Chapter Text
The Burned Ones were all around her. Bloom was well aware of this fact. Their screeches jeering, their teeth gnashing, she never had more cause to be afraid than in this moment. If it were to be any other circumstance, she would very well be terrified. But Bloom knew better than to let her guard down. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and in the back of her mind she heard the taunting whispers of Rosalind. Go on then, her scathing voice echoed. It’s now or never.
Bloom could feel her friends’ worried gazes boring into her from the nearby trees. Trusted reinforcements, Aisha and Stella were at her beckoned call, but that didn’t matter anymore. For the first time since her arrival at Alfea, Bloom knew she had a purpose and a role to fulfill. She had a special connection to the Burned Ones for a reason, albeit even if she didn’t exactly know what that reason was.
Slash! Long claws were suddenly mere inches away from where her face once was seconds ago. Time was of the essence. Sam was still suffering at the mercy of his attacker and he did not have much longer to live. Bloom had to act quickly.
Praying to whatever hierarchical beings could hear her (after learning about the Otherworld, nothing was out of the question), Bloom began to summon the ancestral fire buried deep within her. Flames licked at her skin and heat began to flood the forest exponentially.
Unlike previous attempts, Bloom discovered with satisfaction that she commanded the flames with ease. Her auburn curls, drenched in sweat only moments before, now fanned around her in almost a regal fashion. Bloom found her ankles lifted from the ground by the wind, and she rose to such a height that she towered over the Burned Ones. Two glorious wings comprised of flames materialized onto her back. Bloom could feel her powers growing, and she relished in her strength with newfound determination.
With a deafening roar, she went on the offense. Strike! She blasted fire at the first Burned One and killed the monster with ease. Whoosh! The flames emanating from her hands struck two more Burned Ones without even a moment’s hesitation. It went on like this for what felt like hours, but was merely seconds, until finally the last Burned One crumpled to the beaten earth below Bloom’s feet.
She could hear the cheers from her friends in the distance and could make out an approving nod from Headmistress Dowling in her peripheral vision. However, that didn’t matter. Bloom dropped back down to the grass, and her wings vanished just as quickly as they appeared. Her breaths were ragged and her strength was gone, but this battle was the self-affirmation she so desperately needed. She did it.
It was then that Headmistress Dowling approached her with a small smile on her face. “Well done, Bloom,” she said. “You’ve defeated the Burned Ones.”
Bloom slowly stood up to meet the older woman’s gaze, but was hit with a wave of nausea that sent her fumbling to find proper footing. The corpses of what were supposed to be Burned Ones weren’t there, only to be replaced with the bodies of people. The realization sent Bloom reeling: the Burned Ones were actually human at some point in their lives.
Aisha and Stella followed behind Dowling and embraced Bloom in a warm hug. “Bloom, I don’t know if I consider you the bravest or dumbest fairy in the Otherworld,” Aisha scolded. “How many heart attacks are you going to give me in the entirety of just one day?”
“I’ll admit, I think you’re growing on me a little bit,” Stella mused, “and I may just call you a friend. May. I wouldn’t hold your breath.”
Bloom chuckled at what she thought was the nicest thing Stella had ever told her since she arrived at Alfea. “Thanks, Stella. It means a lot.”
In reality, Bloom could not grasp the enormity of the circumstances at hand. If anything, her situation seemed all but set in stone. The end of what felt like the worst night of her life should be cause for celebration, yet Bloom felt a hollow pit forming in the bottom of her stomach. She knew her problems were far from over.
Dowling seemed to sense her inner turmoil. “I’m sure Bloom needs plenty of rest after this,” she coughed, “excursion. Bloom, we’ll have much to discuss in the morning. I’ll trust you girls not to spread too much information about the full extent of Bloom’s powers,” she finished, raising an eyebrow at Stella and Aisha.
Weren’t wings forgotten long ago in Alfea’s ancient history? At least, that’s how Bloom remembered it from her basic studies in the past few weeks. She achieved her wings. Her powers had become so potent in the course of a few months that she gained her wings. If not for the horrific events that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours, Bloom would have reason to be thrilled. Nothing but dread consumed her now.
She staggered once, then twice. Bloom heard voices, but they weren’t coherent enough for her to make any sense of them. Stella’s face swam into view; worry was clearly evident in her features, though Bloom couldn’t decipher why. Her ears began to ring with a scream that sounded like it could have belonged to Aisha. The only thing Bloom knew for sure was that she was tired, oh so tired, and closing her eyes for a moment wouldn’t hurt.
When Bloom’s eyelids finally fluttered shut, somewhere far away, Rosalind smiled.