Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this up and you all know my excuse by now, but I can't help it. I had three papers due last week and I have well over 100 pages of reading every night. I have a test and a presentation to give on the same day this week. It's going to be a nightmare. It's amazing that I've found the time to read through, edit and post the last chapter of this story. I haven't touched my Harry Potter story in months either and my new Twilight one is going pretty slowly too. I won't have time to work on any of them until the summer.

Anyways, when we left off Nezaro had just been defeated, Layla got her powers which were hidden in the crystal cave and Nirvana was unconscious because of the blinding light she used on Nezaro. This chapter is going to feature a discussion between Layla and Jason, one between Layla's parents and one about the journal discovered a few chapters ago. Happy reading!

Chapter 11: Relationships and Discussions

Layla took several deep breaths, trying to maintain what was left of her strength. She felt Jason's arms wrap securely around her and couldn't help but smile. He was always there for her, no matter what she needed.

"Are you okay, Layla?" asked Jason, worry written all over his face.

"A little tired, but other than that, I'm fine," she replied. "I feel like I could go to sleep right here and now."

"Don't go to sleep yet, not before you get us out of here," said Carlos, who was still holding Nirvana tightly in his embrace. The poor thing had gotten some color back in her face, but had yet to wake up. Carlos knew she would be angry later at missing the spectacle that had been Layla getting her power from the crystals, but she would have to settle for getting a secondhand account of it from him.

"I'll get us out of here," said Bloom. She raised her hands and performed a quick teleportation spell so that everyone in the cave was transported to the beach on the western shore of the palace. Layla's parents were standing out there waiting for them, worried looks on their faces.

"Layla," said Queen Lyra. Jason put Layla down, after making sure she was strong enough to stand up, and she walked over to her parents. Her mother gave her a huge hug as she realized what her daughter had been through over the course of the past week. "I'm so sorry, my dear. If we hadn't let Nezaro put a spell on us, this wouldn't have happened."

"It's all right, Mom," said Layla. "You weren't to know what he was doing, so it wasn't your fault. Everything's fine."

"And we'll make sure you don't have to worry about Nezaro again," said King Aquarius. He snapped his fingers and some of the palace guards came up and took Nezaro by the arms.

"You just wait, I'll get you all for this!" he yelled as he was taken away. "I'll have your powers one day, Layla! And after I get them, I'll get my revenge on the one who did this to my eyes!" He continued yelling various threats at them even as he was led out of sight. Layla couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. It was the same feeling she got when they defeated Rancor. He'd be back. At least she had the comfort of knowing that Nezaro and Paritho were both locked in dungeons where they couldn't do any harm, but Rancor's still being at large alarmed her greatly. He'd be after the girls soon enough and he'd try and rescue as many of his family members as he could. She tried to put it out of her mind, knowing that Jason and the rest of the boys would protect her and the others.

Suddenly, an idea popped in Layla's head. "Jason," she whispered. She ran back to the others, thinking to herself, "I've been wanting to do this for ages, now is the perfect time." She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards her parents.

"Layla, what are you doing?" he asked her.

"Just trust me," she whispered. When they got back to her parents, she said, "Mom, Dad, this is Jason."

"So, you're the young man whose been protecting my little girl throughout this whole ordeal?" asked Queen Lyra.

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Jason, a little nervously.

"Thank you," said the Queen. "Layla thinks very highly of you and I certainly see why."

"Moooooooooommmm," whined Layla, her face going really red. Jason just pretended he didn't notice, though he could tell the rest of the guys were all smirking at him. It took every ounce of self-control the girls had not to start giggling, but for Layla's sake, they kept quiet. They knew she didn't need to be embarrassed anymore than she already was.

Jason was relieved that Layla's mother seemed to like him all right. Her father was regarding him with a skeptical look. He was grateful to Jason for helping to save his daughter, that much was obvious, but Jason could also tell that the king wasn't sure this young boy was right for his daughter. He just hoped he could get King Aquarius' approval before too long.

The entire group invited them all inside the palace for food and a rest. Queen Lyra sent for a doctor to make sure that Nirvana was all right, and he came back with the news that she hadn't lost her powers and would be awake by morning. Everyone breathed a deep sigh of relief at that, especially Carlos.

That night, everyone was exhausted from the past few days adventures and went to bed fairly early. Everyone that is, except for Layla and Jason. Layla couldn't sleep and after a few hours, she decided to go for a walk outside the palace. She headed for the northern side; the beach out there provided the best view of the sea at night, where one could see all the stars and the moon. She sat down in the sand and looked out over the water and saw the moon reflected in the ripples of the surface. Just as she had done in the cave that morning, she slipped her shoes off and let her feet dangle in the water. She giggled as she felt a couple of fish swim playfully around her feet. She thought about the past few days and was glad the adventure was over, but wondered what would happen next. She couldn't get the threat of Rancor still out there out of her mind. She had also noticed the way her father had been very indifferent towards Jason, even though her mother had seemed to have liked him. She wondered what that was about and got the distinct impression that her father was up to something.

"How come you're up so late?" came a voice from behind her. She turned around and saw Jason walking towards her.

"What are you doing out here?" asked Layla.

"I couldn't sleep," said Jason. "I'm guessing you couldn't either. I saw you coming down here and wondered if you were all right. Judging by the look on your face, I think you need someone to talk to."

"A little chat sounds good," said Layla.

"So what's up?" asked Jason, sitting next to her.

"It's what my mom said earlier. I can't believe she actually told you 'I think very highly of you,' as she says. That was the most embarrassing situation I've ever been in." She decided not to mention the fact that she was worried about her father's reaction to him. She didn't want to bog his mind down with it as well, particularly since she was probably overreacting.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you saw the rest of the girl's faces. I can't believe she said that."

"I couldn't believe it at the time, but later after some thought, I was actually kind of glad she said it."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not," said Jason smiling. "When you told me you couldn't take me with you to Ariel's wedding, I thought at first you had made it up, but I know I was wrong. I was scared, thinking you didn't reciprocate all the feelings I have for you. But I think I realized how wrong I was when I found you in the lake close to Alfea. I knew you'd be in danger after that and I vowed to protect you."

"Thank you Jason," said Layla, smiling.

"You don't ever have to thank me," said Jason. " You know I'd do anything for you."

"Really, you would?" asked Layla.

"Yeah," said Jason. "Do you honestly think I wouldn't?"

"It's just that no one's ever said anything like that to me before," said Layla.

"What can I say?" asked Jason. "What's a guy supposed to do when he's fallen in love?" He put his hand on top of hers. Layla looked at him in surprise and saw him leaning in towards her. She closed her eyes, leaned towards him, and they kissed. Layla put her hands on his shoulders and he put his around her waist. When they broke apart, they both smiled at each other and that smile was all Jason needed to know she loved him back. They spent a few more minutes looking over the water, their arms around each other. Jason walked Layla back to her room a few minutes later and kissed her good night.

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Queen Lyra sighed as she looked out her window, which had a perfect view of the northern beach. She could clearly see Layla and Jason sitting there by the water. She knew Layla loved that boy, but she was dreading more than anything a discussion that was going to come in a few weeks time.

"We should have told her, Aquarius," she said, turning to her husband.

"Why?" he asked. "The agreement isn't finalized yet."

"She has a right to know," replied the queen. "I don't see why you want her to marry this boy. What was his name again?"

"Nabu," replied King Aquarius. "I don't see why you're against it. He comes from one of the best families in Tides."

"She deserves the chance to find true love for herself and she loves Jason very much."

"He says he loves her, but he'll let her down in time, you mark my words."

Queen Lyra turned back to the window and said, "how can you be sure of that? Look at them out there. Does he look like a boy who'll break her heart? And we can't try to warm her up to the idea of an arranged marriage to someone she's never met."

"I was going to introduce her to him at Ariel's wedding," said King Aquarias. "The only reason I didn't was because of Nezaro's intervention."

"So even if we hadn't been under a spell, you wouldn't have allowed her to bring him?" asked Queen Lyra.

"No I wouldn't have," replied the king. "Nabu is a fine lad, he'll be able to take care of her and help her rule the realm successfully."

His tone made it clear that their conversation was over, but Queen Lyra still wasn't happy with it. She knew Layla was under the impression that the reason they had been refusing her requests to bring Jason home was because of Nezaro's spell, but they had only been spelled a few days before the wedding. The real reason was because they had been spending a few weeks making arrangements for a wedding with Nabu parents. It was almost agreed to. The only thing left was to tell the two young ones. She hoped events would intervene again and they could put it off.

She remembered when she had been told of her arranged marriage. She had been so angry at first, but she and her husband had fallen in love with each other in time. The chances of that happening with Layla and Nabu were slim. She sighed as she turned back to the window. She wanted Layla to be happy in love and if she was happy with Jason, then she would try to make her husband see that.

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The next morning, after a good night's sleep and a good breakfast, the Winx Club and the heroes headed back to Magix. Nirvana was awake again and perfectly all right, though she got dizzy very quickly and needed help walking occasionally. They got back to Alfea with no problems whatsoever and went out into the garden to relax. The boys were about to go back to Red Fountain, when Guinevere voiced something that had been in the back of her mind for awhile.

"Layla, you want to tell us about this?" she asked, pulling the journal out of her bag.

"Oh great, I was beginning to think you guys had missed it," said Layla, taking it.

"So, when did you start writing in there?" asked Stella.

"The day after Icy, Darcy and Stormy stole our powers last semester," said Layla. "I wrote about everything that had happened to us. All I had at the time was a vague feeling that things were only going to get worse, but I didn't want to say anything until I knew for sure what was going on. I didn't start connecting the dots until Rancor started attacking us."

"That's kind of the impression we got," said Tecna. "You mentioned something in there about Rancor and Paritho, wondering how they would know each other."

"I know," said Layla. "When Nirvana told us Rancor visited Paritho on Angelicas, I knew there was something wrong with that story and I didn't figure out what it was until after we rescued Musa."

"I know it's strange," said Nirvana. "That day, Paritho told me he was expecting a visitor and I'd have to take whoever it was to see him without question. I didn't push him for an explanation, I was afraid to think what would happen to me if I crossed him. When Rancor showed up, I knew there was something wrong just by the look of him. Remember, I told you I tried to listen in on their conversation. But all I heard were Paritho's plans for Tecna. Then he tried to get Rancor to tell him his plans but he didn't say anything."

"Think carefully Nirvana," said Sky. "Did they say anything else?"

Nirvana stayed silent for a few moments and then finally said, "I know there was something else, but I can't think. I remember Rancor saying he had something sinister planned for Musa and he wasn't going to tell Paritho anything. He said he wanted to keep his plans a secret, that he was going to be successful and then he said something else. Then I heard them coming in my direction and I went back to the kitchen. I spent the rest of that night trying to figure out what he'd meant, but I can't remember what it was now."

"Is there anything we can do to jog your memory?" asked Carlos.

"Yeah, like a spell or something," said Timmy.

"Be quiet, I'm trying to think," said Nirvana. "It was something about that journal."

"What do you mean?" asked Layla. "They mentioned something in here?"

"That's exactly what I mean," said Nirvana. "I remember feeling surprised when I heard him say it and again when we found the journal. It was when…that's it."

"What's it?" asked Musa.

"Rancor said, 'when our master plan comes together, those Winx girls won't know what hit them.' At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about. But now that I think about it, I'm dead sure he was talking about Dracona. The story in there," she said pointing to the journal. "That story is what tipped me off."

"They really want our powers to try and set Dracona free?" asked Bloom.

"That's what it looks like," said Guinevere.

"You were right Nirvana, we're in way over our heads," said Flora. "What are we going to do?"

"We'll think of something, my darling," said Helia, putting his arm around her.

"But another thing," said Andrew. "That journal said something about Guinevere being under a spell. What was it talking about?"

At this, tears started forming in Guinevere's eyes. The memory of the curse she'd spent her life under was still haunting her. She explained it to him as quickly as she could. She didn't like the idea of having to relive the whole thing.

"But you're not descended from Dracona, so it would be a coincidence," said Andrew.

"No it wouldn't," said Bloom suddenly. They all looked at her in surprise and she continued, "just listen to me. You're not descended from Dracona but Icy, Darcy and Stormy are. They hardly let you out of their sight when you were using Flora to open the gate into Rampara. I bet they had you under some kind of spell to make sure nothing went wrong. You were already under that curse, so all they had to do was keep an eye on you, so the full power of Rampara could be uncovered and the gate into Rampara unsealed. You were just one of their puppets. And then when Flora broke the curse, they couldn't control anything you did after that."

"I never thought of that," said Guinevere.

"One last thing, Layla do you really think another girl is going to join the Winx Club?" asked Jason.

"Of course," said Layla. "You read the story of what happened to Dracona and to Queen Aria. If there were nine of them, there has to be one more fairy to join us."

"The question is which one," said Nirvana.

"What do you mean?" asked Riven frowning.

"Angelicas is the only realm that is on any sort of relation with Elements. My parents used to travel there all the time for diplomatic meetings. Every single time, they took me with them. The place is absolute paradise, even more so than Angelicas. The thing is there isn't just one princess of that realm, there are four."

"Really?" asked Musa.

"Yep, four sisters," said Nirvana. "The oldest is Quintessa, fairy of lightning and energy. And before you ask, I can guarantee you she won't be the one to join us. Her sisters were always accusing her of being half-witch."

"What made them say that?" asked Bloom.

"For one thing, she had a devil of a temper. She was always finding fault with everything around her and picking fights, especially with her sisters. She was the strongest of all of them and she knew it. Another thing was she only dressed in black, occasionally with a little white."

"No fairy in her right mind would only wear black," said Stella. "It's one of the biggest fashion faux pas' in all the realms."

"I rest my case," said Nirvana. "The other thing about Quintessa is she had a kind of a split personality. One minute she was the worst person to be around and then she would be as sweet as an angel. And she wasn't under a curse either, that was just in her nature. I avoided her as much as I could, she gave me the creeps."

"What about the other sisters?" asked Brandon.

"Well, after Quintessa, there's Phoenix, the one with the spirit," replied Nirvana. "They call her that because when she wants to, she can actually turn into a phoenix. She had more charisma than any person I've ever met. Then there's Marina, the shy one. I never saw much of her because she was always out swimming. She had a small pool in her room. It led to these series of underwater tunnels and every day, she would dive in and swim out to the ocean. And with a power over water, she could breathe water automatically. Then the youngest one is Airinna. She was the one I spent the most time with. She was always trying to make a good first impression by showing me all this stuff she could do with the air around her. Because wind is also naturally drawn to her, she could hear sounds from miles away just because it was carried over the air. She has tons of spells to control it, but if she lets them down, she can hear every single sound in the realm, even the furthest ones away if she wants to. I think she'll be the one to come or rather I hope she will be; she's my best friend. She'd probably jump at the chance to come here. She hated life in the palace."

"Why?" asked Tecna. "Being a princess can't be that bad."

"Who are you to talk? You only found out you were a princess three weeks ago," said Musa.

"Girls, girls," said Bloom. "Why did Airinna hate the palace?"

"It's hard to explain," said Nirvana. "All four girls had a habit of sneaking out all the time. Phoenix was a master of stealth. She would sneak out almost everyday and never get caught. There was this huge wall around the palace; it was built to keep all four of them inside. They even had it spelled so none of them could fly over it. When I was there, I couldn't even fly over it. It was like their parents were afraid to let them unescorted anywhere in the realm. I never did get a straight answer as to why. That was the first reason. Airinna wanted to get out, see the world, go on an adventure, but she wasn't even allowed to leave the palace. But Phoenix found a weak spot under the wall and she knew the dozens of secret passageways in there by heart. All four of them would leave the palace occasionally and make it a girl's day out. That's pretty much the only fun any of them got. But the thing was, Airinna hated living in the palace, she hated being a princess. Another reason for it was because of the way her mom treated her."

"Her mom treated her cruelly, is that what you're saying?" asked Helia.

"Not cruelly, differently," said Nirvana. "She doted on Quintessa, Phoenix and Marina, spoiled them rotten, but she never showed Airinna any kind of special attention. I think the poor girl was a little bit jealous, I would be too. She didn't get along with her mother particularly well. If it wasn't for comfort from her dad and her sisters, she probably would have left. But anyway, she didn't like palace life and was dreading her 21st birthday. Elements is ruled by queens, the only way it's ruled by a king is if a son is the only heir and even then, he only rules until he finds a wife, then she takes over. There's some kind of exercise a princess of Elements has to go through to become queen, but I don't know the details. The prince has it easy, all he has to do is get married, but the princess has to go through all sorts of rigmarole. Airinna used to say that because Quintessa was oldest, she would probably get the throne. The last thing Airinna wanted was to become Queen, she thought ruling her realm would be a never-ending nightmare."

"Did you see ever see that pendant Layla wrote about?" asked Guinevere.

"The Evenstar pendant," said Nirvana, nodding. "Every time I saw Queen Alexandra, she was wearing it. It is true the Evenstar holds all the power of Elements. It's not hidden someplace or buried deep in a person like all ours have been. It's right there around the queen's neck. I remember she was constantly afraid someone would try to steal it, like they could. It's spelled so that it can't be taken off unless she takes it off voluntarily. And she wouldn't do that if her life depended on it."

"What I'd like to know is why Ms. F didn't tell us all this in the first place," said Stella.

"I'm with you Stell," said Musa. "She warned us about danger but she didn't tell us it was going to be as bad as this."

"She must have had some reason," said Bloom. "I wonder what it was."

"I don't know," said Layla. "I guess all we can do is wait for the next adventure and then we'll see."

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Ms. Faragonda had been listening to the entire conversation from her office. She had been using her magic mirror to watch over them. She was glad they were finally starting to connect the dots. "I had a reason all right," she said. "If I had told them everything last semester, they would never have believed me. They had to be given the chance to figure everything out for themselves. And they've done quite a good job of it so far. And Layla's right also, all they can do is wait for the next adventure. I think they're ready for it."

Author's Note: All right, this is the last chapter and everything is good for now. Jason told Layla he loved her. Did you notice she didn't say it back? There's a reason for that, but it's not going to be explained in this story, but in a way later one. I had to start trying to introduce the concept of Nabu into the series. He's going to come in around story eight. It seemed to me like something her parents had been working on for a long time, but didn't say anything because Baltor intervened. She's not going to find out soon because there are two more stories where the events are going to take precedence and then I'm going to weave in season three of the TV show.

I also put in the discussion of the journal to finish tying the stories so far together and to start setting you up for the Princess of Elements, who is going to be the main character of the eighth story of the series. Her, her sisters and Nirvana are going to be the focus of that one. Does anyone want to venture a guess as to a) which sister it will and b) which of the Winx girls has her adventure next? There's only Bloom and Stella left. And remember what I said about how my characters don't die, they just have close calls? This story is going to have some of the closest calls you've ever seen. But you're going to have to wait until May I'm afraid, because school is going to keep me way to busy. But as soon as I'm out for the summer, I'll start writing again, I promise. See you all soon and be sure to stay tuned!