Chapter Text
I crossed my arms at the wrist, pointing my index and middle fingers outward.
“Mira, transform! Magic Winx! Fairy form! Magic powers, go!”
My reflection stared back at me, still wearing the same non-sparkly, non-magical jeans and a tank top I had put on before breakfast.
Stella glanced over from her vanity, “You’re not doing it right.”
“Yeah, obviously. But what am I doing wrong?”
Stella shrugged unhelpfully.
“I’m doing exactly what you guys do. I do the butterfly hands, and then I say ‘Mira, transform’ or whatever, and then nothing happens!”
She spun in her chair to face me, “Well, what do you remember about transforming the first time?”
I bit the inside of my cheek and frowned, “Not that much. I try not to think about it, actually.”
“Fair enough. Try to feel the magic. Don’t just say the words and expect something to happen.”
I blew out a breath, “Oh-kay. I’m going to pretend that your advice actually makes sense.”
“It does. You’ll see.” Stella turned back to her makeup.
“Feel the magic…” I whispered to myself.
I inhaled slowly and gathered my magic at the base of my throat. Crossing my wrists again, I tried to pull up the hazy memory of what it felt like to be in my fairy form. Ultramarine blue, wings, a bunch of glitter…
Nope, nothing.
I sighed heavily, turning it into a growl at the end.
Makeup complete, Stella stood and patted me on the shoulder on her way out the door, “Come on, that’s enough. You can figure it out in class. It’s so much easier when you do it with other fairies, you’ll see.”
✭✭✭
The few of us who hadn’t completed the Transformation midterm before break gathered in the auditorium with Faragonda and Griselda. Until today, Transformation had been divided into two groups: those of us who had our first transformation, and those who didn’t. My class had slowly dwindled over the quarter, eventually leaving only me and two other fairies.
Faragonda pulled us aside at the beginning of class.
“Now, if the three of you still haven’t reached your first transformation, you may have an extension on the test. No penalties.”
“Actually, I just got mine over the break.” One of my classmates, Judith, spoke up.
Emir raised his hand, “Yeah, me too.”
“And you, Mira?” Faragonda looked at me hopefully.
I twisted my fingers together, “Yeah! I’m still figuring out how to transform on demand, though.”
“Excellent news.” The look of relief on her face was hardly subtle.
She gestured for us to take our seats, then clapped to get the attention of the rest of the class.
“Alright, students! The goal is very straightforward. Grab the rose, and put it on the pedestal.”
Faragonda waved her hand, conjuring a rose in a floating bubble, a golden pedestal, and a handful of floating obstacles.
“Griselda and I will both be monitoring your safety, so don’t worry, nobody is getting hurt.”
A wave of nervous laughter spilled across the room.
“Now, who would like to go first?”
Stella went first, acing the test with a flair only she could manage. I zoned out after that, half-listening to Stella’s latest gossip update. Apparently, one of the council members on Solaria had been sending stolen funds to a secret girlfriend. This had only been discovered after his wife tried to access their bank account in order to pay for a divorce lawyer, also in secret.
“You know, it’s not even the first time this has happened. Years ago—”
“Bloom, would you like to go after Judith?”
The three of us shot to attention at the sound of Faragonda’s voice.
“Um, sure, headmistress!” Bloom smiled sheepishly.
Faragonda nodded, “Mira, do you feel prepared to go after her?”
I stumbled to my feet, almost tripping on the riser in front of me, “Yeah, I can do that.”
“Good luck, girls!” Stella whispered to us as we made our way down to ground level.
I curled my index fingers together, bending one as far backwards as it could go, “Should we transform together?”
“Yes, please. It’s still hard for me to transform on my own.” Bloom deflated in relief.
I snorted, “That makes two of us.”
We were off to the side of the arena, plenty of space on all sides around us. I released my finger and crossed my hands over my chest, and waited for Bloom to do the same. She faced me and did the same, both of us taking in a breath.
“Magic Winx, transform!”
The transformation felt different this time, of course it felt different. This time, I was fully conscious, far away from the clutches of death, and I could feel everything. The world faded into color, edged in brilliant light. I felt my clothes shift, my hair lengthening and being swept up into a half-bun. It was like a dance, the way each piece of the transformation fell into place. I spun on my toes as the final piece, my wings, took shape behind me, before reality regained its form.
Bloom and I still faced each other, both of us slightly winded and in our glittering fairy forms.
“Woah,” I laughed quietly, “Feels a lot better when you’re not in mortal peril.”
Judith had already begun her test. Her flight was a little shaky, but she placed the rose on the pedestal without hitting too many of the light beam obstacles.
“Well done, Judith!” Faragonda congratulated, “Bloom, it’s your turn.”
“You got this!” I gave Bloom a double thumbs up.
She grinned and took her place in the middle of the arena. The obstacles reset around her, the beams of light shifting like stage lights into position, and she transformed. Bloom launched into the air, flipping out of the way as one of the beams tried to hit her. She grabbed the rose in both arms. The lights continued to block her path, but she avoided every single one of them and landed in front of the pedestal. Just before she could place it in, Faragonda conjured a looming bubble of magic above her head. Bloom reacted on instinct, striking out with a burst of fire that exploded the bubble into a burst of sparks. She set the rose onto the pedestal and detransformed, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
Stella and I cheered wildly, while the rest of the class clapped politely. Griselda sniffed disdainfully next to me.
Faragonda held up her hands, “Settle down, fairies. Excellent performance, Bloom. You may return to your seat. Mira, you’re up!”
I shook out my hands and blew out a breath. I walked out to the starting mark, turning in a slow circle to gauge my surroundings.
Just like a gymnastics competition, right?
On my next inhale, I took off.
The test started the moment my feet left the ground, and I dodged the first three beams that came at me, but the fourth clipped my ankle. It didn’t hurt, but tingles rushed over my skin where it had hit me. I flew backwards, steadying myself at the edge of the arena and shaking out my leg. I took a second to look for a pattern in the way the lights moved. I waited for a clear path, then shot forward towards the rose.
I crashed into the orb at full speed, faster than I meant to fly, and I managed to wrap my arms around it as it hit me square in the stomach. I tumbled awkwardly through the air, clinging onto the orb like it could save me from disorientation. Unhelpfully, I thought of the way the dragonflies back home would get thrown about by the winds, only stopping when they bonked harmlessly off a tower or two.
Please don’t let me hit a window.
I beat my wings frantically, unsure of which direction I was even trying to go. At least I had stopped spinning. I turned to find myself inches away from the far wall, nose-to-nose with what could have been a very painful collision. I shook my head to clear it and pushed off the wall back towards the pedestal.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Faragonda raise her arms in preparation for a spell. I was still halfway across the arena, but if I pushed hard, I could make it to the pedestal before she had a chance to cast her attack.
Thirty feet, twenty feet, ten feet…
A wave of energy barrelled towards me. I ran through every type of spell Faragonda covered in her lessons: shield, attack, freeze, something, anything?
I dropped the rose and shielded my face with my arms, releasing my magic in a great big directionless surge. The force of it knocked me to my knees, and I tucked my chin in tighter and waited for it to be over.
“Mira! Mira, stop!”
Stop what?
I sent out more of my magic, defending against the whirling energy closing in on me. A new magic emerged, calm, clear, and steady. It soothed the chaos until the air stilled, and I could breathe again.
I rested my head on my knees, sudden exhaustion weighing me down. Maybe I could stay here for a while, just close my eyes for a minute…
“Do you have any idea how much damage you could have caused? That was utterly reckless, young lady!” Griselda shrilled.
I snapped my head up, blinking black and white spots out of my eyes as the blood rushed from my skull.
“Not now, Griselda,” Faragonda crouched down to my level, “Are you alright?”
I parted my lips with my tongue, “What happened?”
“You sent out your magic without focusing it into a spell. We’ll work on this next class. Why don’t you go back to your room and rest for now?”
She offered me a hand and pulled me up. I locked my knees to keep them from shaking, I felt like I had been running for hours.
“We’ll make sure she gets back safely, Headmistress!” Stella slipped under my arm to support me.
Faragonda nodded, the slightest hint of worry creasing her brows. Stella steered us towards the double doors. Bloom hovered at my other side, ready to catch me at the first sign of a stumble.
“What happened back there?” I looked between the two girls.
Bloom shook her head, “We don’t know. You got the rose, Faragonda cast her spell, and then you made a tornado that almost swept away the whole room!”
I wrinkled my nose, “I don’t do tornadoes.”
“Hurricane, typhoon, cyclone. Whatever you want to call it, girl. Big. Storm.” Stella gestured with her free arm.
“I didn’t realize transformation increased your power so much. I’ve never felt so much power all at once.” I marvelled, chewing on the inside of my lip.
“Not really,” Bloom held up her hands, conjuring little sparks at her fingertips, “For me, it kind of feels like I can use more of my magic, but it’s always been inside me, you know?”
I sighed, “Maybe so. I just feel so behind whenever I have to actually use my magic. I’ve been studying magic all my life, but without practice?”
I lifted my hand and let it fall limply back to my side.
“Tell me about it.” Bloom laughed.
I winced, “Sorry, Bloom. I can’t even imagine what it must be like for you.”
“Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant that we’re all in the same boat.”
Stella squeezed my side, “Remember what I told you before the Welcome Ball?”
“When I made my hair glow and then smacked myself in the face with a shoe?” I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Exactly. I told you that we’re all still learning. Nobody’s perfect, and trust me, I know.”
“Not even you?” Bloom teased.
“Oh, I come pretty close.” Stella fluffed her hair and winked.
Stella and Bloom helped me up the stairs to the dorm floor. I was feeling better than I had, but that brief bit of exertion had me straining for air. Bloom opened our apartment door, and we all piled onto the couch.
“It’s still too early for lunch,” Bloom grabbed the remote, “Wanna watch something?”
“Whatever you guys want.” I settled into the cushions, tucking my legs in and resting my head on the arm of the couch.
Stella listed a few of her childhood favorite shows, and Bloom scrolled through the TV’s offerings to find one. I drifted into unconsciousness soon after.
✭✭✭
The girls woke me up for lunch, and History class after that. Miss Barbatea went over the new syllabus for the semester, including a bigger focus on Civics and Economics. She even hinted at a possible field trip to some of the government buildings on Magix.
After that, we went back to our apartment to watch more TV, since we didn’t have any homework yet. Bloom had left for a “definitely not” date with Brandon and hadn’t come back until nearly dinnertime.
“He told me about this thing called a ‘Lost Book.’ It’s a magic book that holds secret prophecies written ages ago! Apparently, there’s one at Cloud Tower!” Bloom whispered excitedly as we sat at our usual table in the dining hall.
I raised my eyebrows, “Seriously? We have one in the library at home, but I’ve never actually seen it in person. It’s kept in the Twilight section with all the other ancient and one-of-a-kind books.”
“You think you might find something about yourself in this Lost Book?” Musa asked.
Tecna typed a quick search into her phone, “Judging by all the prophecies that have so far come to pass, there is a high likelihood that information about a fairy brought to Earth would, in fact, be in one of these books.”
“It’s worth a shot, anyway. It’s not like I have a lot of leads to follow.” Bloom tapped the tines of her fork, making it bounce up and down.
“Why don’t you tell Miss Faragonda? I’m sure she can ask Miss Griffin if you can see it.” Flora suggested.
Bloom’s expression turned guilty, “Well…”
“I know that look!” Stella pointed accusingly, “You’ve been plotting!”
“Keep your voice down!” Bloom pouted.
We leaned in to hear what she had to say for herself when the food appeared in front of us. All of us startled back as the serving dishes popped into existence.
Bloom pressed a hand to her chest, “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”
“Don’t try to change the subject!” I hissed.
“You’re planning to sneak into Cloud Tower again, aren’t you?” Tecna narrowed her eyes.
Bloom hid behind the salad bowl as she served herself, “Well, yes, but—”
Flora put on her best disappointed mom face, “You can’t possibly think that’s a good idea after last time.”
“Shall I make a list? Giant spiders, getting trapped in a dusty old room, almost burning to death, detention...” Stella counted on her fingers.
“And don’t forget, last time you tried to look at a book at Cloud Tower, it turned out to be a trap.” I reminded.
Musa pointed a piece of bread at Bloom, “So what makes you think this time will be any different?”
Bloom sighed, but determination lit her eyes, “Brandon and Timmy are figuring out how to fly a Windrider straight up to the castle. I’ve been practicing an illusion spell that will hide us just in case, so all that’s left is finding the book itself. But once we do, it’s in and out.”
“Wait, you weren’t planning on taking us with you?” Stella dropped the serving spoon back into the dish of pasta.
“Of course not, I don’t want to put you girls in danger again. Besides, I didn’t think you’d want to come.” Bloom shrugged.
“Just because we disapprove, doesn’t mean we don’t want to go with you.” Tecna said matter-of-factly.
Flora reached to place a hand over Bloom’s, “We’re your friends, Bloom. Of course we’d go with you.”
“Winx Club forever.” Stella bumped fists with Musa.
“Thanks, girls. I appreciate it, but like I said, I don’t want to put you all in danger.”
I chewed on my lip, “I hate to say it, but it might be better if we don’t all go. A smaller group is less likely to get caught.”
“Exactly. Which is why I have to do this on my own.” Bloom stabbed a piece of lettuce onto her fork with finality.
“Oh, not alone…” A grin spread over Stella’s face.
Bloom blushed, “It’s not a date! It’s a… research trip!”
“Sure, and all those evening strolls you take with Brandon are what, exercise?” Musa teased.
“We’re friends!” She cracked and smiled.
“Might I remind you that you’re the one who used the word date.” I leaned over and bumped her with my elbow.
Stella wiggled her fingers, “Come on, you know you want to tell us about your little coffee shop outing today!”
The conversation shifted into easy chatter about crushes and dates as we ate our dinner. Once that was finished, we made Bloom tell us more about her plan over again before we went to bed.
✭✭✭
I couldn’t sleep.
I had been tossing and turning for the better part of an hour, even after trying all my usual tricks. Hot tea, listening to an audiobook, having a snack, the most monotonous stretching routine I could come up with, and even after lying completely still and counting to four thousand, I was still awake.
“Stella?” I whispered, “Are you still awake?”
The sound of steady breathing was my only response. I sighed and crawled out of bed. Slipping my headphones around my neck, I went in search of my painting kit. I had brought a set of brushes, a sketchbook, and as many tubes of acrylic paint as I could fit into a pencil pouch.
It had to be somewhere in my dresser. All of my clothes were sorted by type into the six drawers on the right, and everything else was haphazardly thrown into the left three drawers. I carefully slid the top one open, trying not to make any noise. I riffled through its contents, and there, underneath a handful of empty notebooks, were my painting supplies. Grabbing them, and a cup I hoped nobody would mind being a bit more colorful, I tiptoed out of the room and onto the balcony.
The night air was crisp, but not too cold. I tipped my chin up to look at the nearly full moon. I set my things down on the small table and flipped open my sketchbook, wishing I had thought to pack a small easel. Putting my headphones on, I turned on the audiobook I had been listening to earlier. I scanned the courtyard for something to paint.
The moon reflected off the well, providing a perfect focal point. I sketched the outline of the courtyard, drawing the basic shapes of the well, the surrounding benches and hedges, and the moon. Next came ultramarine blue, which I diluted with a little bit of water and spread over the entire canvas. I gave it a moment to dry as I picked out the rest of my colors. Raw sienna and apricot, a dash of crimson, cobalt, lilac, all mixed with a little more ultramarine for cohesion, and plenty of titanium white. I checked to make sure the background was dry, then began blocking in the night sky.
My mind wandered away from the book, and I realized I had completely missed a major plot point somewhere between mixing the right shade for the stone benches and detailing one of the rose bushes. I sighed and switched to music.
Should I go back to therapy?
The thought popped into my head unexpectedly, but not uncalled for. I had seen a counselor until I was about ten, to help manage my meltdowns and to make sure the magic suppressants weren’t doing any damage, but we’d slowly tapered off visits after I started gymnastics. Maybe a therapist could help me process what happened that day in the lake.
Or maybe I can just get over this stupid fear on my own.
I stabbed my paintbrush into the water cup. Droplets splashed onto my hand, and I glared at them. I shook them off and shook my head at myself. I knew therapy was probably a good idea, but the problem lay in actually getting said therapy.
I had three options.
One, tell my aunt I wanted to see my counselor again. Easy enough, except telling her I wanted therapy meant confessing that I needed therapy, and she had enough to worry about without her ward being literal worlds away and undergoing unseen traumas. Maybe I could just wait until after I graduated from Alfea and she couldn’t pull me out.
Two, ask Faragonda if there were counselors at Alfea. But once again, this required telling a figure of authority that I needed therapy.
Third, and best option in my opinion, find a textbook on talk therapy and simply teach myself how to do it.
Yes, that could work.
I nodded to myself, content with my solution. Who needs professionals when you have library access? I went back to my painting, adding the next layer to the water in the well. I wasn’t getting the texture quite right, so I looked up to study how the moon reflected into the pool.
But then I saw a figure at the other end of the balcony.
Climbing over the railing.
“Breath of the mother!” Brigid’s favorite oath slipped out of my mouth as I scrambled backwards.
The mysterious figure raised his arms and shushed me frantically. I threw my headphones onto the table and wielded my paintbrush like a blade.
“Don’t come any closer!”
“Mira, it’s me!” He hissed, pulling off his helmet to reveal shaggy blonde hair and an increasingly nervous expression.
I lowered my paintbrush-sword a fraction.
“Brandon? What in all the realms are you doing here at—” I glanced over at my phone, “Two thirty-six in the morning?!”
Brandon’s posture relaxed. Evidently, I needed to find something more threatening than a detail brush.
“Bloom didn’t tell you? We’re going to find the Lost Book at Cloud Tower.”
I changed the angle of my brush from stabby to accusing, “You’re doing that tonight?”
“Um, yeah.” He scratched the back of his neck.
I chose to stare at him blankly.
Brandon started to fidget, “Look, would you mind telling her I’m here? I tried to text her, but I think she’s asleep.”
I relented and put my paintbrush into the water cup, “Yeah, just wait here.”
He sighed in relief, “Thank you.”
I slipped back inside, keeping one eye on Brandon while I opened the door to Bloom and Flora’s room.
“Bloom!” I whisper-yelled, hoping I wouldn’t wake Flora up too.
I crept deeper into the room and shook her lightly until she started to stir.
“What?” She groaned and rubbed her eyes.
“Your boy is here. He’s waiting on the balcony for you.” I said, a little more snappishly than I meant to.
Bloom didn’t seem to notice. She shot upright, fervently smoothing down her hair and wiping at the corner of her mouth.
“Brandon’s here?”
I nodded once.
She jumped out of bed and straightened her clothes. I took pity on her, straightening a snarl of hair as she jogged past me to the balcony.
Brandon’s face brightened as he set eyes on Bloom, “Hi Bloom! Sorry, I had to sneak in.”
“Good thing, imagine if Griselda had gotten her claws on you.” Bloom giggled.
I pointedly slid the balcony door shut.
Brandon cleared his throat and glanced away, “We’d better hurry. A round trip to Cloud Tower is gonna take a while.”
“Do you think three short minutes will jeopardize the mission?” Bloom looked down at herself.
He frowned, “I don’t think so, why?”
“Because I’m still in my jammies.”
Bloom cracked a smile, and they shared a laugh. The corners of my own mouth tipped up, until I noticed I had left my paintbrush in the cup of water. Bloom went back inside to change while I carefully reshaped the brush bristles.
I heard Brandon shift from foot to foot.
“Timmy helped me plan the route up the tower.”
I smoothed a stray bristle into place.
“It’ll be fine as long as we stick close to the castle and zig-zag our way up. The Windrider can handle the stress no problem—”
“If she gets hurt, I’ll kill you myself.” I glared up at him.
Brandon’s eyes widened in actual fear, even as he stood well over a foot taller than me, “No, yeah, understood.”
“Sorry,” I deflated, “Just, be careful, okay? There’s a lot that could go wrong.”
“I never would have agreed to take Bloom if I thought I couldn’t guarantee her safety.”
I met his gaze again, seeing only sincerity.
I spun the brush in my fingers, “You really care about her.”
The moment broke, and he returned to stumbling over his words.
“Well, yes, I— but— Ah, Bloom! There you are!”
We both looked up as Bloom returned to the balcony, dressed in embroidered jeans and a warm hoodie printed with text I couldn’t read. I’d have to ask her what it said later.
“I’m all set!”
“Actually, one more thing.” I slipped past her back into the living room.
I walked toe to heel back to my room, opening the door just enough that it wouldn’t creak. My alarm clock lit up the contents of my nightstand, and I scooped my compass into my hands before returning to the balcony.
“Here.”
I held out my compass and dropped it into Bloom’s hand.
“Are you sure? I can’t just take this, it’s your focus!” She tried to hand it back to me.
I shook my head, “And it might mean the difference between finding the Lost Book and searching Cloud Tower for hours with no luck.”
“Will it even work for me?”
I shrugged, “Give it a shot. Just ask it to point at something nearby.”
“Okay…” Bloom uncurled her fingers and looked at the face of the compass.
The three of us leaned in in anticipation until the needle swiveled to the right.
“What’s it pointing to?” Brandon asked.
She smiled mischievously, “My secret Earth chocolate stash.”
“That’s what you’re hiding in that box?” I gasped.
“I’ll never tell.” Bloom looped the chain over her neck and tucked it beneath her sweatshirt.
Brandon picked his helmet up, “Are we ready to go then?”
Bloom nodded, and I pulled her into a hug.
“Be safe, okay? And remember, no matter what you learn, or don’t learn, we’ll all be here for you. Winx forever.”
“Winx forever,” She echoed, then turned to Brandon, “So how did you get up here, anyway?”
“Grappling line. The Windrider is parked just beyond the gates, I didn’t want to risk anyone hearing it. Do you think you can make it down?”
“Sure, it can’t be that different from the firepole at my dad’s work.” Bloom said nonchalantly.
“I’ll go down first so I can spot you. See you later, Mira.” Brandon put his helmet on and climbed over the railing.
I waved belatedly, a second before his head disappeared below the balcony.
“I might still be awake when you get back. If not, I’ll keep the door unlocked for you.”
“Thanks, I’ll see you later.”
We hugged each other one last time before Bloom followed Brandon over the railing. I heard a muffled squeak as she slid down the rope, and once I saw that she had made it safely to the ground, I waved goodbye and sat back down in front of my painting.
I watched them disappear beyond the courtyard as I returned to the water in the well. Nearly two more hours passed until I finished the final details, and I could barely keep my eyes open. Bloom still hadn’t returned by the time I cleaned up, so I left the balcony door open just a crack and finally went to sleep.
✭✭✭
“Your eyebags look terrible.” Stella commented as I rolled out of bed, over half an hour after the alarm went off.
I grabbed the outfit I picked out yesterday from my dresser, “That’s what happens when you only get two hours of sleep.”
“Come. Sit.”
Stella vacated her vanity seat, and I trudged over and took her place. She took out the bottles of makeup she got for me, which had so far remained untouched, and sorted through them.
“What would it take to convince you to wear your hair up to sleep, girl?”
“A comfortable hairstyle to sleep in.” I yanked through a ball of tangles with my fingers.
Stella audibly winced, “I’ll think of something.”
She grabbed the bottle of concealer and a clean sponge, blending it into my undereyes. Once it met her standards, she took a pink bottle and dabbed it onto my eyelids, cheeks, and lips.
“What do you think?” Stella turned me to face the mirror.
I scrunched my face, expecting to feel the usual itchy, uncomfortable feeling of dry makeup, but I felt nothing.
“Wow. I look like I’m actually rested.” I tilted my face to admire the way my eyelids now complemented my hair.
Stella brightened, “I knew you’d love it!”
A knock sounded on our door, and a second later, Flora came in.
“Have you girls seen Bloom? She wasn’t in bed when I woke up.”
“Oh, shit.” I slumped back in the vanity chair.
“What?” Flora blinked.
I tried to rub my eyes, but Stella swatted my hands away.
“She went with Brandon to Cloud Tower last night.”
Stella stormed over to her phone, “I’m calling him right now!”
I tossed my clothes onto my bed and went to check the balcony door. Still open, just how I’d left it.
“What’s going on?” Musa looked up from pouring herself coffee.
I laced my fingers together, “Bloom left with Brandon in the middle of the night to go to Cloud Tower, and she never came back.”
Tecna choked on a sip of her own drink, “They went last night? I thought they were still planning.”
“Well, apparently,” I gestured helplessly.
Stella leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, “Brandon says he dropped her off just outside the gates. But it sounded like there’s something he’s not telling us.”
“So what do we do?” Flora worried at the hem of her top.
Musa set down her mug with a thunk, “We’ve got to go and find her.”
“We’ve still got an hour before class. With any luck, we can find her before then.” I agreed.
Those of us who were still in our pajamas got dressed, and we headed down to the forest.
“If you were able to contact Brandon, that means they made it out of Cloud Tower. That means she must be somewhere in the woods.” Tecna reasoned.
I groaned, “I wish I hadn’t given her my compass, that would’ve made this a whole lot easier!”
“So, the only way to find Bloom now is through our powers.” Flora crossed her hands, preparing to transform.
“Right!” Stella cheered.
“Magix Winx! Transform!”
The transformation came even more easily as a full group, like I was being swept along with them instead of fighting my way into the magic. The glitter haze fell away, leaving the five of us winged and ready to search for Bloom.
“Now, let’s get down to business!” Stella launched herself into the air, “Which way are we going?”
Flora smiled, “Easy. Something has seen Bloom walk through here, and we’re standing right on it.”
“The grass?” Tecna stared at the ground in front of her.
“Smart thinking, Flora!” Musa complimented.
Flora turned out to the forest, summoning energy between her hands.
“Golden Pollen!”
She sent the magic out, coating the grass in a glowing golden dust. Some of it shimmered away, leaving a bright arrow pointing us in the right direction.
Flora pointed, “She went that way! Grassy fields have an excellent memory.”
“Way to go, girl!” Stella applauded.
Musa flew to the edge of the tree line, “Let’s get going, then!”
Flora led the way, spreading more pollen to guide the way.
“Tecna, do you think you can figure out how far Bloom could have gotten?” I asked, barely avoiding a low-hanging branch.
“Sure,” Tecna tapped her temple and lowered her visor, “We know her starting point, and if we assume a constant walking speed of 4.5 kilometers per hour, factor in breaks… What time would you say she came back?”
“Brandon said he dropped her off at around five.” Stella supplied.
Tecna nodded, “That means her maximum distance reached is 13 kilometers away. At our rate, we should find her in less than thirty minutes.”
“Thirty minutes?” Musa groaned.
“Or less,” I shrugged and grinned, “I’ve been wanting to test out my wings.”
I flew up through a gap in the trees. The morning sun warmed my skin, and I spun around, soaking in the fresh air. I summoned wind behind me, propelling myself forward even faster. I slowed before I got too far ahead, letting the currents fall back to a breeze. I dropped through the canopy and waited for the girls to catch up.
“Having fun?” Stella flitted up beside me.
“Uh, yeah, this is basically my first time flying out in the open! I haven’t exactly had the chance before now.”
“Well, you’re a natural. Any sign of Bloom up there?” Musa asked.
I shook my head, “Just trees.”
“The grass says we’re getting close.” Flora trailed her hand over the plants.
“I think I see someone up ahead!” Stella exclaimed.
I squinted ahead. When I didn’t see anything, I turned back to Stella, only to see her eyes had gone glassy, the way they did when she read auras.
“There’s more than one. Hey, one of them’s Bloom! Oop—”
Musa yanked her out of the way of an oncoming tree trunk.
“Eyes on the road, girl!”
We broke into a clearing a moment later, pulling to a hard stop. The Trix hovered over Bloom and another girl, who were huddled together on the ground. Icy, always the center of the group, cast out her magic and encased the two of them in a cage of ice.
“Who’s that other girl?” Stella whispered before raising her voice and throwing out a spell of her own, “Leave them alone!”
The burst of sunlight hit the three witches square in the back, knocking them to the ground and ending Icy’s monologue before it could begin. Stella raced over to the girls, using more sun energy to melt the ice trapping them. Tecna and Musa flew to Stella’s defense, and Flora and I stayed on the other side, boxing the Trix in.
Icy got to her feet, ice crystals forming over her clenched fists, “You little fucking gnats!”
“You won’t win this time!” The new girl spat.
She and Bloom got to their feet, clutching onto each other for support.
Stormy rested a hand over Icy’s, “Chill out, sister. I’ll settle your score.”
Uh-oh.
Stormy rose off the ground, arms outstretched. She swept her arms in a wide circle, knocking Stella, Tecna, and Musa over towards us. The gusts intensified, swirling around us faster and tighter until we were trapped inside the center of a tornado, fifty feet in the air. We clung to each other against the raging wind.
“Mira?” Stella screamed, her voice carried away in the cyclone.
“I told you, I don’t do tornadoes!”
I tried to take control of the storm anyway, but it slipped away from me, well, like air.
If I can’t control the tornado, what else can I do?
I hadn’t learned much about using the magic I had in my fairy form. Faragonda stuck to teaching us increasingly ridiculous methods to reach transformation, with only a few lessons here and there about what one actually does once you have it. I tried to remember what I had seen the other girls do. Which was turning out to be quite difficult, seeing as we were trapped in the middle of a fucking tornado.
A thought struck me. I couldn’t overpower Stormy’s magic, but maybe, just maybe, I could take it from the inside.
“Eye of the Storm!”
The words were out of my mouth before I even processed them. The spell took shape almost of its own accord, wrapping around us until we floated in a bubble of calm air. I pushed harder, inching out into the tornado, dissolving it piece by piece. Without warning, it vanished completely, leaving me scrambling to draw my magic back in.
“You did it!” Flora cheered.
I blinked, “That wasn’t all me.”
Stella shrieked, and I whipped around towards her. A massive beast, tall enough to be eye-level, even this high off the ground, stared us down with its numerous eyes. It was part spider, part nightmare, with glowing red eyes and bristling grey fur. And then it vanished, blinking in and out like a bad TV signal.
“You broke my concentration!” Stormy whined.
The new girl stood in the center of the clearing, trembling arms raised, and clearly the one who had summoned the illusion creature.
Icy tutted, “That was not smart.”
Darcy began to glow black with rage as she closed in on the girl, “That’s it, Myrta! Your second-rate illusions are a pain in my ass! You’re nothing but a bothersome little…”
She snapped her fingers as she tried to think of the perfect insult, then her eyes caught on the print on her t-shirt.
“A bothersome little… Pumpkin? Why not?”
We all dove for her, but it was too late. Darcy’s magic spread over Myrta’s skin like an infection, and she shrank in size. Darcy pulled back her magic, revealing a perfect replica of the pumpkin where a girl once stood.
I hit the ground hard, jarring both my ankles. The witches gloated over Myrta, either unaware or uncaring that we were still there.
“No!” Bloom yelled.
She had transformed at some point, and she radiated scarlet flames. Even her eyes had gone molten gold. I stared, transfixed, into the growing fire until Tecna jumped in front of me.
“Virtual Shield!”
Everything exploded as Bloom’s power grew to its peak. Tecna’s shield saved us from the heat, but the sheer force of the fire launched me backwards so hard that my vision blackened.
I came to a second later, at least it felt like only a second, and found myself lying over a tree root in a particularly painful way. I grimaced and rolled onto my hands and knees, relieved to find that I still had my hands and knees. A quick mental scan confirmed that everything else was intact as well.
“Is everyone alive?” I sat back on my heels and swept my hair off my face.
Musa grunted as she pushed herself up, “Still kicking.”
“All extremities accounted for.” Tecna reported.
Flora coughed, “I’m here!”
“Hey, we’re back to normal!” Stella said, awfully cheery.
“What an amazing burst of power.” Musa shook her head in disbelief.
“Where’s Bloom?” I struggled to my feet, “Bloom!”
“Over here!” A familiar hand waved from behind a bush.
I stumbled over to her, the girls right on my heels. I crouched down next to her and offered her a hand to help her sit up.
Bloom smiled awkwardly, “Great to see you again, girls.”
“What in the Realms did you do to the witches?” Tecna scanned the clearing.
Stella twisted her face up, “Yeah, should we be looking for three witchy piles of ash?”
“No, I saw them get away. But they got their just desserts.”
Flora kneeled in front of the pumpkin, placing a light hand on her, “Who’s the girl?”
“That’s Myrta, she helped me,” Bloom pulled herself upright, “I’ll explain everything once we get back to Alfea.”
“Uh-uh, girl. You owe us an explanation, now.” Stella blocked her path, hands on her hips.
I joined Stella’s barricade, “Yeah, you can’t just run off in the middle of the night and not tell us anything!”
“You’re right, I’m sorry.” Bloom sagged in on herself.
Musa patted her shoulder, “Well, it’s a long way back to Alfea. You can tell us on the way.”
Tecna tapped on her phone, “Actually, we’re closer to Magix. We should be able to take the bus back just in time for class.”
“That’s a relief.” Flora hoisted Myrta into her arms.
Tecna started leading the way with her phone’s map. We walked in silence for only a few minutes until Stella couldn’t take it anymore.
“So, what happened? Spill!” she prodded.
“Well, you know we went to Cloud Tower for the Lost Book,” Bloom began, “We found it, thanks to Mira’s compass. Oh, by the way—”
Bloom untucked the compass from beneath her sweatshirt and handed it to me, and I looped it back around my neck. It warmed under my touch, as if happy to be returned.
“Thanks. I’m glad it could help.”
Bloom nodded, “The book told me I was the incarnation of the Three Ancestral Witches, and once I was strong enough, they’d take control of me.”
The five of us gasped.
“But it was all a dirty trick! When Brandon left me at Alfea, I decided I couldn’t go back and endanger you all, so I ran. That’s when Myrta found me and told me it was all a plot by the Trix. They planted the book and let word spread that it was there, so I would find it. She told me that they’re trying to steal my powers, but we still don’t know why. And then they attacked us when they found out that Myrta had told me the truth. So, you’re all caught up now.”
Bloom stopped walking and shrugged helplessly.
“Oh, you poor thing.” Flora hugged her with her free arm.
We closed around her, hugging her tightly, a small piece of light in the dark forest.
I rested my head on Bloom’s shoulder, “Hey, if you ever decide you want to try again with a Lost Book, I’ll sneak you into the Great Library myself!”
“I’ve been reading about a new form of magi-genetic testing, maybe you could learn something that way.” Tecna suggested.
“Solaria’s got an entire room full of royal birth records. Maybe you’re like, my long lost cousin or something! Fire magic is super common, behind celestial magic, of course. And with so many scandals among the court, it’d be no surprise if someone was hiding a secret baby!” Stella rambled.
“Thanks, girls.” Bloom leaned her head on top of mine.