Dark storm clouds filled the air.
"Oh, great," Stella snarled as she squeezed up underneath the leafy canopy of their temporary shelter. "That's the last thing we need right now. Rain."
"How so?" Layla laughed. She tilted her head back and opened her mouth as rain came pouring down. "We can catch some in our water bottles. And since we're so close to the island, I've heard that the rainwater here is fresher than anything."
The droplets of rain glowed sky-blue and smelled like pine needles and starlight. Stella stayed under the canopy and watched as Layla and Nabu laughed and splashed water from the seashore at each other. Musa, Tecna, and Flora joined her under the canopy, shivering, laughing, and soaked.
Soon, a dripping-wet Layla brought a bottle of glowing blue rainwater to them. "Just waterfall from it," she said.
They each took turns tilting the bottle back and letting the fresh, cool, delicious water flow down their parched throats. The water was good. Very, very good. They all felt so much better after drinking it, like how they felt in the afternoon at Alfea after teatime.
They all enthusiastically began to make their shelter sturdier, with the help of the Specialists. They had excellent timing finishing, too, because right as they were all squeezing inside of it to rest, thunder and lightning began to roar mercilessly across the shadowy sky.
A very peculiar dark purplish wind blew across the island, and the ocean water turned dark blue and choppy. The peculiar purplish wind blew stronger and stronger until their shelter was in danger from being torn from the sandy shores. The blackish-purple haze, the color of a bruise, was so thick that, when they stepped out, they could see about two feet in every direction. The sweet smell of rainwater was quickly replaced with hot, thick air that made it hurt to breathe.
This is how I felt when I went to the steam room with my mom for the first time.
Then, the hot, bruise-colored, thick wind seemed to be gathering in front of them, whipping the seawater into their eyes. As more and more of the wind gathered, the air around them mercifully thinned out until they could see and breathe again. There was now a darkish purple cloud in front of them.
"Uh-oh," Tecna squeaked.
They all backed away from the cloud. That is, all of them except for Musa.
She boldly strutted toward the cloud as though she were at the top of the world.
Cries of protest rang out and the Winx and Specialists flung themselves forward to stop her, but suddenly, a gigantic lightning bolt sent them all spiraling into the scrawny surrounding trees.
Greetings, Winx. You now stand in the presence of Moonless Night, the greatest being of all the universe and of all time and time before time. Bow down now. A low, whispery voice echoed from the cloud.
"Is Moonless Night a deity of the Island of Stars?" a dazed Flora whispered to Tecna.
"No!" Tecna whisper-shouted. "She's not! At least I don't remember her to be one. She can't be good, though..."
"Well, she sure made one heck of an entrance," muttered Stella.
"What do you want from us?" Musa demanded, snapping them all back to reality.
"Oh god," Layla said in a distressed, hushed tone. She was clutching her bottle of Andros ocean water for dear life and so tightly that she worried it would burst open and her only memory of home would seep into the sand. "Oh, god. Oh, god."
I know what you are all afraid of, said the voice of Moonless Night. My dear Musa, I know what you are afraid of.
Musa was all ready to make another witty comment when her mouth slammed closed and she started shaking uncontrollably. She was the only one who had heard that next line about herself.
"Musa?" Riven crept forward and quietly pulled her into their little circle. She was still shaking like mad. "Musa? Are you alright?"
Do your poor mother a favor and come with me. I will take you high up to the heavens to see her. You think you didn't deserve her. But if you only come with me, I will take you to her and she will forgive you, and you can stay with her forevermore. She will sing with you and braid your hair...
Layla grabbed her friend's shoulders and started shaking her. "Musa?" she gasped. "Whatever it's saying to you, don't listen. It's all a trick. A horrible trick."
But Musa looked transfixed, as if hypnotized. Tears poured down Layla's cheeks.
Do not listen to your foolish friends. True friends would lead you to me with smiles, and they would tell you, "We want you to be happy, so go to the heavens and be with your poor mother." Don't you want happiness, Musa? I can give it to you. All you have to do is take my hand."
The cloud drifted closer, and they all backed away, locking their arms around Musa protectively. "You can't take her," Stella hissed. "Not now and not ever."
Foolish fairy, I can take her. I can take all of you for all I care, and I should like to, but I digress. The choice is hers, and I'm sure her favorable choice would be to come with me.
"No," Stella hissed again. "Like I said, not now and not ever. You can't have any of us."
A smoky, slender hand, quivering, reached out from the cloud and stopped before Musa, palm outstretched. It had long black fingernails and looked as inviting as a cobweb-covered haunted house with a hungry-looking monster to greet you at the doorway.
Musa actually began to reach for the hand when Layla suddenly lunged before Musa and actually slapped her across the face.
That snapped her back to reality. "Ow!" she yelled. Then she slapped Layla back.
Layla rubbed her cheek. "Well, it was all in your favor," she said without a hint of sting in her voice.
"I can see that," said Musa. "Sorry about slapping you. Survival instincts." Then Musa turned back to the cloud with a determined look on her face. "Good luck getting me to walk right into death itself, thunderhead."
Don't you want to see your mother up in the heavens? You will go to sleep, and when you wake up-
"I'll die at my own time," Musa interrupted firmly, crossing her arms for emphasis. "I'll see my mother at my own time. Right now, though, I'm going to make her proud."
Some fairies live forever, Musa. You may never see your mother again. Come with-
"No!" Musa suddenly screeched, pounding a fist into the sand and sending grains flying into the cloud. "No! I'm not coming with you and you can't make me!"
Oh, now. The voice had lost its soothing tone and was now menacing. I think I can. You are foolish, not wanting to go up to your mother. In that case, you most certainly hate her. Well, then, I will let her know of that.
The cloud flickered with light, and suddenly there was a seemingly holographic image of Musa's mother, that horrible day of her death. It locked itself into Musa's head and replayed over and over. Tears ran down her face and she gave a sob.
Then, the image flashed, and then there was Musa's mother, with a soft look on her face and one hand up, palm facing Musa, as though the hand was on a wall that she could not get through. Which it was, really.
"Oh, Musa," her mother sighed in the image. "I did not know you were so angry and your hatred for me was so strong. Will you not come up to join me?"
The words echoed around Musa's head. Will you not come up to join me? You not come up to join me? Not come up to join me? Up to join me? Join me? Me...
Then, Musa shook her head with reckless courage. "Fake," she snarled at the cloud. "It's all fake. You probably have my mother locked up somewhere, and I'm not going to the heavens until my mother is free and until it's my time to go. But right now it's not my time to go. It's my time to stay and fight with my friends. Fight for my mother. So suck it up and get real!"
And then, Musa shot up into the air like she was going to transform into Believix, with her fingers crossed over her head.
Only this time, something entirely different happened.
Musa twirled a long ribbon of light around her. She twirled with it, wrapping herself in it, and another ribbon of light appeared. Laughing, she grabbed it and entwined it around her until she was entirely wrapped in the ribbons and held them up in front of her, pulled taut, in a knotted pattern.
She curled herself up into a little ball and opened herself up again, and a boom of sonic waves flashed behind her. She was wearing a beautiful fairy gown now. Her hair was long and shiny. A pair of glittering pink-and-blue wings sprouted from her back, fluttering daintily like ribbons. As she landed, ready to fight, the wings firmed themselves and fluttered gracefully. A second fairy had earned her Lunarix.
"Oh, great," Stella snarled as she squeezed up underneath the leafy canopy of their temporary shelter. "That's the last thing we need right now. Rain."
"How so?" Layla laughed. She tilted her head back and opened her mouth as rain came pouring down. "We can catch some in our water bottles. And since we're so close to the island, I've heard that the rainwater here is fresher than anything."
The droplets of rain glowed sky-blue and smelled like pine needles and starlight. Stella stayed under the canopy and watched as Layla and Nabu laughed and splashed water from the seashore at each other. Musa, Tecna, and Flora joined her under the canopy, shivering, laughing, and soaked.
Soon, a dripping-wet Layla brought a bottle of glowing blue rainwater to them. "Just waterfall from it," she said.
They each took turns tilting the bottle back and letting the fresh, cool, delicious water flow down their parched throats. The water was good. Very, very good. They all felt so much better after drinking it, like how they felt in the afternoon at Alfea after teatime.
They all enthusiastically began to make their shelter sturdier, with the help of the Specialists. They had excellent timing finishing, too, because right as they were all squeezing inside of it to rest, thunder and lightning began to roar mercilessly across the shadowy sky.
A very peculiar dark purplish wind blew across the island, and the ocean water turned dark blue and choppy. The peculiar purplish wind blew stronger and stronger until their shelter was in danger from being torn from the sandy shores. The blackish-purple haze, the color of a bruise, was so thick that, when they stepped out, they could see about two feet in every direction. The sweet smell of rainwater was quickly replaced with hot, thick air that made it hurt to breathe.
This is how I felt when I went to the steam room with my mom for the first time.
Then, the hot, bruise-colored, thick wind seemed to be gathering in front of them, whipping the seawater into their eyes. As more and more of the wind gathered, the air around them mercifully thinned out until they could see and breathe again. There was now a darkish purple cloud in front of them.
"Uh-oh," Tecna squeaked.
They all backed away from the cloud. That is, all of them except for Musa.
She boldly strutted toward the cloud as though she were at the top of the world.
Cries of protest rang out and the Winx and Specialists flung themselves forward to stop her, but suddenly, a gigantic lightning bolt sent them all spiraling into the scrawny surrounding trees.
Greetings, Winx. You now stand in the presence of Moonless Night, the greatest being of all the universe and of all time and time before time. Bow down now. A low, whispery voice echoed from the cloud.
"Is Moonless Night a deity of the Island of Stars?" a dazed Flora whispered to Tecna.
"No!" Tecna whisper-shouted. "She's not! At least I don't remember her to be one. She can't be good, though..."
"Well, she sure made one heck of an entrance," muttered Stella.
"What do you want from us?" Musa demanded, snapping them all back to reality.
"Oh god," Layla said in a distressed, hushed tone. She was clutching her bottle of Andros ocean water for dear life and so tightly that she worried it would burst open and her only memory of home would seep into the sand. "Oh, god. Oh, god."
I know what you are all afraid of, said the voice of Moonless Night. My dear Musa, I know what you are afraid of.
Musa was all ready to make another witty comment when her mouth slammed closed and she started shaking uncontrollably. She was the only one who had heard that next line about herself.
"Musa?" Riven crept forward and quietly pulled her into their little circle. She was still shaking like mad. "Musa? Are you alright?"
Do your poor mother a favor and come with me. I will take you high up to the heavens to see her. You think you didn't deserve her. But if you only come with me, I will take you to her and she will forgive you, and you can stay with her forevermore. She will sing with you and braid your hair...
Layla grabbed her friend's shoulders and started shaking her. "Musa?" she gasped. "Whatever it's saying to you, don't listen. It's all a trick. A horrible trick."
But Musa looked transfixed, as if hypnotized. Tears poured down Layla's cheeks.
Do not listen to your foolish friends. True friends would lead you to me with smiles, and they would tell you, "We want you to be happy, so go to the heavens and be with your poor mother." Don't you want happiness, Musa? I can give it to you. All you have to do is take my hand."
The cloud drifted closer, and they all backed away, locking their arms around Musa protectively. "You can't take her," Stella hissed. "Not now and not ever."
Foolish fairy, I can take her. I can take all of you for all I care, and I should like to, but I digress. The choice is hers, and I'm sure her favorable choice would be to come with me.
"No," Stella hissed again. "Like I said, not now and not ever. You can't have any of us."
A smoky, slender hand, quivering, reached out from the cloud and stopped before Musa, palm outstretched. It had long black fingernails and looked as inviting as a cobweb-covered haunted house with a hungry-looking monster to greet you at the doorway.
Musa actually began to reach for the hand when Layla suddenly lunged before Musa and actually slapped her across the face.
That snapped her back to reality. "Ow!" she yelled. Then she slapped Layla back.
Layla rubbed her cheek. "Well, it was all in your favor," she said without a hint of sting in her voice.
"I can see that," said Musa. "Sorry about slapping you. Survival instincts." Then Musa turned back to the cloud with a determined look on her face. "Good luck getting me to walk right into death itself, thunderhead."
Don't you want to see your mother up in the heavens? You will go to sleep, and when you wake up-
"I'll die at my own time," Musa interrupted firmly, crossing her arms for emphasis. "I'll see my mother at my own time. Right now, though, I'm going to make her proud."
Some fairies live forever, Musa. You may never see your mother again. Come with-
"No!" Musa suddenly screeched, pounding a fist into the sand and sending grains flying into the cloud. "No! I'm not coming with you and you can't make me!"
Oh, now. The voice had lost its soothing tone and was now menacing. I think I can. You are foolish, not wanting to go up to your mother. In that case, you most certainly hate her. Well, then, I will let her know of that.
The cloud flickered with light, and suddenly there was a seemingly holographic image of Musa's mother, that horrible day of her death. It locked itself into Musa's head and replayed over and over. Tears ran down her face and she gave a sob.
Then, the image flashed, and then there was Musa's mother, with a soft look on her face and one hand up, palm facing Musa, as though the hand was on a wall that she could not get through. Which it was, really.
"Oh, Musa," her mother sighed in the image. "I did not know you were so angry and your hatred for me was so strong. Will you not come up to join me?"
The words echoed around Musa's head. Will you not come up to join me? You not come up to join me? Not come up to join me? Up to join me? Join me? Me...
Then, Musa shook her head with reckless courage. "Fake," she snarled at the cloud. "It's all fake. You probably have my mother locked up somewhere, and I'm not going to the heavens until my mother is free and until it's my time to go. But right now it's not my time to go. It's my time to stay and fight with my friends. Fight for my mother. So suck it up and get real!"
And then, Musa shot up into the air like she was going to transform into Believix, with her fingers crossed over her head.
Only this time, something entirely different happened.
Musa twirled a long ribbon of light around her. She twirled with it, wrapping herself in it, and another ribbon of light appeared. Laughing, she grabbed it and entwined it around her until she was entirely wrapped in the ribbons and held them up in front of her, pulled taut, in a knotted pattern.
She curled herself up into a little ball and opened herself up again, and a boom of sonic waves flashed behind her. She was wearing a beautiful fairy gown now. Her hair was long and shiny. A pair of glittering pink-and-blue wings sprouted from her back, fluttering daintily like ribbons. As she landed, ready to fight, the wings firmed themselves and fluttered gracefully. A second fairy had earned her Lunarix.
