformed. She gulped. This was not going to end well. “Don’t panic, don’t panic,” she whispered frantically to herself. “They have aerial advantage, they’ve got firepower advantage, they’ve got home turf advantage…”

Bloom quickly realized that her pep talk was having the opposite of the intended effect. “Okay, Bloom, think,” she thought to herself. “You can’t fight them, so you have to flee. If they feel threatened, they’ll expose everyone, so you need to escape the premises. But how?” Shaking herself from the splendid light which drew her attention, she turned on her heel and darted back into the party.

Inside, Timmy was looking for her. “Oh, hey there,” he said, waving awkwardly. “I was starting to get worried when I didn’t see you.”

“Sorry, Timmy, but I’ve gotta go,” Bloom said. “Do you know where my friends are?”

“Yeah.” Timmy pointed to Musa and Tecna, who both looked to be on high alert.

“Thanks, Timmy, catch you later,” Bloom called as she rushed over to them.

Musa heard her coming and headed toward her. “What was that out there?” she hissed. “I heard everything. Are you crazy?”

“They stole Stella’s ring!” Bloom whispered back.

“So what?” Musa asked. “It’s just an heirloom, and we’re in the middle of enemy territory! We need to get out of here. Where’s Flora?”

“Got her,” Stella said as she swept up to them, looking alert. “I told Sky to tell the others not to worry about us. We need to leave!”

“All the exits are monitored,” Tecna observed. “Teleporting will be flashy.”

“The ground is hollow beneath our feet,” Flora said.

“Because of the basement?” Tecna asked.

Musa pulled them toward an exit. “No, it’s deeper than that,” she said. “There’s something else. I can feel the echoes.”

“Echoes?” Stella asked. “Whatever, let’s get out of here!”

“What about your ring?” Bloom asked.

“What about it?” Stella asked.

“Darcy stole it,” Bloom answered.

“She thinks she did,” Stella corrected. “I wouldn’t bring my distinctive scepter into this place. Faragonda and Griselda would sense it immediately.”

“But she said…” Bloom was confused.

“A trick,” Tecna said. “To what end?”

“They’re after my scepter, and I wanted to know how desperately,” Stella said with a shrug. “I knew we’d never make it by Darcy’s sensor abilities.”

Musa looked sharply at her as she led them down some stairs. “What?”

“Don’t be mad,” Stella said. “Chaos is what we wanted, right? Well, chaos is what we’re going to get!”

“You’re insane,” Musa muttered. “They’ll wipe us out.”

“The earth is strange here,” Flora said as they descended. “It’s saturated with magic.”

Tecna touched the walls as they hurried along. “It’s ancient,” she said. “An old defense mechanism?”

“Great,” Stella said.

“This was your idea,” Musa reminded her.

“No, this is good,” Bloom said. “Our magic might be masked by this power, making it hard for them to find us.”

“Something’s not right,” Flora warned. “We’ve got to be careful. Tecna, do you have something we can use to look ahead?”

Tecna pulled out her phone. “Yes,” she said. “Scanning… Hm, it seems as if there’s a sort of tunnel system down her.”

Bloom felt a chill tickle her spine. “An ancient, magical tunnel system? This sounds dangerous.”

“I’m fairly certain it’s a labyrinth,” Tecna reported. “Meaning it’ll be easy to lose the fairies, but also easy to lose ourselves.”

“Well, it’s fight the fairies on their turf, or risk the labyrinth,” Bloom said.

“I’ll take a labyrinth any day,” Musa said. “I’ve got some echolocation skills that we can pair with Tecna’s scanner.”

“We’re in my element now,” Flora said. “The earth is my friend, so I can help us navigate as well.”

“We’re definitely out of my element, but I can light the way all the same,” Stella offered.

“I- I think I’m a sort of sensor,” Bloom said. “I could feel the three fairies up there, just like I feel all of you around me. I don’t know if that’s useful, but it’s all I’ve got for you now.”

Musa looked behind them. “They’ve entered the labyrinth,” she said. “Let’s move.”

Tecna typed on her phone as they hurried along. “I’m connected to my computer in my dorm,” she reported. “We have a solid location to keep us oriented.”

Flora gestured. “I think can feel the forest thinning this way,” she said.

“Lead on,” Stella said, and they followed her.

As they crept through the labyrinth, Stella’s dull glow lighting their way, Bloom could feel the presence of the three fairies mixing into the magic of the maze. Occasionally, a flare of frustration would burst up into her awareness, but it quickly faded. With Tecna acting as a sort of anchor to their goal, and Flora and Musa as their immediate navigators, Bloom steadily grew more and more confident that they would come out alright.

“There,” Tecna declared, pointing at an empty spot in the wall. “That’s our way out.”

Stella frowned. “There’s nothing there,” she said.

“As if Cloud Tower wouldn’t have defenses against intruders,” Musa said. “No, she’s right. There’s an empty space behind this spot that’s not like the rest of this place.”

Bloom hesitantly felt around the wall with her hands. “What are you doing?” asked Tecna.

“I’m looking for a secret handle of some sort,” she said. “I imagine this place is immune to magic, so maybe there’s a physical trigger.”

“Here,” Flora said as the wall opened.

The other side was a hall in Cloud Tower. Tecna marked the location on her map of the castle. “You never know when something like this might come in handy,” was her rationale.

The potion which changed their appearances had been cancelled in the labyrinth, so the girls stumbled along to their tower in their now ill-fitting dresses. “It’s too bad the night was cut off short,” Stella said when they were safely upstairs.

“I think I’ve had my fair share of chaos for at least a week,” Bloom groaned as she kicked off her shoes.

“But hey, at least we got to hang with the boys,” Stella said cheerfully. “We should do it again sometime!”

To Bloom’s surprise, it was Musa who agreed. “Yeah,” she said. “That Riven guy, I wouldn’t mind talking with him again.”

“Then it’s a date!” Stella chirped. “Good night, ladies!”

#winx #winxclub #winxau #winx club au #reversewinx #reversewinxau #reverse winx #reverse winx au #winx bloom #winx club bloom #winx stella #winx club stella #winx flora #winx club flora #winx musa #winx club musa #winx tecna #winx club tecna

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reverse-winx · 6 years

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Question about pairings

Hey guys, for those of you still out there who have been patiently waiting for me to show signs of life, I have a question for you:

What do you want to see for pairings? I’m happy to keep the canon pairings, albeit with my own spin. I’m also happy to change pairings from romantic to platonic, or switch things up a bit. I’ve mentioned before that I thinking of writing Helia as nonbinary, and I am completely unopposed to having others identify as LGBTQ+.

Also, do you want to see Nabu live? If he lives, do you still want to see Roy and Nex? If Musa and Riven are a thing, do you want me to make it work or have them separate as in canon? They’ve both got slightly different personalities from their canon counterparts, and I could swing it either way.

It’s gonna be a slow burn for most of these things, seeing as I’m trying to hit every episode in the series, so you’ve got time to form opinions and change your minds! Feel free to drop me as many notes as you’d like - I may not churn out chapters very quickly, but I do keep an eye on this tumblr.

#reversewinx #reversewinxau #reverse winx #reverse winx au #question #winxclub #specialists #winx club specialists #winx club

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reverse-winx · 6 years

Photo

I haven’t been able to write, but I am able to draw in class. Fairy-Trix were just begging to be drawn. Pardon the bad quality, I took the photo with my phone.

No. 2 and mechanical pencil on scrap paper

#winx #winxclub #winxau #winxclubau #winx club #winx club au #reversewinx #reversewinxau #reverse winx #trix #winx club trix #winx club icy #winx club darcy #winx club stormy #winx art

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reverse-winx · 6 years

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An brewing idea for season 2

Although my spare time to write has been extremely limited for a very long time, I do think about this AU. Recently, an idea popped into my head while thinking about the far-off Season 2. What if I had Helia have a male body as in canon, but identify as nonbinary, specifically androgynous, and use they/them pronouns? They’d still have a close relationship with Flora, and I’m about 95% sure that it’d be a romantic one. Since I’m a cis-girl who doesn’t have a personal connection to anyone who identifies this way, I’d do some research to avoid representing Helia and this identity in a stereotypical or problematic way. Anyway, do people have any thoughts on this?

#winx #winx club #winxau #winx club au #winxclub #winxclubau #reversewinx #reversewinxau #reverse winx #reverse winx au #helia #winx helia #winx club helia

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reverse-winx · 7 years

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Headcanon - Encyclopedia of Realms

The planets and dimensions all have their own belief systems and religions, though now that there are more interdimensional and interplanetary relationships, these belief systems and religions have declined somewhat.

Domino traditionally follows the philosophy of "The Heart of Fire," which they believe was taught to them by the Great Dragon. The philosophy teaches that every person has a fire burning in their heart which gives off the warmth of virtues. If one chooses evil, one dims that flame, and if one chooses good, the flame grows stronger and emits more virtue. One's heart flame never goes out when one is alive, but it can get dangerously dim and weak. At death, the flame goes out and becomes one with the fire of life before it is sent back out into the world in a new person, whose position in life is determined by how strong the flame was when the previous person died. In effect, one's next life is a consequence of how strong one made one's flame in the current life.

Solaria traditionally believes in the Deity of Light. This mysterious and powerful deity manifests in several different ways. One way is in the Sisters of the Sun, three goddesses who each represent one of Solaria's three suns (this is canon, check wikia) and protect Solaria from turning into a desert because of their constant light and heat. Another way is in the four moon siblings, two gods and two goddesses who each represent one of Solaria's four (headcanon) moons. These four siblings each represent one of four different powers - Lady Luck (holds the scales of fortune), Sir Water (guards Solaria's completely grounded – i.e., never in the sky except for non-clouded vapor - water supply), Lady Virtue (rewards the good and punishes the wicked), and Sir Justice (who judges a person at death). A third way is in the Star Father, who embodies the stars and other celestial bodies which can be viewed from outside the Solarian atmosphere, as it is always daytime on Soalria (headcanon). When a person dies, Sir Justice, one of the Moon siblings, judges whether that person is worthy of becoming a star in the endless universe. If the person is not, then he or she must be reborn in order to try again, and Sir Justice will see to it that the person pays for any extraordinary wrongs done in the previous life.

Andros follows a philosophy of equal exchange, which they believe was taught to them by the God of the Seas, who created Andros, taught his people, and then went to rest in preparation for the end of time. The philosophy of equal exchange follows the course of nature and the tides. The tides always come in as far as they go out, and so go out the same distance that they came in. So do the people of Andros live. For every action, there is a consequence; for every good there is a reward; for every evil there is retribution. However, it is not known by the people what the nature of an action's deserved consequence should be, so it is not the people's duty to meet an action, right or wrong. The royals and their ministers, chosen by the God of the Seas before he went to sleep, instinctively know a little regarding how extremely wrong or extremely right actions may be reciprocated, and so justice is served for major actions. However, most actions are rewarded or punished in the flow of nature, or at the end of time, when all deceased souls will have their just dues in the new world after time.

Linphea follows a simple philosophy which states "Do not harm" and "Respect the cycle of Nature." Nature is not deity, but is an unpredictable but generally benevolent force, to the people of Lymphea, bearing fruit and life, but also bringing storms and destruction. The best way to live, the people of Linphea believe, is to live at one with the natural world without disturbing it. This brings for Linphea unique technology and heavy use of magic, a natural occurrence. Lymphea respects both life and death, which is why many who wish to prolong the life of an ill or injured loved one seek treatment in another realm.

Zenith follows the philosophy of reason and justice, which overrode the ancient belief system millennia ago. This philosophy is legislated as a code, and states basic rules such as respect for one's authorities, no stealing, no killing, no over-accumulation of wealth at the expense of others, and so on. Though Zenith is a kingdom, its royals must obey the code of reason and justice as well as enforce it.

Melody follows a belief system which they call Yin Yue. Yin Yue teaches respect for one's ancestors and for the many spirits of nature and of mysticism, who reward good and punish evil. Yin Yue teaches that every person has a spirit name which they must discover in order to be considered an adult in their community. When a person dies, they are known by their spirit name, not their living name. Because actions are balanced by either their ancestors or the spirits in ways not necessarily known to the living, every person, when deceased, becomes a respected and venerated ancestor.

Eraklyon follows a code which they believe was revealed to the first king of Eraklyon by God. This code stresses loyalty to one's superiors and an upholding of personal honor. Honor is built up by good works and is depreciated by bad works. Honor is placed before wealth and fame, and the people of Eraklyon believe that if a person dies in a poverty but with intact honor, then that person is more likely to be rewarded by God in the afterlife than a rich and respected person who sank to using dishonorable means in order to reach his or her state.

Magix no longer follows any one belief system, but instead is a place where people can follow whatever they believe, even if they have rejected every belief system, so long as they do not break the peace. This makes Magix a wonderful and diverse realm.

#winx #winxau #winx club #winx club au #winx headcanon #reverse winx #reverse winx au #reversewinx #reversewinxau

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reverse-winx · 7 years

Photo

A first attempt at the Three Fairy’s basic transformations, plus their Charmix boosters.

Mechanical #2 pencil with ballpoint pen lines on printer paper.

#winx #winx club #winxclub #winxau #winx club au #reversewinx #reversewinxau #reverse winx #reverse winx au #winx icy #winx club icy #winx darcy #winx club darcy #winx stormy #winx club stormy #winx trix #winx club trix #winx art

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reverse-winx · 7 years

Photo

Preliminary designs for the Three Fairies, who we know best as the Trix. You can sort of see how my process went from left (when I was looking at references for the Trix’s canon civilian forms) to right (when I have them posing for you).

Wood #2 pencil with ballpoint pen lines on printer paper.

#winx #winx club #winxau #winx club au #winx icy #winx club icy #winx darcy #winx club darcy #winx stormy #winx club stormy #winx trix #winx club trix #trix #reverse winx #reverse winx au #reversewinx #reversewinxau #winx art

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reverse-winx · 7 years

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Bloom Profile

General Information

Realm of origin: Earth

Date of birth: December 10, 1987

Age: 16 (season 1)

Power source: ?; Dark

Family: Mike (father), Vanessa (mother)

Physical Information

Eyes: blue

Hair: fiery ginger, wavy

Complexion: fair peach

Height: 5’5’

Blood type: B

Body type: average – not thin but not athletic, not curvy but not boxy

Personal Information

Style: casual but cute

Distinguishing skills: leadership, social justice

Likes: writing, drawing

Dislikes: unfairness, people who don’t do anything about a problem they know exist

#winx #winxclub #winxau #winx club au #reverse winx #reversewinx #reverse winx au #reversewinxau #winx bloom #winx club bloom

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reverse-winx · 7 years

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Tecna Profile

General Information

Realm of origin: Zenith

Date of birth: December 16, 1988

Age: 15-16 (season 1)

Family: Electronio (father), Magnethia (mother)

Physical Information

Eyes: turquoise

Hair: pink, straight

Complexion: fair peach

Height: 5’6”

Blood type: AB

Body type: on the curvy side of average

Personal Information

Style: comfortable and practical

Distinguishing skills: coding, hacking, deduction

Likes: observing, finishing projects

Dislikes: not knowing things, being bored

#winx #winxau #winx club #winx club au #reversewinx #reversewinxau #reverse winx #reverse winx au #winx tecna #winx club tecna

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reverse-winx · 7 years

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Welcome to Magix

Thanks for sticking around to see what happens next! In case you were wondering, I don’t work for Rainbow and I don’t own anything.

Bloom made a new friend Stella, the Witch of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, when she defended her from an ogre, and discovered that she has magic powers as well. Now she is headed for the Magical Dimensions to attend school to learn to control her powers.

“This is… amazing!” Bloom’s parents marveled as they took in the scene around them.

Stella smiled. “It’s a wonderful place, really. Our school, Cloud Tower, is in the mountains, where it’s well-protected with natural defenses. The city in the distance is the capital Magix, and the fortress over there is Red Fountain, a military school for boys. In the forest that way is Alfea, my school’s rival.”

Her father looked around with a raised eyebrow. “It seems quite peaceful for being so near a city. This place is a safe place, then?”

“Of course,” Stella said. “The people of the magical dimensions respect the power of nature, and because this entire dimension is the capital, and because of the presence of a military school, the security is top notch.”

“Excellent,” said her father. “I approve.”

“You’ll come home during all vacations?” her mother asked as she hugged Bloom close and kissed her.

“Of course,” Bloom promised. “I’ll call you whenever I can, okay?”

“Good,” her mother said, looking teary-eyed.

“Take care of my little baby Kiko, okay?” Bloom asked. “Give him lots of carrots for me and tell him I love him.”

“We’ll be sure to spoil him and let him out of his cage to play every night!” her father promised.

“Work hard, sweetheart, okay? And never forget that we’re always here for you,” her mother said. “Oh, this is so hard; I didn’t think I’d have to do this for another two years when she would go off to college!”

“Don’t you worry about a thing,” Stella told them. “Now let’s get you two safely back home.” She waved her scepter.

“I love you guys!” Bloom called out as her parents disappeared back to Earth.

“Are you ready, Bloom?” Stella asked. “You know if you come with me, you’ll become part of this world, and your life will never be the same again. People in these worlds will look at you and see that you’re a witch and assume things about you, no matter what kind of person you are.”

“Then that’s all the more reason to stay,” Bloom said firmly. “In my country, it took years of fighting to even start legislating against racism. It’s been about forty years, and we still have a lot of work to do, but if no one had stood up in the first place and fought for change, nothing would have happened. If I have to be the one to start the fight, then I will.”

Stella gave her a look that Bloom read as both proud, inspired, and sad. “I knew I had a good feeling about you,” she said. “Well, come on. Let’s go. We’ve got a good walk ahead of us.”

Stella had not been joking. Bloom realized that they literally had to walk up the mountain road, which no city shuttles traversed and no magic could pass without invitation. “It’s a safety precaution,” Stella said. “Witches don’t have a good reputation, and since some fairies can teleport, this is a way to protect the school. When you learn how to fly, we can do that and save our legs, but for now, we walk.”

“What’s so different about fairies and witches?” Bloom asked as they travelled on.

“Fairies are Light and witches are Dark,” Stella said. “Fairies gain power by earning new transformations, while witches gain power by pure, hard work.”

“But you mentioned that a person can tell by looking at you. How?” Bloom asked.

“Because fairies use wings to fly, their bodies need to be aerodynamic,” Stella said. “Science says that the fairy supergene includes a gene that controls body type. It makes any fairy super skinny and light so that her wings can carry her, which is why it evolved to become a permanent fixture. Witches, however, don’t need that because we don’t need wings to fly. So, if you do magic and aren’t super skinny, people will automatically and usually accurately assume you’re a witch.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Bloom said.

“It’s actually a pretty good indicator,” Stella said. “I have to tell you, though, since witches don’t have transformations like fairies do, we can use magic anytime, anywhere. Fairies, on the other hand, have only a fraction of the power untransformed as they transformed. We’ve definitely got the advantage there.”

Bloom frowned. “Then what’s you’re battle outfit?” she asked.

Stella sighed. “So, my mom’s a fairy, and she really wanted me to be a fairy, but I was born a witch and there was nothing she could do about it. I tried to be as fairy-like as possible because I know how it works in your world, but here appearance matters a lot. I learned how to pseudo-transform myself last year because it let me fit in with the fairies, and I’ve got their body type because I exercise a lot and watch my diet.”

Bloom was horrified. “That’s awful!” she exclaimed. “Are you going to stop now that you’re at this other school?”

“Probably not,” Stella said. “This upkeeping of appearances has been a part of me for so long that it seems silly to change now.”

“How did witches get such a bad reputation?” Bloom asked. “Can boys be witches or fairies? How did things become this way?”

Stella shrugged. “History happened. See, there were these ultra-evil, ultra-powerful witches who called themselves the Ancestral Witches, and they wreaked havoc everywhere. They even destroyed an entire dimension! The Company of Light, which was mostly comprised of Light users, fought back, and while we’re not too clear on what happened, since the ones who appear to have stopped them never came back, we know that their activities ceased.”

“Sounds comforting,” Bloom commented.

“Anyway, that whole event was pretty damning for witches everywhere,” Stella said. “The Ancestral Witches claimed that they were the mothers of all witches, and while that’s impossible, every witch became associated with them because of their words. And so, the world is as it is today, all because of something that happened fifteen years ago.”

“It was only fifteen years ago?” Bloom asked, astounded.

“Yeah,” said Stella. “I was only two then. But if you’re talking about the prejudice against witches in general, it’s been around for ages, but it only got really bad after the Ancestral Witches’ attacks.”

“Now, where do boys fit in this mix?” Bloom asked. “I noticed that there’s no wizard school around here.”

“Boys are wizards, and their powers are neutral,” Stella said. “If I’m remembering science correctly, it’s got something to do with magic being X-linked. Anyway, because they only get one magic gene, they just have magic and aren’t strongly aligned to Dark or Light. Basically, they get to choose which they use.”

“And what decides fairy versus witch?” Bloom asked.

“…Biology?” Stella sounded unsure of herself. “I know I learned at some point that if you’re a girl, you need two magic genes, but no one’s really sure what chooses your core’s alignment. So my mom, who’s a fairy, can give birth to me, a witch. Basically, it’s weird.”

“Sounds like it,” said Bloom.

The pair rounded a bend, revealing a massive castle with a long, winding walkway up to the main gate. Stella groaned. “We’re so close! Come on, Bloom.”

“This is incredible!” Bloom exclaimed as she observed the purple-grey stone that made up the castle’s main architecture. “It’s like something out of my fantasy books!”

“It’s definitely a change from Alfea,” Stella said. “There, the incredible amount of Light magic has bleached the stone pinkish. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a similar story here.”

By the time the pair had reached the main gates of Cloud Tower, Bloom was exhausted. “Wow, and I thought I was in decent shape, too!” she exclaimed as she wiped the sweat from her brow. “You’re not even winded?” she asked, looking at Stella.

“I have to maintain my physique somehow,” Stella said airily. “Running is an easy way to do that, and it builds endurance too. Plus, the outfits can be super cute!” Bloom looked at her, confused, wondering where the girl who had just so easily discussed both history and a little science with her had gone. Catching her glance, Stella winked. “Gotta keep appearances and do what people expect, you know.”

Stella brought Bloom to check in to the school. The girl who ran the check-in table was an upperclassman who looked suspiciously at Stella and her smiling, well-made-up face. “Princess Stella of Solaria, huh? Here’s your key,” she said, eyeing her as she handed her the little envelope.

“Thanks a lot!” Stella chirped. “Say, who can I talk to about a last-minute enrollment? I became this girl’s patron yesterday, and it turns out she’s got magic too!”

“You’ll probably want to talk to Headmistress Griffin,” the witch said. “I’m just a volunteer and that sort of stuff is above my nonexistent pay.”

“Thanks so much!” Stella said. “Which way to her office?” The witch pointed. “Come on, Bloom.” Stella led her off, with a bounce somehow in her step.

“Are you sure they’ll let me in this easily?” Bloom asked Stella as the older girl knocked on the door.

“Where there’s money, there’s a way,” Stella said with confidence.

“Come in,” the headmistress said through the door.

Stella let herself and Bloom in. “Hi there, I’ve recently become the patron of this girl, and I was wondering if I could enroll her.”

“Princess Stella of Solaria, hm?” The headmistress, an older-looking, elegant woman, peered at her. “Who’s the girl?”

“Her name is Bloom, and she’s from a primitive, uncharted dimension called ‘Earth’,” Stella said.

“Earth?” The headmistress became fully attentive. “Interesting, very interesting.”

“How so?” Bloom asked.

“Magic has slowly been disappearing from your ‘Earth’, such that your people pretend that it never existed,” the headmistress said. “The magical peoples were hunted, and those who didn’t go into hiding willfully forgot their power. Recently, the surviving primal fairies, some of your dimension’s last magical vestiges, have vanished. At any rate, your appearance is most intriguing, so you can stay.”

Stella grinned. “I’ll write the check,” she said.

“I’ll consider her on a fifty-percent merit-based scholarship,” the headmistress said. “Depending on her performance in this school, I’ll adjust the numbers accordingly.”

Stella scribbled in her checkbook and handed the slip of paper to the headmistress. “Here you are, Ms. Griffin!” she said cheerily. The headmistress plucked the check from Stella’s hand, inspected it, and then tucked it away in her desk. “Your client will room with you.” Then she sat turned back to whatever she had been doing before the two of them had arrived, paying them no heed. Bloom guessed that her loss of interest in them meant that it was time to leave, so she began to move for the door. Stella noticed and took her wrist, bounding out the door with her in tow.

“I can’t believe she let me in!” Bloom exclaimed.

“Of course she let you in,” Stella said as she navigated the winding halls of Cloud Tower. “I’m your patron, and I offered to pay full tuition for you. Let me tell you, a witches’ school is always in need of funds. It’s the fact that she let you in on merit scholarship that gets me.”

Bloom glanced around the very similar-looking halls. “Stella, do you know where you’re going?”

“No,” Stella admitted. “But our room is 14L, so we’re probably on the fourteenth floor.”

“That’s a lot of stairs,” Bloom commented.

“Yeah, well, it’s called Cloud Tower for a reason,” Stella said. “I’ll teach you how to fly, and then things will be easier.”

After climbing the obnoxious number of stairs, Bloom was exhausted. “I wanna nap,” she said as Stella unlocked their door. “All that walking – first the mountains, then the ramp, then the tower…”

“You didn’t fly?” Bloom turned and saw a girl about an inch or so taller than her and cropped, vibrant pink hair poking her head out of room 14J. She was giving her a look that was more curious than confused, incredulous, or condescending.

“I don’t know how to yet,” Bloom said.

“But it’s so… basic!” the pink-haired girl said, her tone expressing clear disbelief.

Stella pushed open the door and then turned to greet the other girl. “I know, but highly educated girls such as ourselves cannot compare ourselves to those who aren’t,” she said in an uppity manner. “I’m Princess Stella of Solaria. And you are?”

“Tecna,” the pink-haired girl said. “Tecna from Zenith. I’ve heard of you. You’re the one who pretended to be a fairy.”

Stella betrayed no reaction. “That’s right,” she said.

“Oh, get back in here and leave her highnessness alone,” came a voice from inside 14J.

“Every book I’ve read on social etiquette clearly states that one should greet newcomers,” Tecna said over her shoulder.

“Yeah?” A short, thin girl wearing her dark blue hair a practical, high ponytail that had many stray, short hairs framing her face came to the door, and she eyed Stella with distaste. “Royalty like her don’t have time for us normal folks.”

Bloom bristled at the girl’s unnecessary rudeness. “You’d help your case if you’d act civil regardless of who she is,” she said.

The small girl raised a dark eyebrow. “And you are?”

“I’m a random person from an uncharted dimension that the princess you were so quick to judge took under her wing,” Bloom said.

The dark-haired girl was not convinced. “There’s an ulterior motive for certain.”

“You’re right,” said Stella. “It’s called paying a life-debt.”

“A life-debt?” Tecna asked, bored aqua eyes suddenly brightening. “This has potential to be exciting. What happened?”

“Oh, don’t encourage her,” the dark-haired girl groaned. “Spoiled princesses love to hear themselves talk.”

“And how many of them do you know?” Bloom asked the girl.

Tecna immediately answered for her roommate. “Judging by her ideological stance, Musa is non-royal, which means her contact with royalty is limited to television and other social media and news outlets. Her speech patterns and clothing choice indicate living in low-income areas of cities, which means she likely only heard the gossip off the street or caught a glimpse of the inaccurate entertainment tabloids. So, my conclusion is none.”

“Then you can make no judgement,” Bloom told the girl, Musa. Taking a mental deep breath to sooth her irritation, she smiled and offered her friendship. “Let’s pretend this exchange didn’t happen and start over, okay? I’m Bloom, and I’m from an apparently primitive dimension called ‘Earth’. I discovered that I’m a witch less than twelve hours ago.”

When Musa hesitated to offer anything, Stella introduced herself. “I’m Stella, and I’ve lived my life trying to fit in with the Realm of Light and make myself a fairy. It was only at the end of last semester that I was forced to come to terms with what I really am. Less than twelve hours ago, Bloom saved me from an ogre.”

“I’m Musa,” Musa said grudgingly. “I’m from Melody, but I’ve been moving around since my dad and I had a falling out, and I’ve been trying to make it in the music industry. Tecna somehow knew that I’ve been living in shakier neighborhoods, so I guess you should know that no lock is safe from me, and stuff like that.”

“If I need a pickpocket, you’ll be the first I ask,” Bloom said, trying to break the ice. Then she turned to Tecna.

“Didn’t I already say my name?” Tecna asked, sounding like she was puzzling over some peculiar logic problem.

“Is there anything else you want to say about yourself?” Bloom prompted.

“I often get bored and do experiments,” Tecna said.

Musa cocked her head suddenly. “Someone’s coming up the stairs,” she said.

“I don’t hear anything,” Tecna said, turning her head to listen.

“I’m the Witch of Music,” Musa said. “Soundwaves are my territory. I can sense the vibrations through the floor.”

“I guess we can hold the rest of the introductions for when the new girl puts her things down, then,” Stella said. “Come on, Bloom. Let’s dump our suitcases in the room.”

Bloom was surprised by the size of the dorm room. “How…?” she began.

“Distortion of space,” came Tecna’s voice from outside the open door.

“At Alfea, we had smaller rooms, but a furnished common room,” Stella commented as she took in their living space for the year. “The spaciousness of the room must be an exchange for the separateness of the suite’s dorm rooms.”

“You can distort space and live in it?” Bloom asked, oblivious in her awe.

“It’s magically stabilized, of course,” Tecna said, watching her from the door with interest.

“What are you doing in their room?” Musa shouted from across the hall.

“She’s so clueless!” Tecna called back. “It’s entertaining.” Bloom raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Stella flopped down onto the bed nearest to the window. “I hope you don’t mind if I claim this one,” she said to Bloom. “The school’s wards hardly let any sunlight through, and I want to soak up as much as I can. It’s a Solarian thing.”

“No problem,” Bloom said as she shoved her luggage over to the bed up against the wall. “Corners are coziest.”

“If you say so,” Stella said as she kicked her legs around in the air, shaking out the strain of walking in heels.

“The last girl’s here,” Tecna said, turning from watching Bloom to scan the newcomer. As Bloom went to the door, she saw that the girl was around two or so inches taller than Musa, and that she had tan skin and caramel hair that she had braided back, except for her bangs, which framed her full, round face. Everything about her, from the way she dressed to the way she carried herself, screamed delicate and innocent, and Bloom felt a pang of sadness when she realized that this girl, like most other witches, had probably faced prejudice for being born who she was.

“Hello,” the girl said with a small, shy smile, and Bloom felt a sudden urge to pinch her cheeks. “I’m Flora.”

Stella, full of exuberance, pushed past both Bloom and Tecna, grinning broadly. “I’m Stella, Witch of the Sun, Moon, and Stars!”

“I’m Bloom,” Bloom said as she poked her head out from behind her. “I don’t know my power’s specifics, but I can do fiery stuff.”

“I’m Tecna, Witch of Technology,” Tecna said, stiffly holding out a hand, as if she knew she was supposed to, but did not know why.

Musa leaned against her own doorway. “Musa, Witch of Music.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Flora said. “I’m the Witch of Nature.”

Tecna immediately perked up, stepping into the hall with excitement. “Have you tested your range? What’s your default? Can you control the four divisions? Does nature extend to fire? Weather? Animals? Humans?”

“Er…” Flora hesitated as she set down her suitcase and fumbled with her keys. “I’m from Linphea, so I’ve mostly worked with plants,” she said. “They’re my default. Theoretically, I can control water and air as well, but I’m not sure about fire. I haven’t tried controlling animals, let alone humans.”

“You have a sister,” Tecna said, looking Flora and her things over. “A fairy?”

“Yes, how did you know?” Flora asked.

“The charm on your bag – everything about you is earthy, but that charm sparkles. It may as well be shouting ‘fairy’,” Tecna said. “She’s the one who made you come here, and she gave it to you as a good luck charm.”

The four other girls stared at Tecna. “Where do you get this information?” Musa asked.

“Her phone briefly lit up,” Tecna said. “I saw the messages.”

“That quickly?” Stella asked, surprised.

“Speed-reading in every direction is a habit I developed,” Tecna said. “I was bored and there was nothing else to do.”

“So, we’ve got a street-smart cynic, a princess whose pocketbook can get her out of most places, and a budding detective,” Bloom said. Turning to Flora, she quipped, “I guess we two normal girls are going to have to stick together!”

Flora giggled lightly. “If you can count a nature-lover who brought all her plants with her to school as normal,” she said with a smile.

“Comparatively normal,” Bloom amended.

“You’re not completely normal yourself, Miss I-come-from-an-uncharted-dimension-that’s-not-supposed-to-have-magic,” Stella reminded her.

Flora stepped into her room to set her bags down, and Tecna glanced at her wristwatch. “There are still several hours before the school’s official orientation and welcome dinner,” she commented.

“Well, good, because I’m positively famished,” Stella said. “I say we head downtown to grab a quick bite to eat so we don’t die of starvation.”

“A person doesn’t die of starvation in the span of a few hours,” Tecna said. “The approximate rule is ‘three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food’.”

“It’s an expression,” Musa said.

“Oh, another one of those idiom things?” Tecna asked. “Curious. I didn’t think death was something general society joked about so flippantly.”

Bloom quickly changed the subject. “Food sounds great,” she said. “You’re the one who’s been here before. Lead the way, Stella.”

It turned out that Flora could not fly either, so Stella led the five of them down the mountain on foot to the nearest shuttle station, which took them to the heart of the city. She brought them to a lakeside restaurant called The White Horse, and they enjoyed their first meal together. While they were waiting for the bill (Stella had generously offered to pay for everyone), Bloom flipped open her phone to call her parents. She tried several times, but realized that she had no signal.

“Where in the realms did you get that piece of prehistoric technology?” Tecna asked.

“My primitive, prehistoric dimension,” Bloom said with a sigh. “Is there any way I can reach my parents?”

“You can use a payphone,” Musa said. “Those are programmed to reach all dimensions, so you could probably hit your home dimension as well.”

“Give that thing to me,” Tecna said, reaching for Bloom’s phone without waiting for an answer. “I’m always looking for a new project. Updating your archaic machine would be a quick one.”

“Sure, thanks,” Bloom said, handing the phone to her.

“Here, have some change,” Stella said. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m your patron, Bloom. I take care of your needs.”

“Thanks so much,” Bloom said as she took the coins. “I’ll be right back.”

She spotted a telephone booth a few streets down. Heading over, she pushed the coins into the machine and dialed her house phone. Within a few rings, her mother picked up. “Hello, Vanessa speaking. What can I do for you?”

“Hi, Mom, it’s me, Bloom,” Bloom said.

She heard her mother’s exclamation of delight. “Sweetheart! How is everything? Are you settling in alright?”

“Yup,” Bloom said happily. “It’s wonderful! Everything’s taken care of. I’m staying with Stella and three other girls in a suite, which is nice. The rooms are great, and so’s the city. We’re all eating out right now.”

“That sounds like fun,” her mother said. “Do you know when your classes start?”

“Tomorrow, I think,” Bloom said. “We have an orientation later tonight.”

“Alright, then I’d better let you rest up,” her mother said with a laugh. “Keep your dad and I posted, okay?”

“I promise,” Bloom said. As her mother told her she would pass on her love to her father, something yellow in her peripheral vision caught her attention. Bloom realized that she might be being paranoid after being attacked by a large, yellow ogre, but allowed herself to look all the same. It turned out that she was not being paranoid. “Okay, I love you! Talk to you soon!” Bloom said, forcing herself not to sound stressed as she hung up.

She followed the ogre, hoping that they were a common sight in the magical dimensions. To her dismay, the ogre subtly edged closer to the White Horse, eying her new friends. Closer inspection revealed that it looked a little beat up. The chances that it was a coincidence were too slim for Bloom’s liking. It only stayed briefly, and then Bloom followed it away to an alleyway, where it approached three beautiful girls. They were tall, thin, and dressed stylishly, though their personal styles were quite different. There was a girl with a long ponytail whose hair was white as snow and shiny as fresh ice and whose clothes were sharp and preppy, a girl with glasses whose luscious brown hair was wrapped up in a French twist and whose clothes made her appear to be the most fashionable hipster-nerd Bloom had ever seen, and there was a girl whose textured dark blue-purple-gray hair had been tamed into a short braid and whose clothes read ‘sweet’ while her eyes read ‘dangerous.’ Bloom did not think any of them, not even the one with the braid, would stand a chance against the ogre. But then she remembered the Stella had told her that thin girls like them were fairies, and so she waited to see what would happen.

“Well, Knut?” the girl with white hair asked impatiently, her voice clear like a singer’s. “You called to meet us in a very public place, and you know that those of our status cannot be seen with the likes of you. This had better be important.”

“The girl whose scepter you want, she’s here!” the ogre, Knut, told them. “They’re in some restaurant near the lake.” The girl with glasses sighed and motioned for Knut to come to them. The ogre lumbered forward, briefly obscuring Bloom’s view. Then a powerful wind blew up from behind, knocking over the trashcans that hid Bloom.

“Well, well, well, what have we here?” the girl with the braid asked, waving her hand to make the wind stop.

“You’re a witch?” Bloom asked, confused.

“Ha, of course not!” the girl said haughtily. “I’m the Fairy of Weather, one of the best. I don’t need to transform to do something as trivial as this.”

“Trivial, huh?” Bloom asked nervously.

“So, are you one of our fans?” the white-haired girl asked. “You didn’t know who our little sister was, so I doubt it. What is it, then? Eavesdropping isn’t polite, you know.”

“I, uh, saw the ogre,” Bloom said. “I followed it, and saw you guys, and was worried that you might have to fight it.”

“Cute, but we both know that’s not true,” the girl with glasses said. “If you followed this careless creature here, then you’ve seen a lot more than that. What do you say, sisters?”

“The weather is so fickle,” the girl with the braid said. “It’d be a pity if a poor little girl got caught out in a lightning storm. A terrible thing, really. Not a trace of her left since she got fried.”

“Give me until sundown and I can arrange that,” the girl with glasses said.

“I’ll hold her until then,” the white-haired girl said as Bloom started to back away slowly.

There was a flash of light, and Bloom found herself blocked by a wall of ice. Recognizing a lost cause when she was in one, she said, “Hey, uh, I can just leave and pretend none of this ever happened. Hopefully we’ll never see each other again. You know, I’m just one girl in this entire city of Magix, right?”

“You see, that’s the problem,” said the girl with glasses as ice began to creep up Bloom’s legs. “Every girl in Magix knows who we are, but you don’t. That’s suspicious. So, you must be someone from another dimension who wants to sabotage the most powerful fairies in all the dimensions by ruining their image in the media by fabricating their meeting with a dark creature.”

“You have to realize that even if you did, you would have to be desperate to try something like that,” the white-haired girl continued as the ice continued to crawl up Bloom’s body, immobilizing her. “No one would believe that the model fairies would do that. So, your efforts are fruitless.”

“But, all the same, we have to make you disappear,” the girl with the braid said. “No hard feelings, right? Here’s to hoping no one misses you!”

“You hoped wrong!” Bloom’s eyes widened at Stella’s voice.

“Princess Stella of Solaria,” said the white-haired girl. “I didn’t see you back at Alfea. I suppose it took you long enough to realize that even if a witch wants to be a fairy and shun the Dark, she’ll never be able to do it. You’re simply born wrong.”

“Say what you want about me, Icy,” Stella said. “I was raised properly; I can take the slander of jealous commoners like you. But you are to leave my client alone, do you understand me?”

The white-haired girl, Icy, scoffed. “This is ridiculous. We’re so above you that we could make you disappear as well, and the worlds wouldn’t bat an eyelash. Knut, take them.”

The ogre charged at them, and Stella, Musa, and Flora scattered. “Tecna, move!” Musa yelled from somewhere behind Bloom.

“One ogre, on the heavy side, slow and lumbering,” Tecna said as she watched Knut running straight for her. “This should do it. Static sphere!” She snapped her fingers, and an electric green net scooped the ogre up off the ground.

Musa groaned. “Of course, you just have to be insufferable even in a fight,” she complained. “Treble burst!” A painfully high-pitched shrill ripped through the air, past Bloom and straight through Knut’s head toward the three girls in the back of the alley. The ogre groaned and shook his head like he was trying to scare off an annoying fly.

“I’ll finish this,” Stella said, gathering energy in her hands. “By the power of the deities of Solaria, in the name of the Moon of Justice – moonlight mandalas!” A flurry of silver rings burst from the silver glow in Stella’s hands, sending Knut flying. “I always knew there was something off about you three,” she declared. “It had to be a crafted image; only idols are so effortlessly perfect, and that’s because they’re fake! And now I have my proof.”

“That’s what you think,” Icy said, smiling. “No one will believe you. You’re the one who faked being a fairy in the public eye for an entire school year.”

“The sun has set,” the girl with glasses said. “I’m ready.”

“Then hit them!” the girl the braid exclaimed impatiently. “I want to go home and redo my nails.”

“Shadows of night,” the girl with glasses said, and waves of darkness rolled from her hands.

“Incoming: curious hybrid of Light power and night energy,” Tecna said. “Proposed solution: firewall.” The three mobile girls darted behind her and her shield.

“We need to get Bloom out of there,” Musa said. “She’s completely in the line of fire!”

“I’ve got a diversion,” Flora said. “Layers of nature, rise. Dust cloud!” She blew gently into the alley, and any particle of dust or dirt that had settled there rose up into the air. Musa took advantage of the visual cover to press a hand against the ice that had trapped Bloom and send a pulse of vibrations through it, making it shatter.

“Thanks, Musa,” Bloom said as she stumbled behind Tecna’s shield.

“Don’t be stupid like this again and we’ll forget all about it,” Musa said gruffly, not looking at her.

“Oh, this is ridiculous,” the girl with the braid said. “Southern wind!” A burst of hot wind sent the dust back at Bloom and her friends. “Blade of the sky!” A blast of lightning ripped through the air, striking Tecna’s shield, overpowering it and sending them sprawling backwards.

“Let’s finish this, sisters,” Icy said.

Together, the three girls chanted, “By the power invested in me, by the sign of three, give me the power of a fairy!” As Bloom and the others recovered, light engulfed the three.

“Quick, over here,” Stella hissed. “While they’re transforming.” She slipped off her ring, turned it into her scepter, and slammed the bottom into the ground. The world around them blurred and vanished.

When things came back into focus, Bloom realized that they were back in the mountains outside Cloud Tower. Tecna glanced at her watch. “It’s about time we were heading back anyway,” she commented. “Orientation starts soon.”

“We’d better fly, then,” said Musa.

“What about Bloom and Flora?” Stella asked as she eased Bloom’s shivering with a silent sun spell.

“Don’t worry about us,” Flora said. “I happen to have a buoyancy potion on me. We can just take a sip of that, and you three and drag us along.”

“What a curious thing to have on your person,” Tecna commented.

“You’re not allowed to have opinions about what’s weird and what’s not,” Musa said as Flora handed Bloom a small vial.

“Why’s that?” Tecna asked, but Bloom did not hear the rest of the conversation because the two of them took off flying.

The five of them arrived back in the school precisely two minutes and thirty-nine seconds before their orientation was due to start, as Tecna so graciously informed them. Bloom had a difficult time concentrating as the headmistress and staff stood before the entire school and welcomed them to the new year, warning them to mind their own business and keep to themselves if they wanted to avoid trouble. “That was a very friendly and warm introduction,” Bloom remarked as they climbed the stairs back to their suite.

“They’re telling it how it is,” Musa said. “The world isn’t good to witches, and there’s nothing they can do about it.”

“They can say whatever they want,” Stella said dramatically. “There’s no way they’re stopping me from getting a little sun in Magix City!”

“Stella, you knew those fairies back there?” Flora asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Stella said. “They’re a year older than me, so they’re two years older than you guys. They’re some of the most powerful Alfea has ever seen – there’s Icy, the Fairy of Winter, Darcy, the Fairy of Night, and Stormy, the Fairy of Weather.”

“They said they’re sisters,” Bloom remembered.

“Not by blood or living,” Tecna said. “Their coloring is completely different, as are their mannerisms. Nothing about them hints that they lived together for any long period of time.”

“You’re right,” said Stella. “They just call themselves that. Most people refer to them as the Trio, and anyone who knows anything about them adores them. They’re powerful and they present as perfect role models – good grades, lots of friends, and great personalities. In that entire school, I was the only one who thought there was something a little strange about how flawless they were, and now I have confirmation. They’re completely fake!”

“They call themselves the Trio?” Musa scoffed. “How creative.”

“It’s certainly descriptive,” Tecna said.

“Then what are we? The Quintet?” Musa asked with a laugh.

“Also accurate,” Tecna agreed.

Stella shook her head. “That’s too similar to them,” she said. “Let’s be unique.”

“What do we all have in common?” Flora asked.

“We’re witches,” Tecna said.

“Let’s steer clear of anything having to do with that,” Musa said. “People have enough problems with witches without knowing who they are.”

Bloom thought. “We could be subtle about it,” she suggested. “What if we called ourselves ‘Wings,’ but make a pun out of it?”

“How so?” asked Flora.

“Well, we actually don’t have wings,” Bloom said. “So, what if we called ourselves ‘Wings’ with an ‘X’? Like, W-I-N-X. We’re wingless. And it’s not completely obvious because it could also be a stylized way of writing ‘wings’.”

“That’s clever,” Stella said at the same time as Tecna said, “The idea has merit.”

“It’s cute,” Flora said with a smile.

Musa shrugged. “I could go for that.”

“This is so funny,” Bloom said. “I feel like a middle-schooler again.”

“Sometimes a little something silly is all you need to feel better after a crazy day,” Flora said wisely. She opened her room. “See you guys tomorrow for class!”

“Good night,” Bloom said as Stella opened their door. Before she knew it, she was ready for bed and fast asleep.

#winx #winxclub #winxau #winx club au #reversewinx #reverse winx #reversewinxau #reverse winx au #winx bloom #winx stella #winx tecna #winx musa #winx flora #winx club bloom #winx club stella #winx club tecna #winx club musa #winx club flora

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Musa Profile

General Information

Realm of origin: Melody

Date of birth: May 30, 1988

Age: 15-16 (season 1)

Family: Hoboe (father), Matlin (mother)

Physical Information

Eyes: dark blue

Hair: black-blue, straight

Complexion: fair olive

Height: 5’0”

Blood type: AB

Body type: thin

Personal Information

Style: street casual but practical

Distinguishing skills: lock picking, lyricist, composing, crack shot

Likes: concealed weapons, playing instruments and people

Dislikes: surprises, idealism, optimism

#winx #winxau #winx club #winx club au #reverse winx #reverse winx au #reversewinx #reversewinxau #winx musa #winx club musa

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Magic in Gardenia

Welcome to my new AU! It’s got a harsher world, a few key plot changes, some personality changes, and a whole lot of headcanons. If you’ve got any ideas or headcanons that you think might fit well in this universe, message me and I’ll see what I can do! Eventually I’ll make a full headcanon page for your reference, and I’ll give credit appropriately.

Once upon a time, in sunny, southern California, USA, there lived a girl named Bloom, and this is her story.

The interesting parts began with her being woken up for school, which was not the way she had anticipated starting summer vacation. It was just a joke, of course, and she tried to be amused as she slumped back into bed. Her mother laughed and picked up the assortment of books that lay scattered on the floor near her nightstand. “A late night for sci-fi, honey?” she asked as she tidied up. “You know, I have some wonderful historical fiction books that might be interesting.”

“All you like are sappy romance novels,” Bloom mumbled as she covered her face with her sheets. “Gimme a good high fantasy any day.”

“Not all romance is bad,” her mother insisted. “You’re already sixteen. Soon you’ll start to understand.”

“Sure, Mom,” Bloom said.

Her mother laughed. “When you manage to drag yourself out of bed, go look outside. Your dad and I have a surprise for you.”

Bloom perked up at that. “Surprise?” A surprise meant a dash of novelty in her otherwise mundane life. “I’ll be right down!” Already dressed from after being startled awake for the non-existent school day, she slipped on her well-worn sneakers and followed her mother downstairs. After making sure her pet rabbit Kiko’s cage was well-supplied with food and water, she opened her family’s condo’s door. Outside, her father was just finishing attaching a little delivery basket on the front of a brand new bicycle.

“It’s a little old-fashioned,” he admitted as he wiped the sweat that had formed under the morning sun, “but it should take you on some grand adventures nonetheless.”

“I know it’s not a scooter like some of those other girls have,” her mother said from behind her. “I hope you’re not too disappointed.”

Bloom grinned. “Are you kidding? You guys both know that I’ve always wanted a way to get around the city so that I don’t have to bug you when you’re working. This is great!”

“Are you sure?” her mother fretted.

“Absolutely,” Bloom said. “Who needs what those snobby rich kids want anyway? Those scooters are the things that’ll get stolen first, in my opinion. Plus, you know me. I’m your fantasy-loving, dragon-slaying girl. I like old-fashioned.”

“Wanna take it out on a test run?” her father asked as he shoved the few tools he had needed into his bag. “Go buy yourself a start-of-summer treat and have some fun.”

“You don’t need to tell me twice!” Bloom exclaimed. “Let me just grab some cash, my book, and some sunscreen, and I’ll see you guys later!”

Five minutes later, Bloom was pedaling down the sidewalk to her favorite hideout, the Gardenia City Park. During the warm school months, she often did her homework under the light of the bright Californian sun, and in the summer, while most other teenagers lazed about on the beaches, Bloom spread out a blanket and relaxed in the calming shade of the trees. That was her plan for the day, and she ran through her favorite spots in her head as she felt the wind rush through her hair.

The sound of a motor very rudely broke her train of thought. “Well, if it isn’t Red,” said the nasally voice of Mitzi, the heiress of one of Gardenia’s biggest fashion stores. “Got yourself a new ride, I see.” Bloom ignored her. “Well, whatever. Looks like your parents are still too poor to get you anything of real value. That, or they just don’t love you enough to buy you a sweet scooter like mine.”

Whenever Bloom encountered people like Mitzi, she always wished she were better at snappy comebacks. No matter how hard she tried to emulate some of her favorite sassy heroes and heroines, though, she never could. Luckily, she had learned early on that comebacks were not her strong suit, and so she continued ignoring Mitzi. A traffic light turned red, trapping the spoiled girl and her scooter, while Bloom continued on her way.

It was a short bike ride through the small city. Bloom sighed in contentment as she settled down in the shade with a small basket of snacks. She ate an apple and threw the core into the trees for any animal that wanted it, and laid back on her picnic blanket. It was not long before she dozed off, slipping in and out of dreams and vague, adventure-filled trains of thought, when suddenly there was a blaze of light that sent tingles through Bloom’s whole body.

Looking up at the sky, Bloom confirmed that it was still clear and sunny, and that she had not just been struck by lightning. Then she heard a girl shouting, and, pulling out her cell phone, she went to investigate. Walking carefully and quietly, Bloom followed the sounds of distress to a clearing deep in the park. Hiding behind the trees, she saw a tall, tan, blonde girl who was around her age desperately fighting off a band of small, strange creatures that appeared to be made of shadows. The girl was dressed in shorts and a flowing, one-sleeved shirt that appeared to made out of something resembling orange latex, and she wore tall, heeled boots of the same, bold color. Her long hair was tied back in low pigtails, and she wielded a tall, silver staff.

“Rising Sun!” the girl exclaimed, raising her free hand, and Bloom watched in amazement as a burst of blinding light blasted away the shadow creatures.

“I’ve got to be dreaming,” she whispered to herself.

“Solar Wind!” the girl yelled as she slammed her staff into the ground. Her entire body released a blaze of light that threw more of the shadow creatures away from her. Bloom saw that the girl sagged in exhaustion, and she realized that she probably had been fighting or trying to escape them for some time. Then she noticed an ominous hand reach out from the shadows and catch one of the creatures, crushing it. Following the hand into the shadows, Bloom saw it was connected to a hulking, nonhuman mass.

“This is definitely a nightmare,” she said with a gulp.

Then the hulking mass charged out into the light, and, after getting over the fact that it was yellow and wearing suspenders, Bloom ducked back into the shadows, barely peeking out to watch. The girl raised her staff to defend herself, but was hurled back and onto the ground. The hulking mass could speak, and it ordered the shadow creatures forward. The girl tried to get up, but was yanked down by the swarm.

The hulking mass ripped the staff from the girl’s hands. “Not so brave now, huh, little girl?” it snarled as it leaned over her.

Something clenched in Bloom’s gut, and her fight instinct won over flight. After all, she thought as she stood, it’s just a dream, and it’s not often I’m aware in one. I might as well test the limits. Gripping her phone and a stick that she had grabbed from the ground, she stepped into the clearing. “Get back, you ugly beast!” she exclaimed.

“Or what?” the beast asked with a sneer. “Get her!” It pointed at Bloom, and the shadow creatures rushed toward her.

Bloom’s mind raced as she watched the creatures growing closer and closer. “It’s just a dream, it’s just a dream,” she chanted as she bit her lip. Shoving her cell phone in her back pocket, she gripped her stick with both hands and did the stupidest thing she could imagine – ran at the creatures and swung her stick at them with all her might. To her surprise, the stick burst into flames, and when they touched the creatures, which had leaped at her, they disintegrated. Filled with confidence, Bloom waved the flaming stick at the remaining creatures, which eyed her cautiously. Then she approached the girl.

“Are you alright?” she asked, kneeling beside her.

“B-behind you!” the girl gasped.

“Huh?” Lost in the adrenaline rush from the thrill of using her dream powers, Bloom had briefly forgotten about the hulking, yellow mass that was stalking toward her. It swiped the girl’s staff at her and knocked the stick from her hands, which fell to the ground and went out. Grabbing her by the arms, it hoisted her into the air.

“Such a troublesome little girl,” it growled as it shook her around. “I wonder how hard I can smash you!”

“Just a dream,” Bloom told herself as she clenched her body and willed the creature to go away. Her muscles tensed and her belly felt like it had a hot water bottle in it, and she felt like she was going to burst. Then she did, but not in the way she expected. A long, thick ribbon of energy exploded from her body, forcing the hulking, yellow mass to let go of her as it was thrown back. Bloom dropped to the ground, suddenly exhausted. If this was what all magic was like, it was no wonder that the other girl looked so tired.

“My scepter,” the girl called. “Kick my scepter over here!” Bloom looked, and saw that it was indeed within her leg’s reach. She swung around and sent the metal object spinning over at the girl, who grabbed it, shouting, “Power of the suns, moons, and stars, don’t fail me now!” Light blazed, and everything went flying.

“R-retreat!” the hulking mass exclaimed as it attempted to scramble to its feet. The few remaining shadow creatures scurried to it, and in a burst of purple light, they all disappeared, though not before one of them snagged a bit of Bloom’s jeans.

“Whew, thank goodness that’s over,” the girl said with a sigh. And then her eyes closed and she collapsed. In a comparatively dull flash, her latex outfit, scepter, and pigtails all disappeared, replaced by long, flowing hair and a bright, summery dress.

Bloom cried out in alarm and stumbled over to her side. “Hey! Wake up, wake up!” Grabbing her phone, she dialed her condo. “Hello? Mom? Can you or dad come out to the park? Someone’s hurt out here, and I can’t carry her myself.”

*~*~*

It was nearly nightfall when Bloom finally came to the conclusion that she was not dreaming. “Honey, you’ve been acting off all afternoon,” her mother said. “What’s wrong? Are you worried about that poor girl you found?”

“Yeah,” Bloom said. She was not lying, but it felt strange to not tell her mother the whole truth.

“I still think we should have taken her to the hospital,” her father said as he looked at the strange girl sleeping on their couch.

“Mike, it just looks like a case of heat stroke and exhaustion,” her mother told him as she patted her husband on the shoulder. “You said so yourself.”

Her father sighed. “I know, honey, I just worry. She’s Bloom’s age; wouldn’t we want someone to take our daughter to the hospital if they found her in a park? I think that at the very least we should call the police to see if anyone’s looking for her.”

“I told you, Dad, I think we should wait for her to wake up,” Bloom said as she stood guard over the girl. “That way we can help her back home without scaring her family by giving them a call from the police.”

“It’s almost nightfall,” her father argued. “Her parents are probably worried anyway.”

“I don’t know, Dad,” Bloom said. “Sure, her clothes are fashionable, which means she’s got money and is probably not a runaway, but the bottoms of her shoes show that they’re well used, which suggests that she’s accustomed to taking long walks. Staying out late is probably a normal thing for her.”

“I always forget that mystery novels are your favorite after fantasy and sci-fi,” her mother said proudly.

“This still doesn’t feel right to me,” her father said. “She didn’t have any form of identification on her? It seems a bit fishy. What if she was mugged?”

“I wasn’t,” the girl said sleepily.

Her mother hurried over. “You’re awake, dear! Are you alright?”

The girl sat up and stretched. “I’m fine, thanks,” she said. “I just used too much energy, that’s all.” Turning to Bloom, she said, “Thanks for all your help back there. I was caught completely off guard and I hardly had any time to think. When that ogre cornered me on my way to Magix, I did the first thing I thought of and bolted into another dimension, thinking that it couldn’t follow me and that I could wait it out. Ogres don’t usually have magic, you see. But this one did, or had some sort of magical item that let it follow me, and so I got stuck fighting it here. Normally it’s not a problem, but I’m a little rusty since it’s been vacation, and my old school didn’t really teach much combat in general, let alone to first-years.”

Bloom stared at Stella, realizing that she was either mistaken and was still dreaming, or that she had just become a part of something more exciting than she had ever imagined. Her father, however, headed for the home phone. “Ok, I’m calling the hospital.”

“What? Why?” Stella asked. “Which dimension am I in?”

“Dimension?” her mother asked.

“You’re in a city called Gardenia in the state of California in the United States of America,” Bloom said. “Um, our planet is called ‘Earth,’ and there isn’t any magic here. I’m Bloom, and this is my mom, Vanessa, and my dad, Mike.”

“Hello, it’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Stella said politely. “Your planet’s called ‘Earth’, hm? That’s rather… primitive. Oh! Your dimension’s technology must not have advanced far enough to connect with the other dimensions yet! Oh dear. Wait, did you say there’s no magic here?” Bloom nodded. “Then what was that you did against the ogre? The fire thing, I mean.”

“Fire?!” her mother asked, confused and concerned.

“It was brilliant!” Stella exclaimed, swinging her legs around so that they rested on the ground. “Your daughter stood up to the ogre and its minions, got herself in a corner, and then used her magic to drive them back and give me time to recover enough to force them to retreat. She saved my life, you know.”

“Wait, what?” her father asked, pausing from dialing the hospital. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Do you think would have believed me?” Bloom asked. “I hardly believe me, and I live for this kind of stuff!”

“There’s really no magic in this dimension?” Stella asked. “Hm. I wonder what makes you different. But regardless, you’ve got raw power, if your fight against the ogre was anything to go by. Not to mention you can do it untransformed, and you’ve got a normal person’s body… Say, is there somewhere that I can test your magic? I’m an extremely nosy person, you see, and if you want to learn to control your powers, you’ll need to go to school. The magic test will allow me to help you enroll in the place that’s right for you.”

“Wait, why are you doing this for me?” Bloom asked.

“You saved my life, silly!” Stella said. “Let it never be said that the princess of Solaria doesn’t pay her debts. It’s the least I can do.” Then she noticed her father was trying to sneak out of the room with the phone. “Sorry,” she said, “I can’t have you calling your security people.” She wiggled her fingers and the phone flew back to its holder, out of battery and charging.

“M-m-magic?!” her father stammered, shocked.

“Told you,” Stella said. “Say, Bloom, is there somewhere I can take you to do the test? I don’t want to put your dad into any more shock than he’s already in.”

Bloom laughed. “My bedroom would work. Can you stand?”

“Yup!” Stella said as followed Bloom. “I’m telling you, there’s nothing wrong with me. I was just tired and had to sleep it off, that’s all.”

Bloom let Stella into her room and closed the door. “So, what’s the magical world like?” she asked excitedly. “I’m guessing it’s nothing like the different books I’ve read imagine.”

“Probably not,” Stella said as she looked up at the night sky out Bloom’s window. “Let’s see…” She turned back to Bloom and handed her a ring.

“So why do you have a magic test for the different schools on you?” Bloom asked.

“It’s a long story,” Stella said as she watched Bloom put on the ring. “The short version is that my mom always wanted me to go to her old school, but early on my magic indicated that I was better suited for another place. She tried to teach me all her old school’s tricks to help me along, and would constantly check my magical alignment, but it never changed. Regardless, I went to her old school last year. However, something happened, so now I’m going to the place I was meant to go.”

“Oh,” said Bloom, not really sure what to say. “What makes a person suited for a particular school or not?”

Stella sighed as she began to wave her hands over the ring. “In the magical dimensions, girls with magic are either strongly aligned with Light or Dark, while boys are always neutral. There’s been some history, and those with Light generally have a better reputation than those with Dark.”

Bloom frowned. “For a place more advanced than here, it sure sounds like you’ve got so of the same problems we do.”

“Probably,” Stella said. “Okay, there we go. You’re aligned like I am. You’re Dark.”

“Dark?” Bloom asked, a sinking feeling settling into her stomach.

“That’s right,” Stella said. “It means that we would go to the same school, but I won’t blame you if you don’t want to come with me, you know. Witches – that’s what they call people like us – have a hard life in the magical dimensions.”

“I don’t care; I need to learn to control my powers,” Bloom said. “Now that I know I’ve got them, I could do something accidentally if I get hurt or scared, and I don’t want to harm anyone. Who cares about prejudice? I’ll just have to turn the worlds upside down.”

“You’ve got spirit,” said Stella. “I like you.”

Then the house shook. “What was that?” Bloom asked.

“Let’s find out,” Stella said.

The two girls rushed downstairs to see the ogre that had attacked Stella earlier, along large blue monster and another pack of the little shadow creatures. “Bloom, hold them off for a second,” Stella said. “I’m gonna call for backup!”

“The police won’t know how to deal with this!” Bloom exclaimed.

“It’s okay,” Stella said. “I’m not calling the police. Get it outside! I’ve put up a camouflage spell, so don’t worry about the neighbors.” Her body flashed, and she was back in the outfit that Bloom had first seen her wearing during her battle in the park.

“If you say so,” Bloom said shakily. “Hey, you! C-come and get me!” She darted for the condo’s back door, and as she expected, a wave of shadow creatures chased after her. “I really need this fire thing to work again…” Grabbing a trashcan cover to use a shield, Bloom watched the creatures warily.

A blast of light threw the ogre out of her condo, and Bloom looked over, impressed. The ogre groaned on the ground. Then Stella came flying after it, and Bloom remembered that the other girl had been facing the large blue monster as well. “Are you okay?” she asked as she helped Stella to her feet.

“I’ll be fine,” Stella said as she made a device that Bloom had never seen before appear.

“We’re outnumbered,” Bloom commented as she watched Stella’s back.

“I know,” said Stella. “That’s why I’m calling in a favor. I really hope Timmy can get into uncharted territory. Does this place even have dimensional coordinates?” Bloom had no idea what Stella was talking about, so she focused on swatting away the shadow creatures that came too close. Then the blue monster forced its way out the door.

“Oh no…” Bloom said. “Stella?”

“Timmy better hurry his skinny butt over here,” Stella muttered as she made the device disappear and floated up off the ground. Bloom stared. “Moonlight Mandalas!” Stella swung her scepter at the blue monstrosity, sending a wave of silver light at it.

“The ogre’s coming to,” Bloom warned.

“Stay close to me,” Stella ordered as she blasted the ogre away from them.

“The blue thing!” Bloom yelped as the monster came charging at them, a swirl of light appearing behind it.

“On it!” Stella stepped back, poised to attack, when a cord with a glowing ball on the end snapped around the monster’s neck.

“Got him,” a male voice said, voice filled with confidence and pride.

“It’s about time,” Stella said, her relief betrayed by her body relaxing. “Did you really go and put on those awful unitard uniform things just for a quick fight? I’m not your teacher, you know.”

“Princess Stella.” Bloom peeked around Stella to see four boys about their age standing with their weapons ready. One of them held the rope that trapped the blue monster. The one who had spoken, a boy with brown hair, had nodded respectfully to her friend. “It took a little longer than usual to pinpoint the location you sent us, so we figured we might as well put on the full getup. After all, it’s not every day that we get a call from someone like you, so I figured that it had to be important, and so I made the guys dress to impress.”

Stella rolled her eyes. “You’re still going by Sky, right?” The brown-haired boy nodded. “I see,” she said. “I know I’ve ranted to you about how unflattering your school’s look is, and now here you are blinding my new friend, Bloom, with those horrible outfits.”

“Are we just gonna stand here chatting?” a strawberry-blonde with glasses asked. “Our school is a lot stricter than Alfea. Someone’s going to look for us soon.”

The magenta-haired boy who held the blue monster scoffed. “It’s been less than two minutes. Chill out, Timmy. Let’s have a little fun for once.”

“Let’s not get too excited, guys,” said the last boy, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed teen. “Our second year hasn’t even started yet, and the teachers haven’t even talked about assigning our first mission yet.” If Bloom had not known that he came from another dimension, she would have guessed that he came from a family of Swedish models. He was definitely easy on the eyes.

Her train of thought was broken when the blue monster, which had been growing angrier and angrier as it struggled with the cord that bound it, finally managed to yank itself around, pulling the boy attached to the cord with it and dumping him at Bloom and Stella’s feet. “I’d say ‘Told you so’, but I can’t,” the brown-haired boy said with a long-suffering sigh. “Will you say it, Brandon?”

“Told you so,” the blonde, Brandon, said.

“Shut up!” the magenta-haired boy said angrily.

The troll, finally free, turned and lumbered toward the boys. Brandon immediately stepped in front of the brown-haired boy. “Your highness, stay back!”

As the troll punched Brandon’s shield, the brown-haired boy sighed. “Seriously, Brandon? Showing off in front of the ladies? That’s a prince’s job.”

“I don’t care, do something!” Brandon said.

“Sky, separate them,” the boy with glasses said.

“On it,” said the brown-haired boy, Sky. He swung his massive, green broadsword (she really had read far too many fantasy novels) and split the pavement. Bloom was impressed. “Timmy, he’s all yours.”

The boy with glasses, Timmy, shot at the blue monster’s feet, driving it back into the crack, where it fell, trapped. “Got it!”

By now, the magenta-haired boy had recovered. “Watch the ghouls,” he said gruffly. “Stay behind me.” Bloom, who did not really know what to do in her current situation, had no problem with his order (ordinarily, she would question such a harsh command, especially from a male to a female). The shadow-creatures, called ghouls, apparently, rushed at the boy, who was practically inviting them to attack him.

Stella levitated behind Bloom, concentrating. Bloom realized that she was maintaining the camouflage spell. “It’s nice to see a good fight every once in a while,” the floating girl commented as she watched the boys. “Any of the catch your interest?”

Bloom looked at her. “That’s what you’re thinking at a time like this?”

Stella laughed quietly. “Puh-lease. We’re in no danger now that we’ve got numbers on our side. Plus, those uniforms may be hideous, but they sure do let the boys show off their bodies!”

Bloom sighed and shook her head. “I guess I can’t argue with that.” She watched as the magenta-haired boy was overwhelmed by the ghouls. “Should we help him?”

“His delicate ego will be hurt if we do,” said Stella. “Believe me, I know the guy.”

Then the ogre charged out of nowhere and sent him flying.

“I think he’ll get over it,” Bloom said, anxiety beginning to build in her gut.

“Me too,” said Stella, and together they blasted the ogre.

“Once is luck, twice is a coincidence, but three times?” Bloom asked. “I’m definitely not dreaming.”

“Told you,” said Stella.

Bloom watched as the ogre recovered and realized that it was surrounded by two witches and four armed boys. Growling in frustration, the ogre clapped its hands and disappeared.

“I’ve got the troll!” Timmy called from the split in the pavement. During the fight, he had snapped some sort of collar that generated an electric cage around the blue monster.

“Good work,” said Sky, clapping his teammate on the back.

“Now that we’ve got a chance to breathe, let me introduce you guys,” Stella said as she flashed back into her normal clothes. “Bloom, these are some friends of mine from last year. They got to Red Fountain, a school that trains boys to be soldiers. The guy with spiky hair is Riven, the guy with brown hair is Prince Sky of Eraklyon, the guy with glasses is Timmy, and the guy with the shield is Brandon.” Bloom noticed that she met Brandon’s eyes, and that some sort of silent exchange passed between them.

“I don’t hear anymore fighting.” Bloom watched as her parents dared to leave the house. “Who are you people?” her father asked. “Where’d you come from?”

“They’re the cavalry,” Bloom said. “Stella called them.”

“Sorry to have to run,” said Sky. “Our teachers really are gonna start looking for us soon, and we’ve got a troll to take care of. See ya around soon, Stella. Timmy, take us home!” The swirl of light appeared again, and the boys and the troll disappeared.

“Sorry about the mess,” Stella said, looking around the street. “Here, let me fix it.”

Bloom watched her father stubbornly shake his head. “I can do it the normal way.”

“I insist,” Stella said as she waved her scepter. “I owe you guys for taking me in. Plus, how would you ever explain this to the neighbors?” The pavement fixed itself, the shattered windows reassembled, and the door flew back to its hinges.

The four of them went back inside to relax. “Let me get you something to eat,” her mother said as she gestured for them all to sit. “It’s been an exciting night.”

“I wish I could, but I’ve got to get to Magix,” Stella said. “School starts tomorrow, you see. Bloom, are you coming with me?”

“Can I?” Bloom asked her parents. “I really believe that I need to learn to control my powers, or I might hurt someone by accident.”

“What will we tell people who ask about you?” her mother asked.

“You guys know that I don’t have many friends,” Bloom said. “The only person who might get curious is that girl Selina who I’ve done projects with from time to time, and when it’s the school year, you can just tell her that I applied to boarding school to enjoy some new experiences. During the summer you can say that I’m at a writing workshop or something.”

Her father sighed. “You’re so young, though. You’re only sixteen, and then there’s also those monsters out there.”

“Don’t worry,” said Stella. “I’ll be there to guide Bloom along the way, and we’ll be well protected once we’re in Magix.”

“That’s what you thought, and then you were attacked,” her father said.

“That was on my way to Magix,” Stella corrected. “But we’ve beaten that ogre for now, so we’d best be on our way.”

“What about tuition?” her mother asked.

“I told you guys, I owe you for your hospitality. Consider it taken care of,” Stella said with a wave of her hand.

“What, can you create money with magic?” her father asked.

“No, that’s illegal,” said Stella.

“Wait, those guys called you ‘Princess’,” Bloom realized. “You’re royalty.”

“That’s right,” Stella said. “So don’t worry about it. Your daughter’s safe as long as she’s with me.”

“Can we at least come drop you off?” her mother asked.

“I’m sure you could,” said Stella. “I might not be able to take you all the way up to the school, but you can definitely get a glimpse of Magix.”

Bloom packed her duffle bags and Stella transformed her ring back into her scepter. She beckoned to them. “Come close.” They drew near to her, and Stella raised the scepter, calling, “Magix!”

The world disappeared into a blur, and Bloom felt like she was falling. Then she was standing on windy mountainside overlooking a beautiful valley that slowly turned into a modern and high-tech-looking city. Gesturing grandly, Stella said, “Welcome to Magix.”

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