Bloom shoots a big blast at the one of the three birds carrying the ship, which knocks it off. The three birds then aim straight for the girls, though. Musa says birds hate sudden loud sounds, so she blasts a loud rhythm toward them. The birds just turn around quickly and head back for the ship, though. One of the three griffins grabs the ship, and starts banging it around the mountains. Musa shoots more musical blasts at one of the griffins. Flora pleads with Musa not to hurt it. Because we certainly don't want to hurt the beats that are trying to kill us all. Oh no, don't want that. Musa's attack didn't seem to hurt, but Tecna throws a blast which certainly looks like it definitely hurt a second griffin. Trying to catch up with the griffin carrying the ship, Tecna shoots a bigger blast at that griffin, which hits, and the griffin lets go of the ship. That also looks like it hurt. But the guys and Stella hardly have a moment to celebrate before the mother of those three griffins grabs hold of the ship. Flora, again, doesn't want to hurt the mother, who's only trying to protect its babies. Bloom and Musa sound less concerned, but they eventually agree on a spell to try to relocate the birds elsewhere. Flora worries that the spell wasn't meant to work on giant birds, but Tecna says it should work anyway. Besides, Flora, it's either this, or fry the birds. I don't think you want the birds dead, right? Bloom, Flora, and Tecna fly in a triangle above the griffin, while Musa gets below the ship and emits a high-pitched sound, along with circular beats. The other three girls then shoot a combined blast, which transports the birds somewhere else. Tecna says since it was a new spell for them, they're probably not too far away, so they should hurry off.
Back safely inside the ship, Brandon says they should fly near the rocks, so the griffins wouldn't dare follow them. Timmy says that the computer is down, so it won't be able to figure the route for them. Tecna says that with her help, she and the ship should have enough processing power for that. Tecna as part computer! Yay for that power, though we don't get to see it in action this time. As the ship makes its way through the narrow passage of rocks, though, Stella is bumped around, and winds up falling out the hatch. Why was it left open, anyway? I'll just guess that the griffins damaged the hatch or something while carrying it and banging it around. And I wonder if Brandon knows why Stella can't just fly back up....
COMMERCIAL BREAK #1
Stella is still falling. Brandon looks like he almost wants to jump out the ship, but Sky stops him, in case he were actually going to do that. But Stella happens to be holding on for dear life on a nearby cliff, though she's slipping pretty quickly. The ship is set with the hatch near Stella. Brandon holds his hand out for Stella to grab. A little too far for Stella to reach, actually. Stella reaches out, and the ship is set a little closer just in time, though, and Brandon grabs her onto the ship. One has to wonder if Brandon noticed Stella's extra weight while picking her up. Or maybe he already knows....
Bloom: Good idea, and what do you say that this time we travel with the hatch door shut?
Heh. The five Winx girls and three Specialists are now inside the ice cave. Sky says he was going to do an internship with the palace guard, but Bloom finishes his sentence, saying he'd rather spend his vacation with her. Musa spots the stone gate where the ice spirits are. Flora explains that the ancient legends say that the ice spirits are as old as ice itself, and the ones who watch over the mirror of truth. Stella says the ice mirror is the one that's supposed to give her back her looks. And Brandon thinks nothing of this comment, apparently. Though it turns out that there's a reason for this.... Bloom hopes they're friendly. Stella says the area with the ice spirits is beautiful, but then they startle everyone with their loud, booming voice. Several ice pillars in the cave take the form of rather terrifying looking and sounding ice spirits. The ice spirits ask what they want. Bloom says they're looking for the keepers of the mirror of truth. The spirits say that's who they are. Bloom asks for their help, as sweetly as possible, complete with cute facial expression. Cool to watch Flora back away in fear. The spirits can see that one of them has been touched by evil, and ask for her to step forward now, and asks why they should help her. Stella does, and says that she wasn't meant to be like this. The spirits say that is for the mirror to decide. She must find the mirror and touch its heart for the spell to be broken. Stella doesn't understand, but the spirits will say no more. Brandon wants to help, but Bloom and Flora get Brandon to stay out, with Flora saying it's a girls-only thing.
While searching, Stella heads off from the other girls, going toward a mirror. Stella feels that maybe she should just get used to looking like a frog beast, that she may never look like her normal self again. It opens up like a Star Trek door, though, and Stella enters. The other girls, not sure where she went, call out for Stella. Stella then realizes that she can't accept how she looks, that she's supposed to be pretty, that being pretty is who she is. Brandon finds Stella, and calls out for her to wait. Stella thinks she's found the mirror of truth, on the ground, and that if this doesn't restore her previous beauty, then there's no hope for her. Brandon tries to comfort her, but Stella says that Brandon just doesn't understand. Brandon tells her that the illusion spell wore off on the ship, and that he can see what she actually looks like. Stella asks how he can look at her when she's hideous on the outside.
Brandon: You're still the same beautiful person inside. You still have the same heart, Stella. Girls, tell her what you see when you look at her.
Tecna: I see a totally honest person who always says what's on her mind.
Flora: Who's cheerful and upbeat and fun.
Musa: A kind of crazy fairy that always makes me laugh.
Bloom: And I see a best friend forever.
Stella seems surprised that they all feel that way about it. She'd always figured everyone liked her just because she was pretty. She sheds a tear over the mirror, which seems to shatter it. Musa seems worried about that. Brandon says he loved her before, and still loves her. Brandon gives Stella the gift he was going to give her at the princess ball: something that his father gave to his mother, then passed down to him. Looks like a compact to me.
Brandon: In our family, this gift means you're gonna' love someone for the rest of your life. Maybe I'm jumping the gun here, I mean, we're still in high school and everything.
In real life, I'd say "no duh!" I mean, how rarely does that happen, that your high school sweetheart is going to wind up being your ultimate lover for life? Not to mention, that it would ago 5 out of 5 in real life? Then again, who ever said this show was just like real life? Stella says it's the best present she's ever gotten, she and Brandon hug, then Stella changes back to her normal self, and starts cheering. The ice spirit said Stella had passed the test, that Stella proved that her feelings are deep and true, and that the heart of the mirror was touched by love, and the scary faces on the ice pillars go away. Everyone start cheering. Musa starts to say that she can't wait to get back to Alfea, at least until she remembers that tomorrow is the first day of school. My, what a short summer vacation.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #2
Back at Alfea, it is indeed the first day of school. There are many new background fairies at the school, too, as Faragonda and Griselda watch, with Griselda telling the students to get to class. More importantly, Griselda is worried that the new curriculum will be too difficult, and that half of the third-year students will fail. Faragonda has more faith that her students will rise to the challenge, though.
And back in the girls' room:
Stella: I've always felt that who you are on the inside is more important than looks.
Musa: Oh, sure, that's why you kept saying "Please, give me back my face!"
Musa's expression is hilarious here! Stella says the monster transformation softened her skin, and asks Musa to feel it. Musa passes. Love Musa's expression here, too. Bloom comments on all the new fairies. Flora says she met a fairy who comes from a realm where the plants can write books. Tecna tries to tell a joke, saying that the books are easy to leaf through. Terrible joke. Tecna seems to realize that almost immediately, at least. Flora asks Layla if she'd like to walk around the quad with her. Layla would rather be alone, though, and just goes to her room to unpack. Bloom worries about Layla. Flora wishes she would talk about what happened on Tides, saying that they could help her. Seems Layla's trust issues are popping up again.
As Musa walks down a hallway, he hears beautiful music, and figures the music club must be practicing. Instead, she sees only one fancily-dressed fairy practicing, magically playing several instruments floating in the air. Musa walks in and tells the girl how great her music was, saying that it sounded like a whole quartet in the room. The girl says it was her own composition, and introduces herself as Galatea from Harmonia. Musa calls her Princess Galatea. I guess being from the same realm, Musa would know, because Galatea herself didn't introduce herself as a princess. Guess we already know her ego's smaller than Stella's, then. Musa says that she's from the Harmonic Nebula as well, but that her planet is a bit more beatboxish. Or actually, Musa makes beatbox noises.
Elsewhere in Alfea, Stella is upset that one of the luggage elves lost some of her luggage yet again this year. A girl nearby hears her complaining, and realizes it's Stella, and calls out to her. Stella sees it's Nova, who she apparently knows. Nova starts to mention how it's her first day, but Stella grabs her over to a nearby couch, and asks for Nova to tell her all the latest gossip from Solaria. She mentions that the Duke of the Second Sun broke up with his girlfriend, and is now available, and how it rained for the first time ever in Solaria. Nova also mentions that Countess Cassandra is already acting like the Queen of Solaria. That infuriates Stella. Nova shows a magazine cover with Cassandra on it, and Stella is furious that she's wearing the crown jewels. Nova says she's been issuing actual royal proclamations. Stella says that her father never allows anyone else to make royal proclamations, and that she must have bewitched him. The making her father forget that her monster-form self was his daughter probably should have been the first clue, though. Stella then spots a picture of Chimera in the magazine, and yells what that is. Nova says that Chimera has become a regular on The Royal View. Apparently, the same guy who hosted the Miss Magix pageant hosts The Royal View. Stella says it's the most popular show in the whole realm. Stella says there's no way she's going to allow Cassandra and Chimera to manipulate her father like that, but she especially doesn't want Chimera to become Solaria's new favorite daughter.
Flora meets Layla in her room, and wants to talk to Layla, and tells her that she's always there if Layla ever does want to talk to her. Layla says she's OK, and she'll just see her later. Flora says then that she'll just see Layla in the quad, where's she's going to make an announcement.
With all the third-year students out in the quad, Faragonda stands before them to make an important announcement. Along with Griselda, Palladium, Wizgiz, and the real Avalon with her. I wonder if everyone just forgot about Professor DuFour, or what? Faragonda wants to talk about their final examination. Some fairies complain, saying they don't want to worry about final exams yet, not when they haven't even finished unpacking from summer vacation. But Faragonda says its a very important step in their training as fairies. Last year, their goal was to earn their Charmix. Whatever happened to that, anyway? We haven't seen that at all yet this season. Faragonda says this year, their goal will be to get their Enchantix, which will give them access to new powers like fairy powder and miniaturization, and change their lives forever. Stella asks what they should do to prepare for the test. Faragonda says no studying or training is necessary, but the test will find them at a critical moment in time. That they'll have to rescue someone from their own world, but at a great sacrifice. Stella says she just hopes it isn't Chimera who she has to rescue, the thought of which absolutely disgusts her. Boy, does Stella hate Chimera. Though I guess the whole "changing her into a frog beast" thing wasn't exactly going to make Stella like her, I suppose. Faragonda says that at this point, they'll become full-fledged fairies, and be able to protect their worlds from evil and destruction. I wonder if this counts for Mirta too. Then again, do we even know if she's still at Alfea this year, or back at Cloud Tower?
A little later, sitting by herself, Bloom worries, because everyone from her world, Sparx, is dead. Unless her birth parents somehow survived, then no one from her world is left, and Bloom will never be able to earn her Enchantix. There's still Earth, Bloom. I mean, you kinda' have two worlds. Though after the visit in Stella's palace, I'm betting Bloom's birth parents are alive.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #3
The other five Winx girls stand outside Layla's room, inviting her to a girls' night out. Layla doesn't feel like going out, though. Musa says they can help Layla if she tells them what's wrong. Layla explains that Tides is being attacked by Baltor, who escaped from the Omega dimension, and invaded Tides, and that her world, and the entire universe, is in danger. Bloom says she thought Omega was escape-proof. Layla says the only way out is through a portal under constant watch by the mermaid guards. But Baltor somehow broke through and turned the mermaids into evil monsters, and that the Trix may have something to do with it, as he escaped the same day they were brought there. Layla's worried about her parents and her people. The Magix Council knows about it, but everyone who tries to fight Baltor becomes one of his minions, and that Tides is probably only Baltor's first stop. Stella worries about helping, but Bloom says they have to help, and that they can't just sit back and allow a tragedy like the one that happened on Sparx seventeen years ago. All the girls, Stella included, agree to help out. Though they probably should have gone to Faragonda or Concorda, to learn a bit on exactly what they were going up against. 'Cause if all these warriors were being defeated so easily, barging in head-first might not be the best idea....
So, just how short was the summer vacation? If they were just being let out of school when Stella got the announcement of her princess ball, the princess ball being only a few days after the announcement, Countess Cassandra getting married one month after the princess ball, the girls not taking long to make their way to the mirror of truth and back, and Countess Cassandra is not yet married to King Radius at the beginning of the school year... only a couple weeks, tops. Pretty short summer vacation they get, apparently.
I wonder if Galatea and Nova area going to do anything this season. They were pretty interesting, from what we saw, with Galatia seemingly an elegant musical prodigy, and Nova all into the gossip scene... so amusing, the pointless little thing about the Duke of the Second Sun being available! And interesting how Stella more or less dominated over her, not seemingly realizing it.
7 out of 10 on the old scale.
