The waves came in quick succession against the hull of the ship. Ebb and flow. Ebb and flow. The spray spattered Musa's face as she leant over the wooden railings at the bow, the salt stinging her eyes.

The water was cold, and the steady wind made each droplet feel like an icicle on her skin. But Musa didn't mind. She liked the sound, its predictable rhythm. It was almost peaceful.

Of course, she also heard other, less peaceful, sounds: the pages turning as Bloom raked through every detail of the Book of Fairies, desperate to learn all she could of the people she was about to save; the hasty scrawl of Stella's pen on parchment; and the childish bickering as Riven clutched his seasick stomach and Roxy called him a "landlubber."

The boat ride to Tír na nÓg was long, giving Musa sufficient time to wonder what Gantlos would have said to her had Bloom not been there.

He was a curious phenomenon to her. How she couldn't read him like she could everyone else. How she barely knew anything about him but still felt like she knew him.

Who was he before all this? What had happened to him? Why was there no life in those eyes?

Her eyes cast out to the grey sea; Musa sighed. Would he ever let her know the answers?

Stella sat, perched on a large crate, on the deck, her hand skilfully traversing the parchment as she drafted a letter to King Radius of Solaria.

Usually, she would have pranced about the boat, making fun of how "drab the queen's ship is. Is there no colour, no joy, where you're from, Roxy?"

Instead, her mind was filled with her anxieties, her guilts and this looming sense of utter disappointment. So, she was hunched over the fifth draft, trying to explain herself, trying to redeem herself.

If Solaria was the kingdom of the sun, moon, and stars, it would definitely be the kingdom of gossip. No doubt her father had heard that Eraklyon's king and squire had returned.

Her father had never approved of her dating a squire, and to find out he had left her, Princess of Solaria, would bring nothing but shame to the royal family.

So, she poured her heart out to him, apologising profusely for having failed him as a princess and a daughter. She begged him to tell her how she could prove herself worthy of her title. She pleaded that she would save Earth and show him that she could be Solaria's guardian fairy too.

Her tears dotted the parchment as she wrote. No matter how many times she saved the magical dimension, it was never enough.

And no amount of begging and pleading would ever get her parents back together again, she had well and truly ruined that.

Her writing looked shaky by the time she signed her name, the pen quivering in her hand. She read over this version of the letter, once, twice, thrice.

Was it good enough to send to the king?

"Oh, just send it, Stella." She cursed herself, and rolled up the scroll, letting it vanish in her hands.

She waited a moment with bated breath. The king's replies were usually instant.

But minutes passed and nothing appeared for her.

Even by the time Helia had spotted land far in the distance, her father still hadn't graced her with an answer.

She sighed. Her heart felt so heavy she wouldn't be surprised if it sank the ship. But a small, cold pressure against her chest kept her grounded. She felt the outline of Duman's pendant beneath her shirt.

At least there was someone who would answer in an instant if she pressed it.

"Everything okay, Stel?" Bloom peered down at her, having finally shut the Book of Fairies and noticing the queasy look on her best friend's face, "are you seasick?"

"No. Just nervous," Stella smiled at her, her mask falling back into place, "I'm fine."

Bloom began to seem hazy in front of her and Stella looked around to find a thick fog shrouding the ship. She couldn't even make out Musa's silhouette at the bow and Helia, in the crow's nest above them, had completely vanished from view.

"Kid, I don't fucking like this." Riven said, still leaning over the side, just in case his sea sickness attacked again.

"We should stop." Roxy agreed as the girls transformed.

Their Believix wings glistened through the fog as they carried the others to the shore.

However, the thick mist persisted and even though Riven had only turned away for a moment, he found himself completely lost.

"Guys?" He called.

"Hello? Where is everyone?" Stella's voice pierced through the silvery fog.

"Musa, are you there?" Bloom shouted.

"I'm trying to fly to find you guys, but it's like the mist is following me!" Her voice came from somewhere above them. "I can't see anything!"

"Kid, are you okay?" Riven called again, worried that she would panic if she didn't feel he was close by to protect her.

"Yes," her voice came back confidently, warming his heart, "I've been here before. Don't panic. Look up."

Riven did. He craned his neck and suddenly saw the large harvest moon, so present and bright, he could have been looking at the sun.

"Follow the moon. It will lead you to Tír na nÓg." She instructed, and he heard her footsteps, crunching in the sand, begin to fade.

They each made their way across the beach and through the dark forest, blindly trusting Roxy's word and the magnificent moon above them, to lead them.

And sure enough, they all emerged on the other side of the mist. Bloom smiled at the young fairy, but Roxy's face looked puzzled and worried.

"I don't understand. In my dreams, this was never here." She whispered, looking at the giant, opaque dome that covered the whole valley basin.

The giant tree, the rolling meadows, the small villages, they were all obscured by the magic seal left by the wizards.

"Don't worry, kid, I'll take care of it." Riven flexed his shoulders, brandishing his magenta sabre, and charged.

"Riv, wait-" Musa began.

But it was too late.

His blade clashed against the magic barrier and, quicker than a breath, he was flung backwards into a gnarled trunk of the blackened forest trees.

"Ah shit." He groaned, rubbing his back as he got up and hobbled back to the group.

Roxy couldn't tell if she should be worried or be laughing at him, so her face formed some kind of strangled expression as she tried to choke back a laugh and make sure he was alright.

"Stupid wall." He sulked, rolling his eyes at the look on her face.

"Not to worry," Stella took his place, holding a small golden vial in her palm, "nothing a bit of fairy dust can't get around."

For a second, Roxy thought it might work. The barrier flickered momentarily, revealing hints of the queendom behind it. But soon enough, it stood unwavering, and as Stella landed again, she saw her dejected expression.

"It's impossible." She stated.

No, Roxy. We are so close. You mustn't give up now. Believe in yourself.

Her mother's warm voice rang through her mind. And under the light of the full moon, Roxy finally realised her strength.

"I am the princess of Tír na nÓg," her voice was loud and clear, commanding the attention of the whole group, "the white circle is rightfully mine and I will use it to free my people!"

She looked down at her hands and saw that she was enveloped in a turquoise glow. Her hair seemed to stand on end and her body tingled as if lighting was about to strike.

Within her, she felt a warmth and a strength begin to surge, trying to break free. She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, focusing on that energy, just as Morgana had shown her.

"I believe." She whispered.

Riven had to shield his eyes as a blinding light enveloped the girl, wisps of magic swirling around her.

"Woah, kid." He whispered under his breath.

When the light dimmed, he no longer saw the scared little girl from the car park all those weeks ago, but a strong and powerful fairy standing before him.

"That's... amazing!" Bloom yelled, bouncing up and down like an excited puppy, "You transformed!"

"I have no idea how." Roxy said, looking down the length of her arms at the sparkling fabric she wore and then twisting behind her to catch a glimpse of her translucent wings.

"A fairy doesn't have to know how," Stella smiled, "she just does it."

She turned to see her redhead friend beaming at her, remembering the familiar words.

Roxy pulled the white ring off her finger and made it grow to its original size. Her eyes widened as she realised, she had just used magic, and not in her dreams with Morgana, but real magic, and she felt a smile spread across her own face.

Energy began to surge through it and a beam of white magic shot forward, burning a whole straight through the dark barrier. Cracks began to spread across the dome, like shattered glass and in an instant, it fractured into millions of splinters which became no more than fine, black dust.

The group stood with open mouths as they soaked in the beauty of the fairies' queendom, all but Roxy, whose eyes were averted to the figures approaching them in the distance.

"Morgana!" She finally spread her wings and took off towards her mother as fast as she could.

Morgana stumbled back as her daughter flew into her arms, a joyous laughter erupting from the both of them.

"Oh sweetheart, I knew would do it." Morgana breathed, taking it all in. Her elation, her daughter, her freedom.

Next to her was a tall woman, her dark hair cut short, her blood red lips contrasting against her pale skin. Though she was clearly a warrior, she carried herself like a queen, and the cold glint in her eyes made Roxy shiver.

"Finally." Her raspy voice whispered as she looked to the sky, no longer blotted out by the wizards' dome. "After a century of darkness, we are free."

"Roxy, allow me to introduce, Nebula, general of the warrior fairies." Morgana said, stepping back. Behind her a rank of warrior fairies stood in position, ready to pounce upon any threat.

Roxy could barely manage a nod to the imposing woman, finding her mouth had gone dry and no words could leave it.

"And now you must introduce me to your friends." The queen gestured to the group who had finally noticed the Earth fairies' presence.

All of them fell to their knees in respect for her majesty but she placed a delicate hand on Bloom's shoulder.

"Rise."

Roxy landed beside them.

"Mother, these are my friends. They have all protected me from the wizards of the black circle and without them..." she shuddered at the thought of being at Ogron's mercy once again, the pain she had felt in that vortex.

"This is Stella." She shook the thoughts away.

Stella fell gracefully into a low curtsey, a testament to her years of royal training.

"Bloom."

She attempted the same but lost her balance and would have fallen to her knees had Stella not used her magic to tug her back upright.

"Musa."

Musa opted for a courteous nod rather than risk falling to the floor.

"Helia."

He copied but Musa could hear his heightened heartbeat and knew all he wanted was to ask for their help in saving Flora, but not finding the right moment to do so.

"And Riven."

Morgana nodded at each of them, though she looked largely uninterested in any of them, despite the trouble they had gone to, freeing her people.

The scary woman, Nebula, had a strange expression on her face, as if she could smell something foul.

Impatience, Roxy realised.

"Thank you for helping my daughter. The boat will take you back to Gardenia shortly." Morgana nodded curtly before turning away, the long train of her sage dress trailing behind her.

"Wait a second!" Helia called after her, causing her to pause and glance back at him. He fell to his knees, his dark hair falling around his face. "Your majesty, I would like to ask for your help. The wizards of the black circle have my girlfriend and I was hoping you might lend us some warrior fairies to rescue her-"

"The wizards will suffer retribution and your friend will be freed. But rebuilding our empire will take time."

The words "retribution" and "empire" brushed over Helia without a hint of recognition. But that one word made his blood boil.

Time.

"It has been months since I've seen her!" He shouted, feeling his fury erupt. "I have waited! I waited to free you because I thought you would help us!"

"How dare you address the queen like that!" A warrior fairy, dressed in furs, stepped forward. Her blue eyes were as cold and hard as ice and her voice sounded just as frosty and bitter. "You have waited months; we have waited centuries!"

"It's alright, Aurora." Morgana held out her hand to keep her warrior at bay, before turning her dark gaze upon the aggrieved man before her. "Tell me, child. Do you know what it feels like to suffocate in your own home? For your sanctuary to become your prison cell. Shall I show you what that's like?"

Her eyes flickered with an emotion Roxy had never seen before and suddenly Helia lifted off the ground. His hands flew to his throat, clawing at something that wasn't there, and his feet kicked about wildly in the air.

Roxy could see his wide eyes turn red as the blood vessels became more prominent and a strangled sound escaped his lips, like he was choking on something, like he couldn't breathe.

"This is what it feels like. Centuries of this. All because of the wizards." She seethed.

His body jerked painfully and the veins in his neck bulged, his face nearly scarlet. He couldn't take any more of it.

"Morgana, stop it, please." Roxy begged, but her mother didn't so much as glance at her. "Please he'll die!"

Helia squirmed in her invisible grip, but the movements became weaker and weaker, until he was just twitching sporadically.

"Mother!" She pleaded.

Helia fell to the ground.

Not because Morgana had wanted to release him. Because Riven had made her.

The boomerang whistled past Roxy's ears and landed safely back in his hand. He skidded over to his fallen friend, his heart pounding as he pressed his fingers to his neck to feel for a pulse.

"Don't bother, Riv. He's alive." Musa whispered to him and Riven immediately got up, nodding in gratitude.

"You dare attack the queen!" Nebula's raspy voice echoed through the forest. "Warrior fairies, attack!"

Like a swarm of bees, the fairies flew up from their rank, their spears and shields poised for battle. Roxy heard the clink of their armour, the hiss of steel drawn from its sheath and then silence, for a fleeting moment.

The calm before the storm.

Everything that followed was a blur.

Angry guttural screams and declarations of vengeance. Spells whizzing past her but never aimed at her. She heard the cries of the warrior fairies struck out of the skies and the cries of her own friends as they were cut by their blades and struck by their magic.

The battle descended into the valley as waves of reinforcements joined the carnage.

And Roxy stood among it all, alone and unharmed.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and suddenly she was viewing the gruesome display of power from the other side of the valley. She turned to face whoever had teleported her away.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, tears pricking her eyes.

"Your friends have done us a great service, but now they are an obstacle." Morgana answered flatly, watching the battle as if it were nothing more than a game of football.

"An obstacle to what?"

"Glory." The queen breathed, soaking in the power one word held. "We had it all once, Roxy. Before the wizards took it from us. The humans too. We will exact our due revenge upon them both."

"What?" Roxy stared into the eyes of the person she thought she knew but found them hollow and cold. "What did humans ever do to you? They are innocent."

Morgana laughed dryly. "Innocent? The people of Earth betrayed us. They sided with the wizards. They caused our defeat!"

Roxy's felt dizzy, her head swimming with questions.

Why would the humans side with them. The wizards are evil!

"I don't..." she trailed off, her mother's harsh stare boring into her. This wasn't the woman who had visited her each night. Who had protected her. Who had taught her about magic. Who had helped her get her confidence back.

She didn't recognise this woman anymore.

"You will join us, sweetheart." A smile formed on her mother's face, but it was not genuine. "You are our princess. You will proudly stand by us."

"How can I be proud of this?" Roxy gestured to her friends fighting for their lives. "My friends are dying! You are killing them. I have to help them."

She crouched, her new wings fluttering in preparation for her fight, but Morgana stopped her.

"Roxy, it is time to face reality. Tír na nÓg is your birthright." She hissed, her sharp nails digging into Roxy's soft flesh. "When the blood moon rises, so shall our empire. Choose carefully which side you will be on."

She let her go and, without a moment's hesitation, Roxy leapt into the night sky, her arm stinging and carrying the dents her mother left her.

A memento of her promised attack.

~

"Why are you doing this!" Bloom yelled at the general, whose eyes were crazed like a starving dog seeing a slab of meat.

Nebula only laughed, firing several bolts of green magic at her. Bloom weaved through them, flying higher into the air until they were above the roar of the battle raging bellow them.

She fired back, her orange flames snaking towards the warrior. Without hesitation, Nebula lifted her golden shield, grunting under the force of Bloom's powers, but deflected the brunt of her attack.

Bloom watched her head peak out from behind the shield and noticed a shift in Nebula's eyes. Suddenly her body seized, and she found herself suspended, completely immobile, in the air.

Bloom tried to move but she couldn't get her muscles to respond, she tried to summon magic but nothing happened. She was completely paralysed.

And all she saw were Nebula's coal eyes staring back at her.

"Your mind is a very dangerous place, Bloom." The general laughed, an animalistic, feral laugh, like a hyena. "Don't let it play tricks on you!"

Bloom watched in horror as the fairy's face morphed into the blond king's. Sky.

"I will never love you." His voice said to her, though his mouth didn't move with the words.

The face morphed again and suddenly a pair of glacial eyes were staring back at her.

"You're just another fairy that I'll destroy." Ogron's cold voice sent a chill creeping down her spine.

Bloom wanted to yell, to scream at him to go away, to swear upon pain of death that she would end him. But her mouth remained pathetically closed.

Pleased with the effect she was having on her, Nebula finally released the fairy from the grip she had on her mind.

Bloom gasped as she fell forwards, her body quivering involuntarily from the shock. Before she could figure out what had happened, Nebula was behind her.

A wounded scream escaped Bloom's lips as something pierced her back, right between her shoulder blades where her wings met. Turning her head as best she could, she saw the shaft of a magic arrow sticking out.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, beginning to feel faint as she sensed the blood trickling down her back. When they opened, she could see the general behind her, a bow made of magic plasma in her hands and a wicked grin on her face.

Bloom grunted and her wings fluttered harder, desperate now to get away.

But it was too late.

Despite her attempt to fly, she didn't move forward. She stayed there in the air for a moment, suspended like a puppet on a string.

Then, her wings folded like paper.

And she fell.

In the heat of battle, only Musa heard the hollow sound of her body hitting the ground.

Her eyes went wide as she caught sight of her flame-red hair strewn around her face, her body sprawled on the grass.

But then another spear jabbed at her head and Musa was back in the fight again, dodging an attack then retaliating with another.

Her siren song encapsulated the warrior fairies, holding them at bay while Helia disarmed them with his laser strings.

His eyes burned with anger so intense, Musa did everything she could not to cross his path. She wasn't sure if he could even distinguish between warrior fairy and Winx anymore- he just cut down anyone that came too close.

Nearby, she heard Stella struggling against the ice fairy from earlier.

A wall of icicles enclosed her, slowly shrinking towards her and Stella watched her breath fog from the cold.

She tried to use her sun magic to melt a hole through it but suddenly realised she didn't know her Believix spells at all.

"Ugh, I knew I should have read that stupid book." She said, trying to heat her body like how she had done with Duman. If only he were here with his cocky comments, he could definitely piss her off enough to make hers as hot as Solaria's second sun.

But without him, alone in Aurora's cage of ice, Stella only felt afraid.

A slash of magenta passed over her and the roof slid off with a grating screech.

"1-0 to Riven." He called behind him, watching as she flew out of the icy prison into the air.

"Thanks." She rolled her eyes but landed next to him all the same and prepared to face the fairy of the North.

They exchanged sun bolts for icicles and snowballs for boomerangs, neither party relenting. Although, constantly trying to outdo the other, Riven and Stella found themselves tangled in a battle of their own.

"1-1!" Stella called, saving Riven from a shard of ice that would have cut his head clean off.

"Whatever."

A gust of wind cut across the air around them and within seconds they were swept up.

While, the pair had become so distracted, they had failed see Aurora's minions summoning a tornado behind them, large chunks of icy debris swirling within.

Panicking Stella's eyes found Riven, but to her dismay he had already been knocked out by a piece of ice to the head.

Despite her efforts the tornado never relented, and the world swirled around her before everything went black.

~

As her eyes half opened, Stella took in her surroundings.

Ice. Ice. And more ice.

Pretty much what she imagined the leader of her favourite witch trio coming home to each day.

More than the ice, however, Stella noticed the pounding pain in her head from where a chunk of ice had knocked her out cold.

She tried to move her hands to the soreness but the clinking of metal behind her and the sharp tug against her wrists told her that wouldn't be possible.

She wished her Believix outfit was more arctic-friendly, with her bare back pressed against the freezing ice wall behind her.

Finally, she noticed the man chained up next to her. Riven's face just stared back at her, his expression a mixture of amusement and annoyance. There was already a bruise forming on his cheek and his nose and hands were red from the cold.

"Where are we?" Stella asked, her throat raw.

Had she been screaming? She couldn't remember.

"Nowhere good." Riven said sullenly.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious, the ice and chains really didn't tip me off." The sarcasm rolled off her tongue fluently.

"No need to be so rude, sunshine. These could be your last words to me in a place like this."

Stella rolled her eyes but plastered a sweet smile on her face and she leant as close to him as her chains would allow.

"Not even the threat of death could keep me from making fun of you."

He blinked at her, and she sighed falling back against the icy wall.

"They'll be back any minute now," he said, "to kill us or torture us for information."

"Brilliant," Stella closed her weary eyes, "I'm gonna die and it's all your fault."

"Mine? I saved your ass back there." Riven scoffed.

"Yeah, then you kept getting in my way."

"I was trying to help you-"

"I didn't need help."

"Yes, you did, Stella, you were stuck."

"I was almost out-"

"No, you weren't." Riven paused, inspecting her properly, "Which is unlike you. What the hell happened, sunshine?"

Stella felt her face flush with heat in embarrassment.

"I forgot the spell."

"You forgot the spell." He repeated, nodding slowly in disbelief as he slouched back against the ice wall.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm not a little nerd like Musa and Bloom. I just looked at the pretty pictures." She said sulkily.

"Damn it, Stella. And you get annoyed at me when I forget the coffee order." Riven laughed dryly, lightening the mood a little.

She tipped her head back and sighed, her breath condensing in the cold air.

"It's so fucking cold." She shivered. At that moment she felt something she felt something small and solid move across her neck, realigning itself with her new centre of gravity.

Duman's pendant.

Stella gasped, making Riven jump and she stared at him with eager eyes.

"What?" He asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"Riven, your feet are free, right?"

He threw her a puzzled look but nodded slowly.

"Great. I need you to press this pendant on my neck." She stated, her head flicking towards the necklace.

"Have you actually lost your mind?"

"Just do it!" She insisted. "It's an SOS."

"An SOS?" He repeated dumbly, "to whom? Brandon? You know he's in Eraklyon-"

Stella's deadpan face stared back at him, and he swiftly swallowed his words.

"Okay fine."

He began to awkwardly shimmy across the ice, his body held at an uncomfortable diagonal. Balancing precariously on one leg, Riven almost slipped backwards, but managed to use the chains that bound his wrists to keep him upright.

Stella leant down to meet him halfway, trying to stifle her laughter at how stupid this must look, before finally, she felt his boot hit the pendant.

A cloud of black smoke appeared in front of her with the second and Duman's worried face was already searching her up and down.

Riven stumbled backwards, his jaw hanging open.

"Stella? Are you alright? What are you doing in Aurora's jail?" Duman's hands shimmered, becoming paws adorned with sharp claws that slashed through the chains with ease.

"You know this place?" She asked, her teeth chattering.

"Oh, I have very fond memories of this one." He said, looking around at the walls of ice that encased them. He then turned back to her, all hints of sarcasm gone. "You freed the Earth fairies."

It wasn't a question. Stella had never heard him sound so serious.

She just nodded mutely, and he breathed in a long, deep breath.

"What's done is done." Duman said eventually but he saw the guilty look on Stella's face. Offering her a weak smile, he brushed the stray hairs from her face. "Don't worry, princess, I've beaten them once, I'll do it again."

Stella smiled back at him, but she wasn't reassured by his words. She knew a mask when she saw one and could see right through his, finding a familiar fear painted in his eyes.

"Everyone is still fighting them; we have to go help." She urged, turning to break Riven's shackles.

"No. I'll send my brothers. We have to get out of here."

Stella watched his eyes unfocus as he sent a telepathic message and then they were right back on her again, still making sure every inch of her was unharmed.

She felt her gaze soften at his concern for her and even managed a smile, though weak, it was a genuine one.

Duman finally seemed to notice the other person in the room, who had witnessed it all with a gobsmacked expression.

"Hi." Riven nodded to him awkwardly.

"Sup." Duman saluted.

"Quite frankly, I don't wanna know what the fuck any of that was. Let's just go." He averted his gaze, grateful that his expression wasn't betraying the utter confusion he felt.

"Where are you gonna take us." Stella asked and Duman turned to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and the other on Riven's.

"Somewhere safe."

And the trio vanished in a cloud of black smoke.

~

Blue eyes. Pretty blue eyes above her.

Bloom could only make out their vague outline, her vision blurred by tears and her head spinning from the impact.

Sky. He came back for her. He loved her.

However, as more of the world slowly came into focus, she realised they couldn't be Sky's. His were a warm blue, like the sky on a summer's day.

These were... cold. Glacial even.

Her gut wrenched as she realised whose arms were carrying her to safety, the one man she hated the most in the universe.

Ogron.

But it couldn't be him, right? His eyes looked worried. Worried for who?

Bloom couldn't grasp the answer before she felt the world slipping away from her, her vision going dark.