Chapter Text
As planned, Bloom joined the Specialists in the only tower left standing at the entrance of the school. She was supposed to wait until the Trix, or their army, had been weakened. Then, she would take everyone by surprise, because nobody excepted the Winx or the Heads of Schools knew about her recovered powers, and strike. Her main target was Icy, as she was the brain of this whole operation. But if she could, she would take down her two sisters.
But nothing went as expected.
As soon as the Army of Darkness appeared, they realized how much they had underestimated their forces. There were so much of them that none of them could believe their eyes, and fear made its way into their stomach.
Bloom tried to wait, but the moment Alfea's barriers, and the one Mrs. Faragonda and Mrs. Griffin had put up, fell, she reacted : she transformed, surprising the Specialists around her, and flew in front of the school, creating a barrier of flames at the entrance to try and burn as much as she could.
She put on a show : behind her appeared the Great Dragon, illuminating the whole battlefield. She looked at Icy, and smiled happily when she saw the witch's face of disbelief. Stormy was grinding her teeth and the wind picked up around them, while Darcy looked doubtful.
She didn't wait for any of them to really understand what was happening, and immediately fired with her most powerful spell at Icy. At the last moment, the ice witch understood the danger she was in, and flew upwards, her sisters joining her side.
As did the Winx with Bloom. They all stared at each other for a moment, before Icy attacked. Bloom simply created a shield of fire around them, and attacked at the same time, sending the ice witch backward, before flying after her. She would leave the sisters to her friends, but she wanted to deal with Icy personally.
Soon, the school was far behind her, and they both came to a stop above the Roccaluce lake. They exchanged spells and attacks, never letting the other catch their breath. One was always behind the other, sending her enemy into the water or up in the sky.
Unfortunately, they seemed to have the same amount of stamina and hatred for each other. A fire burnt in their eyes each time their gazes met, and they didn't bother naming their spells anymore. They simply shouted, picturing the other burning or freezing to their death.
Each time Bloom thought she had won, Icy came out with an even more powerful spell, her powers growing with her anger. And each time Icy seemed to have the upper hand, Bloom was able to reverse her cards and hit her target hard.
The battle went on for longer than they had anticipated. Hours flew by, and their energy didn't seem to weaken. On the contrary, each time Icy succeeded in freezing her alive, in blocking her into an ice prison, or sent her drowning in the lake, she came back stronger, energy pulsing around her, and retaliated just as powerfully.
She would be stuck into the frozen lake, but get out. She would crash in the water, but would instantly dry and retaliate. Icy would send a spell after her, and she'd simply teleport behind the witch before attacking her.
Eventually, they had to stop and catch their breaths, unable to come up with a way to overcome their nemesis. Bloom tried to stand up tall, and face Icy with a confident and infuriating smirk she'd seen so many times on another face, while the witch didn't bother to hide her frustration anymore. Her eyes had turned red, and her powers were building up inside of her. The red head could feel it without a doubt, and wondered what her next attack would be.
Her mistake was to never let her eyes off the witch.
All around her, ice started to attack her, and imprison her. After only seconds, she was unable to move, and was almost frozen alive. She couldn't even see around her, everything was white and blue. And cold, too.
For a moment, she wondered if that was how Omega prisoners felt like.
Her powerlessness against this situation angered her more than she could have ever imagined. She couldn't let Icy win, that was not a possibility. And this ice wasn't cursed like Omega's was. She succeeded in destroying what stood between Valtor and real world. This didn't compare at all.
But even with all those emotions inside her, she still couldn't work her magic to get to a point where she could get rid of the ice around her. She only needed a little push, and she would be done with the prison Icy had given her so generously. So she tapped into another source of power.
It was darker, and it was only remnants of what Valtor had given her, but it was enough. Making both magic work together was the hard part, but it wasn't impossible, and her will was powerful enough to do what she wished to.
She wouldn't lose to this pitiful excuse of a witch.
Her energy exploded at once, destroying the ice around her, and she stood still for a moment, letting the dark energy flow around her in a menacing manner, as she shone bright with power and anger. She barely registered the scared look on Icy's face though, before she struck with all her might.
The witch was sent onto the ground, fast, and for all Bloom knew, she had finally lost consciousness. She watched, blinking lazily, before flying after her, and catching her. She landed on the ground without her usual gracefulness, and let the body she held in her arm fall to the ground.
She then sat down to try and catch her breath. Her body was hurting from everywhere. She had been burnt because of the ice, that was for certain, and her wings were weaker than ever. But she had succeeded. She had defeated Icy, and trusted her friends did the same with her sisters. Otherwise she would be fighting two more enemies right now.
Applause coming from behind her should've surprised her, but she felt him arrive. Her eyes drifted lazily to him, as he came out of the shadows of the woods, a genuine impressed smile on his face. She rolled her eyes.
"You watched everything, didn't you ?"
"From the beginning to the end."
"Couldn't you help ?" She breathed out.
"And miss on the show ?"
She huffed.
He walked up to the witch, and touched her face with the tip of his boot, treating her as if she were a mere insect he really didn't want to get closer to. He then turned to her, putting his hands behind his back, and tilted his head, a satisfied smile on his lips.
"There is so much power in you, if you wan-"
"I knew it."
The voice put the both of them on edge, and Bloom stood up as fast as possible. She couldn't see the person who had uttered those words because Valtor blocked her view, but had talked to her so much for the past few weeks that she was forced to recognize her.
"I knew it," repeated Layla as Bloom sidestepped the wizard, seeing the angry fairy with what she believed to be tears in her eyes.
"Layla-"
"You have no right to speak my name !" Yelled the Princess. "You are nothing but a liar and a traitor !"
She fired at Bloom without warning, and the girl was sent backwards, almost into the lake. It took her a minute to come back to her senses, and what she saw scared her to the bone : Valtor, his hand raised and ready to fire at the Andros Princess, who lied limply against a tree.
What happened while she was out, she wasn't sure. Layla was unconscious, and the way Valtor held himself but, moreover, all of the magic swirling around him told her that the Princess might not recover from his attack.
She moved very fast, and collided with the wizard's arm, the spell missing its target entirely, and killing trees behind the girl. He turned around to look at Bloom with anger shining in his eyes, just as red as Icy's moments ago. But she didn't let herself be intimidated, and shook her head.
"I'm going to take care of this."
"She's going to destroy your life."
"She won't."
Bloom believed in what she was saying. She knew her friend was acting out of confusion, anger and despair. She wouldn't do anything against her once the situation would be explained. But she couldn't do that with Valtor next to her.
He stood taller, pushing away the hand she still had on his forearm, and sneered.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
And he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Immediately, she rushed to her friend's side, trying to sense her pulse. Although she found none.
She laid her friend on the grass slowly, and focused. She couldn't die. Not now. She was too young and she didn't deserve it. She wouldn't die because of her mistake. Her Kingdom needed her. If they learned their Princess had died at the hands of Valtor…
She pushed the thought aside, and focused on the body of her friend. Bloom tried to convey all her emotions into her friend, letting the warm feeling of love she had for the girl surround her. She didn't know what she was doing, but it felt right, and she decided she didn't care.
Layla coughed, and opened her eyes to stare at an exhausted Bloom. For a moment, nothing happened, before the black girl eventually pushed the red head back, scrambling to her feet, although she didn't seem very steady.
Still, the red head could only see anger and resentment on her friend's face.
"How could you ?"
"I'm sorry Layla. I can explain everything ! I never inten-"
"My people are dying Bloom ! And the families still alive count on me and my family ! This man is terrorizing entire Magical Dimensions ! He's destroying everything in his path ! For years we have been at peace, and now the whole ocean must prepare for battle ! Just because your Kingdom fell doesn't mean mine has to !"
It hurt, but she was too tired to get angry at what the Princess shouted at her. Mostly because it was true. She knew about the damages the wizard was causing all over Andros, and other planets, but was still willing to talk to him. She couldn't even begin to imagine what her friend was feeling at the moment, the situation all messed up in her head.
"I understand Layla, please let me-"
"You understand ? My own parents, teachers and any friend I ever had is in danger… all because of him ! And you allied yourself to him ? For what exactly ? His good looks ?! He destroyed your home and you're still willing to talk to him ?! You're just a selfish little girl."
Bloom frowned. The insult sting, but it was also true. If she kept going to him, it was for selfish reasons. It was only because she wanted to find her family, and understand what really happened to her Kingdom. He had an important role to play, as he served the Three Ancestral Witches, and she needed to gain his trust to discover what he knew.
But there was one thing she didn't like from her friend's accusations.
"Layla, I never allied myself to him."
"Then why was he here ? Why was he smiling and talking to you like you were old pals ?!"
"Because he saved me Layla !"
This seemed to quiet the girl down. She lifted an eyebrow. Bloom continued before her friend could say anything else, and took a few steps towards her.
"There's a lot to explain, but it's not as simple as it looks. He saved my life, and helped me when Mrs. Faragonda tried to hide my true origins from me. That is it. That's all there is between us. I never helped him do anything."
They heard a groan from behind, and turned to see Icy moving, probably coming back to her senses.
"I hope you have a good explanation."
"I promise."
Layla crossed her arms and eyed the red head as she took Icy in her arms once again, and they flew towards a celebrating Alfea, free of monsters, and with two Trix already in magical shackles. Bloom gave the last witch to Mrs. Griffin, and went back to her friends while Layla went back to her bedroom.
The girls looked curious, and Bloom slightly shook her head. Then Sky came and laughed, pulling her into a hug just like everybody else. They laughed and rejoiced. They finally had won over the Trix.
They defeated evil together.
Although, as she stared towards the destroyed windows of her room, Bloom wondered how long this peace was going to last.
An hour later, security entered the school, and took the three sisters through a portal to some monastery. Stormy screamed and kicked anyone who came anywhere near her, while Darcy stayed calm, accepting she had been defeated.
But Icy's eyes promised a horrible vengeance. Bloom simply answered with a cocky smile and a raised eyebrow, deliberately provoking the witch. She won against her once. She would do it again, and as many times as it took for the witch to finally admit her defeat.
With pleasure, she watched them go through the portal, and disappear.
The same night, a party was organized for fairies, specialists and witches alike. Everyone laughed, ate and danced. Some exchanged numbers, others exchanged schools as, for the first time in history, they were all standing in the same building, partying for the same reason.
Mirta was one of the people who would change schools. Her best friend Lucy seemed happy for her friend, although it was obvious she would miss having her as her roommate. She would exchange her place with Amaryl, who had grown quickly close to Mirta and Lucy during the battle. She was amazed at how witches fought, and decided that being a fairy maybe wasn't for her.
It only took Lucy to reassure her by telling her that, even though her powers revolved around stars and seemed to fit into the fairy style range of magic, she could very well make it work by being a witch.
Other students thought of quitting their schools to go to other ones in other dimensions, but quickly realized the impact Valtor had outside of Magix.
Few decided to go, and most students chose to go to the Beta Academy, the only school that seemed safe for now. But overall, it was known Valtor didn't attack Magix, so most parents decided that, now that the Trix were gone, they could let their child continue to attend the school, if that was what they wished to do.
Sky brought her out of her reverie.
"Bloom, I need to talk to you."
He seemed so serious in the middle of the dancing and laughing people that she didn't even try to joke, and simply followed him. They reached a quiet part of the school, where a lot of couples were hanging around, dancing to a slow beat music, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry I…"
He seemed hesitant, and she watched as he took a breath in.
"I just want us to remain friends."
She blinked.
Some couples looked their way, obviously pitying her, until she started laughing and surprised everyone.
"Oh no Sky you've got it all wrong !"
He sighed and relaxed.
"I don't know, I wanted to be sure and-"
"Don't worry, I understand. But I'd rather we stay friends. I still have a lot to do and a relationship on top of that wouldn't help at all !"
He laughed. Then he intertwined their arms, and led her back to the dancefloor, all his energy and joy back at once. They danced the night away, laughing as they got tired and kept stepping on each other's foots, before they calmed down and sat at their table, sipping away some magical juice that Mrs. Griselda had found hidden in the kitchens.
Stella and Brendon didn't leave each other's side neither. It seemed the Princess didn't think it was important for the King of her heart to have blue blood running through his veins. They looked happy, and were now hugging, dancing slowly to their own rhythm, their eyes closed. Bloom smiled, her heart melting at the sight.
Musa and Riven were standing on the dancefloor too, but dancing like crazy. They jumped around each other, smiled and laughed, and never stopped moving. All the tension was leaving their bodies as they kept running around, trying to come up with new moves.
As for Tecna and Timmy, they were sitting at the same table as Bloom and Sky, and were discussing some things that the red head would probably never understand. But she had eyes, and could very clearly see them holding hands, and the way their faces seemed to brighten every time they looked at each other.
Flora and Layla were dancing somewhere, too. The Princess had accepted to take some time off, even if the red head hadn't given proper explanations yet. All of them needed it, and it seemed the girl wasn't as angry as she'd been some hours ago. Although they all knew it simply was the calm before the storm.
"Ah, this is for us," said Sky as a ship landed outside of Alfea.
Paladin used his scepter to call attention, and the music disappeared slowly, as the path towards the exit of the school was lightened up. He called all his students to come and enter the ship, to get back to their own school. Goodbyes were uttered, hugs given, feather kisses gifted, and the Specialists were gone.
The girls then looked at Mrs. Griffin who also called her students, making them disappear in the sky, all of them going back to their own dormitories. Some fairies followed, and waved goodbyes to their friends, while witches were doing the same for those who decided to stay behind.
Soon, everything was calm, and Mrs. Faragonda authorized the party to continue until morning. They were in no rush, after all. Although most of the students had now realized how really tired they were. Mrs. Griselda called for the new students to follow her to the now empty dormitories, and the Winx decided to get back too.
Layla kept her eyes on Bloom, and the latter could feel it. But she said nothing, and understood why she was acting that way. She was tired, but owed her an explanation. She'd come to call her a friend, and counted on her during the final battle. She wouldn't abuse her trust anymore.
Layla would know the truth. The entire truth. It didn't matter if it hurt, or if she could go to prison for it. She couldn't keep lying to her friend. This was going against everything she believed in. She was a fairy, and she had to live up to the title.
She turned the doorknob, and soon all of them were sitting on the couch with anxious faces. Layla stood before them, her arms crossed. Her eyes didn't betray any emotion, though they could feel the anger radiating off her.
"Explain."
Bloom sighed, and eyed her friends. If she went down, she simply hoped the Princess wouldn't make them go down with her. They only helped keeping her safe.
So she did explain. From the simulator test, to finding herself on Omega probably because of the Trix, to being chased down the dimension by prisoners and lizards, and freeing Valtor to save her life. Then how she got out, and back safely to Alfea.
"But I saw you, back in the cave. All of you."
This was no question, and Bloom nodded. The others looked away, guiltily.
"You all knew about it ! You saw what happened to the mermaids but still, you went down to talk to that… monster ! Why ?"
She sounded hurt, and it made Bloom tense. She felt so bad for everything she'd done. Maybe there could've been another way. Maybe she could've gotten out of Omega without Valtor, or maybe she could've never gone back to him for more information in the first place and would've simply dealt with what Mrs. Faragonda gave her.
There were a thousand of ideas of how she could've done things differently that ran through her head, one thought replacing the other, while Bloom tried to grasp the last bits of her courage. Her actions now seemed so stupid, and reckless. She put all her friends in danger, and now they all had to deal with it.
"Because he was the only willing to give me information about the Nymph Daphné," she said in a breath.
It took a second for Layla to understand.
"You mean your older sister ?"
Bloom nodded, while Layla sighed in disbelief.
"How did you get him to help you ?"
Bloom shrugged. She honestly had no idea why he kept answering her questions, while he could've ended her life in a snap of his fingers. Or transformed her into one of those horrible mermaids. He had every opportunity for it, and she would've never been able to fight back.
Now that he knew of her true heritage, she was even more confused. What stopped him from killing her, or take her power ?
"Anything else you can tell me about him ?"
Bloom thought hard.
She told her about the time a monster, sent by the Trix, invaded their dreams, and how he tried to help her by putting some of his powers in her, and how she had to go back to him so he could take his magic back.
She told her friends about meeting him accidentally at Red Fountain, the day they discovered Sky and Brendon's true identities.
And she revealed how the Trix found her, as she searched for him back in his lair on Andros, to have more answers about her past and the Nymph. Because he was the only person she trusted to tell her the truth.
She felt silent after that.
Layla was pacing back and forth, while her friends fidgeted.
Eventually, the Andros Princess had to come to a stop.
"I understand."
Bloom looked up when the words registered in her mind, surprised beyond words.
"You do ?"
"Of course. I'm angry, but I don't let my feelings cloud my judgement. And I can clearly see that you did not try to help him. I can't imagine what I would've done if I were you."
Bloom felt the corners of her lips lift up with hope.
"But we still need to do something about him. I need him gone."
The red head nodded, serious once again. Before she understood what the Princess meant behind those words.
"You really expect us to fight back a wizard as powerful as him ?" Asked Musa, yawning immediately after finishing her sentence.
"No. But we can always find a way, later. We're not powerful enough, but one day we will. We will be Guardian Fairies, and our Kingdoms and the Magical Dimensions will need us."
They all nodded. Bloom slower than her friends. She had no idea what a Guardian Fairy was.
Destroying Valtor would be like destroying the last hint she had about her family. He had been under the Ancestral Witches orders for so long : it was obvious he had some kind of information. She was certain of it. But he wouldn't share it like that.
She prepared herself to say something, when the Princess turned around suddenly, putting an end to their conversation.
"I have to get back to Andros now, I have matters to attend."
The girls knew what lied underneath these words : she was going back to deal with Valtor's damages to her Kingdom. Their gazes crossed, and the anger still shined bright in the girl's eyes. But she nodded solemnly, conveying all her respect towards the five girls, and disappeared in a blink of an eye.
"Are you really going to destroy Valtor ?" Asked Tecna a few minutes later, an eyebrow raised at her friend.
"I want to get as much information about my parents as I can before it comes to that."
"But are you ready to kill someone ?"
This time, the question was quiet, and came from Flora. The girl seemed nervous, and kept playing with her hair to avoid their eyes on her. It made the red head look away, as she tried to think about it. She shook her head, eventually.
"I don't think so."