Chapter Text
BLOOM PETERS was starting to think that breaking into Cloud Tower was a bad idea. She thought it would be an easy in and out job, but it was starting to get more complicated.
Alfea was nothing like Cloud Tower. It wasn't full of dark twists and turns, there were no monsters lurking in the dark, and no evil doorways to doom.
Everything was going wrong and it was her fault. Surely, with Stella being a princess and her ring being an heirloom they could have reported it stolen to the authorities.
But she just had to be so reckless. Where she goes the rest of the Winx were sure to follow.
The smoking remains of the monster after them grated her nostrils as she breathed out a plume of smoke through her nose. Stella tried to open the nearest door but it wouldn't budge. "We have a problem!"
Tecna didn't give her a warning before she rammed the door open. Stella shrugged and nodded at the efficiency, there was no way she would have thought to do that. "Not anymore!"
As they all stepped inside the door to the room closed ominously behind them with a loud bang. Clearly, Cloud Tower was getting tired of the little bugs fluttering inside of its domain.
"Where are we?" Musa asks as she steps further inside, her high ponytails were starting to get loose from all of the excitement they had.
Stella looked stressed, even more than she usually was with exams, "I've heard of rooms like this but I never thought they really existed. Witches are very messy creatures! Instead of organizing their library, cataloging their stuff, they just chuck everything away like that."
Bloom started tuning out. Sounds a bit like me, I hate dealing with things.
The eruption of flames sparked in front of them which drew her attention back to the present from her self-loathing. The Winx gathered around each other as the flames grew fiercer and surrounded them.
Flora coughed heavily next to her. "Flora!" Bloom steadied her friend as best as she could. Flora was the Fairy of Nature, there was no way she could be okay with all of this fire and smoke. Her hair even started drooping like a dying plant. "The smoke is so thick. I can't breathe."
"Flora, use your sleeves until we find a way out." With how fire prone she and Stella were they desperately needed a fairy with some water powers soon. "Techna?"
Tecna shook her head. "The flames are blocking the door, we're trapped."
I shouldn't have touched that stupid book.
Suddenly, the world quieted where it was only her and the sound of crackling flames. Bloom!
The sound of her name had Bloom looking around frantically as to who was calling her, but she could see nothing. Come, Bloom!
"Bloom come back here! What's going on? What are you doing?" Stella tried to stop Bloom from moving out of the circle, but her best friend was too fast. Come with me. Follow me. I will... lead you... to safety.
A stray book left strangely unburnt tripped Bloom and took her away from her temporary daze when her palms met the ground harshly. There was a gold ball with strange symbols on it shining in front of her. Her hands inched toward it. Bloom, no!
Come closer. There was someone helping her up, but their words sounded faint. Bloom stood up again and kept walking, this time with the ball held tightly in her hand. It's nice to see you again.
The first voice stayed silent in disapproval. The second voice was amused at its lack of response. When Bloom walked toward the wall she saw a round metal door. The fire bent around her as she reached for it. The sound of it opening and Stella's firm hands on her shoulders brought her back to reality.
"Don't ever do that again, okay." The taller girl hugged her tightly from the back and Bloom nodded, confused. Stella then called for the rest of the Winx to follow, making sure that Flora was the first to go.
"What happened?" Bloom's dazed voice and expression worried Stella. Whatever happened to her certainly wasn't her doing.
She would keep her mouth to herself until she got back to Alfea of course. No need to stay in witches' territory any longer. "Just go through the tunnel."
THEY BARELY got back to Alfea before classes started, fortunately, they had an hour left to shower at least.
The sound of Flora singing to her eucalyptus plants in the bathroom calmed Bloom's mind a bit as she looked at the ball in her hand. The symbols on it shone brighter as she put it in the sun.
When she squinted it actually looked like there was a little sun on the corner, possibly a hint as to who the owner was, she mused. Artists tend to leave their signatures hidden in plain sight.
"Bloom?" She snapped up at the sound of her name. Flora was drying her hair with a towel and was pointing toward the door. "We're going out now, 30 minutes before class." Bloom looked over to Kiko who was sleeping on her second pillow soundly.
Earlier, when they had come back he was panicking. She had heard that sometimes animals could sense their owner's emotions, but not so deeply enough that he refused to be settled unless Bloom was lying next to him.
"I'll come back." She murmured to him and he cracked an eye open in response before going back to sleep. She followed Flora and the rest of her friends through the hallways.
The sight of Assistant Headmistress Griselda standing outside their first class of the day made Bloom dread. They had found out already? Were they going to be expelled? "You five are in big trouble! What were you thinking!"
Stella tried to open her mouth but she was silenced with a hand. "I don't want to hear it! You all are to come with me to Headmistress Faragonda's office!"
HEADMISTRESS FARAGONDA was usually the best part of being a part of Alfea. She was kind and didn't hesitate to help a student in need.
But now that Bloom and her friends have broken into Cloud Tower, that version of her was locked away. Instead, they got someone who showed exactly why she was given the job as headmistress.
"This morning, I received a message from Professor Griffin, the headmistress at Cloud Tower. My colleague was furious!" Faragonda paced back and forth from the line the Winx formed in front of her desk. She looked every single one of them deep into the eye. "She tells me that you broke into her school last night, is that true?"
They lowered their heads in answer.
"I cannot believe this!" Faragonda stopped in front of them. "You are all first year students and I cannot tolerate this kind of behavior in my institution! Now, what have you got to say for yourselves?"
Bloom took initiative. "We shouldn't have—" Griselda cut Bloom off as she cleared her throat loudly. I didn't even get to finish.
"Ma'am, if I may? Whatever their reason is for doing what they did, their punishment should be exemplary." There was a hidden satisfaction behind Griselda's expression. Since they started she must have been itching to get their hands on all of them.
"What do you mean?" When Faragonda looked at Griselda the Winx turned to each other with an expression of defeat. There was no way of getting out of this now. Musa mumbled 'Great, just what we needed' under her breath.
"Seeing that these students went out without permission, I suggest they be grounded and their magic powers revoked until such a date you deem adequate." Bloom's friends gasped and Stella even went as far as to flinch.
It didn't seem that bad to Bloom, but she remembered that her friends grew up with magic right at their fingertips since, well forever. Stella looked a bit pale. "But ma'am, isn't that a bit extreme. You really wouldn't do that, would you?"
The golden ball in Bloom's pocket buzzed agitatedly. Oh, yes, she would.
"Wouldn't I?" Faragonda stepped forward with her eyes pinched in fury. The Winx stepped back accordingly. "There are very few things I wouldn't do, Princess Stella of Solaria!" Faragonda spread her arms and swirls of green energy surrounded the girls, making them float.
Bloom grimaced as it dug into her chest and pulled something out, she felt empty. It was different than growing up in Gardenia, at least she could feel something rushing under her veins. "And revoking your powers is not one of them!"
When they all were back to their feet a sharp ringing rang throughout the room. The golden ball in Bloom's pocket fell out and opened. A familiar tune rang out from it before golden magic shone throughout the room.
Golden particles looked like stars in the darkened room. One of them landed in front of her and Bloom had to cross her eyes to see it clearly. "What is this?" Faragonda asked as she tried to waked Griselda who was frozen in place. "I don't know."
Come. Bloom reached out to touch the golden star.
A supernova exploded in front of her eyes and then everything went blank.