If Only ✶ Fate: The Winx Saga.

XXVIII. It's Almost Time.

act two: getting you back
▌chapter twenty-eight . . .
it's almost time.

When I came out of the barrier, the first person I saw was my mum. "Mum?"

"Hello, Magnolia."

I hug her. "How- Why- I'm so sorry." I say crying. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"It's okay." She says.

We all go to the little lodge. "I still can't believe it."

"We couldn't believe it either. It's all thanks to Flora."

"I couldn't figure out why the compound wasn't working at the graveyard. Then I saw my plants wilting and it clicked. This little guy was absorbing every piece of life essence he could. In the First World, they're called resurrection plants."

"They're like nature's time capsules."

"Could do with a bit more color, but I suppose, form over function."

"We fed it the last of the Dragon Flame from the Convergence Crystal, and it opened up."

"You were in there?"

"My spirit was, yes."

"That's super weird, right?"

"When I realized what Rosalind was planning on using Magnolia to kill me, I drew on as much magic as I could, and called on the natural world to preserve me. I owed you all one last goodbye. Life is precious, but so is death. Both must be respected. I'm so sorry for not telling you I was your mother Magnolia, when I finally was ready to tell you, the whole Ricki situation appeared and you already had enough on your plate."

"It's okay, I'm sorry I killed you."

"I did not survive your attack. So I can't help you fight the battle ahead. But I do have time for one final lesson."

"Magic lessons aren't really my thing anymore. So maybe I should go and guard the door."

"You're all fairies. This lesson is for all of you. It's about transformation magic. When I was your headmistress, I shielded you from the harsh truths of the world. I believed that positive emotions were the cornerstone of powerful magic. Rosalind felt the opposite. That strength was only forged in those harsh truths. We were both wrong. To unlock true magic, you must make peace with all your emotions. The reckless joy of the positive and the despair of the negative. There is beauty and power in both. I'm so proud of each of you. And of the women you're becoming. Magnolia, Bloom, shall we take a walk?"

We walk with Miss Dowling to a bench overlooking the school. "Are you disappointed in me? For letting Rosalind out, for letting Rosalind control me, for.. killing you."

"Taking a life is serious. You'll carry that burden forever. But nothing happens in a vacuum. When we discovered what Rosalind had done at Aster Dell, I was so angry, I.. I wanted to kill her. If I had the power you have, things may have turned out differently. The world is a better place without Rosalind Hale. That's an objective truth. I don't blame you for taking my life, I knew it was Rosalind, your eyes turned grey. Your eyes turn white when you use your magic. What's done is done."

"But it's not donde because I still have this thing inside me. The more I learn about it, the more it scares me."

"I'm sure it does. But you have to use it. One way or another. You can't give up. You have to fight."

"But how do I do that? How do I.. How do I.. How do I do that without losing control? I just want somebody to tell me what to do."

"I can't do that, Magnolia. Nobody can. That's the hardest lesson of all. All I can tell you is that I believe in you. And you must know that anything with the power to destroy can also protect. You and Bloom have the power to save the world. You've heard that before."

"Rosalind proclaimed it at the alumni banquet."

"With her by your side, no doubt."

"Yeah." I smile. "It's a very Rosalind thing to do."

"Then let me amend it. Don't think about saving the world. Think about saving your world. The people you love, the people you care about. If you use your power for that.. you can never go wrong." Terra, Stella, and Aisha come from behind us. We both stand up, to say our goodbye. "It's almost time."

"Maybe just a hug? For old time's sake? And for your daughter's sake?"

She opens her arms and I go between them. I tried not to cry. I ended up crying anyway. "I'm so sorry." I say crying.

"I love you, Magnolia. You are my daughter, you could never do anything that would make me feel any other way." She begins to dissolve in my arms. When she finally was gone, I fall to my knees and cry. It was all my fault she was gone.