Almost Magical

***Almost Magical*** is a fantasy webcomic created by Dawn. It is a fan project spin-off of the 2004 cartoon ‘‘*Winx Club*’’ created by Iginio Straffi. The comic is illustrated and written by Dawn and co-written by Ayesha. It is the second incarnation of the project after the discontinued pilot. The Prologue premiered on March 31, 2021, while the first part of the first chapter was released on September 15, 2021.

## Premise

Based on the 2004 magical girl series, "*Winx Club*". This is a story about six young fairies in a world of magic and wonder– a concept all too familiar when your mothers happen to be the Winx Club themselves. Join this new generation of fairies on a journey to carve their own paths and shape their destiny. And learn what it means– to be a fairy.

## *Winx Club*

### What is considered canon?

*Almost Magical* takes place years after the events of season 4. Only the first four seasons and the film *The Secret of the Lost Kingdom* are included in the comic's timeline, so subsequent seasons and films are not considered canon. In addition, Dawn and Ayesha have taken some artistic liberties and reimagined some of the lore.

### Background

#### First Arc

The story of Winx Club begins with Bloom– an ordinary girl from Earth who’s lived in the city of Gardenia all her life. One day, as she was relaxing after a bike ride in a local park, she finds herself in the presence of a fairy battling a group of monsters. She wastes no time in helping the mysterious girl in need, leading to the discovery that she has magical powers as well. The fairy she saved introduces herself as Stella, a princess of a kingdom called Solaria– a magical realm, and one of many. Stella convinces Bloom to join her at Alfea, a prestigious boarding school for fairies in a universe called the Magic Dimension. There Bloom learns of the concept of Winx– a fairy transformation which she eventually unlocks. She meets the headmistress of Alfea, Faragonda, and meets three other fairies who are her dormmates- Flora, Musa and Tecna. Together, Bloom, Stella and the other girls form a fellowship called the Winx Club. They also befriend Sky, Brandon, Riven and Timmy, a group of supernatural warriors known as Specialists from a nearby school called Red Fountain.

The trouble that followed Stella to Earth lead to the Winx encountering a trio of witches called the Trix– Icy, Darcy and Stormy, three senior witches who are notorious for their prowess and wickedness at Cloud Tower, a school for witches. The Trix had been tracking down Stella, believing that a magical ring she possesses carries with it a spark of a mystical force called the Dragon’s Flame– a power that is known to have created the Magic Dimension. Their ruthless pursuit for the Flame lead to many battles against the Winx. Bloom soon discovers the secrets of her origins and magical powers, all the while experiencing dreams and visions of a nymph spirit named Daphne who was once her sister years ago. The Trix had done more searching and later learn where the Dragon’s Flame had been all along. They confront Bloom and reveal to her that she is in fact the keeper of the Dragon’s Flame, as well as the last princess of Domino– a magical realm that was destroyed by the Trix’ ancestors, the Ancestral Witches in their pursuit for the great power. Daphne who was the crown princess of Domino, had sacrificed her life to protect Bloom, hiding her away on Earth before the witches could harm her. After telling her the truth, the Trix steal her powers and use it to conquer Cloud Tower and summon the Army of Darkness that would lay waste to the city of Magix and the rest of the Magic Dimension. Lost, and feeling utterly powerless, Bloom began to question her worth. Daphne who had been looking out for Bloom all this time, comes to her aid and tells her to look within, because in truth, the Trix could never take her magic away. Bloom, finally finding the courage to believe in herself, reconnects with the Dragon’s Flame and regains her Winx. In an epic showdown between good and evil, the Winx manage to defeat the Trix and the Magic Dimension is saved.

#### Second Arc

A young fairy named Layla sneaks her way into what appears to be an underground castle to rescue six little beings called Pixies who were imprisoned there by a dark and evil creature. She manages to save only one of them, narrowly escaping capture. Meanwhile, the Winx Club return to Alfea for their second year. They learn about the second fairy transformation called Charmix which is earned by facing their fear and emotional challenges.

They encounter Layla, whom they have found unconscious just outside the school grounds, with a sleeping Pixie hidden in her clothing. After she wakes up, Layla reveals to the Winx that she is a princess of a realm called Andros and has come a long way to free her pixie friends.

Their captor is Lord Darkar, the ancient evil creature living in the underground fortress of Shadowhaunt. Darkar plans to have the pixies reveal the location to their village in order to steal a piece of the Codex hidden there. The Codex consists of four crystal pieces and when combined with the power of Light and Darkness can open a portal to the Realm of Relix where the ultimate power can be achieved. The three other pieces are protected by Red Fountain, Cloud Tower and Alfea. Darkar plans to use the Codex to enter Relix and acquire its power.

The Winx decide to help Layla rescue the Pixies and venture into an underground realm where the fortress is located. Darkar, however had been spying on them and are aware of their mission. Along the way they are attacked by the Trix, whom Darkar had broken out of the Fortress of Light- a temple for rehabilitation where they were confined. Now he has enlisted their services. The Winx struggle but succeed in rescuing the Pixies when a mysterious paladin arrives and helps them. He later joins them in Alfea as Professor Avalon.

Darker is revealed to be the Shadow Phoenix, an ancient creature that wields a strong dark power that is equivalent to the Dragon’s Flame. The ancestral witches of the Trix had once served him. They were, however, defeated and the Templars from the Fortress of Light sent Darkar into a deep slumber. The return of the Dragon’s Flame to the Magic Dimension has awoken him and now he seeks to rule the magical universe.

In their mission to stop Darkar, the Winx club learn to face their fears and overcome their emotional challenges, each unlocking the Charmix within her. Unfortunately, Darkar with the help of the Trix still manage to take the four pieces of the Codex from their hiding places. Now, all Darkar needs is to combine the power of Light and Darkness with the Codex to open the portal to Relix.

His attention turns to Bloom, whose magic is a manifestation of Light and an antithesis to the darkness of the Shadow Phoenix. It is revealed that Darkar had sent a spy to Alfea to lower Bloom’s guard and capture her. The spy turns out to be Professor Avalon who successfully kindaps Bloom and takes her to Shadowhaunt. There, Darkar casts a spell on her that places her under his control so that he can combine her magic and his with the Codex. The Winx and the Specialists learn of this and immediately set out to rescue Bloom. They almost lose to Darkar when Sky attempts to convince Bloom to overcome Darkar’s mind control. Bloom’s love for Sky was the key to her breaking free of the darkness. Using the power of the Charmix, the Winx form a convergence spell that destroys Darkar. The Trix are once again imprisoned. And Layla becomes the sixth member of the Winx Club.

#### Third Arc

After Darker’s defeat, the Trix are banished to the Omega Dimension– a cold icy prison where dangerous prisoners are kept. However, they are able to escape again, this time with the help of Valtor, a wizard who is partially responsible for the destruction of Bloom’s home planet, Domino. He was made by the Ancestral Witches and is a being born from the fire of the Dragon’s Flame and the witches’ darkness. They were defeated by the Company of Light, a group of powerful beings led by Bloom’s parents– the king and queen of Domino. The Ancestral witches had been destroyed and Valtor had been sent to the Omega to be frozen forever. He and the Trix decide to cooperate with each other and plan to invade several areas in the realm of Magix and seek vengeance on those who had imprisoned them, stealing the magical treasures and power source of each realm. The Winx club cross paths with Valtor, and learn of him and why he must be stopped.

The Winx Club had just started their third year at Alfea. They learn about the third fairy transformation known as Enchantix which will make them full-fledged fairies once acquired. To earn Enchantix, a fairy needs to show great sacrifice by saving someone from their own realm. In their quest to stop Valtor, one by one, the Winx gain their Enchantix through great bravery and valuing one’s life above their own. However, Bloom could never achieve her Enchantix in that way due to having lost her entire realm when she was an infant. She learns from Headmistress Faragonda of an island called Pyros, an island of dragons. There she is to build her inner strength and find the courage to defeat evil. Only then could she unlock her Enchantix. She succeeds in doing so and joins the rest of the Winx in defeating Valtor and the Trix. The only way they could stop Valtor was to travel to a place called the Golden Kingdom where ancient beings reside and where magical objects called Water Stars were found. These Water Stars are believed to be the only things that could extinguish the Dragon’s Flame in Valtor and destroy him. They later confront Valtor and attempt to use it against him. In an effort to save himself, Valtor tells Bloom of just how involved he was in the destruction of Domino. He tells her that he had absorbed both her parents in their final battle and that they have become a part of him. Valtor is able to escape, as Bloom was unwilling to deliver the final blow with her Water Star. With little options, Bloom goes seeking answers and learns from the Ancestral Witches’ spirits that Valtor had lied. Valtor begins to wreak havoc on Magix using the magic he had stolen from several realms. The Winx are able to defeat him and return the stolen magic. Valtor reverts back to his true form– a demonic winged beast. Looking at defeat, the Trix decide to abandon him, leaving him for dead. However, Valtor had survived the battle but is left weakened. He attempts to destroy the Winx one last time but fails. Left with little to nothing, the Ancestral Witches’ spirits order him to return to the Dragon’s Flame for having wasted their magic on his revenge. Now they want him to carry out their own revenge and destroy Magix itself. Bloom stops him by casting a spell that sends her spirit into Valtor’s body where she is able to extinguish the Dragon’s Flame with the help of her Enchantix. Valtor is destroyed for good and peace once again returns to the Magic Dimension.

#### The Secret of the Lost Kingdom

At Alfea, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna and Layla all graduate and become fairy guardians of their home planets. Since the witches destroyed Bloom’s home planet, she must watch graduation from the sidelines. Bloom’s sister, Daphne tells her that there is still hope of saving their parents. Together, the Winx travel to Domino to find King Oritel’s sword and revive Bloom’s birth parents and the entire planet. It is no small feat, especially with an evil witch named Mandragora and the Trix right at their heels. After defeating evil, the Winx Club earn the title of the new “Company of Light”.

#### Fourth Arc

The Winx Club encounter the Wizards of the Black Circle, a group of powerful dark wizards who are hellbent on acquiring the magic of the last fairy on Earth.

Earth has long been a place where magic and fairies were only the stuff of myths. A young girl named Roxy who lives in Gardenia with her single father, Klaus soon discovers that she is the fairy of Animals and the Black Circle had been tracking her down since.

The Winx go to Earth to protect the young fairy and soon learn of the history of magic on Earth– that there were once many fairies just like Roxy and were ruled by a fairy queen named Morgana. They were all hunted down by the Wizards, stripped off of their magic and imprisoned. Roxy soon unlocks the magic within her and becomes a full fairy. And she and the Winx battle the Wizards and succeed in rescuing the Earth fairies.

Now free, the fairy Queen Morgana and her Earth fairies reveal that they want vengeance against the humans on Earth for weakening them for their lack of belief in magic– which had been the cause of their downfall in the hands of the Wizards. They plan to take revenge against the Wizards as well which forces the Wizards to form an uneasy alliance with the Winx Club and Roxy.

The Winx Club eventually persuade the Earth Fairies to let go of their vendetta. With their acts of bravery and compassion, they had even managed to move the hearts of some of the fairies. Morgana remains undeterred along with several other fairies under her rule. Bloom battles out with one of her fairies, the vengeful Nebula who was once the fairy of Peace. They agree that if Bloom wins, Morgana and the fairies must step down from their campaign. Bloom defeats Nebula and the fairies honor the agreement. The Wizards had seemingly surrendered to the fairies, but it turns out, that the Black Circle have been plotting to destroy the Earth Fairies for good. They nearly succeed but are foiled by the Winx Club. Angered by this, Nebula takes up arms against the Black Circle and seeks to destroy them. The Winx Club, Morgana and Roxy go after Nebula and the Black Circle, hoping to convince them to let go of their hatred. They are able to convince Nebula to do so but the Wizards refuse. The fairies are left with no choice but to imprison the Wizards in the Omega Dimension.

Queen Morgana turns out to be Roxy’s mother. She reveals that she had once craved a life beyond fairy magic and went to live amongst the humans, leading to her falling in love with Roxy’s father. However, when the Wizards captured her, all of Roxy and Klaus’ memories of her had been erased. Now free of her prison and vengeance, Morgana decides to live out the rest of her life with Roxy and Klaus and abdicates the crown to Nebula who becomes the queen regent, before Roxy is ready to take her rightful place on the throne.

## Characters

* **Astraia "Star"**: the fairy of psychic energy and Bloom and Sky’s 16-year-old daughter. Though perceived to be quite serious at times, Star is kind and well-meaning, with a witty side to her. She is ambitious and hardworking, and was trained on Domino to be the successor of the Dragon's Flame.
* **Ran**: the fairy of music and sound and Musa and Riven’s second child and 16-year-old daughter. She is bubbly, energetic, and loves all things girly, with a touch of urban street style and punk. She is a gifted singer and musician who loves musical theatre. She is from the the realm of Melody.
* **Elle**: the fairy of electricity and Tecna's 17-year-old daughter and only child. Despite hailing from an authoritarian society on Zenith, Elle is quite the wild card: adventurous and fun-loving. She can be summed up in three things: she is easy-going, outgoing and loves to get going. She also loves photography, music, and is just as tech-savvy as Tecna. Elle is a sophomore in Alfea.
* **Thyme**: the fairy of nature and Flora and Helia's 18-year-old daughter as well as their eldest child. Thyme is quiet and brooding, but can come off as intimidating and sarcastic with a dry of sense of humor. It’s hard to guess what she’s thinking under her tough tomboyish exterior. Thyme is a sophomore at Alfea since she took a year off.
* **Xantara "Xana"**: the fairy of oceans and Layla and Nabu's 19-year-old daughter. Xana is kind, gentle and level-headed. As the eldest of the group, she often assumes the role of leader. As Princess of Andros, Xana takes her royal duties quite seriously. She is a good dancer and a good swimmer. She is a senior in Alfea.
* **Selene**: the fairy of the moon and Stella and Brandon's 16-year-old daughter and third of five children. Selene is calm and composed. She was considered to be a protégée under the guidance of her grandmother Luna. Much like Stella, she has a love for fashion.
* **Kai**: Musa and Riven’s 17-year-old son and eldest child. Kai is a bit laid back, and is a generally pleasant guy to be around. He is a talented guitarist and singer. Kai tends to take after his mother in personality.
* **Beck**: Stella and Brandon's 17-year-old son and second of five children. He is extroverted and a bit over-the-top. Charming and charismatic, he loves the attention just as much as he loves to entertain and flirt. Known by his peers to be a playboy, Beck likes to maintain casual and non-exclusive relationships. He can be cheeky and overconfident at times.

to see more characters, click here.

## Chapters

### Arc 1

* Prologue
* Chapter 1: New Beginnings
* Chapter 2: The New Winx
* Chapter 3: Runaway Fairy

## Change from the *Pilot*

"*It’s not going to be a drastic change from the original flow of the existing chapters from the pilot. But there will be some key differences that will serve to develop the characters.*"
—Dawn about the reboot.
Events occurring while Bloom is still alive are changed to six years earlier than current events. In the *Pilot*, these events originally occurred ten years earlier.

Originally, Bloom and Sky had a third child named Blue. However, due to trouble fitting her character into the story, Dawn decided it was best to remove her completely from the reboot.

Some characters had their age changed. Thyme was originally 17, Selene was 15, and Raven was 14.

## Behind the scenes

* Ayesha became a co-writer starting from the first chapter and onward. She was previously a beta-reader for the pilot and prologue.

## Gallery

*Almost Magical* logoDisclaimer featured in the *Prologue*Reboot first lookHappy Pride Month 2020Winx from redesignsPrecomic portrait of Sky and BloomBloom and a 10-year-old Star painting togetherBloom and a 10-year-old Star hugging2020 announcement post illustrationBloom and Star illustrationWinx Club illustrationPrecomic art of Riven and Musa's family (9 years earlier)Musa and Ran illustrationStella and Selene illustrationLayla and Xana illustrationTecna and Elle illustrationFlora and Thyme illustration2022 posterIcy 2022 designStormy 2022 designTrix 2022 designDarcy 2022 designBloom Ultimix portraitLayla Ultimix portraitStella Ultimix portraitTecna Ultimix portraitMusa Ultimix portraitFlora Ultimix portraitArc 1 poster
## See also

* Pilot
* Arc 1

## Notes and references

1. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - AM 20/21
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dawn Official Instagram - Reboot First Look
3. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Release announcement
4. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Chapter 1 Part 1 release announcement
5. ↑ Webtoon - Almost Magical
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Dawn Official Instagram - May 2022 comment
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Almost Magical Official Website — Winx Canon
8. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Star
9. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Ran
10. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Elle
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ayesha Official Instagram - am ch.2
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Dawn Official Instagram - Thyme
13. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Xana
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Dawn Official Instagram - Selene
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Dawn Official Instagram - Kai and Beck
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Dawn Official Instagram - Characters designs ca. 2017
17. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Almost Magical reboot!
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Dawn Official Instagram - Bloom and a 10-year-old Star
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Dawn Official Instagram - Kiddos ca. 2017
20. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Chapter 1 Part 1 out now
21. ↑ Almost Magical Official Website - About Me
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Webtoon - Prologue
23. ↑ Almost Magicol Official Website
24. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Happy Pride Month
25. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Magic Winx
26. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - The Warrior King and the Dragon Flame Queen
27. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Announcement
28. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Almost Magical is back
29. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Winx Club illustration
30. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Chapter 1 Part I out now
31. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - In sync
32. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Chapter 1 Part II out now
33. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Chapter 2 Part I out now
34. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Chapter 2 Part II out now
35. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Chapter 2 Part III out now
36. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Poster
37. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Icy as seen in Almost Magical
38. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Stormy as seen in Almost Magical
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Dawn Official Instagram - Witch Queens
40. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Bloom in Ultimix
41. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Layla in Ultimix
42. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Stella in Ultimix
43. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Tecna in Ultimix
44. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Musa in Ultimix
45. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Flora in Ultimix
46. ↑ Dawn Official Instagram - Almost Magical poster

## External links

* Almost Magical on Webtoon
* Dawn Official Instagram
* Ayesha Official Instagram