𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐱

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

"Ares please understand-" Faragonda tried to reason with the young student, the news of Trix's recent victory finally reaching her.

"Understand what, headmistress this isn't some game to me" she stood up from the leather seat as she faced the woman "it's my life, and you want me to simply "understand" that I don't have a say in what happens to it?" Faragonda had told her she wasn't able to do anything to protect the artifacts that could decide whether she lives or dies.

"I finally got everything I could ask for, I'm happy. And you want me to just let things happen the way it happens?" She groaned as the reach forced her back into her chair. "I understand how you must be feeling, but right now the Trix have both the Codex and Darkar on their side and there isn't a single possible way for you to claim victory against such a powerful force in your current state"

After much more convincing she let the young student leave, residue of tears appeared on her cheek as she made her way towards the library.

Sorting through the familiar sections that could help her out of her "current state". Books about basic Latin, the history of the magic dimension, and even battle tactics were checked out of the library. Holding a stack of books in her hand she sorted her way back into her room, Flora already asleep as Bloom sat at her desk studying.

She moved herself to the main room, taking a seat on the leather couch before opening the book that contained technical enchantments. The heavy cover guarded over 3,450 pages about these kinds of spells, Ares reading over each word as if her life depended on it. Somehow finding herself enjoying the incoming information when Stella stepped out of her room, turning to Ares "have you seen the pixies? They said they were going to play bezel ball but it's been hours since" she shook her head before bookmarking the page, and joining the others down towards the ball maze where they were playing since earlier that day.

She didn't want to admit it but she was beginning to worry about Blinky, the forest was quiet. No cries, no conversation, no noise. They soon found the little maze that was used to play said game, each of the pixies speaking about Pixie Village.

"We must go back" Digit mumbled under her breath as if she was under a spell. "Are you mad? You know that lord Darkar will follow you and you know that he must never-" Bloom would have continued if Aisha didn't cut her off. Blinky approached Ares with a sleepy expression, incoherent to the fairy as she landed on her head.

"Why do you want to go home so badly," Tecna asked as digit replied with a petty "because". "That's an illogical Digit" she scolded as the others joined in trying to convince their pixies they needed to stay.

"Pixies, scatter!" Chatta yelled as they flew in individual directions, each fairy transforming to go after their respective pixie. Ares simply sat down, Blinky on the head as she began to meditate. An action that Blinky enjoyed being a part of as she felt closer to her fairy. Recently she noticed it took less for her to become exhausted, and as a result, Blinky was effected the same way.

The girls returned with their pixies, entrapping them in a box as they yelled out for help. "Where's Piff?" Musa asked Aisha as she pointed to a sleeping pixie around the corner. The fairies finding their way back to Alfea, allowing Faragonda to put their mini-me's in a safe place.

"It seems they were hit with a homesickness spell, frankly I think lord Darkar is behind this" she sighed as she showed signs of fatigue, reasonably tired from the early awakening.

"Mrs. Faragonda, you've been keeping something from us about Darkar and the Pixies am I right?" Tecna spoke up as Bloom continued the questions.

"And what about Red Fountain, does this have something to do with what the Trix stole? They said they couldn't talk about, what's going on?" Bloom continued, the Winx showing all their attention to the headmistress. Ares sat on the couch nearly falling asleep alongside her pixie.

"Saladin and I have discovered that Darkar is after the four different quadrants of what you at call the Codex" she stood, turning to face the window. "Is it a magical artifact?"

"Not quite, but If Darkar gets a hold of all four pieces it'll be a disaster" she turned back to the girls, eyeing Ares before turning to answer more questions. "So if one of the artifacts was being held at Red fountain, another must be held at Pixie village. So the other two would be..." Aisha paused as she thought about it "Alfea and Cloud Tower, but you must be vigilant" she spiked quickly as the girls remembered the current state of their pixies, each of them turning to Ares as she began falling asleep.

"How was Blinky not affected by the spell?" Stella placed a finger by her mouth in curiosity before Ares answered "I have two theories, either her being bonded to me stopped Darkars spell from attaching, or the blessing I enchanted her with is working far better than I thought it would" the pixie shifted slightly at the mention of herself, quickly falling back asleep as Ares crossed her arms.

"You blessed her?" Stella asked quickly forgetting the main idea of the meeting as they were excused back to their dorm. "Yeah, when we first bonded the first thing I did was bless her. I've made it kind of a habit as I feel like it brings good luck, I can teach you how if you want" Stella simply shook her head no before finding her way towards her own bedroom.

Ares placing a pillow at the foot of her bed before placing the pixie onto it, sliding herself under the covers, and trying to fall asleep. "Help!" She jumped out from under the covers, turning to Bloom as a loud thud echoed through the room. A twitching plant laying on the floor, Flora slammed the door open beckoning Ares to help.

"You go, I need to take to Mrs. Faragonda" Bloom picked up the book from her desk, examining its cover as she followed the girls through the door. Running off in different directions as Flora finally told Ares what's going on. "The pixies escaped, we need to catch them before they get to Pixie Village" Ares gasped unsure of how they even got out of their hiding place.

"Do you even know how they got out?!" She questioned as the others joined in on their run, each of them shaking their heads as they heard tiny voices coming from ahead.

And there they were, six pixies looking up at their mates "leave us alone ok!" Chatta groaned as Tecna shook her head disapprovingly. "Come on pixies please be reasonable"

"Alright, we've wasted enough time we need to-" a roar cutting off the darker-skinned fairy as she prepared a magic cage. Two monsters stomping past the heavy shrubbery, the pixies gasping as they begged not to be "gobbled up".

"You're not gonna be gobbled up" Ares bent down two the level of the pixies, they nodded as the Winx turned to transform. "Hey, can I take this? I need the practice" Ares smiled at the girls who protested. "Just take the pixies to Bloom, she can remove the spell" she spoke calmly as she prepared herself for the fight to come.

Flora nodded, holding the rest of the girls from intervening as they picked up their pixies. "Just hurry back, if you're not back at Alfea in twenty minutes-"

"I'll be fine Flora, I'll see you there" she smiled lightly to the girl before turning back to the monsters, as they growled gently.

Their soft eyes gazed upon the girl with curiosity as she approached. She remembered a scene from a movie she watched as a girl, the closed her eyes as she lifted her hand.

She felt the breath of the monster on her hand, only a centimeter away as the intent returned. Immediately pulling her arm back before looking at the monster, it was too late.

Blood gushed out of the bite taken from the side of her right arm, harsh teeth mark lining the scar. "Son of a..." she groaned as she fell back, repositioning her feet to gain back her footing.

The monsters stomping as they approached her, she frantically turned to arm trying to heal it. The magic flowing emptily around her. "Why isn't it working?!" She nearly threw up looking at the open scar, her bones clearly visible as her continuous attempts at healing, failed.

She dropped her arm, going numb as the monster jumped at her. She slid her left arm down, "pulvis" she whispered the words gently as the shadow monsters grew entrapped in her magic. Dusting away like a certain spider boy once had.

"That's tragic" she groaned remembering the scene, the light dust being the only signal of their previous existence as she turned, making her way to Faragondas office.