A.N.: And now we get a deeper look at Stella's backstory, and a peek at Faragonda's. I'm shooting for family trauma and child neglect (probably should warn you) in her backstory because very few children remain happy and go-lucky when it comes to divorce and parents who constantly argue.
I'm still figuring out how I want to combine Winx Club Faragonda with Fate Winx Saga's Faragonda. Let me know what you think down below.
And please, be nice, but honest.
X - normal text
X - text where Bloom is not present
'X' - thoughts
'#$X#$' - Parseltongue
Warning: Mentions of Child Abuse, child neglect.
Chapter: : More than High School Pt.3
Stella and Flora worked to carry an unconscious Bloom between them while Musa and Tecna kept their eye out for any staff as they approached the gates.
Bloom whimpered and turned her head but remained asleep as they passed through the wards. Stella tapped the gate with her ring, and it lowered before raising back up.
They stuck to the walls, before moving inward, toward the nearest stairs. "The coast is clear," Musa whispered.
"Ok." Stella hoisted Bloom up a little higher in her arms. "Let's go."
They'd not taken more than three steps up the stairs when they heard someone clear their throat. The girls froze, before looking up at the top of the stairs.
Griselda stared menacingly down at them, her eyes cold and unforgiving. "There you are. Curfew was two hours ago. Truly, Ms. Stella, this is a new track record--" her eyes widened.
"Just what are you doing carrying Ms. Peterson, Ms. Stella?" she demanded. "And why is she unconscious?" She paused, looking over their appearances, her eyes lingering on Flora's head wound and Stella's knees. "Just what have you young ladies been up to?"
The girls glanced at each other before speaking at once, louder and trying to speak over the others.
"Ms. Griselda--"
"Bloom was frozen in ice--"
"Witches and the ogre cornered Bloom--"
"The witches attacked us--"
Her face darkened. "Enough!" The girls fell silent. She looked over them again."Take Ms. Peterson to the infirmary, get yourselves checked out by Madam Ofelia, and then straight to bed. Report to the headmistress's office tomorrow morning."
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Faragonda Dowling was a complicated fairy with a complicated life full of what-ifs and regrets. Her childhood had been isolated until she went to Alfea, where she learned under Headmistress Rosalind, her childhood hero. She would strike up a friendly rivalry with a witch named Griffin during her time at Alfea, getting into fights in Magix, and even teaming up together when a prince from a lesser realm thought that he could double-time both Griffin and herself on dates.
After both of them graduated, she and Griffin joined the Company of Light, which King Ortitel and newly wedded Queen Marion had created and drafted all those who would be willing to take up arms against the Ancestral Witches.
The fighting was bloody, and many kingdoms fell during the Great War. They were unofficially a recognized group, that is, untilsomething changed. It wasn't until little Princess Bloom, Keeper of the Dragon Flame, second princess of Sparx was born that the Ancestresses stepped up their attacks.
Two days after Princess Bloom Fyre's birth, the Company of Light was officially recognized by the Council of Light as defenders of the Magix Dimension, with full authority to do what needs to be done to end the diabolical witches.
The tide started to turn, and yet, without fail, the Company of Light continued to conclude every battle with bittersweet victories. Friends, kings, princesses, fairies, swordsmen, paladins, wizards, and sorcerers gave their lives to ensure that the witches were repelled, and their armies defeated.
Unfortunately, by the time they discovered what the witches' true agenda was, it was too late.
With insider help from a sorcerer that the Company of Light had thought was one of their own, the Ancestral Witches destroyed the people of Domino, but in their hubris, they fell with them, Oritel and Marion's sacrifice destroying that great source of evil for good.
Those that had survived the final battle, (like her suitor, Hagan, the Master of the Shining Steels), either returned to their lives, or isolated themselves from everyone in their grief (which was most of the survivors from Domino's fall).
With Domino, its royal family, and people vanishing, and the Dragon Flame missing, Lord Darkar, the Shadow Phoenix made his move. The Burned Ones--his minions, began to attack kingdom after kingdom.
Faragonda joined with the remainder of the Company of Light, led now by her childhood hero & mentor Rosalind, who'd discovered a way to kill the dark-magic-infused homunculus zombies by overloading their cores with pure magic.
Their campaign led them across towns and cities, kingdoms, and realms. Many praised their actions, and even the Council of Light authorized them officially to continue, sending them supplies and extra aid in the form of the Dragon Riders (a dying breed of trained Specialists that rode dragons).
These skirmishes continued for over five years until they attacked and destroyed a town believed to be crawling with the monsters from a safe distance. To her shame, as she later learned, the rural town was void of creatures, but witches.
An entire enclave was slain because her mentor lied, manipulated, and guided their magic to fulfill her own biased prejudices.
Outraged, Faragonda joined forces with the now-current headmasters/headmistresses, Saladin and Griffin, and led a revolt that saw Rosalind defeated, and forever locked away.
She spent her years since that devasting series of skirmishes teaching young women to master their powers while working with the Council to hide the atrocities and her own sins of the past, ensuring that the new generations would grow up in a better world--sadly one made with the blood of millions.
And now, a part of that past that had since come back to haunt her, in the form of red hair, elemental fire, and intense, cyan eyes.
She slipped out of bed, unable to sleep. It was night outside Alfea. She felt the wards alert her to someone breaching through the gate. She frowned and allowed the magic of the identification wards to fill her mind.
Not an intruder, but students.
Chuckling, she shook her head, relaxing. There was a group every year. She wouldn't get to sleep until Griselda came and made her report anyway. Might as well dress and appear presentable.
With a huff, she threw a vest and a skirt over her night clothes and spelled her hair into its usual appearance. Yawning, she exited her bedroom and walked down the stairs before turning to her office, where the Deputy Headmistress was waiting.
"Ms. Griselda, what is the matter?" she asked as she entered. Right now, they were not friends, but work colleagues. It would be inappropriate to address her informally.
"It would seem that Ms. Stella's antics are getting worse, and endangering students." She said, her eye twitching as she turned to face her. "Ms. Peterson has been admitted to the infirmary. The girls all have some form of injury as well. They're claiming it was the ogre and a trio of senior witches from Cloud Tower."
Faragonda's heart jumped. She swore that she wouldn't let anything happen to her friend's daughter--she couldn't break that promise! Her eyes hardened. "Let us go to the infirmary then."
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"Will Bloom be ok?" Flora asked as she emerged from her & Bloom's dorm wearing nothing but leaves over her torso and thighs.
Stella blinked in surprise at her choice of outfit, before glancing down at a yellow nightie that she'd bought from a store on Earth before looking back at Flora's night attire. She shrugged. It looked cute enough, even if it wasn't made from actual clothes.
"I think so. Griselda didn't look pleased," she said, glancing at the door, as though she expected an irate stern woman to burst in and start waving around a clipboard while speaking in shrilling tones.
"It would be illogical for one to be pleased about a coven of witches attacking your students unless you retain the mental facilities of a sociopath or psychopath," Tecna said as she entered the room in a onesie. It looked furry, cuddly, and cute while showing off the girl's great round behind, which was admittedly the best part of her curves.
Stella had to bite her lip to stifle the grin as a surge of amusement went through her. Violet had told her in private that Bloom batted for both sides and might let her gaze wander, but to not worry about it unless she made a move.
She would be interested to see how the girl would react and handle when she reached her majority at age nineteen and learned about the...bodily enhancements that would come at that age. Just two years away for herself, and three for her dorm mates. And Bloom.
Stella waved goodnight to the rest of her roommates. She headed to bed, but her dreams were anything but pleasant. They shifted from one scene to the next, playing out in her head like a sick horror movie.
The ogre stomped towards her with a menacing grin, her scepter in its hand. This time, Bloom wasn't there to stop the yellow beast from bringing it down on her head.
*Flash*
The Trix cackled as they stood around her friends, all encased in ice. Stella was encased in ice too, up to her chest. The storm witch approached her with a raised arm and shocked with lightning.
*Flash*
The smelly troll molested her while the ogre held her still. Her screams for help were ignored as the beasts pulled her legs apart with enough force that she swore a muscle popped.
*Flash*
Ghouls pinned her down as more climbed on top of her, swarming her like zombies. They scratched and bit at her while she screamed, helpless, tears falling freely.
*Flash*
Scratching at the pin in her shoulder as her mother screamed and yelled abuse at her.
*Flash*
Screaming and begging for mercy as a younger Sky held her down while Ricki carved out her eyes.
*Flash*
Blood falling from the ceiling, Bloom's body slumped, her eyes lifeless as she hung from black chains, her mother's cruel mocking laughter filling the dark dungeon.
*Flash*
Stella shot straight up, her body covered in sweat, her nightie clinging to her skin. She panted, fear and adrenaline shooting through her. Her mouth was dry; like someone poured coarse sand down her throat.
The blonde's room was still pitch black of night. She held up her hand and conjured a small light. In the mid-gloom, she squirted before making her way to the bathroom.
She passed a slumbering Musa and Flora, who'd cuddled on the couch together. Flora was softly cooing in her sleep, her head tilted back, and one arm fell behind the couch. The other was protectively wrapped around Musa's shoulder.
Musa was snoring as she used Flora's breast as a pillow. Stella couldn't even summon up the energy to raise the corner of her mouth, too drained from the horrors that her mind conjured while she slept.
Tecna & Musa's room was open, but if you listened carefully, you could hear soft snores. Stella quietly padded across the floor before slipping inside the bathroom and shutting the door.
She sighed, turning on the light switch, and wincing at the bright lights. Ironic, considering she's the fairy of the sun and moon's energies, but that does not translate to having immunity to rapidly changing or flashing lights in the dark.
Once her eyes adjust she stumbles forward, grabbing the sides of a sink to steady herself before looking in the mirror.
She sees a frightened, unattractive mess in front of her. Tangled hair, messy eyeshadow, and even the makeup on her lips were messed up! Oh, and her body was covered in perspiration from top to bottom.
She glances at a clock in the room and nearly groans. Only an hour has passed since she went to her room for the night. She shook her head, groaning as a wave of dizziness overcomes her.
The fight...
The power...
The terrors...
The witches...
Those monsters...
Stella shudders. That was probably one of the worst nightmares she'd had. She knew that on the inside, she was a complete mess. Her parents were getting divorced (though it wasn't public news yet), which was only the icing on the cake of grievances that were in her life.
Growing up as the sole heir and future ruler of Solaria was extremely different from what anyone from any other realm, especially Melody would claim it to be.
Life was more modern, but it was slow to change, to adapt. Much of Solarian culture revolved around patriarchy. The man is the head of the house and economic provider--if he is of noble or royal status then he also must look for potential suitors. The woman is the nurturing mother, the caring wife, the housekeeper, the cook, etc.
While certain aspects have been overturned in favor of more modern approaches (marriage contracts are no longer a thing), conservatism still remains.
As a child, Stella had been bright, playful, and a fast learner. Her mother raised her on a mix of Solarian and Lunar virtues and beliefs. She inherited her father's eyes but her mother's hair. Her mother's nose, and her father's skin tone. She was the perfect mix of the two.
All seemed right in her little world...until one night it was shattered. Stella awoke from a nightmare, something rather silly (a phase most children go through). She snuck out of her room towards her parent's room, when she stopped, hearing raised voices.
Her little heart sank as she heard her parents arguing, shouting abuse, and yelling angrily at each other. Something crashed into the wall next to the door she was hiding behind, and she flinched. This was a side of her parents that the innocent sun princess hadn't seen before. And she was frightened of it.
What she heard that night chilled the four-year-old to the bone. They had been screaming and yelling, about her.
Disagreeing on how to raise her.
Disagreeing on her education (who would teach her, where she would attend).
On her future suitors (what realms should be allowed, and what class of nobility).
On what throne she should sit on when she came of age (each parent wanted her to sit on the throne of their birth-realm/birth-minor-realm).
It was too much for the young girl, and it was understandable that she started to slacken, her mind blown by what she saw that night.
She was less presentable, forgot her good manners and etiquette, her speed at learning started to slow (she was considered a prodigy), and she struggled to sleep at night. The memory of her parents fighting transformed into a new line of nightmares that often left her exhausted throughout the day with bags under her eyes.
Her mother was a prideful woman and quickly grew frustrated with Stella's sudden relapse when it came to learning magic. The more Stella failed to learn at the previous pace she was at, the angrier her mother became.
Angry enough that she started to show the side of herself that a frightened four-year-old had only glimpsed, but not seen every time she failed, or did something wrong.
As Stella grew older, her father started to vanish more and more, his duties taking up his time. Without the physical comfort of her father (whenever she was afraid, scared, lonely, or sad, she would climb into his lap & let him bear-hug her), Stella's life grew darker.
Her mother's training grew questionable. She started to teach her how to harness negative emotions to use her magic when eight-year-old Stella couldn't even make a rainbow with positive emotions (the truth was that she had none to draw upon, the positive energy required positive emotions, and positive emotions needed to be drawn from a happy memory).
Despite knowing that negative emotions were toxic to fairies, her mother attempted to teach her anyway. Stella started to grow sick, but her illness wasn't believed until the day that she nearly fell into a coma.
When she recovered, her mother's disappointment was clearly visible to see. Stella would've done anything to remove that look from her mother's face, not realizing that the woman she thought she knew was long gone (until she was older).
Queen Luna was a bitter woman, beautiful, arrogant, everything that an Otherworlder would assume about Solaria. She lacked patience for most things, always had to get her way, and was power-hungry.
Once, she was sweet, kind, and someone Stella had been proud to call her mother, but as she got older, she started to wonder if that had been nothing more than another one of her mother's well-crafted light illusions.
Stella grew angrier, lashing out in fits and tantrums. Whenever her mother forced her to use her magic, Lunarian magic, Stella would find herself unstable emotionally and magically, similar to a powerful fairy who just used a convergence crystal and is then told something that causes her to become rage-filled.
While her father wasn't as bad as her mother, Stella wondered how much he really changed.
King Radius was a man whose life had been hardened by war, loss, and twice as much family trauma as hers. He was the one to inherit the throne after his two older brothers killed each other over the right to wear the crown. And he was in a very unhealthy relationship with the queen of another realm.
He was fair, but harsh, as both a king and father. She knew that he wanted the best for her, but he believed that only he had the right to make all the decisions for her, as any (overprotective) good father should. But there were times when he started to become neglectful, and dismissive of her.
Truthfully, that hurt Stella more than her mother's change. Resentment, fear, and years of verbal beat-downs were chipping away at her heart. The little girl who used to smile at everything, her childish behavior lighting up the world--that little girl was dying.
In her place was a growing teenager. Broody and angsty, depressed, and unable to control her powers. Finding herself loving and hating her parents, unable to understand why they did what they did to her. Even though she now knew what they were doing was wrong, she didn't know how to change, she couldn't cope.
This led to her crafting her 'sunny' persona. Happy, careless, fashion addict (it was better than buying drugs), cocky, and selfish. She bought anything and everything she wanted and rebelled in her own way whenever one of her parents pissed her off or got into shouting matches with each other.
She knew that she likely needed therapy, but she lacked the courage to ask. Stella hated showing the vulnerable side of herself. She was raised from birth with expectations and orders that she was required to follow. To simply nod her head and be a good little princess, learning magic here and there before picking a man of noble stock to settle down with.
That last bit her father had been against, and there had been more than one shouting match in the palace between her parents over the law before her father got it repealed. Despite his authority as King of Solaria, he and Luna had been married by contract, one that gave her equal, if slightly more power than him. Especially when it came to heirs, and ruling the kingdom.
This was why Stella was insanely jealous of Bloom. Bloom, an orphaned fairy had been willingly adopted by a loving couple. One that didn't fight, had excellent chemistry, and good communication skills. Unlike Stella's parents, the Petersons had raised Bloom together. They'd even given her a sibling, something that her mother had decided against ever doing when Stella came out of the womb.
Lily and James encouraged Bloom, supported her choices, and respected most of her decisions, only intervening when they believed her to be doing something potentially harmful to herself or others. They were there to give advice, help when she or her sister, Violet struggled, and even gave her a lift here or there to help her achieve her own goals. They allow her to pick her own pursuits, rather than deciding them for her.
A part of Stella, the bitter, jealous, spiteful, angry brat that had blinded her best friend over a misunderstanding while she was drunk on negative energy wanted nothing more than to wipe all relevant memories before placing new ones so she could take Bloom's place. Living as the eldest daughter with loving parents and a witty sister. Not needing to worry about galas, balls, potential suitors, or meetings with allies of the kingdom. Worrying about the day that the crown would be placed on her head.
But she wouldn't. Never again, she swore, after what happened to Ricki. She saw how happy Bloom was with them, and during the short amount of time she spent with the Petersons, she'd come to see them as more of a family than her own family was, though she knew she'd never truly belong.
She couldn't do that to Bloom--someone who she saw as a friend--even if she wanted (which she most certainly didn't). She had a life debt, one which likely had doubled now that Bloom had saved her selflessly from death twice (once with the ogre, the second time from the witches). If she tried to harm her friend, the debt(s) would prevent her, crippling or even killing her if she went too far.
She brushed her hair and rubbed water on her face. All of her makeup was washed away, leaving her own natural appearance.
Stella sighed, turning off the water before turning off the lights and sneaking back to her room. Flora whimpered, cuddling Musa closer. Stella would snap a picture if she could, but she didn't want to risk getting caught, or waking them up.
Arcadia knows they'd need energy when they stood in front of the Headmistress and Deputy tomorrow.
The blonde fairy princess quietly closed the door before allowing her hand to glow with a brighter light, softly illuminating her room.
Her body and mind were too active to fall asleep, so she decided to do something productive. They'd need a name for themselves, and she might as well start jotting down a list.
Stella sat down and picked up a pen and a notebook, the ball of like she summoned hovering next to her head like the moon around the Earth.
She tapped the pen against her jutting lip as she pondered on what their little group could call themselves. She wasn't arrogant enough to call their group the 'Stellaries', or 'Stella Five', even if it had her name in it, even she would admit that it was dumb to name.
She recalled Bloom asking something earlier when they were walking to their apartment. She wrote down, 'Winx'. Simple, cute, and related to their transformation magic.
With a smile, she began to brainstorm other names, pen scribbling furiously. Before she knew it, she was yawning again. Satisfied with her work, she crawled back into bed, feeling more restful than before.
Not long after, she drifted back into the land of dreams, which were much more peaceful than the last.
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Three barely-clad girls paced in a tower, burn salve covering much of their skin.
The first had purple pants and a matching top that hugged her breasts, angular glasses resting on her soft, button nose. The second had pale blue shorts that nicely hugged her firm rear and a custom corset that pushed up her breasts while leaving her stomach partially bare. The third had only a bra and skirt, both magenta with a silver lining.
All three wore ridiculously raised heels that matched the colors of their outfits.
"That little fairy will pay." snarled the one wearing magenta. In a fit of rage, lightning lanced out from her hand to blast apart the wall.
"She wielded the Scepter of Solaria. And the blast the fairy unleashed was more powerful than the ones that the princess did." mused the ice witch aloud. She'd already vented her anger by freezing four more alleyways on the way out of Magix City back to Cloud Tower.
Likely not the smartest decision, but it wasn't likely to last. Her magic had been stretched over a large area, which meant that it would melt before morning.
D'arcy turned to her sisters. They'd all come together, each from a similar background of poverty, abuse, and harsh lives crafted out of a universe that feared and hated their kind. "Bloom. Princess Stella called her Bloom."
Isobel tilted her head, crossing her arms while leaning against the wall. "Is a name supposed to mean something?"
D'arcy frowned, rapping her knuckles against the table. "It's familiar, but for the life of me, I can't recall why."
Beatrix sat down, panting, her eyes still holding traces of her wildness (she'd been raised in a pack of Marc-Wolves), but seemed to have released her anger for the most part. "You're not going to drag us into your research, are you?"
D'arcy paced their common room. As seniors and Griffin's favorite Coven, they got special privileges. Such as the largest dorm room, complete privacy, and access to the restricted section of the Cloud Tower Archives; it was all to themselves. "I can handle it for now, though I'm almost certain it's something I read prior to joining Cloud Tower. It's got to be history-related though."
Isobel pursed her lips together as she reapplied burn cream to her face with a grimace. That fairy knew how to work that scepter. The burns left behind from the attack the girl unleashed had been painful. Even moving their hands had brought overwhelming pain, and the burns couldn't be cooled or numbed, even with the coldest ice she conjured.
For a moment, she wondered if 'Bloom' was the real princess Stella, and if Stella was Bloom, a possible friend. Despite the realm's and school's attempts to keep the Secrecy Program a secret, their efforts were futile. D'arcy was able to scry during multiple conversations though to have been private, which was how they, the Trix, had discovered it.
That was how they had discovered that Stella Sol of Solaria was actually Stella Soleil, princess of Solaria, and the one who inherited the Scepter of Solaria.
The Trix had an invested interest in the scepter, as they believed that it contained a portion of one of the greatest long-lost magics. The Dragon Flame--the most powerful force of cosmic magic in the universe.
When Stella of Solaria tapped into the scepter, it produced sun magic, rather powerful too. But when this Bloom, the Earthling fairy tapped into the scepter, the blast had an aura of fire on the edges, something that hadn't happened when the blonde tapped into it.
Did Bloom have some kind of link that allowed her to access the Flame inside the scepter? Isobel paused, before dismissing the thought. Likely, she just got lucky and was high on emotions. The Solarian princess probably wasn't as emotionally drunk as 'Bloom'.
Despite their hours worth of scrying, research, and on-the-side thefts, the Trix had not found a single reason to disbelieve the idea that the Scepter had the Dragon Flame. And now that the redhead had used it, the flames that were released when a different fairy wielded it made Isobel believe that the Scepter of Solaria did have the Dragon Flame inside it, just waiting to be stolen and used.
Why did the Trix have such an invested search for the Dragon Flame? It started when the three witches came to Cloud Tower.
Each came from similar backgrounds, and each suffered in different ways from the prejudices of the realms against witches. They suffered even more because their powers were just like those of the Ancestral Witches, a taboo subject regarding three forces of evil--believed to be the first great evil of the Magix Dimension. They fell with Domino, never to be seen nor heard from again.
D'arcy had discovered private records that their headmistress kept in her office on the Dragon Flame, the Ancestresses, their spellbook, as well as evidence of her allegiance during the war: a witch that served in the ranks under the original coven.
Excited, the three witches believed that they were the heirs of the Ancestresses. They even knew what the original coven wanted to do with the Dragon Flame: summon the Army of Decay.
The three young witches made copies and fled before the elder witch returned. All three had great power and ambition, but they knew that if they were to follow in their 'mother's' footsteps, they would need the ultimate power.
And now, after so many plans, resources spent, and hours devoted, all that was needed was the final piece. The Dragon Flame would be their's, it was no longer a matter of if, but when, and more importantly, where.
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I didn't know how much time had passed since I fought the witches, but by the faint light in the room, I guessed that either the light was on, or sunlight was pouring in through the windows.
I slowly opened my eyes, all of my senses were numbed. My body felt like it had been run over by a horde of rampaging Hippogriffs before getting tossed around by Grawp.
I looked around, realizing that I was in a bed, and someone had changed me into something different. 'Please, let it not be a hospital gown'.
I looked down to see a different kind of white gown around me with two straps, protecting my modesty entirely. I tilted my head back into the pillow and suppressed the urge to scream frustration. Not even attending Alfea for a day and already I'm in the hospital wing. Talk about setting a new record.
I groaned as I sat up, feeling all the blood rush to my head. "Oh." I slumped back into the pillows. My heart clenched as I realized that I still couldn't hear. I knew what I said, I could feel the vibrations in my throat. But sound was beyond my reach.
I tightly shut my eyes, choking back my sob. I'd never lost one of my senses as Harry Potter, and I'd rather be subjected to hours of the Cruciatus than lose my hearing. The silence was mocking, it was taunting, and unlike a spell, there was no release.
I wrapped my arms around myself, swallowing back the urge to scream, to rage, to cry. To claw out my eyes in desperation, hoping that one of the Deities would restore what Darcy had taken from me. If only I had my wizard magic, I'd have been able to use an actual spell, and not wait for fairy magic. Could fairy magic even cure this?
Someone shook me. Startled, I burst out of my brooding state to see all my friends around me, their mouths moving, but no sound coming out. Tears spilled from my eyes again--seriously, why was I so weak? I was a soldier in my last life, and in this one, I was just a pathetic crying mess.
I could see them trying to comfort me, but they didn't know what was wrong. I could barely read Stella's lips. 'Bloom, what happened?'
"I can't hear. Darcy did something to me when she blasted me something on all sides." They all froze before Stella started barking at the other girls. Tecna grabbed a computer and began furiously typing while Flora vanished off somewhere and Musa ran towards the door.
Stella leaned over and gripped my hand. Tecna turned her laptop around, revealing a blank screen. Stella said something to her, and then the digital fairy typed something in. She turned her laptop so I could see the words on the screen.
Can you understand this?
I wasn't sure if I laughed or sobbed, but probably both. "Y-yes."
I'm sorry.
"It's not your fault. It's mine." I shook my head. "I should've just left. You all came for me and got hurt."
Stella looked like she wanted to argue, and said something else which Tecna quickly typed in before turning the computer back around.
Not your fault. It's mine. They were after my heirloom. I brought you into this. I put you in danger, and led the other girls into danger.
From the way that Tecna was shaking her head while Stella looked annoyed, it seems that Tecna disagreed with that statement. I couldn't tell what she disagreed with, but I surmised by the guilt on Stella's face as her lips moved that she disagreed with the latter, not the former.
I saw Musa return with Ofelia and Fargonda, both of whom looked very concerned. I cringed and looked away when they looked at me with sympathy. A hand gently turned my head back, and I felt a mind probe brush on my barriers.
Startled, I shifted back from the headmistress. She moved with a frown on her face as Ofelia came closer. She began to cast magic, and my body shuddered in slight pain.
I saw her turn and speak to Faragonda, both their lips moving too fast for me to follow. Flora tightly hugged me, and I weakly wrapped an arm around her, struggling to hold back my sob. Merlin, without my hearing I was useless. Was there such a thing as magical hearing aids?
Flora pulled back and I saw that a new message was typed onto the computer.
Ofelia and the Headmistress think that they can heal your ears, but they say it might hurt a little.
My heart jumped. "Do it."
Both glanced at each other before moving to either side of me. Faragonda's eyes glowed white while Ofeldia's irises glowed blue. Magic seeped from their hands into my ears, and I could feel a mind probe brushing over my barriers in search of my motor functions. Reluctantly, I allowed the probe past my outer shield, allowing her access, but fortified my deeper shields to protect my memories and emotions.
Then, pain filled my head. It grew and grew and grew. I could hear someone faintly, screaming, growing louder and louder.
I screamed, tightly pulling and scratching at my ears. They burned, throbbed, and itched. Like knives were being stabbed into them over and over.
Hands grabbed onto mine and firmly pulled them away from my ears. I started convulsing, my eyes rolling into my skull as the pain overwhelmed me.
Then, a new wave of pain exploded in my skull as my ears popped, and I realized that the screaming was mine. "--RLIN! Please! Make it stop!"
"--om! Bloom! Hey! No, don't do that! It's ok! It's ok!" Stella's voice called through my haze of pain.
I snapped my eyes in her direction. "OK! Not ok Stella! They just blew up my fucking ears!" I screeched before everything fully came back. My eyes widened as I cut myself off, blushing a dark shade of red, hiding my face in my hospital gown, embarrassed.
"It's ok, you're safe now," Flora said. I relaxed as she extended her aura, my senses flaring with pain again, making me wince, but it was worth the moment of serenity she gave me.
I did a double-take. "Did you--?"
The girls all had weak smiles, which started to grow wider. I paused. "Did I?"
I squealed, and laughed joyfully--I could hear! Oh, you perfect, sweet sensation of sound! I have you back!
I grabbed Flora, who was closest, and pulled her tightly into a hug. "Bloom!" she protested as I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my head into the crook of her shoulder.
"Hugs are popular on Earth," Stella said teasingly. I grinned back, happy tears streaming down my face.
The other girls joined in, even a reluctant Tecna. I tightly hugged all of them, my own aura leaking for a moment before I brought it back under control. No one noticed, except for Faragonda, whose eyes widened a fraction, then narrowed in suspicion.
"If we could put a hold on the celebrations for a moment, I'd like to confirm the events of last night." Griselda stood in the doorway, her clipboard in hand.
I glanced at the other girls, who gave me encouraging or weak nods. Tecna looked puzzled before she got elbowed and gave me two thumbs up. My lip twitched before I turned serious.
"Now Bloom, the other girls have told us their account of what happened yesterday in Magix. We would like to hear your perspective after you left Alfea with Ms. Stella," Dowling settled in, with Griselda hovering and Ofelia nearby. The staff and the girls settled in to listen as I told them my point of view from when we arrived in Magix City up to the battle.
"--They introduced themselves as Icy, Darcy, and Stormy respectively while demonstrating their powers related to their names. Icy trapped me with ice before Darcy blasted me back with a... sound-based attack, I think. Then Stormy conjured a tornado that threw me high in the air. I had barely found a handhold on the roof when Icy magicked me down into boxes."
I trembled. "Then, I attacked without using magic. It's not like I knew any spells and getting up close and personal would be a surprise to someone who was used to fighting at range."
Griselda sent a surprised but approving look my way. Ofelia looked concerned, and Faragonda looked worried as I talked about beating Stormy and getting surrounded by clones of Darcy.
"It sounds like an illusion spell." Dowling mused aloud. She blinked. "My apologies for interrupting, please continue."
This was where I got stuck. The pain I experienced...the magic attack on all sides...it was agony. I struggled to explain it, eventually settling on an analogy about people getting burned but surviving.
"Then everything went...silent."
Stella and Musa looked angry on my behalf. Flora looked concerned, and Tecna twitched. Griselda's lips were pursed in a stern manner. Ofelia looked annoyed--no--flustered, like how Madam Pomphrey would look whenever I reappeared with a new injury.
Faragonda Dowling's eyes lacked the twinkle. Honestly, her gaze reminded me of Dumbledore whenever he showed the side of himself that fought in WWII, the wizard that fought two Dark Lords, imprisoning one and weakening the other. She did fight the dark though, in the form of the Ancrestresses.
"I let my anger get the better of me, though I didn't use magic." I snorted at how foolish I was. "I charged at them like a bull."
Stella snickered, but the others looked confused at the Earth reference. I almost face-palmed, but my light-headedness made me reconsider. "It means I charged recklessly."
This time, I did slap my face when the others 'oh'ed dumbly. And I saw stars and my vision wavered. "Bloody hell," I muttered before refocusing. "Then I was feeling really cold and blacked out encased in ice. I awoke to see Stella defeated at the hands of the witches."
I paused, glancing at Stella, who nodded encouragingly before continuing. "Then her scepter...flew to my hand--", half of my audience gasped in shock, the others had mixed looks of surprise and curiosity, "--I just wanted them to hurt. I felt my magic go through the scepter, and it created this big explosion of sunlight. I don't even understand how it happened."
Ok, I was laying it on a little thick there. I did have a few clues as to how I wielded Stella's scepter, which was supposed to be a blood-only heirloom, but I wasn't about to voice them.
"I was horrified when I saw their blackened skin. I--I didn't mean to injure them--" I cut off as uncertainty filled my voice.
"It is understandable." I looked up into Dowling's warm eyes. "You were in a high-stress situation, and your magic reacted impulsively. To protect you and your friends. This is why you are attending Alfea, to master and control your powers."
I nodded, thankful for her words, but also that she didn't attempt to read my mind again. Hopefully not a Dumbledore. "Although, I am curious how Ms. Sol's scepter was able to be wielded by you, considering that it is a ro--family heirloom."
"It's alright headmistress. The other girls figured it out." Stella said. Dowling gave her a piercing look before she nodded and amended her statement 'royal heirloom'. "Ms. Sol, would there be any reason why these witches would go to such lengths to acquire the Scepter of Solaria?"
Stella shook her head, as puzzled as we all were. "Honestly, not a clue. While it holds historical importance to my people, it's simply an artifact passed down from the current monarch to the heir. The only thing it is supposed to do is amplify the magic cast through it, like a foci, to help struggling fairies. Only the royal family or someone of our direct blood should be able to use it."
"With the exception of Ms. Peterson here." I wanted to squirm under the woman's piercing gaze, so similar to Dumbledore.
"My--father says that the scepter has always been somewhat sentient. She used it in the glade, and in the alleyway with the intent to save me. Perhaps it sensed Bloom's intent and allowed her to use it on both occasions?" Stella suggested; though it sounded weak and unsure, even to my ears.
"Most curious." the headmistress muttered, glancing at the ring on Stella's finger. "Ms. Sol, could you please restore the ring to its natural form?"
Stella blinked before shrugging. "Sure."
She pulled the ring off her finger, watching it glow that pale blue before transforming into the staff with a ball on the end, and other orange balls orbiting it.
Dowling turned to me. "Ms. Peterson. Could you reach out and tell us what you feel?"
I weakly extended my aura, only allowing a trickle out from my shields. The girls gasped as they felt my warmth, and Dowling's eyes narrowed again as she felt my power (it was only a taste, but Mum said that the full weight of my aura was like someone trying to sleep underneath a hundred mattresses).
I probed the scepter, but I didn't feel the urge to call it to my side as it did on those two instances. Those times, it was kinda like how the Elder Wand would feel, as though it was eager to be used by me. But now I didn't feel any sore of desire to take it.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a foci as a backup, but I definitely didn't feel the urge to have the scepter. Plus, while the colors went great with Stella's fairy form, I doubted that it would look good with mine.
"I don't feel anything."
"No urge to take it? No pull?" I shook my head, aware of two sharp gazes on me. "I don't even know why I took it, other than a sense of...needing to protect? Yeah, protect."
Griselda and Dowling exchanged a look before Faragonda turned back to me. "Very well. Continue."
I resumed my story, talking about how Icy started to chant something. I talked about how I wished that my friends and I were anywhere but there. I told them about bringing the scepter down and then reappearing in Magix City next to the fountain, just narrowly avoiding getting preserved in a chunk of the Antarctic.
"And then I blacked out, with no memory until now." I finished. Ms. Ofelia came over with a glass of water, to which I shot her a grateful look. All this talking had made my throat sore.
The girls then filled me in. They told me about a hasty retreat from Magix, sneaking back into the school, only to get caught.
I groaned. "So, what's the damage?"
Ofelia turned towards me with a clipboard in hand. "When the girls brought you in, you had a sprained ankle, bruised knees, damaged eardrums, and signs of hypothermia."
I frowned. "Was it that cold?" It had felt freezing, like when you go outside into the snow buck-naked, but I didn't feel numbed freezing when I woke up. Maybe I was just drunk on emotions?
Ofelia cleared her throat. "I'm unaware of how rapidly cold affects nonmagical beings such as humans on...Earth, but freezing temperatures here can be detrimental to a fairy's health, especially a fire fairy. It's why the harshest prison isn't a sentence for fallen fairies, as they'd be dead within an hour of being frozen."
"Oh." Well, that explained something.
"Faragonda and I have healed your ears, and I also healed your other physical injuries. But, I'm afraid that the amount of magic you were exposed to has caused a significant strain on your magic conduits, or if you prefer, system." the nurse sighed. "I cannot prevent you from going to class today, as the first day is mandatory for all students. But, I forbid you from using magic for at least a week."
Outraged, I opened my mouth to give her a piece of my mind. Stella beat me to it. "But Ms. Ofelia! That's not fair to Bloom! We're required to cast magic in the first week. She'll be behind the rest of us, and it wasn't even her fault!"
Ofelia sighed again. "I am aware of the external circumstances. But the fact remains, magically strained systems can burn out without rest, and Ms. Peterson's system is already beyond that point. Your system is like a muscle. Overuse it, and it will become strained, pulled, or sprained. Long periods of lack of use contribute to those who suffer from the sudden use of magic. It is worse for fairies and other magical creatures that are significantly powerful. The stronger they are, the easier they will be affected by magic."
Well, that's just fucking great.
Dowling tapped her chin. "I believe I can persuade all of the professors for the Wings Generation to have this week be only theoretical. That's how the curriculum was supposed to be before my predecessor changed it."
"That could work." Musa mused.
"I don't want any favoritism," I muttered, loud enough for them all to hear.
"It would not be favoritism, my dear. It would be a slight course change." Faragonda winked at me before nodding at Ofelia and leaving with Griselda.
"Am I safe to walk around?" I asked dryly.
Ofelia pursed her lips. "I won't keep you here this time--", I sigh in relief, "--but if this happens again, I most certainly will. As it is, I will be informing all of the instructors that you are not allowed to use magic for a week. Girls, if she does or passes out again, I wish to be informed."
Reluctantly, the other girls nodded. 'Traitors', I thought good-naturedly.
After another mini-lecture, I was cleared to leave. The girls led me out and back toward our dorms.
Stella wrapped an arm around me. "Come on, girl, we gotta get you back to the apartment and make you look presentable. First impressions are important."
Despite myself, I smirked, before looking around. "Does someone know where Kiko is?"
"I left him in our dorm with some carrots, freshly grown," Flora said.
I beamed and hugged her (she blushed adorably). "Thank you. Thank all of you, for coming to rescue my stupid ass."
Musa's lip quirked at my vulgar language. "No problem. Although, next time, find a coven to spy on that aren't favorites of their headmistress or top in their year."
I did a double-take. "For real?" How did I always manage to make enemies a league above my own?
Stella nodded. "Tecna looked them up before she clocked out. Turns out, the 'Trix' are senior students at Cloud Tower, and the top coven. Ruthless, magical prodigies, and very dangerous. Cunning and intelligent, they destroyed the top coven when they were firsties. No one messes with them, and everyone knows by now--in Cloud Tower--to stay out of their way."
I snorted. "Well, we crossed them."
"And you blew them up!" Musa seemed energetic. "And healed all of us."
"What do you mean? Heal? Like, with a spell?" I turned in surprise. How did they know that it was I who healed them? They were unconscious!
The girls all stopped. "You didn't know that you healed us?" Flora asked me softly.
Oh. I shook my head. "No, I just wished that we were all somewhere else, safe, and healthy."
"Subconscious magic use." Tecna's tone was one of awe.
"Care to explain to us non-geeks?" Stella asked. I elbowed her for being rude.
Tecna missed the interaction. "Subconscious magic use is when the magic user's desire is so overwhelming that their magic willingly fulfills their desires, obviously within certain parameters. High-stress situations like battle can enhance such feelings. This is why it is dangerous."
I huffed. "I'm going to need to read every book in Magix if I'm going to fit in. I didn't even know half of this stuff, and my Mum's a bloody healer for Merlin's sake!"
"You use 'Merlin' a lot," Tecna observed. "Who is this 'Merlin'?"
"He's a fictional wizard from Earth," Stella said. She glanced at me when we reached our dorms. "You know, I could see about acquiring some books for you, on histories that Solaria has files on."
"I could also see about acquiring a list of books and resources that would help you learn more about the Magix Dimension and the other realms." Tecna offered.
"We could help too," Flora said shyly. My heart swelled. Here were these girls, who I'd only known less than a day, but were willing to help a girl they barely knew to fit in a world that they'd all lived in as long as they could remember.
"I'm eternally grateful," I said with a smile to them. "I could kiss you girls."
"Uh." Musa paused, taken aback. "Not that I'm--"
"What is the point of--", Tecna looked confused.
Flora's eyes widened, "Wha--"
Stella's snickers made the other three realize something was up.
"Is that another Earth expression?" Flora asked me, though I noticed that her blush was a little deeper than before.
I nodded with a sheepish grin. "It's another way of saying that we're very happy and grateful at the same time." I paused, then added, "I'm probably going to say weird stuff every now and then. It probably has a different meaning to you than it does to me."
Musa frowned. Tecna was back to writing stuff down again (much to my amusement), and Flora's rosy hue was back to normal.
I entered my room and glanced around. The clothes I wore yesterday were cleaned and sitting neatly on my bed. I smiled but chose to wear something else today. Huh, Stella was rubbing off on me a bit (not like that you pervs, although a part of me wouldn't mind).
Once I slipped into a rather plain pair of black undergarments, I ended up settling for a white crop top that left a hint of my toned tummy visible, and jeans that looked painted on my ass. Plus white socks, blue shoes, and a denim jacket, followed by a quick visit to our resident blonde hair salon, and I was ready to go.
The other girls had already changed, wearing similar outfits as the other people (although Stella's dress was identical to the blue & green she wore, now red with gold stripes).
We headed down, following Stella (who knew the way around the best) to the Great Atrium. "You know, I was thinking that we needed a group name," Stella commented casually, although I could practically see her writhing with excitement.
I raised a brow. "What, like a band?"
"Not, just a name for our group. I was coming up with them last night." Stella replied before covering her yawn with her hand.
"Did any of you get sleep last night?" I asked, half amused, half exasperated.
"Flora and Musa were cuddling on the couch while Tecna and I did our thing," Stella replied, causing said cuddlers to blush.
"What names did you come up with?" Musa asked, sounding genuinely curious, without the sarcasm that had been present when she addressed Stella yesterday. Since when did they make up?
"Five Wings, The Fairy Five, Enchanters, The Elementals, Jedi--", here I snorted, "--and Winx."
"I think that we can debunk the first two. They're unoriginal and totally uncool." Musa said as we walked down a flight of stairs to the courtyard.
"What is a Jedi?" Tecna asked with a frown. "I do not recall that as something that popped up during my research. Is it a rare magical creature?"
"No. It's a knight that uses the light side of the 'Force', a fictional cosmic power similar to magic," I explained what a Jedi was. "They're advocates for good, selfless, and compassionate. They're taught to release their emotions into the Force and not let them control them, lest they be consumed by their emotions and fall to the Dark Side. The Sith are opposites of the Jedi, using the Dark Side of the Force."
Tecna actually had an expression of amusement on her face. "How irrational," she said. "Most magic isn't black and white, but the energy fields are. It sounds like this 'Force' is made up of both positive and negative energies, but these magic users can draw upon either via external methods, like witches. Correct?"
I nodded. "The Force supposedly has two aspects, the Living Force and Unifying Force. I'm not much of a nerd on the lore though. There are books and movies back on Earth that I could bring here if you're interested." I offered.
"I'd like that. It would be interesting to see how many variants of magic have become fiction on Earth." Tecna said once we started ascending the stairs that would lead us into the other half of the school.
"What about Winx?" Stella said. "It's short, refers to the process of discovering our magic and our transformations. Plus, it's cute."
"I vote for Winx," Flora said.
"Me too," Musa added.
"It does sound...logical, from a certain perspective." Tecna agreed.
The girls all looked at me. 'It certainly beats being called the 'Boy-Who-Lived' or the 'Golden Trio', I thought sardonically "I don't have a problem with that."
"So, we're all in favor of being called the Winx?" Stella asked us. We all nodded. "Sweet!" she grinned and grabbed the hands of those of us that were closest before tugging us along.
"Stella!" Both Musa and I yelped, Flora and Tecna right on our heels.
Before long, we were standing in the archway to the Great Atrium, with tall blue doors and heavy round knockers on each. The doors were open, so we went inside.
It was designed similar to the Great Hall. There were three long tables (one for each generation of students), the ceiling was higher than it structurally should be, and at the far end from the entrance doors were stairs that led to a raised table with curtains. And sitting behind that table were all of the staff.
Faragonda Dowling sat in the center of the table, on a chair with armrests similar to Dumbledore's, but the back of the chair wasn't nearly as high. Griselda sat on her right, and Professor Palladium sat on her left. Then DuFour, Harvey, and Pikass filled the remaining seats on the left side. On the other side was Katherine, and the school librarian. The last two empty seats probably belonged to the cook and Ofelia.
Stella led us to the table & bench on the far left, with the Charming Generation in the middle, and the Enchanting Generation on the far right.
We quickly found ourselves spots halfway down the middle. Girls around us chattered, and gossiped. Discussion bloomed about the school, clothes, boys, and even Magix City. Some were talking about a 'blue light' authorities spotted yesterday in Magix. I shifted nervously and noticed that my friends did as well.
Unlike at Hogwarts, the tables were not piled with plate after plate of food. Instead, in front of each seat was a plate, bowl, and small plate, along with two sets of forks and spoons, plus knives of various lengths and sizes.
And resting under the smallest plate was a menu. I slipped mine out and looked at the choices, thankful that they had pictures and a list of ingredients for everything. Plants of some sort, meats, even tentacles--ew! I had no idea what a 'Coco-nutcake' was, but I did recognize eggs, along with pancakes and 'honey-serup'.
Flora, Stella, and Tecna all tapped the image of the food they wanted, and a second later the food appeared on their plate. Musa and I copied them, and our own food appeared.
Stella's dish looked to be some sort of stuffed tentacle, probably from something aquatic. Flora had what looked like chia seeds and oatmeal. Tecna's was a simple sandwich with two fillings that most certainly weren't peanut butter and jelly. Musa ordered what looked like a coffee cake and a 'Mooka Mokka'.
I looked over the beverages and frowned. There were so many kinds of milk, and I had no idea what was what. "Musa," I hissed quietly. "Where is cow's milk?"
"What's a cow?" she asked confused. I huffed before explaining what cow's milk was, and some of the dishes from Earth. "I have no idea what is what," I admitted.
"Try the hen milk," Stella suggested. "It's similar to the milk on Earth."
At the mention of 'Earth', several heads turned our way. I glared at Stella (there was no heat, just annoyance), before ordering 'hen milk'. Last I checked, hens didn't have mammary glands.
Hesitantly, I lifted my glass, full of neon green liquid, and tentatively sipped. My eyes widened. Ok, not what I was expecting. It tasted the same as cow's milk. Just...from a different creature is all.
I dug into my food, and the girls did the same. While Tecna and Musa were discussing music genres and Stella got into an argument with a fairy named Amaryl about fashion, I struck up a conversation with Flora about Linphea. "--and we have never had a winter. Our realm is known for the Green all year around."
"Do you have any siblings or relatives?" I asked curiously.
Flora nodded. "I have three cousins. Sam, Micheal, and Terra Harvey." I shot a glance at the balding man at the table. "Yes, Professor Harvey is my uncle." she giggled.
"Wow." I whistled. Now that I compared their appearance, his skin tone was very similar to her's. "So you have family here?"
She nodded. "Micheal is back home, he's the youngest of us. But you might see my other cousins around. Terra is attending as a student in our year."
"And Sam?" I asked. Flora's eyes gained a glint of something. "Sam would be a first-year at Red Fountain if he didn't love potions so much, despite having very little magic. He usually helps my uncle with his work. If you like, I can introduce you." she said with a knowing look.
I blushed, realizing how that line of questioning would look to an outsider, and shook my head. "Not looking to get set up, Flora. I had my break up about four months ago. I'm not looking for anyone right now."
Stella's head snapped back so fast I almost thought that she had whiplash. "Wait, you never told me that you and Andy had broken up!"
I flushed. "Stella! Keep it down!"
Stella clicked her tongue, waggling her finger at me like I'd been naughty. "No can do sister. He's a musician and a sweetie from what you told me. In all your photos you looked like the perfect power couple. How could he just dump you?" Now Musa's head turned towards us.
"Spill," Musa ordered. I gave in and told them about my relationship with him.
"There's not that much to really tell," I said with a shrug. "He and I were childhood friends, and then sometime during puberty, I started crushing on him hard. He noticed me too, and one thing led to another. Then we were dating, much to my dad's dislike."
"Aw, that's so sweet." Flora cooed. Musa nodded, a bittersweet look on her face.
I smiled, reflecting on the good times. The girls were still eager for more details, so I spilled some more. How he composed songs for me, our late-night skirting around both our curfews, how we helped each other to break out of our mental blocks, the kind of dates we went on, and how he ensured that he never went too far when pushing the boundaries of our relationship.
"It sounds like you progressed past stage four of the dating process." Tecna interrupted.
"Stage four?" I asked, puzzled. She nodded. "Stage one is meeting a potential partner and love interest. Stage two is building a connection and camaraderie. Stage three is the dating aspect. Stage four is exploring boundaries of light intimacy and trust. And stage five is intimacy. Or if you prefer, rutting."
"I'm sorry. Rutting?" I was confused. Rut? Did she mean rot? Or was it some form of Magix slang?
"Tecna's just using technical terms. She's asking--Did you have sex?" Musa's blushing question was followed by her making a ring with her index finger and thumb and sliding her other index finger in and out of the hole.
I sputtered, feeling the heat rise on my cheeks and my heart flutter as I recalled better, younger, adventurous times with my former hunk. "Y-n-no."
"That sounded like a yes to me." Stella leaned forward.
The Winx had embarrassed red blushes but also looked eager to ask what sexual things I'd done. I'm going to scream if they don't stop digging into my sex life.
"Your attention please, your Headmistress has a few words to say." Ms. Griselda tapped her spoon on her glass, making a series of dings.
I internally sighed in relief. Thank Merlin for the head of discipline's timely interference.
Headmistress Dowling rose and took to the podium that was set just at the edge of the stairs. "Good morning young ladies. The first day is always very important. Your schedules will be handed out at the end of your meals. Now then, I would like to add a few things to yesterday's welcome speech."
I glanced at my friends and choked back my laugh. Musa had a piece of bread slathered with some kind of jelly in her mouth, her posture and gaze focused on the headmistress. Stella's eyes met mine and her lips twitched before looking back. I did too.
"Each young lady in the Wing Generation will be assigned a fairy from the Enchanting Generation, to act as a guide, mentor, and tutor if they need. You will find out who your mentor is next Monday." She folded her arms behind her back.
"Office hours are Monday through Friday. Depending on the professor, it could be from six to seven in the morning, or from five to six in the afternoon. The weekends are when we will be grading, but if you have any questions about anything, our doors will always be open."
Her eyes were twinkling as she delivered this next bit. "Now then. I am delighted to announce that next week's Friday will be the annual back-to-school dance! We will be inviting the handsome young men from Red Fountain's School of Heroics and Bravery, Malacoy Paladion Academy for Paladins and Wizards, Oscuria's College for Sorcery, and Beta Academy for the Ambitious and Cutthroat to this gala."
"The males and females of these prestigious schools--"
"Beta Academy is second-rate," Stella muttered under her breath.
"--And you young ladies will perform the traditional Welcome-Gift Exchange Ceremony!"
At that, a rush of whispers, giggles, and low voices filled the Great Atrium. Girls turned excitedly to chat in what they believed were quiet tones. Talk shifted to the boys, the dresses, and the hairstyles.
"We hope that you all will be friendly hostesses and make all of them feel right at home."
Then Ms. Griselda felt her need to add her own input, clapping her hands to draw back everyone's attention. "But not too friendly. Chaperones will be present, and any illicit or inappropriate behavior will see you in detention for a month! Also, spiking the drinks, sneaking in witch sticks, love potions, jealousy and lust enchantments, and crush spells are forbidden."
I snorted into my tea. Well, there were a lot of rather beautiful young girls, curvy and slender hosting young men--teenagers and new adults. Hormones were bound to run rampant when sexy babes and hot-blooded males got together.
Hm. Maybe Griselda had a point. I was still going to have my giggle. I had no need for boys. My home comes first.
"Yes, I do trust that you'll follow the rules. But, dancing is encouraged, and refreshments and food will be provided for all who attend, all Generations are welcome, though you don't have to attend if that is your wish." Faragonda clapped her hands, looking excited.
"Now, as a little extra encouragement to our new students to participate in the ball, I will be calling on all your creative minds to come up with the best way to redecorate the Great Atrium and the courtyard for the ball. Submissions may be sent in alone, or with a collective group. The fairy or group of fairies that sends in the best submission will have the privilege of opening the school dance with whichever lucky young male they choose to be their partner."
While every other girl was excitedly chattering about the reward, I was thinking more about how we could make the school look good, impressions, and all that. Instantly, what springs to my mind were the decorations and design of the Yule Ball, but add in a touch of Beaxbeatons.
I remembered the windows and walls were replaced with sparkling silver frost. More frost and icicles mixed with ivy fell from the starry ceiling (which had been changed to more of a frosty halo; so cool colors instead of warm). Arches lined the ceiling from the double doors all the way back to the trees.
Three massive Christmas Trees had all held snow on their leaves and branches--growing narrower until they reached the top--stood proudly at the back of the Great Hall, just behind the staff table. At the top of each was a star that shined with a multicolored halo (every color at once), looking beautiful. Like when you gaze into your own magic core (wizard/witch, not fairy).
The house tables had been replaced with round tables that could seat a dozen--covered with virgin snow-white tablecloths and silver stools (square in shape with boxy, but the softest pillows (Hermione suspected that they'd been Transfigured from snow)). On each hovered a round lantern that glowed a soft blue-white.
Below each of the arches on either side had been matching statues, each of highly-prized magical creatures, or beloved magical beings, at least two heads taller than Madam Maximine had been (she was 7'3"). At the edges of each arch, at the highest point were bigger ice spikes that hung low like dripstone.
One of Hogwart's many courtyards nearest the Great Hall had been turned into a 'romantic maze', with 'kissing benches' scattered here and there. Then, around the overhangs was scattered mistletoe, which was given a light enchantment that forced anyone who stood underneath them to be trapped until they kissed. How they kissed didn't matter, so long as they did, the enchantment would be lifted.
I was seriously considering submitting that description with a few drawings as examples (based on my memories). Of course, this would have to be done anonymously. Despite going to the Yule Ball, Slughorn's party, and then to two Homecoming Dances, and one Prom Dance, I still had a dislike of the very topic, and I did NOT want to open another dance.
Yes, I knew how to lead and follow in a dance (thank you, Andy), but the point still stands. I did not want to lead any sort of dance.
"Now, remember that we want to turn this ordinary hall into a festive ballroom. That is all, now classes start in thirty minutes. Do be punctual!" Well damn.
Of course, Stella and Musa were very excited. I'm guessing that the Solarian was already thinking of who she wanted as her partner, while the fairy from Melody was excited to learn who would be performing the songs at the dance.
"I've seen Stella excited before, but nothing like this," I muttered to Flora as we grabbed our schedules and made for the first class.
Stella looked like she was on cloud nine, dreamily swooning and humming a tune. Seriously, she radiated light and happiness, to the point where I wondered if a patronis lived inside of her and was now just shining through (bad pun, I know).
Flora giggled quietly. "I've never seen you so unenthusiastic. Do you not like dances?"
"I'm not someone who will jump to the occasion, but I can't really say no either. My first couple of dances were...bad. Then they got better." I admitted, lying about the first part but not the second. Andy had really brightened up my life in that aspect, revealing an entirely different side of myself. The girl who loved to party, dance, and get randy. The girl-turned minx.
"Come on, we have Wizgiz and it's not polite to be late," Musa called to us. Flora and I exchanged a look before rushing to catch up.