Crystallized Dreams: A Race Against Time

Chapter 1: Starting Anew

"We can't possibly keep living like this for long," Michael complained. He shifted around on his hard crystal bed, trying desperately to get comfortable. "That muddy patch of grass I saw outside is starting to seem luxurious."

His friend Josh groaned. "It's not like Katie and I aren't uncomfortable either. Sadly we're all gonna have to get used to it."

"This is the closest we'll get to an actual house," Josh's twin sister Katie said. "And we're probably gonna be stuck here for a while."

All three of them sighed.

"Well goodnight, I guess," said Josh as he nestled his head onto his 'pillow.' The others said goodnight as well before they all settled down for the night.

~~~

The next morning, the three woke up and gathered on Katie's 'bed' to try to figure things out. They were currently residing in a small house entirely made of crystal (via Katie and Josh's powers) and had no apparent way of getting food or water.

"Okay, let's do a recap," Josh said. "So not too long ago Jemica called us over Katie's cell. Apparently she was in some kind of danger but then suddenly Miss Faragonda came on the line and told us to find the scroll of Relix-which we have no idea what or where it is. So now we're here in this....place....that Katie and I made with our powers."

"No offense but at this rate I think crystal is gonna start annoying me," Michael sighed.

"That aside, I remember the term 'Relix' from somewhere...." Katie scratched her head. "I think it was from the second season of Winx."

The guys nodded, instantly catching on to what she was talking about.

"Wasn't Relix what Darkar was trying to get ahold of?" Michael questioned. "No wonder it's on Earth, then. No one would even try to look for a power like that on a non-magical planet."

"Not exactly non-magical," Josh corrected. "Remember, the Winx brought magic back-but really only in Gardenia."

All three of them gasped. They all suddenly had the same great idea.

"Let's go to Gardenia!" they all exclaimed in unison.

"We're in Los Angeles now, right?" Katie asked before pulling out her phone. "Hold on, lemme search this up..." she suddenly perked up and showed her search results to the guys. "Gardenia is only, like, 40 minutes away from here!"

"Nuh-uh, only forty minutes when driving," Josh corrected, then smiled. "We're gonna fly there!"

"Awesome!" Michael punched the air with his fists. "Let's head out now!"

"Woah woah woah, hold on there," Katie wagged her index finger at him. "We can't just take off and fly in the daytime. People will see us!"

"But didn't the Winx bring magic back around here?" Michael countered with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, but how do we know that it caught on to the rest of the state? What if the people in charge of the news channels thought Gardenia was faking it?"

"But-"

"Better safe then sorry," Josh backed Katie up.

Michael sighed, then opened his mouth to argue once more. "That means we're gonna have to go, like, half a day without food or drink. And I'm already thirsty and hungry enough as it is!"

"I mean, unless you have any money so we could get McDonalds or something," Katie sarcastically remarked.

Both Josh and Michael began searching their pockets. After a few moments, Michael sighed in disappointment. But Josh's eyes widened.

"What? What is it?" Katie asked him.

In response, he pulled a ten dollar bill from the back pocket of his jeans.

"Hell yeah!" he cheered. "So where's the nearest McDonalds?"

Katie turned on her phone once more.

"....An hour away from here-walking, that is," she stated before turning her phone off and putting it back in her pocket. She looked up at Josh and Michael. "You guys up for it?"

Both of them exchanged glances, then sighed. "Let's go."

And so the three set out of their crystal home and began their walk into human civilization. For the first time in ages, both Katie and Josh felt out of place. Now they knew how it felt for Michael to live in a world full of beings that were different from him. Now as the three walked by, the twins received curious glances from the passerby because of their white locks. The best that they could do was ignore it.

This marks a new beginning in the lives of Katie, Josh, and Michael. For as they say, one story's end......

Is merely the beginning of another.