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Description

The Suns had already set on the planet of Solaria, and the Moons had just risen, when a young woman, a Princess of about fifteen, opened the door that separated her rooms from the castle proper and, taking a deep breath, left behind the safety of her abode.

She moved stealthily and quietly through the shadowed halls, the only illumination coming from the moonlight streaming in via the floor to ceiling windows. Those windows, hung heavy with red draperies, seemed not so much a view point of the outside world as the bars of a cage that separated the viewer from true freedom.

The viewer this night, who thought such glum thoughts as she passed these ribbed sentinels, was Stella, Princess of the Sun and Moon. She was also Stella, the worn and tired teenage fairy.

Stella had had a hard day. Her parents had been arguing again, and it had filled the hours from when the first sun rose to when the last star appeared, when they finally went to bed. About what, you may ask? About everything, and nothing; it seemed they never got along these days. So she had made an effort to stay in her room, or out in the crystal gardens, or even in the kitchen, everywhere she knew they wouldn't be.

Because she couldn’t take the pain anymore.

All that arguing, that pain, had taken its toll. That’s why, after everyone had gone to bed, she had snuck up to the dove tower to stargaze. Being quiet so as not to make a noise and rouse the doves, she eased past them and went to the balcony, careful to shut the doors behind her. She waved her hands together in front of her, and from silver moonlight appeared a beautiful telescope her mother had given her. It was etched with constellations from all over the magic dimension.

Her mother had given it to her for her eighth birthday. It was one of her happiest moments. Not because of the gift, but because of her family. They had been a family back then. She leaned on the balcony rail and smiled, remembering how they had stargazed that night, her mother and father carefully pointing out different patterns and constellations in the night sky. Her father was especially good at pointing out the nebula's, while her mother could easily pick out different moons and suns from the starscape for her.

She had smiled then too, eager to learn all she could about the sky. It got cold though, and Mother announced it was time for bed. Stella silently protested, trying to hide the traitor yawn that spread wide across her face. Her Father had laughed, picking her up in his strong arms and carrying her to her bed. As her parents tucked her in, they told her all about the stars, the suns, and the moons.

They told her of how, deep inside her, was magic that came from the heavens, and if she was a good girl, when she grew up, she would be a strong fairy and be able to protect her people with her special powers. She looked up into their loving eyes, and promised "I'll be really good mommy! I'll be the best fairy ever!" Her father laughed, and they both kissed her goodnight.

But, shortly after that, things got bad. Stella couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed, but it was undeniable. One day, she and her mother had been sitting in the moon garden, happily lounging while the stars rose. She’d cuddled up to her mother’s side and snuggled beneath her arm, awaiting the perfect time to stargaze. Suddenly, the doors to the balcony garden thrust open, and her father strode in, looking very tired, a worried look upon his face. Her mother looked up at him in confusion, but saw the look on his face and went to him immediately.

“Radius,” She said,” are you alright? What’s wrong?”

He reached out and took her in his arms, hugging her tightly. Stella ran up to them and joined the embrace.

“Nothing,” he replied, “The meeting just went badly. I suppose after so many years, even the best of people can change.” He smiled haggardly. “Now,” he looked down at Stella. “It’s time for all good girls to be in bed.”

Stella cocked her head, confused. “But daddy, we were going to stargaze.”

Her father shook his head. “Not tonight, my little ray of sunshine. Off to bed.”

Her mother shared a worried glance with her father, wondering what this was all about. They never missed a stargazing night. But from the set of his jaw and his look of exhaustion, Luna nodded and smiled down at Stella, taking her hand and leading her off to get ready for bed.

She had no clue who he’d met or what had happened, but after that, her father began missing more family moments. He worked late, became cold and distant. His appearance grew more tired and hard, and he became sterner with Stella. He brushed her mother off every time she went to go with him to royal meetings, and they hardly saw each other after a while. Her mother hung on and tried for many years, but slowly his sickness of soul tainted her, and she became lonely and bitter, only being her old self when she was with Stella.

A cold breeze stirred Stella from her memories. She glanced up at the stars, and judging by the height of the Moon on the horizon, she didn't have much more than a few hours for her stargazing. Sighing, she bent down and looked through the telescope. She watched as the constellations for the unicorn, the satyr, and the great king appeared.

Suddenly, something to the east caught her eye; an orange flash. Curiously, she turned the telescope in the direction in question. Sure enough, there were more. Hundreds of flashing, pulsating, shooting stars arched across the sky, just over a distant planet. She zoomed in, and realized that these were not normal shooting stars, made of ice and space dust, but were made from gold and liquid fire. Quickly, she plucked the astrolabe from the telescope stand and began measuring the planet's position. She realized with a start, that it was all happening over the dead planet, Sparx.

"This must be the DracoNova meteor shower! But.... that hasn't happened in nearly 15 years!"

Amazed and intrigued, she watched the meteor shower until the first sun rose, and the lights faded from the sky.

Chapter 4:

Daphne tossed and turned, restless in her sleep.

A vision pulls her through the dream-vale, and she opens her eyes in a strange and amazing place. She looks all around her, and takes in the view. She's playing in a beautiful garden, filled to the brim with the most amazing plants and flowers. Walls curve up and down like the rise and fall of waves, surrounding the place, broken only by intricate golden gates at each end of the garden. A fountain stands in the middle, a lone sentinel, water arching from its spouts.

She feels so calm and at peace here. The wind tugs at her, as if inviting her to play. She runs, arms wide and eyes closed, feeling it whip through her hair. Only now does she realize she's barefoot. She looks down at her feet, and is surprised to see she is a child, wearing a golden dress. A nearby butterfly draws her from her thoughts, and she chases it. A woman’s voice laughs, and familiarity builds an odd but wonderful sensation in her chest.

She turns to see a smiling woman bent down, hands on her knees looking towards her. She has striking golden eyes, and long red hair spiraling in curls down her back. She's wearing a loose pink sleeveless shirt with gold trim, and emerald pants with pink knee boots, trimmed with gold as well. Gold armlets delicately circle her biceps, and an intricate crown sits on her head.

She calls to Daphne, laughing, and says "There's my big girl! Come give Momma a hug!"

She runs toward her and leaps into her arms, giggling. Her mother spins her around in her arms, and hugs her close to her chest. They're interrupted by a man’s voice.

"So, Mariam, I've finally finished my paperwork. Mind if play too?”

Mariam turns toward the voice, and Daphne gets a good look at the man it came from. He's tall, with wavy chocolate hair, and a kind face. He's wearing a white t shirt and a pair of dark pants with black knee boots.

Mariam turns slightly away with a gleaming look in her eyes. "You're such an old stick in the mud; I doubt you remember how to play, Oritel."

Oritel looks toward her in mock disbelief. "That hurts. I do too know how to play."

Mariam glances toward him. "Oh, really? Then what game were we playing?" Oritel strokes his chin, "Hmmm... what game? What game?" he muses.

She looks back to Daphne in her arms. "I don't think daddy can guess, do you?" Daphne shakes her head no and giggles.

Oritel gives them a mischivous look. "Oh, you mean" and he grabs Daphne from her mother and holds her straight into the air, and starts spinning her around again. "This one?" he finishes, laughing. Daphne laughs too, throwing her arms and legs straight out as he spins her.

Mariam stands back as she watches them, hand on a slightly swollen belly. At last he pulls her back down, and both parents embrace her. The feeling of this love, this overwhelming love....

The scene fades, and is replaced by another. But this time, she seems to be inside of a strange room. She hears blood curdling screams in the distance, and shouts, followed by the sound of metal on metal. Something roars in the distance, followed by unearthly wails and growls. She now feels terror. Looking to the left and right, she searches for a way out she somehow knows isn't there. She sees the woman from before turn toward her, perhaps her birth mother? She has a desperate and panicked look on her face. She starts to speak, but there's no sound as the dream starts to fade, the images melting like candle wax. She wakes up screaming.

She breathes hard, sitting up in bed, while she waits for her heart rate to return to normal. Bloom groans and shifts in her own bed across the room. Daphne looks around, assuring herself it was just a dream. She pulls back the covers and walks over to the window seat. Curling up in it, she leans her back against the side of the wall and her head on the glass pane, so that she can see the moon to the east of the street.

Closing her eyes, she lets a few tears escape. "It didn't feel like a dream. More like a memory. But it was... it felt so... real, as if it were happening now!" She opens her eyes and looks towards her baby sister's sleeping form, her side slowing rising and falling with her breathing. "Those people," she thought to herself, shaking. "They must have been our birth parents; but what happened? Why did they abandon us?"

She remembered the good part of the dream, when they were all playing together. She remembered how her mother's smile had lit up her face when she saw her, the love she felt when they had both hugged her. And then, she remembered the desperate and panicked look in her mother’s face at the end.

She shook her head. "No. I don't believe they gave us up voluntarily. Something happened. But what?"

She leaned back against the wall again and closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep, as the moonlight filtered through the sky and beautiful shooting stars shot across it, so faint that they were nothing more than ghosts.

Bloom woke up to the sound of birds chirping as they flew past her window. Grinning, she lays in her bed, enjoying the sunshine on her face. Opening her eyes, she glances over at Daphne's side of the room. The bed is neatly made, although a number of other things were strewn around the room. Her sister is already awake and downstairs, probably. Bloom gets up, lazily stretching, and goes to her dresser. She pulls out a blue t-shirt with short yellow sleeves. Finding a matching pair of pants, she pulls them out as well.

She's brushing her red hair in the bathroom mirror when her mom calls her down to breakfast. Sighing, she gives up on the perfect ponytail she had been trying to force her unruly hair into and just lets it hang loose. She puts the brush back in the drawer and goes downstairs to join her family.

Mike sits at the table, drinking his coffee and reading the morning paper. Daphne is running around the kitchen, grabbing odds and ends like keys and cellphone as she gets ready for work. Vanessa, laughing and splattered in pancake batter, asks "Why the rush sweetheart?"

Daphne gulps down a cup of coffee and tosses back "Klaus had to drop his daughter Roxy off a riding camp, and so he asked me to take the morning shift and open the fruity music bar." she glanced down at her watch, "OMG I'm gonna be late!" As Bloom comes into the kitchen, Daphne rushes past her fast enough to knock her into the doorway.

"Watch it!" Bloom laughs in mock anger.

"Sorry Bloom! I'm late!" She makes it out the door and to the car, luckily with no more injuries on the way.

Mike laughs and shakes his head as Bloom walks over to give him a hug. "Good morning, Dad." She pulls her chair out and sits down at the table as Vanessa sets a plate of steaming pancakes in front of her. "Morning Mom." she reaches up and hugs her, being careful not to get pancake batter on her own shirt.

"Good morning to you too," Vanessa replies as she sets her own plate down and joins them at the table. They say prayer, and then begin their meal. Bloom glances from one parent to the other as she reaches for the peanut butter. "Surely they can't have forgotten?"

"So," Vanessa begins casually, "got any plans for today? Well, besides helping me in the shop of course." Bloom looks up in shock. "They did forget!" Vanessa and Mike exchange grins, and Bloom, who had looked down in disappointment, hardly noticed.

Both Mike and Vanessa look over at their helpless daughter, sitting there with her lip trembling, and bust out laughing. Bloom looks at them incredulously. This just makes them laugh harder. Wiping tears from her eyes, Vanessa looks up at Bloom and grins a Cheshire cat smile. "Had you going for a few minutes, didn't we?" Vanessa laughs and gets up from the table. She comes back carrying a huge birthday cake, covered in blue frosting and purple flowers, rendered in exquisite detail. Vanessa must have done the decorating herself.

Mike chuckles, and pulls Bloom in for a side hug. "I bet you thought we forgot your Birthday, didn't you?"

"It was all a joke?" Bloom askes disbelieving. "Not funny, Mom!"

Vanessa adds candles to the cake and replies "I thought it was pretty funny. Besides, how else are we supposed to surprise you?"

"And," Mike added, "You get the whole day off! No work, no cleaning out the garage, no chores.”

“Just make this morning’s deliveries, and you're free!" Vanessa finished.

Bloom nearly cried. "Thanks you guys!" She closes her eyes and makes a wish.

“I wish that my birthday will be really magical!”

She blows out the candles, and her parents clap and cheer. After she finishes her piece of cake, Bloom gives them each a quick kiss on the cheek and heads for the door.

“Uh, uh, uh! Mike says, and Bloom stops in her tracks. She turns around, ready to launch a protest that they did give her the day off.

"Now," Mike says, stopping Bloom mid-protest, "I know how much you want to run off and have fun, but don't you want your birthday present?"

She pulls up short. "Where is it?" she asks, looking around eagerly.

Mike laughs and winks. "It's outside."

He and Vanessa follow Bloom out the door, hardly keeping pace with the eager redhead. She comes to a dead stop in the middle of the yard. At the end, by the gate, glints a brand new red bike. It was the new one she'd been admiring at Marco's Sports Shoppe. It even had the basket she had wanted to add on for Kiko.

"Mom, Dad! Thank you so much! It's perfect!" she cries, running into their arms.

"I'm glad you like it, sweetheart!" Vanessa gushes, pulling her daughter in for a tighter hug.

Once she breaks herself loose from her mother’s embrace, Bloom runs over to the bike, looking it over from handle to tire, thinking of all the things she wants to do today, and how much faster she could get there.

"You might want to head over to the Fruity Music bar first." Her father said. "Daphne said she had a super special present for you, and she said you'd love it."

Bloom glanced up and says "Awesome! Thanks, I will!"

Mike and Vanessa watch as she runs back to the door and calls in "Come on, Kiko!" A few minutes later, Kiko comes hopping out, and upon seeing the basket on the bike, happily jumps in, nearly squashing the flower deliveries.

With one final wave, she wheeled out of the yard and down the street. She had gone no farther than a block when she was stopped by a girl from school; Mitzie.

"Hey Bloom, nice bike. Your dad find it in a junk yard?" she asked, not so innocently.

Bloom gritted her teeth. Mitzie's dad was Michael Conner, the owner and manager of Gardenia's largest store. It was well know that he was a man who enjoyed his power, and his daughter was very much like him. She, like her father, also looked down on everyone who wasn't as rich as her.

She especially liked to torture Bloom, making fun of her with her friends, teasing her about her Dad being a "lowly fireman. Nothing more than a human fire extinguisher." As well as teasing her about her Mom "the Gardinian tree hugger." She and Bloom didn't get along, no two ways about it. Hardly anybody liked Mitzie, but they liked her money and her Dad's position. So they sucked up to her.

Bloom wanted to punch her in the teeth so bad, or at least shoot back an insult, but HER parents had raised her better. That, and Daphne had told her that come-backs just encouraged people like Mitzie to think of her as an easy target, someone they could always pick fun at and easily get a fight. So she took a deep breath and replied,

"Actually no, Mitzie, he found it at Marco's. You know, the sports shoppe? Isn't it awesome?"

Mitzie was so shocked she hadn't thrown out a snappy retort that she hardly noticed Bloom leave. "Huh. Maybe Daphne has a point." she thought, heading toward the beach where the Fruity Music Bar was located.

Klaus had opened it about six years ago, and it was the hottest spot in Gardenia for tourists. It was often busy, and he always needed extra help. When Daphne had applied for the job last summer, he’d just lost two of his staff who had gone off to college, and was only too happy to hire her.

She pulled her bike up to the rack and chained it in place. Mitzie might make fun of it, but the bike really was awesome, and she didn't want it to get stolen.

One of the reasons that the Fruity Music bar was so popular was that Klaus allowed local bands to practice on his stage, using the customers as a live audience. It helped a lot of kids make their mark and attracted a lot of hopefuls. But today, the music was louder than usual. She could hear it all the way outside. Walking in, she could see why.

"Andy....." she thought glumly, and sat down at her customary table by the door, across from the counter. It had been about two months since she had seen him. She and her friend Selina, who had been Andy's girlfriend at the time, had been hanging out at the mall shopping. It had been a long, fun filled day, and they were exhausted. They decided to get ice cream at the shop down the street.

They had arrived outside of the Ice cream parlor, and Selina had been laughing at one of Bloom's jokes. Bloom asked what flavor she wanted, and Selina, between her laughs, said "Anything but Peca....," and stopped. She looked up at something that had caught her eye, and suddenly, she turned sheet white and ran off back the way they came, sobbing.

Bloom, rather bewildered, looked up to see what had caused her reaction when she saw him, in the ice cream parlor, kissing another girl. He was on a date! And not just with any girl!

“Mitzie!”

She ran to find Selina, and finally caught up with her in the mall, where she was crying at the fountain. Bloom consoled her as best she could, but Selina was broken hearted.

“How could he do this to me?” Selina had wailed.

Bloom shook her head, grabbing her friend in a tight hug, and swore vengeance.

That night Bloom got a call at home. Selina told Bloom that she was moving to the country with her Grandmother. She didn't want to face Andy, and didn't want him to see how much he hurt her. So, they talked for a while, reminisced, and then said their goodbyes, promising to stay in touch; she left the next day. That was the day Bloom lost her best friend.

A week went by, then two. Bloom grew lonely with no one to hang out with, so she started helping her mom in the flower shop. One day, Andy came into the store, asking where Selina had gone. "We had a date planned two weeks ago, and then she disappeared! I've looked everywhere, called everyone, and I can't find her! Do you know what happened?"

Bloom, after staring at him in shock for a few minutes, mouth agape, answered.

"Oh, I don't know Andy. It might have something to do with the fact we saw you locking lips with Mitzie at the Ice Cream Parlor. Only two hours before you were supposed to meet Selina for your date. Do you think that's it?" She asked angrily, one hand on her hip, the other leaning on the counter.

Andy suddenly paled. He swallowed a couple of times. "Y-you.. you saw that?" He came around the corner of the counter and pleaded to Bloom "You have to know that it wasn't what it looked like! It was just... " He gave up, looking down. "Mitzie had me over a rope. She said that if I didn't go out with her, she'd tell the Principle that I cheated on last weeks math test and get me expelled. I didn't! But like that matters! Everyone takes Mitzies side! I’ve already been expelled from six schools, and if I lose this one, my parents said they’ll send me to reform school. I didn’t want to go out with her, honest! I just, I don’t want to leave Gardenia."

He had tears in his eyes. Bloom felt sorry for him. He wasn't the only one that had been manipulated by Mitzie, and he probably wouldn't be the last. But he had still kissed her, and Selina was still hurt.

"I'm sorry, Andy. But you were wrong. And you hurt Selina, bad." She said.

"I'm sorry too." He replied miserably. "I never wanted to hurt her." His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he started to walk out.

“I'll tell her." Bloom said, reluctantly. "I don't know what good that'll do, but I'll tell her. But take my word for it," he turned around and faced her as she emphasized her words. "If she lets you back in, don't hurt her. And stay away from Mitzie. She's no good for anyone."

He shook his head and waved a goodbye. She went back to her work, turning toward the glass cabnet where she’d been stocking fresh roses, when her reflection in the glass caught her eye. It must have been a trick of the light, but she seemed to actually have fire in her eyes. She shook her head and looked again, but her eyes were as blue as ever.

Why that last piece of information had stuck in her memory, she didn’t know. She just knew that, somehow, it was important.

Shaking off the memories, Bloom put on a cheery face got up, heading to the front counter. As she walked, she quickly set an alarm on her phone for five minutes. Birthday or no, she really did need to make those deliveries.

Chapter 5:

Daphne was having a pretty good day to begin with. Even though it was the first day of winter vacation, there weren't that many customers. It was just as well, because she only had two other employees helping her, and they needed a lot more when the place was full.

She whistled while she worked, rubbing the cleaning rag vigorously up and down the length of the countertop. Though she was hard at work, her mind and heart were elsewhere. She paused for a moment, lost in thought.

She'd seen that guy again, sitting over at table six as usual. "He's so handsome...." she thought to herself dreamily. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she went back to work.

"The Guy", she had dubbed him because she was too cowardly to ask his name, or even talk to him, had been coming in all summer, and now again on winter break. "He must be a college student." She mused. He seemed nice, always laughing and joking with people. And of course, he always smiled at her and was the perfect gentleman when she waited on him. To be honest, he might have been the real reason she was in such a good mood. "If only I had the guts to talk to him...." she thought glumly.

Suddenly, the day didn't seem so great.

"Hey, Daphne!" Bloom greeted her sister as she plopped herself down at the stool in front of her. Daphne looked up with a big smile, grabbing Bloom's customary bottle of Apple juice and passing it to her. "Good Morning, Bloom! Sorry I was so rushed this morning."

"Hey, it’s okay, I understand." Looking up at Daphne from the corner of her eye she asked,"So, watcha doing?" Daphne gave her sister a knowing look. After a minute, she replied. "Oh, nothing much. I don't suppose you came to pick up a special present, did you?" She asked, withdrawing a rectangular package wrapped in yellow tissue paper with a big pink bow from under the counter.

No longer able to hold back her excitement, Bloom squealed like a three year old, reaching out her hands in a "gimme gimme" sort of way. Daphne held it out of her reach for a few moments while Bloom chased it, before finally letting her take it. Paper and ribbon went flying as she tore through it.

"Memo to me," Daphne thought happily, "Re-sweep floor."

A delighted gasp broke through her thoughts as Bloom finally pulled the last strip of paper away, revealing a book. "Fairy Legends of Galway and Greater Ireland! I've been waiting for this one! I didn't even know it came out yet!" She petted the leather binding affectionately, admiring the delicate scrollwork imprinted onto the soft cover. It was no secret that Bloom was a nerd when it came to fairies and fairytales. She especially loved them when they came in old fashioned leather binding, which is why this present was so special.

Daphne laughed, "That's because you don't know Peter down at the book store. I introduced him to his girlfriend, Miranda, and he owed me a favor. And technically," she eyed Bloom with a conspiratorial look in her eye, motioning her to come closer. Bloom leaned in, and Daphne finished "Technically, it's not supposed to be out till next week, but I told him it was your birthday and he snagged it for me. His uncle, old man Boen, laughed as he rang me up."

Bloom hugged her older sister. "This is the best birthday present ever!" She squealed. Bloom's phone alarm rang,

"Dang!" she said, grabbing it from her pocket and turning it off. "I promised Mom I'd make a few deliveries before I took the day off, and I've got to get going.

Before Daphne knew what was going on, Bloom was already halfway across the room.

"See you later!" Bloom called, and Daphne shook her head before turning back to her work.

A few more hours passed, with more customers coming in. Daphne and the other staff were worked hard, and when the end of her shift drew near it was a relief. Daphne took off her apron, handed the keys to Klaus (who’d just gotten back), and headed out. Because the parking lot had been full when she’d arrived, she’d had to park three blocks away; it would be a bit of a walk, but she didn’t mind. The blue sky was giving way to sunset, bright orange, pink, yellow, and purple starting to streak through the more subdued tones of cobalt and cerulean.

Daphne hummed to herself as she made her way down the sidewalk, passing empty shops as she went. Every now and then, she would shift her gaze from the sky, to the passing cars, to the mid-city gardens across the street, and then back to the sidewalk. Everything seemed peaceful. She breathed in deep, inhaling the aroma of sea breeze, Roses, and of course, the ever present wild Gardenias the city was named for.

Unknown to her, four figures watched her from the rooftops. They kept pace with her easily, moving along the buildings as silent as wraiths. They followed close, awaiting their chance.

Daphne stopped as she felt her cell vibrate. "A text from mom," she thought to herself. She leaned against the side of the building she was nearest to, just inside an alley so she wouldn’t block the sidewalk, and started typing, fingers moving methodically.

One of the figures spoke, still unheard by the oblivious Daphne below. Crouching down to get a better look at her, he began.

"It's her, alright. She's the one radiating the energy." He stood up, looking thoughtful, as another figure spoke.

"Then let's get her! We're more than a match for her!" he said eagerly, teeth gleaming in the near dark.

The first figure shook his head in a negative gesture. The second ignored him, and went to make a move, but an arm appeared in his path. He glanced up at the one who had stopped him; the figure simply said "Wait."

This one was different. He stood taller than the rest, his face was unmoving, his eyes cold, and his air of authority was unquestionable. There was no doubt that this was the leader of the mysterious group. He turned toward the first figure and, by the mere mention of his name, spoke a question.

"Anagan?"

Anagan shook his head again, standing. "It's her, but that energy is a different flavor then I've sensed before. We should be cautious with her. She is more then she appears."

The leader scratched his chin in thought. It would not be wise to rush overconfidently into something like this. Any mistake could give them away. But there was not a need for too much caution; they had long ago gathered enough magic to be more than a match for whatever this girl could be. He made a decision.

"Gantlos," he motioned the last figure forward. Gantlos was his second, and his most trusted lieutenant. "What do you think of the situation?"

Gantlos grunted, looking down at Daphne. He thought for a few moments, and then spoke. "I think we should test her. I would be honored to choose a volunteer." Ogron nodded in satisfaction, and replied by nodding his head once. As any good lieutenant, Gantlos could decipher a situation and anticipate his leaders will.

Gantlos scanned the busy street, searching for the right volunteer, one that would unwittingly aid them in their test. He must choose wisely, for the wrong choice and the girl might suspect something. He spotted a punk leaving a local disco. "That's him."

He closed his eyes, placing one hand on his left temple and aiming the other towards the boy. His eyes flashed purple and circular waves of sound seemed to flow from his hand to the boy's head. The boy closed his eyes, turning away instinctively, but could not resist the spell for long. He opened his eyes once again, and his eyes flashed purple as well.

The group watched as he slowly made his way across the street. There was no way that the girl could have seen him yet, but she shot up, forgetting whatever she had been texting. She glanced around seemingly frantically.

Anagan cursed. "She sensed the spell! She must have!" he turned to the leader. "Ogron?!"

Ogron growled in response, sensing his plan fall apart around him. "Get her now, you fool! We'll lose this chance!"

Gantlos only grunted in response, tightening his grip on the punk, making him move faster, no longer caring if he was seen.

Daphne was happily texting Vanessa about her day, when suddenly, she got a strange feeling. This wasn't just de ja vu that you could shake off and ignore. This was a familiar, horrifying feeling, like the sense that something terrible is coming. She shot up and looked all around her. The alley ahead of her was clear, with just a dumpster on the opposite side that she could see behind. She looked up the short way she had come, and there seemed to be nothing but passing cars in the fading light.

She closed her eyes, sensing for whatever had disturbed her. The feeling increased, getting stronger. Upon looking up, she saw a punk who, from the looks of the white suit and the purple mohawk, was probably part of the disco gang. And he was getting closer.

The story of Winx:New beginnings is based loosely on the series by RainbowSri, 4Kids, Nickelodeon, and pieces of game content for Winx Fairy School, by Tsumanga Studios. I don't claim to own the elements of the story, I simple used them to design an alternate reality version of the story. The idea's for the au belong to me, as well as the name of said story and art related to the story. I hope you like it!

Description

The Suns had already set on the planet of Solaria, and the Moons had just risen, when a young woman, a Princess of about fifteen, opened the door that separated her rooms from the castle proper and, taking a deep breath, left behind the safety of her abode.

She moved stealthily and quietly through the shadowed halls, the only illumination coming from the moonlight streaming in via the floor to ceiling windows. Those windows, hung heavy with red draperies, seemed not so much a view point of the outside world as the bars of a cage that separated the viewer from true freedom.

The viewer this night, who thought such glum thoughts as she passed these ribbed sentinels, was Stella, Princess of the Sun and Moon. She was also Stella, the worn and tired teenage fairy.

Stella had had a hard day. Her parents had been arguing again, and it had filled the hours from when the first sun rose to when the last star appeared, when they finally went to bed. About what, you may ask? About everything, and nothing; it seemed they never got along these days. So she had made an effort to stay in her room, or out in the crystal gardens, or even in the kitchen, everywhere she knew they wouldn't be.

Because she couldn’t take the pain anymore.

All that arguing, that pain, had taken its toll. That’s why, after everyone had gone to bed, she had snuck up to the dove tower to stargaze. Being quiet so as not to make a noise and rouse the doves, she eased past them and went to the balcony, careful to shut the doors behind her. She waved her hands together in front of her, and from silver moonlight appeared a beautiful telescope her mother had given her. It was etched with constellations from all over the magic dimension.

Her mother had given it to her for her eighth birthday. It was one of her happiest moments. Not because of the gift, but because of her family. They had been a family back then. She leaned on the balcony rail and smiled, remembering how they had stargazed that night, her mother and father carefully pointing out different patterns and constellations in the night sky. Her father was especially good at pointing out the nebula's, while her mother could easily pick out different moons and suns from the starscape for her.

She had smiled then too, eager to learn all she could about the sky. It got cold though, and Mother announced it was time for bed. Stella silently protested, trying to hide the traitor yawn that spread wide across her face. Her Father had laughed, picking her up in his strong arms and carrying her to her bed. As her parents tucked her in, they told her all about the stars, the suns, and the moons.

They told her of how, deep inside her, was magic that came from the heavens, and if she was a good girl, when she grew up, she would be a strong fairy and be able to protect her people with her special powers. She looked up into their loving eyes, and promised "I'll be really good mommy! I'll be the best fairy ever!" Her father laughed, and they both kissed her goodnight.

But, shortly after that, things got bad. Stella couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed, but it was undeniable. One day, she and her mother had been sitting in the moon garden, happily lounging while the stars rose. She’d cuddled up to her mother’s side and snuggled beneath her arm, awaiting the perfect time to stargaze. Suddenly, the doors to the balcony garden thrust open, and her father strode in, looking very tired, a worried look upon his face. Her mother looked up at him in confusion, but saw the look on his face and went to him immediately.

“Radius,” She said,” are you alright? What’s wrong?”

He reached out and took her in his arms, hugging her tightly. Stella ran up to them and joined the embrace.

“Nothing,” he replied, “The meeting just went badly. I suppose after so many years, even the best of people can change.” He smiled haggardly. “Now,” he looked down at Stella. “It’s time for all good girls to be in bed.”

Stella cocked her head, confused. “But daddy, we were going to stargaze.”

Her father shook his head. “Not tonight, my little ray of sunshine. Off to bed.”

Her mother shared a worried glance with her father, wondering what this was all about. They never missed a stargazing night. But from the set of his jaw and his look of exhaustion, Luna nodded and smiled down at Stella, taking her hand and leading her off to get ready for bed.

She had no clue who he’d met or what had happened, but after that, her father began missing more family moments. He worked late, became cold and distant. His appearance grew more tired and hard, and he became sterner with Stella. He brushed her mother off every time she went to go with him to royal meetings, and they hardly saw each other after a while. Her mother hung on and tried for many years, but slowly his sickness of soul tainted her, and she became lonely and bitter, only being her old self when she was with Stella.

A cold breeze stirred Stella from her memories. She glanced up at the stars, and judging by the height of the Moon on the horizon, she didn't have much more than a few hours for her stargazing. Sighing, she bent down and looked through the telescope. She watched as the constellations for the unicorn, the satyr, and the great king appeared.

Suddenly, something to the east caught her eye; an orange flash. Curiously, she turned the telescope in the direction in question. Sure enough, there were more. Hundreds of flashing, pulsating, shooting stars arched across the sky, just over a distant planet. She zoomed in, and realized that these were not normal shooting stars, made of ice and space dust, but were made from gold and liquid fire. Quickly, she plucked the astrolabe from the telescope stand and began measuring the planet's position. She realized with a start, that it was all happening over the dead planet, Sparx.

"This must be the DracoNova meteor shower! But.... that hasn't happened in nearly 15 years!"

Amazed and intrigued, she watched the meteor shower until the first sun rose, and the lights faded from the sky.

Chapter 4:

Daphne tossed and turned, restless in her sleep.

A vision pulls her through the dream-vale, and she opens her eyes in a strange and amazing place. She looks all around her, and takes in the view. She's playing in a beautiful garden, filled to the brim with the most amazing plants and flowers. Walls curve up and down like the rise and fall of waves, surrounding the place, broken only by intricate golden gates at each end of the garden. A fountain stands in the middle, a lone sentinel, water arching from its spouts.

She feels so calm and at peace here. The wind tugs at her, as if inviting her to play. She runs, arms wide and eyes closed, feeling it whip through her hair. Only now does she realize she's barefoot. She looks down at her feet, and is surprised to see she is a child, wearing a golden dress. A nearby butterfly draws her from her thoughts, and she chases it. A woman’s voice laughs, and familiarity builds an odd but wonderful sensation in her chest.

She turns to see a smiling woman bent down, hands on her knees looking towards her. She has striking golden eyes, and long red hair spiraling in curls down her back. She's wearing a loose pink sleeveless shirt with gold trim, and emerald pants with pink knee boots, trimmed with gold as well. Gold armlets delicately circle her biceps, and an intricate crown sits on her head.

She calls to Daphne, laughing, and says "There's my big girl! Come give Momma a hug!"

She runs toward her and leaps into her arms, giggling. Her mother spins her around in her arms, and hugs her close to her chest. They're interrupted by a man’s voice.

"So, Mariam, I've finally finished my paperwork. Mind if play too?”

Mariam turns toward the voice, and Daphne gets a good look at the man it came from. He's tall, with wavy chocolate hair, and a kind face. He's wearing a white t shirt and a pair of dark pants with black knee boots.

Mariam turns slightly away with a gleaming look in her eyes. "You're such an old stick in the mud; I doubt you remember how to play, Oritel."

Oritel looks toward her in mock disbelief. "That hurts. I do too know how to play."

Mariam glances toward him. "Oh, really? Then what game were we playing?" Oritel strokes his chin, "Hmmm... what game? What game?" he muses.

She looks back to Daphne in her arms. "I don't think daddy can guess, do you?" Daphne shakes her head no and giggles.

Oritel gives them a mischivous look. "Oh, you mean" and he grabs Daphne from her mother and holds her straight into the air, and starts spinning her around again. "This one?" he finishes, laughing. Daphne laughs too, throwing her arms and legs straight out as he spins her.

Mariam stands back as she watches them, hand on a slightly swollen belly. At last he pulls her back down, and both parents embrace her. The feeling of this love, this overwhelming love....

The scene fades, and is replaced by another. But this time, she seems to be inside of a strange room. She hears blood curdling screams in the distance, and shouts, followed by the sound of metal on metal. Something roars in the distance, followed by unearthly wails and growls. She now feels terror. Looking to the left and right, she searches for a way out she somehow knows isn't there. She sees the woman from before turn toward her, perhaps her birth mother? She has a desperate and panicked look on her face. She starts to speak, but there's no sound as the dream starts to fade, the images melting like candle wax. She wakes up screaming.

She breathes hard, sitting up in bed, while she waits for her heart rate to return to normal. Bloom groans and shifts in her own bed across the room. Daphne looks around, assuring herself it was just a dream. She pulls back the covers and walks over to the window seat. Curling up in it, she leans her back against the side of the wall and her head on the glass pane, so that she can see the moon to the east of the street.

Closing her eyes, she lets a few tears escape. "It didn't feel like a dream. More like a memory. But it was... it felt so... real, as if it were happening now!" She opens her eyes and looks towards her baby sister's sleeping form, her side slowing rising and falling with her breathing. "Those people," she thought to herself, shaking. "They must have been our birth parents; but what happened? Why did they abandon us?"

She remembered the good part of the dream, when they were all playing together. She remembered how her mother's smile had lit up her face when she saw her, the love she felt when they had both hugged her. And then, she remembered the desperate and panicked look in her mother’s face at the end.

She shook her head. "No. I don't believe they gave us up voluntarily. Something happened. But what?"

She leaned back against the wall again and closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep, as the moonlight filtered through the sky and beautiful shooting stars shot across it, so faint that they were nothing more than ghosts.

Bloom woke up to the sound of birds chirping as they flew past her window. Grinning, she lays in her bed, enjoying the sunshine on her face. Opening her eyes, she glances over at Daphne's side of the room. The bed is neatly made, although a number of other things were strewn around the room. Her sister is already awake and downstairs, probably. Bloom gets up, lazily stretching, and goes to her dresser. She pulls out a blue t-shirt with short yellow sleeves. Finding a matching pair of pants, she pulls them out as well.

She's brushing her red hair in the bathroom mirror when her mom calls her down to breakfast. Sighing, she gives up on the perfect ponytail she had been trying to force her unruly hair into and just lets it hang loose. She puts the brush back in the drawer and goes downstairs to join her family.

Mike sits at the table, drinking his coffee and reading the morning paper. Daphne is running around the kitchen, grabbing odds and ends like keys and cellphone as she gets ready for work. Vanessa, laughing and splattered in pancake batter, asks "Why the rush sweetheart?"

Daphne gulps down a cup of coffee and tosses back "Klaus had to drop his daughter Roxy off a riding camp, and so he asked me to take the morning shift and open the fruity music bar." she glanced down at her watch, "OMG I'm gonna be late!" As Bloom comes into the kitchen, Daphne rushes past her fast enough to knock her into the doorway.

"Watch it!" Bloom laughs in mock anger.

"Sorry Bloom! I'm late!" She makes it out the door and to the car, luckily with no more injuries on the way.

Mike laughs and shakes his head as Bloom walks over to give him a hug. "Good morning, Dad." She pulls her chair out and sits down at the table as Vanessa sets a plate of steaming pancakes in front of her. "Morning Mom." she reaches up and hugs her, being careful not to get pancake batter on her own shirt.

"Good morning to you too," Vanessa replies as she sets her own plate down and joins them at the table. They say prayer, and then begin their meal. Bloom glances from one parent to the other as she reaches for the peanut butter. "Surely they can't have forgotten?"

"So," Vanessa begins casually, "got any plans for today? Well, besides helping me in the shop of course." Bloom looks up in shock. "They did forget!" Vanessa and Mike exchange grins, and Bloom, who had looked down in disappointment, hardly noticed.

Both Mike and Vanessa look over at their helpless daughter, sitting there with her lip trembling, and bust out laughing. Bloom looks at them incredulously. This just makes them laugh harder. Wiping tears from her eyes, Vanessa looks up at Bloom and grins a Cheshire cat smile. "Had you going for a few minutes, didn't we?" Vanessa laughs and gets up from the table. She comes back carrying a huge birthday cake, covered in blue frosting and purple flowers, rendered in exquisite detail. Vanessa must have done the decorating herself.

Mike chuckles, and pulls Bloom in for a side hug. "I bet you thought we forgot your Birthday, didn't you?"

"It was all a joke?" Bloom askes disbelieving. "Not funny, Mom!"

Vanessa adds candles to the cake and replies "I thought it was pretty funny. Besides, how else are we supposed to surprise you?"

"And," Mike added, "You get the whole day off! No work, no cleaning out the garage, no chores.”

“Just make this morning’s deliveries, and you're free!" Vanessa finished.

Bloom nearly cried. "Thanks you guys!" She closes her eyes and makes a wish.

“I wish that my birthday will be really magical!”

She blows out the candles, and her parents clap and cheer. After she finishes her piece of cake, Bloom gives them each a quick kiss on the cheek and heads for the door.

“Uh, uh, uh! Mike says, and Bloom stops in her tracks. She turns around, ready to launch a protest that they did give her the day off.

"Now," Mike says, stopping Bloom mid-protest, "I know how much you want to run off and have fun, but don't you want your birthday present?"

She pulls up short. "Where is it?" she asks, looking around eagerly.

Mike laughs and winks. "It's outside."

He and Vanessa follow Bloom out the door, hardly keeping pace with the eager redhead. She comes to a dead stop in the middle of the yard. At the end, by the gate, glints a brand new red bike. It was the new one she'd been admiring at Marco's Sports Shoppe. It even had the basket she had wanted to add on for Kiko.

"Mom, Dad! Thank you so much! It's perfect!" she cries, running into their arms.

"I'm glad you like it, sweetheart!" Vanessa gushes, pulling her daughter in for a tighter hug.

Once she breaks herself loose from her mother’s embrace, Bloom runs over to the bike, looking it over from handle to tire, thinking of all the things she wants to do today, and how much faster she could get there.

"You might want to head over to the Fruity Music bar first." Her father said. "Daphne said she had a super special present for you, and she said you'd love it."

Bloom glanced up and says "Awesome! Thanks, I will!"

Mike and Vanessa watch as she runs back to the door and calls in "Come on, Kiko!" A few minutes later, Kiko comes hopping out, and upon seeing the basket on the bike, happily jumps in, nearly squashing the flower deliveries.

With one final wave, she wheeled out of the yard and down the street. She had gone no farther than a block when she was stopped by a girl from school; Mitzie.

"Hey Bloom, nice bike. Your dad find it in a junk yard?" she asked, not so innocently.

Bloom gritted her teeth. Mitzie's dad was Michael Conner, the owner and manager of Gardenia's largest store. It was well know that he was a man who enjoyed his power, and his daughter was very much like him. She, like her father, also looked down on everyone who wasn't as rich as her.

She especially liked to torture Bloom, making fun of her with her friends, teasing her about her Dad being a "lowly fireman. Nothing more than a human fire extinguisher." As well as teasing her about her Mom "the Gardinian tree hugger." She and Bloom didn't get along, no two ways about it. Hardly anybody liked Mitzie, but they liked her money and her Dad's position. So they sucked up to her.

Bloom wanted to punch her in the teeth so bad, or at least shoot back an insult, but HER parents had raised her better. That, and Daphne had told her that come-backs just encouraged people like Mitzie to think of her as an easy target, someone they could always pick fun at and easily get a fight. So she took a deep breath and replied,

"Actually no, Mitzie, he found it at Marco's. You know, the sports shoppe? Isn't it awesome?"

Mitzie was so shocked she hadn't thrown out a snappy retort that she hardly noticed Bloom leave. "Huh. Maybe Daphne has a point." she thought, heading toward the beach where the Fruity Music Bar was located.

Klaus had opened it about six years ago, and it was the hottest spot in Gardenia for tourists. It was often busy, and he always needed extra help. When Daphne had applied for the job last summer, he’d just lost two of his staff who had gone off to college, and was only too happy to hire her.

She pulled her bike up to the rack and chained it in place. Mitzie might make fun of it, but the bike really was awesome, and she didn't want it to get stolen.

One of the reasons that the Fruity Music bar was so popular was that Klaus allowed local bands to practice on his stage, using the customers as a live audience. It helped a lot of kids make their mark and attracted a lot of hopefuls. But today, the music was louder than usual. She could hear it all the way outside. Walking in, she could see why.

"Andy....." she thought glumly, and sat down at her customary table by the door, across from the counter. It had been about two months since she had seen him. She and her friend Selina, who had been Andy's girlfriend at the time, had been hanging out at the mall shopping. It had been a long, fun filled day, and they were exhausted. They decided to get ice cream at the shop down the street.

They had arrived outside of the Ice cream parlor, and Selina had been laughing at one of Bloom's jokes. Bloom asked what flavor she wanted, and Selina, between her laughs, said "Anything but Peca....," and stopped. She looked up at something that had caught her eye, and suddenly, she turned sheet white and ran off back the way they came, sobbing.

Bloom, rather bewildered, looked up to see what had caused her reaction when she saw him, in the ice cream parlor, kissing another girl. He was on a date! And not just with any girl!

“Mitzie!”

She ran to find Selina, and finally caught up with her in the mall, where she was crying at the fountain. Bloom consoled her as best she could, but Selina was broken hearted.

“How could he do this to me?” Selina had wailed.

Bloom shook her head, grabbing her friend in a tight hug, and swore vengeance.

That night Bloom got a call at home. Selina told Bloom that she was moving to the country with her Grandmother. She didn't want to face Andy, and didn't want him to see how much he hurt her. So, they talked for a while, reminisced, and then said their goodbyes, promising to stay in touch; she left the next day. That was the day Bloom lost her best friend.

A week went by, then two. Bloom grew lonely with no one to hang out with, so she started helping her mom in the flower shop. One day, Andy came into the store, asking where Selina had gone. "We had a date planned two weeks ago, and then she disappeared! I've looked everywhere, called everyone, and I can't find her! Do you know what happened?"

Bloom, after staring at him in shock for a few minutes, mouth agape, answered.

"Oh, I don't know Andy. It might have something to do with the fact we saw you locking lips with Mitzie at the Ice Cream Parlor. Only two hours before you were supposed to meet Selina for your date. Do you think that's it?" She asked angrily, one hand on her hip, the other leaning on the counter.

Andy suddenly paled. He swallowed a couple of times. "Y-you.. you saw that?" He came around the corner of the counter and pleaded to Bloom "You have to know that it wasn't what it looked like! It was just... " He gave up, looking down. "Mitzie had me over a rope. She said that if I didn't go out with her, she'd tell the Principle that I cheated on last weeks math test and get me expelled. I didn't! But like that matters! Everyone takes Mitzies side! I’ve already been expelled from six schools, and if I lose this one, my parents said they’ll send me to reform school. I didn’t want to go out with her, honest! I just, I don’t want to leave Gardenia."

He had tears in his eyes. Bloom felt sorry for him. He wasn't the only one that had been manipulated by Mitzie, and he probably wouldn't be the last. But he had still kissed her, and Selina was still hurt.

"I'm sorry, Andy. But you were wrong. And you hurt Selina, bad." She said.

"I'm sorry too." He replied miserably. "I never wanted to hurt her." His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he started to walk out.

“I'll tell her." Bloom said, reluctantly. "I don't know what good that'll do, but I'll tell her. But take my word for it," he turned around and faced her as she emphasized her words. "If she lets you back in, don't hurt her. And stay away from Mitzie. She's no good for anyone."

He shook his head and waved a goodbye. She went back to her work, turning toward the glass cabnet where she’d been stocking fresh roses, when her reflection in the glass caught her eye. It must have been a trick of the light, but she seemed to actually have fire in her eyes. She shook her head and looked again, but her eyes were as blue as ever.

Why that last piece of information had stuck in her memory, she didn’t know. She just knew that, somehow, it was important.

Shaking off the memories, Bloom put on a cheery face got up, heading to the front counter. As she walked, she quickly set an alarm on her phone for five minutes. Birthday or no, she really did need to make those deliveries.

Chapter 5:

Daphne was having a pretty good day to begin with. Even though it was the first day of winter vacation, there weren't that many customers. It was just as well, because she only had two other employees helping her, and they needed a lot more when the place was full.

She whistled while she worked, rubbing the cleaning rag vigorously up and down the length of the countertop. Though she was hard at work, her mind and heart were elsewhere. She paused for a moment, lost in thought.

She'd seen that guy again, sitting over at table six as usual. "He's so handsome...." she thought to herself dreamily. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she went back to work.

"The Guy", she had dubbed him because she was too cowardly to ask his name, or even talk to him, had been coming in all summer, and now again on winter break. "He must be a college student." She mused. He seemed nice, always laughing and joking with people. And of course, he always smiled at her and was the perfect gentleman when she waited on him. To be honest, he might have been the real reason she was in such a good mood. "If only I had the guts to talk to him...." she thought glumly.

Suddenly, the day didn't seem so great.

"Hey, Daphne!" Bloom greeted her sister as she plopped herself down at the stool in front of her. Daphne looked up with a big smile, grabbing Bloom's customary bottle of Apple juice and passing it to her. "Good Morning, Bloom! Sorry I was so rushed this morning."

"Hey, it’s okay, I understand." Looking up at Daphne from the corner of her eye she asked,"So, watcha doing?" Daphne gave her sister a knowing look. After a minute, she replied. "Oh, nothing much. I don't suppose you came to pick up a special present, did you?" She asked, withdrawing a rectangular package wrapped in yellow tissue paper with a big pink bow from under the counter.

No longer able to hold back her excitement, Bloom squealed like a three year old, reaching out her hands in a "gimme gimme" sort of way. Daphne held it out of her reach for a few moments while Bloom chased it, before finally letting her take it. Paper and ribbon went flying as she tore through it.

"Memo to me," Daphne thought happily, "Re-sweep floor."

A delighted gasp broke through her thoughts as Bloom finally pulled the last strip of paper away, revealing a book. "Fairy Legends of Galway and Greater Ireland! I've been waiting for this one! I didn't even know it came out yet!" She petted the leather binding affectionately, admiring the delicate scrollwork imprinted onto the soft cover. It was no secret that Bloom was a nerd when it came to fairies and fairytales. She especially loved them when they came in old fashioned leather binding, which is why this present was so special.

Daphne laughed, "That's because you don't know Peter down at the book store. I introduced him to his girlfriend, Miranda, and he owed me a favor. And technically," she eyed Bloom with a conspiratorial look in her eye, motioning her to come closer. Bloom leaned in, and Daphne finished "Technically, it's not supposed to be out till next week, but I told him it was your birthday and he snagged it for me. His uncle, old man Boen, laughed as he rang me up."

Bloom hugged her older sister. "This is the best birthday present ever!" She squealed. Bloom's phone alarm rang,

"Dang!" she said, grabbing it from her pocket and turning it off. "I promised Mom I'd make a few deliveries before I took the day off, and I've got to get going.

Before Daphne knew what was going on, Bloom was already halfway across the room.

"See you later!" Bloom called, and Daphne shook her head before turning back to her work.

A few more hours passed, with more customers coming in. Daphne and the other staff were worked hard, and when the end of her shift drew near it was a relief. Daphne took off her apron, handed the keys to Klaus (who’d just gotten back), and headed out. Because the parking lot had been full when she’d arrived, she’d had to park three blocks away; it would be a bit of a walk, but she didn’t mind. The blue sky was giving way to sunset, bright orange, pink, yellow, and purple starting to streak through the more subdued tones of cobalt and cerulean.

Daphne hummed to herself as she made her way down the sidewalk, passing empty shops as she went. Every now and then, she would shift her gaze from the sky, to the passing cars, to the mid-city gardens across the street, and then back to the sidewalk. Everything seemed peaceful. She breathed in deep, inhaling the aroma of sea breeze, Roses, and of course, the ever present wild Gardenias the city was named for.

Unknown to her, four figures watched her from the rooftops. They kept pace with her easily, moving along the buildings as silent as wraiths. They followed close, awaiting their chance.

Daphne stopped as she felt her cell vibrate. "A text from mom," she thought to herself. She leaned against the side of the building she was nearest to, just inside an alley so she wouldn’t block the sidewalk, and started typing, fingers moving methodically.

One of the figures spoke, still unheard by the oblivious Daphne below. Crouching down to get a better look at her, he began.

"It's her, alright. She's the one radiating the energy." He stood up, looking thoughtful, as another figure spoke.

"Then let's get her! We're more than a match for her!" he said eagerly, teeth gleaming in the near dark.

The first figure shook his head in a negative gesture. The second ignored him, and went to make a move, but an arm appeared in his path. He glanced up at the one who had stopped him; the figure simply said "Wait."

This one was different. He stood taller than the rest, his face was unmoving, his eyes cold, and his air of authority was unquestionable. There was no doubt that this was the leader of the mysterious group. He turned toward the first figure and, by the mere mention of his name, spoke a question.

"Anagan?"

Anagan shook his head again, standing. "It's her, but that energy is a different flavor then I've sensed before. We should be cautious with her. She is more then she appears."

The leader scratched his chin in thought. It would not be wise to rush overconfidently into something like this. Any mistake could give them away. But there was not a need for too much caution; they had long ago gathered enough magic to be more than a match for whatever this girl could be. He made a decision.

"Gantlos," he motioned the last figure forward. Gantlos was his second, and his most trusted lieutenant. "What do you think of the situation?"

Gantlos grunted, looking down at Daphne. He thought for a few moments, and then spoke. "I think we should test her. I would be honored to choose a volunteer." Ogron nodded in satisfaction, and replied by nodding his head once. As any good lieutenant, Gantlos could decipher a situation and anticipate his leaders will.

Gantlos scanned the busy street, searching for the right volunteer, one that would unwittingly aid them in their test. He must choose wisely, for the wrong choice and the girl might suspect something. He spotted a punk leaving a local disco. "That's him."

He closed his eyes, placing one hand on his left temple and aiming the other towards the boy. His eyes flashed purple and circular waves of sound seemed to flow from his hand to the boy's head. The boy closed his eyes, turning away instinctively, but could not resist the spell for long. He opened his eyes once again, and his eyes flashed purple as well.

The group watched as he slowly made his way across the street. There was no way that the girl could have seen him yet, but she shot up, forgetting whatever she had been texting. She glanced around seemingly frantically.

Anagan cursed. "She sensed the spell! She must have!" he turned to the leader. "Ogron?!"

Ogron growled in response, sensing his plan fall apart around him. "Get her now, you fool! We'll lose this chance!"

Gantlos only grunted in response, tightening his grip on the punk, making him move faster, no longer caring if he was seen.

Daphne was happily texting Vanessa about her day, when suddenly, she got a strange feeling. This wasn't just de ja vu that you could shake off and ignore. This was a familiar, horrifying feeling, like the sense that something terrible is coming. She shot up and looked all around her. The alley ahead of her was clear, with just a dumpster on the opposite side that she could see behind. She looked up the short way she had come, and there seemed to be nothing but passing cars in the fading light.

She closed her eyes, sensing for whatever had disturbed her. The feeling increased, getting stronger. Upon looking up, she saw a punk who, from the looks of the white suit and the purple mohawk, was probably part of the disco gang. And he was getting closer.

The story of Winx:New beginnings is based loosely on the series by RainbowSri, 4Kids, Nickelodeon, and pieces of game content for Winx Fairy School, by Tsumanga Studios. I don't claim to own the elements of the story, I simple used them to design an alternate reality version of the story. The idea's for the au belong to me, as well as the name of said story and art related to the story. I hope you like it!