Winx: the Finale

Chapter 14

I stare at the entrance of the prison cell with wide eyes, as Jax reveals himself. Tears stream down my cheeks, as relief washes over me. The world around us seems to slow down, as he rushes towards me and engulfs me in a hug. I squeeze my arms around him and bury my face into his chest, as a genuine smile forms on my lips.

"I-I've missed you so much..." I admit, as he gently scratches my head. Jax rests his head on my own, as a familiar warmth forms within me. Whenever I'm with him, I feel completely safe, I think to myself.

A few seconds later, Jax breaks away from the hug. "Okay, Aqua, let's get out of here," he states, before extending his hand and disintegrating all of the chains. I raise my eyebrows in astonishment, as a casual smirk forms on my lips.

"That's impressive. How'd you do that?" 

"It's a long story," Jax responds, before taking my hand. "We'll talk about it once we return to Red Fountain." I nod in his direction, before he lifts his arm and creates a portal.

He then picks me up bridal style and walks through the portal, as we appear in the Red Fountain courtyard. Fairies and specialists stop to stare at us, as genuine expressions appear on their faces.

"Aqua, you're back!" A familiar voice calls, as I glance in that direction. Stella rushes towards me, with the other members of the Winx club following right behind her. They stop right in front of us, as Jax delicately holds me in his arms.

"I know you're happy to see her, but she's been through a lot," Jax states in a surprisingly serious tone. "Winx, listen to me carefully. Not only have they been physically harming her, but they brought Aqua to the place that Valtor tortured her and I."

Bloom's eyes widen in horror, as she takes a step towards me and takes my hand. "Aqua, I'm sorry to hear that," she hums sweetly, with a sympathetic expression on her face.

"T-This is all my fault...!" Roxy exclaims, as tears stream down her cheeks. "Aqua, I shouldn't have left you! I should've fought besides you! Aqua, I'll stay by your side next time! That's a promise!"

I shoot her a warm smile, before holding out my arms. Roxy takes a few steps towards me, as I wrap my arms around her. "Don't blame yourself, Roxy," I say softly. "Honestly, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you. In fact, the same could be said about the rest of you. You mean so much to me."

Aisha nods in my direction, as I rest my head on Jax's arm. "You must be exhausted," he hums, as I stare into his stern yet sensitive, yellow eyes. "Winx, I'm going to bring her to my room to sleep for a bit. Feel free to stop by once you get the chance."

"Alright! We'll be over later!"

"Okay," answers Jax, who turns and starts to walk away. "Aqua, I know this is a lot to ask after everything you've been through, but please fall asleep. I promise that I won't leave you." I nod lightly and slowly close my eyes, before drifting off to sleep.

My eyes snap open, as I slowly sit-up and glance around the room. I immediately notice Jax sitting at a desk in the corner of the room reading a book. "Jax, what happened...?" I ask softly, which captures his attention.

He quickly turns around, before rushing towards me and engulfing me in a hug. "After I rescued you from that prison cell, I brought you back to Red Fountain," Jax explains, as I purse my lips in concentration. "The Winx were ecstatic to see you, but I could tell that you've been through a lot. Although you fell asleep on the way, I carried you to my room."

"Thank you..."

Before he could respond, a knock comes from the door. Jax sighs heavily, before walking towards the door and opening it. The Winx Club stand there, with worried looks on their faces.

Stella bites her lips. "How is she doing?"

"She just woke up," says Jax, who beckons for them to enter the room. "She's doing a lot better compared to earlier, so feel free to come in and catch up with her." Bloom nods in his direction, before entering the room. While the other girls follow her into the room, a new female catches my attention. She stands alongside the other members of the Winx Club, having a sheepish yet sweet look on her face.

"Whose this?" I question, as the female looks at me in surprise. "I don't believe I've met you. My name is Aqua." The female smiles nervously, before glancing at Daphne for a moment.

"Aqua, this is Nyx," Daphne states, before nudging her. "Although she's the nymph of Dimentix, she's still pretty timid and shy if she doesn't know you. Even so, after Aqua was kidnapped by Rena and that woman, she managed to find Jax and came here to warn us about what happened."

"I mean, at least we could understand what she was saying," remarks Musa, who looks over her shoulder at Roxy. "That poor girl was freaking out." Roxy's cheeks flush in embarrassment, as she crosses her arms.

"Honestly, I'm just relieved that I'm out of that prison cell," I admit, as a warm smile forms on my lips. "I would like to thank you all so much." Tears form in my eyes, as their faces seem to soften. "I'm so sorry about worrying you so much."

"I know that must've been hard on you, Aqua," Nyx says abruptly, which captures my attention. "I can't imagine what you've been through. Even so, you're an exceptional and resilient individual that keeps her head held high in bad situations. You're amazing, Aqua."

My cheeks flush in embarrassment, as I turn to stare at her. Nyx has gorgeous, brown hair that's tied back into a high ponytail. She wears a purple shirt, with a pink sweater over it. She also wears a coral skirt, with some short, white-heeled boots.

"Thank you, Nyx...!" I state. "Also, I was just wondering if you wanted to join the Winx Club. Daphne seems to trust you, and I have a feeling that you'll fit right in. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm pressuring you into it or anything! It's still your choice."

Nyx chuckles to herself. "I'd love to, Aqua."

I shoot her a toothy grin, before getting to my feet. I take a few steps towards Nyx, before engulfing her in a hug. The other members of the Winx Club join us, as a genuine smile forms on my lips. I've missed them so much! After everything that happened, I'm relieved to be back with them.

As the memory of the true identity of the woman is echoes through my head, my body immediately tenses up. I lower my head in dismay, as my hair covers my eyes. "Hey..." I say audibly, which instantly captures their attention. "Winx, Jax, I have some bad news."

"What is it, Aqua?"

"I should've mentioned this earlier, but it completely crossed my mind," I admit, before pursing my lips. "I know who the woman is, and things aren't looking good for us." The moment I utter those words, an uneasy feeling forms in the pit of my stomach. Although I want to be open and honest with the Winx, I can't shake the nagging feeling that my future self knows exactly what I'm about to do.