Dreamworks Rise of the Guardians x Winx Club Crossover

Chapter 26: The Weight of Secrets

The Winx bid farewell to the Pixies of Gloomiwood, their hearts filled with gratitude for the refuge and support they had received during their recent ordeal. As they returned to Alfea, the familiar towers and courtyards brought a sense of normalcy back into their lives but a deep unease still lingered beneath the surface.

Back in their dorm, Bloom, Aisha, Flora, Stella, and Tecna began packing for their trip to Earth, a mission that held the promise of rescue but also the weight of unknown dangers.

"I would bring a variety of seasonal clothes,"** Bloom advised, her voice a bit strained, as if she were making a conscious effort to remain calm. "Tecna, I made a couple of my own when I was a teenager during the Christmas holidays that you can borrow since Earth clothes don't live up to your standards. They scream your style."

Tecna, ever practical, nodded in appreciation. "Thanks, Bloom. All I have is formal clothing and long stuff for winter weather. We don't have much spring or summer on Zenith, period."

"What a boring place!" Stella exclaimed her flamboyant nature clashing with Tecna's minimalist aesthetic. "Hey, how do you know what Tecna liked to wear?!" She asked on second thought to Bloom just very randomly.

Bloom shrugged, hoping to deflect the scrutiny directed towards her. "I don't know," she said, her voice a whisper, her mind already racing ahead, trying to decode the tangle of anxieties that plagued her.

"Is it just me, or does Bloom feel out of it, Aisha?" whispered Flora her usually cheerful demeanor darkened by her concern for their friend. "This can't just be from Ogron and the Wizards' attacks, right?"

Aisha, ever perceptive and loyal, had already sensed the shift in Bloom's behavior. "I don't know, Flora. I questioned her before waking you and the Powerix girls up, but she wouldn't budge with an answer. We're a best friend trio. She knows she can be honest and very open with the two of us."

Beneath the surface, a torrent of tension and unease surged through Bloom's bloodstream. Sharing the message Pitch sent her was one thing, but revealing her evolved powers in the Dragonflame, her newfound firesight, and the promise she made to the Dragons of Pyros Island felt like an unbearable burden. And then there was Daphne's warning not to mention Jack Frost, the childhood guardian who, according to her sister, had shielded her from Politea's attack and was the reason for the snowy seasons on Solaria, Zenith, and other places that required it. Daphne had revealed that Jack had essentially saved her life when Politea's magic had turned chaotic and threatened to destroy her.

Aisha's voice pierced through Bloom's thoughts, bringing her back to the present. "She just said she never slept last night."

Bloom's heart pounded in her chest. She yearned to share her secrets, to confide in her friends. Their support meant the world to her. However, she was terrified. Revelation would be too painful after the recent events, and it might scare them. Until things settled, she would keep her burden to herself.

Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, she forced a smile, adopting a facade of composure.
"Nothing's wrong." She insisted her voice strained.

Aisha, Flora, Stella, and Tecna exchanged uneasy glances, sensing a wall rising between them and their friend, but they continued to pack, holding onto the hope that Bloom would eventually confide in them.

Bloom, however, couldn't shake the sense of isolation that enveloped her. Her secrets, as heavy as they were, felt like a suffocating blanket silencing her voice and dimming the light in her heart.

Bloom continued down the hallway, her thoughts churning as she approached the Powerix Club's dorm. She knocked lightly, her gaze lingering on the vibrant hues that adorned the door, reflecting the personality of the three fairies within.