Issue 92: The Club of Vampires

The Club of Vampires is the ninety-second issue of the Winx Club Comic Series.

Synopsis
Now that Bloom, Stella and Flora have become Gaia's newest Guardian Fairies, they must take care of all of the legendary creatures popping into existence thanks to Earth's restored magic. During their investigation, the trio comes across a spooky café that turns out to be one run by vampires for vampires. The café owner, Lord Amaranth, desires the moon pendant that the Winx now carry, so he hypnotizes Flora into falling in love with him as he has his other hypnotized servants gang up on Bloom. Luckily, not all of the vampires agree with Amaranth's ambitions, so Bloom and Stella find an unlikely ally in a young vampire named Mina, who wishes to get rid of Amaranth to free her people. The three of them must now defeat Lord Amaranth not only to restore balance for Gaia's sake, but to rescue those trapped within the vampire lord's hypnosis.

Plot
At the Love & Pet shop, Bloom, Stella and Flora are playing with their fairy pets. Musa rushes inside because she heard their screams but Stella assures her that it was due to their fairy pets being so scary. Flora claims that they are fine but Bloom confesses that she is still worried about the legendary monsters taking over the Earth now that magic is back. Flora reminds Bloom that ever since Gaia had chosen them to be her Guardian Fairies through their fairy pets, their mission on Earth has become their most important one yet.

Sooner or later, Bloom, Stella and Flora decide to investigate the streets of Gardenia in the middle of the night to look for any signs of legendary creatures. Bloom asks Flora if the silver pendant is the only clue they have to go on and Flora confirms this, adding in that Gaia wanted them to keep it because it may hold some significant role in their mission. Bloom clasps the pendant in her hand and begins to feel a strong magical energy. Focusing on it more and more, Bloom can tell that the magical energy is not one of a werewolf. Stella remembers their ordeal on Shady Hill and begins to reminisce on how they found everyone hanging from tree branches in magical nets left by the werewolves. However, she is cut off by Bloom who sees that the pendant has led them to the front of a gloomy-looking cafe. She believes that they need to see the owner of the cafe and the three of them enter the cafe as Stella claims that she would love to tell the owner how to spruce up the place. Once inside, the three of them realize that the cafe has a dark, vampiric theme. Bloom tries to get the girls to initiate their search but it seems that Stella has already gotten into a fight with the cafe bodyguard, who is trying to throw out the fairy pets because animals are not allowed. Flora tries to calm her down, insisting that it would not be such a big deal for the fairy pets to wait outside for them, but Stella claims that she would rather wait outside with them. She whispers to Bloom that she may be able to find an alternative entrance and leaves with the fairy pets, wishing Bloom and Flora good luck.

As Bloom and Flora make their way into the cafe, Bloom believes that they may need to order something in order to avoid suspicion. The two of them find an open table and discuss the situation, trying to figure out which legendary creature they may have to face next. Bloom suspects that they may be dealing with a vampire due to the theme of the cafe but they are approached by an ominous-looking old man who scares Flora, causing her to jump out of her seat and into other cafe patrons. Flora tries to apologize but the woman tells her to leave if she thinks she is not fit for this type of place. She continues to apologize as another girl tells the old man, named Jim, to be more careful. She approaches Bloom and Flora, introducing herself as Mina and asks for their order. The two of them are rather nervous and Mina takes notice. She tells them that she has a few suggestions for them and is praised from behind. The person praising Mina introduces himself as the owner of the Amaranth Cafe, Lord Amaranth, and Bloom begins to feel the pendant telling her that their next target is him. His eyes glow red as he tells Flora that it would be an honor to show her his prized collection of orchids and Flora starts to grow closer to Amaranth; her eyes also glowing red. Bloom tries to figure out what she should be doing but gets stopped by Mina, who urges her to order the house specialty. Bloom tells Mina that she needs to get going but Mina sends out the cafe's waiters to take Bloom to her seat. With the way things are going, Bloom realizes that the vampires must have caught onto who she really is and tries to figure out how she will get out of this, as the legendary creatures have the ability to cancel out her transformation. Just as one of the vampire waiters lunges at her, Bloom instinctively releases a strong, fiery light that surrounds her. At that moment, Bloom realizes that her natural powers can still be used against the vampires as they are tied to her human emotions. She is now confident that she can use her power of aura-reading to fight back. With her powers, she can see that the vampire's auras are a bright orange, meaning that they are not vampires at all! More importantly, they seem to be afraid of something but she cannot figure out why they are surrounding her.

From another side of the cafe, Amaranth is showing Flora his collection of orchids. She is impressed by their condition and Amaranth promises to give them to her so long as she tells him where the silver pendant is. Flora tells him that Bloom has it and Amaranth tells her that she must get is for him, by force if necessary. Bloom's powers begin to dwindle as she struggles to keep the vampiric creatures away.

Outside, Stella and the fairy pets are still trying to look for an alternative entrance without being seen or heard. Just then, a bat crashes through one of the windows and Stella peers inside to see what is going on. She sees that Bloom is struggling to keep a hoard of vampires away and bursts back inside, unleashing a powerful light that causes the vampires to flee. With her powers working, Stella suspects that they may be able to transform again but Bloom clarifies that it is only her natural powers that are at work. Stella then demands to know what the vampires were going to do to Bloom but Bloom insists that they have not done anything and could feel fear in them. She suspects that they are being controlled by a higher power and tells Stella that Lord Amaranth is the owner of the silver pendant; a vampire who has manipulated Flora with his powers.

Later on, the two of them find themselves in a crypt, where they continue to look for Flora and Amaranth. Just then, they are stopped by Mina, who advises them not take vampires lightly. She tells them that there is more to vampires that they do not know but claims that she wants to strike up a deal. Stella demands to know where the vampires have hidden Flora and calls Mina a monster. Mina takes offense to this because, just like fairies, vampires have hopes, dreams, thoughts and feelings, and tells Flora that the only real difference between fairies and vampires is that fairies take energy from light while vampires are condemned to live in the darkness. Stella still is not convinced but Bloom stops her and tells her not to be so rash because Mina's heart is not evil. Stella is still wary because Mina is a vampire but Mina chimes in, telling Stella that not all legendary monsters are evil. She then claims that she will need Bloom and Stella's help as they have a common enemy and Bloom realizes that they are all targeting Lord Amaranth. Mina explains that she and the rest of her coven are his pawns that he can mentally control at any time. She promises to help the two girls save Flora so that they can defeat Amaranth together. Bloom takes Mina up on her offer and asks her if she knows of any weaknesses they can exploit. Stella goes on about scaring Amaranth with garlic and crosses until Mina clarifies that that would only work on the medieval superstitions, however, vampires are completely helpless to sunlight and fire. As Bloom takes this all in, Stella is still suspicious of Mina and is not sure that they can even trust her. Mina promises to give them her word and puts her hand out, offering to make a deal. Bloom clasps Mina's hand, accepting her deal, and so does Stella. Further into the crypts, Mina explains that Amaranth uses the Amaranth cafe to lure in his human victims to absorb their life energy. Stella rants over how he could use a better interior decorator as Mina continues to explain how vampires feed off of the life energy. Amaranth then deposits the life energy into his prized orchids, which act as an energy reserve to which only he has access to. Coupled with that, no one but Amaranth knows where he keeps the orchids. Mina believes that it may be too late to look for them because someone must have heard them and Amaranth most likely has his bodyguards coming for them.

As she was talking, the three of them have come across two doorways. Bloom proposes that they split up into two groups: her with Belle and Stella with Mina, Coco and Ginger. Stella is reluctant on going with Mina and Mina takes notice. Stella then advises Ginger to keep an eye on Mina as they head through their doorway. Bloom goes through her doorway but cannot see anything as it is pitch-black inside. As she tries to make a magical fire, she trips on one of the steps and falls all the way down the staircase, where she is met by a shadowy figure who had been looking for her this whole time.

Meanwhile, on Stella and Mina's end, Stella is complaining about how vampires have a dreary taste in interior design. She is interrupted by Mina who tells her that she can hear fast-moving footsteps coming their way. Stella is confident that she can put them on the defensive and shines her light on the men just below them.

Back with Bloom, she has come face to face with Flora. She asks how Flora was able to find her and Flora reveals that all she had to do was follow the magical energy emanating from the silver pendant. She demands that Bloom hand it over but Bloom tries to get Flora to snap out of Amaranth's control. Enraged, Flora uses her Plant Growth spell to bind Bloom up in large vines but Bloom still tries to get Flora to come back to her senses as Amaranth is converting her fear into aggression in order to manipulate her. Flora claims that Bloom could never comprehend her feelings, convinced that she is in love with Amaranth, but Bloom cannot believe a word of what she is saying. Just then, Amaranth enters the room with a completely different appearance. He approaches Bloom and claims that she barged into his cafe, harassed his clients and still refuses to give him what is rightfully his. Bloom realizes that he means the pendant and Amaranth confirms this, claiming that he wishes to give it to his better half (Flora) as a wedding gift. With the silver pendant, Amaranth plans to control the humans and werewolves. Suddenly, Belle lunges at Amaranth's face, which breaks his influence on Flora now that his eyes are closed. With the vines gone, Bloom is confident that she and Flora can take Amaranth on, but he flees. Bloom rushes to Flora's side to see if she is okay and Flora insists that she is. She urges Bloom to hurry as she is too weak to fight alongside her and Bloom tells Flora that she cannot afford to let Amaranth reach his orchids as they hold a lot of the life energy he has stolen.

Meanwhile, Stella's light is not working to fend off the men below her and Mina. Mina clarifies that the men are not vampires but humans under Amaranth's control who are also being strengthened by his power. As Stella asks Mina if there is a way to stop them, she gets grabbed by two of the men. Just then, a swarm of bats flies in and they turn into vampires. Mina thanks them for stepping in and orders them to save Stella, advising them not to hurt the hypnotized humans as they are being manipulated by Amaranth. On Bloom's end, she and Belle were able to follow Amaranth into his secret quarters. Amaranth suddenly appears from behind her and then into three separate copies, all as he threatens Bloom in hopes of getting her to give him the silver pendant. Bloom winks to Belle, indicating that she has a trick up her sleeve and she starts to comply with Amaranth's demands by laying the pendant on the ground. Bloom then claims that animals have the ability to recognize any kind of presence with their sixth sense, revealing that Belle was able to find the real Amaranth behind his clones. Amaranth is confident that Bloom is too weak to be able to fight him off but Bloom reveals that she has been chosen as a Guardian of Gaia: a guardian to all living beings on the planet Earth. As she speaks, a fiery crossbow materializes on her right arm thanks to the powers Gaia had stored inside Belle. With the crossbow, Bloom fires a fiery arrow into Amaranth and destroys him. Short afterwards, everyone is outside of the cafe as Mina explains that Amaranth's plan was to overpower humans and vampires with his mental powers. Flora adds that he planned on defeating the werewolves who did not join his side with his army of hypnotized humans and vampires, using magical items like the silver pendant to make them weak. Bloom has Mina promise that she and the other vampires will not harm humans and Mina agrees to the promise, claiming that she and her coven will only prey on suffering humans, absorbing their negative energy so that they will ultimately end up helping them. Bloom is positive that Mina and her coven will be able to help humans until she is interrupted by Stella, who tells Mina to make sure to have animals be allowed in the cafe otherwise she will have to answer to an angry Ginger. Mina also agrees and kisses Ginger on the forehead as the three Winx girls giggle to themselves.

Spells Used

 * Morning Dawn - Used by Stella to beat back the vampires. Then used again to fend off more hypnotized humans.
 * Plant Growth - Used by Flora to trap Bloom.

Mistakes

 * On page 10, when Flora begins to get clingy with Amaranth, her bangs are brown instead of pink.

Debuts

 * Vampires
 * Lord Amaranth
 * Mina
 * Jim

Characters

 * The Winx
 * Bloom
 * Stella
 * Flora
 * Musa
 * Tecna
 * Aisha
 * The Specialists (all in Stella's flashback)
 * Brandon
 * Riven
 * Helia
 * Timmy
 * Animals
 * Fairy Pets
 * Belle
 * Ginger
 * Coco
 * Werewolves (mentioned)
 * Vampires
 * Mina
 * Jim
 * Lord Amaranth

Trivia

 * This issue is the second one included in the Hallowinx mini-series and is a direct continuation of the previous issue: Werewolves in Shady Hill.