Winx: the Finale

Chapter 15

Everyone turns to stare at me, as I anxiously run a hand through my hair. Perhaps, this already happened in my future self's past. If that's the case, then are things repeating themselves once again? What's the point in telling them if it will all end in the same way?

"Aqua, you don't need to worry," Stella says abruptly, with a casual grin on her face. "She has already revealed herself to us. All we need to do is become strong enough to defeat her and Rena. Like any other enemy we've faced, we'll take her down no matter what."

I scrunch my brow in concern and lock eyes with Roxy, as an uneasy feeling forms in the pit of my stomach. In one of our last battles with the Trixs, Rena and I snuck into Cloud Tower using disguises. With these disguises, we were able to sneak past the Trixs' security, which allowed us to return all of the stolen magic and capture the Legendarium. Even so, Rena must've had another purpose for creating those disguises.

"It's not that simple," I say softly, which captures their attention. "Like that time Rena and I snuck into Cloud Tower with disguises, the woman remains a mystery to you. When I was her prisoner, the woman took off her disguise and revealed her true identity. Even now, it still surprises me, and I can't fully comprehend it."

While the other members of the Winx Club share nervous looks with each other, Daphne snaps her fingers and makes a book appear. She opens the book and starts to read it, as a serious expression forms on her face. "Is everything alright, Daphne?" Nyx questions.

"Aqua, everything you just said adds up," the said female states, before closing the book and turning to stare at me. "After thinking about it, I've deduced that you are her primary target; however, she never intended on killing you. Instead, it's safe to assume that she has other plans."

"You're right, Daphne," I murmur, lowering my head in dismay. "She is targeting me, and I now understand why." I lift my head, as a stern look crosses my face. "Winx, Jax, the woman that turned Rena against us and became our strongest enemy is my future self."

Once I utter those words, an eerie silence fills the room. I shift nervously, before looking over my shoulder at Jax, who maintains his composure and purses his lips in concentration. I glance at the Winx Club, who have diverse reactions. While Bloom remains stunned, Daphne furrows her eyebrows and carefully thinks about the situation. As for Flora and Stella, they share a nervous look with each other, while Musa, Tecna, and Aisha have stern yet determined expressions on their faces. Nyx, who stands behind the other girls, doesn't react at all; instead, she crosses her arms and glances around the room. As for Roxy, a concerned yet warm expression appears on her face, as she makes her way towards me and engulfs me in a hug.

"Aqua, I'm so sorry this is happening," the young fairy says softly, as tears stream down my cheeks. "I have no idea how hard this must be for you." She steps away, as an adamant look flashes across her face. "Even so, we're with you no matter what." Roxy takes my hands and stares into my eyes. "Aqua, you're a member of the Winx Club, and we'll be by your side no matter what. We love you."

"Well said, Roxy," says Bloom, who stands right behind the said female. "I completely agree. Aqua, we're your friends, and we care so much about you. Thank you for confiding in us and telling us the truth about her."

I nod in response, as Stella places her hand on my shoulder. "You know, everything has been so tense lately," she states, before flashing me a cocky grin. "I say we have a slumber party tonight and just have some fun! I know times aren't the best, but we need to chill out and have some fun every once and awhile."

I nod and shrug my shoulders. "Sure. Why not?"

"Are you sure now is a good time to talk about having a slumber party?" Musa remarks, placing her hands on her hips. "Although we don't know how to defeat an evil version of Aqua, at least we figured out our sleepover plans, right?"

Stella shifts uncomfortably, as Aisha snickers to herself. "Musa makes a fair point," Bloom states, before turning to look at her. "Before we can think of any slumber party plans, our best bet is to come up with a plan to defeat Aqua's future self."

"I agree," notes Roxy, who purses her lips in concentration. "However, we're really in a predicament. Even if we come up with the best plan of our lives, it wouldn't matter since Aqua's future self would already know about it. Even so, I'm not entirely sure it would be the best idea to leave Aqua out of all of the planning until everything is resolved. Aqua is one of the smartest members of the Winx Club and is extremely reliable. In other words, this is a tough situation."

"Winx, I believe the best option would be to leave her out of the loop on planning," says Jax, who has a stern look on his face. "This would allow you to come up with a gameplan to defeat Aqua's future self without worrying about her future self knowing your every move."

Bloom nods. "That's a good idea."

I shoot him a warm smile. "Thank you, Jax," I say in a hushed tone. "Even though this situation will suck for me, I completely understand. My future self is extremely dangerous and will do anything to accomplish her mission, so I respect your idea and will do my best to stay out of the other girls' planning sessions."

"Aqua, I'm sorry," Roxy states, with a sympathetic look on her face. "I can't imagine how you're feeling. Even so, I promise that I'll do my best to help you defeat your future self. Once we defeat her, then everything can go back to how it was, and we can even have our slumber party. As for now, we will come up with a plan to defeat her."

"Alright then," Daphne hums, before running a hand through her hair. "Roxy is right. We need to start coming up with a plan." Everyone looks at me for a moment, before Jax takes my hand and leads me out of the room. He shuts the door behind him, as I lower my head in dismay. Although I completely understand where they're coming from, it doesn't stop my heart from breaking. Not only am I being excluded from the group because of my future self, but I'm continuously being targeted by Rena and my future self as well.

"Aqua, I understand how you're feeling," says Jax, which immediately captures my attention. "I know you're hurting, but we can't let you know any of the plans until your future self is defeated. Also, I didn't want to say anything in front of the other girls, but I don't want any of them to feel responsible for protecting you." He places his hand on my shoulder and looks into my eyes. "Aqua, I promise that I'll remain by your side no matter what and protect you throughout all of this."

Tears stream down my cheeks, as I engulf him in a hug. "T-Thank you so much!" I stammer, burying my face in his chest. He wraps his arms around me, as a familiar warmth washes over me. My future self never mentioned what happened to Jax. If anything, I cannot help but wonder what our future has in store.