Issue 100: The Stone of Memories

The Stone of Memories is the one-hundred issue of the Winx Club Comic Series.

Synopsis
It is the 100th Year Anniversary of the founding of Alfea College for Fairies and, to celebrate, all of the students have been gathered inside a special room, where one of them will be given the opportunity to learn of a new magical power. Bloom is chosen to learn of this new power but the celebration is quickly ruined by three unwanted guests. The next thing everyone knows is that Bloom has been trapped within her memories! Can she find her way out of her own memories safely or will she be doomed to relive both painful and happy memories with no way out?

Plot
At night, as everyone in Magix is fast asleep, the Trix are trying to figure out a way to escape their new prisons. They have been bound by the ancient trees of Gloomy Wood Forest due to their past crimes. As Darcy and Stormy brag about their past crimes, such as destroying Red Fountain and trying to take over the Magic Dimension more than once, Icy claims that it is now the perfect time to exact their revenge. Just then, a flock of crow rats are coming to the Trix's aid. The three of them decide to transfer their consciousnesses into the crow rats in order to escape. The next morning, at the Alfea College for Fairies, all of the students have gathered inside a room made of mirrors. There, Faragonda announces that they will be celebrating the 100th Year Anniversary of the founding of the school and, because of the occasion, it is customary to reveal a new power to all of the fairies attending the school. To do so, Faragonda will call up one of the students to experience this new magical power first-hand.

As she is making her announcement, Musa and Stella claim that the experience may end up being unfortunate or boring until Bloom is called on. Bloom asks Faragonda why she has been chosen and Faragonda claims that she has proven herself worthy while also possessing great potential in her magic. Faragonda conjures up a crystal stone and hands it off to Bloom, who finds the stones magic energy to be familiar. Faragonda tells her that the stone is called the Stone of Memories, and whoever possesses one will relive all of their memories. She asks Bloom if she feels ready to accept such a power and Bloom assures her that she is. However, just as she is about to reach for the stone, three crow rats rush into the mirror room out of nowhere. The crow rats dart directly for Bloom and snatch the Stone of Memories as they dodge Faragonda's attacks. Suddenly, there is a great flash of light and Faragonda checks to see if everyone is okay. She then claims to have felt the Trix's presence in the crow rats, fearing what could happen now that they have stolen the stone. Flora asks if this means Bloom is in danger and Faragonda explains that, for better or for worse, Bloom has been trapped within her own memories and they cannot do anything to help her. All they can do is wait for Bloom to brave through her fears to reclaim the Stone of Memories. Bloom suddenly finds herself back in Gardenia outside of the home she grew up in for sixteen years. When she goes inside, she finds her foster parents, Mike and Vanessa, arguing with her birth parents, Oritel and Marion over which pair of parents Bloom cares for the most. Now that Bloom has arrived, Mike and Vanessa approach Bloom, telling her that they would love to know that she loves the two of them as if they were her real parents. However, Marion warns Bloom not to give in to her foster parents as they do not seem to be acting like themselves. This leaves Bloom with two choices she has to make: embrace Mike and Vanessa and tell them that she loves them as if they were her real parents, or rebuke her foster parents and tell them that she has always loved them.

If Bloom were to embrace Mike and Vanessa, she will confess that she always wished for harmony in her family. Once she does this, Mike and Vanessa turn into shadow monsters and attack her. As Oritel and Marion rush to Bloom's side and Bloom attempts to transform, only to find out that she cannot do so. Marion explains that the shadow monsters have temporarily disabled her powers and urges Bloom to save herself as the monsters quickly start multiplying. Bloom rushes for the front door and, when she opens it, she suddenly finds herself on Eraklyon, in the courtyard outside of the royal palace. There is a crowd gathered and they are all cheering for the marriage of Prince Sky and Princess Diaspro. From here, Bloom is presented with two choices she must make: trust Sky and believe that he will not marry Diaspro of his own free will, or stop their marriage at all costs.

If Bloom were to reprimand Mike and Vanessa, she will do just that; scolding them for trying to make her choose despite the two of them knowing full well that Bloom always loved them even after finding her birth parents. Oritel and Marion embrace Bloom from behind, praising her for what she has said, and Bloom affirms that they are all one big family. Bloom then realizes that the Mike and Vanessa that stand before her are not her real foster parents and the two of them reveal their true selves, turning into shadow monsters. Her birth parents warn her not to go near the shadow monsters and Bloom tries to create a defensive shield to keep them at bay. The monsters start multiplying rapidly and Bloom braces herself for their attack. She, Oritel and Marion are then engulfed in darkness but, the next thing she knows, Bloom finds herself in the Eraklyon Royal Palace having a romantic dinner with Sky. Sky tells her that he is glad that she accepted his invitation and claims that he has something very important to tell her. He then professes his undying love for her but the two of them are suddenly interrupted by Stormy making an appearance. As she gets ready to make another attack, Bloom is presented with two choices: attack Stormy now that she has an opening, or defend Sky from Stormy's next attack. If Bloom were to try and stop Sky and Diaspro's wedding, she will watch as Diaspro finishes her vows. Just as Sky is going to say his, Bloom leaps from the crowd, insisting that her Sky would not marry Diaspro and, as she approaches the two of them, Sky will claim that it is over between him and Bloom. Bloom begins to cry as she cannot believe Sky could say such a thing and Sky insists that it is her fault this happened. Her constant fear of losing him was her greatest weakness and, from then, the Trix appear, revealing the entire event as an illusion created by Darcy to get Bloom to her lowest point. The three witches then fire a negativity ray at Bloom, slowly draining her powers. Just then, the rest of the Winx will swoop in to try and save Bloom. Just as the Winx and the Trix are about to have a standoff, Bloom is presented with two choices she must make: let her friends handle the situation due to her dwindling powers, or struggle in an attempt to transform in her Believix.

If Bloom decides to trust Sky, she will step into the wedding as Diaspro is making her vows. Just as Sky is about to make his, Bloom steps in front of him, smiling at him as she looks into his eyes. Sky then realizes that Bloom is in front of him and she jumps into his arms, ecstatic to know that he was simply under a witch's spell. Just then, the Trix appear before Bloom and Sky, irritated with how she was able to get past their illusion. Bloom explains that it was because of her deep feelings for Sky that she was able to realize that it was all fake. In retaliation, the Trix trap Sky in a Cage of Pain and, from here, Bloom is presented with two choices: unleash her full power on the Trix or think of a rational plan to defeat them. If Bloom chooses to protect Sky from Stormy's next attack, she will conjure up a shield that will deflect Stormy's attack. Once he is safe, Bloom rushes to Sky's side and he will advise her to keep an eye out on Stormy. However, Stormy pops up from behind Bloom and lands a direct hit. As Sky tries to get by her side, the Trix will taunt Bloom over how much of a couple the two make, claiming that it is a shame that they hate stories with happy endings. As Bloom tries to stand up, Stormy continues to taunt Bloom over how her worrying over whether or not Sky would get hurt caused Bloom to fall into her worst nightmares. As the Trix laugh at her, Bloom is presented with two choices: unleash her full power on the Trix or think of a rational plan to defeat them. If Bloom were to let her friends handle the Trix then the Winx will try to use a Believix Convergence, only to realize that they do not have enough energy. Stella and Flora try to get Bloom to join in the fight in order for their Convergence spell to work, but Bloom cannot as she feels too drained. The Winx are blown away by a powerful tornado conjured up by the Trix's combined powers. Afterwards, the three witches will taunt Bloom, telling her that she will be stuck with them in a never ending nightmare. With this, the Trix are successful in trapping Bloom within her memories and only by going back to the beginning will Bloom be able to keep from making the wrong decisions.

If Bloom were to struggle as she tries to transform into her Believix to save her friends and Sky, Bloom will manage to transform and will unleash the full power of her Dragon's Flame, blowing the Trix away for good. From there, she will suddenly wake up in her room in Gardenia. She holds Kiko close as she tells him that she just got out of a realistic nightmare but, in spite of Bloom being successful in escaping her nightmares, she still has not found the Stone of Memories. Therefore, she is trapped within her memories and only by going back to the beginning and avoiding all of the wrong choices will allow for Bloom to truly succeed.

If Bloom were to calm herself down to think rationally, the Trix will taunt her as she stands by doing nothing. They taunt her over how her Dragon's Flame feeds off of her deepest emotions and will weaken if she does not listen to her instincts. They then trap Bloom in a second Cage of Pain as they laugh at her, leaving Bloom trapped within her nightmares forever. Only by going back to the beginning will Bloom be able to keep from making the wrong decisions. If Bloom were to try and attack Stormy now that she has an opening, she decides to watch Stormy and Sky carefully. As a Specialist, Bloom believes that Sky will evade Stormy's next attack. Stormy fires another beam at Sky only have him dodge her attack completely. Now that she has that opening, Bloom goes into her Believix and attacks Stormy with her Dragon Heart spell. Darcy will suddenly appear, ready to pay Bloom back for attacking her little sister but Stormy will interrupt, claiming that she can still fight back. Bloom cuts the two of them off and unleashes her Fire Arrow, blowing Darcy and Stormy away. From there, Bloom suddenly finds herself somewhere else. She finds all of her friends standing around, trying to come up with a name. Bloom realizes that she is back in the moment where they came up with the name "Winx Club" for their group. Aisha asks Bloom if it is a good idea for them to be chatting instead of fighting off the Trix and, from here, Bloom is presented with two choices she must make: listen to Aisha's advice or stay and come up with the best name for the group.

If Bloom chooses to listen to Aisha, she will insist that Stella, Flora, Musa and Tecna leave with them, only for the four of them will be confused. Bloom claims that Aisha is right about how they need to go fight the Trix but her friends will remain confused, unaware of who Aisha even is. It is then that Bloom remembers that they had not met Aisha yet when they first formed the Winx Club, and she is suddenly shocked by Darcy, who was disguised as Aisha. Now Bloom has become trapped within her own nightmares with the Trix forever and only by going back to the beginning will Bloom be able to keep from making the wrong decisions. If Bloom chooses to stay and come up with a name, she will tell Aisha that they are not wasting time by "chatting" and approaches the rest of the girls as she proposes the name "Winx Club," which they all agree on. Now with a proper name for their group, the girls all promise to be friends forever and, from there, Bloom turns to Aisha, admitting that she had already figured out that she was trying to deceive them only to miss one important fact: Aisha was not with them at the time they officially became the Winx Club. Darcy then removes her disguise and her sisters come by her side, ready to fight Bloom directly. Icy claims that they have been trying to trick Bloom for too long now but they will not let her escape. Bloom realizes that it was the Trix who were trying to manipulate her memories and Bloom unleashes the full power of her Dragon's Flame on them, knowing full well that they fear its power more than anything. Her Dragon's Flame blasts the Trix out of Bloom's memories and she is able to find the Stone of Memories behind all of the fire. Once she grabs a hold of the stone, Bloom finds herself back in the mirror room with Faragonda and all of her fellow classmates. She is greeted by the headmistress, the Winx and all of the other fairies rejoicing over her safe return. The Winx quickly huddle around Bloom, giving her a group hug as they express their worries. Flora asks Bloom what happened and Bloom explains that the Trix magically entered her memories to try and change them. Faragonda congratulates Bloom on mastering a new power and assures her that she will find a more suitable prison for the Trix; specifically, one far from Magix. Stella asks if Bloom enjoyed going back through time, to which Bloom claims that it was a wonderful experience getting to relive all of her memories but she finds that having the ability to change her life by the choices she makes every day to be even better.

Spells Used

 * Cage of Pain - Used by the Trix to trap and torture Sky. Used a second time to trap Bloom if she chooses to think rationally over attacking with all of her strength.
 * Power of the Dragon Flame - Used by Bloom to blow the Trix away.
 * Fiery Shield - Used by Bloom to protect Sky from Stormy's oncoming attack.
 * Dragon Heart - Used by Bloom to attack Stormy.
 * Fire Arrow - Used by Bloom to blow Darcy and Stormy away.

Mistakes

 * Up until page 12, Stormy's gloves are drawn incorrectly. Rather than being open and stopping halfway at her palm, she wears full gloves.
 * On page 17, as the Winx are being blown away by the Trix's attack, Musa's Believix gloves are not fingerless like they are supposed to be.
 * On the same page, all but one of Stormy's fingers on her right hand are magenta; the same color as her gloves.
 * On page 27, as Icy tells Bloom that they will not let her escape, her gloves are missing.
 * On page 28, as the Winx embrace Bloom, Flora's eyes are yellow instead of green.
 * On the same page, Stella also has a small hair sticking out from the top of her head. She never had such a hair in any of her outfits up to Season 4.
 * In some instances, the letters that appear on the Trix's witch outfits may go missing.

Debuts
None.

Characters

 * The Winx
 * Bloom
 * Stella
 * Flora
 * Musa
 * Tecna
 * Aisha
 * Enemies
 * The Trix
 * Icy
 * Darcy
 * Stormy
 * Diaspro (illusion)
 * Shadow Monsters
 * Crow Rats
 * Alfea Staff
 * Faragonda
 * Humans
 * Mike (illusion)
 * Vanessa (illusion)
 * Royalty
 * Oritel
 * Marion
 * The Specialists
 * Sky (illusion)
 * Animals
 * Kiko

Trivia

 * This issue runs in a Choose Your Own Adventure type of style.
 * Rather than the reader being the protagonist like how most Choose Your Adventure books are set up, the reader has control over which decisions Bloom will make.
 * The only memories of Bloom's that are truly from the animated series are when she finds Sky ready to marry Diaspro and when she and the rest of the Winx are coming up with a name for their group.
 * Sky and Diaspro getting married could have been based off of the episode "A Disloyal Adversary," where Sky is put under Valtor's influences thanks to Diaspro's love potion, causing him to profess his love for her instead of Bloom. The main differences are that this does not occur during the 1000th Anniversary of the Eraklyon Kingdom and the rest of the Winx and Specialists are not present.
 * The girls trying to come up with a name comes from the episode "Welcome to Magix," where the girls agree on the name "Winx Club" after Bloom suggested it towards the end of the episode.
 * The girls are also wearing their Season 4 civilian attire instead of their Season 1 attire, which is what they wore when officially becoming the Winx Club.
 * The Stone of Memories and the mirror room make earlier appearances as this seems to take place during Season 4, whereas the Stone of Memories and mirror room do not make an appearance in the animated series until Season 7.