Originally published in print November 2022.
Image courtesy of Fate: The Winx Saga.
Fate: The Winx Saga’s Aisha is introduced to viewers as a straight-laced nerd whose only purpose is to ‘solve’ the issues of her friends. She fills her days with school work, networking, and a disciplined swimming routine. Aisha is not the type of person to allow herself to get swept up in romance. Nonetheless, Aisha is given a love interest in the second season.
While attempting to go swimming one day, Aisha happens upon Grey, a student at Alfea, who is a specialist. Considering the incredibly remote location that Aisha swims in, it appears as if fate itself is working to bring the two together. Their relationship begins with some playful banter that moves toward frequent texting. During this period Grey, alongside viewers, stand in suspense, waiting for the duo’s relationship to progress into real life interaction.
Grey and Aisha’s romance plays out like Romeo and Juliet (if Romeo and Juliet were more compatible!). Aisha is a powerful water fairy whereas Grey is an equally formidable blood witch. They are on opposite sides of a war, yet it is clear the pair are better off when they are together.
Like Aisha, Grey is portrayed as someone who carefully chooses how to allocate his time and emotions. He mentions that he prefers to be an acquaintance over a friend, a clear implication that he is selective of who he gets close to. Yet, Grey has no issue opening himself up to Aisha, and even more shockingly, he appears to have minimal struggle getting Aisha to open up to him. Grey takes the first step of asking Aisha out on a date with him. When she turns him down, claiming she cannot find the time, he respectfully waits for her, understanding that they share feelings for each other but that Aisha may need to take it slow. However, even with their relationship in limbo, they can’t help mirroring each other’s habits. When the students attend an alumni banquet, both Aisha and Grey indulge in the same ‘dorky’ activity of creating index cards with talking points for each prominent alumni. None of the other characters have begun to think of personal networking when attending the banquet, yet Aisha and Grey share a similar ambition and passion for planning and preparing for the future. They understand one another in a way that no one else does.
The tension between the pair is off the charts, making viewers desperate for their union. However, Aisha cowers in the very relatable fear of inexperience. Aisha has never kissed a boy before, nevermind had a boyfriend. Her fear of imperfection holds her back from taking the next step with Grey for a large part of the season. However, by the fourth episode, members of the audience finally find fulfillment. While all of the girls are drinking at a bar, Aisha is persuaded to step away from her friends and embark on a mini romantic excursion with Grey. Grey healthily pushes Aisha to take her first steps into taking time for herself and cultivating her own social life outside her friend group. He tells Aisha that her friends all have lives, and that it is okay for her to have one of her own. He releases her from her sense of constant obligation to her friends, and brings her on a date to a hidden glade where the two share a kiss so passionate that Aisha’s water powers are activated, conspiring a beautiful swirl of water droplets around the pair as their lips lock.
When Queen Luna unexpectedly reveals to Aisha that Grey is a blood witch, a wrench is thrown into their relationship. By this point in the season, blood witches have been established as vile monsters who aim to steal fairy magic to open a portal to the dark realm and resurrect murdered blood witches from Asterdell. However, little is explained about the historical rivalry between blood witches and fairies. They are simply stated to be sworn enemies. Perhaps this is why I remain loyal to the idea that Grey and Aisha belong together.
Blood witches possess powers of Hematokines (utilising blood for magic), and blood puppetry (the ability to manipulate blood to control bodily movements of either humans or animals). These powers are deemed disturbing and disgusting to fairies. However, are their powers not just a cousin to powers of mind fairies? Musa, one of Aisha’s dearest friends and one of the show’s protagonists, is a mind fairy. She is able to feel people’s emotions and more or less control them. Mind fairies dictate matters of mind and heart, both parts of the body. Blood witches simply control the power of the tangible body. The ‘interspecies’ divide between Aisha and Grey, therefore, seems silly and unnecessary when you consider the positivity they bring into each other’s lives.
Additionally, Grey’s morality is never questioned. His motives for helping the blood witches are understandable. His parents lost their beloved son in Asterdell. They only had him as a replacement. His entire life was a dream that he could reverse Asterdell so that his family would finally grant him his own identity. It is understandable that he would support a blood witch movement to rectify Asterdell. His morality is further proven when he encounters Aisha after she discovers his powers. He immediately apologises for not telling her and allows Aisha’s friends past him to help, even though he knows it will work against his cause. And, when Sky is dying, Grey even pumps blood back into his heart, saving his life.
Aisha tells Grey that the memories of her first kiss and her first boyfriend are ruined and that none of their relationship was real because she didn’t know he was a blood witch. However, I don’t think it would be right on Winx’s part to take Aisha’s words seriously. The pair present the most complicated but compatible relationship in the show. It isn’t wise to split them up. Therefore, I don’t think the show will. Grey and Aisha belong together and I look forward to seeing a redemption and revival of their relationship in the third season.
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